Pointless Babblings

Apr

2016

Update and review round-up

Hello! Sorry it’s been a while – I’ve been hard at work on my fifth book, and I thought it better I spend my sadly limited time on that, rather than on blogging or making videos. But I haven’t vanished completely! I’m always on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter, so you can frequently find updates there, and of course you can always sign up for my newsletter.

The new book is called The Dystopia Spell, and it’s the first book in a new series called Multiverse Mashup. I’m shooting for a May release – more details soon!

And finally, Alan Lennox and the Temp Job of Doom has gotten a few nice blog reviews lately, so if you’re curious:

More soon, I promise!

Oct

2015

New York Comic Con 2015 – Day Two

(Day one) (Day three)

Day two of New York Comic Con 2015! I had a very full schedule of panels starting around mid-day, so I got some time in on the Exhibition Floor and Artist Alley in the morning. I made a point of going through the small press section of the main floor – that’s where all the independent authors would be. I learn a lot from watching and interacting with other authors at these cons – both what to do, and what not to do. One guy jumped down my throat as soon as I made eye contact – nothing against his work, but I could tell at a glance that his comic wasn’t my style. I just smiled at him, wasn’t stopping, but he launched into a detailed description of his book, and when he finished he immediately jumped into a description of his other book without giving me an opportunity to speak or, you know, walk away. It was very awkward. He took a breath and I muttered “thanks” and kept walking. Whereas another person’s book did look interesting to me, I stopped, picked it up, read the back, and she just stood there, staring at me. I looked up at her and she said, “Hi,” and nothing else. I felt too uncomfortable to ask her any questions, so I put down a book I might have bought and kept walking.

Lessons learned – don’t be desperate. Give people the opportunity to walk away politely. But if they do seem interested, engage with them in some way!

I stopped to chat quickly with one author whose booth and books looked interesting (and who struck the perfect balance between the two extremes I just described), Cerece Rennie Murphy. I’m always curious as to whether it’s worth it for me, as a self-published author, to get a booth at NYCC, so I asked her about her experiences. She spoke highly of exhibiting at cons – she does a number of them – so something for me to think about. (Although I enjoy attending NYCC so much that I hate the idea of not being free to wander, go to panels, and take everything in.)

I made my way down to Artist Alley, to check in with Ryan and Mia. Lots of cosplayers, obviously, and I got a couple of pictures.

John Constantine and Zatanna.

And the Sixth Doctor! I love a good Doctor Who cosplayer. He doesn’t have the hair, but that’s for the best. Sylvester McCoy taught us years ago that nobody looks good in a Colin Baker wig. (Real Doctor Who fans know what I’m talking about.)

Here are Mia and Ryan at Ryan’s booth. I love that Death Betty pin-up on the wall. Ryan was talking to some folks and I was trying to capture him being all professional, but he spotted me and I guess wanted to look all smart.

So here he is expounding on comic philosophy. Very erudite! And look at those sketches on the table – gorgeous! You can find more of his work at ryanwinn.com. Check it out!

Selfie with Mia, just like the cool kids are doing!

I said goodbye to them for the time being and headed off to my first panel, wolfing down my sandwich on the way since I wouldn’t have much time for lunch later. First was “Crip Culture and the Media – Perceptions of Disability in Film and Television.”

From left to right, that’s Shannon Devido, Lawrence Carter-Long, Howard Sherman, Maysoon Zayid, and moderator Dominick Evans (sorry, I didn’t realize at the time that his face was blocked by the paper and I didn’t take another pic). This panel was brilliant. It was everything I was looking for in yesterday’s panel on disability, and more. These folks are actual artists and creators with disabilities (except for Sherman, a knowledgeable ally). I’m still processing everything. I was particularly impressed with Zayid, her points about the problems with actors without disabilities portraying characters with disabilities really struck me. Lots for me to think about as I move forward with improving the representation of people with disabilities in my own work.

I got to relax a bit, because the next panel I wanted to attend was in the same room. I moved to the front for “The Next Big Thing: Indie Authors Creating Brave New Worlds.” This was the panel I had been looking forward to the most, for probably obvious reasons.

From left to right, there’s Greg Garay, Cerece Rennie Murphy, Nilah Magruder, April Adams, Neil Gibson, and co-moderators Michael “7” Michael and Dean Plakas. Murphy (remember her, from a few paragraphs ago?) had put the panel together – it was the first of its kind at NYCC. Every year, I respond to NYCC’s feedback request by asking for panels on self-publishing, and I’m so, so happy that this happened. It was great hearing from both prose and comics authors on their own particular journeys to independent publishing. If I’m honest, I can’t say that I learned much that I didn’t already know about the actual self-publishing process, but the audience was filled with aspiring independent creators who I’m sure got a lot of info and some great inspiration. And I got introduced to the work of some brilliant independent authors.

My next commitment wasn’t a panel, but a signing. I’m not much of an autograph hound – if I’m buying a book from a creator, I’ll get it signed because why not, but otherwise, I don’t much care. But I couldn’t miss this one – Ana Matronic, from the band Scissor Sisters, was signing copies of her new book at the Sterling Publishing Booth. It was starting not long after the panel got out so I rushed up to the Exhibition Floor, expecting to be at the back of a long line. I needn’t have hurried – there was nobody waiting at all. WHICH IS INSANE. Ana Matronic is the epitome of awesomeness. So I took the opportunity to get a copy of her book, Robot Universe, and then just sort of stood around waiting for her. A small line did form behind me, but I was the very first to meet the electric Ms. Matronic.

Flawless! I stammered that I was a big fan, she signed my book, and I asked if I could get a picture. She was super nice. Love her forever!

Since I was done much sooner than anticipated, I had some extra free time. I wandered back to the small press section and picked up a comic by Neil Gibson, who had been on the indie panel, and had another quick chat with Cerece Rennie Murphy. I thanked her for putting the panel together and offered my services if she needed any help for next year. I doubt she does, everything went great this year, but anything I can do to increase the visibility of self-published authors at events like this, I’ll do! Need a spreadsheet? I’m aces at spreadsheets.

I wandered around the floor a bit and snapped a few more pics…

Silk! (Update – Instagram has provided some IDs for some of the cosplayers I took pics of – this is @silkyjem.)

Clark Gregg (Agent Coulson!) made what I think might have been a surprise appearance at the Marvel booth, signing whatever was thrust in his face.

I’ve never seen the movie and honestly did not realize that he was Conan. I just thought he was some random barbarian. Nerd cred damaged.

I get Wario and Waluigi, but I don’t know the middle two. Are they specific Mario characters or just general Mario world denizens?

Ms. Marvel cosplay makes me happy.

By the time I made it back downstairs I was at the end of the line for the next panel, but once again, only needing one seat worked to my advantage and I was front and center for “New York TimesOUT Presents Gay Geek Culture.”

That’s moderator Jude Biersdorfer from the New York Times, Sam Maggs from The Mary Sue, author Damon Suede, and actors Paul McGill and Andy Mientus. Judy Stephens from Marvel was also there, but she came in late and I didn’t get a pic. The focus on this panel was broader than just comics, covering all media, including Broadway thanks to those two on the end. I enjoyed that, being a theater person myself.

I had a choice to make – well, really, every day at comic con is filled with choices, because there’s always at least two cool things happening simultaneously. But I try to make it to everything queer I can, and I had to decide between another panel or the “LBBTQIA in Comics and Pop Culture Meet-Up.” I’m trying to get better about networking and being social, so I went to the meet-up. Regretted it almost instantly. It was lovely, everybody was sitting around chatting, but introducing myself to a stranger with no purpose beyond just getting to know them is not something I’m capable of without a vodka tonic in my hand. I did say hello to Andy Mientus because I have a friend in Spring Awakening with him, but after a quick mutual, “Oh, yes, of course, he’s great,” I couldn’t think of anything else to say and just sort of drifted off.

I’m much better with books than I am with people. Sigh. So I left the meet-up prematurely and resumed wandering.

Here’s a shot of the entrance hall. So many people!

Hawkeye, Agent Carter, WWII Captain America (@todaystuesday), and Doctor Strange (@elegantfeatherduster)! Love the mustache.

I really liked these three – Scarecrow, Joker, and Bizarro.

You’re a wonder, Wonder Woman.

The day was winding down, and I was beat, but I still had two panels to go! Penultimate was “Geeks of Color, Third Edition: Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger.”

I was actually seated way in the back, but I snuck up to get this pic. When they were actually speaking I couldn’t see them, so I might have my who’s who wrong (sorry!), but I believe from left to right it’s Camilla Zhang, Shelley Diaz, N. Stephen Harris (hidden by the podium), moderator Diana Pho, Melissa Grey, Eric Dean Seaton, Tatiana G. King-Jones, and Tracey John. Another good talk on representation by some smart artists, but I confess my attention lagged. I couldn’t see them so it was sort of like listening to a podcast, and I was tired, tired, tired. Not their fault – what I remember was great! (I’m so lame.)

My final panel began right after, at 7:45pm. I had been at the con for a million hours by this point, but I wasn’t about to give up in the home stretch. I made it to “BookTube 101” right on time.

From left to right, that’s moderator Natasha Polis, Christine Riccio, Kat O’Keefe, and Jesse George. BookTube is the name used for a subset of YouTube channels all about books, and it’s something I know very, very little about and thought I should learn more. These four were a lot of fun, I can see why their channels would be popular – they were all very charming and funny, and damn, their enthusiasm for reading was just a complete joy to experience. As tired as I was, they kept my interest for the whole hour. Really glad I stayed for this one.

And that was that! Ryan and Mia finished up in Artist Alley around the same time as I got out, so we went and grabbed some dinner at Chelsea Grill followed by cookies at Schmackary’s. (Can’t go to Times Square without Schmackary’s cookies.) Then home for a rest and recharge before day three.

Day two loot! It was a light day – I didn’t have much time to shop! Twisted Dark is the comic I picked up from Neil Gibson of the indie author panel, and Robot Universe is of course Ana Matronic’s book. (I love the kitty-cat crimefighter tote bag I got free with it.) The rest is assorted bookmarks and fliers I either took or had shoved in my hand. I do look at them all, once I’ve decompressed – I’ve found some good stuff I otherwise would have missed that way.

Sleep!

(Day one) (Day three)

Oct

2015

New York Comic Con 2015 – Day One

It’s here, it’s here, New York Comic Con is here!

I got my pro pass well in advance this year. My plan is to do three of the four days. I took Thursday and Friday off of work, and will be going Saturday as well. There’s some fun stuff on Sunday, but I expect I’ll be pretty wiped by then and ready for a day at home. (Especially as I’m considering attending the Geeks Out after party on Saturday night…)

So the pro pass is a great deal – it’s cheaper than a single day pass, and it’s for the whole con. The only other benefit it provides is you get to enter through a different door than everyone else, skipping the main line. Every other year I’ve gone that hasn’t really been an issue – maybe it’s just been the times I’ve been getting there, but there’s never really been much of a difference in wait time between the “blue door” and the main “green door.” Not this year! The con started at ten, and I got there shortly before. There were con volunteers blocks away steering people in a certain direction, but I ignored them and continued to the blue door.

I got in very quickly, but figured it wouldn’t have made much difference if I had followed the herd. I was very wrong! I was supposed to meet my friends Maggi, Ron, and M at 10:15, but a text from Maggi told me that they were in the main line – and would likely be there for quite a while. The line was winding up, down and all around the town. Some scofflaws were apparently jumping to the front of the line without consequences, but my friends are law-abiding citizens and had to wait.

Meanwhile, I seized the opportunity to explore the almost empty exhibition floor. Er, sorry, guys. (And thank you, pro pass.)

Found a great cosplayer right off the bat – love this TARDIS outfit. (I think she was actually working at this booth, but I can’t remember what it was for…)

Most of the vendors were still getting set up, so I went over to Artist Alley, always my favorite part of any convention. Just at the entrance, a small crowd was gathered, watching some television getting made.

Seth Myers was interviewing cosplayers for a segment on his show. Pretty cool! They were wrapped and gone very quickly – I assume they were taking advantage of the outside line chaos and getting out before the bulk of the crowd had made it inside.

No pictures of Artist Alley – I’ll try and get some tomorrow – but I did stop at Ryan Winn‘s booth to say hello. I know Ryan and his wife Mia through my friend Kate Danley – in fact, I first met them at my first NYCC, a few years back. Kate couldn’t make the trip this year, but it was good to see Ryan and Mia. And to have a place to hover all day whenever I had some time to kill. (I think I managed to avoid chasing away actual customers. I hope so, as I plan to continue visiting regularly for the next two days.) And I picked up the first (or, zeroth, I guess) issue of Death Betty, a comic by Ryan and Adam Jackman. Check it out, it’s great! (Just click all the links in this paragraph. They all lead somewhere good.)

Alas, my friends had still not made it inside, so I went to my first panel of the day, “We Need More Diverse Comics.”

Sorry for the terrible picture of the backs of people’s heads. I sat in the last row so I could slip out discretely if and when Maggi texted me that they had made it inside. But that’s moderator Christian Zabriskie on the end there, and then – and I could have all of this wrong – that’s Karen Green (or her hair, at least), Eric Dean Seaton, Vishavjit Singh, and Ivan Velez. Alex Simmons was also on the panel, but he showed up a little late, after I had taken this picture. Or maybe after and he’s actually in there, it’s not like I can tell.

It was a pretty interesting discussion – I’m a sucker for a good diversity panel. I’m a strong advocate for including lots of different types of people in fiction, as you might know if you’ve read any of my books. Unfortunately I didn’t stay too long – the panel started at 11:15, and at 11:30 Maggi texted me that they had made it in, after an hour and a half in line. Huzzah! I did linger a bit, as Singh started telling the story of how the “Captain America in a turban” phenomenon started. Remember that, from about two years ago? That was him. He’s an artist and had initially drawn an image of Captain America with a beard and turban, which became so popular that he was persuaded to dress that way by a friend. It’s a pretty great story – look him up if you haven’t heard of him.

Cosplay break!

Disney princesses! I think? Who’s the one with the basket, anybody know? I thought it was Alice at first, but the colors aren’t right. What kind of Disney queen am I? Whoever she is, I wish her eyes were open.

Zatanna, mistress of magic! This is back down in Artist Alley.

Hawkman! I am living for those wings.

Lunch at the Javitz Center would cost about the same as my grocery bills for a year, so we all had brought sandwiches. It was pretty crowded but we found some floor space to pop a squat. Hey, wanna see my friends eat lunch?

Ron and Maggi! Note the Predator in the background. Don’t get too excited, that’s a fanny pack.

We had different agendas for the day, so after lunch we split up. I found another cosplayer I had to get a picture of:

Squirrel Girl! I love Squirrel Girl. Then I was off to my second panel, “Disabled or Mislabeled? Graphic Novels and Comics About Disabilities.”

Slightly better picture this time – at least you can see the panel. Unfortunately, I’ve no idea who is who. Google image search wasn’t too much help, but I think this is the order, left to right: Natalie Korsavidis, Valerie Acklin, Jessikah Chautin, and Martha Divittorio. It was a fairly interesting panel. I do wish they had found some disabled creators to speak. All four women, I believe, are librarians and comics fans, so they were able to talk knowledgeably on the subject, but it was mostly a listing of comics characters with disabilities rather than an in-depth discussion of the state of the industry in regards to this kind of representation. It livened up a bit when the audience got to ask questions, although many of those were also just recommendations of more things to read.

I’m probably presenting this a little unfairly – it really was interesting. I had gone into it with unrealistic expectations, maybe – I would like to do better at including people with disabilities in my own work, and was hoping to hear from some other writers on the topic. But that wasn’t how the panel was billed, so I really shouldn’t judge it for not giving me something it didn’t promise.

My friends were in panels of their own (and M was in line to meet Felicia Day), so I wandered Artist Alley a bit more, then hit up my last panel for day one, “New York TimesOUT Presents LGBT in Comics.” I had lingered a little too long – I needed a snack and bought some overpriced cookies at the food court, which led to me getting in line a little late. But being on your own has its advantages (he said, eating a pint of Ben and Jerry’s while watching an entire season of Doctor Who in one sitting), and I was able to slip into an open seat in the second row, front and center.

Which means better pictures! Here’s most of the line-up: left to right, that’s Kris Anka, artist on Captain Marvel and Ms. Marvel; Jennie Wood, creater of Flutter (which I bought the first volume of at NYCC last year, and got it signed by her – it’s good!); Babs Tarr, artist on Batgirl; Kevin Wada, artist on She-Hulk and Catwoman; James Tynion IV, writer of Batman & Robin Eternal and Constantine: The Hellblazer; and moderator Jude Biersdorfer from sponsor The New York Times.

And then slipping in just under the wire, on the far left, is (my favorite) Steve Orlando, writer on Midnighter and Virgil (which I bought from him at Flame Con earlier this summer).

This was a terrific panel – kudos due to Biersdorfer for being a great moderator, asking intelligent questions that kept things moving. Some good questions from the audience, as well. Tynion talked about how important it had been to him to make John Constantine’s bisexuality explicitly clear in the first few pages of the first issue of the relaunched Constantine: The Hellblazer, which I remember came as a very happy surprise to me when I read it, after the producer of the TV show took such pains to make clear the television version would remain heterosexual.

Tarr was fun, she talked a lot about the designs of the various Batgirl characters, including the new costume.

And Orlando spoke a lot about the importance of Midnighter as the only lead queer character currently carrying a solo book from DC or Marvel, and how presenting him as a single, sexually active gay man is as important, and as boundary-pushing, now, as presenting him as in a steady relationship with Apollo was back when he first appeared. Overall, a great panel.

That was it for panels for the day. But not for cosplayers!

Iron Fist!

At first I thought this was Bloodshot, but I think now it’s Captain Atom, from the shape of the chest design, and the costume color pattern. It’s just the lines on the face that have me wondering if maybe it’s a different character entirely. Anyone?

Gritty 90s Aquaman!

And on our way out…

Deadpool conga line! Because why not? Honestly, I’m sort of over Deadpool cosplay – I’ve never been a huge fan of the character (though I do like the most recent run a lot), and the humor of the cosplayers rarely works for me, despite the endless spins they put on it. Okay, I’m a grump. But I did like that the last person in line (who you can’t see in this picture, unfortunately) was Bob, Agent of Hydra, Deadpool’s perpetually unfortunate sidekick.

One last group shot, and we were out! Actually, they went back for an 8pm panel, but I was done so I said my farewells. I’ve got two more days of this to get through, and my legs were already screaming in protest. Super fun first day, though!

Day one loot and swag! There’s the aforementioned issue of Death Betty, signed by Mr. Winn. I got two issues of the Doctor Who comic from the Titan booth, with the NYCC exclusive covers. I don’t actually give a crap about exclusive covers, but those issues aren’t in stores until next week, and you couldn’t get that nifty Firefly bookmark without a purchase, so I figured I might as well scoop them up now. And that book Arena was a free giveaway from the publisher, I don’t know much about it but it sounded all right. The rest is just random stuff I picked up here and there, but I do like that bookmark from The Martian. Words to live by.

More to come!

(Day two) (Day three)

Aug

2015

Thoughts on Star Trek (1) – The Original Series, Season One

After Doctor Who, my favorite science fiction franchise would have to be Star Trek. I remember the episodes of the original series playing endlessly in syndication when I was a kid, I saw all the movies in the theater, and I was there on day one when The Next Generation premiered. I’ve stuck with it through highs and lows, all the way through the disappointing finale of the otherwise underrated Enterprise and the questionable reboot movies.

A while back I started on a massive re-watch of the entire canon, starting from the beginning and proceeding chronologically. (I decided to watch the original series in production order, since the broadcast order was decided by the network rather than the producers. Less continuity weirdness if you watch it in production order.) I was really struck by just how brilliant the original show was, and how well it holds up today. I have a lot of thoughts on it, and since, hey, I’ve got a blog, I thought I’d share them. So here’s the first in a probably quite long series of my thoughts on Star Trek, covering the first season.

Here’s how I’m doing this. Each entry starts with a code for the series (TOS: The Original Series; TAS: The Animated Series; TNG: The Next Generation; DS9: Deep Space Nine; VOY: Voyager; ENT: Enterprise; MOV: the movies), followed by the season number, the episode number and the episode title. Then, to help refresh your memory, I’ve given the episode synopsis from Memory Alpha, the premier Star Trek wiki. Then the date the episode first aired. Then, in case you still don’t remember it, my own quick description of which one this is, based on whatever I think is the most memorable part of the story. Finally come my own thoughts on the episode, neatly bulleted. Sometimes I have a lot to say, sometimes I don’t. Let’s get to it!

TOS 1×0. The Cage

While investigating a distress call from Talos IV, Captain Christopher Pike of the starship Enterprise is captured and tested by beings who can project powerfully realistic illusions.

The unaired pilot, with nobody you know except Spock in it.

Jeffrey Hunter (Pike) is very handsome. (Yes, this is my first thought on the entire Star Trek canon. I feel like it’s a good idea to let you know how serious to take this right off the bat.)
On meeting his new yeoman, Pike is unhappy with having a “woman on the bridge.” God damn it, Star Trek. Hurry up and get progressive already.
The different illusory settings created by the Talosians are done well, especially the fight in the castle.
The Talosians’ plan to repopulate their planet with two humans seems peculiar. Apart from the obvious inbreeding problems once you hit the second generation…why bother? If your species is going extinct, how does breeding a completely different species to replace you help?
Vina can’t go with Pike at the end because she’s ugly, and therefore can’t be around other people, and he accepts this. God damn it, Star Trek, what did I just say?

TOS 1×1. Where No Man Has Gone Before

An encounter at the limits of our galaxy begins to change Lieutenant Commander Gary Mitchell and threatens the future of the Enterprise and the Human race itself.

First aired September 22, 1966.

The one where Kirk’s BFF gets super-powers and goes crazy.

I like these early Starfleet uniforms. They’re basically just sweaters. They look comfy.
Sulu is a physicist in this episode. That’s weird.
And we meet the chief medical officer of the Enterprise, Doctor Piper. (Don’t get too comfortable, Doc!)
Hard to get a handle on who the main characters of the show at this point were supposed to be, beyond Kirk, Spock, and Piper. Scotty’s pretty prominent, I guess, but Sulu doesn’t do much. Lt. Kelso seemed like a lead until Mitchell killed him. Good fake out!
This is a pretty great episode. As much as I liked Captain Pike and Majel Barrett as his first officer, I can see why the network retooled it. I don’t know why they held this episode back to air third, though – apparently it was felt to be “too expository” to be the pilot, but it seems pretty action-packed to me. That last battle between Kirk, Mitchell and Dehner is a lot of fun.

TOS 1×2. The Corbomite Maneuver

Exploring a distant region of space, the Enterprise is threatened by Balok, commander of a starship from the First Federation.

First aired November 10, 1966.

The one with creepy child Clint Howard.

Sulu’s at the helm, McCoy is in sick bay, and all is right with the world. I wonder what happened to Dr. Piper? We’ll never know.
Kirk’s annoyed at being assigned an attractive female yeoman. When does this show get progressive, exactly?
That attractive female yeoman is, of course, Janice Rand, who will be a major character for a while before leaving the show under truly horrible real-world circumstances.
This is Lt. Uhura’s first appearance too. I love Lt. Uhura. I get very excited whenever they let her have a line.
Chief navigator Lt. Dave Bailey keeps fucking up, again and again and again. And then he yells at the captain. If I didn’t already know, I’d guess we wouldn’t be seeing him again after this episode.
Balok is clearly a puppet, but I’m guessing the crew shouldn’t feel too badly about not realizing this since most of the aliens they’ll meet won’t be puppets despite clearly being puppets. If that makes sense.
Bailey’s all calm now, and Kirk’s like, “Eh, insubordination, shminsubordination, take your post.” They’re very forgiving in the Federation, I guess.
Clint Howard as the real Balok is way scarier than the puppet. I don’t know why he bothered with it.
Balok asks for one of them to live with him, and Lt. Bailey is immediately all, “Yeah, I’ll live with the freaky alien kid with the disturbingly adult voice. Sure.” Kirk talks a good game about how it’ll be good for Bailey but I think he’s just eager to get rid of him.

TOS 1×3. Mudd’s Women

The Enterprise rescues a con man named Harry Mudd who is trafficking in mail-order brides.

First aired October 13, 1966.

The one with the space pimp.

I have trouble believing Harry Mudd is any good at his job. He is so obviously a stereotypical con man I half expect him to knock on my door and convince me to switch to an alternative energy provider.
There are only three miners on the whole planet? I don’t know if that means the colony is extremely efficient, or extremely inefficient.
The scene with Eve and the miner Childress reminds me of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. But in space. Seven Space Brides for Seven Space Brothers.
Uhura was in gold in this episode and the previous one. They were still figuring out exactly what everyone’s roles aboard the ship were, but it’s a shame they didn’t run with the idea of having her be a part of Command division. Can you imagine Kirk leaving for an away mission and saying, “Uhura, you’ve got the conn,” and she moves to the big chair? That would have been fantastic.
I’m fantasizing about ways Star Trek could have been more progressive, because this episode with the mail-order brides isn’t doing it for me, for some reason.

TOS 1×4. The Enemy Within

A transporter malfunction splits Captain Kirk into two people – one good and one evil, and neither capable of functioning well separately.

First aired October 6, 1966.

The one with the evil duplicate Kirk that isn’t “Mirror, Mirror.”

The first “transporter malfunction causes the plot” episode. But not the last!
Also the first attempted rape on Star Trek. But not the last!
It’s evil duplicate Kirk on Janice Rand, in case you’re wondering. She fights him off and scratches the hell out of him in the process. Good for her!
There is some great Shatner scenery-chewing in this episode. It started early.
Sulu’s stranded on the rapidly-freezing planet and does the “heat the rock with a phaser” trick for warmth. Do NOT think too hard about the physics of this. Just accept it.
I love the little alien doggie that gets split into good little alien doggie and evil little alien doggie.
After everything’s been resolved, Spock makes a smarmy comment to Rand suggesting that the evil Kirk had some qualities she found “interesting.” Fuck you, Spock. He tried to rape her. Asshole. (No joke. It is an ugly moment and it’s meant to be the lighthearted ending to the episode.)

TOS 1×5. The Man Trap

A mysterious creature stalks the Enterprise, murdering crew members.

First aired September 8, 1966.

The one with the salt vampire that looks like a cross between Bigfoot and a lamprey.

Crewman Darnell once met a pretty woman on “Wrigley’s Pleasure Planet.” We don’t learn anything else about this place, but based on the name alone I very much want to visit.
The appearance of the salt vampire gets made fun of a lot (in the real world, I mean, not in the story), but I actually think it looks pretty good.
There’s some quick flirty banter between Spock and Uhura in this episode. It didn’t seem like the set-up for a real romance – Uhura was teasing him – but it does set the stage for an interesting relationship between the two. (Which never goes anywhere, unfortunately.)
There’s also a great scene with Rand and Sulu in the ship’s arboretum. Sulu has an interest in botany, apparently. That will also never be addressed again.
These very early episodes tried to showcase some of the other crew members and make more use of the ensemble, but that fades away pretty quickly. It becomes all about Kirk, Spock, McCoy and sometimes Scotty, and the rest settle for the occasional plot point without much in the way of character development. It’s a shame – there were a lot of interesting interpersonal dynamics to explore, and the original cast were pretty good actors, for the most part.

TOS 1×6. The Naked Time

The Enterprise crew is intoxicated by an inhibition-stripping contagion which causes mayhem throughout the ship.

First aired September 29, 1966.

The one where they all get space-drunk.

Lt. Tormolen (don’t bother remembering his name), while examining mysterious deaths, removes the glove of his environmental suit to scratch his nose. I’m sorry, he deserves what he gets.
Shirtless sweaty fencing Sulu. Yeah, I can get into that.
Most of the Enterprise crew are pretty friendly drunks. Everybody’s pretty frisky. I’d take them with me to Wrigley’s Pleasure Planet for sure.
I don’t really get why Nurse Chapel is so into Spock, but Majel Barrett sells it.
Shatner takes a lot of shit about his overacting, but his “Never lose you. Never.” to the Enterprise is fantastic.
And they travel back in time three days at the end for…reasons? I always found that ending bizarre, it’s apropos of nothing. It doesn’t lead into a time travel episode, it just kind of happens. Oh, we traveled backwards in time a few days? Huh. Weird. Whatever, carry on.

TOS 1×7. Charlie X

The Enterprise takes seventeen-year-old Charles Evans aboard for transport after he spent fourteen years alone on a deserted planet, but he’s unable to reintegrate with his fellow Humans.

First aired September 15, 1966.

The one with the horny super-powered teenager.

I can’t help but feel that this episode is somewhat influenced by that “wish it into the cornfield” episode of The Twilight Zone.
More flirtatious teasing from Uhura to Spock, as she sings to him in the rec room. I wonder if the writers of the new film series were spring-boarding off of this early relationship?
More threateningly sexual advances on Rand.
I don’t have a lot to say about this episode. It’s serviceable. Kind of a deus ex machina ending, but that’s hardly unique for this series.

TOS 1×8. Balance of Terror

The Enterprise battles a Romulan ship suspected of destroying outposts near the neutral zone.

First aired December 15, 1966.

The first one with the Romulans.

The episode begins with Kirk officiating a wedding between two crewmembers we’ve never met before. What are the odds of both of them making it to the wedding night?
Everybody’s all freaked out because the Romulans look like Vulcans, like Spock. But nobody thinks it’s at all strange that they’ve met so many alien species who look like humans?
Okay, I guess in the series so far they haven’t met any aliens who look like humans. (Clint Howard doesn’t count.) But they will! Tons! And nobody mentions it then!
This episode is very, very good. Mark Lenard as the Romulan commander is perfect.

TOS 1×9. What Are Little Girls Made Of?

The Enterprise finds archaeologist Dr. Roger Korby, who has been missing for five years, living underground on a deserted planet with a group of sophisticated androids.

First aired October 20, 1966.

The one where Nurse Chapel has a lot to do.

I always like episodes where a character outside the Big Three gets a turn in the spotlight, so I have a fondness for this one. It fleshes out Nurse Chapel’s backstory quite a bit and Majel Barrett is very good in it. It’s just a shame that it’s such a generic “torn between my duty and my man” kind of story.
And what happened to her being in love with Spock? Seems weird they don’t mention it, since it was such a big deal just a few episodes ago and this story is all about her love life.
Korby made himself a sex bot. They don’t even try and bury that behind a space allegory.
Kirk’s on the run from Ruk the giant robot, and he breaks off a stalactite to use as a weapon. It looks exactly like a giant pink dildo. It even has balls.

TOS 1×10. Dagger of the Mind

A routine visit to the Tantalus Penal Colony proves dangerous for Kirk and an Enterprise psychiatrist.

First aired November 3, 1966.

The one with the penal colony. (It’s not a very memorable episode, honestly, but isn’t penal a fun word?)

Van Gelder escapes from the penal colony by hiding inside a crate that’s beamed aboard the Enterprise. That is some seriously lax security on both ends.
It’s the first Vulcan mind meld! It’s treated here as a much bigger deal to do than it will be later, when Spock’ll meld with anyone with a pulse, the hussy.

TOS 1×11. Miri

The Enterprise discovers an Earth-like planet that was devastated by a horrific degenerative disease and is now populated entirely by impossibly old children.

First aired October 27, 1966.

“No blah blah blah!”

Yeoman Rand gets a lot to do in this episode. I always forget what a major character she was on the show before Grace Lee Whitney’s unfortunate departure.
The disease is supposed to have killed anyone post-pubescent, but Jahn is making it hard to suspend my disbelief. He looks like a middle manager at a box company.
It’s really fun to watch Kirk get the crap beat out of him by a bunch of children.
So, the planet is completely identical to Earth, and they never really try to find out why. (Besides the obvious reason, that the studio wanted to use existing backlots instead of making new alien-looking exterior sets.) They mention it at first, have a sort of, “Huh, that’s weird,” reaction, then never discuss it again. I’m not sure they have this whole “mission of exploration” thing down.

TOS 1×12. The Conscience of the King

An actor traveling aboard the Enterprise may be a former governor who ordered a mass murder twenty years ago.

First aired December 8, 1966.

The one with the Shakespeare plays.

Pretty big back-story introduced for Kirk here, that he was a survivor of a famous massacre on an Earth colony when he was young.
The whole story here hinges on the fact that of 4,000 survivors, only nine ever saw the face of the man who committed the massacre. But that man was the governor of the colony. He was the governor and he killed thousands of people. That didn’t make the news? They didn’t have a yearbook photo or something?
Maybe it’s a Hamlet homage but Kirk takes his damn sweet time deciding that the traveling actor on-board is the evil governor, well past the point when it’s completely obvious to everyone.
That aside, I do like all the Shakespearean influences on this episode. It’s right up my alley.

TOS 1×13. The Galileo Seven

Spock faces difficult command decisions when his shuttle crashes on a hostile world populated by barbarous giants.

First aired January 5, 1967.

Everybody hates Spock.

This is a great episode, but some of the characterization falters in service of building up tension. The reactions of the shuttle crew to Spock’s command are ludicrous for military personnel – they’re insubordinate, bordering on mutinous. And Commissioner Ferris might as well be twirling a mustache, he’s so pointlessly evil.
Uhura gets to be science officer for a day. That must make a nice change for her. They’re really committed to cross-training in Starfleet.
The ending is very tense. Despite myself I was genuinely concerned that the Enterprise wouldn’t spot them.
This is one of many episodes that ends with everybody laughing at Spock. It’s a good thing he doesn’t have emotions, the poor guy.

TOS 1×14. Court Martial

Kirk is accused of criminal negligence causing the death of one of his subordinates, Lt. Commander Benjamin Finney, and is put on trial for his murder.

First aired February 2, 1967.

The one where Kirk killed a redshirt, maybe.

Cogley, Kirk’s lawyer, talks about the history of those who created law, from “Moses to the Tribunal of Alpha III.” This is a small detail, but they do it a lot on Star Trek and I really like it – they’ll include, in a list of historical events or personages, some fictional creation from the future, unknown to us. It’s good world-building, and reminds us that there’s a whole history of the galaxy between our time and theirs.
Uhura takes the navigation console at the end of this episode. She can do anything! She could run the whole Enterprise herself, screw those other guys. Uhura’s awesome.
There’s an unnamed personnel officer who gives testimony at Kirk’s trial, played by Nancy Wong, an Asian-American actor. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a person of color in a supporting role on the show, and it’s certainly not the last, but I make note of it here just as an opportunity to say how great it is to see a popular television show in the 1960s with such diverse casting. The show was really committed to the idea that all of humanity had united by the time of Star Trek and racism was a thing of the past for humanity. Of course, it could have been better – there were a lot of white dudes in Starfleet – but compared to other television shows of the time, it deserves its groundbreaking reputation – not just for the obvious reasons, like Nichelle Nichols as Uhura on the bridge, but also for Nancy Wong as the unnamed personnel officer feeling bad about having to testify against her captain.

TOS 1×15. The Menagerie, Part 1

Spock fakes a message from the Enterprise’s former commander, Christopher Pike, steals the vessel, and sets it on a locked course for the forbidden planet Talos IV.

First aired November 17, 1966.

The one where they chop the pilot up into two episodes.

I confess, I skipped most of the pilot re-hash and just watched the framing sequences. It hadn’t been that long since I had watched “The Cage” and it really didn’t hold up to another re-watching so soon.
Wow, communication methods for people who are “locked in” has really regressed in the past few centuries. They can’t even hold up an alphabet chart for Pike to beep at?
Lt. Hansen makes his second appearance as helmsman. The second part of this story will be his last appearance as helmsman. The first series in particular had an awful lot of personnel making a handful of appearances, making it seem like they might become main characters, before vanishing, never to be seen or mentioned again.

TOS 1×16. The Menagerie, Part 2

While Spock faces court martial for kidnapping Captain Pike and hijacking the Enterprise, he further explains his actions with mysterious footage about Pike’s captivity by the Talosians.

First aired November 24, 1966.

The one where they chop the pilot up into two episodes. Part 2.

It’s a little severe for Starfleet to punish contact with Talos IV with the death penalty, especially if it’s their only capital offense. Those guys aren’t so terrible. They let Pike go. Eventually. Maybe Starfleet just doesn’t want anybody watching the pilot episode?
Commodore Mendez’s reaction to the Orion slave girl is to drool a little and comment that they’re supposed to be “irresistible,” and not, “she’s a slave, how horrible,” as one might expect.
Psyche! Mendez was never there, it was all an illusion! So really it’s the Talosians who are being disgusting.
Pike gets to the transporter room and down to the planet pretty damn fast considering his situation.

TOS 1×17. Shore Leave

The Enterprise crew take shore leave on a planet where their imaginations become reality.

First aired December 29, 1966.

The one where McCoy sees the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland.

The best part of this whole episode is Finnegan, the Irish upperclassman who taunts Kirk to the accompaniment of a jaunty jig. I would watch a Finnegan spin-off.
McCoy is super gross to Yeoman Barrows, but she’s into it.
We get another almost-rape, this time on Barrows by an illusory Don Juan. We learn at the end that these illusions are caused by the secret wishes of the crew, which is…disturbing, regardless of exactly whose secret wish it might be.
The episode ends by revealing they were never in any danger and absolutely nothing was at stake, so, you know. Glad I spent an hour on that.

TOS 1×18. The Squire of Gothos

The Enterprise is captured by Trelane, the childish ruler of Gothos.

First aired January 12, 1967.

“Are you challenging me to a duel?”

William Campbell as Trelane is everything.
I love this episode, so, so much. It sets the template for what will become a pretty generic Star Trek plot – the crew is kidnapped and manipulated by a God-like alien. “Where No Man Has Gone Before” and “Charlie X” were both proto-versions of this type of story, but “The Squire of Gothos” perfects it.
There doesn’t seem to be any particular reason why Yeoman Ross couldn’t have been Yeoman Rand – except, of course, for the behind-the-scenes drama. Too bad.

TOS 1×19. Arena

Kirk battles an alien captain who destroyed a Federation outpost.

First aired January 19, 1967.

Kirk versus the lizard-man.

Sulu’s in command! When Kirk beams down he leaves Sulu in charge, which makes so much more sense than Scotty, who would quickly become the default stand-by captain. The chief engineer should be in engineering, whereas Sulu’s just a few feet away from his normal post. Also, Sulu is bad-ass. (I’m glad the movies finally realized this.)
Another god-like alien race – the Metrons, this time – having their way with the little people.
The Gorn looks like a Sleestak on steroids but I like it.
This is an all-out action episode, and they do it right. Kirk trying to build a cannon before the Gorn rips him to shreds is gripping.

TOS 1×20. The Alternative Factor

Investigating the cause of a massive, galaxy-wide disruption in space, the Enterprise finds a mad scientist who claims that he is being pursued by a hideous being.

First aired March 30, 1967.

The one with the guy fighting his twin from the negative universe.

For all the crap I give this show about its occasionally contradictory relationship with gender roles, sometimes it really gets it right on the diversity front. This episode features two female African-American bridge officers like it ain’t no thang. In addition to Uhura, this week’s one-off character is Lt. Charlene Masters, who wears science division blue but also works in engineering. She does her job. She gets involved in the main plot, filling the role Scotty would normally play (he’s not in this one). She complains about coffee with her assistant, an unnamed white guy. It’s 1967, and this is network television, and all of this is important.
The image of Lazarus and his evil double fighting in the negative space corridor is really striking. I saw this episode as a kid and it really unnerved me for some reason.
This is one of those episodes that really isn’t that great – it tends to drag – but that I like anyway, probably because of how much it freaked me out as a kid. Kirk’s last line is unnecessarily portentous, though – “But what of Lazarus? What of Lazarus?” Uh, you just locked him in a battle with his evil double until the end of time, Kirk, that’s what of Lazarus. You had a whole conversation with him about it. Don’t act like you don’t know what you did.

TOS 1×21. Tomorrow Is Yesterday

The Enterprise is hurled back in time to the year 1969, where the US Air Force sights it as a UFO. The crew must find a way to erase evidence of their visit before trying to get back to their future home.

First aired January 26, 1967.

The time travel one where they kidnap the fighter pilot.

Now, this is a good episode. Lots of action, the plot keeps moving, some good character-based comic bits, likable guest star playing a good guy who acts as the antagonist for entirely believable reasons. More like this, please!
Wouldn’t it have been cool if this episode had followed The Naked Time, and the pointless time travel at the end of that episode had been how they wound up in 1969? It would have been a neat little cliffhanger linking two otherwise unrelated adventures. Shame they didn’t really do that sort of thing back then – all the episodes had to pretty much stand alone (with rare exceptions, like “The Menagerie.”).
This is the one where the computer calls Kirk “dear” because it was overhauled on a female-dominated planet. I…think it’s supposed to be a joke?
The ending is cool. Just don’t try and think the time travel stuff through too hard. Why does Christopher forget everything when they beam him home? Because science, that’s why.

TOS 1×22. The Return of the Archons

The Enterprise discovers a planet where the population act like zombies and obey the will of their unseen ruler, Landru.

First aired February 9, 1967.

The one with the orgy.

The natives of this planet are mind-controlled drones but they periodically engage in the Festival, which is twelve hours of uncontrolled debauchery. It looks hella fun. Five stars on Trip Advisor.
Kirk justifies violating the Prime Directive again. It’s not that I disagree, but it seems like it’s becoming more of a Prime Suggestion.
Kirk logics another computer to death. After 6,000 years it must have really needed a software update.
Another episode with a great set-up and a weak resolution. Why does Festival even exist? There’s no reason for the computer to allow it except to offer an exciting plot device and ramp up the danger a little.

TOS 1×23. A Taste of Armageddon

On a diplomatic mission, the crew visit a planet that is waging a destructive war fought solely by computer simulation, but the casualties, including the crew of the USS Enterprise, are supposed to be real.

First aired February 23, 1967.

The one where all the people line up to be atomized because the war computers told them they had to.

I remember this episode as a favorite when I was a kid, so I had that moment of, “Ooh, this is a good one!” when I recognized it.
Are all Federation Ambassadors and Commodores and Admirals willfully obtuse? Ambassador Fox is one of many Federation authority figures who exist only to ignore obvious warning signs and order the Enterprise crew to do something stupid for the sole purpose of putting them all into danger. At least he wises up by the end, although it takes him actually being forcibly marched into a disintegration chamber before he starts listening to Kirk.
Spock does the mind meld on a guard – from the other side of a wall. Time to dial back those Vulcan superpowers a little, I think.
Kirk threatens to implement General Order 24, which would command the Enterprise to destroy all life on the planet. I keep waiting for him to explain that it was a bluff, and General Order 24 doesn’t exist, but apparently it does. That’s pretty hardcore for a fleet of ships on missions of peaceful exploration.
This is a great episode – lots of action, and the central conceit is just plausible enough to make it extra disturbing.

TOS 1×24. Space Seed

The Enterprise discovers an ancient spaceship carrying genetically enhanced supermen from late 20th century Earth and their enigmatic warlord leader: Khan Noonien Singh.

First aired February 16, 1967.

Khaaaaaaaaaaannnnn!!!!!

Ricardo Montalban is fantastic. Maybe the best guest star of the entire series. There’s a reason they made a movie out of a sequel to this.
Lt. Marla McGivers is a bit of a wet noodle, though. She commits treason because Khan is just such a manly man that she can’t control the pitter-patter of her girly heart. Ugh. How did you ever get out of the Academy?
Man, remember the Eugenics Wars of the 1990s? Those sure did suck.
Uhura gets a killer moment when she’s slapped for refusing to give Khan the information he’s looking for. The looks of defiance she gives him afterwards is fierce. Nichelle Nichols is a national treasure, y’all.
Deservedly considered one of the best episodes ever. I certainly think so.

TOS 1×25. This Side of Paradise

The Enterprise crew finds happiness at a colony where alien spores provide total contentment.

First aired March 2, 1967.

The one where the crew gets high. No, not drunk, that was “The Naked Time.”

I can’t believe that the production crew of this episode did not intend for the spray spore of the evil pod plants to look like ejaculate. The crew gets blasted with it, head to toe. It’s like somebody made a Star Trek porn parody consisting entirely of bukkake scenes.
This is the third and final appearance of Lieutenant Kelowitz, who had a small part in “The Galileo Seven” and a slightly bigger one in “Arena.” Even this late in the season the show is still figuring out who the major recurring characters are going to be.
“I have never understood the female capacity to avoid a direct answer to any question.” Fuck you, Spock.

TOS 1×26. The Devil in the Dark

The Enterprise arrives at Janus VI, where an unknown monster is destroying machinery and killing the miners, threatening the entire mining operation.

First aired March 9, 1967.

The one with the rock monster.

Another classic. The first half, when the Horta’s killing everybody, is genuinely creepy.
It does stretch credulity a bit that the miners have discovered literally millions of perfectly smooth silicon spheres in the mines and nobody ever bothered to spare a thought as to where they might have come from.
I think Leonard Nimoy took some acting lessons from Shatner while preparing for his mind-meld with the Horta. “Pain! Pain!”
This is the first “I’m a doctor, not a…” line. (Bricklayer, in this instance.) Surprisingly late in the series.
I like how immensely pleased with himself McCoy is after he heals the Horta. Maybe he is a bricklayer after all.

TOS 1×27. Errand of Mercy

Kirk and Spock try to protect the planet Organia from the Klingons, but the natives don’t want the Federation’s help.

First aired March 23, 1967.

Klingons! Finally!

The pre-existing tension with the Klingon Empire seems like a really big deal considering we’ve never heard of them before.
The Klingons are instantly a believable threat, more so than just about any alien race we’ve been shown before. It’s clear why they became the main antagonists of the series.
And Kor is awesome.
The Organians’ pacifism would probably be a bit nobler if they weren’t omnipotent. Kind of easy to be all high and mighty about violence when you are, in fact, higher and mightier than everybody else.
This is a fantastic episode. The conflict of Kirk and Spock against Kor is tight. I love it despite the deus ex machina all-powerful aliens ending.

TOS 1×28. The City on the Edge of Forever

After taking an accidental overdose of cordrazine, Doctor Leonard McCoy goes back in time and changes history.

First aired April 6, 1967.

You know this one. Even people who never saw the show know this one.

Wow, this really was a hell of a streak, wasn’t it? I know they didn’t air in this order, but the production team was on a role.
McCoy “accidentally” injects himself with that cordrazine for a really long time. You honestly couldn’t have stopped pressing that button, Doctor Feelgood?
Hey, it’s Lieutenant Kyle! Have I mentioned him yet? He’s the major character you don’t remember – I had honestly forgotten all about him until I started this re-watch. He’s in more episodes than anybody outside of the main characters, I think. He even makes it into the animated series and has a small part in the second movie. He’s usually manning the transporter, although he pops up in other positions whenever they need somebody to say a few lines. Remember him yet? No? He’s in more episodes than Janice Rand! Ah, well, sorry, Lieutenant.
Uhura’s in the landing party! I love when Uhura gets to go down to a planet. It doesn’t happen very often.
The Guardian of Forever is very free with his time travel abilities. You wanna hop inside, change history, maybe wipe out your entire species before it evolves? Knock yourself out. Not much of a guardian, is he? More like the Napping Night Shift Security Guard of Forever.
Kirk explains Spock’s eyebrows and ears away by saying he’s Chinese and had an accident with a rice picker. Jesus Christ.
The scene where the homeless guy accidentally vaporizes himself with McCoy’s phaser gives me the shivers. Frankly, the whole idea that the phaser has a setting that completely disintegrates someone without a trace freaks me out. I know it’s just science fiction, but it’s always struck me as a really horrible way to die. (I know that’s kind of a downer thought, but cut me some slack, this whole episode is a downer.)
While the main question of this episode is a great one – would you sacrifice someone you love for the greater good? – the message conveyed – that pacifism could destroy the world – is slightly less great.

TOS 1×29. Operation – Annihilate!

The Deneva colony is attacked by neural parasites that cause mass insanity while the crew of Enterprise search for a way to stop them.

First aired April 13, 1967.

The one where Kirk’s brother dies.

Really great pre-credits teaser – the mysterious ship plunging itself into the planet’s sun, the pilot intent on killing himself, resisting any attempts to save him. Good mysterious set-up!
Kirk’s brother dies off-screen, before the crew arrives. It’s a bit shocking, to have the brother of the lead character killed so casually. The story doesn’t make as much of it as it could, frankly. By the end of the episode Kirk’s joking around like nothing happened.
I can’t decide if the parasite creatures are disturbing or ridiculous. They look like a cross between a jellyfish and a frog that’s been run over by a truck, but there are so many of them and the pulsing creeps me out.
Then they start to fly and I settle on ridiculous.
A pretty good episode, but nothing special considering it was the season finale. (It was last in both production and broadcast order.) I know season finales weren’t quite as big a deal back then, but they really should have gone with “The City on the Edge of Forever.”

Next: The Original Series, Season Two

Jun

2015

Gay Pride, New York City 2015

Whoo! Quite a Pride weekend, eh? I was off work on Friday so I was sitting at home, at my computer, watching a live Supreme Court coverage blog, waiting for the decision on marriage equality. Once the happy ruling was announced, I did my day’s worth of editing (life goes on), then hurried down to the Stonewall Inn. If you don’t know, on June 28, 1969, the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village was the site of what became known as the Stonewall uprising (or sometimes the Stonewall riots), when patrons fought back against a police raid. The demonstrations went on for three days, and that date (or the nearest Sunday thereabouts) is commemorated as the day of Gay Pride celebrations in America and around the world.

Whenever there’s a major victory to celebrate (or a tragedy to mourn), people tend to congregate at the Stonewall, and I wanted to be with my people, so down I went.

I’m going to put the rest of this post behind a link, because – fair warning – it’s huge! There are two hundred and thirteen pictures of NYC Gay Pride 2015 here, so don’t click through unless you’ve got the time (and bandwidth) to load a mountain of fabulousness!

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