Seeking out fans: Star Trek stars shine at KC’s Planet Comicon

The opportunity to see some of our favorite actors is a major highlight of attending Planet Comicon in Kansas City, Missouri. The three-day event each spring brings some of Hollywood’s fan favorites to the Midwest.

This year, we enjoyed watching and listening to Star Trek Universe icons William Shatner and Jonathan Frakes entertain hundreds of fans during their celebrity panels. Brent Spiner, Data from “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” made a surprise appearance during Frakes’ panel.

William Shatner

Shatner, who will always be best known as Captain James Tiberius Kirk from the original series, was hilarious as he talked about behind-the-scenes moments on the set of the 1960s series. The audience laughed as he told tales of pranking co-stars Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelly.

Shatner capped our experience of seeing five of the seven core actors from the television and movie series. Nimoy, Nichelle Nichols and George Takei attended the ceremony when Walter Koenig received his Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. We later visited with Koenig, who attended Grinnell College in Iowa, during O Comicon in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Kelly and James Doohan died in 1999 and 2005, respectively.

“Star Trek,” which aired for three seasons on NBC, was saved by Lucille Ball, whose Desilu Productions company was an investor in the series. The franchise developed a cult following in the 1970s when the show aired in syndication. The characters were revived for six feature movies.

Of course, the original led to several spin-offs, beginning with “Next Generation.” Soon after, “Voyager,” “Deep Space Nine” and “Enterprise” would follow. Today, “Discovery,” “Picard” and “Strange New Worlds” continue the explorations of Star Fleet. “Lower Deck” offers an animated look at the STU.

Jonathan Frakes

Frakes, who portrayed Commander Will Riker – aka Number One – on “The Next Generation,” injected a lot of humor as he engaged the audience during his hour-long session. He also acknowledged the deaf interpreters, who offered assistance for hearing-impaired fans, by joining them and using sign language himself.

One comment he made struck a hilarious chord. During one scene, as the USS Enterprise is being assaulted with laser photons and the ship’s bridge staff is being tossed about, Frakes said Sir Patrick Stewart looked at him as he bounced back and forth and said, “Jonathan, I studied with the Royal Shakespeare Theatre for this?!” The audience roared with laughter.

On a serious note, Frakes discussed the importance of science fiction series such as “Star Trek” and “Orville,” because they serve a niche and tell positive stories.

Brent Spiner

During Frakes’ panel, Spiner, a castmate, joined him on stage. Spiner, who played the always serious Data, entertained the crowd with his humor, including a spot-on impression of Stewart as Captain Jean Luc Picard. The duo played off one another, and Frakes was gracious enough to give Spiner the spotlight for a few minutes.

While other celebrities visited Planet Comicon, including Richard Dreyfuss and Cassandra “Elvira” Peterson, and drew hundreds of fans to their panels and autograph sessions, we focused on the “Star Trek” stars. Lisa even stood in line to have a photo taken with Frakes (a wedding anniversary gift. Yep, she’s a true geek).

Comicon fun

While celebrity panels are often entertaining, the main floor of the pop culture convention provides its own moments of fun. From cosplayers dressing as their favorite character or just opting for a unique look, you’ll find outstanding costumes to admire. This year, a couple dressed as red-shirt Lego Star Trek characters were our favorites, followed closely by a man dressed as Yosemite Sam, a classic cartoon character from the 1960s.

Vendors sold wares such as T-shirts, comic books, and cosplay props. A Kansas City company offered 3-D figurines of people, while another introduced visitors to classic pinball arcade games.

We enjoy visiting Planet Comicon each year because there’s always something fun and unique that we find, as well as meeting new people. Mark your calendar for March 8-10, 2024, for the next Planet Comicon as they celebrate 25 years of pop culture fun in Kansas City. But don’t put your costumes away quite yet. Planet Anime Kansas City, from the producers of Planet Comicon, will take place at KC’s Bartle Hall Oct. 21-22. Plan on plenty of stars, celebrity panels, vendors and tons of anime cosplayers.