Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Con serves up some classic TV fun

It was our first time at this past weekend's Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Con in Hunt Valley, Maryland, and we had a lot of fun. Not only did we behold some fabulous stars of classic television, but we got to indulge our love for some terrific TV toys of the 1970s and '80s, as well ...

It was a Bionic reunion as Lindsay Wagner, above, star of "The Bionic Woman," appeared, as well as Lee Majors of "The Six Million Dollar Man" and their costar Richard Anderson, below, with his manager.

Action figure cosplay? Believe it! This couple did a dynamite redeaux of the Six Million Dollar Man and Bionic Woman 12-inch figures of the 1970s by Kenner (see the real things in the first season of the Terrific TV Toys series, by the way!). And wow, yes, there were action figures for "The Love Boat." Seriously ..

"The Dukes of Hazzard," Donny and Marie Osmond's variety show, "Charlie's Angels," "Mork and Mindy" and more ... We saw all kinds of tempting TV toys!!!!

Stay tuned, because we're bringing you four great interviews from the event in the coming days ...

Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV

Copying with credit is OK; a link would be grand

TV-themed goodies get us ready for the holiday season ... but just not quite yet

I know, I know -- how frustrating is it to see Christmas stuff in the stores in September? We don't like it much either. We like to hang onto summer in September, embrace our pumpkin spice lattes and Batgirl costume only in October, love Thanksgiving in November, THEN (and only then) enjoy the Christmas season. Still, we couldn't help but snap photos of what we saw in the Hallmark store over this past weekend. So many fun Christmas tree ornaments related to beloved classic TV shows, from the Six Million Dollar Man to the Muppets and Mork from Ork and more ...

Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV

Copying with credit is OK; a link would be grand

"Dukes of Hazzard" creator Gy Waldron weighs in on the Confederate flag

Much has been said in recent months about the Confederate flag that sits atop the General Lee car on "The Dukes of Hazzard." We were delighted, however, to read these words from Gy Waldron, the creator of the beloved 1980s TV series. Mr. Waldron is kind enough to let us reprint them here ...

Waldron is still at his writing craft, by the way. He has written a book, a romantic thriller called "Twist of Time." See GyWaldron.com to learn more.

......................................

The General Lee

My grandfather, Franklin, of whom Uncle Jesse was based, said, “Never debate with one whom you must first educate; you’ll both lose.”

The discussion about the Confederate flag is impassioned and acrimonious, and I don’t want to heighten the tension or offend, defend, preach or justify.

Growing up in the South, I had an experience with the Confederate flag that perhaps those who reside outside the South may not understand. Family, friends, neighbors and local business owners had no attachment to racism or white supremacy, but many – most – did fly the flag from their porches. Seeing the flag flying was ordinary and uneventful yet seeped in culture. It represented not slavery nor racism, but Southern heritage—much like sweet tea, cobbler, playing country music on the back porch, or multiple dialects. It was unique to its setting, found almost everywhere, and most definitely not a symbol of racism.

To have it placed on the roof of the General Lee was not politically profound; it defined the culture of Hazzard County, which had nothing to do with racial superiority. And while “Southern lifestyle” is entangled with controversial definitions, the one referred to here crosses racial lines—I shared this experience with black and white friends throughout my lifetime.

My family history is entangled; two brothers fought on opposite sides of the Civil War and my great, great grandfather, Anthony McGill, owned slaves. One year before the war started, McGill became a Baptist Abolitionist, and as such, no longer had slaves under the dictates of his faith. Two of the then former slaves moved north, while another two, a couple, chose to stay on the plantation with McGill. They were sharecroppers, the first in the county, and were buried in our family graveyard after a long life of farming with my family. Generations later, we were active in the Civil Rights movement.
None of this is to mark my place with a particular opinion. I’m laying out my experience, not for an expiation of wrongdoing, because I am not a racist; it is merely to establish discourse and personal clarity. I hope you’ll join me in conversation and help deepen my understanding of all angles and thoughts on the matter.

--Gy

Terrific TV Toys on Wheels: KITT of "Knight Rider"

We have had a great time this week and last week showing you some Terrific TV Toys on Wheels, as a special set of episodes in our regular web series. For the fourth installment, we turn our attention to the classic '80s TV show "Knight Rider," starring David Hasselhoff. Little boys everywhere (including this author's cousin, Jimmy!) were once enthralled by Michael Knight and his talking car KITT, and perhaps still are, and in this episode, we talk to one of those boys all grown up: David of Clio, Michigan. David loves taking his KITT car to shows all across Michigan, like this one, the Cruisin' Hines show that happened last weekend in Metro Detroit. His KITT has a working dashboard full of gizmos and gadgets and a voice of KITT that just doesn't quit! Thanks so much, David, for taking the time to talk to BRBTV!

Terrific TV Toys on Wheels: The General Lee

In the past week, the Terrific TV Toys series delivered up a couple great TV star cars: the Munsters Koach and the Batmobile. Well, now, how about a little "Dukes of Hazzard" action? In the newest episode, it's another great Terrific TV Toy on Wheels as we talk to Kevin of Dearborn Heights, Michigan, about his General Lee. He bought it from our buddy Billy in Tennesee, and it was bright and gleaming as it took in the fifth annual Cruisin' Hines event in Livonia, Michigan, this past weekend. Kevin even weighs in on that whole Confederate flag business as he tells us about some of the details of this car.

And then, who stops by, but President Abraham Lincoln? Or a guy who looks a whole lot like him?! Ron is from Livonia, and this is the second year in a row we saw him stop by the star cars and pose for pictures at Cruisin' Hines.

Finally, at the end of this episode, you will behold the beautiful array of "Dukes" cast and crew signatures Kevin has on the trunk lid of his General. He tells BRBTV he regrets not being able to have Christopher ("Vance Duke") Mayer sign the trunk, too, before the actor passed a few years ago. But it's a good collection, besides!




Stay tuned, because we've got one more TV star car to show ya this week ...

Terrific TV Toys on Wheels: Munsters Koach

Whew, it's been a busy week on the BRBTV News Blog, and we're glad it's Friday! Let's celebrate with another great Terrific TV Toy for grown-ups, shall we?

At last weekend's Woodward Dream Cruise, the Munsters Koach replica that calls Metro Detroit home was on a mission. It desired a particular signature on its dash, and the particular person to provide that signature was appearing at the Dream Cruise, most specifically near Nine Mile and Woodward at the Ferndale stretch of the cruise. That particular person was Butch Patrick, aka Eddie Munster of classic TV's "The Munsters."

Patrick owns his own Munsters Koach replica, actually, but don't be confused. The Koach you see moving along Woodward Avenue in the latest installment of the Terrific TV Toys series is the former, and the Koach you see sitting next to Patrick's signing table is the latter. Oh, and then there's a fab reproduction of Grandpa's Dragula car from "The Munsters," to boot. That's Patrick's too. It makes for a fine display at events like this!



This is the second episode in our special Terrific TV Toys on Wheels series -- look for more in the coming weeks and months.

Woodward Dream Cruise: The Red Baron shows up, but Snoopy's nowhere in sight

The Red Baron, of course, is a real historical figure, Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen, respected by comrades and enemies alike for his piloting prowess for Germany during World War I. But c'mon ... can you look at this thing of beauty from last weekend's Woodward Dream Cruise and not think of Snoopy???

The owner is from St. Clair Shores, The Detroit News reported, and the plane (a red tri-plane, like the Red Baron actually flew) runs on a lawnmower engine. The propeller is powered separately by a battery. It may not fly, but it did drive down Woodward Avenue, at about 10 miles an hour, as you'll see in this video.



(We came thiiiiiiiiisssss close to making this into a Terrific TV Toys on Wheels episode, since Snoopy did battle the Red Baron in that creepy-cool fantasy sequence in 1966's "It's a Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown," the third Peanuts TV special and the second one to be holiday-themed. But that's a bit of a loose connection, right? Hmmm ...)

BRBTV votes this one best in show for the Woodward Dream Cruise!!!! But hang on, we've got one more great vehicle to show you from the cruise (actually, three, if you really think about it), coming up for the next episode of Terrific TV Toys on Wheels. And this one has a definite classic TV connection!

Rest in peace, Yvonne Craig, who blazed a beautiful Bat-trail for many other females

CNN's report calls her a "pioneer of female superheroes" and even mentions our fair "Superchicks" Lynda Carter and Joanna Cameron in the first breath. Indeed, Yvonne Craig was the first real live-action TV superheroine, before the Wonder Woman and Isis of the 1970s, as she donned that lovely purple and yellow Batgirl costume for the 1960s "Batman" series. But more than that, she showed true girl power, and she was a wonderful role model for little girls everywhere.

This author first interviewed Ms. Craig back in the late 1990s for a story for The Detroit News in advance of her appearance at the Motor City Comic Con. She returned to the con over the years, like this appearance in May 2012, when I got to see her again and chat with her -- and buy her book, which is a wonderful examination of early Hollywood. This actress lived those years before she ever did "Batman" or "Star Trek," and had great stories to tell.

Read the lovely words from her family on her official website, as well as her obituary.

Terrific TV Toys on Wheels: The Batmobile

Some TV-related toys are for grown-ups, as you've seen on quite a few episodes of the Terrific TV Toys series. And some of those TV toys for grown-ups are on wheels, as you're about to see in the latest episode.

A Metro Detroit collector snagged this Batmobile replica earlier this year, based on the car Adam West and Burt Ward drove in the 1960s live-action "Batman" TV series, and here you see it taking in its very first Woodward Dream Cruise. This tour down the famous Woodward Avenue is only fitting for a famous star car (arguably the most recognizable star car there is). This was the Wednesday before the big Saturday event, and you can see the cars and the spectators already lined up and ready to roll.



Stay tuned ... we're delivering another Terrific TV Toy on Wheels this week, and it's from a classic show that's just a few years older than this one!

Universes collide: "Star Trek" meets Hazzard County in this con report

There are some surprising cross-overs from the "Star Trek" universe to the classic "Dukes of Hazzard." A fan of both of those pop-culture giants, author Brian Lombard graciously offers BRBTV this report from the field, following his trip to Las Vegas for the "Star Trek" convention last week. He spoke to three "Trek" stars who also happened to do some time in Hazzard County ...

First up was Andy Robinson, Garak from "DS9." He first appeared in “The Hazzardville Horror,” then later in “The Treasure of Soggy Marsh” as two different characters. After discussing "Trek" and his work with Clint Eastwood, I asked him about Hazzard, and he let out a pretty good belly laugh, as did his handler. He referred to it as “the payment for all my previous sins.” He was joking, and he was quite complimentary of the series. He said that in most productions he’d worked on, the casts and crew always took themselves very seriously, but with Hazzard, everyone was just so easy to work with. He described the mood on the set as fun and energetic. I pointed out to him that he had the unique opportunity to appear in both a Bo and Luke show as well as a Coy and Vance, and he said the mood didn’t vary. Both casts were easy to get along with. I didn’t get any photos with Andy, but I did have him sign a copy of his "DS9" novel.

Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, Patrick Stewart and Jonathan Frakes on stage during last week's "Star Trek" convention in Las Vegas.

Next was Tracy Scoggins. She appeared as Officer Linda Mae Barnes in “New Deputy in Town.” Most of her 8-by-10s were sci-fi stuff. I told her I had brought a photo, and she was pleasantly surprised to see her Hazzard past laid bare (see below). I asked her what she recalled about the show, and she said that she wrecked the patrol car! It was a very simple scene, where all she had to do was drive up to the mark, get out, and arrest Bo and Luke. When she got out of the car, however, she forgot to apply the parking brake, and the car rolled down the hill into a tree. It was probably the first time a police car wasn’t intentionally wrecked on the series. Since she had a lot of scenes with Sorrell Booke, I asked her about working with him, and she had nothing but compliments for him. She then added that after doing the episode, she enrolled in James Best’s acting school, and the two had remained friends until he passed a few months back.

Finally, I got to talk with Jonathan Frakes. They had assembled all of the "TNG" actors in one area, and his was by far the longest line, even eclipsing Data’s, much to my surprise. I stood in that thing well over an hour, but it was worth it. I pulled the attached photo out of my bag and placed it before him. Like Scoggins, he was not anticipating a Hazzard photo! He grabbed the photo, stood up, and walked over to Levar Burton’s table. He said “Levar, Jamie Lee Hogg!” The look on Levar’s face said it all. Shock that anyone would remember it. (As an aside, I was concerned that Levar might have an issue with it, given the recent fracas over Hazzard in the media). Frakes came back and I asked him if he could still talk with a Hazzard accent. He answered with his name, “Jamie Lee Hogg.” I then said to him, “Wow, Counselor Troi AND Daisy Duke?” He said “I’m a lucky guy, aren’t I?” To which I said, “You’re the man.” We did the fist bump, and that was it.

Photos courtesy of Brian Lombard; please do not copy without permission.

Another "Dynasty" fan shares photos of his collection

In the September 20, 2013 and May 24, 2014 posts of this blog, we showed you the collection of Bjørn, an avid "Dynasty" fan who owns several wardrobe pieces from the show. Now, behold part of the collection from another fan of Nolan Miller's wonderful costuming.

"I am a Nolan Miller collector," this fan tells BRBTV, "and the bulk of my collection is gowns from 'Dynasty.' I have four 'Dynasty' gowns and a few 'Dynasty' sketches, along with a few non-'Dynasty' pieces."

This collector is wondering about others out there who own Nolan Miller pieces. If you do, comment on this post! (And see that September 2013 link above for some comments from other collectors.)

Remember the divine pink poufy piece below on our girl Alexis Carrington Colby? Recognize the others? Which episodes are they from? And did Alexis wear all of them, or only one of them? Let's play a little guessing game! You can certainly see Nolan Miller's trademark 1980s touches on these lovely gowns ...

 

 

 

 Photos courtesy of Anonymous; please comment to this blog for permission to copy.

Lots of appearances coming up for our two Duke boys

Thanks to Phyllis once again for passing along this info on the upcoming appearances for John ("Bo Duke") Schneider and Tom ("Luke Duke") Wopat of "The Dukes of Hazzard,"

Personal appearances

• John will be meeting fans at the Wizard World Comic Con in Richmond, Virginia, July 31- August 2.  For more information go to http://www.wizardworld.com/home-richmond.html.
• John will be meeting fans at the Fandom Fest Louisville Comic Expo in Louisville, Kentucky, August 7-9. For more information go to http://fandomfest.ticketleap.com/fandomfest-2015/. 
• John will be meeting fans at the Wizard World Comic Con in Nashville, TN, on September 26 and 27. For more information go to http://www.wizardworld.com/home-nashville.htm.
• John will be meeting fans at the Hamilton Comic Con in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, on October 3.  For more information go to http://www.hamiltoncomiccon.com/ 

Concerts

• John and Tom Wopat will be in concert at the Island View Casino in Gulfport, Mississippi, on July 18 at 9 p.m. Eastern / 8 p.m. Central. Tickets may be purchased at Ticket Master, http://www1.ticketmaster.com/event/1B004E65EBE762E6.
• John and Tom Wopat will be in concert at the Indiana State Fair in Indianapolis, Indiana, on August 14, at 7:30 p.m.
• John and Tom Wopat will be in concert at John Schneider Studios in Holden, Louisiana, on December 12. 

Cruise

John will be hosting a ghost tour in New Orleans on November 4 and a cruise that will leave from New Orleans and stop in Cozumel on November 5-9.  For more information call 225-665-7050.

Terrific TV Toys: "Star Trek" Scotty figure by Diamond Select / EMCE

He's the security chief, the leader of those red-shirts that seemed to get beaned on whatever planet the landing party hits. He's the engineering chief who tries to keep the ship together while Kirk is trying whatever ploy he has to try to fool the aliens in that other ship. He's also the third in command aboard the Starship Enterprise, right after Spock and before Sulu. He's Scotty! And he's the inspiration for this Diamond Select / EMCE figure, for the third and final part of a special miniseries on Terrific TV Toys ...

Two petitions to choose from to support "The Dukes of Hazzard"

Fans of "The Dukes of Hazzard" and fans of just plain common sense: Check out these two new petitions on Change.org. One was started a week ago by Kathleen Cherry of New Jersey, while the other was started just two days ago by Don Covell Jr. of Michigan, our buddy "Cuz" in the "Dukes" world. The second petition has gotten more than 20,000 signatures in just the last 24 hours!!!! Sign them if you agree ...

Keep the Confederate Flag on "Dukes of Hazzard" Merchandise
https://www.change.org/p/warner-brothers-keep-the-confederate-flag-on-dukes-of-hazzard-merchandise-2?just_created=true 

Stop Banning "The Dukes of Hazzard"
https://www.change.org/p/viacom-warner-brothers-walmart-ebay-stop-banning-dukes-of-hazzard?recruiter=333739431&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink

Terrific TV Toys: "Star Trek" Keeper figure by Diamond Select / EMCE

In the "Star Trek" universe, what is the "Keeper" the keeper of? Well, one Earth female, for one thing, a little creature whose beauty was definitely in the eye of the beholder! We know this from the original pilot of the original "Trek" series, "The Cage," as well as the two-part episode it later became, "The Menagerie." In the latest episode of the Terrific TV Toys series, we get a look at a figure that takes its name from the Keeper of those episodes, though it takes its looks from a different episode, "The Corbomite Maneuver." It's the second of a three-part story arc on reproductions of classic Mego "Star Trek" figures ...



Next week, the final part of the three takes us back into humanoid territory!

A blast from the past from Chad

Special thanks to our buddy Chad Fullerton of Georgia for sending along this photo that his dad Jim snapped several years ago in Covington, Georgia, when the restored Lee 1 car was unveiled on the Town Square in November 2006. That's this author, BRB, with John Schneider, aka Bo Duke, at the car's unveiling. It was such a fun time, as friends had driven from the North and tons of folks showed up for the event. Thanks so much, Chad and Jim!!!

History repeating itself with the General Lee's flag?

Wowzers, we sure have been embroiled in some controversy this week over that Confederate flag on the roof of the General Lee car that Bo and Luke Duke drove in "The Dukes of Hazzard." We've been seeing "Dukes" fans speak up about it all over the Internet. This author presented a case about the flag and its usage on the car (and how the Dukes didn't hate anybody) in the reference guide to the TV show, "Them Dukes! Them Dukes!" But the controversy continues. See this story from the other day, about the media's attempt to put down Ben ("Cooter Davenport") Jones and "The Dukes." We have to remind you of what happened a couple years back, when the WB made a move to remove the flag from "Dukes" merchandise. See our August 29, 2012 post for Ben Jones' words about it back then, then the follow-up from the WB on August 31.

To help put this into perspective, we offer the words of Will Rodgers, "The Voice of Hazzard" with his many wonderful voice impressions of "Dukes" characters. A co-author of the BRBTV Reports, Will posted his thoughts about the controversy on Facebook and allows them to be repeated here ...

..................................

As a first-generation and lifelong fan of "The Dukes of Hazzard," I am a proud supporter of the cast and crew, the cars, the music and everything the shows stands for. I love family-friendliness, the humor and the wholesome morals and values of the show. And like everyone else, I am extremely appalled and disgusted at Warner Bros.' decision to stop selling "Dukes" merchandise with the Confederate flag on it. The General Lee without the flag is like Batman without his cape and cowl or Popeye without his spinach. Unthinkable!! I am a proud supporter of Congressman Ben "Cooter" Jones and everything he has spoken about on the news regarding the Confederate flag and what the "Dukes" are all about. I am known in the Hazzard community as the Voice of Hazzard because of my voice impressions of the "Dukes" characters. Well, let my voice be heard. I have NEVER EVER thought of hate or racism when it comes to the Confederate flag. And I have never seen that on "The Dukes of Hazzard." So if these powers that be insist on this nonsense against selling "Dukes" merchandise without the flag, then thank the Good Lord I have General Lees with flags as well as the entire series uncut on DVD in case some other moronic mogul decides against airing the "Dukes" on TV. To "Cooter" Ben Jones, I'm proud to call you friend I'm behind you 100 percent in this fight to protect the flag. So says the Voice of Hazzard.

Terrific TV Toys: "Star Trek" Andorian figure by Diamond Select / EMCE

In Episode 12 in the first season of the Terrific TV Toys series, Billie Rae Bates of BRBTV showed you some of her "Star Trek" Mego figures, both original and reproduction (just one repro, actually -- the cute little baby Klingon). Her collection is bigger than that, though, so for the 17th episode of Season 2, we bring you the first of a three-part series, rolling out more of the "Trek" figures. These three additional figures are all repros of Megos, and BRB will open them all on camera, for these "out of the box experiences." Part 1 is the adorable Andorian ...



Stay tuned, because next week's episode rolls out another alien, this time of some rather confusing vintage!!!

Terrific TV Toys: Archie cars from Burger King Kids Meal

Yea, the hot purple sports car sure looks good on Veronica Lodge. And Betty Cooper in a '57 Chevy? We're thinking that fits, too, for this industrious occasional car mechanic. Jughead Jones in a green Volkswagen Bug? Hmmm ... But of course, there's Archie Andrews in the all-too-familiar red jalopy.

You can see this full set of four Kids Meal toys from Burger King's Kids Club, circa 1991, in the latest installment of Terrific TV Toys series. Billie Rae Bates of BRBTV had to eat a few kid-sized hamburgers to get these beauties, and it was well worth it. This was before eBay allowed us to nab vintage Archie collectibles that we'd missed from years past, and it was also before ArchieComics.com ever offered us a bevy of sparkling new merchandise featuring those timeless characters. So, in short, it was hard to find Archie stuff!

Everything was awesome at Awesome Con for the "Fantastic Forum"!

Wow, what a wonderful time it was at Awesome Con in downtown Washington, D.C., last weekend. The event, in its third year, was just as big as ever and took up the whole convention center this time. Billie Rae Bates of BRBTV did some more work for the "Fantastic Forum" TV show produced by Ulysses Campbell. Four episodes were taped on Saturday and Sunday of the show, with the convention floor bustling behind. Super cool! Watch for those episodes to air on these stations on the East Coast:

• Manhattan Neighborhood Network, New York, NY; Time Warner Cable MNN Lifestyle channel 2
• PhillyCam,  Philadelphia, PA; Comcast channel 66/966; Verizon FiOS channel 29/30.
• MCM  Montgomery County, MD; Comcast channel 21; RCN channel 21; Verizon FiOS channel 21.
• Arlington Independent Media (AIM), Arlington County, VA; Comcast channel 69; Verizon FiOS channel 38.
• FPA-TV,  Fairfax County, VA; Cox channel 10.
• DCTV, Washington, DC; Comcast channel 95; RCN channel 10; Verizon FiOS channel 10.
• Prince George’s Community Television (CTV), Prince George’s County, MD; COMCAST channel 76; Verizon FiOS channel 42.
• Community Media of Baltimore City (CMBC), Baltimore, MD; Comcast channel 75.
• Herndon Community Television, Cox channel 23, Verizon FIOS channel 28.

 

Photos courtesy of Fantastic Forum; please do not copy without permission.

Awesome Con: Allison Mack talks "Smallville"

Hummana-hummana ... How often do you hear a young female TV star say that? Well, we heard it this past weekend at the amazing Awesome Con in downtown Washington, D.C. The young female TV star in question was the continually lovely Allison Mack of "Smallville." Can you guess the context? You can see if you're right in our clips from her panel discussion on Saturday of the show, presented here as the latest installment on the BRBTV YouTube channel ...

Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV

Copying with credit is OK; a link would be grand

Check out "Dallas: The Ultimate Unofficial Fansite"

Thanks to our buddy Brian T.S. for tipping us off about this one as we chatted at the recent Motor City Comic Con in Novi, Michigan. Brian is a big fan of TV's "Dallas," and he sent this link to a rather astonishing site of fan fiction that encompasses not only the original "Dallas" series but the TNT reboot, as well.

It's billed as "The Ultimate Unofficial Fansite" of "Dallas," and it includes virtual casting of characters we didn't get to see on the TNT reboot show but that we know are out there, such as John Ross' sister (Kristen Storms, fashionista Maxinista of "General Hospital" in this casting -- so cool) and Lucas Wade, Bobby's son by Jenna. The fan fic "episodes" pick up where the TNT reboot so unfortunately left off. And that sister John Ross was asking Bum to track down at the end of the series isn't Cally's long-lost child, as we would have surmised, in this proposed continuity: She's the daughter of Kimberly Cryder. Hmmm .... Interesting. We haven't read too far into it, but the fan fic looks to be quite creative and well-done.

Terrific TV Toys: The Motor City Comic Con Edition!

Wow, what a week it was last week, covering all kinds of great stuff at the 2015 Motor City Comic Con in Novi, Michigan. We would have been remiss if we hadn't visited the many, many vendor tables at this crowded convention hall to see just what kind of TV-show-related goodies they had for sale, particularly of the vintage variety. Thus is born the first ever episode of Terrific TV Toys series shot at a comic con ...

Motor City Comic Con: Glimpses and glances

BRBTV had a great time, as always, at this year's Motor City Comic Con at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, Michigan. That show is never not a good time. All this week, we have shown you our chats with John Wesley Shipp, Dawn Wells and other great stars. We've got one more video coming that will round out our coverage of the event, but for today, how about a few random shots snapped around the convention hall of more of the celeb guests, to celebrate the fact that it's Friday once again ...

On Saturday afternoon, when actor Chandler Riggs of "The Walking Dead" (Carl Grimes) was brought to his table, it was with a barricade of sorts. And when he got into position, legions of fans swarmed around him, many of them young females with their cell cameras flashing, lifted high in the air to get a view from the masses. It was like a boy band had entered the convention hall.

On Friday afternoon, Gates McFadden (Dr. Beverly Crusher of "Star Trek: The Next Generation") and Terry Farrell (Jadzia Dax of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine") held a panel. It was unfortunate that the panel Q and A couldn't be recorded, because man, did they dish. The two ladies look amazing, too.

Robert Englund of "Nightmare on Elm Street" fame had steady business at his table. We remember him well from a truly great movie version of "Phantom of the Opera" from the late '80s.

A "Dead of the 'Dead'" panel on Sunday afternoon featured several "Walking Dead" cast members whose characters have gone to the great beyond, including (from left) E. Roger Mitchell, Scott Wilson, Chad Coleman and Lawrence Gilliard Jr.

Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV

Copying with credit is OK; a link would be grand

Motor City Comic Con: Michael Welch talks "Z Nation"

So with a number of zombie-related TV shows out there right now, what makes Syfy's "Z Nation" different? Michael Welch, who plays Mack on the series, tells us, as he talks with Don Covell Jr. at last weekend's Motor City Comic Con ...