{{::ares_bridge.jpg|}} //The unfinished set of the U.S.S. Ares intended for the never-to-be-made //Axanar// feature film.// Image/Axanar Productions ====== Axanar Piggybacks Convention atop SphinxCon ====== **//Scrambling to Ready Bridge Set for November Event in Atlanta//** //**__ __**// **By [[user>cpedraza|Carlos Pedraza]]** ATLANTA — In a [[https://sphinx-con.org/sites/sphinx-con.org/files/2018-06/Axacon-Release-AXANAR-Revisions.pdf|joint statement]], a non-Star Trek science fiction convention announced it was hosting AxaCon, a long-promised Axanar fan event, as a "convention within a convention" scheduled November 2-4, 2018, at the Crowne Plaza Atlanta Airport. \\ {{TOC}} UPDATE June 22: AxaCon posts guest roster ([[#AxaCosts_Extra|pictured below]]): [[Axanar Lite]] writer-director Paul Jenkins, Fan Film Factor blogger and Axanar surrogate Jonathan Lane, //[[Prelude to Axanar]]// actor Steven Jepson and animator Mark Largent, creator of the Axanar parody, //[[yout>_cnHe0oIJIs|Stalled Trek: Prelude to Ax'd-We-Are]]//, joining previously announced guests [[Alec Peters]] and [[gerrold_repudiates|David Gerrold]]. [{{ ::alec_peters_sphinxcon_2018.jpg?nolink|**FEATURED GUEST** OWC Studios head Alec Peters appears on the SphinxCon website as a featured guest. //Image/SphinxCon//}}] ===== SphinxCon ===== The June 19 announcement stated the hosting organization, The Manticore Company, Ltd., would provide AxaCon with a dedicated space at the hotel for its panels and events. Manticore operates [[https://sphinx-con.org|SphinxCon]], a literary military scifi-fantasy convention, the annual meeting of the Royal Manticoran Navy: The Official [[wp>Honor_Harrington|Honor Harrington]] Fan Association. The scifi series is written by author [[wp>David Weber]]. In return, AxaCon is slated to offer additional guests as well as a display of television and movie props from Axanar Productions’ CEO, [[Alec Peters]]’ personal collection. {{::propworx.com-busted-1.jpg?nolink|}} BANKRUPT SphinxCon described Peters as "known throughout the scifi world as a collector of screen-used props from a variety of science fiction franchises, most notably Star Trek." \\ Peters' original company, Propworx, [[https://businessbankruptcies.com/cases/propworx-inc|went bankrupt]] in 2012, owing $401,466 to a number of creditors, most of it owed MGM, Propworx's customer for the Stargate auctions.(([[https://businessbankruptcies.com/cases/propworx-inc|BusinessBankruptcies.com]], retrieved 6/19/18.)) Under the terms of the bankruptcy none of that money was repaid, and the company was [[industry_studios|reconstituted]] in 2015. \\ Since forced to abandon his putative California studio, where Propworx was housed rent-free, Peters' company website has been taken down and the domain name put up for sale. ==== Finishing the Bridge Set ==== The impending convention dates spurred Peters to seek volunteers last week to help him complete Axanar's only standing set, the bridge of the film's U.S.S. Ares, estimated at only 85 percent complete. Peters appealed to volunteers to help with installing missing monitors, graphics, control panels and carpeting in time for the November event. ===== 'Perfect Sense' ===== SphinxCon chairman David Weiner said it made "perfect sense" for his group to host AxaCon after Peters made the proposal. "We had already come to an agreement with Alec to offer a private tour of the Axanar sets at OWC Studios to our Manticore Premier members and Convention guests," Weiner said. SphinxCon had previously announced that in addition to the Basic and Deluxe memberships to attend the convention ($50 and $60, respectively), a $150 "Manticore" membership entitled the person to "a Meet and Greet with all of the Convention Guests at [[december_donor_update|OWC Studios]] in Lawrenceville, Ga. (transportation provided), where you will be able to take your selfies with the guests on the [[http://www.axanarproductions.com/uss-ares-bridge-update/|bridge of the U.S.S. Ares from Star Trek: Axanar]]!"(([[https://sphinx-con.org/attend/memberships|SphinxCon Membership page]], retrieved 6/19/18.)) The $150 memberships sold out, though the SphinxCon website did not specify how many were sold. "Everyone thought it would be a win-win,” Weiner said. [{{ ::axacon_guests.jpg?direct&400|**AXACON GUESTS** Pictured clockwise from upper left: Author David Gerrold, actor Steven Jepson, blogger Jonathan Lane, filmmaker Mark Largent, writer Paul Jenkins. //Images/SphinxCon//}}] ==== AxaCosts Extra ==== While tickets allowing SphinxCon members to see the Axanar set are sold out, Peters told members of the Axanar Fan Group on Facebook they would be charged extra to attend AxaCon and see the bridge set: > These are only ticket [prices] to SphinxCon. We have yet to put up the page for tickets to AxaCon, which is an add-on.((Alec Peters {{::petersfbpost.jpg?linkonly|Facebook post}}, 6/19/18.)) ===== Program ===== Though at the time this article was filed the SphinxCon program had not yet been announced,((This article was filed June 19, 2018.)) its AxaCon statement described the prospective offerings as "Axanar actors, production team and crew-led panels, meet and greets, and autograph signings," as well as preproduction updates regarding [[Axanar Lite]], the two short films Peters is allowed to produce in the wake of his settlement in the [[copyright infringement]] [[lawsuit]] brought against him by [[cbs|CBS]] and [[Paramount Pictures]]. ==== Describing Axanar ==== While SphinxCon described Peters as a "noted sci-fi props expert," and //[[Prelude to Axanar]]// as having "won [[prelude_awards|46 film festival awards]] and the love and respect of Star Trek fans around the world," it omitted any mention of the controversial copyright case in which a federal judge found Peters had [[fair_use_denied#peters_personally_profited|personally profited]] from using Star Trek's intellectual property. COMMENTS \\ Discuss this article in [[face>groups/axamonitor/permalink/403823406799179/|AxaMonitor's Facebook group]]. ---- **Keywords** {{tag>AxaCon sets conventions}}