Contagion: Outbreak! Coming in June 2011!

[Contagion: Outbreak]

Hello 70th Explorers!

I'm here to announce a new convention coming to the MidWest in early June 2011. As you can probably already tell from the name of this thread the name of this new convention is Contagion. Our first year will be the Outbreak! of the Contagion and we're pleased to announce that you've all been infected! Over the next two years many details will be revealed. We will do our best to keep you all up to date about the developments as they are revealed.

So, what is Contagion: Outbreak? It is a convention like no other in the MidWest. Probably the world! Contagion is a multi-media, multi-genre convention. We will have Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror, Gaming, Comics, Celebrities, Artists, panels, contests and so much more. We guarantee that everyone will take something from this convention. So much so that you'll be coming back each year! Our mission is to provide an inexpensive convention experience for you so that you can spend your money on what you want to. Who wants to drop a ton of cash just getting to the convention? We also realize that volunteers are missing out on the convention itself and have a reward system set up (details to be announced later) so that everyone is rewarded for their help.

Contagion: Outbreak will be hosted in Omaha, NE. We have contacted the Central Garrison and their squads and hope that the 70th Explorers and your squads will join us as well. You can find our website at http://www.ContagionOutbreak.com! Check the website often for updates and announcements. Sign up for the newsletter to get information on contests where you can win prizes including free VIP passes and so much more! We are also hosting a survey to find out how we can tailor Contagion so that everyone gets the most enjoyable experience possible!

SPREAD THE INFECTION!

[Contagion: Outbreak]

Updates are coming fast. First of all I'd like to thank all of the members of the 70th Explorers who have visited our site http://www.ContagionOutbreak.com. I'd like to encourage everyone to participate in the Survey we currently have running. It's short and sweet.

We are pleased to announce that we have signed the contract and locked in the dates. Contagion: Outbreak will be June 10-12 at the Omaha/LaVista Conference Center (Just off of I-80). We are filling up 60,000 square feet of convention space. Visit http://www.ContagionOutbreak.com for more information! Don't forget to register for the newsletter to get information on upcoming events, contests, and other fun projects!

Note: We will be offering secure storage and changing places for members of the 501st who attend.

[Contagion: Outbreak]

We've added another update to our site and invite the wonderful Troopers of the 70th Explorers to check it out! We are pleased to announce our "Authors" section!

http://www.ContagionOutbreak.com

[Contagion: Outbreak]

Hello again, members of the 501st Legion!

We've got a few announcements that we wanted to pass along to you!

First of all, we're very excited to announce that we have changed venues from the Omaha/La Vista Conference Center to the Qwest Center Omaha (http://www.qwestcenteromaha.com/default ... 1&newsID=0)! There were several reasons for the change, but to keep it simple we'll leave the primary explanation as logistical issues.

The dates are the same! June 10th-12th, 2011 at Qwest Center Omaha. For out of town visitors (and in-town residents who want a vacation from the house) we're negotiating with several downtown hotels to get the best room rates available, starting with the Hilton Omaha which is connected by skywalk to the Qwest Center Omaha!

We've announced a few guests on our website already! I'd like to recap a little here for you.

Mark Ryan - The voice of BumbleBee and JetFire in the Transformers movies and rumored to be returning for Transfomers: The Dark of the Moon (2011). He has appeared in The Prestige, Alias, JAG, Charlie's Angels, Frasier, Evita, First Knight, and many other films and TV shows. He has done voice work for the Transfomers Video Games, and is the creator of the graphic novel "The Pilgrim".




For Star Wars fans we're also pleased to announce that we've signed the author of Death Troopers and the upcoming Red Harvest, Joe Schreiber! Joe Schreiber was born in Michigan but spent his formative years in Alaska, Wyoming, and northern California. Until recently, he had never lived at the same address for longer than a year. Becoming a parent forced him to consider a career with more reliable income, and he got a job as an MRI tech in Hershey, Pennsylvania, where he lives with his wife and their two children.





We're also proud to announce Comic Book Writer Gary Friedrich! Best known for his Silver Age stories for Marvel Comics' "Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos", and for the following era's "Monster of Frankenstein" series and co-creator of the supernatural motorcyclist "Ghost Rider".




We are also pleased to announce Rudy Garcia as a guest! Rudy Garcia has been in the toy industry for over 10 years, creating action figures and statues of some of the most memorable pop culture icons ever imagined. From Freddy Krueger to Wolverine, the list goes on. He is also the creator of the "Evolution Cop" comic series.





Along with these great guests we are also very honored to announce an up and coming actress who has a history of being undead! Sonya Thompson will be appearing in The Walking Dead TV Series debuting on AMC this Halloween! She has appeared as a zombie in ZombieLand and can be seen in Ben 10: Alien Swarm.





Along with these guest we also have:

Cynthia Martin (Marvel Star Wars, 501st Legion Honorary Member)
David P. Murphy (Author, Zombies for Zombies: Advice and Etiquette for the Living Dead and the sequel Zombies for Zombies -- The Play & Werk Buk)
Marcus Pelegrimas (Author, The Skinners Series)
Chloe Neill (Author, Chicagoland Vampires Series)
Greg M. Hall (Author, Traffic Control and Outer Reaches)
Fredd Gorham (Artist, host of the Artist' Jam at Contagion: Outbreak)

We have over 100 artist tables available ($35 - includes 1 free pass) and over 60 vendor booths!

We are planning so much more, so stay tuned to http://www.ContagionOutbreak.com for updates!



And for a little unassociated news. For fans of the Nolan Batman Series, the new movie will be called The Dark Knight Rises and the villian will NOT be the Riddler.

[Contagion: Outbreak]

Ladies and Gentlemen! It is with great pleasure that I get to, after long last, announce our latest guest! This has been a long time in the making, but we finally have permission to make it official!

If you're a fan of Firefly and Serenity, or even Stargate: Atlantis then this announcement will definitely get your mouth watering!

So, who is this mysterious guest? Visit http://www.ContagionOutbreak.com to find out!

**More guest announcements coming!**

[Contagion: Outbreak]

We've had some recent changes to the line-up that I'd like to announce. First of all, we'd like to announce our headliner!



Jewel Staite - joined the cast of the Sci-Fi hit Stargate:Atlantis as ‘Dr. Keller’, in addition to shooting the lead role in the feature The Tribe, which depicts the story of five young adults shipwrecked on a deserted island off the coast of Latin America where they encounter a lost tribe of savages. She will play ‘Liz,’ one of the young adults who is very vulnerable to her surroundings. The thriller is being directed by first timer Jorg Ihle, and produced by Mo Ramchandani with Jo Bamford executive producing. The picture shot in Costa Rica by Avatar Entertainment Group and was recently acquired by AfterDark Films for distribution through Lions Gate Films.

Jewel made her 2005 feature film debut in Universal Pictures Serenity, Joss Whedon’s adaptation of the FOX science fiction television series “Firefly,” of which Jewel was a series regular. Jewel plays the ship’s mechanic ‘Kaylee’, a sweet, happy and sensual farm girl who loves life and is a genius at fixing anything.

At twenty-five years old, she is a Gemini “Best Actor” nominee (Canada’s prestigious equivalent of our Emmy) for her role in the Disney Channel’s “Flash Forward” with Ben Foster (also earned her a nomination for the Canadian Television Film and Showcase Award). Jewel made her second home at the Vancouver Youth Theatre where she trained several days a week for several years, eventually leading her to numerous large television roles including starring opposite James Brolin and Natasha Henstridge in Lifetime’s Widow on the Hill and her memorable role in the Showtime pilot “Huff “ with Hank Azaria, Blythe Danner and Oliver Platt. Additionally, Jewel has several TV series under her belt including Fox Family’s “Higher Ground” with Hayden Christensen, a recurring role on the highly praised FOX series “Wonderfalls,” NBC’s “Just Deal” and Nickelodeon’s “Space Cases.” She had guest appearances on Showtime’s “Dead Like Me” opposite Ellen Muth and Rebecca Gayheart, UPN’s “Seven Day’s” with Jonathan LaPaglia, FOX’s “The X-Files” opposite David Duchovny and CBC’s “The Odyssey” and “Davinci’s Inquest” as well as Disney’s “Honey I Shrunk the Kids” with Peter Scolari and Hillary Tuck. Jewel currently resides in Vancouver, BC.





We're also sad to announce that Phil Hester has had to cancel due to a previously unforseen family commitment. However, we hope to be officially announcing Larry Hama (of G.I. Joe fame) soon!

[Contagion: Outbreak]

We've had a few updates since the last post! We're now pleased to announce that we will have a Tron: Legacy Light Cycle at Contagion: Outbreak!


We are also pleased to announce Melissa Cowan as attending! You may recognize Melissa from one of her roles in the new Walking Dead Series on AMC!


We will have a few more guest updates shortly!

Check out our website for updates at http://www.ContagionOutbreak.com!

[Contagion: Outbreak]

Hello troopers of the 70th Explorers! I realize this is a busy time with elections and all. I hope you can find some time to visit http://www.ContagionOutbreak.com! We have some more guests that have been announced, and the Jewel Staite VIP passes are now open for sale. They are limited to 35 passes and they are expected to go fast! Get yours while you can!