Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan And Kathy Peck.
Hi Ryan and Kathy, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
We both grew up watching Star Trek reruns in the 1970s. By the 1980s, we had found out about Star Trek conventions and started attending them. We met at a Star Trek convention, Treklanta, in 2016. We got married one year later at the same convention. Our Star Trek wedding was a blast! JG Hertzler, who played Martok on Star Trek and was a convention guest, attended our wedding. Like our love for each other, our love of Star Trek and fandom continued to grow. In 2018, we started our first podcast, StarPodLog. It was a podcast covering the classic magazine for science fiction fans, Starlog. In 2019, we added a second podcast, StarPodTrek, which specifically covers the Star Trek articles of Starlog magazine. Both of these podcasts continue to thrive today with listeners from around the world. Being podcasters has allowed us to be invited as professional guests to numerous conventions throughout the Southeast.
Also in 2019 we started our local Star Trek fan club (also referred to as a “ship”) called the USS Athena. We named the club after the 50-foot statue of the Greek goddess Athena that is housed within the Parthenon in Nashville’s Centennial Park. We got engaged in front of that statue! The USS Athena is part of Starfleet Command, one of the world’s oldest international Star Trek fan clubs. The USS Athena has grown to over seventy members. As a Star Trek club, we are very active in the community and surrounding states. We have dinners, Star Trek viewing parties, attend conventions, attend Star Trek events, do community service, and other gatherings to enjoy comaraderie with other Star Trek fans. We have members in five states that we interact with through our monthly Zoom meetings and in-person “away missions”. Kathy has the rank of Fleet Captain and serves as the commanding officer in charge of the ship. Ryan has the rank of Commander and serves as the first officer with the responsibility of overseeing the ship’s social activities.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
One of the things that has been both a benefit and a challenge to hosting popular podcasts like StarPodLog and StarPodTrek is that many listeners want to contribute to the show, sometimes even internationally. Therefore, we have had to devise a system where we can obtain content from people in different time zones and different countries, which allows incredible variety for our listeners.
Due to the rapid growth of the USS Athena, quite a few of our members have volunteered to handle additional responsibilities to help with activities within the club, such as publishing our quarterly newsletter (Athena’s Tablet) communicating with members via text and email, checking in on our disabled and elderly members, operating our YouTube Channel (AthenaVision), and hosting our monthly Zoom meetings. Our annual Christmas party is well-attended by members who from travel to Nashville from other states– so much so that we can no longer contain it in a member’s home, but we have to have it in a larger facility!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
With regard to our podcasts, we go through each and every issue of Starlog magazine in order and discuss what life was like in previous eras of different fandoms and media. Our podcasts are unique because we focus on the points of view of fans and their memories and experiences.
As for the USS Athena, we specialize in creating unique social experiences for Star Trek fans who are part of our ship. We are known for our welcoming atmosphere and encouraging each member to shine and to be the best person that they can be. Some members have taken initiative to make stickers, pins, t-shirts, etc. to promote our club. We have an incredible group of fans!
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
We love interacting with our podcast listeners of StarPodLog and StarPodTrek. Therefore, comments and direct messages via social media are always well received. Subscribing to our show ensures that they never miss an episode. Introducing themselves to us after we do a panel presentation at a convention is always welcome.
The USS Athena is filled with members who have a can-do attitude. We love the enthusiasm of contributing to a greater goal. We encourage the public to follow our Facebook page to see our activities and read our newsletters. New members can join us via the Starfleet Command website.
Pricing:
- $12 per year to join the USS Athena
Contact Info:
- Website: https://starpodlogpodcast.blogspot.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starpodlog
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ussathena and https://www.facebook.com/groups/1804355016513455
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@USSAthena
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/@starpodlogandstarpodtrek
