On June 4, Atlantis Fantasyworld — a local comic book shop famous for appearing in “The Lost Boys” — will hold a special event featuring a screening of a movie about the first Bay Area Star Trek convention, a book signing with former Star Trek actress Joanne Linville, and a special celebration to bring 2T2 of “Captain Cosmic” fame out of storage.
“Captain Cosmic” was a television show that ran from 1977 to 1980 on a superstation mainly targeted at the Bay Area. Robot sidekick to Captain Cosmic 2T2 has been in storage in a warehouse in the Bay Area for 31 years since the show ended in 1980. Atlantis Fantasyworld will become the first place to publicly display 2T2 in the television robot’s history.
“For anyone over 40, they’ll remember, and have a great nostalgia moment,” said Joe Ferrara, owner of Atlantis Fantasyworld. “And for the kids, it’s all about creating their own nostalgia moment even though they are too young to have watched the show.”
Ferrara said the event will be a celebration of all things science fiction for Santa Cruz residents. All proceeds made from Back to Space Con, the movie being screened at the Jewel Theatre, will go to Second Japan Harvest, a charity organization helping victims of the recent Japanese earthquake and tsunami.
In the Bay Area and elsewhere, “Captain Cosmic” has many fans who used to watch the show regularly on Saturday mornings on Channel 2.
“It’s not only people in the Bay Area who know ‘Captain Cosmic,’” Ferrara said. “I’ve recently met a person from Chicago, and it surprised me that they even knew ‘Captain Cosmic.’”
Ferrara said receiving 2T2 is a hallmark of Santa Cruz becoming more of a science fiction town worth noticing. He also said Santa Cruz’s science fiction community is very receptive to bringing back 2T2.
“It’s what makes Santa Cruz a special place for sci-fi,” Ferrara said.
