How surprised would you be if I just happened to mention that you could meet fifteen real life NASA astronauts, including several Apollo mission moonwalkers, right here in Tucson this weekend? Oh, and there’s lots more too. Also present at this year’s SpaceFest V convention, opening tomorrow at the glamorous Starr Pass resort, will be television science celebrity Professor Brian Cox; Dr. Carolyn Porco, award-winning scientist and consultant for Contact and Star Trek; space historian Andrew Chaikin; world-famous astronomer Phil Plait, and a couple of dozen other science luminaries, astronomers, television hosts, space program specialists, and celebrated authors. There should be enough eclectic brain power buzzing through the Starr Pass this weekend to populate a whole new geek planet.

Visitors and guests travel from around the world, and around the country, to attend the annual event and yet it remains relatively unknown here in Tucson, where SpaceFest’s founders reside. That fact gives the function a relaxed, intimate, and friendly atmosphere, which is good, because I have seen grown men almost faint with excitement when meeting personal heroes such as moonwalker and accomplished artist Alan Bean; Scott Carpenter, America’s fourth man in space; or Fred Haise, courageous lunar module pilot of the doomed Apollo 13 mission.

I was a guest speaker at SpaceFest last year and I am returning this year with my customary display of meteorites, and a few new tales of adventure. I’ll also be presenting a lecture about my work on Meteorite Men the television series, and participating in various special events, including the Asteroid Panel on Sunday evening. I have been a space program devotee since I was a little boy and, last year, I was genuinely amazed by how approachable, modest, kind, and friendly our astronauts are. It can be a little humbling to stand in the presence of people who literally made history during the greatest of all adventures, but they quickly put guests at ease, and — with a little gentle persuasion — are usually ready to delight and entertain with stories of their off-world travels.

With the mighty Buzz Aldrin at SpaceFest IV, last year

SpaceFest opens this evening, Thursday, May 23, with a VIP reception, and continues through Sunday night, with panel discussions, special luncheons and dinners, an opportunity to have your photo taken with all of the visiting astronauts, a series of fascinating lectures, along with exhibits of space memorabilia, books, meteorites, NASA photos, and space-themed artwork. I participate in a lot of science and space events each year, and SpaceFest is easily one of my favorites, due largely to the care with which the event is organized and hosted by Kim and Sally Poor of Novaspace. Long-time experts in space art and space program memorabilia, and personal friends with many of our astronauts, the Poors bring a caring touch to SpaceFest that is often lacking at other high profile celebrity events.

General admission is $20 daily, or $50 for a three-day pass. Children under 12 are admitted free with adult. Please note that there are additional fees for some events, including panels, lectures, and the banquet with keynote address by Deep Space Industries founder and CEO, Rick Tumlinson. Most of the astronauts charge a fee for their autographs, and please don’t begrudge them that. Our spacemen risked their lives — sometimes for years on end — for a modest government salary. They are an inspiration to millions, and their signatures are worth money; it’s better that money go directly to the men who made history, rather than autograph dealers. Autographs, photos, lectures and so forth are all optional. It doesn’t cost anything extra to shake the hand of Gene Cernan, the last moonwalker, or ask Ed Gibson to tell you about his 84 days onboard Skylab.

I spent some time with Colonel Paul Weitz, shuttle pilot and Skylab astronaut, back in 1984. It was a treat to reconnect with him at SpaceFest

We lost Neil Armstrong during August of last year, and most of our Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo-era astronauts are now in their eighties. While their accomplishments are likely to be admired forever, we all may have to give in, eventually, to the ravages of time and I wonder, rather sadly, how many more of these events we will see. Personally, I can’t think of any way I would rather spend my time than sharing a ballroom with some of the most remarkable explorers and pilots the world has ever seen. Meeting an astronaut in person could change a smart science kid’s life. So, bring one or two with you, if you can, and you might plant a seed that will — given another twenty years — sprout on another world. I wouldn’t want to miss that for anything.

SpaceFest V runs from May 24 through May 27 at the Marriott Starr Pass Resort in Tucson, Arizona. More information >>>

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Text and photographs © by Geoffrey Notkin.
All rights reserved. No reproduction without written permission.

My brilliant and very supportive mom put up with decades of shenanigans from me. She didn’t object too much when I bleached my hair to a shocking shade of tangerine, thereby causing an uproar at my uptight, proto-Fascist British public school in the late 1970s, or when I joined a punk rock band at the age of fifteen. I was allowed to travel around Britain on my own at a relatively tender age, drink booze in the house before I was eighteen, and was also accorded many other liberties that were not so freely doled out by my friends’ less progressive parents (all of which explains a lot about who I am today, but that’s another tale).

Among the few serious requests my mom ever made of me were that I (a) not drive motorcycles, and (b) not get my ears pieced. Since, by the age of sixteen I already had a secret dirt bike stashed at my friend’s house way out in the English boonies, I thought I could bend a little, respect her last remaining wish, and not get holes punched in my earlobes. To my surprise, she didn’t say anything about tattoos so that door was left open if I wanted to explore it.

I have always been interested in tattoo art. I am a bit of a contrary fellow, so things that are regarded as slightly “out there” by polite society are naturally of interest to me. That would explain the delight I take in punk rock, motorcycles, protest singers, animal rights activists, Burning Man, and so on. The world of tattoos fits in rather well with a number of those subcultures. In fact, my girlfriend, and most of my pals have them, and I can only think of a couple of close friends who do not sport the ink.

Despite that, I don’t have one myself—yet—and it seems there are two possible reasons for this. The unnecessary infliction of pain could be one, as could my ever-changing taste in things. I am well aware that the art and music I enjoy today are somewhat different from what I doted on, say, thirty years ago—except for The Clash and The Ramones of course, oh, and I was listening to Abba’s “S.O.S.” this morning. Yes, I know it’s hard for you to believe that I listen to Abba, but “S.O.S” is one hell of a good pop song. Anyway, my hesitation to get inked may be due to the obvious longevity of tattoos. In other words, they are permanent; many of my tastes are not. In addition, my favorite live-life-by quote is: “If something is worth doing, it’s worth overdoing,” so if I were to get inked it wouldn’t be some itty bitty affair on my ankle, but likely a hugely involved tapestry on my back. I’ve always imagined that I would wake up one day—possibly many years hence—look in the mirror, and say to myself: “Idiot! What on earth were you thinking?!”

I was discussing this very concept of the permanence of inked skin versus the changing moods of my own fickle art-mind with one of my staff members, Beth, just the other day. She explained that her view was precisely the opposite of mine: A tattoo that she acquired would always remind her, specifically, and in a very colorful manner, of that precise time in her life. To which I replied, jokingly: “I don’t want to be reminded of those times.”

Fortunately, none of these weighty matters prevented me from journeying down to The Hotel Arizona on Sunday for the Tucson Tattoo Expo. Who wouldn’t want to hang around with goths, bikers, punk rockers, and skin artists? Sounded like a good time to me, and also, I had an appointment to meet celebrated, award-winning Tucson artist Jim Quinn II, owner of Istari Tattoo Studio, as he is working on an illustration project for my company.

Jim Quinn II, owner of Istari Tattoo Studio, with his prize from the 2011 Expo

Tall, slender, jovial, animated yet laid-back, with spectacular wings tattooed on both sides of his neck, it was really quite easy to pick Jim out of the crowd. I looked through the portfolios of his work and was amazed by how well he handled a wide variety of styles, including Celtic knotwork, classical Japanese, and even Aztec/Inca. He’s a serious artist, and we reminisced a little about art school days, and how invigorating it is to be surrounded by the influence of talented people—taking a bit here, taking a bit there, all the while gradually developing your own style.

You know how when you go to a typical expo it’s all very serious and corporate, with products on lucite display stands, monitors running ads, backdrops, banners, and prim, well-dressed hired salespeople who are just a little too eager to discuss their product with you? Well, the Tucson Tattoo Expo couldn’t possibly have been any more different from that stilted vision. They had a bar set up inside the venue, a smoking area, a line of Harleys parked outside, sassy-looking girls wearing dog collars, and guys covered—literally—from head to toe in multi-colored ink. What’s not to like?

I was surprised how many people—in various states of undress—were actually being worked on during the convention. One gentleman had stripped down to his red underwear while a local artist addressed some of his few remaining square inches of unadorned skin; a lithe brunette lay on her side on a big table while her back was decorated; other pro artists were having some of their own tats touched up by colleagues. And that begs the question: When you’re an accomplished tattooist, how do you feel when another artist is working on your own personal canvas? Walking around, I found the soft, layered buzzing of multiple electric needles to be oddly soothing and intriguing, like a hive of industrious underworld virtuosos.

Shortly after my arrival at the expo, I realized I’d left my cell phone at the auto parts store on the other side of town, and I really needed to have it with me. Before making the twenty-mile round trip to pick it up, I considered that if I were to get inked at some point down the road, perhaps I should select a stylized cell phone design. Not very interesting artistically, but at least it might prevent me from leaving the damn thing behind on a regular basis, and always at the most inconvenient times.

Text and photograph © by Geoffrey Notkin. All rights reserved. No reproduction without written permission.

Some images from this year’s All Souls Procession:

Photographs © by Geoffrey Notkin. All rights reserved. No reproduction without written permission.