Captain James T. Kirk can be a little irritating at times, William Shatner acknowledged during a January appearance in the New Orleans Convention Center’s Wizard World event.
But, at the same time, the iconic starship captain has opened the way to high profile Hollywood career opportunities, exotic travel destinations and robust cultural exchanges that would not otherwise have been possible, Shatner told hundreds of listeners during a question and answer session held as part of the city’s two-day “Wizard World Comic-Con.”

The highly versatile pop-culture legend, known across generations, was the center of attention at the annual event. He appeared on Sat. January 28th. Other featured guests included Stan Lee, the creator of Spider-Man, and bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno, who played the “Incredible Hulk” in the 1970s and 1980s opposite the late Bill Bixby.
Instead of delivering a prepared talk filled with anecdotes about his career in entertainment, Shatner told attendees that he would rather take their questions and concentrate on their interests.
“Have you ever hated Captain Kirk?” one audience member asked. In response, “The Shat,” as he is commonly called now, described his romp down Bourbon Street the previous night.
“Last night we were having dinner, and the waiter comes up and says — what would you like? I said `oysters.” And he said — ‘Beam Me Up Scotty!!!’ — I mean come on.”
“On the other hand…,” he added. “I would not have been here ordering those oysters if it hadn’t been for Captain Kirk. It’s a two-edged sword. Imagine getting to do the things I’ve done as a result of playing the part of Captain Kirk.”
(more…)