Actor Michael Shanks seems to thrive on new challenges. Having played everything from mad to dead-but-ascended in his nine-going-on-ten-year role as archaeologist and linguist, Dr Daniel Jackson, on ‘Stargate SG-1’, he is now turning his hand to the merchandise business as producer of a calendar featuring some of the most beautiful women in the world of science fiction. He talks to Carole Gordon about the project; about friend, business partner and SG-1 team-mate Christopher Judge’s creative side; and why he and Judge named their company ‘Slacktwaddle Entertainment Inc’.
Two years in development, the calendar features science fiction favourites Laura Bertram (‘Andromeda’), Lexa Doig (‘Andromeda’, ‘Stargate SG-1’), Erica Durance (‘Smallville’), Rachel Luttrell (‘Stargate: Atlantis’), Ona Grauer (‘Andromeda’, ‘Stargate SG-1’, ‘Stargate: Atlantis’), Teryl Rothery (‘Stargate SG-1’) and Brandy Ledford (‘Andromeda’). Shanks is full of praise for Judge’s stunning photography. "He’s been an amateur photographer and a very good one, I might add, for years," he says, "and I think he was looking for an outlet for his creativity." That outlet presented itself when Shanks and Judge realised there was a gap in the merchandise market – and moved in to fill it.
"We deal with merchandising for Stargate all the time and the fans have expressed their less than contentment with the lack of merchandise that MGM has produced over the years – we just put the two together."
Shanks is the behind-the-scenes guy, signing the cheques and making the business decisions, a role that was helped by the business studies course he took before he turned to acting – but partly, he says, it is simply commonsense.
"I would say a business background is part to do with it, but I think if one is grounded with values and business ethics, then I think business is pretty straightforward."
Pretty straightforward until it comes to chartered accountancy perhaps?
Shanks laughs. "If I were doing the accounting for the corporation, that would require a good bit more than high school learning but I think right now, as what we are trying to do is just A to B kind of stuff, I think it’s pretty simple."
From a marketing perspective, Shanks describes the calendar’s ‘unique selling point’ as being all the people involved in the project.
"It has that sort of weird cross-section of actors from the different shows," he says. "You see them in the elements that you wouldn’t normally see them in. Most of these actors have never participated in a calendar of any kind, unless it was a calendar for their show – in which case, still photographs or gallery photos are used and they are always pictured with the same people in the same kind of situations and in character. Here we’re seeing a different side of them, certainly a more personal side. We see them a little bit more with their guard down. We see them just as people. Not," he laughs, "necessarily them at home with their cats, or anything like that, but in a more candid environment, a little bit more of a sense of humour and what makes them tick."
He is delighted that they have been able to produce a quality product at a reasonable price. They are, he says, anxious not be seen as trying to take advantage of the fans.
"We love the quality of the product. We didn’t want to make some nine-ninety-nine piece of crap," Shanks says frankly. "We really wanted to make something that we ourselves would be proud of. We are very pleased with the end result."
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The response so far has been positive, with much feedback focusing on the quality of the images. It has come as a surprise to many people to find that the actor who plays Teal’c, the stoic Jaffa from the planet Chulak, is such a talented photographic artist.
"With Christopher’s character on the show, you don’t expect this more artistic side of him," Shanks says. "For him to have demonstrated his unique talent behind the lens is a wonderful thing. People talk about how they’ve never seen the girls like this and the shots are so beautiful and so on and so forth. They have been over-the-moon complimentary about the quality of the pictures themselves, and again people have been very complimentary about the quality of the product. It’s a product that people would be proud to display on their walls."
Co-ordinating the production of the calendar was a particular challenge for Shanks. The women’s availability for photoshoots had to be aligned with gaps in Shanks’ and Judge’s schedules, not made easier last year by the many personal appearances the pair undertook in the US, Canada and Europe. This inevitably meant that some actors had to drop out of the project. But they might still be part of the next one, Shanks says.
So, is he confirming that there will be more calendars to come?
"Well," he says, with a note of business-like caution, "we won’t say definitely at this point. We are in the baby stages of pushing this one down the line. I think we were both surprised at the amount of financial resources that were required to put it together and get it out there. Because we’re starting a new company as well as dishing out a new product, there’s been a whole bunch of real hoops we’ve had to jump through along the way. To just arbitrarily say ‘Let’s start another one!’ when we haven’t quite got this one off the ground yet would be a foolhardy decision by any business person."
Maybe, but it hasn’t gone unnoticed during public appearances that there’s a market out there for a [b]Men[/b] of Sci-Fi Calendar. Shanks confirms that, if they do continue, that will be their next project, with a second Women of Sci-Fi Calendar shortly afterwards.
"Oh, we’d start the Men of Sci-Fi calendar, that’s for sure. And hopefully within a relatively decent timeline be able to kick off, even mid-stream, the next Women of Sci-Fi calendar. It’s possibly due to the demographic of the live audiences that we’ve seen, that is mostly female, that there seems to be an overwhelming enthusiasm for the Men of Sci-Fi Calendar!"
Shanks and Judge are also selling a DVD about the making of the calendar, put together by Ivon Bartok, producer of behind-the-scenes documentaries about ‘Stargate SG-1′. Shanks’ plans for future projects definitely include more such DVDs, he says.
"We’re very impressed with the quality of the behind-the-scenes feature. The quality of the DVD features that he [Bartok] does for ‘Stargate’ was why we approached him about this. He certainly hasn’t disappointed with what he did for us."
The DVD has added an interesting element to the calendars, and is even attracting the attention of the TV networks.
"Yes, it’s wonderful to see different shots of different actors," Shanks explains, "but if you want to have a live version of it, talking, doing the interviews and seeing a little bit of the behind-the-scenes that goes on in the footage, it’s almost, if not even more valuable, than the calendar itself. As a matter of fact, we have a burgeoning interest from networks to possibly air a version of the behind-the-scenes DVD featurette as part of their evening programming, so we’re waiting to hear about that."
Shanks won’t reveal who might be in the next calendar. He’s receiving a lot of suggestions of actors the fans would like to see, but says that there is bound to be disappointment if a particular favourite cannot be included.
"Hugh Jackman’s not likely to be part of the Men of Sci-Fi Calendar," he jokes. "And I think one request for Patrick Stewart in a thong might go without!"
Ah, Teryl Rothery (Dr Janet Fraiser in ‘Stargate SG-1’) is known to be a big fan of Mr Stewart. Could that request possibly have come from her?
Shanks refuses to confirm or deny. "I’m not going to list the source but I will say Teryl has said a few things in the past – and I guess that’s where I’m stopping!"
In the current calendar, Shanks admits that his favourite photograph overall is the stunning close-up of Ona Grauer.
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"Ona’s so lovely and beautiful but there’s something unique the way the colours pop out of that image. All the ladies have some great quotient to them to be boasted about. Erica’s pictures are absolutely stunning and I think I’ve never seen a picture that looked quite so good. Laura’s sexuality seems to come screaming out in a way that I’ve never seen from her on television before. But I think that one picture of Ona, the image is so unique and so gorgeous."
Shanks is confident that his wife, Lexa Doig, who also features in the calendar, won’t confine him to the dog-house for choosing Ona Grauer’s photograph as his favourite of the collection.
"Oh, I think my wife knows it’s just pictures," Shanks says. "She certainly knows what I think about her, so I think I’m safe in that regard!"
In addition to his new role as businessman, Shanks is also busy with promotional work – including some hands-on selling. He is planning to be at the Timeless Destinations convention (Richmond, BC, July 31 to August 6, 2006) where he will represent Slacktwaddle Entertainment in the dealers’ room, while Judge will make an appearance on stage.
And just where did the company’s idiosyncratic name come from?
"Well," Shanks says, laughing, "that’s Christopher’s and my inside joke! When we first started ‘Stargate’, we went to the opening of Planet Hollywood in Vancouver. ‘Stargate’ hadn’t even been on the air yet. I remember reading in the paper the next day or the day after, a reporter referred to what seemed like the entire cast of ‘some show’, in this mocking kind of way, as Star Trek, Star Gate, Star Something or some ‘slacktwaddle’ thing. I thought that was one of the funniest words I’d ever heard – and ‘slacktwaddle’ became part of our vernacular, in reference to something that is sub-par, I guess you could say. So, of course, two idiots have to refer to their own company as that!"
In a final piece of good news for his fans, Shanks confirms that, if the Men of Sci-Fi Calendar is a go, he will definitely be one of the subjects. But he makes no further mention of thongs.
© Carole Gordon 2005
Women of Sci-Fi 2007 Calendar:
Michael Shanks:
http://www.michaelshanks-online.com/
Christopher Judge: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0431895/
Timeless Destinations: http://timelessdestinations.com/