“You are… the Navigator!”

FIRST EAST COAST CONVENTION APPEARANCE!! Please welcome Joey Cramer to Retro Con 2025, September 6th & 7th in Oaks, Pennsylvania!

Joey first hit the acting scene in Michael Crichton’s 1984 sci-fi/action film Runaway, aka “That movie with Tom Selleck and the killer robot spiders and Gene Simmons as the bad guy”. The movie eerily predicted advancements we have today, such as drones, computer voice interaction, flat screen monitors, computer tablets, and much more.

But retro fans will definitely remember Joey as time-displaced, dog-frisbee enthusiast David Freeman in the classic 1986 Disney movie Flight of the Navigator!

Want to know the story of the movie? “Compliance!” 12-year-old David Freeman goes missing after being knocked unconscious in 1978. He awakens in 1986, having not aged a day. NASA researchers discover a UFO near his home, and David is drawn to the mysterious spacecraft where he meets its robotic pilot Max (voiced by the late great Paul Reubens). With Max’s help, David embarks on a journey to understand what happened to him, and hopefully return to his own time.

The movie mixes together sci-fi, mystery, comedy, practical and CGI effects, and an uplifting score by the legendary Alan Silvestri into a truly wholesome gem from the 1980’s. If you’ve never seen it, you’ve got some homework to do. And don’t forget to feed Bruiser!

Joey was also the focus of a recent documentary called ‘Life After the Navigator‘, directed by Lisa Downs (who kindly helped us get in touch with Joey for this convention appearance). Part documentary that recounts the creation of 1986’s Flight of the Navigator, it later shifts focus to Joey during his often turbulent times in the decades that followed the release of the movie. But he’s come through the other side and is now a well-adjusted person and father. It’s a sincere and heartfelt doc, and definitely worthy of a watch if you want to know the full Joey Cramer story. It’s available on blu-ray and on numerous streaming platforms.

This is Joey’s first convention on the east coast, so we hope you’ll come out and show him some love! He fully embraces his part as the Navigator, and plans to wear his signature David Freeman outfit at the show (blue striped shirt and NASA hat), and bring along a replica of his alien friend the Puckmaren for photo ops!