Star Trek: Vulcanology

Vulcan Video: Tutoring Tuvok

2012-01-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

This week's Vulcan Video features clips from Star Trek: Voyager's "Gravity." In it, a young Tuvok (LeRoy D. Brazile) begins his tutoring in logic and emotional repression with a Vulcan Master (Joseph Ruskin).

Take note of the burning braziers that make frequent appearances in both Vulcan and Klingon sets from TNG through Enterprise. Also, the stone sculpture in the cavern is reminiscent of the sculpture on Mount Seleya seen in Star Trek III. The form is that of the famous Vulcan salute.

Leonard Nimoy as Spock

2012-01-07T08:55:00.001-05:00

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-21T08:00:00.002-05:00

Happy Holidays to all my fellow Vulcanologists (if you're celebrating something)!

See you in 2012!

LLAP

Vulcan Video: Balance of Terror

2011-12-16T08:00:00.001-05:00

Since we celebrated the 45th anniversary of "Balance of Terror" earlier this week, I thought it appropriate to take a look at some important clips from the episode.

The Vendetta Conspiracy

2011-12-15T09:36:00.000-05:00

Keep your eyes open in March for a new, two-issue IDW Star Trek comic that features a Vulcan story arc. It follows the events of Star Trek XI. Vulcans are dealing with the aftermath of the destruction of their homeworld and apparently, some of them think that revenge is the logical response.

Check back here in March for my review!

Balance of Terror's 45th Anniversary!

2011-12-13T08:00:00.032-05:00

Today marks the 45th anniversary of "Balance of Terror." It first aired on September 13, 1966 and was the 14th episode of Star Trek to be aired. It was directed by Vincent McEveety and written by Paul Schneider. We owe Schneider a great debt of gratitude for introducing "those who march beneath the Raptor's wings." Our cousins, the Romulans.

Mark Lenard places his feet firmly in the wet cement of the Romulan species. He is shown to be a "creature of duty." In fact, he is so focused on duty and his dedication to the praetor that he follows it instead of his better judgement, leading to the destruction of his ship and the deaths of his crew. Though Lenard's character is never named on screen, the Star Trek CCG names him Keras.

It becomes clear very quickly that the Romulans are more passionate than the Vulcans. However, they are similar in that they both appreciate the value of duty and service. They are loyal to their commander and, in turn, to their praetor. We know they are warlike because the Romulan centurion reveals that he has fought with Keras in hundreds of campaigns. This is the major difference we see between the peaceful Vulcans and their cousins.

I hope you'll take some time today to watch this excellent episode and reflect on how important the Romulans have come to be in the last 45 years of Star Trek history.

It's also worth noting that this is the 9th anniversary of the premiere of Star Trek: Nemesis, the first Trek film to deal heavily with the Romulans.

Vulcan Video: Falor's Journey

2011-12-09T08:00:00.001-05:00

This week's Vulcan Video is from the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Innocence." Tuvok finds himself stranded on a moon with three "children." To help them fall to sleep he sings Falor's Journey, which he refers to as a "tale of enlightenment."

EXCLUSIVE! Interview with Tim Russ

2011-12-07T13:34:00.000-05:00

Greetings, my fellow Vulcanologists!

I have a special treat for you today. The one and only Tim Russ has agreed to do a brief interview with me.

Vulcanologists will of course be most familiar with Tim Russ as Tuvok on Star Trek: Voyager but he also played three separate characters on Star Trek: TNG, Star Trek: DS9 and in Star Trek: Generations. His history with Star Trek goes even farther back to 1986-1987 when he auditioned for the role of Geordi LaForge.

Since Voyager ended in 2001, Tim has continued to provide the voice of Tuvok in Star Trek video games and in 2007 he directed and starred in the fan film, Star Trek: Of Gods and Men. Outside of Star Trek, Tim has become highly recognizable from his stints on Samantha Who? and iCarly. In addition, Tim has released four EP albums and his songs are now available on iTunes. Keep an eye out for more new songs on iTunes as well.

Recently, Tim has been directing and starring in a web series called Bloomers. He'll shortly appear in a new film called Rampart and he's looking at several new directing projects between now and the spring.

It may surprise you to know that Tim's favourite Voyager episodes are not Tuvok or Vulcan-centric. "I liked the "Distant Origin" episode which dealt with evolution--many of the sciences are interests of mine." Another favourite is "Living Witness", an episode he directed that deals with revisionist history. "I think history is profoundly important to examine and learn from."

Like Leonard Nimoy with Spock, Tim brought many of his own ideas to the character of Tuvok. I asked Tim if he and the writers had ever discussed backstory elements for Tuvok that hadn't appeared on screen and he replied "No. The few ideas I talked with them about eventually became episodes in one fashion or another."

When Voyager premiered in 1995 there was some sexist and racist discourse about having a female captain and an African-American Vulcan on the series. Tim admits, "Well, it's part of the fabric of this country." But he's quick to point out that he never had any negative experiences with fans. "It seems counter to the typical Trek fan who tend to be above all that."

Tim is perhaps the studio-Trek actor with the most fan film experience, having directed the short film Roddenberry on Patrol and directed and starred in Of Gods and Men. I asked him about the differences between working on studio versus fan films. "Well, the budgets obviously are bigger for the network's shows. For the cost of shooting one episode of Voyager, you could shoot an entire low budget feature, or two. That makes a difference in production value and options for shooting."

Though Tim has no present plans to return to the fan film world he notes that he "will entertain any project that comes across my desk."

Finally, I asked Tim about whether or not he would be interested in playing Tuvok again if the opportunity presented itself. He said, "The timeline has to be correct to play Tuvok in a feature, but otherwise, I would certainly play the character again if asked to." (Hear that J.J.?). On the subject of the new J.J. Abrams Trek and the destruction of Vulcan, Tim has little to say except that "We blew up Vulcan in Star Trek: Of Gods and Men long before J.J. did." It seems as though the universe has it in for our poor planet Vulcan.

I'd like to thank Tim Russ for taking the time to answer my questions. Be sure to keep an eye on his website for updates on his projects and appearances.

Vulcan Video: Star Trek's Lost Vulcan, Xon

2011-12-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

In 1977, Paramount decided to bring Star Trek back to TV as Star Trek: Phase II. Leonard Nimoy was not interested in returning to the role of Spock so a new Vulcan character was created.

Vulcan Video: Sarek's Son Spock

2011-11-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

Since we remember the 15th anniversary of Mark Lenard's death this week it seems appropriate to share a video that features him. This video has an audio track called "Sarek's Son Spock." It was originally presented on the 1976 LP Inside Star Trek.

Mark Lenard as Sarek

2011-11-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

Remembering Mark Lenard

2011-11-22T08:00:00.130-05:00

Fifteen years ago today we lost Mark Lenard. I thought it appropriate to remember him here by exploring his life and career.

Mark Lenard was born Leonard Rosenson in Chicago in 1924. Having graduated high school in 1941, Lenard joined the army in 1943 and served as a paratrooper in Europe. During his time in Europe, he starred in a Ben Johnson play called Volpone which toured for soldiers. After being discharged in 1946, Lenard lived in New York where he studied to become a writer. However, in the late 1950s and early 1960s, Lenard began to take roles in various off Broadway plays. He discovered a talent for acting and began to take acting classes. In one of these classes, he met his future wife, Ann Amouri. They were married in 1960 and later had two daughters.

Lenard had roles on television beginning in 1959 and he continued working until 1993. His first feature film performance was as Balthazar in The Greatest Story Ever Told but the following year--1966--Lenard began the work for which he is best known on Star Trek.

Lenard was cast as the Romulan Commander in the first season Star Trek episode "Balance of Terror." Along with Lawrence Montaigne (Decius) he has the honour of being the first Romulan to appear in Star Trek. His performance and presence were so strong that when Roddenberry was casting the role of Spock's father Sarek for the second season episode "Journey to Babel" Lenard was at the top of the list. "Journey to Babel" aired in November 1967 and for the next 30 years, Lenard would be best known as the Vulcan, Sarek.

In the 1970s, amongst many other roles, Lenard voiced Sarek in the Star Trek: The Animated Series episode "Yesteryear" and again leant his voice to the character in an LP release called Inside Star Trek in which Gene Roddenberry interviews Sarek about the origins of Spock.

In 1979, when Sarek did not fit into the plans for Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Lenard was given the role of the Klingon commander. In this role he had the honour (pun intended) of playing the first Klingon with forehead ridges and also the first Klingon to speak the Klingon language. Now, Lenard had helped to create three of Star Trek's most important alien species.

Lenard reprised his role in three of the Star Trek feature films. In Star Trek III we see a more tender side of Sarek as he mourns the death of his son and tries desperately to resurrect Spock.

In Star Trek IV and VI, we see Sarek in his role as Vulcan ambassador to the Federation. He displays fierce loyalty to his son and the crew of the Enterprise but also unfailing logic in his diplomatic role.

Before appearing in The Undiscovered Country, Lenard made two appearances as Sarek on Star Trek: The Next Generation. He appeared in the third season episode appropriately titled "Sarek" and then in the fifth season episode "Unification, Part 1." These appearances showed Sarek 80 years older in the 24th century, still a celebrated ambassador, but unfortunately ailing from a condition called Bendii Syndrome. This condition affects the minds of older Vulcans, making it extremely difficult for them to continue to repress their emotions.

I found it very difficult to see Sarek in this frail and declining form and when the character finally dies of Bendii the repercussions are felt not only throughout the Star Trek universe but also throughout Trek fandom.

Sarek was a man of strong beliefs. On the surface, his logic was the most important thing to him, yet this was a man who had twice married human women. He lived his life with emotional humans and went to great lengths to have a son with Amanda Grayson. Lenard's performance brought a sense of gravitas to the role of Sarek that made the character, and even the Star Trek universe itself, deeper and more believable. It should therefore not surprise us that Lenard was a successful acting teacher throughout the 1980s and 90s.

In 1994, Mark Lenard was the first actor I ever met at a Star Trek convention (Odyssey Trek in Niagara Falls). This ended up being one of his final appearances. In October 1995, Lenard began to experience fatigue and pain in his ribs and back. He was diagnosed with Multiple myeloma which is cancer of the plasma cells. His illness continued to worsen until he died at the age of 72 on November 22, 1996 (the same day Star Trek: First Contact was released). He was survived by his wife and daughters. Though he left this world at too young an age, Mark Lenard will be "immortal" through his many memorable roles in film and television and especially as Sarek.

I hope all Vulcanologists will take time today to reflect and remember Mark Lenard and the father of Spock.

Vulcan Video: kal-if-fee in "Amok Time"

2011-11-18T08:00:00.009-05:00

Vulcan Videos is a new feature here on Vulcanology. I'll try to post a new one each week. You can also subscribe to the new Vulcanology YouTube Channel.

This clip is from the second season episode "Amok Time." In it, Spock and Kirk are locked together in the kal-if-fee (challenge) after T'Pring declares that she does not wish to marry Spock.

Zachary Quinto Comes Out

2011-11-16T08:00:00.010-05:00

One month ago today, in the true spirit of IDIC, Zachary Quinto came out as a gay man. On October 16th, in a New York Magazine interview with Benjamin Wallace, when speaking about his role in Angels in America, the 34-year old actor said “... as a gay man, it made me feel like there’s still so much work to be done, and there’s still so many things that need to be looked at and addressed.”

I applaud and thank Zachary Quinto for contributing to the It Gets Better Project and allowing himself to be a positive example for change. It's a very compassionate and human response from our favourite new Vulcan.

Kim Cattrall as Valeris

2011-11-14T07:43:00.001-05:00

Review: Saavik's Story Chapter Two

2011-11-05T12:06:00.002-04:00

To read my review of Part One, click here.

Saavik's Story continues in issue #8 from November 1984 in the DC Comics Star Trek series. It was written by Mike W. Barr with art by Tom Sutton and Ricardo Villagran. The colourist was Michele Wolfman.

The Enterprise is taking damage from Saavik's phaser fire. With Scotty's assistance, Kirk manages to make the Enterprise look like it has been severely damaged and is unable to respond. Having dealt with the potential threat, Saavik moves off into the barrier that surrounds our galaxy. The Enterprise is able to follow her radiation trail.

Meanwhile, a Romulan vessel is communicating with a Romulan science station which seems to be on a planetoid either in or near to the barrier. The commander of the ship is Tal (Subcommander Tal was the name of Jack Donner's Romulan character in "The Enterprise Incident". Presumably this is the same character). Xon has infiltrated the Romulan station posing as a centurion.

It seems the Romulans are conducting genetic experiments and they have created a small group of Romulan "Augments". A scientist called Lar is using the energy from the barrier to infuse these specimens with some kind of super powers. One of the Augments is able to sense Saavik's vessel landing nearby and Centurion Xon is sent to investigate.

Xon is shocked to find that it is a Vulcan vessel and that Saavik, his betrothed, is aboard! The couple kiss passionately and the contact seems to be enough to relieve Saavik's Plak Tow. The couple plan to take Saavik's ship and warn the Federation about the new Romulan threat but they are stopped by a group of armed Romulan soldiers. Evidently, Lar has suspected that Xon is a spy and had him followed.

Saavik is able to hide from the soldiers and she uses her communicator to contact the Enterprise in hopes that she left survivors aboard. Of course, the crew is fine. They respond to Saavik and beam her aboard. Sensors indicate that Xon is in the science facility and a great deal of power is being focused on a torture device that Lar hopes will persuade Xon to reveal his secrets.

The Enterprise fires on the station, destroying the systems used to collect energy from the barrier. Xon is transported to the Enterprise and Commander Tal orders pursuit of the Starfleet vessel. The Enterprise cannot be allowed to warn the Federation of the Romulan plan. Kirk and Scotty are able to block the Romulan vessel's sensors. They can follow the Enterprise only by following its "Identification Beam." Kirk heads toward the barrier, and the Romulan vessel is so close behind that when Kirk suddenly changes the Enterprise's course, the Romulans cannot stop themselves from entering the barrier at full speed.

Their navigational equipment destroyed, the Romulans will remain stuck in the barrier until they are able to find a way out or they are destroyed. Dr. McCoy is able to heal Xon's wounds. Xon and Saavik seem to be quite content with one another and Xon will be able to brief the Federation on the intelligence he gathered. Finally, the Enterprise heads to rendezvous with the Grissom so David and Saavik can begin to study the Genesis Planet.

Next would come the events of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.

I suppose this is a satisfying conclusion to the story begun in the previous issue but the structure and setting are so different that it really feels like a separate entity rather than a continuation.

To me, the most interesting part of this story is the inclusion of the Romulans. At this point we haven't seen the Romulans since the original series episode "The Enterprise Incident". I found it interesting to see how the artists evolved the look of the Romulans. The soldiers wear helmets and armour that is reminiscent of the original series costumes but definitely has a 1980s flavour. The costumes remind me of something one might see in He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.

Also, the Romulan scientist Lar wears a very Vulcan-looking robe complete with script that is very similar to the Vulcan symbols rata, tafar and tapan. This suggests a much closer link between Vulcan and Romulan cousins than we have previously seen. I like the idea that some Romulans have respect for their origins even if they differ from Vulcans in philosophy and demeanor.

I'd say this is non-essential reading for most Vulcanologists but it can be diverting for a short while.

Kirstie Alley as Saavik

2011-10-28T16:46:00.001-04:00

Review: The Origin of Saavik!

2011-10-19T11:03:00.003-04:00

The Origin of Saavik is issue #7 from August 1984 in the DC Comics Star Trek series. It was written by Mike W. Barr with art by Eduardo Barreto and Ricardo Villagran. Michele Wolfman was the colourist. This is the first volume in a two-part story. It is subtitled "Pon Far!" (incorrectly spelled, it should be Pon Farr). The second part is called "Plak Tow!"

The story takes place sometime between Star Trek II and Star Trek III. We are introduced to a very emotional Saavik who is having difficulty controlling her emotions. Kirk's son David rendezvous with the Enterprise. Carol Marcus is back at Regula I overseeing repairs to the station after Khan's attack. At a banquet in David's honour, Kirk makes a very uncharacteristically inappropriate toast ("...Long life to our honoured guest and his friends... and confusion to our enemies, the Klingons and the Romulans!").

Saavik has an outburst of emotion and storms out of the banquet hall. Kirk and McCoy follow and McCoy explains that he has suspected Saavik might be in the early stages of Pon Farr. Reluctantly, Saavik explains to the captain and doctor that both male and female Vulcans must go through the Pon Farr. She then tells the story of how she came to know Spock.

A landing party commanded by Spock, before Kirk came to captain the Enterprise, discovered an abandoned Romulan base. The only living inhabitant was a a young Vulcan-Romulan girl: Saavik. She speculates that her "half-breed heritage" may have made her more tenacious and able to survive on her own while her Romulan peers could not.

This is the first time that it's explicitly stated that Saavik is half Vulcan and half Romulan. Some fans will remember a brief line that McCoy has in Star Trek II. He says to Kirk after Saavik leaves the turbolift: "Wonderful stuff that Romulan ale." In the script itself, Saavik was identified as half Vulcan and half Romulan but the scenes where that was discussed were extracted.

Saavik tells Kirk and McCoy that Spock took her to Vulcan to live with his parents, Sarek and Amanda. She was then bonded to a Vulcan boy named Xon (Xon was a Vulcan character who was to appear in Star Trek: Phase II when Leonard Nimoy declined to return for the planned spin-off series). Saavik says that in her time on Vulcan she began to love and long for Spock. Saavik requests that she be allowed to leave for Vulcan but Kirk insists on taking her there himself. This delays the scheduled rendezvous with the USS Grissom which was to take David back to the Genesis planet.

Once on Vulcan, (which is incorrectly depicted as having several moons), Sarek tells Saavik that Xon is off world on a secret mission for his people. He will not reveal Xon's location but hints that the information might be found in his computer. He then leaves the room allowing Saavik to locate Xon. Sarek then speaks with Amanda who begs him to ask Kirk about Spock's katra. He agrees that he will but Saavik has used the computer to beam to an orbiting ship and leave to seek Xon on her own and Kirk will not wait to speak with Sarek. He immediately beams to the Enterprise and begins pursuit of Saavik.

The Enterprise follows Saavik to the energy barrier at the edge of the galaxy. Saavik, in the throws of the Plak Tow (blood fever) fires phasers at the Enterprise demanding that they tell her where Xon is. The issue then ends, to be continued in "Plak Tow!"

I like the idea of a connecting story between Star Trek II and III but I think this one has a few problems. Kirk has a lot of very uncharacteristic dialogue. It also seems pretty clear in the films that the Enterprise heads straight home to Earth for repairs after Spock's death. Sarek then immediately seeks out Kirk on Earth. I find it difficult to imagine Sarek would wait on Vulcan for an appropriate time to discuss his son's katra.

I think the flashback sequence where Spock finds a young Saavik, and has his family more or less adopt her, is quite strong. The artists do a good job of recreating the Starfleet uniforms seen in "The Cage" and "Where No Man Has Gone Before." For the rest of the art, the panels are dynamically drawn. The colour is, of course, lacking due to the costs of printing a wider range of colours at the time. The character likenesses are not especially strong (except for Scotty and Sulu) but you can definitely tell who everyone is and they serve the story well.

Saavik is a unique character in several ways. She's the first Vulcan female Starfleet officer we see on screen, she's the first Vulcan female to have a name beginning with a letter other than 'T' and she's the first Vulcan-Romulan hybrid ever seen or mentioned in Star Trek. Her hybrid heritage makes for an interesting inner conflict which could be explored in much more depth. Her passionate Romulan side allows her to have feelings for David Marcus, Kirk and Spock either in deleted scenes from Star Trek II or in earlier drafts of the script. The relationship between Saavik and David is especially interesting to me. It explains this somewhat strange publicity photo.

To read my review of Part Two, click here.

Leonard Nimoy's Convention Retirement

2011-10-06T10:15:00.000-04:00

Last weekend in Chicago, 80 year-old Leonard Nimoy bade audiences a fond farewell as he retired from Star Trek convention appearances. This Chicago convention celebrated the 45th anniversary of Star Trek.

Mr. Nimoy spoke to fans for over an hour about his early family life, his acting career, photography and Star Trek. It was an emotional experience not only for the audience but for Nimoy as well.

He was accompanied by his family and many members of his Trek family. The cast of the J.J. Abrams Star Trek appeared in a video to wish him well. He was presented with a celebratory cake which he shared with fans as they waited in line for his autograph.

I wish I could have been present for this event but I feel fortunate to have met Mr. Nimoy at two previous conventions. I'm hoping this retirement won't be permanent and that we'll see him back for the 50th anniversary in 2016.

If there's anyone who can stand as a representative of the Star Trek franchise it is Leonard Nimoy. He embodies the spirit of Trek in all he has done. I wish him peace and long life.

Tim Russ as Tuvok

2011-10-05T11:29:00.001-04:00

Leonard Nimoy as Spock

2011-09-17T09:29:00.001-04:00

Happy 45th Anniversary!

2011-09-08T07:09:00.002-04:00

On September 8, 1966 the first episode of Star Trek aired on television. "The Man Trap" was well-received and the world would be forever changed.

Be sure to watch your favourite Star Trek episode today! Happy Anniversary!

LLAP

Vulcans in Plastic: Saavik

2011-09-02T08:42:00.002-04:00

Saavik was the first Vulcan female Starfleet officer we ever saw on screen. She was played by Kirstie Alley in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and then by Robin Curtis in the subsequent two Trek films. Two Saavik action figures have been produced and both have the likeness of Kirstie Alley.

The first one was produced by Playmates as part of their Classic Star Trek Movie Series. The likeness on this figure is terrific! I apologize for the terrible photos but my camera's not great at capturing small items in any detail.

The details on the Playmates figure are captured well and I love the display bases from this series. The only possible complaint I have about this figure is the shiny finish that most of the Playmates figures have. However, that's not a huge detraction and this figure has a prominent place in my Vulcan collection.

The second figure was produced by Art Asylum/Diamond Select as part of their Star Trek II series.

This figure has all the amazing detail you'd expect from Art Asylum and it displays well in or outside its packaging. It has a nice matte finish which doesn't give it away as plastic at a first glance.

Despite all the great detail in Saavik's uniform and hair this figure does not capture Kirstie Alley's likeness as well as the Playmates one. I also find myself wishing this one had a display base because it doesn't stand perfectly on its own.

In my opinion, Saavik is a great character that we never learned enough about (some comic books did a good job at expanding her Vulcan-Romulan heritage and relationship with Spock). I hope we also get a Robin Curtis Saavik figure someday but for now, we can appreciate the fact that Saavik will always live long...in plastic.

Zachary Quinto as Spock

2011-08-25T05:37:00.003-04:00

I found these beautiful publicity photos of Zachary Quinto as Spock in Star Trek (2009) and I had to share.

Fun With Vulcans Part II

2011-07-25T19:50:00.000-04:00

If you own one of these images and would like it removed or would like credit please contact me!

Vulcan Technician Wrist Cuffs

2011-06-15T06:17:00.000-04:00

I told myself I wasn't allowed to buy any more props or costumes but when these came up for sale at a great price I couldn't help myself!

These wrist cuffs were worn by the Vulcan technicians who worked on the stolen Bird of Prey in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. It's a Wrap! sold several pairs of these both individually and with complete technician costumes. I purchased these ones from Martin Netter who bought most of the Trek warehouse at the end of the sales.

As you can see from these images, the cuffs are barely seen at all in the finished film. I'm incredibly impressed at the amount of work that went into them for so little screen time. They are made of leather and the underside is lined with a softer leather. They each have two sets of snaps to accommodate various sized wrists and they feature resin "jewels" with a painted on symbol. There is absolutely no damage or wear to mine. As usual, the Star Trek costume department paid a fantastic amount of attention to detail.

Propworx Star Trek Auction II

2011-06-06T08:51:00.000-04:00

This weekend, Propworx held their second Star Trek auction. This event was all Online and there was a little less fanfare than there was for the first one in Las Vegas. Nevertheless, it can be said it was a huge success. Most of the items sold for at least their estimated price and few were passed over.

There were a few items of interest to fellow Vulcanologists. A resin life cast of Leonard Nimoy sold for $500.

A large IDIC sign from Deep Space Nine sold for $550.

The item I was most excited about came from the collection of Michael and Denise Okuda. It's a "doorbell" that was used in the set for the home of T'Pol's mother in the Star Trek: Enterprise episode "Home." I love how the design reflects the shape of the Vulcan gong that was introduced in "Amok Time." The whole piece is just really pleasing to look at. It sold for $900!

Another unique item that sold for $100 was a foam core pre-production model of the Vulcan ships seen in Star Trek: The Next Generation "Unification." I've previously written about Rick Sternbach's design and actual model of the ship here.

Profiles in History Hollywood Auction 44

2011-05-09T18:28:00.001-04:00

Profiles in History is gearing up for their 44th Hollywood Auction. It takes place May 14 and 15, 2011. There are lots of great items with ridiculously high prices. Two items in particular will be of interest to my fellow Vulcanologists.

First, lot 1545 is a piece of concept art by John Eaves featuring the Vulcan homeworld. It was created for the Star Trek: Enterprise episode "Home." It has an estimated price of $400-$600 which is more or less in line with other Star Trek concept art.

Second, lot 1457 is the wonderful Robert Fletcher Spock Kolinahr costume from Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Though this piece is iconic and rare I think it's hardly worth the estimated $30,000-$50,000. Spock costumes are few and far between but the distressed nature of this one and the fact that it is seen on screen for less than 5 minutes reduce its value. I'd say a more reasonable price for this might be $10,000-$15,000. We'll see how it does at the auction!

UPDATE: Unsurprisingly, the Spock costume was passed over at auction this evening. $30,000 is a ridiculous opening bid for this piece. Though there was healthy bidding on some of the Star Trek items in this auction a great many were passed over. The opening bid prices were simply too high. The John Eaves concept art sold for a solid $700.

Stone of Gol

2011-04-10T13:32:00.000-04:00

The Stone of Gol is one of very few Vulcan props created and seen in Star Trek history. It is almost the only one from Star Trek: The Next Generation. It appeared in the episode "Gambit, Part II." Designed, as most hand props for the series were, by Rick Sternbach, the Stone of Gol was realized beautifully for the screen.

This image is of a Sternbach drawing from the book Star Trek: TNG The Continuing Mission

The prop is now owned by Forum member Anthony Sforza who graciously agreed to share some wonderful photos of it. Anthony bought the Stone of Gol when it became available at Star Trek: The Experience in Las Vegas many years ago.

The prop is designed in three pieces: the main body, the horn-shaped emitter and a pyramid. All three are molded heavy resin and they attach to each other by means of magnets.

As described in the episode, the Stone of Gol is decorated with various Vulcan glyphs and symbols. On the reverse, are the symbols for the Vulcan gods of war and death. Between them is the IDIC, the symbol for peace and Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations.

The Stone of Gol was an artifact left over from a tumultuous time on Vulcan before the Time of Awakening. It was a psionic resonator which enabled its user to project the power of his mind as a weapon. Following a Vulcan civil war, the resonator was disassembled and its pieces were strewn across the Alpha quadrant until members of a Vulcan isolationist movement hired a ship of mercenaries to locate the pieces.

The prop is named for the Plains of Gol where we saw Spock studying Kolinahr in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Another interesting connection in this episode is the return of Robin Curtis, who played Saavik in Star Trek III and IV, as the isolationist T'Paal.

"Gambit, Part II" also features an appearance of the Vulcan Minister of Security, Satok (Martin Goslins), who wears a costume adorned with the trinity of rata, tafar and tapan. Finally, we also get a glimpse of some Vulcan script on a computer monitor. All in all, the Stone of Gol is the star of an episode that gives us many tantalizing glimpses into Vulcan culture.

Thanks to Anthony for sharing this wonderful part of his collection!

Vulcan Ceremonial Spear

2011-01-30T09:47:00.001-05:00

A friend from the Star Trek Prop, Costume & Auction Forum was kind enough to share some images of this fantastic and rare Vulcan prop from Star Trek III: The Search For Spock.

These fantastic spears were used by the honour guards at Spock's fal-tor-pan ceremony. They were created by Maggie Schpak who also created the stunning jewelry and armour worn by Sarek and the guards. I love the way that some of the design motifs from the armour make their way into the spears as well.

There are two of these spears. They were sold at the 40 Years of Star Trek Christie's auction where they were purchased by Michael and Denise Okuda. The Okudas then sold them at the Propworx Star Trek auction last summer. The lot was split between two Forum members.

My friend has done an excellent job at screen-matching her prop to the one used to block Kirk from passing in the film. Sometimes we have to thank blu-ray for revealing flaws!

This kind of attention to detail is essential in a hobby that is so beset by fraud. These pieces have rock-solid provenance and a really interesting history of owners.

Ex Astris Excellentia Award

2011-01-01T00:56:00.001-05:00

I am honoured to announce that Bernd Schneider, of the fantastic Star Trek site Ex Astris Scientia, has awarded Vulcanology the Ex Astris Excellentia Award for January 2011!

Here are Bernd's comments about Vulcanology:

"Vulcanology doesn't look very spectacular at the first glance. But in merely a couple of months the blog by Scott Lukas Williams has become the prime online source about the Vulcans and their culture. The author looks back at the Vulcan costumes, props and sets of more than forty years, remembers the designers and writers who created the culture, reviews Vulcan-themed books, showcases merchandise (such as stuffed Vulcans!) and does not forget the humorous side of Vulcan culture in the form of parodies. And he does so in fully-fledged well-researched articles in contrast to the 'I wrote this up in two minutes' entries of many other blogs. Perhaps most importantly Vulcanology preserves the spirit of the fictional Vulcan culture just as well as of those who brought it to life."

Previous winners include the great blog My Star Trek Scrapbook, Drex Files and Alec Peters' Star Trek Prop & Costume Blog. It feels great to be in such wonderful company. Vulcanology is now listed in the Links at Ex Astris Scientia.

Thanks to all my readers. It's very gratifying to know that people are enjoying the blog as much as I enjoy putting it together. Thanks also to all those who have helped me to put together these articles especially my friends at the Trek Prop and Costume Forum, Doug Drexler, Bob Burns and Rick Sternbach.

LLAP

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-24T08:01:00.000-05:00

May you live long and prosper.

Bob Justman "Amok Time" Memo

2010-12-20T22:11:00.000-05:00

I purchased this from a private collector on eBay. It was originally sold as part of Lot #721 in Profiles in History auction 32. It details Bob Justman's thoughts on a first draft of the script for an episode of Star Trek called "Amok Time" which is probably the most important Vulcan-centric episode of the entire Star Trek franchise.

Vulcan Language Dice From "Unification"

2010-11-17T21:17:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine from the Star Trek Prop and Costume Forum has agreed to let me share some great items from her Vulcan collection. These were purchased in week 34 of IAW's eBay Star Trek auctions in 2007.

These are wonderful props because, although there were hundreds of Vulcan costumes created for Star Trek over the years, there were very few Vulcan props. These were also handled by the father of all Vulcans, Spock (Leonard Nimoy). In "Unification, Part II" a young Romulan named D'Tan (Vidal Peterson) brings these dice to Spock. He tells Spock that they were his toys as a child and Spock tells him that they are very old and that the symbols form the syllabic nucleus of the Vulcan language.

The description of the symbols as being "syllabic" is in line with what little else we know about the Vulcan language. It suggests that each symbol represents a group of letters or a sound. Costume designer Robert Fletcher who designed the wonderful "trinity" of symbols often seen on Vulcan costumes has said that the symbols he created represented entire thoughts or ideas rather than letters.

Each of the dice is uniquely shaped; one is a pyramid, one an octahedron (8-sided), one a tetradecagon (14-sided) and one a icosikaihexagon (26-sided).

The five symbols on the pyramid

The eight symbols on the octahedron

Fourteen more

The final twenty-six

As far as I can tell, no symbol on the dice is duplicated exactly. That means there are 53 individual symbols or sounds (phonemes). Of course, we cannot be guaranteed that these dice represent a complete set so there could be more but 53 seems a reasonable number. There are 36-44 phonemes in the English language (depending on dialects), Mandarin has a total of 56 basic sounds, other Earth languages have as few as 20 phonemes or as many as 60.

The next step would be to assign each of the symbols a unique sound to begin to create the language. Linguist Marc Okrand created a few Vulcan words for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, however, he was limited because the dialogue had originally been recorded in English so he had to create words with sounds that seemed to fit the actors' mouths. Hopefully, someday Okrand or other linguists will be given the opportunity to develop the Vulcan language as fully as Klingon has been.

The first photo in this post is credited to IAW. The screencaps belong to CBS/Paramount and the close-ups of each symbol belong to my friend the photographer and owner of the dice.

Review: Vulcan's Forge

2010-10-30T10:24:00.003-04:00

Vulcan's Forge is the first Star Trek novel by collaborators Josepha Sherman and Susan Scwartz. It was published in hardcover by Pocket Books in 1997 with a cover by Keith Birdsong and has subsequently appeared in mass market and audio book editions.

The story takes place in 2296 about a year after the loss of James T. Kirk in the Enterprise-B mission to rescue the El-Aurian refugees from the Nexus. Spock is captain of the USS Intrepid II (why it's called 'II' and not 'A' is unexplained) and among his crew are McCoy and Uhura. The Intrepid is called to the planet Obsidian where a Starfleet officer named David Rabin is in charge of relief operations for the pre-industrial society who lives there (seemingly in contradiction to the Prime Directive). When Rabin's efforts begin to be dangerously sabotaged he concludes that his opposition is made of more than just local malcontents.

When Spock arrives, he and McCoy beam down with an away team to try to assist Rabin. It turns out that Spock and Rabin are childhood friends and from this point on the novel alternates between events of the 2296 present and Spock's childhood. Rabin and his Starfleet captain mother were stationed on Vulcan and attended a coming of age ceremony held for Spock at Mt. Seleya. That event was disrupted by a Vulcan named Sered who believed that Vulcan should withdraw from the Federation. Chaos ensues and several people are killed or taken hostage by Sered and his followers. Young Spock and David find themselves alone in Vulcan's dangerous Forge where they must survive for several days.

In the present, signs point to possible Romulan interference on Obsidian and Spock and David seek out the native desert-dwelling nomads in hopes of discovering the truth. Along the way, McCoy is kidnapped and the mission turns into a rescue operation. It turns out that Romulans are involved but they are being led by none other than Sered! Spock and Sered end up wrestling, bare-chested in the desert. Of course Spock wins and he makes a friend among Sered's Romulan followers.

Spock and David's trials in the Forge as youths prepared them to survive on the harsh desert world of Obsidian decades later. The young men were eventually able to help rescue the hostages and defeat Sered. Spending time with humans and Starfleet officers gives Spock the idea to join Starfleet Academy rather than the Vulcan Science Academy which begins the great feud between Spock and Sarek. Spock's dealings with Sered and the Romulans in Obsidian's desert gives him an idea for a new direction in life and he resigns from Starfleet to begin training as a diplomat.

Overall, I find this novel too convenient. Obviously the authors created a parallel story structure that they liked and it works pretty well but the fact that Sered is the villain in both stories doesn't make much sense. Also, I find the relationship between Spock and David Rabin a bit too folksy. We never even see Spock interact with Kirk as he does with Rabin so it just isn't especially believable. Spock's time away from the Intrepid gives Uhura a chance at command which is a rare occurrence in Star Trek novels but the way she's written doesn't seem entirely consistent with her character on film. Her voice just seems wrong.

What the novel does well is explore the idea of how Spock and McCoy deal with Kirk's death. I think it makes sense that McCoy would try to stay near Spock and that they would grow closer. I also like the links to the animated series episode "Yesteryear" in which Spock begins his road to adulthood. The novel is clearly trying to set the stage for Spock's unification overtures with the Romulans.

This is the first Star Trek novel by Sherman and Schwartz and Star Trek is not easy to write well. I think, structurally the novel works well. The plot is strong enough to work but as with so many Star Trek novels, there are some inconsistencies in character and canon that bother me. Sherman and Schwartz went on to write a series of books exploring the Vulcans and Romulans further so I look forward to reading on!

Leonard Nimoy's Recent Surgery

2010-10-24T13:21:00.001-04:00

This weekend was to have been a busy one for Leonard Nimoy. He was scheduled to appear at a Creation Star Trek convention in Chicago, at "An Evening with Leonard Nimoy" in Long Beach and at an exhibit of his photography at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. That kind of schedule would be difficult for anyone to work with let alone a man of 79.

On Friday morning a press release indicated that Nimoy was in the hospital recovering from surgery. All of his appearances were cancelled or postponed and his representatives circulated this brief statement:

"Mr. Nimoy had minor benign abdominal surgery

but is recovering beautifully. He thanks you for all the

get well wishes and he’s doing great."

I wish Mr. Nimoy a speedy recovery! Live long and Prosper, Leonard.

Michael Kaplan's New Universe Vulcans

2010-10-16T12:30:00.000-04:00

Michael Kaplan has been working as a costume designer since 1982. In 1983 he won the BAFTA Film Award for best costume design for his work on Blade Runner. Since then, he has frequently worked on science fiction films from Armageddon and Pearl Harbour to Star Trek (2009). Kaplan had a unique challenge to overcome when J.J. Abrams hired him to design the costumes for Star Trek (2009). He had more than forty years of design history to either be faithful to or disregard. In the end, I think he did a good job at finding a balance. His revamped Starfleet uniforms are perfect; combining enough of William Ware Theiss' original design with new tweaks for the 21st century. Of course, I'm most concerned with his Vulcan designs.

Kaplan's Vulcan designs are a bit of a departure from what we've seen in previous films and series. Most of them favour a decidedly asymmetrical style and the fabrics are muted earth tones. Where most previous Vulcan costumes use metallic fabrics and feature jewelry or symbols, Kaplan's Vulcans are much simpler and less-flashy. That sort of makes sense given the Vulcans are meant to be logical, practical people. It should also be noted that most of the previous Vulcan costumes we've seen were worn by diplomats and religious figures and the Vulcans in Star Trek (2009) are mostly scientists and educators. That might account for the differences in taste.

I really like Kaplan's design for the Vulcan students' costumes seen near the beginning of the film. They're striking and alien yet not alien enough to seem out of place.

Kaplan's design for Spock's mother, Amanda, definitely feels like it belongs in the same world as the Vulcan student designs. It features the same long, body shape but it is feminized with a flowing scarf and with warm colours.

Kaplan's designs for Spock are simple and appropriate. They don't draw attention away from Nimoy's performance but they're "sci-fi" enough to be memorable.

Aside from the new Starfleet uniforms, probably the most memorable of Kaplan's costumes for this film is Spock Prime's parka. It's a beautiful costume. One of them has toured North America as part of the recent traveling Star Trek exhibits. Another was sold at the recent Julian's Star Trek auction.

Kaplan also created a host of Vulcan costumes for the extras who performed as scientists and engineers building the Jellyfish ship, the Vulcan elders from the Katric Ark and the council from the Vulcan Science Academy. Some of these, notably the female costumes, share similarities with the collars of the Vulcan student costumes. A few of these costumes have also toured around the United States to help promote the film.

Overall, I think Kaplan did a great job costuming Abrams' film. Collectors will be very excited when more of his costumes become available for sale someday.

More information about Kaplan's work can be found in Mark Cotta Vaz's book, Star Trek: The Art of the Film.

Vulcans in Plastic: Star Trek V

2010-09-29T13:01:00.002-04:00

Galoob held a license to create Star Trek toys from 1988-1997. In 1988 they launched the first Star Trek: The Next Generation action figures and later they created a successful line of Star Trek MicroMachines. But in 1989, they released what are perhaps the worst Star Trek action figures ever made, for Star Trek V: The Final Frontier.

By 1989, high-end Trek collectables were becoming very popular so instead of standard action figures, Galoob released five "Limited Edition" figures that were more like statues made of rubber: Captain Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Sybok and Captain Klaa. Obviously, the two Vulcan ones are of interest to us here.

Without a doubt, this is the worst Spock figure ever created. It looks like a Vulcan but nothing like Leonard Nimoy. The head is disproportionately large and it features one of the ugliest Starfleet uniforms ever designed.

This figure does have articulated arms but, like the others, the feet are mounted to a black plastic base embossed with the film's logo. The base has a slot at the back to slide in a cardboard backdrop. The art on the backdrop might be the best feature of this figure.

The Sybok figure is slightly better. His head is not quite as disproportionate as Spock's and the sculptor did a good job of recreating his costume, albeit in a basic, textureless fashion.

Sybok has no articulation whatsoever. He reminds me a bit of the giant, hollow vinyl Marshmallow Man figure from the Ghostbusters movie.

Overall, perhaps these are fitting collectables for the Star Trek film that is least popular. As action figures they are sorely lacking and as higher-end collectables they are also sorely lacking. Lost somewhere between two worlds, these items are still fairly highly sought-after since not very many seem to have been made.

Nilo Rodis: Costumes From the Final Frontier

2010-09-20T13:45:00.000-04:00

Nilo Rodis (or Nilo Rodis-Jamero) worked at ILM in the 1980s. He served as a visual effects art director on The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Star Trek III: The Search For Spock. He is credited as the designer of the popular Klingon Bird of Prey first seen in Star Trek III. He went on to work as a costume designer for Return of the Jedi and as an art director on Star Trek IV, V and VI. When William Shatner saw the detail that Rodis put into his storyboards for Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, he hired him as a costume designer. He shared those duties with Dodie Shepard.

Nilo Rodis in the Star Trek V DVD Bonus Features

In his designs for Sybok, Rodis displays his knowledge of Vulcan design from previous Trek films. I really like that he put so much emphasis on including triangular shapes. Triangles have been important visual cues in Vulcan design since William Ware Theiss created the IDIC for TOS. Designers in for ST: TMP continued the trend and brought it into Vulcan architecture.

Robert Fletcher continued to develop the idea with his costumes for Spock in ST: TMP and for T'Lar in Star Trek III.

Here are some sketches and a storyboard featuring Sybok by Nilo Rodis.

Maintaining these kinds of design archetypes really helped Star Trek continuity over the years. Vulcans are easily distinguishable from Klingons, Romulans and everyone else because of design tricks like this. These designs provide Vulcan clothing with a sense of geometrical order which seems to me, perfectly logical. The resulting costume for Sybok displays echoes of the previous designs so he can be identified as a Vulcan even though he's the most different Vulcan we've ever seen.

After Star Trek VI, Nilo Rodis has continued to build a rich career in design for film. Most recently, he served as visual effects art director on Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. His attention to detail is a trait shared with most Trek designers and one of the things that allows Star Trek's designs to hold up so well over time.

A good source for more of Rodis' work is The Art of Star Trek by Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens.

Traditional Greeting Hoodie

2010-09-16T18:13:00.000-04:00

Threadless.com has a new hoodie available. It's called "Traditional Greeting" and was designed by Paulo Bruno.

I think this is a really clever design! Live long and prosper.

Review: Sarek by A.C. Crispin

2010-09-13T10:44:00.002-04:00

This review may contain spoilers.

Sarek is A.C. Crispin’s fourth Star Trek novel. It was originally published as a hardcover edition by Pocket Books in 1994 and featured beautiful cover art by Keith Birdsong. It has since been re-printed in various mass market editions and also in the 2004 “Signature Edition” omnibus, Sand and Stars.

The story takes place in 2293 about a month after the events of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country and is a nice coda to the original series of films. It ties in characters from ST III, ST V and VI in a believable manner and brings a nice sense of unity to those stories. As the title suggests, the novel focuses on Sarek who is one of my favourite Star Trek characters. Mark Lenard did a brilliant job of bringing the character to life and of keeping him consistent.

Spock's mother, Amanda Grayson is dying and Crispin does a great job of giving us a sense of Sarek's emotional state without compromising his Vulcan control. The plot forces Sarek to leave his wife's deathbed to meditate an important dispute light years away. He is clearly tormented by this but his duty to save many lives must outweigh his need to be with Amanda. Though Amanda understands this, Spock is incredibly angry at his father. He is left to hear Amanda cry for Sarek as she slips away. I like what Crispin does to develop and explain the rift between Sarek and his son.

While away from Vulcan, Sarek begins to uncover a 70 year-old Romulan plot to destroy the Federation. The conspiracy has links to General Chang and Valeris. It is suggested that Ambassador Nanclus may have masterminded the assassination of Chancellor Gorkon. Sarek discovers that a secretive race called the Freelans is actually made up of disguised Romulans who have infiltrated the Federation and are funding a group called KEHL (Keep Earth Human League) on Earth.

Meanwhile, also on Earth, Peter Kirk, nephew of James T. Kirk, prepares to take the Kobyashi Maru test and graduate from Starfleet Academy. He is kidnapped by the KEHL but finds himself imprisoned by the Klingon Ambassador, thus revealing that the Romulan plot also has influence in the Klingon Empire. While imprisoned, Peter falls in love with the ambassador's niece, Valdyr. Their love suggests a beginning to positive Human-Klingon relations.

All of these events come to be intertwined and resolved successfully though a satisfying series of events that gives all the characters a chance to shine but is also believable. The novel is peppered with journal entries by Amanda Grayson as Sarek reads them to learn more about his beloved wife. They give us a great deal of insight into Amanda and into her complicated relationship with Sarek. Crispin establishes a strong backstory for these important characters and also looks to the future, sowing the seeds of Spock's relationship with Pardek and his goal of Romulan reunification. For whatever reason, Crispin seems to have more latitude than most Star Trek authors. Where most Trek novels insist on making no lasting changes to the universe, Crispin is able to deal with the deaths of two important characters. The gravity of the events lends a credibility to the story.

Though Crispin has written two short Star Trek stories since this novel was published she has not written another Star Trek novel. I really wish she would because in Sarek, she has crafted one of the best Star Trek novels I've read. I would love to see more! I give this novel five Vulcan diplomats out of five.

Remembering Mike Minor

2010-09-10T11:55:00.003-04:00

Emmy Award-winner Mike Minor is another of the incredible Star Trek artists who is not well-known but deserves to be! He was born on September 25, 1940 and one of his first Hollywood jobs was working as an artist on Star Trek: TOS beginning in 1968. He was responsible for designing the Tholian Web from the episode of the same name and the Melkotian from "Spectre of the Gun." Minor also created many of the wall paintings and diagrams seen on the USS Enterprise. He went on to work on fan favourites like The Beastmaster and The Man Who Saw Tomorrow and won his Emmy for visual effects on The Winds of War.

Mike Minor in 1979 (note the Trek art above him)

Years later, when Gene Roddenberry began developing Star Trek: Phase II, he hired Minor as a conceptual designer. Minor contributed to the overall design of the new USS Enterprise and also to many of the interior sets including the Bridge, Sickbay and Engineering. Many of his designs remained intact when Phase II became Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Moreover, many of his designs influenced those who designed Starfleet sets for the next 30 years. It is for Star Trek: TMP that Minor contributed to Vulcan design.

Minor worked on designing the planet Vulcan for the scene where Spock addresses the Vulcan Masters. Recently, Rick Sternbach sold four original pieces of Minor's art for this sequence on eBay. This is the first time they have been seen by the general public because they have been in his private collection since Minor gifted them to him in 1979.

Most of this sequence was shot in a large outdoor tank at Paramount. It's clear from this illustrations just how much influence Minor had on the design of this set.

Sternbach remembers that "...Mike was frequently out in the middle of the Paramount lot in front of the giant "B" tank, directing where the foam spray gun guy was to point his nozzle (to make the hot springs landscape), and wrangling the giant red fiberglass feet of the statue with the staff shop crew." He says that "Mike was truly enthusiastic about SF and film; he knew a great deal about its history, knew a lot of people in the business, and had a great design sense."

Famous Hollywood curator, Bob Burns, was good friends with Mike Minor. Burns remembers "Mike Minor was like my younger brother. My wife and I meet him when he was 18 years old and immediately became the best of friends and were until the day he passed away. It still hurts till this day. Not only was he incredibly talented he was also one of the greatest people on the face of the Earth." Mr. Burns went through his archives for me and dug up this rarely seen piece of work by Minor. The top image is an actual photo from a shoot at Yellowstone. The foreground is a detailed miniature that was suspended in front of the camera. The lower image was modified by Minor featuring a beautiful background painting that was, unfortunately, not used in the final film.

The completed shot is different from what Minor originally proposed but his influence is obvious. Here are two different versions from different editions of the film.

That red head that appears so mammoth on screen was actually a miniature about 8 inches across. It was made of resin and recently sold at the Profiles in History Hollywood Auction 40.

Rick Sternbach worked with Mike Minor and Bob Burns on Burns' 1979 Halloween Alien Extravaganza. Sternbach remembers "Mike was essentially the production designer on that, and we all merrily glued and hammered and detailed the Nostromo set piece. Walter Koenig played Captain Dallas; it was a great deal of fun."

Mike Minor would have celebrated his 70th birthday later this month if he had not been tragically taken from the world too early. He died of complications from AIDS in 1987. It is to remember people like Mike Minor that I participate in the AIDS Walk For Life every year. It has now been 30 years since this horrible disease was properly identified and it is still a worldwide pandemic. Over 33 million people across the globe are living with AIDS now and it kills over 2 million people a year. This year's walk is on September 19th. If you can, please help by donating to the cause.

Though they're not Vulcan-related, I wanted to also share these images of Minor's art for Phase II and TMP. They are from the collection of Bob Burns and have rarely been seen so clearly.

Mike Minor concept art for V'Ger

Mike Minor concept art for Main Engineering

Mike Minor concept art for a Spacedock

I would like to thank Bob Burns and Rick Sternbach for sharing their recollections of Mike Minor with me and for opening up their collections to share his art with us all.

Happy 44th Anniversary, Star Trek!

2010-09-08T15:41:00.001-04:00

44 years ago tonight, NBC aired the first episode of Star Trek. That episode was "The Man Trap." Now, 44 years later, 726 episodes of Star Trek have been created over 30 seasons of television. 11 feature films have been made and another is slated to be released in the summer of 2012.

The Man Trap

On September 8, 1966 Star Trek was revolutionary. Gene Roddenberry's vision of a positive future was astounding given the social and political climate of the day. He envisioned a future where humanity had not only survived but had overcome the petty jealousies, racism, sexism and capitalistic greed of the twentieth century. Its vision of hope, more than the nifty gadgets, great adventure stories or larger than life performers, is what has allowed it to become such a huge part of our popular culture.

Gene Roddenberry

Worldwide, whether people are Star Trek "fans" or not, they know the names Kirk, Spock, McCoy and Enterprise. They know what Warp Speed, Phasers, Communicators and Klingons are. Catchphrases like "Beam me up, Scotty!", "Make it so!", and "Engage!" can be heard in almost every country.

For me, the appeal of Star Trek is at its roots. I love Roddenberry's Humanist ideals. They have informed my own personal philosophies since childhood and helped to make me the person I am today. For others, the appeal lies in the science fiction adventure and the incredible gadgets that Star Trek has created. The designers of Star Trek predicted cell phones, personal computers, iPads and needless injection technology many years before any of them were reality.

Whatever its appeal is for you, I hope you take the time today to watch an episode or two of Star Trek and help to celebrate 44 years of entertainment, enlightenment and adventure. Though we as a species have a long way to go if we're aiming for the ideal of humanity as presented in Star Trek, we will always have it as a guide. Happy 44th, Star Trek! May you Live Long and Prosper.

Stuffed Vulcans

2010-09-03T17:10:00.005-04:00

This will be one of the strangest posts I'll ever write here but there is a history of Star Trek plush Vulcans that needs uncovering!

The first Star Trek plush toys were released by Knickerbocker in 1979 in conjunction with Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Knickerbocker was a New York company founded in the 1850s. It became famous in the mid 1920s when it started producing licensed plush toys based on Disney characters. The Star Trek line consisted of two toys: Kirk and Spock. I think they're extremely strange and don't have one in my collection, however, the sculpt of Spock's head is a fairly strong likeness.

Chronologically, we now have to jump forward to the 1990s where Applause (a company that has created many Star Trek collectables over the years) released a Vulcan teddy bear in celebration of Star Trek's 30th anniversary. These bears are about 16 inches tall.

In 1998, my favourite plush Vulcan was released by a New York company called The Idea Factory. They released a collection of six Star Trek Alien Beans to capitalize on the Beanie Baby craze. Included in the collection was an Andorian, a Ferengi, a Klingon Targ, a Gorn, a Mugatu and a Vulcan.

I actually really like all of these but the Vulcan is especially great. The expression on his face is perfect and his costume is even inscribed with fairly accurate representations of rata, tafar and tapan.

The 2009 Star Trek film created an opportunity for a great deal of licensed products. Foam hands giving the Vulcan salute were available at the San Diego Comic Con to promote the film.

A company called Toy Box, which is known for creating the products for those toy vending machines with the claws, created four plush Star Trek toys: Kirk, Spock, Scotty and a Vulcan Salute Glove. These are each about 9-10 inches in height and are still available from ThinkGeek (and in a vending machine near you!).

Notice that the glove even features Spock's rank braid around the wrist.

Finally, in 2009, the Vermont Teddy Bear Company released an incredible pair of 15 inch bears resembling Kirk and Spock. The Spock bear is now sold out on the official website but the Kirk bear is still available. Collectors love these! They feature highly detailed uniforms and even treads on the boots.

I don't yet have one of these in my collection but I do really like the Spock bear so I'll probably hunt eBay for it.

There you have it, a brief history of Stuffed Vulcans. After all, even Spock had a "teddy bear" in the form of his sehlat, I-Chaya. Maybe the next Vermont Bear will have six-inch fangs.

Review: Spock's World by Diane Duane

2010-08-30T11:31:00.003-04:00

This review may contain spoilers

Spock’s World is Diane Duane’s fourth Star Trek novel. It was originally published as a hardcover edition by Pocket Books in 1988 and featured cover art by Joseph Csatari. It has since been re-printed in various mass market editions and also in the 2004 “Signature Edition” omnibus, Sand and Stars.

The story takes place in 2274 or 2275, which places it after the events of Star Trek: The Motion Picture but before Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. The chapters alternate between current events and the evolution of the planet Vulcan beginning several billion years ago.

In the “A-Story,” Sarek is recalled to Vulcan to participate in a debate. The High Council has called a referendum to decide if Vulcan should secede from the United Federation of Planets. Later, T’Pau requests that Spock, Kirk and McCoy also go to Vulcan to offer testimony at the debate. On Vulcan, McCoy (with the help of an intelligent Enterprise computer called Moira) uncovers a series of secret financial transactions that link T’Pring to the groups in favour of seceding. Once revealed to the public, these secrets cause quite a stir and, coupled with the testimonies of Sarek and the Starfleet crewmembers, sway the vote so that Vulcan remains in the Federation.

In the “B-Story,” Duane explains the birth of the planet Vulcan. Jumping ahead, she describes early Vulcan hominids learning to survive on a planet with little water. She describes a tribal society that unites under the leadership of “Oldest Mothers” thus establishing that Vulcan’s preference for matriarchal leadership has its roots in their pre-history. In later chapters, Duane describes the beginnings of language. The Vulcans begin to notice that certain of their number have special traits such as the inner eyelids that help prevent blindness in the desert and advanced mental and telepathic abilities. They begin to breed selectively, making matches to favour mixing of these traits to strengthen their tribes. This history then jumps forward to the birth of Surak and describes the group that would come to be known as Romulans (Duane’s Rihannsu) leaving Vulcan.

Of the two stories, the Vulcan history was more interesting to me. Duane does a good job of creating a believable history and evolution for the Vulcans. She presents Surak as sort of a Dr. Phil-like self help guru which is not at all how I have pictured him but perhaps it makes sense for how his ideas became part of Vulcan’s popular culture. Duane establishes that T’Pau is the matriarchal leader of Sarek and Spock’s family. It seems a little convenient to me that so many important Vulcans are part of the same family but it would explain T’Pau’s officiating at Spock’s koon-ut-kal-if-fee in “Amok Time.”

There are several things about the main story that I don’t care much for. I don’t think Duane quite nailed Kirk’s voice. I could not picture him saying some of what he says in his testimony on Vulcan. I also didn’t like the idea that McCoy was the one to uncover T’Pring’s involvement in the plot to have Vulcan secede from the Federation. It’s not that I doubt McCoy’s ability to do that kind of research but it just seems the obvious role for Spock to play in the story. In fact, for a novel where Spock is the titular character, he appears very seldom. I also didn’t like the characterization of Sarek. I found him too emotional. Duane had him as an expert at human idioms and puns and though I can imagine he would understand them after living so long on Earth, I cannot imagine him ever using them in day-to-day speech. Duane presents a Sarek that is much more expressive than the one Mark Lenard portrayed.

The novel seems overly preoccupied with finance and capitalism. There are constant mentions of Enterprise crewmembers spending money and the relative costs of things to Starfleet or the Federation. I know that it’s difficult for us to understand a world without money but that idea was central to Gene Roddenberry’s concept of the future.

Finally, I was a little unsure about the technology on the Enterprise. The novel is clearly a product of its time. Duane establishes a shipboard BBS (Bulletin Board System) of the type that were becoming very popular by the late 1980s. I can imagine a system like this on the Enterprise but the way it’s described is a bit dated by today’s standards.

Duane also creates a recreational computer called Moira who is intelligent and who has a personality. It seems to me that if Starfleet had the ability to create this kind of artificial intelligence then they would have used them to create Soong-type androids like Data rather than simple recreational computers. These kinds of details are exactly why most of the Star Trek novels are not considered “canon.”

Though I really enjoyed most of the Vulcan history that Duane weaves, I was bothered by some of the characterizations of well-known characters. I was also bothered by the lack of Spock! I probably would have enjoyed this novel more when it came out in 1988 before Star Trek: The Next Generation hit its stride and we learned so much more about the Trek universe. Reading it today, it seems a bit dated and there are many details that conflict with things established in on-screen Star Trek. Nevertheless, it’s entertaining. I give it three dying Vulcan matriarchs out of five.

Robert Fletcher's Movie-Era Vulcans

2010-08-23T11:20:00.001-04:00

Three-time Tony Award nominee Robert Fletcher was the costume designer for the first four Star Trek feature films. His designs would be used or referenced in almost every subsequent Star Trek production. More than a costume designer, Gene Roddenberry gave Fletcher the task of developing overall looks for the entire Klingon and Vulcan cultures. It was Fletcher who first sketched the ridged forehead for Klingons. Fletcher also designed the Vulcan symbols which would adorn their costumes and form the basis for the Vulcan writing seen in later Star Trek series and films.

Fletcher began his career as a costume designer on Broadway where he created noted costumes for How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Hadrian VII. He also designed for ballet and other theatre productions before going on to work in television, designing for specials featuring Dean Martin, Bing Crosby and Mary Martin. After a more than 30 year career as a costume designer, Star Trek: The Motion Picture was his first feature film, and his first foray into science fiction.

For TMP, Fletcher designed several Vulcan costumes. He created costumes for Vulcan extras that were seen at the San Francisco tram station. For these costumes, Fletcher used metallic fabrics that he worked into unique designs with many strong vertical lines and interesting geometric patterns. These seem to be a logical evolution from William Ware Theiss’ Vulcan designs for “Amok Time.”

Also for TMP, Fletcher had to create three costumes for the Vulcan masters who presided over Spock’s Kolinahr ceremony. Some of Fletcher’s original sketches for these costumes have survived.

Elements of the female master’s costume would be re-used in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, where they were worn by Spock’s mother, Amanda Grayson. The Vulcan masters’ tabards were sold at the Christie’s Star Trek auction for $4000 and $4500. The metallic under robes were later sold by It’s A Wrap for a combined total of over $3000.

Finally, Fletcher had to design costumes for the number one Vulcan himself, Mr. Spock. First was the design for Spock’s Kolinahr robes. This is an austere costume featuring an under robe with large bell sleeves; a motif that would be repeated in Vulcan costumes for Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and Star Trek IV.

The real crowning achievement for Vulcan design in TMP was Spock’s black velvet “At-Home” costume. This is a beautiful costume put to great use in the film for Spock’s triumphant return to the USS Enterprise. This costume also marks the first time we are clearly able to see Vulcan symbols on clothing. Fletcher was interviewed by Nick Ottens for Forgotten Trek in 2006 and had this to say about those symbols:

"People always ask me what the writing on front of Spock's black velvet, at-home costume symbolize. I have to explain the language that I invented to decorate those things, and I can't! All I can say is that it's very akin to Chinese; it's non-syllabic, and the various shapes contain an entire thought and you don't use them to make words."

Fans would have to wait until 2007 to discover more about the meaning of those symbols. It’s A Wrap! auctioned a Vulcan costume and included in the description the translations for those three symbols (rata (concept), tafar (discipline), tapan (process)). The sentiments make perfect sense considering Spock’s study of Kolinahr at the time. Those same three symbols which I have referred to elsewhere as "The Trinity" appear on Vulcan clothing throughout the subsequent Star Trek series.

Fletcher would next have the opportunity to design for Vulcans in Star Trek III when he had to create an army of costumes for Vulcan extras. Each of these costumes for priests and priestesses is a work of art. Fletcher continued to evolve his TMP designs with the strong vertical lines and geometric shapes. The large bell sleeves became a staple of Vulcan design that would be carried forward into Star Trek: The Next Generation. To save time on hair and make-up, the production team decided to outfit most Vulcans with ceremonial hats. Each hat featured a cast resign “jewel” with a painted Vulcan symbol on it. Considering none of these costumes were greatly visible on-screen, the costume department did an incredible amount of work on them. This photo is of several of the Vulcan hats in my collection.

Fletcher worked with Maggie Schpak to design the amazing jewelry and armour worn by Sarek and the guards at Spock’s Fal-tor-pan ceremony. The beauty and rarity of these pieces have made them highly sought after by collectors.

In Star Trek III, Fletcher also had the opportunity to design some incredible costumes for Vulcan high priests and priestesses as well as the memorable gong player.

Robert Fletcher’s contribution to Vulcan design is immeasurable. He brought dimension and beauty to Star Trek’s oldest alien race. In 2005, the Costume Designers Guild honoured Fletcher with a well-deserved Career Achievement Award.

A great source for some photos of Fletcher’s lesser-seen costumes is the Star Trek: The Motion Picture Make-Your-Own Costume Book by Lynn Edelman Schnurnberger. This book also features a preface by Fletcher. More information and images of Fletcher’s work can be seen online at Forgotten Trek.

Propworx Star Trek Auction Catalogue

2010-08-22T09:15:00.000-04:00

The summer of 2010 was huge for Star Trek prop and costume auctions. Arguably the most memorable and successful of these was the Propworx auction in Las Vegas. Alec Peters asked me to write interviews with Michael and Denise Okuda, Doug Drexler, Rick Sternbach and Marc Zicree for the auction catalogue. It was a fantastic experience!

The auction may be over but the catalogue was crafted to be a beautiful collectable that will last. It's a large format hardcover book with detailed photos of objects from Star Trek history that may never be seen again. It's also packed with great information from some of the talented artists and writers who helped make Star Trek what it has become.

I'm very proud to be associated with Propworx and to have my work preserved in this book. The catalogue is available for order at the Propworx website.

Review: IDW Alien Spotlight: Vulcans

2010-08-21T10:55:00.002-04:00

In 2007, IDW began publishing a series of comics called "Alien Spotlight." The second issue to be released featured the Vulcans. It was written by James Patrick from a story by Rick Remender and features art by Josep Maria Beroy and colour by Mario Boon. Four different covers are available:

The story takes place on the USS Enterprise under the command of Captain Pike shortly after Spock joins the crew as science officer. It deals with the human crew members' difficulty accepting Spock and his Vulcan ways. It's a bit reminiscent of the TOS episode, "The Galileo Seven" in which Spock's logic puts him in direct confrontation with his Human peers. In this case, Spock's logic and ability to contain his emotions, impress a race engulfed in civil war and help lead them on a path toward peace.

The art is highly stylized. You can tell who the characters are supposed to be but they don't really resemble the actors who played them on-screen. Beroy did a great job recreating the early Starfleet uniforms and Landing Party gear. I think my favourite cover is the "A" even though it has nothing to do with this particular story. I love the movie-era Vulcan design with the Maggie Schpak-style armour.

Thematically, this story doesn't cover any new ground. It is interesting to explore the period when Spock first joined the Enterprise. Overall, I give this book three out of five stars.

Genki Wear Pon Farr Perfume

2010-08-20T21:54:00.000-04:00

Genki Wear has released a new fragrance for women as part of their Star Trek line: Pon Farr.

Pon Farr is, of course, the Vulcan time of mating. Genki has created a pretty clever marketing campaign for this fragrance featuring images from the seminal TOS episode "Amok Time" and taglines like "Drive Him Crazy."

I can't vouch for the fragrance itself but Vulcan fans and collectors will want to pick this up for the bottle alone! The whole package is very groovy. If you visit the official website you'll hear some 60s-style lounge music as you read about the product.

It's pretty reasonably priced (around $29.95 in most cases) and is available all over the Interweb and at a Star Trek convention near you!

I have included screencaps from the Genki Wear website for archival purposes only. No copyright infringement is intended.

Review: Star Trek Magazine The Vulcan Chronicles

2010-08-20T21:27:00.003-04:00

Issue 28 (September 2010) of Star Trek Magazine is subtitled "The Vulcan Chronicles." It features short biographies of several important Vulcan characters including Spock, Sarek, Tuvok, T'Pol, Saavik, Surak and T'Pau.

For the most part, these articles are pretty basic but they're good introductions for people who are not yet die-hard Trekkies. I enjoyed Margaret Wander Bonanno's piece on Sarek and Scott Pearson's piece on Saavik. Allyn Gibson also manages to shed some light on the enigmatic (and non-canonical?) Sybok.

Each article features comments from the actors who portrayed the character and sometimes an excerpt or description from the script. Also, handy for completists, each article includes a list of "Further Adventures" in which these characters appear. It lists the novels and comic books which expand the on-screen adventures.

This issue might not reveal anything new for die-hard Trekkies but it is diverting and a must-have for Vulcan collectors. As seen above, there are two possible covers to collect.

Fun With Vulcans

2010-08-20T21:07:00.001-04:00

Here are a few fun images from the Web featuring Vulcans.

Thanks to Doug Drexler for allowing me to re-post the "Vulcans are Mean" drawing from his blog, Drex Files. If you own one of these images and would like it removed or would like credit please contact me!

Vulcans in Plastic: Star Trek 2009

2010-08-20T20:31:00.004-04:00

The license to create Star Trek action figures for the 2009 JJ Abrams film was given to Playmates. They created three different sized action figure lines: the 12 inch Command line, the 6 inch Warp line and the 3.75 inch Galaxy line.

The Command line features cloth uniforms and quite decent likenesses. The consisted of nine figures including Spock and Spock Prime. I don't have these in my collection because I've never really liked cloth uniforms. The completist in me might pick them up someday.

The first wave of the Warp line consisted of ten figures including Spock and Spock Prime. For the most part, the likenesses of these figures are quite good. Playmates seems to have corrected the issue of the disproportionately large heads that its 1990s Star Trek figures had. I don't care much for the sculpted Starfleet uniforms. I think they look a bit like sweaters. I do, however, like the Spock Prime figure quite a bit.

A second wave was announced but never released. It would have consisted of six additional figures including the creatures from Delta Vega and Spock in his Starfleet Academy uniform. The Playmates website included a photo of this figure but I doubt we'll ever see it actualized.

The Galaxy line seems to be an attempt to capitalize on the popularity of the Star Wars figures of the same size. Unfortunately, they are lacking in detail and the likenesses are vague. There is also very limited articulation. The first wave consisted of eleven figures including Spock and Spock Prime.

As with the Warp line, Playmates announced a second wave of Galaxy figures that has yet to materialize. It would have consisted of eight additional figures including Spock in his Starfleet Academy uniform and Sarek. Again, the Playmates website offered photos of these figures.

Though it's not that great looking, I would have liked to have seen this Sarek figure produced. Sarek is one of my favourite characters.

All told, I only added three of these figures to my collection. Spock from the Galaxy line and Spock and Spock Prime (Actually, I bought two Primes. One to open and one to keep sealed) from the Warp line. These toys were obviously targeted for a fairly young audience rather than the older collector. Like the film itself, they were designed to try to lure a new audience to the franchise. Unfortunately, they did not sell especially well which is why the second lines of the Warp and Galaxy figures were not released.

I have published these screencaps from the Playmates website strictly for archival purposes. No copyright infringement is intended.

Rick Sternbach's Vulcan Ship Designs

2010-08-20T19:06:00.003-04:00

This collection of original art by Rick Sternbach was originally sold as eBay lot #331 in the Profiles in History Hollywood Auction #14. I recently bought it from the Movie Prop King, Jason White.

This is a great collection because it really shows the evolution of thinking during the design process. As indicated by the notes on the drawings, these were for the amazing Star Trek: TNG episode, "Unification: Part Two."

From these computer designs, it seems clear that Sternbach began by looking at the only other Vulcan ship ever seen in on-screen Star Trek: Andrew Probert’s Shuttlecraft from Star Trek: TMP. This design seems to be a fusion of the nacelles from that vessel with a Starfleet-style saucer section.

This next design shows a step in a new direction with a "warp ring" rather than nacelles. Interestingly, operating independently later on, Doug Drexler would give warp rings to the Vulcan ships on Star Trek: Enterprise as well.

The final product is a very unique and striking design that ushered in a whole "Next Generation" of Vulcan ships that were to come.

The model was so popular that it was later re-painted for an appearance as Tosk's ship on Star Trek: DS9.

Jellyfish Ship Spout

2010-08-20T19:04:00.002-04:00

I bought this from IAW in an eBay auction ending April 16, 2010. Pieces like this were used on the Vulcan Jellyfish ship in JJ Abrams' Star Trek (2009).

It appears to have been created by taking several industrial items, putting them together and then making a mold from which several were cast in heavy resin.

You can see three spouts like these near the floor at the bottom right of this image.

UPDATE: As of August 15, 2010 this piece is no longer in my collection. I sold it to forum member, Jordino.

Jellyfish Ship Graphics

2010-08-20T19:03:00.000-04:00

I bought these from IAW in an eBay auction ending April 16, 2010. They were designed and used in the Vulcan Jellyfish ship in JJ Abrams' Star Trek (2009). The larger one is 11.5cm x 4cm and the smaller one is 7.5cm by 2.5cm. They are printed on transparent labels and were removed from the set after production.

You can see four sets of them in this screencap behind the Vulcan engineers on the left. They are on the silver rectangular fixtures on the wall. The larger one on the bottom and the smaller one on the top.

UPDATE: As of August 15, 2010 these pieces are no longer in my collection. I sold them to forum member, Jordino.

Wah Chang and the Vulcan Lyre

2010-08-20T19:01:00.006-04:00

Wah Chang is one of the great unsung heroes of Star Trek. Born in 1917, Chang showed an immense capacity for creative thinking and problem solving from a young age. By the time he was seven years old, Chang was already experimenting at creating art in various mediums and those around him encouraged him to continue. In the 1930s, Chang began to experiment with puppets and stop-motion photography. He worked for Disney creating wooden puppets for the animators to study as they worked on Pinocchio and Fantasia. From there, he went on to design toys and puppets, some of which were used for commercials. In 1957, Chang and two friends formed a company called Project Unlimited, Inc. Together, they created costumes, props and special effects for films and television. Most notably, they did extensive work on The Time Machine for which they would win an Oscar. Chang co-designed the elaborate headdresses for Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra and went on to do a great body of work for producer Bob Justman on The Outer Limits.

Chang’s association with Justman led to work on the first Star Trek pilot in 1964. He designed the make-up for the Talosians and also the first phaser. Though uncredited for his work, Chang went on to design many of the most famous props and creatures for TOS, including: the Communicator, the Tricorder, the Romulan Bird of Prey, Romulan helmets, the Salt Vampire, the Gorn, Balok, the Tribbles and finally, Mr. Spock’s Vulcan Lyre.

The Vulcan Lyre (also sometimes called a harp or lute) made its first appearance in the early episode “Charlie X.” It made several other appearances in TOS (“The Conscience of the King,” “Amok Time” and “The Way to Eden”). Chang’s original prop was made of a single piece of solid wood and featured a filament strung up and down multiple times to give the impression of many strings. It was not a functional instrument. After TOS, it was painted black and featured in an episode of Mork and Mindy (many Star Trek props and costumes found their way on to this show).

The next time we would see a Vulcan Lyre was in the 1988 TNG episode “When the Bough Breaks.” It can be seen behind Melian (Paul Lambert) the Aldean musician as he instructs Katie (Jandi Swanson). Mike Okuda borrowed this replica for the set from Gene Roddenberry who kept it in his office.

In 1989 Paramount engaged the services of Dominick Giovanniello at Creative Guitar Studios in San Diego to create licensed replicas of the prop. Unfortunately, the company only held the license for about two years before going out of business but in that time they created at least 25 replica lyres. These are working instruments that make sound when plucked though all the knobs are non-functional. Instead of being solid, they are hollow which allows for the strings to vibrate and create sound. They are strung with 12 wire-wound steel electric guitar strings. Besides only having 12 strings there are a couple of other differences between this replica and Chang’s original. First is that the bottom corner is rounded where the original is pointed. Also, on the original, where the neck meets the body, the neck is thicker than the body. Because these replicas are hollow they have a thin piece of wood on the front and back which makes the body thicker than the neck. These images come from one of Giovanniello’s lyres when it was sold on eBay.

In Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989) Spock plays his Vulcan Lyre around the campfire with Kirk and McCoy in the final scene. Based on the appearance of the bridge and the number of strings it seems this was one of the Creative Guitar Studios replicas. However, I have not been able to confirm this.

One of Giovanniello’s lyres was purchased by Doug Drexler who loaned it to the Star Trek prop department for use on ST: DS9 and ST: Voyager. Drexler’s replica was used in the ST: DS9 episode “Through the Looking Glass.” Intendant Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor) had several Vulcan slaves in the Mirror Universe. The lyre can be seen in her quarters in this episode.

Drexler’s replica was also used for two appearances on ST: Voyager where it belonged to Tuvok (“Persistance of Vision” and “Riddles”). Following its appearances on ST: Voyager, Drexler retrieved his lyre from Property Master Alan Simms. It was later sold to Star Trek Prop and Costume Forum member, Donna.

When the Star Trek Experience opened in Las Vegas in 1998 it included a museum of props and costumes. One of Giovanniello’s replicas was modified for use in this display. This version has 17 strings rather than 12 and the bridge has been altered so the strings originate under the round disc as they did on Chang's original. You can see from the blonde wood that these replicas did vary somewhat.

Also for the Experience, Paramount commissioned HMS Creative Productions to create replicas that were offered for sale in the Admiral’s Store. HMS had a long relationship with Paramount, frequently helping to create props for the Star Trek films and television series. They were given a tracing of a lyre and some screenshots from which to develop a replica.

Later, Roddenberry.com hired HMS to create replicas to sell online. Now experts, HMS craft replicas that are almost dead ringers for Chang’s original prop. The ones sold on Roddenberry.com feature the pointed bottom corner and thicker neck of the original. They also feature 30 strings which is more in line with the number Chang intended.

During the fifth season of ST: DS9 (1996-1997) Doug Drexler discovered a small lock-up of items that had been used on Mork and Mindy under Paramount Stage 18. Included was Chang’s original prop! No one seems to know what has become of it now. Some TOS costumes that were altered for use on Mork and Mindy were sold by Christie’s. Hopefully, someday, the original lyre will re-surface.

In 1994, Wah Chang was awarded the George Pal Memorial Award by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honour his many contributions to genre filmmaking. Chang continued his creative life until he died in 2003. Towards the end of his life, he created beautiful bronzes and animal sculptures. At the time of his death, an exhibition of his work was on display at the Chinese Historical Society of America in San Francisco.

I would like to acknowledge the generous assistance of Doug Drexler, Donna and HMS Creative Productions. Without their research it would have been impossible to compile this history.

Doug Drexler and Vulcan Design

2010-08-20T19:00:00.003-04:00

Doug Drexler began his work with on-screen Star Trek in 1990. Having won an Oscar for special effects make-up on Dick Tracy he asked Michael Westmore if he could join the make-up team on Star Trek: TNG. During his time in that department he was responsible for make-ups on Data’s daughter Lal, aging Picard for “The Inner Light” and character make-up for Mark Twain in “Time’s Arrow.” Three years and two Emmy nominations later, Drexler moved over to Mike Okuda’s art department. He would later become the lead scenic artist on ST: DS9 a visual effects artist for ST: Voyager and, finally, senior illustrator for ST: Enterprise. He agreed to let me ask him some questions about his work.

Vulcan fans owe Drexler a huge debt of gratitude for helping to improve Star Trek: The Motion Picture in its 2001 Director’s Cut format. Daren Dochterman, an old friend of Drexler’s, was overseeing the director’s cut and asked him to design new monumental statues for the re-vamped Vulcan sequence. Drexler’s attention to detail and love of the original series paid off. He created designs featuring costumes very much influenced by William Ware Theiss and Robert Fletcher’s designs. Some of them even include iconic Vulcan props such as the Lirpa and Wah Chang’s Vulcan Lyre.

Drexler created designs for six statues reflecting the six-sided stones that Spock kneels on to receive his Kolinahr necklace. You'll notice he also worked those six-sided shapes into the costumes on some of his statues.

Later, in the ST: Enterprise episode “The Forge,” we see more monumental statues on Vulcan that were clearly influenced by these designs.

For ST: Enterprise, Drexler cemented the idea that Vulcans use a warp ring, rather than nacelles, on their ships. He was responsible for designing the impressive Vulcan Command Ship for “Fallen Hero” (the CG model was built by Pierre Drolet). I asked Drexler about his design process for this ship and he said ''My main impetus was to get another classic [Matt] Jeffries concept on Star Trek as a signature ship. So the Enterprise Vulcan spaceship design ethic came from Matt Jeffries ringship for Gene Roddenberry’s “Starship!”''

Scott: “I’ve always thought the Vulcan ships on Enterprise were sort of related to the IDIC symbol with triangular and circular shapes meeting.”

Doug: “The IDIC correlation was absolutely on my mind when putting the command ship together. The main fuselage when viewed from the front suggests the triangle against the ring that comprises the IDIC.”

Scott: “What was the design process like for the command ship?”

Doug: “The Enterprise Vulcan ship actually had no design pros. I doodled one real loose napkin sketch and went directly into 3D.”

Drexler’s warp ring design influenced all of the Vulcan ship designs that would follow.

Following ST: Enterprise, Drexler went on to become part of the two-time Emmy Award-winning visual effects team for Battlestar Galactica. He also worked as a consultant on the re-mastering of Star Trek: TOS and continues to be the mastermind behind Pocket Books successful Ships of the Line series.

This last photo is of Doug Drexler on the set of ST: TMP in 1978. Little did he know his work would one day complete that statue!

I’d like to thank Doug for taking the time to speak with me and for allowing me to post some his amazing work! Doug maintains a blog called Drex Files which is a must-follow for fans interested in the design of Star Trek.

Andrew Probert and the Shuttlecraft Surak

2010-08-20T18:58:00.005-04:00

Andrew Probert is an artist whose Hollywood career began in 1978 when he worked on the original Battlestar Galactica pilot. He would go on to work on films like Airwolf, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Back to the Future but he is probably best known for his Star Trek work. He is credited with the design of the USS Enterprise-D from ST: TNG and collaborated with Herman Zimmerman on many of the beautiful set designs for that ship. He was an illustrator working with Robert Abel & Associates on Star Trek: TMP for which he designed the drydock and orbital office complex. Also for TMP, Probert designed the first Vulcan spacecraft we ever saw on screen.

The script called for a long-range shuttlecraft to carry Spock from Vulcan to rendezvous with the Enterprise. Roddenberry specified that the shuttle should have large nacelles so that it was believable that it could catch up with the Enterprise. Probert began sketching designs with nacelles that resembled those on the TOS Enterprise.

As he began to think more about how the shuttle needed to dock with the Enterprise, Probert started to move the nacelles forward to get them out of the way.

He really hit gold when he decided on the "Personnel Pod" that would separate from the drive or engine unit.

Probert was influenced by the Vulcan designs in "Amok Time." If you look at the back of the nacelles you'll see the shape is the same as the chimes and gongs from Spock's koon-ut-kal-if-fee.

Roddenberry approved of this final sketch and the designs went off to the Robert Abel model builders.

The finished model was so popular that AMT/ERTL created a model kit of it in 1979. It has remained in production since then. In fact, the kit was recently re-vamped with new box art by Andrew Probert. The original model was so popular that it was sometimes loaned out for displays at Star Trek conventions. Unfortunately, it was stolen from one such event and has been lost. At least collectors have the very accurate model kit.

In 1979 fans were delighted to get their first glimpse of a Vulcan spacecraft and, numerous toys and models later, the design remains popular. It is distinctive in both form and colour and it would influence the design work of later artists working on Vulcan spacecraft.

I'd like to thank Andrew Probert for agreeing to allow me to post his artwork here. To see more of his impressive work, please check out his website: Probert Designs

Vulcan in the Animated Series

2010-08-20T18:57:00.004-04:00

On September 8, 1973, exactly seven years after the debut of Star Trek, Star Trek: The Animated Series premiered on NBC. Produced by the famous Filmation studios which was founded in the early 1960s by Lou Scheimer, Norm Prescott and Hal Sutherland, TAS would run for 22 episodes. For the time, it had what was probably the largest budget of any animated series at about $75,000.00 per episode. Costs were high because the series had almost the entire TOS cast reprising their roles. Money was saved in the animation. Where 25 minutes of Disney animation could use seventeen thousand drawings a typical episode of TAS would use only five to seven thousand. The series endures, not so much for its animation, but for its wonderful stories. Many of the writers of TOS returned to work with Gene Roddenberry. Most notably, D.C. (Dorothy) Fontana who wrote what is arguably the best TAS episode, "Yesteryear."

In "Yesteryear," Spock must travel back in time to save the life of his younger self. This episode establishes a couple of important aspects of Vulcan culture. First, the Kahs-wan or maturity ritual in which Vulcan children spend several days in the desert learning to survive on their own. Next, the fact that a large area of Vulcan desert is known as the "Forge." In addition, this episode features our first view of a Vulcan city, Spock's hometown of Shikahr.

Later, when TOS was being remastered, the artists decided to include a view of the city in "Amok Time" (look to the top right corner of the frame).

In the TOS episode "Journey to Babel" we learn that, as a child, Spock had a pet sehlat. In "Yesteryear" we get our first glimpse of the animal. Here is the sehlat, I-Chaya (on the left) battling a le-matya in the Forge.

In the Star Trek: Enterprise episode "The Forge" we would see a CG version of a sehlat that borrowed much of it's design from I-Chaya.

Though the animation could be rough, much of the stylized design and art for TAS is quite striking. Art Director, Don Christensen, led a team of 38 artists and 36 animators. Christensen had begun has career at Disney drawing for films like Pinocchio and Dumbo. In addition to TAS, Christensen would go on to become art director for Superman, Batman and The Brady Kids. Apparently, much of the credit for an animated Star Trek series goes to Christensen. He brought the idea to Gene Roddenberry shortly after TOS was cancelled in 1969.

Another artist we have to thank for TAS is Emmy winner Bob Kline. His animation career really began with TAS. He served as a layout artist and designer on the series. He would go on to work on such famous animated series as My Little Pony, The Gummi Bears, Darkwing Duck and Gargoyles. Kline is still working in animation today.

"Yesteryear" was nominated for an Emmy for outstanding childrens' series. Unfortunately, that episode didn't win but the following year, the TAS episode "How Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth" did win the Emmy. It was Star Trek's first.

Though TAS has it's faults, the writing was strong. The dialogue was sophisticated and, for the most part, the writers made no attempt to dumb down the stories for younger viewers. In TAS we got our first view of a Holodeck, the first utterance of the immortal phrase "Beam me up Scotty!", Spock's mother got a last name (Grayson) and the "T." in James T. Kirk was revealed to be Tiberius. In terms of Vulcan design, TAS helped establish the long-discussed appearance of a sehlat and gave us our first view of a Vulcan city. We owe much to this unofficial "fourth season" of Star Trek.

All 22 episodes of Star Trek: TAS are available on DVD. All of the animated screencaps seen here are from the episode "Yesteryear." For more information, see the book, The Art of Star Trek by Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens.

Vulcan Priest Costume

2010-08-20T18:56:00.001-04:00

This costume was originally sold on eBay by It's A Wrap! in week 89 of their Star Trek auctions. I purchased it recently from Darrin on the Trek Prop & Costume Forum.

The costume features a tunic with metallic floral print fabric and massive, flowing bell sleeves. This fits under a "vest" with a cast resin "jewel." The costume also includes a wonderful pair of pants. The pants and vest are marked with Paramount wardrobe tags "4-3." The accompanying hat is marked "1-20" so it was probably not originally paired with the costume. However, the metallic floral pattern on the hat band is similar to that on the tunic.

This Vulcan Priest costume was designed by Robert Fletcher for Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. It was worn by one of the Vulcans who greeted Kirk and party as they brought Spock's body home to Vulcan.

Costumes of this style were later used for Vulcan diplomats in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country and for slaves of the Intendant in Star Trek: DS9's "Through the Looking Glass."

William Ware Theiss

2010-08-20T18:54:00.004-04:00

William Ware Theiss or Bill Theiss was the costume designer on the original Star Trek and for the first years of Star Trek: The Next Generation. He was responsible for the iconic Starfleet uniform designs that are so often copied these days. Theiss was a three-time Oscar nominee and an Emmy winner for his work on TNG "The Big Goodbye." Theiss was famous for being able to make something from nothing. He had miniscule budgets to work with on TOS and was still able to create compelling and unforgettable designs that fans will never forget.

Theiss' contribution to Vulcan design began with the TOS episode "Amok Time" which is probably the best-remembered Vulcan-centric episode of the entire franchise. His costume designs for the Vulcan guards at Spock's koon-ut-kal-if-fee ceremony are simple, yet striking. Here is a sketch which became the basis for these costumes.

With very few lines, Theiss was able to lay out an indelible design for the guards which was also the basis for Stonn (Lawrence Montaigne)'s costume.

Also in "Amok Time," Theiss created two beautiful costumes for the Vulcan women T'Pring (Arlene Martel) and T'Pau (Celia Lovsky). The T'Pau costume began a long tradition of including elaborate jewelry for Vulcan Masters. It is such an incredible piece that it sold for $45000.00 at the Christie's 40 Years of Star Trek auction!

Theiss' Vulcan designs also extended to Spock's parents: Amanda Grayson (Jane Wyatt) and Sarek (Mark Lenard). The ambassadorial couple visited the USS Enterprise in "Journey to Babel." Theiss crafted two militaristic jackets for Sarek and two beautifully flowing gowns for Amanda. The ones pictured below sold in a Profiles in History auction for $25000.00!

What's most impressive about these pieces is that they look like clothes and not costumes. Often, science fiction designers will focus on finding new and interesting "looks" but in the process, forget to create something that feels like a functional item of clothing. Also, established here, is the tradition of dressing Vulcans in warm, earthy colours and metallics. This theory of design will hold (more or less entirely) throughout the next forty-plus years of Star Trek.

Perhaps Theiss' most important contribution to Vulcan culture is his design for the IDIC. During the third season of TOS, Gene Roddenberry noted that fans were clamoring for Star Trek merchandise. He had Theiss design a symbol to represent the Vulcan philosophy of IDIC (Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations). The result was first seen in "Is There In Truth No Beauty?" and it frequently appeared in the subsequent Trek films and television series becoming the ultimate symbol to represent the Vulcan species.

Finally, Theiss created a very memorable costume for the "Father of Vulcan Logic," Surak (Barry Atwater). Below is a design sketch for Surak's appearance in the third season episode "The Savage Curtain."

All of Theiss' Vulcan costumes manage to create a sense of otherworldly-ness while at the same time, being familiar enough to identify with. They are the clothes that one would expect a race of philosophers and logicians to wear. They evoke a sense of mystery, tradition and mysticism that pervades Vulcan culture.

William Ware Theiss passed away at the age of 61 in December 1992 but he lives on in his remarkable creations.

The Theiss designs featured here were found in The Star Trek Sketchbook by Herbert F. Solow and Yvonne Fern and in The Art of Star Trek by Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens. More can be seen at this wonderful Online Trek reference, Forgotten Trek