5/3/2023 UPDATE! Because an artist is never happy, I made just a few slight changes to the collage today — So be sure to check it again! I’ve added my friend and wonderful actor David Frankham as Larry Marvick on here ( I had him all set up yesterday and forgot to save it!!) as well as a spilled coffee cup and a rename on the drum; changing it to BAND instead of BRAND, which confused people. (It was meant as franchise humor)
It’s really done now! Thanks for your comments and likes! 🙂
HI Everyone!
Sorry I’ve been away for a while, (busy with life) but I’m back and I wanted to share this updated collage with you!
I originally created this collage in 2018 with the use of my ancient computer program (don’t laugh) Print Master Platnium 18.1. Although I liked the original, (and you can see it here) it clearly lacked the precision and sharpness I could make with my Adobe Printshop program, with which I’ve been making all my latest colleges with ever since. On the old program one had to crop images by painstakingly outlining them dot by dot and them eliminating the background. With Adobe, this process became much less time consuming and tedious! You can also see how even the writing on the bass drum looks much more realistic, especially since my son taught me how to add fonts to my system!
So here’s my updated Beatle/Trek homage of of “Captain Jim Kirk’s Starfleet Brand” I’ve added a few characters and props, and I find it highly more satisfying! Note: I didn’t add a key this time, since I figure many of my readers will recognize just about everyone here! Have fun with it and let me what you think!
I hope to have an public exhibit of many of my collages up sometime. I’ll let you know if it ever happens 🙂
Scott Mantz is an award winning Film Critic and host of moviemantz.com. Steve Morris is a Film maker and film historian as well as the host of The Cine-Files. Between these two movie-loving wizards, one gets insights into TOS that they may have never considered before!
And best of all, they are reviewing each episode in production order; that is the way they were originally produced, not aired. (Like the way I created all my Star Trek posters!) This gives the listener a chance to grow along with Trek as it buds into the first real adult-themed science fiction drama. This was no Captain Video or Lost in Space, it was truly first drama series set in space, often mirroring the turbulent times in which it was created, with with modern commentaries wrapped in the wings of sci-fi. We see how the characters develop week to week, and how (thankfully) some ideas were rejected (so glad Spock was not painted red!).
Scott and Steve are several years younger than I am, and like them, I am part of what they have cleverly dubbed “The Syndication Generation”. These were the middle-schoolers and teens that caught up with Star Trek when it first hit syndication in the early 70s. And as you may know, it was the syndication of Trek that launched it into the TV legend it is today!
I totally identify with these guys. When I hear their excited and almost brotherly banter, I’m thinking – “Yes! Yes! That’s what I thought too!” They each have a backlog of Trek minutiae, but their clear love and devotion to TOS will make any fan feel right at home. But the most astonishing thing about these dives is how much even die-hard fans will find new and enlightening about Trek.
Consider this — You learn not only what went on during productions of TOS, but what real-life events were happening the week of that production and sometimes how it affected the stories. I have also learned some of the production lingo – like a musical “sting” which is when you hear a blast of music at a tense time in the drama (often just before a commercial break).*
They also consider points like the following:
How different the series was in The Cage and what a different series it would have been had the the first pilot had become the series. (Honestly, although The Cage was brilliant, Jeffrey Hunter as Captain Pike would have given it a totally different vibe).
What would have happened to Yeoman Rand if Grace Lee Whitney wasn’t (shamefully) fired? Consider all the stories that involved Yeoman’s in season 1 after she left; a LOT of these stories were originally written for Yeoman Rand, which surely would have given her a much stronger presence, not to mention a closer relationship with Captain Kirk.
What single direction did Leonard Nimoy receive early on gave him great insight into the Spock character?
Was Lieutenant Charlene Masters supposed to fall in love with Lazarus?
Was Lt. Kevin Riley supposed to be a regular character?
Why didn’t they just use a shuttlecraft in The Enemy Within? (that’s easy!)
One thing I really love about the podcast is how these two dive into the often incredible dialogue and mindsets of the characters that one may have never noticed before or forgot. You’ll be delighted to hear their insights into how and why episodes were written and produced, and these guys pull no punches either. If there is an episode they love, you’ll know, and if it’s one that that they consider the worst, they tastefully and succinctly describe how and where it went wrong and how it could have been so much better under different circumstances. But regardless of quality, they clearly LOVE The Original Series.
I do wish we could also have a female point of view here — but they have occasional guests, and I haven’t heard all the episodes yet** so they might have a woman on in the future. — Heck, I’d LOVE to have a deep dive into TOS with these guys! Gentleman, I congratulate you on this fine euphoric podcast!
So hop on board with Scott and Steve – you’ll be in Trekkie heaven!
Drinking game – You’ll have to swig a Tranya whenever you hear “You’re so right!” and “I agree 100%!” 😉
* My Son is taking film-making and it helps me to understand his courses!
Well, since my original might be a tad overwhelming, I made made copies of my massive homage and divided it up into eight bite-size pieces so you can see everything a bit better! This way you won’t have to got to the DeviantArt link as much either! Enjoy, and check the list below for images you might have missed! 🙂
Detail #1 The Banner. Along the top I basically gave a Spock Timeline. Beginning with a concerned Sulu seeing Leonard in his tiny part from Them. Then Spock’s evolution from The Cage to The Corbomite Maneuver, with a nice fact-to-fiction composite of wee Leonard (age 10) learning water purification during WWII, and Spock fiddling with some chemistry hardware in a publicity still.* Then Spock plays a Vulcan harp and Leonard plays guitar while Flamenco Spock puppet-masters it over both! There’s Court Martial Spock through Hats and Bloopers (and laughing on Platonious) while Spock cuddles Isis. Publicity Profile of Spock and my profile portrait of Leonard in 2013. And to bookend Sulu’s screen, Nimoy’s Bookshelf! Detail #2 The Writers Corner. Where the collage began. I did not want to make this exclusively Spock, so I started on Leonard’s creative pursuits. Writings include his poetry and photography books, greeting cards and the full lyrics toMaiden Wine. Also a poster and scene from Never Forget, a beautiful, touching letter he wrote to a bi-racial teenager about how Spock manages in the world as an alien. A pink telegram to the White House; it reads “In the name of decency, don’t pollute with bombs” Posing with McGovern supporters and supporting the Writer’s Strike. Images from his photography books include Shekhina ‘linking arms’ with The Satyr from Secret Selves. A 1978 poster from his lecture series ‘Mr. Spock and I’ (where I first saw him), and a couple images from that event. A row of theater moments with himself as Theo from Vincent in the 70s, and my photos from 2013 at the Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theater in NYC discussing Vincent. (what a joy). As a toddler, a very early publicity photo, and performing at the Pasedena Playhouse. Further down left, Young Mr. Nimoy with his parents, in High School, his Wedding to Sandra Zober, in the Army, Publicity still and poster image from Zombies from the Stratosphire, and family life with lots of love and dogs (more of this later). Detail # 3 That Plaid Blazer and the Fan Girls. A cornerstone of Leonard’s wardrobe in the 70s was his beloved beige plaid blazer, worn here in everything from an early interview, through In Search of, Baffled!, public appearances and in The Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Pat Boone’s hat too! And even after Star Trek was canceled, Cleveland Amory’s article wondered why women were ‘spaced out’ over Leonard Nimoy. Nimoy modestly describes Spock as tall, dark, alien, and exotic, with a brilliant mind and “Oh, so cool!”. But we know better, right? He got lots of love from his fans too, (from beauty queens to Playboy Bunnies) and never denied them their chance to say hello or even a hug. I included my lucky self among the fan pictures, as well as Louise Stange (his fan club president) Theresa Victor (his ‘Girl Friday), and my friends Bobbie and Linda. 🙂 I wonder who the 8 Lucky Ladies were who got to have Breakfast with Mr. Spock? I like to think women drove Trek fandom in the first place (e.g. Bjo Trimble, and fanzines like Spock Enslaved. Some prime examples of Spock/Nimoy canoodling here!Detail #4 The Nimoy Kick Line. I had so many full length images of Leonard that it only seemed fair to give him a “Kick Line” (think Rockettes). The idea began with gun-belted Nimoy as a sheriff in The Virginian which naturally followed with Spock in a gun-belt in Spectre of the Gun. Three chilly Leonards in Patterns of Force, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and The Balcony, and so on with Spock, Paris, that amazing denim patchwork suit, bumping with Flip Wilson, Catlow, etc. You’ll see Dr. Mayfield giving Columbo a copy of I Am Not Spock and just above that, the same two actors in The Balcony.Detail #5 Westerns, Family, Community, and Pets. BeforeTrek, Leonard made much of his bread and butter with TV Westerns and I found seven samples of him as a Native American, plus a couple of cowboys as well as all types of bad guys. But it all supported his family which made it all worth it. In this time his love of photography flourished, as well as pets. (Brunsie, Max, more) You see Adam and Julie grow from little ones to caring adults. And you see ‘Poppi’ with his grand and great-grandkids, as well as with everyday folk at telethons,political events, reading programs and ALS benefits. As Leonard wrote, “The miracle is this; the more we share, the more we have.”Detail #6 We’ll Always Have Paris and Who’s in that Limo? Beyond Star Trek, Leonard found successful work on Mission: Impossible and so much more. I’d say that of all the Trek ensemble in the 70’s, Leonard was the most active. You can see him here with the cast of M:I and some prime Paris moments. He did Game and Variety shows. Yet through the rest of his life, Spock was never far behind, like those guys in the backseat of the Bangles limo here. Despite some initial trepidation, he embraced Spock and was grateful how that character led him to his dreams of photography and directing. From In Search Of to Three Men and a Baby, he kept on going, making many friends along the way. Detail # 7 Golden Throat. Leonard engaging in his recording days, hence the Golden Throat. and animated Spock comforts crying Spock: “Hey, the albums weren’t that bad…” I threw a lot of similar themed pictures here, both as Spock and in real life. It wasn’t always easy, I’m sure it got tiring. But you could see the love in all he did. See several images of Nimoy just looking great, and four images of Leonard all looking up to their left. Bottom right Dr. McCoy and Spock with dear friends De Kelley and Leonard in front of them. Detail #8 He Lived Long and Prospered in Life’s Garden. What better way to make a ‘finale’ to this piece than with a forest of “Live Long and Prospers”? The now iconic trademark gesture reminds us all to live our best lives, in the moment, in the world, with each other (it even helps us greet friends in the pandemic!) You’ll see Leonard with his sweet Buick Riviera, with his Piper airplane, with his wife Susan Bay and his Star Trek Friends. He passes the Vulcan greeting with grace and love for over 4 decades, beginning with its first appearance in Amok Time, to endless personal appearances, the double blessings at Conventions and in synagogue. In the center above his famous final quote, Leonard sends out a big hug. Near Leonard’s grave plaque, you see Spock nearing his death, but the memories and spirit go on. You can see an artist’s conception of the Live Long and Prosper statue that is being planned for the Boston Museum of Science.
Bonus Pop Culture and Silly Details: Spock and Nimoy inspired a LOT of pop culture. See if you can find all of these:
Funko Spock Figure in original uniform
Funko Spock holding Isis the Cat
Funko Dorbz Spock
Four Al Hirshfeld drawings featuring Leonard as Spock and himself. (Colorized by me!)
A “Trekkie on Board” sign
Animated Leonard with Spock Ears on Animaniacs
Leonard, in a Spock uniform fighting Bender on Futurama
Real life Leonard holding animated Leonard’s ‘head’ from Futurama
Leonard on The Simpsons
Working Daze cartoon featuring a tribute to Leonard shortly after he died.
The Nimoy Boar from Battle Cats
Mego Spock Doll
Mego Mirror Mirror Spock Doll
Mattel Spock Doll
Yellow Spock Stamp
A Spock Nutcracker
Calvin and Hobbes dressed as Kirk and Spock
Family Guy Spock
Squidward as Spock (aka Spockward, by Therese Bohn, 2012)
Mad Magazine, The Mad Star Trek Musical
A Dachshund figure dressed like Spock with “Live Really Long and Prosper” on its uniform shirt
You might have noticed ads or images from the new Facebook App called FaceApp. This App was created a few years ago, but recently got a new boost with images featuring famous TV and movie characters. I bet a lot of you saw these of our TOS pals. The big fun is switching sexes of famous characters or making them old!
Well I couldn’t resist, and I put the app on my phone then played with a WHOLE mess of images from TOS! I gotta say, sometimes it’s astonishing how great some of our friends look here as the opposite sex – especially Bill Shatner, who said of one of his doctored images “I’d do me!” Enjoy!
Let’s start with gender-switching:
I gotta say, Bill has a great face for drag!
“I’d like to see the Manager, please…”“Okay, so mullets still don’t work in the 23rd century” “Did ya miss me?”Oh Doctor Baby Blues! Adorbs! Spock already had makeup, so he just needed a wig!Could Mr. DeSalle be Captain Janeway’s Grandfather? Of course Jim’s worst nightmare! Bill, you could have pulled it off! (But think the application made the top of his head a little too short!) Sulu is magnificent! Just when you thought Chekov couldn’t get any cuter…And Walter was already wearing extra eye liner in The Way to Eden so yeah, this works! Holy Cow Scotty! you look like SNL comedienne Cecily Strong!! Spock makes a great Cher! Or Agent 99! Nurse Chapel could be Owen Wilson…Uhura makes a gorgeous guy! Nurse Chapel as David Hasslehoff! Kyle looks a bit dazed.Kirk is the ultimate Breck girl.
How about some guest stars?
Tyree already had the hair, just needed some extensions! Meanwhile, Nona becomes even more no-nonsense! Trelane becomes Louis XIV! Korob could rival Divine. Dr Jan Lester. Dr Sevrin found a way to cover those cauliflower ears! I’m beginning to wonder if David Hasslehof WAS the template for the ‘male’ face! Kirk always said that Nancy was a handsome woman…I think Proconsul Marcus is ready for her Vegas act, or as someone off of Real Houswives…Meanwhile Merrick is ready for VogueApollo looks like my gorgeous niece! OH NO! OH DONNA!!!
Okay, enough gender-swaps! Another feature is playing with facial hair and aging, and some of the results were quite surprising!
Somehow I couldn’t get enough of the beard application…
Isok was born to wear a beard. As was Kirk! Aaand I went a little nuts with Patterns of ForceYep…Of Course…Just one more.
And now some nerdy college professor types…
Jim teaches Advanced Relationships…Korob is in College Admissions, good luck getting past him. Spock’s the Sexy Archive Librarian…
Then when we get into Aging, whoa!
So if Kirk and Co. hadn’t got to Miri on time. Poor Kid. This made me laugh because he reminds me of a family friend!If Severin lived, he’d make a cool Grandpa! And most astonishing of all, when I aged the photo of Michael Forest as Apollo, the real Michael Forest in Star Trek Continues episode Pilgrim of Eternity looks almost the same if not better! (He’s wonderful! <3 )
FaceApp made a pretty good estimate of the real aged Spock too!
Well, I think I freaked you our enough today…One thing is for sure. We are all beautiful in our own way, male, female, young, old, nerdy, cool, and so on. We are more than what makes up our shell. May you find your way as pleasant! Happy Fourth of July, please stay safe and healthy!
Yesterday, September 8th was the 53rd Anniversary of Star Trek, and aren’t we lucky to have had this happyplace in our lives? Wishing Happy Anniversary to the surviving cast of The Original Series, William Shatner, Nichelle Nichols, George Takei and Walter Koenig, and happy memories of our beloved other cast members, Leonard Nimoy, Deforest Kelley, James Doohan, Majel Barret, Grace Lee Whitney, and of course the creator, Gene Roddenberry. The dream of a better future lives on with Star Trek in all of it’s incarnations! May its vision of a peaceful and caring society truly live long and prosper!
One thing I loved about the original series is that even though not all characters had equal time, there were countless little moments where we’d see the human (or otherwise) nature of characters that would give us a peek into their personalities. Little quirks anyone could understand. In honor of 53 years of Star Trek, here are 53 moments of my favorite TOS episodes, 🙂
Also, more coverage of my visit to TreKonderoga in August coming this week!
Vina gets her wish in The Cage
“Jim.” A sad second of helplessness from Gary Mitchell.
“I can hear it too!”
Uhura bored at a meeting in Corbomite Manuever
Spock nearly apoligizing to Kirk in Corbomite Manuever
Christine hears Corby for the first time in years
Eve tells Ben Childress what to do with his pots and pans
And he does.
Spock grins while playing his harp.
Uhura sings the charms of Spock
Riley in full cowboy mode
Spock collapses against door
Spock’s first mind-meld.
Jim’s beautiful eyes.
RUk lifts Kirk like a baby.
Sulu casually says ‘No’ to Trelane’s food.
Uhura does NOT like Trelane’s
“They are as high above us as we are above the ameoba.”
McCoy and his fantasy showgirls
“With all due respect to the young lady…”
“You’re holding a knife at your physcian’s throat.
Marla entranced by Kahn
‘WE offered the world ORDER!”
“You couldn’t pronounce it”
Guilty.
Kirk misty-eyed after Edith’s kiss.
McCoy gently giggles with Edith.
Kirk devastated.
“Athena! You were right!”
Evil Spock’s first appearance.
Jim reminding Marlena how a lover should kiss.
“Why are you monitoring my communications Mr. Sulu?”
This year marks the 40th Anniversary of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and I just happened to come across this old article that I hadn’t posted here before! It’s a review from the local college paper Pipe Dream, and it has a lot of nice local Binghamton, NY flavor, which filled me with nostalgia for simpler times.
The writer, Robert Greenberger, was just as excited to see this new incarnation of Trek as the rest of us, and he gives a loving review. He was clearly delighted, and saw this effort as ‘well worth the wait’. However, he did note that the glut of special effects did overpower the heart of the story. He says one of the best sequences is the first time we see The Enterprise and “the ship is explored for the next ten minutes” (To me, that part was 8 minutes too long!)
He also rightly points out the the supporting characters were not given enough to do and that the plot tends to have annihilation encroaching every every five minutes, leaving character development in the dust. But he’s still happy to see that the positive message at the soul of Star Trek is still there: The future need not be bleak. Something we truly can hope for in these strange times 40 years later. I hope Robert will find this and say Hi! Enjoy.
UPDATE! (7-4-2021) I found another one! In The Omega Glory, the Kohm servant has a naked navel, but the moment is so quick, you may not have noticed! Sneaky!
In crazy times like these, perhaps we should contemplate our navels; or at least the ones on TOS.
As someone who loves costume design, I’ve always been curious as to the battles that costume designers face, be it making the costumes under budget and on time, to keeping within any restrictions given by the studio or network.
When the Original Series aired from 1966-69 on NBC, the network’s Standards and Practices (S&P) team were recruited to assure that rules were being followed to avoid censorship. For some reason, a woman’s navel was considered too sexy for family time, which is why Barbara Eden’s costume on NBC’s I Dream of Jeannie kept the waist of her harem pants high.
So how did William Ware (Bill) Theiss, master of the costume universe, keep to this rule? Well, he didn’t; just enough that the S&P didn’t notice! Bill figured no one would care about navels in the future, and slipped in the scary umbilicus whenever he could. But who won the battle of censorship? Let’s keep score – TOS vs. S&P:(and my scoring system is total nonsense!)
Exhibit A: The Cage.Theiss designed the iconic costumes from The Cage (1964) onward. And in The Cage, everyone knew Vina as the green Orion in a shiny reptile skin, with no navel exposure but lots of cut-outs. HOWEVER, there were also servers and other dancers in the background in harem-ish costumes with exposed navels:
SCORE: TOS – 1 S&P – 0
Exhibit B: The Corbomite Maneuver & Charlie X The network had no trouble with the good Captain exposing his navel, and practically welcomed it. Probably to present Kirk as the macho alpha male. Both sides win. Look at that nice flat tummy. Put a pin in these pictures for now.
SCORE: TOS – 2 S&P – 1
Exhibit C: Mudd’s Women.
Although Harry Mudd’s ‘escorts’ were quite stylish, none had exposed navels (although there were hip, thigh and cleavage slashes).
SCORE: TOS – 2 S&P – 2
Exhibit D: The Naked Time.
The S&P need not worry at the episode’s title, as Sulu (George Takei) was the only one who was half naked, but even his navel was covered with a high modest waistband!
SCORE: TOS – 2 S&P – 3
Exhibit D:What Are Little Girls Made Of.
Andrea the Android (Sherry Jackson) exposed plenty with her X-shaped jumpsuit bodice, but not her navel! Theiss gets a half point for it’s daring.
SCORE: TOS – 2.5 S&P – 4
Exhibit E: Shore Leave
McCoy’s Showgirls may have worn fluorescent Tribbles for brassieres, but their dangerously inappropriate navels are plugged up with teeny tiny Tribbles; making them safe for democracy. Half point for cleverness.
SCORE: TOS – 3 S&P – 4.5
Exhibit F: A Taste of Armageddon
Mea 3 (Barbara Babcock) and the women of Eminiar VII exposed their flanks in fancy togas, but not their navels!
SCORE: TOS – 3 S&P – 5.5
Exhibit G: Catspaw
In Sylvia’s (Antoinette Bower) little fashion show for Kirk, she exposes her rib cage, but no navel! 1/2 point for daring.
SCORE: TOS – 3.5 S&P – 6.5
Exhibit H: Who Mourns for Adonais?
Who could forget Carolyn Palamas’ iconic candy pink toga? It exposed Leslie Parrish’s entire back, right arm, some leg and a considerable amount of torso and hip, but no navel. There are two conflicting stories about this stunning creation. Theiss stated in The Making of Star Trek , the costume held in place without any need for anchoring tape, while later I read that Ms. Parish did have to be taped in to avoid censorship. I’m still giving this one a full point for just being beautifully designed and engineered! They each get a half point because I want to round up the score!
SCORE: TOS -5 S&P- 7
Exhibit I: Wolf in the Fold
There was a big trend in 1960s movies and TV for belly dancers and harems (maybe inspired by I Dream of Jeannie?). Trek was no exception. The first person we see in Wold in the Fold is Kara (Tanya Lemani) in her magnificent belly dancer garb, complete with plastic used-car-lot fringe! Beautiful! But she dare not show her navel so a little pink flower was plunked in there! Must be a good adhesive because despite Kara’s shimmy, it never falls out! Btw, Tanya is one of my Facebook pals, and Tanya, if you’re reading this, <3 Hi! <3 Tanya is still dancing these days and she rocks! Love ya, girl! TOS gets a half star for daring.
SCORE: TOS – 5.5 S&P – 8
Exhibit J: The AppleWell, the S&P must have had that week off, because all the natives of Gamma Trianguli VI had nekkid navels! Three points for Bill Theiss getting away with it! TOS inches into the lead!
SCORE: TOS – 8.5 S&P – 8
Exhibit K: Mirror, Mirror With this blatant display of the alternate universe female uniform, it is said that the crew lured the S&P member off the set with a big lunch to film Uhura’s bridge scene! But how did he not notice Marlena? By now it was 1967, maybe the Summer of Love got the censors less uptight! (Now if only Spock was allowed to wear his tunic open!). Two points for each actress getting away with it!
SCORE: TOS – 10.5 S&P – 8
Exhibit L: I, Mudd For heaven’s sake! Even Norman had a navel! (maybe a charger port…or three?) But the Alices and all the other female android series kept theirs hidden! 1 for S&P!
SCORE: TOS – 10.5 S&P – 9
Exhibit : Bread and Circuses The network never seemed to complain of exposed hip bones on minor characters like Drusilla here, but no navel. Clever (and a bit creepy) credit for use of chain as an accessory here, 1/2 point to TOS for originality, 1 Point for S&P.
SCORE: TOS – 11 S&P – 10
Exhibit M: A Private Little WarNona (Nancy Kovak) may have been a Kanutu Woman, but she was also a perfect precursor to 60’s hippie girls! Between her low slung leather bell bottoms (with the emphasis on bell) and her macrame necklace she was ahead of the Woodstock generation by 2 years! Of course, California is usually ahead of the curve fashion-wise from the rest of the country, so Theiss was probably surrounded by this in LA. Even so, she’s proud of her navel and you better not cross her S&P, she’s armed! 1 point for TOS!
SCORE: TOS – 12 S&P – 9
Exhibit N – The Gamesters of Triskellion
Everyone remembers Shahna (Angelique Pettyjohn) for her aluminum bikini, but despite it’s boldness and its possibility as a popcorn popper, it still modestly hides her navel. And that bikini is also a marvel of engineering. Whereas all the other drill thralls (and the Enterprise crew) wore their harnesses on the outside, Shannah’s harness is incorporated into her bikini; which means she can’t wear one without the other. Well, at least she could tuck her matching gloves into it when she wasn’t using them. Half point to TOS for its skimpiest costume yet, but a full point to S&P.
SCORE: TOS – 12.5 S&P – 10
Exhibit O – Patterns of Force
Well well, two navels appear here, although the Captain’s we’ve seen before, (see above), blessedly, this will be the last time we see Kirk’s navel for the rest of the series.* The good Captain is not quite as fit as he was in Season 1, but then, ANYONE would look a bit doughy next to Spock’s remarkably lean frame. TOS gets a 1/2 point for finally letting Spock lose his shirt. *and YES, I know that Kirk was stripped to the waist in The Empath, but we only see his front from the pectorals up!)
SCORE: TOS – 13 S&P – 10
Exhibit P – The Omega Glory and The Savage Curtain Did you ever notice that Sirah of Omega Glory and Zora of Savage Curtain both wore the same tattered two-piece? Zora added a fur piece, but there was no denying that Theiss had cleverly covered their navels (just barely) with a convenient flap? Of course in battle scenes, the flap would flip up, but censors didn’t catch it! One point for TOS recycling!
SCORE: TOS – 14 S&P – 10
Exhibit Q: Assignment: Earth We only see her for a second, but when Isis (April Tatro) is revealed as a woman, she’s breaking the rules, as any good cat would. 1 point for TOS sneaking it in!
SCORE: TOS – 15 S&P – 10
Exhibit R: Elaan of Troyus The warrior Elaan got to wear 4 different gorgeous costumes while on the Enterprise, all stunning and suggestive, but none with the dreaded navel. Her silver appliques here blot it out. S&P gets 4 points for still getting their way with 4 different costumes!
SCORE: TOS – 15 S&P – 14
Exhibit S: That Which Survives Losira (Lee Meriwether) might have been for Mr. D’Amato, but her pants were purely for modesty. High-waisted with a ridiculous anti-navel flap, the S&P had won again! And we’re tied.
TOS – 15 S&P 15
Exhibit T – For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky.
For the leader of a civilization, it’s a shame Natira had only oneglorious gown (maybe Elaan used up all the budget!) But despite her prestigious title, she was beholden to the network S&P, with her navel wrapped up like a very fancy mummy. Still quite gorgeous. Kudos and a point to Theiss for continuing to work with metallic fabrics (which he loathed!) and a point to S&P for winning again! Like Natira’s gown, we’re still tied up!
TOS – 16 S&P 16
Exhibit U: The Cloud Minders I think by this time in Season Three, Theiss was getting pretty sick of navel restrictions. By the time they filmed The Cloud Minders, the 74th episode of the last season, I don’t think S&P were too vigilant anymore. Hence, Theiss let ’em have it with two prominent displays here. 2 points for TOS! Someday I want a tummy like Vanna again – (Droxine, please eat something!) <3
TOS – 18 S&P 16
Exhibit V: The Way to Eden
Gotta let Hippes be Hippies. Yeah, the episode was dated, but Irina’s gown was impeccable! With a lonely little navel in the flower patch, it’s Hippie chic! One point for TOS.
TOS – 19 S&P 16
Exhibit W: All Our Yesterdays Zarabeth’s covering is little more than rags tied around her body, but she still keeps her navel modestly covered. Kudos for remaining remarkably clean in a damp cave! Theiss gets a full point for leading the way in TV costume, S&P get’s a point for still getting their way.
Here’s an idea I’ve had for a LONG time and I finally got it to come to fruition. As I’m sure many of you have seen, in the past I have made many silly collages which combine the two best pop culture phenomenons of the 1960’s; Star Trek and The Beatles! You can see my previous ‘Beatle Trek’s’ here.
Anyway, for ages I wanted to recreate the famous Sgt.Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band except make it with memorable Star Trek Characters. As the centerpiece, Kirk, Spock, McCoy and Scotty replace the Fab Four, and I poured over many pictures to find just the right character to fill in for all the originals (and a few more) for this cover.
You’ll note that the Klingons replace the waxworks figures of The Beatles, Mohammed Ali’s robed boxer is replaced with robed Lord Garth from Whom Gods Destroy, glamorous Droxine and Carolyn Palamas take over for Marlene Dietrich and Diana Dors. I’ve added many other characters in positions close to the originals: notice Miranda Jones’ hand behind Kirk, just as Issy Bonn’s hand was behind Paul McCartney’s head in the original! I also have many more women in this version than the Pepper album. But as The Beatles chose their favorite heroes for their album, I chose my favorite characters for this. And of course you will find our dear Celeste Yarnall (Martha Landon in The Apple) in the mix. Although she sadly passed before she could see it, her widower, Nazim assured me she would have enjoyed it. Indeed, I have always found creativity a balm for sorrow, and I recommend creating something yourself, anything with your heart and hands, to help you at your sad times.
You’ll notice that most of these characters are not crew members, as I did a massive collage of as many Enterprise members as I could in the past. I also intentionally posted some characters in black and white instead of color, like on the original. If you look closely, you’ll see Alexander from Plato’s Stepchildren in Shirley Temple’s place and Balok from The Corbomite Maneuver flopped out like the doll in Rolling Stones sweater too! I even used Star Trek plants to replace the flora of the original. And be sure to look out for 4 hidden Spocks (as well as the main one in the center)!
If you can’t identify all the characters, I created a numbered key for the poster below. Enjoy, and please let me know what you think! Thanks, Therese <3
Key to Characters in“Captain Jim Kirk’s Comely Starfleet Brand
Ruk (Ted Cassidy) in What are Little Girls Made Of?
I’ll be away this weekend attending the TreKonderoga Weekend in Ticonderoga NY! So excited to be attending this fun little annual Trek Convention! It runs this weekend, Aug. 24-26!
This is the fourth year of the event,and it was begun by genius and Elvis impersonator James Cawley who painstakingly recreated the ENTIRE SET of the Starship Enterprise in an abandoned dollar store! It is an exact copy of all the sets used in the original series, right down to every button and wall decoration! James used the original blueprints to recreate this magnificent set, and I can’t wait for the tour. It’ll be a dream come true! (BTW, the Set tours happen all year round, but the TreKonderoga Weekend is only once a year!
The Special guests this year are Karl Urban (Dr. McCoy from the reboot) Gates McFadden (Dr. Crusher, Star Trek TNG) and Robin Curtis! (Saavik from Star Trek III and IV) Also the wonderful Spock impersonator Paul Spock Vegas (Paul Forest)! There are probably still tickets for Saturday and Sunday! Hey if you’re in the neighborhood, I’ll be roaming around there Saturday! You can see more info here.
Can’t wait to share pictures with you next week! Until then, here’s a few pics to whet your appetite! LLAP! Love, Therese
James Cawley (The founder and showman behind TreKonderoga) sits in the Captain’s chair!
