Santa forgot your Trek? Quick, get the Costumes book!

Good on my old friends and colleagues Paula Block and Terry Erdmann for being such a holiday hit: Their new must-have coffeetable book Star Trek: Costumes, Five Decades of Fashion from the Final Frontier was smack front and center (right) in the foyer at my local Barnes & Noble this season!

So, if your Christmas haul didn't include enough of a Trek fix, and maybe somehow the "real" James T. Kirk story is not your cup of tea… maybe you need a heavy-duty dose of Star Trek's incredible costume history… in coffeetable book form (i.e., tons of big photos).

And that's just what you get in Star Trek: Costumes—the other early entry in the book bash for Trek's 50th anniversary.  A huge tome of reprinted, rare and exclusive all-new photos of Trek's finery for any cosplay need out there, this must-have is fresh from Paula & Terry via Insight Editions. Due to our distantly uncrossed paths I can't get you a vidchat here yet (as with David Goodman and other authors in recent months) but take it from me: This is amazing. Including a wonderful intro by TV and film Trek's longtime costume maestro Bob Blackman about his daily life for 16 years, four films and four TV series.

Star Trek: Costumes is 208 pages in 9 1/4 x 12 3/4-inch hardback format, over an inch thick, and covers it all— like the subtitle says, from "The Cage" through Into Darkness. Most of all, Paula and Terry have not only done a host of new interviewing but, for those giants of Trek tailoring and modeling who have passed—led by the great original series' costume designer and motif-maker, Bill Theiss of course—they have pulled together nuggets and insights from others as well from a zillion scattered sources to accompany these vivid, living images. 

The photos are incredible—including all the new imagery of mannequin-adorned iconic designs—but the text is every bit the insight icing on that costume cake. 

The best part is, as with any good Trek research effort, they have have come up with bits that were news to me, too. Anyone who can still give me a fanboy moment after all these years digging in Trekland myself is hardly a dunsel in my book! One was bellydancer/actress Tanya Lemani's revelation that her Kara outfit was a plastic skirt and her own bra, adorned with even more plastic to cover cleavage at studio insistence. Or that the original Motion PIcture Klingon uniforms had been out on loan and tour for five years and had to be rebuilt or recast from tatters for ST III. 

Most of all, I was tickled and very appreciative to Paula and Terry for a shout-out in the thank-yous, and for annotating some writing of mine from some hot-and-heavy details-talking time with Bob and the film costume designers. Thanks, guys! We'll do that vidchat AND I'll get mine signed then.

Yes, you'll want this one for your shelf for ages. It may even be up in after-holiday sales, now.

Here's some sample spreads, including memories from our lovely friends Mike Forrest and Barbara Luna: 

STV: Writer-director James Kerwin on making "mirror" with Star Trek Continues—Part 1

Just in time for a Star Trek Continues screening and panel this noon Saturday at Stan Lee's Comikaze...

Here's Part 1 of my sit-down with STC's "Fairest of Them All" co-writer and director James Kerwin, made last summer before the episode won for "New Media—Drama" at the Burbank International Film Festival, and represented the entire series to win "Best Web Series" at the 2014 Geekie Awards. 

I've known friend-of-Trekland James since I first saw his sci-fi noir feature "Yesterday Was a Lie" thanks to star Chase "Leeta" Masterson, and we also talked to him during the Spirit of Star Trek series in L.A. in 2010-11. Although I did not act for James, he has not been shy about exercising the phone line in my role as STC creative consultant at times...so it was a pleasure to talk about this episode after the fact, and out of the on-set stress of concentrating to get the shoot finished.

We'll have Part 2 up shortly with more insights and in-jokes... and more on his own RUR project later still.

Wyatt is back! Star Trek Continues' Ep. 3 debuts Sunday

Here you go! Aside from the great new WiredTV series and all our usual site videos, I do have some sneak-peeks of my own for Star Trek Continues' Episode 3, the mirror-tale "Fairest Of Them All"—filmed in mid-March and getting its world premiere tonight at SupanovaCon in Sydney, Australia...online Sunday, June 15 at noon Eastern!

And what better way to start off "safely"—a spoiler-free tease, natch—than with a chat with Wyatt Lenhart, who took one episode's leave offship from playing Chekov, but is back now in all his mirror-snarly glory here for "Ep3." I ask him all your pent-up questions!

As I promised, leaving the on-camera world of STC for now did not mean an exit from the production family, and part of my world now is continued documenting of STC in the Trekland style... like this quick chat with Wyatt on a pivotal day of shooting. It's just the first of many more to come:

Our STC "family" Kickstarter thank-you had a SCRIPT

Whether you were able to donate or not, please take a sec and check out this pretty awesome thank-you video to our Kirkstarter donors on the Star Trek Continues Facebook page ...It's the idea and execution of Todd "Spock" Haberkorn, with STC audio boomer Michelle Siles wrangling and webmaster Steve Crandall in support. I can't embed the video, so just follow the link.

By the way: If you are kicking yourself for missing this three-episode drive and its perks, good news: there's now an STC Paypal page to make a donation now, and everything sent there by "early" donors will roll over to the next Kickstarter drive and rewards at that time.

Meanwhile, to show how pretty basic everything is with ST Continues... here's Michelle with the actual thank-you "script" that people all claimed a word on (not counting at least a half-dozen more who were gone by this time)... plus a little proofreading by the resident words editor of the troupe, *ahem*:

STV: A wrap for me AND our KIRKstarter—thank you!

I can't believe it's been since April that I posted a "Switching to Visual" video here at TREKLAND—and that I break the drought finally with one featuring ME.

But this is the final day of our KIRKstarter for future Star Trek Continues episodes—and while, yes, we were blessed to make our goal and beyond with 2,900+ backers (!!), I've seen people really get emotional and insistent about being a part of this to help us—and get their name on the record and claim some perks to boot.

(UPDATE: Our $100,000 goal wound up with $126,028 courtesy 2,981 backers! Thanks to everyone of you for being a part.)

Your last chance ends at 6 pm ET/ 3 pm PT Nov. 6, 2013. This drive covers three episodes, and while it's always an option to make a future direct donation—why not jump in now, help hike the tally, get into the system and claim a spot? I should point out: our briefing room table is the biggest reward level. (And my set tour and phone call are among the many unclaimed cast items. Just sayin.')

All of the support from so many fans, just like all the love since premiere date back in Phoenix, has been rather amazing; the Kickstarter site's fan comments and suggestions alone carry their own vibe, worth a read.

Meanwhile, Episode 2 is a more guest-centric show and the regulars have a bit less to do, but I know I stepped up my game in some subtle ways as we all grow into this project and work with our talented and fun STC family. If you were a fan of "Pilgrim" you will love the surprises and color of this next, non-TOS-sequel episode:


I have a lot of STV videos backlogged, including a few from the set of STC, and some thoughts to share... But for now—take a quick late-day set visit with me and thanks again for helping run our Kickstarter tally up even higher: late adds were the secret reveal of our big guest star and the much-requested digital download of Episode 1, "Pilgrim of Eternity."

Thanks also to STC/Farragut set guy and crew mate Scott Grainger for handling the camera and letting me jump into this one!

Happy birthday De: even belatedly, a special wish

Ever since I launched TREKLAND a few years back, I always make it a point to mark at least one Trekland birthday every year, out of all the many involved: my own personal fave, our own DeForest Kelley—and do it by sharing a photo from the file I collected from friends after his death in 1999.

This year, I am a day late—but I hope not a dollar short. In fact, this year of all years it's been a bittersweet personal moment for me after all the younger years feelings for De and his iconic role among roles... then meeting him as a fan, and then meeting him as a colleague—though for all too short a time.

And now, to know him as an item of research of sorts: playing McCoy, on short notice, in the debut full episode of Star Trek Continues, as I tweeted and Facebook'd a couple days ago on the run.  It's a labor of love that must also be real work, fitted in on a month's notice amid other new cramped deadlines—though I'd like to think I've been doing the research by osmosis all along.

So it's not only a belated birthday wish—but one made on the road, to boot. Even so, I wanted to share a photo—and this one, a Trek topic from the second season, will bear special meaning, as I'll share eventually: ...and my big thanks to trekcore.com for being the online site that had it handy where I could find it on short notice!

Happy birthday, De—I hope somewhere, somehow, you know why I'm late...and accept it as a gift in spirit.

RIP "Charlie Star Trek": My buddy Charles Washburn, 73

My friend Charles Washburn is gone.

If that name is not a familiar one, please bear with me and get to know it, at least now.  If the only fact that I relayed here today was that Charlie was the first-ever African-American to be a 2nd assistant director in Hollywood, in 1967 ... after having been the first black admitted and then graduated from the Director’s Guild of America trainee program the year before ... well, that would be enough.

Adding in the fact that both feats happened via the original Desilu Star Trek makes me doubly proud and honored to have known this Treklander, and hopefully helped to share his story and his person.

“When I started at Desilu, there were only three black employees on the whole lot,” Charlie told me once: “Nichelle Nichols, myself, and the guy who had the food truck—who closed it up after lunch and then shined shoes.”

Now THAT puts this “true Hollywood story” in perspective.

Charlie was laid to rest Tuesday in his native Memphis, Tenn., having finally lost his battle with kidney disease at age 73 on April 13, survived by a daughter and son. The word was not made public til a few days ago, and I feel torn that I was  in Houston on another shooting trip for The Con of Wrath—thus delaying my putting together these thoughts.  What I truly regret, though, is that I had meant to get back and visit him for a antyoher chat and clean-up session in recent months at the Screen Actor’s Home in the west Valley…  and just never got it done.

But then, I treasure the many hours we did share these past five years since 2007, when we first made acquaintance due to his stint as an early 1st AD for TNG and the 20^th anniversary pieces I did for the old startrek.com team.  For, more than any one-line "claim to fame" for the history books, Charlie was simply a gentleman—and a beaming human example of cheery, positive living.  He was raised with a certain amount of what we would call middle-class pride for his “people,” and yet growing up in the South of the ‘50s and ‘60s he could certainly use all of the optimism and cheer he could muster. Even more so for an energetic, college-trained young man with talent and the desire to make it, and going so far from home to do so.

Charlie had dozens of credits as he rose in the ranks—like Bill Cosby Show, Vega$, Batman, Six Million Dollar Man. And like everyone else in LaLa Land in all walks of life, he had numerous scripts and stories of his own tucked away, to pitch and plug at any moment—busy doing so even in his last few months (see his Actor's Home desk, below).  He also loved Westerns and their stars, especially the weekly Saturday morning serials he watched in color-blind mode as a young boy growing up, and was quite the expert. All of that leaves it no surprise that Charlie was also an exasperating and stubborn pack rat, as I soon realized when I helped him move his stored items ... often ...  as he compacted his life “stuff” and moved to an apartment at the Home, kidney dialysis slowing his pace just a bit the last couple years.  On the good side, though, that stash allowed him to selflessly share the original call sheets from his Season 2 shows as DGA Trainee, and then his alternating Season 3 eps as a full-fledged 2^nd AD….

I have my own interviews with Charlie archived, but thankfully he himself had done the same with Star Trek buddies like director Joe Pevney and others, before they passed.  It was all for had completed a chapter or two or three of his book-to-be, entitled “Charlie Star Trek”— his nickname from back in the day, from the way everyone at Desilu heard his greeting as he answered the onstage phone.  There’s a lot of history preserved there—and lots from succeeding shows as well that hopefully will come to light.

But of all that Charlie shared with me, I’m grateful for the entrée he gave into his beloved Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters, as much as all the Trekland info and insights…and most of all that sunny, warm-hearted cheer that greeted each and every soul he met, or idea he considered. In later years he even organized screenings and shows for residents at the Screen Actors Home himself, until he no longer do so, and I’m proud to have helped him meet-and-greet local L. A. fans who were unaware of him as a local treasure.  I wish we could have gotten him out much more, and to some of the larger conventions like Vegas—for, like producer Bob Justman in his final years, he truly was a long-lived eyewitness to the TOS crew that latter-day fans deserved to be aware of while they had him. You can see he and his words preserved, at least, in special features amid the latest remastered editions of the original series Blu-Ray sets.

What might stick in my mind most of all, perhaps, is the joy on Charlie’s face the night I got him over for that nationwide 40^th Anniversary remastered screening of “The Menagerie,” and fans in Burbank swarmed him in the lobby after he’d been introduced as the icon he was.

For my part, I’ll help get his words, deeds and legacy out to any Trekfans and filmbuffs I can, in any media that works. That’s the least we can do for ourselves… and Charlie Star Trek.

(And yes, the role of damage control team member Lt. Washburn in "The Doomsday Machine" was indeed named for him.)

What happened 45 years ago today?

Yes, on June 22, 1966, filming began on the very first Star Trek episode that most folks ever saw—the broadcast variety, shown over their (hopefully) new color TV sets on Sept. 8, 1966.

Now, purists will know that post-pilot, regular filming on Star Trek actually began on the series on May 24, 1966, for "The Corbomite Manuever," which didn't air until Nov. 10, the tenth slot in the series, due to its extensive and time-consuming visual effects shots.

But for those who like to peg it to the first Star Trek viewers were able to see, the date stands as a touchstone.

Director Marc Daniels, the series' most prolific along with Joe Pevney at 14 episodes each, is at left, coralling the Shat and guest star Jeannie Ball for the climactic confrontation with her eventual "salt vampire" guise. This clip, which appeared in my "Lost & Found" column in the current Star Trek magazine title from Titan Magazines of the U.K. in early 2009, was not actually from June 22—but it's too purdy not to use.

Look who's 10 today! Our phoenix Voyager, "Prophecy"

When you've got 700+ hours of TV and 12 movies piled up from over 45+ years, the anniversaries can come at you thick and fast, and from any direction.

So I should hardly have been surprised at my own shock when I realized only a few days ago what was coming up in Trekland today, Feb. 7.

For it was on this date exactly 10 years ago—a Wednesday then, of course— that we rented a big-screen and hosted a view party for the first-air premiere of our Voyager episode "Prophecy."

Alas, I have no party pics from that night—but the story of "Prophecy" began long before that night, of course—and I mean long. Each of those 700+ hours of Trek in turn have their own tale of coming-to-be—some straight and  easy with one name attached, some over a twisted and agonizing path with more hands involved  than the WGA can ever know about.  Of course, many, many folks have actually sold a story idea to Trek over the years—and, unless they were a seasoned veteran or an on-the-cusp up-and-comer, they never got the script assignment. Most of you know I enjoy telling those "how-to" story tales—my TNG Companion and many, many hours of interviews and writing over the years attest to that.

But this time, it was personal.
 

Plenty of other stories and sellers, yes— but if nothing else, our story is in contention for the title of Longest Gestation—as we used to relate in detail to con fans and script students alike. Its official lifeterm runs from the time of our pitch to Jeri Taylor on Dec. 14, 1994, a month before Voyager even premiered, to the time when last-season show-runner Ken Biller pulled it out of the file six years and seven season later for a big, fat update. (That's Michale Piller's scrawled "OK" on Jeri's memo, right.)

What started out as our token, easy "Klingon B'Elanna" idea  about a generation ship of Klingons deep in the Delta Quadrant, back when all the characters were just babies and the format was in its infancy, was a surprising sell when all our more elaborate ideas went nowhere. First story meeting, though, Michael Piller wants to change our cheap, shipbound "bottle show" idea into an elaborate, planet-bound adventures where we see these Kirk-era Klingons actually subjugate another colony world (even with subtitles for the poor natives' dialogue, with a newly created language).

But by the time of THAT story rewrite, there had been Romulans and Ferengi and one "split B'Elanna" story—and any further Alpha Quadrant aliens like Klingons were pushed back a year to give the Delta Quadrant denizens some room... and then it became two years. And then came Worf and the Klinogns to DS9... another year held back. By then I knew: we'd been paid, but the character were fast maturing, and we'd never see the show on our TV screens. It did indeed sit on the pile another three years—until Ken cleaned out the dead pile for Season 7. Or rather, asked me if I had my original notes on it, since nothing could be found in the Paramount archives. (I swear I saw that box next to the Arc of the Covenant crate...) Of course, by then B'Elanna had been wedded up with Paris over Chakotay and found herself with child—so our tale needed serious updating...and two more pairs of names on the credits. Still, the generational Klingon ship crew and B'Elanna as a focal point was at the core—and the Voyager writing staff was good enough to keep us in the credits.

Finally, we were thrilled that the old custom of a set visit for first-time sellers was revived for us. I'd had my share of on-set onlooking for research, of course, and Janet had previously been right there with the writers in the Hart Building—though they rarely could or would get a hall pass to go over to the sets. This time, though, it was not just any show, it was our show—with six years' worth of updating, of course—and that was a thrill to be another member in that club of famous names and one-hit wonders alike.  Can you spot who signed our script cover (right) that day—Nov. 15, 2000, the eighth and last day of the shoot, ?


There's plenty more tales to tell about the whole process and the rest of the shoot; you'll have to ask us next time we cross paths at a con, or I decide to take my "Star Trek: Between the Cracks" show into our own slant on the world of "Prophecy." But the irony, of course, is that a big, expensive Klingon bridge set and funeral that was supposed to open the show all got cut for time—meaning you never saw this solemn moment, or the Klingon skyward howl of warning to Sto'Vo'Kor that was included:

We went on to pitch many times over the years, and still regret that some of the stories—especially on DS9— never got bought and produced. But "Prophecy"—aka "Reflections," aka "Untitled Klingon Story" ... aka "Now THAT would made B'Elanna really kick-ass in Season 1, if she has to choose whether to shoot either Chakotay or her Klingon lover" ....that will always be ours. Aboard the good ship IKV Nemecek.*



*Sorry. You'll just have to hunt me down and ask for THAT story, too.

Let "365" be your perfect last-minute Trekfan gift

Going into cordrazine seizures over that unfilled Trekfan gift slot still on your list?

I promised Paula and Terry I'd talk about their new STAR TREK 365 book, but as a reminder— after the first wave of PR hoopla has peaked and receded. So what better chance than now, in the panicky final days for holiday shoppers?

Yes, it's the perfect gift for the redshirt who has everything—including, still, A Life. Sure, the Star Trek pizza cutter and the funeral urn grabbed all the gifter headlines this year. But if you let this one get away from you a couple months ago, then NOW is the time to take notice. It's a keeper.

I'll let everybody else do the formal reviewing, but just let me say this:

STAR TREK 365 is not only awesome, it actually finds a new way to take over your available coffeetable or other public space. It refuses to not be awesome and important in your daily mundane life because of its big, fat, bawdy relevance and gorgeous color pics.

I mean, let me repeat that: Trek books have often had color—but not like this, and not his much, this big.

Look, here's the bottom line: When you live and work in Trekland as long as I have, you live for the moments of true Trek gold—anything that can somehow squeeze out a pure fanboy moment amid all the jaded ones, and truly take you back.  For me, that's anytime I get a truly new nuggest of behind-the-scenes info—or come across a some long-lost still or clip.

I get both in spades with STAR TREK 365—and it takes a lot to clear that bar. The best of the factoids: learning that the "Doomsday Machine" was actually an airport windsock, dipped in cement to harden. Or that Pilar Seurat, seen briefly playing Jaris's doomed Argelian seer/wife Sybo in "Wolf in the Fold," was the mother of blockbuster Hollywood writer-producer Dean Devlin! (Independence Day, Leverage, etc.)

Or, amid all that color, seeing beauties that are far from the same old oft-seen library pics.  The one above—the Wah Chang-made Gorn costume pieces as donned by Bobby Clark on location for "Arena"—is a TREKLAND exclusive, courtesy Abrams' Amy Franklin.

It's about way more than photos, of course—there's context for the show, and post-series pics and pages about early fandom, early merchandise, and the great revival to movie status, where no series had truly gone before. I take that stuff for granted, but again—this is great context for the newbies or your list (if not yourself! ). There's even an introduction by Dorothy Fontana and—hallelujah!—an honest-to-god index to these 744 pages (and 365 layouts—get it?).

Now all you need to do is rush out and get this thick coffeetable tome from Abrams (no relation to J.J.)—or online if there's time. Or even if there's not—why limit yourself to Christmas?

Here's a couple more great shots dug out for STAR TREK 365 artwork that you might have seen elsewhere—or not:

Closer look: That TNG/Reading Rainbow clip

Reading Rainbow may be gone, but its iconic TNG episode is a landmark.

Yes, Anthony's trekmovie.com and other sites picked up the end of LeVar Burton's Reading Rainbow this week after 26 years on PBS—premiering four years before TNG began—and linked you up to that classic TNG show in two parts that I too, yes, duly have around here on its original VHS cassette.

But here's some Trekland context about that episode—aside from "Gee, look how young they are all":

In the You Tube Part II clip, check out the funnies at 5:22 (above) and realize you are watching the very first bloopers of any kind made available to any audience from the TNG era onward. Until the onetime leak of the TNG 1st season party bloopers a few months later, this was *it* for fandom who'd been used to the infamous TOS outtakes as a convention staple for a decade.

Then too, gentle Internet/DVD generation: after the hoopla coverage of the series launch in September 1987 on ET and elsewhere, this was the only backstage look available for fans for years—and this "gold" is just simple behind-the-scenes footage, much less Rob Legato's visual effects world. Note their gear, too: still very much an analog world!

BONUS ROUND: Three gold stars to the first who can post the name of the episode being shot when the RR film crew comes calling on the bridge; double it if you can name the red-headed female stand-in in teal on the bridge, doing her job as a shot is set up and lit! Answers by Wednesday.