STV: Still time to get a Trek ornament—right, Kevin Dilmore?

Are you a fan of the Hallmark Star Trek holiday ornaments?

This may have been shot at ComicCon last summer, but it's a reminder that a) the Hallmark line has been a part of tree-trimming for fans since 1991 (!!) and b) with two weekends to go, it's still not too late to grab your ornament of choice—ship, figure, or scene?

Plus—you get: A sneak peak at the real 2013 ornament prototypes (as at right). And our nerdness over Scotty's prop, Kirk's hair... etc... etc...

Kevin Dilmore, of course, is not only a noted Star Trek fiction scribe with Pocket Books, —usually with writing partner Dayton Ward—but a writer (and Trek think-tanker) for Hallmark greetings in Kansas City. He also gets to show off a couple of his new franchise greeting cards, too. And a Batman?

Enjoy the madcap frenzy of ComicCon behind our talk... it could just as easily have been the buzz in a December department store display, right?

STV: 45 years ago today, Bobby Clark gave us the Gorn!

Here's the danger of only linking your Star Trek anniversary parties to the debuts of series... you miss moments like this:

45 years ago today, the living breathing icon we call the Gorn was born. No, not the aired date of "Arena"—that would be Jan. 19, 1967—and no, not the Oct. 10, 1966 first draft date of the story—with all due respect to Fredric Brown's story, included in Gene Coon's first Star Trek script.

No, I'm pinning this to the date when that script and Wah Chang's budget-classic costume came together at the equally iconic Vasquez Rocks County Park under the direction of Joe Pevney, in his first assignment for Star Trek—on a Wednesday, the second of six long days for the shoot.

And lucky we have Bobby Clark, the stuntman/actor who donned the suit for two days that would forever endear him to pop culture (much more than the other three episodes he appeared in, out of his long, long TV and movie career). I talked to him last year at Vegas, finally, and saved our chat for this day—look him up when you can at the larger cons and shows such as Creation and the 2012 WonderCon, for starters: