Steve Shives has done an absolutely fantastic job of skewering the entire absurd idea of having families with children aboard Starfleet starships.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcYYq-s2lW0

By Nick Samaras (Koogie) on Friday, February 16, 2024 - 05:46 pm: Edit

The large scale Enterprise project continues..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pE13tUT9-Mk

By Garth L. Getgen (Sgt_G) on Saturday, February 17, 2024 - 01:38 pm: Edit

And here I thought simply drafting a set of deck-plans was near insanity.


Garth L. Getgen

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Saturday, February 17, 2024 - 03:45 pm: Edit

Only for those with a near terminal case of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder).

By Mike Dowd (Mike_Dowd) on Sunday, February 18, 2024 - 11:55 pm: Edit

Jeff Wile:

It's actually CDO, because all the letters have to be in the correct order...

By Kevin Howard (Jarawara) on Monday, February 19, 2024 - 05:41 pm: Edit

My girl Cindy told me that joke, and as she is seriously OCD herself, she was able to beautifully mimic the strained face, forced words, forward stare as she said "...CDO, which is the same as OCD, but with the letters in the correct, alphabetical order..." Her face goes even more strained, her eyes glaze a little "...like it ALWAYS SHOULD HAVE BEEN!"

By Douglas Saldana (Dsal) on Monday, February 19, 2024 - 06:08 pm: Edit

Romulans living the dream...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/234010873164

By Mike Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Tuesday, April 23, 2024 - 07:57 am: Edit

Original USS Enterprise model found.


https://boingboing.net/2024/04/22/the-original-model-for-star-treks-u-s-s-enterprise-emerges-after-being-lost-for-over-40-years.html

By Terry O'Carroll (Terryoc) on Tuesday, April 23, 2024 - 11:39 am: Edit

I was under the impression that the original filming model of the Big E was in the Smithsonian. Perhaps I'm misremembering, or it was a different model.

By Burt Quaid (Burt) on Tuesday, April 23, 2024 - 12:07 pm: Edit

The original U.S.S. Enterprise, a 33-inch model, was mostly made of solid wood by Richard C. Datin, a model maker for the Howard Anderson Company, a special-effects company that created the opening credits for some of the 20th century’s biggest TV shows.
An enlarged 11-foot model was used in subsequent “Star Trek” television episodes, and is now part of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, where it was donated by Paramount Studios in 1974.

Burt

By Jeff Anderson (Jga) on Tuesday, April 23, 2024 - 12:10 pm: Edit

If I remember things right, there were several different models used for the original Enterprise. One was pretty large and immobile, so it was used for close-range shots. Another was medium size and was used for most of the fly-bys, and a third was pretty small (and not very detailed) and was used for fast, long-ranged shots.

(Or something like that.)

Exact sizes? Fergeddaboutdit; my memory ain't NEVER been DAT good.

(Apologies for the double negative and horrid misword; it was done for comedic effect. )

By Will McCammon (Djdood) on Tuesday, April 23, 2024 - 12:23 pm: Edit

Burt is correct. The 3-foot model was built as an approval prototype and later used for the effects in the first two episodes of the of the original series and is seen in the opening credits of every episode (the "whooosh" flybys).

It was also used on-screen in some instances where a tabletop sized model was needed (when the Enterprise was shrunk, etc.) and in quite a few publicity photos where the cast held it.

If you had the classic Star Trek ViewMaster slides set as a kid, the 3-footer was also used in the much-loved image of the Enterprise, along with an AMT plastic model kit as the Exeter, as part of the "The Omega Glory" scenes.

The model ended up with Gene Roddenberry after the series was cancelled and adorned his desk for many years. It disappeared in the mid/late 1970s.

Roddenberry loaned it to the production of ST:The Motion Picture, but it was misplaced (or never arrived - the story is murky). He spent years trying to get it back.

Over the decades, it took on near-mythic status and rumors abounded as to its final fate. The oddest tale was that it was destroyed by a young Eugene Jr. throwing it into the family pool.

As it turns out, it ended up in someone's storage unit and was found early this year, presumably by an abandoned storage unit contents auction buyer. They didn't know what they really had when they put it on eBay, but fandom quickly identified it and notified Trek-affiliated experts who could confirm its pedigree.

It was returned to the Roddenberry Estate a couple of days ago, with some amount of "finder's fee" money trading hands. Roddenberry Jr. intends to have it professionally restored (it's in rough shape) and get it displayed where fans can enjoy it.

Personally, I hope the National Air and Space Museum at the Smithsonian would be interested. It would make a splendid display with the restored 11 foot filming model already in their collection (which is already displayed with some related artifacts, like its original bluescreen filming stand).

By Will McCammon (Djdood) on Tuesday, April 23, 2024 - 12:29 pm: Edit

Side-note: The AMT plastic model kit used to represent the Enterprise outside of the station manager's window of space station K-7 was found years ago and is part of the Paul Allen collection, as is the tiny metal Enterprise encased in Lucite from "Cat's Paw".

The similar AMT plastic kit used to represent the crippled Constellation after its encounter with the Planet Killer has been lost to time.

By Mike Erickson (Mike_Erickson) on Tuesday, April 23, 2024 - 02:17 pm: Edit

Just the image from Twitter:

Link to image

https://pbs.twimg.com/card_img/1781736105882025984/DRgVYIc6?format=jpg&name=medium

Although it certainly looks somewhat warped, stained, and faded, it is all there. So, hopefully, a skilled restoration team can bring it back to the way it was in the 1960s!

--Mike

By Will McCammon (Djdood) on Tuesday, April 23, 2024 - 04:46 pm: Edit

The broken spine on the engineering hull will be the most difficult fix, assuming they approach it with the "do no more harm" approach that was used for the 11 foot miniature's most-recent restoration.

If they could disassemble and strip the paint from the mini, the fix would be involved but not difficult. But, then it wouldn't really be the artifact anymore.

The clever modelers from the expert panel and the NASM curators (if they get involved) will find a way, I'm sure. (Yes, I would love a chance to be a part of that, but they don't need me)

By Mike Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Saturday, April 27, 2024 - 03:05 pm: Edit

https://boingboing.net/2024/04/26/the-man-who-saved-star-trek-has-died.html

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Monday, June 10, 2024 - 01:18 pm: Edit

The Wand Company demoed their tricorder with Adam Savage, and it's marvelous.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX_-yrJgpH4

By Mike Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Wednesday, September 18, 2024 - 10:51 pm: Edit

Is that Wil Wheaton on the clappy sticks? At around 1:40

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enuOArEfqGo&list=RDenuOArEfqGo&start_radio=1

By Ryan Opel (Ryan) on Wednesday, September 18, 2024 - 11:06 pm: Edit

No it's not Will Wheaton

By Mike Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Thursday, September 19, 2024 - 08:17 am: Edit

Ryan, joke...

By John Wyszynski (Starsabre) on Friday, September 20, 2024 - 09:04 pm: Edit

A really interesting youtube video that is dated 4 days ago:

The Untold Story of the Klingon D7: Star Trek's Most Iconic Starship
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuoUmVfnUlI

By Garth L. Getgen (Sgt_G) on Saturday, September 21, 2024 - 11:19 pm: Edit

In the opening image, he's holding the model like a guitar.

Anyone thinking what I'm thinking?

Would anyone buy an electric guitar designed to look like a Klingon D7 Battlecruiser???


Garth L. Getgen

By F Michael Miller (Fmm) on Sunday, September 22, 2024 - 04:07 pm: Edit

An electric guitar? No. An electric bass on the other hand...

By Mike Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Friday, October 18, 2024 - 11:42 am: Edit

Species of frogs named after SFU Captains. https://boingboing.net/2024/10/17/seven-new-frog-species-named-after-star-trek-captains.html

By Nick Samaras (Koogie) on Tuesday, November 19, 2024 - 11:39 am: Edit

William Shatner and Captain Kirk return!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgOZFny7F50