Doctor Who Magazine Tenth Anniversary Issue - Photos

Right now I am going through a few of my Doctor Who magazines - I had posted photos of this issue's included poster before (here), but it has so much more to offer - vicariously through my blog and I.

I original chose to buy this issue (1989) because of the front image. Sylvester McCoy was one of my favorite doctors, and I loved having a photo of him yelling at a Dalek, face to... eye stalk.

On the back cover, is an advertisement and order form for "The Silver Fist Collection" including audio tapes on the history of the Cybermen , an interview with Colin Baker and David Banks (the Cyberleader), and a Cybermen fiction/non fiction combination book (written by David Banks and illustrated by Andrew Skilleter).

PS. To enlarge, right click and open in a new tab or window.

There is also a wee note stating that "due to circumstances beyond it's control there will be no 1990 edition of the calendar".

Inside, there are a couple of full page, color publicity photos. The first photo features the fabulous Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor and a Dalek.

Next we have a vibrant photo of Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor, and Patrick Troughton as the Second (another of my favorites!) in front of the TARDIS. The second Doctor was such a persnickety old man (much like this first), and that absolutely shows in this picture.

Because I don't want to damage this magazine, I am going to go down to the library with a dollar and make some color copies to put on my wall. Feel free to do the same, but using these scans if you don't have the actual magazine.

More scans to come, including some old Doctor Who comics and interviews.

If I were in Starfleet, this would be my species and I would be cool and strange and genderless for some reason.

I started drawing a picture of myself the other day, but after I was finished the hair (I got a new hair style - a chelsea cut!) I got carried away and created an alien race that I eventually called Xandai. I figured that if I could be any race other than Vulcan or Romulan (or Andorian), it would be one that I made up. This is one possibility:

I drew this with a 0.5mm black Flowrite gel pen on a piece of scrap paper. I didn't really think about the details of this race, but I do know that they reproduce asexually and have acute vision (to the point of detecting cellular and molecular abnormalities at a glance).

 For anyone who is interested, I also have a deviantART account here.

Sexy Vulcan Pinups - Files Magazine 1987

Revisiting one of the Files Magazines whose box I keep tripping over and have mentioned in previous posts - Vulcans. This magazine actually has two topics and two covers, Vulcans and Romulans. It's one of those magazines that can be flipped over and read the other way.

There are tons of fantastic photos and articles within, but what amused me were the Vulcan Pin-ups. When most people think "pin-up" they think of a sexy lady, scantily clad - maybe Bettie Page or Betty Grable. Vulcans don't need to show off in such a way - they are sexy just the way they are.

The first official pin-up in the book is of Spock - the first intoduced Vulcan, and the one that all of the girls swoon over. I don't know what it is, but everybody falls in love with him. Everybody. I saw a book the other day that had a chapter on this phenomenon, but I did not have sufficient funds available to buy it.

Next we have Saavik (as played by Robin Curtis). Look at that sexy pose! I always felt that Curtis appeared more Romulan than Kirstie Alley, and thus more accurately portrayed the character. I generally find Romulan features to be "sharper" than Vulcan features, especially from TNG onward. I find these features very aesthetically pleasing. But I digress.

Time for one of the sexiest Vulcans of all time - Sarek. If I believed in reincarnation, I would want to be reborn as Amanda Grayson so that i could marry Sarek and go to live on Vulcan. The way he presents himself - his calm, serene power. The fact that he could break you neck with two fingers practices non-violence and logic. Just look at him here. Print it out and tape it in your locker at school, kids. This is the man you should be dreaming about.

Finally, we have Saavik again, this time as played by Kirstie Alley. I feel that this version of Saavik is "prettier" and "sexier", but I still prefer the other. Boys, print this picture out and stick it on your bedroom wall. Your parents will approve.

Now these are only the TOS/movie Vulcans - if this magazine had pin-ups of Vorik, Taurik, and Tuvok as well, I would be ecstatic. As it is, however, I am more than content. Sexy. Vulcan. Pin-ups. I should make them into living room wallpaper.

Dif-tor heh smusma..

Vorik on Vulcan - Because Vorik is Cool.

When I go around to appointments, I like to doodle. in fact, as you probably already know, I like to doodle anywhere. Sometimes I mindlessly lay ink on paper for hours at a time, and sometimes (like today) I scribble something down in 7.3 seconds.

One of my favorite Vulcans is Vorik - his voice is absolutely mind-melting, and he is incredibly sexy. (So is Taurik, obviously, but that is a topic for another day.)

Getting to the point, I doodled a quick Vorik, before Starfleet and on Vulcan.

It's really only a couple of inches tall on paper, and done in ink. I colored it with Sumo Paint after scanning it.

I put him in Vulcan robes, and behind him you can see the planet T'Rukh (meaning "The Watcher", also known as T'Khut, T'Kuht, T'Khul or Valdena depending on the season) and it's moon, T'Rukhemai (Eye of the Watcher).

As I had (kind of, but not really) mentioned, I am working on an appreciation post for Vorik and Taurik at the moment. They are - without a doubt - two of the sexiest Vulcans on any series, if only for their voices alone. Alexander Enberg should voice everything in the entire world.

Stay tuned.

The Empty Starfleet Child - Are You My Mommy?

I love the Halloween season. I have never celebrated  Halloween in my life, nor do I now. I think it is pointless, and it is also against my religious beliefs. But I love it, if only for the costumes and pieces I can pick up at the shops - things that are impossible to find any other time of the year.

I was walking through Value Village today, when I found a couple of things that inspired another photo-taking session. First of all, I found a flimsy rubber "gas mask" which I promptly bought (for a dollar!) and wore home.

Mummy? Are you my mummy?

I was originally in there, however, to look for a Star Trek costume. I was hoping to find a Science Officer Uniform (TOS) but I couldn't find one anywhere. I figured that if I did find one, it would be from the new movie. Sure enough, behind ratty wigs and sequined strap on wings, I found just that.

It is ill-fitting and the neck is so ugly I wear a scarf with it, but it was only three dollars.

But seriously - that pattern.

I went out into the hallway of my apartment building to take photos. People stared, as usual. I responded by questioning their relation to me. I always worry that people look at me taking self portraits and assume that I am a vain MySpace girl or something. I assure you, it is more artistic than that.

I leave you now with a very blurry photo that I enjoy tremendously.

It sees you when you sleep.

Full-blooded Romulans in Starfleet? Only in Ink.

Even in an exciting place, I tend to get very bored. I will be doodling in between sentences, in between transactions at work, and on my breaks. Sometimes they are scribbles, and sometimes they come out like this:

Using a Flowrite 5mm black gel pen, I ended up drawing a Starfleet Romulan. Aside from Simon Tarses in TNG's "The Drumhead" (and even he was only one quarter Romulan) and Saavik (one half)  there have been no Romulans in Starfleet.

When I got home, I colored it with water color pencils, scanned it, and then ran it through a filter using Photoscape.

What you see here is my usual style of drawing. There is not a lot in this style online, because I keep my non-related and original work private for now. Eventually I am going to be publishing a book with my original - non fan art - work.

You never know what you are going to end up with when you start doodling, which is why I always have a pen in hand.

True Cashier Stories - Star Trek Puns and Doctor Who

Incident One
A customer comes up with a ladder. The brand is "Vulcan".

Me: "Vulcan ladder, eh? Logical choice!


Incident Two
For months now, I have had a small picture of the First Doctor (William Hartnell) taped to my name tag. Only a few people have ever said anything about it.

Customer: Who is that on your name tag?
Me: The Doctor.
Customer: Doctor Who?
Me: Exactly. (Classic)


Incident Three
Referring to the same picture taped onto the same name tag.

Customer: Who is that on your name tag? Is that you?
Me: Yes, I'm the Doctor.
Customer: But that looks like an old man.
Me: Well yes, but you see - I finally got around to fixing the chameleon circuit and I had some extra time so I calibrated it to apply to Time Lords as well. I may look like a young girl, but I assure you: I am 900 years old. I am the Doctor.
Customer: I don't understand.


Because I'm a cool cashier, right?
Right?

Doodle Story Time - Destructive Dalek and Giant Spock

I do a lot of drawing, practically every hour of the day. Unfortunately (or fortunately, I guess) on the one day when I was supposed to do a "sketchbook assignment" I didn't want to draw. I didn't want to do anything, but I had to hand something in. So I drew like a five year old and created a story that only barely made sense if you were hit in the head.  

To read it, start at the Dalek and go counter-clockwise. To enlarge, right click and open in a new tab/window.

I drew it in ink, and decided today that I would color it using Sumo Paint. I actually love how derpy everything looks, especially the Dalek and Spock. Maybe I should draw like a five year old more often.

But probably not.

Leonard Nimoy on Directing Star Trek - Cinefantastique 1987

I have put up some scans from this double issue before - Cinefantastique 1987, with a focus on "Star Trek: The Movie Trilogy" (referring to The Wrath of Khan, The Search for Spock, and The Voyage Home). I love this issue, as it is practically taken over by interviews and articles on my favorite subject.

After directing "The Search for Spock", Leonard Nimoy was fortunate (and talented) enough to direct his second Star Trek movie - this time being one of the stars, as well.

This article also has fantastic pictures of the cast and directors behind the scenes. (Right click and open in new tab or window to see full size)

After the seriousness of the first movie and the deaths in the second and third, they wanted this "new" movie to be  "lighter in tone". Bring back time travel seemed like a must, and they had even considered having the crew go back to prehistoric times or the 1890s. Nimoy finally decided on 1986, because it "seemed to provide the greatest opportunities for fun".

Nimoy's plan: not a chase or malfunction, but "what if there's a problem in the 23rd century and the solution lies in the twentieth century?" After considering ideas such as medical problems that could only be cured by an extinct plant from the twentieth century (ideas that were filled with death and disease), the right one came almost be accident.

"I was talking to a friend of mine about endangered species and up came the subject of the hump back whales and the mysterious songs they sing. We don't know exactly what it is or what it means. I thought, 'that's it!' If we can pull that off, sending humpback whales 300 years through space, that would be exciting. And that's how the story evolved."

The Voyage Home is different in many ways - it is more comedic, and the most violent acts in the entire movie are a Vulcan nerve pinch on the bus and a slap in the face. There is just so much that makes it great - for any age.

"Our show is enduring because the kids can watch the show for the action and adventure and the fun and the aliens and the spaceships. Then you can revisit out shows six to eighteen years later and discern something that you were not aware of." This is true of every Star Trek episode and movie.

The Voyage Home (or "The One With the Whales" as many know it) has a very strong ecological message, Which reflects Nimoy's concerns (as a contributor to Greenpeace) but was not entirely intentional:

"I'm not a heavy contributor, but I get their newsletters and things. The idea of putting the spaceship between the whaling ship and the whale and being hit by the harpoon obviously has Greenpeace origins because that's what Greenpeace used to do to attract attention to the Save the Whale Campaign. They went out on rubber rafts in front of Russian ships to prevent them from firing their harpoons. That has always remained in my mind and that's where the idea came from. I didn't set out to do a film about ecology. You can say I'm concerned. But the idea of the Whales came because it seemed like a useful and romantic device. If we're helping the whales to get along better in the world, that's great."

To anyone who has never seen this movie, or even if it has been more than a year since you last saw it, I strongly recommend that you watch it again. It is, by far, my favorite Star Trek movie.

Dif-tor heh smusma!

Surak Preaches C'thia to Children on Vulcan

I was locked out of my house after work the other day for about an hour, with nothing to do. Luckily, I just so happened to have some pens on me, and there was a recycling bin in the parking lot. I walked over, opened the recycling bin, and picked out a manilla envelope. I proceeded to draw a picture of Surak about an inch by a half inch big.

When I scanned it onto the computer, the quality of the lines were terrible. They still are. That's what happens when something is enlarged 500 percent or so. I colored it on Sumo Paint, but I ha to use my mouse because I don't have a tablet as of yet.

Surak always seemed like a Vulcan "Jesus" to me. He came into the world when it was at it's worst as showed them another way. C'thia - Reality-truth. I loosely based Surak's robe here off of the one he wore in The Savage Curtain.

I don't know what's going on with his mouth, though.

T'Mir - Homesick for a Planet That Does Not Exist

One day, after walking downtown in the blistering heat to buy new art supplies, I decided to try something entire new to me - water color pencils. I grabbed a piece of canvas board, put on some Public Image Ltd., and went straight to work. I have since improved my technique, but this piece depicting T'Mir (from the book "The Vulcan Academy Murders) turned out better than I had hoped. T'Mir is done in water color pencils, and the background is painted with watered down ink.

I took a picture of myself holding it with pride. You can't see the pride behind the canvas, flannel, and furry hat, but it is there. Behold, T'Mir - in some kind of glory or something:

Addressing my attire: For some reason the weather is going crazy over here. A couple of days ago it was 35 degrees Celsius, and now it is reaching zero.

That's us crazy Canadians - cold and snow and living in igloos and riding polar bears to work. I have a pet beaver and there is a canoe strapped to the roof of my family's car. I drink beer and maple syrup while playing hockey.

But I'm really just joshing, eh?

Spock and Asperger's

There are many places in books and on the internet stating this connection. There is a book out there called "Loving Mr. Spock" about a woman's husband with the condition (as he behaves like a Vulcan), and there are numerous essays/articles out there stating that Spock must, indeed, have Asperger's.

While Spock may exhibit behavior that in a pure human would be linked with autism, Spock does not have Asperger's.

A quick overview of Asperger's: People with Asperger's often have problems with eye contact, have abnormal speech patterns, and may hold themselves in an unusual posture. They may not understand other people's emotions and display a lack of social or emotional reciprocation. They may become fixated on a certain object or subject, have inflexible routines, and stereotyped/repetitive movements such as rocking or hand flapping. Many are hypersensitive to stimuli such as sounds and textures.

People with Asperger's often struggle with social situations and conversation due to difficulties relating to others and understanding certain patterns of speech such as the use of metaphors and sarcasm.

Despite these difficulties, those with the condition are often highly intelligent and excel in a certain area.

It has been said that Albert Einstein had Asperger's. He was cool.

While I agree that Spock (as well as most Vulcans) exhibit many of these behaviors and thought-patterns, I feel that this is culturally imposed and would not have surfaced had they been raised elsewhere and under a different philosphy. Asperger's Syndrome is a purely human condition, and the neurological differences can only be distinguished from other beings of the same race without error as the brain chemistry and biological makeup among species differs so greatly - It would be like comparing apples and oranges, and labeling the orange with something that only pertains to apples. The assumption that something would apply to two beings based on a mere humanoid form is illogical.

While Vulcans do have a hypersensitivity not unlike that found in people with Asperger's, it does not seem to have the same distressing effect. The Vulcan brain is wired to process this information correctly and effectively.

Vulcans are taught from a very young age to be strictly logical, and so metaphors/sarcasm are not generally used in their society and culture. One would expect the other to say exactly what they mean to say. The only major exception would be some forms of ancient literature. To be disordered, as a Vulcan, would be to behave as a "typical" human would. The neurotypical Vulcan has no problem with social protocol and understanding when it comes to other Vulcans - the difference is only apparent among other races, such as humans.

So there you have it. While Spock is half human, we all know that Vulcan genes are dominant in almost every way when pairing. Spock does not have Asperger's, nor does any other Vulcan.

This is important stuff. Right?

Trek Inspired Photoshoot

There are so many things that I wanted to put on here, but it wouldn't look right unless it was being worn. By myself. I have had a science tricorder for quite a while now (I used to wear it to school every day), and I recently got an amazing custom Kirk shirt. I came home the other day with a mask from the dollar store, drew eyebrows on it, and went outside to take some pictures.

Model: Me
Photographer: Myself and Mr. Camera Timer.

While I was out taking the pictures, people were on their balconies staring. It was quite interesting. Also, my hair is quite long here - I used to have a bowl-cut, but now I am growing out a chelsea mullet. When the front and back grows out more, I will keep the rest cut closer.

Potau taurauk!

45 Years of Star Trek Celebrated with Cupcakes

Today marks the 45th year since the "first" episode of Star Trek - The Man Trap - was aired. It is truly a momentous occasion.

I worked for nine hours today, and while I had the time I was (as usual) doodling on scrap paper. To keep track of the time, I make circles for each hour and elaborate on them as each hour passes. I thought today's circles looked cool and space-y, so I incorporated it into my special Star Trek Anniversary card:

Because doodles count as cards, right?

I also made cupcakes with some of the characters on them - I wanted to do Uhura, Scotty, Sulu, and Chekov, but I didn't have enough time. I did, however, manage to make a huge mess and eat a lot of mix and icing.

This is my first attempt at drawing with icing, and it turned out better than I thought it would, despite not having the icing colors I wanted. Below are some of my cupcakes - an Orian girl, a Klingon (I couldn't get the colors to work, but I was going for the TOS Klingons) and Yeoman Rand with her waffle hair.

My family and I ended up eating most of the cupcakes before I could "fancy them up". I made another batch and decorated them with Spock, McCoy (lego?) and Kirk. They are honestly the worst things I have ever drawn, but they are also the most delicious.

I will be 74, going on 75 years old on the glorious hundredth anniversary. I will be waiting, with my rats and my baking and my crazy hair.

How did you celebrate the 45th anniversary? Let me know in the comments!

Contest Winner - SherlockGnomes' "Khaaaan's Kitchen"

September is here, and that means that a winner will be chosen. I had announced the contest in late July (here). The assignment: find an image that has nothing whatsoever to do with Star Trek or Doctor Who, and draw over top of the image to incorporate it and make it ten times more awesome.

The Epic Contest's winner: SherlockGnomes and her piece, entitled "Khaaaan's Kitchen".

She has this to say about her winning submission:

When I read the contest details, strangely enough this was my first thought. Something about blonds yelling....I had no idea what I was doing, but it's okay because it's this kind of fanart, which makes it so much fun.

I really liked doing this and it got me back into my Star Trek kick, along with my current Doctor Who kick so I will be posting a lot of Star Trek and Doctor Who fanart on my blog: http://thebeachblog.blog.fc2.com/

I fell in love with her submission as soon as I laid my eyes upon it. It is clever, amusing, and beautifully done. SherlockGnomes has won a copy of The Wrath of Khan Photostory (how coincidental!) and Vulcan's Forge, one of my favorite books of all time. I would also suggest that you check out her blog, it is very quirky and fun!

How Star Trek Art Funds My Collection - Plak Tow

I don't usually like to sell my art, as I grow incredibly attached to my art. I do, however, show them in galleries and enter contests.

Last year one of my Star Trek pieces done in micrography was shown in a few places around the city, and entered in a contest. I won first place, the prize for which was 175 dollars. Needless to say, I spent that money on expanding my collection.

This piece, entitled "Plak Tow", is an image from Amok Time. It was created entirely with words and pieces of the script from the episode.

The paper I used was about 3x2 feet, so I really only have these cell-phone pictures of it. The actual thing is in a folder behind the couch for now - I need to get another frame.

I also took some close ups:

Every time I look at it, I see tons of things I could have done better. The thing is, though, I used ink without sketching for most of it - I'm glad I didn't entirely ruin it like I thought I did several times during the making of this piece. When I started doing the hands, I got so upset that I had to put it away for a few days. I felt like the hands were absolutely terrible, and I had ruined the entire thing. Luckily, when I came back to it a couple days later it looked okay. I think my perception was blurred after working on the thing for six hours straight - I just needed a break.

Micrography is cool.