Mirror, Mirror Spock and Captain Kirk Shirts

Out of all of my Star Trek shirts, only two of them have to do with a specific episode - and they both just happen to have to do with the TOS episode Mirror, Mirror.

Yesterday while I was at the comic shop getting my Stealth Cyberman figure, I also came across this wonderful "Evil" mirror Spock shirt:

On the bus ride home, however, I had an anxiety attack over the fact that I got a shirt that implied that Mirror Spock was evil - when I disagree. I never thought he was evil, but perhaps I merely define "evil" differently.

I also have a Mirror, Mirror shirt with Captain Kirk and Mirror Spock on it that I got used for five dollars at the Comic and Toy expo a year or so ago:

I also picked up a new tripod today, which makes taking quality self portraits and such much, much easier. No more propping my camera up on books and a stool for me!

Product Enterprise Limited Edition Talking "Cybertrooper" Stealth Cyberman

Today I went to the comic shop for the first time in almost a year, and I came across this wonderful Product Enterprise Cyberman figure (I even took hundreds of photos as soon as I got home and photoshopped the following picture, which just shows how excited I was about it):

There were only two Cybermen figures in the shop, the other being all silver. These Cybermen are were featured in the 1985 serial "Attack of the Cybermen".

Scans of the back and sides of the box:

Honestly, when I first read the sticker that said "Limited Edition Cybertrooper", I was somewhat confused - it looked like a stealth Cyberman to me. It turns out that they are the same thing, but in searching the term "cybertrooper doctor who", I found references only to this particular figure.

These stealth Cybermen (as faced by the wonderful Sixth Doctor, who happens to be one of my favorites) always remind me of the borg more than any other. By looking at the photos above, I am sure one is able to deduce the reasons. (Here's a hint: to make it into a borg, merely replace the head.)

These Cyberman figures were sculpted by Gary Hilliard (who also sculpted a beautiful bust of Count Orlok [Nosferatu], my favorite Vampire) and Ian Crichton. Oh, and the amazing artwork on the box? That was done by the amazing Graham Humphreys (one of my favorite artists). With all of these amazing people working on the product, it's no wonder that I found myself immediately drawn to this Cyberman figure.

This figure stands about 9" tall, takes 2 LR44 batteries, and speaks four phrases when the chest unit is pressed upon: "eradicate the Time Lord", "emotion is a weakness", "destroy earth", and "excellent". Unfortunately, the sound is poor quality.

With this figure also comes a blaster gun, with a buckle strap.

The detailing on the surface of the figure is absolutely beautiful, and the weight and feel of the figure means that I will be carrying it with me for a long time. It's just such a nice figure to hold.

Tomorrow I will be eating cereal, and while the spoon will be in one hand, the stealth cyberman will be in the other. I will then take a shower, while sticking my right arm out through a hole in the shower curtain, clinging to the Cyberman. Etc.

Well, maybe I am exaggerating a little bit. But I will be carrying it around.

It also comes with a 1.5" Cybermat. I find it interesting, however, that they chose to include the cybermat from the 1968 serial "The Wheel in Space". Personally, I would have loved for them to have included the Cybermat from The Tomb of the Cybermen because well, I found them to be adorable with their antennae. 

I have always loved the Cybermen, but this is my first Cyberman figure. I am definitely going to be investing in a lot more, however, and this will always be the one figure that started it all.

My visit home - Yaret ha-kel t'nash-veh

Vokau du wak lu yaretal nash-veh ha-kel fi'T'Khasi - eh vesht kum-tor t'hai'la nash bikuv t'nash-veh fa'wuh t'huhrik kahrlar ha.

Remember that time that I visited my home on Vulcan, and a friend took this picture of me in front of one of the major cities?

Fai'ei vokau nash-veh.

because I do.

Hallmark 2011 Star Trek Keepsake Ornaments - Mirror, Mirror and Mister Spock

About a month or so before Christmas, 2011, I was looking around the Hallmark shop in an attempt to ward off boredom. I walked up and down the aisles, watching as children briefly handled delicate objects before their parents snatched them away, nearly breaking the object themselves in the process.

When I finally got over to the back wall, I saw two of the most beautiful ornaments I had ever seen.

They only had two of the three Star Trek ornaments released for 2011, as they were not selling the Romulan Bird of Prey at the time. They did, however, have a Spock figure and a Mirror, Mirror figure featuring Mirror Spock and McCoy. (Click images to enlarge)

This particular figure ($29.95) portrays Mirror Spock and McCoy as seen in the episode Mirror, Mirror, in which Mirror Spock forcibly withdraws information about the transporter malfunction from McCoy through a mind meld. Unfortunately I missed last year's scene ornament, which depicted the battle between Kirk and Spock in Amok Time.

This figure was sculpted by Valerie Shanks, and is 4.75 inches tall. When the button on the base is pressed, this dialogue plays:

Our minds are merging, Doctor. Our minds are one. I feel what you feel. I know what you know.

I must say,  however,  that McCoy's face looks very strange. Mirror Spock, on the other hand, looks like a Vulcan Jesus (but in a sexier, more sinister way than Sybok).

The second figure ($14.99) of Mister Spock was sculpted by Anita Marra Rogers, and is actually the second in a series of ornaments titled "Star Trek Legends" (the first, of course, being Captain Kirk in 2010). It is 4.5 inches tall, and looks... sad.

I mean, I absolutely love this figure - but from a certain angle (see photo above) he just has such a sad face.  The clothing, however, is more well done - more attention seems to have been paid to the detail on the shirt and insignia.

Fun fact: Anita didn't watch Star Trek until she started working on the ornaments.

I am quite looking forward to this year's Hallmark figures, which will be the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D, "An Extraordinary Meeting" (NuSpock and Spock Prime, with sound), and Doctor McCoy. I am equally as excited for the 2013 figures, which will be Scotty, a scene ornament depicting the battle between Kirk and the Gorn from Arena (with sound), and the USS Kelvin from Star Trek XI. I sincerely wish that I had started collecting these sooner.

Meeting Tim Russ, Robert Picardo, Jonathan Frakes, and William Shatner.

Over the last year or so, I have had the opportunity to meet many of my favorite Star Trek actors and actresses - Michael Dorn, William Shatner, Robert Picardo, Tim Russ, Jonathan Frakes, Nana Visitor, Chase Masterson, Garrett Wang, and Ethan Phillips. Unfortunately, I only got pictures with three of them, and another picture with a cut-out at a show.

Tim Russ and I:

Both Tim Russ and Robert Picardo were very nice, and absolutely hilarious. As I mentioned briefly before,   Tim Russ is very knowledgable about Vulcan culture, and we had a fantastic chat about the language, fashion, and history. Hopefully I will see both of them again.

Robert Picardo and I:

In all of these pictures, I have this goofy trying-not-to-smile smile because I was incredibly self conscious about it. Now that I have braces, I feel like the metal-queen. I absolutely love having braces, and had wanted to get them from the time I was in grade three. I used to roll tin foil into tiny strips and put them in my mouth to see what having braces would look like. But I digress.

I didn't have enough money to get a photo with William Shatner at Comic Con, but I did get some pictures taken with his cut-out at his show a few days earlier:

Last, but certainly not least - I had the wonderful opportunity to have my picture taken with Jonathan Frakes and his wonderful, untameable hair. 

If you look closely, you will see my TNG combadge.

A few days ago, I found out who is going to be at the 2012 Central Canadian Comic Con in my city - Patrick Stewart, Brent Spiner and... Walter Koenig! I am so excited that I can hardly breath. This year, I am going to make sure that I have enough money to pay for pictures with all of them.

Brent Spiner was supposed to be at least year's Con, but something came up and he couldn't make it. I am glad he had decided to come back this year.

MiniMates 2002 Gorn and Mugato Figures

Some of the best things I have ever found were found at the bottom of a box filled with junk.

Last time I was at an expo, I spent a lot of time trying not to trip over children sitting on the floor and going through such boxes. I managed to find both a MiniMates Gorn and Mugato figure from 2002 under some practically dismembered action figures and sports cards.

The first package featured the Gorn as seen in the TOS episode "Arena".

The head makes me laugh, due to it's shape and the style in which the face was drawn.

On the back of the head, scuta are painted in yellow and outlined in black.

This Gorn figure came with a silver puzzle-piece base (which comes with all of the Star Trek 2002 MiniMates figures) and two accessories - the dagger from the episode (not shown, as Mugato stole it in a jealous rage) and what I believe to be a Gorn disruptor.

This particular Gorn is actually quite acrobatic, with great balance:

Because of the extra middle piece, the Gorn's body comes apart very easily - too easily. Mugato (TOS episode a Private Little War) on the other hand, is very sturdy.

Mugato's face is more well drawn, and the figure looks less block-y because of the fur and horn.

As you can see, Mugato is holding the Gorn's dagger. You can also see the spikes running down Mugato's spine:

Upon our trek outdoors (pun intended), I convinced Mugato and Gorn to pose for a photoshoot together:

Just look at Gorn's adorable smile, as he waves to the camera. Mugato just stood there, making grunting noises and shaking his newly acquired dagger.

The fun thing about these figures is that they break into segments. Like I said before, the bottom of the Gorn's outfit detatches as well, adding an extra piece to it's mid-layer. It is not detached in this next picture, however, where I show off my Gorn-Mugato hybrids.

One of my pet peeves is actually the mispronunciation/misspelling of Mugato as "Mugatu". I know that Bones and Kirk referred to the creature as Mugatu, and that misspelling occurred in a compendium, but that is simply not it's name.

Fun fact: Mugato's name was to be Gumato in the original script, but Deforest Kelley couldn't pronounce it correctly. Interesting, he and William Shatner couldn't pronounce Mugato either.