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.

William Shatner - Personality Presents the Original Crew #1 1991

W is for William Shatner!

Once there was a girl, trying not to trip over her Vulcan robes as she was shuffling around in paper and books on a convention table. I don't know why she was searching so eagerly - she had not money left. But there it was: Personality Presents the Original Crew - the illustrated biography magazine. Upon glancing over at the magazines, her molecules dissipated and the entire convention room was attacked by Canadian demon-beavers. The only way for her mother to restore the balance was for her to buy the girl the magazines, which were 12 dollars for William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy.

That was a close one.

This magazine's art and lettering was done by Aldrin "Buzz" Aw, and was written by Stephen Spire III. The entire magazine in a biography of William Shatner in comic form. I scanned a few of the best pages. Click image to enlarge.

The magazine starts as such:

"On Thrursday, September 8th 1966 at exactly 8:30P.M. the world was changed forever."

Captain Kirk, Spock, and Dr. McCoy have become modern myths. Heroes in a future that shows hope and promise. This is the story of a man who gave the orders. The big boss, the top man... William Shatner. Captain of the Starship Enterprise."

"Yet, can you picture anybody else playing the part? 

Of course he wasn't born a full fledged Starship Commender. He had to work hard to get that post. Although, a thought comes to mind, let's imagine he was born as Kirk.

Doctor: Nurse! Come here quick! I can't believe my ears!
Nurse: What is it Doctor?
Doctor: Listen to this.
Fetus Shatner: Beam me up, Scotty!"

The "fan" shown in this magazine is a short boy, presumably a child, with a Spock hair cut, fake pointed ears, a Star Trek uniform, and glasses. This fan is shown writing letters for the campaign to save Star Trek, watching the show/movies, and standing around looking inquisitively at a picture of William Shatner.

The magazine is written in a very fun way, and goes through most of William Shatner's life up until that point (1991). It goes over his relationship with his father (how he wanted William to take over his clothing business and felt that acting was foolish, leading to William making his own way in poverty) and about how his father dies during the filming of "Devil in the Dark".

There is even an entire page dedicated to the fluctuations in his weight during the filming of Star Trek (TOS).

Fun facts from the magazine:
In college he worked for the Canadian Broadcasting Company on radio.
He started his television career on a live show called Playhouse 90.
One of the Twilight Zone episodes he appeared in was called "Project Vulcan".
His first major Motion Picture debut was in the 1957 adaptation of "The Brothers Karamazov", followed by "Judgement in Nuremburg"  and "The Intruder" (also known as "Shame" and "I Hate Your Guts").
He also played a murderous mental patient in "Impulse", and starred in an epic B-movie called "Kingdom of the Spiders".
Paramount was only ready to make a Star Trek movie after the success of Star Wars.

The one thing that troubles me are the spelling errors, of which there are a lot of. Despite these errors, however (do they even bother anybody else?), this magazine is one of my favorites and is a very fun read - especially with the superbly done illustrations. One the back cover is very detailed, realistic painting of Patrick Stewart, and there are other TNG portraits scattered inside as well.

PS. That girl from the beginning was me.

Nichelle Nichols - Uhura and Beyond - Starlog January 1995

N is for Nichelle Nichols!

I really enjoy Uhura as a character - she is an intelligent and powerful woman, and broke racial barriers. Not only that, but she is absolutely beautiful. Some of my favorite interactions are between Spock and Uhura in the original series, and between Uhura and Scotty in Star Trek V - The Final Frontier.

There was a feature on Nichelle Nichols in the January 1995 issue of Starlog magazine (click images to enlarge):

In this article, she speaks about her autobiography, "Beyond Uhura" - a book which I hope to read in the near future. She writes about how racism has affected her career, and a near rape by a respected lawyer. She also writes about how important music is to her, and the projects she has been involved with throughout her life.

Interestingly, she also writes about her serious relationship with Gene Roddenberry (by the time Star Trek began, they were just close friends), and her intense dislike for William Shatner. I do not enjoy reading about her hostile feelings towards him, because I have heard him speak about the situations discussed from his point of view as well (when I saw him live). I actually found myself disliking Nichelle, and then wondering why - I knew then that I should disregard the seemingly petty argument and focus on the positive aspects of both actors. I still am not fond of Nichelle, but I quite enjoy Uhura.

Uhura seems very bitter about a lot of things when it comes to Star Trek. She also recalls how she felt when she was left out of the Generations movie - stating (jokingly?) that "they successfully left out the two minorities".

The article focuses for a while on her recent projects at the time ("Saturn's Child") and how she would like to end up on Broadway - and then goes back to the topic of Star Trek, where she leaves us with this:

"People still say to me from time to time, 'what does it feel like to know that you will always be known as Uhura?' and I always say, just a bit flippantly, 'It's better than being known as an ax murderer.'" Well, that's positive. (Sarcasm.) She follows that by stating that she loves Star Trek, and she hopes that comes through in her book.

William Shatner's 81st Birthday - A Message on a Banana.

I wanted to bake a cake and ice the words "Happy Birthday William Shatner" onto it in honor of his 81st birthday, but I don't have icing. I did, however, have a banana.

"William Shatner" wouldn't fit, so I wrote "Happy Birthday Bill". And then I went outside in my socks and took a picture of it amongst the twigs. And then sent it to him on twitter.

Happy Birthday, Bill!

January First 2012 AKA 18721 Days Until First Contact

It's a new year, and I have made some new year's resolutions. I realize I have been neglecting this blog lately, which may have to do with the fact that my laptop was dying. Luckily, I am now the proud owner of a new netbook that works just fine.

New netbook = answering hundreds of emails and finally getting around to finishing posts.

It also means that I can now edit party hats on to photos:

But I digress. I have quite a few new year's resolutions this year, the most relevent being a) Posting to all three of my blogs weekly and b) Becoming perfectly fluent in Vulcan.

(Another resolution was to meet Leonard Nimoy and go out to tea at a poetry reading, but I decided that I should make that a goal for the future instead.)

Already today I have quite a few posts (almost) ready to go, and have added a countdown to First Contact in the side bar. So far, so good.

Hollywood Walk of Fame Trading Cards - Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner 1991

It is Christmas. I sit here wrapped in a soft new blanket drinking eggnog, eating Ferrero Rocher, and admiring one of my gifts - two Hollywood Walk of Fame trading cards (mint!) from my sister, ordered off ebay. They are the most beautiful trading cards I have ever seen, and they will never leave their protective slips.

Leonard Nimoy's card has a publicity photo from "The Sun Also Rises" on the front:

And some interesting information on the back, including his birthday, the location of  his Walk of Fame star, and his career highlights:

The picture on the back seems to be from the time of his interview with Dr. Julius Strangepork in 1984.

William Shatner's card (No. 177 as opposed to Nimoy's No. 8) has a photo of the incredibly handsome man himself on the front. I am unsure of the source of this photo, however:

On the back, as on the other card, reads information such as his birth date, the location of his star, and the highlights of his career. For some reason the "the" in "The Kidnapping of the President" has a capitalized "h" as well as "t". These are important things to notice. The photo used is a publicity photo from T.J. Hooker:

I am actually very glad that they did not focus too much on their roles as Spock and Kirk, as they have done so much more in their lives. For instance, William Shatner was absolutely genius in Judgement at Nuremberg, and Spock was just as (if not more) sexy in his role as Dr. David Kibner in Invasion of the Body snatchers. I also loved him in the Sea Hunt episodes and in the Balcony. But especially in Sea Hunt.


I wish you all a Merry Christmas! To celebrate, let us all watch Leonard Nimoy in my favorite 1992 Hallmark Commercial:

Svi'nash-tevun-yonuk - kril'es heh kunli-sa'hat..

C4 Comic Con - William Shatner - Photos and Video

One of my favorite parts of Comic Con was seeing William Shatner again. I got in line right away, so I could get as close to the front as I could - fortunately, there was an empty seat in the first row. We had to sit the room for an hour before the show, so I conversed with some of the people I was sitting with. We talked about Star Trek and Doctor Who, and watched Night Court (with Brent Spiner as Bob Wheeler) on somebody's iPhone.

Finally, he came down the stairs and made his way to the stage:

This time he was wearing jeans and a leather jacket, as opposed to the suit he wore for "How Time Flies". He looked amazing, and hearing him answer questions was great. Fortunately, we were allowed to take video (which I did!). Unfortunately, the sound was terrible. So here are some quotes from the session:

• "And if you can move one molecule, you can move... two. And you still have nothing..." (When talking about the transporter and how scientists are working on teleportation technology) 
• "I am involved in trying to invent shows... Um, one - I'll tell you about because I'm in the process of doing it right now. It will open with a monologue by someone, maybe me, like the Twilight Zone - where the guy says 'I  think people are basically bad. They scheme, they plot... they conspire all the time. And here are some of the conspiracies.' And the hour will be a conspiracy that may or may not exist. Was there a JFK conspiracy? But this is from the point of view of the conspirator.
• All I know is, that you hear about... as you get older your brain's more foggy (?), and sticky, and - and you lose... it doesn't have to happen. I'm here to tell you, it doesn't have to happen if you just allow yourself to be creative in your own way.
• I struggled for twenty years trying to come up with a couple thousand dollars in the bank, brought up three kids, it was tough. I got ahead, the last several years, I have a little money. And I got a little prestige.
• But I'm doing it! It's the one percent! I've never been one of the one percent! I'm telling you, if you can ever get a limo to drive you to a private airport to get get on a private plane and go someplace... do it!
• You know, I've grown as an actor, I'm growing all the time - I'm finally finding out how to do it... you know, it's such a shame.
  

He also speaks about how people get addicted, his site "MyOuterSpace", "Weird or What?" and horse competition he was in the day before. He also tells us that around the time when one of his children was born, he was watching the television and a March of Dimes commercial came on. He watched as the "tiny tim" polio poster child made his way across the screen, and this affected him greatly - he was lucky, his child was healthy. But sickness can happen so suddenly. He is now a spokesperson for March of Dimes.

One person said to Shatner - they heard that he does math problems in his head before a show. He got a big laugh out of that one, and told us that the only math problem he does is "I'm one... where's my other one?".

And remember the show "How William Shatner Changed the World"? He tells us about how Paramount would not let him use "How Star Trek Changed the World" or even "How Captain Kirk Changed the World".

Now, for the video! I will leave you with part one, and the links to the continuing videos. I hope you enjoy - and I do apologize for the sound quality. (Also you can hear me giggling throughout the entire thing.)

Part Two (on the brain, his horses, how his life has changed, and March of Dimes)
Part Three (where he talks about "stupid Paramount")
Part Four (on Weird or What, acting on stage, and doing math problems in his head)
Part Five (where he explains his "singing" and his spiritual views)
Part Six (where he talks about careers and such)

C4 Comic Con - Finished (and Signed!) Captain Kirk Painting

Comic Con is finally over. I enjoyed it immensely while it was on, but there is nothing more exhausting that being in a giant building filled with people - running around to be one of the first people in line to see some of Star Trek's most celebrated people.

I was fortunate enough to get the painting I had done of Captain Kirk personally signed by Mr. Shatner. I was so excited and nervous, he had to keep asking me what I said when I told him I had painted it. He told me it was "very well done", however, and was really nice and somewhat shy/gentle about it.

Over the next week or two I will be posting pictures and/or video I took from the Q&A sessions - including Jonathan Frakes, Ethan Phillips, Nana Visitor, Chase Masterson, and the one and only - William Shatner. I will also be posting pictures of some vintage collectables that I came across (and now own) so check back! I will be very busy.

William Shatner - Seeking Major Tom

For my birthday (which happens to be in three days, by the way) my amazing boyfriend got me William Shatner's new album as an early present! I have been excited about this album ever since I first heard about it a week or so ago.

The first thing one notices is the cover, and the casing: brilliant colors and badly photoshopped Shatner-astronaut fronts the beautiful fold-out cardboard case.(right click and open in new tab or window to view full size)

And then you open it up. I may be biased, but everything I see is amazing. Absolutely beautiful. The colors, his face, the anticipation. I have heard all of his other song covers, and he always has a sense of humor when he does them. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds? You can hear his humor there. He has fun with what he does.

Can you imagine William Shatner with a nose ring?

The album has the exact effect that Shatner says he was going for - one gets the feeling of being involved in Major Tom's adventure after he is lost in Space. In between songs, it keeps reverting the phrases from the song "Major Tom" - two sides searching for each other, and Major Tom's wonder at what has happened to him. Through William Shatner's renditions, we experience the heaven and hell that Major Tom goes through, from his perspective.

The songs may feature William Shatner's voice, but one must listen to it as if one were listening to Major Tom himself. It is his narrative - and in being a lost man's own narrative, it is not to be trusted. What happens at the end? Does he see planet earth, or is it merely (another?) hallucination?  

This album also includes an original composition by William Shatner in conjunction with Adam Hamilton: Struggle, which is absolutely wonderful. But nothing can compete with his rendition/interpretation of Bohemian Rhapsody, Spirit in the Sky, and Iron Man (for which he received an Honorary Head Banger Award).

It also comes with a little booklet (which I have not scanned, because I am lazy and sick and scanning stuff would involve getting of the couch and kicking people off of the other computer). Just believe me when I say that the booklet is booklet-y and has more pictures of William Shatner's "space wonder" face.

Seeking Major Tom is out now. They have it at Walmart even - get it, or the Romulans will get you.

William Shatner, you make me rabid - How Time Flies

I was checking facebook last week, and my gaze was drawn to a tiny post in the corner of the screen - I couldn't believe my eyes.

William Shatner. 

Coming to my city. 

In October.

Immediately, I went on google to verify. Surely enough, there is was - How Time Flies: An Evening with William Shatner. Vancouver, Regina, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, and Montreal. Tickets went on sale that Friday. Luckily, I was getting paid that Friday - and I was committed to getting those 400 dollar VIP tickets.

But I didn't. Basically, the VIP package included front row seats, a private meet and greet, souvenirs, photo opportunities, and an after party. I ended up getting regular tickets - I don't like parties, and I wasn't about to spend three hundred dollars for a picture (but now that I think about it, I totally would and should have!).

So later in October, I will be sitting in the ninth row - swooning and listening to his anecdotes. Not only that, but he is going to sing. And by sing I mean talk in an extremely sexy way, to music. I will be taking pictures from the crowd, and maybe there will be some souvenirs available to buy.

Me and my thrifty decisions! Why didn't I get the VIP? It is illogical, however, to dwell on such things as it creates unnecessary distress about something that cannot be changed. Acceptance leads to peace and contentment. The important thing is, I am going to see William Shatner!

I am so excited. The day I found out he was coming, I jumped dramatically to the floor and rolled around flailing. The day I actually picked up my tickets, I did the same thing but with added sound effects - and possible some frothing at the mouth.

You make me rabid, William Shatner. I will see you, and assault you with my eyes. And my camera.

William Shatner - Star Trek V

It has been a very long time since I have undated this blog - something that makes me very sad and fills me with shame - I have so much to post and so much to say. I haven't had access to a scanner, so I am posting the last scan I have off my computer: an article from Cinefantastique, June 1987 - "Shatner Directs Trek V?"

Now this article is obviously from before the movie was even in production - Walter Koenig leaked the possibility of Shatner's directing in a radio interview while The Voyage Home was still in filming.

Now everybody knows that my favorite two Star Trek movies were directed by Leonard Nimoy. The effects were great, the story was great, the drama was great. In conclusion, it was great.

And then we have Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. It was also "great" but the effects at times were so bad that I couldn't help but laugh - intentional? Perhaps, it doesn't matter. Why, you ask? Because of these scenes:

First we have Sybok in the desert - crazy exiled Vulcan Jesus style!

Then we have Kirk, who (after being distracted by hovering Spock watching him climb mountains) falls to what would be his death, had Spock not been wearing rocket boots and saved him in just the nick of time. This is the first scene that really made me laugh, because of the effects - starting when Spock turns upside down, and ending when Kirk is caught only inches from the ground. And then there is McCoy - standing and watching in utter horror with his "I told you so - damn it, Jim -You're a captain, not a circus act!" face (you know the one).

Uhura and Scotty start flirting on the bridge, and Uhura pulls out a bag of chips - the way to a fat man's heart, and she knows it.

Back at the campsite, Spock eats some of McCoy's "special" beans. Could there be anything cooler? I am I the only one fascinated by watching Spock eat beans? But it gets better...

Spock makes a marshmallow to roast, and we get this delightful quote:

SPOCK: I am preparing to toast a 'marsh melon'.
McCOY: Well, I'll be damned. A marsh melon. Where did you learn to do that?
SPOCK: Before leaving the ship I consulted the computer library to familiarise myself with the customs associated with 'camping out.'
McCOY: Tell me, Spock. What do we do after we toast the marsh, ...er, melons?
SPOCK: We consume them.
McCOY: I know we consume them. I mean after that.
SPOCK: I believe we are required to engage in a ritual known as the sing-a-long.

Back to the enterprise early, and Kirk's shirt. He has a cool shirt. That is all.

I could never figure out whether it was Uhura or that cat-lady dancing here until I actually watched it frame by frame. It's Uhura.

Spock is finally reunited with his half-brother, and not under the best of circumstances. Silly illogical Sybok. Later on in the movie, Spock has the chance to kill Sybok, but cannot, and we get this quote:

KIRK: You stay out of this! ...Why, Spock? Why? All you had to do was pull the trigger.
SPOCK: If I had pulled the trigger, Sybok would be dead.
KIRK: I ordered you to defend your ship.
SPOCK: You ordered me to kill my brother.
KIRK: The man may be a fellow Vulcan, but that doesn't...
SPOCK: You do not understand me, Captain. Sybok, also, is a son of Sarek.
KIRK: He's your brother brother? You made that up.
SPOCK: I did not.
KIRK: You did too. Sybok couldn't possibly be your brother because I happen to know for a fact that you don't have a brother.
SPOCK: Technically, you are correct. I do not have a brother.
KIRK: You see?
SPOCK: I have a half-brother.
KIRK: I've got to sit down.
McCOY: Let me get this straight. You and Sybok have the same father but different mothers.
SPOCK: Exactly. That is correct. Sybok's mother was a Vulcan princess. After her death, Sybok and I were raised as brothers.

Kirk gets on Spock's shoulders. Spock is not impressed - he has put on quite a bit of weight. Luckily, Vulcans are stronger than humans. Can you imagine McCoy holding him up? He gets frailer looking every movie.

Spock gets his rocket/levitation boots, and Kirk climbs right onto his right side. McCoy, however (and as usual) needs a bit more coaxing... just look at his face in the second cap. They initially start sinking to the ground:

SPOCK: It would appear we are too heavy.
KIRK: It's all those marsh melons.

Syboks attempts to control their minds the way he did the others: by showing them, and then ridding them of their pain. McCoy relives "killing" his father...

And Spock watched his father hold him for the first time.

SAREK: So human. (AKA Son, I am disappoint.)

Luckily, it doesn't quite work out the way Sybok planned.

Sybok finds what he was after, and they all beam down to:

SYBOK: Sha Ka Ree.
KORRD: Qui'Tu.
CAITHLIN: Vorta Vor.
TALBOT: Eden.

and move on to try and find "God". Sybok looks pregnant for a while because of the wind.

Umm... God? Hello? You might want to stop being so creepy, it looks like we're in the Lion King...

They find "God", and shoot it with phasers. (Please excuse the page-long quote)

GOD: And how did you breach the Barrier?
SYBOK: With a starship!
GOD: This starship. ...Could it carry my wisdom beyond the Barrier?
SYBOK: It could. Yes!
GOD: Then I shall make use of this starship.
SYBOK: It will be your chariot!
KIRK: Excuse me.
GOD: It will carry my power to every corner of creation.
KIRK: Excuse me. ...I'd just like to ask a question. ...What does God need with a starship?
GOD: Bring the ship closer.
KIRK: I said ...'What does God need with a starship?'
McCOY: Jim, what are you doing?
KIRK: I'm asking a question.
GOD: Who is this creature?
KIRK: Who am I? Don't you know? Aren't you God?
SYBOK: He ...has his doubts.
GOD: You doubt me?
KIRK: I seek proof.
McCOY: Jim, you don't ask the Almighty for his I.D.
GOD: Then here is the proof you seek.
(blue light rays shoot from God's eyes knocking Kirk backwards)
KIRK: Why is God angry?
SYBOK: Why? Why have you done this to my friend?
GOD: He doubts me.
SPOCK: You have not answered his question. What does God need with a starship?
(blue light rays shoot from God's eyes again knocking Spock backwards)
GOD: Do you doubt me?
McCOY: I doubt any God who inflicts pain for his own pleasure.
SYBOK: Stop! The God of Sha Ka Ree would not do this!
GOD: Sha Ka Ree? A vision you created. An eternity I've been imprisoned in this place! The ship! I must have the ship! Now ...give me what I want!
SPOCK: Sybok, ...this is not the God of Sha Ka Ree, ...or any other God!
SYBOK: I don't understand... Reveal yourself to me!
(an image of Sybok strides out of one of God's eyes)
SYBOK/GOD: What's wrong? Don't you like this face? I have so many but this one suits you best.
SYBOK: No! No, ...it's not possible.
GOD: Bring me the ship or I will destroy you!
SYBOK: The ship.
GOD: Bring it closer so that I might join with it. Do it or watch these puny beings ...die horribly.
SYBOK: What have I done?
KIRK: Kirk to Enterprise. Listen carefully.
SPOCK: Sybok.
SYBOK: This is my doing! This is my arrogance, ... my vanity...
SPOCK: Sybok, we must find a way...
SYBOK: No! Save yourselves! ...Forgive me, brother. Forgive me.
...I couldn't help but notice your pain.
GOD: My pain?
SYBOK: It runs deep. Share it with me.
(Sybok boldly enters the shaft and embraces his evil twin)

Only two people can beam up at a time because the transporter is low on power. Spock and McCot are beamed up, leaving Kirk to fight for his life. Suddenly a Klingon Ship comes (the one that has been chasing and trying to kill Kirk), and he is beamed onto that one to find...

Spock, the "new gunner" of a Klingon ship, swivels around in his bad-ass chair. Kirk goes up to hugs him:

KIRK: I ...thought I was going to die.
SPOCK: Not possible. You were never alone... Please, Captain. Not in front of the Klingons.

All is well - Kirk, McCoy, and Spock are back around the campfire, and instead of pondering the meaning of "Row Row Row Your Boat" and life being "but a dream" he plays it on his Vulcan Lyre while they all sing it in a round.

Shed a happy tear, roll credits, praise William Shatner.