Vic
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If you’ve ever had a chemistry class, or even just a basic science class, you have likely encountered the periodic table of elements. It is a list of all the atomic elements we know of, sorted by mass and several other properties.
Our bodies contain quite a few of these, such as hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, iron, and many more. Vulcans, of course, would have to add copper.
(a)
(b)
Figure 1: (a) Our current periodic table of the elements (90 naturally occurring elements and a bunch more short-lived ones produced in the lab, Credit: http://iupac.org. (b) In Star Trek’s time we’ll know a few more. Credit: Star Fleet Medical Reference Manual.
Have you ever wondered where all these different elements come from? The most-common element is the first one, hydrogen. It and some of the next two, helium and lithium, were produced during the Big Bang, the beginning of the expansion of our Universe. The dense, hot cores of stars produce some of the others via thermonuclear fusion. For example, our Sun has been fusing hydrogen to helium for the last five billion years and will continue to do so for the next five billion years. In a later stage of life our Sun will produce carbon from helium. More massive stars can produce heavier elements during their lifetimes (our Sun is a somewhat below average star). The heaviest element that the most massive star can produce is iron. The reason is that up to iron the fusion reactions produce excess energy (which is why stars shine). To produce elements heavier than iron you have to put energy into the fusion reaction, and nature doesn’t work that way unless there are vast amounts of energy in the ambient environment, a rare situation.
Many of us are wearing silver or gold jewelry (the vendors at Star Trek conventions have ever fancier versions of the various delta shields). So where do these heavier elements come from?
Once a massive star has reached the end of its fusion sequence, it explodes in a brilliant supernova. Such an event can be a billion times as bright as our Sun. This explosion releases a lot of extra energy into the locality, which can then be taken in by fusion of heavier elements. Until fairly recently, that’s where we thought all the heavier elements were created.
In 1915, Albert Einstein said that if electromagnetic radiation (i.e. light) is generated by moving charges or changing magnetic fields, then gravitational radiation should be generated by moving masses. Sounds pretty logical, right? It took us 100 years to prove him right.
Now, what does that have to do with producing gold and silver? The 2015 detection of gravitational waves was possible by observing two events produced by a pair of black holes and a pair of neutron stars. I’ll go more into detail about gravitational waves in the next blog, but for now, I’d like to concentrate on the binary neutron stars. As they orbit each other, their orbits get smaller (which is why they emit energy in the form of the gravitational waves), and eventually they will merge together. As neutron stars merge and explode in what is called a kilonova, their very dense substance suddenly becomes less dense, allowing for fusion reactions of heavy elements to take place in this environment with lots of extra energy. That’s yet another way of making elements heavier than iron.
Figure 2: This is a graphic representation of two merging neutron stars exploding in a kilonova. Credit: npr.org
According to Edo Berger from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, the collision of two neutron stars may produce 10 times the mass of our Moon in pure gold (or more, and other cool stuff like silver and platinum). So, if it’s gold you want, you know where to go with your starship (wait to approach until after the kilonova, as you do not want to get caught in that sort of cataclysm).
If we redo our table of the elements a bit, we can color-code where all the different elements come from.
Figure 3: The periodic table of the elements color-coded by origin. Credit: wikipedia.org.
Here is a link if you’d like to know more about this topic...
A very understandable book (no math) on the subject of gravitational waves (which also covers nucleosynthesis of heavier elements):
Ripples in Spacetime, by Govert Schilling
Inge Heyer
www.ingeheyer.com -
What species would make for the best Halloween costume? That's the haunting question we asked for the latest StarTrek.com poll, and our reply options included a bunch of tricks and treats: Andorian, Borg, Ferengi, Kelpien, Klingon and Vulcan. Thousands of fans voted, and here are the results:
Borg (51%)
Klingon (22%)
Andorian (11%)
Vulcan (7%)
Ferengi (6%)
Kelpien (3%)
And how many votes did your choice scare up?
Be sure to vote in this week's poll...
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Throughout the productions of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Voyager, one sound stage was primarily for “swing sets,” which are temporary sets built for limited use, sometimes just for a single episode. Nicknamed “Planet Hell,” stage 16 on the Paramount lot has portrayed various exotic planets and locations year after year in the ‘80s and ‘90s.
If there was an equivalent to “Planet Hell” in the natural world, it would be Griffith Park, which encompasses more than 4,000 acres. Star Trek has a legacy of capitalizing on the region’s diverse terrain going all the way back to the filming of The Original Series.
Not including Star Trek: Discovery, which films in Toronto, most Star Trek productions have been shot on sound stages at Paramount Pictures off Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. Located a mere few miles due north of the studio lot, the words “Griffith Park” must have elicited sighs of relief from cast and crew upon receiving their on-location call sheets.
The infamous Vasquez Rocks have become an iconic image in Trek history, notably beginning with Kirk-Gorn fight in “Arena.” The unique rock formations in Santa Clarita even made their way into the Kelvin timeline’s depiction of Vulcan in Star Trek (2009). But if we’re looking at the mileage, this east section of the Santa Monica Mountain Range is the heart of Star Trek on-location filming history.
Here’s a rundown of Star Trek episodes that were filmed in Griffith Park, along with a few side-by-side comparisons featuring the real-life locations.
FERN DELL
Maybe the most unique environment in Griffith Park, the lower-level walking path in Fern Dell makes you feel like you’ve been transported to tropical jungle -- or at the very least a Rainforest Café. Several different species of, you guessed it, fern plants and trees align the sidewalk for about a quarter mile, turning this unsuspecting region into a jungle promenade. A natural spring runs serpentine throughout the path, which has created several ponds that are inhabited by fish, turtles and future ensigns with poor balance. The main section of Fern Dell serves as a port for several trailheads, including many that lead to Griffith Observatory.
Star Trek: The Next Generation, Pilot “Encounter at Farpoint, Part I”
Season 1, Episode 1
When newly christened First Officer Riker seeks out the Enterprise’s holodeck in TNG pilot episode “Encounter at Farpoint,” he’s really stepping into Fern Dell. Today, it’s hard to tell where exactly Riker heard Data whistling “Pop Goes the Weasel” or where we watched him pull Wesley out of the water. The episode must have captured Fern Dell at its foliage peak or, more likely, additional plants were brought in by set dressers for the scene. (Although, you can still see Fern Dell’s trademark hanging plants in several shots.)
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, “In The Hands Of The Prophets”
Season 1, Episode 19
The active streams and ponds within Fern Dell provided the perfect setting for Captain Sisko and Vedek Bareil’s walk-and-talk on Bajor. It’s still easy to spot where this scene was filmed, as they ended up leaving quite a bit of the area’s infrastructure on-screen, including one of the walking bridges and Fern Dell’s signature log-shaped railings.
BRONSON CANYON
This region of the park boasts several 100-foot rock walls and a mini-cavern system leftover from an early 20th century quarry operation. On the Batman TV series starring the late Adam West, one of the entrances provided the establishing shot for the Batcave’s exterior. In Star Trek, Bronson Canyon supplied environments for numerous planets in all the first five television shows. Located just a quick walk from Bronson Avenue, it’s probably one of the most-accessible and convenient locations from a production standpoint.
Star Trek (TOS), “Bread and Circuses”
Season 2, Episode 25
Before they face off against gladiators on 892-IV, Kirk, Spock, and McCoy are taken to the Bronson Canyon caves that portrayed the hideout for The Children of the Son.
Star Trek: The Next Generation, “Darmok”
Season 5, Episode 2
Captain Picard and Dathon attempt to overcome their language barrier in front of this recognizable rock face at Bronson.
Star Trek: The Next Generation, “Ensign Ro”
Season 5, Episode 3
Captain Picard and Ensign Ro take a memorable stroll down this marketplace on Valo II, which was filmed along a stretch of land adjacent to the caves. Today, someone (or a group effort) has created concentric circles using nearby rocks.
Star Trek: The Next Generation, “Attached”
Season 7, Episode 8
Dr. Crusher and Captain Picard exit a cave on Kesprytt III and walk directly onto the same stretch of land that stood in for Valo II. By rationing camera angle degrees, the TNG production crew got a lot out of this particular canyon section.
Star Trek: Voyager, “The 37's”
Season 2, Episode 1
Following an SOS signal they picked up in space, Tom Paris lands their ship on an unknown planet that shares a rock wall with “Attached.” Green screen was particularly needed since these scenes were filmed with the infamous Hollywood sign visible in the background.
If you were to stand on the hill line behind Captain Picard and Dathon, turn around and you’ll realize that you’re also standing on the mound where the Voyager crew discovered Amelia Earhart’s plane.
IN ADDITION: Bronson Canyon provided filming locations for “Homeward” “The Inner Light,” and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.
CEDAR GROVE
On the far east side of the mountain range is Cedar Grove, an easily accessible mini-forest within Griffith Park. Hikers often pop through the densely wooded picnic area on their way to popular trailheads and photo ops, such as the Helipad Overlook and the Mt. Hollywood trail.
Star Trek: The Next Generation, “Gambit, Part I”
Season 7, Episode 4
First Officer Riker, Lt. Worf, and Lt. La Forge engage in a phaser shootout on Barradas III amidst the land patch’s distinct cedar trees.
Star Trek: Enterprise Synopsis, “Storm Front”
Season 4, Episode 2
The grove also stood in for a remote area outside of New York City where Captain Archer met with Vosk.
GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY
A Los Angeles landmark, Griffith Observatory offers incredible views of Hollywood and downtown L.A. Featuring numerous space and science exhibits, it’s become one of the city’s most-popular tourist destinations. The observatory is also home to Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon, where visitors enter the 200-seat theater and watch a Nimoy-hosted documentary about the observatory’s 80-year history.
Star Trek: Voyager, “Future's End, Part I”
Season 3, Episode 8
Sarah Silverman portrayed Rain Robinson, a young astronomer working at Griffith Observatory. Tuvok and Paris find themselves in a phaser shootout across on the Observatory’s back lawn.
Star Trek: The Next Generation, Season 1 Wrap Party
March 29th, 1988
The Observatory was also where Star Trek: The Next Generation had its first season wrap party. Above one of the arched hallway entrances hung a banner that read “Congratulations on the First 25 Voyages.” Denise Crosby was there to celebrate with the cast as well, even after she had already exited the series.
Joe Bergren is a writer and media coordinator for ET Live. His interests include "Star" related franchises and retro celebrity scandals, as well as niche subjects like his very cool dog.
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Star Trek Online is teaming up with Geek and Sundry and Alpha, to bring you some really fun episodes of their show, Painter’s Guild. Normally on the show, host Will Friedle learns to paint miniatures from the experts, but this time, he’s stepping into the teacher’s seat – and his pupil is none other than Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Victory is Life’s Nana Visitor. Nana sits in with Will to paint the some Gameprint models of a Star Trek Online ship, specifically the Chimera class. She also talks with Will about her time on DS9, and her experience working with STO on this summer’s expansion, Victory is Life. The first episode is out right now on their streaming service, Alpha, and you can get a free 30-day trial to check it out.
Want to print and paint your own ship model? Head to the ship tailor in game, and you can customize and order your 3D printed model there, from Gameprint.
You can find out more about Painter’s Guild here, and you can watch the episode right here.
Star Trek Online is a free-to-play massively multiplayer online game that allows players to explore the Star Trek universe from within. Players can forge their own destiny as Captain of a Federation starship, champion the Empire through the far reaches of the galaxy as a Klingon Warrior, rebuild the Romulan legacy as the commander of a Romulan Republic Warbird or carry out daring missions on behalf of the Dominion as a Jem’Hadar soldier. Captains can also explore iconic locations from the Star Trek universe, make contact with new alien species and battle alongside other players in customizable starships. Star Trek Online is currently available on PC, PlayStation4 and Xbox One.
To download and play Star Trek Online today for free, visit www.playstartrekonline.com.
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It's almost time for "Calypso," the second installment of Star Trek: Short Treks, and CBS All Access has just shared the promo trailer along with three stills from the segment, which will debut on Thursday, Nov. 8.
Aldis Hodge as Craft
Aldis Hodge as Craft
Aldis Hodge as Craft
"Calypso" follows Craft (Aldis Hodge), who, after waking up in an unfamiliar sickbay, finds himself on board a deserted ship. And his only companion and hope for survival is an A.I. computer interface.
Michael Chabon wrote the teleplay based on a story credited to Sean Cochran and him. It's directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi.
"Calypso" continues CBS All Access's rollout of Star Trek: Short Treks, four standalone stories building toward the early 2019 return of Star Trek: Discovery. Each short will run approximately 10-15 minutes and will be an opportunity for fans to dive deeper into key themes and characters – including Tilly (Mary Wiseman), Saru (Doug Jones), Harry Mudd (Rainn Wilson, who directs his segment as well) and Hodge's new "Calypso" character, Craft -- that fit into Discovery and the expanding Star Trek universe.
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CBS All Access has set phasers to funny with the announcement today that they’ve given a two-season commitment to Star Trek: Lower Decks, an animated comedy from Emmy Award-winner Mike McMahan. The show, which will be produced by CBS Eye Animation Productions, Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment, will follow the support crew serving on one of Starfleet’s least-important ships. CBS Eye Animation Productions is CBS Television Studios’ new animation arm.
Alex Kurtzman and Heather Kadin of Secret Hideout and Rod Roddenberry, Trevor Roth and Katie Krentz of Roddenberry Entertainment will serve as executive producers alongside McMahan, who is best known for Rick and Morty and has written the upcoming Harry Mudd-centric installment of Star Trek: Short Treks. Aaron Baiers, who brought McMahan to the project, will serve as a co-executive producer.
"Mike won our hearts with his first sentence: ‘I want to do a show about the people who put the yellow cartridge in the food replicator so a banana can come out the other end,” executive producer Alex Kurtzman said. “His cat’s name is Riker. His son’s name is Sagan. The man is committed. He’s brilliantly funny and knows every inch of every Trek episode, and that’s his secret sauce: he writes with the pure, joyful heart of a true fan. As we broaden the world of Trek to fans of all ages, we’re so excited to include Mike’s extraordinary voice.”
“As a life-long Trekkie, it’s a surreal and wonderful dream come true to be a part of this new era of Star Trek,” executive producer Mike McMahan said. “While Star Trek: Lower Decks is a half-hour, animated show at its core, it’s undeniably Trek – and I promise not to add an episode at the very end that reveals the whole thing took place in a training program.”
Trek fans will recall that in 2011 McMahan launched a Twitter account where he posted episode plots to a fake season of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Simon & Schuster subsequently hired him to write a readers’ guide to a fictitious eighth season of TNG titled Star Trek: The Next Generation: Warped: An Engaging Guide to the Never-Aired 8th Season. Beyond his Trek credentials, McMahan recently served as head writer and executive producer on Adult Swim’s hit animated series, Rick and Morty, and co-created Hulu’s animated alien family show, Solar Opposites.
Star Trek: Lower Decks, in addition to being CBS All Access’ first animated series, represents the latest expansion of the Star Trek franchise on CBS All Access, also currently home in the U.S. to the Star Trek: Discovery, returning with season two on Thursday, Jan. 17, 2019, and Star Trek: Short Treks, a series of four short stories tied to Discovery and the overall Star Trek universe. CBS All Access also recently announced plans for a new, as-yet-untitled Star Trek series featuring Sir Patrick Stewart reprising his iconic role as Jean-Luc Picard.
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Star Trek: The Next Generation, for fans of intelligent and thought-provoking science fiction, was gold-pressed manna from heaven. Action-packed, contemplative, heartfelt and principled in equal measure, viewers of the show were never quite sure which facet of Gene Roddenberry’s star-borne tale they were going to get each week, and no episode exemplifies that ever-changing face more than the sixth episode of the seventh and final season, “Phantasms.”
In what is certainly one of the most out-there episodes in all of Star Trek history, the episode begins with Data experiencing an unusual dream as he walks down a corridor on the Enterprise. Hearing the sound of an old-fashioned rotary phone, he sees a trio of workmen dismantling a warp plasma conduit. When he attempts to engage in conversation with them, he emits a high-pitched noise as the workmen turn and tear off his arms and head. Worried, Data wakes from the dream, but is encouraged by Counselor Troi to continue his dreams as a means of therapy.
Meanwhile, Captain Picard is invited to an admirals' dinner, and grudgingly orders the Enterprise to head towards Starbase 219. The new warp drive won’t engage and Data and Geordi set out to fix the problem. Despite their best efforts, the drive refuses to engage.
Data is deep in another dream within Ten-Forward. Along with the workmen, Troi appears as the head of a “cellular peptide cake with mint frosting.” The workmen tell Data to slice into the shoulder of the cake as Troi pleads him to stop. Data wakes to find his fellow crew members looking for him. He is late for his shift, something that has never happened before. Keen for understanding, he activates the holodeck and books a session with a simulation of psychiatrist Sigmund Freud. As he continues his work on the engines with Geordi, characters from his dreams begin to appear, including crewmen with small mouths on their bodies, and the cake knife briefly appearing as an engineering tool. Data disturbingly attacks Troi in the turbolift, claiming to have seen one of the mouths and wounding her on her shoulder. Shocked at his own actions and concerned he will do it again, Data puts himself under guard in his quarters.
As Dr, Crusher further investigates Troi’s wound she finds evidence of interphasic creatures, feeding on the crew. It transpires that these creatures are where the mouths have been appearing to Data. He believes he knows how to remove them by adjusting his circuitry to an interphasic pulse that will kill the creatures. Geordi posits that these creatures had infected the warp drive, a theory confirmed as the pulse is activated and the warp drive engaged. Luckily for Picard, the repairs take longer than expected, meaning he once again dodges the admirals’ dinner.
As the episode ends, Data apologises to Troi for the attack. Troi accepts his apology, revealing a Data shaped cake for them to share.
First aired on October 25, 1993, the episode was written by Brannon Braga and directed by Patrick Stewart. The fourth of his five episodes at the helm, the show was littered with a number of interesting continuity gems, including the re-appearance of Data's head from the “Time's Arrow” two-parter back in seasons five and six, the gift that Jenna D'Sora gave Data in "In Theory" (also directed by Stewart, his first TNG directorial effort) was seen, as was Data's Sherlock Holmes outfit from season two's "Elementary, Dear Data". We also learned that Data believed he had no mother. He would meet her a month later in the 10th episode of the final season, "Inheritance," in the form of Juliana Tainer, wife of his creator Noonien Soong. Interestingly, the episode was one of a handful that were edited for UK audiences, with the turbolift stabbing scene between Data and Troi trimmed to only allude to the stabbing rather than showing it.
As TNG journeyed through its seventh and final season, on its way to the big screen and four movies, the show took the opportunity to not only emphasize the familial bonds between the characters, but also to layer in extra elements of character progression and exploration. “Phantasms” saw the further development of Data as his ability to dream evolved, all bringing him further to his adventures with the emotion chip in Star Trek Generations. Our magnificent seven were well entrenched, confident in each other’s abilities and skills, even when confronted with cellular peptide cakes with mint frosting and pesky interphasic creatures.
A quarter of a century on, episodes like “Phantasms” only serve to illustrate how fortunate we were to share the journey with the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise-D. As Geordi said in the episode, "This ought to be a lot of fun!"
How right he was.
Mark Newbold has been an avid Trek fan since the 1970's, when TOS was shown on UK TV, but it was the original cast movie series and TNG era that sealed the deal. Mark is a writer for Star Trek The Official Magazine, is editor-in-Chief of Star Trek: The Neutral Zone and was a stage host at Destination Star Trek Germany in 2018. At heart, he's a Niner. Follow him on Twitter.
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Even in 2018, it's hard to find depictions of positive camaraderie between female characters on screen. Too often, even casts of many have only a single female character who’s considered “one of the guys” and rejects traditional womanhood. While this may seem empowering because it allows the character to break free of the domestic chokehold, it can become problematic when it quietly, perhaps subconsciously, pits women against women. Indeed, even when there is another female character present, she is too often a rival or nemesis.
But this post isn’t about calling out the shows that got it wrong. It’s about celebrating how Star Trek has been doing it right since Star Trek: The Next Generation. Female friendships are incredibly important in real life, providing women and girls with solidarity, comfort, confidence, joy and candor in a world that, unfortunately, still treats them as second-class citizens in many cases and certainly places more pressures on them. And much of what we see depicted in popular culture trickles into our real-world attitudes.
So, when the women of Star Trek bond, help each other, and experience joy in each other’s company, they’re providing a positive example to those at home watching. Here are a few highlights.
Crusher and Troi (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
Beverly Crusher and Deanna Troi may be senior officers on the Federation’s flagship, but they still make time to work out together. It doesn’t matter that they face unknown wonders and dangers every single day. They’re still people first and foremost, and they never forget it, attending to each other’s emotional needs, leaning on each other, and confiding in one another. In fact, it’s refreshing how generally positive and drama-free their relationship is, showing that sometimes, women can simply be friends, and it doesn’t have to be complicated.
Kira and Dax (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)
The friendship between Kira Nerys and Jadzia Dax was a bit of a slow burn at the beginning -- understandable given Kira’s general attitude toward the Federation -- but eventually grew into a healthy camaraderie. This seemed especially significant for Kira, who, because of her traumatic past and tumultuous background, had trouble trusting anyone. The two eventually become confidantes, seeking each other’s advice, teasing and discussing romances. These are the kinds of “girly” things that are often portrayed as frivolous nonsense, yet Deep Space Nine depicted them as important character moments between two respected members of the crew. Rather than shying away from the “girliness” of women gossiping and talking about dating, the show embraced it, and in the end, it helped humanize and deepen both characters.
Janeway and Seven (Star Trek: Voyager)
On the flip side, the relationship between Captain Kathryn Janeway and ex-Borg Seven of Nine is extremely complex. Janeway takes Seven in with the best of intentions, and Seven initially antagonizes her. Even after they’ve struck a truce of sorts, Seven frequently challenges Janeway publicly and is often a frustrating presence. And yet through it all, there’s an unspoken thread of mutual respect, with neither thinking the other a fool even in their moments of deep disagreement. While their friendship is often complicated, it’s never depicted as outright adversarial. And there are plenty of happy moments too -- Janeway helping Seven cultivate her humanity, Seven looking up to Janeway as a role model. While they sometimes struggle to understand each other, they never stop trying, and that’s what ultimately makes their friendship great.
Burnham and Tilly (Star Trek: Discovery)
Michael Burnham and Silvia Tilly are unlikely friends if there ever were any. Burnham, frosty and not easily impressed, initially finds the enthusiastic and awkward Tilly to be a nuisance, while Tilly is intimidated by Burnham’s reputation and tries to avoid her. But they eventually warm up to each other and become trusted companions. Tilly is there for Burnham during some of the latter’s most emotionally fraught moments -- made even more complicated by Burnham’s Vulcan upbringing chafing against her humanity. Theirs is the kind of relationship that grows with the show, and it will be interesting to see where Discovery advances it, too.
Of course, these are only a handful of the fabulous female friendships of Star Trek. Examples abound: Georgiou and Burnham, Kira and Ziyal, Janeway and Kes…, often peppered into plots about interstellar intrigue and newfound worlds. In the real world, female friendships matter because they provide women and girls with joy and emotional support in a culture that is often still hostile toward them. Onscreen examples normalize and validate these relationships, and on Star Trek, you can both run a space station and gossip about your latest crush to your best gal -- no judgments passed.Mary Fan is a sci-fi/fantasy writer hailing from Jersey City, NJ. She is the author of the Jane Colt sci-fi series, which comprises ARTIFICIAL ABSOLUTES (2013), SYNTHETIC ILLUSIONS (2014), and VIRTUAL SHADOWS (2015), and STARSWEPT (2017), and FLYNN NIGHTSIDER AND THE EDGE OF EVIL (2018), a YA dark fantasy and the first novel of the Flynn Nightsider series. Due out in 2019 is STRONGER THAN A BRONZE DRAGON, a YA steampunk fantasy. Check out her official page at www.maryfan.com/.
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Wesley Crusher finds himself in a situation way outside his comfort zone and -- in Star Trek: The Next Generation: Terra Incognita #4 -- he must rise to the occasion. Due for release on Wednesday from IDW Publishing, Terra Incognita #4 is written by Scott Tipton & David Tipton, with art by Angel Hernandez and a Tony Shasteen cover.
Terra Incognita is a brand-new TNG series that follows on the heels of the popular Through the Mirror mini-series. Issue #4 runs 32 pages and costs $3.99. Check out our exclusive preview:
Fans can take a look at the variant covers featuring a photo, as well as art by Elizabeth Beals, and J.K. Woodward below:
For additional details, contact your local comic book retailer or visit www.comicshoplocator.com to find a store near you. And keep an eye on StarTrek.com for additional details about the IDW's upcoming Star Trek adventures, as well as exclusive First Looks at covers and preview pages.
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And that’s a wrap. Destination Star Trek Birmingham came to a close Sunday evening, concluding a massively successful weekend that saw more than 20,000 fans have the experience of a lifetime immersing themselves in everything Star Trek. The StarTrek.com team spread across the floor, capturing everything we could from morning to night, and we’re pleased to share one more set of highlights from the event.
Dorn and Farrell
Terry Farrell and Michael Dorn spent the better part of their time on stage bantering and playing off each other like an old married couple, often interrupting each other’s sentences and making each other laugh.
Dorn smiled when he was asked if his inner Worf ever came out in real life. “There was a time I had a meeting with an IRS guy,” he explained. “I told him that if he didn’t give me the deductions I wanted I would... kill him... where he stands. I thought it was funny. I don’t think he did. No, actually, I like what Worf believes in, but I don’t think I used things he thought or did in my life.”
Farrell recounted that she and Dorn knew each other before he joined the cast of DS9, adding that it helped quickly establish the Dax-Worf relationship. “I was really excited that Michael was coming on the show,” she said. “We were already friends. I remember thinking, ‘I hope we get to work together’ (laughs). The trust that you have when you work with a friend, it’s honest. You know they’ll forgive you if you’re having a bad day. And that carried over to Dax and Worf once they became lovers.”
“Star Trek: The Original Series was my Trek,” Farrell said later. “Kirk was my captain. Spock... it was f—ing Spock! Now I’m married to his son. It’s so weird!”
Meet the Admiral
Admiral Cornwell went through the wringer in season one of Discovery, from near-death experiences to the betrayal of her friend. A fan asked Jayne Brook how that all affected the admiral and how it will carry over into season two. “At the end of season one, boy, she really, really went through a lot, almost dying several times,” the actress replied. “Now, she’s hopeful because she’s hit rock bottom. And there was that light of hope, with Michael’s idea of how to get us out of the situation. I knew season-two questions would come up, and I asked what I could say. They said, ‘You are allowed to say you are in season two. ‘ So, I am I season two.”
Cornwell is the top-ranking character that Brook has portrayed in her career so far. “I try to bring the humanity to every role I play,” she told the crowd. “And the (Discovery) writers have written to that. But with her rank, the stakes are highest of any character I’ve played."
Ryan Express
Jeri Ryan admitted to the audience that she was reluctant to sign on for Star Trek: Voyager as Seven of Nine. “Star Trek was notorious for its actors being pigeonholed,” she commented. “But it worked out. A month after Voyager ended, I was on a David E. Kelley show, The Practice. I’ve gotten lucky. I’ve done lots of fun things since then and I was able to have this amazing character, too. I’ve been very blessed.”
Ryan unleashed her trademark hearty laugh when a fan wondered if she ever had an interest in performing more of her own stunts, either on Voyager or any other show or movie. “Hell, no,” she said emphatically. “Hell, no. That’s what they are paid and trained to do. Hell no. Knock yourself out, stunt people!”
TNG Three
Gates McFadden, Michael Dorn and Marina Sirtis joined forces for an entertaining panel that touched on everything from the TNG cast’s enduring friendships to their thoughts about Discovery, and everything in between.
Early on, Sirtis addressed a policy that’s becoming fairly standard at conventions. “The reason we ask you not to shoot video is so that we can be honest with you and say things and not get in trouble for them,” Sirtis explained. “So, please don’t film us. Otherwise you’re going to get the same old, patented lies. We want it to be just you with us.”
Dorn was the first to reply when a fan asked about the actors being directed by their costars back in their TNG days. “LeVar was very strict as a director,” Dorn said. “Jonathan was great. He was always fun. Patrick, he turned on us because he was Mr. Actor, and ‘We’re not going to have smoke on set!’ As a director, he smoked the place up. It was ' A Fistful of Datas.’ It was a cramped space, a saloon. And all you heard was Patrick shouting, ‘More smoke! More smoke!’ Gates had a moment in the devolving thing. Maybe I was annoying. She wanted me as a devolving being to get into... moss. She said, ‘OK, Michael. Ready? Feel the moss.’”
“I like Discovery,” McFadden said. “I think it has a great vibe to it.” Later, she talked more broadly about the franchise. “What I like about Star Trek is that it teaches you to think. It doesn’t tell you how to think.”
DS9 Reunited
Thanks to DST Birmingham offering the world premiere screening of What We Left Behind, much of the cast and crew of DS9 and the documentary were on hand. And they all gathered together on stage for a pretty epic panel and photo op. Those on hand: Max Grodenchik, Nicole de Boer, Aron Eisenberg, Alexander Siddig, Terry Farrell, Chase Masterson, Nana Visitor, Jeffrey Combs, Ira Steven Behr, Andrew Robinson, Rene Auberjonois, Armin Shimerman, Casey Biggs, Vaughn Armstrong, Steve Rankin, Cirroc Lofton and Michael Dorn.
“I’ve only seen two (DS9) episodes,” Behr noted to the surprise of many, “since 1999.”
Biggs voiced his appreciation for What We Left Behind. “It made me very, very proud to be a part of this family,” he said. “It made me proud to be a part of these people’s lives. It showed how important this series was... is, to so many people.”
A fan wanted to hear more about Farrell’s love scene with Avery Brooks in her guise as Mirror Dax, and also about why no one seemed to remember it within the episode. But she could barely hear the question, prompting her to ask, “What about sex with Sisko?
Shimerman recounted that Iggy Pop didn’t exactly come to set of “ The Magnificent Ferengi” eager to play a Vorta. “Mr. Pop was terrified to be acting on our show,” he said. “Fortunately, we all owe a great deal of applause to Cecily Adams for calming Iggy Pop down.”
Several members of the cast voiced the opinion that DS9 still doesn’t receive the respect they feel it deserves. Their comments, one by one, drew applause from the crowd, which wowed Masterson, who summed it up perfectly by acknowledging: “You guys get it.”
As the panel concluded, Shimerman took the mic to wish his wife, and DS9 guest star, Kitty Swink, a happy birthday. Also set to celebrate his birthday... Behr (whose big day is Tuesday). A cake with candles was rolled out on stage, and Shimerman led everyone in attendance in singing “Happy Birthday” to Swink and Behr.
The Klingons
Mary Chieffo and Kenneth Mitchell — L’Rell And Kol on Discovery — paired up for a session that proved yet again that these two actors, and especially Chieffo, truly appreciate the history and culture of Trek’s Klingons. But the conversation covered all sorts of interesting ground, eliciting both lots of laughter (both Chieffo and Mitchell) and more than a few tears (all Chieffo, all happy tears).
“When people talk to me about L’Rell, they’re talking about my work,” Chieffo said. “It’s not about my looks as a woman. As my first first real foray into the business, I am so grateful for that.”
Playing a Klingon has carried over to Mitchell’s real life. “Now, when my children are naughty, I get the bat'leth out,” he joked. “And then they are no longer naughty.”
What kind of shoes does Mitchell wear? “Kenneth Kols,” Mitchell joked to big laughs.
Photo Ops
All day long, at the various sets and booths, fans enjoyed photo shoots with family and friends and, of course, with the events stars, several of whom were in costume as their familiar characters.
Fans had the opportunity to take the equivalent of a Discovery class photo.
Birmingham... 2019
Right after the closing ceremony, it was announced that Destination Star Trek will return to Birmingham in 2019. And the first confirmed guest is... George Takei. Mark your calendars now: October 25-27. Tickets are on sale at www.DestinationStarTrek.com.
Check out of highlights features from Day One and Day Two of Destination Star Trek Birmingham.
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It wasn't all sci-fi at Destination Star Trek Birmingham, as the European Space Agency hosted four informative panels at the event on Sunday. These featured smart people talking to and with, not at, fans about ESA, what the agency does, how they do it, the science of it all and, yes, the ways in which real-world science and Trek's fictional futuristic version of it often meet in the middle. StarTrek.com took a few notes when class was in session:
Shahrzad Hosseini’s panel was called Human-Robotic Interaction on the Moon. “I view these as two systems -- the human system and the robotic system,” she said. “So, we need to get to place where we can have them interact in the best way possible.” She also talked about preparing crews for missions out in space.
Markus Landgraf, a mission planner and PhD in Physics, hosted a session titled Star Trek: Enterprise - How Close Are We? Among his key comments: “Technology has advanced to a point where we can all live healthy lives;” “Space agencies of this world already work together;” “The next big step is called the Deep Space Gateway. Now, it’s called just the Gateway, and that will be an orbit around the moon;” “We’re building an architecture that’s much more similar to Star Trek,” and, “Even though we’ve already been to the moon, there’s so much left for us to learn. My boss says the moon is like a museum, and we’ve only been to the gift shop “
Aybike Demirsan, a spacecraft operations engineer and software engineer, hosted the panel Remote Chekov: How to Command Spacecraft from Earth. She addressed the issue of space debris. “It doesn’t have to be big to have an impact because of its intense speed,” Demirsan said. “The impact becomes very dangerous.” As for space weather space weather, “It is so bad. It’s so cold, there’s no protection from the earth whatsoever.”
Lastly, biomedical data analyst Mario Cypko hosted the aptly named panel, Human in Deep-Space? - Scotty, DON'T Beam Me Up, At Least Not Yet! He discussed cosmic radiation, micro/partial gravity and their effect on human blood flow, and how space crew must “train 3-4 hours a day.”
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Which Captain would you most like to see at a Halloween Party this year? That's the question we asked for this week's StarTrek.com poll questions. Fans could select from Kirk, Picard, Sisko, Janeway, Archer, Georgiou, Lorca and Pike. Thousands of you voted, and here are the haunting results:
Kirk (25%)
Picard (22%)
Sisko (14%, 808 votes)
Janeway (14%, 799 votes)
Georgiou (8%, 481 votes)
Archer (8%, 452 votes)
Lorca (6%)
Pike (4%)
And how did YOUR Captain of choice fare?
Be sure to vote in this week's poll...
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Destination Star Trek Birmingham showed Deep Space Nine some serious love on Saturday, Day Two of the epic event in England, with a wide array of panels with stars and creatives, once-in-a-lifetime photo ops and the world premiere of the documentary, What We Left Behind. So much was going on, in fact, that we’re devoting a full, separate highlights piece to it…
Quark Again
Armin Shimerman, courtesy of his longtime DS9 makeup artist, Karen Westerfield, donned Quark’s full makeup and costume for the first time since the show ended. A lucky contingent of fans participating in a private event, got to look on as Westerfield worked her magic, step by step, over three hours, and heard from both Shimerman and Westerfield as Quark spring back to life. (They returned hours later when Shimerman sat down and Westerfield removed his makeup.)
“I always say that Karen helped create Quark as much as I did,” Shimerman notes. “It was her idea to put the maroon shading around my eyes. The makeup accented the eyes, so you could see the eyes better. The other Ferengi characters didn’t have that, and it made a huge difference.”
At the two-hour mark, and well after both Aron Eisenberg and Kitty Swink (Mrs. Shimerman) popped in briefly, Westerfield handed Shimerman a large mirror in which to check himself out. “Good job, Karen,” he announced, playfully adding, “Christ, I look 20 years younger.”
Ferengi Family Reunion
It was a full-on Ferengi Family Reunion, as the gang was back together and, for the first time in nearly 20 years, back in costume. May we present Armin Shimerman as Quark, Chase Masterson as Leeta, Max Grodenchik as Rom and Aron Eisenberg as Nog. The quartet shared memories of the time on the show, the horrors of the makeup, rehearsing at Shimerman’s house, and more.
The actors also posed together for extraordinarily rare photo ops with fans.
And, yes, Shimerman/Quark revisited Quark’s Bar.
Star-Crossed Lovers
Rene Auberjonois and Nana Visitor have lost none of the chemistry that they shared for so long as Odo and Kira on DS9, or so their joint panel proved. There was an endless supply of love, affection, respect and laughter in the room as the two longtime friends played off each other.
Both actors confirmed that the way they interacted with each other on set convinced the writers to pair up Odo and Kira, though Auberjonois had his doubts and still does, a bit. “He was liquid,” Auberjonois explained. “He wasn’t a sexual creature. He was more than that. He was… everything. So, I never knew how that quite was supposed to be working.”
Visitor isn’t sure a character like Kira would fly today: a terrorist? Especially on a Star Trek show. “My character didn’t leave one stone unturned,” Visitor observed. “She got away with a lot. A lot.”
Drinking in Cirroc
Cirroc Lofton – are you ready? -- is 40 years old and stands six-foot-three. And so it was a man talking about his time as a boy on DS9. Lofton shared numerous memories about growing up on the set, chatted about his life today and, as always espoused his affection for Avery Brooks, who was as much his father figure off set as he was on it.
The Red-Carpet Treatment
As the day rolled into the evening at DST, fans were treated to the world premiere of the Deep Space Nine documentary, What We Left Behind. Prior to the screening, the film’s subjects and makers mingled with fans – many of them backers of the crowd-sourced project --on the red carpet.
Once the red-carpet festivities concluded and the audience was gathered in the main room, everyone involved directly with the film took a joint bow. Well, nearly everyone. Andrew Robinson somehow hadn’t made it onto the stage. When his colleagues noticed, they literally pulled him up off the floor to join them.
Ira Steven Behr then welcomed everyone. “It took us seven years to make 176 episodes of the show, and it took us five years to do an hour and 54 minutes of this doc,” he said. “After the movie, if you can explain to me why, I would love to hear it.” Behr then asked everyone who backed the film to stand up and requested a round of applause for them. And then it was show time.
Scroll down for more photos from the red carpet premiere:
Armin Shimerman, Kitty Swink and Rene Auberjonois
Vaughn Armstrong
Aron Eisenberg and his fiance
Chase Masterson
Cirroc Lofton
Jeffrey Combs and Casey Biggs
Ira Steven Behr and his wife
Make-up artists Karen Westerfield and John Paladin
Martha Hackett
Max Grodenchik and his wife
Nana Visitor with son, Django
Nicole de Boer and Walter Koenig
Robert O'Reilly
Producers of What We Left Behind
Steve Rankin with his wife
Andrew Robinson, Terry Farrell and Alexander Siddig
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An estimated 10,000 fans filled the NEC for day two of Destination Star Trek Birmingham. Those fans made great use of every nook and cranny of the complex as they enjoyed the many options available to them throughout the day. StarTrek.com was in the house, our team taking it all in, and is pleased to share day-two highlights...
Isaacs Kills It
Jason Isaacs, at DST, made his first-ever appearance at a Trek convention in his native land... and he nailed. Funny, honest and not afraid to drop a curse word for an adjective, Isaacs had the crowd in his palm from word one.
“All of the best jobs I’ve had in my career I said no to initially,” he said, acknowledging that his role as Lorca was one he rejected. He went on to note that he knew in advance that Lorca would be revealed to be from the Mirror Universe, so he left crumbs along the way. “If you watch it a second time,” he suggested, “you’ll be saying, ‘Oh, how did I not catch that?’”
Isaacs lied to the press, to his family and to the fans about Lorca early on. It was tough, but “It was just to make the reveal more delicious.”
The Man Himself
William Shatner was full of energy as he regaled fans in the packed main room with stories about his current projects, meeting Dr. Stephen Hawking, his charity efforts, smashing stinky fish on Terry Bradshaw’s head while making Better Late Than Never, and more. At one point, Shatner heard the cheering generated by another room. “Is that for me?” he joked. He suggested that our crowd out-cheer the other group, which we did, much to our delight and Shatner’s.
Disco
One of the day’s highlights was no doubt a nearly full-cast panel with the Discovery’s Mary Chieffo, Kenneth Mitchell, Sonequa Martin-Green, Mary Wiseman, Sam Vartholomeos, Doug Jones, Jayne Brook, Wilson Cruz and Anthony Rapp. These shared stories from the set, poked fun at each other, discussed Discovery’s segue from war to hope, and more.
Rapp explained his reaction to meeting fans old, young and in between at DST. “That’s really beautiful to see, the passing on (of love for Trek) from some of their grandparents. It’s been really incredible.”
Chieffo recalled meeting Doug Jones at the initial table read and telling him Discovery was her first prosthetics role. “He said, ‘Oh, precious,’ and he rubbed my cheek. Doug was just so supportive. Everyone was.”
“Our job is to tell the truth,” Cruz argued, “and to live in the light of the positivity that comes to us.”
Rapp noted that he and Cruz have been “out” for more than 25 years each, despite warnings from friends and agents that going public would be career suicide. “This was an instance where being out helped us get these roles,” he said. “That was a nice little turnabout.”
Isaacs heaped praise on Martin-Green, who in turn praised the rest of her crew.
Though she’s #1 on the call sheet, Martin-Green stressed the importance of cast and crew as “family” and added that “the only star is the story.”
Several members of the cast answered a question about where they think their respective characters will be by the end if the show runs seven seasons. “I think Saru will have a happy retirement party,” Jones said. “And then he’ll go back to Kaminar and help his people progress and adapt.”
Could Tilly become captain by then? “That’s what all three of us (Tilly, Burnham and Saru) want, right?” Wiseman asked rhetorically. “Or maybe she gets really dark and gets a long scar along her face. That’s the other direction.”
“I’m going to play Prime Lorca,” Mitchell said. “I’ve been working on my voice for it.” Then, to lots of laughter from fans and his costars, Mitchell unleashed a high-pitched Isaacs imitation, joking about his beautiful blue eyes and how he wears blue jackets to accentuate them. No one laughed harder than Isaacs.
Welcome Back, Walter
Walter Koenig thanked DST for welcoming him to Birmingham for a second time. Looking good and sounding strong, Trek’s original Chekov went silent when asked by a fan if he has a favorite amongst the Trek spin-offs. He admitted that he only has seen a couple of TNG episodes and the DS9 hour, “ Sanctuary,” that featured his son, Andrew. “I wouldn’t have watched TOS if I wasn’t in it,” he mused. “I knew nothing about Star Trek. I thought it was a day’s work. I had no concept this would be an enduring presence in my life.”
“As much as I complain about how small my role was, I am so grateful for the opportunity and to have some measure of fame,” he said. “Not everyone gets that.” A lot of fans would love to see Koenig play Chekov again. Koenig’s not so sure. “How would they explain it?” he asked aloud. “I’m so freaking old!”
Totally Kate
Fans love Kate Mulgrew and she loves them, and it’s in large part because Mulgrew tells it like it is, about life, her experiences and herself. “I think that with Janeway, they broke the mold,” the actress commented. “Janeway embodied goodness as well as boldness, passion and intelligence. Her directive was the Prime Directive. Her compass was her moral compass.”
Would she ever consider putting her spacesuit back on, a fan asked. Mulgrew replied, “ Shatner, Stewart and myself in some sort of a movie… I’d love to do that. So the answer is yes.”
Other Highlights
Astronaut Fred Haise talked about his time in space, the power of Star Trek to influence people to pursue the sciences, and more.
Fans joined Kenneth Mitchell and Mary Chieffo on the Klingon bridge as they sat in the throne.
Cosplayers got their moment to shine. Take a look at some of our favorite cosplay from the day below:
Visit StarTrek.com again tomorrow for highlights of Day Three at Destination Star Trek Birmingham. Check out our Day One highlights. And check our social feeds for photos and news all day long during the event.
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Star Trek fans got up close and personal with many of the new products introduced/offered at Destination Star Trek Birmingham by Trek licensees. Now, it’s your turn:
Star Trek Online
Star Trek Online welcomed Mary Wiseman, who chatted about voicing Tilly for STO’s latest game, Age of Discovery. Wiseman clearly had fun on the panel, as she talked about playing Tilly in an all-new way and took a closer look at the illustration of her character.
Collect Your Model
Eaglemoss was in the house with a booth brimming with their many Star Trek models, as well as a panel with Ben Robinson. The truly hot item was the U.S.S. Glenn, a Discovery variant they’d previously offered only at Star Trek Las Vegas and New York Comic-Con.
Begin (or Continue) A Trek Mission
John Van Citters of CBS Consumer Products hosted the Pages of Star Trek panel that featured authors Una McCormack and James Swallow. They discussed their respective processes, joked that they’re not as detailed as David Mack when creating story outlines, chatted up current books, etc.
McCormack referenced the “joy” of working with author and Discovery staff writer Kirsten Beyer, adding, “I’m very passionate about seeing more women in science-fiction, seeing more girls in science-fiction.”
Designing Starships
Veteran Trek illustrator John Eaves celebrated the release of his new book, The Art of John Eaves. He took the audience through his process, as he discussed the different types of challenges hes faced while designing ships. "They all have a challenge in a way - you'll get a script and the writer will have an image in their head of what they want the ship to look like." He continued by noting the more details and description writers give, the easier it becomes to create drawings from words. Eaves is signing copies of an original art print for fans visiting him at the Titan Books booth. Look for him again there on Sunday.
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Day one of Destination Star Trek Birmingham, the world’s largest Trek convention, is in the books. Thousands of fans from across the globe descended upon the NEC for the event, which did not disappoint. StarTrek.com was there, too, and has tons of photos and highlights to share...
Forever Borg
Jonathan Del Arco kicked off the day’s panels, recounting his recurring role as Hugh, the Borg, in a pair of TNG episodes and his appearance as Fantome in the Voyager hour, “The Void.” Asked by a fan to comment on the best part and worst part of being a Borg, he replied, “The best thing is United for All, all for one. It’s a collective. The worst thing is the inability to ever be alone. You’re never able to leave and have your own experience because you’re interconnected. If you could have both, you’d have a great society.” He later noted, “I like my privacy, so I don’t think I’d be great in a collective.”
Science-Faction
Andrea Boyd of ESA, the European Space Agency, introduced Trek fans to the universe of real-world space travelers — how they’re recruited, what they endure before ever heading into space, what it’s like out in orbit, etc. so, what is Boyd’s role: “When the astronauts call earth, I answer,” she explained. “I’m a real life Uhura.”
Boyd noted that right now there are exactly three astronauts in space: a European, a Russian and American, all on the International Space Station. However, there should be five. Nick Hague and Aleksey Ovchinin were set to join them via the Soyuz MS-10 craft, but a booster failure forced them to abort and drop back to Earth. Boyd put it in perspective, pointing out that, “Any mission you have astronauts taking off and landing safely is a successful mission.”
Exhibits to Visit
Fans queued to check out two fascinating exhibits, one featuring props, costumes and art from across the franchise, the other filled with Mirror Universe costumes and props director from the set of Discovery.
The Costume and Prop DisplayAmong the first museum’s items on display, McCoy’s medical kit, Nomad, a Trek IV Klingon Bird of Prey model, a DS9 floor plan and Prophets’ box,a First Contact assault rifle, comic book art from TNG, DS9 and TOS. Along with various uniforms and costumes across the franchise:
Vulcan Ambassador and a Mirror Universe Uniform from Enterprise
Reman Uniform from Nemesis
Data's Romulan Uniform and Picard's Robin Hood outfit from TNG
Spock's Space suit and undersuit along with Kirk's Uniform from The Motion Picture and Scotty’s Wrath of Khan engineering suit
Tellarite Costume from The Original Series
The Discovery Mirror Universe Exhibit
The display includes tons from the Terran Empire, including Emperor Georgiou’s full regalia and her sword, Mirror Burnham, Killy’s costume, assorted Mirror badges and weapons, Mirror Lorca’s uniform and much more.
That’s a Rapp
As the ESA panel ended and fans started to leave, Anthony Rapp surprised everyone by bounding out on to the stage for a surprise solo panel. He invited fans to ask him anything — except about season two of Discovery — and engaged the audience in a wide-ranging conversation.
Remain Cardassian
There were laughs aplenty when Vaughn Armstrong, Casey Biggs and Andrew Robinson gathered together to tease each other and recall their time playing Cardassians on DS9.
“I thought it was one episode,” Biggs said of portraying Damar. “It ended up being five years. I went from Marc Alaimo’s lackey to leader of the Cardassians.”
“Garak was so much smarter than I am,” Robinson admitted. “He was also a better liar. I didn’t know how to lie. I had to learn that. And I had to find the subtext.”
Armstrong paused dramatically when asked to pick his favorite song he performs as part of the Enterprise Blue Band. “That’s hard to say,” he said. “The first song I wrote was ‘The Enterprise Blues.’ That’s where the name Enterprise Blues Band came from. Then there’s the ‘Red Shirt Boogie. ‘“ And much to everyone’s delight, Armstrong crooned a few bits of both songs.
Game Time
Fans relived their youth in the Retro Gaming Zone. Home arcade games from across the decades were played all day long. Also wildly popular? Four Star Trek pinball machines, including the iconic TNG machine.
Photo Ops
William Shatner, you and... Tribbles?
You in the captain’s chair of a Klingon ship? Of the Discovery? With Jason Isaacs in the Discovery captain’s chair? On the bridge of the TNG Enterprise?
Pics with your favorite actors as you share a touching moment? All those opportunities and more are available to fans throughout the weekend.
Opening Ceremony
An opening ceremony at the end of Day One is a tradition at DST, as nearly every single celebrity guest steps out onto the main stage to greet fans and say a few words. Tonight was no exception, as William Shatner, Jeri Ryan, the ESA team, and groupings of cast members from TNG, and DS9.
Discovery closed the ceremony with Wilson Cruz telling fans this was his first time in Europe followed by Kenneth Mitchell transforming into Kol.
All ended by welcoming the thousands of fans in the house, setting the stage for an out-of-this-world weekend.
Visit StarTrek.com again tomorrow for highlights of Day Two at Destination Star Trek Birmingham. And check our social feeds for photos and news all day long.
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Star Trek Online is headed to Destination Star Trek Birmingham. It’s the largest celebration of Star Trek in Europe, and tons of your favorite Star Trek and STO actors will be there, including Jeri Ryan, Jeffrey Combs, Alexander Siddig, Michael Dorn, and of course, our newest cast member, Mary Wiseman. EU Design Lead Tim Davies will be there to host a panel with Mary about her work on Age of Discovery, and to reveal to you some of Star Trek Online’s plans for 2018 and 2019. Be sure to check it out, here’s the details:
Star Trek Online Enters the Age of Discovery with Mary Wiseman
Saturday, October 20 at 3:45 pm on the Excelsior Stage (Pending)
Welcome to the Age of Discovery. Join us for an inside look at the newest update for Star Trek Online, the free-to-play online game based on one of the most iconic sci-fi franchises of all time. In a panel hosted by Tim Davies and Malte Rautert from Perfect World, we’ll sit down with Star Trek: Discovery’s very own Mary Wiseman, to discuss her experience recording the role of Cadet Sylvia Tilly for the game.
• Hosted by: Tim Davies, Design Lead
• Featuring: Mary Wiseman – Cadet Sylvia Tilly in Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek OnlineAnd of course, if you can’t make it to Birmingham, we’ll have all the details for you right here, shortly after the panel. We can’t wait to see you at the event.
Star Trek Online is a free-to-play massively multiplayer online game that allows players to explore the Star Trek universe from within. Players can forge their own destiny as Captain of a Federation starship, champion the Empire through the far reaches of the galaxy as a Klingon Warrior, rebuild the Romulan legacy as the commander of a Romulan Republic Warbird or carry out daring missions on behalf of the Dominion as a Jem’Hadar soldier. Captains can also explore iconic locations from the Star Trek universe, make contact with new alien species and battle alongside other players in customizable starships. Star Trek Online is currently available on PC, PlayStation4 and Xbox One.
To download and play Star Trek Online today for free, visit www.playstartrekonline.com.
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Today, we explore the connections between that place “where everybody knows your name” and the places “where no one has gone before.” Cheers premiered about three months after Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, on September 30, 1982, and few could predict that the sitcom – which, like Star Trek, faced low ratings early on -- would become a cultural icon, nor that its characters would become popular parts of the TV landscape for more than 20 years. Join us as we share some of our favorite connections between Cheers, its spinoff Frasier, and Star Trek – including an amazing connection between the original Star Trek and Martin Crane’s famous recliner.
TREKKING TO BOSTON AND SEATTLE
Several of Trek’s series regulars made appearances on Cheers and Frasier before or after their time with Starfleet. Almost a decade before her pioneering role on Star Trek: Voyager as Captain Janeway, Kate Mulgrew played another leader in a three-episode arc of Cheers. Mulgrew’s character, politician Janet Eldridge, began a serious relationship with bar owner Sam Malone, played by Ted Danson. The fourth season’s last scene was a cliffhanger during which Sam made a phone call and proposed marriage to an unseen character meant to be either to be Janet or long-time love interest Diane Chambers.
Spinoff Frasier saw even more visits by Trek regulars. Star Trek: The Next Generation’s Patrick Stewart and Brent Spiner made separate appearances during the 2003 season. Stewart’s memorable guest turn was as famed fictional director Alistair Burke in “The Doctor is Out” and Spiner played Albert, an airplane passenger seated next to Lilith (“Lilith Needs a Favor”). There is a subtle reference to Data’s countenance when Lilith comments about Albert’s pale complexion, and Albert states, “I am always this pale.” Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s Rene Auberjonois (Odo) played Frasier’s mentor, Dr. William Tewksbury, in two episodes. Voyager’s Robert Picardo (The Doctor) appeared in “Bully for Martin,” playing a role that would’ve made Tuvok proud (if Vulcans felt pride, that is) – that of Charlie Koechner, a security specialist. Star Trek: Enterprise’s Anthony Montgomery (Travis) had a role as a waiter in “Something Borrowed, Something Blue.”
Many of Trek’s guest actors and actresses also appeared on the sitcoms, partially due to all three shows being Paramount productions at the time. Favorites include:
- Eric Menyuk (The Traveler on Next Gen) played a co-worker of postal carrier Cliff Clavin on Cheers
- Josh Clark, who portrayed the recurring and ill-fated Joe Carey from Voyager, in addition to a guest role as a tactical officer in the Next Gen episode “Justice,” guest starred on Cheers
- Vaughn Armstrong (Maxwell Forrest on Enterprise, among many other Trek roles) acted on both Cheers and Frasier
- Star Trek III: The Search for Spock actor Christopher Lloyd (Kruge) appeared as an eccentric artist named Phillip Semenko in a two-part episode of Cheers called “I’ll Be Seeing You”
- Keene Curtis (Voyager’s “Sacred Ground”) recurred on Cheers as the owner of the restaurant above the bar, named Melville’s. (PS: For Star Wars fans, it’s worth noting that Curtis also played the role of Grand Moff Tarkin on the PBS Star Wars radio drama)
- Georgia Brown (Worf’s mother, Helena Rozhenko) was Emmy nominated for her role of Carla’s spiritual advisor Madame Lazora on Cheers
- Saul Rubinek (Kivas Fajo on Next Gen) was Daphne Moon’s fiancée Donny Douglas in 15 episodes of Frasier
FROM BOSTON TO OUTER SPACE
Cheers and Frasier regulars returned the favor by appearing in Trek episodes. Star Trek fan Bebe Neuwirth (Lilith on Cheers and Frasier) played the curious Nurse Lanel in Next Gen’s “First Contact.” Kelsey Grammer, whose character of Frasier Crane appeared on TV screens for 22 seasons and who was the first actor in TV history to be Emmy nominated on three different shows (Cheers, Frasier, Wings) for playing the same character, was Captain Morgan Bateson (“Cause and Effect”). As captain of the temporally displaced U.S.S. Bozeman, the character became a fan favorite, making a voice cameo in First Contact and appearing in novels, notably Diane Carey’s Ship of the Line.
Before her Emmy-winning role as Rebecca Howe on Cheers, Kirstie Alley of course had appeared as Saavik in The Wrath of Khan. Alley’s Cheers co-star Paul Willson, who played frequent bar patron Paul Krapence, did a turn on Voyager as one of the Hierarchy aliens in “The Void.”
One of the most-interesting connections is actor Dan Butler, who played Robert “Bulldog” Briscoe on Frasier. Butler actually played the role of Tom Paris briefly, along with the roles of Steth and an imposter-version of Steth, in Voyager’s “Vis a Vis,” which involved a DNA-swapping alien.
ON THE SCREENS AND BEHIND THE SCENES
References to Trek were frequent on Cheers and especially Frasier.
Frasier character of Noel Shempsky, played by Patrick Kerr, is a coworker of Frasier at the radio station and an avowed Trekkie. In the episode “Star Mitzvah,” as revenge against Frasier for not securing him a promised Scott Bakula Enterprise autograph, Noel volunteers to translate a speech into Hebrew for Frasier to read at his son’s Bar Mitzvah – but actually translated it into Klingon instead. Making Noel proud would be the knowledge that the actor who played him, Kerr, had a role on Voyager as Dathon in the episode “Persistence of Vision.”
In the Cheers episode “Loathe and Marriage,” it’s learned that Frasier and Lilith got their friend Woody a set of Star Trek steak knives as a wedding present.
Because of its futuristic setting, the onscreen references to Cheers and Frasier cannot be as direct on Trek. However, they’re still there, including the Next Gen episode “Eye of the Beholder.” An onscreen personnel files for Lieutenant Anaanda Ziff shows previous postings on the U.S.S. Malone and U.S.S. Peterson, direct references to Cheers characters Sam Malone and Norm Peterson.
Norm’s first name also factors famously with the character of Morn, played by Mark Allen Shepherd. Morn appears in more than 90 episodes of Deep Space Nine, and guested on both Voyager (“Caretaker”) and Next Gen (“Birthright”). Morn is an anagram of Norm, and in addition to their names, both characters have a fondness for their respective bars and specific bar stools.
The television special Star Trek: 30 Years and Beyond was hosted by Ted Danson, and featured a skit set on the U.S.S. Voyager, with Kate Mulgrew as Janeway. Instead of the familiar family that comprises the Voyager crew, however, Janeway must contend with Frasier characters Roz (trying to snag a date with an alien), Daphne (who thinks she has Troi-like psychic powers), Martin (sitting in his favorite recliner), Niles (who wants a banality filter installed on the ship), and even Eddie the Dog (brought on board by… a Klingon).
Behind the scenes, there are also many connections. Stage 25, where both Cheers and Frasier filmed on the Paramount lot, was used to film parts of the “Under Construction” trailer for the 2009 Star Trek film.
Rick Berman, who executive produced Next Gen, and co-created and executive produced DS9, Voyager and Enterprise, was, prior to his time on Trek, Director of Current Programming for Paramount, with responsibilities over many Paramount shows… among them Cheers. Trek Production Designer and Art Director Herman Zimmerman, whose many contributions include co-designing Deep Space 9 with Rick Sternbach, and the bridge and Ten Forward of the U.S.S. Enterprise D, was Art Director for 68 episodes of Cheers.
Perhaps our favorite connection between the worlds of Cheers, Frasier, and Star Trek is Martin Crane’s famous, hideously upholstered, duct-taped recliner, which stood in contrast to his son Frasier’s refined taste in décor – and which symbolized the characters’ different approaches to life. The fabric from the chair actually came from leftovers in the Paramount warehouses from the set of the original Star Trek. We think it is pretty cool that two of TV’s most iconic chairs – that of Captain Kirk and that of Martin Crane – have a Trek-connection.
Goodnight, Seattle… and Vulcan!
Maria Jose and John Tenuto are both sociology professors at the College of Lake County in Grayslake, Illinois, specializing in popular culture and subculture studies. The Tenutos have conducted extensive research on Star Trek’s history, and have presented at venues such as Creation Conventions and the St. Louis Science Center. They’ve written for the official Star Trek Magazine and their extensive collection of Trek items has been featured in SFX Magazine. Their theory about the “20-Year Nostalgia Cycle” and research on Trek fans has been featured on WGN News, BBC Radio, and in the documentary The Force Among Us. Contact the Tenutos at jtenuto@clcillinois.edu or mjtenuto@clcillinois.edu.
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Take a browse through the ever-expanding Urban Dictionary and you will find the phrase "Riker’s Beard." As a Star Trek fan, and perhaps one who, ironically, is celebrating No Beard Day today, you will no doubt be familiar with the term, and here’s how the dictionary describes it:
"Euphemism for a moment in time (typically in pop culture) where something or someone that was lackluster and/or underachieving suddenly and surprisingly became much better and exciting. Taken from Star Trek: The Next Generation, which many fans considered wanting until Commander Riker grew a beard at the start of Season Two, after which the show was solid and well-received for the rest of its run."
The opposite to jumping the shark, Riker’s Beard is nothing but positive, a description of the moment when something average becomes something far better. Not that Jonathan Frakes and his onscreen alter ego Commander William Riker weren’t already great, but that first appearance of the Riker beard in the opening episode of “The Child” in season two was the start of a relationship that would continue for almost 30 years (Star Trek: Insurrection saw the beard take a trip to Risa for a few days, not that Troi was complaining).
The decision to grow the beard was all Frakes'. Tired of shaving, he opted to arrive at rehearsals unshaven and luckily for the actor, the urban dictionary and the rest of the known universe, Gene Roddenberry liked the facial fuzz as well. Speaking at a convention last year, Frakes recalled the moment when Roddenberry made clear his opinion on the beard. “I love the beard. It’s nautical. We’ll keep the beard, we’ll trim it down and shape it. It’ll be decorative.” It took five episodes of tweaking, shaping, shaving, trimming and sticking on hair when too much had been shaved away before the producers were finally happy with the beard's structural integrity.
So, a stylistic choice by the actor, fueled by a desire to not shave every morning created something that coincided with TNG stepping out of the shadow of its illustrious predecessor and becoming very much its own entity. Frakes himself was very clear which version of Riker he preferred:
"Bearded, without a doubt. I’m so proud that Riker’s beard is in the Urban Dictionary, defined as the opposite of jumping the shark. So, I’d have to go with the beard. And I’ve always liked the beard."
As the writer’s strike-stricken second season continued to develop, so the character of Riker grew with it. Will began to evolve from a sharply focused, career-driven first officer into the nurturing, team player full of wise words and encouragement that would eventually take command of the U.S.S. Titan in the final moments of Star Trek: Nemesis 15 years later.
To do the beard justice, perhaps we should highlight a trio of great beard moments. Of course, we can’t forget the bubble bath scene in Insurrection, when the Riker/Troi relationship blossoms once again, and Troi’s unforgettable reaction to kissing her bearded beau.
“Yuck!”
“Yuck?”
“I never kissed you with a beard before!”
“I kiss you and you say, yuck?”
The Federation's fateful encounter with the Borg during the events of “The Best of Both Worlds” saw the beard tested to its very limits as its owner pushed the boundaries of his temporary command by making decisions we believe a beardless Riker would have blanched at.
And who can forget the season-six episode “The Quality of Life.” as a trio of bearded Starfleet officers – Worf, Riker and Geordi La Forge (actor LeVar Burton, bearded for the one and only time on TNG due to his own real-life nuptials) – play poker with Dr. Crusher, announcing that she’s suspicious of men who wear beards because they might be hiding something.
"Hide? Don't be ridiculous, Doctor. The beard is an ancient and proud tradition."
And there you have it, a proud and ancient tradition brought to the Star Trek galaxy by an actor who very wisely decided that shaving was no longer for him. Here’s to Jonathan Frakes, William T. Riker and most importantly Riker's Beard.
Mark Newbold has been an avid Trek fan since the 1970's, when TOS was shown on UK TV, but it was the original cast movie series and TNG era that sealed the deal. Mark is a writer for Star Trek The Official Magazine, is editor-in-Chief of Star Trek: The Neutral Zone and was a stage host at Destination Star Trek Germany in 2018. At heart, he's a Niner. Follow him on Twitter.
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Anson Mount is boldly going where only a few men before him have been… into the shoes of Captain Christopher Pike. The actor will portray the character in the upcoming second season of Star Trek: Discovery. Mount, who hails from Illinois and grew up in Tennessee, earned a degree in theater from Columbia University in New York City. He made his television debut in Ally McBeal and has amassed numerous film and television credits, among them Crossroads, Smallville, All the Boys Love Mandy Lane, Lost, Dollhouse, Straw Dogs, Non-Stop, Hell on Wheels and Inhumans. Mount is set to join William Shatner for Christmas with the Captains, to be held December 7 and 8 at the Star Trek: The Original Set Tour in Ticonderoga, New York. Mount will sign autographs, pose for photos and participate in an intimate Pike on the Bridge Q&A session. StarTrek.com sat down with the easygoing Mount this past summer, during his time at Star Trek Las Vegas, where he told us about his Trek experience so far, discussed upcoming projects and more…
What’s your experience at Star Trek Las Vegas been like? Have you ever done anything like this?
This is my first Star Trek-specific convention. I've done Comic-Con a couple of times, but that's a whole other thing. That's like a media marketing festival now. This is much more intimate, and, yeah, it's great. As someone was saying to me earlier, you get paid to come to a place where people just want to walk up to you and tell you how wonderful you are. It's kind of a no-brainer.
Are you sensing the excitement people have for seeing you in action as Pike on Discovery?
Very much. There's a lot of expectation that makes me a little nervous, but it's kind of wonderful. I've never been so known for a role that has not been shown yet.
How did you get here? Did you audition for the role? Was it an offer?
I auditioned. I had auditioned... I was close to getting Lorca, actually.
Really?
I’ve got to say, they hired the right guy. I'm a big Jason Isaacs fan. I was a fan of Jason Isaacs before he did that role. I actually just watched The Death of Stalin on the plane on the way here. He's fantastic. But, with Pike, I think we'd had a good time meeting and talking and everything (about Lorca). When this role came around, they were like, "Hey, is Anson available?" My team said, "Yeah." They said, "Will he audition?" I was like, "Of course, I'll audition." I don't want to be miscast in something. It felt good to them, it felt good to me, and we decided to do it. I've got to say, I was very excited to get the role, and then it was surreal for a while. It's still surreal.
We can't talk too much about it, but in general, based on what we've seen in the past from your predecessors, what excites you about the character?
It's always great to play somebody you like. I'm not particular. As an artist, I'm not particularly partial to that, but it's a great side benefit when it happens. I'm not so concerned with characters being likable so much as understandable. I hope that Pike is both. The thing that we all knew from the beginning, the only thing we really knew, is that he needed to be the everything that Lorca was not. I think that there's enough track laid for the character that that's backed up by the mythos. That's already in place. I'm learning about him as I go. We're learning about him as we go. We've been feeling it out, redirecting, re-calibrating here and there to see what feels right. It's great to be on a show that can afford to do that, to take the time to really develop a role the right way. It's not always like that. When you establish a character on TV, you tend to be careful about choices that you make because you're making them for a long period of time. You start with very general things. I know he probably had good parents, and he definitely had good mentors. And he knows that his greatest resource as a captain is his crew.
How much did you watch Jeffrey Hunter's performance, or Bruce Greenwood's, just to get a feel for what they did in advance of you taking on Pike as a character?I'd seen Bruce's (Pike) in the theater a while back, and then I had not seen “The Cage” until I got this role. I just wanted to see the background. I didn't particularly think I resembled Jeffrey Hunter, at first, and then I happened to come across a picture of him playing Jesus, and for a second I thought I had come across a picture of Cullen Bohannon (Mount’s character in the acclaimed series Hell on Wheels). That's when I went, "Oh, OK. All right. Yeah, yeah, yeah. OK, I guess there is a resemblance." It's funny; I steal a lot as an actor, but I didn't really want to steal anything from any of these guys. For some reason, I felt like I needed to be respectful of what was there, but make it my own.
You also met Star Trek’s other Captain Pike, Sean Kenney, earlier today here at STLV…
What a lovely guy. Sean is such an old-school Hollywood guy.
And you met Jeffrey Hunter’s son as well, recently, right?Meeting Jeffrey Hunter's son, Chris, was incredible. He traveled all that way to Comic-Con just to tell me he thought his father would be happy with me being cast.
Were you a Star Trek fan at all over the years? Or are you relatively new to it?
Oh, yeah. I grew up with The Original Series in syndication. I've seen every episode multiple times. Then, The Next Generation started when I was in high school. After about the third season is when I went to college, and that’s when I went into a lock box for the next eight years.
We have no idea how long you’ll be on Discovery, but in theory, how ready are you for a long run if it works out that way?I guess I've gotten to the point in my life and my career where I don't really think about those things.
Really?
Yeah. I've worked very hard. My 20s was a nightmare of worry and my 30s was a period of training myself to be present. My 40s have been an enjoyable experience of being able to be in the present and not have to muscle myself into the present. I just sort of got used to doing it and not... I guess at a certain point you realize, "Oh, wait, we live in a country that doesn't have a debtors’ prison, and I'm not going to starve to death. Everything's going to work out." I don't really think about that too much.
You're walking in the door in season two of Discovery, meaning that this group had been together for more than a year already. How welcoming to you were the cast and crew?
Oh, my God, incredible. It's hard to be the new kid. They've just made me feel welcome from day one. It starts from the top down. Sonequa Martin-Green is one of the most-hospitable, loving, warm, elegant and vivacious people I've ever met in my life. She really brings a tremendous amount of energy, work ethic and respect to the set. When you see your number one working that hard – and when I say number one, I don't mean Number One in the Star Trek sense, I mean number one on the call sheet… When you see your number one working that hard and never complaining, you can't either. She leads by example.
Did you wrap anything else before starting on Discovery, that's going to be coming out in the near future?I shot a movie last fall called Midnight Climax, that is with a first-time writer director who also comes from a military intelligence background. This guy, Joseph Sorrentino, is... I think this guy's got it. They're still finishing up the movie in post now. I play a northern behavioral psychiatrist working in Mississippi in the 1960s.
Tell us about your podcast…It's called The Well, and our website is www.thewellpod.com. I am the co-host with my friend, Branan Edgens, who's a filmmaker and comes from an effects makeup background. The elevator pitch is that it's kind of like Radiolab, but instead of stories about science, it's stories about creative thinking. We come at it from all different angles, from not just artists, but we have a biologist, a football coach. We've got astrophysicists. Doug Jones is going to do an interview with us. People should check it out.
Lastly, how excited are you for the Christmas with the Captain event in December at the Star Trek: The Original Series Set Tour?
That sounds like a lot of fun to me. And I think the fans will love it.
It'll be Christmas with the Captains, as William Shatner and Anson Mount are set to beam down to Star Trek The Original Series Set Tour in Ticonderoga, New York, on Dec. 7 and 8. Shatner will be available for autographs, photo ops and, by popular demand, will host several Captain on The Bridge intimate Q&A chats, while Mount will also be available for autographs and photo ops, and will be doing a Pike on The Bridge event.
Tickets are on sale now. Go to www.StarTrekTour.com for additional details and to purchase tickets.
Star Trek: Discovery on Blu-ray
Star Trek: Discovery: Season One will arrive on Blu-ray and DVD on November 13 from CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Media Distribution. The four-disc Blu-ray and DVD collections, available to U.S. and Canadian fans, will feature all 15 first-season episodes of the CBS All Access series, as well as featurettes and other special features that will include cast and crew interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and deleted and extended scenes.Fans in the U.S. and Canada can pre-order on Amazon.com now.
Star Trek: Discovery's second season will premiere on Thursday, January 17, 2019, in the U.S. and Canada, and in the rest of the world on Friday, January 18, 2019.
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It’s still Fall 2018, but IDW Publishing is looking to the future, January 2019, to be precise, by announcing its Star Trek titles for that month. StarTrek.com has details and cover art to share…
First up is Star Trek: IDW 20/20. Written by Peter David, with J.K. Woodward handling the art and cover, IDW 20/20 kicks off IDW’s year-long 20th anniversary celebration: an all-new weekly event giving a glimpse of your favorite characters 20 years into the future -- or past. In this tale, it’s 20 before Jean-Luc Picard took command of the U.S.S. Enterprise-D, and he’s sitting in the captain’s chair of the U.S.S. Stargazer. Picard served with distinction aboard the Stargazer for many years on his way to becoming the most respected captain in Starfleet, but in this early mission, Picard showed that even he is merely a man.
Star Trek: IDW 20/20 will run 36 pages and cost $4.99.
Up next is Star Trek vs. Transformers #5, written by John Barber & Mike Johnson, with art and cover by Philip Murphy. In the conclusion of this landmark Star Trek/Transformers crossover, the Klingon-Decepticon alliance prepares to wipe out their enemies once and for all, prompting Kirk and the Autobots make one last desperate bid to merge Cybertronian technology with Starfleet ingenuity.
Star Trek vs. Transformers #5 will run 32 pages and cost $3.99. Fans should be on the lookout for a variant cover by Josh Burcham.
And there’s more, namely Star Trek: The Next Generation -- The Missions Continue, which gathers together TNG adventures by Brannon Braga, Scott Tipton, Zander Cannon and more, boasts art by David Messina, Gordon Purcell and others, and features a Joe Corroney cover. In it, fans can follow Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise-D as they explore new worlds chronicled in The Space Between, Intelligence Gathering, Last Generation, Ghosts, and Hive.
Star Trek: The Next Generation -- The Missions Continue is a hardcover that spans a whopping 568 pages and costs $59.99.
Lastly, fans will be able to beam up Star Trek: The Q Conflict #1 (of 6), written by the siblings tandem of Scott Tipton & David Tipton, with art and a cover by David Messina. When a dispute between godlike beings threatens the galaxy, it will take all of Starfleet’s best captains to stop them. Join James T. Kirk, Jean-Luc Picard, Kathryn Janeway and Benjamin Sisko – as well as their crews -- as they go head-to-head in a competition that will determine the fate of the Earth and beyond. Will they be able to emerge victorious, or will they be torn apart by The Q Conflict?
The first in a new six-part IDW miniseries, Star Trek: The Q Conflict #1 (of 6) will run 32 pages and cost $3.99. Fans should be on the lookout for variant covers by George Caltsoudas and J.K. Woodward.
For additional details, contact your local comic book retailer or visit www.comicshoplocator.com to find a store near you. And keep an eye on StarTrek.com for additional details about the IDW's upcoming Star Trek adventures, as well as exclusive First Looks at covers and preview pages.
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The largest Star Trek event in the world is ready to welcome fans from across the galaxy. Destination Star Trek Birmingham will take place this Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham, England, and it promises wall-to-wall Trek fun all weekend long, with star talks, screenings, presentations, exhibits, autograph and photograph opportunities, a museum, a world premiere and much, much more. Below are just a few of the highlights:
Celebrity GuestsDST will welcome 50 guests, spanning from actors – including most of the Star Trek: Discovery cast – to authors, astronauts, producers, artists and more. And they’ll all be available for autographs and photo ops.
What We Left Behind
DST will host the Red Carpet World Premiere of the Deep Space Nine documentary What We Left Behind. It’ll take place on Saturday evening at the event and fans can walk the red carpet with many of the show’s stars. Once seated in the main auditorium, the producers will introduce the film -- with help from the DS9 cast. Red carpet festivities will begin at 6.15pm. The documentary should finish by 9.15pm, followed by a party at the Hilton. (Party ticket sold separately).
Parties
The fun doesn't stop when the hall closes. DST will host themed parties on Friday and Saturday nights at the nearby Hilton Birmingham Metropole. Friday night is the Being William Shatner Party. Will you come dressed as Kirk? Denny Crane? T.J. Hooker, The Big Giant Head -- or a creative mashup? Saturday is the Mirror Mirror Party, with appearances by Chase Masterson and Max Grodenchik, and a performance by the Enterprise Blues Band.
Retro Gaming Zone
Fancy playing some of your favorite old pinball and videogames? Well, here’s your chance. Forty games will be available to play, for free, all weekend long. DST will also have a dedicated board games area where you can play beloved games or maybe discover a new one. This area will also be free to play across all three days.
Screening Room
Want to sit back, relax and enjoy some of your favorite old Trek episodes? Then be sure to visit the Screening Room, where you can watch everything from “Space Seed” and “Trials and Tribble-ations” to “Our Man Bashir,” “The Xindi” and “Blink of an Eye.”
Star Trek: Discovery Mirror Universe Exhibit
At Destination Star Trek, you will have the special opportunity to see original props and costumes from Discovery’s Mirror Universe. These are being shipped over from the production and are heading straight back after, so you have to be there. This exhibit is free for attendees.
Masquerade Event
The Destination Star Trek Birmingham Cosplay Masquerade will be held at the NEC on Saturday, October 20. Cosplayers can book themselves a place by submitting an application form to enter the final. Visit the DST site for details about times, judging, prizes and more.
Special Photo Opps
DST will be the place to engage in a number of rare, cool photo opportunities. Be sure to look captain-like on the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701, NCC-1701-D and Klingon bridges. And, DST will give fans the thrill of posing with several actors who’ll be back in their familiar visages, including Armin Shimerman as Quark, Aron Eisenberg as Nog, Max Grodenchik as Rom, Casey Biggs as Damar, Robert O'Reilly as Gowron. The surefire highlight: Shimerman, Grodenchik and Eisenberg all in costume for a Ferengi Family Photo.
Meet the Scientists
Trek has had a profound influence on many lives and inspired many viewers to pursue a life in science. So, DST has invited the European Space Agency (ESA) to the event. Over in The Science Zone, you can chat with them about all things space and their latest projects, see their models, and more. They’ll also present several panels – free for attendees -- each day throughout the weekend. Those on hand will include Erik Kuulkers, Janine Pforr, Andrea Boyd, Mario Cypko, Shahrzad Hosseini, Markus Landgraff, Richard Moissl and Aybi Demirsan.
Tickets for Destination Star Trek Birmingham and the full schedule are available at www.DestinationStarTrek.com. Keep an eye on StarTrek.com for highlights from the event and details about the best DSTB exclusives. -
Which Mirror Universe character is the most fierce? That's the question StarTrek.com posed to fans for this week's poll, giving as reply options Georgiou, Hoshi, Kira, Kirk, Lorca, Mayweather, Spock and Uhura. We love that the ladies of Trek really dominated the results. Check them out:
Georgiou (22%)
Kira (21%)
Spock (17%)
Hoshi (16%)
Lorca (9%, 485 votes)
Kirk (9%, 455 votes)
Uhura (4%)
Mayweather (1%)
How did your Mirror Universe character of choice fare?Be sure to vote in this week's poll...
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Hello, StarTrek.com readers:
In the new Planetary Post, we get a spectacular private tour of the historic Mt. Wilson Observatory. Walk in Albert Einstein’s footsteps and pay homage to the place where astronomers first discovered that the universe is expanding. Also — we celebrate Astronomy Day, World Space Week, NASA’s birthday and MY birthday! How much celebration can you stand?
Find out, and just tell them The Doctor sent you! And to learn more about the Planetary Society, go to planetary.org.Robert Picardo
Discovery Heads to Blu-ray: Wilson Cruz
in Star Trek: Discovery
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Sometimes the stars align. Just ask Wilson Cruz. He signed on for Star Trek: Discovery unsure quite how his character, Dr. Hugh Culber, would factor into the equation, and with no clue as to how long he’d stick around. Cruz debuted in “The Butcher's Knife Cares Not For The Lamb's Cry,” episode four of season one, and ultimately appeared in nine episodes as the partner of Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp). Most fans fell hard and fast for the pair, and they mourned along with Stamets when Ash Tyler (Shazad Latif) snapped Culber’s neck in “Despite Yourself.” However, dead famously doesn’t mean forever in the Star Trek universe, and it’s been confirmed that Cruz will return as Culber in season two. How that’ll happen and for how long, of course, are tightly guarded secrets, secrets that Cruz teased about during a conversation with StarTrek.com a few weeks back at Star Trek Las Vegas. Here’s what the actor had to say in this, the latest in our series of StarTrek.com interviews building toward the November 13 release of Star Trek: Discovery: Season One on Blu-ray and DVD...
How satisfied were you with season one?
Oh my God. I had no idea what to expect, to be honest with you, when I took this job. At the time, I was a recurring, so they weren't exactly sitting me down and pitching me the storyline. I was going along for the ride, and hoping for the best. And they gave me so much, especially towards the end there, to really chew on. So, I was really grateful. I also need to say that I was working on another show simultaneously, so my head was exploding. And I was working in two different cities at the same time. When I think of 2017, all I think about is airports. But I was very satisfied, yes.
What was your sense of where Hugh was when we met him and how he evolved over the season?
Well, if I'm honest with you, that's a better question to ask at the end of season two, because I think we got an introduction to Hugh in season one. I'm not going to sit here and act as if we got to know exactly who this man was, and what makes him tick. What we did find out was that he has an enormous love for his partner, that he’s very good at his job, that he’s trustworthy, and formidable, and that his instincts are unparalleled. What I wanted to do with season one was introduce who this person is and give him somewhere to go.
And in season two…
What I can say is… we find out a lot.
What worked best for you about the relationship between Hugh and Paul?
I was moved. I didn't know how it was going to be handled. I trusted our writers and producers, and so I knew whatever it was going to be, it was going to be good. But I was blown away, especially with the scene in our cabin, in the bathroom, brushing our teeth. I thought that was so perfectly written and executed on every level, and I'll add myself to that. I feel like Anthony and I gave people a real sense of a loving, supportive relationship between two geniuses who happen to be two men. But it was never about that. It was always about the love, and about the community that we were a part of on the show. And I'm really satisfied with the way that turned out.
What did you make of the reaction to the relationship from the fan base? Was the world ready for a gay couple on a Star Trek show?
We believed they were. I think Anthony and I did a very good job of responding in a strong, compassionate, appropriate way, but we also let people know we're not here for the hate, and we're not just going to roll over and let hateful things be said about us or our community. By the way, there was very little of that, which is what was really surprising to me. What was overwhelming was, we expected people to be intrigued by these characters, but I don't think we expected them to fall in love with them as quickly as they did. I think that's a testament to the writing and there's something to be said for two people who actually love each other.
Plus, you and Anthony shared some nice chemistry…
Thank you. As friends for 20 years, I think we brought all of that intimacy to the story. We bared our souls a bit, and I think people responded to that.
Last time we spoke, you discussed shooting your death scene. But, given the suddenness and brutality of the moment, how hard was it to actually watch Culber’s demise?
The first time I saw it, I turned away. You could imagine that watching my own death was really hard. Also, they kept flashing back to it in the following episodes. But you know what was really painful? Watching it with my mom. That was rough. She screamed.
Let’s address something specific. Did you know when you filmed that scene that you’d be coming back?
Yes.
Did that cushion the blow?
Yes. When we shot it, I knew that I’d be coming back, and that was great, but I didn't know how, and I didn't know to what extent exactly. But I knew where the story was going. So, again, I trusted our creators. I, as Wilson Cruz, the activist and actor, had many questions about the storyline, and they answered them. I trusted them, which is why I was so willing to go out and talk about the scene, and about the storyline, after the fact, because I do trust these storytellers and I know where their hearts are.
We know you have to choose your words carefully, but give us some sense, now that you’re deep into season two, of how Culber will factor into the action…
What I can tell you is that Anthony's character, Paul Stamets, is based on a real and genius scientist, a mycologist, actually. We extrapolate his science towards the future. So, there are hints and clues as to how my character comes back, based on that very real science.
Do you understand the science of the mycelial network?
I did not at first. I came on in episode four, so they’d done a few episodes, and this whole mycelial network was foreign to me, whereas everybody else had been in it for a while. So, I had to have a tutorial. Then, I did go get Paul Stamets’ book, and it helped me understand what we were getting at. But it took me a while because I'm not a scientist, believe it or not. It’s still complicated, but I understand it better now.
What did you do during your off-season?
I finished 13 Reasons Why, because we overlapped for a few months, and I had episodes left to do. I'm also executive producing a documentary series about the history of LGBT images on television called Out of The Box. So, we're finishing that.
Star Trek: Discovery on Blu-ray
Fans in the U.S. and Canada can pre-order on Amazon.com now.
Star Trek: Discovery's second season will premiere on Thursday, January 17, 2019, in the U.S. and Canada, and in the rest of the world on Friday, January 18, 2019.
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