Costume Con - Star Trekking for May 12, 2020
Mind Meld with Thad Hait, plus Trek Art and This Week in Trek History
How are you doing?
Are you hanging in there?
Are you alright?
Recognition of something I’ve feared for a few weeks now: WE are actually the ones living on Miri’s duplicate earth, aren’t we?
Meanwhile…
#TrekTuesdayCosplayCon2020
Yesterday I spotted this tweet.
Fun idea and I am going to participate, because why not?
Sadly, I don’t really have much Trek-related costume items to use. Sure, I’ve got some random insignia pins (as discussed a couple weeks ago) and a shirt I bought for ten dollars by utilizing a coupon on the back of a Cheerios box, but that’s about it.
My son, on the other hand, has created a number of outfits over the years.
One of his most recent was for this film he’s been working on with his friends.
Before that, there was this.
I’m also a big fan of this.
That’s a pretty high bar. Not sure how I’m going to surpass these.
Meanwhile, scrolling through my timeline, trying to find these photos, I came across this.
Maybe I can get him to recreate that moment for #TrekTuesdayCosplayCon2020.
Someone who I know will have a number of costume options is Thad Hait - and you can find out more about him in this week’s Mind Meld. Just keep scrolling…
ART TREK TUESDAY
By Lee Sargent
Each week, one of my favorite artists, Lee Sargent, draws a random Trek-related scene.
I really enjoy First Contact as a film, I think it stands alone aside from Trek as a film for non-trekkies.
My only critiques are that I don’t like how Data was elevated above the rest of the cast and even though I think she’s amazing the Borg Queen does add a flaw to the Borg, but then again they were already messing with them before TNG finished its run.
The end sequence with the Vulcans landing and making first contact is quite wonderful and I should mention that the soundtrack is beautiful. It’s a very easy Star Trek film to rewatch if not on the slightly gory side of things.
I did stir up some debate over on Twitter about the scene at the start when Picard is dreaming about the drill bit going into his eyeball and whether or not this actually happened or if it was a dream. Obviously they'd have to replace his eye if so which I guess doesn't really matter now LOL.
I decided to focus more on the first contact itself which looks so cool, I had a friend who legitimately didn't know who was going to show up so was extremely pleased to see the Vulcans when he does the hood flip back.
Check out more of Lee’s art at LeeDrawsStuff.com. Support his work at Patreon.com
MIND MELD
With Thad Hait.
In which we get to know a Trek fan just a little bit better.
Today we talk to podcaster Thad Hait. I first encountered Thad on Twitter and have long admired him as a positive - and amusingly opinionated - Trek advocate. I’m also jealous of the uniforms he wears in various tweets.
What’s your first Star Trek memory?
My very first memory is from when I was 7 or 8. This would have been early 1994. A local TV station was showing an episode of TOS at 6 every night followed by an episode of TNG at 7. My older sister turned on TNG, and I don't remember the details other than Worf was angry about something. That really doesn't narrow it down, but I started watching Star Trek every night after that.
How has Star Trek made a difference in your life?
Growing up as an awkward, nerdy kid on the autism spectrum who was often an object of ridicule for other children, Star Trek showed me a future where people like me (Data, Barclay, Spock, Odo, etc) were welcomed ad accepted for the people they were, which had a profound impact on me.
Favorite Captain?
Janeway is my favorite because she had to be completely independent. Even Kirk and Archer had Starfleet to fall back on from time to time. Janeway didn't have that. She and Voyager were out there where no one has gone before. Also, she demonstrated that she cared for her crew more than any of the other captains did, and she had a vulnerable side too. "Night" is one of my favorite Voyager episodes because it shows what it's like for a Captain in the throes of depression.
An underrated episode (or movie or even entire series)?
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country is my favorite of the movies, and I think it is often overlooked by people because everyone focuses on The Wrath of Khan. TUC has fantastic social commentary and tells a story that was very important for its time.
An overrated episode (or movie or even entire series)?
I think "The Inner Light" is a good episode with a decent high concept sci-fi story, but I think there are several other TNG episodes that are better stories.
Favorite Starfleet uniform?
The First Contact gray and black is my favorite. I've always felt it's the one that feels the most like a real uniform, and our heroes look fantastic wearing them.
What made you want to have your own uniforms?
In 2017, I donated to the fundraiser for What We Left Behind, the DS9 documentary. The reward tier that I donated at included tickets to Star Trek Las Vegas that year. I had always wanted to go to a Star Trek convention, so I was pretty excited. I knew lots of people dress up, so I decided to order a uniform and join in the fun. It was awesome! I enjoyed it so much that I have been buying various uniforms ever since. It's so much fun to dress up as one of your heroes, and I just feel cooler when I'm wearing one.
Overrated alien species?
Honestly, the Klingons. I know they are iconic Star Trek aliens, but I feel like we've seen them too much over the years.
Underrated alien species?
I would have liked to see more of the Andorians. Sure, we get Shran in Enterprise, but, Enterprise is the only series that focuses on them. They're one of the founding members of the Federation, they should really be all over the place.
Most contrarian Star Trek opinion?
I think Dr. Pulaski was a better character than Dr. Crusher. She was more interesting and showed real character growth in her attitude toward and treatment of Data between her first and final appearances.
What Star Trek quote have you found yourself using in conversation?
"It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not weakness. That is life." –Jean-Luc Picard, "Peak Performance"
First book, toy, or tie-in that you remember?
My first Star Trek merchandise of any kind were three of the Playmates action figures that my grandmother gave me for Christmas in 1994. Picard in duty uniform, Data in Dress uniform, and Chekov from Generations. I played with those figures and subsequent figures I purchased or received as gifts all the time. I used to obsess over all the information on the backer cards, reading the biographies of the characters and drooling over all the other figures advertised on those cards. I still love the Playmates figures and have several on my desk right now.
I highly recommend following Thad on Twitter.
Tag yourself.
THIS WEEK IN TREK HISTORY
FINAL REVISION
Plenty of goings-on this week in Star Trek history, with not only the airing of some fine episodes but also the release of two of the most controversial pieces of pre-Discovery Trek in history. But there were also a fair amount of people born, so let's go there first. On May 12, 1958, the great Jennifer Hetrick was brought screaming into this world. Hetrick would later lock lips with Jean-Luc Picard as Vash in the TNG episodes "Captain's Holiday" and "Qpid,” later appearing in DS9's "Q-Less.” She would also go on to appear in NCIS, Criminal Minds, and Cold Case, proving the only thing Americans like more than Star Trek is cold-blooded murder.
Also born on May 12, this time in 1978, was Amy Wheaton. You recognize the name, Wheaton is indeed the sister of Wil Wheaton, and appeared as Tara (albeit uncredited) in the TNG episode "When The Bough Breaks.” And on May 12, 1986, actress Emily Van Camp was born, better known as Sharon Carter in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Civil War. She's never been in Star Trek (yet) but she's pretty cool, no?
[Editor’s note: Winter Soldier is currently my favorite film of all time. It’s not logical, but it’s true. In fact, I think I’ll go watch it again RIGHT NOW.]
Speaking of people who have never been in Star Trek, on May 13, 1922, Bea Arthur was born. BEA ARTHUR. Dorothy Zbornak. Also, The Golden Girls and Star Trek were both on NBC so they could have been a shared universe - it's just no one has traveled back to that exact time yet. Get on it, Kurtzman.
[Editor’s note: pretty sure Bea Arthur runs the Paradise Saloon on Nimbus III:
Oh wait, wrong franchise. Let me know if I need to send someone over to take away your pain caused by watching that clip.]
Also born on May 13, in 1946, was Marv Wolfman, a gentleman who definitely does have things to do with Star Trek. Wolfman is a comic book writing legend, having worked on Spider-Man, Daredevil, Superman, and co-created the legendary character Blade, while working on Tomb of Dracula with Gene Colan. More relevantly, Wolfman co-adapted Star Trek HYPHEN The Motion Picture before editing the subsequent Marvel run for a couple of years. And on May 16th, two iconic TOS characters were born. In 1918, Barry Atwater was born and would go on to be the great Surak in "The Savage Curtain.” Later, in 1937, came one of the great sex symbols of the 1960s in the form of Yvonne Craig. Craig not only played Marta, the beautiful Orion slave girl in "Whom Gods Destroy,” but was also Barbara Gordon aka Batgirl in the William Dozier Batman series.
On May 13 in 1989, the TNG episode "Samaritan Snare" was aired, introducing the universe to the wonder of creativity and life that are the Pakleds, an alien race who are a bit like the Borg but much, much, much lazier. In 1996 we saw the Voyager episode "Resolutions,” which is mainly remembered for showing Captain Janeway having a bath, and next day, in 1988, we witnessed our first Romulan Warbird - which is really an awesome ship - in "The Neutral Zone.” Interestingly, it was originally supposed to be a season cliffhanger that introduced the Borg, with the second part opening Season 2, but due to issue with the writer's strike, which also hobbled Star Trek V a fair bit, they had to change it around. And of course, May 13, 2005, saw the series finale of Enterprise, "These Are The Voyages..." Sorry. On the plus side, that final ship montage is pretty cool. More positively, on May 14 in 1994 we said goodbye to Ensign Ro, who eventually sided with the Maquis against the Federation in the excellent TNG episode "Preemptive Strike,” which was the penultimate show of the entire run.
May 15, 1994, saw the crew of Deep Space Nine get their first taste of the mirror universe with "Crossover", with the fabulously kinky Intendant Kira coming face to face with our Major Kira. Similarly, on May 15 in 2002, some of the male crewmembers of the NX-01 took a trip to Risa in "Two Days and Two Nights,” where they got into all sorts of entanglements after pursuing attractive females, which unsurprisingly they failed to acknowledge once back on the ship. Notably, this episode won an Emmy for "Outstanding Hairstyles.” And on May 17, 2013, the film Star Trek Into Darkness was released around the world. Heh etek dungau worla stariben t' ish-veh va'ashiv.
Speaking of Surak…
DIRECTIVES
Why they blew up the Enterprise D. Also, why the Generations costumes were what they were.
Yeah, I don’t know that Planet of the Titans would’ve been all that great, but Okay, Herbert. (See much more in Sherilyn Connelly’s excellent The First Star Trek Movie.)
That’s all for this week.
Put an outfit together for #TrekTuesdayCosplayCon2020. It can be lame - I know mine will be.
And remember, it’s alright to not be alright. It’s also alright to wear a Star Trek outfit all day long because you’re not leaving the house anyway, so why not?
LLAP,