Reading Room Spotlight- "Star Trek- Inception" By S.D. Perry & Britta Dennison

Ever wondered what the relationship between a young James T. Kirk and Carol Marcus was like? Or perhaps you've pondered what Spock saw in Leila Kalomi before their reunion in "This Side Of Paradise"? Well, wonder no more... (FAIR WARNING- Their are some slight spoilers in this review!)



The novel "Star Trek- Inception" attempts to tell the backstory of these 2 doomed romances, filling in an unexplored gap in the characters' lives. The story of their relationships is set against the backdrop of the Inception program (a precursor to the Genesis experiment), to which both Carol Marcus and Leila Kalomi are contributing. A crazed space environmentalist named Thaddeus Kent wants to shut Inception down by any means necessary, and it will take the combined efforts of Kirk and Spock to make sure that Marcus and Kalomi's work doesn't turn into a galactic disaster.

I was a bit trepidacious about this one when I first picked it up. Prequel stories are often very hard to pull off (as evidenced by Star Wars Episodes 1-3), since the reader knows how the story truly ends before they even turn the first page. Still, I thought it would be nice to see the author's interpretation of exactly how these relationships formed (and ended). I'd always wondered how Kirk made the decision to walk out on a pregnant Carol Marcus, or how the emotionless Mr. Spock had formed such a bond with Leila Kalomi. So I dug into it. The results were quite a mixed bag...

What the book gets right is the personification of the characters. Kirk and Spock are just as they should be, with Spock's unfamiliarity with emotion and Kirk's confident nature being showcased as the core of their characters. What's truly impressive though is the way the authors handle Marcus and Kalomi. While existing canon doesn't provide a whole lot on these two, the authors manage to capture their personalities quite well, even intertwining their histories in a completely believable manner. The authors also manage to get all 4 main players working together while not actually having Kirk and Spock cross paths, thereby avoiding any possible hiccups in the characters' histories.

Unfortunately, there is a lot that didn't work for me as well. First, there's the main villain of the piece: Thaddeus Kent. A great deal of the book is spent exploring his character and motivations. So much so in fact, that I feel the main characters get slighted in favor of learning more about why Kent does what he does. While I understand the need for a reader to identify with what motivates a villain, I felt that the exploration of his character was needlessly long, especially when you consider that the book is trying to cover two relationships in fairly short story. That's where my other main problem comes in: There isn't enough of either the Kirk/ Carol or Spock/ Leila relationships to fulfill any preconceived questions that the reader might have. I don't think I'm alone in putting the question of how Kirk left a pregnant Marcus as my main question in his and Carol's relationship. The entire book teases us with Carol's inability to reveal the pregnancy to Jim, awaiting the moment when all will be revealed and Kirk will make the decision to leave. Sadly, it never happens. The book ties up the Kent struggle in fairly short order, but the pregnancy thread is just left dangling out there. Even worse than that in my eyes is the way the Leila/ Spock relationship is handled. While one could see how Leila's feelings in "This side Of Paradise" could have been inspired by the events shown here, I don't see anything on Spock's side that would have caused the emotional reaction shown in that episode. I feel like the authors could have played a bit more towards Spock's inability to hide his emotions at this earlier stage in his life, showing a connection with Leila that would cause the stirring of emotions we witness in TSOP. It just feels like a lost opportunity all around.

While I do have some gripes with this one, it was still fun to see these relationships in the limelight. I can't recommend this one as a "must-buy", but since the book is fairly short (only around 300 pages with a pretty large type-font used), it might make a relaxing read on a rainy afternoon. If you go into this knowing that your questions on their relationships will largely go unanswered, you should be able to just check your inquisitive mind at the door and enjoy the ride...

Star Trek The Sci-Fi Channel Special Edition Extras- "Who Mourns For Adonais?"

Here's all the extras from the Sci-Fi Channel Special Edition of "Who Mourns For Adonais?". Awesome stuff from Michael Forest in this one...

Star Trek 'Potpourri' Spotlight- Action Fleet Mobile

Item Name: Star Trek Action Fleet Mobile
Manufacturer: Mars Candy Corporation



The Rundown: After the huge success of Star Wars back in 1977, many companies were banking on "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" to be the next big licensing juggernaut. The merchandising range of TMP far outranks that of any of the following "classic" Trek films, despite the fact that it is probably the most cerebral of the bunch. One of the larger companies to sign on as a promotional partner was the Mars Candy Corporation, which produced the piece we are looking at today- The Star Trek Action Fleet Mobile! Let's jump right in... oh wait... apparently we are supposed to read this first:



Okay. Glad we looked at that first. I would have tried to assemble part 2 before part 1 had I not checked that first. Boy, would my face have been red. Oh... and apparently this item allows one to "Have Fun And Learn About Outer Space". The fun part I get... but I'm still scratching my head as to what I learned about outer space. Other than the fact that there are giant starships flying around up there.

Aside from those instructions, this sheet also details how one would have received this piece of perforated paper perfection. If you had 5 candy bars and $1.50 lying around, you were in business. 5 candy bars!?! Remember- that was back in 1979... No wonder our kids are in such rough shape nowadays. Oh, and what the heck is a "Summit" candy bar? Sounds pretty freaking boring. I guess "Board Meeting", "Business Retreat", and "Company Outing" were alternative candy bar names that just didn't make the cut.



Inside your mailer envelope, you'll find this nice gatefold poster detailing some of the ships and faces from TMP. The first section features the crew of the Enterprise-



The rest of the poster focuses on each of the vehicles included as part of the mobile. There are 5 vehicles included, and a crossbar section to display the entire thing on. Each vehicle is constructed by popping their parts out of a construction sheet (or sheets in some cases) and then assembling them according to the instructions.Let's start small and work our way up...



First up is the diminutive Travel Pod, which is completely contained in one construction sheet:





Since it's all contained in one piece, the Travel Pod is the easiest of the bunch to assemble. I wish the image of the cockpit area featured Scotty and Kirk instead of a single pilot, but the ship itself is neatly done and is a fair approximation of the screen-used miniature (especially when you consider this is just folded up paper).



Next up is the Work Bee, which is also a "one-sheeter"...





This one was a breeze to assemble, with only 2 parts in all. It may seem an odd choice for the mobile, since it has so little screen time, but I can't fault Mars for including something extra. It's grossly out of scale with the Enterprise, but it looks nifty so I am cool with it.



Things start to get a little more complicated with the Vulcan Shuttle, which has parts that span two sheets instead of just one:





Now we're getting down to business! As cool as the 2 smaller vehicles turned out, I was really impressed by how the mobile's designers managed to pull off the Vulcan shuttle. Though it seems like a relatively simple ship design, reproducing it as a paper good was probably a fairly daunting task. The end result is very nice, with this ship being my favorite of the bunch.



With parts that cover 3 sheets, the assembly process gets a lot trickier with the Klingon Cruiser:





While I understand the limitations of what I'm working with, I was a bit disappointed in this one. I guess it's almost impossible to capture the spherical look of the bridge area as a paper construct. But after the awesomeness of the Vulcan Shuttle, the Klingon Cruiser was a slight letdown.



The last of the ships is (of course) the Enterprise, which also uses 3 sheets to house all of it's parts:





By the time I finished this one, I felt like an origami Jedi. Like I could make a scaled model of the Taj Mahal using 2 Kleenex and a sheet of construction paper. It's the little victories in life that are worth celebrating.



Even with a couple of minor nitpicks, I think they did a fantastic job on this one. sure, there's a hole through the saucer section and the ship is a bit wobbly, but MAN... that's the Enterprise... MADE OUT OF PAPER! Awesome sauce.



Sadly, though my hands were sweaty and my fingers numb, I wasn't quite finished. The last bit of work was the crossbar section you see above. This one is easily slapped together though, so I managed to push on through. Included with the pack is a length of string that you thread through the assembly and into your completed ships, allowing them to dangle in orbit. I guess that's the part where you learn about space. You'll notice I don't have an a picture of the assembled mobile. Well, that's because I didn't want to try and get the thing home like that... though in hindsight, dangling the whole rig from my rear-view mirror would have ruled.



So there ya go- A little slice of promotional history known as the Star Trek Action Fleet Mobile. You can usually snag these unassembled for between 10 to 15 bucks. At that price, it makes a fun rainy day project, especially for the younger Trekkies in your life. Though I wouldn't suggest feeding them 5 candy bars beforehand...

Star Trek The Sci-Fi Channel Special Edition Extras- "The Apple"

Here's all the extras from the Sci-Fi Channel Special Edition of "The Apple". There's an interesting bit with Walter Koenig in this one...

Playmates Spotlight- Admiral Kirk

Figure Name: Admiral Kirk
Manufacturer: Playmates Toys



Playmates released this Admiral Kirk as part of their "classic Star Trek" assortment, way back in 1995.



The Rundown: I last tackled a standard Playmates 4.5" figure in November of 2010. Wow. I'm really slipping. I hope I remember how to do this...



Released as part of the Playmates "Classic Star Trek" figure assortment, this Kirk figure recreates one of his looks from Star Trek The Motion Picture. Kirk has a few different attires to choose from in the film, but this Admiral uniform was probably the wisest choice for Playmates. Since both the Spock and McCoy figures from this wave sport the standard TMP gray uniform, releasing Kirk in the two-toned uniform of an Admiral helped differentiate him a bit more on the shelves. Plus that uniform is freaking great.



Playmates did a bang-up job recreating the look of the costume on the figure. The uniform detailing is pretty accurate, from the rank braids on the sleeves to the stylish TMP belts. BUT.... there is one glaring mistake. Can you spot it? Here's a hint-



Now do you see it? Kirk's collar was actually white in the film, but for some reason Playmates left it unpainted on the figure, leaving it the same gray color as the rest of the uniform. Weird, huh? Even though it's inaccurate, I kinda like the contrast in colors and I almost wish it looked like that in the movie.



The head sculpt here is the same one used on all of the older Kirks released by Playmates. I think it works far better here than on the "Generations" versions though. It's an odd fit for the older, ummm "thicker" Kirk... but it's perfect for a TMP era version. The worry lines on the forehead may be a bit strong, but overall it's a very strong likeness.



Kirk features the same basic articulation points used on most Playmates figures at the time, with the exception of the waist swivel. Since the uniform comes down over the waist, the joint was scrapped in favor of accurate sculpting. The hips are a bit constrained as well due to the uniform, but since there's nothing to sit these figures down in anyway, it's not really a big deal.



Accessories: Kirk includes a wrist communicator, phaser, and a PADD. They are all cast in red plastic... I understand that at the time Playmates wanted the accessories to *pop*, so they casted them all in different colors... but I REALLY wish they'd have just done these all in gray. Even though they'd have lacked painted details, they would have looked MUCH more screen accurate that way.



Oh! I almost forgot to mention the V'Ger piece! Collect all the TMP style figures, and you can build your own V'Ger (albeit a miniaturized version). If I'm not mistaken, this series is one of the very first example of the build-a-figure concept that is so prevalent in toys nowadays. Playmates Star Trek.... quite the innovative toyline!



Other than the inaccurate collar, I really have no complaints with this guy. If you're starting up a classic Playmates collection, this Kirk (along with the other TMP style figures from the wave) are definitely worth going after. You can find them all relatively cheap nowadays (like most Playmates Trek stuff), so head on over to eBay and snag a set! They'll add some nice diversity to your Playmates Classic Trek display!

Star Trek 'Potpourri' Spotlight- 1968 Aladdin Lunchbox

Item Name: Star Trek Lunchbox
Manufacturer: Aladdin Industries

The Rundown: Back when I was in elementary school, status symbols weren't things like cars or clothes... it was your lunchbox. Lunchboxes said a lot about what kind of kid you were. Since they all cost about the same amount of money regardless of what was plastered on the box, the choice of which one you carried was based almost completely around your personal bias. If you had a He-Man, G.I.Joe, or MASK box, you were (as Charlie Sheen would say) "winning". Whereas if your mom plopped your PB&J sammich into, say, a Go-Bots box? Well, it was a sure bet you weren't going to be eating at the cool kids table.



So when did this long-lasting affection for stylized lunch housings begin? Glad you asked. Back in the 1950's, the Aladdin Corporation came up with the ingenious idea of licensing popular characters and applying their images onto lunchboxes. Aladdin's first product, the Hopalong Cassidy box- was met with HUGE success, sending their lunchbox sales from 50,000 to 600,000 units in a year! More licensed product quickly followed, including a box released in 1968 based on a little science fiction show you might be familiar with...



Even though the Star Trek lunchbox was released towards the tail end of Trek's initial televised run, the box was still a large success, reportedly selling in excess of 250,000 units! Priced at $3.49 and done in the traditional dome styling, the lunchbox features artwork plastered on each side of it's surface.



Very much like the Gold Key comics of the time, the images created for the box aren't all that faithful to the show, but offer a fun-filled, action-packed take on our beloved characters. Just look at that side panel above for example. Kirk and Spock running off to blast some aliens. Pretty standard, right? Well...



What the heck kind of gun is Kirk using here?!? An antique naval pistol? A boomstick? Who knows, but I'm sure he won't get an trouble from those dirty Klingons with that piece in his hand.



By far, my favorite piece of art from the lunchbox is the large image of the Enterprise soaring through the sky on the box's front. It really is an amazing piece of vintage style Trek art. I'm really curious what happened to the original art for this box. Is it in some filing cabinet somewhere... or perhaps it's in the homes of the box artists (Bob Burton & Elmer Lehnhardt)? Regardless of the medium it was used for, stuff like this should really be on display somewhere. I'd pay a few bucks just to take a look at the originals.



Like all your standard Aladdin lunchboxes, the Star Trek box includes a dedicated thermos (you know- for keeping your drinks cold or your soups warm). The Trek thermos features the same style of art from the box, only this time it's one large scene encircling the entire bottle. There's the image above, with Kirk & a green-shirted Spock doing some skeet-shooting...



...pink-shirt guy making a call on his phone, whilst a low-orbiting Enterprise soars overhead...



...and lastly, a male and a female crewmember doing some fun stargazing. Not really sure why the male crewmember felt the need to bring a phaser rifle along with him, but better safe than sorry I guess. I like to think that these 2 are Chekov and Yeoman Landon from "The Apple". Just like in that episode, Chekov is using the opportunity of an important and potentially dangerous mission on a planet's surface to make some kissy time with the lovely yeoman. You go Chekov.



The 1968 Aladdin lunchbox is one of the cornerstones of a vintage Trek memorabilia collection. With so few licensed products created during the show's initial run, this lunchbox stands out, mostly due to it's outstanding quality. At the original retail price, a ton of these made their way into the hands of young Trekkies... but finding one in good shape nowadays is a tough (and expensive) task. If you decide to go after one, be prepared to shell out anywhere from $200-$500 on average for a mint example. With such a steep price, I can only recommend this one to the most hardcore of vintage collectors...

Big Announcement- "A Piece Of The Action"Star Trek Collectibles Panel At The Nashville Official Star Trek Convention!

I've been talking with Creation Entertainment for about a week now on this, and it's been killing me not to say anything about it... But now that it's up on their site, I can spill the beans!



At the Creation Entertainment Official Star Trek Convention taking place in Nashville, TN from July 29-31, I will be hosting a discussion panel on Classic Star Trek Collectibles! The presentation will cover the history of collectibles produced on the classic show, focusing on the main merchandise available throughout Trek's 45 year life. While the focus will mainly be on the toys, we'll also take a look at the comics, trading cards, and some other popular items that were available to Star Trek fans during each decade. The panel will also offer a peek at some of the unproduced items that never made it out to the public! And if you get involved in the Q & A portion of the discussion, you'll have a chance to take home some sweet Trek collectible prizes!

So if you are planning on coming out to the show, PLEASE come by the panel and check it out! It's tentatively scheduled for Saturday, but that may change as we get closer to the convention dates. I'd really love to meet some readers from the site and talk Trek with ya. Hope to see you there!

Playmates Spotlight- Captain James Kirk (9" Figure- As Seen In the Episode "City On The Edge Of Forever")

Figure Name: Captain James Kirk ("City On The Edge Of Forever")
Manufacturer: Playmates Toys



Playmates released this Kirk back in 1997 in their "Warp Factor" style packaging. COTE Kirk was a Kaybee Toys exclusive, with roughly 7500 figures produced. Sorry, no boxed pic this time, but here's his bio from the back at least-



The Rundown: Before we get into this one, I just wanted to give a shout-out to my friend Mike Beckett for designing the new banner for the site! Using the logo he designed and a picture my wife took of Nanjin's custom 12" figures, he created that awesome image you see above. Mike has been a close friend for years, and has hooked me up with some great (and free!) design work for various projects of mine. He's in the midst of starting up his own clothing company- Confront Clothing. Their site isn't quite active yet, but be sure to shoot over there and bookmark it for when product does become available.

With all that said... let's take a look at Kirk!



We've talked about Playmates 9" line a few times now, but for those who may have just recently discovered the site, here's a basic view of the line- The figures all feature the same 2 semi-decently articulated bodies (a male and a female) adorned with individualized cloth outfits that give each figure it's unique appearance. Each character routinely had 1 standard head sculpt reused throughout the line for each of it's releases. The line offered a HUGE range of attired looks for the main crew (due to the inexpensive nature of production) and stands as one of the most expansive collections of Classic Star Trek figures ever made.



Since the line was notorious for doing the main crew members repeatedly in different outfits, it's somewhat of a no-brainer that "City On The Edge Of Forever" was represented here. COTE offered a very unique take on Kirk and Spock, so I'm sure Playmates had it high on their list of possible variations for exclusive offerings. Both Kirk and Spock (and later Edith Keeler) made it into production as Kaybee Toys exclusives, with a retail price of $34.95 each. While that may seem outrageously high for 1997, you have to remember that it was a different time... when Trek was at the height of collectible popularity.



Kirk's head sculpt is the same that we've looked at on previous 9" spotlights. I'm a big fan of it when it's painted well, which it is here. I really feel they nailed Shatner's likeness, especially given the fact that this is rotocast (a material typically hard to get sculpts right with).



At first glance, Kirk's outfit looks really great. The jacket and pants have an almost corduroy feel to them, and the shirt's flannel pattern is very nicely represented (something lacking on the 4.5" version). The clothes even seem to fit just a little oddly, just like they were intended to on the show. If you never opened the jacket, this would be a pretty fantastic COTE Kirk...



Sadly, I did open the jacket. What you find under there is just...weird. Instead of a full shirt, Kirk has this odd dickie thing on. Sure, I know that Playmates was doing these on the cheap, so a full shirt was probably too much to hope for. But this? This makes Kirk look like an exotic dancer. Do yourself a favor and never open that jacket up.



Accessories: Besides the lack of a full shirt, the only other gripe I have is with the accessories. Kirk includes a phaser, a communicator, and a tricorder (plus a stand which isn't pictured). You could make the argument that the tricorder makes some sense, but the other 2 are just cheap additions that seem very out of place. I would have much rather seen some ordinary stuff thrown in, like a bag of groceries or a bowl of soup. Ah, what can you do...



The Playmates 9" line is definitely an acquired taste. There's a bit of cost-cutting across the line (like Kirk's Chippendales outfit here), but it really does offer a ton of character looks to choose from. The COTE offerings are well worth grabbing if you decide to get into it, despite a couple of shortcomings. You can usually snag them at original retail cost or slightly below, and at that price the Kirk is probably worth adding to your collection. Anything more than that and you're paying too much for what you get...