Trading Card Spotlight- Star Trek The Motion Picture (Topps)

Item Name: Star Trek The Motion Picture Trading Cards
Manufacturer: Topps



The Rundown: If you were a big name action-adventure/ sci-fi film in the late 70's or early 80's, odds are that Topps made a trading card set based on ya. The company tackled everything from "Harry and the Hendersons" to "Rocky II"... so of course they once had their hand in producing trading cards based on Star Trek. Topps released 2 sets based on the Star Trek brand: a 1976 set focusing on the original series, and a set in 1979 tied into the motion picture. In Tarrantino fashion, I'm going to review them out of order and start with the latter set today...



With TMP expected to bring in audiences comparable to Star Wars, it's not surprising that Topps produced a set based on the film. What is surprising though is the quality of this product! The set consists of 88 cards and 22 stickers. The cards feature an incredible selection of imagery on their fronts. From the standard publicity shots seen above...



...to awesome set pictures like this one. Since TMP is probably the biggest visual feast of all the classic Trek films, Topps had a lot to play with here. What makes the set great is that instead of just plastering images directly from the film on the cards, Topps mined a bunch of imagery from the actual production as well, leading to some fantastic unintentional "making of" shots. For example:



Here's a shot from the film showing the alien probe invading the bridge. Now let's take a look at the trading card from the same scene-



Same deal here, only now we can see the actual light used on set to simulate the brightness of the probe! Seeing this production stuff has always been a real treat for me, so finding these gems on the cards was the cat's pajamas. My fav of the bunch though has got to be this one:



In this shot from the making of the doomed transporter sequence, you can actually see the actors filming their parts (which were later obscured by the effects). How awesome is that? If you said "pretty darned awesome", give yourself one gold star.



The set also includes some cards of things either missing from or barely glimpsed in the film. A sizable number of the cards are devoted to the aliens designed for the film, while others...



...provide detailed views of the ship models used for filming. The whole set is like a miniaturized production gallery! Had I owned these as a kid, the imagery on the fronts alone would have kept them miles away from my bike spokes.



On the back of each card in the set, you get one of two things. Most of the cards in the set feature puzzle pieces to complete large pictures from the film, with completed versions shown on some to give you an idea of what you're supposed to be making.



A lesser portion of the backs actually feature a writeup of some sort. Some have bios on the folks involved in making the film, some tell a bit of the story, and a couple just relay quotes from the actors. I wish there were a bit more of these in the set instead of so many puzzle parts, but I understand that the puzzles were standard fare back then.



Before I move on to the stickers, I should probably mention the promotional version of the card set. As you can see by the different numbers printed on the cards above, there are actually 2 versions of this set out there. Well, I take that back- there are actually a total of 5 versions that I know of. There's the standard 88 card set, plus 4 sets shortened to 33 cards used as a tie-n with a bunch of bread companies.



With each specially marked loaf of Colonial, Kilpatrick, Manor, or Rainbo bread, one would receive a Topps TMP trading card. The bread sets consist of 33 cards culled from the original 88, with numbering changed to reflect their shortened tally. The backs were also altered, eliminating the puzzle pieces and adding each company's respective logo. Got all that? I hope so, because it confused me just typing it out.



Back to the regular set... Each pack of cards included 1 sticker, with 22 individual stickers compromising the full set. The imagery used here is mostly the same used on the cards... only now it's stickier.



Just like the cards, the stickers include some really cool production imagery. One of my favs of the set is the Saurian sticker pictured above. Creepy!



As a huge fan of the visuals seen in TMP, I absolutely love this set. There's just SO much cool imagery here that I can't say enough good things about it. Some sellers try and get top dollar for a complete set with stickers, but if you are patient, you can sometimes get it in the $20 range. At that price, I'd definitely recommend a pickup. Just watch out for those bread sets! You'll be missing out on 55 cards worth of awesomeness if you blindly acquire one of those...

AA/ DST Spotlight- Original Series Communicator

Item Name: Original Series Communicator
Manufacturer: Diamond Select Toys



Diamond Select first released this communicator around 2007 in the black style box seen above...



...followed by a pairing with the TOS phaser (pictured is the Entertainment Earth version)...



...and lastly, in the blue "universal" branding single box (available through Toys R Us). *Phew*



The Rundown: If there's one thing that Diamond Select has done better than just about any other Star Trek licensee, it's offering really nice prop replicas at affordable prices. Sure, their stuff might not be as screen accurate as a Master Replicas piece, but you absolutely can't beat what you get for the price. We've previously looked at the various DST Tricorders (which you can find HERE), and one day I'll get around to highlighting the plethora of Phaser releases... but today we are gonna get chatty with the TOS Communicator replica!



Now I'm no prop expert, but I think DST did a heckuva job replicating the screen used prop here. The size and shape seems just right, and the internal area looks like it jumped right off the screen. Often times, a toy (and yes, this is technically still a toy) will have to compromise it's accuracy in favor of electronics. Not so with the DST Communicator. Everything works exactly as it should, with no oversized buttons or enlarged speakers getting in the way.



Speaking of the electronics- there's no shortage of bells and whistles here! Let's start with moire. A lot of previous communicators settled for a lenticular sticker to reproduce the spinning moire effect. Stickers suck. With the DST Communicator, flipping open the grill activates an actual electronic "spinning" effect. It's a bit on the noisy side, but man does it look sweet...



Now that we have her open, we can access the rest of the effects. The interior area features 3 lights (yellow, blue, & red) and a small silver area which houses 2 buttons and small speaker. The lights activate when the communicator flips open, but most of the sound effects are initiated by the use of the 2 buttons. The button on your right (closest to the wall of the communicator) allows you to cycle through the different voice clips stored in the device, while the button on your left activates the "red alert callback" feature. Press it in for a few seconds, close the lid, and your communicator will actually call you... You don't even need friends with this thing.

Check out this quick video for a rundown on the electronics. Oh... and I used the "test" feature on the voice clips so that I wouldn't have to keep pressing the button over and over. Just in case you were curious. Which you probably weren't.



Pretty slick, huh? For those of you that have the standard DST Communicator in your collections, you may have noticed that there were actually 9 phrases featured in that video instead of the 8 featured in a standard version. That's because I used the Entertainment Earth exclusive version for this demo. The EE version includes the extra Spock phrase "Your signal is very weak, can you turn up your gain?". But that's not the only difference in that release...



DST used three distinctly different grills (or antennae if you prefer) across their Communicator releases. While the standard and EE versions only differ in color, the TRU version looks to be an entirely different mold. Let's check 'em out!



Up there is your 'standard' release- metal grill with a nice brass paint job. I think this is my fav of the grills.



The Entertainment Earth exclusive features a golden paint job over a metal grill. While I prefer the bronze of the standard, I have no problems with this one either. I just imagine this one as a brand new, "polished" Communicator... How they might look before Kirk breaks 'em in.



Lastly, we have the newer Toys R Us release. Eh. I'm not a fan of this one. I guess for cost reasons, they switched to a gold plastic for this version... and boy does it show. The mold is thicker, with larger rings connecting it to the Communicator's body. The holes in the grill are also REALLY small, making the lid seem more solid than it should. Overall, a definite step down in quality.



Still, no matter which version you opt for, there's no denying that this is one fine piece of equipment. The sound effects are great, the callback feature is really fun, and the overall design is sharp. If you can, try and grab one of the earlier 2 releases... but if cost is an issue, go ahead and snag the Toys R Us version. Most TRU stores I've seen have it on clearance at a measly $18, which makes the cheaper grill a little easier to accept. Now I just gotta find some nice velcro to attach this thing to my pants with...

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!