Category Archives: Complete Database

The Curious Case of The Scorpion and the Copious Colors of Canopies

2002’s Star Trek: Nemesis included a scene with Picard and Data escaping in a Scorpion-class ship. In 2003, Hallmark released The Scorpion ornament and it is the only Star Trek ornament that involved both Lynn Norton (ship sculpt) and Anita Marra Rogers (character sculpts) together. Each artist was known for sculpting dozens of Star Trek ornaments during their career. Unfortunately, The Scorpion went under some last minute changes and Rogers work has gone mostly unseen for years.

Look closely beyond the smoked canopy of the Scorpion ornament, and you may discern painted figures of Captain Picard and Data in the cockpit as sculpted by Keepsake Artist Anita Marra Rogers. Original designs for the ornament included a transparent canopy on the ornament, but changed to match the studio model used for filming. The change came too late to alter photographs on the ornament’s retail box and other Hallmark publications, which clearly show the figures.
Kevin Dilmore, startrek.com

The Scorpion ornament with a darkened canopy.

Promotional images showing a clear canopy.

I recently received an email from a reader who was following up on our conversation about the canopy’s shading in The Scorpion’s comments section two years ago.

I am the original poster who inquired about the lighter canopy Scorpion ornaments a couple years back. I see that there were some recent updates on the thread and I thought I’d comment on what I’ve found out regarding the topic. Please feel free to post any of this info to your website if you think it is useful.

While I have never found an ornament with a completely clear canopy as shown on the box, I can confirm that there are contrasting shades of canopies that differ from ornament to ornament. I’ve attached some photos of an ornament I acquired on ebay earlier this year with a lighter canopy next to an ornament with a darker canopy that I’ve had for some time. The difference looks somewhat subtle on camera, but is more apparent in person. I used to have an ornament with an even darker, almost black canopy which I sold off some time ago in favor of one with more visible figures.

So I’ve found that there are multiple variations of this ornament to suit your taste. You can own one with a very dark canopy which is more faithful to the film, or a lighter one which better shows the figures in the cockpit. Most seem to be somewhere in the middle. The good news is that this is one of the more affordable ornaments on ebay and other online marketplaces, so it is cheap to acquire the one you want or to collect multiple variations if you are so inclined.

I hope this information is helpful or at least interesting for someone.

Thanks,
Rob

P.S.
Thank you for all of the great information on this website. Because of you, I was able to acquire an HMS Bounty ornament last week to add to my collection. So as always, thanks and keep up the good work!

There seems to be a wide range of tints available on The Scorpion which result in quite different ornaments. If you have the blackened canopy the ornament could be almost any spaceship since it isn’t one of the recognizable iconic ship designs known in the Star Trek universe. If you have a clearer canopy, the images of Picard and Data turn the ornament from a generic sci-fi spaceship to a true Star Trek ornament.

A big ‘thank you’ to Rob for the information, his photos and the very kind words.

By the Numbers: HMS Bounty eBay Sales in July

1 Reply

Red: Highest daily selling price.
Yellow: Average daily selling price.
Green: Lowest daily selling price.
(Note: Absence of red and yellow indicates just one ornament sold and is only represented in green/lowest selling price.)

Blue line: July 23, 2021-First day HMS Bounty was sold online.
Purple line: July 28, 2021-Ornaments begin arriving to consumers.

Takeaways

High-end prices from July 29-31 are a result of ended auctions that began the week prior.
Ornaments dropped $65 overnight once they were available from the SDCC event on July 23.
13 ornaments were sold prior to July 23 for an average of $166.41.
110 ornaments were sold from July 23 – July 31 for an average of $81.45. Less than half of prerelease pricing.
23 ornaments were sold for unknown amounts because the seller accepted a best offer price. eBay does release accepted prices of best offers.
Number of daily ebay listings (sold and unsold) during the month: July 1 (0), July 7 (1), July 13 (2), July 16 (6), July 23 (109), July 30 (242).

Artist Inspirations: Spock (1996)

7 Replies

With a search through common images of Spock sitting at the controls of the Science Station we never get the match we are looking for. In all five cases (see above) Spock is never holding the control desk with his left hand as he does on the ornament. By grasping the console he appears to be steadying himself as if the Enterprise is being blasted by some sort of alien attack.

Looking to narrow down the options from the 79 original episodes the inspiration may have come from, I started with the science scope that is prominently displayed at the control board.

Constitution Class Science Scope Design
In 2254, some starships, including the Constitution-class USS Enterprise, were not equipped with a scope. (TOS: “The Cage”)
By 2265, however, a dark blue, featureless scope had been introduced at the science station of most Federation starships. This device jutted out of a console at an elevated angle, camouflaged well into the darkness of the console. Unlike the scopes of the previous century, this style of viewer was stationary and its contents could be seen from a further distance. As direct contact with an eyepiece was not necessary, two people could simultaneously view the device’s display. (TOS Season 1)
In 2267, the shaft that comprised the science viewer’s exterior was re-colorized to a light grey, consequently becoming more easily recognized within its console. Also, a circular control was added to the device’s exterior on the left side of the shaft, comparative to the user’s position. (TOS: “Catspaw”, et al.)
Memory Alpha

Star Trek “Where No Man Has Gone Before” Pilot: 2265
Star Trek Season 1: 2266-2267
Star Trek Season 2: 2267-2268
Star Trek Season 3: 2268-2269
Wikipedia

“The Galileo Seven” was the first episode of 2267 and the 16th entry in the first season of TOS which means there are only 64 possible episodes it could be from.

The search for Spock’s inspiration continues…

eBay Has a Bounty of Bounties!

1 Reply

With the SDCC event less than an hour old eBay is booming with more than 75 new HMS Bounty offerings. Currently, the lowest asking price is $89.00.

HMS Bounty Sells Out in Five Minutes! Next Chance…KOC Event in August

HMS Bounty Event Exclusive First Available Tomorrow for SDCC

2 Replies

July 23, 2021 – Noon E.S.T.

SHOP EXCLUSIVES

Log into your Hallmark account before noon so you can expedite check out. Limited quantities will sell out quickly.
If you do not have a Hallmark account register beforehand.
If you already have a Hallmark account be sure to confirm your password is still active ahead of the event.

Kate Mulgrew on The Daily Show with Janeway Ornament

1 Reply

The Daily Show
on Comedy Central
Hosted by Craig Kilborn
November 17, 1998

Craig: [William Shatner’s] got the big ego though. He thinks he’s special.

Kate: He has been a starship captain. What do you expect?

Craig: Are you one day going to have that enormous ego.

Kate: No. I keep my ego in perspective. [makes face]

Craig: Ok.

Kate: ‘Cause I’m just a girl, right?

Craig: I’ll tell you what, if I were you, what would expand your ego. This is real, this is a Christmas ornament of you at the helm. [brings out 1998 Janeway Hallmark ornament] Look at this. How do you stay grounded, I mean you’re a super star. This is beyond a doll. This is a Christmas ornament.

Kate: No, but I think the logic behind this little device is extraor…it weighs fifty-eight pounds.

Craig: It is.

Kate: So, what does your Christmas tree look like, is the question.

Craig: The one down in Rockefeller Center is the only one that could hold this.

Kate: You wouldn’t wanna run into her in a dark alley, would ya?

Craig: You look tough there. Is there any… Can this be a stocking stuffer as well? Or is it just an ornament.

Kate: I’m sure you could…stuff it.

[audience laughter and applause]

Read the entire interview transcript with additional photos at Totally Kate: The Official Fansite of Kate Mulgrew.

Kate Mulgrew will return in the role of Hologram Janeway in Star Trek: Prodigy.

Resellers Overcharging for the Star Trek™ HMS Bounty Klingon™ Bird-of-Prey Metal Ornament

2 Replies

A word of warning not to buy/preorder the overpriced HMS Bounty that is showing up on eBay. The event exclusive ornament will be available to buy from home on July 23, 2021 at Noon E.S.T. and October 7, 2021 at Noon E.S.T. There will be a limited amount so be sure to log in early.

Updated photo 7/16/21. Went from two sellers to five sellers overnight.

HOW TO PURCHASE POPMINDED EXCLUSIVES

This year, we will offer event exclusives ONLINE ONLY in conjunction with the following events, typically attended in person: Comic-Con@Home, scheduled July 23-25, 2021, and New York Comic Con, scheduled October 7-10, 2021. Product allotments will be divided evenly between the two convention timeframes. Exclusives will be sold on a first-come basis starting at Noon Eastern Time (9 a.m. Pacific Time, 11 a.m. Central Time) on the first day of each convention.
Additionally, small quantities…will be allotted for sale to Keepsake Ornament Club Members. For more information on membership, go to hallmark.com/ornaments/keepsake-ornament-club.
For details on how to purchase exclusives, visit PopMinded.com/Events and expect the PopMinded convention shop to return in-person, to a full line-up of events in 2022.
For more information about PopMinded by Hallmark and the products offered, visit PopMinded.com.
Hallmark.com

Product Details

Designed by Jake Angell, this metal Keepsake Ornament comes pre-packaged in a box for easy gift giving, preservation and storage. Dated 2021 in copyright.
PopMinded™ event exclusive ornament and one of only 3,750 issued. Limited availability while supplies last, not available in stores.
Originally created for 2021 San Diego Comic-Con, New York Comic Con and select events.
Metal Christmas tree ornament measures 4.5″ W x 0.58″ H x 2.89″ D.

Artist Inspirations: Enterprise Stamp (1999)

7 Replies

Top: Date of issue: 17th September 1999.

Star Trek stamp illustrator, Keith Birdsong, also created the cover art for several Star Trek Pocket Books novels. Unfortunately, Birdsong passed away in 2019 at the age of 59.

It was a long journey to get the United States Postal Service to issue a Star Trek stamp. Star Trek fan, Bill Kraft, led the effort and captured it in his book, Maybe We Need a Letter from God: The Star Trek Stamp.

The drive to honor Star Trek on a U.S. postage stamp is unique. “Maybe We Need a Letter from God: The Star Trek Stamp” traces an old-fashioned grassroots movement, long before easy access to the speed of the Internet, that involved a strategy of signed petitions, endorsement letters and media exposure. Fueled by the spontaneous combustion of fan fervor, the Star Trek Stamp Committee embarked on a journey that took over a decade to complete. A dubious Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee, a bureaucratic “force field,” thwarted the Star Trek Stamp Committee’s efforts for 13 years. The book includes over eighty endorsement letters from some of the most renowned individuals in the worlds of science, science fiction and government, along with documentation from some of the nation’s leading newspapers such as “USA Today,” the “Los Angeles Times,” the “Chicago Sun Times,” and “Time Magazine.”

Artist Inspirations: Star Trek Gadgets

5 Replies

Top Left: Screen used tricorder. From the Paul G. Allen Collection at the Henry Museum.
Bottom Left: Episode image showing internals with door dropped down.
Middle Top and Bottom: The 2018 Hallmark tricorder.
Right: A much longer strap was used on the show so it could be positioned near the hip when hanging from the shoulder.

Left: From the Paul Allen collection at the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame in Seattle, Washington.

Left: A midgrade hand phaser from TOS Set Decorator John Dwyer’s collection. Photo from Star Trek Prop Authority.

Artist Inspirations: Janeway (1998)

5 Replies

Left: Voyager publicity still.
Right: Janeway’s fingers now hang over because the railing has a much steeper arc.

Trekmovie.com Reviews Spock Storyteller Ornament

Artist Inspirations: M’Ress (2018)

6 Replies

There are two images that have been found that closely resemble the Hallmark Keepsake. How each are related is a little fuzzy but it seems certain the inspiration for the 2018 Special Event M’Ress ornament originally came from an image from a March 1987 comic book entitled Who’s Who in Star Trek (below left). The ornament has substituted the board and pen/stylus for a tricorder.

A second image was found on a Wiki page (below middle) that looks almost identical to the ornament (below right), most notably in the face and ears and how it differs so much from the comic book. The Wiki image appears to have been copied from the Hallmark image and embellished with the tricorder strap, the addition of a seam and pleat in her uniform, larger tail and feet, and more detail in the sleeve fabric.

Left: Illustration from Who’s Who in Star Trek by Ken Penders & Romeo Tanghal, Source: Memory Beta
Middle: Source: Star Trek Timelines Wiki
Right: 2018 Hallmark M’Ress ornament.

Illiustration from *Who’s Who In Star Trek* Issue #1.

Page from *Who’s Who In Star Trek* Issue #1, 1987, DC Comics
*Image from They Boldly Went*

Personal Data
Name: M’Ress
Occupation: Communications Specialist
Marital Status: Single
Known Relatives: None
Group Affiliation: Starfleet
Base of Operations: U.S.S. Enterprise
First Appearance: “The Survivor”
Height: 6’ Weight 160 lbs
Eyes: Gold Hair: Orange
Current Status: Science Department, U.S.S. Enterprise
History
Communications Officer M’Ress is a Caitian, one of several felinoid civilizations know through the United Federation of Planets (see U.F.P.).
Caitians are approximately the height of human males. They are bipedal, with manes and hairy coverings that occur in various colors. M’Ress’ fur is orange and brown. Her eyes are golden, and look like that of a Terran cat.
Her voice is soft, with a purring sound that becomes more of a hissing when she is emotionally agitated.
M’Ress’ uniform does not include boots, as her paws are padded and do not require protective coverings.
M’Ress is usually selected for landing party duty on planets lacking bright light. Like all felinoids, she sees better in the dark than she dies in bright light.
M’Ress uses her long tail for a variety of purposes which include keeping her balance, sensing temperature changes (she has no whiskers), and sensing the vibrations of approaching individuals.
Her musculature gives M’Ress the strength of two average Terran males. Her disposition, however, is gentle, and she will only use her strength to defend herself or to protect other lives.
After serving aboard the Enterprise for over a year, M’Ress transferred back to the planet Cait, where she worked as a communications analyst (see Enterprise). Missing the adventure, M’Ress returned to Starfleet (see Starfleet) and requested assignment aboard the newly commissioned Enterprise.