Category Archives: Hallmark Discussion

2024 Star Trek Ornaments Presented by Kevin Dilmore

083. Captain Jean-Luc Picard & Lt. Commander Data

No. 083
Released: July 15, 2017
Ornament: Captain Jean-Luc Picard & Lt. Commander Data
Series: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Product code: QXI3402
Artist: Pedro Martin
Original retail: $29.95
Dimensions: 5.1” H x 3.9” W x 3.3” D
Branding: Keepsake
Material: Styrene
Packaging: White Box, Red Trim w/ Ornaments
Magic: Sound
Power source: (2) LR44 Batteries
Front box text:
Hallmark KEEPSAKE
magic sound
STAR TREK THE NEXT GENERATION
CAPTAIN JEAN-LUC PICARD AND LIEUTENANT COMMANDER DATA STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION™
christmas tree ornament | décoration pour l’arbre de noël
Back box text:
A Keepsake is much more than an ornament. It’s a little work of art, created by a real person with a real passion to tell a big story. From the people and things you love, to memories of the past, to the anticipation of something new. Your Keepsake honors and celebrates everything that makes the holidays special-joy, togetherness, family, and friends.
When you hang a Keepsake, you’re hanging the story of you. Happy hanging!
Press the button on the ornament to hear dialogue from the “STAR TREK: The Next Generation” television series!
BATTERY OPERATED Batteries included
FORFABRIQUE POUR HALLMARK MARKETING COMPANY LUC KANGAS OTY MO 641 MADE NORNA
artist crafted
Bottom box text:
For decorative use only. Pour usage décoratif seulement.
STARTREK.COM
TM & © 2017 CBS Studios Inc. STAR TREK and related marks and Ingos are trademarks of CBS Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved.
QX3402
CAN. $38.99
U.S.A. $29.95
Additional information:
A Christmas ornament that captures the essence of operations aboard the bridge of the USS Enterprise NCC 1701-D with Captain Jean-Luc Picard at the helm? Make it so! Fans of STAR TREK: The Next Generation™ won’t want to miss this cool decoration that also features beloved android Lieutenant Commander Data and dialogue from the show.
Pros: It’s great to see Picard’s hand poised just before “Engage”.
Cons: After years of giving collectors ornaments with iconic Star Trek moments, the Picard & Data ornament is just a generic pose. If we’re going to be celebrating Next Generation’s anniversary give us something memorable. How about a two ornament collection with the Enterprise D’s saucer section and the star drive section separated that we first saw in Encounter at Farpoint?

Okay, that’s a fair “con.” I can’t confirm this but I believe this began life as a concept for a tabletop to fast-follow the 2016 To Boldly Go. It might even have had Riker or another character on it, too. Then things got scaled down and it is what it is.
-Kevin Dilmore

076. Ensign Pavel Chekov (Legends #7)

2 Replies

No. 076
Released: July 9, 2016
Ornament: Ensign Pavel Chekov
Series: Star Trek: The Original Series
Product code: QXE3161
Artist: Anita Marra Rogers
Original retail: $15.95
Dimensions: 3.125” H x 2.625” W x 2.125“ D
Branding: Keepsake
Material: Styrene
Packaging: White Box, Red Trim w/ Asterisks
Magic: None
Power source: None
Front box text:
Hallmark KEEPSAKE
STAR TREK
ENSIGN PAVEL CHEKOV STAR TREK™ LEGENDS
christmas tree ornament | décoration pour l’arbre de noël
Back box text:
Most kids love eating cotton candy, but not Anita Marra Rogers. She used to delight her siblings by sculpting wads of the sugary treat into little circus animals. After nearly 30 years as a Keepsake Artist, there’s still a touch of sweetness in every ornament she creates.
Anita Marra Rogers
This ornament inspired by the Star Trek™ Legends series was issued in limited quantities and first available at the 2016 Keepsake Ornament Premiere event.
MFD. FOR/FABRIQUÉ POUR HALLMARK MARKETING COMPANY, LLC KANSAS CITY, MO 64141
MADE IN THAILAND
artist crafted
Bottom box text:
For decorative use only. Pour usage décoratif seulement.
STARTREK.COM
TM & © 2016 CBS Studios Inc. STAR TREK and related marks and logos are trademarks of CBS Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved.
QXE3161
U.S.A. $15.95
CAN.$20.99
Additional information:
In his command gold uniform, the young navigator of the U.S.S. Enterprise is featured in this ornament inspired by the Star Trek Legends series of Keepsake Ornaments. This will be offered in limited quantities beginning at the 2016 Keepsake Ornament Premiere event. Inspired by the Legends series.
Pros: The previous year’s Uhura ornament was declared last in the series leaving Chekov the only character from the core cast not to be immortalized in the Legends Series. Luckily (and strangely), Chekov’s ornament is labeled as “inspired by the Star Trek Legends Series”.
Cons: This would be Anita Marra Rogers’ 33rd and final Star Trek ornament.

Yeah, someone I know made a bit of a fuss over Chekov being left out of the series. It was a decision that had been made based on lower than anticipated sales, and when that someone learned of the decision too late to help get it reinstated for the following year, that someone threw a fit. That someone said no fan or collector would trust Hallmark to finish out a crew in a series again if we did six cast members without doing at least the seventh (resigned to the likelihood of extending to nine being near impossible). When told later it couldn’t happen because the series had been announced as ended, another fit commenced saying our credibility was on the line here and that fit lasted until a path to adding Chekov—the “inspired by” path—was settled upon.

You’re welcome.
-Kevin Dilmore

075. U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-C

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No. 075
Released: July 11, 2015
Ornament: U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-C
Series: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Product code: QXI2499
Artist: Lynn Norton
Original retail: $32.95
Dimensions: 1.375” H x 3” W x 4.625“ L
Branding: Keepsake
Material: Styrene
Packaging: White Box, Red Trim w/ Ornaments
Magic: Light
Power source: (3) LR41 Batteries
Front box text:
Hallmark KEEPSAKE
magic light
STAR TREK THE NEXT GENERATION
U.S.S. ENTERPRISETH NCC-1701-C STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION™
christmas tree ornament | décoration pour l’arbre de noël
Back box text:
The fourth Starfleet vessel to bear the name U.S.S. Enterprise, the NCC-1701-C played a crucial role in establishing peace between the United Federation of Planets and the rival Klingon Empire. In the classic Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “Yesterday’s Enterprise” (1990), this Ambassador-class starship entered a temporal rift, providing a view of an alternate reality that transformed Captain Jean-Luc Picard and his crew into bitter and weary warriors in a decades-long conflict between the two space-traveling powers.
Lynn Norton Hallmark Keepsake Artist
Press the button on the ornament to see the Enterprise’s lights illuminate.
BATTERY-OPERATED. Batteries included.
MED FOR/FABRIQUE POUR HALLMARK MARKETING COMPANY LLC KANSAS CITY, MO 64141 PRODUCED IN CHINA
artist crafted
Bottom box text:
For decorative use only. Pour usage décoratif seulement.
STARTREK.COM
TM & © 2015 CBS Studios Inc. STAR TREK and related marks and logos are trademarks of CBS Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved. QXI2499
U.S.A. $32.95
CAN. $39.99
Additional information:
Pros: The best-known of the least-known Enterprises!
Cons: This pristine starship was never seen on screen without battle scars. Would you really want your only version of the Enterprise C to be damaged? If only there were a way to have it both ways…

I can explain! Well, I can at least speak to your contra of the pro et contra. (See? And no one thought my 19 college hours of Latin would pay off.)

When this was in development, I did lobby for battle scarring on the C in stores. The argument against it was presented thusly: Many of these ornaments are purchased as gifts. While a self-purchaser would know why it looked “dirty,” a gift buyer might not know and could pass on the purchase. So we went with the “fresh from Utopia Planitia” version for retail. It took us a couple of years but we finally did set the record straight. 😉
-Kevin Dilmore

054. Lt. Uhura, Gold Uniform

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No. 054
Released: July 22, 2009
Ornament: Lt. Uhura, Gold Uniform
Series: Star Trek: The Original Series
Product code: QMP4008
Artist: Anita Marra Rogers
Original retail: $25.00
Dimensions: 3.5” H x 2” W x 2“ D
Branding: Keepsakes
Material: Styrene
Packaging: White box
Magic: None
Power source: None
Front box text:
Special Event Edition
Hallmark KEEPSAKE
STAR TREK
Lieutenant Uhura™ STAR TREK
christmas ornament décoration de noël
Back box text:
Lieutenant Uhura™ STAR TREK™
“Hailing frequencies are open.” From the command deck of the Starship Enterprise, Lieutenant Uhura breaks the silence of deep space. As communications officer, she transmits messages in all the languages of the known galaxy. Hers is often the first human voice to be heard by alien races in unexplored star systems. Both Uhura’s name and her spirit reflect the Swahili word for “freedom.”
Usually seen in “engineering and security” red, Lieutenant Uhura wore this striking “command” gold uniform in only one original series episode, “The Corbomite Maneuver” (1966).
This special event edition repaint of the 2007 Lieutenant Uhura limited quantity ornament was created for exclusive distribution at major collector events and conventions.
Anita Marra Rogers Hallmark Keepsake Artist
For decorative use only. Not for children under 8.
Conçu à des fins décoratives seulement. Ne convient pas aux enfants de moins de 8 ans.
handcrafted
Bottom box text:
TM & © 2008 CBS Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved.
STAR TREK and related marks are trademarks of CBS Studios Inc.
http://www.startrek.com
Mfd. for/Fabriqué pour Hallmark Cards, Inc. Kansas City, MO 64141
Made in China
QMP4008
Additional information: Limited to 450 units and only available at San Diego Comic-Con.
Pros: As a repaint of the already fantastic 2007 ornament, the gold uniform Uhura is top tier.
Cons: Is a fact based error on the back of box a negative? Nope!

That’s MY fact-based error! Dang it, I carry that as one of my greatest shames. (There are a LOT of them.) I just blanked out Uhura’s appearance in “Mudd’s Women” when I wrote that off the top of my head on a short-notice assignment.

That ornament was produced in 2007 for a speculative Hallmark appearance at Comic-Con International that ultimately didn’t happen. When we went in 2008 only to display, we recognized the opportunity we were missing by not having exclusives. As we planned for the 2009 event, I mentioned that somewhere in our warehouse was a pallet of product we could take to the show. Someone managed to track it down, and thus the exclusive was made available.

The summer of 2008, though, when we believed there would be no future for these ornaments, I was given a handful of the ornaments to donate to an auction for a fundraiser at the Shore Leave convention in Hunt Valley, Maryland. I believe three of them were auctioned. I brought back two of them signed by Nichelle Nichols, who was a guest at the convention. One of the ornaments met a cruel fate when it was dropped and shattered.

So where did the signed ornaments go? I gave one to Anita Marra Rogers because she certainly should have one. The other went to my uncle, who was an avid Keepsake Ornament collector until his passing.
Kevin Dilmore
March 1, 2024

021. U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701, Stamp

1 Reply

No. 021
Released: 1999
Ornament: U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701, Stamp
Series: Star Trek: The Original Series
Product code: QXI8557
Artist: Ornament: Unknown, Stamp: Keith Birdsong
Original retail: $9.95
Dimensions: 3” H x 2.6” W x .166“ D
Branding: Keepsake
Material: Tin & porcelain
Packaging: Red box with gold trim
Magic: None
Power source: None
Front box text:
Hallmark
KEEPSAKE ORNAMENT
STAR TREK
STAR TREK
U.S.S. Enterprise™ NCC-1701 STAR TREKTM DÉCORATION DES FÊTES
CELEBRATE THE CENTURY ™ COLLECTION
Back box text:
Beginning in 1998, the United States Postal Service issued its largest-ever series of commemorative postage stamps. By the time the program is completed in 2000, a total of 150 designs will have been released, providing a decade-by-decade look at significant personalities and events of the 20th Century.
Authentic reproductions of six noteworthy designs are featured in the 1999 Keepsake Ornament line. Each one is showcased in its own unique frame that enhances the artwork and the enjoyment of familiar images. Ideal for holiday or year-round decorating, or to display with a collection of Celebrate The CenturyTM commemorative stamps, these ornaments will be cherished well into the next century.
For decorative use only. Not for young children.
Conçue à des fins décoratives seulement. Ne convient pas aux jeunes enfants.
Paramount
CELEBRATE
100 THE CENTURY
PUT YOUR STAMP ON HISTORY 1900-2000
UNITED STATES
POSTAL SERVICE.
OFFICIAL LICENSED PRODUCT
STAR TREK TM
Ceramic and Metal ~
TM & © 1999 Paramount Pictures.
All Rights Reserved. STAR TREK and related marks are trademarks of Paramount Pictures. Hallmark authorized user.
Dated 1999
A VIACOM COMPANY
& 1999 United States Postal Service. Celebrate The Century is a trademark of the U.S.P.S. All Rights Reserved.
Bottom box text:
Mfd. for Hallmark Cards, Inc. Kansas City, MO 64141 Made in U.S.A. with U.S. and imported parts
QX18557
Additional information:
Star Trek stamp illustrator, Keith Birdsong, also created the cover art for several Star Trek Pocket Books novels.
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.
Pros: Nice way to commemorate the awarding a postage stamp to the Star Trek franchise.
Cons: Ornament tarnishes terribly.

011. Commander William T. Riker

1 Reply

No. 011
Released: August 1996
Ornament: Commander William T. Riker
Series: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Product code: QXI5551
Artist: Anita Marra Rogers
Original retail: $14.95
Dimensions: 4.25” H x 2.2” W x 3.75“ D
Branding: Keepsake
Material: Styrene
Packaging: Red box with white trim
Magic: None
Power source: None
Front box text:
KEEPSAKE ORNAMENT
STAR TREK
THE NEXT GENERATION
Commander William T. Riker STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION™
Back box text:
Handcrafted – Stardated 1996
WILLIAM T. (WIL) RIKER
Born: Valdez, Alaska, Planet Earth
Graduate: Starfleet Academy
Rank: Executive Officer of the fifth Federation
starship to carry the name U.S.S. Enterprise,
a 24th-century starship assigned to Deep
Space exploration.
Famous Words: “Permission to speak candidly?” Also, “Away team, set phasers on stun.”
Chosen to serve as “Number One” aboard the Enterprise by Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Commander Riker (Jonathan Frakes) delights in taking on challenges. He once volunteered for an assignment on a Klingon Bird-of-Prey.
Look for Commander Riker’s counterpart.
Mr Spock, from the original STAR TREK television series, in the 1996 Keepsake
Ornament Collection at your Hallmark retailer
STAR TREK 30 YEARS
Bottom box text:
TM, ® & © 1996 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved. STAR TREK is a Trademark of Paramount Pictures. Mfd. for and Hallmark Cards, Inc., K.C.. MO 64141
Made in China
QX15551
Pros: Acceptable likeness, albeit an awkward pose.
Cons: For better or for worse you’re getting as much rock as you are Riker. Reminds me a little of a horse scratching himself on a tree.

Positively Trek 255: A Tree Full of Starships (Podcast)

1997 White’s Guide to Collecting Figures Article

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White’s Guide to Collecting Figures – July 1997

Read the entire article at Vault 1541

Asking AI for Star Trek Ornament Ideas (Annotated by Kevin Dilmore)

1 Reply

Here is ChatGPT’s list of ten Star Trek ornament ideas:

Kevin Dilmore: Ohhh, you knew I wasn’t going to pass this post up. Okay, let’s see . . .

1. USS Enterprise in Holiday Lights:
Imagine the iconic starship adorned with festive lights.

KD: You likely know just how close we all came to getting this back in 1991.

2. Spock’s Logic-Tree Decoration:
A logical twist on traditional Christmas tree ornaments inspired by Spock.

2. I fail to see how an organizational tool for diagramming all possible causes of a failure event might assist in celebrating a nodal event observed by adherents to a religion.
-Kevin Dilmore

3. Tribble Carolers:
Tiny tribbles dressed in caroler attire singing holiday tunes.

KD: Hmm. I do know a few sound engineers very capable of tuning tribble trills to fit the carol of your choice. So, what do you want to hear? Jingle Fuzz? We Three Kingons? I Saw Mommy Kissing Cyrano Jones?

4. Data’s Ornament Collection:
A set of ornaments replicating various artifacts Data collects during Christmas.

KD: You know, you say this, and it’s all fun and games until Data hangs his hologram of Tasha Yar on the tree and it’s The Needs of the Many all over again. Next.

5. Klingon Battle Sleigh:
A humorous twist with a Klingon-style sleigh equipped for battle.

KD: Okay, yeah. I’m totally on board for this one.

6. Captain Picard’s Earl Grey Tea Cup:
A tea cup ornament with a miniature version of Captain Picard’s favorite beverage.

KD: Only if we make it a series with Romulan ale, raktajino, kanar, and Slug-o-Cola.

7. Holodeck Winter Wonderland:
A scene capturing a snowy holiday setting within the Star Trek holodeck.

KD: I’m in but it’s going to be this scene from “The Practical Joker.

8. Borg Assimilated Snowman:
A snowman ornament with Borg assimilation elements.

KD: Let me finish my lyrics to “Frosty the Borg Queen” and if I still like them, I’ll consider pitching it.

9. Romulan Ale Toasting Glasses:
Elegant ornaments resembling Romulan Ale glasses raised for a festive toast.

KD: See #6 above.

10. Transporter Room Christmas Miracle:
An ornament showcasing characters beaming in holiday presents.

KD: Nope. No way. I signed aboard Hallmark to help make Christmas tree ornaments and I won’t have their atoms scattered back and forth across space by that gadget.

The list is certainly all over the place but we can all agree a Klingon Battle Sleigh would be…honorable.

KD: Hey, look! It’s an AI Keepsake Ornament! You can get it on eBay maybe.

In all sincerity, I wish each one of you out there the happiest of holiday seasons, and I remain so very grateful for your friendship and support of our efforts to bring a little more joy and happy memories to your celebrations.

2023 Enterprise Tabletop Video Review

1 Reply

posted by outsider238

That’s a very flattering review! My hope is that everyone likes this as much as this reviewer did. 🙂

The questions about the decal markings on the primary hull are fair ones. The main reason they’re there is that they were approved by the licensor haha. But the actual reasons they are there is that these extra markings have carried over from a previous version of a U.S.S. Enterprise ornament, specifically the event exclusive repaint of the 2016 sculpt of the ship as designed for the first pilot.

The best visual I can find is this art for the box top of a model kit produced by Polar Lights called the U.S.S. Enterprise Pilot Edition that allows a build of three versions of the filmed model. That doesn’t explain the extra markings on the bridge dome, but there ya go. The next time we do an original U.S.S. Enterprise, I’ll be more attentive to that detail.
-Kevin Dilmore

Polar Lights Star Trek TOS U.S.S. Enterprise w/Pilot Edition Parts 1:350 Scale Model Kit

The 50th Anniversary 2010 Mystery is Solved

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As you may have seen, Hallmark’s 50th Anniversary weekly retrospective highlights an ornament from each year since 1973. A couple of weeks ago the year 2010 was missed which prompted an unofficial substitute 2010 honoree. Hallmark’s Kevin Dilmore has since reached out with the official ornament that was intended for 2010 representation.

“Well, I tracked down the issue on the 2010 Flashback Friday post! I’ve learned that a technical error on our social posting platform caused us to miss the Sept. 29 posting for 2010. HOWEVER, I have permission to share with you the post that didn’t make it. (There are no plans to post this one out of order.)” -Kevin Dilmore

Happy #Keepsake50th! Here’s another #FlashbackFriday: Who will you be under the mistletoe with this Christmas? Santa will undoubtedly be with Mrs. Claus at their Kissmas Cottage in Kringleville (after making his deliveries, of course). This first-in-series ornament was designed by beloved Keepsake Artist Ken Crow (retired). Ken added a special lever at the bottom you can move to see the couple smooching. Mwah!

The absence of any Star Trek ornaments in Hallmark’s retrospective has been a little disappointing but Amok Time represented proudly for about 24 hours.

Artist Inspirations: Pike (2024)

6 Replies

Note: Product on display is still in development and is not final.
For presentation only. Design and product may vary.

Although we are months away from seeing the 2024 Pike ornament it is never too early to look for the artist’s inspiration. The captain’s chair is a huge part of Star Trek mythos and it is welcomed that Pike (and chair) is being immortalized in ornament form. Hallmark has sculpted a captain in the captain’s chair three previous times (unfortunately, Janeway, Sisko and Burnham were not “caught” sitting down).

2024 Pike, 1995 Kirk, 2003 Archer, 2017 Picard and Data

The inspiration of Pike’s pose predates Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and comes from Season 2, Episode 14 of Star Trek: Discovery. Pike is seen (below) with his legs crossed and take notice of the distinct positioning of his hands. It is nearly identical to what can be found on the ornament.

*Star Trek: Discovery Episode 214 — ‘Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 2*’, Source: TrekCore.com

In the Discovery episode (above), Pike is is not wearing the uniform that he will don in Strange New Worlds and his hair has not yet become the sculpted masterpiece we will come to know and love. It appears Hallmark kept the pose from Discovery but changed the uniform and hair details to match the Strange New Worlds publicity photo (below).

I’m always impressed by your eagle eye, pal! Yep, those were the precise references.

But what episode did I pull the audio from? Huh? 🙂
-Kevin Dilmore

Here’s my guess…

“Maybe that’s why I’m here, to remind you of the power of possibility. Maybe that’s the good in seeing my future, that I might remind you that right up until the very end, life is to be worn gloriously because, until our last moment, the future’s what we make it.”
-Pike, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 Episode 1

I’m guessing it is safe to say it’s not from Subspace Rhapsody.

Trek Core Reviews ‘Ode to Spot’ Ornament

1 Reply

Kelly Phillips of TrekCore.com has posted a review of Data’s Ode to Spot which is available in stores now. Please visit Trek Core to read the entire review which includes photos and a video.

“Data has those striking gold android eyes and the precision brown haircut just as he should. Spot is painted beautifully in all her cuddly orange tabby cat glory.”
Hallmark Honors Data and His Cat with 2023 “Ode to Spot” STAR TREK Ornament -TrekCore.com

Well, that’s a very gracious review and one I’d not seen. Thanks for sharing this with the group. The reviewer raised a fair question that I’ll answer here. Kelly wrote:

“In a perfect world, I’d have loved for the ornament to include the whole poem. I don’t know if this was some kind of technical limitation or just a creative decision, but it’s a small demerit on what is otherwise a lovely ornament for my collection.”

Technical limitation or creative decision? Why not both? 🙂 There was a limitation on the ornament in that typically we use chips that can hold about 27 seconds of audio. (Some ornaments have bigger chips with greater capacities but those also carry higher MSRPs.)

And that’s where the creative decision came in. Myself, I regard the poem’s first four and final four lines as the most memorable:

Felis catus is your taxonomic nomenclature,
An endothermic quadruped, carnivorous by nature;
Your visual, olfactory, and auditory senses
Contribute to your hunting skills and natural defenses.

I find myself intrigued by your subvocal oscillations,
A singular development of cat communications
That obviates your basic hedonistic predilection
For a rhythmic stroking of your fur to demonstrate affection.

A tail is quite essential for your acrobatic talents;
You would not be so agile if you lacked its counterbalance.
And when not being utilized to aid in locomotion,
It often serves to illustrate the state of your emotion.

O Spot, the complex levels of behavior you display
Connote a fairly well-developed cognitive array.
And though you are not sentient, Spot, and do not comprehend,
I nonetheless consider you a true and valued friend.

Also recall that Data opens his recitation with an introduction, and later is interrupted by applause from Commander Riker, upon which Data comments. The whole thing runs close to two minutes long. To spare you the expense of time and money, I made the edits.

I hope it makes a fun addition to your tree and your collection.
-Kevin Dilmore, 9/18/23

Data’s Ode to Spot Delayed

1 Reply

If you visited your local Hallmark for the Ornament Premiere you may have noticed a lack of Datas and Spots on the shelves.

After exploring three stores worried that there had been a run on a synthetic intelligence android-lifeforms and their feline pets it seems the 2023 Data’s Ode to Spot ornament has been delayed to late July.

Supply-chain issues remain a thing, friends. I have been crossing my fingers for these to make it to stores in time for this very exciting weekend but it just wasn’t to be. I hope that those of you who already have made it to Hallmark Keepsake Ornament Premiere at least have had a chance to see and hear this ornament for yourself in person. Thanks for your patience!
Kevin Dilmore

“Connecting through Pop Culture: Hallmark” at SDCC

4 Replies

Hallmark has connected your favorite memories to iconic characters from movies, television, and comics in products for decades. Christine Taylor (licensing creative manager), Kurt Gaulke (art director, keepsake ornaments), and Kevin Dilmore (senior writer) share a peek behind the curtain with this year’s Keepsake Ornaments, itty bittys plush characters, gift products, and more. Expect some sneak peeks, a Q&A, and a chance to win prizes!

Saturday July 22, 2023 12:00pm – 1:00pm PDT
Room 28DE

https://twitter.com/kevindilmore/status/1677825114182696960?s=61&t=MZqPauWfCUpWT3rBapobiw

1996 Enterprise Repair

Artist Inspirations: The Hand of Apollo (2023)

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On 31 August 2006, CBS Paramount Television announced that, in celebration of its 40th anniversary, Star Trek: The Original Series would return to broadcast syndication for the first time in sixteen years. Each of the series’ 79 episodes were digitally remastered to 1080p HD video, and DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 Surround audio standards, with all newly (re-)created visual effects and music. The opening theme was re-recorded in digital stereo with new vocals by Elin Carlson, and William Shatner’s opening monologue was remastered from the original elements. Most notably, though, many of the visual effects were recreated using CGI by CBS Digital. The new CGI Enterprise was based on the exact measurements, originally taken by Gary Kerr, of the original model, which is on display in the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.
Memory Alpha

Left: Original special effects. Airdate: 9.27.67.
Right: Remastered special effects. Airdate: 1.12.08

It appears The Hand of Apollo is the first Hallmark ornament to take its inspiration from a remastered Star Trek episode.

Left: “Who Mourns for Adonais?” Star Trek: The Original Series: Season 2, Episode 2
Right: 2023 *The Hand of Apollo* Hallmark ornament

Artist Inspirations: Relics (2023)

3 Replies

inspiration was taken directly from the scene Next Generation’s Season 6’s “Relics”. In the episode Scotty is standing directly in front of of the Captain’s chair on the raised level of the bridge while Picard is on the lower level in front of the navigation station which puts Scotty nearly a full head taller in the episode.

Left: Star Trek: The Next Generation S:6, E:4 “Relics”
Right: 2023 Hallmark “Relics” ornament.

Hallmark took the liberty to put the two Trek icons on equal footing for the ornament. For the record: Patrick Stewart is listed as 5’ 10”, James Doohan at 5’ 11”.

SCOTT: Here’s to you, lads.
PICARD: I hope I’m not interrupting. I was just coming off duty and I wanted to see how you were doing.
SCOTT: Not at all, not at all. Have a drink with me, Captain.
PICARD: Thank you.
SCOTT: I don’t know what it is, exactly, but I would be real careful. It’s real
(Picard knocks it back in one)
PICARD: Aldebaran whiskey. Who do you think gave it to Guinan?
SCOTT: Ah.
PICARD: Constitution class.
SCOTT: Aye. You’re familiar with them?
PICARD: There’s one in the Fleet museum, but then of course, this is your Enterprise?
SCOTT: I actually served on two. This was the first. She was also the first ship I ever served on as Chief Engineer. You know, I served aboard eleven ships. Freighters, cruisers, starships, but this is the only one I think of. The only one I miss.
PICARD: The first vessel I ever served aboard as Captain was called the Stargazer. It was an overworked, underpowered vessel, always on the verge of flying apart at the seams. In every measurable sense, my Enterprise is far superior. But there are times when I would give almost anything to command the Stargazer again.
SCOTT: It’s like the first time you fall in love. You don’t ever love a woman quite like that again. Well, to the Enterprise and the Stargazer. Old girlfriends we’ll never meet again.
PICARD: What do you think of the Enterprise D?
SCOTT: She’s a beauty, with a good crew.
PICARD: But?
SCOTT: But. When I was here, I could tell you the speed that we were traveling by the feel of the deckplates. But on your ship, I feel like I’m just in the way.
PICARD: Seventy five years is a long time. If you would care to study some technical schematics or
SCOTT: I’m not eighteen. I can’t start out like a raw cadet. No, there comes a time when a man finds that he can’t fall in love again. He knows that it’s time to stop. I don’t belong on your ship. I belong on this one. This was my home. This is where I had a purpose. But it’s not real. It’s just a computer generated fantasy. And I’m just an old man who’s trying to hide in it. Computer, shut this bloody thing off. It’s time I acted my age.

Journeys of Inspirations: Kevin Dilmore

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Kevin Dilmore – Journeys of Inspiration: Reflections on Star Trek (EP110)

Star Trek author and writer, Kevin Dilmore talks about writing for the Star Trek: Communicator, his partnership with author Dayton Ward, various Pocket Book novels, writing for Hallmark and much more!

Hallmark specific: 34:40 – 43:00