BORG.COM GIVES READERS A DAILY FIX OF COOL

Chris Bunce had a bit of a dream. He wanted to write a Blog that centered on the science fiction and fantasy genres of which he'd been a life-long fan. And he wanted a new article every day – no small feat for someone blogging on the side. And so in June of 2011, "borg.com" was born. Billed as "Your Daily Science Fiction, Fantasy and Entertainment Fix", its title doesn't exaggerate. For more than two years now, borg.com has delivered new stories every day. And while Chris occasionally has other writers contribute, the lion's share are written by him. Pretty good for a guy with a full-time job in the real world.

Chris Bunce in full geek mode with the real "Bionic Woman",
Lindsay Wagner. He's the action figure and she's, well, the real deal!

borg.com's stories cover a wide array of subjects ranging from the world of comics (he's a huge Green Arrow fan), to television (Arrow again!), film, books – in short, wherever fun stuff is found. Today's entry is especially interesting to me as Chris has written a review of the new Star Trek book "These Are The Voyages", a publication I mentioned a few weeks ago here at WOD. Like me, Chris is a huge fan of Star Trek (as well as being a fellow collector of screen-used Trek props and costumes) and took to the new book with relish. Check out his full review HERE.

And lest I forget, writing runs in Chris' family. His wife, the immensely talented Elizabeth Bunce, is an author of historical fantasy. Check out here writings HERE.

So be sure to check out borg.com and get your own personal fix of cool!

LLAP

Don

CLAPPER OF THE WEEK: 1968 "THE ENTERPRISE INCIDENT"

This week's Clapper shot is from one of the only two TOS episodes that featured the Romulans, "The Enterprise Incident". This is the scene where Captain Kirk is transformed (temporarily) into a Romulan so he can infiltrate the Romulan ship and steal their "Cloaking Device". He's pulling off the ears and eyebrows pretty well!

Clapper info: June 20, 1968 / Scene 52A / Take 3.

LLAP,

Don

BS ALERT: THE TROUBLE WITH THIS TRIBBLE

Profiles In History, the auction house that sells a ton of entertainment memorabilia and is the subject of the SyFy Channel's "Hollywood Treasures", seems to have a recurring approach to many of their auctions best described by the old saying "if you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullshit". And in their current catalog "Hollywood Auction 56", the BS is definitely flying.

As usual, when the catalog first came out on-line, I immediately did a search for Star Trek. Of most interest to me was the original series Phaser prop that I wrote about HERE. Of secondary interest was an original series "Walking Tribble" from the classic Trek episode "The Trouble With Troubles", one of the most-loved episodes in all of Star Trek. And while I think the Phaser is likely a real original Star Trek prop, I have no reason to think that the Tribble is genuine.

Here's the listing as it appears in the Profiles catalog:

Profiles Tribble auction listing

According to the copy, the Tribble being shown is not just an original prop, but it is actually the most prominent one shown in the episode that is picked up by none other than Captain Kirk himself. What proof of this is offered? A postage-stamp-sized photo comparison of the prop in question and a fuzzy screen capture of a frame from the original episode. Here's the cleanest scan I can offer due to its small size:

"Comparison" image from catalog

So based SOLELY on this photo comparison, Profiles expects this piece to sell for at least $7200 (the small end of the given estimate Profiles has assigned to it). Can you determine an exact photo match from the images shown with 100% certainty? I sure can't. Not even close.

There is no history (provenance) given for this piece. How did it originally get off the Star Trek Desilu film lot way back when? How did it come into the possession of the current owner? What solid proof is  being offered beyond light and dark patterns of fake fur that only match up in a very general way? 

The real reason we have to question ANY AND ALL original series props that come onto the market is simple – there are far more fakes in the marketplace than originals. Phasers, Tricorders and Communicators are known to have been widely faked for sale to ravenous fans. Tribbles are no exception. How do I know? Take a look at this:

Tribble comparison

I, too, own a walking Tribble. For all intents and purposes, it's a twin to the one Profiles is selling. Oh, the hair isn't exactly the same – a different comb job. But it's incredibly similar, don't you think? Especially considering that the two were not photographed together under the same lighting with the same camera. For future reference, please keep in mind that the look – INCLUDING DARK AND LIGHT AREAS – can easily be affected by how you lay the fur – by the way you comb it, for lack of a better term. If Profiles had shown a shot of the bottom of their piece (which I have seen), I could show you mine as well – and again it is a virtual twin. Inside of my Tribble is an old toy walking dog, just like the Profiles version.

But here's the kicker. Mine is a fake. 

I bought it thinking it was real, but I discovered after the fact that it isn't. As it turns out, a collector friend of mine named John Mahon has an original walking Tribble that has been in his family's possession since the 70's, and it has a very convincing provenance, in my opinion. And John was nice enough to clue me in on those distinguishing characteristics – called "tells" – that a REAL walking Tribble possesses. These tells are neither mentioned in the Profiles auction nor, most importantly, are they shown. And as stated before, the darks and lights are easily changed by a comb-over. So what are we left with to prove that this piece is a true, original Star Trek prop?

Nothing. 

Please note that I am not accusing the seller of trying to pass off a fake. He may well believe it to be the real thing. Unfortunately, the seller, who I am familiar with, has other pieces in his collection which people who are widely acclaimed as true experts by most collectors (though not the seller of this item) feel are fakes as well, so this is not the first time this seller has faced this issue. He steadfastly stands behind his self-appointed title of "authority" no matter what others may say. And as long as he keeps those pieces in his collection, I don't really care if they are real or not. But when a piece is offered up with such slim evidence as the Tribble has, it's time to speak up.

Let me be clear – I cannot say beyond a shadow of a doubt that this piece is not real. What I can say is that, in my opinion, Profiles has offered no real proof that it IS real and the onus is on them to do just that. And for those who don't know anything about Profiles, they have actually featured fake pieces ON THE COVERS OF THEIR CATALOGS, only to have to remove them from their auctions when independent evidence showed them to be the fakes they were. In other words, Profiles stinks at authenticating the things they sell. 

Nobody likes to think that they were duped. I know I sure don't. I've been burned twice and I can tell you that it truly sucks. It's frustrating and it's embarrassing. But in my opinion, when you make a mistake, you need to own it. You have to take the evidence as it stands and admit to yourself that you made a mistake. You can't simply cherry-pick the facts in your favor while ignoring everything else that isn't. At least I can't. When I discovered my Tribble was fake, I could have tried to pass it on to another unsuspecting buyer. But I have to live with myself, so that would never happen.

Neither Profiles nor the seller will appreciate my take on this piece. But my approach to these things is always the same: when you offer something up that is a true rarity – and anything from the original Star Trek is rare – you'd better not only expect scrutiny but welcome it and be prepared for it. And if a piece can't tolerate tight scrutiny, it shouldn't be for sale.

So if you're considering buying this Tribble, I would encourage you to do your own research. I am neither an expert on these Tribbles (few are) nor do I set myself up as the final arbiter of what is real and what is not. But PLEASE don't simply take the word of the auction house which stands to make thousands on the sale of this item using blurry photos and no provenance. Look into what the likelihood is of this being either real or fake and then judge for yourself. 

My thanks to John Mahon for his invaluable assistance and in proving that I'm an idiot for buying my Tribble in the first place!

LLAP,

Don

CLAPPER OF THE WEEK: 1964 "THE CAGE"!

This week's Clapper shot is from the very first Star Trek EVER, "The Cage", the first pilot episode made for NBC which starred Jeffrey Hunter as the original commander of the starship Enterprise, Captain Christopher Pike. This scene features the super-brainy, telepathic Talosian Keepers, the episode's antagonists. Evidently they didn't see much sunlight on Talos.

Clapper info: December 11, 1964 / Scene 45 / Take 2.

A NEW BOOK ABOUT OUR FAVORITE TREK: "THESE ARE THE VOYAGES: SEASON ONE"

Not all books about Star Trek are created equal. One of the best, "Inside Star Trek"by Herb Solow and Robert Justman, is a riveting must-read for any fan of the Original Series.

Now a new book called "These Are The Voyages" is being released claiming it's "The book Gene Roddenberry and Robert Justman wanted you to read". Big words to live up to.

This will be a three-volume work, broken down into each of the three seasons of production. The book's web page goes on to say this:

"In the late 1980s Gene Roddenberry and Robert H. Justman gave Marc Cushman permission and encouragement to write the definitive history of "Star Trek®: The Original Series". They backed up their stamp of approval by providing Marc exclusive access to all the production documents generated by the series -- everything from the creation of the idea by Gene Roddenberry to the last day of production.

The set contains hundreds of previously unpublished insights and recollections from actors, directors, producers, and production crew, capturing what went on from every perspective, including memos dictated by Roddenberry while reading drafts to the series scripts. The books offer a unique look behind-the-scenes in the form of original staff memos, contracts, schedules, budgets, network correspondence, and the censor reports from NBC Standards and Practices. " Excerpts of the book can be read HERE.

So I'm hooked! I love reading about all the behind-the-scenes stuff from the Original Series so this is a no-brainer for me. Bring it on!

LLAP

Don

ORIGINAL SERIES PHASER PROP TO BE AUCTIONED OFF – REAL OR FAKE?

When a Star Trek phaser from the original series (TOS) hits the market, it's incredibly exciting to collectors like me. That's why I went a little nuts when I saw the new Profiles In History Hollywood Auction 56 catalog which features a TOS Phaser in all its glory. Unfortunately, as with all things TOS, the first question is "is it real?" Why? Because there are far more fake TOS pieces out there than real ones. Especially phasers. The TOS Star Trek phaser may well be the most replicated/faked prop in history. So with that in mind, the number one issue becomes authentication. If the piece can't be authenticated, it won't be recognized as real.

Photo page from Profiles catalog

Let me interject something here. I do not profess to be an expert about TOS props. I do know a lot thanks to there being so much information out there with which to learn from. But, for instance, I've never had the opportunity to actually handle a real TOS phaser, tricorder, or communicator prop, unlike some more informed people. And that's a big, big deal. So I rely on lots of people who know a lot more than I. The best sources for all things regarding Star Trek TOS props are the Trek Prop Zone (a Board for enthusiasts) and Herocomm (an informational site). These 2 sites represent more information than one person could ever assimilate, and I highly recommend them.

It's interesting to note that the consignor of the Phaser, a collector named Gerald Gurian, is not as enthusiastic about these sites as I am. These sites are all about facts and ONLY facts. Supposition is all well and good, but at the end of the day "consistent with" does NOT mean "it is". And, in my opinion (as well as many others) a number of Mr. Gurian's claims regarding some of his props are specious, to say the least. He swears they're real, others (more informed, in my opinion) swear they aren't.

The other issue with this auction is that I think Profiles really sucks at authenticating items in their auctions. They are motivated by profit to make things sound as good as possible, even when they aren't. Profiles has famously had 2 different catalogs that featured fake items on their covers. They ended up not selling the items due to the uproar, but that doesn't mitigate the fact that THEY FEATURED FAKES ON THE COVER!

So when this new Phaser (which Profile's has attached to Mr. Gurian) came to my attention, I was somewhat skeptical. OK, I was REALLY skeptical. Here's what the Profiles auction says about the Phaser, in part:

Description page from Profiles catalog

"This fiberglass mid-grade pistol phaser is perhaps the most extensively researched TOS prop that we have ever auctioned, with all of its major features and numerous subtle contours in its design painstakingly screen-matched to several late 2nd and 3rd season The Original Series episodes including “Assignment: Earth”, “Spock’s Brain”, “Plato’s Stepchildren” and “The Cloud Minders”. In particular, a tiny mold flaw/ridge line deviation in the rear in appearance was matched on-screen in “Spock’s Brain”; the integrated “one piece” handle and main body construction of the pistol component of this prop was matched on-screen in “The Cloud Minders”; and the design of the hand-grip section with an elongated central groove extending along the entire length of the handle was matched on-screen in “Plato’s Stepchildren”. The uniquely patterned silver foil material on top of the permanently affixed hand phaser unit has been photo matched to the foil on the Greg Jein TOS Hero Type 2 Phaser and is another key element of authentication. And most significantly, the presence of both a uniquely contoured scratch line and a small blemish formed by excess paint on the front face of the pistol body slightly above the silver nozzle, as well as the relative locations of the grooved regions on the silver nozzle ring, precisely match those evident on a screen capture from “Assignment: Earth” (first airdate: Mar. 29, 1968), which directly establishes the on-screen use of this prop in that highly memorable The Original Series time-travel episode."

Now let's start with the broad strokes. First of all, if all these claims are true, I'm pretty sure this would be the single most identified prop in Star Trek history. After all, they claim that it can be identified ("screen-matched") as being used in four specific episodes. That's unheard of! I know of no other prop that could meet that claim. Alas, this one doesn't either. Like the saying goes – there's good news and bad news.

Here's the good news: after doing a bit of research, I think this is a real Star Trek TOS Phaser prop that can actually be screen-matched to a specific use.

The bad news is that it can only really be screen-matched once. One episode. Period.

In the scheme of things, that ain't bad. One match is enough to authenticate it. The rest is just gilding the lily, IMO. And while I might not be an expert on these props, I am an expert at photo analysis as I do photo manipulation for a living.

Let's take episodes mentioned one at a time. Here's a comparison of the Profiles Phaser (left) and the phaser in "The Cloud Minders" that Profiles claims is a screen-match.

So what, exactly is a "screen-match"? To put it simply, it's when a prop can be positively identified as being used in a film or TV show through identifying distinct markings, unique to that piece alone. So while Profiles points out that the two pieces have the same "hand phaser shape" or "high ridge accent line", I don't get too excited. After all, those features would show up in every phaser of this type that was ever made. These matching details certainly help make the case that this is an actual TOS prop and not a copy. But the "Cloud Minders" image is of such poor quality that a specific screen match is simply not possible. As a matter of fact, it might not even be the same type of phaser prop – it might be a rubber "stunt" – I just can't tell. There are no DISTINCT, UNIQUE DETAILS to merit calling this a screen-match.

So let's move on to the "Plato's Stepchildren" version (bottom):

Again, because of the lack of detail in the screen cap and with no evidence of unique flaws or features, there can be no screen-matching. The two are certainly consistent to each other, but that only supports the idea that this is a real prop, not that it is THIS real prop as shown in the episode.

Next up is "Spock's Brain":

Unlike our first two examples, this screen capture is nice and clear. But unfortunately there are still no distinct features that we can concretely say are exclusive to the two versions shown. Interestingly, Profiles claims a screen match because "In particular, a tiny mold flaw/ridge line deviation in the rear in appearance was matched on-screen in “Spock’s Brain”" That's faulty logic, unfortunately. We can't know that a flaw in the mold is unique to a given piece without showing other examples of it NOT appearing. Since these phasers were probably all made with the same mold, there's no reason to think that they don't all have the same details, flawed or otherwise. And with no other distinct details to go on, I call this a non-match. It MIGHT be the same, but there's no way to prove it.

So finally we come to the "Assignment Earth" version and here's where things get interesting. Check it out:

. 

Finally we have an angle that shows enough key detail as to ascertain specificity. And look at all the matching details! The crack on the front of the main body is so organic and specific in nature that it's unthinkable that it isn't a match. The Plate Overlap, Chip and Glue Squeeze areas all help make the case as well, but the Crack is the single most important piece of evidence.

Nozzle details appear to be correct though slightly rotated.

Is it possible that this is a fake? Absolutely, and I'd be irresponsible if I said otherwise. But given the photo evidence, is it LIKELY to be a fake? I say no, it's not. In this case, I believe Mr. Gurian got it right. I still don't think there's more than one episode that is screen-matched. But one is enough when the details are so specific.

If I were interested in pursuing this piece – and with an $80,000 starting price there's no way in hell that I would be – I'd want a real expert – someone who has handled other specimens – to check this out. I'll bet it would pass inspection with flying colors.

Is this worth the $80,000-$120,000 estimate that Profiles gives it? That's for the market to decide, but personally I can't imagine spending that kind of money on something I can't live in. We'll see if this goes or not. Keep in mind that just a few months ago a TOS Phaser Rifle went for almost a quarter million bucks. This isn't in that league, of course (that was a one-of-a-kind) but anything can happen.

ADDENDUM: After the auction took place and this item didn't sell, the consignor had a few choice words for me. Read about that HERE

LLAP

Don

CLAPPER OF THE WEEK: "CITY ON THE EDGE OF FOREVER"!

This week's Clapper shot is from the classic episode "City on the Edge of Forever", one of the greates episodes ever made, IMO. Time travel, ancient civilizations, Joan Collins – what's not to love? This scene features one of the coolest Star Trek creations ever – The Guardian of Forever! Awesome!

Clapper info: February 13, 1967/Scene 5A/Take 1 – this was to be used for adding special effects ("optical FX" is written at the bottm).

Image used with permission

LLAP,

Don