RIP Ray Harryhausen: 1920 - 2013 - ComingSoon.net

RIP Ray Harryhausen: 1920 - 2013 - ComingSoon.net

Sad news indeed. Ray Harryhausen inspired special effects guys, science fiction fans, filmmakers, model makers, and average Joes like me. I think the first Sci-Fi movie I ever saw as a kid was "Earth Vs The Flying Saucers." It put a hook in me that's hard to describe and fueled my interest in special effects and stop motion animation.

I remember pouring over ever word and picture in Starlog. I wanted so much to run off to Hollywood to become a model builder.

He was a master in the craft he practically invented. He will be greatly missed.

20 more facts you might not know about Star Trek: The Next Generation | Blastr

20 more facts you might not know about Star Trek: The Next Generation | Blastr

A little behind the scenes juice for all my TNG peeps.

 

3D Systems will turn you into a Star Trek figure for $70, we go faces-on (video)

3D Systems will turn you into a Star Trek figure for $70, we go faces-on (video)

Oh HELLS Yeah! Be my own Star Trek-- TOS Star Trek,  Figure? Who wouldn't want that? The cost is $70.00 but the ego boost lasts a lifetime!

Away Team

I've really gotten into HeroClix. My latest acquisition is the Star Trek Away Team. The set includes Kirk, Spock, Bones, Scotty, Uhuru, Checkov and Sulu with a badass katana. Now that the Bat Cube is finished I'm working on a tricorder carrying/display case for these figures.

I'm building it at 1:1 scale. That will fit all the figures if I put Kirk behind the speaker grille. I thought about making it large enough that all the figures would fit in the lower compartment, but even at 115% it becomes unwieldy. So, I'm making it where the whole front half of the tricorder up to the display head compartment slides off. The display compartment will swivel like it us supposed to and the other doors will open like they should. I'll put the character cards in the lower compartment. I thought about lighting it, but decided that would be another level of complexity I don't want to get into. After it is constructed I'll coat it in fiberglass resin, detail and finish it. It should make a nice prop by itself. Folks will be surprised when I pull off the front to reveal my HeroClix inside.

Check out this slideshow of my plans for the project.

Carried Away

Now that the Batcube is finished I can begin work on a new Heroclix transport case just for my seven Away Team members. I'm going to make a 1:1 replica of the TOS tricorder to house my figures.

At 1:1 there is enough room to hold them all if I put Kirk on top, behind the speaker grill. I thought about building it a little larger, say at 115% to fit all the figures inside the lower body of the tricorder, but even at that scale it starts to become unwieldy.

 

By keeping it 1:1 I can have a nice TOS prop to display by its own merits, yet still have a functional carrying case for my Heroclix figures. The tricorder will have the little opening doors and rotating viewer. The whole front half of the tricorder below the display head compartment will slip off to reveal the characters.

 

As you can see, there is enough room within the tricorder housing to fit all seven figures without changing the scale.

To Boldly Click

 Here is a picture of my newest set of Heroclix. The Star Trek Away Team set. It consists of Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, Sulu, Uhuru and Checkov. (Click each character's name for a complete description of that game piece.) The Enterprise is one of the models my wife gave me for Christmas last year. The Asteroid is just a squnched up and painted Styrofoam ball. Only the mist was composited in Photoshop. Everything else was really in the shot. I used Dollar Store finger lights as miniature colored spots.

Why yes, there is a 3D version.

View with Red/Cyan 3D Glasses

Best Google Doodle Ever

This has to be the coolest Google Doodle ever. It celebrates the birth of Star Trek 46 years ago today. You can play with an interactive copy of the doodle at this site in the Netherlands. Just click around on it for a little Trekkie Fun.

Here's an article describing the process of creating it.

So Happy 46th Anniversary Star Trek!

And thank you Google for a great doodle!