PvP on Trek

A great comic, and a great blog entry. I didn't get teary at the end, but I did get total chills when Spock intoned "Space, the final frontier...."

My father introduced me to Star Trek. We used to watch the original series whenever it came on.

One of my favorite memories of watching the show with my dad might be a little bit embarrassing for him. But I’m going to share it with you anyway.

One time, my dad cried at an episode of Star Trek. It wasn’t any special episode either. It was probably one he had seen a million times before and never cried at. It ended like every episode of Star Trek ended, with Kirk and Bones laughing at Spocks inability to understand their illogical emotions. Over the credits, Kirk gives Spock a sharp slap to the arm and my dad laughed out loud. Then he paused and he got a bit overwhelmed. He got misty. Happy misty. Sentimental misty.

When I asked him why he was tearing up, he simply smiled at me and replied. “Because they’re friends.”

And I remember my mother coming in and doting on him and finding it endearing that he cared so deeply for fictional characters.

You’re going to hear a lot about this new Trek. People are going to talk about the action, effects and the casting. They’re going to even talk about how careful the film-makers were to weave this new series into existing Trek continuity. Those are all great reasons to see Star Trek. Make no mistake though, the reason you’ll love this movie is the same reason my dad loved the original. “Because they’re friends.”

I got a teared up a little at the end of Star Trek. They got me by using the original theme music in the ending credits. My dad was there with us to see the movie. It felt good. It felt like home.

I can assure you… this is most definitely my father’s Star Trek.

Click to embiggen

Show #106 - May 13

Episode 106 on MP3

Last show pre-movie!

CSI does Trek: A Space Oddity (and you can watch it on Hulu)
Lots of background from the Chicago Tribune
Deep Thoughts: What would a finale ep of TOS have been like?
Some discussion of planets being blown up!


Note the ripped shirt.

SFChron: Bill on the front page AGAIN

Today's SF Chronicle has an article about bromances in tv/movies, and of course Kirk and Spock top the list as the archetypes. I laughed out loud when I picked up the paper this morning and saw this picture of Bill and Leonard at the top of the front page (strangely, the print version is in color). I swear, since the movie came out I've seen more pictures of Bill as Kirk than I have of Chris Pine.

I love you Peter Hartlaub!

True bromance means never having to say "See you after my honeymoon is over." Spock and Kirk's relationship lasted for 78 television show episodes and eight movies. And you never saw either one spend more than 44 minutes with a girlfriend. They seemed to take so much pleasure in each other's company that no woman could substitute. While bromance wannabe Han Solo didn't even have a conversation with Chewbacca before he abandoned their bachelor's paradise for Princess Leia, Kirk and Spock were committed to growing old together, without interference or distraction.

Yet Another Ode to Bill

6 Reasons Why William Shatner Is the Greatest Performer of All Time

#6 - “Damnit Jim, Booty is Booty”

It would call to reason that a show about space exploration would lead to several encounters with alien beings. It would also call to reason that some of these aliens would be smoking hot half-naked women in all shades of the rainbow. Aside from the fact that he shared television’s first interracial kiss, Shatner’s portrayal of “Jim” taught us that Booty is Booty, and that means it’s quite all right to make passionate love to a 6-foot-tall blue (or oftentimes green) Amazonian. Without these epic performances, how could Comic Conventions exist in their current state? They could not.

Go, Geeks of Doom!

All the Trek News That's Fit to Print

In the Week in Review section from Sunday's New York Times, there were 3! count em, 3! Trek articles/editorials.

Exploring the Universe, One B-Movie at a Time by David Hajdu

[M]y big sister, then already in high school, was on hand to explain the wondrous narrative physics of the episode [A Piece of the Action]. I was watching a puzzle made from three things, she said: one, the “Star Trek” I understood; two, a period crime movie our father liked, called “The Roaring Twenties”; and three, the clownish “Soupy Sales Show.”

Put Aside Logic by Maureen Dowd

Commanding his own unwieldy starship of blended species, with Cheney, Limbaugh and other pitiless Borg aliens firing phasers from all sides, Mr. Obama has certainly invoked Mr. Spock’s Vulcan philosophy of “Infinite diversity in infinite combinations.”

The Two Sides of Star Trek by David Itzkoff

“A lot of science-fiction is nihilistic and dark and dreadful about the future, and ‘Star Trek’ is the opposite,” Mr. Nimoy said. “We need that kind of hope, we need that kind of confidence in the future. I think that’s what ‘Star Trek’ offers. I have to believe that — I’m the glass-half-full kind of guy.”

Romulan Ale! Sort of.

Illegal throughout Federation space, you no longer need to board a freighter crossing the Neutral Zone to get your hands on Romulan Ale. The drink of choice of the xenophobic Romulans, this non-alcoholic energy drink will keep your mind sharp and your passions sharper.

This stuff will run you about $40 a case, and it's just a freaking energy drink - there's NO ALCOHOL in it. As I said to Mike Sterling, you should add grain alcohol to it; it's supposed to be berry flavored, but if it's anything like Pepsi Blue, it's probably undrinkable straight out the bottle.

Romulan ale: Helping captains make bad decisions since stardate 2243.5.

William Shatner is very disappointed in all of you.

He could spank all of us. And then the oral sex.

Kim Hollis: Star Trek earned a jaw-dropping $79.2 million from Thursday evening until Sunday. What are the primary reasons that Paramount was able to hit it out of the park with the Star Trek reboot?

Josh Spiegel: First of all, this film came out at the right time. It's been long enough that most people have forgotten the last two Star Trek films, Insurrection and Nemesis, which were both flops. Second, the movie has looked like, from the first major trailer being released, like it could easily please Trekkers and non-Trekkers alike with enough callbacks to even the most familiar Star Trek references and lots of action. That, more than anything else, is what I would call the biggest reason that this new Star Trek film works: you really don't need to know anything about the mythology of the show aside from the characters' names (and the original series has been around for over 40 years, so you'd have to live under a rock to not even recognize the name Spock) to enjoy it.

Box Office Prophets

If nothing else, at least I have a reason to post this picture of pouty Kirk.

Trek XI: The Missing Shatner Scene

Well, it's not exactly a scene...

Star Trek Writers Reveal the William Shatner Scene That Never Was


"I! Don't! Do! ... CAMEOS!"

Top 10 William Shatner Moments

Courtesy of IGN UK

Coming in at #2:

Star Trek: The Cartoon

via the Village Voice. "Old Kirk and new Kirk go where no Kirk has gone before, thanks to Ward "Energize!" Sutton."

Bill used fishing line...

...but Quinto used superglue.

Also on that page is a video clip that reinforces my original perception of those two actors: Quinto, witty and geek-charming; Pine, kinda stupid.

Whipped Kirk and Other Delights

The cover of Bill's next album, perhaps?


I'm so glad someone has mastered Photoshop. Grepthar knows I never will.

Did I mention we love our listeners? Check out Francesca's blog Star Trek and 60s Design for great photos and commentary.

Star Trek apps for iPhone

A nice piece about some of the apps that are out for the iPhone. I'm definitely getting Daxhotel, and the TOS trivia one too - we'll be playing it on an upcoming show!

Logan has the phaser one and he says it's not all that. Oh well.

Wired magazine Trek comic online

When Worlds Collide, by Paul Pope

In a Flash presentation. It's pretty keen!


There's just something about a man with a harp...

Trek interior design

Courtesy of Dave Campbell - too funny not to quote in its entirety (and I completely agree with him!).

Where did the Enterprise crew get all those wonderful lights?



Now YOU can transform your apartment or living room into a futuristic starship bridge in three easy steps.

1. Paint everything Bright White latex paint with a satin finish for easy cleaning.
2. Swap out all accessories, furniture, and fixtures with brushed stainless steel replacements.
3. Purchase the following lights:

* 650 Dioder multi-purpose lights (with extra lens flare filters)
* 24 Asker countertop lights
* 12 Gruda bookcase/picture lights
* 24 Kramare spotlights
* 1 Spoka night light (for science officer's station)

Caution: You may have to wear sunglasses at all times.

The only thing they lack, of course, is the fixture that makes Kirklight.

A Mother's Day Space Treat

Captain Kirk's Childhood

Marjorie takes time out from her busy Mother's Day (opening all those space gifts, doncha know) to tell us a bit about Jimmy's childhood.

Bill didn't use it...

So why shouldn't you have it? Bid on Bill's invitation to the premiere of Star Trek XI. It's autographed!

See it and bid on Ebay

The auction consists of the two piece Premiere invitation plus mailing envelope. The address label has been whited out for privacy but it still shows William Shatner's name. There is a special Star Trek stamp on the envelope. On the reverse of the envelope Mr. Shatner has boldy signed the envelope. The invitation is also accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity from WilliamShatner.com attesting that the invitation is Mr. Shatner's and that the envelope was hand signed by Mr. Shatner.

100% of the Proceeds from this auction will benefit Mr. Shatner's Hollywood Charity Horseshow.

Trek-pimp your desktop!

Icons! Get your Star Trek icons for your desktop.


The tricorder looks an awful lot like a jukebox to me. Maybe that's the future evolution of music devices: jukebox ... Sony Walkman ... iPod ... iPhone ... Tricorder. Hell, the iPhone already plays music and does practically everything in the world. Just hang a strap on it, wear it like a manpurse and voila! Tricorder.

Violence! Mayhem! Kirk-Fu!

On the Enterprise, every night is Saturday night!

Trek movie review in the SFChron, featuring BILL!

Great review in today's Chron by MickLaSalle (he likes the movie a lot) - and OF COURSE Bill is mentioned:

So the young Kirk is a wise guy. Of course he is. He's still a wise guy today, doing commercials for "Priceline" - but wait, that's William Shatner, not Kirk. It all gets mixed together in the mind. As Kirk, Chris Pine doesn't imitate Shatner, but he evokes his confidence and breezy, jolly narcissism. At 10 years old, the young Kirk is taking the family car out for a joy ride, and as a young man, he's getting into bar fights. He has brains and nerve to spare, but he's going nowhere on Earth. Space is the answer.

Also this bit about Leonard is priceless:

Leonard Nimoy shows up as the old Spock, and he's not just there for a perfunctory blessing. He serves both a story function and an emotional function. At 78 (and looking not a day older than 79), Nimoy, just standing there, is a reminder of the passage of time and the glory of it all. He gives this new series a kickoff that it just might deserve.

This review is pretty much spoiler-safe, but if you're like JK and don't want to know ANYTHING about the movie, don't read it.

Starfleet Academy online

Via Brandweek (I have to read this stuff for work):

It's a safe bet that if any audience can appreciate brands showing off tech muscle, it's the Trekkie crowd.

Verizon Wireless and Nokia are betting that holds true as they team up on a new site that makes one of the first efforts to use so-called "augmented-reality" technology to create an interactive version of the highly anticipated Star Trek movie on Friday. The Join Starfleet Academy site is to promote Verizon Wireless services and Nokia products.

Visitors to www.joinstarfleetacademy.com can enter the "interactive video display center" to build the augmented-reality experience. It involves printing out a PDF document reading "incoming message from Starfleet Academy." Then, using his or her computer's Webcam, the site shows the viewer holding the sheet and the trailer plays on top of it and moves along with it.

"This is a very particular audience," said Shawn Moore, group creative director at Moxie Interactive, the Publicis Groupe shop that developed the campaign. "They're very particular and look for any detail they can find."

The Starfleet Academy site is meant as a hub for Trekkies. It includes everything from mobile applications to wallpapers to snippets from the film.

The effort is similar to a recent General Electric campaign that promoted its smart grid technology. It also allowed visitors to print out a PDF and then showed them on screen interacting with animation.

The hope is the wow factor will ignite a pass-along effect. The Starfleet Academy site includes a sharing option for popular social networks.

Such immersive experiences require some work from consumers (as well as a Webcam), making them applicable only for some audiences, Moore said.

"If I was just selling a service that's so mass market, that's not the right fit," he said. "This type of audience and this genre of movie really speaks to tech gurus."

If any tries this out, please let us know! We'll probably explore it on an upcoming show, but it would be great to have the inside scoop...

Entertainment Weekly Luuuuuuvs Bill

They use the debut of a new Trek movie as an excuse to flaunt their mancrush. AND they include "Galaxy Quest" as a Trek milestone! That's classy.

Trek Milestones

I know you're all shocked to see an image from TMP here but GAWD he's gorgeous! And there's Kirklight! (Ignore those 2 clowns in the back trying to get some Kirklight action.)

THIS IS A DISASTER (Part 2)

Don Asmussen (Bad Reporter at the San Francisco Chronicle) reveals the LIES behind the TRUTH, and the TRUTH behind those LIES that are behind that TRUTH.

Bill's Senior Prom?

No, it's from one of his early Broadway gigs--The World of Suzie Wong. BTW, that's Frances Nuyen (Elaan of Troyius) he's cuddling with. But it also shows us what young Kirk really looked like.

Logan's Trek blogging

Look, there's so much other stuff to blog about this week - and Logan found some fantastic stuff! So why not just head over to his blog and see?

Star Trek Cakes

Virgins Eagerly Await Star Trek

Star Trek Clock: Stardate Awesome

Brought to you by the letter "L" for lazy. Oh, and here's a picture of the Trek lobby display at my local theatre.

Wil Wheaton liked the new Trek movie

Here are the words to go with the picture.

Bill watches the Trek trailer - and shills!

William Shatner Watches New Star Trek Movie Trailer


Favorite part: after he says "It looks great!", Bil IMMEDIATELY launches into shill mode for his OWN Kirk-at-the-Academy book! Screw Abrams! Buy my book! I AM CAPTAIN KIRK!!

Shatner Meets Pine

Pretty anti-climactic - you can't hear anything they're saying. This happened on April 25th, so it must have been at Bill's charity horse show - meaning he didn't slam himself into the wall during his trick riding. No word on whether Tommy Turvey survived.

Trekkiest Trekkies win trip to LA Premier

From Defliin Vigil of the San Francisco Chronicle:

A film-making family from San Rafael took the top prize in a national competition to make a video that proved they were the biggest Trekkies in the country. David Tanaka, a staff editor with Pixar (and an admitted Trekkie) along with his wife, Dorianne, and two sons, Mitchell and Benjamin, spent four weekends making the winning video, which coincides with this week's release of the new "Star Trek" movie. Called "Trekitis," the three-or-so-minute short features a concerned mom (played by Dorianne) speaking to a psychiatrist (played by neighbor Joan Lithgow). Among other things, they are trying to figure out why 8-year-old Mitchell has grown odd-shaped ears and keeps putting paralyzing Spock-holds on other kids. The answer of course is: Trekitis. The prize, awarded by Esurance, included an all-expenses-paid two-night trip to Hollywood - complete with limo ride to last week's red-carpet screening of "Star Trek" and $1,000 cash. How did the Tanakas spend it? "We spent it logically," said the father.

To see the winning video and others, click here. Follow the links to "sweepstakes" and "Watch Trekkie Videos." I gotta say the winning vid is great!

Show #105.5 - May 5

Episode 105.5 on MP3

Special Cinco de Mayo mini-podcast with Special Guest Star Mike Sterling of Mike's Progressive Ruin!

We talk about toys, comics, the movie, and lots lots more!

Money quote: "I wouldn't even need to open the bottle. I'd just need to rub the bottle of Tiberius cologne on my body and that would be enough."




Very Surprised Kirk(tm) from Burger King

Space Rage

Short and funny.


Thanks, Jamie for the heads-up!
And the rest of you, stay tuned to the all-posting, all-the-time blog!

Newsflash: THIS IS A DISASTER!!!

No spoilers. Foaming-at-the-mouth fanboys, proceed with caution.


Trekkies Bash New Star Trek Film As 'Fun, Watchable'

Never Released Trek Prequel!

Funny Videos | Funny Cartoons | More Video Clips

Ah, the 90s, when teen movies were just the teensiest cut above an Archie comic.

Enterprise Tech Manuals - The way they should be

From Cracked.com: Instruction Manuals for the USS Enterprise



And of course, the Captain's Quarters:

Maynard + Shatner Butt Girls = International Mayhem

Aussie superstar Maynard interviews the Shatner Butt Girls. Hilarity ensues.

Maynard's Malaise podcast


We love you, Maynard! (And we admire you for trying to create the illusion of Shatner butt.)

Don't fuck with me - I'm the Security Chief!

Translation: I eat dead redshirts for breakfast.

From the Star Trek personality quiz:

Hmmm... a definite Tactical mind.

Every problem has a simple solution in your book - usually involving explosions and knives.

You're blunt but effective, perfect for the blue shirt of a Security Chief.

And you are...?
Identify yourself.

The one! The only! CAPTAIN! KIRK!

Before the movie opens and a whole new can of worms opens with it, Ree Hines of msnbc.com makes it perfectly clear.

Everything we know about Kirk, we learned from Shatner. The man at the helm of the U.S.S. Enterprise wasn’t just created by the late, great Gene Roddenberry. You can’t write a character like Kirk. The swagger, the staccato delivery, the ever-present smirk — those come to life in the actor. Roddenberry gave him a backstory [...] but Shatner gave the captain life.

More

SF Chronicle's Man-Crush on Trek, Kirk, and Bill

This weekend's San Francisco Chronicle had a whole bunch of great coverage on Trek - not the new movie, but CLASSIC Trek, and of course there was a picture of Bill! Check out the great articles they've been running:

Best and Worst of Trek (villain, cameo, etc.)

Boldly Going for New Film Doesn't Irk Trekker

Q&A with Quinto

Trek Stuff from Burger King and a Great Typo!

Trust me, the glasses look pretty cool but I had to post this picture. Looks like a mash-up of Star Trek, South Park and chibis.

Read the article and be sure to enjoy this sentence:

There are going to be four toys offered each week for four weeks (although sometimes restaurants with more costumers tend to go through their premium items faster).

The fun starts May 4!

Mix & Match

Compare the original and replacement crew.



Thanks, Jamie!

Favorite comments:

"Blasphemy!" and "JJ Abrams is going to KILL the Star Trek franchise with this fiasco of a film. People should avoid this film like the plague, and maybe the hack that is JJ Abrams will go away." (What, no "THIS IS A DISASTER!"? For shame, fanboys, for shame.)

"I think that James T Kirk looks cross-eyed." (Taken out of context, you might think this is a comment on the Bill the Cat picture but no, take a look at the Pine picture.)

Scroll down to our previous post for a happy ending.

Him Too Much Sexy

Lovely rich purple background--yes.
Sweat--good, good.
Kirklight--oh, well done!
But there's something missing.
Oh, of course! Rip the shirt, darling. Slowly. That's right.
Music up and... oh hell, you figure it out. I'm done typing.

Why Everyone Loves Captain Kirk

Because he's the goddamn captain, that's why!

Excerpt:

And then there's the cosmic Kirk mojo - an intergalactic seduction record that makes Charlie Sheen and Mick Jagger look like high school virgins. Whether presented with a green Orion slave women, an android, or a primitive, tribal princess, Kirk could found a way into her bed. The web is littered with lists debating Kirk's greatest conquests, but he had a charm that made him seem less like a chauvinist scoundrel, and more just a lover of the moment.

Modern men can use "going to war" as an excuse for a tryst, but Kirk could use everything from "won't be back in this solar system for another 40 years" to "battling a Vulcan to death in hand-to-hand combat tomorrow" to justify his escapades. Life was short, and he flew by the seat of his pants in more ways than one.

Read the whole wonderful essay by Chris Lackner, National Post

Bill lookin' fine and ready to sign

Comic books, that is.

Bill is scheduled to take part in a book signing to correspond with National Free Comic Book Day Saturday May 2 at Golden Apple Comic in Los Angeles. More

Promo for Bill's Gonzo Ballet

Watch more USA TODAY videos on AOL Video

Shatner on ANOTHER podcast!

Believe it or don't. Check it out at

The Zombie Astronaut's Frequency of Fear - Now That's the Shat

Listen to three audio selections featuring the Shat, including two Zero Hour episodes and a Caedmon album of the Shat reading Henry Kuttner's "Mimsy Were The Borogoves".

Thanks, Special Guest Star Mike Sterling's Twitter feed!

Show #105 - April 26

Episode 105 on MP3

Lene gets a birthday present!
A little more about "Talk Like William Shatner Day" - Maurice la Marche!
Cool stuff from the Shatner Fan Club
News From Around His Butt
Questions for Eddie Paskey aka Mr. Leslie aka Bill's stand-in
Check out Bill off camera, smirking
Review of Boston Legal finale, from Australia
Wired magazine features short Trek comic
CGI Chris Pine with an EVE?
Starfleet Academy Evaluator - we suck at this



"Stay outta my Kirklight, Bones..."


EVE or trouser crease?

Quinto & Pine: Busted!

Here's a link to a new short interview for the Trek movie:

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/index.php?cl=13072944

JK says: "From the expressions on their faces (esp when the other guy is talking), they look like 2 guys trying to talk their way out of something. Like the cops have them in the interrogation room."

TOTALLY.

But also: Karl Urban does his Gary Lockwood impression! He LOOKS JUST LIKE HIM!!!

And now for something completely different: Gay Marriage!

A Gaythering Storm from Jane Lynch

Yay Jane Lynch!

Star Trek Cereal!

I WANT SOME! Even though I know it will taste like crap. This is the kind of stuff that will show up in my local Big Lots store for 49 cents a box.

Shatner Butt Girls Conquer Australia

With the help of Maynard.

We were interviewed for his show of April 21. Listeners in Oz, let us know if you hear it!

CSI does Trek

Could they cram in any MORE Trek jokes? They got the sex in the Captain's chair right, tho.

But let it be known that you CAN'T KILL WILLIAM SHATNER! It would violate the second law of thermodynamics, or something.

Did Gary Lockwood get paid for this?

Courtesy of our pal Phil Plait, the Bad Astronomer.

Entertainment Weekly's Man Crush

Top TV Lawyers

Bill and EW sittin' in a tree, K I S S I N G...

Show #104 - April 12

Episode 104 on MP3

Live show recap - go to LookAtHisButt.com for info on new shows
JK wins an ASC award for By Some Other Sea
Harlan Ellison sues Paramount
NY Times article about Captain's chairs
Star Trek wall murals
The Many Looks of Captain Kirk



A plant named Captain Kirk - a flamboyant newcomer!

Mirror, Mirror - FUNNY!

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Better Know a District - New York's 25th - Dan Maffei
colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor NASA Name Contest

About 4 minutes in...

Attention all hands! EVASIVE MANEUVERS!!!

Avoid the movie "Knowing." It. Is. Crap. And not in a fun way. Don't let the "sci-fi" label fool you.

AND WHY DOES GOD NEED A STARSHIP??????

I'm so pissed off that I have to eat ICE CREAM just to restore my normally sweet demeanor.

Now that's what I call an alternate universe!

But does he play his own instrument, hmmm?

More Bill/TOS Media!

Courtesy of the always hilarious Mike Sterling. His comments on Tiberius are too funny!


"There's something surprisingly nostalgic about how entirely non-convincing these are. Calling them "prop replica(s)," as the solicit does, seems to be pushing the definition a bit."


"Get ready for arguments over whether "K'plah" or "Qapla'" is the accepted spelling."


"This seems a tad bit...disrespectful, somehow. Though admittedly, the original Enterprise didn't seem to have any shortage of bottles of contraband Romulan Ale, so I guess a bottle opener is a fair representation. "All abord the USS Booze-a-prise! Drinking frequencies open, barkeep!""


"Cologne named after Kirk? That may be too much for any one man to live up to. I think if I were to open a bottle of this, the scent would grab a ceiling fixture and swing both feet directly into my chest."

We're a hit!

The audience at the Dragon Theatre in Palo Alto, CA went space-crazy for "Look At His Butt!"

"Real belly-laughs!"

"I really enjoyed it and thought it was fresh and creative. Hope you do it again."

"Your show was great! I particularly liked the interview with Kirk's Mom."

"The best show about Shatner's butt I've ever seen!"

"Howeird reviewed Shatner Butt Girls who did a show last Saturday as entertaining & tightly scripted - worth full price"

"Just got home from the Palo Alto show, you guys were great! I was there with my husband [...] we both loved it - particularly the K/S bit."

New podcast coming soon - Butt Girls' Honor!