Star Trek Pin-up FRAMED #16 Motion Picture Surak Shuttlecraft Andrew Probert

Description

Andrew Probert and The Shuttlecraft Surak from Star Trek: The Motion Picture. The Surak (VS 5047 61192259584-5) was a Federation registered long range shuttle that was in service in the late 23rd century. In the 2270s, the Surak transported Commander Spock from Vulcan to a rendezvous with the USS Enterprise. At the time of the rendezvous, the Enterprise was on a mission to intercept V’Ger. (Star Trek: The Motion Picture) The Surak was named for the Vulcan philosopher Surak. Andrew Probert is an artist whose Hollywood career began in 1978 when he worked on the original Battlestar Galactica pilot. He would go on to work on films like Airwolf, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Back to the Future but he is probably best known for his Star Trek work. He is credited with the design of the USS Enterprise-D from ST: TNG and collaborated with Herman Zimmerman on many of the beautiful set designs for that ship. He was an illustrator working with Robert Abel & Associates on Star Trek: TMP for which he designed the drydock and orbital office complex. Also for TMP, Probert designed the first Vulcan spacecraft we ever saw on screen. The script called for a long-range shuttlecraft to carry Spock from Vulcan to rendezvous with the Enterprise. Roddenberry specified that the shuttle should have large nacelles so that it was believable that it could catch up with the Enterprise. Probert began sketching designs with nacelles that resembled those on the TOS Enterprise. As he began to think more about how the shuttle needed to dock with the Enterprise, Probert started to move the nacelles forward to get them out of the way. He really hit gold when he decided on the “Personnel Pod” that would separate from the drive or engine unit. Probert was influenced by the Vulcan designs in “Amok Time.” If you look at the back of the nacelles you’ll see the shape is the same as the chimes and gongs from Spock’s koon-ut-kal-if-fee. Roddenberry approved of this final sketch and the designs went off to the Robert Abel model builders. The finished model was so popular that AMT/ERTL created a model kit of it in 1979. It has remained in production since then. In fact, the kit was recently re-vamped with new box art by Andrew Probert. The original model was so popular that it was sometimes loaned out for displays at Star Trek conventions. Unfortunately, it was stolen from one such event and has been lost. At least collectors have the very accurate model kit. In 1979 fans were delighted to get their first glimpse of a Vulcan spacecraft and, numerous toys and models later, the design remains popular. It is distinctive in both form and colour and it would influence the design work of later artists working on Vulcan spacecraft. Concept artist Andrew Probert also helped with the Enterprise’s redesign. Probert elaborated on Jenning’s television movie model, making the Enterprise’s secondary hull wider, with angled struts supporting the nacelles (engine pylons) and an elaborate wiring system for the model’s lights. In the television series, it had not been clear where the photon torpedoes were intended to have originated from, so Probert rectified this by designing multiple launcher designs at the base of the secondary hull for Taylor to choose from. Probert even added elements such as a separating saucer and landing pads that never made it to The Motion Picture or any other film featuring the model. While the hull surface was kept smooth, it was treated with a special paint finish that made its surface appear iridescent in certain lights. More windows were added than the previous design, and transparent images of the sets were inserted behind the windows so that when the camera approached the model it appeared that viewers could see something inside. As a joke, these images featured Probert, other production staff members, and Mickey Mouse.

Frame is shrinkwrapped until time of purchase. Ships boxed with packing peanuts.

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