Star Trek Beyond's costume design

Star Trek Beyond introduced several new Starfleet uniforms, plus a whole load of clothing for all those aliens roaming around on Yorktown and Altamid.  So the costume designers certainly had plenty to get their teeth into! Continue below for a look through some of their work from the film.

Sanya Hays was the costume designer on the film, and worked with several other concept artists to develop the look of what we saw on-screen. These first couple of images looking at Jaylah come from Christian Cordella:

Latest Star Trek: Discovery details from Bryan Fuller

Star Trek: Discovery show runner Bryan Fuller recently appeared on the Nerd World Report radio show, and revealed several new details about the new Star Trek TV series and its production.

That chat included some details on how far along the writers have got: At the moment they have the first three scripts written, outlines for episodes four and five, and a clear idea of the overall shape of the rest of the series (so far there are no time travel stories it was noted). The first episode is a two-parter, with the first hour written by  Alex Kurtzman and Fuller, and the second half from Nicholas Meyer.

Fuller is expecting there will be some casting announcements in October, and is hoping to work with actors from previous projects.

An interesting detail was revealed about the lead character: She is apparently a first officer, and will be referred to as Number One:

Our character, when we introduce our protagonist, she is called Number One, for that very reason, in honour of Majel Barrett’s character in the original pilot. And as we were first talking about the series, and talking to CBS, we said, initially we will only call the character Number One, because in the 60s, in the first pilot, Gene Roddenberry was very progressive and had a female first officer.

First nuTrek postage stamps, and US stamp release datails

It's been an exciting year for trekkie stamp collectors, with dozens of new Star Trek postage stamps released around the world, representing almost every Star Trek series. While we're still waiting on some TAS stamps to truly cover every corner of the Star Trek universe, St. Kitts have now helped to fill one gap, with the release of the first ever postage stamps featuring Kelvin timeline subjects.

Seven stamps have been released as two miniature sheets, using promo shots from the first nuTrek movie. One sheet features most of the main characters (sorry Scotty and Chekov), while the other has a single stamp featuring both Spocks.

Star Trek Beyond's alien prosthetics

Star Trek Beyond makeup designer Joel Harlow boasts there are no less than fifty aliens in the movie, packing in dozens of new species as a nod to the fiftieth anniversary. In fact by the time his team were done there were some fifty-six different species featured in the film, many represented by multiple unique character designs!

A team of about seventy makeup artists and designers worked throughout the shoot to bring the aliens of the film to life, and now many of those artists, as well as the actors they transformed, have been sharing their amazing creations. Continue below for a look at some of the many new aliens from the film.

One of my favourite images to appear so far is a fantastic split screen photo posted by actor Joe Taslim, showing his character Manas as both the alien we saw throughout the film, and his original Human form as Anderson Le of the USS Franklin:

Book bits: DTI and Prey covers, and details of future books

Books news! Continue below for bumper update on the latest novels and novellas, including new covers, and details of new books.

First up, the latest cover to enter the wild is snazzy spacey cover for the latest book in Chrisopher L. Bennett's Department of Temporal Investigations series. The ebook novella Time Lock, is due next month.

Star Trek Beyond tie-in adverts

Several companies have arrangement promotional partnerships with Star Trek Beyond, with a few of them releasing TV adverts in the progress. I've previously posted Hewlett Packard Enterprise's Starfleet Academy field-trip to Iceland. But by far the more interesting element of HPE's association is that they designed several props for the film, integrating their own technology concepts of The Machine, and their rectangular logo. I've posted some details of those before too, and now HPE have released a couple of videos giving a closer look at what they helped design.

IDW's November Star Trek comics

IDW have released their November solicitations, which include no less than four Star Trek titles; including two new comics, and two omnibuses. Continue below for all the details.

Boldly Go #2 will, as ever, be written by Mike Johnson, with art by Tony Shasteen. Here's the blurb, which reveals a lot of the set-up for the post-Beyond pre-Enterprise-A adventures of the crew:

The blockbuster series continues with an all-new STAR TREK adventure set after the events of STAR TREK BEYOND! Captain Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S Endeavour encounter a new threat to the Federation, but one very familiar to STAR TREK fans! Meanwhile, Spock and Uhura face an uncertain future on New Vulcan!

The book will be offered in four different covers. The main cover featuring a pretty exciting image of Sulu about to quantum leap... is by George Caltsoudas. Tony Shasteen provides the subscription cover, which continues a series that will through the first six issues of the series, with each cover focused on a different member of the Enterprise crew. Two further covers have yet to be revealed, but one will be a photo cover, and the cover will feature art by Marc Laming. Note the covers feature a pretty sharp new title treatment for the series. Boldly going indeed!

Visit the TOS sets, remade in Ticonderoga, New York

Last month a cool new Star Trek attraction opened in Ticonderoga, New York: Star Trek: Original Series Set Tour. Based around recreations of the TOS sets perfectly rebuilt by James Cawley and associates, using blueprints and reference stills, the tour allows visitors to immerse themselves in world of Star Trek. Included is the full bridge, corridors, transporter room, and engineering. Continue below to check out the sets:

Mezco's Mirror Spock figure

ThinkGeek have an exclusive mirror universe Spock figure from Mezco's One: 12 Collective. Initially offered at the San Diego Comic Con, the figure is now available to all on ThinkGeek's website - Which also means lots of new pictures to give it a closer look.

Like all the One:12 Collective figures, mirror-Spock feature highly detailed cloth clothing, lots of accessories and hands to hold them in, and many points of articulation. All crammed into a six-and-a-half inch tall figure. Continue below to check him out:

John Eaves' prop designs for Star Trek Beyond

Star Trek production artist John Eaves has been working on Star Trek productions since The Final Frontier. He is something of a rarity among the the Star Trek old-guard, in having continued to boldly go, in working on all three of the Kelvin timeline movies. For Star Trek Beyond he worked on several prop designs, the artwork for which he has been sharing on Facebook.

His favourite prop for the movie is what I am sure will be a favourite scene for many of us, when Spock the younger finds a photo among the belongings of Spock prime.

Apparently early on they planned to use a TV era image of the crew, but thankfully that changed to the promo image shot for The Final Frontier - Spock seeing his older self and crew has so much more impact on his decision making in the film.

Kelvin timeline USS Enterprise joins the F-Toys model ship range

Back in 2008 Japanese maker little models (which come packaged with sweets!) F-Toys released a range of Star Trek starship models. Now they are reissuing that original "Starfleet Collection", with one new ship in the range; the Kelvin timeline USS Enterprise (original configuration).

Non-fiction updates: Beyond book, Picard and Klingon blurbs, and more

Lots of non-fiction updates today, including blurbs for new Picard and Klingon focused books, a video preview, and a limited edition. Continue below for all of those.

First up though, a look inside the much anticipated Star Trek Beyond Collector's Edition, which is perhaps a little anti-climactic. While the book promises to take us behind the scenes on the movie, if you're a reader of the Star Trek Magazine, it might seem familiar, as it appears the book is the latest in Titan's Star Trek Magazine article collection reprint books. Continue below to check out some preview pages (via Amazon):

Starships Collection's Holoship and Gorn, and other Eaglemoss news

Two new ships from Eaglemoss' Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection have been previewed in the latest round of solicitations. Continue below to check out them, plus other Eaglemoss news.

Due out first in the UK in November (and following in other markets as the series progresses around the world) is issue eighty-five, the Federation holoship. This boxy ship make a surprisingly interesting looking model! The first ever produced of the design.

More model ships coming with Star Trek Beyond home video releases

The first batch of announcements for the Star Trek Beyond home video releases included a set that comes with a model of the USS Franklin, and now it seems even more little model ships will be joining the Beyond discs.

Available via Amazon in Germany is a set which includes three little ships: The USS Franklin, USS Enteprise, and a swarm ship. I'm fairly these are the same models previously offered as cup-toppers, but it's ice they're being made available by another route if you couldn't find any at a cinema.

In the US Walmart are also listing a set which comes with three model ships, and I think it's a fairy safe bet that will be the same collection seen here,with the US version of the bluray of course.

Comic previews: Connection part 2, and Star Trek Cover Celebration

IDW's latest Star Trek comic releases include the final issue in the Kelvin timeline ongoing series, and a special cover gallery book to mark the 50th anniversary. Continue below for previews of both.

Issue sixty of the ongoing comic series completes the ingenious TOS/nuTrek corssover story Connection, continuing the split-page style of the first half of the story. This is just about as perfect a way to end the series and mark the 50th anniversary as you could get, and comes after a run of some of the strongest stories in the series. Hopefully the relaunched Boldly Go series, picking up events after Star Trek Beyond, will continue that line of great story telling.

As ever the issue was written by Mike Johnson, and features the art of Tony Shasteen. It is available in two covers, with the main Shasteen cover completing the diptych from the previous issue. The subscription cover is by Jorge Fornés, with colour by Mark Roberts.

New details of Discovery setting and characters

At the Television Critics Association’s press tour in Beverly Hills yesterday, Bryan Fuller, show runner of the new Star Trek TV series, Discovery, reveals lots of new details about the show's setting and characters. Continue below for all the latest.

The show will apparently take place about ten years before The Original Series, and focus on a previously established event in Star Trek history, something mentioned in TOS:

There’s an incident and an event in Star Trek history that’s been talked about but never been explored. To do this series, we’re telling a much more serialized story, to dig deep into a very tantalizing storyline. And we have a character who’s on a journey, and in order to understand something that is alien, she first has to understand herself.

While the exact natural of that event has not been revealed, a few thing have been ruled out by Fuller, it will not focus on the Battle of Axanar, the Kobayashi Maru scenario, or the Romulan War (although that suggestion was apparently remarked on as being "close"). Section 31 will also not be the focus but “might be some marble through the meat of our season”.

Andorians coming to Star Trek: Discovery?

Star Trek: Discovery show runner Bryan Fuller tweeted the following tease of a photo, captioned simply "#StarTrekDisco MAKEUP TEST". Now is we assume Star Trek Disco does indeed refer to the TV series, rather than the exciting new 50th anniversary pop-up dance venue... It sure looks a lot like there's an Andorian due to visit the USS Discovery.

Of course this could be some other alien with antennae. But surely we all want Andorians back? And surely the obvious connection is not unknown to super trekkie Fuller.

Star Trek Beyond ship and location concepts from Victor Martinez

Following the release of the film, it seems to production artists of Star Trek Beyond are keen to show off what they've been working on to bring the film together at super speed. Victor Martinez worked on ships and locations for the film, including a small Federation fighter than didn't make it into the film. He posted the following on his Facebook page:

Here's another look at the aircraft I designed for "Star Trek Beyond", dubbed the "Battle Shuttle". It was created for an earlier version of the script, and unfortunately was cut from the final script, but perhaps influenced the enemy "Swarm Ships" we do see in the final film. Both are small, dart-like fighters, ultra-maneuverable, and can carry a pilot and 2-3 passengers in a toboggan tandem style seating. 

Keepsake USS Franklin coming, and other Hallmark Star Trek updates

Every year since 1991 Hallmark have released at least one Star Trek ornament in their Keepsake range of Christmas decorations, including a model ship every year. At this week's Star Trek Las Vegas convention they announced which ship is coming next, and I'm sure it will be no surprise that 2017 will be bring us the ship of the moment, the USS Franklin. StarTrek.com released this image. While not noted in StarTrek.com report, I expect this model will have light and/or sound features.

Meanwhile this year's range of Keepsakes have just recently gone on sale, and include several Star Trek designs. Continue below for a look at them all.

Star Trek Beyond's new USS Enterprise, by Sean Hargreaves

Erm, spoilers? Sorry folks, but this article is about a certain ship that appears at some point in Star Trek Beyond. As even those who have not yet seen the film must know, Star Trek Beyond sees the final mission of the Kelvin timeline's USS Enterprise, and so it was surely inevitable the crew would need a replacement... Continue below for a look at that iteration of the Enterprise.

The task of designing that new Enterprise fell to Sean Hargreaves (who also designed the USS Franklin and Starbase Yorktown). As you can see in the images below, which Sean has released, he skillfully blended the key shapes from the original, prime timeline, Enterprise, with new organic forms, that makes this new USS Enterprise-A both familiar and very new.

The latest FanSets collectable pins, featuring ships, characters, and more!

Back in June FanSets launched, with the promise of making numerous pins featuring characters from several media franchises, starting with Star Trek. They apparently have some sixty pins already available or at some point in production in their Star Trek collection alone, including "MicroCrew" representations of characters, and "MicroFleet" ships with a sort of mission patch feel. Here are many of the ones they have so far released/announced, and continue below for a look at all the most recently announced additions to the collection:

The art of Starbase Yorktown, from Sean Hargreaves and Milena Zdravkovic

My new favourite thing in the entire Star Trek multiverse is Starbase Yorktown; that staggeringly beautiful structure is one of the most amazing creations to ever grace the screen, and a perfect icon of the Federation utopia. Indeed, designer Sean Hargreaves put that rather perfectly when I talked to him about it:

Yorktown was what Roddenberry's entire source material was about. Living together in harmony, with other planets and cultures we have all discovered.

As a big fan of the design, I am of course really pleased that Sean has shared much of his artwork from the production of Star Trek Beyond, which details how he and other artists created this beautiful thing.

Let's start on the outside, with the outer doors that let starships fly into the very heart of the base. The first image here shows an earlier iteration of the design, which was later widened.

Starships Collection's run up to issue ninety announced

Eaglemoss have announced, via StarTrek.com, several new ships coming soon to their magazine and model series, Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection. Continue below for a look at those newly announced ships, and other updates from the collection.

So working back from the furthest ahead, due out as issue ninety is the Romulan scout ship (which will arrive first in the UK in January, and as ever follow later in other markets as the series progresses in each part of the world). This isn't the first model ever released of this design, but I believe it will be much larger and more detailed than any previous release, following little Micro Machines and Wizkids game miniature versions.

USS Franklin production art by Sean Hargreaves

Star Trek Beyond production artist Sean Hargreaves is responsible for many of the most eye-catching designs from the film, and has been sharing some of his work from the production. Continue below for a look at the the USS Franklin, and how it became the ship we now know.

These first few renderings show the more or less final form of the ship as we see her in the film, including what has become quite a familiar image; the first piece of concept art that introduced us to the design months ago.

Amazing video of the Smithsonian's USS Enterprise restoration process

Star Trek visual effects artist Bill Geogre just posted this amazing video chronicling the restoration and reconstruction of the original USS Enterprise filming miniature, before she went back on display at the heart of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum new look Milestones of Flight Hall (as recently reported).

The ship was taken apart by the conservators at the Smithsonian's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy facility, with almost the Entire ship painted anew, save for the top of the saucer, the only place where the original paint had been preserved. This video shows that process in detail, and it makes me tense just watching it - Can imagine the sense of responsibility handling that half century icon?

New Star Trek role play game coming from Modiphius Entertainment

Modiphius Entertainment have announced they are working on a new Star Trek role play game, Star Trek: Adventures, which is set for release next summer.

The game will span the entire prime timeline, and will also make use of miniature models of characters, as Modiphius describe in their announcement:

Star Trek Adventures will use the Modiphius 2d20 game system (Mutant Chronicles, Infinity, Conan, John Carter of Mars) designed by Jay Little (Star Wars: Edge of the Empire, X-Wing Miniatures Game). Modiphius is also sculpting an accompanying Star Trek miniature figure line, the first to be produced in 17 years. 

Modiphius say that the focus will be on telling new stories, but will have plenty of familiar faces:

Yes there will be pre-generated characters for many of the well known personalities from Star Trek including Picard, Kirk and more, but the focus will be on creating your own stories in the Star Trek universe. 

They also emphasis it's not all fighting:

In Star Trek Adventures the ability to solve problems, deal with moral dilemmas, unearth conspiracies or ancient mysteries, will be as important as being able to command a ship in action or lead an Away Team under fire.