Star Trek Host: Welcome to today's STARTREK.COM chat with Larry Nemecek. Larry is the author of "Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion" — a complete guide to all seven seasons and four movies from ST:TNG. Larry has also been managing editor of the Star Trek Communicator (the Fan Club magazine) since 1998.
Q: What future books about Star Trek do you plan on making? So I can look out for them...
data175
Larry Nemecek: I don't really have a lot going with the magazine, but I do have an idea that I want to pitch to Pocket. So many books have been done it's hard to find new ideas, but I have one I like — I'll let you know.
Q: Are you/were you a Trekkie?
data175
LN: Well, I guess I should have brought along this photo from college of me and my oldest, best friend Kevin — who 15 years later was my best man — where we are in TOS uniforms (the only ones at the time) holding our new college club sign "Starbase ECU." Does that answer your question? : )
Q: Who is your favourite Star Trek character?
lilac
LN: McCoy. Dr. McCoy. Leonard to those of us who were good friends.
Star Trek Host: Maybe if you all ask nicely Larry will let us put that photo he mentioned on STARTREK.COM!
LN: I don't have it with me. I have to get clearance rights from Kevin. We won't even talk about the Tellarite picture from my makeup class.
Q: Larry, what is your favorite behind-the-scenes anecdote from TNG?
noodle7
LN: (Overwhelmed look on his face) Ahhh, here's where I should have my sound bites ready! Okay, here's one. This is from the 4th Season, which would be '91, but I didn't know about it for 7 years. Jeri Taylor (former Exec Producer for all you newbies) told me 7 years later, that she jumbled the letters in my name from my old TNG Concordance on her desk, and named the junkie alien freighter "Nenebek" from "Final Mission" after me. What an honor! No crew name, no planet, just a crappy ship that nearly kills Picard. : )
Q: If you could be any of the Star Trek races, which one would you be?
lilac
LN: As long as it was reversible, I have always had a soft spot in my heart for the Tellarites, don't ask me why.
Star Trek Host: Why?
LN: I just ? they were Federation guys, dammit, and they never got any respect! I take up for the underdogs! Same reason why in the beginning I was a McCoy and Scotty fan. Got tired of all the Kirk-Spock hoo-ha.
Q: Why did you become an author, who inspired you to write, and why Star Trek?
iceplanetzeo
LN: Wow. I became a writer without thinking about it in high school after I took a journalism class (which had been a blow-off) but my year we got an energetic new teacher who got us all excited. And in Oklahoma, my theatre degree wasn't going to pay any bills but newswriting would. And someone once said, "You're lucky if you can make money at something you love," and all the Will Rogers and Sooners football books had been written.
Q: Greetings from Iowa. Have you ever been to the Star Trek Experience in Las Vegas?
lieutenant_commander_tuvok
LN: I wrote the text for the museum placards at The Experience. And consulted on the rest of the museum. Did you know there's just been an update? You have to hang on and ask Geoff about that. We worked together on that. But I've been there three or four times and it's still very cool, especially the transporter.
Q: Do you think Spock dies too much?
lilac
LN: Stop watching "Wrath of Khan" so much! He just died once, didn't he?
Q: Have you ever gotten the chance to sit down and talk with any of the actors?
mrpsychic
LN: Yes. Ironically, less with the TNG cast than with DS9, Voyager and Enterprise. Just because of the Magazine since then.
Q: Will you be doing a Voyager version of the book?
resistance
LN: No, but Paul Ruditis has his Voyager Companion coming out in April. Get it, it's got a post-Internet format that's very cool and just as fun.
Q: How long did it take you to write the TNG Companion?
capj1
LN: Ha! Oh, don't get me started! Seriously, I had all the trivia from my database, right, but in '92 I had three months to flesh out an intro and the first five seasons. Thank goodness the photo issues delayed it and I got another three months to write it.
Q: Is it hard coming up with ideas for new books?
lieutenant_commander_tuvok
LN: Yes. It wasn't 10 years ago, but the Internet and the magazines have so much more information now than we had in the 70's, 80's and 90's. A book has to have a really original angle to make it now. I mean non-fiction.
Q: I just read the TNG Companion. It was great. Are you going to make an updated version that includes movie stuff?
ens_smith
LN: Gee, thanks for the setup! The new edition that came out in January does go through "Nemesis," so it has all the movies, too. And I hope there are still some new insights there, and trivia for "First Contact" and "Insurrection," too.
Q: Hi. Enterprise has been said by many, myself included, to follow a very different path than the earlier Star Trek series. What are your thoughts on this new series? Are there any changes you would like to see made to the series?
jemhadar_1st
LN: I love the format of Enterprise. When I first started talking to the TNG writers 10 years ago, everyone loved the format but just wished they could tell a story for once before the Prime Directive, before tech was so advanced and people were so enlightened. And at the time — and I wish I had written this down — I said, "Well, do a pre-Kirk show." And I'm glad to see Rick taking my advice, LOL!
Q: What is your favorite Star Trek series?
lieutenant_commander_tuvok
LN: (Larry sags in his chair) That's like picking among your kids. But maybe I should say there's nothing like your first one, your oldest. It's still just so reassuring to watch Bones get cranky with Kirk and Spock. And reassure them in the same breath. But I also remember pulling for TNG when it turned the corner in the 3rd Season. The rest I've just been too close to, but I wish DS9 got more respect from mainstream fans.
Q: Did you enjoy "Nemesis"?
dead_spike
LN: Yes, and it was the first movie since I've been a "pro" that I wish I could have seen totally fresh. I hope everyone gets to see some of the deleted scenes on DVD and I don't think it deserved that really *&@##$ box office!
Q: If you weren't involved in Star Trek, what might you be doing instead?
cassiopia
LN: Teaching, still working at a newspaper... actually I've got some other projects *gasp!* outside of Star Trek now, but still entertainment-related... film at eleven...
Q: Have you worked with any of the other writers, or the Okudas, when making your Companions?
daybirdofprey
LN: Check the 'thank you' page, those names are not just there for PC, I have literally hundreds of hours of interview tapes from not just TNG but DS9, Voyager and Enterprise over the years. Plus, yeah, I don't mind getting a bit of advice from some of the other authors. Especially the ones so close and friendly.
Q: How much of a nitpicker does one have to be in order to write a book such as yours?
cassiopia
LN: Well, if by "nitpicker" you mean thorough and observant, then very. I don't like to be negative or snotty about it, but some things you have to point out. And ask the writers or other designers. And most of them, especially the long-timers, are up for being honest or even humorous about it. And I try to put as many of those as I could in the Companion. But a lot of stuff, a LOT, had to be cut for space.
Star Trek Host: (Which is, of course, the final frontier.)
Q: What is your favorite scene in Nemesis?
capj1
LN: My favorite scene in Nemesis... (thinking) Hard to tell, but I did like the wedding scene, both what you saw and what you didn't. (DVD anyone?)
Q: Do you think there will be another series besides Enterprise?
admiral_topac
LN: Oh God, yes. If Dragnet can make a comeback, why not? Oh, you mean just Star Trek? Seriously, yeah. But the way all media and people's expectations are evolving so fast, right now I don't know what it would be, if it's to try to stay cutting edge, like TOS and TNG were in their time.
Q: What has been your best experience when dealing with the legacy of Star Trek?
mrpsychic
LN: All the people that I've met. People who work at Paramount, fans all over the country, and in Europe — one of which is now my wife.
Q: Does Enterprise have the same open script submission policy that the other shows had?
ratednx01
LN: No. It was so open that eventually good-intentioned people from around the country — not writers here in the Hollywood community — didn't realize how often the same idea gets pitched. And to be frank, so many people thought they were being cheated, when they weren't — that's why you sign the release form and avoid getting an agent in the first place — that it just got too costly and time-consuming to deal with the complaints. Which is why no other shows in Hollywood do it.
Star Trek Host: Check our FAQ here: www.startrek.com/information/faq.asp?ID=1294
Q: Have you thought about writing companion books to other sci-fi series?
cassiopia
LN: Yes. But I really wanted to do a book for Northern Exposure, but someone beat me to it. I couldn't just crank one out, it would have to be a show that I got into. Hmm, what's Michael Piller's new show on USA...?
Q: Which movie is your favorite of all ten Star Trek movies, and why?
iceplanetzeo
LN: Another toughie, and I don't want to sound like the crowd, but have to say, "Wrath of Khan." "The Motion Picture" for sentiment, "First Contact" (also because my wife has a credit!) and of course, the whales (otherwise known as "ST:IV"). Pretty token, huh?
Q: Do you go to conventions?
cassiopia
LN: Do I go to conventions?! (cheesy Scottish accent) I worked on ConComms when your grandfather was in diapers! But seriously though, I started ThunderCon in Oklahoma City in 1991, worked on others. It's partially hidden but if I really know a guest in my house, I let them see my bulletin board of Con badges which starts in 1975.
Q: Have you ever made a cameo on Star Trek, in any series?
mrpsychic
LN: No, I have thought about pitching that and just never followed through. (hmmm, maybe...) Maybe... a Tellarite extra on Enterprise?
LN: Back on conventions, the last ten years I've gotten to do all of them as a guest and not an attendee and get to talk about all the background stuff that I want to. LOL
LN: In fact, come say hi at Grand Slam in Pasadena along with the distinguished panel (cough cough)... I'll let Geoff tell you about that one. And at StarFest in Denver. Stay tuned for further shameless plugs.
Q: Mr. Nemecek, how did you write the script you did for Voyager?
chrisedmund
LN: ("Prophecy") Let me be clear upfront, Janet and I pitched a story the month before the pilot aired, in December '94, which they bought, and it sat on a shelf for four years and THEN died. They pulled it off in Season Seven and of course had to update the story about a generational ship of Klingons and B'Elanna as the central figure, so we didn't do the teleplay. Rarely does a first-time story seller who's not an established veteran get a crack at a teleplay.
Q: How does it feel to be a part of Trek fandom?
cassiopia
LN: It's a lot easier these days than it was 20 years ago! As much bashing as Trek fans take from the mainstream, I think eventually the public image is starting to mellow a little. Especially now that we see so many wacko-painted football fans. And I can say that, because they're my people too.
Q: Columbia disaster...any thoughts?
picard03
LN: The d?j? vu with Challenger is sad, but also makes us stop in our tracks and realize how many of these things we have seen go off without a hitch. And I barely remember the Apollo 1 fire, too. Want to make sure we get to the heart of the problem and fix it. But want to make sure we remember how successful and needed our space program is. Star Trek and the space program and those who believe in both have always had a mutual love affair, but it takes a tragedy, I think, to show how much the real silent majority is behind all our exploration into the future and beyond our world. And how much they see it as the logical next step; it's just a matter of how much, how soon.
Star Trek Host: Please thank Larry Nemecek for joining us today!
Thanks, Larry — The TNG Companion ROCKS!!!
multitronic
Thank you!
resistance
Star Trek Host: Buy "Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion" by Larry Nemecek and "Star Trek Star Charts" by Geoffrey Mandel package! Go to www.startrek.com/shopping and click on either title now!
Star Trek Host: Stay tuned — our chat with Geoffrey Mandel, illustrator of "Star Trek Star Charts: The Complete Atlas of Star Trek" will begin shortly!
Geoff Mandel: Hello everyone. That's illustrator and author. Larry wrote some of it, too.
LN: I wrote all the chapter intros.
GM: Who asked you?
GM: Can I ask Larry a question — which do you like better, my book or yours?
LN: Stop this — answer their questions!
LN: Say good night, Gracie!
Q: Hello, Geoff!!!!!! Are you scared of us yet?
lilac
GM: Not scared so much as intrigued...
LN: Like Geoff doesn't know about the fans, either!
Q: Hello Geoff. What is your favorite ST movie?
oxycentis
GM: I go against the current — my favorite is VI, "The Undiscovered Country." Nicholas Meyer, best director, we can agree on that, Larry and I.
Q: What's the most interesting Star Trek planet?
capj1
GM: Oh boy! Hmmm... Well, my favorite planet would be the time planet from "City on the Edge of Forever." Don't ask me why.
Star Trek Host: Why?
GM: The cool whistling wind sound effects.
Q: How much involvement did Okuda or Sternbach have in "Star Charts"? Were they semi-co-authors, or just occasional spelling aids? :-)
lgarfiel
GM: Okuda and Sternbach, those hacks! Just kidding! LOL! LOL! They gave little bits of advice here and there. Got the most help from Christian R?hl, a German fan who has a great web site: www.stdimension.net.
Q: How much research did you do for this book?
ska
GM: A ****load.
Star Trek Host: Geoff worked on Enterprise, Voyager, "Generations" and "Insurrection" as a scenic artist, by the way, and was a production assistant on DS9.
Q: What software is used to make the graphics animations used in the displays on the Enterprise Bridge?
resistance
GM: Good question. Macromedia Director. For a long time.
Q: Which sector is the most interesting to you?
multitronic
GM: Oh, lordy. Sector Z-6.
Q: How did you figure out the courses of Voyager and the Enterprise NX-01?
antodav
GM: Christian helped me out with the first three seasons of Voyager, then I just watched all the episodes in order and kept track.
LN: It didn't hurt that he did the graphics and astrometrics in the last two seasons, and the first season of Enterprise.
Q: Hey Geoffrey, do you think your charts will be made available on the Internet for people (like me) who can't find it anywhere else?
hod_tam_chenmoh
GM: I wouldn't encourage anyone to scan it and put it online, because Pocket Books would get annoyed. I'm sure your local bookstore would order it if you asked them.
Q: Will you be planning a second edition to the Star Charts to cover the continuing voyages of the Enterprise NX-01?
frontiertrek
GM: I'd like to do a second version. If Pocket Books gets enough requests, it might happen (hint hint).
Q: Has anybody disagreed with your maps?
capj1
GM: I've gotten responses that disagree with certain elements of it, but overall it's been pretty positive.
Q: What exactly did you base the design of the maps in STAR CHARTS on? Because there are several things that confuse me. For example, I was sure that the Klingons and Cardassians shared a common border, and I can't for the life of me find Ktaria Prime, or the Mutara Nebula from "Star Trek II."
antodav
GM: I'll tell you where the Mutara Nebula is. Look on the second foldout page, upper right corner.
LN: Go back to your TNG in-house tech manual, available from Lincoln Enterprises (i.e. Majel) and you will see the Klingons and Romulans in the Beta Quadrant and the Cardassians in the Gamma...
GM: Actually Cardassians would be in the Alpha.
LN: ...on the other side of the Federation, and thus part of the reason why we never got to them until late in TNG. And yes, that should be Alpha, not Gamma. Heaven forbid I add to all the misinformation.
Q: When did you first get into the Star Trek universe?
admiral_topac
GM: First convention was 1977, first actual employment by Star Trek 1994.
Q: What do you think about Risa? Would you like to spend a vacation there?
ska
GM: I would!!!!
Q: What is your basis for the "satellite" Federation area, the one on the far side of the Klingons and Romulans?
lgarfiel
GM: That's a pretty good, detailed question. The Federation is like a big Swiss cheese with lots of tendrils and holes which extends far from Earth in all directions.
GM: Actually, cheese doesn't have tendrils.
Q: I love your work.
cold8611
GM: Thanks, your check's in the mail.
Q: Where can we find more battle maps, like the Dominion War?
multitronic
GM: Battle maps in this book were all done by Doug Drexler and all appeared on DS9. He's got more, maybe in the next edition.
Q: Do you think that there will be a series after Enterprise?
ltdata14
GM: I do. There may be a delay, though, a few years time off to get things reorganized, etc.
Q: What gave you the idea to put together "Star Trek Star Charts?"
cassiopia
GM: I did a similar book back in 1980 called "Star Trek Maps," Original Series only.
Q: What do you think will happen to the Star Trek movies? What do you think we can expect in the future?
ska
GM: Another good question. My guess is new cast, not TNG, DS9 or Voyager or TOS, although there may be lots of guest stars from the series.
Q: What do you do when you are not charting space?
capj1
GM: I'm a writer and do non-Star Trek graphics for other shows and movies, most recently "Spiderman 2."
Q: If you had to create a planet for the Star Trek universe, what would it be like? The planet I mean.
ska
GM: I don't know how to answer that question. I like the swirly pink and purple clouds, though.
Q: How much input did you have for the Stellar Cartography room that Data and Picard met in?
cassiopia
GM: Very little. Alan Kobayashi did most of that.
Q: Who decides the names of the planets?
ens_smith
GM: The writers.
Q: Which alien ship was your favorite?
spuds1
GM: I like the Romulan Warbird.
Q: Where is the greatest uncharted region in Star Trek space?
capj1
GM: There's a big area past the Ferengi that we haven't seen much of. Also, the "south" part of the galaxy below the Plane of Elliptic.
Q: In Enterprise you're kind of re-creating the Star Trek universe. How did it feel to be a part of it?
ska
GM: I was only working on Enterprise for the first season, but it was fun, we tried to get as many Original Series references in as we could.
Q: I heard someone once say that your map of the Federation and neighboring empires looks like Moonbase Alpha from Space 1999. Any truth to that?
antodav
GM: No comment.
Star Trek Host: (Geoff worked on the Moonbase Alpha Technical Manual.)
Q: Did you get a chance to meet Gene Roddenberry?
iceplanetzeo
GM: Yes I did, I met him at the premiere of "ST: The Motion Picture" in Washington D.C.
Q: Mister Mandel, what do you think of "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" Director's Edition?
chrisedmund
GM: I really enjoyed it, I think they've improved the movie, although I've always liked it. Best part — redone Vulcan landscape.
Q: How much of the book is based on direct research, and how much is guesswork and artistic embellishment? Are there any specific areas that are more "it seemed cool" than "it said so in the show"?
lgarfiel
GM: Nearby stars are accurate wherever possible. After about 150 light-years from earth, it's pretty much anything goes.
Q: Is there any sector that was a little too dull so you just added something for the heck of it?
cassiopia
GM: I did mix and match a little bit to try to even things out.
Q: When did you become interested in becoming an illustrator, and who influenced you the most?
iceplanetzeo
GM: Another good question. I've been a graphic artist for 20-plus years. I really admire Mike Okuda's work and the other people who have worked on Star Trek.
Q: How "big" is the local area, relative to the galaxy? It's unclear how "big" the UFP is in comparison to the galaxy as a whole, or to the Gamma and Delta powers. Or am I just not looking at the right map? :-)
lgarfiel
GM: Do you have the book? Page 8 — Local space is a sphere 1500 light-years in diameter.
Q: What is the biggest challenge in writing about Star Trek, Mr. Mandel?
emperor_taraniac
GM: Keeping consistent with everything that's been shown over the years. It gets harder every season.
Q: If you were commanding a starship, where would you take it?
capj1
GM: I think I'd probably follow the route of the Original Series Enterprise. As long as there are Gorns involved I'd probably be happy.
Q: How might one obtain an autographed copy of your book?
cassiopia
GM: Come to the Star Trek Grand Slam Convention in Pasadena in March.
Q: Do you enjoy the show Enterprise?
hod_tam_chenmoh
GM: I do, I'm a big Enterprise fan.
Q: Mister Mandel, what do you think of STAR TREK 10 the new movie?
chrisedmund
GM: It was a very, very good script, probably the best. The movie was good but not great. Should have been directed by Nicholas Meyer — he would have done a really good job.
Q: What was it like working with Larry?
admiral_topac
GM: I've known Larry for a very long time. We used to talk on the phone back in the late '70s when I was working on the Star Trek Maps.
Q: In the earlier sections of the book, you take a great deal of time elaborating on the 3D nature of space, which is uber-cool. In the later maps, though, that seems to disappear. Is that just to make the pictures easier to draw, or is there more to it?
lgarfiel
GM: Uber-good question. The 3-D aspect of space is very hard to illustrate. But I have to admit that it gives me "fudge-factor" if I show just two dimensions, that way no one can complain that Cardassia is too near Earth.
Q: Do you think there are too many humanoid aliens in Star Trek?
lacdaran
GM: That is a problem. I wish we could get some non-humanoid actors.
Q: Where is the Caretaker's planet in relation to Earth in your book?
iceplanetzeo
GM: I'll give you the page number: Caretaker Array on page 82. Caretakers actually came from outside our galaxy.
Q: Which captain is your favourite?
johannes
GM: Picard.
Q: Which Trek theme song is your favorite?
iceplanetzeo
GM: I like the Enterprise theme song.
Q: Where do you suppose the Q Continuum hangs out?
cassiopia
GM: Not in our time-space continuum.
Q: What sources did you consider "legit" and which not when putting together "Star Charts"? Did you use the same definition as the "Chronology" (shows + movies only)?
lgarfiel
GM: Good question. I did use the same references as the Encyclopedia, but I added some stuff from the Animated Series as well (and even a few things from the novels).
Q: Which Federation ship class is your favourite?
johannes
GM: I like the Enterprise-D.
Q: What's it like going from Trek fandom to officially working on Trek?
cassiopia
GM: It's fun. I highly recommend doing something for a living you enjoyed as a child, or in my case, a teenager.
Q: If you could be any Star Trek character, who would you be?
lilac
Q: If there was one planet you had to be exiled (as in left alone) on FOREVER which would it be?
hod_tam_chenmoh
GM: Hmmm. I'm Riker on Risa. That answers both.
Q: Do you like physics and astronomy?
cassiopia
GM: Took a lot of astronomy in college. I am an astronomy buff.
Q: Will you be at a convention in Florida?
rosemccoy
GM: If they pay for my plane ticket and my hotel, I'm there! Don't even need a convention!
Q: Could you share any of the RGB numbers used in the graphics on Enterprise, Voyager or "Nemesis"?
resistance
GM: I could... but then I'd have to kill you. Here's a hint, they're actually CMYK.
Q: What was the first Star Trek movie or series that you saw? Fans from Slovenia admire your work!
borg313
GM: I admire Slovenia. I remember watching the Original Series as a kid. Patrick Stewart is in Slovenia right now filming "The Lion in Winter" with Glenn Close.
Q: Why does the Federation appear to be the least contiguous power on the map? Do only humans believe in Swiss cheese having tendrils, or is it more political?
lgarfiel
GM: Well put. The Federation is an amalgamation of many cultures, some near, some far. It's more like the United Nations than a specific nation or empire.
Q: What other things about Star Trek have you written?
dr_kmills
GM: I worked on "Starfleet Medical Reference," "Star Trek Giant Poster Book" and "Star Trek Maps." "The Big Book of Word Documents" was never published, it became "Word for Windows Essentials" (how-to book for Microsoft Word, Amazon has it wrong!).
Q: If you could create a hostile and unforgiving planet, where might you put it and what would you call it?
cassiopia
GM: I might call it Earth.
GM: :)
Q: Have you written a script for Star Trek?
johannes
GM: I've pitched a couple of times for DS9 and Voyager.
Q: Have you imagined what the star charts would look like in 3D? And if so what do they look like? Is there any reference you would go to?
trekermike
GM: If you mean, would I like to see the Star Charts as a DVD or 3-D simulation, that would be really cool.
Q: Do you have a theory on the Klingon forehead?
ltdata14
GM: I do. My guess is that early Klingons were bio-engineered to look more human, and thus less threatening to Starfleet ships.
Q: Did you ever have a spooky encounter with a Star Trek fan?
ska
GM: Right now. (Just kidding!) I always enjoy talking to fans and find them full of interesting insights.
Q: Is there going to be another movie with the TNG cast?
theexpertstartrekfan
GM: My guess would be no, but I really don't know.
Q: What graphics are the most fun to make?
resistance
GM: New alien graphics, aliens we haven't seen before. It was fun coming up with an Andorian alphabet for Enterprise.
Q: What did you like most about DS9?
ska
GM: The sets were really, really cool.
Q: What other software is used in making the graphics? I know Corel and Illustrator...any others?
resistance
GM: Photoshop, Macromedia Director, that's about it.
Q: How did you come up with the Andorian alphabet for Enterprise?
ska
GM: I did four or five different versions, showed them to Mike Okuda and the producers and they picked one.
Q: What episode are you most proud of?
meandmydog
GM: I'm very proud of my graphics in the two-part episode "Workforce" on Voyager. Also did a lot of graphics for "Insurrection," which Mr. Frakes very kindly included in the finished movie.
Q: Do you support the "subspace highways" theory? You mention it only once in the book, after a fashion, regarding Enterprise's trip to Qo'nos, but then never again. Do you feel that accounts for the disparity in warp's apparent speed and the time required to get somewhere on the show?
lgarfiel
GM: You have to assume that there's something going on that we don't understand, whether it's subspace shortcuts, wormholes or something else, I don't know.
Q: What other hobbies and interests do you have?
cassiopia
GM: I'm a screenwriter — TV, movies, mostly unsold, that takes up a lot of my time. I have a cat.
Q: How long does it usually take to design the graphics for one episode?
ad3160
GM: We have six filming days for each episode, so you have to do everything in six days. Occasionally you have a bit of a head start.
Q: Why are there already reruns of Enterprise?
hctim
GM: Sometimes post-production won't have a new show ready, especially if effects are very complex, so they have to go with a rerun. This is true for many other shows as well.
LN: Most one-hour dramas only do 22 episodes a year; Star Trek has always done 26 episodes (barring unforeseen circumstances).
Star Trek Host: Check our FAQ: www.startrek.com/information/faq.asp?ID=1722
Q: Do you think that if all the powers of the Alpha Quadrant (UFP, Klingon, Romulan, Cardassian, etc.) teamed up, they could beat the Borg?
ltdata14
GM: **** yes!
Q: Are you and Rick Berman good friends?
lawrencelau
GM: I've met him just a few times, we're certainly not friends, but I admire his work.
Q: Do you think intergalactic travel will occur in the future of Star Trek?
johannes
GM: Ah, that's good. It already has: "By Any Other Name," "Where No One Has Gone Before," etc.
Q: How much are "pop" books like "Star Charts", "TNG Tech Manual", "Chronology," etc., used by the show writers for consistency? Are they considered good references, or "stuff for the fans"?
lgarfiel
GM: I think they do use them, but not all the time. They certainly use the Encyclopedia. The writers don't like to have their hands tied and I agree.
LN: It's hard to type.
Q: What kind of cat? Its name wouldn't be Spot, would it?
ska
GM: No, her name is Lizzie.
Q: Is there any Star Trek episode you haven't seen?
capj1
GM: No, I've seen them all. But occasionally I will dream that I'm watching an episode or movie I haven't seen. How sad is that?
Q: What size do you make the graphics for Enterprise screens? Is it 1024 x 768?
resistance
GM: For the video graphics, yes, that's correct, 1024 x 768.
Q: Have you seen the Star Trek Adventure in Hyde Park London?
dyer
GM: Haven't been to London, but I hear they have some of my Star Maps there.
Q: I'm a student of architecture in Barcelona (Europe). Do you take anything from modern architecture in your designs? (Like the Ennis house, by Frank Lloyd Wright, in "Blade Runner.")
arg0s
GM: Interesting question. I haven't really, but I know that Doug Drexler, who has designed many buildings, including Starfleet HQ, based it on the 1964 World's Fair.
Q: Do you believe that transporters will be used in the future?
porthose
GM: Sure, why not?
Q: Can you give us any details on the upcoming return of the Tholians?
cassiopia
GM: I hear their ships are exactly the same. I'm not sure that we see any more of the actual Tholians.
Q: How much does each episode cost?
lawrencelau
GM: That's a good Larry question.
LN: Between $2 and $3 million. Some are over pattern, and some are under pattern.
Star Trek Host: That's Hollywood-speak for "budget."
LN: The first year for TNG, the pattern budget was $1.5 million.
Q: You know that MIT is working on creating the first holodeck. Ever thought about giving them a hand in designing it?
ska
GM: That would be cool! Count me in!
Q: Any plans for Star Trek to do anything in remembrance of the Columbia?
michiganbelle
GM: I wouldn't be surprised, that would be a nice gesture.
LN: Since "Star Trek IV" had a tribute to the Challenger, I wouldn't be surprised to see something like that again.
Q: As a map person, have you ever been in the position of saying "that just doesn't fit continuity" to a writer? Or are the writers given free rein in that respect, and leave the staff (you, Okuda, Okuda, Sternbach, etc.) to fit it all together later?
lgarfiel
GM: It's our job to make it work. What the writer says, goes.
Q: After the shuttle accident do you see any future for the human space program?
chrisedmund
GM: I really, really hope so. I'm optimistic still.
Star Trek Host: Please thank Geoff Mandel and Larry Nemecek for joining us today!
Geoff, my thanks for taking the time to put up with spooky fans like me. :-) You've been a great deal of help, thank you very much!
lgarfiel
I'm from Romania and Enterprise just ran its first season here. The people love it. You really did a great job on it!
ska
Thanks guys :D
resistance
Q'apla!!!
iceplanetzeo
GM: That's nice, thank you!
You are the man!
borg313
GM: Thanks, it's been fun!
LN: Thanks a lot!
GM: Buy Larry's book!
Thanks Geoff and Larry. YOU GUYS RULE!!!!!!
porthose
LN: A lot more here than back in 1996!
Live Long and Prosper, Qapla' etc.
hod_tam_chenmoh
GM: Larry, you have to say buy my book, now.
LN: Oh, yeah... I have to say: Buy Geoff's book!
