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A quick thread, in anticipation of what would have been his 103rd birthday this weekend, on the incredible, often overlooked contributions of STAR TREK model builder and prop designer Wah Ming Chang.
A Chinese-American born in Honolulu, an adoptee and polio survivor, Chang is surely one of the most important and influential imagineers in Star Trek history. He created the original props for the communicator and tricorder - absolutely iconic designs.
He designed and built the model for the Original Series' Romulan Bird-of-Prey, one of the best (maybe *the* best?) starship designs in Trek history. It's conceptually brilliant: instantly distinct from the Enterprise but obviously part of the same fictional world.
He also created the make-up and costumes for the Talosians, the Gorn, the Salt Vampire, and the menacing puppet from The Corbomite Maneuver. Again, these are utterly *iconic* characters that were key to the thrilling, memorable impact of Star Trek in the 60s.
Due to union disputes and barriers to advancement, Chang's amazing contributions to the first two seasons of Star Trek were uncredited and largely unknown until much later. In recent years many fans and Star Trek sites have acknowledged his incredible impact, and enduring legacy.
Anyone inclined to know more about Wah Chang, the only real book about his life and work is written for young readers: "Wah Ming Chang: Artist and Master of Special Effects" (published as part of the well-intentioned "Multicultural Junior Biographies" series).
Adding a couple of lovely anecdotes Mike Okuda shared about his interactions with Wah Chang: https://twitter.com/mikeokuda/status/1287902985427681280?s=21 https://twitter.com/mikeokuda/status/1287902985427681280
