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.