Original Prints for The Original Series

Commissioned by CBS, Juan Ortiz created a collection of 80 original prints to commemorate each episode of Star Trek: The Original Series, including the un-aired pilot episode. QMs, CBS’s exclusive partner for North America, has now started reproducing the art prints and releasing them in sets of four over the months ahead.

Each set includes four plate-printed lithographs on 100-pound, aqueous-coated satin-finish paper. Each print measures 18 x 24 inches. The set and all others in the series will be available for a limited time only. None will be repeated or reprinted after they’re gone. Each set costs $34.95.

Check out some of the posters below and head on over to QMx’s website to see all the sets and place your order.

 

 

 

For this popular episode that pits Captain Kirk against a creature called a Gorn in a battle to the death, Ortiz chose earth tones in a stark silhouette. He also updated the look of the lizard-like alien. “My Gorn represents what he may have looked like if TOS had today’s budget and special-effects technology,” he says. “The inspiration came from the sword and sorcery paintings by [the late American fantasy and science-fiction artist] Frank Frazetta that I used to ogle as a teen.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Episode 44: The Trouble With Tribbles. “The Enterprise is metaphorically bleeding Tribbles,” says Ortiz. “I wanted the poster to be fun and colorful, and hopefully [to] make people smile.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Episode 65: Plato’s Stepchildren. The first interracial kiss on U.S. network television between Captain Kirk and Lieutenant Uhura takes center stage in this print. “This one, of course, was inspired by the Gone with the Wind poster. It’s very iconic and captures the moment. It’s Star Trek at its boldest,” comments Ortiz. In this episode, members of the away team fight to overcome the Platonians, who have psychokinetic powers and treat their captives like playthings. The worn look of the art print is intentional. Says the artist, “Originally, the scratches were supposed to imply an old paperback cover, but I feel that the end result is more of an old Roman fresco wall painting. That works for me, too.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Episode 71: The Mark of Gideon. While beaming down to the planet Gideon, where people apparently never die, Captain Kirk finds himself captive on an empty, fake Enterprise with a woman he is to infect with a disease that will help reduce overpopulation on the planet. The plot of this episode was frustrating to Ortiz. “The episode itself makes little sense. Why create an entire duplicate of the Enterprise when all they really needed to do was ask to relocate part of the population to another planet? Easier said than done, I guess. That’s why my poster has the Enterprise leaving a desperate population behind.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Episode 56: Spock’s Brain. The complexity of Spock’s mind erupts in this print for a storyline in which Spock’s brain is stolen by a beautiful young woman. Ortiz went for colorful, expansive imagery to show the vastness of the science officer’s knowledge. He says, “It had to be big in order to convey that. The idea came from watching hours of Monty Python’s Flying Circus as a kid.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Episode 55: Assignment: Earth. For this episode about the Enterprise’s trip back in time and encounter with mysterious traveler trying to interfere with 20th century events, this art print start out as 1940s poster for a serial film. Ortiz comments, “It ended up having more of a 1970s punk-band feel.” The artist offers some interesting background information: “Assignment: Earth was a backdoor pilot for what would have been a new TV series, created by Gene Roddenberry, that was never made. Teri Garr and Robert Lansing would have both starred in it. My guess is it would have been an American version of Doctor Who. The Desilu logo on top was in keeping with the serial theme.”

 

 

 

 

 

While on QMx’s website, check out these cute Trekkies Q-Pop figures of Kirk, Spock, Uhura and Mirror Spock. They are designed by Mohammad Haque, measure 4.5 inches tall and are made of PVC. Each also includes a word bubble and special Trekkies marker, so that you can add quotes or “sound effects.” Pre-ordering for these cute figures starts in Q3 2013 and you can sign up for the waiting list to be notified of their release.