DST WOK PHASER... Who got theirs?!?

[phase pistol]

All this "phaser B, phaser IV, phaser V" nonsense is just after the fact retconning to try to rationalize what we see in the movies. :lol

The "TMP phaser" was just conceived as a "better" prop to replace the TOS phaser (let's ignore for the moment the question of whether they succeeded)... the prop is barely visible on screen and does not really have an official designation. As you can see from the design drawings (Brick Price and Andy Probert's), these guys did think in terms of attachable modules, phaser 1 snaps into phaser 2 pistol mount, snaps into phaser 3 shoulder stock.

However when Trek III rolled around, the phaser props were suddenly redesigned again. There was no overt reason for this, and in fact it makes little sense (Trek III takes place only days after the events of Trek II, and it is highly implausible that there would suddenly be a new phaser design in use aboard the ship).

As far as I know, there was never any need at the time to refer to the phaser by model number or type or designation, so there was no "official" nomenclature. Fans however have come up with many incompatible systems for organizing the various phaser designs. Unfortunately we don't even have a "Franz Joseph" to lend any of these systems enough credibility to make them "canon".

If however Mike Okuda and Rick Sternbach gave the phasers designations, I would suggest that these are probably the closest to "canon" that you're going to find. I don't have my Star Trek Encyclopedia handy, but that would be the place to look.


K

 

[Starchwreck]

Hmm as I recall the encyclopedia doesn't define them either, theyre just the Type-II or Type-I of whichever date. But oh well :lol

 

[phase pistol]

Interestingly the phasers were actually referred to as types "one" and "two" in dialogue in TOS (probably in "Devil in the Dark"), so that's as "canon" as you could ask for. :lol

The type One was also referred to as simply "hand phaser", and all these designations were in the Writers' guide and were official. Roddenberry also had "toy value" in mind, but ironically a toy phaser with separable p1 didn't come about until Art Asylum did their version in the early 2000s. :lol

I still say the TMP/WOK P1 is a bit odd looking, but I haven't got the toy to play with yet so I might yet change my mind. :love

My favorite "movie phaser" is still the Trek III version, which really does strike me as an "update" of the classic original. I hope DST eventually gets around to doing that one, but it seems unlikely...

Another interesting aside is that we very nearly saw a "type III rifle conversion" in Star Trek VI, when the Klingon assassin (later unmasked as a Starfleet Admiral) assembles a rifle by attaching a shoulder stock and scope to an Assault Phaser. A prop was built but evidently it was decided that the character should use a Klingon weapon instead.

 

[Funky]

Unless I'm mistaken, didn't RAC design that rifle?

 

[Bradleyfett]

Unless I'm mistaken, didn't RAC design that rifle?

I believe it was Shane Johnson actually.

Mark

 

[wuher da brewer]

Pretty snazzy looking rifle, like a paratrooper rifle or something.

 

[SSgt Burton]

However when Trek III rolled around, the phaser props were suddenly redesigned again. There was no overt reason for this, and in fact it makes little sense (Trek III takes place only days after the events of Trek II, and it is highly implausible that there would suddenly be a new phaser design in use aboard the ship).

This has always bothered me as well, as a sore-thumb nitpick. Why do the security guards aboard the Enterprise have the updated phasers?

This is the only "unofficial" explanation I could think of (and yes it will be a bit of a stretch )---

During Kirk's personal log at the beginning of ST:III he explains the most of the trainee crew had been reassigned. So at some point after ST:II but before the beginning of ST:III, the Enterprise either had a rendezvous with another ship or a stopover at a Starfleet outpost. It is possible that their resupply included the updated phasers.

Well I did say it was a stretch. :rolleyes :lol


Kevin

 

[antigravity]

As far as I know, there was never any need at the time to refer to the phaser by model number or type or designation, so there was no "official" nomenclature. Fans however have come up with many incompatible systems for organizing the various phaser designs. Unfortunately we don't even have a "Franz Joseph" to lend any of these systems enough credibility to make them "canon".
K

The twelve year-old nerd within me can't help but remind us that the Phaser III/IV (TWOK) and Phaser I-B/II-B (TSFS) designations come from Mr. Scott's Guide to the Enterprise, written and illustrated by Shane Johnson*. Johnson was sort of the Franz Joseph of the movie era. The nomenclature, while not iron-clad, at least has seen print.


*from the engineering logs of Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott

 

[silverskyes402]

So my wife went and bought me the phaser while I was at work and suprised me when I got home! I've always been a fan of the phaser, but never owned one, but this thing is spectacular, I absolutely love it, now its time for some bondo and a correct paint job and wow, I think I might buy another to mod and just play with this one!

 

[phase pistol]

I don't know whether to point out that Shane Johnson does NOT enjoy the same level of regard as Franz Joseph, or just to cut to the chase and say that Franz Joseph's stuff is not consistent with canon or screen-accuracy AT ALL and that the tech manual and deckplan stuff was just sneaked into the films years later by people who worked on the films and were fans, thus giving it all a sort of "backdoor canon" status. :lol

 

[micdavis]

All the stuff on the blueprints and tech manual were approved by Gene. Prior to publication. A lot of it still didn't match the show. But that's canon if you ask me.

 

[phase pistol]

Well all I can say is that Gene must have liked the Franz Joseph stuff better than what was in his own show, since most of it doesn't match what we saw on screen. :lol

 

[Onigiri]

I guess if we use that reasoning then the Phaser flashlight and Mego communicators were canon as well. Gene Roddenberry cared about making money and really didnt have much of an eye at all as to what was 'accurate' nor do I think he much cared.
Franz Joseph did up some fan blueprints and Rodenberry saw an opportunity to make money off of a product that had already been completed as Franz had done up a lot of this stuff for conventions. Thats all this was, an opportunistic way to make some money and keep the franchise in the spotlight at a time when he was trying to pitch a reinvented Trek to Paramount.

All the stuff on the blueprints and tech manual were approved by Gene. Prior to publication. A lot of it still didn't match the show. But that's canon if you ask me.

 

[antigravity]

I don't know whether to point out that Shane Johnson does NOT enjoy the same level of regard as Franz Joseph

Call me uncouth, but I can't manage to draw a big distinction in value. I would have trouble claiming one was significantly more creative or a better draftsman or provided nicer exposition. But then, I've never taken "on-screen" or "canon" or whatnot very seriously either.

Also contributing to my sense of equivalency, both creators existed on the bookstore shelves simultaneously when I was twelve. And as I'm sure you know, what we're exposed to when we are twelve often becomes our gold standard.

For all that, I'm down with whatever you want to call it. They could market it as Commander Chekov's Astro-grapefruit Juice Extractor; thing is cool and I'm going to tack one onto my next Amazon order.

 

[knightone]

Just got this tonight. I really like it. The build quality is fantastic. Good and sturdy, even finish. Very nicely done. There are two potential flaws. One is minor, on some of the units I got the hologram sticker is uneven and isn't always long enough, leaving a visible seam line. This was true of three in a case of six I received. The other is somewhat major, but isn't overly serious. The attachment of the P1 could be better. I've accidentally unseated the P1 a few times when my trigger finger brushed upward against it. The magnet should be stronger or they should have designed it with a rail too as a secondary security measure along with the magnet. Other than those two gripes, this is the best role-play toy ever made, by DST, AA, or anyone else for any line. Just unbelievable attention to detail and quality for a toy.

 

[micdavis]

I guess if we use that reasoning then the Phaser flashlight and Mego communicators were canon as well. Gene Roddenberry cared about making money and really didnt have much of an eye at all as to what was 'accurate' nor do I think he much cared.
Franz Joseph did up some fan blueprints and Rodenberry saw an opportunity to make money off of a product that had already been completed as Franz had done up a lot of this stuff for conventions. Thats all this was, an opportunistic way to make some money and keep the franchise in the spotlight at a time when he was trying to pitch a reinvented Trek to Paramount.

Yeah, but you have to start at the beginning. Not backward from now, back to then.

Basically it is what it is, completely mangled and beyond any repair.

I was IN the conversation about whether the communicator was tapered or not. Believe you me, we knew it was, but it ended up not in the tech manual. So really canon ended before it ever began. And for exactly the reason you point out here. It didn't matter at the time. Marketing ruled, and still does.

That's why the Abramsprise, looks the way it does.

 

[phase pistol]

also contributing to my sense of equivalency, both creators existed on the bookstore shelves simultaneously when I was twelve.

Now see, that's your problem right there. Franz Joseph was on the bookshelves in 1975 with the Booklet of General Plans (Constitution Class "Enterprise" blueprints), and Shane Johnson was on the shelves in about 1986 or something. So Franz Joseph gets primacy for that if nothing else.

And believe me, those years were loooooooong. :confused

 

[antigravity]

Now see, that's your problem right there.

Well I've certainly been put in my place.

About my taste in pretend blueprints.

In the conversation about ray guns.


How can I help but :love you, stranger on the internet?!

 

[phase pistol]

Everyone of course is welcome to their own opinion.

k

 

[Robiwon]

I am by no means qualified to seriously enter the conversation as to why the phaser was redesigned between movies. But look at it this way, how many different hand guns are used by the military, police departments, etc? Why would one think that only one type of phaser was used at any one time?

I just ordered mine, $22.95 shipped from New Force Comics.