Tag Archives: ANOVOS

On Attending This Year’s Official Star Trek Convention In Las Vegas

Earlier this month, I made a quick trip to the Official Star Trek Convention in Las Vegas. I made the last-minute decision to go in mid-July which didn’t give me a lot of time to plan so I ended up making it a day trip. The plan would be for me to fly out from Seattle early Saturday August 3rd and then fly back home that evening. I normally don’t do things like this – especially solo travel to a big convention. My social anxiety normally kicks in. And it did a little bit. But I felt it was important to go this year due to the ongoing promotion from CBS for the new Star Trek: Picard series and the upcoming 3rd season of Star Trek: Discovery. I also wanted to stop by to see/meet several vendors who would be at the show who develop Star Trek products I collect. And finally, I wanted to meet some of the actors. With lots of encouragement – I didn’t let my social anxiety win. I went and had a ton of fun and I wanted to share some highlights!

Set Phasers to stun! Me on the vendor showroom floor at the ANOVOS booth.

The Convention Itself

The event was held at a small convention center at the Rio in Las Vegas. It was easy to get my bearings on where things were at as the area wasn’t that big. There were two large ballrooms: one for the main stage events and the other for the vendor expo. There were smaller rooms dedicated to smaller sessions, a place to grab a drink (“Quark’s Bar”), and a few rooms for exhibits and showcases. CBS had a room for the Jean-Luc Picard “The First Duty” exhibit and there was also a room for a Roddenberry VR exhibit. The hallways were decorated with artwork celebrating the 40th anniversary of Star Trek: The Motion Picture (the very first theatrical Star Trek film from 1979) and places to take photos in staged sets such as Borg Alcoves, a Transporter Room, and a Terran Empire Agonizer Booth. There were a lot of people in a wide range of ages and a lot of amazing costumes. I saw young kids with their parents and retired couples – all dressed up together as their favorite Star Trek characters. It was very impressive. And even though there was a lot of people, it didn’t feel too overwhelming like big conferences tend to do for me. But maybe the Romulan Ale helped.

The First Duty: The Jean-Luc Picard Exhibit

CBS brought the same Jean-Luc Picard exhibit they had at SDCC to this convention and it was the very first thing I did when I got there. I literally went straight there. I really wanted to see this exhibit. It takes you through the career of Picard from his early years in Starfleet through his cadet years to commanding the Stargazer and then this his years as captain of the Enterprise. You get to see Picard’s various uniforms over his years of service, as well as mementos from his adventures such as the Ressikan flute from the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “The Inner Light” and Kurlan naiskos given to Picard from Professor Galen in the episode “The Chase”.

Picard's uniform from Star Trek: The Next Generation below the Captain Picard Day banner.
Picard's Starfleet medals and rewards.

There were also items on display that fill in some gaps on events that happened between the new Star Trek: Picard series and the last time we saw Picard in Star Trek: Nemesis. I plan to write another blog post on filling in these gaps. CBS is being really creative on filling in some history that happened which will play a part in the new Picard series.

Finally, the exhibit ends with a peek at Picard’s attire from romping around his family’s vineyard in La Barre, France after retiring from Starfleet and what we’ll see him wearing in Star Trek: Picard. And Chateau Picard wine.

What a retired Picard wears around his Chateau Picard winery.

The Star Trek: Picard Panel

Jonathan Frakes, Jeri Ryan, and Jonathan Del Arco were on the panel to talk about the new series. We know Jonathan Frakes is returning at Riker (in addition to directing two episodes), Jeri Ryan is returning as Seven of Nine, and Jonathan Del Arco is coming back to the role of Hugh. There wasn’t a whole lot of new things talked about on the panel, most of it was things we already heard from SDCC the week before. They re-played the trailer which I had already watched a thousand times but loved seeing again. Everything around the new Picard show is surrounded by secrecy so that fans will be surprised and delighted when they watch the show. To illustrate how tight security was at protecting elements of the show, Jonathan Frakes was wearing a t-shirt that said “Don’t ask me, I signed an NDA!”

There were two things that struck me while watching the panel despite the lack of anything new. First – the chemistry between Jeri and Jonathan Del Arco is awesome. I really loved watching them go back and forth and I truly hope their characters interact in the new show with the same energy. I call them “Borg Besties”:

Second – the highlight of the panel is Jonathan Frakes describing an interaction between him and Patrick Stewart after shooting a scene for the show that has all the feels:

“And Patrick says: ‘I think we have done it, Johnny.’ And I said: ‘I think so too.’ So, we walk and it is just the two of us. The entire company of 150 people have moved on to the next set, which is in another part. And he says ‘Is there anything better than spending the day with filmmakers who know what they are doing and be able to work with people you love?’”

Teaching with Trek – Engage with STEM

Bobak Ferdowsi, Brandon Rodriguez, Danielle Nuding, Lyle Tavernier, and Tracy Drain from NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) did a session at the convention about how they got involved in STEM. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and math. The scientists talked about ways to help students develop skills in the disciplines of STEM. And they took questions from the audience about working in STEM and offering advice to some of the young people there. I absolutely loved seeing this session. Seeing parents bringing their kids to this convention and then prioritizing sessions like this one really made me smile.

Bobak Ferdowsi, Brandon Rodriguez, Danielle Nuding, Lyle Tavernier, and Tracy Drain from NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) discussing STEM.

Meeting Mary Chieffo

When I decided to go to this convention and make it a day trip, I knew I couldn’t do everything and see all the actors. To make the best out of the trip, I was very specific on who I wanted to see, and Mary Chieffo was at the very top of the list. In case you don’t know, Mary played the kickass Klingon Chancellor L’Rell (or “Mother”) on the last two seasons of Star Trek: Discovery. I believe that L’Rell is probably one of the best female Klingons we’ve ever seen on any Star Trek series or movie and its because Mary is such an amazing actress. She took how the writers wrote the character in the show and made L’Rell really stand out. It’s like what Andrew Robinson did with Garek on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. I’ve been following Mary on Twitter ever since Season 1 of Discovery and she’s been great about engaging with fans including myself. Meeting her in person was wonderful! And yes – she’s very tall. I am looking forward to seeing her in other roles in other TV shows and movies.

I got to meet Mary Chieffo who played the kickass Klingon Chancellor L’Rell (or “Mother”) on the last two seasons of Star Trek: Discovery.

BONUS: Meeting Anson Mount

Anson Mount as Captain Pike has been one of most favorite things about the second season of Star Trek: Discovery. Anson’s Pike represents exactly how a Starfleet captain should be and how they represent the values of Starfleet and the Federation. I think this quote from Captain Pike from the episode “Through the Valley of Shadows” summarizes exactly who Pike is:

“You are a Starfleet Captain. You believe in service, sacrifice, compassion, and love.”

In going to the convention for just the day, I didn’t anticipate getting to meet any of the other actors outside of Mary. But there was a small moment where the line for Anson wasn’t very long and my gut told me I’d regret it if I didn’t take advantage of the opportunity. So I got in line. And… I got to meet him! I have Captain Pike’s autograph! In support of Anson, I also want to mention he does a podcast too that I think you should check out.

I also got to meet Anson Mount who played Captain Pike in the second season of Star Trek: Discovery.

The ANOVOS Booth

There were a handful of vendors I wanted to see at the convention and ANOVOS was #1. All my Starfleet uniforms come from them and I’m a big supporter of the company with lots of cool stuff on order – including a Star Trek: Discovery command uniform. Sadly, they did not have their Discovery uniforms on display at their booth. While at their booth, I did get to check out their Star Trek Nemesis Type II Hand Phaser as well as the Star Trek: Discovery Phaser and Phaser Rifle. I’ve got the Discovery Phaser on order. These props are incredibly accurate and include LED lights and working buttons.

ANOVOS's Type 2 Phaser as seen from Star Trek: Nemesis. And my red shoes.
ANOVOS's Phaser as seen from Star Trek: Discovery.

Special shout out to ANOVOS’s John Cooley who I finally got to meet in person at their booth. John’s been absolutely fantastic in talking about ANOVOS’s Star Trek products.

The Eaglemoss Booth

Eaglemoss produces a huge collection of miniature models of Star Trek starships from across all the Star Trek TV shows and movies. And I’ve collected nearly ever single starship they’ve released so far since early 2014. They announced new starships for their Discovery line and new starships from their main starships line at the convention. They had the new Klingon Raider from Discovery and the Scimitar from Star Trek: Nemesis on display which were incredibly detailed.

Eaglemoss had the new Klingon Raider from Discovery and the Scimitar from Star Trek: Nemesis on display

And they offered attendees the ability to purchase their new Akira Class U.S.S. Thunderchild model from their XL line. And I picked one up! The Akira Class starship design is one of my favorite starships design outside of the Enterprises and Discovery.

Shout out to Nils from Eaglemoss for taking the time to chat about starships.

Other Items of Note

  • I picked up a copy of the Backers Edition of the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine documentary “What We Left Behind”. I was surprised that this didn’t have a heaver presence at the convention since it was very close to the release date. Instead, they had a small table in one of the far back corners of the vendors hall. I finished watching this though and HIGHLY recommend it for any Star Trek fan.
  • When I picked up my copy of the DS9 doc, I also met the actor Andy Bray who played Chekov in the fan-made Star Trek: New Voyages. New Voyages continues the adventures of the Original Series crew with all the classic set designs, visual effects, and costumes just as if the show wasn’t canceled in 1969. It also served as the precursor to the fan-made Star Trek: Continues series. Andy co-wrote a book with John Lin who played Sulu in New Voyages called “Making Fake Star Trek”. I picked up a copy which Andy signed.
Me in a Borg Alcove.

I am so very glad I fought back my anxiety and pushed myself to attend this year’s Star Trek Convention in Las Vegas. I had a ton of fun and I met some of the actors and vendors I’ve always wanted to meet. And I got to experience the Jean-Luc Picard exhibit too. Upon reflection, I think I should have at least stayed one night so I could have enjoyed things without needing to be mindful of the time and getting back to the airport for my flight home. There were evening activities I might have enjoyed. I am seriously considering going next year!

And special thanks to Holly Amos for letting me tag along at the convention for a little bit! She is awesome!

NOTE: All pictures taken from the convention were taken using the OnePlus 7 Pro.

A letter of support for ANOVOS

UPDATE 2023: I was a naive little nerd when I wrote this blog post back in 2019. At the time, I loved the ANOVOS Starfleet uniforms I had purchased and received. I loved the quality and attention to detail. In my mind, I felt like I was owning production-quality uniforms from the various Star Trek shows and movies. I felt that waiting on the things I ordered was acceptable if it meant getting these really cool high-quality unforms. And I had thousands of dollars in pre-orders for more. I wanted to say thanks to the company for their work. They didn’t ask me to write this as I did so on my own. Then in September 2021, it seemed ANOVOS had completely disappeared with what appeared to be members from ANOVOS going on to form this other company called DENUO NOVO. TrekCore reported on the situation. Star Trek fans, including me, who had pre-orders waiting to be fulfilled from ANOVOS were told nothing with absolutely zero communication from ANOVOS about what had happened. It’s 2023 now and there has still not been any communication regarding the outstanding ANOVOS pre-orders. This has been a lesson for me in writing blog posts that seemingly endorse companies like I did here with ANOVOS and looking like a shill and then ended up looking even more stupid. Sadly, the new company DENUO NOVO has the Star Wars license. If you are a Star Wars fan, I highly recommend NOT buying anything from this new company, despite their insistence they have nothing to do with ANOVOS. Clearly, something shady happened with ANOVOS and DENUO NOVO and you should not trust ordering anything from them.

Yesterday, the co-founders of ANOVOS published an article on their website explaining what has been going on with regards to significant delays to many of their products pre-ordered by customers. The cause, they say, is due to “complex burden of accuracy”. The company is making some adjustments to be better at getting products out into the hands of customers. As a customer who has several products pre-ordered that has been delayed (some of which delayed quite a bit…), I wanted to write a letter of support for the company because their products are simply stunning and amazing when you get them and completely worth the wait.  

So, who is ANOVOS? ANOVOS is a small company that specializes in producing screen-accurate and highly detailed replica costumes and props from Star Wars, Star Trek, Ghostbusters, Marvel and a few others. Their products are very popular, especially with Star Wars and Star Trek fans with many fans wearing their product to conventions. Through their licensors like LucasFilm or CBS, they get access to the exact costumes and props used in the TV and movies to create their products allowing them to truly specialize in creating products that are incredibly accurate. And this is what attracted me to purchasing ANOVOS products: accuracy.

As a Star Trek fan – I’ve always wanted to own screen-accurate uniforms from the TV shows and movies. When it comes to Star Trek, I am extremely detailed orientated. DETAILS MATTER! A Star Trek uniform from Rubie’s isn’t going to cut it for me. I want to feel like what I’m wearing is exactly what they wore on the show. When ANOVOS came to the table with their uniforms for Star Trek – I was excited someone was finally doing this and specializing in accuracy. My very first ANOVOS purchase was the Captain Picard jacket as seen being worn by Captain Picard in the later seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation. And I was blown away by the quality and accuracy. I wore it around work like Captain Picard wore it around the Enterprise.  

The way ANOVOS works is they solicit a product and then open it up for pre-orders. Usually when they solicit the product, it’s in the prototype stage with development of the product on-going. The pre-orders are limited to a certain number or sometimes in waves. Filling that number ensures they can produce the product. Often, you’re in a waiting game on a product you pre-order as ANOVOS develops the product for manufacturing. I currently have several pre-orders – some of which I made nearly two years ago. What has caused delays in getting products to customers is the process of producing these products can ben immensely complex due to the focus on accuracy. ANOVOS hopes to make changes that avoids having to decrease their focus on accuracy but shrinks the time it takes to get products out to customers.

I completely support ANOVOS in their efforts. But I also don’t mind waiting. The products I’ve purchased from them have been amazing. I mean, simply incredible. I’m not upset I have pre-orders going back almost 2 years because I know what I’ll get will be stunning and reflect incredible quality. The main issue for me is simply lack of transparency on the ongoing development of the products I pre-ordered and resulting delays. I want to see ANOVOS do a better job communicating with customers because I think that will make a HUGE difference. When you order products from ANOVOS, you’re getting the best-of-the-best so its best to reset your expectations of having something be immediately available but know you’re getting something awesome.

I’m currently waiting on several products from ANOVOS I’m really excited about including:

I am so excited about these products and can’t wait to show them off! ANOVOS has my complete support and as long as they continue to make awesome costumes and props from Star Trek and Ghostbusters, they have my business.

The Tale of 2 Niners Caps

20 years ago*, the episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine called “Take Me Out to the Holosuite” aired on TV. In the episode, Captain Sisko is challenged by Captain Solok, an old Vulcan rival from Starfleet Academy, to a game of baseball in the space station’s holosuite. Captain Sisko is a HUGE baseballl fan and refuses to be beaten by Solok and has to train his crew to play baseball. TrekCore did a great article looking back at the episode which I highly recommend reading. But in the episode, Sisko and his crew call their team the “Niners” based after the name of the station and wore baseball uniforms and caps with the following logo on them: 

“Niners” Baseball Team Logo
Captain Sisko wearing his “Niners” cap.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – the official Star Trek Shop has a bunch of new merchandise including a baseball cap with the “Niners” patch on it. Excited by this – I bought one. Then ANOVOS announced at San Diego Comic Con this summer they were also doing “Niners” gear to celebrate the DS9 annniversary – also including a baseball cap. So I bought one from ANOVOS too. 

The two Niners hats side-by-side. Cap from the Star Trek Shop on the left, Cap from ANOVOS on the right. 

TL;DR – the ANOVOS Niners cap is a thousand times better than the official Star Trek Store cap. First issue: the bottom of the bill is green while the bottom of the bill for the cap used in the episode was grey. ANOVOS got it right. Second issue: the patch style of the Niners logo doesn’t match on the cap from the Star Trek Shop while on the ANOVOS cap it matches perfectly with what was seen in the episode. Third issue: the overall quality of the official Star Trek Shop cap is really low while ANOVOS is of high quality. The ANOVOS cap is essentially a exact replica of the one caps used in the actual episode. 

I call the issue of the 2 Niners caps out for a couple of reason. The first is I continue to be extremely disappointed at CBS for the quality of merchandise in the official Star Trek Shop. Marvel or Star Wars don’t seem to have this problem. In my view, the lack of quality of merchandise CBS puts in their official Star Trek Shop reflects a lack of respect for the fans on their part. Instead of selling a cheap Niners cap in their store why aren’t they selling the ANOVOS version? The second reason I call this out is because I think the work ANOVOS does on their products is AMAZING. And I thank CBS for continuing to allow ANOVOS to produce amazing Star Trek products. 

Want your own Niners cap? I highly recommend the ANOVOS version which is currently in stock here. In addition to the cap, ANOVOS also has Niner baseball jerseys for pre-order!