Submission + - The "Nubbin bug" lives – A Star Trek prop resurrection with 3D Printing (adafruit.com) 1
ptorrone writes: Star Trek: The Next Generation, Season 1, Episode 25 (May 1988), “Conspiracy”, was one of my favorites. It featured a mind-controlling alien parasite referred to as the “Nubbin bug”, or at least by The Greatest Generation Star Trek podcast. Back in 1998, there was not a lot of computer CGI, so it was a stop-motion prop. Years later, the co-hosts of The Greatest Generation, a fun Star Trek podcast, stumbled upon the original silicone molds used to create the Nubbin bug while a listener found in a warehouse clearance sale in Van Nuys, California. The podcasters acquired the mold. Shortly after, a listener from Atlanta who works at a prop studio offered to help preserve the prop since the original rubber material would decay over time. This led to the creation of archival-quality plaster casts to preserve the iconic alien for generations to come. And they did some more, using 3D scanners – the Nubbin bug was recreated as a 3D model, allowing for exact replicas to be printed. Over 100 of these replicas were made, each one hand-painted and assembled to match the original as closely as possible. Their handmade / 3D-printed versions look almost identical to the bugs that appeared in the episode. They also designed a Playschool-style retail packaging box to package the bugs. Fans of the podcast can purchase the limited-edition replicas. I don’t know if they will post the 3D files, but I’ll email and ask. This is a really cool project from one of the weirdest/best episodes, and I am thrilled that someone was able to preserve this piece of Sci-Fi history in such a cool way.
I'm sure the lawyers will call it (c) infringement (Score:2)
If the reproduction really is a limited run and all profits go to charity, the PR department may convince the lawyers to either look the other way or to hammer out a "$1" one-time-only license.
But I doubt we will ever see the 3D files without Paramount's blessing: "Derivative work I can sue over" makes copyright lawyers salivate.
Sigh.