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* [[DS9 Season 5 DVD]] special feature "A new ''[[Constitution_class_model#.22Trials_and_Tribble-ations.22_model|Enterprise]]''", interviewed on {{d|7|November|2002}}
 
* [[DS9 Season 5 DVD]] special feature "A new ''[[Constitution_class_model#.22Trials_and_Tribble-ations.22_model|Enterprise]]''", interviewed on {{d|7|November|2002}}
 
* [[ENT Season 4 DVD]] special feature "Inside the "Mirror" Episodes"
 
* [[ENT Season 4 DVD]] special feature "Inside the "Mirror" Episodes"
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* [[TNG Season 1 Blu-ray]] special feature, "Stardate Revisited, Part 3: The Continuing Mission" (2012)
   
 
==Bibliography==
 
==Bibliography==

Revision as of 14:13, 12 February 2013

Template:Realworld

Artist Douglas "Doug" Drexler (born 28 March 1953; age 71) has been creating or contributing to Star Trek productions and publications since the 1970s.

Beginnings as fan

Born in New York City, Drexler was a first-generation Star Trek fan - although he was prohibited from watching television on school nights, Drexler managed to watch "This Side of Paradise", and subsequently to persuade his parents to allow him an hour's viewing a week, for Star Trek.

Drexler, along with Ron Barlow, ran a small Star Trek store in Manhattan, New York - "The Federation Trading Post" - during the mid-1970s. [1] Although failing initially, the store became more well-known after advertising during Original Series syndication, eventually becoming a focus for media contact about Star Trek. Drexler and Barlow were approached by Paradise Press to edit one of the first Star Trek magazines, the Star Trek Giant Poster Book. [2] It was through the store that Drexler met frequent collaborator Geoffrey Mandel, with whom he compiled one of the first technical reference works in Trek history: the USS Enterprise Officer's Manual, as well as Anthony Fredrickson, with whom he would author the Star Fleet Medical Reference Manual.

Drexler also contributed as co-writer of two Gold Key TOS comics issues, "This Tree Bears Bitter Fruit" (#47) and "Sweet Smell of Evil" (#48). On issue #47, he is credited as a Story Consultant.

Professional career

Doug Drexler NHS Class 71

Winning an Academy Award for Dick Tracy (left) and an Emmy Award for Battlestar Galactica (right)

Drexler began working as a makeup artist in 1983 on the movie The Hunger, having been invited to do so by renowned makeup artist, Dick Smith. His other early work included Manhunter and Fatal Attraction.

After engaging in a long correspondence with Robert Justman and Michael Westmore during preproduction of Star Trek: The Next Generation, only to be unable to get a position on the series due to union rules, Drexler moved to Hollywood in 1990 to work on Dick Tracy (being made a member of the LA Union by Warren Beatty), for which he later won an Academy Award. Dick Tracy featured many Star Trek alumni in the cast: Colm Meaney, John Schuck, Ian Wolfe, Seymour Cassel, Hamilton Camp, Chuck Hicks, Mike Hagerty, Robert Costanzo, Ed McCready, Bert Remsen, Walker Edmiston and Michael J. Pollard.

Star Trek affiliation

Doug Drexler in uniform

In uniform on the set of "Transfigurations" in 1990

Doug Drexler profile

Doug Drexler on the set of Star Trek: Enterprise

Now able to work in California, Drexler approached Westmore to reapply for a position in the Next Generation make-up department. Westmore, incredulous at first that an Academy Award winner would want to work as a lesser paid makeup artist for a television show, hired him and Drexler's first assignment was putting on the Shakespeare makeup on Patrick Stewart for TNG: "The Defector". (The Official Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Magazine, issue 11, p. 53) Drexler worked as a make-up artist for three years, earning two Emmy nominations. Happy as Drexler was, working on Star Trek, he has professed that, "(...)the art department was calling to me and that's really where I wanted to be." He struck up a friendship with Michael Okuda, whom he admired, and kept in touch with him and his Scenic Art department, waiting for an opportunity to move over. That opportunity came when Star Trek: Deep Space Nine went into production and Okuda hired him, eventually becoming the lead scenic artist on the series. A grateful Drexler recalled, "Looking through the trade paper, Variety, I saw that Paramount had made up their minds and they were going to do Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. I got on the phone right away to Mike Okuda, who really stuck out his neck for me, and that's how it happened!" (The Official Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Magazine, issue 11, p. 54) After that series wrapped, Drexler moved over as a visual effects artist to Foundation Imaging, and worked on Star Trek: Voyager, the only time during his Star Trek years he was not employed by Paramount. He subsequently, back in the employ of Paramount, worked as Senior Illustrator on Star Trek: Enterprise, where he designed the Enterprise NX-01.

Doug Drexler and Enterprise NX

Doug Drexler with the Enterprise (NX-01)

He was the co-author and illustrator of the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Technical Manual, illustrator of the Star Trek Encyclopedia, and is a contributor and editor of the popular Ships of the Line calendars.

During his tenure as scenic artist on Deep Space Nine, Drexler taught himself the Adobe Illustrator software which served him well in providing the technical illustrations for the Manual and Encyclopedia. He went on to master the CGI LightWave 3D software as well, the build of the Breen warship for DS9: "Penumbra" being his first contribution in this format for the franchise. (Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 1, Issue 7, p. 50) His mastery of the software, aside for his regular work for televised Star Trek, also served him well, when he was asked by Pocket Books to provide (CGI) covers for several of their novels, most notably the covers of the Star Trek: Vanguard series. (Star Trek Magazine issue 162, pp. 82-84)

Post-Star Trek career

Drexler recently worked as Visual Effects CG Supervisor on Ronald D. Moore's Battlestar Galactica (two VFX Emmy wins), and its short lived prequel series, Caprica. Drexler acted as a technical consultant for the Remastered Original Series. Credited under the pseudonym "Max Rem" (occasionally also used in the Ships of the Line-calendars), as well as under his own name, Drexler also worked on the fan made internet series Star Trek: New Voyages (2004-2007). He worked as visual effects artist, executive producer, make-up artist, casting director, and editor on the series and wrote the story for the episode "In Harms Way".

Drexler is married to Enterprise food stylist Dorothy Duder.

Appearances

Drexler has made two cameo appearances as a Starfleet officer. Upon starting work on Star Trek, he asked if he could appear as a background artist, in uniform, at some point. His wish was granted in the third season episode "Transfigurations", where he appeared as a command division Enterprise-D officer in several scenes set in Ten Forward. He also appeared in "These Are the Voyages..." as an Earth Starfleet ceremony attendee.

Perhaps not coincidentally, his name has been used referring to two Starfleet personnel, D. Drexler and Doug Drexler, on dedication plaques in the same time periods.

In addition, Drexler had a Klingon character named after him - Drex, the son of Martok and Sirella, who appeared in "The Way of the Warrior".

Star Trek credits

(This list is currently incomplete.)

Emmy Award nominations

Star Trek interviews

Bibliography

Further reading

External links