Tribbles and Tricorders: Meet Wah Chang, Uncredited Creator of Iconic 'Star Trek' Props

By:
Tribbles and Tricorders: Meet Wah Chang, Uncredited Creator of Iconic 'Star Trek' Props

There’s something charming about vintage sci-fi props -- futuristic for their time, yet firmly rooted in the aesthetics of the era that created then. Except that props aren’t created by eras, or any other abstract concept -- they’re created by people. In the case of Star Trek, most props were made by a gentleman by the name Wah Chang. If you never heard about him before, that’s because he was often not talked about in relation to his own movie and TV work. Here are a few facts about him.

Working from Home

Who was WAH CHANG? Star Trek props were born in a backyard shed. In the '60s, Chang and his partners closed down their special effects company, and he began freelancing from his home in Altadena, California. Everything he ever made for Star Trek was built in his home workshop.

Source: HeroComm

Producer and Director

Who was WAH CHANG? Chang started making his own movies in the 1970s. Tired of the pressures of working for Hollywood, Chang started directing and producing his own educational short films - often about wildlife and environmental issues.

Source: HeroComm

Say His Name!

Who was WAH CHANG? It's your turn: Tell everyone about Wah Chang. Since Chang never got credit for a lot of his work, it's up to all of us to make it right. Wah Chang did that! annoy your friends and family next time you're watching a classic Trek episode. And that too! It's only fair, isn't it?

Tags

Scroll down for the next article

Must Read

MUST READ

Forgot Password?