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

Learn about the man who helped define what '60s sci-fi should look like -- and why he didn’t get credit for it.

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

December 16, 2021

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.

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Who was Wah Chang?

Who was WAH CHANG? Wah Chang's work is on every classic Star Trek episode. The Gorn Captain Kirk fights in Arena? Wah Chang designed that. Communicators, phasers, tricorders? Wah Chang designed those too. And yet, his name was never on screen. — Source: Star Trek (Official Site)

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Chang's Childhood

Who was WAH CHANG? Wah Chang grew up among artists. His artistic mother opened a tea room in San Francisco, which quickly became a bohemian hang-out. A regular was renowned painter, printmaker, and set designer Blanding Sloan, who became the kid's mentor (and then took him in when Chang's mother died). — Source: Star Trek (Official Site), The Annex Galleries

13

Young and Talented

Who was WAH CHANG? Chang was a prodigy from a young age. Growing up in a nurturing environment, Chang had his first exhibition at nine years old, and by 16 he was designing sets for ballet. At 21, he was the youngest person crafting models for Disney. — Source: Star Trek (Official Site)

12

Pinocchio Puppet

Who was WAH CHANG? Chang helped build a real Pinocchio for Disney. Pinocchio's animators had an actual Pinocchio puppet to use as reference - which Chang worked on. Не was also involved in making articulated wooden skeletons to help animate Monstro the whale and Bambi, among others. — Sources: The Walt Disney Family Museum, Longtimers (via archive.org)

11

Movie Work

Who was WAH CHANG? You've seen Chang's work everywhere. Elizabeth Taylor's headdress in Cleopatra was made by Chang - and he also had a hand in movies like Spartacus, The King and I, and Planet of the Apes. You might not know his name, but you certainly know his handiwork. — Sources: Star Trek (Official Site), San Diego Union-Tribune

10

No Credit

Who was WAH CHANG? A lot of Chang's work was uncredited. Chang's name had a funny way of falling off the credits of movies and shows, for different reasons. Just go to Chang's IMDb page and count how many times the word uncredited appears. — More: 5 Underappreciated Creators Of All Your Favorite Shows And Films

9

Oscar Snub

Who was WAH CHANG? Chang's work won an Oscar [but he didn't). Chang's partners Gene Warren and Tim Baar got an Academy Award for Best Special Effects in 1961, for The Time Machine - while Chang was left out due to some BS rule about submissions. Warren and Barr had to mention him themselves. — Sources: Star Trek (Official Site), Oscars/YouTube

8

Frighteningly Good

Who was WAH CHANG? A monster Chang created was considered too scary for TV. ABC freaked out when they saw the Thetan in the Outer Limits episode The Architects of Fear. Some network affiliates blacked out the screen whenever the creature appeared. — Sources: Star Trek (Official Site), Flapper Press

7

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

6

Untroubled about Tribbles

Who was WAH CHANG? Chang made the tribbles with fake fur Stuffed with foam rubber. Or rather, he didn't make them-he hired someone else to craft the 500 tribbles required to shoot the episode. It was the last thing Chang did for Star Trek - his services weren't required again after the middle of Season 2, presumably because of budget cuts. — Sources: Memory Alpha (Tribbles), Memory Alpha (Wah Chang)

5

Romulan Gear

Who was WAH CHANG? Time to create a Romulan Bird of Prey: two weeks. The model was lost, though - which explains why Romulans adopted Klingon ships in the show's third season. (Romulan helmets were also Chang's work, by the way.) — Source: Forgotten Trek

4

Working for Hire

Who was WAH CHANG? Chang wasn't credited on Star Trek because he wasn't a uníon worker. Regulations didn't allow the show to commission props from independent contractors - but through a loophole, they could buy stuff from Chang. Не just happened to have a lot of tribbles and alien costumes lying around in his workshop, you know. — Source: Forgotten Trek

3

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

2

Sought-After Sculptor

Who was WAH CHANG? You can find Chang's sculptures on eBay. Chang created many small sculptures (often with animals as his subjects) - which eventually became his main line of work as demand increased. You can have an original Chang right now (if you can spare a few thou). — Source: HeroComm, eBay

1

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?

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