DRAWINGS- PEN & INK- PORTRAITS: "CAPTAIN KANG, IMPERIAL KLINGON WARFLEET"
MEDIUM- Steel nib dip pen, ink and brush.
SIZE- A4
BEST VIEWED LARGE ON FLICKR
The late Michael Ansara as Captain Kang the Klingon from the Classic Star Trek Episode "The Day Of The Dove". The character was quite popular and would later appear in both Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager, and featured in many Star Trek tie-in novels as well. In the later series the character was given the ridged head crest that characterised post-Star Trek The Motion Picture Klingons.
Kang died in battle fighting hand to hand against his enemies alongside his comrades in arms Koloth, Kor and Dax in the Deep Space Nine episode "Blood Oath". The character also appeared in the Star Trek Voyager episode "Flashback".
Born in Syria, in 1922, American actor Michael Ansara (15 April 1922 – 31 July 2013) played Kang on screen, as well as playing Lwaxana Troi's Tavnian husband, Jeyal, on Star Trek Deep Space Nine in the episode, "The Muse".
During his 91 years Ansara had a long career in television and movie acting, appearing in a large number of television shows and films, often alongside many other Star Trek actors. Ansara was frequently called upon to play Arabic, Hispanic, Italian and Native American Indian roles: he starred as, for example, the lead character Cochise in the series Broken Arrow. Most of the movies also reflect him being 'ethnically' cast, including: The Ten Commandments (1956), The Robe (1953), Julius Caesar (1953), Serpent of the Nile (1953), Road to Bali (1953), The Saracen Blade (1954),The Egyptian (1954), Sign of the Pagan (1954), Harem Scarum (1965), Princess of the Nile (1954), Action in Arabia (1944), and The Manitou (1978). The last being a fantasy horror movie.
Fans of yeahnahmaybe cinema (so bad it's good!) will know that Ansara was also the villain in Ted V. Mikels', 1973 Z-Grade exploitation movie The Doll Squad.
Ansara's distinctive, deep voice can be heard as the character Mr Freeze in several different Batman Animated series. Beyond Star Trek he had frequent guest roles in genre shows including: Babylon 5 (he was impressive as Elric, the Technomage!) , Fantasy Island, Buck Rogers In The 25th Century (Killer Kane!), The Time Tunnel, The Girl From UNCLE, Lost In Space, Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea, The Man from UNCLE, The Outer Limits (grimly stoic as the future soldier, Qarlo Clobregnny) and I Dream Of Jeannie.
Ansara successively married three different actresses. After Jean Byron he was married to I Dream Of Jeannie's Barbara Eden, for about 16 years; tragically, their son, Matthew, died of a drug overdose in 2001. He is survived by his last wife of 36 years, actress Beverly Kushida; and a sister, Rose Browers.
I drew this picture to illustrate a story in Austrek's Australian Star Trek Club fanzine SPOCK back in the 1980s but it's been reprinted internationally, especially in Klingon related publications.
Essentially, the technique is a combination of linework, ink washes and 'stipple'. Which is to say, you take the pen and 'dot' the page with tiny drops of ink to produce tones. I remember this picture well because it took about three days work to complete, some of that time I had to work by candlelight because the power system in our house had 'spat the dummy'. We had to get the house rewired and during the time that took we only had candles for light at night.
Actually, I think the 'done in darkness' shows in the final picture, read into that what you will!
Anyway, here's to Michael Ansara, an actor who always had a definite, memorable screen presence, I was sorry to hear that he passed away from complications related to Alzheimer’s disease.
While you're at it raise a flagon of Klingon Rum to Captain Kang - I'm sure he'll command a whole squadron in the Black Fleet, that will set the Skies of Sto-vo-kor ablaze with glory!
Kai kassai, Klingon!
DRAWINGS- PEN & INK- PORTRAITS: "CAPTAIN KANG, IMPERIAL KLINGON WARFLEET"
MEDIUM- Steel nib dip pen, ink and brush.
SIZE- A4
BEST VIEWED LARGE ON FLICKR
The late Michael Ansara as Captain Kang the Klingon from the Classic Star Trek Episode "The Day Of The Dove". The character was quite popular and would later appear in both Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager, and featured in many Star Trek tie-in novels as well. In the later series the character was given the ridged head crest that characterised post-Star Trek The Motion Picture Klingons.
Kang died in battle fighting hand to hand against his enemies alongside his comrades in arms Koloth, Kor and Dax in the Deep Space Nine episode "Blood Oath". The character also appeared in the Star Trek Voyager episode "Flashback".
Born in Syria, in 1922, American actor Michael Ansara (15 April 1922 – 31 July 2013) played Kang on screen, as well as playing Lwaxana Troi's Tavnian husband, Jeyal, on Star Trek Deep Space Nine in the episode, "The Muse".
During his 91 years Ansara had a long career in television and movie acting, appearing in a large number of television shows and films, often alongside many other Star Trek actors. Ansara was frequently called upon to play Arabic, Hispanic, Italian and Native American Indian roles: he starred as, for example, the lead character Cochise in the series Broken Arrow. Most of the movies also reflect him being 'ethnically' cast, including: The Ten Commandments (1956), The Robe (1953), Julius Caesar (1953), Serpent of the Nile (1953), Road to Bali (1953), The Saracen Blade (1954),The Egyptian (1954), Sign of the Pagan (1954), Harem Scarum (1965), Princess of the Nile (1954), Action in Arabia (1944), and The Manitou (1978). The last being a fantasy horror movie.
Fans of yeahnahmaybe cinema (so bad it's good!) will know that Ansara was also the villain in Ted V. Mikels', 1973 Z-Grade exploitation movie The Doll Squad.
Ansara's distinctive, deep voice can be heard as the character Mr Freeze in several different Batman Animated series. Beyond Star Trek he had frequent guest roles in genre shows including: Babylon 5 (he was impressive as Elric, the Technomage!) , Fantasy Island, Buck Rogers In The 25th Century (Killer Kane!), The Time Tunnel, The Girl From UNCLE, Lost In Space, Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea, The Man from UNCLE, The Outer Limits (grimly stoic as the future soldier, Qarlo Clobregnny) and I Dream Of Jeannie.
Ansara successively married three different actresses. After Jean Byron he was married to I Dream Of Jeannie's Barbara Eden, for about 16 years; tragically, their son, Matthew, died of a drug overdose in 2001. He is survived by his last wife of 36 years, actress Beverly Kushida; and a sister, Rose Browers.
I drew this picture to illustrate a story in Austrek's Australian Star Trek Club fanzine SPOCK back in the 1980s but it's been reprinted internationally, especially in Klingon related publications.
Essentially, the technique is a combination of linework, ink washes and 'stipple'. Which is to say, you take the pen and 'dot' the page with tiny drops of ink to produce tones. I remember this picture well because it took about three days work to complete, some of that time I had to work by candlelight because the power system in our house had 'spat the dummy'. We had to get the house rewired and during the time that took we only had candles for light at night.
Actually, I think the 'done in darkness' shows in the final picture, read into that what you will!
Anyway, here's to Michael Ansara, an actor who always had a definite, memorable screen presence, I was sorry to hear that he passed away from complications related to Alzheimer’s disease.
While you're at it raise a flagon of Klingon Rum to Captain Kang - I'm sure he'll command a whole squadron in the Black Fleet, that will set the Skies of Sto-vo-kor ablaze with glory!
Kai kassai, Klingon!