"Dolls, Dragons and Plushies."
When the show Star Trek was on air in Germany for the first time in 1972, I was just 19 years young and from the first episode I was fascinated by this crew! Each week I sat gripped in front of the TV and my dad and I almost fighted, because the sports show came on another channel at the same time.
Up to now I watch the repetitions of the classic show again and again. Though the newer shows are - of course - lightyears farer ahead concerning the special effects, my heart still beats for the classic family and that will never change... fascinating, isn't it?
From the beginning I liked Mr. Spock the best of all characters. Which fan wouldn't like to be secretly like him?
From 1972 to 1995 I was just a passive Star Trek fan. In March 1995 I discovered the phone number of the "Star Trek Fan Club Frankfurt" and became a member.
The first Star Trek event I was visiting was the "Galaxy" Convention in Bensheim in March 1996. The dubbing actors Rolf Schult (Picard) and Gert Günter Hoffmann (Kirk) were the two guest stars. I appeared as Mr. Spock on this con and took second place at the fancy dress. I also made my first experiences with television crews.
1996 was the anniversary year (30 years of Star Trek) and several conventions were following whre I appeared as Mr. Spock.
Just to mention some of the events, here is a short list:
- "Jugend forscht" (Youth researches) in Frankfurt-Höchst.
- Long "Star Trek - Movie - Night" (all 7 movies, 17 hours) in Frankfurt / Main.
- Book trade fair in Frankfurt / Main.
- Sneak preview of "Star Trek 8 - First Contact" in Cologne.
- "Astronomy for Star Trek friends", lecture at the Volkssternwarte (public observatory) Frankfurt / Main.
- Cinema première of "Star Trek 8 - First Contact" in Trier.
Together with the usual trek dinners and barbeques in summertime, there were some events which I like to remember:
- A Mini-Convention (approx. 75 fans) at the youth center of Goslar/Harz. As guest star Herbert Weicker (dubbing actor of Spock) was invited, but he had a fatal car accident two days before.
- TV-appearances: ZDF-Fernsehgarten (TV garden), ARD/ZDF-Kinderkanal (kid's channel), SAT1-Frühstücksfernsehen (breakfast television).
- Book trade fair: I met Minister Norbert Blüm, who told me that he formerly liked to watch "Star Trek" on TV.
- Christmas party in Mannheim, guest star: Ernst Meincke (second dubbing actor of Picard).
The year 1998 began resoundingly!
- "Galileo 7"-Convention in Goslar/Harz,
guest stars: George Takei, John DeLancie, Robert Picardo and Richard Arnold.
I was invited as guest star to this convention and I had my first panel there. - World premiere of "Borg War 3 - Atlantis" at Kinopolis-Rhein-Neckar (cinema center) in Viernheim.
At this fan movie production I am the Vulcan Captain of the "USS Hosho".
The year 1999 again was very lively!
- Several Star Trek events
- May 1999, 1st: guest for one day at the FedCon 7
My great wish to meet Leonard Nimoy personally remains unfulfilled. - Friday, July, 9th, , MDR, 7.50 p.m. to 8.15 p.m., "Nothing is impossible",
The story:
Some sort of "Heidi" out of the mountains (MDR-presenter Oliver Nix) falls in love with Mr. Spock and follows him. That's why Mr. Spock forgets everything around him. His crew is under enormous pressure of time, because the "Enterprise" urgently waits for their return!
The crew searches for the disappeared Mr. Spock.......and finally finds him ......billing and cooing with this lady dressed in a dirndl. Then Spock recognizes the serious situation and finally has to leave his new big love with a heavy heart and to come back to his crew on the "Enterprise".
A real drama!
The year 2000 begins well!
Now you can get me on CD:
"Vulcan Willi" T.+M.: Bernd Felsberger, ©1999
A shuttle was heading for earth
the reason for hectic on board was the birth
of an alien child, half vulcan, half human
they had to change his look at first they took
his pointed ears and change his eyebrows,
knowing the fears causing troubles and rejection
painful ways of human reactions
You never had a chance to be a vulcan
but one day you met some star trek fans
you thought to hide your origin is silly
and your friends called you Vulcan Willi.
Auf deiner ersten Con war'n die Fans wie benommen
denn sie glaubten glatt, es wäre Spock gekommen
doch du warst getarnt als verkleideter Fan
und die Ähnlichkeit war nicht zu überseh'n.
Es gab Berichte in der Zeitung und im Fernsehen
denn dich als Spockdouble wollten alle gern seh'n
getarnt durch deine Sprache glaubten sie daran
du seist nur ein Fan und kein echter Sohn vom Vulkan.
knowing the fears causing troubles and rejection
painful ways of human reactions
You never had a chance to be a vulcan
but one day you met some star trek fans
you thought to hide your origin is silly
and your friends called you Vulcan Willi.
From 2000 to 2002 I took a rest and withdrew myself from the fans.
Since late 2002 I wear my "Spock" uniform occationally again, because I portray "Mr. Spock" in the German fan movie "Star Trek: The Legacy". The director is Christoph Hees, who also plays the leading role at this movie.
In May 2003 no less a person than Star Trek actress Denise Crosby (Lt. Tasha Yar, TNG) with a camera team came from Los Angeles to film at our set for the Paramount documentation "Trekkies2". Photos of this event under: http://www.trekkies2.com/
to be continued........