Question for Mike Okuda

[BolianAuthor]

Mr. Okuda,

I was wondering if there was any way you could shed some light on just what this label on the CONN console looks like up-close? I know this is a REALLY big longshot, but for some reason, this one label has a unique look to it, and I have never really seen any others just like it during TNG, other than in this one episode ("Future Imperfect"). The fact that it has kind of stuck out to me makes me want to get a closer look at it... are there any closer images of it you may have that you could perhaps share with us? Any help is much appreciated. Thanks.

-BolianAdmiral

 

[FrontLine]

What label?

 

[Outpost4]

Thanks for the edit, adding the picture, BolianAdmiral.

 

[BolianAuthor]

^

Don't know what you mean by edit... the picture was loaded with the original post... it was always there... I never forgot to include it.

 

[Bernard Guignard]

It Reads "if you can read this you are much too close to the Television"

 

[Nightfall to-Ennien]

Actually, I wouldn't be terribly surprised if one of those labels DID end up reading something along those lines. The design department frequently put jokes as filler text when the text was not planned to be clearly readable on screen.

 

[BolianAuthor]

^

I'm sure that may well be the case. But that is not the point... the point is, that we do not know. I would like to re-create this label in Illustrator, and I want to be as accurate as possible to the actual prop. If it's an in-joke, I'll re-create it with the in-joke, if it's numbers, I'll use the numbers, and so on... the point is, I'm trying to be accurate, and I'm trying to do my reference research, so I have the best idea of what this label is "supposed" to look like, when I go to work on remaking it.

 

[Outpost4]

BolianAdmiral said:
^

Don't know what you mean by edit... the picture was loaded with the original post... it was always there... I never forgot to include it.

My mistake. There must have been a problem with your picture server then. When I came to this thread this morning, there was no picture. I agreed with Frontline and his, "What label?"

I hope you find your information.

 

[Santaman]

I bet its a warning sign.

"Warning, this console can explode, Starfleet does not accept any liability if the user should be hurt or killed by the console, please read the manual about all possible measures to prevent the console fom exploding or ask your chief engineer."

 

[Bill Morris]

WESLEY CRUSHER HERE . . .
IF YOU SEE A FERENGI AT THIS CONSOLE, IT'S WESLEY CRUSHER IN HIS HALLOWEEN COSTUME.

 

[BolianAuthor]

Well, since everyone is so certain they know what's on this label, and can speak for Mike Okuda...

Would anyone happen to have a good-quality VCR or DVD player they can make a better screencap with? Maybe that would help?

 

[Bernard Guignard]

Seriously have you checked in the TNG Tech Manual
you might find the information there

 

[Starship Freak]

Well, similar labels on Enterprise-E read after long tecnobabble: "The bastards killed Kenny!" and "Be very quiet, I'm hunting rabbits" (quotes almost accurate...)

Seriously, they do, check-ouy Ebay-auctions on star trek authentic props!

 

[BolianAuthor]

I own the ST:TNG TM, as well as every Star Trek art book ever made, the ST:Encyclopedia, and the blueprints. I own sets of labels from ebay. I'm telling you I KNOW about these labels, and this one has a unique look to it. Most of Okuda's labels have a set pattern to them... an upper row of larger text, with a lower field of two or three lines of smaller text. This one appears to have three sets of text... one larger sized text area, one medium sized text area, and a smaller text area, and the two bits of larger text are oriented in a different way than most of his other labels that I've seen on TNG or DS9.

It is this very thing that makes this label stick out for me... add to that that its sheer size is a bit larger than what we would normally see on a CONN or OPS console.

I KNOW about the constant in-jokes on the labels, and I KNOW about the strings of random numbers. But as I said earlier... if I'm going to try and re-create this label, I want to be as accurate and faithful to the look of the original as possible. That's why I'm posting this, hoping that maybe there is some reference material out there that I can use, that is better than this screencap.

 

[Psion]

Unfortunately, since the label's about two decades old, I doubt even Okuda remembers what it said. I'd be astonished if he still had the file the graphic was printed on. It's just a forgotten little tidbit of history that has been lost in the white noise of time. Unless Mike himself shows up and supplies you with what you need, you'd be better off making up your own detail for the label and moving on to other issues. Here's a suggestion:

<font class="small">Code:</font><hr /><pre>
76-001 | IF YOU ARE READING THIS,
CONN | YOU NEED TO BETTER MANAGE YOUR CURIOSITY
</pre><hr />

or

<font class="small">Code:</font><hr /><pre>
76-002 |
CONN | THIS LABEL DOESN'T SAY WHAT IT SHOULD
</pre><hr />


ACTUALLY, After going back and looking at the label in question again, not only do I get the sense that I mis-formatted my above post, but that it actually looks something like:
<font class="small">Code:</font><hr /><pre>
| NUMBER SEQUENCE: Text
| "AAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGG"
</pre><hr />

Which could be a Monty Python joke, or it could just reflect frustration with coming up with so many details that no one would ever, ever in their right mind would want to know about.

Er ... until now.

 

[BolianAuthor]

^

Thanks for the ideas.

Heck, if by some divine miracle, Mike still has the original file, he can just PM that to me, lol... I'll be able to open it with Illustrator CS2.

Seriously, though, I hope Mr. Okuda is here, somewhere, and can at least tell me something... anything, lol.

 

[All Seeing Eye]

It says 'mind your own business'

 

[BolianAuthor]

Mr. Okuda,

Thank you VERY much for your PM... if you can send a scan in an email, that would be awesome. I've sent you an email to the address you specified. Thank you again for your time. I appreciate it.

 

[BolianAuthor]

Here is the text of the PM Mr. Okuda sent me, with hints as to what this label may say and look like:

Saw your post regarding the label. I actually had two major sizes of the "capsule labels." The more common version was the smaller. The label in the photo was the larger, used mostly on big equipment and corridor intersections. I think I used it on that episode specifically because it was too big for that console and would therefore look different. I'm pretty sure that the big text on that one said "SYSTEM ACCESS," but all of the small text was random numbers. It looks, to me, like an early version, possibly made before "Encounter at Farpoint."

If you'll send me your e-mail address, I'll see if I have any of those labels left, and if so, I'll try to scan it this evening. You can e-mail me at *OMITTED* (I don't check this board very often, so please don't PM me, 'cuz I may not see it for a while.)

-Mike

 

[Psion]

Wow. Okuda is one impressive gentleman! Congratulations, BolianAdmiral; your tenacity has paid off well.

And thank you, Mr. Okuda for being such a decent fellow!