Who created M'Ress?

[Redfern]

Interesting! They would have needed to rewrite M'Ress' lines as though she were speaking native Caitian.

Kirk: "M'Ress, hail the Klingon vessel."

M'Ress: "YEEOOWWWLLLLL!!!!!"

Kirk: "Great...I fear we've just started a war."

Sincerely,

Bill

 

[Mysterion]

Redfern: thanks for the links and info! Very glad to see that.

Masao: Great artwork! Thanks for sharing that!

 

[Therin of Andor]

Why does M'ress always get all the attention, though? where's the love for Arex and Edoans?

M'Ress and Arex landing party by Therin of Andor, on Flickr


Star Trek customized action figures by Therin of Andor, on Flickr

 

[Mysterion]

^^^
Spiffy action figures there, Therin. wish we could talk Art Asylum into doing a TAS line...

Am I the only one who finds the Lincoln enterprise bios a bit annoyingly cutesy in their saying Cait is in the Lynx constellation, and Edoa is in the Triangulum constellation? I mean, really?

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

I loved both M'Ress and Arex.

I remember reading somewhere that Gene tried to get Majel into a pair of ears, tail and fur for TMP. She put her foot down and said no. Shame.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Am I the only one who finds the Lincoln enterprise bios a bit annoyingly cutesy in their saying Cait is in the Lynx constellation, and Edoa is in the Triangulum constellation? I mean, really?

No more than Mr Atoz being a librarian, and other TOS characters named Lethe, Keeler and Elaan of Troyius, among others.

I remember reading somewhere that Gene tried to get Majel into a pair of ears, tail and fur for TMP. She put her foot down and said no. Shame.

It was in a pre-TMP press release sent out to Star Trek clubs, where he half-joked that he'd tried to convince Majel to play a dual role in the movie, Chapel and M'Ress, and she refused to consider going underneath all that latex!

 

[Nerys Myk]

Keeler= Keel over?

 

[inflatabledalek]

But it's also possible that she and Arex were developed in-house by Filmation's staff and Fontana as they put the show together. Sometimes in animation it's an artist who creates a character, with the writers then developing them based on the initial artwork.

Pure speculation, but I'd say that's the most likely explanation for M'ress and Arex. With the limited budget meaning any "Yes Sir, no Sir" characters would almost certainly be played by the regulars it would be sensible of Flimation to create one new recurring character each for Doohan and Barrett (who would up doing the brunt of the extra work) and giving them something in the way of distinctive personalities rather than letting the writers just create random ensigns as and when needed creating extra vocal work for the two of them creating distinctive voices.

Mind, I suppose the flaw in that theory is if both characters were created from the off then M'Ress should have been a shoe in for inclusion in the "Female characters have to take command of the ship" early in production Lorelei Signal episode.

 

[Christopher]

Keeler= Keel over?

To quote Allan Asherman's The Star Trek Compendium:

The name "Keeler" is significant because Edith is stated as being a "focal point" in time, and the "keel" of a boat is defined as the chief structure extending the length of the vessel; the structure that either holds the ship together or causes its destruction.

Or at least that's how Asherman interpreted it.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Keeler= Keel over?

To quote Allan Asherman's The Star Trek Compendium:

The name "Keeler" is significant because Edith is stated as being a "focal point" in time, and the "keel" of a boat is defined as the chief structure extending the length of the vessel; the structure that either holds the ship together or causes its destruction.

Or at least that's how Asherman interpreted it.

Makes sense.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

According to a friend who once found the "TAS Writers' Bible" in the donated research archive (ie. the special science fiction collection) at the Paley Library at Philadelphia's Temple University. (It's a non-circulating collection, but anyone with a legitimate excuse can get permission to browse through specific items.) Essentially, it's a TOS bible with an extra page or two added - there was a little hand-drawn map showing the location of Cait in the Lynx constellation, and another section briefly describing Arex and M'Ress.

So when they were generating her character at Filmation, even though no details ever made it to screen, they had some scant ideas.

Thanks for the nod to actual TAS history!

Perhaps they originally thought it might generate a script featuring M'Ress at some point?

I believe it was possible. If the series lasted another season, the B (or C) characters might have enjoyed a spotlight episode, just to pump up the minor characters. Filmation productions were not shy about writing episodes of that kind, as supporting or even comic relief characters would get "their shot" in scripts from time to time (ex. Bat Mite, Masters of the Universe's Urko, Bravestar's Fuzz, et al).

M'Ress seemed to be introduced to (ultimately) be more than science-fiction-y "eye candy" for the sake of it

My guess is that the chief animators at Filmation created the look of M'Ress and Arex to address show-runner DC Fontana's urging that they come up with visuals that could not have been done easily in live action in the 60s.

Reasonable theory--we do know that the alien matter was a direct response to the budget shortcomings of TOS regarding elaborate alien designs (whihc applied to alien vessels, too).

 

[Kail]

Here is the comic Masao mentioned earlier. It takes place on Cait, during the time M'Ress served aboard the Exeter.
http://startrekanimated.com/exetercomic.html

 

[Gary7]

If only they'd brought her back in TNG...

 

[Nerys Myk]

PICARD: Ahem.

RIKER: Dr. Crusher's doing Cats again,sir

 

[ROBE]

As I said on another thread I wish the two could cameo in the next movie.

 

[Redfern]

Her parents created her, of course

Was she an only child, or one of a litter?

If we accept the bio originally sold through LE and reprinted at Danhauser's site (linked on the previous page), then M'Ress has at least three "litter-mates".

Their family units are extremely close. M'Ress's other three litter mates also serve in Starfleet in various capacities.

Alan Dean Foster actually provided names for these siblings and her parents in the Log novels. (I had jotted them down a years ago for "quick" reference, but Mogg only knows where I left that slip of paper.) She either has 1 sister and 2 brothers, or maybe 2 sisters and a single brother; I'm not sure. But I do know all three were not the same gender. Foster also implied M'ress was the eldest since her "Mater" (the term ADF used) stated they "looked up to her as something of a role model.

A little follow-up on M'ress' family. Here are the list of immediate relations, parents and siblings as described by Alana Dean Foster in the "...Log" novels.

M'Mar...mother (addressed as "Mater")
M'Nault...father (referred to as "Sire")
M'Nass...sister
M'Rest...brother
M'Sitt...brother

Three friends were mentioned, all male.

D'Irraj
N'Nance
V'Rrone

Oh, this info came from "Memory Alpha".

Sincerely,

Bill

 

[jpv2000]

Cool thread.

I'm glad you brought it back up as it was before my time here and I've enjoyed reading it. I always loved both M'Ress and Arex.

 

[Redfern]

...I always loved both M'Ress and Arex.

Well, in that case, allow me to share the links to some related threads.

The first one I started in the fan art sub-forum where I simply tried to motivate others to display their M'Ress theme images...

http://www.trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=34999

The second is a thread someone called Moodib started right here in the "original series" sub-forum. Yeah, it wound up covering similar ground, but since some members like to stay within certain sections, it has its own perspective.

http://www.trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=147788

Sincerely,

Bill

 

[jpv2000]

Well, in that case, allow me to share the links to some related threads.

Sincerely,

Bill

Many thanks. I'll check those out.

 

[BoredShipCapt'n]

According to a friend who once found the "TAS Writers' Bible" in the donated research archive (ie. the special science fiction collection) at the Paley Library at Philadelphia's Temple University. (It's a non-circulating collection, but anyone with a legitimate excuse can get permission to browse through specific items.) Essentially, it's a TOS bible with an extra page or two added - there was a little hand-drawn map showing the location of Cait in the Lynx constellation, and another section briefly describing Arex and M'Ress.

Later, Lincoln Enterprises were selling the Arex and M'Ress "biography" sheets, and it's possible those were written by Alan Dean Foster, although no author is credited on them. Other details on M'Ress (parents, siblings, past career highlights) can be found in ADF's expanded scenes of "ST Logs" adaptations, but there are errors re Arex. He describes Arex as having three eyes, in one sequence, and looking over a "feathered shoulder" in another.

That would seem to establish the earliest origin of the "Caitian" term, at the very least.

And it would make sense if Alan Dean Foster wrote the bio sheets, since he was also the author of "Passage to Moauv" and "The Crier in Emptiness" (Power Records, 1975). "Passage" identifies M'Ress as a Caitian, and although Arex never appears, "Crier" features a triple-keyboarded musical instrument identified as an "Edoan elisiar."

I believe it was possible. If the series lasted another season, the B (or C) characters might have enjoyed a spotlight episode, just to pump up the minor characters. Filmation productions were not shy about writing episodes of that kind, as supporting or even comic relief characters would get "their shot" in scripts from time to time (ex. Bat Mite, Masters of the Universe's Urko, Bravestar's Fuzz, et al).

Do not ... EVER ... mention Bat-Mite!