Fearsome Architect
November 5, 2014 11:14 AM   Subscribe

Who designed the tricorder, the flip-top communicator, the Vulcan lute, the the Romulan Bird-of-Prey? Wah Chang. Who made the Gorn and the salt vampire from M-113? Who commissioned the first 500 tribbles? Wah Chang. Who made Tarantula take to the hills? Who built the prototype for the time machine and created a monster too terrible to show on television? Who animated dinosaurs and adorned Cleopatra? Wah Chang, Wah Chang, Wah Ming Chang.

(Previously: JHarris's post on "Suzy Snowflake" and "Hardrock, Coco, & Joe," the regionally beloved Holiday shorts. Chang performed the stop-motion animation.)
posted by Iridic (20 comments total) 35 users marked this as a favorite
 
Everybody Wah Chang tonight.
posted by GallonOfAlan at 11:18 AM on November 5, 2014 [4 favorites]


Everyone have fun tonight.

The ruse however, was uncovered by the union just prior to the start of the second season, as mentioned by Justman in his book, and might have served as an additional reason why Chang's talents were not called upon again from the mid-second season onward

Ah, Unions. The solution to, and cause of, all labor problems.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 11:27 AM on November 5, 2014 [1 favorite]


The way you wrote the post makes me think it's going to end with it sure isn't yooouuuu.
posted by JHarris at 11:35 AM on November 5, 2014 [1 favorite]


This is interesting. I lived in Albany, OR for a while where a local metallurgy factory is Teledyne Wah Chang.
posted by humboldt32 at 11:44 AM on November 5, 2014 [1 favorite]


Who's the cat that won't cop out when there's prop work all about?
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:50 AM on November 5, 2014 [6 favorites]


(Chang!)
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:53 AM on November 5, 2014 [1 favorite]


Who made Tarantula take to the hills?

He did not, however, make the Triffid that spits poison and kills.
posted by octobersurprise at 11:54 AM on November 5, 2014 [2 favorites]


Loved the time machine!
posted by BrotherCaine at 11:54 AM on November 5, 2014


Anyone got a picture of the monster too terrible to show on TV? Presumably it's not too terrible for the internet, I've seen some pretty bad things on here already.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 11:55 AM on November 5, 2014 [1 favorite]


Just do an image search on 'architects of fear'. I assure you it was relatively tame even for the time.
posted by GallonOfAlan at 12:02 PM on November 5, 2014


Why couldn't he join the propmakers' union?
posted by Devonian at 12:23 PM on November 5, 2014


Tried to sing this to the tune of the Stonecutters Song, was disappointed.

Otherwise, great post.
posted by mhoye at 12:29 PM on November 5, 2014


Chang's TOS communicator was the inspiration for flip phones, and Michael Okuda's PADD was the inspiration for smartphones/tablets.
posted by Poldo at 1:12 PM on November 5, 2014


Michael Okuda's PADD was the inspiration for smartphones/tablets.

Kubrick was way out in front, there.
posted by George_Spiggott at 2:19 PM on November 5, 2014


Kubrick's vision for the future of space food was not so spot-on. Four shades of mud? He probably got that from Apollo - itself a vast improvement on the Mercury/Gemini days - but things have got better.

Whether that's better than Plomeek Soup is unknown. Anyone know how Soylent's doing?
posted by Devonian at 4:50 PM on November 5, 2014 [1 favorite]


Who made Tarantula take to the hills?

(Chang!)


(Couldn't resist the callback.)

Love me some Wah Chang. There's such a great, simple appeal to his designs. He was basically working with papier mache and rubber bands, and he created iconic stuff with it. The guy could take a couple of thread spools, glue them together and paint them silver, and you bought it as some fabulous, alien device.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 4:50 PM on November 5, 2014 [2 favorites]


Who made Tarantula take to the hills?

(Chang!)


Right on...
posted by Greg_Ace at 6:40 PM on November 5, 2014


Cool post.
posted by misterbee at 12:02 AM on November 6, 2014


Some artists do one thing well and keep doing it for the rest of their lives. But Wah Chang reinvented himself and expanded his skill set time and time again. Inspirational.
posted by jabah at 7:48 AM on November 6, 2014


OK I'M SORRY I COULDN'T LET THIS GO

Who designed the tricorder, the flip-top communica-ator?
Wah Chang! Wah Chang!
Who made Tarantula hit the hills? Whose fault was the the tribble spill?
Wah Chang! Wah Chang!
Who made the Gorn and the salt vampires, who let the Vulcans play ... the lyre?
Wah Chang! Wah Chang!
Who built prototype time machines? Who animated Egypt's queen?
Wah Chang...
Wah Chaaaaaaaang!

i'm so sorry i'm done now i promise
posted by mhoye at 6:57 AM on November 7, 2014


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