Hallmark

Real world article
(written from a Production point of view)

Hallmark Cards, Inc. was founded in Kansas City, Missouri in 1910 and has been known primarily as an American greeting card and holiday decoratives company.

Since 1991, Hallmark has produced many licensed "Keepsake" Christmas ornaments based on Star Trek characters, starships, props, artwork, and scenes.

Starship ornaments 1991-2019

Hallmark has also produced other Star Trek-related merchandise including lunchboxes, lenticular greeting cards, buttons, sticker sets, e-cards, party supplies, novelties, plush toys, and jigsaw puzzles. The puzzles were produced through their Springbok subsidiary.

The company has frequently used recorded music and clips of actors' voices taken from iconic Star Trek episodes and films. These clips are used for electronic audio features contained within their Christmas ornaments (or within their display stands) and greeting cards.

A number of actors from Star Trek productions have also appeared in commercials for Hallmark's products.

These products are currently marketed under Hallmark's "PopMinded" pop culture collectibles brand, and are promoted by the company's senior writer Kevin Dilmore, the author (or co-author) of a number of authorized Star Trek short stories, novels, greeting cards, and magazine articles.

Appearances in Star Trek episodes

To create the battle sequences between the Federation and Klingon fleets in Deep Space Nine's "The Way of the Warrior", the effects department used Playmates toys, Ertl model kits and Hallmark Bird-of-Prey Christmas ornaments in the background in an effort to keep production costs down. When these ships were required to explode, special effects manager Gary Monak filled them with explosives and party glitter. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, pp. 263-265)

Set decorator James Mees used colorfully repainted Hallmark USS Voyager and Klingon Bird-of-Prey ornaments for Miral Paris' baby crib mobile in "Prophecy". The mobile's Klingon D7-class battle cruiser was a small plastic AMT model that had been repainted.

An "unfinished" ship-in-a-bottle of the USS Voyager purported to have been built by Joe Carey and seen in "Friendship One" was actually a 1996 Hallmark Keepsake ornament which had been modified for the show by production staff.

While unsuccessfully evading Q, Quinn reduced the starship USS Voyager to the size of a Christmas ornament and tethered it to a Christmas tree in "Death Wish". Perhaps not entirely coincidentally, Hallmark's USS Voyager ornament was released a few months after the episode debuted.

Repainted Hallmark USS Voyager and Klingon Bird-of-Prey ornaments in VOY: "Prophecy"

Modified Hallmark USS Voyager ornament in VOY: "Friendship One"

USS Voyager's viewscreen when the ship was converted into an ornament in VOY: "Death Wish"

Interactions with Star Trek actors

Leonard Nimoy recorded a special holiday message from Spock for use within Hallmark's 1992 Shuttlecraft Galileo ornament. He also appeared as himself in a television commercial for the ornament and gave the Vulcan salute. [1]

In 1993, Hallmark aired a television commercial featuring Patti Yasutake in the role of Nurse Alyssa Ogawa, who was seen questioning the shipboard computer and then replicating a USS Enterprise-D Keepsake ornament. Majel Barrett-Roddenberry provided the voice of the computer. [2]

Hallmark's television commercial for the 1994 Klingon Bird-of-Prey ornament featured Robert O'Reilly in the role of Gowron, commanding the bridge of a Klingon ship. His raucous Klingon language pitch was subtitled in English. [3]

Martha Hackett appeared as a Romulan officer aboard the IRW Khazara in Hallmark's 1995 Romulan Warbird ornament television commercial. [4] Hackett appeared in a similar costume to the one she wore in the role of Sub-Commander T'Rul in "The Search, Part I" and "Part II".

William Shatner and Christopher Lloyd appeared in a 2015 Hallmark Hall of Fame television production called "Just In Time For Christmas". To promote the holiday movie, Shatner autographed a Star Trek Keepsake ornament for a contest. [5]

On 21 July 2018, Doug Jones autographed one hundred USS Discovery starship ornaments for fans at Hallmark's PopMinded San Diego Comic-Con convention booth. [6] Jones also signed Hallmark's Saru and Michael Burnham ornaments for fans at the Official Star Trek Convention in August 2019.

Commercial for the 1992 Galileo shuttlecraft ornament

Commercial for the 1993 USS Enterprise-D ornament

Commercial for the 1994 Klingon Bird-of-Prey ornament

Commercial for the 1995 Romulan Warbird ornament

Doug Jones at SDCC 2018

Star Trek Keepsake releases

1991 release

• Starship Enterprise – featuring lights; commemorating the 25th Anniversary of Star Trek

1992 release

• Shuttlecraft Galileo – featuring lights and a voice clip of Leonard Nimoy as Spock

1993 release

• USS Enterprise – USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D from TNG; featuring lights

1994 release

• Klingon Bird-of-Prey – featuring lights

1995 releases

• Romulan Warbird – featuring lights
• Captain James T. Kirk – seated in command chair
• Captain Jean-Luc Picard – in USS Enterprise-D corridor
• The Ships of Star Trek – USS Enterprise, USS Enterprise-D, and Klingon Bird-of-Prey miniature starships
• Star Trek Communicator Pin – gift premium combadge pin for buyers of all 1995 Star Trek ornaments

1996 releases

• USS Voyager – featuring lights
• Commander William T. Riker – with type 2 phaser next to rock formation
• Mr. Spock – seated at the bridge science station
• Star Trek: 30 Years – USS Enterprise with a miniature Galileo shuttlecraft from TOS; Enterprise is identical to 1991 version but made from diecast zamac with an electroplated nickel exterior and lacks lights; display stand features a voice clip of William Shatner as Kirk
• Star Trek 30th Anniversary Logo Pin – embossed pin gift premium for buyers of all 1996 Star Trek ornaments

1997 releases

• USS Defiant – from DS9; featuring lights
• Dr. Leonard H. McCoy – on transporter pad
• Commander Data – seated at Ops bridge station

1998 releases

• USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E – featuring lights
• Captain Kathryn Janeway – leaning on handrail adjacent to USS Voyager's warp core

1999 releases

• Runabout USS Rio Grande – featuring lights and a voice clip of Michael Dorn as Worf
• Worf – holding bat'leth
• USS Enterprise NCC-1701 – Celebrate The Century Collection; USPS postage stamp ornament
• USS Enterprise NCC-1701 – Crown Reflections Collection; blown glass ornament

Additional item

• 1960's Star Trek Lunch Box – School Days Lunch Boxes collection; scaled metal replica

2000 releases

• Borg Cube – featuring lights and a voice clip of the Borg Collective
• Seven of Nine
• Lieutenant Commander Worf – Crown Reflections Collection; blown glass ornament

2001 releases

• Space Station Deep Space 9 – display stand powers lights and a voice clip of Avery Brooks as Sisko; station has hooks for six miniature starships
• Captain Benjamin Sisko
• Q – Crown Reflections Collection; blown glass ornament; in judge's robes from the post-atomic horror era
• Starfleet Legends – USS Enterprise-E, USS Defiant (DS9) and USS Voyager miniature starship set

2002 releases

• Delta Flyer – featuring lights and a voice clip of Kate Mulgrew as Janeway
• Enterprise NX-01 – display stand features a voice clip of Scott Bakula as Archer; ship is made of diecast zamac with an electroplated nickel exterior
• The Doctor – with medical tricorder

2003 releases

• The Scorpion – Reman fighter with Picard and Data in cockpit; featuring lights
• Sub-Commander T'Pol
• Captain Jonathan Archer – seated in command chair

2004 releases

• Vulcan Command Ship – featuring lights
• Commander Trip Tucker – in EV suit
• Star Trek Insignias – miniature ornament set of TOS, TNG, and ENT insignia
• "The City on the Edge of Forever" – Kirk and Spock leaping through the Guardian of Forever; featuring lights and voice clips of Leonard Nimoy as Spock, William Shatner as Kirk, and Bart LaRue as the Guardian

2005 releases

• USS Enterprise NCC-1701-A – featuring lights
• Khan – as seen in "Space Seed"
• Locutus of Borg – in an alcove with the Borg Queen from Star Trek: First Contact; featuring lights and voice clips of Patrick Stewart as Locutus and Alice Krige as the Borg Queen

2006 releases

• USS Enterprise NCC-1701 – from TOS; new sculpting; display stand powers lights and plays a synthesized version of the TOS theme
• The Transporter Chamber – from TOS; with Kirk, Spock and Scott; featuring lights and transporter sound effects

2007 releases

• Future USS Enterprise – Future USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D from TNG: "All Good Things..."; featuring lights
• Lieutenant Uhura – seated at communications station wearing a red Operations division uniform; "limited quantity" ornament available at Hallmark stores
• Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan – Kirk, Spock, and Sulu at the USS Enterprise's helm station with USS Reliant on bridge viewscreen; featuring voice clips of Leonard Nimoy as Spock, William Shatner as Kirk, Ricardo Montalban as Khan, and Judson Scott as Joachim

2008 releases

• USS Reliant – featuring lights
• Star Trek Communicator – from TOS; featuring lights and sound
• "The Trouble with Tribbles" – Kirk buried in tribbles; featuring moving tribbles and voice clips of William Shatner as Kirk and DeForest Kelley as McCoy

2009 releases

• Klingon Battle Cruiser – from films; featuring lights
• Starfleet Phaser – from TOS; featuring lights and sound
• Lieutenant Uhura Special Event Edition – seated at communications station and wearing a gold Command division uniform as seen in "The Corbomite Maneuver" and "Mudd's Women"; repaint of the 2007 ornament; limited edition of 450 released at the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con
• Ilia Probe – "limited quantity" ornament available at Hallmark stores
• "The Menagerie" – Kirk and Spock with Fleet Captain Christopher Pike; features wheelchair lights and sounds and voice clips of Leonard Nimoy as Spock and William Shatner as Kirk

2010 releases

• USS Enterprise – from 2009 Star Trek film; featuring lights
• Captain James T. Kirk – with a type 2 phaser; first in Star Trek Legends series
• "Amok Time" – Kirk and Spock fight with lirpa in the kal-if-fee challenge; featuring music from the episode

2011 releases

• Romulan Bird-of-Prey – from TOS; featuring lights
• USS Defiant Special Edition – from TOS and ENT; glow-in-the-dark repaint of 2006 USS Enterprise; no stand, lights, or sound; limited edition of 700 released at the 2011 New York Comic Con
• Spock – with a tricorder; second in Star Trek Legends series
• "Mirror, Mirror" – mirror universe Spock forcing a mind meld on McCoy; featuring a voice clip of Leonard Nimoy as Spock

2012 releases

• USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D – new 25th Anniversary sculpt with an attached display base; featuring a voice clip of Patrick Stewart's monologue over TNG's opening title music
• Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy – with a hypospray; third in Star Trek Legends series
• An Extraordinary Meeting – Prime reality Spock and alternate reality Spock exchanging the Vulcan salute in the 2009 Star Trek film; featuring voice clips of Leonard Nimoy and Zachary Quinto as Spock

2013 releases

• USS Kelvin – featuring lights
• USS Kelvin Special Event Edition – "battle damaged" deco featuring lights; limited edition of 1,575 released at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con, and New York Comic Con
• Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott – with a trident scanner; fourth in Star Trek Legends series
• "Arena" – Kirk fighting the Gorn captain – featuring music and Gorn growling from the episode; available at Hallmark stores

2014 releases

• USS Vengeance – featuring lights
• Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu – with tricorder and communicator; fifth in Star Trek Legends series
• "The Devil in the Dark" – Spock performing a mind meld on a Horta; featuring voice clips of Leonard Nimoy as Spock and William Shatner as Kirk
• Vina – as an Orion slave girl; "limited quantity" ornament available at Hallmark stores

2015 releases

• USS Enterprise NCC-1701-C – featuring lights
• Lieutenant Nyota Uhura – with a tricorder; sixth in Star Trek Legends series
• The Needs Of The Many – A dying Spock bids farewell to Kirk in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan; featuring voice clips of Leonard Nimoy as Spock and William Shatner as Kirk

2016 releases

• USS Enterprise Star Trek "Pilot Version" 50th Anniversary Gold Edition – painted gold and featuring an audio clip of William Shatner's monologue over the (second season) TOS theme
• USS Enterprise Star Trek "Pilot Version" 50th Anniversary Edition – fully painted and featuring an audio clip of William Shatner's monologue over the (second season) TOS theme; "event exclusive" limited edition of 3,450 released at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con, New York Comic Con, and the Star Trek: Mission New York convention
• Ensign Pavel Chekov – with a tricorder; seventh in Star Trek Legends series; "limited quantity" ornament available at Hallmark stores
• "The Man Trap" – The M-113 creature attacks a seated Kirk – featuring phaser sounds and voice clips of William Shatner as Kirk, Leonard Nimoy as Spock, and DeForest Kelley as McCoy
• To Boldly Go – Kirk, Spock and McCoy on the bridge of the USS Enterprise; tabletop decoration featuring lights and voice clips of William Shatner as Kirk, Leonard Nimoy as Spock, and DeForest Kelley as McCoy
• Star Trek Maxine Special Event Edition – repaint of 2016 "Crabby Road" Keepsake ornament; limited edition released at the 2016 Star Trek: Mission New York and New York Comic Con conventions

Additional items

• Star Trek 50th Anniversary Itty Bittys Collectors Set – plush figure set: Kirk, Spock, Uhura, and McCoy
• Star Trek 50th Anniversary Squeelys Captain Kirk – vinyl figure driving a USS Enterprise automobile
• The Wit and Wisdom of Star Trek Gift Book – smaller (4.375 × 4.375 inches) and abridged (80-page) edition of the hardcover TOS reference book by Robb Pearlman

2017 releases

• USS Franklin – featuring lights
• USS Enterprise NCC-1701-C – "battle-damaged" repaint of 2015 ornament featuring lights; "event exclusive" limited edition of 3,325 released at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con, New York Comic Con, and the Official Star Trek Convention
• Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Lieutenant Commander Data – featuring assorted voice clips from TNG of Patrick Stewart as Picard and Brent Spiner as Data
• Spock * – stylized figure giving the Vulcan salute

Additional items

• Itty Bittys Captain Picard & Worf – plush figure set with USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D carrier
• Itty Bittys Data – plush figure; "limited edition" online exclusive
• Itty Bittys Geordi La Forge – plush figure; "limited edition" online exclusive

2018 releases

• USS Discovery – featuring lights
• USS Enterprise – all-metal
• Starfleet Tricorder – featuring lights, scanning sounds, and voice clips of William Shatner as Kirk, Leonard Nimoy as Spock, DeForest Kelley as McCoy, and George Takei as Sulu
• "The Naked Time" – Captain Kirk evades a rapier-wielding Lieutenant Sulu on the bridge of the USS Enterprise; featuring voice clips of William Shatner as Kirk, Leonard Nimoy as Spock, George Takei as Sulu, and Nichelle Nichols as Uhura
• Lieutenant Arex and Lieutenant M'Ress – "event exclusive" limited edition of 2,800 released at the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con, New York Comic Con, and the Official Star Trek Convention
• Kirk * – stylized figure holding a communicator
• Spock * – stylized figure giving the Vulcan salute; re-release of the 2017 ornament in bright red and in blue, white, and gold packaging
• Spock * – stylized découpaged plastic figure; holding phaser
• Galileo † – stylized découpaged plastic ornament

Additional items

• Itty Bittys Clippys Mr. Spock & Captain Kirk – plush figure set with clip
• Quark PXL8 Pin – enamel pin commemorating DS9's 25th anniversary; pixelated 8-bit graphic-style artwork; "event exclusive" limited edition released at the 2018 Official Star Trek Convention
• Itty Bittys Star Trek Collector Pin Set – set of four enamel pins featuring stylized illustrations of Spock, Kirk, Uhura, and McCoy
• Itty Bittys Gorn – plush figure; "event exclusive" limited edition of 2,500 released at the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con, New York Comic Con, and the Official Star Trek Convention
• Itty Bittys Captain Kirk "Mirror, Mirror" – plush figure; "limited edition" online exclusive
• Itty Bittys Mr. Spock "Mirror, Mirror" – plush figure; "limited edition" online exclusive
• Itty Bittys Kirk & Khan Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan – plush figure set

2019 releases

• USS Enterprise NCC-1701 Star Trek: The Motion Picture 40th Anniversary – featuring lights
• ISS Enterprise – repaint of 2016 USS Enterprise ornament featuring sound from "Mirror, Mirror"; "event exclusive" limited edition of 3,475 released at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con, New York Comic Con, and the Official Star Trek Convention
• Commander Saru and Michael Burnham – exchanging Georgiou's telescope; featuring voice clips of Doug Jones as Saru and Sonequa Martin-Green as Burnham from "Choose Your Pain"
• Tribble – plush fabric electronic ornament featuring cooing sounds and vibration when squeezed
• The Transporter – Kirk, Spock and McCoy on the transporter platform; tabletop decoration featuring lights and voice clips of William Shatner as Kirk, Leonard Nimoy as Spock, DeForest Kelley as McCoy, and James Doohan as Scott
• Captain Kirk * – stylized figure holding a communicator; re-release of the 2018 ornament in new packaging
• Spock * – stylized figure giving the Vulcan salute; re-release of the 2017 ornament in new packaging
• Spock * – stylized découpaged plastic figure; holding phaser; re-release of the 2018 ornament with a new hang tag

Additional items

• Itty Bittys Vina – plush figure; "limited edition" online exclusive
• Itty Bittys Captain Janeway & Seven of Nine – plush figure set
• Itty Bittys Borg Picard – plush figure
• Itty Bittys Borg Queen – plush figure

2020 releases

• USS Enterprise Tree Topper – "Storytellers" tree topper ornament featuring lights and rotating bussard collectors; plays TOS opening and end title themes, William Shatner's opening monologue, and sound effect clips ‡
• Captain Kirk "Mirror, Mirror" – "Storytellers" ornament featuring lights and dialogue clips ‡
• Security Chief Sulu "Mirror, Mirror" – "Storytellers" ornament featuring lights and dialogue clips ‡
• Lieutenant Uhura "Mirror, Mirror" – "Storytellers" ornament featuring lights and dialogue clips ‡

* "Value" ornaments sold at mass-market retailers; not branded as a "Keepsake".

† Walmart-exclusive "Value" ornament; not branded as a "Keepsake".

‡ "Storytellers" function independently and can also electronically interact in concert with each other, utilizing coordinated dialogue clips (with more than 250 combined phrases from "Mirror, Mirror"), sound effects, music, and light features; separately purchased Keepsake power cord required; the series of seven figures (Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scott, Sulu, Uhura, and Chekov) will be released from 2020 to 2023.

Background information

Lynn Norton's USS Bellwether from the Star Trek: 50 Artists 50 Years exhibition in 2016

• Lynn A. Norton sculpted almost all of Hallmark's Star Trek starship ornaments for over twenty-five years. The Galileo shuttlecraft was sculpted by Dill Rhodus and the 1996 Enterprise ornament was designed by Norton and Rhodus. The Scorpion ornament was sculpted by Norton but the Data and Picard figures within were sculpted by Anita Marra Rogers. Rogers has sculpted a number of Star Trek figure ornaments.
• Hallmark's initial concept drawings depicted the 1991 USS Enterprise, the first in the series, with a Santa Claus popping out of a hinged bridge dome with simulated garland draped around the saucer. Norton was able to steer Hallmark away from this concept.
• "Magic" sound and light features are commonly activated by pressing a button, although many older ornaments stay constantly illuminated when plugged into a powered Christmas light strand. Since 2005, all "Magic" Star Trek ornaments (not including "Storytellers") have been battery-powered and generally function for less than thirty seconds after the "on" button is pushed.
• Limited quantities of most "event exclusive" ornaments are also made available to Hallmark Keepsake Ornament Club members.

In-store promotional materials

Unused concept design by Rick Sternbach for a stand for the 1995 Romulan Warbird ornament

2003 Scorpion prototype with a clear canopy

2018 Star Trek greeting card

See also

• Star Trek starship miniatures
• Star Trek model kits

External links

• Hallmark.com - official site
• Hallmark Cards at Wikipedia
• Hallmark Star Trek Ornaments at Wordpress.com – comprehensive collector site
• Hallmark Star Trek Keepsake Ornaments Anniversary part 1 at StarTrek.com
• Hallmark Star Trek Keepsake Ornaments Anniversary part 2 at StarTrek.com
• Hallmark Sculptor Lynn Norton on the Storied History of Trek Keepsake Ornaments at StarTrek.com