14-9 From Saving Trek to Shaping It – Doug Drexler's Journey

Before he was an Oscar-winning makeup artist and Star Trek's go-to designer, Doug Drexler was just a teenage fan fighting to save the show he loved.

This week, Doug joins The Trek Files to reflect on a remarkable journey—from the 1968 Newsday article that quoted him as a 14-year-old letter-writing activist, to working for the legendary Federation Trading Post in New York, and eventually becoming one of the franchise's most beloved creative minds.

Doug shares memories of fandom in the '60s and '70s like filming Star Trek episodes off his TV with an 8mm home movie camera, then waiting days for the film to be processed just to rewatch them. That early passion led to a career in Hollywood, where he helped shape the look of Trek for decades, from The Next Generation to Enterprise and beyond.

Plus, a look ahead at the upcoming documentary Trek Star, chronicling Doug's unique Trek story from sidewalk protests to the Paramount lot.

📰 Document of the week: Newsday clipping – "This Group Isn't Way Out, But Its Cause Is" (Feb. 1, 1968)

🎬 Coming soon: Trek Star – The Doug Drexler Documentary on Kickstarter

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