Few characters have endured in the hearts of Star Trek fans like Khan Noonien Singh. And as we enter the 30th anniversary year of The Wrath of Khan, John Tenuto and Maria José Tenuto, sociology professors at the College of Lake County in Grayslake, Illinois, are celebrating the occasion—along with the 45th anniversary of the first appearance of Khan in “Space Seed”—with three special events this March.
Rare Photos and the Making of Star Trek II
The first event, titled “Rare Photos from the Making of Star Trek II and VI” will take place on Saturday, March 10, at the Grayslake Public Library from 2:00 to 5:30 p.m.
John Tenuto will be presenting almost 100 rare behind-the-scenes photos from the making of The Wrath of Khan and The Undiscovered Country. John, together with his wife Maria José, spent four years researching the Papers of Nicholas Meyer Collection at the University of Iowa.
This event is free, but you do need to register in advance. You can do that on the Grayslake Public Library website.
The Life and Legacy of Ricardo Montalbán
The second event taking place in March is “The Life and Legacy of Ricardo Montalbán.” This talk will be hosted by the College of Lake County (Illinois) on Tuesday, March 20, in Room A162 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
John and Maria José will be conducting a multimedia presentation that details the life of Ricard Montalbán. Covering how the actor went from a child in Mexico to his most famous roles on screen, the event is free and is sponsored by The Latino Alliance and Social Science Division of the College of Lake County. The presentation will be preceded by a special anniversary screening of “Space Seed.”
There’s no need to register for this event, but you can get more information by contacting John via e-mail.
Star Trek Fan Day at the St. Louis Science Center
Finally, on Saturday, March 24, the St. Louis Science Center will host “Star Trek Fan Day,” and John will be presenting twice that day. First at 11 a.m. (Rare Photos and the Making of Star Trek II and VI) and then at 2 p.m. he’ll hold a new session titled “A Celebration of Fans: The History of the Official Star Trek Fan Club.”
In addition to these two sessions, Craig Skaggs will talk about his work on Star Trek models for The Bradford Exchange, and Star Trek: The Exhibition will also be at the Science Center for fans to peruse.
Tickets for the St. Louis Science Center’s Star Trek Fan Day are $14 for adults, $12 for seniors and college students, and $10 for children and the military. Members of the Science Center receive a 50% discount.
You can find out more about this event at the St. Louis Science Center’s special Star Trek site.