Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, July 5, 1994 TAG: 9407080018
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Ian Spelling
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The admiral, better known as Jerry Murphy of Sugar Grove, Ill., made it look easy - even though he was bowling in full Klingon regalia.
Why had Murphy and 70 of his closest Klingon pals converged on the Illinois bowling alley? They were there to raise money for Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Southern Kane County.
``Bowling is our main fund-raising activity for them,'' Murphy, one of KAI's three co-founders, says by phone. ``It's moderately physical, and we can do it without wrecking our uniforms.
``The only problem is we haven't been able to convince the alleys to let us wear our combat boots.''
But that hasn't stopped Murphy - commander of the 50-plus-member I.K.V. (Imperial Klingon Vessel) Kuhtun - and his mates from raising more than $11,000 for the charity during the past three years.
The Kuhtun is one of 16 KAI ships (or clubs) in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin.
All together, the KAI has 500 members, most of whom create their own uniforms and participate in three kinds of activities.
The principal one is appearing at ``Trek'' functions, including cons and movie premieres.
Most Klingon groups also meet once a month to socialize and take part in picnics, parties and paint-ball battles.
``Our third activity, which sets us off a bit, is community-involvement work,'' explains Murphy, 43, who is a business manager for a non-profit mental-health organization when he is not Trekking.
``Individual ships work with local non-profit or charity organizations. We lend our Klingon persona and our labor to these causes.''
While he could have joined one of the country's many role-playing Trek clubs (such as Starfleet or Starfleet Command), Murphy says he started KAI so he could be ``one of the bad guys.''
``The Federation clubs just didn't seem to be as much fun. Also, frankly, we attract more attention as Klingons.''
One Klingon who certainly attracted some attention recently is Lt. Kolos (B.J. Bennett) of the I.K.V. Deathstorm in Indianapolis.
``I met my wife [Cheryl Weldon] when she came to a meeting to join the Deathstorm,'' Bennett says.
Last November, Bennett donned his uniform, stood before 1,500 fans at Starbase Indy in Indianapolis and asked Weldon (clad as an Orion slave girl) to marry him.
She said yes, and the couple wed in March.
Clearly, the KAI believe deeply in the Klingon philosophy of ``Komerex,'' which means ``that which grows, lives.''
They charge no initiation fees and will mail membership information to any potential Klingon who sends an SASE to: KAI, 43W904 Baseline Road, Sugar Grove, Ill. 60554.
``We're in the process of working with people who want to set up ships as far away as Texas and California,'' Murphy says. ``So we're welcoming Klingons from all over.
``We think our combination of activities can do a lot of good and people can have a lot of fun.''
Trek specs
In a recent ``Inside Trek'' interview, David Alexander, author of ``Star Trek Creator: The Authorized Biography of Gene Roddenberry'' (ROC, 1994), said that access to primary source material is what makes his book different from ``Gene Roddenberry: The Myth and the Man Behind `Star Trek''' by Joel Engel (Hyperion, 1994). Engel, contacted recently by phone, sees other differences.
``I think Alexander's book is the posthumous, ghostwritten memoir of Gene Roddenberry,'' he said. ``I interviewed the people who worked on `Trek' with Gene. They have a much different story to tell than Roddenberry through Alexander. I spoke to 150 people and the question I had to answer was: Why did so many people have grudges against Gene? Nobody has corrected a single fact in my book. I have every reason to believe my book is the first and only factual account of how `Trek' got on, went off, got back on and everything in between.''
Trek/sci-fi alert
If you have Trek or science-fiction news or trivia to share - or if you have questions relating to ``Star Trek'' - write to Ian Spelling, in care of the features department, Roanoke Times & World-News, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke, Va. 24010-2491. Be sure to enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope if you would like a reply.
by CNB