Duruban – He lived long and prospered, that’s the feeling of Star Trek fans across the country as they come to grips with the death of actor Leonard Nimoy, more popularly known as “Spock”.
Nimoy, who played “Vulcan Spock”, one of the central roles in the cult sci-fi series, died on February 27 at the age of 83 from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Owen Swart, the self-styled commanding officer of the USS Dauntless, a Johannesburg-based club for fans of the series, said he had been deeply saddened to learn that Nimoy “has departed”.
He said Spock was one of the “real characters” of the series. “He represented the intellectual side as compared to Bones, who was the emotional one,” said Swart.
Spock and “Bones” McCoy, played by DeForest Kelley, provided Captain Kirk with contrasting views, helping him with decision-making when he was in a pinch.
As a “Trekkie”, Swart said: “We all loved Spock and we could identify with him. He was the outsider and the nerdy one.”
He said he was impressed and amused by the recent trend of “Spocking” or defacing Canadian bank notes, in memory of him. Star Trek fans sketched in extra lines on the face of former prime minister, Wilfrid Laurier, adding pointy Vulcan ears and a characteristic hairline.
The USS Dauntless – a play on the name of the original Star Trek starship, USS Enterprise – has 45 members, about half of whom are based in Johannesburg, with the rest spread around the world.
The club was founded in the US state of Florida in 2004, and Swart took the helm in 2007 and brought it to South Africa.
The club meets every week to discuss issues around Star Trek.
Swart, 35, said he had been a fan of the show “since he was little” and said his favourite series was The Next Generation as it was the “purest” form, closest to the original show and founder Gene Roddenberry’s vision.
Having such a deep passion for the show does not come easy, as he is seen as a nerd or a “geek” by some people.
However, he said people were slowly learning to accept the subculture.
He attributes this mainly to popular TV shows like Big Bang Theory whose characters are Star Trek fanatics. But he admits that he still gets funny looks when he walks in malls in his Star Trek uniform.