1. Wah Ming Chang was an American designer, sculptor, and artist.
14 Facts About Wah Chang
1. 2.
Wah Chang is known later in life for his sculpture and the props he designed for Star Trek: The Original Series, including the tricorder and communicator.
3.
The Wah Chang family moved from Honolulu, Hawaii to San Francisco, California and about 1920 opened the Ho-Ho Tea Room on Sutter Street, which became a favorite venue for the city's Bohemian artists.
4.
For Star Trek, Wah Chang built costumes for the salt vampire, the Gorn and Balok's false image.
5.
Wah Chang is mistakenly credited with having designed the phaser; it was actually designed by the art director of the original series, Matt Jefferies.
6.
The Desilu prop department prepared a single "hero" working model phaser, deemed unacceptable by Gene Roddenberry; Wah Chang prepared additional working and dummy mockups of the phaser, as well as other principal props.
7.
Wah Chang designed the spectacular headdress worn by Elizabeth Taylor in the feature film Cleopatra.
8.
Wah Chang moved with his wife, Glenella Taylor, to Carmel Valley, California, in 1970, where he joined the Carmel Art Association and began producing bronze sculptures of wildlife and endangered species.
9.
In 1941, Wah Chang Ming was diagnosed with polio following flu-like symptoms.
10.
Wah Chang died on December 22,2003, in Carmel Valley at age 86.
11.
Wah Chang produced the educational 1970 short film Dinosaurs: The Terrible Lizards, a stop-motion feature which discussed life in the Mesozoic Era.
12.
Wah Chang appeared in the documentary The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal produced and directed by Arnold Leibovit.
13.
Mr Wah Chang was featured in the documentary Time Machine: The Journey Back, produced and directed by Clyde Lucas.
14.
Wah Chang produced bronze sculptures in collaboration with Henry "Bob" Jones after meeting at Disney.