Nearly a month before the payload it celebrates is scheduled
to launch to space, a collectible embroidered patch has sold out, with no plans
for it to be produced again.
From the moment it was revealed last April,
the insignia celebrating NASA's next space station-bound astronaut exercise
device was in demand, which might have been considered unusual if it wasn't for
the fact that the design featured both the name and cartoon
likeness of comedian Stephen Colbert, star of Comedy Central's
"The Colbert Report" parody talk show.
The official NASA insignia came as part of a consolation
prize of sorts, after Colbert staged a write-in campaign to win a NASA poll as
to what to name the International Space Station (ISS)'s next connecting module.
Despite getting the most votes, "Colbert" was set aside for
"Tranquility," a name NASA deemed was more appropriate.
To recognize Colbert's effort to draw new attention to their
activities however, NASA
announced it was naming the ISS's new astronaut exercise equipment after
him: the Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill
(COLBERT). Its emblem, which will be affixed to the device in space, depicts
the comedian running
on the treadmill.
Fans of both the TV and space programs expressed their
desire to own the insignia, sharing their longing on social networking websites
and on the Colbert Nation forum, an online meeting place for the show's
loyal viewers. And it didn't take very long for their wishes to be granted:
just a month later, the patch hit store shelves at NASA visitor centers and
through space collectible retailers.
Made by the same North Carolina company that produces the
patches the astronauts wear in space, the COLBERT patch was not intended to be
a limited edition, but that is what it has become, with far fewer in existence
than any other of the company's space shuttle patches
Insignia's intent
AB Emblem began production of the COLBERT patch after seeing
the insignia on NASA's website. The art is credited on the site as originating
from the agency, which was accurate. NASA hired Media Fusion of Washington, DC,
to develop the design, under a contract they had to perform graphic design and
communications work.
Under most situations, the credit to NASA would indicate the
image was in the public domain and free to use.
Most NASA insignia however, do not include depictions of
identifiable people. Under its posted policies, the space agency cautions that
if its image or photo to be used is for commercial purposes and includes
someone who can be recognized, then permission should be sought from that
person.
"It does feature his face and so there are usability
rights," explained Jacob Keaton, space station program analyst and NASA's
manager for the Name the Node Contest. "[Colbert] has to sign off on its
use."
NASA had tried to arrange for expanded use of the design but
talks with Comedy Central stalled.
"They were okay with us using it on the treadmill,
actually physically putting it on the treadmill that was going up to the space
station, but we never came to a full agreement on exactly what else we could do
with it," said Keaton.
AB Emblem wasn't aware of that, but once they were and had
heard from Comedy Central, they ceased the patch's production.
"They said [the insignia] was never intended to be used
for retail," said James Melley, national sales manager for AB Emblem.
By then however, the company had sold and shipped a small
first run of the patches to customers including the Kennedy Space Center
Visitor Complex in Florida, Space Center Houston in Texas as well as to online
specialty retailers including The Space Store and Spaceflight Now.
"It was definitely one of our quickest sellers,"
said Justin Ray, editor of SpaceflightNow.com.
Ray's store, as well as the Kennedy gift shop and The Space
Store all report being sold out and have removed the patch from their websites.
Space Center Houston said on Monday they had only two of the patches left.
A search on eBay.com on Monday turned up only two listings
for the patch, one with eight available, the other with "more than
10". Each was priced at less than $5 each, which was in line with what the
now sold-out retailers had charged.
When reached for comment, a spokesperson for Comedy Central
was not immediately aware of any plans to offer the patch or other logo items
for sale in the future.
Continue reading "Sold
Out Space Patch No Longer a Common COLBERT Collectible" at
collectSPACE.com
Copyright 2009 collectSPACE.com. All rights
reserved.
advertisement
