'Star Trek': 50 Artists. 50 Years. (A Sci-Fi Art Slideshow)

"Arena"

Artwork by Matt Ferguson. Photo by Hanneke Weitering.

Graphic designer Matt Ferguson is most known for his work with Marvel Studios, but he has crafted artwork for several other licensed properties, like "Star Trek" and "Star Wars." To create this piece, Ferguson said he "prepared by watching the episode "Arena" and sketching out a rough idea that had a Western standoff vibe. The art is hand-painted in Photoshop and then screen printed."

"Arena"

Artwork by Matthew Skiff. Photo by Hanneke Weitering.

In his representation of the fight between Capt. Kirk and the Gorn captain, artist Matthew Skiff said he sought "to reference the style of old 'Flash Gordon' comics and Frank Frazetta pen-and-ink illustrations." Skiff currently works as a designer for Primitive Apparel and Primitive Skateboarding and has previously freelanced for Marvel and Warner Bros.

"Risk Is Our Business!"

Artwork by Mick Cassidy. Photo by Hanneke Weitering.

This cartoonish "Star Trek" representation was created by Mick Cassidy, who is the character designer for the television show "Family Guy." When he created the piece, Cassidy said he wondered, "What if 'Star Trek' had been a comic book in the '60s instead of a TV show?”

"Uhura"

Artwork by Nick Walker. Photo by Hanneke Weitering.

"Star Trek" icon Lt. Uhura meets Vladimir Tretchikoff's famous painting of "The Green Lady" in this hand-stenciled work of graffiti by Nicky Barkla. "For me, the characters in 'Star Trek' exist beyond the confines of race, and I have channeled this idea in creating a futuristic representation of Lt. Uhura," Walker said about his creation.

"The Final Frontier"

Artwork by Nicky Barkla. Photo by Hanneke Weitering.

Psychedelic-surrealist painter Nicky Barkla used oil paint to create this work of art by hand. "Being such a fan of outer space, the final frontier, putting 'Star Trek' on while painting for hours on end became a habit for me," Barkla said.

"Make It So"

rtwork by Paul Oz. Photo by Hanneke Weitering.

Portrait artist and sculptor Paul Oz created this painting of the "Star Trek" original character Jean-Luc Picard. The title, "Make It So," is a catchphrase first spoken by Picard in the series premiere of Star Trek: The Next , "Encounter at Farpoint."

"Boldly Going"

Artwork by P.J. McQuade. Photo by Hanneke Weitering.

Picard sips on a cup of tea with a group of main characters from "Star Trek" gathered behind him in this duo-tone illustration by P.J. McQuade. Picard's character in the show is "brash and hardened but caring and refined," McQuade said. "To me, the tea highlights his warmer undercurrents, makes him more human and relatable."

"Live Long and Prosper"

Artwork by Rocco Malatesta. Photo by Hanneke Weitering.

In this illustration by Rocco Malatesta, Spock gives the iconic Vulcan salute with one hand while making the "OK" gesture with his other hand. Malatesta said he chose to draw Spock because "he is certainly the most charismatic character of the series."

"On the Edge of Forever"

Artwork by Sue Beatrice. Photo by Hanneke Weitering.

A tiny Starship Enterprise flies through space while dangling inside a pocket watch to symbolize the connection between time and space in this sculpture by Sue Beatrice. "I was hoping to draw a connection between the themes explored in the episode 'The City on the Edge of Forever' and the relation to time and space we all experience through memory," Beatrice said.

Untitled

Artwork by Ulises Farinas. Photo by Hanneke Weitering.

Cartoonist Ulises Farinas called his piece "an overview of almost every 'Star Trek' series through how the characters fall on a spectrum of order versus chaos, and logic versus emotion."

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Hanneke Weitering
Contributing expert

Hanneke Weitering is a multimedia journalist in the Pacific Northwest reporting on the future of aviation at FutureFlight.aero and Aviation International News and was previously the Editor for Spaceflight and Astronomy news here at Space.com. As an editor with over 10 years of experience in science journalism she has previously written for Scholastic Classroom Magazines, MedPage Today and The Joint Institute for Computational Sciences at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. After studying physics at the University of Tennessee in her hometown of Knoxville, she earned her graduate degree in Science, Health and Environmental Reporting (SHERP) from New York University. Hanneke joined the Space.com team in 2016 as a staff writer and producer, covering topics including spaceflight and astronomy. She currently lives in Seattle, home of the Space Needle, with her cat and two snakes. In her spare time, Hanneke enjoys exploring the Rocky Mountains, basking in nature and looking for dark skies to gaze at the cosmos.