032. The Scorpion

No. 032
Released: October 4, 2003
Ornament: The Scorpion
Series: Star Trek: Nemesis
Product code: QXI7509
Artist: Lynn Norton and Anita Marra Rogers
Original retail: $32.00
Dimensions: 1.9” H x 2.175” W x 4.87“ L
Branding: Keepsake
Material: Styrene
Packaging: Tan front with red top
Magic: Light
Power source: Pigtail
Front box text:   
Hallmark
KEEPSAKE ORNAMENT
NEMESIS
THE SCORPION
STAR TREK Nemesis
For indoor use only. Pour usage intérieur seulement.
décoration des fêtes
FEATURES
MAGIC LIGHT
Christmas 2003
Back box text:  
THE SCORPION
STAR TREK Nemesis
Abducted and imprisoned on a hostile alien starship, Captain Jean-Luc Picard is freed by Commander Data in disguise. Together they battle their way through the corridors of the huge vessel into a shuttle bay, where they discover a fleet of Scorpion attack flyers.
Unable to open the shuttle doors, their only means of escape is for Captain Picard to pilot a Scorpion through the twisting interior of the ship to freedom. This Keepsake Ornament features glowing lights on the Scorpion’s wing panels and exhaust port as well as in the landing lights. The cockpit instrument panel is also lighted. Sculpted by Hallmark Keepsake Artists Lynn Norton and Anita Marra Rogers.
HOLIDAY MEMORY CARD ENCLOSED 
Use only with standard UL, CUL, or CSA listed or certified miniature light strings using push-in type bulbs, having multiples of 35 bulbs or 50 bulbs in series. 
Typical electrical rating 6 volts, 1.2 watts.
For indoor use only.
Not for use with blinking lights.
Complete display instructions enclosed.
Limited Warranty through 2006 enclosed.
For decorative use only. Not for children under 8.
UL LISTED ELECTRIC ORNAMENT
Conçue à des fins décoratives seulement. Ne convient pas aux enfants de moins de 8 ans.
Handcrafted – Dated 2003 
Bottom box text: 
TM & © 2003 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.startrek.com
Mfd. for Hallmark Cards, Inc., Kansas City, MO 64141
Ornament Made in China
QXI7509
Circuitry U.S. Pat. No. 4,682,079
Additional information: The only ornament that combined the work of long time Hallmark Star Trek artists, Lynn Norton and Anita Marra Rogers. Unfortunately, Rogers’ work is obscured by the very dark tinting on the canopy of the ship due to a last minute design change. You can see the figures pictured on the front of the Hallmark box still depicting the clear canopy.
Pros: None.
Cons: Virtually unknown ship with a design that doesn’t fit well into Trek canon or on your Trek tree. Opaque canopy eliminates view of the characters.

2003 Scorpion: A Peak Under the Canopy

The 2003 Scorpion is a rare collaboration of two hallmarks of Hallmark. Lynn Norton sculpted the ship and Anita Marra Rogers sculpted the characters within. Due to last minute changes and the darkening of the Scorpion’s canopy most people haven’t had a good look at the character sculpts inside.

Image used in print with clear canopy.

Actual ornament appearance with tinted canopy.

Although the levels of tinting can vary between Scorpion ornaments nothing lets you see the details inside the cockpit quite like completely removing the canopy.

The Curious Case of The Scorpion and the Copious Colors of Canopies

Star Trek: Nemesis images.

2002’s Star Trek: Nemesis included a scene with Picard and Data escaping in a Scorpion-class ship. In 2003, Hallmark released The Scorpion ornament and it is the only Star Trek ornament that involved both Lynn Norton (ship sculpt) and Anita Marra Rogers (character sculpts) together. Each artist was known for sculpting dozens of Star Trek ornaments during their career. Unfortunately, The Scorpion went under some last minute changes and Rogers work has gone mostly unseen for years.

Look closely beyond the smoked canopy of the Scorpion ornament, and you may discern painted figures of Captain Picard and Data in the cockpit as sculpted by Keepsake Artist Anita Marra Rogers. Original designs for the ornament included a transparent canopy on the ornament, but changed to match the studio model used for filming. The change came too late to alter photographs on the ornament’s retail box and other Hallmark publications, which clearly show the figures.

Kevin Dilmore, startrek.com

The Scorpion ornament with a darkened canopy.

Promotional images showing a clear canopy.

I recently received an email from a reader who was following up on our conversation about the canopy’s shading in The Scorpion’s comments section two years ago.

I am the original poster who inquired about the lighter canopy Scorpion ornaments a couple years back. I see that there were some recent updates on the thread and I thought I’d comment on what I’ve found out regarding the topic. Please feel free to post any of this info to your website if you think it is useful.

While I have never found an ornament with a completely clear canopy as shown on the box, I can confirm that there are contrasting shades of canopies that differ from ornament to ornament. I’ve attached some photos of an ornament I acquired on ebay earlier this year with a lighter canopy next to an ornament with a darker canopy that I’ve had for some time. The difference looks somewhat subtle on camera, but is more apparent in person. I used to have an ornament with an even darker, almost black canopy which I sold off some time ago in favor of one with more visible figures.

So I’ve found that there are multiple variations of this ornament to suit your taste. You can own one with a very dark canopy which is more faithful to the film, or a lighter one which better shows the figures in the cockpit. Most seem to be somewhere in the middle. The good news is that this is one of the more affordable ornaments on ebay and other online marketplaces, so it is cheap to acquire the one you want or to collect multiple variations if you are so inclined.

I hope this information is helpful or at least interesting for someone.

Thanks,
Rob

P.S.
Thank you for all of the great information on this website. Because of you, I was able to acquire an HMS Bounty ornament last week to add to my collection. So as always, thanks and keep up the good work!

Rob’s images comparing canopy tints.

There seems to be a wide range of tints available on The Scorpion which result in quite different ornaments. If you have the blackened canopy the ornament could be almost any spaceship since it isn’t one of the recognizable iconic ship designs known in the Star Trek universe. If you have a clearer canopy, the images of Picard and Data turn the ornament from a generic sci-fi spaceship to a true Star Trek ornament.

A big ‘thank you’ to Rob for the information, his photos and the very kind words.

32) 2003 The Scorpion – Star Trek Nemesis

 

Abducted and imprisoned on a hostile alien starship, Captain Jean-Luc Picard is freed by Commander Data in disguise.  Together they battle their way through the corridors of the huge vessel into a shuttle bay, where they discover a fleet of Scorpion attack flyers.

Unable to open the shuttle doors, their only means of escape is for Captain Picard to pilot a Scorpion through the twisting interioir of the ship to freedom.

This Keepsake Ornament features glowing lights on the Scorpion’s wing panels ans exhaust port as well as in the landing lights.  The cockpit instrument panel is also lighted. Sculpted by Hallmark Keepsake Artists Lynn norton and Anita Marra Rogers.

2003

QXI7509

Plug in

The Scorpion ornament was sculpted by Lynn Norton but the Data and Picard figures within were sculpted by Anita Marra Rogers. Rogers sculpted a majority of Star Trek ornaments that were not starships and generally focused on figures.

All promotional photos of the Scorpion are shown with a clear canopy and characters are easily seen. Final production of the Scorpion included a tinted canopy mostly obscuring the characters inside.

“Look closely beyond the smoked canopy of the Scorpion ornament, and you may discern painted figures of Captain Picard and Data in the cockpit as sculpted by Keepsake Artist Anita Marra Rogers. Original designs for the ornament included a transparent canopy transparent on the ornament, but changed to match the studio model used for filming. The change came too late to alter photographs on the ornament’s retail box and other Hallmark publications, which clearly show the figures.” -Kevin Dilmore

Read more here.