VULCAN — The actor who made Mr. Spock famous in the “Star Trek” TV series says he’s thrilled to tour the Alberta town that shares the name of his fictive home planet.
“I have never been quite so touched and excited as I am about going to the town of Vulcan,” Leonard Nimoy said in Calgary on Friday before driving an hour south to the town of 1,900.
“It may seem silly and it’s probably illogical, but I’m really looking forward to it.”
But the 79-year-old cult icon said that while he’ll make a few more public appearances, he has hung up his famous pointed ears for good.
“I will not be doing any more directing or acting in films or television,” said Nimoy. “I have so many other things to do.”
Nimoy noted he has pursued photography since his teen years and has a show of his work opening in Massachusetts this summer.
This will be the first time Nimoy has visited Vulcan. He is to be feted in a parade, put his handprint down for posterity and receive the keys to the town.
Nimoy said he first learned of Vulcan when he saw an Internet story last year about how townsfolk were lobbying to hold the world premiere of the latest “Star Trek” movie.
They weren’t successful.
“I was disappointed for them, and I thought something should be done about that,” said Nimoy, who then helped arrange for 300 Vulcan residents to get a sneak peak of the film in Calgary two days before its worldwide release.
“Ever since then, we’ve been in touch.”
Nimoy said when he agreed to come to Calgary for a comic convention this weekend, he decided to make a side trip.
And Vulcan is ready — with exhibits and merchandise that range from cool to kitchsy to downright cheesy.
Thousands of fans, many in pointy ears and blue tunics, were expected to be on hand to welcome Nimoy.
At the far end of the parade route some fans said they’d been waiting for 14 hours to get a good spot.
The town bakery has been making blue-frosted cakes to resemble Spock’s Star Fleet uniform. The liquor store has brought in blue-bottled Romulan Ale, a beer from Argentina.
Retailers are peddling Spock-themed T-shirts at $25 each. For $10, visitors can get a giant foam hand, the fingers formed in the distinctive Vulcan V symbolizing “live long and prosper.”
Local stores are selling chocolate Vulcan ears. Tourists so inclined can stick their faces in oval holes on an upright piece of plywood with headless torsos of Star Fleet officers painted on the other side. They can buy pencils with Spock’s round head or water bottles sporting Nimoy’s face.
On the entrance to the town sits a 10-metre-long replica of the Starship Enterprise, large enough that a family of eight could stand under its saucer section when it rains and not get wet.
There’s also a Vulcan Tourism and Trek station. It’s a futuristic circular building that houses the Vulcan Space Adventure, where visitors can dress up in Trek uniforms, look at 800 items of show memorabilia, get their pictures taken on a mock-up of the Enterprise bridge and pose beside life-sized cardboard cut-outs of Spock and others.
Vulcan the town was named by the Canadian Pacific Railway 100 years ago after the Roman god of fire and metalworking.
But when the original “Star Trek” TV series, which ran for three seasons starting in 1966, took off in popularity, local legend has it that opponents would trash-talk Vulcan sports teams by mocking the size of their ears.
So the town decided to cash in on the show by becoming a Trekkian pilgrimage site. It hosted its first “Star Trek” convention 17 years ago.
During his visit, Nimoy is to unveil a bronze bust of himself. He will probably also sign autographs. Lots of autographs.
Because the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.
Or the one.