Captain J. T. Esteban, U.S.S. Grissom

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock has long been considered the best of the Star Trek films.  It has a fantastic plot and some really great acting.  Debuting here is one of the tertiary characters of the film--Captain J.T. Esteban of the U.S.S. Grissom. 

A by the book man, Captain Esteban arrives at the Genesis Planet with a team of scientists to supervise a routine survey mission.  Some have considered him overly cautious.  Others agree that he represents the better characteristics of command.  His concern for his ship and crew are evident in his manner.  Unfortunately, we all know how that turned out.   

Despite his concern for security, Esteban would fall victim to an attack by a Klingon Bird of Prey.  To make the ill-fated captain, I took the standard movie uniform body of Admiral James. T. Kirk.  I used the hair from the Dr. McCoy figure to provide the comb-over effect so popular in the 1980s...and, apparently, the 2280s. 

 

I created the small data padd from an piece of cardboard in an effort to re-create the device as seen when Grissom arrived in orbit of the planet.  To stand in for the cramped bridge of the Oberth-class Grissom, I used the Star Trek: Innerspace collection U.S.S. Stargazer.

 
This custom may seem simple compared to the re-painting and sculpting done by so many others in their efforts to create the perfect figure.  The truth is, they are easy.  The interchangeable parts make it easy to construct the basic figure.