Doug Drexler takes down "Drexfiles" blog

Sorry to say that the best source for behind the scenes info on all the Star Trek productions, "Drexfiles" is gone.  Doug Drexler has a post on his Facebook page saying he took the blog down because of complaints by some that he marked every image with the logo "Drexfiles".

The blog, produced by long time Star Trek art director Doug Drexler, was a source of info for years for all of us hard core Star Trek prop & costume collectors and fans of every ilk.  Doug would post images of everything from models to concept art, and have dozens of comments from industry insiders.

An image from Drexfiles from "Enterprise"

Many times I have used his blog as reference for authenticating items, especially the Jem Hadar Battleship model that Profiles in history claimed was screen used.  Finding all of Doug's photos helped in identifying that it was not in fact screen used and that it was just an extra made by the model shop.

I met Doug in 2009 while doing the Battlestar Galactica auctions.  I got a call from him and he said he had heard about me and what we were doing with Galactica and he wanted to meet about Propworx selling his collection.  At that point I didn't know Doug, but I soon found out what a fantastic history he had with Star Trek.   

Doug's collection of Star Trek history before being sold

Doug had, over the years, amassed quite a collection of Star Trek  props and set decoration in his role with Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Enterprise.  I got to catalog and photograph Doug's collection, and in August 2010, Doug's collection made up the vast majority of the first Propworx Star Trek auction.  It was a huge hit, and with the addition of Robert Picardo's collection, we held the auction at the Creation San Diego Las Vegas Convention.

Doug with the art department team during the filming of "Trials and Tribbleations"

Doug is a rare bird in Hollywood.  Starting as a make-up artist, and winning an academy Award for his work on Dick Tracy, Doug spent the first 3 years on Star Trek: The Next Generation doing make-up and applying Worf's nose!  He then moved to art direction, learning new skills and staying at the forefront of a whole new department.  Few people in Hollywood will actually make this type of transition.

But Doug wasn't finished, as he then again moved from more traditional art direction to computer generated imagery (CGI) where he won an emmy for "Battlestar Galactica".  So Doug really has traveled a long journey through Hollywood and I for one hope that he will bring back Drexfiles at some point.

Alec