10 Greatest Star Trek In-Jokes
4. Okudagrams
We owe graphic designer Michael Okuda and wife Denise Okuda a great deal of the look, lore, and feel of Star Trek from The Voyage Home onwards, not to forget The Star Trek Encyclopedia through four editions, The Next Generation Technical Manual, and other reference books that have become veritable fan bibles. Creator of the computer screen and console graphics for Star Trek IV and the LCARS designs for The Next Generation and beyond, Michael Okuda's instantly recognisable work was lovingly nicknamed the 'Okudagram'.
An artistic marvel in their own right, Okudagrams have also provided plenty of opportunities for a good in-joke or two (often never intended to be visible on screen and mostly replaced in the remasterings). For example (see image above), Troi's search for a family tree in The Neutral Zone (pre-remastered) gives some very interesting results, including the first six actors to have played the Doctor in Doctor Who, Miss Piggy and Kermit T. Frog!
The Okudagram of the Enterprise-D's Engineering Master Screen Display features (if you stare hard enough) a duck, a mouse, an airplane, a car, and Nomad! Usually covered up for filming, these additions even made it to HD at around 38:35 of the remastered Galaxy's Child. Technically, I suppose that makes them canon?!