Michael Minor Michael " Mike " Minor was a conceptual and production illustrator on " " , and the art director for . Mostly recognized for his contributions to the above - mentioned productions , Minor had actually already contributed to . He had been a fan of " The Original Series " since its original airing and was inspired by it to design and create wardrobes , creatures , watercolors of landscapes , and artifacts in his spare time for the series . He managed to arrange a meeting with Gene Roddenberry , who agreed to take a look at his portfolio . " " Gene liked the artwork , and had me show it to the art director , Matt Jefferies . Jefferies bought about twenty pieces to use as art objects around the ship . Some of the critters were hanging in McCoy ' s office and cabin during the third season . A creature head I did in latex became the Melkot in . I later discovered that in my ignorance , I had stumbled upon the only route by which I could have sold to the show . . . by bringing art in on spec " [ rem : for free ] " . Union regulations prevented the production company from commissioning work from an outside contractor , but they " could " buy existing material , " " Minor remembered . ( " Cinefantastique " , issue 44 , Vol 12 # 5 / 6 , p . 59 ) Minor ' s most notable ( un - credited ) contribution to the " Original Series " , however , was the realization of the Tholian web as it appeared on screen in the episode with the same name . Minor also worked with William Ware Theiss by manufacturing the space suit helmets for the episode . Other contributions of Minor to the series ' third season were the creation of the Beta XII - A entity in and some of the overhead graphics on the bridge of the " Enterprise " . ( " " , issue 25 , pp . 35 , 61 ) Minor was brought into the production of " Star Trek : Phase II " by Art Director Joe Jennings on , who passed over noted space illustrator Robert McCall in favor of his former protégé . ( " " , p . 37 ) Together with his former mentor , Minor worked among others on the design of the refit - , based on preliminary re - design work which " The Original Series " Art Director Matt Jefferies did on his own USS " Enterprise " design from the original television series . Minor also contributed to designing the drydock and interior sets . McCall was yet to work on the " Star Trek " production . After " Phase II " was upgraded to the " Motion Picture " in , their work on the " Enterprise " in turn became the basis for further re - design work done by Richard Taylor , Andrew Probert and Harold Michelson . Minor stayed on for the upgrade production , but concentrated his efforts on the interior set designs . Minor did not get any legal credit for the design from the US Patent and Trademark Office , however , since Andrew Probert is listed as the sole " inventor " of the look of the refitted " Enterprise " on the design patent issued for it . However , Minor did receive credit as an inventor on the issued design patents for both the and the photon torpedo casing . In both instances , he shared the credit with Joe Jennings . The bulk of the work which he did on " Phase II " and " The Motion Picture " projects , however , consisted of the interior redesign of the refit " Enterprise " before he was superseded by Probert in . Career outside " Star Trek " . Minor enjoyed a close and enduring working relationship with Joe Jennings , who arranged one of his first jobs on , and had him brought in on the " Phase II " project and its follow - up . " " We worked together like . " " , Minor further said . ( " Cinefantastique " , issue 44 , Vol 12 # 5 / 6 , p . 58 ) Minor won an Emmy Award nomination for his visual effects work on the acclaimed mini - series " The Winds of War " . He also received an Emmy nomination in Outstanding Art Direction for a Limited Series or a Special , for the same program . Minor ' s other credits include visual effects work on " Flesh Gordon " ( , working with Greg Jein ) , the cult fantasy film " The Beastmaster " and art direction for the films " The Man Who Saw Tomorrow " ( ) and " Remo Williams : The Adventure Begins " ( , starring Joel Grey , Patrick Kilpatrick and Kate Mulgrew ) , as well as model designer and matte painter for " Fukkatsu no hi " ( , again with Jein , who by then had also worked on " The Motion Picture " ) . Minor died due to complications from AIDS in Los Angeles , California .