Sulu and Chekov...BFF!

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I clipped the above article from the Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel on August 4th, 1978, as the new movie was in pre-production and media interest was starting to increase again. Even the show's secondary stars were getting some press, and the Koenig/Takei combo mini-article echoed their positions on the bridge and the show's publicity material, when they were often featured together. The friendship was highlighted several times in the movies, most notably in "The Final Frontier" as they got lost together on a hiking trip. It would be nice to see them becoming buddies in the next Trek movie.
This post continues the tradition of pairing the pals with some photos of the characters as they were during the TV show's production. Below, a classic shot of the two on the bridge!

Next, an article about the two of them from the British magazine Sci_fi Monthly.

Below, a glossy publicity still from the press kit sent to stations to promote the show for syndication.

"Deed you know that the ladder was inwented in Russia? Da, by a leetle old man in Leningrad."

"Shatner, beware! You either leave this war bloodied, or with my blood on your sword."

 

Chekov wasn't Sulu's only friend... he was a well-liked crewman, outgoing and friendly.