"To Serve The Empire" Klingon Recruiting Poster by Dru Blair (1997)

Retail poster. Be sure to click the image above for a larger version!

Size: 24" x 36"
Artist/Illustrator: Dru Blair
Release Year: 1997
Region: United States
Notes:

• A version of this image was originally painted by Dru Blair for the cover of the Star Trek Communicator's "Special Klingon Issue," shown below, published in October / November 1995. Blair's other Star Trek work includes over 30 novel covers for Pocket Books, and several posters / prints / lithographs. [Dru Blair at Memory Alpha]

• In their March/April 1997 issue, the Communicator offered an exclusive 24" x 36" poster print of the painting on "100 lb. high quality gloss poster stock suitable for framing." The poster was offered for $14.95 plus shipping and handling. (See the full-page catalog ad below; click to enlarge.) The retail poster appeared as shown in my main image above; it did not include the magazine's logo or the official fan club logo as on the catalog page.

• The retail poster, dated 1996 by the artist, differs from the earlier version in a few ways. The artist's signature has changed, as have the portraits used for the Klingon characters flanking the far left and far right. The original artwork featured the minor characters of Klag on the left and B'iJik on the right; the revised painting features Kor on the left, and possibly Kahless on the right, with the addition of a bat'leth.

 • Circa 1998, the Official Fan Club also offered a cropped version of this painting on a 4" x 5" sticker, shown below, as part of their membership welcome/renewal kit. These kits also included other paper ephemera such as postcards, posters, and a membership card.

 
 • As of 2021, Blair's website (last updated in 2015) contains no mention of his Star Trek work, instead focusing solely on contemporary American imperial hardware. However, ca. 2006-2011, drublair.com offered four Star Trek prints—three featuring the USS Voyager, and this one, entitled "To Serve The Empire." Described as "depict[ing] the essence of a Klingon Fleet recruitment poster (not that any encouragement was needed!)," it was offered as a 24" x 30" open edition poster for $25.

Updated October 25, 2025