Why Stargate Called the Props Guy “Evil” Kenny

One of the talented crew members who kept Stargate SG-1 running smoothly year-in and year-out is Kenny Gibbs, who for seven seasons was SG-1‘s property master. He’s the man in charge of managing the props, giving the actors the tools to work with and helping to realize the director’s vision for an episode.

SG-1‘s prop master earned the nickname “Evil Kenny,” and it stuck. So where did this moniker come from? “Dial the Gate” welcomes Kenny Gibbs to the show this weekend to finally tell the story!

Gibbs reveals that the name came from director Martin Wood, thanks to a particularly troublesome prop early in SG-1‘s fourth season: the Atoniek armbands, which gave Jack, Daniel, and Sam superpowers in the episode “Upgrades.”

“These armbands are supposed to give our characters alien powers that increased their strength and their speed,” Gibbs said. “And they looked pretty … but they weren’t made to be worn more than just holding your arm straight out.” He remembered actor Richard Dean Anderson making a gesture in one scene, only to have the prop fly off his arm.

Check out this exclusive preview clip for more from Kenny:

When the final beats of the episode called for the alien devices to suddenly let go and fall off the characters, though, the props again did not cooperate. With the cameras rolling Gibbs flipped the switch to cause the armbands to open and disengage … but again they failed.

“The whole episode was a challenge, and that’s where I got my nickname from. It was from that prop.”

Gibbs worked as the property manager on Stargate SG-1 for seven years, starting with the show’s fourth season. He also spent two years on Atlantis, and two on SGU. His credits also include the likes of Falling Skies, The 100, and Kung Fu.

Tune in this Saturday, September 23 (10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET) to watch the full interview with “Evil” Kenny Gibbs when it premieres on “Dial the Gate.” While you’re there, add GateWorld’s YouTube channel to your subscriptions to get new videos like this every week.