Graphic Novelizations of Trek Novels

[Arpy]

Hey, Marco, how would you feel about doing comic book versions of Trek novels? I was thinking on the train today about how I wish I could *see* various characters, places, starships, aliens species, space battles, and events from so many Star Trek novels...from the first TOS ones to the Destiny trilogy. I remembered how Ashes of Eden was released in comic form at the same time as novel, and I enjoyed seeing a novel come to life visually. Ditto the Timothy Zahn Thrawn trilogy, Shadows of the Empire, others. It'd be quite an undertaking I imagine, with securing legal rights and finding the right people to do the adaptations, but I think it could be real special.

I'd love to see Orion's Hounds, Serpents Among the Ruins, Dark Mirror, Vendetta, Federation, The Final Reflection, Pathways, and the entire Rihannsu quintet illustrated, just to name a few!

Although my favorite novel covers don't have this, I'm one of those people who get a special kick out of those where you get to see some of the new characters within - thinking especially of the DS9R and Titan books.

[Therin of Andor]

Arpy wrote:

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Hey, Marco, how would you feel about doing comic book versions of Trek novels?

IDW and Tokyopop have the exclusive licenses for ST comics and graphic novels.

"The Ashes of Eden", from DC Comics, came out simultaneously with the Pocket novel. If that graphic novel had sold gangbusters, I'm sure there'd have been more.

The problem is, once you've read a ST novel, why fill up a comic slot with a graphic novel version when you still own the book - and the comic slot could go to an original story? And vice versa.

[Steve Roby]

Arpy wrote:

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Hey, Marco, how would you feel about doing comic book versions of Trek novels?

Well, I'm not Marco, but...

We don't get nearly as many Trek novels and comics as we did for a while in the 1990s. Why use limited publishing slots for stories we've already read, rather than giving us as many new stories as possible?

That's not to say I wouldn't love to see a Vanguard comic, a Titan comic, or a DS9R comic, among other things, but if they happened, I'd prefer them to be new stories created for that medium, with close editorial coordination between Pocket and IDW.

[Marco Palmieri]

Arpy wrote:

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Hey, Marco, how would you feel about doing comic book versions of Trek novels?

I assume you're addressing the question to me because you think it would be my call. It would not be. Graphic novels represent a very specialized area of publishing, which book publishers are (generally) not equipped for.

Plus, we don't have a license to publish Star Trek comics.

Steve Roby wrote:

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That's not to say I wouldn't love to see a Vanguard comic, a Titan comic, or a DS9R comic, among other things, but if they happened, I'd prefer them to be new stories created for that medium, with close editorial coordination between Pocket and IDW.

My sentiments exactly.

[JD]

I'd rather go with an original stories too. There's no reason why we would need to have direct adaptations of the books to see the characters. Even characters from older books, like the Rihansuu books, could still theoretically pop up in new stories.

[DEWLine]

I'd be interested to see how Christopher, for one example, would handle the comics/manga/BD format. I'd be inclined to prefer an original story, at least for the moment.

[Christopher]

I don't know what BD stands for in that context, but I'd definitely like to write Trek comics, original stories, of course.

[Trent Roman]

Bande Dessinée. Don't often hear that used in English outside of direct references to the Franco-Belgian school of comic books (Tintin, Astérix, Smurfs, etc.)

Creditorly yours, the Rent Woman

[Therin of Andor]

Christopher wrote:

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I don't know what BD stands for in that context

Gee, I was hoping for Bondage/Discipline ST comics. I reckon Mr Arex could tie a mean knot.

[Andrew Harris]

Arpy wrote:

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Hey, Marco, how would you feel about doing comic book versions of Trek novels? I was thinking on the train today about how I wish I could *see* various characters, places, starships, aliens species, space battles, and events from so many Star Trek novels...from the first TOS ones to the Destiny trilogy. I remembered how Ashes of Eden was released in comic form at the same time as novel, and I enjoyed seeing a novel come to life visually. Ditto the Timothy Zahn Thrawn trilogy, Shadows of the Empire, others. It'd be quite an undertaking I imagine, with securing legal rights and finding the right people to do the adaptations, but I think it could be real special.

I'd love to see Orion's Hounds, Serpents Among the Ruins, Dark Mirror, Vendetta, Federation, The Final Reflection, Pathways, and the entire Rihannsu quintet illustrated, just to name a few!

Although my favorite novel covers don't have this, I'm one of those people who get a special kick out of those where you get to see some of the new characters within - thinking especially of the DS9R and Titan books.

I really, genuinely love the fact that people want to see more comics produced for their favorite prose stories. But, I'd really love it even more if people stopped thinking of comics as a spare tire for prose storytelling.

It's great that you want to see your favorite books adapted, but there have been countless outstanding Trek comic stories produced over the years (and, just like the prose stories, some clunkers too); and there'll be countless great comics stories produced in years to come. Likewise, I understand the appeal of wanting to see Trek comics from some of your favorite prose writers, but I'm much more interested to see Trek comics from some of my favorite comics writers.

Too often Trek fans think that comics writing is simply a ghetto industry for people who can't cut it as novelists--and that type of thinking even infects some prose authors (Trek and otherwise) as well. When I was editing for IDW, I even had one prose author approach me at a convention virtually expecting an assignment on the spot, simply because he was a novelist willing to slum it in comics--no pitches in hand, no script samples, nothing. Needless to say, he never understood why I never called him up.

[DEWLine]

That's right. In Ottawa, right next door to Québec as it is, you get to see all three major schools of graphic fiction(North American, European, Japanese), so I used all three names for it.

As for comics scripting, it's a discipline unto itself. It's not unlike writing for TV or motion pictures, but it does have its own rules, tricks, and quirks. The authors who manage to transition back and forth between the two writing disciplines...well, they've got my respect. Diane Duane, Greg Rucka, Warren Ellis...these are good examples of such.

[Marco Palmieri]

Andrew Harris wrote:

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I really, genuinely love the fact that people want to see more comics produced for their favorite prose stories. But, I'd really love it even more if people stopped thinking of comics as a spare tire for prose storytelling.

QFT. Preach on, Brother Andrew!

[Dayton Ward]

Andrew Harris wrote:

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Too often Trek fans think that comics writing is simply a ghetto industry for people who can't cut it as novelists--and that type of thinking even infects some prose authors (Trek and otherwise) as well. When I was editing for IDW, I even had one prose author approach me at a convention virtually expecting an assignment on the spot, simply because he was a novelist willing to slum it in comics--no pitches in hand, no script samples, nothing. Needless to say, he never understood why I never called him up.

How Not to Further Your Writing Career, Example #4,598,312.

[Christopher]

Andrew Harris wrote:

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Too often Trek fans think that comics writing is simply a ghetto industry for people who can't cut it as novelists--and that type of thinking even infects some prose authors (Trek and otherwise) as well. When I was editing for IDW, I even had one prose author approach me at a convention virtually expecting an assignment on the spot, simply because he was a novelist willing to slum it in comics--no pitches in hand, no script samples, nothing. Needless to say, he never understood why I never called him up.

Well, I certainly don't see it as slumming. The reason I'm interested in writing Trek comics is because I'm interested in working in the comics medium itself, taking on a new challenge. And because I'm a visually oriented person and would enjoy seeing my stories told visually.

[Andrew Harris]

Christopher wrote:

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Well, I certainly don't see it as slumming. The reason I'm interested in writing Trek comics is because I'm interested in working in the comics medium itself, taking on a new challenge. And because I'm a visually oriented person and would enjoy seeing my stories told visually.

...And therein lies the point exactly. An editor isn't going to give an assignment to someone who would be challenged by the prospect of writing an ordinary comics script. Which, you would think, should be obvious to everyone involved; and yet, somehow, isn't.