This is a project that celebrates it's tenth anniversary this year. It started as an entry into a 2004 TrekBBS Art Challenge, which was to create a book cover based on a Star Trek episode. My entry was done in the style (or as close as I could manage it at the time) of the old Bantam editions from the 70's. Unlike the other entries, I did not include the words "Star Trek" on my cover, only the episode title, and as an afterthought added the words "A UESPA Series Book" on the back cover over a United Earth symbol.
Over the last ten years this project has increased in it's complexity because the series has an internal in-universe history and timeline. And then there's the fictional publication timeline, as well as doing different covers to reflect the changes that cover art saw from the 50's to the early 70's. Last year I thought I had stumbled onto a solution to a problem that had been bugging me for about six or so years. It was one of those "Why didn't I see this before!" moments and you can see the results of that thinking in this thread:
http://www.trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=211486
All of my works in that thread were intended to be part of the UESPA series.
Late November, early December I wanted to post some new covers here and on my DA account, so I thought I'd go back and add some spines and back covers to some covers I'd done a few years back. I also had another one of those moments of vivid insight where I was thinking "Why did you take that approach?!" and have gone back to a hopefully more streamlined approach a little more inline with the original concept. I finally figured out the new "first story", though I don't know yet if I'll do magazine covers, or what elements I'll keep from the linked thread. The "Ultimate Computer" and "Requiem For Methuselah" covers will be kept.
I do know when and with what episode the series ends...1974 and it ends as the series began. I've had that front cover done for about two or three years. Since the 70's era covers are fairly easy, I will probably finish a couple off to compliment the following early ACE Books era covers.
Anyway, you came in here to look at pretty pictures, not listen to me ramble
This is the original cover that started it all from 2004:
Since I recently found all of the base files for this, I think I'l be "re-mastering" this cover soon. Kirk and the Gorn will be redone with better positioning and a hopefully less "filtery" look.
As of right now, I don't know which book this is in terms of publication history. I imagine it being at about the mid point, but whether it's the 14th book or 35th book I can't say yet.
I can however say that this is the third book in the series:
The first three stories collected in one volume:
This is where the series hit it's stride. A fantastic cover by Jefferies, and a great story to boot. This is the ninth book in the series...
A cover from the later, more well known and remembered, Bantam collected editions:
There's something really clumsy feeling in the title of this last one, and for some reason I find it amusing. People would be like "what is this called? Yoo Eee Ess Pee Ayy 5? WTF?"
Anyway, that's all for now, I need sleep.
Over the last ten years this project has increased in it's complexity because the series has an internal in-universe history and timeline. And then there's the fictional publication timeline, as well as doing different covers to reflect the changes that cover art saw from the 50's to the early 70's. Last year I thought I had stumbled onto a solution to a problem that had been bugging me for about six or so years. It was one of those "Why didn't I see this before!" moments and you can see the results of that thinking in this thread:
http://www.trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=211486
All of my works in that thread were intended to be part of the UESPA series.
Late November, early December I wanted to post some new covers here and on my DA account, so I thought I'd go back and add some spines and back covers to some covers I'd done a few years back. I also had another one of those moments of vivid insight where I was thinking "Why did you take that approach?!" and have gone back to a hopefully more streamlined approach a little more inline with the original concept. I finally figured out the new "first story", though I don't know yet if I'll do magazine covers, or what elements I'll keep from the linked thread. The "Ultimate Computer" and "Requiem For Methuselah" covers will be kept.
I do know when and with what episode the series ends...1974 and it ends as the series began. I've had that front cover done for about two or three years. Since the 70's era covers are fairly easy, I will probably finish a couple off to compliment the following early ACE Books era covers.
Anyway, you came in here to look at pretty pictures, not listen to me ramble
This is the original cover that started it all from 2004:
Since I recently found all of the base files for this, I think I'l be "re-mastering" this cover soon. Kirk and the Gorn will be redone with better positioning and a hopefully less "filtery" look.
As of right now, I don't know which book this is in terms of publication history. I imagine it being at about the mid point, but whether it's the 14th book or 35th book I can't say yet. I can however say that this is the third book in the series:
The first three stories collected in one volume:
This is where the series hit it's stride. A fantastic cover by Jefferies, and a great story to boot. This is the ninth book in the series...
A cover from the later, more well known and remembered, Bantam collected editions:
There's something really clumsy feeling in the title of this last one, and for some reason I find it amusing. People would be like "what is this called? Yoo Eee Ess Pee Ayy 5? WTF?"
Anyway, that's all for now, I need sleep.
