IDW's newest plans

[F. King Daniel]

It's a shame about the Titan comics

It's also a shame to hear how bad the Pocket Books/Bad Robot relationship is
(and especially bizarre since Bad Robot were pushing Pocket's old novels during interviews in the build-up to the movie!)

I think Captain Archer put it best:

What.

The.

Fuck?

 

[JD]

Especially since, due to all of the upheaval at Pocket, the people involved with the Alias books probably aren't even involved with the current Trek books, if they ever were.

 

[Greg Cox]

Especially since, due to all of the upheaval at Pocket, the people involved with the Alias books probably aren't even involved with the current Trek books, if they ever were.

Completely different editors. Margaret and Marco and the other Star Trek editors had NOTHING to do with the ALIAS books. The ALIAS books were generally edited by the BUFFY editors. I know since I wrote some of those ALIAS books.

This is the first I've ever heard, btw, that Bad Robot had a problem with them . . . if that's really the case. All three of my ALIAS novels were approved with minimal changes, and the Bad Robot people were very cooperative and a pleasure to work with. They sent me advance copies of the scripts, chatted with me on the phone, warned me of upcoming plot twists, etc.

Maybe there were problems behind the scenes I didn't know about, but I have my doubts. I had a very good working relationship with the ALIAS people, and was disappointed when that gig came to an end.

(And, honestly, you can usually tell when the licensors are being difficult. Lots of weird, last-minute changes, awkward silences, proposals rejected without explanation, etc. I never got that vibe on the ALIAS books. Everything always went very smoothly.)

 

[darkwing_duck1]

This is the first I've ever heard, btw, that Bad Robot had a problem with them . . . if that's really the case. All three of my ALIAS novels were approved with minimal changes, and the Bad Robot people were very cooperative and a pleasure to work with. They sent me advance copies of the scripts, chatted with me on the phone, warned me of upcoming plot twists, etc.

Maybe there were problems behind the scenes I didn't know about, but I have my doubts. I had a very good working relationship with the ALIAS people, and was disappointed when that gig came to an end.

(And, honestly, you can usually tell when the licensors are being difficult. Lots of weird, last-minute changes, awkward silences, proposals rejected without explanation, etc. I never got that vibe on the ALIAS books. Everything always went very smoothly.)

It wouldn't be the first time a writer/creative in derivative works got blind-sided by problems with the other side. The spat between FJ and Gene over the tech supplements comes to mind. FJ had no idea Gene had it out for him because the studio kept him in the dark that there was a problem (that the studio itself created by double-dealing GR).

To Andy: I get why you were so terse in the other thread. I hadn't seen this one and I inadvertently brought up what doubtless for you is a sore subject. My apologies.

Add my voices to the "this sucks" chorus vis a vis IDW's plans.

Too bad too, I've enjoyed quite a few of the ones I've had a chance to read, esp the MU mini.

 

[Christopher]

Trying to put this diplomatically... the only source for the claim of bad blood between Bad Robot and Pocket is Margaret Clark, and that's just one side of the story. In the absence of supporting evidence, it's just hearsay. Indeed, if Margaret didn't work on the Alias novels, as Greg says, then she wouldn't have firsthand knowledge of the licensor-publisher relationship anyway. So I'd say her comments about bad blood should be taken with a grain of salt. I think Margaret enjoys telling lurid stories and is, well, not above embellishing her tales to make them more dramatic.

(and especially bizarre since Bad Robot were pushing Pocket's old novels during interviews in the build-up to the movie!)

Well, screenwriters Kurtzman and Orci were, or at least they listed their favorites when they were asked (and I'm still mindboggled that they included Ex Machina on their list). They aren't technically part of Bad Robot; they have their own separate production company, Kurtzman/Orci Productions. They just work for/with Bad Robot Productions (meaning Abrams and Bryan Burk) on most of BRP's projects.

 

[Greg Cox]

Again, I never dealt with Abrams directly, but I did talk with Jesse Alexander, who was one of the producers on ALIAS, and who was never less than friendly and helpful. I don't know what Margaret may have heard, but my own firsthand experience didn't suggest there was any bad blood between Pocket and Bad Robot.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Wow, this really sucks. I guess this answers my New Frontier question.

 

[happygolucky]

Any word on more New Frontier outings?

 

[Steve Roby]

< quoted post removed as requested by Andy Mangels >

Wow, this really sucks. I guess this answers my New Frontier question.

Any word on more New Frontier outings?

Not specifically, no...

 

[8of5]

Wow, that's devastating news about Titan comics, especially with Tim Russ being involved. They've been floating at the top of my wish list since IDW starting doing Trek; it would be so wonderful to actually see the Titan's crew. *sigh*

And while it's disappointing IDW seem to be letting the prime reality die for them (with the possible exception of yet More TOS stuff!) I am very curious to see what their new movie only output will consist of, and to see if they can perhaps be a bit more consistent with their output if they're choosing to be that focused (I can understand IDW choosing not worry about staying in continuity with other company's stuff, but I find their occasional contradicting of their own stories maddening!). I'm also rather curious whether their new remit might extent out to Captain Data era TNG, via the setup from Countdown.

 

[Christopher]

(I can understand IDW choosing not worry about staying in continuity with other company's stuff, but I find their occasional contradicting of their own stories maddening!).

Doesn't bother me, any more than different stories in Strange New Worlds contradicting each other, or different DC Universe DVD movies contradicting each other. When there's no claim of continuity to begin with, when the approach is anthological, I don't expect continuity.

 

[SeerSGB]

So where we're what...seeing the withering on TNG and beyond 'Trek-- for the most part that is? Cutting back more and more post Nem stuff and shifting to a continual retreading of the TOS era and the creation a a nuTrek EU?

 

[kkozoriz1]

< quoted post removed as requested by Andy Mangels >

I wonder if the push from Paramount will start being felt at Pocket in the future?

 

[Christopher]

So where we're what...seeing the withering on TNG and beyond 'Trek-- for the most part that is? Cutting back more and more post Nem stuff and shifting to a continual retreading of the TOS era and the creation a a nuTrek EU?

At least in the case of IDW. They're heading that way because that's what's selling well for them. It isn't necessarily something that can be generalized beyond IDW's Trek output. "TNG and beyond" Trek still seems to be working well for Pocket and Star Trek Online. Maybe it's simply that, for whatever reason, IDW's TOS and movie-tie-in output has been stronger than their other product. The stuff that's gotten the most acclaim and attention from them has been things like Blood Will Tell and the John Byrne comics, all of which have been TOS-era, or the movie-related stuff like Countdown, whereas their TNG-era output doesn't seem to be garnering the same kind of response (with the exception of New Frontier).

http://unreality-sf.net/features/idwst.html

So it isn't necessarily a sign that the audience's interest in TNG-era material in general is waning; it just means that the particular TNG-era material IDW is publishing isn't capturing the audience's attention. And with comics sales declining all around, IDW has to focus on what's selling for them.

 

[8of5]

(I can understand IDW choosing not worry about staying in continuity with other company's stuff, but I find their occasional contradicting of their own stories maddening!).

Doesn't bother me, any more than different stories in Strange New Worlds contradicting each other, or different DC Universe DVD movies contradicting each other. When there's no claim of continuity to begin with, when the approach is anthological, I don't expect continuity.

I just find it a bit boring for the same publisher, just months apart to, gives two different accounts of the formation of the Klingon-Romulan Alliance. That comes across to me as a lack of imagination, to mine the same idea twice so soon!

In regard to the new movie reality I think it is a bigger deal too. We have here an opportunity to see a version of the Star Trek universe crafted without all the baggage of a myriad of alternate continuities, I think it would be a shame to add in the sort of controversy that mires the prime reality when it could be avoided now.

 

[Jack Bauer]

Pocket has, in the past, had a rough relationship with Bad Robot; for instance, Bad Robot dragged its feet on the novelization. More telling may be something Margaret Clark talked about at Shore Leave in 2008, which was that the Alias novels angered J.J. Abrams and, as a result of that, Abrams wasn't kindly disposed toward Pocket and she was not expecting a good working relationship with Bad Robot. (Margaret did not say what, precisely, about the Alias novels angered Abrams.) It came as a surprise to me last summer that Pocket was pressing on with movie-Trek novels, and it came as no surprise that, reading between the lines, Bad Robot forced Pocket to spike them.

Ironically, given their position on stories which follow the new movie, what may have angered Abrams was the fact that the (first few) Alias novels were prequels, detailing how Sydney Bristow became a spy, and (with the many twists and turns and retcons in later seasons) it's pretty likely that those novels were rendered impossible to reconcile with continuity.

I don't think Pocket published any Alias prequel novels. IIRC the Pocket Alias novels were all set during season 4. I think another publisher did the prequel novels.

 

[Lonemagpie]

I was informed by email by Chris Ryall that, in regards to Titan, IDW would be focusing their efforts only on new movie material now. Chris noted that not only did Paramount prefer this, but in sheerly practical terms regarding the current marketplace, IDW has found it hard to get traction on their TNG or DS9 series. He closed, noting that it was unlikely that IDW would EVER do Titan comics.


And as can be inferred by their message, it's unlikely we'll be seeing much more than Nu-Trek and possibly TOS material either.

I'm not criticizing IDW for their decision, though I obviously don't agree with it. In today's marketplace, sales of all comics are hemorrhaging. This, combined with internal changes at Paramount, and a push for more Nu-Trek product (whether fans want something else or not), means that until another regime change at the studio, or license change in comics, Trek fans will be getting less and less diversity in the upcoming offerings.

I wonder if the push from Paramount will start being felt at Pocket in the future?

Given that the JJverse books got canned for this year, and next year's titles are a wider variety than there's been for a while, I doubt it.

IDW's mission and Pocket's mission are two very different beasts.

 

[kkozoriz1]

It's true that IDW & Pocket are two different beats but IDW isn't cutting back just based on sales. Paramount is pushing for NuUniverse. Perhaps a year or so don the line we'll see something similar happen in regards to Pocket. The timing of books and comics are different so it may take a while to filter through.

 

[Lonemagpie]

It's true that IDW & Pocket are two different beats but IDW isn't cutting back just based on sales. Paramount is pushing for NuUniverse. Perhaps a year or so don the line we'll see something similar happen in regards to Pocket. The timing of books and comics are different so it may take a while to filter through.

That's where the canning of the four NuTrek books comes in -can't go all-Nu when Nu gets canned.

 

[Greg Cox]

Pocket has, in the past, had a rough relationship with Bad Robot; for instance, Bad Robot dragged its feet on the novelization. More telling may be something Margaret Clark talked about at Shore Leave in 2008, which was that the Alias novels angered J.J. Abrams and, as a result of that, Abrams wasn't kindly disposed toward Pocket and she was not expecting a good working relationship with Bad Robot. (Margaret did not say what, precisely, about the Alias novels angered Abrams.) It came as a surprise to me last summer that Pocket was pressing on with movie-Trek novels, and it came as no surprise that, reading between the lines, Bad Robot forced Pocket to spike them.

Ironically, given their position on stories which follow the new movie, what may have angered Abrams was the fact that the (first few) Alias novels were prequels, detailing how Sydney Bristow became a spy, and (with the many twists and turns and retcons in later seasons) it's pretty likely that those novels were rendered impossible to reconcile with continuity.

I don't think Pocket published any Alias prequel novels. IIRC the Pocket Alias novels were all set during season 4. I think another publisher did the prequel novels.

Exactly. There were two separate lines of ALIAS novels. The first, which was NOT published by Pocket, were prequels about the young Sidney Bristow, and were aimed at the young adult market. The second line, published by Pocket, were all set during Season Four.

I actually think this confusion hurt the Pocket line somewhat. I know I kept seeing my adult ALIAS novels shelved in the young-adult section . . . .