No More SOTL Calendars After 2013?

[Sxottlan]

So says Doug Drexler today on his Facebook page.

Don't know if this sad news was already out there, but it was news to me. And given the reaction to his comment, it sounds like it was news to other people today too.

 

[shanejayell]

Sounds like it surprised a lot of readers. I like the speculation that Abrams doesn't want 'old Trek' being promoted.

 

[F. King Daniel]

Sounds like it surprised a lot of readers. I like the speculation that Abrams doesn't want 'old Trek' being promoted.

I seriously doubt thats the case, although nuTrek was conspicuous by its absence in the last calendar. AFAIK, the 2010 Ships of the Line is the only official product where both incarnations of Trek have been featured in the same product.

 

[Harvey]

That's too bad; I've had every calendar in this series since it began.

 

[Dukhat]

Sounds like it surprised a lot of readers. I like the speculation that Abrams doesn't want 'old Trek' being promoted.

Would that be Abrams's decision to make? I'd think it would be the studio's.

 

[JoeZhang]

Sounds like it surprised a lot of readers. I like the speculation that Abrams doesn't want 'old Trek' being promoted.

Do you really think he gives a shit about a calendar that is purchased by a few thousand hardcore fans? By that logic, we'd have no TOS literature books but we do.

 

[shanejayell]

Well, they DID kind of cancel the tie in books so SOMEONE there cares....

 

[Christopher]

It's got nothing to do with Abrams. Here are some further comments Drexler made on his Facebook post:

In the Internet age, paper calendars are becoming passe.

There are lots and lots of free images on the Internet everyday. Why buy a calendar?

I take that to mean that the publishers of the calendar (not S&S, remember) have decided it isn't profitable enough, that it can't compete with fan art. Drexler hints, however, that it's possible the project could be continued in some form online.

 

[Therin of Andor]

the 2010 Ships of the Line is the only official product where both incarnations of Trek have been featured in the same product.

What about the "Haynes' USS Enterprise Owner's Workshop Manual"?

 

[Fer]

Well, that's very disappointing. I really enjoy the SOTL calendars. Online art is nice, but I like something I can hold and hang on my wall.

 

[T'Ressa Dax]

So print the images off and make your own calendar.

 

[ChristopherPike]

I thought something like this might've happened. This year's calendar of ship art was purely Star Trek 2009 based. It's not even called "Ships of the Line" on the cover. Although clearly that's what they were aiming for.

Fourtunately 2013 is the 50th Anniversary of that other show I love, Doctor Who and I duly bought that instead. Seeing as it covered more eras than just the current one.

I'm not particularly happy about they're being no SOTL, which typically featured something from all the 5 Trek shows. But if they've stopped, then I've stopped too...

Feels funny not having a starship calendar hanging in the hallway. It's been something I bought every year without fail since 2004.

This year's will be joining, quite a stack of old ones I've got stored away in my garage someplace.

 

[Therin of Andor]

I thought something like this might've happened. This year's calendar of ship art was purely Star Trek 2009 based. It's not even called "Ships of the Line" on the cover. Although clearly that's what they were aiming for.

Huh?

I'm sitting here with an Andrews McMeel officially-licensed "Ships of the Line" calendar for 2012 and a Universe Publishing officially-licensed "Ships of the Line" calendar for 2013 on my lap as I type.

2012:
http://www.amazon.com/Star-Trek-Ships-Line-Calendar/dp/1449404642

2013:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/078932556X

Back issues:
http://memory-beta.wikia.com/wiki/Ships_of_the_Line_calendars

 

[The Wormhole]

Well, shit! I've been so crazy over the Ships of the Line calendars that I always buy them as soon as they are released. At full price. And I've saved them going back to when I first started getting them back in 2003. This news sucks!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't the SotL calendars the bestselling of the Trek calendars? Does this spell doom for the other Trek calendars? Or is this a case of the others are comparitively cheaper and easier to make since they just take a picture from a TOS episode or movie or Trek XI and stick it on a month's slot as opposed to SotL which has a new CG image which likely takes months of work and presumably the artists are paid for their work?

I thought something like this might've happened. This year's calendar of ship art was purely Star Trek 2009 based. It's not even called "Ships of the Line" on the cover. Although clearly that's what they were aiming for.

That wasn't the Ships of the Line calendar. That was a seperate Ships of the Abramsverse calendar.

 

[ChristopherPike]

Huh?

I'm sitting here with an Andrews McMeel officially-licensed "Ships of the Line" calendar for 2012 and a Universe Publishing officially-licensed "Ships of the Line" calendar for 2013 on my lap as I type.

Well, it must've been purposely limited availability then. Here in Britain, Amazon aren't stocking it no more (besides acknowledging the ISBN, I'm not sure they ever did actually) and there are only sellers asking up to three times the RRP! They're obviously ripping people off and hiking the price up because of their scarceness.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Star-Trek-I...556X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1354409192&sr=8-2

I can't deny I was tempted for a while, until I made other arrangements in buying a calendar. But looking at the images uploaded, seeing as a few of those SOTL pictures have been recycled from previous years... no great loss. Sad it's come to that and maybe that's a sign that they're purposely weaning fans into being disinterested what had always been an essential purchase from me. One of few Star Trek ones, I don't mull over like this and usually couldn't get by without.

In past years, I've bought one on the High Street or Shopping Centre and had absolutely no problem getting one from an outfit who trade in the run up to Christmas, in just calendars. I can only find a Ships that dedicated to Abramsverse and Original Series actor portraits. No regular Star Trek SOTL in sight, or I'd have bought it... as I've done for years.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Well, it must've been purposely limited availability then.

Probably reducing numbers each year, because less people buy calendars each year, or wait to get them in the January clearance sales.

Here in the Britain, Amazon aren't stocking it no more (besides acknowledging the ISBN, I'm not sure they ever did actually) ... No regular Star Trek SOTL in sight, or I'd have bought it... as I've done for years.

Well, Australian calendar distributors dropped all "Star Trek" calendars from their annual range in about 2006 (with the 2009 movie a notable exception), so they are rarely seen in bricks and mortar stores, so I buy imported ones from my local science fiction specialist bookshop, or sometimes Amazon US if they fail to order a particular title.

Trawl eBay. Old ST calendars are often available for a few cents.

 

[ChristopherPike]

Something sure went badly wrong this year for the SOTL calendar. As I say, there's been no cutback in those other two 2013 calendars out there in the real world. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if they aren't selling as much. If I want one cheap (er, which I don't), I'll bet I can pick one up in a January sale. Regular SOTL calendar always got my money full price, usually around Sept or Oct. This thread has tapped into something that's really bugged me for a couple of months... but I've been too busy to raise the question.

I think there's a different publishers name attached to "Star Trek Ships" & "Star Trek Official 2013". Danilo. They aren't distributing Ships of the Line at all it seems. So perhaps not surprising it's being cancelled, if there are loads unsold that never even shipped abroad. And what, with the Next Generation hero ship on the front this year? Still enough interest in the UK and Europe I'd have thought!

No idea what prevented me getting one. I can only speculate. But if regular SOTL is the ship-based one out there this time next year, I'll certainly buy it. I'm definitely suspicious about the obvious conflict of interest between two calendars, and one having apparently seen off the other.

 

[Patrick O'Brien]

Sad news indeed I'll am a big fan of Drexler's art. His work on past SOTL and his book cover art (Vanguard) are awesome.

 

[DEWLine]

As I said to Doug and Tobias on Facebook:

I have NOT seen the Abramsverse calendar ANYwhere in Ottawa-Gatineau, Canada that I've been able to get to. Not Chapters/Indigo/Coles, not the indy bookstores, not the comics shops, not Calendar Club outlets...you get the idea. SOTL, on the other hand? Done. In hand.

 

[DEWLine]

Also: I was looking forward to that Probert "Wolf 359 Aftermath" painting for next year...