Scott Bakula and Enterprise comics

[Cap'n Calhoun]

Was reading about IDW's upcoming "The Q Conflict" and wondering about the conspicuous absence of the NX-01 crew.

Now this could be for any number of reasons ranging from the story already being overloaded (it has 30 characters on the cover!) to the story not comfortably fitting the NX-01 crew to maybe the Tiptons just not liking Enterprise. We may not know for sure until the series is over (and it's even possible they're a surprise reserved for later in the series).

But I ran across this interesting claim in a TrekMovie thread:

"It’s a shame about ENTERPRISE not being involved, but unfortunately, Scott Bakula is notorious for not approving likeness rights. [...] Bakula doesn’t like to have people draw him, and it’s in his contract. That’s why there haven’t been any Enterprise comic books."—user Land O'Calrissian (from two separate comments here and here)​

Can anyone verify this? I've never heard of Bakula having such an issue, and I haven't been able to find any other mention of it so far, which is surprising if he's "notorious" for it. There were Quantum Leap comics back in the day, though I suppose they could be the source of his feelings. But he definitely appears on one cover for Star Trek: Waypoint #4, and Star Trek Timelines uses his likeness in a few different variations. I think he appeared briefly inside the Waypoint issue (in the Porthos story) as well, but I'm not positive.

Does anyone know if there's any truth to the Bakula likeness issue? I'd ask on the TrekMovie thread, but it's closed for comments.

 

[Nyotarules]

Bakula is on one of the Rise of the Federation novels

 

[Christopher]

The quote says Bakula doesn't like it when people draw him. Photo covers are a different matter. The linked images above seem to be photo manipulations/tracings.

 

[Cap'n Calhoun]

The linked images above seem to be photo manipulations/tracings.

Yeah, was thinking the same. Though I think he may have appeared inside of Waypoint #4 in the Porthos story... the only issue of Waypoint I seem to be unable to find among my comics at the moment.

 

[JD]

Yeah, I've only skimmed it so I don't know all the details, but Archer, with Bakula's likeness, does appear in 3 panels on page 11.

 

[Cap'n Calhoun]

While I'm wondering about a few aspects of this, I guess the thing I'm most curious about is whether Scott Bakula is truly "notorious for not approving likeness rights," and, if so, are there any interviews or other articles that back this?

 

[The Wormhole]

While I'm wondering about a few aspects of this, I guess the thing I'm most curious about is whether Scott Bakula is truly "notorious for not approving likeness rights," and, if so, are there any interviews or other articles that back this?

I recall hearing somewhere this was also a roadblock for Quantum Leap comics.

 

[Dayton Ward]

It could also be that he’s simply very slow to approve such requests depending on his schecule, and that sort of thing tends to be hell on comics publishing schedules.

 

[KRAD]

Bakula is, in fact, notorious for being persnickety about approving his likeness on merchandising. I had to deal with it on the Tales from the Captain's Table anthology, as we had to create four different images of Archer before he finally approved one (and each was based on a pre-approved photograph). And I also got to hear horror stories from the editors at Ace about dealing with him on the covers to the Quantum Leap novels. So yeah.

 

[Cap'n Calhoun]

@KRAD Well, that explains the dearth of Enterprise comics. I had always assumed it was more related to a lack of demand. Thanks for clarifying.

Interesting that, despite the challenge with Bakula's likeness, Archer and Phlox are the only Enterprise regulars to pop up in the comics. No T'Pol stories in Waypoint or anything like that, at least so far. (Assuming there wasn't one in the most recent special, which I haven't read yet.)

 

[Cap'n Calhoun]

I recall hearing somewhere this was also a roadblock for Quantum Leap comics.

Though they do exist. Maybe he wasn't a fan of his look in those comics, so he took more control for future projects? Though that's just speculation, and I don't know that it lines up with @KRAD's comment about his control over the Ace novels, which would've been around the same time.

 

[TheAlmanac]

Interesting that, despite the challenge with Bakula's likeness, Archer and Phlox are the only Enterprise regulars to pop up in the comics. No T'Pol stories in Waypoint or anything like that, at least so far.

Now that you mention it, there'd be plenty of ways to tell Enterprise stories that work around Archer in the comics if one were so inclined--especially with something like the Waypoint format, where there is less of a perceived obligation to include all the regulars in a given series.

Maybe he wasn't a fan of his look in th[e Quantum Leap] comics, so he took more control for future projects? Though that's just speculation, and I don't know that it lines up with @KRAD's comment about his control over the Ace novels, which would've been around the same time.

It's possible he had artist approval on those comics (as Keanu Reeves does on the John Wick comics), so there would be fewer hindrances once that was out of the way. (Keep in mind that the ongoing Quantum Leap comic book series ended because Innovation Comics went under, not because of likeness issues.)

 

[JD]

They did find a way around him for most of the Waypoint story, everything up to the last page is a flashback to Archer as a kid.

 

[DimesDan]

 

[The Wormhole]

It is interesting to note only two panels show any meaningful imagery of his face.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Bakula is, in fact, notorious for being persnickety about approving his likeness on merchandising. I had to deal with it on the Tales from the Captain's Table anthology, as we had to create four different images of Archer before he finally approved one (and each was based on a pre-approved photograph). And I also got to hear horror stories from the editors at Ace about dealing with him on the covers to the Quantum Leap novels. So yeah.

That seems very odd. I've always heard tales of how nice a guy Bakula is (to co-stars and fans alike), so it's weird to hear that he could be such a dick in matters like this.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Was reading about IDW's upcoming "The Q Conflict" and wondering about the conspicuous absence of the NX-01 crew... Does anyone know if there's any truth to the Bakula likeness issue? I'd ask on the TrekMovie thread, but it's closed for comments.

"On Voyager comics Andrew Steven Harris has stated they are unlikely to happen any time soon if at all. Enterprise comics have a similar outlook, if not worse; Dan Taylor noted likeness approvals for Scott Bakula/Jonathan Archer are problematic. Enterprise, being the series with the smallest fanbase, would also make such a venture risky, ie. developing comics on a series that may be less commercially successful."
https://memory-beta.wikia.com/wiki/IDW_Publishing

 

[Corran Horn]

That seems very odd. I've always heard tales of how nice a guy Bakula is (to co-stars and fans alike), so it's weird to hear that he could be such a dick in matters like this.

I mean - I don't know that that makes him a dick. It's his face.

 

[Cap'n Calhoun]

I would assume it's more a case of being self-conscious, but that's just a guess.

 

[Cap'n Calhoun]

"On Voyager comics Andrew Steven Harris has stated they are unlikely to happen any time soon if at all. Enterprise comics have a similar outlook, if not worse; Dan Taylor noted likeness approvals for Scott Bakula/Jonathan Archer are problematic. Enterprise, being the series with the smallest fanbase, would also make such a venture risky, ie. developing comics on a series that may be less commercially successful."
https://memory-beta.wikia.com/wiki/IDW_Publishing

Thanks! Precisely what I was looking for. Looks like a lot of other interesting information about unpublished comics in there too.