doubleohfive
Fleet Admiral
Jeez, what a scumbag. So glad I have not wasted a single penny of my own money on this Cushman guy or his crap.
These Are The Voyages Announces Kickstarter Campaign For Volume 3
- Thread starter Tarheel
- Start date
Here's his response to that question from facebook:
"It doesn't work, which is why there is a Kickstarter. $10,000, after Kickstarter took their fees, didn't cover it. J/B went into the red. These are big books. That's my fault. There was no Kickstarter for Book 2 and the company went further into the red. I finished Book 3 and it is the biggest yet, over 750 pages with around 450 pictures. J/B is not going to pay for that at this time. Nor am I. So Kickstarter seems the solution. The book is ready if you want it."
Neil
I have never been able to take these books seriously since reading that fan art exchange. Like, that whole thing and his sole concession is that he'll still run the obviously fake picture but just with a more noncommittal caption? If the guy is that bad at research, why should I pay him to read more of it?
I'm confused why they couldn't sell it digitally? If it is truly a labor of love then I would think it would be important to get it out to the public.
This stuff has gotten me curious now: are there any alternatives to TATV that folks could recommend here? In reading those old links, I saw a lot of good things about Inside Star Trek by Justman and Solow in those threads; are there any other similar books along these lines that are pretty well-regarded and more reliable/accurate than TATV, really digging into the details of the production of Star Trek (or the later series, even)?
doubleohfive
Fleet Admiral
Likewise. As I said, Cashman has no journalistic ethics. I won't spend one penny on someone like that.
Probably because this way he can gouge the Trekkies like Warped9, who are hungry for more TOS-based material and who don't care under what circumstances it comes to them. Cashman'll get more money if he has to play-act along with making an actual book. It's all smoke and mirrors; Cashman is taking advantage of the fans. It's sad that he is seemingly getting away with it because Trekkies have always, consisitently just shouted "SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY."
+1 Takei's biography To The Stars also has some interesting tidbits, as does (obviously) Inside STAR TREK by Herb Solow and Bob Justman.
It might not seem obvious, but The Star Trek Sketchbook is a nice companion to Inside Star Trek (both have text from Herb Solow).
None of the Roddenberry biographies are particularly great. Alexander's authorized biography quotes from some great primary resources, but his writing is awful, he often don't know what he's talking about, and he's prone to hagiography. Engel's unauthorized book is probably closer to the truth, but he's prone to taking cheap shots at Roddenberry and some of his reporting doesn't make as good a use of the archives as he could have.
Shatner's books are all well (ghost) written, but you'll have to do a lot of parsing between his recollections (along with rumors reported second hand) and the truth.
Koenig's memoir is probably my favorite, and his diary written during the production of TMP probably has more insight into the production than Susan Sackett's whitewashed making of book.
The Making of Star Trek is iconic and a good read, but you have to remember it was an authorized book guided (if not actually written) by Roddenberry while the series was still being made.
I just read The World of Star Trek. Frankly, Gerrold comes across as naive, and his version of the series has obviously had the rougher edges sanded down.
None of the Roddenberry biographies are particularly great. Alexander's authorized biography quotes from some great primary resources, but his writing is awful, he often don't know what he's talking about, and he's prone to hagiography. Engel's unauthorized book is probably closer to the truth, but he's prone to taking cheap shots at Roddenberry and some of his reporting doesn't make as good a use of the archives as he could have.
Shatner's books are all well (ghost) written, but you'll have to do a lot of parsing between his recollections (along with rumors reported second hand) and the truth.
Koenig's memoir is probably my favorite, and his diary written during the production of TMP probably has more insight into the production than Susan Sackett's whitewashed making of book.
The Making of Star Trek is iconic and a good read, but you have to remember it was an authorized book guided (if not actually written) by Roddenberry while the series was still being made.
I just read The World of Star Trek. Frankly, Gerrold comes across as naive, and his version of the series has obviously had the rougher edges sanded down.
doubleohfive
Fleet Admiral
I'll definitely check that out then.
I have Leonard Maizlish's biography of Roddenberry, Star Trek Creator but generally tend to gloss over it when reading only because of Maizlish's reputation among the fans. A few interesting tidbits here and there, but nothing that stood out to me as particularly noteworthy in terms of the behind the scenes "making of" stories.
Well let's not forget, Gerrold is one of two people who "know" how to write Star Trek!
The thread at Trek Movie about this Kickstarter has been fascinating. So much so that Trek Movie has even updated their article to say, "***UPDATE***
Since this story’s publication last Friday, it has come to our attention that Marc Cushman has a monetary interest in the Jacob Brown Media Group. Subsequently, the project’s Kickstarter pitch was changed to reflect this new information."
There was talk about that in the thread and some pretty damning evidence that linked Mr. Cushman to Jacob Brown Media Group, the publishing company that doesn't want the book out this year while he does. It seems they are one and the same! The Kickstarter page was revised to eliminate that statement from the pitch.
Someone involved with the books replied with statements from Mr. Cushman to shed light on this. Frankly I think that's info that should be on the Kickstarter page, since that's the one asking for investments. I suppose it doesn't matter. It's over $12,000 now and it looks like they'll make their goal. I wonder how many books they can publish with $20,000 and will the money be used exclusively to print up books?
Neil
Since this story’s publication last Friday, it has come to our attention that Marc Cushman has a monetary interest in the Jacob Brown Media Group. Subsequently, the project’s Kickstarter pitch was changed to reflect this new information."
There was talk about that in the thread and some pretty damning evidence that linked Mr. Cushman to Jacob Brown Media Group, the publishing company that doesn't want the book out this year while he does. It seems they are one and the same! The Kickstarter page was revised to eliminate that statement from the pitch.
Someone involved with the books replied with statements from Mr. Cushman to shed light on this. Frankly I think that's info that should be on the Kickstarter page, since that's the one asking for investments. I suppose it doesn't matter. It's over $12,000 now and it looks like they'll make their goal. I wonder how many books they can publish with $20,000 and will the money be used exclusively to print up books?
Neil
Many people from the TOS forum figured this out back when the first book was released. Good to know Cushman is finally coming clean. Even if he had to be dragged kicking and screaming to do it.
doubleohfive
Fleet Admiral
...and yet Trekkies' complusive need to spend their money on merchandise has allowed the scumbag to continue his little "enterprise." Dislike.
Frankly, aside from regular contributors here and over at TrekMovie, I don't believe a thing I see posted about Cushman, J/B, and TATV anymore. With all the identities this dude has assumed (Matthew W. Brown, Mark Raishe, Cash Markman, etc.), about the only thing I am sure of is that Cushman is not posting anything negative about himself.
To hell with truth, integrity, and ethics; you want Volume 3 RIGHT NOW! What a scummy mess, encapsulating the worst of business on the Internet. I for one wish Cushman and these books would just disappear.
I think this bears repeating.
All the double dealing surrounding the publication of these books is troubling, and Cushman's most recent admission hardly qualifies as "coming clean" in my book, but even if you were to wash away all the unethical behavior, you would still be left with These Are The Voyages: a sloppily written and poorly researched book that includes a lot of dubious information and comes to a lot of unsubstantiated conclusions because of it.
doubleohfive
Fleet Admiral
The "S" on the top of the spine stands for "Self-Published"
God, that cover is ugly. And I still can't fathom why they're using the arrowhead. It looks awful, and is only inviting a cease and desist letter.
I meant to point this out earlier. Star Trek Creator is by David Alexander. He met Roddenberry when he interviewed him for The Humanist near the end of Roddenberry's life. Leonard Maizlish was Roddenberry's lawyer who was troublesome during early TNG.
Alexander was a mediocre writer and a terrible biographer. The book is less useful for its description of incidents in Roddenberry's life (in Alexander's view, Roddenberry was always right) than it is for all the letters and memos it reprints in full (not unlike Cushman, the editing philosophy must have been "keep everything in," although Alexander at least had an editor, I suppose).
I have Leonard Maizlish's biography of Roddenberry, Star Trek Creator but generally tend to gloss over it when reading only because of Maizlish's reputation among the fans. A few interesting tidbits here and there, but nothing that stood out to me as particularly noteworthy in terms of the behind the scenes "making of" stories.
I meant to point this out earlier. Star Trek Creator is by David Alexander. He met Roddenberry when he interviewed him for The Humanist near the end of Roddenberry's life. Leonard Maizlish was Roddenberry's lawyer who was troublesome during early TNG.
Alexander was a mediocre writer and a terrible biographer. The book is less useful for its description of incidents in Roddenberry's life (in Alexander's view, Roddenberry was always right) than it is for all the letters and memos it reprints in full (not unlike Cushman, the editing philosophy must have been "keep everything in," although Alexander at least had an editor, I suppose).
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