Trek Comics and Trek Lit

[DarKush]

I had a few questions about Trek comics and Trek Lit.:

1) How many characters, races, storylines from Trek comics have been taken and used in Trek lit.?

2) Are there legal concerns pertaining to the use of Trek comic book characters, for example the Early Voyages or Starfleet Academy characters or the IDW series characters, by Trek lit writers?

3) Are there any planned uses for comic book characters, races, etc. in future Trek lit?

4) Will series like Vanguard, Stargazer, SCE etc. get the comic book treatment like New Frontier did?

5) Are there any more New Frontier comic books coming out after this series concludes?

6) Are there any plans for future coordination between Trek lit and IDW?

 

[Christopher]

I had a few questions about Trek comics and Trek Lit.:

1) How many characters, races, storylines from Trek comics have been taken and used in Trek lit.?

I can't think of any species originated in the comics that have shown up in the literature. A few characters have made the crossover: The Klingon-human hybrid albino dwarf "Bernie" from Peter David's first TOS comic run for DC reappeared in his first TNG novel Strike Zone under the name Kobry (after his adoptive parents Konom and Bryce); that novel also concluded a storyline from those comics. The minor characters of Krissten Richter and Etana Kol from Andy Mangels & Mike Martin's DS9 comics for Marvel have appeared in the DS9 Relaunch novels. And Pava, an Andorian female from Marvel's Starfleet Academy series, is a member of the Titan's security department. Tiris Jast, who was Kira's second-in-command of DS9 in the Wildstorm comic N-Vector, appears in Avatar Book One, though I forget which work originated her (at least she appeared first in the comic). President Thelian from Wildstorm's Enter the Wolves graphic novel has been mentioned, if not seen, in a couple of books, including having a starship named after him in my The Buried Age.

As for storylines, aside from Strike Zone, I think Worlds of DS9: Trill: Unjoined followed up on elements from the Wildstorm Divided We Fall miniseries. Some aspects from Enter The Wolves (other than Thelian) have been alluded to in books like The Art of the Impossible. I can't think of anything else just yet.

2) Are there legal concerns pertaining to the use of Trek comic book characters, for example the Early Voyages or Starfleet Academy characters or the IDW series characters, by Trek lit writers?

All ST publications are the property of CBS/Paramount; the individual book and comic publishers and creators are merely licensees. So any licensed creator has the right to use any licensed character or concept.

 

[LightningStorm]

1) How many characters, races, storylines from Trek comics have been taken and used in Trek lit.?

The Gorn Crisis was referenced in Articles of the Federation.

 

[8of5]

1) How many characters, races, storylines from Trek comics have been taken and used in Trek lit.?

KRAD's Damiano originated from his comics miniseries for WildStorm, Perchance to Dream, and have been used once or twice since in novels, I think.

Moves-With-Burning-Grace appeared in (or was at least reference I cant remember) in Burning Dreams, and I think some of the SCE stories involving the Lovell

2) Are there legal concerns pertaining to the use of Trek comic book characters, for example the Early Voyages or Starfleet Academy characters or the IDW series characters, by Trek lit writers?

I think everything belongs to Paramount, so can find their way into any medium produced by any company that make Trek stuff.

4) Will series like Vanguard, Stargazer, SCE etc. get the comic book treatment like New Frontier did?

Andrew Steven Harris (IDW's Trek editor) has noted once or twice that Titan is quite highly requested, so fingers crossed we might get some Titan comics.

5) Are there any more New Frontier comic books coming out after this series concludes?

Nothing announced yet, Peter David is a busy bee, but if sales are good and there's a story to tell then it would seem reasonably likely.

6) Are there any plans for future coordination between Trek lit and IDW?

Andrew Steven Harris noted a while ago IDW and Pocket people have talked about things but nothing has been announced yet (I'd like some DS9 relaunch comics please)

 

[foravalon]

I can't think of any species originated in the comics that have shown up in the literature.

You are seriously lacking in your KRAD collection, as 80f5 said the Damiano come to mind big time and actually appear all over KRAD's stuff...

President Thelian from Wildstorm's Enter the Wolves graphic novel has been mentioned, if not seen, in a couple of books,

...and President Thelian appears in Articles of the Federation likewise amid KRAD's work.

 

[Christopher]

^^No, I just forgot about the Damiani. I do own the relevant stories.

 

[captcalhoun]

besides appearing in KRAD's work, Damiano was visited in NF No Limits "Oil and Water" by Robert T Jeschonek

 

[Therin of Andor]

1) How many characters, races, storylines from Trek comics have been taken and used in Trek lit.?

Mike Barr name-dropped a similarly-named relative of DC Comics' TOS Series I's Elizabeth Sherwood in the novel "Gemini".

Martin & Mangels have had a brother of "First Contact" and "Section 31: TNG: Rogue"'s Sean Hawk in a comic ("A Rolling Stone Gathers No Nanoprobes" in WildStorm's ST Special), and I think Darey Hawk has been cross referenced in another novel since then. Or will be. IIRC.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Are there legal concerns pertaining to the use of Trek comic book characters, for example the Early Voyages or Starfleet Academy characters or the IDW series characters, by Trek lit writers?

For a time (1989-1991), Gene Roddenberry's office was advising the various licensees not to share original characters, but that memo stopped having to be reinforced after GR's death. There were always clever ways around the restrictions. For example, most people didn't realize the connection between Bernie and Kobry in "Strike Zone" until Peter David started dropping hints in various comics articles.

Oh, and the DS9 Bolian, Jast (mentioned earlier), was also in the TNG novel duology, "Maximum Warp", published before "Avatar". Her debut in the comic mini-series "n-Vector", and then the MW appearance, were orchestrated by Marco to create some anticipation for the DS9 post-series novels.

 

[Christopher]

There were always clever ways around the restrictions. For example, most people didn't realize the connection between Bernie and Kobry in "Strike Zone" until Peter David started dropping hints in various comics articles.

Really? How hard was it to recognize that the albino human-Klingon hybrid dwarf in Strike Zone was the same albino human-Klingon hybrid dwarf from the comics? I think anyone who'd read the comics would've seen the connection instantly (I know I did) -- especially since the story involved the same Cognoscenti race that was featured in the comics storyline where Bernie was introduced.

The only thing I needed explained to me later on was the origin of the name "Kobry." I failed to notice the Konom-Bryce connection.

 

[Turtletrekker]

When Gava was telling Worf the story of Kobry's life, she said something along the lines of, "he was considered a moron" (which was what the Klingons called Kobry when he was nameless), I thought that that was a pretty obvious connection (not that I saw it coming until that moment).

 

[Therin of Andor]

Really? How hard was it to recognize that the albino human-Klingon hybrid dwarf in Strike Zone was the same albino human-Klingon hybrid dwarf from the comics?

Well, I've had to explain it to many people over the years. Did "Strike Zone" specify albino as well as diminutive? Certainly, the cover art of the novel doesn't show an albino Klingon. (Not that cover art is ever 100% accurate.)

I failed to notice the Konom-Bryce connection.

Same here. PAD mentioned it in an article about a year later and I felt dumb not to have worked it out sooner.

 

[DarKush]

Thanks everyone for the info so far. I didn't realize there had been as much crossover from comics to lit.

I'm wondering now if there are any plans for increased integration between the comics and the literature in the future?

Also, on the comics side, will they perhaps take things from the novels and use them in the comics, for example, like revisiting the Hive from the book Objective: Bajor?

And on the lit side, what about revisiting a race like the Bodai Shin from "The Killing Shadows"?

 

[Therin of Andor]

And on the lit side, what about revisiting ...?

In most cases, it would depend on whether particular authors (or editors) are intrigued enough by certain non canonical races and characters to postulate sequels, returning characters or unfinished business.

 

[JoeZhang]

And here's a timely column:

http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2008/06/12/comic-book-urban-legends-revealed-159/

I sure a lot of this is old news to a lot of you - the interesting stuff is in the comments:

Peter David has said that when Richard Arnold told him that the Gold Key comics were what ALL Trek comics should aspire to, David laughed in his face. So obviously their relationship did not get off to a good start.


Among the more bizarre notes that Arnold gave David:


* “Captain Kirk is no longer interested in romantic relationships with women.”


* “This submitted story is nothing more than a cross between two Star Trek episodes. It is nothing at all like Star Trek.”


If you look at the early issues of the post-STV comics, even Arex & M’ress were retouched/renamed to become different characters. My’ra (the ram-headed alien who had a crush on Sulu, named after PAD’s then-wife) was originally going to be M’Ress playing chess with Spock (M’Ress and Sulu actually had a fling towards the end of the original DC run). And I believe that Ensign Fouton was originally drawn as Arex.

and here is PAD himself:

Bart J. has it essentially correct.



The fact is that Richard Arnold’s notes became increasingly ludicrous, such as shutting down a romantic interest for Kirk by asserting that Kirk was no longer interested in women. We were reaching the point where it was becoming impossible to get stories approved. Richard rejected one story with the assertion that there was “too much violence,” even though the violence consisted of a sustained fist fight scene with Kirk (as if they never had those in Trek).



As a test, I submitted a script under a fake name which sailed through the approvals process even though it had far more violence than the previous script which was rejected for that reason. When that was approved, I knew that it had nothing to do with the stories and everything to do with Richard’s enmity toward me (a far longer story to go into.) At which point I resigned from the book since I felt I could no longer do the job I was hired to do, namely provide stories for DC.


Final kicker: The fake name under which I submitted the story that was approved? “Robert Bruce Banner.”
PAD

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Wow. Just wow.

I want to hear Arnold's logic behind a story being a cross between two Star Trek episodes and yet have nothing to do with Star Trek.

And Peter David's test is great. Especially the fake name.

 

[JoeZhang]

* “Captain Kirk is no longer interested in romantic relationships with women.”

He wanted Kirk/Spock slash instead?

Tony Isabella also has an interesting story:

If memory serves me correctly, Bearclaw was created by Mike W. Barr. I featured the character prominently in one of the post-Barr issues I wrote. Funny thing about that story.


It was originally announced as appearing in The Best of Star Trek trade paperback that DC published way back when. Richard Arnold bounced it. Why?


“Because there is no prejudice in Starfleet.”


Now Peter David and a few other people know the real reason Arnold bounced it, but it’s a story I only tell at conventions when I’m in a “nostalgic” mood and to people I trust not to put it into print.

Interesting....

 

[Allyn Gibson]

I thought "The Trouble with Bearclaw" was a pretty decent story, and represented a nice change in Bearclaw's personality, but I can think of reasons why Richard Arnold would have wanted it buried in 1991 -- it's a story without any of the regulars, and Kirk appears as a cameo on the final page, as I recall. Considering that DC had had to ditch the original-to-comics characters in 1989 because Arnold felt that they took the focus off the Big Seven, it's not difficult to apply that same reasoning to reprinting the story in 1991.

However, given the way the final sentence there is phrased, I almost wonder if it's something more sordid. Or, considering it was a Richard Arnold decision, something more stupid.

 

[captcalhoun]

i commented on that... 'Scott'...