Yesterday's Son, Time for Yesterday

[Allyn Gibson]

Seriously what was the reason for this ban on the reuse of original characters?

Richard Arnold felt that original characters took the focus away from the regular characters.

I heard that another TOS novel, Uhura's Song which had another well loved original character (Evan Wilson, AKA Tail-Kinker to Ennien) was supposed to get a sequel as well. But it didn't get published either. Was that during Richard Arnold's time or was there something else going on? I read this on Wikipedia, so it might not be accurate.

I don't know if there was ever a sequel to Uhura's Song planned. Thinking about the book (which I last read about twenty-five years ago), I can certainly think of what a sequel might cover -- Kirk and company getting to the bottom of the mystery of Evan Wilson and discovering who she is. But, personally, I feel that she's more interesting because of the mystery of her identity. The answers might not be as creaas what each reader believes.

 

[Leto_II]

Richard Arnold felt that original characters took the focus away from the regular characters.

Yup, and it's also why Arnold came down like an anvil on the various DC Comics publications around the same time, including his little pronunciamento mandating getting rid of the "original" supporting characters previously seen in DC's TOS Vol. 1 run (Nancy Bryce, Konom, Ensign Bearclaw), as well as Arnold's decree to get rid of Arex and M'Ress on the Enterprise-A, post-TVH, although this very likely had much to to do with the 1989 Filmation bankruptcy-proceedings as anything else (thanks to Therin of Andor for the comparison-pics):

Aside from M'Ress reappearing in New Frontier and elsewhere, Peter David was also able to snag a bit of satisfaction by having one of his TOS Vol. 1 characters ("Bernie" the Albino Klingon™) reappear in his TNG novel Strike Zone, presumably around Richard Arnold's awareness somehow.

 

[JonnyQuest037]

Aside from M'Ress reappearing in New Frontier and elsewhere, Peter David was also able to snag a bit of satisfaction by having one of his TOS Vol. 1 characters ("Bernie" the Albino Klingon™) reappear in his TNG novel Strike Zone, presumably around Richard Arnold's awareness somehow.

Arnold wasn't too quick on the uptake most of the time. When David started to think that Arnold had a problem with him personally, he submitted a comic script under a pseudonym as a test. The fake name he used was Robert Bruce Banner (Peter David was also writing the Hulk at the time). It passed approval without any changes.

I imagine that the Bernie thing went over Arnold's head because David gave him a new name in the TNG novel (Kobry? Something like that).

Fun fact: The "My'ra" character pictured above who replaced M'Ress was named after Peter David's first wife Myra.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Aside from M'Ress reappearing in New Frontier and elsewhere, Peter David was also able to snag a bit of satisfaction by having one of his TOS Vol. 1 characters ("Bernie" the Albino Klingon™) reappear in his TNG novel Strike Zone, presumably around Richard Arnold's awareness somehow.

When M'Ress was ordered out of DC Series II, PAD was also writing "Dreadstar and Company", which I'd started reading simply because of PAD. Suddenly, a female felinoid turned up, named Cookie, but it was essentially M'Ress in disguise. Fluffier tail, same flirty personality. PAD also did a Trek parody in two issues of "Dreadstar", in which he trounced a "Benedict Arnold" character, and had a parody Chekov thinking that Cookie looked a lot like "Lieutenant Morass".


Morass by Ian McLean, on Flickr

I imagine that the Bernie thing went over Arnold's head because David gave him a new name in the TNG novel (Kobry? Something like that).

Kobry = KOnom and BRYce.

 

[Therin of Andor]

RA also missed his own surname on a tombstone in Series I, Annual 3.

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

I remember Richard Arnold from his appearances at various Creation conventions. Based on those encounters, and on his policies about books, I'd venture to say that (1) he was a self-important asshole, and (2) he was to Gene Roddenberry what Erin Fleming was to Groucho Marx.

 

[Idran]

he was to Gene Roddenberry what Erin Fleming was to Groucho Marx.

What was that?

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

What was that?

Wikipedia is your friend. Fleming was Groucho's "companion" in his declining years, and his micromanager, and she then attempted to profit from his estate.

 

[Idran]

Ah, sorry, not sure why I didn't think to look it up.

But yeah, I can see that. From all I've read about Arnold, he always seemed to be more exploitative of what Roddenberry had created than really friendly with him.

 

[trynda1701]

Kobry = KOnom and BRYce.

I can't believe I never saw that connection. Loved both DC runs, and love "Strike Zone" getting to finish a story arc started in TOS movie time and finishing in TNG time frame. Great writing by Peter David as always.