Book bits: Savage Trade cover, and other book updates

Due out in March is Tony Daniel's second TOS novel, Savage Trade, and StarTrek.com have now revealed the cover, by Doug Drexler, for that book, with an Archer class ship stealing the show:

Here's a reminder of the blurb:

The U.S.S. Enterprise, under the command of Captain James T. Kirk, is en route to the extreme edge of the Alpha Quadrant, and to a region known as the Vara Nebula. Its mission: to investigate why science outpost Zeta Gibraltar is not answering any Federation hailing messages. When the Enterprise arrives, a scan shows no life-forms in the science station. Kirk leads a landing party and quickly discovers the reason for the strange silence—signs of a violent firefight are everywhere. Zeta Gibraltar has been completely raided. Yet there are no bodies, and the entire roster of station personnel is missing...

Pre-order: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr, Amazon.es, Amazon.it, Amazon.co.jp, iTunes.

More books news after the jump:

New TOS starship model kits

Coming next year is a new TOS Romulan Bird of Prey model kit from Round 2 Models. I have previously previewed the new 1:1000 Polar Lights model itself, and now Things From Another World have added a listing, revealing the new box art. They are expecting this ship to reach us in March. Here's the description:

Few Star Trek ships are as popular or mysterious as the Romulan Bird-of-Prey. The villainous ship played a key role in the original series episode 'Balance of Terror.' The ship's iconic design and blazing bird graphic have been painstakingly researched to deliver the utmost in authenticity for this snap-together model kit. The kit features all decals needed to decorate the ship accurately.

Also newly listed by Things From Another World is another new release, the Build2gether USS Enterprise model kit set, which includes two different models of the original Enterprise, intended for parents or otherwise to indoctrinate, *ahem* inspire, their underlings in the art of starship building.

This AMT Build2gether set features 2 kits of the USS Enterprise that offers a great opportunity for seasoned sci-fi fans to share their interest with the next generation. It features an 18" long glue-together kit which is perfect for moderately-skilled modelers and features water slide decals to decorate the ship. An 11 1/2" long version of the ship is also included and features snap-together assembly for novice modelers. It also features a sticker sheet to supply all of the ship's markings.

I suspect this actually amounts to a reissue of both the existing Polar Lights 1:1000 kit and the AMT 1:650 kit. The new two-pack version is also expected in March.

Captain Kirk's Boldest Missions

Coming in March will be a new TOS compilation DVD set, Captain Kirk's Boldest Missions, featuring eight, bold missions... So far only three episodes to be included in the two-disc set have been revealed, in the official description, posted by TV Shows on DVD, who also posted the cover concept (not final) pictured.

2-disc set at a great value price: 8 episodes from the science fiction classic, Star Trek: The Original Series, featuring the most thrilling adventures of Captain Kirk (William Shatner)! Captain James Tiberius Kirk steps squarely into the spotlight in this thrilling Star Trek collection that features his greatest interstellar adventures. And the commander of the starship U.S.S. Enterprise finds a galaxy full of intriguing missions, as he and his crew are destined to go "where no man has gone before."

From an encounter with the mysterious Balok in "The Corbomite Maneuver," and attempting to rescue survivors from a planet-killing machine from another galaxy in "The Doomsday Machine," to the critically acclaimed, Hugo Award-winning "The City on the Edge of Forever," this collection of eight thrill-packed, heart-pounding adventures from the original Star Trek series will have you joining Captain Kirk and the Enterprise crew as they soar off on exciting quests and unforgettable encounters.

While this is obviously aimed at the more casual Trekkie (not wanting to take on whole seasons) it might be worth keeping an eye out for further details of this when they are released, as similar compilations before have included new extra features; last year's TOS: Origins set had new introductions, and the older Fan Collective releases came with various featurettes and commentaries.

TOS retro prints are back, as mugs!

The ever adaptable series of TOS retro poster designs by Juan Ortiz is back! This time eight of the designs from the series have been reconfigures to fit neatly onto mugs, from Culturenik. The episodes features are Obsession, Arena, The Cage, Mirror, Mirror, Balance of Terror, The Trouble with Tribbles, The City on the Edge of Forever, and The Ultimate Computer. Check them all out after the jump:

First look at Eaglemoss USS Enterprise

Coming next summer, to mark the fiftieth issue of The Official Starships Collection, is the starship that started it all, the original USS Enterprise. And as a Christmas treat, The Collection's manager, Ben Robinson, gave likers of The Collection's Facebook page a preview of one of the most anticipated models in the series, which believe it or not is also the first TV-era TOS ship to feature.

This isn't the final version of the model, as Ben explained:

Happy Christmas everyone. I've got a little something for you - the first pictures of the original series Enterprise. It's the factory's first attempt so it 's not perfect. You'll see straightaway that they forgot to pain the deflector dish and they haven't given me a stand so some of the pictures are a little awkward, but I'm pretty pleased so far. Enjoy and here's to next year's ships... Ben

More images after the jump:

The art of City on the Edge of Forever

If you've read my review of the recently concluded five-part comic adaptation of Harlan Ellison's original telelplay for The City on the Edge of Forever, you'll know one of the highlights from the series for me was the amazing sumptuous painted artwork by J.K. Woodward. Including a new look for the Guardians of Forever, 1930s New York, some glorious time travel and drug induced moments, and our familiar TOS heroes and settings, Woodward had a lot to play with, and delivered his most impressive Star Trek work so far.

And now you can get hold of some of that amazing art, as Woodward is offering several pages of original art via Comic Art House. So far there are pages from the first two issues of the series on offer. I've picked out some of my favourites below, and you'll find even more on Comic Art House.

More Primate Directive covers, and concept art!

The TOS/Planet of the Apes crossover comic, The Primate Directive is cover crazy, with the latest covers revealed making the series a record breaker! Continue below for a look at the latest cover art, and concept art from the series artist Rachael Stott.

ThinkGeek have added a listing for yet another variant cover of the first issue in the series. The ThinkGeek exclusive cover (which is currently listed as out of stock, hopefully just while they await its arrival) is by John H. Midgley, and features a gorilla framed by a Starfleet delta (the mystery artwork I mentioned in my round-up of the other covers recently).

This now brings the number of covers on offer for issue one up to eight, which (to the best of my recollections and checking of the Star Trek Comics Checklist) arguably makes this the most covers offered for any Star Trek comic ever! The first issue of Assimilation², the TNG/Doctor Who crossover, also had eight covers (but two of those were minor variants for further printings), and the first issue of one of IDW's earliest series, Klingons: Blood Will Tell, had seven.

UPDATE: TrekMovie have posted an article about the series (and the history of Planet of the Apes in general), including a better version of the ThinkGeek cover, and revealing the final elusive blank sketch cover. The latter features a small bit of what appears to be Stott artwork at the top, but is otherwise empty, awaiting bespoke artwork from an artist of your choosing:

Continue after the jump to check out more art from the series:

Attack Wing Borg Cube, and other new ships

Wizkids have unleashed a an armada of huge Borg Cubes onto the world! Huge by the standards of miniatures games at least, with the release of their second oversized model for the Star Trek: Attack Wing game, specifically this is apparently Borg Cube 112. Miniature Market's listing of the model includes the following new images showing the final version of the Cube, and how it's packaged:

The Cube follows last month's released of the equally large Deep Space 9 model, and the usual monthly releases of regular sized miniatures have also be continuing around these big ones. Wizkids have recently updated their website with new images of all the latest waves. Continue after the jump to check them out:

Star Trek 3 gets a new director, and release date

A couple of weeks ago Deadline reported that, after months of preliminary work already, Roberto Orci wouldn't be directing the next Star Trek movie after all. With 2016 in target for the release, in order to come out in the fiftieth anniversary of Star Trek, the race was on to find a new director, with many names being bounced about since.

Now Deadline have again broken news, this time confirming Orci's replacement in the director's chair: That person will be Justin Lin, best known for directing several films in the car/crime/action film series, Fast and Furious.

I can't say that pedigree fills me with hope, but Lin also has a background in television, and his credits there perhaps hint at a little more depth than the smashy crashy racing action stuff. Last year he directed the first episode of a series called Scorpion, which is about a global problem solving genius. He continued on as executive producer of that series, which would already have seen him working with nuTrek writers and producers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, who are producers there too.

His other television credits include directing several episodes of the comedy series Community, and the crime drama True Detective. He has also worked in one capacity or another on many other series, miniseries, shorts, and web-series, including executive production credits on a couple of time travel(ish, in the loosest sense) web-shows, Squad 85 and Reality Reboot.

Lin's work seems to be focused on action and comedy, which at the very least is consistent with what the nuTrek movies have delivered so far. Hopefully he can also bring a little something more, for those of us hoping to get a bit more Star Trek morality, hope, and exploration in the next chapter!

Meanwhile Roberto Orci will be continuing on as producer, although it's not currently known whether he will also still have a hand in writing. He, along with newcomers J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, presumably were pretty far along with the script. But could whatever pushed Orci out of directing also impact the shape of the script? If so will something completely new be possible in time for the 2016 release?

One of the rumours about the cause of the changes comes from Badass Digest, who suggest Paramount was pushing for the new film to try and follow the success of Guardians of the Galaxy, hoping to propel Keenser into a more dominant role as a stand-in for Rocket the raccoon... I certainly wouldn't mind a little more alien exoticism in the next movie, after so much Earth focus in the series so far. Are Scotty/Keenser even remotely similar to Groot/Rocket though? Perhaps it's time to bring in Arex and M'Ress! If this rumour is at all accurate, the band of misfits (a la the Guardians) does seem to be one of Lin's tropes, although how he could apply that to the now happy family of the Enterprise crew, who know?

UPDATE: Variety now report a release date for the film too, confirming the 2016 release, the next Star Trek movie will arrive on the 8th of July.

March Star Trek comics from IDW

IDW have announced their solicitations for March, which include three new Star Trek comics, and an omnibus book. Continue below to check them all out (covers via Previews):

Star Trek/Planet of the Apes: The Primate Directive #4
Written by Scott and David Tipton. Art by Rachael Stott.

An uneasy alliance has been forged between Captain Kirk and Colonel Taylor! But will it be enough to prevent Commander Kor and his Klingons from toppling the regime of Doctor Zaius?

As with other issues in the series, this will also include an essay on Star Trek and Planet of the Apes, by Dana Gould. There will be at least three covers, the main one by Rachael Stott, the subscription variant by J.K. Woodward, and a further variant in the Gold Key style (the latter has not be released yet):

The Autobiography of James T. Kirk

Titan Books have announced a new "non-fiction" book: The Autobiography of James T. Kirk, which has the oh so modest subtitle, The Story of Starfleet's Greatest Captain! Despite the good Captain's name being on the cover, the book will actually be ghost written by David Goodman (author of Federation: The First 150 Years).

StarTrek.com released the cover, and this blurb:

"Don't let them promote you. Don't let them transfer you. Don't let them do anything that takes you off the bridge of that ship because while you're there, you can make a difference. "—James T. Kirk, 2371

The Autobiography of James T. Kirk chronicles the greatest Starfleet captain's life (2233–2371), in his own words. From his boyhood on an Iowa farm, his youth spent on Tarsus IV, his time in the Starfleet Academy, his meteoric raise through the ranks of Starfleet, and his illustrious career at the helm of the Enterprise, this in-world memoir uncovers Captain Kirk in a way Star Trek fans have never seen.

Kirk's singular voice rings throughout the text, giving insight into his convictions, his bravery, and his commitment to the life—in all forms—throughout this Galaxy and beyond. Packaged in a handsome hardcover format, with a center section of photographs, sketches, and original illustrations, this in-world biography will serve as a profile of courage and celebration of a beloved Star Trek hero.

The hardcover book will be out next September.

Interview: Kevin Hopkins on Voyager art

Bye Bye Robot have recently released five new Star Trek art posters, featuring subjects from all five of the prime series. Bye Bye Robot's Charity Wood was kind enough to put me in touch with all the artists involved, so we can talk about their new creations.

First up is Kevin Hopkins, who had the honour of producing the first ever Voyager design in Bye Bye Robot's collection, The Long Way Home. Here's what Kevin told me (continues after the jump):

So your first piece with Bye Bye Robot features the USS Voyager, what drew you to this particular subject?

I have been a science fiction fan from the time I first started reading. When Star Trek emerged it quickly became a large part of that interest and I am happy doing anything related to that subject. Voyager is especially interesting in the ship design and through my familiarity with the series.

I tend to consider myself an organic artist, doing my best work with anatomy and living things rather than machines. The organic design of the Voyager ship seemed a good fit even though it is technically a machine. The Voyager ship is really a stand-alone beautiful object and I find its form very appealing and attractive.

Did you know when you decided on Voyager that it would be the first image from that series from Bye Bye Robot?

Yes, I was aware that this was the first artistic rendering of the Voyager ship that Bye Bye Robot had commissioned. I did not know that it was the only image they had from the ‘Voyager’ series. It’s always nice to step into a new area and see what happens there and maybe supply the fans with something they’ve been missing out on.

Gingerbread USS Enterprise

Set phasers to sweet! The Blackmarket Bakery have made Star Trek the center of their Christmas decorations, with an amazing gingerbread rendition of the USS Enterprise now on display in their California store.

With details in sugar and chocolate, the impressive recreation of the Enterprise fires a candy-cane phaser beam at the landscape below, which presumably also helps to support the otherwise gravity defying display! Check out a few more images after the jump:

Star Trek paper clips!

Aren't Icon Heroes clever? They've only gone and made Star Trek themed paper-clips! Coming in the second quarter of next year, each pack of forty will include twenty silver USS Enterprises, and twenty golden Starfleet deltas, both ingeniously formed to bring a hint of Star Trek to all your paper-cliped things! (More images after the jump)

Starships Collection's USS Pasteur and Species 8472

Two more issues of The Official Starships Collection have been solicited giving us new images of the models and magazine covers for issues thirty-two and thirty-three, the Olympic class USS Pasteur, and the very unique organic design of the Species 8472 Bioship. These ships should be out in the UK first, in March and April (images via Entertainment Earth and Big Bad Toy Store):

In other news from The Collection, Eaglemoss have completely revamped their website! The new look site includes new images galleries of all the ships up to issue thirty-five, the most recent release in the UK. Each ship gets four views, showing either side and the front and back. For example that most recent issue, the 22nd century Klingon Bird of Prey, gets the images after the jump. Hopefully the site will get regular updates as new issues are released.

The Q Gambit, part 5 preview

Out this week is the penultimate issue of The Q Gambit, the fifth chapter in the six-part DS9 crossover story in the nuTrek ongoing comic series (a little late from it's nominal November release). Continue below for a look at the first five pages from the story:

QMx nuTrek insignia badges now magnetic

QMx have relaunched their range of nuTrek insignia badges, bring them up to the standard of their TNG and Voyager badges; the former pin backs have been exchanged for strong magnets, which will hold them in place through fabrics without leaving holes.

Alas not all Starfleet officers are created equal, while command, science, and engineering personnel are all getting an equipment update, you'll have to stick with holey pins if you want a career in Starfleet medical, as for some reason that style of badge has been left out (dammit Jim!).

Starships Collection updates and Titan progress

A few updates from The Official Starships Collection, starting with news from StarTrek.com of new ships set to join The Collection in 2015. Several ships which have been previously confirmed were mentioned: The original USS Enterprise, Centaur class, and Steamrunner class. Those will all be out by September next year (in the UK at least), which is where the running order as so far announced runs out, at issue fifty-five. But StarTrek.com also mentioned a couple more ships for 2015: Zefram Cochrane’s warp ship, the Phoenix, and a TOS Klingon battlecruiser. To accompany this news they also released a new group image showing most (but not all) of the series so far.

Meanwhile Eaglemoss have now made available a new binder to hold magazines from The Collection. A few months ago they distributed a survey to gage interest in alternate binder designs, and it appears Federation ships got the best feedback, as it's a gaggle of them which can been seen on the new binder design (not in fact one of the designs in the survey, but a new arrangement). The new binder is only available via Eaglemoss' online shop.

Continue after the jump for the latest previews of forthcoming issues of The Collection, and news of a major milestone for the USS Titan petition.

New Primate Directive covers

Due out right at the end of the month is the first issue of The Primate Directive, the TOS/Planet of the Apes crossover series. To launch the series IDW and Boom have generated no fewer than seven covers for the first issue! Two of those have only just been revealed.

As StarTrek.com have revealed, Nerd Block (which is one of those subscription products where you get a monthly box of as sorted stuff) will be including an exclusive variant cover in their latest delivery. The ape attack design is by the series artist, Rachael Stott, and Charlie Kirchoff.

One of the regular covers is by Juan Ortiz, and that retro design (featuring a snazzy Planet of the Apes font treatment of Star Trek), has finally been revealed on IDW's new preview site for the series:

Also posted on the IDW preview site is a new piece of artwork featuring a gorilla framed by a Starfleet delta. I'm sure if this is another cover, or who the artist might be, but you can check it out after the jump:

Books bits: Shadows of the Machine blurb, and hints at future works

Lots of books news today, starting with a shiny new blurb for the next ebook novella, Shadow of the Machine, a post-The Motion Picture story from Star Trek first timer, Scott Harrison. which will be out in March:

An all-new original e-novella set in the Original Series universe—taking place immediately after the events of the 1979 film Star Trek: The Motion Picture!

After its recent encounter with V’ger, the U.S.S. Enterprise has returned to dry dock to finish its refit before commencing its second five-year mission. The crew has been granted a two-week period of shore leave before preparations for their next voyage begins. Shaken by their encounter with V’ger, Kirk, Spock, and Sulu travel to their respective homes and must reflect upon their lives—now forever changed.

Pre-order: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr, Amazon.es, Amazon.it, Amazon.co.jp.

Star Trek podcasts have been keeping Star Trek authors busy lately, with discussion of many works, and a few teases of things to come. Continue after the jump for news about a Quark ebook, DS9 and TOS novels, the US release of Star Trek Pop-Ups, a new book about costumes, and more!

Anovos' Enterprise uniform replicas

Anovos, makers of high end replica costumes, have announced a new range of Star Trek: Enterprise uniform replicas.

Expected to arrive next September, the replica jumpsuit uniform is based on screen-used originals, with all the original features, including a myriad of bespoke zips, the department pipping (available in all three colours), and an Enterprise NX-01 mission patch. The colour is based on the revised bluer shade, seen in the last two seasons.

As ever, Anovos are offering tiered pre-orders, with those who get in first getting a reduced price, ranging from the already sold-out first tier, at $375, up to the final price of $500.

Available separately, Anovos are also offering a set of Enterprise rank pips. The metal set of four can be individually pinned, to assign yourself which ever rank you please, and will ship in March.

And if you're planning a landing party, you'll be wanting a replica cap too, which Anovos are also making replicas of. These will be dispatched from July.

Continue after the jump for a closer look at the jumpsuit replica, and its many many zips.

This Month: December 2014

December is a big month for bluray, with the final season of TNG and related releases. We've also got the new Ships of the Line book to enjoy, two new prose adventures, four comics, the regular fleets of model ships, and much more. Continue below to check out everyone on the way this month:

Audio/video

The final season of TNG on bluray is here, possibly the final season of Star Trek in HD, at least for a while, as the prospects for DS9 and Voyager hang on how well TNG sells (so buy buy buy!). As ever, the release comes with hours of new documentaries, commentaries, deleted scenes, and more. In Germany there is also the option to pick it up in steelbook packaging.

STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION – SEASON SEVEN includes all 25 episodes of the final season and a trove of never-before-seen interviews with cast and crew, including the three-part documentary “The Sky’s The Limit: The Eclipse Of Star Trek: The Next Generation” and “In Conversation: Lensing Star Trek: The Next Generation.”

Along with an unreleased gag reel and exclusive deleted scenes, the seventh season collection features some of the most acclaimed episodes of the series such as the conclusion to the two-part episode “Descent;” Worf’s (Michael Dorn) conflict with his human foster brother who violates the prime directive to save a doomed primitive race in “Homeward;” the two-part episode “Gambit;” Data meeting a woman who claims to be his mother in “Inheritance;” and the stunning, final confrontation between Picard and Q (John de Lancie) in the series finale “All Good Things…”.

Pre-order: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr, Amazon.es, Amazon.it, Amazon.co.jp.

Alongside the season set, there is also the stand-alone release of the finale, All Good Things..., which comes with a suite of special features exclusive to the separate release:

STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION – ALL GOOD THINGS presents the epic feature-length series finale remastered into high-definition. The 1995 Hugo Award winner for “Best Dramatic Presentation,” the thrilling adventure was also hailed as a “picture-perfect” (USA Today) ending to the series.

A journey that takes fans to the end of the universe and beyond the boundaries of time itself, “All Good Things…” begins when Q tells Captain Picard that he is to be the cause of humanity’s ultimate annihilation. Thus begins an incredible journey through space and time that follows Picard’s first voyage on the Enterprise to 25 years into the future.

Fans can revisit the engrossing finale with the newly produced documentary “The Unknown Possibilities of Existence: Making ‘All Good Things…’” and never-before-released deleted scenes.

And with TNG on bluray now complete, it's also time for the complete series boxset. At least it is in the UK, where all seven seasons have been wrapped up into new packaging. But fear not, if you fancy getting all seven seasons in one box, this release is region free.

The Red Shirt Diaries

Have you watched The Red Shirt Diaries? For the unfamiliar, it's a brilliant series of Star Trek parody shorts, presented as logs from Ensign Williams of the USS Enterprise's security department. Each episode takes place around a TOS episode, with the first season making up the first ten episodes of The Original Series. Check them out:

But that's just the start. The creators are busy planning season two, which will continue with parallel episodes to the rest of the TOS season one episodes. Aiming to step up their game, they hope to build a more screen accurate set for Ensign Williams, to film on location at Vasquez Rocks, and on a TOS bridge set at Starbase Studios. To help fund those more ambitious plans, they have an Indiegogo campaign, which ends today! They have actually funded all their stretch goals already, but I'm sure they wouldn't mind raising more to go further!

And you should also check out their website, for more information about the series, and to read The Red Shirt Diaries comic.

Made Out of Mudd preview

Out this week is the fourth issue in John Byrne's New Visions photo-comic series, Made Out of Mudd, featuring, in a cunning actor-likeness avoiding way, Harry Mudd, and a few other returning TOS guest characters (who I'll not spoil). And as is typical of the series, there's also a short secondary story, The Great Tribble Hunt!

StarTrek.com have released a preview of the first six pages of the main story, which continue here below the jump: