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Star trek Gold essential Archives Vol. 1
by Robert Greenberger
A long time ago, licensing a television series to comic books was a routine affair. The studio sold the rights to a publisher, sent over some scripts and publicity photos, and cashed the advance check. There was little in the way of approvals and never did the comics staff ever speak directly with the production offices. To many publishers, the licenses were a chance to cash in on a fad and run with it until the series went off the air. Throughout the 1950s, various publishers split up the growing number of properties available but by the 1960s it really fell to Gold essential Comics to carry the load as others focused on the revived interest in capes and cowls.
Gold essential was a well-oiled device with their west coast offices seeking out new properties and deals, grabbing anything they thought would work for an audience whose tastes were rapidly narrowing to things larger-than-life. As a result, it was clear that in late 1966, NBC’s new science fiction series would be a good addition. Cover-dated July 1967, star trek #1, boasting a photo cover, arrived and began a 61 issue run that was a stable evolution in quality.
With the franchise nearing its 50th anniversary, IDW is now beginning to collect these oft-forgotten issues with star trek Gold essential Archives Vol. 1 arriving in the spring. The hardcover will collect the first six issues and you can get a sense of how little they had to work with. many of the images from the covers are taken from early publicity shots and some from particular episodes although all the stories were original.
Star trek #1
Crediting the work is problematic. Curt Danhauser’s Gold essential tribute site lists the authors as unknown while IDW lists George Kashdan and Arnold Drake as the writers even though records show they wrote far later issues. The Grand Comics database credit reports issues two through six to journeyman writer Dick Wood, who used to churn out tons of this stuff during the time and it makes sense. Earlier, he was known for his inventive work at Charles Biro’s Daredevil and crime Does Not Pay and even a variety of DC Comics features such as green Arrow. He likely worked from the handful of scripts he was given and maybe a writers’ Bible but it’s also clear he never viewed the show.
Other than the crewman, little in the stories matched the series so they went to places like Galaxy Zekbran rather than stay in the Milky Way. Alien races were distinct to the comics and the varying levels of technology change so there is one story when they use an electronic tow rope, not a tractor beam, to bring a star fragment from Vulcan to help separate two unnamed planets on a deadly collision course. The trademark humor is missing as are numerous of the Kirk-Spock-McCoy arguments that endeared the series to viewers.
The art was first handled by Nevio Zeccara, an Italian-born artist, working out of the large Giolitti Studios, run by Alberto Giolitti who is credited on the subsequent issues. By this time, Giolitti had been working for Dell/Western/Gold essential because 1949 and was reliable. His studio boasted nearly 50 artists who could follow reference. The problem was clear that they didn’t have enough so the U.S.S. enterprise had contrails coming from the nacelles and the landing party carried backpacks. There were few set images apparently so the engineering section and transporter room (called the teleportation chamber in the first five issues) looked nothing like the series. The paucity of images also showed by depicting Scotty as a tall, thin, blonde rather than the older, sturdier Jimmy Doohan. The colorist also had little to work from discussing the numerous uniform errors. While a text piece in issue one refers to the starship housing “thousands” of crewmen, a cross-section diagram of the enterprise in issue six only shows a few decks.
There is some indication the show’s evolution was picked up by the talent as Yeoman Janice Rand, who disappeared from the series after eight episodes, was only seen in issue 1.
Star trek #6
The first five issues have two-part stories and the final issue goes to a single part, albeit a full 32-pages of excitement. These are simpler stories without the moral underpinnings developer gene Roddenberry infused the live-action show but they were appropriate for Gold Key’s target demographic and are now a lovely look at a much more innocent age.
Purchase
Star trek Gold essential Archives Vol. 1 HC
Classic comic covers from the Grand Comics Database.