Had the series even aired on British tv yet when this was written and drawn? It's funny how the writer seemed to have only the vaguest grasp of Star Trek and gets the characters slightly wrong. Mind you, this was a problem with the first American Star Trek comics as well. Nowadays, tv producers consider comic book tie-ins a vital part of their franchise and scrutinize the comics very closely. (In the case of Buffy or Farscape, you sometimes get writers from the tv version creating the comic scripts as well.) Back then, though, it was all handled in a much more haphazard way.
No it hadn't but it originally should have! According to the trade press, 'Star Trek' was scheduled to start on BBC TV in the autumn of 1968, hence its appearance in 'Joe 90 Top Secret' but it was held back for unknown reasons. World Distributors had prepared an annual but publication of this was also held back - if you have a copy of the first one, you'll note it has a dual copyright of 1968 & 1969. Apparently staff at 'TV21' saw an episode as preparation (probably the first production episode after the two pilots, 'The Corbomite Maneuver', as Lt Bailey makes appearances in the strip), so unfortunately we get 'Captain Kurt' and no Dr McCoy (the writer, allegedly Tod Sullivan, didn't think him important enough) in the first story. The proper shuttlecraft made an appearance towards the end of the 'Joe 90' run, by which time the series had just begun in the UK, and presumably Harry Lindfield was given some more reference material.
It's a tiny TB2! Wonder if it's Mike Noble artwork. Looks a bit like his style.
ReplyDeleteNice one! Nb. comes with the notable difference of wings pointing backwards.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure its not Mike Noble. His Star Trek was more muted colours, finer linework.
ReplyDeleteIt's harry Lindfield, the illustrator who did Doctor Who and some Persuaders in TV Action, and some of The Monkees in Lady Penelope.
ReplyDeleteDeff TB2 inspired though, isn't it!
ReplyDeleteHad the series even aired on British tv yet when this was written and drawn? It's funny how the writer seemed to have only the vaguest grasp of Star Trek and gets the characters slightly wrong. Mind you, this was a problem with the first American Star Trek comics as well. Nowadays, tv producers consider comic book tie-ins a vital part of their franchise and scrutinize the comics very closely. (In the case of Buffy or Farscape, you sometimes get writers from the tv version creating the comic scripts as well.) Back then, though, it was all handled in a much more haphazard way.
ReplyDeleteNo it hadn't but it originally should have! According to the trade press, 'Star Trek' was scheduled to start on BBC TV in the autumn of 1968, hence its appearance in 'Joe 90 Top Secret' but it was held back for unknown reasons. World Distributors had prepared an annual but publication of this was also held back - if you have a copy of the first one, you'll note it has a dual copyright of 1968 & 1969. Apparently staff at 'TV21' saw an episode as preparation (probably the first production episode after the two pilots, 'The Corbomite Maneuver', as Lt Bailey makes appearances in the strip), so unfortunately we get 'Captain Kurt' and no Dr McCoy (the writer, allegedly Tod Sullivan, didn't think him important enough) in the first story. The proper shuttlecraft made an appearance towards the end of the 'Joe 90' run, by which time the series had just begun in the UK, and presumably Harry Lindfield was given some more reference material.
ReplyDeleteCaptain Kurt? (laughs)
ReplyDeleteI'm curious ... do you know how TV21 staff got to see an episode? Would they have had a private screening somewhere in the UK?