Tuesday 23 April 2013

1987: STAR TREK THE NEXT GENERATION MAGAZINE (Starlog)

Coinciding with the premiere of the syndicated STAR TREK revival (it's hard to over-empaphise how big a deal this was way-back-when), Starlog launched this licensed spin-off.

STAR TREK THE NEXT GENERATION (THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE SERIES) combined lengthy episode summaries (which, perversely, were probably more interesting to British readers who - save for the CIC rental tapes - didn't see the show for several years than the intended US readership) with behind-the-scenes articles and interviews (all copiously illustrated with stills and production art) and pull-out centre-page posters (buyer beware: make sure all back issues you're planning to buy still have the posters attached).

Starlog, itself originally conceived as an unofficial Trek tie-in, had already published several official tie-ins with the third and fourth Trek movies (and would continue its association through the rest of the run).

Publication dates seemed fairly sporadic but - I think - Starlog aimed to get issues out during the TV season and then 'rested' the magazine during the fallow summer months.  Although the memory may cheat a little there.

Ultimately, the magazine survived as long as the TV show did: clocking-up 30 issues between 1987 and 1994.  Starlog repeated the formula for DEEP SPACE NINE (25 issues) and VOYAGER (19 issues).  Poor ol' ENTERPRISE wasn't so blessed.

Copies were widely available through British comic book stores and some of the articles were also rerun in Marvel UK's lacklustre STAR TREK THE NEXT GENERATION comic, alongside reprints of the DC Comics' adaptation.

This first issue, published to coincide with the pilot, extensively featured the opener Encounter at Farpoint.

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