Ships of the Line and other 2016 calendar updates

Universe Publishing have released updated covered and new preview images for some of their 2016 Star Trek calendars. The biggest reveals come from Ships of the Line, with new front and back covers revealing some (but not all) of the competition winning designs that will feature in next year's calendar:

If you can't quite make out what you're seeing on the back there, I believe we have:

• The Insignia class, one of my favourite fan designs (inspired, I believe, by one of the proposals for a next generation starship in the TNG Technical Manual), which I'm delighted to see in an official publication.
• What appears to be a meeting of the TV era TOS Enterprise and the Enterprise-C.
• An Argo-type shuttle on the way to the Enterprise-E.
• The Enterprise-D, with the big shuttlebay open (same image as the cover).
• A refit Constitution class ship next to a spacedock, possibly with a pre-refit inside said dock (I can't quite make it out).
• Another pre-refit Enterprise in spacedock, this time seen from within the dock, and with a classic shuttle flying by.
• A new TOS-era ship, with a similar configuration to the USS Kelvin.

A preview image form inside the calendar has also been released, which means there are four (maybe five if there's a centerfold) images yet to be revealed! Continue after the jump to check out a USS Defiant picture from the calendar, and updates from other 2016 Star Trek calendars:

Ships of the Line and other 2015 calendars revealed

There are four Star Trek calendars announced for 2015 so far, and while there do not appear to be extra calendars for the UK and German markets this year, Universe Publishing will be continuing with all four of their designs: Ships of the Line, TOS, a daily calendar, and an engagement calendar. Amazon have now updated their listings for these four, revealing the covers, and (one of the most exciting Star Trek moments of each year) what ships we get to enjoy in Ships of the Line. So, here are the covers for Ships of the Line 2015:

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

You might recognise a couple of the images from book covers, and indeed 2015 will be a great year for Star Trek books fans, with the first ever appearances in Ships of the Line of both the USS Titan and Starbase Vanguard. Here's the run down:

• The cover is "Vanguard Down", by Doug Drexler, featuring the USS Enterprise and Starbase 47 under attack from the Tholians. This image comes from the cover of the final Vanguard novel, Storming Heaven.
• January is "Explorers", by Jenny DeSalle and Ali Ries, featuring the refit Enterprise NX-01.
• February is "Xindi Reptilian", also by DeSalle and Ries, with the refit NX-01 again, but this time in the background behind two Xindi Reptilian ships.
• John Eaves (whose pictures are normally painted) will be giving us a cool image of the Enteprise-E after a saucer separation. Apart from concept art, I think this might be the first time we've seen this (unless you count the toy version made by Romando).
• Douglas Graves will be giving us a new view of the Klingon D4 class.
• Gabriel Koerner has produced an encounter between a Constitution class and what looks like a variation of AMT's "Interplanetary U.F.O. Mystery Ship", a model kit ship designed by Matt Jefferies.
• Tobias Richter has brought together his beautiful models of the USS Titan and Vanguard, or, considering the station is over a planet, another Watchtower class station.
• Doug Drexler gives us a wider view of the construction site for the new Deep Space 9, as originally featured on the cover of Raise the Dawn.
• D.M Phoenix has what looks like a fleet of Sabre class ships being attacked by a moon!
• From Alain Rivard we have an encounter between movie era Constitution and Miranda class ships, not a Wrath of Khan scene remake though, as there's a shuttle flying about.
• After a few years waiting for it, we finally get to see Andrew Probert's Wolf 359 clean-up operation painting.
• Alain Rivard's second image takes us back to the original DS9, with a lot of Klingons visiting.
• It looks like a potential Romulan War scene from Dan Uyeno, who has a fleet of Daedalus class ships under attack by a Romulan bird of prey.
• And finally Michael Wiley has an encounter between the original USS Enterprise and the NX-01 refit.

Amazon also posted preview pages, giving us a good look at two of the images:

Continue after the jump for a look at the other three 2015 calendars:

Publishing bits: Next Voyager novel, Enterprise relaunch uniforms, more calendars, and French comics

A variety of bits and pieces from all corners of the Star Trek publishing world for you: First up, Kirsten Beyer's next Voyager novel appears to have a title and publication slot. Simon and Schuster now list a Voyager book called Protectors, which is expected in late January, making it nominally the February book, and the first book of the 2014 publishing schedule. Oddly this book is not appearing very widely on the Simon and Schuster site, it only comes up under the author page, not if you just look for Star Trek, or even specifically Voyager novels. I only became aware of thanks to TrekBBS user Madzilla pointing it out.

Much closer to the present, next month's book, the first in the new Enterprise relaunch, Rise of the Federation: A Choice of Futures, is starting to appear right now. The author, Christopher L. Bennett, posted a sketch of his uniform design for the series on his website. The design combines elements from uniforms before and after the early Federation setting of the novel, and also notes a nice explanation of the different insignias we saw in TOS.

In a completely different area of publishing, there's potentially worrying news for UK Star Trek calendar fans. Last year Danilo published two Star Trek calendars in the UK market, a TOS design, and a nuTrek ships collection. As a result the US calendars, including Ships of the Line, from Universe Publishing, were not distributed in the UK. We were looking safe this year, but now two 2014 calendars from Danilo have appeared, offering either a "movie" or "ships" calendar. At the moment both Universe and Danilo's calendars have been listed by Amazon in the US and the UK, but if it's like last year only each country's calendars will only be distributed locally, so you'll have to rely on secondary sellers if you'd prefer designs from the opposite side of the ocean (which ever side you're on).

There is also going to be a German Star Trek calendar this year, like last year it is being published by Panini. Listings for this initially suggested a May release, but that has now been pushed back to July.

If you are a Ships of the Line fan, be sure to check out Mark Rademaker's latest blog post, he has written about how he has come to design an almost real-world warp ring-ship for NASA, which is also his contribution to the 2014 calendar. He's also posted lots of artwork, like the following image, check out his blog for much more,

Finally good news Star Trek comic fans in France, a couple of days ago Countdown to Darkness was released in French, on Kindle. There doesn't appear to be a physical version at the moment. Unusually for foreign language releases, IDW itself is listed as the publisher, rather than selling on the rights to a local company.

If you're curious about French Star Trek comics, check out my 8of5 Archives report, which lists every comic that's ever been released in a French translation.

Ships of the Line lives!

Just as you were savouring Doug Drexler's USS Enterprise on convoy duty, in what would have been the final January shot in the Ships of the Line calendar series, Mr Drexler pops up with most welcome news: It seems reports of Ships of the Line's demise were greatly exaggerated, as Rizzoli have apparently reversed their decision to cancel the series. Ships of the Line will continue in 2014!

If Rizzoli match last year's timetable we can expect solicitations for their calendar range in February. I wonder which other of their four 2013 designs will continue next year.

Latest Ships of the Line previews

The 2013 Ships of the Line calendar has been available for a couple of months now, but if, like me, you don't tend to get a copy until the very end of the year, you might still enjoy a little peak at the images it holds. Fortunately the artists are often quite obliging in that regard.

Doug Drexler recently posted on his Facebook, a nice clear view of his DS9 image, which appears to reuse elements from his covers for both Plagues of Night and Raise the Dawn:

Tobias Richter has also updated his website with his two images for the calendar: A TOS-movie era Enterprise shot, and a TNG shot, which uses his new models of the Enteprise-D and the Stargazer made for the TNG remastering project:

 

You can see other views of those new TNG models on The Light Works' website. And you can get a closer look at some of the other images in next year's calendar with some of previous coverage: Here, and here.

New 2013 calendar images

StarTrek.com has posted new images of Rizzoli's 2013 Star Trek calendars. Here's the first look at the finalised backcover for the new Ships of the Line:

I can see: The big picture of a Constitution class and some DY-100s; some sort of interior, no idea what though; what has to be Mark Rademaker's image in this addition, a Vesta class and ringship; the NX-01 a shuttlepod and some fighter planes (so probably a Storm Front inspired image); two or three NX class ships in formation; a Constitution class and a shuttle in front of the moon; a Galaxy class and Constitution class meeting high in a planets atmosphere; a refit Constitution class; a TNG shuttlecraft; Enterprise-E in the spacedock from Nemesis; a Constellation class firing on a Galaxy class (maybe based on The Battle); a nice view of DS9; and finally a TOS style ship I don't recognise.

The moon picture is by regular contributor, Douglas Graves (aka Deg), called "A Tall Ship", here's a better view:

There's also updated covers for the TOS calendar:

 

Plus new covers and interior pages from the Captain's Log engagement calendar:

2013 calendar back covers

Amazon have posted back cover images up for the 2013 Ships of the Line and TOS calendars. While neither show every image in the calendar, all those seen on the Ships of the Line are, disappointingly, reuses of previously published images:

Hopefully this isn't the final version however, as a best-of-reprint-edition is exactly what Doug Drexler said this would not be when he announced the change of publishers.

Now, frankly, when you’re making a transition like that it’s really important how you look when you come out the other side. You can’t look like a retread. So I talked to my buddies who work on the calendar and I said, “Look, they want to do a rerun thing. Personally, I’m not going to do that; I’m going to create new art for the rerun price, and you guys are free to do that as well if you want. I hope you will.” And everyone just jumped in. We actually got the calendar together in about three weeks. I think it’s one of the best-looking calendars yet. So, sometimes extra-cool stuff comes out of adversity. I’m real excited about it.

UPDATE: At the very least, Mark Rademaker has confirmed, on twitter, that he contributed a new image.

UPDATE 2: The calendar's editor has confirmed with me that these are not the final versions.

Here's the TOS one, which obviously always contains familiar images:

2013 Star Trek calendars

Amazon now has listings up for the four Star Trek calendars for 2013, coming from new Star Trek calendar publisher Rizzoli (or more specifically their imprint Universe Publishing). All four are listed for August release. Covers and descriptions from Amazon below:

Ships of the Line

A longtime favorite among serious Trekkers and casual fans alike, Star Trek 2013 Wall Calendar: Ships of the Line gives Star Trek features spectacular illustrations of the ships and vessels from the various series, films, and Starfleet history. Each spread takes the viewer into the very heart of the Star Trek universe.

* Twelve beautifully rendered illustrations feature all the action, drama, and painstaking detail by fan-favorite illustrators.

* Great moments from Star Trek history--famous battles, first encounters, and early milestones in interstellar travel--are brought to vivid life by these dedicated, passionate illustrators.

* The unique horizontal format maximizes the image space without sacrificing practicality or detail.

* Bonus poster included!

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

The Original Series

Led by Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner), first officer Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy), and chief medical officer Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley), the original adventures of the U.S.S. Enterprise have inspired an entire universe of television series, blockbuster films, novels, and games.

* Featuring full-color photos of the entire original cast, including Lieutenant Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), Lieutenant Sulu (George Takei), Ensign Chekov (Walter Koenig), and Mr. Scott (James Doohan).

* Sleekly designed with the original series’ s iconic retro-futuristic inspiration, this calendar makes a cool, sci-fi addition to any home, office, dorm room, or work space.

* Bonus poster included!

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

Daily Calendar

The sci-fi fanatic's ultimate calendar, Star Trek Captain's 2013 Day-to-Day Calendar features quotations from each of the franchise's television series and films, lore from the Star Trek universe, and trivia from over four decades of Trekker mania.

* Covering all things Star Trek, the Star Trek Captain's 2013 Day-to-Day Calendar offers a daily glimpse of an exciting, ever-expanding futuristic universe--sure to enliven any cubicle, desk, or work space.

* Fans will find iconic lines including "I'm a doctor, not a magician" (Dr. McCoy) and lore, including how the Romulans are related to the Vulcans.

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

Captain's Log

One of the true hallmarks of the entire franchise, the captain's log has played an iconic role in every Star Trek series and film.

* The Star Trek Captain's Log 2013 Engagement Calendar is a 16-month engagement-style calendar that features images, quotations, and reflections from all of the Star Trek captains, including Captains Kirk and Sulu (the original series and later films), Jean-Luc Picard (The Next Generation), Benjamin Sisko (Deep Space Nine), Kathryn Janeway (Voyager), and Jonathan Archer (Enterprise).

* Smartly designed, with a sleek, futuristic look, this calendar is perfect for captivate casual fans and die-hard Trekkers alike.

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

2013's Star Trek calendars

Following Doug Drexler's reveal that a new publisher will be taking over Star Trek calendars for the 2013 year onward, I have been in contact with Rizzoli to get the details on what's coming: Universe Publishing, one of Rizzoli's imprints, will be publishing four Star Trek calendars for 2013:

• Ships of the Line - Staying with the familiar image indulgent panoramic format, Ships of the Line will continue to showcase Star Trek art based around starships.
• The Original Series - The other stable of Star Trek calendars will also continue under Universe, though they will be taking the opportunity to refresh the look of the calendar, and are adding a Ships of the Line style centerfold featuring the Enterprise.
• Day to Day - A few years after the old "Stardate" calendar was replaced by a digital version, Universe will be reviving the daily Star Trek calendar. This boxed calendar will feature trivia and quotes from across the entire Trekverse, both prime reality and the new movie timeline.
• Captain's Log - This spiral bound engagement calendar will feature images, quotes, and trivia focusing on the Star Trek captains, and again will span the entire franchise, new and old.

We can look forward to seeing what these all look like some time in the spring.

New publisher for Ships of the Line

In part one (of two) of an interview with StarTrek.com Doug Drexler has revealed the Ships of the Line calendar is on its last year with Pocket Books (and Andrews McMeel Publishing?) as Rizzoli will become the publisher for the 2013 edition onwards. Drexler also revealed it was only down to the efforts of him and his band of artists that Rizzoli didn't kick off their run with a best-of-old-stuff edition:

Rizzoli is the new publisher. Pocket Books is not continuing on. I don’t know exactly the reason. All I know is that their licensing agreement with CBS came up again and it didn’t survive through that. So, Rizzoli has picked it up. Their publishing schedule is totally different from Pocket Books’. If it was Pocket, we would have until March to finish the image. But Rizzoli just got the license and there wasn’t enough time. Their thought, was, “Let’s do a Best of….” issue.

Now, frankly, when you’re making a transition like that it’s really important how you look when you come out the other side. You can’t look like a retread. So I talked to my buddies who work on the calendar and I said, “Look, they want to do a rerun thing. Personally, I’m not going to do that; I’m going to create new art for the rerun price, and you guys are free to do that as well if you want. I hope you will.” And everyone just jumped in. We actually got the calendar together in about three weeks. I think it’s one of the best-looking calendars yet. So, sometimes extra-cool stuff comes out of adversity. I’m real excited about it.

No news yet on what effect this will have on the other Star Trek calendars. We look in fairly safe hands though; Rizzoli's output for this years includes tie-ins such as Buffy, Smallville, and True Blood calendars, as well as more creative subjects such as a zombie calendar, or the glow-in-the-dark lunar calendar.