The lost Klingon art of Star Trek: The Manga

Between 2006 and 2009 Tokyopop published the first ever, and so far only, Star Trek manga books(ad). They published four volumes in all, starting with three TOS anthologies, and finishing off with a single TNG release. But their original plan was to start with TNG, in a book containing stories that alas were never published. 

Back in 2004 Newsarama reported some details of this first planned book, including some amazing Klingon artwork by artist Shin-Ichi Hiromoto for a story called Skin Deep, by Jim Alexander. Alas the original article is no longer online, and only partially archived by the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine, so when I was thinking back to this cool artwork recently I was disappointed not to be able to find it all again. Then months later when digging through some old folders, there they all were! I was delighted to discovered I'd saved a back-up of my own years ago. So now I thought I'd get them back online so others can see to. Continue below to check out some really cool Klingons!

New Manga covers

Looksie what I found on Amazon, best Trek-manga cover so far?:

Looks like Tokyopop's first TNG Manga book will be titled, Boukenshin. UPDATE: Missed it first time, there's a little blurb too:
Helps to discover how Wesley learns to have compassion for others, how the Enterprise deals with a mysterious disease that wipes out half an archeological expedition, and if Picard will survive an internal coup.

Also to be found on Tokyopop's site, it the cover for the TOS Manga omnibus book.

Which seems to have dropped its title Kanzenban. Tokyopop describe thusly:
Embark on the Ultimate Adventure with the original crew of the Starship Enterprise... Selected by the fans themselves, this collection features only the very best stories from the first three volumes of the Star Trek manga anthology series. Among them, tales written by such Star Trek luminaries as David Gerrold, writer of the classic episode "The Trouble with Tribbles" and Wil Wheaton, (aka Wesley Crusher) from the Star Trek: The Next Generation series. Plus, a 28 page sneak preview of the story "Sensation" from the upcoming Star Trek: The Next Generation manga! Also included in this volume--16 previously black-and-white pages now in brilliant full color, as well as a pull-out poster featuring the amazing cover art of Michael Kelleher!

Colour Manga, vote now!

Tokyopop have opened to poll for Star Trek manga fans to vote on which story we'd like to see published in colour in next march's "Ultimate Edition" hardcover omnibus of the first three Star Trek manga books. You need to register with Tokyopop's website to vote. The page detailing the poll also has this (not final) cover for the book, which gives a title of Kanzenban:

The book will apparently include other new and bonus material.

Thanks to The Laughing Vulcan on the TrekBBS for pointing this out.

Comics update

Appologies for the recent lack of updates folks, I've not been able to maintain my connection to the ol' collective. But I'm back now. Here's my first update for the last couple of weeks news, this one looking at comics:

IDW's solicitations for September have been announced which include the last issue of Assignment: Earth, and the first of John Byrne's next story, the two-part Romulans: The Hollow Crown, plus the delayed third issue of Mirror Images and the first of IDW Star Trek Archives omnibus books, which collect older Star Trek comics. Still no sign of Alien Spotlight II... Here are the blurbs for the issues as presented by Comic News i (including the first look at the colour version of the The Hollow Crown cover):

Assignment: Earth #5
The President of the United States is the most powerful person on the planet—but what if the man in the office is an agent of a foreign government? Seven and Roberta journey to Beijing to make sure only Nixon returns from China! John Byrne’s first-ever Star Trek series concludes here!

Mirror Images #3
In the third chapter of this all-new Mirror Universe saga, we jump ahead to a never-before-seen period for the Mirror Universe: the waning days of the war between the Empire and the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance. As the Empire's sphere of influence shrinks with every losing battle, we ship out with the ISS Starbreaker, where a young navigator, Lieutenant Jean-Luc Picard, is forced into command of his crippled vessel, and must figure out a way to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, or sparing that, at least keep himself and his remaining crewmates alive to fight another day.

Romulans: The Hollow Crown #1
Legendary creator John Byrne presents a special two-part sequel to his first Star Trek tale. In chapter one, the first mission of the Empire's new ship and weapon ended in failure, but the Praetor is not done yet! Familiar faces old and new join in a continuation of the tale begun in Star Trek Spotlight: Romulans. Learn who will ultimately wear “The Hollow Crown.”

Star Trek Archives - Volume 1: Best of Peter David
First in a new series that collects the very best Star Trek comics from the past three decades. Star Trek Archives: Vol. 1. Best of Peter David collects five Star Trek: The Original Series stories written by fan-favorite writer Peter David (Star Trek: New Frontier). Bill Mumy (Lost in Space) co-writes three issues, and one issue is illustrated by legendary comic artist Curt Swan. The stories in this volume focus on the first crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise—Captain Kirk, Spock, Dr. McCoy, Scotty, and Mr. Chekov.

Meanwhile on his forums John Byrne has released a couple of pre-coloured preview pages from that last Assignment: Earth issue. Here's one:

And go the original post, here, for more.

On Chris Ryall's blog the IDW editor has released the Joe Corroney cover from the forth issue of Mirror Images:

And this interior page from the second, featuring Orions:

If you check that original post you can also see a pre-coloured version of the Corroney cover.

And finally, according to TrekMovie.com, due to some in-company issues at Tokyopop lately, the first book of TNG manga, which was due out in a couple of months, has been delayed until next year. The third TOS book is still due next month.

Future Manga details

TrekMovie.com have posted a review of Tokyopop's Star Trek manga efforts so far and announced details of what's to come. Here's the lowdown:

The third book, Aratanaru Michi He, will be 192 pages long, featuring four 45 page stories (rather than five slightly shorter ones like the previous volumes). The stories are:

Bandi, by David Gerrold with art by Don Hudson -"a light-hearted story, and will feature Kirk trying to control his anger."

Art of War, by Wil Wheaton with art by EJ Su - "[showing] Kirk dealing with his hatred of Klingons, but for the first time sympathizing too (foreshadowing the peace treaty between the Federation and the Klingons)."

Inalienable Rights, by Nathaniel Bowden with art by Heidi Arnold. "a tale of morality about a first contact with a race that is not yet ready and will focus more on Scotty."

Sonata, by Luis Reyes with art by Nate Wilson. "tells a story of Spock in command and finding it lonely at the top."

TrekMovie also released this cover art for the book:

After that book (out in July) Tokyopop will finally be getting to some TNG manga (which was initially what they were going to start with but was put on hold for TOS's 40th anniversary - find out more about that, here). Two books are already on the way, the first, with contributions by Diane Duane, David Gerrold, Christine Boylan, and FJ DeSanto will be out in October and the second in February next year.

Star Trek: The Manga 3 details starting to appear

The first details of Tokyopop's third Star Trek manga book are starting to appear on various online book shops. The volume will be titled Aratanaru Michi He, David Gerold and EJ Su will be contributors and it will be published in July (a little earlier than the previous books which both came out in September). It will have 192 pages, it's ISBN will be 1427807876, and that, is all we know.

Star Trek: The Manga 2 update

Tokyopop have posted a preview of the forthcoming second Star Trek manga book. Anyone can view the first six pages and if you log into their website you can read the entire first story in the book, which is Wil Wheaton's "Te Cura Ipsum". The preview can be found here.

And on Memory Beta a user as added a full story list with titles authorship and artists. You can see the full list on MB's page for the book. I imagine this information comes from the book itself as it's mid-August and it's due in September they should be appearing in shops about now.

Star Trek: The Manga 2 updates

Tokyopop have updates their website with a cover and blurb of their second Star Trek manga volume:

Manga-style art and Star Trek tales collide again in this next volume of TOKYOPOP's voyages of the U.S.S. Enterprise, commanded by Captain James T. Kirk. Once again ten artists and writers from across the artistic spectrum deliver up brand new tales of universal betterment featuring the classic Star Trek line up. In Kakan ni Shinkou, Kirk is put on trial for crimes he has yet to discover... Uhura demonstrates the true power of communication... Bones gets to the core of Vulcan emotion... Scotty has to extract dilithium crystals from a mine in the middle of a war zone... and an alien delegation uses the Enterprise as a vessel of deception!

This new volume of Star Trek: The Manga-- Kakan ni Shinkou features stories by TNG's Wil Wheaton, Diane Duane, Mike Wellman, Paul Benjamin and Christine Boylan as well as art by EJ Su, Don Hudson, Steven Cummings, Bettina Kurkoski and Nam Kim.

The covers note that like the first volume the book will contain a short story from Pocket Books' latest anthology, this time a TNG tale from the anniversary anthology "The Sky's the Limit". This manga book is due in September, and "The Sky's the Limit", which if they follow last years pattern of cross-promotion will include one of the manga stories, is due in October.

Star Trek: The Manga 2 writers and artists

I was doing some googling and managed to find out who is working on Tokyopop's second Star Trek manga anthology Star Trek: The Manga 2 "Kahan Ni Shinkou".

Paul Benjamin will be working with artist Steven Cummings on a story featuring Spock, McCoy and Kirk on Vulcan.

Christine Boylan will be working with Bettina Kurkoski on a story.

And the final three writers are, as we already knew, Wil Wheaton, along with Mike Wellman and Trek novelist Diane Duane, and the other three artists are Ej Su who worked on the first anthology along with Don Hudson and Nam Kim.

Sources: Interview with Paul Benjamin, Bettina Kurkoski's deviantART blog.

Manga title and other bits from Amazon

Amazon have got a few new interesting Star Trek updates.

There page for Star Trek: The Manga 2 has been updated to include the book specific title "Kakan Ni Shinkou".

And they have listings for collections of IDWs efforts with The Space Between listed as avialble from September and Klingons: Blood Will Tell in November.

Wil Wheaton writing for Star Trek: The Manga 2

Wil Wheaton (aka Wesley Crusher in TNG) has announced on his blog that he is writing a story for volume two of Tokyopop's Star Trek: The Manga books.

He did not give much away, as he noted the book hasn’t officially been announced yet, but he did reveal his tale will be a TOS story, seemingly ending speculation that Tokyopop’s second books would be a TNG collection for TNG 20th anniversary following the TOS book last year for the 40th anniversary.

Tokyopop acquired the Star Trek manga license in 2004 and had originally planed a TNG collection, however after some development time they decided to produce a TOS collection instead to celebrate the 40th anniversary last year. As TNG's 20th anniversary is this year it has widely been assumed the original delayed project might resurface as the second book out this year. Mr Wheaton's announcement would seem to imply the TNG projet remains on hold, though it's possible his story could be a crossover or the new book could have stories from different series.

Amazon have had a listing for Star Trek: The Manga 2 for a month or so.

Wil Wheaton's annoucment can be found here. Details of the original TNG project, including some very nice art can be seen here. Hopefully those original stories will see light in some form one day.