THE FIRST DECADE

C H A P T E R20

C O N T I N U I N G

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Securing John Byrne as a writer/artist for a Star Trek:Alien Spotlight that focused on the Romulans was areal coup for Chris and led to Byrne doing severalother Star Trek–themed series for IDW. In thisinterview, Chris and John discuss his Star Trek work.

• • • •

CR: We first started talking maybetwo years ago, and the result of theconversation was a cover for ourfirst Angel series. I know I'd beenwanting to work with you morebut in my head, you were the“hot supermodel at the party,” theone who might go out with an

In 2007, IDW secured the license to publish comic

books based on Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next

Generation. Over the past two years, IDW has published

a variety of Star Trek titles, including a Year Four series

written by original Trek writer D.C. Fontana, a series

of Alien Spotlights, and most recently, Star Trek:

Countdown, a series that acts as a prequel to the

J.J. Abrams-directed Star Trek movie.

C H A P T E R

STARTREK

20

261_____________________________________________________________Opposite Page: Star Trek: Alien Spotlight-Romulans, art by John Byrne.

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Securing John Byrne as a writer/artist for a Star Trek:Alien Spotlight that focused on the Romulans was areal coup for Chris and led to Byrne doing severalother Star Trek–themed series for IDW. In thisinterview, Chris and John discuss his Star Trek work.

• • • •

CR: We first started talking maybetwo years ago, and the result of theconversation was a cover for ourfirst Angel series. I know I'd beenwanting to work with you morebut in my head, you were the“hot supermodel at the party,” theone who might go out with an

In 2007, IDW secured the license to publish comic

books based on Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next

Generation. Over the past two years, IDW has published

a variety of Star Trek titles, including a Year Four series

written by original Trek writer D.C. Fontana, a series

of Alien Spotlights, and most recently, Star Trek:

Countdown, a series that acts as a prequel to the

J.J. Abrams-directed Star Trek movie.

C H A P T E R

STARTREK

20

261_____________________________________________________________Opposite Page: Star Trek: Alien Spotlight-Romulans, art by John Byrne.

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___________________________________Opposite Page: Star Trek: The Enterprise

Experiment, art by Gordon Purcell.

______________________________________Star Trek: Countdown, art by David Messina.

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___________________________________Opposite Page: Star Trek: The Enterprise

Experiment, art by Gordon Purcell.

______________________________________Star Trek: Countdown, art by David Messina.

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trepidations about your likeness acumen. So was Ijust that persuasive?

JB: You cleverly suggested something where no onewould have to sign off on the likenesses! That lifteda great weight from my shoulders—and actuallymade the Mark Lenard likeness come out better thanit probably would have otherwise!

CR: Even still, your first few issues were concernedwith Romulans and Klingons, not really likeness-heavy books. What was it that made you then decideto leap full-force into Star Trek with the AssignmentEarth series?

JB: I know the "Assignment: Earth" episode is not afavorite with many Trek fans, but it was one of mine.I wanted to see more of Gary Seven and Roberta—and Isis! So once I'd stuck a toe in your corner of theTrek-verse, it seemed like I pretty much HAD topitch Assignment: Earth.

CR: You've worked with pretty much every publisherover the last three decades. Since this book celebratesIDW's 10th anniversary of publishing comics, Iwanted to explore what it is that's kept you aroundfor the past year or two and into the future withadditional books planned for us. Namely, based onyour experiences over the years, is there anything in

265

average Joe if only he had the nerve to ask, but henever asked. So, I figured, getting a cover from youwould have to suffice, rather than get a good idea inmy head and have you turn it down. So, you agreeingto do a Star Trek one-shot [Romulans] a year or solater was a pleasant surprise. How did thatcome about in the first place beyond myasking? Was doing a Trek book sort of awhim at the time or was it somethingyou'd been wanting to do?

JB: As a fan of the original Trek since, oh,forever, I'd been interested in doingsomething that would allow me to connect to the

mythos, even on the understanding that anything notproduced directly by Paramount was consideredglorified fanfic by the Powers That Be. But the rightcombination of time, place, and a project had notquite come together—until you asked if I would be

interested in doing something, and theRomulans job more or less invented itself.

CR: I know I'd seen in interviews that youmentioned being a big fan, but being a bigfan and wanting to jump back into doinglicensed comics after a couple decades of not

having to worry about strict actor likenesses isanother matter entirely. And I remember you had

264______________________________Star Trek: Crew, art by John Byrne.

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trepidations about your likeness acumen. So was Ijust that persuasive?

JB: You cleverly suggested something where no onewould have to sign off on the likenesses! That lifteda great weight from my shoulders—and actuallymade the Mark Lenard likeness come out better thanit probably would have otherwise!

CR: Even still, your first few issues were concernedwith Romulans and Klingons, not really likeness-heavy books. What was it that made you then decideto leap full-force into Star Trek with the AssignmentEarth series?

JB: I know the "Assignment: Earth" episode is not afavorite with many Trek fans, but it was one of mine.I wanted to see more of Gary Seven and Roberta—and Isis! So once I'd stuck a toe in your corner of theTrek-verse, it seemed like I pretty much HAD topitch Assignment: Earth.

CR: You've worked with pretty much every publisherover the last three decades. Since this book celebratesIDW's 10th anniversary of publishing comics, Iwanted to explore what it is that's kept you aroundfor the past year or two and into the future withadditional books planned for us. Namely, based onyour experiences over the years, is there anything in

265

average Joe if only he had the nerve to ask, but henever asked. So, I figured, getting a cover from youwould have to suffice, rather than get a good idea inmy head and have you turn it down. So, you agreeingto do a Star Trek one-shot [Romulans] a year or solater was a pleasant surprise. How did thatcome about in the first place beyond myasking? Was doing a Trek book sort of awhim at the time or was it somethingyou'd been wanting to do?

JB: As a fan of the original Trek since, oh,forever, I'd been interested in doingsomething that would allow me to connect to the

mythos, even on the understanding that anything notproduced directly by Paramount was consideredglorified fanfic by the Powers That Be. But the rightcombination of time, place, and a project had notquite come together—until you asked if I would be

interested in doing something, and theRomulans job more or less invented itself.

CR: I know I'd seen in interviews that youmentioned being a big fan, but being a bigfan and wanting to jump back into doinglicensed comics after a couple decades of not

having to worry about strict actor likenesses isanother matter entirely. And I remember you had

264______________________________Star Trek: Crew, art by John Byrne.

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______________________________________________________________This Page and Opposite: Star Trek: Assignment Earth, art by John Byrne.

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______________________________________________________________This Page and Opposite: Star Trek: Assignment Earth, art by John Byrne.

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particular you look for in a publisher for whom youdecide to work now?

JB: Well, as you know from working with me, I ama tyrannical ogre who makes constant and nearlyimpossible demands, so if you drop the ball evenonce, I'll be gone so fast you won't even know whathit you.

Or, to put that another way, IDW has been very easyto work with. So has Paramount. And that makes

for a good combo for someone who, yes, was really,really gun-shy after previous bad experiences withlicensed stuff. Both Howard Mackie and RogerStern have given the same answer when asked bypotential editors “What do I have to do to work withByrne?” “Don't lie to him.” So far, you haven’t. Ormaybe I just haven't caught you yet! Either way, thebest way to have a professional relationship with meis to... be professional! So far, that's what I find atIDW.

_________________________________________Opposite Page: Star Trek: Alien Spotlight–Borg,art by Sean Murphy.

__________________________________Star Trek: Intelligence Gathering, art byDavid Messina and Mirco Pierfederici.

IDW

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particular you look for in a publisher for whom youdecide to work now?

JB: Well, as you know from working with me, I ama tyrannical ogre who makes constant and nearlyimpossible demands, so if you drop the ball evenonce, I'll be gone so fast you won't even know whathit you.

Or, to put that another way, IDW has been very easyto work with. So has Paramount. And that makes

for a good combo for someone who, yes, was really,really gun-shy after previous bad experiences withlicensed stuff. Both Howard Mackie and RogerStern have given the same answer when asked bypotential editors “What do I have to do to work withByrne?” “Don't lie to him.” So far, you haven’t. Ormaybe I just haven't caught you yet! Either way, thebest way to have a professional relationship with meis to... be professional! So far, that's what I find atIDW.

_________________________________________Opposite Page: Star Trek: Alien Spotlight–Borg,art by Sean Murphy.

__________________________________Star Trek: Intelligence Gathering, art byDavid Messina and Mirco Pierfederici.

IDW

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