A number of original Star Trek stories appeared in British publications. Detailed information on Star Trek comic strips was researched by Rich Handley. Most of this information was published in Star Trek Communicator and is duplicated here with his generous permission. Subsequently, Shaqui Le Vesconte, a collector of UK Star Trek strips, provided additional information. Any mistakes generated by the data-meld I have attempted are entirely my own.
From 1969 to 1973, weekly comic strips based on Star Trek were published in Britain. The artwork in the British strips was provided by such talents as Harry Lindfield, Mike Noble, Alan Willow, Ron Turner, Jim Baikie, Harold Johns, Carlos Pino, Vicente Alcázar and John Stokes. Apart from Angus Allan, writers for most of the strips remain unknown.
Star Trek made its first appearance in Joe 90 Top Secret, Jan 1969, published by City Magazines, six months before the first episode aired on British television. Joe 90, one of puppeteer Gerry Anderson's television series, was the title character of the comic, but Star Trek was featured prominently in the center of the magazine, published in color. Joe 90 Top Secret lasted 34 issues.
In the fall of 1969, Joe 90 Top Secret merged with TV21, another long-running but fading television comic and was renamed TV21 & Joe 90, in an attempt to recapture departed fans. Star Trek survived the merger and ironically, became the most popular title in the magazine, even though televised Star Trek was canceled that same year. Few Anderson stories remained in what began as an Anderson vehicle. Alan Willow produced many painted illustrations for covers, which alternated between Star Trek, Land of the Giants, Tarzan and other titles, until painted covers were replaced by an extra page of Star Trek story content. Eventually, & Joe 90 was dropped from the magazine's title and TV21 briefly re-established itself among British readers. Though sometimes inaccurate in terms of technical details, much of the artwork created for the series was well-rendered.
After 105 issues, TV21 changed again, merging with Valiant to become Valiant and TV21 in late 1971. Star Trek was the featured strip, published in color, in the center of the magazine. Valiant and TV21 ran until October 1976, but Star Trek was dropped after 118 issues, concluding its run in December 1973.
In addition to the weekly magazines, more original material by Ron Turner, Jack Sutter, Jim Baikie and John Canning appeared in the 1969 Joe 90 Top Secret hardcover annual, the Valiant 1972 Summer Special, the 1971-1973 TV21 hardcover annuals and the 1978-1979 TV Comic hardcover annuals. An original Frank Bellamy Star Trek strip also appeared in the June 27, 1970 issue of Radio Times, the BBC's weekly television and radio program listings magazine.
Nearly five years of weekly Star Trek strips were published during the British run. Trek, a fanzine published in the 1970s by G. B. Love and Walter Irwin, reprinted a few of the Valiant and TV21 strips, but the vast majority of this material wasn't published in the United States until 2016, when IDW and the Library of American Comics released the first of three volumes Star Trek: The Classic UK Comics. The complete series of Star Trek strips published in 259 magazines and six annuals amounts to nearly 600 pages of material, as shown in this photo of Rich Handley's UK Trek collection.
Joe 90 Top Secret
City Magazines/Martspress
18 Jan 1969 - 6 Sep 1969, w: Angus Allan and various, possibly Tod Sullivan, a: Harry Lindfield for many issues. Only four of the Joe 90 Top Secret covers feature Star Trek art and were drawn by Lindfield. Magazine size is 10.75 in x 13 in.
#1-6 Belligerent robots enslave the Enterprise crew until Kirk destroys their main power source. Issue #1 dated 18 Jan 1969.
#7-10 Spores on Crucial-3 force the crew to exile Kirk and McCoy on the dying world of Vultra.
#11-14 Investigating strange disappearances on Angoma, Kirk is teleported to a zoo run by giant mantises.
#15-18 To end a war between Hytar and Nuofo, Kirk convinces both sides to unite against a common enemy.
#19-22 While helping planet Stai escape the warlike Galactic Union, Kirk is subjected to a brain-scrambler.
#23-30 The Balants possess Kirk's mind and make him attack Spock, but the Kalins help him defeat them.
#31-34 When Agonite criminals fool Kirk into freeing them, he realizes his error and re-captures them. Issue #34 dated 6 Sep 1969.
TV21 & Joe 90
City Magazines/IPC Magazines
27 Sep 1969 - 25 Sep 1971, w: various, a: Harry Lindfield, Mike Noble and others. Notes: The first three issues have soccer covers. Many of the TV21 covers feature painted Star Trek art or the first page of the Star Trek strip. Most of the painted covers were drawn by Alan Willow. TV21 & Joe 90 was reduced in size from 10.75 in x 13 in to 8.75 in x 11.75 in with issue #26. TV21 & Joe 90 became TV21 with issue #37. The Star Trek strip expanded to the front page with issue #42. IPC Magazines took over publishing from City Magazines with issue #93.
#1-6 The ghostly Zonds lie to Kirk to enlist his aid in stealing the planet Vartax from its rightful inhabitants. Issue #1 dated 27 Sep 1969.
#7-11 The Enterprise becomes trapped beneath the surface of a watery planet in the Sigma Draconis Group.
#12-17 Investigating a derelict ship, Kirk and Spock are whisked away to a war between Eldor and Norus.
#18-23 Klingons lure the Enterprise to Seggor to deliver an ultimatum to Earth -- surrender or be destroyed! Issue #23 Star Trek strip printed in b&w.
#24-31 A Romulan posing as Ambassador Courtenay Marshall leads the Enterprise to a trap on Tondus. Jim Baikie takes over art duties circa Mar 1970. Issues #24-31 Star Trek strips printed in b&w.
#32-38 When the Dorado crew mutinees, Spock must mind-meld with his cousin Horek to quell the unrest. Mike Noble takes over art duties circa May 1970.
#39-44 Kirk and Spock are captured by Palnak the Collector, who has a vast museum 1000 years in the future.
#45-51 The Enterprise tests robots designed to replace the crew, but Varkan sabotage makes them run amok.
#52-57 Tracking a lost survey ship to Tekkor, Kirk mistakes the natives' intentions and nearly sparks a war.
#58-64 Insurgents on Dak-Alpha take over the planet, turning Kirk and company into mindless zombies. Ron Turner takes over art duties circa Oct 1970, issue #58, replaced mid-story by artist Harold Johns.
#65-73 Seriously wounded in a meteorite storm, Kirk is replaced by the insane Captain Eustace Hensham.
#74-77 Enterprise's officers are forced to fight in a Roman arena by an hypnotic robot posing as Caesar. Carlos Pino and Vicente Alcázar take over art duties with issue #74 until the end of this series.
#78-81 Radiation from Santar's twin suns sends Kirk and Spock back in time, to battle frog-like aliens.
#82-90 An Enterprise crewman, fearful of gangsters after witnessing a murder, flees to Romulan space.
#91-94 While fixing a robot ship on Nova-Thirteen, Kirk is caught by primitives with cyclopean watchdogs.
#95-100 McCoy brings an injured crewman to Certax for medical care, but penal colony inmates take the ship.
#101-105 The Enterprise is propelled 800 years in the past to planet Zeltok, mere weeks before it will explode. Issue #105 dated 25 Sep 1971.
Valiant and TV21
IPC Magazines
2 Oct 1971 - 29 Dec 1973, w: various, a: John Stokes for most issues. Notes: Valiant and TV21 was published without issue numbers. Only the first two Valiant and TV21 covers feature Star Trek art. The Who is it? covers were drawn by Mike Western. Magazine size is 9 in x 11.25 in.
#1-2 Investigating the disappearance of a survey ship, the Enterprise landing party finds something terrible and sinister happening to them. The first Issue with Star Trek content was dated 2 Oct 1971.
#3-11 Ordered to make for the planet Lothor to negotiate a defense alliance against the Klingon Empire, Captain Kirk and the Enterprise are unaware that, through their mechano-hypnotiser, Klingons are in complete control of the Lothorian President. Soon the Federation will reel under the most staggering blow the Klingon Empire has ever delivered.
#12-17 While Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock explore the planet Graktan, the Graktan defenses mistake the Enterprise for a hostile craft, leaving the mighty spaceship helpless and drifting into the gravitational pull of the system's sun.
#18-22 Damaged in a meteorite storm, the Enterprise puts down on a moon for repairs. As maintenance teams get to work, Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock investigate the planet and find themselves smack in the middle of a missile testing zone.
#23-33 Approaching the far distant Beton system, the space explorers enter the territory of the Collector. He means to capture the Enterprise and add it to his vast museum of transport.
#34-42 Kirk and crew are about to get the shock of their lives after landing on Kwettir, a planet of giants.
#43-47 The minds of Janvarian criminals are enclosed in a metal cylinder and sent off into space. But the cylinder contacts the Enterprise, and the collective minds trick Captain Kirk into taking them back to Janvar.
#48-56 Kirk is instructed to make new allies for the Federation against the Romulan Empire with a system of planets known as the Perithees.
#57-63 Using a bio-scientific technique, Klingons project the disembodied will of a Cereonian assassin onto the Enterprise, programmed to destroy the ship.
#64-73 Captain Kirk receives special permission from the planet Zentar to pass through a forbidden area of space known as The Void of Storms. But, the Enterprise is carrying a stowaway, a renegade scientist trying to reach his army of robots to launch an invasion of Zentar.
#74-90 In a war between the Klingon-controlled planet Morkol and neighboring Thark. Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock, disguised at Klingons, beam down to Morkol to rescue the kidnapped son of the Tharkian leader.
#91-106 In a conflict between the planet Sklurr and her Romulan-controlled neighbor Karr, Captain Kirk and the ruler of Sklurr are captured by Romulans and destined to amuse the mob by facing the perils of the arena.
#107-118 Lured to the hitherto unknown planet Plixes, Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock are taken prisoner while the planetary leaders Gokron and Chekra, by means of advanced science, assume their bodies and minds. Gokron and Chekra then have themselves beamed to a Federation conference - their mission to destroy every delegate and disrupt the whole Federation. The last issue with Star Trek content was dated 29 Dec 1973.
Big Rat: The Joe 90 web site - The 1960s/1970s Comics
http://www.bigrat.co.uk/merchandise/60s70s/comics.html
Joe 90 Top Secret - 1969
http://www.technodelic.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Upload01/Joe90TS01.htm
An interview with Angus Allan
http://www.animus-web.demon.co.uk/sapphireandsteel/angus/angus1.html
TV21 & Joe 90, 1969-70
http://www.technodelic.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Upload03/Joe90TV02.htm
Alan Willow: An Interview with the artist
http://technodelic.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Interviews/AlanWillow.htm
Short run comics: Joe 90 Top Secret
http://lewstringer.blogspot.com/2007/06/short-run-comics-joe-90-top-secret.html
Flashback 1969: TV21 & Joe 90 No. 1
http://lewstringer.blogspot.com/2007/11/flashback-1969-tv21-joe-90-no1.html
Christmas comics: Valiant 1971
http://lewstringer.blogspot.com/2009/12/christmas-comics-valiant-1971.html
The Road to Marvel UK - Part 3
http://lewstringer.blogspot.com/2008/02/road-to-marvel-uk-part-3.html
The dynamic art of Mike Noble
http://lewstringer.blogspot.com/2007/02/dynamic-art-of-mike-noble.html
Frank Bellamy - the checklist: Radio Times
https://www.frankbellamy.co.uk/p/magazines-radio-times.html
Frank Bellamy
http://weirdocorner.blogspot.com/2009/06/frank-bellamy-good-doctor-artist.html
Jim Baikie
http://lambiek.net/artists/b/baikie_jim.htm
Mike Western 1925 - 2008
http://fourcolorcraic.blogspot.com/2008/06/mike-western-1925-2008.html
Ron Turner
http://www.britishcomicart.netfirms.com/turner/turner_bio_1.html
Carlos Pino
http://www.tebeosfera.com/1/Autor/Dibujante/Pino/Carlos.htm
Vicente Alcázar
http://deskartesmil.blogspot.com/2009/09/vicente-alcazar.html
Star Trek Comic Strips (UK)
http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Star_Trek_Comic_Strip_(UK)
Ready to Beam Up, Skipper - The Star Trek Comics You Didn't Know About, by Alan J. Porter
http://www.sfsite.com/columns/graphica296.htm
British Star Trek comics spreadsheet
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=tEPTfm_BBQXg8HppPVJ-S6w&output=html
Berenato, Joseph F. New Life and New Civilizations: Exploring Star Trek Comics. Edwardsville, IL: Sequart Organization, 2014. ISBN 978-1-9405-8905-3 (Flaming Nacelles and Giant Snails: The Unique Culture of the British Star Trek Comics, 1969-1973 by Alan J. Porter, pp 37-51)
Bleathman, Graham and Shaqui Le Vesconte. Star Trek - UK! and A Valiant Star Trek, Star Trek Magazine #125, Feb/Mar 2006, pp 66-70.
Handley, Rich. Forgotten Frontiers: Revisiting the Star Trek comic strips, Star Trek Communicator 121, Feb/Mar 1999, pp 6,68-72,80.
Handley, Rich. The Four Color Frontier, Star Trek Magazine #122, Aug/Sep 2005, pp 66-71.
Handley, Rich. Forgotten Frontiers, Comics International Star Trek Special 2009, pp 20-23.
Handley, Rich. Great Jupiter! The Long Road to Reprinting Star Trek's British Comics, Star Trek Explorer #9 Winter 2023, pp 86-90.
Porter, Alan J. Star Trek: A Comics History. Neshannock, PA: Hermes Press, 2009. ISBN 1-932563-35-0 (Chapter 2, pp 32-47)
