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Star Trek Los Angeles Times Syndicate newspaper comic strip

Detailed information on Star Trek comic strips was researched by Rich Handley. Most of this information was published in Star Trek Communicator #121 and is duplicated here with his generous permission. The Library of American Comics, a division of IDW Publishing, has reprinted the strips in two volumes, see Star Trek: The Newspaper Comics. The Star Trek strip was delivered to newspapers via camera-ready proofs. For a deep dive into the esoterica of Sunday newspaper comics and the Star Trek strip, see The Case of the Missing Sunday Panels.

Star Trek, a newspaper comic strip syndicated by the Los Angeles Times Syndicate, was published from December 2, 1979 until December 3, 1983. Six daily b&w strips were provided each week. The four-color Sunday strip was made available in half-page standard format, which could also be published in third-page standard, quarter-page standard, full-page-tabloid and half-page tab format. The Sunday strip recapped the daily story line. Overall, 152 color Sunday strips and 1254 black & white daily strips were published. The total number of newspapers that carried the syndicated strip is unknown, but see below for a work in progress list of the newspapers.

Writer/artist Thomas Warkentin was aided by Ron Harris, Mark Rice, Dan Spiegle, Duke Riley, Kurt Warkentin, and someone named Yang. Ron Harris was aided by Thomas Warkentin, Paul Chadwick, Terry Robinson, Alan Munro, and Laurie Newell. Warkentin ghost-illustrated the final week of Harris' run. Ernie Colón was aided by Alfredo Alcala and Serc Soc. The latter may have been a pen-name. Brief summaries of the twenty story arcs follow. Rosemarie Warkentin provided titles for her husband's untitled strips. The remaining untitled strips were given titles for the recently published reprints.

#1: Sunday, December 2, 1979 - Saturday, January 12, 1980 (6 Sunday, 36 daily)
Called Home
Aliens asleep for 900 years awaken to learn that their world has been devastated by war. Stardate 7493.5
Writer: Thomas Warkentin
Artist: Thomas Warkentin

#2: Sunday, January 13, 1980 - Saturday, March 8, 1980 (8 Sunday, 48 daily)
Dilithium Dilemma
Klingon raiders attack the Enterprise at Forma VI over a depleted dilithium mine. Stardate 7495.3
Writer: Thomas Warkentin
Artist: Thomas Warkentin

#3: Sunday, March 9, 1980 - Saturday, May 3, 1980 (8 Sunday, 48 daily)
The Real McCoy
Dr. Anton Zauber alters his appearance to replace McCoy, with help from McCoy's ex-wife. Stardate 7535.1
Writer: Thomas Warkentin
Artist: Thomas Warkentin

#4: Sunday, May 4, 1980 - Saturday, June 28, 1980 (8 Sunday, 48 daily)
Double Bluff
Kirk grants asylum to Morg and Chetar, renegade Klingon siblings facing political persecution. Stardate 7541.1
Writer: Thomas Warkentin
Story: Tom Durkin
Artists: Thomas Warkentin, Mark Rice

#5: Sunday, June 29, 1980 - Saturday, September 6, 1980 (10 Sunday, 60 daily)
Aberration on Abaris
Paul and Elsa Hoff find Sumerian writings and a 5,000-year-old carving of the Enterprise on Abaris.
Writer: Thomas Warkentin
Artists: Thomas Warkentin, Mark Rice, Yang

#6: Sunday, September 7, 1980 - Saturday, January 17, 1981 (19 Sunday, 114 daily)
Husian Gambit
Rebels on Hus-24 enslave Enterprise and Venture personnel to protest Federation exploitation. Stardate 7559.0
Writer: Thomas Warkentin
Story: Tom Durkin
Artists: Thomas Warkentin, Ron Harris

#7: Sunday, January 18, 1981 - Saturday, March 21, 1981 (9 Sunday, 54 daily))
Heads of State
Sent to buy Lozite-M on Zeta-Atez, Kirk learns that Imperator Dykranus has a secret -- a second head! Stardate 7988.3
Writer: Thomas Warkentin
Story: Peter Jacoby
Artists: Thomas Warkentin, Ron Harris

#8: Sunday, March 22, 1981 - Saturday, April 25, 1981 (5 Sunday, 30 daily)
It's a Living
Journalist Jo Williams is aboard to cover a mission to Argus IV, a mining world owned by Harry Mudd.
Writer: Thomas Warkentin
Artists: Thomas Warkentin, Ron Harris, Kurt Warkentin, Duke Riley

#9: Sunday, April 26, 1981 - Tuesday, July 21, 1981 (13 Sunday, 74 daily)
The Savage Within
Kirk saves a derelict ship at Epsilon Anubis from deadly radiation, ending a 300-year clan war. Stardate 7692.7
Writer: Sharman DiVono
Artist: Ron Harris

#10: Wednesday, July 22, 1981 - Tuesday, October 27, 1981 (14 Sunday, 84 daily)
Quarantine
Chapel contracts a plague and becomes dangerously paranoid while helping the planet Sarsithia. Stardate 7708.3
Writer: Sharman DiVono
Artist: Ron Harris

#11: Wednesday, October 28, 1981 - Sunday, February 28, 1982 (18 Sunday, 106 daily)
Restructuring Is Futile
On Iskonia, Kirk finds a Klingon crew cyborged by the Omnimind, a deadly machine intelligence. Stardate 7719.2
Writer: Sharman DiVono
Artist: Ron Harris

#12: Monday, March 1, 1982 - Saturday, July 17, 1982 (19 Sunday, 120 daily)
The Wristwatch Plantation
Investigating the fate of a Bebebebeque colony on Mimit, the Enterprise faces Kzinti invaders (The Slaver Weapon). More information about writer Larry Niven and this strip is available at the Complete Starfleet Library. Stardate 7731.1
Writer: Sharman DiVono
Story: Larry Niven
Artist: Ron Harris

#13: Sunday, July 18, 1982 - Saturday, September 4, 1982 (7 Sunday, 42 daily)
The Nogura Regatta
Kyoshi Nogura plans a starship regatta to honor his father's birthday, but pirates abduct the ship entrants. Stardate 7760.5
Writer: Sharman DiVono
Artists: Ron Harris, Thomas Warkentin

#14: Sunday, September 5, 1982 - Saturday, October 30, 1982 (8 Sunday, 48 daily)
A Merchant's Loyalty
Merchant fleets from Delta 330 stage a rivalry to lure the Enterprise into their grasp. Stardate 8123.2
Sunday strip ends October 24, 1982.
Writer: Padraic Shigetani
Artist: Padraic Shigetani

#15: Monday, November 1, 1982 - Saturday, February 12, 1983 (90 daily)
Taking Shape
Taking medical supplies to the Vanowen Colony, the crew is replaced by shape-shifters from Manark V. Stardate 9546.3
Writer: Martin Pasko
Artist: Padraic Shigetani

#16: Monday, February 14, 1983 - Saturday, May 7, 1983 (72 daily)
Send in the Clones
Admiral Yaramoto sends Kirk to end a long-standing war with the Sangdor Principality. Stardate 9580.03
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: Bob Myers

#17: Monday, May 9, 1983 - Saturday, July 2, 1983 (48 daily)
Goodbye to Spock
Crashing the Copernicus in the Fortenue System, Spock becomes amnesiac and takes a lover, Dyana. Stardate 9597.2
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artists: Ernie Colón, Alfredo Alcala<, Serc Soc

#18: Monday, July 4, 1983 - Saturday, August 13, 1983 (36 daily)
Terminally Yours
Contracting a plague on Circe-Six, McCoy grows paranoid and steals a shuttlecraft to die alone. Stardate 9620
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: Dick Kulpa

#19: Monday, August 15, 1983 - Saturday, October 15, 1983 (54 daily)
The Retirement of Admiral Kirk
Kirk resigns when assigned to a desk job, but finds privateer work aboard the Orion not to his liking. Stardate 9640.1
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: Dick Kulpa

#20: Monday, October 17, 1983 - Saturday, December 3, 1983 (42 daily)
Getting Real
The crew finds themselves on an alternate 20th century Earth where they are characters in a television show... called Star Trek.
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: Dick Kulpa

#15 Aug 1978
Starlog

Sample art appeared in this issue along with an article on the forthcoming Star Trek comic strip, p 14.

Writer: Thomas Warkentin
Artist: Thomas Warkentin

1991
Playgrounds of the Mind

Short story and essay collection by Larry Niven originally published in hardcover and reprinted in paperback. Contains an essay, The Lost Ideas, in which Niven discusses working on The Wristwatch Plantation with Sharman DiVono and Ron Harris. He also describes the final climax he had in mind for the strip (click on the Preview button).

Writer: Larry Niven
Cover Artist: David Archer

#121 Feb/Mar 1999
Star Trek Communicator

The audition strip which helped artist Dick Kulpa land work on the Star Trek strip circa 1983 is published in this issue as part of Rich Handley's article on Star Trek comic strips, pp 6, 68-72, 80.

Writer: Dick Kulpa
Artist: Dick Kulpa

#122 Aug/Sep 2005
Star Trek Magazine

Contains Rich Handley's article on Star Trek comic strips and artwork, pp 66-71.

2009
Comics International Star Trek Special

Contains Rich Handley's article on Star Trek comic strips and artwork, pp 20-23.

2010
Star Trek: A Comics History

Alan Porter's history of Star Trek comics includes a chapter on Star Trek comic strips with artwork, Chapter 4, pp 56-67.

2014
New Life and New Civilizations: Exploring Star Trek Comics

Edited by Joseph F. Berenato, includes a chapter on Star Trek comic strips by Rich Handley, Faith of the Art: Stripping Down the Star Trek Daily Newspaper Serials, pp 87-102.

#136 Jul 2022
Back Issue

Contains "The Star Trek Newspaper Comic Strip - 1979 to 1983" by John K. Kirk, pp 68-72.

1979
Star Trek: The legend is now Star Trek, the comic strip
Los Angeles Times Syndicate
Press kit released to promote the syndicated Star Trek comic strip to newspapers. The kit features promotional material and comic art examples to introduce the comic strip and includes three Sunday color comic strip panels on glossy stock measuring 9-3/4" x 14" each when opened, three black & white comic strip panels on glossy stock measuring 11" x 17" each when opened, the first two issues of the Star Trek: The Motion Picture newsletter, and a fact sheet measuring 8-1/2" x 11", all in a folder with glossy cover.

1979
Star Trek: The legend is now a comic strip
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Promotional flyer advertising the Star Trek comic strip printed on 8.5"x14" sheet folded in half. Contains the first six strips dated 12/3 thru 12/8, story begins Stardate 7493.9

1979
Star Trek now appearing ... comic page
Oregon Journal
Newspaper rack card, 11"x14" cardstock.

1979
Star Trek now appearing in the Morning Sun and the Sunday Sun
Baltimore Sun
Newspaper rack card, 11"x17" cardstock.

1979
Star Trek The Cartoon Strip Every Day in the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
20"x30" promotional poster on newsprint, advertising the Star Trek newspaper strip in the UK Daily Mail.

1981
Star Trek: The legend is now a comic strip
Los Angeles Times Syndicate
Promotional flyer advertising the Star Trek comic strip.

References

Berenato, Joseph F. New Life and New Civilizations: Exploring Star Trek Comics. Edwardsville, IL: Sequart Organization, 2014. ISBN 978-1-9405-8905-3 (Faith of the Art: Stripping Down the Star Trek Daily Newspaper Serials by Rich Handley, pp 87-102)

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. Hasslein Blog: Boldly Going Where No One Has Gone in About Three Decades
https://hassleinbooks.blogspot.com/2013/07/boldly-going-where-no-one-has-gone-in.html

Holtz, Allan. Stripper's Guide: Obscurity of the Day: Star Trek
https://comicstriphistory.com/2011/05/31/obscurity-of-the-day-star-trek/

Kirk, John K. The Star Trek Newspaper Comic Strip - 1979 to 1983, Back Issue #136, July 2022, pp 68-72.

Memory Alpha: Star Trek Comic Strips (US)
https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Trek_Comic_Strip_(US)

Memory Beta: US Comic Strips
https://memory-beta.fandom.com/wiki/US_Comic_Strips

Niven, Larry. Playgrounds of the Mind. New York, NY: Tom Doherty Associates, Inc., 1991. ISBN 0812516958 (mass market paperback edition, 1992, The Lost Ideas, pp 495-511)

Porter, Alan J. Star Trek: A Comics History. Neshannock, PA: Hermes Press, 2009. ISBN 1-932563-35-0

Roby, Steven J. Complete Starfleet Library - Star Trek: The Lost Books: The Wristwatch Plantation
Wayback Machine: http://www.well.com/~sjroby/lostbooks.html#81wp

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Star Trek Comics Checklist by Mark Martinez is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.