John de Lancie at UK's first My Little Pony convention

Star Trek: The Next Generation's John de Lancie is the Guest of Honour at Britain's first ever 'Brony' convention in August, taking place in Manchester, celebrating all things My Little Pony.

While My Little Pony may not seem our usual purview, the franchise has an incredible following and, of course, its own British magazine titles, so we're happy to give this event a plug. The team behind it are enthusiastic and determined to make the show a great event set to take place on the 18th - 19th of August 2012 in Manchester.

Known in My Little Pony fandom for voicing the lord of chaos Discord, John de Lancie is also known in the wider community for his role as Q in Star Trek: The Next Generation, as well as appearances in many other shows, such as Stargate SG1, Torchwood, Breaking Bad, and Johnny Quest. John will be answering questions, signing autographs, and filming his Brony documentary at the con.

More info:

- Official web site: http://bronyuk.org/

- UKofEquestria Forum: http://ukofequestria.co.uk/threads/welcome-to-the-brony-uk-convention-forum.1138/

Cybermen, Borg, set to battle in Doctor Who-Star Trek crossover

Following up on our earlier report that a Doctor Who/Star Trek comic crossover was in the works, US publisher IDW have released more detals about the eight-issue mini series.

In conjunction with BBC Worldwide Consumer Products and CBS Consumer Products, IDW Publishing will make history when two of the greatest science-fiction properties of all time come together in a comic book for the first time. The world’s most popular time traveler teams up with the U.S.S. Enterprise crew in Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimilation 2.

“By joining these two sci-fi powerhouses, fans will be taken on the ultimate adventure through time and space,” said Liz Kalodner, executive vice president and general manager of CBS Consumer Products.

Launching in May but, as far as we know at presnt, only to be on sale officially in the US, Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimilation 2 will feature fan-favourite villains the Borg and the Cybermen as they create an unholy alliance resulting in potential disaster for all humanity. Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise find themselves joining forces with the Eleventh Doctor and his companions, with the fate of the galaxy hanging in the balance.

This eight-issue series will be written by Scott and David Tipton, two of the regular IDW Star Trek writers, with a helping hand from longtime Doctor Who writer Tony Lee, and will feature fully painted artwork by J.K. Woodward (Fallen Angel).

“We are excited about this new adventure for the Doctor and the fact that he will be travelling with Captain Jean-Luc Picard and his iconic crew," says the BBC's Soumya Sriraman, executive vice president Home Entertainment and Licensing.

"This is a perfect partnership for not only Doctor Who’s incredible fans, but also for the brand. We have just celebrated our most successful year yet. Doctor Who’s latest season delivered record ratings for BBC America and it was most downloaded full TV seasons of 2011 in the U.S. on the iTunes Store,” .


The fisrt issue variants include a rare wraparound photo cover and an alternate cover from Star Trek Ongoing artist Joe Corroney featuring the Doctor and friends aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise. 

The bad news for British comics fans is that getting hold of this crossover series might be difficult. Because Panini license Doctor Who comic rights in the UK for Doctor Who Magazine and the BBC publishes its own Doctor Who Adventures title, IDW's Who comics are not usually available officially in the UK.

• Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimilation 2 ($3.99, 32 pages, full colour) will be available in US comic stores in May 2012.

• Visit IDWPublishing.com to sign up for updates and learn more about the company and its top-selling books.

® & © 2012 CBS Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved. STAR TREK and related marks are trademarks of CBS Studios Inc.

BBC, DOCTOR WHO (word marks, logos and devices), TARDIS and CYBERMAN are trade marks of the British Broadcasting Corporation and are used under license.

IDW to publish Doctor Who-Star Trek crossover

The SF show crossover many fans have longed for but has, until now, been the work of fan fiction alone, is finally about to happen officially for the first time - a Doctor Who meets Star Trek comic crossover.

Bleeding Cool has squirrelled out news of the upcoming crossover from IDW that will see the Eleventh Doctor and crew encounter the Captain Picard and team from Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Due to be released in May, the crossover follows hot on the heels of IDW's Star Trek/Legion of Superheroes six issue mini series, which concludes next month.

This is the first time that the two TV science fiction franchises have officially crossed over in comics, although there have been several brief encounters between Doctor Who and other comic characters, including Marvel's Death's Head and Eagle's Dan Dare (in a strip for the 1980s charity Comic Relief Comic).

Vintage British Star Trek pages sold on eBay

Two pages of vintage Star Trek art by veteran British comic artist John Stokes created for British publication have just been sold on eBay.

Published in August 1972 in Valiant and TV21, John Stokes was one of several artists to work on the property, which first featured in the weekly comic Joe 90: Top Secret in January 1969, six months before the TV show itself began to air in the UK on BBC1, coinciding with the first moon landing.

Star Trek transferred to TV21 when the two titles merged in September 1969, becoming TV21 and Joe 90.

TV21, a pale shadow of its former 1960s self, was eventually merged with Valiant in late 1971, with Star Trek one of the strips that survived the merger.

Artists who worked on the strip - which proved an instant hit from its first appearance in Joe 90 - included Harry Lindfield, Mike Noble, Ron Turner, Harold Johns, Carlos Pino and Vicente Alcazar and, finally, John Stokes, who drew 13 untitled stories in total.

The strip appeared in colour, his art often falling prey to the vagaries of Valiant's letterpress printing, running until 29 December 1973.

This artwork was part of a huge deal between IPC and collector Peter Hansen and Blase Books, run by Phil Clark, regularly offer items via eBay, sold as from the Peter Hansen Five Star IPC Archive Collection.

While the British Star Trek comic is riddled with continuity errors, especially in early stories where the artists and writers had no idea of the show's format or how its vehicles looked, aside from what we can only assume would have been a few reference photographs, there is still plenty of interest in this curious spin-off from the hit SF franchise, which included one of the first attempts to visualize the Romulan homeworld and a story set on Earth - a setting never realized on the original TV series itself.

Perhaps there may yet be interest in a print collection of the material at some point.

• Written by pop-culture historian Alan J. Porter, author of the bestselling James Bond: The History of the Illustrated 007, Star Trek: A Comic Book History, published last year, should be of interest to people interested in the story above, offering a complete history of the Star Trek universe in comic books and newspaper strips all over the world.

It features nine information-packed chapters detailing the history of Star Trek in comic books and newspaper strips from the first Gold Key comic book, the British Star Trek strips to Marvel and DC's titles, and up to the present day. Covering all publications of the entire Star Trek universe it includes creator interviews, unpublished artwork, and a detailed checklist.

Mad Web Finds: Klingon TV

Described as " A transmission recently received from an extraterrestrial source. Prepare for battle...", we're with the commentators who think this may be a clever bit of promotion for the upcoming Star Trek MMO and not an early trailer for the next film.

Either way, we know it's not our usual fare but I think you'll agree it's pretty clever stuff...

Star Trek DVD Release Date Set

The new Star Trek film beams onto DVD and 3 Disc Blu-ray with Digital Copy on 16th November 2009 in the UK.

This visually spectacular, blockbuster prequel from acclaimed director J.J Abrams (Lost, Mission: Impossible III) follows a young James T. Kirk (Chris Pine, Carriers) as a rebellious troublemaker, attempting to prove his superiors wrong and fulfil his potential by enrolling in Starfleet, much to the dismay of his instructor, the young Lt. Spock (Zachary Quinto, Heroes).

Kirk, Spock and the rest of the crew including Scotty (Simon Pegg, Shaun of the Dead), Uhura (Zoe Saldana, Avatar), Leonard ‘Bones’ McCoy (Karl Urban, The Bourne Supremacy), Sulu (John Cho, Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle) and Chekov (Anton Yelchin, Terminator Salvation), board the newly commissioned U.S.S. Enterprise to unite in a battle against Romulan ship captain, Nero (Eric Bana, Munich).

The film was a worldwide box office phenomenon on its release, successfully reinvigorating the Star Trek franchise and bringing many new fans to the saga. With a guest appearance from Leonard Nimoy as the original Spock to "pass the torch" to this new crew, it's also been a hit with the vast majority of the show's original fandom.

The Star Trek two-disc special edition DVD and three disc Blu-ray with Digital Copy boasts out-of-this-world special features to take viewers even further into the new universe of the rousing space adventure, starting with a home entertainment first: groundbreaking augmented reality technology. Using a webcam, a Star Trek visual cue will morph into a 3D holographic tour of the U.S.S. Enterprise on the screen, providing a unique and interactive experience.

The special features also include in-depth explorations of the franchise, the phenomenal cast, the spectacular action sequences, the powerful score and the captivating aliens, as well as commentary from J.J. Abrams and a gag reel.

Additionally, the discs feature compelling, deleted scenes that reveal a side story involving Nero with a first-ever look at Abrams’ version of the infamous warrior Klingons.

The Blu-ray version will give audiences a stunning viewing experience, featuring 5.1 Dolby TrueHD and includes a Digital Copy of the film which can be easily transferred to a computer, Video iPod, iPhone and other portable media players.

• Star Trek is available to buy on DVD & 3 Disc Blu-ray with Digital Copy on 16th November 2009 from Paramount Home Entertainment. Buy Star Trek from amazon.co.uk

TECHNICAL DETAILS – SINGLE DISC DVD


Title: Star Trek

Release date: November 16 2009

Discs: 1 Disc Set

RRP: £19.99

Cert 12A

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Running time – main feature

Approx. 127 minutes

Special features


• Commentary by J.J Abrams, Bryan Burk, Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof and Roberto Orci

• A New Vision

• Gag Reel

TECHNICAL DETAILS – 2 DISC SPECIAL EDITION DVD


Title: Star Trek

Release date: November 16 2009

Discs: 2 Disc Set

RRP: £24.99

Cert: 12A

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Running time – main feature Approx. 127 minutes

Special features


Commentary by J.J Abrams, Bryan Burk, Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof and Roberto Orci

• A New Vision

• Gag Reel

• Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary

• Featurettes: To Boldly Go, Casting, Aliens, Score

TECHNICAL DETAILS – 3 DISC BLU-RAY WITH DIGITAL COPY


Title: Star Trek

Release date: November 16 2009

Discs: 3 Disc Set

RRP: £29.99

Cert: 12A

Sound: 5.1 Dolby TrueHD

Running time – main feature - Approx. 127 minutes

Special features

Commentary by by J.J Abrams, Bryan Burk, Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof and Roberto Orci

• A New Vision

• To Boldly Go – HD

• Casting – HD

• A New Vision – HD

• Starships – HD

• Aliens – HD

• Planets – HD

• Props and Costumes – HD

• Ben Burtt and the Sounds of Star Trek – HD

• Score – HD

• Gene Roddenberry’s Vision – HD

• Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary

• Starfleet Vessel Simulator

• Gag Reel

• Trailers

Comics International Back for San Diego

Prompted by fans questions over on the downthetubes forum, Comics International's Barry Renshaw has sent us a short but hopeful message on the future of the much-missed comics news magazine, which has been consigned to scheduling hell for several months.

"We appreciate people have been waiting on info on Comic International's future," he says, "and [editor] Mike [Conroy] and I are working on a press release for the relaunch with 208 which will address all the queries of the forum.

"#208 will be out to coincide with the San Diego Comic Con and re-establish the monthly frequency we've been having problems with."

Barry adds that the CI Star Trek Special and the Horror Special should be in shops next week: having seen the interiors of the Trek Special it should prove a definite collector's item. It's beautifully designed and encompasses the entire history of Trek in comics with plenty of accompanying visuals. Fingers crossed, its publication will finally bring an end to CI's publication woes.

• More about Comics International at: www.comics-international.co.uk

SciFiPulse Interviews Flash Gordon Comic Writer

UK cult TV, film and comics web site Sci-Fi Pulse will be presenting a podcast interview with film and television actor Casey Biggs (Broken Arrow, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) today, followed on Sunday 14th June by a chat with Brendan Duneen, writer of the new Flash Gordon comic published by part UK-owned Ardden Entertainment.

Casey Biggs is best known to science fiction fans as the dynamic Cardassian military officer Damar in hit TV show Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the critically acclaimed second spin-off television series from the long running Star Trek franchise. Casey worked with super stars John Travolta and Christian Slater in John Woo's action blockbuster Broken Arrow and has made guest appearances in dozens of popular TV shows such as The X-Files and E.R. He's also well versed in live theatre and the stage.

New York-based Brendan Deneen, who represents Ardden Entertainment for its television and film projects, is currently working hard on writing the company's hit sci-fi comic series Flash Gordon. Deneen is thrilled to be updating this genre classic and SciFiPulse is excited about bringing Brendan's latest news on the
continuing adventures of Flash and the gang, as well his thoughts about the comic book industry in general, along with anything else on Brendan's mind.

Flash, which will soon complete its first arc of stories and has another 18 issues to come over the next two years, still reigns in in the top 160 comics sold each and every month in the US via Diamond Comics and still remains the best loved sci-fi hero from the golden age. "We're extremely proud that our first book has had such an impact on the comic book community," say Ardden.

• SciFiPulse: An Interview with Casey Biggs podcasts on Friday 12th June at 5.00pm EDT
• SciFiPulse: An Interview with writer Brendan Deneen podcasts on Sunday 14th June 14th at 5.00pm EDT.
• Web Link: www.blogtalkradio.com/SciFiPulse

Tube Surfing: 28 April 2009

• In his latest Lyin in the Gutters column, Rich Johnston reports Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch's Fantastic Four run for Marvel has had an altered schedule due to personal issues for both creators. The last double-sized edition, #569, has been co-written by Jo Ahearne and pencilled by Stuart Immonen, while Bryan Hitch works on his new project with Ed Brubaker, Reborn.

• Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill are signing copies of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Century: 1910 at Gosh London this Saturday, 2nd May. 500 copies are being flown in almost a month ahead of the official UK release date and attendees will be able to buy one or two copies to be signed - and no copies, signed or otherwise, may be reserved. More from the Gosh comic blog

• Talking of Gosh, 'tis they that report that the creative team behind Eye Classic’s The Picture of Dorian Gray adaptation are back with The Hound of the Baskervilles, the first book in a series adapting the complete Sherlock Holmes stories into graphic novel form. It's written by Ian Edginton, who among other projects, has an issue of IDW's Star Trek: Alien Spotlight out soon, unsurprisingly focusing on those pesky Romulans, the villains of the new movie out 8th May.

• More events: this time it's the London Zine Symposium, "a day celebrating zines, comix, self publishing and DIY culture" on Sunday 3 May betwen 12 noon and 6.00pm at London's Rag Factory, 16-18 Heneage Street, E1 5LJ. More info via Facebook... (thanks to Jimi Gherkin)

• Titan Books next Roy of the Rovers collection will be published on 21 June. The Best of Roy of the Rovers: The 1970s celebrates another momentous decade in the career of soccer's greatest player, Roy Race, as he competes to win the £30,000 Goal Rush Challenge, teaches how to play American Football, tackles the problem of hooliganism head on and struggles to control Melchester's latest signing - the fiery, arrogant but highly talented Paco Diaz.
Titan says this volume also features a selection of features and articles taken from the original Roy of the Rover comic, including a 2 page feature written by Eric Morecambe. Also included is a selection of period ads for legendary toys including Chopper, Dinky, Corgi and a variety of Kellogg's long defunct breakfast cereals.
This British comics release is quickly followed, at last by Best of Battle Volume 1, out on 26 June. Over 300 pages of relentless action are collected from the top-selling war comic of the 1970s and 80s, from the desperate dogfights of Johnny Red to the down-and-dirty Rat Pack, the reflective, critically acclaimed Charley's War and the uncompromising Hellman of Hammer Force. Featuring work by Pat Mills and John Wagner , Joe Colquhoun and more.

• And finally... check out this great visual gag featuring a certain wall-crawling superhero by French cartoonist "raphaelb". As if Corden and Horne weren't being cruel enough... (Thanks to Matt Badham for this, via Comics Reporter and Lying in the Gutters, which is where we came in and where you should go now if you want to read Rich's review of Wolverine...)

Star Trek Magazine Collected

Titan Magazines has digitized early issues of its first ongoing licensed title Star Trek Magazine, making them available for the first time on CD-ROM.

The issues, all edited by John Freeman, contain the first 24 issues of Star Trek Monthly in full colour, providing you with a fantastic search tool as well as some fascinating reading (typos and all). The only thing not included, for contractual reasons, is the reprint DC Comics strips.

Launched in 1995, back when Freeman still had hair (well, some, anyway), the Magazine helped establish Titan Magazines on the UK news stand and paved the way for other licensed tie-ins such as Star Wars Magazine, Babylon 5 and today's range, which includes LOST, Torchwood and Heroes.

The CD-ROM is compatible across Mac OSX and Windows systems and every article can be printed in full.

Features on Star Trek: First Contact and the birth of Star Trek: Voyager are just some of the highlights plus in-depth articles on Star Trek technologies, cultures and the show's history along with interviews with actors such as William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takei, Nichelle Nichols and Patrick Stewart and many others.

If you've only recently discovered Star Trek Magazine and have perhaps been hunting down these early issues on eBay, this CD-ROM is a great alternative. It's just a shame it doesn't come with free bookmark like those early issues of the Magazine did!

• Click here to find out more information and order

Will Sci-Fi Star George Be King of the Jungle?

Sci-fi icon George Takei, Star Trek's Mr Sulu, is one of the finalists in this year's series of ITV's hit reality show I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here!

ITV viewers will discover tomorrow night whether George will beat the other two contestants to make it through to the final, tennis legend Martina Navratilova and former Eastenders star Joe Swash.

Aged 71, George has more than proved to be up to the physical challenges of the show, with his many and varied experiences including skydiving from a 'plane, falling down a steep drop and being taught a bawdy cockney song by fellow star Joe Swash.

Reality TV highlights a person's real character perhaps more than any other type of television show, and it's great to know that George has proved to be a real gentleman. He thoroughly deserves his success in becoming one of the last three from the original group of 12 celebrities.

Star Trek XI Official Trailer

... do I need to say more?



Response as always is mixed so far from fans but it looks superb...

Tube Surfing: 16 October 2008

• Orang Utan Comics have begun to serialize Young Gods on ROK Comics. You can read it on ther web site or via WAP subscription (wap.rocomics.com).

• Talking of phones: the iphone, which is beginning to feature more and more comics applications, is not a passing fad: at least not according to author Charles Stross who reveals in a blog post titled "How to tell the difference between a trend and a standard" that "90% market dominance is all very well, but when half the cars destined to be sold in the USA in 2009 offer iPod connectivity it's a fair bet that the iPod isn't going to die out in a time frame of less than a decade.
"It's the new cassette tape, and that lasted for nearly four decades," he argues, "even taking into account the faster turnover of technologies I reckon being built into cars means it's going to be around for another 5-10 years minimum — one to two generations in the automotive world."

• The first issues of Warren Ellis' Doctor Sleepless have been collected and the book's now available from "better comics stores and bookshops".

• (via Chris Weston): 2000AD cobver and strip artist Cliff Robinson, creator of hundreds of iconic Judge Dredd covers for the Galaxy's Greatest Comic, now has his own blog at cliffrobinsoncomicart.blogspot.com

• (via Forbidden Planet International): the Irish Comics Wiki has moved from Wiki to Wikia, which uses similar software but is apparently easier to use and register with. You can access the new version here.

• SciFi Pulse has published a handy round up of Star Trek movie pictures.

• (Via FPI): Top British cartoonist Gerald Scarfe has received a CBE from the Queen. “It’s slightly strange since I’ve spent most of my life being rude to people that I should receive this," he said. "It came completely out of the blue, I had no idea - but naturally I’m proud."

• Neal Hefti, a Big Band trumpeter, arranger and composer of themes for the film The Odd Couple and the Batman television series, has died. He was 85.
Links: Daily Telegraph obituary • Los Angeles Times

• Matthew Craig just uploaded my new Trixie Biker novella, Attack of the Sixty-Inch Pixie, to The Matthew Craig web site. "Sixty-Inch Pixie is the longest Trixie Biker story to date," he says, and sees the unconventional superheroine contend with frantic fairies, superhuman hermits and a threat to both her peace of mind and her secret identity, in the form of the sister that leaves this superhero in the shade." Matthew very nearly sold out of his initial print run at the Birmingham International Comic Show, but anyone who would like a copy of Sixty-Inch Pixie (and can't wait for Thought Bubble) should get in touch with him via my website. The print edition costs £1.75, including postage.
His other new comic, Bostin Heroes - For The Black Country And Beyond, continues apace, over at www.bostinheroes.com.

Tube Surfing: 30 August 2008

• A quick reminder about Jonathan Cape,, The Observer and Comica's Graphic Short Story Competition of which the winner will receive a tasty grand and their story across two pages of The Observer. Follow this link for more info and to download an entry form. Manchester Comic Collective artist suggest that to inspire you here are some of the MCC's entries for last year's Prize, which MCCer Stuart Kolakovic won runner up.

• A couple of weeks ago Garen Ewing promised he'd get some high resolution prints featuring his wonderful A-Z of favourite characters, and they can now be found as thumbnails on his web site's A-Z page. "Please feel free to download them for your own private use," he says. They are not for re-publishing, and definitely not for commercial usage.
Meanhile, Jonathon Dalton's A-Z is going great guns... he's currently up to T; and now there's 'Mitz's inevitable A-Z of comic and cartoon Villains', which is currently up to G... a bit harder to think of villains, so go over and help them out there too... Other artists are also doing their own A-Zs including Clive Jennings and others.

• The next episode from the fan film series Star Trek Phase II, of "Blood and Fire, Part 1", an AIDS allegory by David Gerrold that was considered two controversial 20 years ago, should hit the net by the end of October. To give you a taste, the Phase II team just released the action-packed opening teaser with some truly stunning SFX (including the new opening credits). Check out the video on the trekmovie web site.
The story opens with the Enterprise pursued and damaged by repeated Klingon attacks. The crew must then respond to the distress call from a Federation research ship. In a matter of hours the ship and crew will be consumed by a nearby star -- but before that, the crew of the Enterprise will be consumed by a mysterious horror that threatens both ships as the Klingons watch and wait..
Producer and star James Cawley says that following release of Part 1 of "Blood and Fire" by October 31st, Part 2 will follow a few months after. That will be followed later in 2009 by "Enemy: Starfleet" which will feature original series actress Barbara Luna and the just-revealed refitted Enterprise.

• (via SF in the News): Talking of space battles, the idea of space marines, fighters who are able to deploy from space onto the earth in mere hours, has been around since 1939, when Robert Heinlein coined the term. But now, SF in the News reports the idea is moving slowly forward. According to an article in Wired, the Small Unit Space Transport and Insertion (SUSTAIN) idea is the subject of a National Security Space Office conference.

• (via Forbidden Planet International): The BBC reports the sad news that famous comedy producer Geoffrey Perkins has been killed after being involved in a traffic accident. Perkins, aged only 55, was involved in a vast number of British TV and radio comedies, including some of my personal favourites such as I’m Sorry I Haven’t Got a Clue, Father Ted, Spitting Image and also the radio version of Douglas Adams classic Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

• (also via FPI): As a TinTin film edges closer to realization, it would seem the protectors of Herge's estate, Moulinsart has found a new enemy: the fan. A decade after Paramount tried (and failed) to remove any and all Star Trek material from unlicensed websites, and Fox’s Monty Burns-like lawyers tried the same with fan sites celebrating The X-Files and Simpsons, succeeding only in alienating their own hardcore audience, Moulinsart has decided that, with all their copyrights and trademarks, their investments still aren’t protected well enough and so sent a cease and desist letter to French laungauge site Objectif Tintin, arguably the best informed and most enjoyable source of Tintin-related information on the web. Needless to say, the site owner is fighting back against an action which has been described as amounting to nothing more than censorship.

• (via Daily Cartoonist and Gizmodo): And finally for this brief round up which admittedly has again included some non cpmic news but hey, live with it, some fun at the expense of Apple's Steve Jobs, as realized in this affectionate homage to Bill Waterson's Calvin and Hobbes. I don't know if Bill Watterson would like this version by MAD's Jacob Lambert (writer) and Gary Hallgren (artist)., in which Hobbes morphs from philosophical tiger to killer CEO, but I like it. More via Gizmodo.

The Other Side of Harry

Friend, bodyguard, martial arts master, stunt man and actor John Carrigan, a regular cast member of recent fan produced Star Trek movies and more, has been in contact with downthetubes to tell us about The Other Side of Harry, a new e-book he's written for mental health publisher Chipmunka.

While it's not a project we would normally cover here, we're more happy to support John's work and hope it's a success for him. Be warned: you may find some of the content of this post as John describes his upbringing disturbing.

"I think my book will help many people overcome the demons of their past as I have had to do," John tells us. "It has just been published as an e book with the paperback version is out in the summer. Most of the proceeds for the book go to charity, so it is a worthy cause.

"The Other Side of Harry is about the dark illness of schizophrenia which continues to tear people apart even today," reveals John, "and about the legacy of demons it leaves behind for the families to deal with, demons which take years to conquer… if they ever truly can be conquered.

"But this book is also about love, sacrifice and hope, which against all odds were the only things which brought my family through hell to the brightness of today and the hope of tomorrow."

The book centres on the story of Margaret and Henry Carrigan (Maggie and Harry), John's mother and father who were childhood sweethearts and married to have a lovely daughter Susan then son John. "When I was two weeks old and was lying on the sofa by the fire my father, who was also by the fire with my mother, turned to the woman he loved and… began smashing her head in with a poker.

"After that desperate fight for life all our lives were changed for ever."

Schizophrenia had possessed John's father turning him from a wonderful man into, the other side of Harry. "Thus began our life of hospitals, police sieges, straight jackets and need," says John. "Almost abandoned by the rest of our relations, my mum began her sole fight to support us all and never once did she abandon her Harry or give up hope. She worked night and day and was the rock in all our lives.

"After suffering violence and domination from my father, my sister left home at 16 to live with my aunt and try for a normal life. Thus I was left with my mum to witness and take on the full force of schizophrenia, as time and time again my father went through the many stages of madness, and then back again to the man we loved and hated at the same time. From keeping me as an over protected virtual prisoner, to making us sit in darkness for hours with his ever present rantings ringing in our ears, to seeing him kneeling in the middle of the main road praying in the rain with a laughing crowd around him.

"This was all part of the life I had growing up with my fathers insanity, and it was topped off by the constant fear that 'Harry' would erupt in violence toward my mother and I would be unable to do anything to stop him. With all of this going on around me the demons of doubt, loneliness and fear would have torn me apart if not for the hero in my life, my mum."

Not all John's memories of his father are soured by this terrifying illness. "My father was a lovely well mannered man and a talented pianist," says John. "His true self without his illness was a gentle intelligent being who would dress in a suit and tie and always look immaculate whenever he could, and that was the man we loved. But not by choice we were torn, and forced to hate his alter ego which could be the most cruel of beings, the being I called the other side of Harry.

"Between being tormented at home with my fathers illness I was also beaten up and bullied at school, and the only things I found in my life to give me comfort were my mother and the TV programme, Star Trek which would turn out to have such an influence in my future life. After one day being beaten up outside my own front door by a group of thugs even my father knew he needed to do something to help his introverted son who was so unprepared for the outside world, so he enrolled me in a martial arts school, and it began.

"I took a journey of self discovery and after years of dedication and struggle turned myself from a timid boy into a black belt martial artist and teacher with my own martial arts school, and a bodyguard to the rich and famous. I went on to become a stunt man and actor working on TV and films, and finally having a guest starring role on a new incarnation of, of all things Star Trek, acting with my childhood heroes.

"In spite of or because of, I have ended up achieving things most people with a normal up bringing can only dream of."

"My book goes from the old Londoners hop picking days in Kent which was a big part of my family's life, to the lights of Hollywood," John reveals. "From the demons and disasters which haunt anyone with my kind of back ground, to triumph and hope for the future.

"This book is a story of struggle and love, of pain and loss, and finally hope," he feels. "With a message for anyone who lives through their darkest days -- that they can make it. The thing which makes a star bright is the darkness which surrounds it, thus sometimes it is only our dark past which can propel us to a bright future, if only we do not give in to the darkness first."

• You can buy The Other Side of Harry as an e-book from mental health publisher Chipmunka

A Gaffe of Media

Over on socksandbarney.com, top artist Steve Conley recently delivered a telling blow on the US mainstream media with a fun cartoon, just one of his very funny "Socks and Barney" strips he's been keeping far too quiet about, in my opinion.

Folk reading downthetubes may recognise Steve as the artist behind the brilliant Astounding Space Thrills, one of the best SF web comics ever, which he tells me is about to be collected.

Steve's other cartooning work includes drawing Michael Chabon’s Escapist and, most recently, Star Trek: Year Four for IDW. In order to draw Kirk and Spock, Steve had to get approval from William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. Steve is, he tells us, Shatner-approved.

• Read Steve's "Gaffe of Media" Strip | • digg story

Star Trek Online and Streaming

In a major expanison of its online offerings, classic episodes from the US network CBS archive, including Star Trek and The Twilight Zone, are being made available online on CBS.com and across the 300 websites that make up the network's CBS Audience Network, which includes partners such as AOL, Microsoft, CNET Networks, Joost, Bebo, Amazon, Apple and Yahoo.

The episodes don't appear to be viewable outside the US, but the move continues CBS strategy of enabling fans of its content to watch their shows on their favourite sites, rather than forcing them to a specific site. All the content is free to view, supported by advertising.

The initial lineup includes full-length episodes of seasons one, two and three of the original Star Trek - presumably not the recently ReMastered editions featuring new effects - seasons one and two of The Twilight Zone and the first seasons of MacGyver, Hawaii Five-O and Melrose Place, with more programs and clips to be added in the coming months.

Star Trek pushed back to 2009

Paramount has shuffled the release schedule for several films, including the new Star Trek film, which is good news and bad news for fans.

Bad because the film has been delayed, which will dismay fans eagerly awaiting this Star Trek "reboot" (many do not consider tie-in fiction, be it books or comics to be new Star Trek. Their loss: there are some great books out right now, including the Klingon novel Burning House and the U.S.S. Excelsior book, Forged in Fire).

Good, because it's an indication that the studio thinks this new film is strong enough to command good box office at a time when it will be up against other franchises and what are known as "tentpole" films studios hope will ensure strong box office.

Originally intended for Christmas Day release, the film is now set US launch on 8 May, 2009.

"Star Trek is moving to summer because its has so much box office potential," Paramount spokesman Michael Vollman said. "It does not need any script tweaks. They're two-thirds of the way through shooting, and we would have delivered a great movie at Christmas."

In a separate development, Paramount has also said it will delay the HD DVD release of Star Trek: The Original Series, Season Two to this summer.

Star Trek Meets Monty Python

Two universes collide... and the results are spectacular. First published back in July 2006 I believe, but no idea who did it. Admissions of guilt welcomed!

Miracle Workers Are Born In Linlithgow

Was Scotty a Black Bitch? Linlithgow Heritage Trust are certainly convinced that he was, or rather will be in about 215 years time.

I would hasten to add that because of the dog on the town’s coat of arms, people of both sexes born in the historic town of Linlithgow, some 20 miles from Edinburgh and the birthplace of Mary Queen Of Scots, are known locally (and proudly) as Black Bitches.

D C Fontana, scriptwriter on the original series of Star Trek, put Scotty’s birthplace into her Star Trek novel Vulcan’s Glory and that was good enough for The Linlithgow Story museum who, with the help of the Doohan family, have opened a special memorial exhibition to Lt Commander Montgomery Scott's alter-ego, actor James Doohan.

The museum in Annet House on the town’s High Street is a typical small town historical museum, with displays, models and photos of the history of the surrounding area, its people and how they worked and lived. However one room is now given over to their future citizen and the Canadian actor who portrayed him.

With family photographs of the actor, and Star Trek action figures, magazines and books featuring the character, the exhibition tells the story of the Doohan’s life and of the fictional character he portrayed. The well designed display also includes a Tribble, a lovely large illuminated model of the original movie version of the USS Enterprise, and the presentation plaque for James Doohan’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Along with small posters dotted around the town, there are promotional banners in the market square proclaiming the exhibition‘s tag line of “Miracle Workers Are Born In Linlithgow”, and even the local Cancer Research UK shop has even given over one of its windows to a display of Star Trek books and videos.

Now open and due to run to 31 October 2007, when the museum closes for the winter, it will reopen again in April 2008. Doohan’s widow Wende and son Chris are expected to visit in September.

In the meantime please remember that if you wish to visit the museum, according to the exhibition leaflet, "Linlithgow is a 'Beam-free' zone" and that "Transporters may not be used". Buses, trains and private cars are acceptable alternatives.