jack_babalon | Tune in, turn on, live long and prosper: Star Trek

Beginning in 1967, Gold Key released a 61 issue run of the sci-fi cult classic Star Trek, that boldly chronicled (where no episode had gone before)the adventures of Kirk, Spock, Bones and the Enterprise. The series lasted until 1979, some nine years longer than the original series.

Going through the online galleries of this series (thanks to the Grand Comics Database Project) I came across the curious fact that most of the covers seemed to inordinately spotlight Mister Spock (I would've thought Kirk personally). Spock fighting robots. Spock fighting mummies. Spock on Acid. It's almost as if the implacable Vulcan was sort of the Trekkie equivalent of having Wolverine on the cover at the time and I wouldn't be surprised to learn that his very presence on such guaranteed a significant boost in an issues sales.

To be honest I'm more of a Next Generation fan myself, but what I truly love about these covers in particular is the surreal blend of Silver Age aesthetics mixed with the emerging psychedelic counter-culture of the time. There is still the sheer wonder of Roddenberry here, only it would seem to be filtered through the imagination of Timothy Leary. Think the Final Frontier in the Age of Aquarius.

These would be some of my favorites.

~In this issue special guest writer Robert Anton Wilson has Spock learn 17 of the 23 secrets of the Illuminati. Special fun non-fact: The scene where Spock and James Joyce split a tab before discussing the mysteries of the Golden Dawn was the inspiration for Wilson's Masks of the Illuminati.

~That's right Robot-Bitches, Spock knows Vulcan Jujitsu!

~Ladies and Gentleman, I now present every geeks wet dream... Spock & Kirk have joined your Dungeon Party!

~Come get some George Washington!

~In this issue can the crew of the Enterprise survive... DragonCon?!?!?!

~Oh Noooo! Space Voodoo!

~Mister Spock journeys to the Western Lands, dropping mummies with his... holy shit! Look out Spock you're wearing a Red Shirt!!!

~You had me at "Sky Pirates"...