2023 is the 50th anniversary of Star Trek: The Animated Series, and today at San Diego Comic-Con, CBS Studios revealed the first look at how they are saluting the franchise’s first foray into animation.
Riker, Quark, and Saru join Animated Celebration
To commemorate the golden anniversary of The Animated Series, CBS Studios is creating five all-new animated promotional spots in the TAS style featuring fan-favorite characters voiced by cast members from across the Star Trek universe, including icons Jonathan Frakes as Will Riker, Doug Jones as Saru, and Armin Shimerman as Quark.
Jonathan Frakes as Riker from Star Trek: The Animated Celebration (CBS Studios)
The all-new animated spots come from creative consultant Casper Kelly, best known for the viral smash hit Too Many Cooks and his work on Star Trek: Short Treks and Adult Swim. Kelly announced the program alongside fellow panelist John Van Citters, Vice President, Star Trek Brand Development.
Doug Jones as Saru from Star Trek: The Animated Celebration (CBS Studios)
The Star Trek: The Animated Celebration spots will debut later this year. More details to come on Star Trek Day in September.
Armin Shimerman as Quark from Star Trek: The Animated Celebration (CBS Studios)
IDW celebrating TAS with “The Scheimer Barrier” comic
Casper Kelly will also release a new comic book with IDW Publishing titled Star Trek: The Animated Celebration Presents The Scheimer Barrier. The title honors Star Trek: The Animated Series producer Lou Scheimer, one of the founders of Filmation (the production company that made the series). Two first-look images from the comic were revealed during the panel by Kelly and IDW Senior Editor Heather Antos.
From IDW’s The Scheimer Barrier
The comic will debut digitally in September on StarTrek.com with physical copies available at New York Comic Con in October. IDW revealed two first-look images from the comic during the panel.
From IDW’s The Scheimer Barrier
More to come from Trek animation panel
Keep an eye out for more details on these projects with our full report from the SDCC panel. There were also announcements about the release of episodes 11-20 of Star Trek: Prodigy digitally and on DVD/Blu-ray, as well as special screenings of Star Trek: Lower Decks set for Star Trek Day.
Keep up with all the Star Trek comics news, previews, and reviews in TrekMovie’s comics coverage.
Awesome — love to get more on TAS. TAS and Prodigy are the best animated Trek series to date by a long shot.
Except for Lower Decks, of course.
Yes, which is better than the other two.
I still like Prodigy more than LDS, but LDS is easily my second favorite. I watched TAS for the first time two years ago and I actually liked it more than I thought I would but I doubt I would ever watch it again.
And what’s more amazing about LDS is they actually use a lot of elements and references from TAS like having species like Caitians and Kzinti as part of the show. I love Dr. T’Ana and her potty mouth lol. But I learned about TAS thanks to all the easter eggs LDS was using on that show before I watched it. It’s why it feels like a love letter to Star Trek, all of it.
Well, Lower Decks is my #2 current Star Trek show between Prodigy and Strange New Worlds.
Lower Decks is my favorite but Prodigy is a close second. I’ve only seen one episode of TAS, the first one. The animation and music really put me off to watch anymore.
Agreed!
Paramount-CBS should honor TAS by bringing M’Ress and Arex on to Strange New Worlds as live action characters.
That would be cool!
Heck yeah!! :)
Heck yeah! And please do way better with M’Ress than ST 2009 did with her species!
Good idea. I seem to remember seeing an Arex puppet or something in OTOY’s Trek portfolio. It looked good.
A complaint about SNW, at least in the first season, was that it was derivative. I don’t know how you bring M’Ress or Arex in without it being pandering.
You ignore the complaints of the extremely small number of people who see SNW as “derivative”.
I love TAS. I’m excited that it is being celebrated. I count it as year 4 of the five year mission. I’ll definitely check out those comics.
Can we PLEASE have The Animated Series added to iTunes? It’s the only Trek series not available to purchase there (and the original pilot episode The Cage) and I’d very much like to add it to my digital library! Given Paramount’s apparent financial issues, you’d think they’d welcome some additional cash, small as it might be from that release. If anyone associated with this site has Paramount’s ear would you please lift this request up? I’ve always felt like it’s been a simple oversight that it’s not available to buy digitally…
Agreed!
Scotty on iTunes: “How quaint!” :-)
I got it years ago on DVD. You can still get that.
Surprised they didnt ask Gazelle Automations who did those awesome TNG and Voyager clips in the style of TAS
That’s who I was expecting to be involved, too. They gave TAS a boost with those two shorts.
I hope TAS interacts with animated versions of TNG, DS9, VOY, Lower Decks, and Prodigy.
That would be so cool.
On Lower Decks they kind of already have. There was an episode where Kirk and Spock from TAS were shown.
Yeah, and they never explained how Kirk and Spock, had necks that were 3 times of the circumference of human and vulcan necks, plus significantly different human and vulcan profiles, that what we see as humans on the Cerritos?
Its just different art styles.
Wow forgot about that. Great point.
The same technology used to allow Tom Hanks to portray 5 different characters in “The Polar Express” and Zoe Saldana to portray a 12-foot tall blue girl in “Avatar” is likely a great choice for the “type of” manner in which M’Ress and Arex (as well as others in their species) could be portrayed as real in any future ‘Trek episode or film……………….. I can see that happening all too easily, presuming Paramount doesn’t balk at the budget necessary to use it in such a project. And, since James Cameron, Avatar’s writer and director, is also a fan of ‘Trek, he could make the pitch to Paramount to try it out for size.
Not to be naysayer, but they celebrate TAS with a bunch of characters from other shows? How about a short with some of the living TAS actors? I know Shatner doesn’t come cheap, but I would love any short story with Kirk.
Absolutely!
Because Shatner wouldn’t do It even for $, Walter had an awful time writing for the show so doubt he’d be up for revisiting it and George would do it but it would be cost prohibitive. They aren’t dumping a ton of $ into these shorts.
They really should continue Picard, the TNG characters, in an animated series. They already know people will eat it up.
Yup, Paramount/CBS LOVES Star Trek animation. Just look how well they’ve treated Prodigy!
The creatives who make Star Trek have no control over the programming and do love Trek animation. Fans are having a hard time separating the people that own company and the creative staff behind the show, You can be working hard to get Prodigy back up AND celebrate TAS’s 50th anniversary. It’s not an either or.
TAS was my intro to Star Trek, along with the Gold Key comics and the James Blish books. Still love all of them!
Already unofficially exist and they are hilariously great – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jyz2pVqrEkI&ab_channel=GazelleAutomations