Since this topic overtook the thread about the upcoming Star Trek: The Roddenberry Vault, I thought it'd be worth asserting in a new thread that the fotonovel publications were not crap.
In its modest heyday, it was the only way for people in the days before home video (and often during, due to the dodgy quality of VHS tape) to have a chance to linger on the most potent imagery from Star Trek films and episodes, plus a number of other big media properties as well.
I well remember that the Star Trek: The Motion Picture fotonovel was the only place to really appreciate all the great Vejur-scapes concocted by Douglas Trumbull & Co. All one had to do was put on the Goldsmith album, open up your paperback (and they were often published on high quality semi-gloss stock) and float away.
A nice diversion for twenty bucks total and some change back in the day. Game of Thrones would be smashing if done this way.
As a kid who loved Star Trek, I would leaf through these whenever I was in a book store, but for some reason, I never bought one. I agree that it was nice to be able to linger on imagery. i am tempted to pick up one or two of these.
I well remember that the Star Trek: The Motion Picture fotonovel was the only place to really appreciate all the great Vejur-scapes concocted by Douglas Trumbull & Co. All one had to do was put on the Goldsmith album, open up your paperback (and they were often published on high quality semi-gloss stock) and float away.
I still have mine and in great shape, too. Priceless.
I loved the fotonovels! In the pre-video era it was pretty much the only way a Brit like me - who didn't have the benefit of constant re-runs of Trek in syndication (the BBC repeated the show sporadically) it was only way of reliving the shows.
I loved the fotonovels! In the pre-video era it was pretty much the only way a Brit like me - who didn't have the benefit of constant re-runs of Trek in syndication (the BBC repeated the show sporadically) it was only way of reliving the shows.
I have them all.
Also have one for CE3K which is pretty cool.
The fotonovel is a lost art form.
I remember getting them from W.H.Smith. I used to have them.
I recall as a kid, my friend and I doing yardwork for neighbors to have enough money to buy them at a local mart store. To me, the quality of the publications were (and remain all these years later) of very high quality, visually and narratively capturing the essence of the episode. Also liked the other films that were given the Fotonovel treatment.
I have a very vague recollection of having a Wrath of Khan Fotonovel but can't be positive this actually existed or if my memory is just playing tricks - did one exist?
I did have the one from ST-TMP and another from the pilot episode of Battlestar Galactica, both edited by Mr. Anobile. They were a great way to relive the shows before home video came along.
Some very interesting titles there. Confirmed my memory wasn't playing tricks and that Wrath of Khan does exist. But Can't Stop The Music??? Really????
Some very interesting titles there. Confirmed my memory wasn't playing tricks and that Wrath of Khan does exist. But Can't Stop The Music??? Really????
Alien. I seemed to remember it being a large format book.
Robert Altman's Nashville as a fotonovel? Would've loved to see that one. I can just imagine copies of that one going unbought in backwater towns throughout the U.S. in 1975-76.
The films of Altman's I'd like to see adapted as fotonovels even more would be Short Cuts and The Player.
Robert Altman's Nashville as a fotonovel? Would've loved to see that one. I can just imagine copies of that one going unbought in backwater towns throughout the U.S. in 1975-76.
The films of Altman's I'd like to see adapted as fotonovels even more would be Short Cuts and The Player.
Still have The Wrath of Khan fotonovel but will never understand why it was published in black and white instead of color.
I had the pleasure of working with Richard Anobile – who founded this entire genre – in the mid 90s. I was a huge fan of his work and had the great fortune to spent months volleying questions at him.
Following the publication of his seminal Marx Bros. Scrapbook, Richard embarked on a series of large-format books of classic 30s and 40s black and white films. Color, however, was out of financial reach until he discovered a method being used in the middle east (or Europe – apologies, I can't exactly) that made full color books affordable to print. He was the first (the Fotonovel series – not his – came along after), and his Alien large-format photostory is a landmark.
The Wrath of Khan came along at the very end of Richard's deal – at which point I believe his budget was slashed and the decision (much to his chagrin) was made to go black and white.
I had all the Trek Fotonovels, but in the 80's, gave them to a co-worked and die hard Trek fan who was hospitalized and going through a tough time. He appreciated the gift but damn...wish I still had them
Crap, I also had Heaven Can Wait, The Lord Of The Rings, Khan, The Blair Witch Project, still have 2 copies of Alien and 1 of Outland, also a large format paperback.
Hardback copies of Anobile's Who's On First and The Maltese Falcon are packed away somewhere here
What great memories! I have 5 of them(Star Trek) and I also have CE3K. I wish had ALIEN too. I remember getting my first set and going nuts over it. My first one being The Deadly Years episode, this being mid 1980s.
I believe I have the one for Close Encounters of the Third Kind and one other. I'd dearly love to have a all the ones for Star Trek and Alien. I always found it an odd and interesting form. It's too bad about the Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan one being in black & white.
