Hi David,
I absolutely love THE TREK LIFE! I only wish you could give us a strip every day instead of once a week. But I'm not crazy - I don't want to wear you out.

Question for you: Carl is obviously a "fanatic" just as you described him, and has been a fanatic for quite some time. How big is his STAR TREK comic book collection, and has he ever READ any of them? Okay, that's two questions, but one subject matter. Anyway, I figure you could play with that one for a couple of strips at least.

Good luck with the whole thing, and don't ever stop. We need this kind of entertainment in the Trek world.

Bud L.

Bud,
Thanks for the kind words, Bud! Yes, Carl is a fanatic in every sense, and that also translates into his Star Trek comic book collection (and every other collectible he can get his hands on). He has several (not all) of the Marvel, DC and Malibu published Star Trek comics, and even a few of the late 60's to late 70's-era Gold Key Star Trek comics. So, to answer your question ... his collection is pretty huge! And your other question as to whether he reads them? Well, he has them all sealed in protective bags as soon as he gets them (if they're not already sealed) so I suppose the closest he gets to reading them is peeling back the seal and sniffing the newsprint every now and then.

Thanks again, Bud ... and keep living the Trek life!

David,
Your strip is a breathe of fresh air for trekkies everywhere! I enjoy it immensely and it brightens each workday. Reading it reminds me of when I was young about the age of 10 or so. My friend and I were huge trekkies and would play Star Trek in his basement. Under the staircase his dad had built a 'shuttle' that we would spend hours in. Seeing Carl actually cut his hair trek-style, and relate real life to trek moments on the couch put me back in touch with my inner youth. Your strip provides humor during a time when there are no more series and movies. Thank you for the laughs and keep them coming!

Your fan,
Nathan Alumbaugh
"He's Dead, Jim." – Doctor McCoy

Nathan,
Thank you, Nathan! I'm glad you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy creating it! What a great story about when you were a kid. Brings back memories of my own. And, of course, Carl, Steve and Kate have their own childhood Star Trek tales to tell, which you will see at some point, I have no doubt. Thanks again, Nathan, and keep living the Trek life!

Greetings from Germany!
My name is Alexander, I am a big Star Trek Fan and I find that "The Trek Life" is really great!!! I like the characters and stories.

One word: Fascinating!

Thank you, Mr Reddick!!

LIVE LONG AND PROSPER!!!

Alexander,
And thanks to YOU, Alexander ... for making "The Trek Life" part of your day!
David

Thanks to David for offering to answer your e-mails. One of the reasons we love "The Trek Life" is that it adds to the overall content of STARTREK.COM, content being one place where we are constantly looking to add more in order to enhance your experience as a fan and follower of Star Trek. Another area of interactive media that has taken off is our podcasting, namely our episode-based audio commentaries which has proven very popular. Also, we continue to add our unique documentaries and interviews to our Features list to offer you some great entertainment and reading. We also try our best to cover the things you want to see most, like the big conventions. We hope to achieve even more interactivity in the months and years to come using the wonderful world of the "internets."

We move from this bit of positive news, to the bad. Over the last couple of months we have lost some wonderful people associated with Star Trek in varying degrees. James Doohan ("Scotty"), of course, but also Brock Peters ("Admiral Cartwright" & "Joseph Sisko") and Herb Wright, writer/producer from the early days of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Each and every one of these men have, with their particular talent, helped shape the world of Star Trek. STARTREK.COM sends our condolences to their respective families.

In the publishing world, we have to acknowledge that the Star Trek Communicator is on a bit of a break, a time-out if you will. But we have it on good authority that it will be back. Thanks for your concerned e-mails — we have been looking into this and are trying to find out more. When we do, you can rest assured you will hear about it here.

Readers continue to send in e-mails voicing their displeasure with a) the finale to Star Trek: Enterprise ("These Are the Voyages ..."), and b) the cancellation of the show itself. Believe it or not, word is still reaching people in other parts of the world, which we understand. But it's not coming back, folks. Trek fans have always been divided into two camps when a show finishes its run, whether by choice or not. A contingent will always feel that the current show is the best show ever and deserves to stay on the air X amount of years. Unfortunately, the financial components of Hollywood don't always take into consideration the feelings of fans. Sometimes it's the bottom line. This is still a business after all. The other side of fandom, inevitably, says "Move on!" We recognize that forward progress is a good thing, and we know that, ultimately, it will be a good thing for Star Trek to move forward yet again.

As for the ugly, well ... Hurricane Katrina did her utmost to ruin New Orleans and much of the Gulf Coast region of the U.S. Our thoughts go out to the victims and families that are trying to make the best of a horrible situation, and we appreciate the efforts of fans and actors alike, as exemplified in the quickly assembled United Federation of Fans and their endeavors to raise funds for disaster relief. For more, please see this article. People like Chase Masterson, whose energy you have to admire, have been instrumental in helping put this together.

We hope things take a turn for the better in the South and we ask everyone reading this to please give generously. Many corporations, such as our own, are donating to the relief efforts and many are matching employee donations. If this applies to you, think What Would Kirk Do!