Sometime back in the early 1970's, I became fascinated with science fiction. My parents, like many others, both worked in order to support our family. I was a "latch-key kid", and walked home from school alone. In those hours before my parents arrived home, television was my best friend. At that time, Star Trek reruns were playing every day at 4 pm on the local television station - and they drew me in like nothing ever had before. For the first time, I saw a vision of the future where everything turned out O.K. No matter how evil the aliens, no matter how terrible the danger, I knew that Jim Kirk would bring the crew of the Enterprise (and me) through it all safely in the end. I looked up to Kirk as a father figure, at a time when I desperately needed role models. I knew all the episodes by heart. My friends and I made paper communicators to play with on the playground. We had long discussions about just how many Klingon battlecruisers it would take to beat the Enterprise. Life was good.

Soon, my interest expanded to include any fantastic, far-away stories about space and futuristic adventure that I could get my hands on. To me, it was food for a hungry soul. In my mind and on the playgrounds, I flew alongside the pilots of Moon Base Alpha from "Space: 1999"; I watched in awe as Logan and Jessica discovered the remains of Washington, D.C. in "Logan's Run"; I begged my parents for just FIVE MORE MINUTES so that I could watch the ending to "2001: A Space Odyssey". I will never forget the night that "Planet of the Apes" played on the ABC movie of the week. The final scene where Taylor rides up to the Statue of Liberty, buried in the sand, actually had me in tears. There were simply too many to mention. It was a golden time for science fiction. Imagination was the key.

In 1976, Star Wars was released and my life would never be the same. Up to that point, most of the movies and television shows ("2001: A Space Odyssey" being a notable exception) only hinted on-screen at the fantastic idea they presented to us. Star Wars changed that forever. As I watched the huge form of a star destroyer slide across the screen, I knew that something magical was happening. The richness of the universe it presented, the depth of the characters, and the classic battle of good vs. evil were an unbeatable combination. I, along with every other self-respecting young boy in North America, forgot about everything else and became instantly hooked.

For the next 10 years, I became completely wrapped up in the Star Wars universe. There was not a single action figure that I didn't own; There was not a single trading card missing from my collection. As I grew up, I had mundane things to attend to along the way as well, like junior high school, my first kiss, my first car, my first job, etc., but every spare moment was spent in the pages of a Marvel Star Wars comic book, living the adventures of Luke and Leia. I should mention that Cylon Raiders and Colonial Vipers were just as likely to be found as TIE fighters and X-wings in my room. Battlestar Galactica, although not quite as good as Star Wars, still captured my attention as well. (The fact that both of these movies had come out within a few years of each other convinced me beyond a doubt that this was the best time in the history of the world to be alive!)

During this time, I never forgot about Star Trek. I would see the Gold Key comics sitting in the convenience store racks next to the others, but only bought them occasionally, when there was no other new comic book or toy that I wanted. Being the seasoned science fiction veteran that I was, I figured that there was really nothing new to explore in the Star Trek universe. Other than a few of the animated shows, I hadn't seen any new material on TV for years. Star Trek to me became like a good friend that I only visited occasionally.

When the Star Trek: The Motion Picture come out, my interest was rekindled. Finally the special effects could match those of Star Wars! I had pictured myself flying around the Enterprise in a shuttlecraft for years - and what it would look like. To see Kirk and Scotty reunite made my heart swell. Viewing the majesty of the Enterprise with them was almost too much. As the films came out over the years, I always went to see them, with a good feeling inside. I had begun to grow up, however, and there were other things to be attended to. Like almost everyone else, I had a difficult time making my way into the adult world. There were many decisions that I regret, many people I wish I had known better. There are too many roads not taken in life.

Recently, I turned 29 years old. Having stopped in a local comic store, I happened across one of the old Gold Key Star Trek issues I had owned many years before. It was battered and beaten, but the cover still promised me adventure and excitement - just as it had so long ago. I wondered how many kids had held that comic in their hands, how many had read its pages, poring over every word. I knew then and there that I wanted, no, NEEDED to read every one of those comics again. I wanted to share the stories with those who could never have the chance to own them. I wanted to give others the chance to look at these little bits of history for themselves, and delight in them.

This page was created out of a love for these comics, and a deep respect for the authors and artists who put so much effort into their creation.

This work is dedicated to my mother, Mary Selby Lookabaugh. She nurtured my imagination, and taught me a love of learning which stays with me to this day. Every time I remember her, my thoughts drift back to a crisp autumn day, many years ago, when a young boy rushed home from school to ride aboard a starship.