tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29769707.post115624123811792650..comments2007-02-22T00:20:13.400-08:00Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01478763837213733775noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29769707.post-1156918006077139452006-08-29T23:06:00.000-07:002006-08-29T23:06:00.000-07:00Hello --<BR/> This is Russell Bates, principal writer of "How Sharper Than A Serpent's Tooth," which was an episode of The Animated STAR TREK. I am a Kiowa science fiction writer and I have been active since 1967. Though there had been Margaret Armen's story 'The Paradise Syndrome,' on the original series, somehow there never had been a Native member of the ENTERPRISE crew. When I exited the USAF in 1968, through 'friend of a friend' contacts, Gene Roddenberry and D.C. Fontana nominated me for the film industry's program to train minority writers, and I was the very first such student to sell to a major television series. Years later, when the Animated version was beginning, Ms. Fontana asked me to do a story with a Native crewman. I performed "The Patient Parasites" but it was returned as not being a large enough story. With a young filmmaker, I co-wrote "How Sharper Than A Serpent's Tooth," and made Dawson Walking Bear (Comanche) a principal character. The story carefully avoided stereotypical inclusions and concentrated on the alien Kukulkan as having brought his knowledge to EVERYBODY on Earth. It won a 1975 Emmy Award, a Melies` Prize, a Peabody Award, a Robby Award, a Fantasy Film Federation Award, and was the American entry in Children's Programming at the 15th International Television Film Festival of Monte Carlo.<BR/> The episode will be released on DVD Nov. 21 along with the rest of the Animated series. A few bits of trivia: Walking Bear comes from my uncle's Kiowa name, and the character originally was a Kiowa, but the studio wanted a more recognizable tribe. Originally called 'The Thunderbird,' the story slowly grew into a larger context and so it was a tossup among Quetzalcoatl, Kukulkan, and Varicocha. The original story, 'The Patient Parasites,' was published in STAR TREK: THE NEW VOYAGES 2 from Bantam Books and appears as an internet comic book at <BR/>http://www.startrekanimated.com/<BR/>tas_comic08_main.html<BR/>with Walking Bear restored to the story. In STAR TREK THE MOTION PICTURE, Jerry Goldsmith's score for the Klingon attack on V'Ger has a definite 'movie Indian music' ring to it. There was another teleplay, "Brothers Of The Blood," featuring a Kiowa character, Benton Skyhorse, done for STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION but finally was not performed because it dealt with war. *sigh* In any case, Skyhorse earns his name as a warrior and even becomes blood brothers with the Klingon, Worf.<BR/> Just thought you'd like to know...<BR/>Russell Bates<BR/>'writerfella'<BR/>rusty-katwriterfellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04626861534342255347noreply@blogger.com