Thomas Warkentin

Thomas Warkentin was a comic strip artist and writer, animator and magazine cover artist. He created the first eight stories of the US Comic Strips series. He died in 2002.

US Comic Strip series
To audition for the job of creating the Star Trek newspaper strip, Warkentin produced seven sample daily strips and two sample Sunday strips. He used his likeness for one of the characters. After Neal Adams and Al Williamson declined offers, Warkentin was hired. (The Newspaper Comics, Volume 1, The Newspaper Comics, Volume 2, Star Trek Communicator #121)

Warkentin’s stories embraced the motion picture era, highlighting the refit USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) as well as Klingons and other aliens seen in the film, while being seasoned with references from TOS and TAS. His tenure lasted 73 weeks, from December 1979 to April 1981. Following his departure, he provided art assistance in October 1981 for Quarantine and returned without credit in 1982 to illustrate the last 12 daily strips of The Nogura Regatta.

Warkentin used plastic models to improve detailing and perspective in his illustrations. Sold at a Venice, California estate sale were five spacecraft models reportedly used for the series. Among them were two models of the refit Enterprise, one with its panel lines darkened. A K't'inga class battlecruiser with panel lines heavily darkened by marker was also sold. Such K't'inga class ships debuted in the strip on Jan 8, 1980, whereas an earlier story with Klingon ships did not have the detailing. (Estate sale)

Star Trek Credits

 * Called Home
 * Dilithium Dilemma
 * The Real McCoy
 * Double Bluff
 * Aberration on Abaris
 * Husian Gambit
 * Heads of State
 * It's a Living

Non Trek work

 * For Warner Bros Animation in the 1990s, Warkentin was a background key designer, background layout artist and layout artist. He worked on 21 episodes of Animaniacs, 17 episodes of Histeria!, and 7 episodes of Tiny Toon Adventures. He also was a background key designer for the three-episode premiere of Superman: The Animated Series. (IMDB)
 * The 1996 Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Animation was awarded to the artists, writers and directors of Animaniacs. (Emmy Award)


 * From 1991-1996, Warkentin wrote stories for the Flash Gordon comic strip. (Flash Gordon)


 * Warkentin illustrated three front covers and two back covers for Heavy Metal magazine. (Heavy Metal)


 * Warkentin created promo art for video releases of the sci-fi film Dark Star. (Dark Star)