Cara Sherman

Fan
Name:	Cara Sherman, Cara Sherman-Tereno
Alias(es):
Type:	zine editor, fanartist, fanwriter, zine publisher
Fandoms:	Star Trek TOS, comics
Communities:
Other:
URL:
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Cara Sherman was a zine editor, artist, and writer.

She passed away February 13, 1996.

Cara Sherman Tereno was one of the few women to work in mainstream American comics during the 1980s. She has mostly worked for DC Comics on titles like 'Arion, Lord of Atlantis', but was also active in alternative and fandom circles.

[...]

Sherman published five issues of Romulan Wine, a fanzine dedicated to the sci-fi TV series 'Star Trek'. It featured stories and articles by Sherman and others, including the artist Dave Puckett (D. Puck). Sherman and Puck cooperated on a story about Ancient Vulcan, the origin planet of the franchise's extraterrestrial humanoid species, the Vulcans. To be sure, Sherman wrote 'Star Trek' creator Gene Roddenberry for his approval, and received it! The fifth issue was called 'The Porno Issue' and contained explicit erotic fanfiction.

In the 1980s she was active in the mainstream comic book scene. She made an appearance in the May 1984 issue of DC's 'New Talent Showcase' with her 6-page story 'Moon River'. In 1984 and 1985 she worked on several issues of the sword and sorcery title 'Arion, Lord of Atlantis', created by Paul Kupperberg and Jan Duursema. In 1984 Sherman provided additional artwork for the first issue of Marvel's fantasy-supernatural series 'Timespirits' by Tom Yeates and Steve Perry. She had a story published in 'Tales of Terror' #4 by Eclipse in 1986 and drew a story with Chris Warner for the third issue of the superhero comic 'The American' (Dark Horse, 1987), created by Mark Verheiden.

Sherman furthermore drew the fifth issue of 'Evangeline' (First Comics, 1988), the "sexy killer vigilante nun" created by husband and wife team Chuck Dixon and Judith Hunt. In 1989 she also drew a story for DC's 'Wonder Woman Annual'. For herself and the non-mainstream press she produced gay vampire erotica, such as the story 'Life With The Vampire', which was drawn in 1978, but published in Taboo #2 in 1989. Cara Sherman Tereno died of leukemia in February 1996, aged 44.

Cara was a very independent person, somewhat of a feminist and pretty much a devoted Zionist. Her interests surpassed merely artwork and writing and she was well-educated. Her letters were always uplifting, caring and humorous. Her paintings were excellant. We "swapped" paintings one time (the above pictured of the Vulcan woman). That painting she sent me has always had an honored place somewhere in every house or apartment that I've ever lived in since I obtained it 30 years ago.

Cara published a fanzine called Romulan Wine which was basically dedicated to Star Trek, of which she (and I as well) were big fans. [...] We even collaborated on a comic strip that was published in two issues. She had asked me if I was interested in writing and penciling a strip, and she'd revise and ink it, and we wanted something in the Star Trek fashion. I wrote a story about Ancient Vulcan, the main character of which was a chieftain named Mort III. Cara loved it, but was afraid that Gene Roddenberry might not approve, so she wrote him several times, and eventually, he did indeed approve of the script and even gave his blessing, making it an authorized part of Vulcan History. She published it in two-parts in her fanzine, and, to my knowledge, it was the first time anything in comic strip format referring to Ancient Vulcan was ever published. The one precedent we set in the storyline? The sun on Vulcan rose from the West.

But... even close friends drift apart...

Work in Media Zines

• Despatch
• Eel-Bird Banders' Bulletin
• Independent Entity
• Klingon Empire Appointment Calendar
• Kraith Collected
• Masiform D
• Rigel
• Romulan Wine
• Sol III
• Star Trek Today
• Vulcanalia