"Are you willing to die to protect your retailer?" asks IDW Publishing in a press release. While we're certain that many of you would answer in the most sincere affirmative, the question is a bit of a gag. The truth is that the publisher has teamed with CBS Consumer Products and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund to create the "Be A Redshirt Contest." The winning fan will have the honor of "dying" to protect the winning retailer in a cover illustration for a future issue of IDW's Star Trek comic book series.

Illustrated by the Sharp Brothers, the cover will be an extremely limited and thusly highly collectible variant cover given only to the winning retailer and the CBLDF.


"As redshirts are famous for always catching the phaser in Star Trek episodes, and as comic fans can be so loyal in defending their local retailer, it's the perfect contest," said Dirk Wood, IDW's Director of Retailer Marketing, in a press release. "And partnering with the CBLDF is perfect, because no one knows more about defending retailers than they do."

To enter the "Be A Redshirt" contest, fans must e-mail their explanation in 300 words or less about why their retailer is the best to IDW at contests@IDWPublishing.com with the subject: Save My Retailer. The winning fan and their retailer will be depicted on a limited-edition variant cover of STAR TREK. This special cover will be limited to only 300 copies: 100 each to the winning fan and their retailer, plus 100 to CBLDF to help them continue the important and challenging work of defending retailers everywhere. The winning fan will also receive the original art created by the Sharp Brothers.