A long-time Star Trek staple is coming to an end after 30 years

There is no promise of immortality for anyone or anything. Everything falls. Don't believe the mantra "too big to fail" because it's not true. Everything fails, and everything ends. Even Star Trek. One day, there will be a world where Star Trek is simply a memory in someone's head.

With that too, means the end of things associated with Star Trek. In time, all of the books, magazines, podcasts, and the like will end and fade away into the ether. Today, we're saying goodbye to one of those things. After 30 years of publication, Star Trek: Explorer, otherwise known as Explorer, is coming to an end.

The magazine was rebranded in 2021 and released 14 issues following the rebrand. The final issue confirms the magazine's discontinuation, with a quote saying;

"“It’s the final issue, but we’re going out with a bang!"

TrekMovie.com also got word from Explorer's publisher, Titan Magazines, that this is indeed the end of an era. It seems rather fitting that the magazine would close its doors within a year of another staple of the franchise, the Playmates Toy line of action figures being discontinued.

It seems to be the end of multiple eras for Star Trek.

With how hard it is to sell physical media these days, this isn't surprising news. Yet, the idea of Star Trek fans flocking to something like a magazine makes sense. In hindsight, if there was one fanbase that could get a magazine to not only stay profitable but excel, it was the Star Trek fandom. Yet, for whatever reason, the collecting spirit isn't as vaunted as it once was.

Surely, there are numerous reasons for why that is, but regardless of the reason why, the lack of a desire to support certain institutions in and around the fandom just doesn't seem to be there anymore and it's a shame.

Maybe physical media will make a comeback when people realize just how fickle the digital realm really is, but until that day, we should get used to saying goodbye to the magazines we once loved.