On 10th June 2012, Raymond Thompson (creator and Executive Producer of The Tribe) released a personal message with the latest news and info about The Tribe on The Tribe’s official Facebook page.
Here is Ray’s message in full so you can hear about all the developments in Tribeworld (a lot to look forward to!):
“Hey Tribeworld. I hope this message finds all my Tribal brothers and sisters and friends well.
I wanted to take this opportunity of giving you all a catch up as follows:
1. Unfortunately my father was diagnosed with a terminal illness in January and as you can well imagine, it has been a very difficult time for my family and I over these past few months. I have been always so very close with my Dad (who is a huge Tribe fan I should add) and the prognosis is sadly that he is still unwell and is not expected to survive for very long.
2. I have tried very hard to keep all my professional commitments throughout this heartbreaking and distressing time period in my personal life – but the truth is that I have fallen way behind with so many tasks. This includes being available for A J Penn to clear some storyline material on his what happens next follow up novel to ‘The Tribe: A New World’ and also liaising with John Williams and the entire team on the new Tribe music.
3. However I have been able to finally complete a shooting screenplay for The Tribe motion picture (which involved three different drafts) and this is being budgeted and scheduled in the hope that we can keep on track for our 2014 release date.
4. I feel for the poor Facebook team as well because they have been chasing me to keep the Facebook page active (likewise our YouTube Channel and website).
5. So I just wanted to touch base with you all to let you know the status and why there has been little activity of late and especially why I have been slow to respond to emails which have come in (I am slowly getting through the list so please bear with me – and to all who already knew about the situation with my Dad, I am very touched by your very good wishes…. also the lovely birthday wishes I received in April. It means a great deal to me).
6. Where the new novels are concerned, subject to us getting through the next few months as we hope then we should be in a position of taking pre-orders around the third quarter of this year with a release by December 1st (this is for A J Penn’s what happens next follow up to ‘The Tribe: A New World’).
7. I have also been speaking with Harry and am pleased to advise that Harry and I will be working together to bring you a novelisation of the entire series of The Tribe which will be broken down into episodic blocks. For example the first novel might concern the first 12 episodes, the second novel the following 12 episodes, and so on and so forth. This will give us an opportunity of opening up all the stories and going into depth with the characters and their back stories, presenting not only a timeline but allowing us to delve into just so many areas we couldn’t within the confines of the television series (I know so many of you loved to know what the characters were thinking and feeling for instance in A J’s novel ‘A New World’). So we are hoping for the first batch to be available this year as well (I’ll keep the team advised of developments).
8. Depending upon what happens with my Dad in the next little while – I am also trying to steal some time to do the pre-virus back story and some canon type of material. So that may well be also available this year but if not, definitely in the first quarter of 2013.
9. I have had a lot of requests from fans to do a follow up to ‘Keeping The Dream Alive’ and so I am considering perhaps a more focused inside story into The Tribe including detailed accounts (with photographs, etc) on all the make up, wardrobe, design, production elements (I couldn’t contain it all in the first memoir).
10. There is a range of other exciting elements in the planning stages (including a graphic novel) and we will try and get back to holding some more cast chats and especially our online digital gathering. In addition although I am running a bit late due to the situation in my personal life – The Tribe plays are still going to be made available.
11. So overall I just wanted to connect with you all to let you know what has been happening this year so far. And above all, to thank you for being there for not only The Tribe but myself.
Tribeworld is a very special community. I know I’ve said it before but I am constantly touched as all on the team are by the loyalty and support from all our Tribal brothers and sisters. Words really can’t express how much this really does mean to us all.
Anyway please bear with me and the entire Tribe team. There are a lot of ‘plates’ spinning. But we will get there in the end (with hopefully not too much heartache where my Dad is concerned but as a Tribe lover and elder, he more than anyone would wish for us all to live our lives to the full, which is what I intend doing and utilising my creative body of work as a vehicle for that. And without you I am under no illusion that this body of work would mean absolutely nothing. You have made The Tribe what it is and I am eternally grateful for that).
I’ll be in touch again very soon.
Until then,
Lots of love to you all.
Stay Tribal. And above all, keep the dream alive.
Ray”
Thanks for the info, Ray, and we know all fans will join us wishing Ray the best at this difficult personal time – thanks to everyone who has sent Ray such lovely messages of support.