Sunday, December 27, 2009

ST:TWOK local newspaper review

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Above, a local Beckley, WV newspaper review for "The Wrath of Khan" that was published in early June, 1982. Giving the second movie only three stars ("average") the cynical reviewer admits he doesn't understand the appeal of Trek. So I suppose the lukewarm review he gives the film is still a backhanded compliment considering the disdain he obviously held for the fans and the franchise. (When I clipped the article I added the extra stars to show my own regard for the movie.) Perhaps the critic's name was left off the article to avoid imagined reprisal from the fans, or simply because it was penned by someone on staff too unimportant to warrent a byline.

Below, a photo clipped from the entertainment section of a Charleston WV paper.

Next, a clipping from TV Guide the week that the movie premiered on pay TV in March of 1983.

Below, the cover of a July 1982 Jet magazine. I wasn't able to clip tha actual article, all I could get was the cover. I think someone else gave it to me who knew of my interest, but they didn't bring the whole magazine. I suppose they thought I only liked to look at pictures.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

1980 interview with Bob Fletcher

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Last time, I posted an article on Harold Michaelson from the February 1980 issue of "Fantastic Films." This time, I'm posting another article from the same issue, on the costume designer for ST:TMP, Robert Fletcher. Enjoy!
Below: another in the rare Leaf Star Trek cards, from 1967. Their unusual photos and hilariously disconnected captions are always a source of interest and amusement.


"Nurse Chapel... I hit my funnybone, can you kiss it for me?"
News: "My Star Trek Scrapbook" makes another Top Trek Blog list, this time the "Top 50 Blogs for Trekkies"! I'm honored! Check it out for lots of other cool Trek blog links.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

"The Designing of ST:TMP" 1980 article

(Don't strain your optical orbs... click on images to enlarge!)

On December 7th, we saw the 30th anniversary of one of the most anticipated movies (at least by me) ever made ... the majestically-titled "Star Trek: The Motion Picture." Long on effects and ideas, but short on actual motion, the movie was like a slow and loving camera trip through an art museum to linger on the masterpieces. Very beautiful to gaze at and appreciate, but only good if you love art, have plenty of time and are patient when it comes to your thrills. I enjoy the better-edited and more complete Director's Edition much more now than the original release.

The article scanned in this time is from "Fantastic Films" magazine, a high-quality publication a bit below "Cinefantastique" but above "Starlog." The interview with Harold Michelson is a nice look at what went into the look of the movie, with some good behind-the-scenes images.

I've been posting these articles and clippings about the first Trek movie for awhile now, so if you want to get caught up with the history of the film's release, follow the "ST:TMP" tag and the "first movie" tag. Reading over them, I hope you recapture your own sense of excitement, or at least see what it was like for us fans back then.

Thirty years.... just doesn't seem real now. The movie seems to be holding up better than I am.












"The Black Hole," also featured on the cover, had a lot more action, even though the story and effects were on a grand scale like "TMP," so it could have been done. I've thought before how neat it would have been to combine the two; using the story of "The Black Hole" as the basis for the new movie. I think it would have been a fine Trek movie and much more exciting. Adapting the story for Trek could have eliminated some of the poorer elements of both: "TBH" could lose the shallow characterization and dialog, and "TMP" could lose the mind-numbing flights through effects for a let-down ending.

Seeing Kirk match wits with Reinhardt's massive mind and ego, and the crew having to fight their way out of the collapsing Cygnus... the new Enterprise dragged into the black hole also, but protected by Spock's application of the new shield technology...it could have been truly awesome!

Below, a fun piece of art by Don Rosa showing the use of the Guardian that most of us geeks would come up with for it. Scanned from an issue of "Enterprise Incidents."

Below, another of my photo humor pieces.


Word spread rapidly for a ship as large as the Enterprise.

Monday, November 30, 2009

Bill's Trek To The Top

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From the collection cabinets comes a magazine article from 1968, reprinted in a late 70's issue of the fanzine "Enterprise Incidents." Not sure of the movie/TV magazine it came from.

Below, another of Ralph Fowler's awesome drawings from the same magazine. I have word that Ralph has visited the blog, and I hope to hear from him soon. If I do, I'll let you know! Ralph, if you read this, please consider doing a blog of your own featuring your artwork on Trek and other genre subjects. I'd love to see it!


"Hello.... anybody home? Hello...?"

Bonus: magazine ad for the new "Official Star Trek Poster Magazine" that came out in 1976. I managed to get all of them, and they are a treasured part of my collection.


Whoopee! "My Star Trek Scrapbook" has been posted as one of the Top 5 Trek blogs over on Film Fresh's own blog. Check it out!

Friday, November 27, 2009

TV Guide ads for "The Wrath of Khan"

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Nice artwork of the principal characters from TWOK in this ad which spanned the bottom half of two pages, clipped from the TV Guide the week of the first network showing of "The Wrath Of Khan." There is no clue on the clippings to show when this was, although I know it was the mid-80's. If you know the date and year, share it in the comments with us and I'll update the entry. Below, the Close-Up entry for the movie.
Update: Thanks to reader Comboman who commented below, the year has been identified as 1985. That's about as mid-80's as you can get!
Final update: Commenter Rob has identified the exact date for us: Sunday, February 24, 1985. Thanks, Rob!



Below, a single newspaper publicity still made of up four images.



And two more of the postcards that came out commemorating the movie. Nichelle, lovely as always...


And Kirstie Alley, well before stardom and weight gain difficulties.


"I wonder if there's any of that banana cheesecake left."

Thursday, November 19, 2009

"Mad" Spoof of ST:TMP

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Ye Olde Collection Cabinet opens to reveal a well-done spoof of Star Trek:The Motion Picture from the pages of Mad magazine... issue 216, published July 1980. Long-time Mad artist Mort Drucker does his usual hilarious job of illustrating. Unlike the Crazy TMP spoof, which merely imitated Drucker's previous Trek parodies, this one was written after actually seeing the movie, and depicted the events, sets and uniforms fairly accurately... except where space effects of V'Ger are shown. Can't figure that one out. I hardly think the artist was working only from publicity stills. Maybe they found it too hard to put V'Ger down on paper?








Below, a cute caricarture of Three Men and A Babe found somewhere on the web, I know not where now.

And, today's Gratuitous Uhura picture, related to the post by virtue of it being from ST:TMP. Any excuse...


Uhura was put off by the junk-revealing jumpsuits that some of the male crewmen were wearing now.

Finally, a note I received about a couple of lucky (and rich) fan's opportunity to sit and shoot the breeze with ol' Pointy Ears himself... the latest bid when I looked was over $5,000!

Hey Frederick:

Taylor here from Attention with some exciting news for you and the readers of your blog My Star Trek Scrapbook.

I wanted to reach out to you about the Leonard Nimoy auction that is currently open at
Charity Buzz. Fans can bid now for their chance to enjoy a private tour of the iconic Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles with the one and only Mr. Spock. This auction is valid for two people and is your chance to spend the day getting to know the man who played Spock.

All proceeds from the auction will benefit RFK Center for Justice & Human Rights and was donated by Leonard Nimoy.

Thanks for your time and I hope you can share the news. If you have any questions feel free to send them my way.

Taylor Newby
Attention
532 Broadway, Fl. 10
New York, NY 10012
www.attentionusa.com
blog.attentionusa.com

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

TV Sci-Fi Monthly #2 article

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From 1976, Issue #2 of the British publication, "TV Sci-Fi Monthly." The first article inside is an interview with Gene Roddenberry about his hopes and plans for the new movie, which would eventually get made a few years later. I picked this up when I lived in Ft. Lauderdale, FL as a teen. I had graduated that spring, and now was working, had my own car, and was able to go to the store (called Starship Enterprises) more often and buy what I wanted. it was a good time!



Extra: Below, the cover of "The Monsters of Star Trek," published in 1980. A nice bit of artwork featuring the Gorn!

Monday, November 9, 2009

Nichelle Nichols on "Inside Space"

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You can talk about anything, Nichelle, and I'm captivated.




From the video-production trade magazine "Producer" comes this circa-1993 article on the making of the "Inside Space" program from the then-new Sci-Fi channel. Of note because it featured the lovely Nichelle Nichols, I of course clipped it and put it in my scrapbook.












The article is incomplete as I didn't save the last page. It just got too dry with all the technical jargon and never went back to Nichelle.

The fantastic photo below is not from my collection (sadly) but I found it on the Retrospace blog, located here. The page is from a 1969 cover article on Nichelle that features many good pics! But this one can't be beat for sheer awesomeness.



I'm envious of that bicycle seat.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

The Monster Times Trek Special #1

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Back in 1973, magazines devoted to Star Trek were non-existent. So when the occasional article came out, I was on it like a famished glommer on a fat tribble. The fantastically-fun newspaper-format publication "The Monster Times" was on my regular "must-buy" list, and whenever I found an issue it was a great day. I was 14 in '73, and my Trek-fever was burning hot. So, when one summer afternoon at my Grandma's house, I turned the page of the latest TMT (as it was known to fans) and saw the ad for their two Trek Specials, I immediately put my dollar bills in an envelope, and mailed in the order... giving my Grandma's address for it to be delivered to. I always had my mail order items mailed there for protection from my step-dad, and my Grandma helped me out.

A few weeks later when I went over for the weekend again, lo and behold, the envelope with my issues had arrived! Whoopee! With real excitement I tore into it and spent the evening soaking in the two Trek-devoted magazines. WHOLE ISSUES devoted to my favorite subject; it was an embarrassment of riches! One was in the usual newspaper format, but the other was in a small magazine format, with psuedo-color mini-posters inside. TMT was limited to only two ink colors per magazine, so everything in a particular issue was printed in the two colors and anything that mixing them could achieve. This was before I had ever come across a color photo of Star Trek in any magazine, so even these colorized pictures were welcome. Hard to imagine now, huh?

It's this issue that I feature this time, and although the magazine has articles on other sci-fi TV shows, the majority was on Trek. I've scanned in the first article below...











Below is another page that reprints one of the show's early publicity flyers...


And next, two of the colorized pinups.





I would feature material from the other Trek-oriented special, but since it's the usual newspaper-format, it's very difficult to scan. I have to scan it in sections, then Photoshop them back together, and it puts the fragile over-30-year-old paper through a lot of wear-and-tear. For that reason, there's not as much in my blogs from TMT as I'd like. But more are coming, so access all of them by using the "Monster Times" tag on the right sidebar.
Update: Here are two more entries from the same issue: Convention Report and Trek Special Continued.