Starlog #3 Con Articles Part 4

For the past three entries, as you may know, (if not, use the Archives links to catch up) I have been posting the pages from issue #3 of Starlog, as they covered the 1976 Bi-Centennial 10 con, held in NY in September of 1976. This post wraps up that series, with the appearance page on Walter Koenig, and an inside look at the joys and trials of organizing conventions by none other than superfan Joan Winston.

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Below, from the same issue, is a writeup on the rollout celebration for the shuttle prototype which was named Enterprise. (I've covered this in other posts, but with articles from other sources.)

Starlog #3 Con Articles Part 3

For the past two entries I've posted pages from the Starlog issue #3 coverage of the Bicentennial 10 convention, held in September of 1976 in New York. I continue the series of articles now with pages that spotlight appearances by George Takei, Deforest Kelley, Bill Shatner and Susan Oliver (Vina), as well as a look at the animated series by a consultant to Filmation studios.

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Need to brush up on your warp factors, George... not quite accurate there, as any fan would tell you.

A cel showing the infamous six-fingered Spock. This kind of mistake would never have slipped by in the live-action series; although to be fair they did leave off one of Scotty's fingers from time to time.

I'll be finishing up the rest of the articles next time, so come back soon... or if you are visiting after the fact, click on the next entry to read!

Bonus: Below, a small 1973 newspaper clipping about the cartoon from my scrapbook, from the series first run. You can see the tape I used, before I was old enough to know better than to use scotch tape for such things. But, I was just 13, so I can be excused... can't I?

Starlog #3 Con Articles Part 2

As promised last time, here are more of the pages from Starlog issue #3 covering the September 1976 Bicentennial 10 convention in New York. The pages this time cover appearances by NASA space specialist Jesco Von Puttkamer (who would go on to be the technical advisor on ST:TMP), Kathryn Hays (Gem), James Doohan, Stanley Adams (Cyrano Jones) and Tribbles writer David Gerrold, as well as a look at the (in)famous blooper reel. Enjoy!

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Below, it was with amusement that I read the text in the David Gerrold panel. The question and his answer are, in retrospect, prophetic in view of his later revelations.

Come back soon for more convention report pages from this memorable issue!

Starlog #3 Convention Article #1

The collection cabinet (one of three) opens today to bring forth from the hallowed archives of sacred writing Issue #3 of the venerable Starlog, bearing the cover date of January of 1977, meaning it came out in November of the previous year. As isolated as I was from connecting with fellow fans, the extensive coverage of the September '76 Bicentennial 10 convention in New York was like manna for my famished Trek appetite. I plan on posting all of the pages covering the convention over the course of a week or two, so come back soon for more awesome flashbacks to the fun 1970's!

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Love how Nichelle's booty gets the center focus of the cluster!

Below, the first of the stars spotlighted, the lovely and charming Nichelle Nichols, followed by Grace Lee Whitney.

Remember, check back in soon for more in this series of articles!

Below, from the same issue, the inside cover ad for Gene's album "Inside Star Trek." I have great memories of that record, which I still own. I recorded some of the interviews with the stars onto tape and replaced Gene's voice with my own, as if I was conducting the interviews. It sounded pretty good, and was an early expression of my talent for audio production, foreshadowing my work in radio in later years.

Bonus: Below, a dollar bill that lives up to the name; dollar Bill... Shatner, that is. A greenback made for especially tucking into the thongs of strippers, mostly of the also green-backed Orion variety.

"Wrath of Khan" article from FM #186

From issue #186 of Famous Monsters, published August 1982, comes this article on "The Wrath of Khan," with exciting full-color photos (something new for the mag). The inclusion of a color section didn't help the magazine much, as it folded shortly thereafter.

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The photos in this article really served to get me even more excited about the movie than I already was, action and drama-packed as they seemed to be. Ready for something really good after the snooze-inducing pace of ST:TMP, this issue fanned the flames of expectation, and I was not let down.

Below, from the same issue, is the merchandise page featuring the Trek material. How much of this stuff did you have, and how much do you still have? I still have the books, and had the three ship models, but none of my old models survived the years and many moves. I do still have some unbuilt ones in their boxes, but I'll never put them together.

The sleeping bag allowed one to really "get into" Star Trek more literally.

Bonus: below, Kirk is on the receiving end for a change, in this funny promotional pic shot during the filming of "I, Mudd."

"Fully functional, you say? I've been called a love machine myself, sometimes."

Trek Movie article in Famous Monsters #145

Once again the collection cabinets open their doors, and this time we look at a report on the first Star Trek movie from issue #145 of the venerable "Famous Monsters" magazine, published July of 1978. This was still early in the film's production, and filming had not yet begun; that was slated for later in the fall. The sets were just being built, and as we know now, the script still undergoing re-writes. But it was an exciting time for us fans!

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Although dead for years, nothing could keep this fan from seeing the upcoming movie.

Below, from the same magazine, the results of a contest from an earlier issue. All too easy for Trek fans!

Bonus: Below, an incredible ad for a contest where some lucky fan got to win a pair of Leonard Nimoy's used Spock ears! This came from the December 1967 issue of Movie Stars. I wonder if whoever won them was mature enough to treasure them, or was it a kid who "taped them to their ears" as the ad suggests and lost them at recess? Thanks to Irene Batelaan of the Netherlands for submitting it! I usually only feature material from my own collection, but this was too good not to share. "Ears to you!"

Fortunately for Nimoy, the article was only referring to his latex tips and not his actual ears.

Enterprise in the Smithsonian 1977 article

From Issue #2 of "All About Star Trek Fan Clubs," published in April of 1977, comes this article on the display of the original 6 foot filming model of the Enterprise in the respected Smithsonian Institution. Although the few photos of the model are limited to the last two pages (the rest of the 6-page feature basically a tour of the museum leading up to the ship), it is still a nice look at how it was displayed at the time. Note that this was before the controversial (among fans) repainting.

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Bonus: below, yet another of the 1967 Leaf bubblegum cards. Spock looks uncharacteristically alamed while McCoy seems pretty calm about being in such a cold environment with no protection.

"Great Surak! This poor soul has been frozen solid, Doc!"