Star Trek Poster Book #4

The Star Trek Giant Poster Book (actually a magazine) was one of the greatest publications to come out in the 70's on the show, and I never missed an issue. I said earlier that I would post all of them, and I plan on doing so, starting back now with issue #4, published December 1, 1976. (Read all of the previous posts by using the tag link.) They are spaced apart somewhat since I have to scan them in sections then put them back together in photoshop, all for your enjoyment. You may leave a token of your appreciation in the tip jar on the counter. Or better yet, leave a comment!

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As for the interior poster, you can see what it was from the thumbnail preview on the back cover, a frame blowup from "Day Of The Dove." No need to open it up and take a photo of it for this post, since it's not a great poster. In fact, that was the one consistent criticism I had against the magazine; most of the posters were simply grainy frame blowups, and only once or twice did they use sharp promotional photos, which were by far the best ones. Why they didn't go that route every time, instead of film clip enlargements, I have no idea; but the whole idea of the poster book suffered because of it. On the whole, though, an excellent publication.

Star Trek Giant Poster Magazine #3

There were two publications that came out in the 70's that really were incredible to find back then... the Star Trek Fotonovels (which came out in 1977, and which we'll tackle soon) and the Giant Poster Magazine. Finding a new edition of either of these on the newstand was a major event in my little world!

I've posted the complete scans of issues #1 and #2 of the poster magazine, and will continue to feature them occasionally until they are all covered. This time we look at issue #3, (published in October of 1976) devoted to covering the more humorous aspects of the show. First, the cover... unusual for the fact that his uniform tunic appears purple rather than blue. This is probably because a colored gel was being used on one of the lights illuminating the scene.

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As always, I scan these pages in sections and then photoshop them back together, which is why the posts of the various issues are spaced apart as they are. It's a big job! If you had these issues, but don't any more, these posts will restore them to you, in a manner of speaking, and refresh your memories of them. If you missed them, they will be new to you! And if you still have them, but haven't looked at them in awhile, the posts will save wear and tear on your issues.

Next, the two pages that it opened up to first; one featuring images from the blooper reel, and the other the rules for playing the game Fizzbin, made up by the captain on the spot to confuse and distract the guards in "A Piece of the Action."

Next, page three, which was twice as large as the previous page, when the magazine was opened up further. A nice writeup on the most famous episode, "The Trouble With Tribbles."

Below, page 4, from the opposite side of the page above; on the inside fold. A nice look at the humor of Star Trek, much of which came from Dr. McCoy.

And then there's the back cover, interesting because of the ads for the two exciting items, the Tech Manual and the Blueprints. Take the trivia quiz if you think you know Star Trek! Answers given next issue.

Bonus: Below, a contributed item from a reader! Although I primarily featured material from my own collection (hence the "my" in "My Star Trek Scrapbook") I have decided to share material sent in by readers, if, of course, I don't already have that item. This time, we have a real rarity; a movie magazine page featuring DeForest Kelly way before his role on Star Trek. Contributor Kristie pointed out that since it mentions his involvement in the then-current film "Variety Girl", that this dates the article to 1947. Bet some of you didn't know his career went back that far! Kristie is an active contributor to a blog dedicated to Kelly, which you should visit! There are some awesome and rare photos of De posted there.

Note: I have begun a Twitter account for those that would like to use it to stay informed when I make posts here. Subscribe at www.Twitter.com/fredtrekker!

Star Trek Poster Magazine #2

From the boundless depths of the collection cabinets comes Issue #2 of the Star Trek Poster Magazine, officially known as the "Star Trek Giant Poster Book." Published October 10, 1976, this monthy magazine was the one publication I did not miss. Knowing when it was due on the drugstore magazine stand, I haunted the rack until the magazine delivery guy dropped off his shipment and was the first to get an issue from the bundle!

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Bonus: Below, the next in the series of novelizations by James Blish. Painted by the same artist that did the cover for #9, the art is so similar that it could be mistaken for the earlier edition at first look. A little lazy, it seemed to me at the time. Surely even a change in the background colors could have set it apart more.

Star Trek Poster magazine #1

Published September of 1976, this first issue of the legendary Star Trek Poster magazine was a ground-breaking publication that totally rocked my world. The show was at its height of popularity through the weekday reruns in syndication, and I was at the height of my love for it. Here, scanned in its entirety, is that memorable premiere issue that I enjoyed so much. I have all of them, and plan on posting them now and again until they are all on my blog for your enjoyment; either for the first time or to bring back your own fond memories. It was work scanning each of the inner pages in two parts and putting them back together, but worth it if you enjoy it. Let me know!

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Please note that the first article below was written by Doug Drexler, who went on to actually contribute much to Star Trek in the later series and films!

Below is the back cover, with a thumbnail of the inside poster and a preview of next issue. Due to the size of the poster, I'm not scanning it here; too much wear and tear on the copy. The ads for the Tech Manual and Blueprints also are neat to see again. Do you know the answer to the trivia quiz questions?

Update: Doug Drexler commented this when I posted the link on his blog: "Fred! That’s a real blast from the past! Thanks for linking that! That was during the Trading Post days. BTW, LOVE your blog!" Thanks, Doug! That means a lot coming from you.

I have a funny memory of the time I bought this issue. We had just moved from Ft. Lauderdale, FL to the little "town" of Gray, GA and it was very discouraging to me to go from such a great place to find Trek material to a Trek desert out in the country. But I traveled to nearby Macon (my hometown) for a job and I would stop at the drugstore on the way home the day of the week that the new magazines came in. I was 17 at the time, still living at home, and many of my regular readers know of my domineering stepdad, who hated Trek for my sake. I had to sneak in everything I bought and then when I went to spend the weekend at my Grandma's house, I would take my new items over there for safekeeping. To get this magazine in, I used a slick trick; earlier, I had slit the screen in my bedroom window right along the bottom where it wouldn't show. I then cracked the window some and left it that way. When I got home, I came by the window, slipped the magazine up inside it under the pane, then went in the front door. When I went to my room, I opened the curtain and pulled the magazine in through the split in the screen. Another contraband item successfully smuggled in!