Another example of how the original
Star Trek had become a much larger phenomenon in the Seventies than it ever had during its original run, were the sheer number of nationally-distributed newsstand magazines devoted to the show. Virtually every issue of
Starlog and
Fantastic Films had one
Trek article or more, of course, but then there were mags like the awkwardly-titled
All About Star Trek Fan Clubs and this
monthly fold-out poster magazine, which ran for at least 16 issues, from the Fall of 1976 to early 1978. Each issue had a handful of articles and would unfold to make a
gigantic poster - basically a big, grainy, 34" x 22" frame blow-up from the show.
Here's a gallery of some of the covers. Enjoy:
I had about a half-dozen of these issues, including a couple not pictured above. I had the poster of Uhura in her "Mirror Mirror" alternate universe uniform on my bedroom wall for several years. Hard to believe now, but I thought a buck for one magazine - especially one that was so thin (because it was one huge sheet of paper folded over twice) - was a lot to pay back then, especially when that same buck could buy me
four 32-page comic books. Ah... childhood economics....
Didn't Starlog put these out? I seem to recall they did the same with Star Wars.
ReplyDeleteGreat flashback Christopher. I loved these poster magazines when I was a kid. I never even noticed it was just a low resolution blow up of a picture. To me it was "poster sized" and that's all that mattered. Childhood economics indeed.
ReplyDelete- Maurice Mitchell
The Geek Twins | Film Sketchr
@thegeektwins | @mauricem1972
Anon - No, these were not published by the Starlog group. Starlog had their own line of "poster magazines," however.
ReplyDeleteI waited with bated breath for these poster magazines and Starlog to appear at the local newstand. Was always a treat to take one home and pour through it. I remember in particuliar the one that had the pictures of the original 11 foot long Enterprise "miniature" as it was delivered to the Smithsonian. I think my Mom bought that one for me on the last day of school before summer break. Ahhhh, the memories!
ReplyDeleteI bought one of these, although none of the covers above ring a bell. I think the poster showed the 11-foot model being prepped for a shot, complete with the visible mount sticking out of the left side of the model. Still the best looking spacecraft of all time to my eye, better than bloody A, B, C or D. Don't even mention the bulbous monstrosity of the 2009 movie.
ReplyDeleteLike you, I also thought $1 for a few measly pages was exorbitant.
I remember my dad cutting out and makeing star trek paper models for me from the back of corn flakes boxes, must have been in the 1970s cos i was very young about 4 or 5, it was the first scifi show i watched
ReplyDeleteWow the memories. I had many of these pinned up on my big bulletin boards my dad put up when I was a kid. What a nerd I was. ;) Even as a kid from starring at them for so long I noticed they were sort of not great resolution.;) Fun times and they are long gone to the pulp heaven in the sky!
ReplyDeleteI still have issue one. It has thumbtack holes in it!
ReplyDeleteI was only ever able to get hold of about four issues. Along with the Star Trek photonovels they were highly prized.
ReplyDeleteI've kept them in sealed plastic and never hung on the walls cos I knew they'd be worth at least a buck fifty one day!
Back then, looking at images from episodes of classic Trek I had never seen sent my imagination reeling.
Undoubtedly the reason as soon as they started to come out on VHS I bought every one. Then again on DVD. And again on blu-ray...
Best
Chris B
Loved these.. I continue to buy 'em on eBay to fill my holes, plus the Galactica, SW issues and Trek-TMP one. I love all the pre-80s mags like this.
ReplyDeleteI have 3 of these. One has a giant poster of spock
DeleteThese are wonderful! Truthfully, it wasn't until BBC America started their TOS marathon that memory of this publication surfaced. Many lawns cut, weeds pulled and driveways shovel to have the "one dollar" that kept my imagination running with each issue. Thank you for bringing back such a slice of long-gone personal history.
ReplyDelete