Collecting The Future

Maplecon 4 & 5 SF Conventions

2011-01-28T20:25:00.001-08:00

Maplecon was a science fiction & comic book convention held in Ottawa during my teenage years. A friend of mine who attended 1981's Maplecon 4 first told me about it. Although I didn't attend Maplecon 4 I did save a clipping from our local newspaper.

Two years later Maplecon 5 was held. I believe this was the first convention I attended, at the tender age of 14.

The following pictures are from the Maplecon 5 program.

Here are some of my plans for the con.

Maplecade was a fanzine associated with the convention that was given out as part of the welcome package.

I had three authors sign books for me at the con:

Hal Clement signed Needle

Local author Charles R. Saunders signed Imaro

And C.J. Cherryh signed her Hugo-award-winning Downbelow Station

My experience is summed up in my diary entry of 17 July 1983: "Today was the last day of Maplecon 5 convention but I didn't attend. I did, however enjoy both Friday and Saturday. I went to panels and the costume ball and, of course, the dealers room where I bought many items including: August '83 issue of Starlog magazine, the Spring '79 issue of Asimov's SF Adventure zine which completes my collection, 2 autographed books -- Hugo-award winner Downbelow Station by C.J. Cherryh and Imaro by Charles Saunders (I also got Hal Clement to sign a copy of Needle which I already had), packages of Star Trek -- The Motion Picture bubble gum cards, a Spock button from STTMP, a Maplecon 5 button and the complete set (18 volumes) of Star Trek comic books which appeared after STTMP came out. I've read 7 of these and they are all right though not astoundingly superb. I also obtained issue no. 41 of the original Gold Key comic series, the particular issue being November 1976. The sf authors I saw at the convention were C.J. Cherryh, Jack Chalker, Hal Clement, Charles Saunders, and Donald Kingsbury."

Again the local paper had some coverage of the con.

Videodrome publicity still

2011-01-28T20:19:00.001-08:00

Here's a super-sweet black and white publicity still of Deborah Harry in Videodrome. I believe I purchased this at a convention in the mid-80s.

SF Shops

2011-01-25T20:27:00.000-08:00

Much of my SF book collection was purchased from a handful of used book stores across Ontario. New books were usually purchased from retailers like W.H. Smith and Coles. However, on occasion I did drop by specialized SF shops.

Our Grade 12 geography class journeyed to the Big Apple for a few days back in 1985. I'm sure we learned a few "educational" things while we were there, but what I most remember was a late night jaunt to Dangerfield's comedy club, the deportation of two of my roommates mid-trip back to Ottawa, and my solo visit to the The Science Fiction Shop, from which I'd previously ordered several books via mail order.

I also dropped into Bakka bookstore in Toronto one time with my Uncle, and there found a treasure trove of books and old SF pulps.

Back in Ottawa we also had a few shops selling books, comics, and trading cards and showing genre films which I patronized:

Mego Neptunian

2011-01-25T18:58:00.000-08:00

It's a little hard-to-believe now, but I didn't join eBay until December 2009. My second eBay acquisition was this wonderful original Mego Neptunian from the mid 1970s which I won on 21 February 2010.

80s Newspaper Ads

2011-01-24T20:07:00.001-08:00

During the late 1970s I saved clippings of various genre ads from the newspaper and magazines. After a hiatus of several years I resumed the practice during the early 1980s. There was quite an explosion of sf and fantasy films during this time period, some good, some bad, but all undeniably awesome.

Letters to the Editor

2011-01-24T19:18:00.000-08:00

I wrote a few letters to the editor back in my younger days, and two of them were published.

My first letter appeared in the June 1984 issue of Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction magazine. Asimov was my principal idol during my teenage years, and I subscribed to his magazine for about a decade. Needless to say I was (and still am!) very excited to see my letter in his 'zine and to know that he had read and responded to it.

I also had a letter published in the December 1984 issue of DC's Star Trek comic book.

DS9 Worf Costume Card

2010-04-11T21:06:00.000-07:00

I received this costume card as a free gift when I bought a few of the new EMCE 8" TOS figures a couple of years ago. From what I gather, Diamond Select purchased a Worf costume from Christie's 40th anniversary Star Trek auction, then created 1500 of these cards which they sent to various dealers.

Star Trek films on DVD

2010-04-11T20:32:00.001-07:00

I actually held out on buying Trek DVDs until a couple of years ago when I found nearly all of the special edition DVDs on sale for $5 each at WalMart.

Above: ST:TMP Director's Edition, released in November 2001 and features various changes (improvements!) supervised by director Robert Wise including a new cut and new special FX.

Above: ST:TWOK Director's Edition, which features a few minor tweaks versus the theatrical release and previously-released DVD. Released in August 2002.

Above: ST:TSFS Special Collector's Edition, released in October 2002.

Above: ST:TVH Special Collector's Edition, released in March 2003.

Above: ST:TFF Special Collector's Edition, released in October 2003.

Above: ST:TUC Special Collector's Edition, released in January 2004.

Above: ST:Generations Special Collector's Edition, released in September 2004.

Above: Star Trek: First Contact Special Collector's Edition, released in March 2005.

Above: ST:Insurrection Special Collector's Edition, released in June 2005.

Above: ST:Nemesis. Strangely, I think this was the ONLY Star Trek movie I owned on DVD for several years. This is the original 1-disc release from May 2003.

George Takei autobiography

2010-04-11T20:22:00.000-07:00

1994 also saw the release of George Takei's autobiography entitled "To the Stars". It was published in October 1994 by Pocket Books. My copy is Pocket's hardcover edition and is from the first printing.

Nichelle Nichols autobiography

2010-04-11T19:58:00.001-07:00

The lovely Nichelle Nichols released an autobiography titled Beyond Uhura: Star Trek and Other Memories. It was published in October 1994 by G.P. Putnam's Sons. My copy is the Putnam hardcover edition and is a first printing.

ST:TNG coffee cup

2010-04-11T19:23:00.000-07:00

The Next Gen crew has been tirelessly dispensing my morning cup of Joe for the past 15 years. I think this one was also a birthday or Christmas gift, from sometime during the mid-90's.

ST:Generations Kirk bookmark

2010-04-11T19:17:00.000-07:00

The one, the only, William "The Shat" Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk in Star Trek: Generations, his last film appearance to date. Bask in his awesomeness!

Babylon 5 Newsletter

2010-04-11T14:07:00.000-07:00

J. Michael Straczynski frequented several online forums in the early 1990s, including those on the GEnie online service of which I was a member. (I just learned that GEnie stands for General Electric Network for Information Exchange.) During the build-up to the Babylon 5 premiere I followed his posts with great interest and anticipation. The first Babylon 5 newsletter was sent free-of-charge to those who expressed an interest.

TOS Hologram Sticker

2010-04-11T13:32:00.000-07:00

I have in my collection a single hologram sticker, released by A.H. Prismatic in 1991. I don't remember clearly, but I suspect I may have found this in my stocking that year. Thanks Santa!

TNG 25th Anniversary Series 1 Trading Cards

2010-04-11T13:15:00.001-07:00

This is my partial set of the TNG (even-numbered) cards from Impel's 25th Anniversary Series.

Above: cards #2, 6, 10, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 26, 28, 32, 36, 40, 62, 64

Above: cards #66, 68, 70, 72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 86, 90, 92, 96, 98, 100

Above: cards #104, 108, 116, 118, 120, 122, 124, 128

Above: cards #130, 132, 134, 138, 142, 144, 146, 150, 156

Above: The TNG-specific retail pack wrapper.

TOS 25th Anniversary Series 1 Trading Cards

2010-04-11T12:41:00.000-07:00

A company named Impel Marketing Inc. released two series of trading cards in 1991 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Star Trek. The first series consisted of 160 cards, with the odd numbered cards covering TOS and the even-numbered cards covering TNG. (Individual retail packs were sold with either all-TOS or all-TNG cards, though, not a mix.) I picked up a few packs of each series in the early 90's.

Above: cards #3, 7, 11, 15, 17, 19, 21, 25, 29, 33, 37, 43, 61, 65, 69, 71

Above: cards #73, 75, 77, 79, 81, 83, 89, 93, 103, 109, 117, 119

Above: cards #121, 123, 129, 131, 133, 135, 137, 141 ,143, 149, 153

Above: Wrapper for the TOS retail pack.

The Star Trek Encyclopedia

2010-04-04T19:02:00.001-07:00

Another 90s purchase was The Star Trek Encyclopedia, compiled by Michael Okuda, Denise Okuda, and Debbie Mirek.

This tome has also been issued in three editions to date; my copy is from the first edition, which was published in April 1994 and covers TOS, 6 seasons of TNG, 1 season of DS9, and the first 6 Trek films. My copy is from the first printing.

ST:TNG Companion

2010-04-04T18:47:00.000-07:00

Another of the few Trek books I purchased during the '90s was The Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion by Larry Nemecek.

This book has been issued in three editions to date; mine is from the first edition which was published in November 1992. The first edition contains episode summaries up to and including season 5. Subsequent editions added summaries for the remaining two seasons of the show and the TNG movies. My copy is from the first printing.

ST:TNG Technical Manual

2010-04-04T18:39:00.000-07:00

One of the handful of Trek books I purchased during the '90s was the Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual, created by Rick Sternbach and Michael Okuda.

This book was published in November 1991. My copy is from the 4th printing.

ST:TNG Playmates Action Figures

2010-04-03T22:21:00.000-07:00

Another item that my Mom bought me during the early 1990s was a set of Star Trek: The Next Generation action figures by Playmates. These were part of the 2nd wave of Playmates figures from 1993. My Mom knew that I wasn't really into playing with action figures at the time, but I think these were a bit of a nostalgic purchase for her, hearkening back to the good old days of Mego action figure gift-giving back in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

I opened up the Worf figure but the rest of them are still sealed.

Hamilton Collection 25th Anniversary Plates

2010-04-03T21:53:00.000-07:00

By 1990 I had pretty much stopped buying Star Trek merchandise. However, during the early 90s my Mom bought me a few items for my birthday and for Christmas. Chief among these were a set of plates from The Hamilton Collection's 25th Anniversary collection.

ST:TUC Theatrical Release

2010-03-31T20:40:00.000-07:00

I recall seeing Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country at the theater and enjoying it quite a bit. However, all I can find in my archives is a colour copy of the movie's poster, probably taken from a movie magazine:

ST:TFF Making Of

2010-03-31T20:35:00.000-07:00

Bill Shatner and his daughter Lisabeth collaborated on the Making-Of book for Star Trek V: The Final Frontier.

The book was published in July 1989. My copy is from the first printing.

ST:TFF Movie Magazine

2010-03-31T20:30:00.001-07:00

Once again I picked up a movie magazine from Starlog Press.

Above: Some great artwork created for the film.

Above: More behind-the-scenes and interview goodies.

ST:TFF Comic Book Adaptation

2010-03-31T20:21:00.000-07:00

DC released a comic book adaptation of the fifth Star Trek film.

Above: Cool panels covering one of the most effective passages of the film.

Above: The rock creature didn't make it into the film, but it did appear in the comic!

Ad for the launch of DC's 2nd monthly comic featuring the original crew and their first monthly TNG comic.

ST:TFF Novelization

2010-03-31T20:06:00.001-07:00

The Trek movie novelization reins were handed over to J.M. Dillard for the fifth film in the series.

The book was published in June 1989. My copy is from the first printing.

ST:TFF Theatrical Release

2010-03-31T19:44:00.001-07:00

At the time of The Final Frontier's theatrical release I had a job as a co-op student in Ottawa. One of my co-workers who shall remain nameless (but here's a clue -- Tom Shurtliff) decided to play a little practical joke on me. He knew that I had entered a newspaper contest to win tickets to the premiere. While we were at work, Tom called me from another room and informed me (in a disguised voice) that I had won the contest. My initial excitement quickly turned to disappointment when he revealed the ruse.

Fortunately, a few days later I received another call, this time legit, letting me know that I had won two tickets to the premiere.

I took my girlfriend to the show (she was a bit of a Trek fan as well, in particular Data on TNG) and I remember trying my best to be positive about the film while she gave it a thumbs down. Despite winning its first weekend at the box office, the fifth Trek film proved a bit of a disappointment both financially and artistically.

Anticipating The Final Frontier

2010-03-31T19:35:00.000-07:00

In September 1986 I started my university years. After the books, the beer, and the, uh, social interaction there wasn't a lot of time left over for Trek. My level of enthusiasm for the fifth Star Trek movie definitely paled in comparison with the previous three films. In my archives I can only find a single newspaper clipping announcing the upcoming film.

Star Wreck parody

2010-03-31T19:18:00.000-07:00

Star Wreck: The Generation Gap is a TOS/TNG parody published in October 1990 by St. Martin Paperbacks. My copy is from the first printing. Apparently there were six additional entries in the Star Wreck series, but I only have this one.

DC comic Who's Who

2010-03-29T21:08:00.001-07:00

DC also released a 2-issue "Who's Who" comic in 1987.

Above: Who's Who #1, March 1987

Above: Who's Who #2, April 1987

DC comic series 1 annuals

2010-03-29T20:54:00.000-07:00

DC released three Star Trek "annuals" during the run of its first Star Trek monthly comic.

Above: Annual #1, 1985, "All Those Years Ago..."

Above: Annual #2, 1986, "The Final Voyage"

Above: Annual #3, 1988, "Retrospect"

Alf!

2010-03-29T20:28:00.001-07:00

My second favourite alien life form of the 1980s may have been ALF, who starred in a self-titled science fiction sitcom in the late 1980s. (Colonel Internet informs me that it premiered in September 1986 and survived for 4 seasons and 102 episodes.) I think I only watched for the first season or two, but was impressed enough at the time to pick up the first issue of Marvel's ALF comic book.

DC comics 1988

2010-03-29T19:54:00.000-07:00

After missing the last 3 issues of DC's monthly comic book in 1987, I got back on track with the January 1988 issue. I managed to pick up all but one (#55) of the remaining books in the series, which ended with the November 1988 issue.

Above: Issue #46, January 1988, "Getaway"

Above: Issue #47, February 1988, "Idol Threats"

Above: Issue #48, March 1988, "The Stars in Secret Influence"

Above: Issue #49, April 1988, "Aspiring to be Angels"

Above: Issue #50, May 1988, "Marriage of Inconvenience"

Issue #51, June 1988, "Haunted Honeymoon"

Above: Issue #52, July 1988, "Hell in a Handbasket"

Above: Issue #53, August 1988, "You're Dead Jim"

Above: Issue #54, September 1988, "Old Loyalties"

Above: Issue #56, November 1988, "A Small Matter of Faith"

Issue #56 was the the final issue of the first DC monthly series. However, less than a year later a second monthly Trek comic from DC (featuring the TOS characters) was launched. The 2nd series lasted 80 issues, from October 1989 to February 1996.

Star Trek 1988 Calendar

2010-03-29T19:48:00.000-07:00

The last of my Star Trek calendars comes from 1988. It again focuses on the original series, and this time around includes monthly trivia questions and quotes from key Trek personnel.

ST:TNG Cereal Box Stickers

2010-03-28T19:47:00.001-07:00

General Mills included a Star Trek: The Next Generation sticker in some of their cereal brands circa 1987. I ended up with a couple -- Riker and Wesley.

Pocket TNG Novels

2010-03-28T19:27:00.001-07:00

The ramping up of the Star Trek: The Next Generation original novels from Pocket Books coincided with the ramping down of my Star Trek fanaticism. However, I did manage to sneak in the first four TNG novels.

Ghost Ship (#1) by Diane Carey was published in July 1988. My copy is from the first printing.

The Peacekeepers (#2) by Gene DeWeese was published in September 1988. My copy is from the first printing and was purchased during the Fall of 1988.

The Children of Hamlin (#3) by Carmen Carter was published in November 1988. My copy is from the first printing and was purchased during the Fall of 1988.

Survivors (#4) by Jean Lorrah was published in January 1989. My copy is from the first printing and was purchased on 4 February 1989.

ST:TNG comic mini-series

2010-03-28T19:02:00.000-07:00

DC launched a 6-issue mini-series Star Trek: The Next Generation comic book shortly after the show's premiere.

Above: Issue #1, February 1988, "Where No One Has Gone Before!"

Above: Issue #2, March 1988, "Spirit in the Sky"

Above: Issue #3, April 1988, "Q Factor"

Above: Issue #4, May 1988, "Q's Day"

Above: Issue #5, June 1988, "Q Effects!"

I guess I wasn't hanging on the edge of my seat with these, since I didn't pick up the sixth and final book in the series. (Though, to be fair, this was about the time that my overall Trek madness began to wane.)

ST:TNG Premiere Novelization

2010-03-28T18:55:00.000-07:00

David Gerrold wrote a novelization of the first Star Trek: The Next Generation episode -- Encounter at Farpoint. It was published in October 1987. My copy is from the first printing and was purchased on 20 October 1987.

ST:TNG Premiere

2010-03-28T14:28:00.000-07:00

Star Trek: The Next Generation debuted in syndication during the Fall of 1987. I can still remember curling up in a chair in my parents' living room, filled to the brim with excitement as Star Trek boldly returned to the television screen. As mentioned previously, the Ottawa premiere date was delayed to early November, so the wait was even longer for me!

Above: Review of the new series from the Ottawa Citizen.

Above: The November 1987 Starlog featured a cover story on the new series.

Above: Interesting article on the success of Star Trek: The Next Generation in syndication.

Anticipating The Next Generation

2010-03-28T12:57:00.000-07:00

Word of a possible new live-action Star Trek series on television must have started at some point in 1986. I was excited by the prospect of a new series and followed its development closely, largely via newspaper articles and Starlog magazine.

Above: Newspaper article from July 1986.

Above: Plan A was to launch The Next Generation on Fox's new network, but those plans fell through.

Above: An 11 October 1986 newspaper article announcing the return of Star Trek to television.

More information on the new series, published shortly after the October 1986 announcement.

A short article from December 1986.

Above: Throughout 1987, David Gerrold published updates on the production of the new series in Starlog magazine. Here's a report from February 1987, published in the June 1987 Starlog.

Above: More details from a July 1987 newspaper article.

Above: Another Gerrold report, published shortly before the series debut.

Above: I experienced even more anticaPAYtion than others waiting for the TNG premiere -- it was delayed over a month for the Ottawa market.

DC comics 1987

2010-03-28T12:10:00.000-07:00

I continued to buy and read the DC Star Trek comics through most of 1987, though I did miss the last three issues of the year.

Above: Issue #34, January 1987, "The Doomsday Bug!, Chapter One: Death Ship!"

Above: Issue #35, February 1987, "The Doomsday Bug!, Chapter Two: Stand-Off!"

Above: Issue #36, March 1987, "The Doomsday Bug!, Chapter Three: The Apocalypse Scenario!"

Above: Issue #37, April 1987, "Choices!" This book basically picks up from the end of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, with Kirk and his old crew beginning a new cycle of adventure aboard the NCC-1701-A.

Above: Issue #38, May 1987, "The Argon Affair!" This was a one-off story set during the time of Kirk's first 5-year mission.

Above: Issue #39, June 1987, "When You Wish Upon a Star...!" First of a two-parter featuring our favourite con man, Harry Mudd.

Issue #40, July 1987, "Mudd's Magic!"

Issue #41, August 1987, "What Goes Around..."

Issue #42, September 1987, "The Corbomite Effect!"

I missed the October, November, and December 1987 issues of the series.

Star Trek 1987 Calendar

2010-03-28T12:03:00.001-07:00

The 1987 Star Trek calendar looked back on the original '60s series. Each month included a "favourite episode" selection from one of the Trek stars. The gatefold featured a list of all TOS episodes along with each original airdate.

Star Trek Newsweek Cover

2010-03-27T22:29:00.000-07:00

Driven by the success of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home in theaters, Star Trek made the cover of the 22 December 1986 issue of Newsweek magazine.

ST:TVH Comic Book Adaptation

2010-03-27T22:24:00.001-07:00

DC released the comic book adaptation of The Voyage Home, as they had done for the third Trek film.

ST:TVH Poster Magazine

2010-03-27T22:22:00.001-07:00

Once again I picked up Starlog's Official Poster Magazine for the latest Star Trek film.

ST:TVH Soundtrack

2010-03-27T22:10:00.001-07:00

Leonard Rosenman scored the fourth Trek film. At the time he was already a seasoned veteran with over 30 years of film scoring experience. He had written music for films such as Rebel Without a Cause, two of the Planet of the Apes films, Barry Lyndon (for which he won 1 of his 2 Oscars), and the 1978 animated Lord of the Rings. My collection includes Rosenman's Star Trek IV score on vinyl.

ST:TVH Novelization

2010-03-27T22:07:00.000-07:00

Vonda N. McIntyre penned her third straight Star Trek movie novelization with The Voyage Home. It was published in December 1986 and my copy is from the first printing.

ST:TVH Theatrical Release

2010-03-27T21:34:00.001-07:00

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home was released on the 26th of November 1986. I had started my post-secondary education at the University of Waterloo in September of '86, so if memory serves I saw this one with a few university buddies at a theater in Waterloo. I don't recall if we went opening night, but we may have.

This fourth film was received very well at the tim, with most reviewers and much of the general public enjoying the lighter approach used in the film.

The fourth movie also received a lot of press at the time, due in large part to its success but also due to the fact that its was Star Trek's 20th anniversary and due to the recent announcement of a new TV series, The Next Generation, that would feature a new crew.

Starlog Poster Magazine

2010-03-27T21:15:00.001-07:00

I picked up the Winter 1986 issue of the Starlog Poster Magazine. Along with a poster of the Trek triumvirate from Star Trek IV, the issue also had a few interviews with Trek stars. Now, I wonder if that Tom Cruise poster is kicking around my basement somewhere...

Official Fan Club Magazine

2010-03-27T21:02:00.000-07:00

I own one issue of the Star Trek The Official Fan Club magazine, issue #52 from late 1986. Among the articles was an update on Star Trek IV given by Leonard Nimoy shortly before its release.

Anticipating The Voyage Home

2010-03-27T13:11:00.000-07:00

The third Star Trek film was still in theatres when I first began to hear word on the fourth film in the series. My diary entries end during the Spring of 1985, but before then I did record some of the information I learned about the film:

29June1984: "Yesterday I bought The Best of Trek #7 which reports that work (pre-production, to be sure) has already begun on Star Trek IV."

24August1984: "I picked up the September issue of Starlog today. Also in Starlog is confirmation that Star Trek IV is "on the drawing boards" though writer, director, and producer haven't been made official. Nimoy is a possibility for director, however."

17October1984: "Over the past few weeks...I bought...the November review issue of Starlog. Also in this issue was notice of the fact that Leonard Nimoy will direct the next Star Trek film with Harve Bennett as producer. Though the two will play a big role in the storyline, they will be looking for a Hollywood screenwriter to pen the actual script. Paramount is hoping for a Christmas '85 release though that will likely be pushed back to the Summer of 1986. Still, it is good to know that a new film is on the way."

29January1985: "Today I learned that all of Star Trek IV's contractual problems have been ironed aout. Shatner and Nimoy are slated to star, with the "rest of the cast" along as well. Production is scheduled to begin in Fall '85. If past experience holds true again, the movie should be out the in the Summer of '86. Now I'm waiting for Star Trek II on TV, Star Trek III on video cassette, and Star Trek IV in the theatres."

5February1985: "ST IV has been in the news a lot of late. All reports point to a Fall start in principle photography, with all the cast returning. Specifically, Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, Sulu, Uhura & Chekov. I've not heard anything about the Saavik situation or any new cast members."

DC comics 1986

2010-03-21T18:54:00.001-07:00

1986 marked the third year of DC's monthly Star Trek comic.

Above: Issue #22, January 1986, "Wolf on the Prowl"

Above: Issue #23, February 1986, "Wolf at the Door"

Above: Issue #24, March 1986, "Double Blind Part I"

Above: Issue #25, April 1986, "Double Blind Part II"

Above: Issue #26, May 1986, "The Trouble with Transporters!"

Above: Issue #27, June 1986, "Around the Clock"

Above: Issue #28, July 1986, "The Last Word" This one featured guest writer Diane Duane who has written several Star Trek novels as well.

Above: Issue #29, August 1986

Above: Issue #30, September 1986, "Uhura's Story"

Above: Issue #31, October 1986, "Maggie's World!"

Above: Issue #32, November 1986, "Judgment Day!"

Above: Issue #33, December 1986, "Vicious Circle!"

ST:TSFS on video

2010-03-21T18:21:00.000-07:00

It is a lucky coincidence that the video revolution started soon after the first Star Trek movie was released. My 12 March 1985 diary entry documents my enjoyment of The Search For Spock on video:

"Over the weekend I rented out Star Trek III: The Search For Spock on videocassette for the first time. All told I watched it 4 times, which brings the grand total up to 7. It was great! Some of the scenes from the movie are among my favourite of all time, especially the scene with Sarek and Kirk and the fight on and ensuing escape from the Genesis Planet."

Star Trek 1986 Calendar

2010-03-21T18:17:00.001-07:00

The 1986 Star Trek calendar featured pics from the first few Star Trek movies.

ST:TWOK on video & TV

2010-03-21T17:48:00.000-07:00

Prior to the 1980s, television was the primary avenue to watch films after their theatrical run. With the introduction of the videocassette in the early 1980s, a new and lucrative industry was born, one that continues to thrive to this day in the form of DVD and Blu-Ray releases. My diary entries document my eagerness to watch Wrath of Khan on these two media.

18 February1983: "Today I watched Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan twice on the VCR we rented for the weekend."

19Feburary1983: "I watched Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan two more times."

18September1983: "Today I taped Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan from First Choice Pay-TV network. Unfortunately we don't get that channel, thus the picture is distorted, in black-and-white, and with brightness reversed, dark is light, light is dark. At this very moment (I'm watching it now) Kirk, McCoy, and Saavik have beamed aboard the Regula space station to check for survivors."

6November1983: "Today I rented out Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and watched it four times -- grreat!"

14March1984: "Today I watched Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan twice after watching it once yesterday on videocassette."

26February1985: "Two days ago, Star Trek 2 premiered on TV, and I of course taped it. The TV version added several scenes not in the theatre [sic] release."

Models

2010-03-21T10:14:00.000-07:00

I assembled several Star Trek model kits in the early 1980s, but unfortunately none of them survive today (with one quasi-exception noted below). Most were probably trashed when I moved into my own (small!) apartment around 1990. A few may also have been damaged or destroyed during over-exuberant 80s-era battles. In addition I also created several home-made models using cardboard, aluminum foil, and sundry items found around the house.

8October1983: "Today I returned to one of my favourite past times [sic] -- designing small models of spaceships and then building them out of cardboard, tape, glue and other assorted paraphernalia. Today I built the space pod which brought Kirk back to the Enterprise in both ST:TMP and Wrath of Khan. It is a fairly good replica, I think, except for the front which is a bit flat, not the smooth rounded surface it should be (but is very hard to achieve). I even installed four chairs and a control board to add to the realism. I also began to design a Klingon spacecraft which I intend to make nearly as big as my Enterprise and Reliant. (My space pod is only about 18cm x 9cm x 9cm). I'm also thinking of building the Vulcan spacecraft from the first movie and the Regula space station from Wrath of Khan."

6July1984: "Today I bought the AMT model kit of the old version Enterprise. It looks very nice. I can't wait to do it when I beg back."

3November1984: "Today I bought a 22'' long model of the new-version Enterprise. I've assembled all parts of the ship but I'm going to spray paint the separate sub-assemblies before putting them all together."

14November1984: "Finished the Enterprise today and it looks splendid. I just can't decide if I'm going to put it on a stand or not."

My refit Enterprise does survive in a couple of fuzzy photos probably taken shortly after its completion:

I also constructed the K-9 Space Station from The Trouble With Tribbles. I can't find any photos that include it, but I did find a tiny TOS Enterprise model which, if I recall, came with the station. Here it is circa March 2010:

DC comics 1985

2010-03-21T08:12:00.001-07:00

DC continued their monthly comic through 1985.

Above: Issue #10, January 1985, "Double Image"

Above: Issue #11, February 1985, "Deadly Reflection!"

Above: Issue #12, March 1985, "The Tantalus Trap!" I picked this up on 28 December 1984: "I...finally picked up a copy of DC's Star Trek comic book, #12. I missed issues 10 and 11. Apparently the mirror universe crew has taken over the Excelsior while Kirk & company have taken the alternate Enterprise. In this issue, the alternate Enterprise warp engines explode but good Kirk separates the main saucer hull (I've waited years for that) to escape, eventually subduing the alternate universe baddies. However, on Vulcan, the two Spocks are locked in mental combat."

Above: Issue #13, April 1985, "Masquerade!"

Above: Issue #14, May 1985, "Behind Enemy Lines!"

Above: Issue #15, June 1985, "The Beginning of the End..."

Above: Issue #16, July 1985, "Homecoming..." This issue wrapped up the 8-part New Frontiers mini-series.

Above: Issue #17, August 1985, "The D'Artagnan Three"

Above: Issue #18, September 1985, "Rest and Recreation!"

Above: Issue #19, October 1985, "Chekov's Choice!"

Above: Issue #20, November 1985, "Giri"

Above: Issue #21, December 1985, "Dreamworld"

DC comics 1984

2010-03-20T17:16:00.000-07:00

DC Comics kicked off their first monthly Star Trek comic series in early 1984. I was tipped off a few months early, as this 7 October 1983 diary entry attests: "I also bought the November Starlog from which I learned that a new Star Trek comic book detailing the adventures of the Enterprise and its crew after ST:TWOK is to hit the stands soon. I will have to make a point of looking out for it. It is to be put out by DC Comics and will consist of original stories up to the time at which they intend to put out a comic adaption of ST:TSFS."

Above: Issue #1, February 1984, "The Wormhole Connection" I picked up the first issue on 2 December 1983: "Today I finally found the first issue of the new Star Trek comic book. I'm happy to say it is pretty good, with better illos than the Marvel comic, a good cover and a fairly good plot. The only real mistake is the portrait of the Enterprise bridge which is totally wrong. It look oval-shaped rather than circular. A scene with Dr. McCoy and Saavik is particulary memorable. [Note: I don't remember this scene!] The story by the way, begins right after the events of ST 2: TWOK. Kirk has regained command of the Enterprise and united all the regulars back."

Above: Issue #2, March 1984, "The Only Good Klingon..." I picked up the second issue on 15 December 1983: "Today I found the second issue of DC's Star Trek comic book. It was just as good as the first."

Above: Issue #3, April 1984, "Errand of War!"

Above: Issue #4, May 1984, "Deadly Allies!"

Issue #5, May 1984, "Mortal Gods"

Issue #6, June 1984, "Who Is Enigma?" I picked this up in mid-April 1984, per my 21 April diary entry: "Last weekend I bought issue #6 of the new DC comic book. I had bought the first two issues of the comic back in 1983 but then missed issues 3, 4 & 5. The quality of the first two issues has not decreased at all I'm happy to say."

Issue #7, August 1984, "Pon Far!" [sic].

Above: Issue #8, November 1984, "Blood Fever"

Above: Issue #9, December 1984, "...Promises to Keep" I picked up issue #9 on 22 September 1984. "Today I went out and bought the December issue of DC's Star Trek comic book, a story entitled "New Frontiers". The tale starts off just hours after ST III as Kirk and company say good-bye to the recuperating Spock and head back to the Regular Space Station in the Klingon cruiser. Kirk has to approach Carol with the news of David's death. At Starfleet HQ, Styles is dispatched with the Excelsior to find Kirk and return him to Earth. As Kirk, Carol and others pay tribute to David in the Genesis Cave, the scene shifts drastically. In an alternate universe Kirk, Spock and the crew of the Enterprise to extract vital info from Carol Marcus. They then destroy her and the SpaceLab. In the mirror universe we visited 15 years ago, the Genesis Project is apparently a project to enter the universe or ours in order to capture, conquer and destroy. Another surprise in this issue was the publication of one of my letters. I must have sent a few months back commenting on issue #6."

ST:TSFS Postcard

2010-03-20T16:00:00.000-07:00

Here's an unused postcard featuring the ST III movie poster that I picked up at some point:

Mad Magazine parody of ST:TSFS

2010-03-20T15:43:00.000-07:00

On 17 October 1984 I picked up the December 1984 issue of Mad magazine which features a couple of parodies of the third Star Trek film.

This brings to mind one of my favourite Star Trek gag movie titles -- Star Trek VI: So Very Tired. Don't remember where I saw this but it always elicits a chuckle.

ST:TSFS 1985 Calendar

2010-03-20T15:30:00.000-07:00

My first Star Trek calendar was the 1985 Star Trek III: The Search For Spock calendar which I purchased on 3 November 1984.

ST:TSFS Comic Book Adaptation

2010-03-20T15:04:00.001-07:00

DC Comics released an adaptation of the third Star Trek movie. I picked up a copy on 29 June 1984 and had the following reaction to it:

"Today I finally found the DC comic adaption of Star Trek III: The Search For Spock and it is very good indeed. Only a few errors, mostly minor, kept it from being perfect. The most obvious was the replay of the scene in ST II where Spock mind melds with McCoy. In the comic it is McCoy's hand which touches his own face!! The error was with the colourer who drew the arm as doctor's white instead of Spock red. Also, Kirk and company wore normal extravehicular gear on the Enterprise and on the Genesis Planet instead of the more casual dress of the movie. But those mistakes excepted, the mag was fine indeed."

ST:TSFS Poster Magazine

2010-03-19T22:05:00.001-07:00

In addition to the official movie magazine, I also ordered the official poster magazine for Star Trek III. It contained ten "giant" colour posters (shown on the cover) on five double-sided sheets, as well as a few pages of articles within. As with the movie magazine, this was ordered on 29 July 1984 and it arrived in the mail on 28 August 1984.

ST:TSFS Movie Magazine

2010-03-19T21:56:00.001-07:00

I ordered the official movie magazine for Star Trek III on 29 July 1984 and it arrived on 28 August 1984. Once again it contained plenty of great colour photos, cast interviews, and behind-the-scenes articles. Yum!

ST:TSFS Soundtrack

2010-03-19T21:38:00.000-07:00

I purchased the soundtrack of Star Trek III: The Search For Spock on vinyl on 9 June 1984.

From my 9 June diary entry: "Today I bought the original motion picture soundtrack to Star Trek III: The Search For Spock. It cost $10.49. The jacket is the best yet with some great photos from the movie. Unfortunately I won't be able to play it for some time since our stereo set is in for repairs. The strange thing is that there are two records -- one which has both sides filled with music and another separate record which has one side COMPLETELY blank and the other side has one song of less than 4 minutes in length entitled "Theme of Star Trek III". Weird!"

I provided an update on 2 July: "I've also finally listened to my ST III soundtrack which I brought with me to Lindsay since our stereo is STILL in the repair shop. It is more melodic and beautiful than the soundtrack to the second movie which had more action tracks. There was also a fair amount of re-working of ST II themes in this album, mixed in with good new material. The single, which is scratched a bit at the beginning, is a rocked-up version of Star Trek."

ST:TSFS Novelization

2010-03-19T21:22:00.001-07:00

The novelization of Star Trek III: The Search For Spock was again handled by Vonda N. McIntyre, who had done the same for the second film.

I bought the novel on 1 June 1984, the same day I saw the film for the first (and second!) time. My June 2nd reaction: "Oh, yeah. I also read Vonda McIntyre's novelization of the movie which I bought last night at the Rideau Centre right after the show. It filled in the time period right after the formation of Genesis and the beginning of the film when Kirk is headed back to Earth, but other than that it remained very faithful to the film's script. It too was excellent, written with style and easily read. I finished the last 220 pages during a 4-hour reading binge early this morning." My copy is from the first printing.

ST:TSFS Reception

2010-03-19T20:47:00.000-07:00

As had been the case for Wrath of Khan, I followed the critical reaction and box office for The Search For Spock very closely in the days and weeks following its release. Here are a few diary entries from that time.

But first, the review from my local newspaper:

5 June: "Today the first box office results from ST III. In its first 3 days of release the film made $16.7 million. That made it the top film of the week, bettering Indiana Jones's second weekend mark of $16.4 mil by a bit. There was also a poll conducted by the Entertainment Tonight staff which stated that 12% of the theater-goers though it was "the best", 58% though it was very good, about 20 or 30% said they liked it, 8% were sorry they went and only 1% though it was a bomb. There was also a bit of a comparison between all 3 films which stated that 3% liked the first film best, 30% liked the second film best and 12% liked Star Trek 3 the best."

9 June: "Neil Gabler and Jeffrey Lyons reviewed Star Trek III on Thursday. Lyons, I believe, liked the film since he finally understood why Trekkies love the Star Trek universe so much while Gabler really hated the film. He called it gloomy and no fun at all. It's very strange how people can be so split over the same film. I'm still waiting for Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert's review of the film which is scheduled for Sunday at 6:00. Roger is a bit of a Trek fan I think, and Gene was very pleasantly surprise with Star Trek II. I hope they bot liked Star Trek III."

11 June: "Well, I was right. Both Roger and Gene liked the film. They said it was good Star Trek but not GRREAT Star Trek like that of the second film. I can see their point -- they enjoyed the philosophy and intellectualism of ST II. I however enjoyed the mixture of philosophy and action, seriousness & humour of this film."

19 June: "Two more enthusiastic "YES" votes for Star Trek III: The Search For Spock. John Cassar and Dan McPhee of Film Facts both really enjoyed the film. Dan gave it a 9 & Jon gave it a high 8."

ST:TSFS Theatrical Release

2010-03-19T20:24:00.000-07:00

Star Trek III: The Search For Spock was the first Trek film which I saw at the theater on its first day of release. Here are all the gory details, as captured in my June 2nd diary entry:

"Star Trek III premiered yesterday at the Rideau Centre. The first showing was at 1:30 in the afternoon. I was there shortly after 9. But it was all worth it. Quite simply Star Trek III: The Search For Spock is the most exciting , most intriguing, funniest, and best of the Star Trek films to date. I absolutely loved it. The film is somewhat less serious than Trek II (in some places, in fact, it is absolutely hilarious. Scotty's "Up you shaft!" and McCoy's attempt to nerve pinch a Federation official come immediately to mind.) The story did hold some startling surprises, including the death of David Marcus at the hands of a Klingon, the destruction of the Enterprise (which was to be decommissioned by Starfleet anyway) and the revival of Mr. Spock who was found on the Genesis planet as a rapidly aging child. His mind, transferred to Dr. McCoy in Trek II, was reunited with the revitalized but brainless body of Spock on the top of Mt. Seleya by the Vulcan priestess T'Lar. The special effects of the film were super, especially those involving the destruction of the Genesis planet as it finally broke up. Also the matte shot of the temple on Vulcan was very good, much more believable than the interior of the Genesis cave in the last film. The pacing of this film was also far superior to the somewhat uneven pace of ST II. The only thing missing was a stand-out performance by Shatner. This was made up for by an all-out effort by each of the crew. Especially noteworthy were Scotty, who has some of the best lines in the film, and Sulu who has some good parts as well. Uhura, Chekov, David and Saavik were all good as well. DeForest Kelley did a good job showing the internal conflict he was experiencing throughout the film. A super effort from everyone involved from the model builders (with the huge space station and the Klingon ship, the Excelsior and the Grissom) to the costume designers and set crew. The turbulent destruction on the surface of Genesis is especially noteworthy. In fact I loved this film so much that I went back for the 4:00 show to see it again the same day. The only problem is what will happen next. Everyone of the Enterprise crew is [?] for disobeying orders and treason for escaping with the Enterprise and disobeying orders to return. That ought to be a very sticky question which will have to be resolved in Star Trek IV. Spock seems to be in good shape, though what he will decide to do in future films is a big question mark."

I captured a bit more of my reaction in the 5 June entry:

"I think I like the latest film the best, because of its pacing, humour, and effects along with a strong story. ST II had a more powerful good-bad conflict, more "human" emotion and a very strong and moving death scene -- that of Spock, of course. I think the edge would have to go to ST III."

I saw ST III at the theater one additional time on 1 August:

"Second-month anniversary of the release of Star Trek III: The Search For Spock and I celebrated by seeing it for the third time. I love it as much as I did two months ago. There are a few little things that would have made it close to perfection. But I could fill in the gaps with knowledge from the comic and novel. Some have complained it to be boring but I was captivated during the entire showing. I can't wait for some extra material on the film (i.e. my magazines, a "making of" book and, I hope, a photostory). Also I can't wait for the videotape, which should be out late this year or early next."

Anticipating The Search For Spock

2010-03-17T19:21:00.000-07:00

I spent much of 1983 and early 1984 eagerly anticipating the release of the third Star Trek film. I have many diary entries capturing the latest intelligence gathered from the local newspaper, television and magazines. Included below are a sampling of these entries.

17June1983: "Today I caught half of a program on Star Trek 3 (tentatively titled Search For Spock). Leonard Nimoy is the director of the new film which has new equipment and what looked to be a few more Federation vessels. Nimoy has not yet decided if he will actually appear in the film itself. The show will be repeated Monday (perhaps tomorrow too) so I'll have more complete information then. Also today I saw Kirstie Alley in an interview on the Alan Thicke show. She said she "hopes" to be in Star Trek III. I hope so too."

6August1983: "I was reading through the entertainment section of the Citizen today when I came across the big "headline" of the section and, somewhat surprisingly, it concerned the upcoming movie Star Trek III: The Search For Spock. It stated the shooting would begin "in a few weeks" and the whole cast is returning -- Kirk, McCoy, Scotty, Chekov, Sulu and Uhura. It did not say if Nimoy would appear on-screen but he will be a major part of the film since, as I already knew, he is directing the 3rd ST film. Also in the film is Mark Lenard, possibly as Spock's father though I can't be sure. Also appearing is an 85 year-old woman (Dame Judith Anderson is her name) who, Nimoy says, is a crucial part of the film. Harve Bennett is also involved, again, in the production. Nothing was said about Saavik or Drs. Marcus. I hope they have at least small parts in the film."

12August1983: "Today I saw William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy on Global 12 o'clock news. Apparently they were interviewed by David Hartman from Good Morning America and this was a small excerpt. They also had a bit of footage from Spock's death scene (??) in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. ST III: The Search For Spock begins production on Monday August 14!! Both Shatner and Nimoy said little about Spock's situation although they did mention it would be a waste of time if they searched and found nothing. Tongues-in-cheek they announced they would have to think something up over the weekend."

25August1983: "I just heard the end of a report about some sort of accident on the Star Trek III set, perhaps a fire. I believe William Shatner said that 30 seconds more and the set would have been destroyed. Which set, number of injuries, severity of damages and the possibility of delay in production are all unknowns. I hope to hear more (good, hopefully) news tomorrow."

26August1983: "The accident I mentioned yesterday was in fact a calamity -- demolishing 2.5 hectares of the Paramount Pictures studio in Hollywood was destroyed by fire. It demolished old "New York street" sets and Sound Stage 15, where an expensive Vulcan set was just finished being built, had one wall partially burnt before the fire was finally put under control. William Shatner was at the scene and helped douse the flame with fire. He said that "we came within about 30 seconds of losing the set." Fortunately there are supposed to be no delays in shooting which was set to begin in a few weeks. Shatner was practicing his lines when the accident occurred. The fact of the Vulcan set means that probably Mark Lenard will be appearing as Spock's father."

22September1983: "Hey, I just realized today was probably spent filming a scene from the new Star Trek film, The Search For Spock. It makes me feel positively giddy!!"

7October1983: "Today I also bought The Best of Trek #6 which has lots of fascinating articles on Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan and the 3rd film, now shooting, The Search For Spock. I also bought the November Starlog from which I learned that...Merritt Butrick is returning for Star Trek 3, though no word as yet on Kirstie Alley as Saavik."

17October1983: "Today a little four-line article caught my eye in The Citizen. It stated that Christopher Lloyd who played the burnt-out drug zany Reverend Jim on Taxi is to play a "key role" in The Search For Spock."

7November1983: "Today I purchased the December Starlog and it had some very important news concerning Star Trek III: The Search For Spock. 1) Kirstie Alley has been dropped entirely from the movie (quite a heavy loss) because of contract disputes but Saavik will continue on in the person of Robin Curtis who looks quite a bit like Alley and from the picture shown, could make a fairly good Vulcan/Romulan. I hope she brings as much authority to the role as Kirstie. 2) The release date after changing from Christmas '83 to Summer '84 to Christmas '84 has now settled to June 8, 1984 which suits me just fine -- it's the last Friday of the school year and second last day of school. I'll try my best to make it to the theatre on that day, if not, the new. 3) Production began on August 15, which means they've almost finished 3 months of work, the approximate time it took to do Star Trek II."

26November1983: "Today Kirstie Alley was on Love Boat so I made an unusual effort to watch the show. It wasn't too hard with her on board."

9February1984: "Today I picked up the March '84 issue of Starlog, the one I've been waiting for now for about a month. Inside there is a 4-page article on Star Trek 3 - The Search For Spock. Though the author has been sure not to give away much of the plot, the pictures help somewhat in giving one a general idea to what the picture is about. From what I've seen so far the picture looks very good. There is a leather-look to the new uniforms which is unlike any other ST uniform but which seems cozy and believable. However, the uniforms and duty jackets of ST II are apparently still in use as well. Perhaps the leather jackets are to be used only on what looks, from the picture, to be a wet, forested area which might be the planet formed in ST II on which Spock is found. The shot may be a publicity photo, I'm not sure, but Kirk and company definitely seem perturbed about something! Sarek seems to be featured quite prominently in the film since he has, at least, scenes on Vulcan and in Kirk's San Francisco quarters. Kirk has a smart-looking royal blue suit in one of the photos as well, and Sarek looks suitably Vulcan in his robes. Saavik, now played by Robin Curtis, looks pretty fierce, though perhaps , again, it is not advisable to judge from one picture. I get the feeling that the Enterprise itself won't be used as much as it was in ST II but that the crew will spend more time in exotic locales from San Fran to Vulcan tot he Genesis Planet. In any case, I can say I am very excited by the project, to say the least! I can hardly wait for June 1. Also, there seemed to have been no major hitches in the shooting schedule. The film began shooting on August 15, 1983 and finished before the projected target in late October."

10March1984: "Oh boy am I ever excited!!!!!!!!!! Yesterday I went out and bought the April 1984 issue of Starlog magazine. Apparently David Gerrold had the extremely great privilege of being the only non-technical personnel to see the very first cut of Star Trek III: The Search For Spock. The film had not yet been edited, did not have any music with it, did not have any fade-outs or any such things, and had very few special effects shots, mostly just black & white lab experiments. Even so Gerrold "loved it and had a wonderful time." From a professional writer like Gerrold that's saying an awful lot. He claimed the best part of the film was found in its dealings with character -- each of the supporting cast shows why he or she belongs on the best ship in Starfleet. Especially good were scenes with Uhura & Sulu. Gerrold goes on to say that on the basis of the few special FX shots present ST III will be the best-looking ST film yet. There are shots of several other Federation starships & also some very evil-looking Klingon cruisers. Gerrold winds up by saying that he feels the film will be "terrific" when all the parts now missing are filled in. So far, so good. The next few paragraphs, however, leave me with a fig feeling of anxiety. Gerrold says that he feels some Star Trek fans will be more upset by some things which happen in the picture than they were by Spock's death at the end of Star Trek II. I can hardly even imagine something which would upset fans more. It would have to be in either the handling of the return of Spock (or perhaps even the absence of his return!), the death of Admiral Kirk (!!!!), the death of the entire cast of the destruction of the entire galaxy! What else could upset the fans of Star Trek more than the death of their favourite Vulcan? Gerrold further states that there is a very bold move made in this film which will set the tone for further adventures in the Star Trek universe. Gerrold specifically states that the picture DEMANDS a sequel and that Star Trek IV will have to start EXACTLY where this film leaves off. This movie will give ST fans something to argue about throughout the summer of 1984. All of the above in one movie! Wow! I can hardly wait! But it's still over 2 1/2 months away. Urgh. Anyway, next issue there will be an article on Klingon warlord Kruge, the lead baddie in ST III. I'll probably learn a bit more about the picture then. The Klingons, by the way, look as if they've changed once again. Now it looks like they have a plate welded to their forehead with less prominent ribbing on top. Their battle-ware also looks somewhat changed. Talking about attire, I should mention that the spiffy wine-coloured uniforms of ST II, along with the duty jackets of that movie, return in Star Trek III. Besides these, the crew has also adopted a nice set of leather clothing which is different than anything before but which I think looks rather sharp. Sarek has a few terrific looking robes which look distinctly Vulcan. All in all, the movie looks really great so far. I only hope that the big surprise David Gerrold talks of fits nicely into the film and doesn't outrage too many people like the death of Spock did two years ago. With Leonard Nimoy & Harve Bennett at the helm I think I & others around the world can rest assured that Star Trek III will hold excitement, humour, awe, horror, pride and surprise in a tastefully delightful combination."

13April1984: "Yesterday I bought...the most recent issue of Starlog, May. It feature Christopher Lloyd as Battle Commander Krudge [sic], the lead Klingon in ST III: The Search For Spock. Basically I like the new Klingon look (the Starlog cover looks particularly menacing) although it looks somewhat like a flat armor plate has been riveted into their heads from some angles. The Klingon commander, I believe, also has aboard his ship a very sick looking "dog". Hmm?! A rather shocking rumour has arisen concerning this third Star Trek picture -- it concerns the destruction of the U.S.S. Enterprise. Last month, David Gerrold wrote saying that something in ST III will anger fans perhaps even more than the death of Spock in ST II. Item 2 -- a letter from a fan lamenting the possibility of the destruction of the Enterprise. Item 3 -- Ken Ralston, designer of model spacecraft, states in Starlog that he dislikes the design of the Enterprise and that a new model will appear in ST III that is his best, design-wise, yet. Although I would really miss the familiar environ of the good ship, I think an exciting and well done destruction could add to the suspense and excitement of the ST series. Also, it makes allowance for new growth, the design of a new bridge, sickbay, etc. But it is still all conjecture, really."

9May1984: "Only 2 weeks until the opening of Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom, and only a week and a half after that Star Trek III hits the theatrical screen. I'm hoping that the reports of its quality are not exaggerated and that the movie will garner favourable reviews and marvelous box office receipts so there will be a continuing string on ST films."

14May1984: "Last Friday I bought the June issue of Starlog, containing a four page article on Mr. Saavik (played in ST III by Robin Curtis). Included were a couple of new stills from the newest Star Trek adventure, to be released in only two and a half weeks. Apparently Saavik & Marcus are on the U.S.S. Grissom, captained by one Esteban. In fact, I believe it is these two who first land on Genesis to search for Spock. In one photo, Saavik & Marcus stand over Spock's coffin on the Genesis planet. Also on the planet, Marcus and Saavik are shown scanning the area with their tricorders for life forms. Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!! I can't wait! I wonder how Kirk, McCoy, and the crew of the Enterprise fit into the search. And where do the Klingons fit in? No doubt they will be interested in acquiring the Genesis weapon? Indiana Jones' adventure comes out next week. I'll probably see it too, though possibly not on the very first day. For Star Trek III I'll try my best to be there very early. I might take Friday afternoon off."

18May1984: "I...bought the August issue of DC's Star Trek comic book, dealing in large part with Saavik's story of her early life. Also, the issue serves as a lead-in to next month's adaption of Star Trek III: The Search For Spock, due out in early June. The movie itself is due out in exactly two weeks. I saw my first live action footage of the film today -- a scene on the bridge where Mr. Chekov announces "strange energy readings" in Mr. Spock's quarters. From what I have learned in the past little while I suspect that Spock may not be in his physical form but perhaps may take shape in some other form. It all sounds very exciting. Also in the comic is reference to the term KATRA -- I suspect it may play a major role in the film."

25May1984: "Today I...saw some more video clips from Star Trek III: The Search For Spock; they looked very good. One clip was from the scene where Klingon Commander Kruge (who looks better in live-action then he does in still photos) confronts Kirk in the midst of smoke and high winds on a desolate region of a planet. Also shown was the scene where Chekov, Sulu and Scotty declare that they will follow Kirk & McCoy on their mission. The mission in point is, I believe, the actual search for Spock's body on Genesis though I can't be sure. A rather disquieting note was Leonard Nimoy's statement that part of the advertising for ST III says that this will be the Enterprise's last mission. Nimoy states that he knows not why they have said this, which indicates the Enterprise may not be destroyed. The other alternatives are that ST III will be the last Star Trek movie or that Paramount is trying to spark some sort of controversy over the movie before its release (now less than a week away). I hope the latter is the actual reason, though the Enterprise does take a bit of a beating in one of the clips I saw from a new-fangled Klingon war vessel. I guess I'll just have to wait and see."

26May1984: "Today I had my first ever look at the new newspaper add for Star Trek III: The Search For Spock. It is dramatic, exciting, mystical and highly effective. Featured is a shot of Mr. Spock's face, a battle between a Klingon cruiser and the Enterprise and at the bottom Admiral Kirk, Dr. McCoy, Lt. Saavik, Scotty and, I think, Sulu. The 2 top bills are William Shatner and DeForest Kelley, co-starring James Doohan, George Takei, Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, Merritt Butrick and Christopher Lloyd. It starts, of course, Friday June 1st at the Rideau Centre cinemas. I'm not sure if the movie will be presented in 70mm 6-track Dolby stereo as was Star Trek II. That would be icing on the cake."

28May1984: "Today I bought the June 2-8 issue of TV Guide which, of course, contains an article on Star Trek III. Not much new, though, besides several good pictures and the mention of snowstorms, fires, and earthquakes as some of the special effects which had to be handled by Industrial Light & Magic. One of my friends in class won a double pass to the preview of the film to be held Thursday night at the Rideau Centre. I'll probably go to the first showing Friday which will be either in the morning or the afternoon I hope. That way, I'll be able to miss a bit of school too. I'd be too excited to think otherwise! Only 3 1/2 days left!!!"

29May1984: "Two and a half days left. Star Trek merchandise should be arriving in full force quite soon. I've got almost $25 saved up so far which should last for a little while. I've got to pay for the movie, the comic book, the novel, the soundtrack, and the movie magazine."

30May1984: "The first showing of Star Trek III is at 1:30 Friday afternoon so I should see the movie in about 40 hours from now. I finally saw the commercial for the film today. Though it isn't long it does show Kirk escaping with the Enterprise over the protest of Federation officials, a Klingon vessel firing its phasers as it appears out of nowhere and a Constitution class ship, perhaps the Enterprise, that is streaking through space with only part of its main saucer intact. It looked something like this. [I sketched a rough picture.] I hope it isn't the Enterprise."

31May1984 (!!...): "My last night without seeing ST III. I saw the 1st review of the movie today, given by Leonard Maltin on Entertainment Tonight. He like it very much, calling it absorbing and satisfying science fiction. "

And there you have it -- just shy of a year's worth of anticipation for the film. Although I looked forward to each of the remaining original crew films, I never did repeat the level of excitement documented here. The closest I've come since is probably my anticipation for the 2009 Star Trek sprequel, which I closely followed on the Internet for close to 3 years. But that is a story from another time...

Return of the Jedi 1984 Calendar

2010-03-16T20:29:00.000-07:00

I received the 1984 Return of the Jedi wall calendar for my 15th birthday.

Button Pins

2010-02-28T20:21:00.001-08:00

I picked up a couple of Star Trek themed pin-on buttons somewhere along the way.

Spock from The Motion Picture. As a kid I remember really liking the displays behind Spock. Not sure where or when I acquired this; perhaps at a convention.

I'm sure we've all had days where we can relate to this sentiment. I could be wrong, but I think this was a present from my Mom. She knew me too well!

Pocket TOS Fiction 1990

2010-02-28T19:42:00.001-08:00

1990 was the last year (to date!) in which I bought an original Trek novel. During the year Pocket released one hardcover, 5 original paperbacks, and one paperback edition of their hardcover from the previous year.

The paperback edition of The Lost Years by J.M. Dillard was published in August 1990. My copy is from the first edition.

My one and only hardcover Star Trek novel purchase was Prime Directive by Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens. It was published in September 1990. My copy is from the first edition. I don't have a record of my purchase date, but I do know it was purchased in a bargain bin for $4.99, so it might have been a little while after the publication date.

The other Trek novels featuring the original crew published during 1990 were:
- #48 Rules of Engagement by Peter Morwood, February 1990
- #49 The Pandora Principle by Carolyn Clowes, April 1990
- #50 Doctor's Orders by Diane Duane, June 1990
- #51 Enemy Unseen by V.E. Mitchell, October 1990
- #52 Home is the Hunter by Dana Kramer-Rolls, December 1990

Pocket TOS Fiction 1989

2010-02-28T19:09:00.001-08:00

In 1989 Pocket's TOS lineup consisted of one hardcover novel, 4 original paperbacks, and one paperback reprint of the previous year's hardcover. My interest in the Trek books was severely compromised at this point, so I ended up only buying two Trek novels during the year.

Vulcan's Glory (#44) was D.C. Fontana's first Trek novel under the Pocket imprint. It was published in February 1989. My copy is from the first printing and was purchased on 20 February 1989.

The paperback edition of Spock's World was published in August 1989. I don't have a record of my purchase date, but I suspect it to be sometime during the fall of 1989.

The other TOS Trek novels published during the year which I didn't purchase were:
- #45 Double, Double by Michael Jan Friedman, published April 1989
- The Lost Years (hardcover) by J.M. Dillard, published September 1989
- #46 The Cry of the Onlies by Judy Klass, published October 1989
- #47 The Kobayashi Maru by Julia Eklar, published December 1989

Pocket TOS Fiction 1988

2010-02-28T18:35:00.000-08:00

My dedication to Pocket's Star Trek novels deteriorated further in 1988. Eight novels featuring the original crew were published that year, but I only purchased six. For one of them -- Spock's World -- I had a bit of an excuse in that it was published in a hardcover edition and I was still a university lad with little money to spare. (And in fact I did pick up the paperback edition when it came out in 1989.) The other (Gene DeWeese's The Final Nexus) I simply didn't purchase and still do not have to this day.

Diane Carey's event novel Final Frontier kicked off the year. It was published in January 1988. My copy is from the first printing and was purchased early in 1988.

February 1988 brought The IDIC Epidemic (#38) by Jean Lorrah. My copy is from the first printing and was purchased early in 1988.

Time for Yesterday (#39) is the sequel to A.C. Crispin's well-received 1983 novel Yesterday's Son. It was published in April 1988. My copy is from the first printing and was purchased on 13 April 1988.

David Dvorkin's Timetrap (#40) followed in June 1988. My copy is from the first printing and was purchased in June 1988.

The Three-Minute Universe (#41) by Barbara Paul was published in August 1988. My copy is from the first edition and was purchased some time during the Fall of 1988.

September 1988 saw the publication of Pocket's first Star Trek hardcover -- Spock's World by Diane Duane. I passed on the hardcover but did pick up the softcover edition in 1989.

Memory Prime (#42) by Gar and Judith Reeves-Stevens was published in October 1988. My copy is from the first printing and was purchased during the Fall of 1988. This husband/wife writing team went on to pen many Star Trek books over the next twenty plus years.

The final TOS Trek novel of the year was The Final Nexus (#43) by Gene DeWeese, published in December 1988. I didn't purchase this book.

Pocket TOS Fiction 1987

2010-02-28T08:17:00.001-08:00

The year 1987 marked a new high-water mark for Pocket Books, with seven (original crew) Trek novels published including one event book. This year also marked the launch of Pocket's Next Generation books, starting with the novelization of TNG's premiere episode.

Chain of Attack (#32) by Gene DeWeese was published in February 1987. My copy is from the first printing and was purchased on 21 February 1987.

Deep Domain (#33), written by Howard Weinstein, was published in April 1987. My copy is from the 2nd printing and was purchased in April 1987. (I'm not quite sure why this one went into a second printing so quickly, maybe the popularity of the fourth movie gave it a boost.)

Carmen Carter's Dreams of the Raven (#34) arrived in June 1987. My copy is from the first printing and was purchased in July 1987.

The second event novel was Margaret Wander Bonanno's Strangers from the Sky. It was published in July 1987. My copy is from the first printing and was purchased in July 1987.

The Romulan Way (#35) by Diane Duane and Peter Morwood followed in August 1987. My copy is from the first printing and was purchased on 21 August 1987.

October 1987 featured How Much For Just the Planet? (#36) by John M. Ford. My copy is from the first printing and was purchased on 22 October 1987.

The busy year of 1987 was rounded out by J.M. Dillard's Bloodthirst (#37), published in December 1987. My copy is from the first printing. My meticulous record-keeping from this period starts to get a little spotty around this time, so I'm not sure when I purchased this but it was probably soon after its publication.

Pocket TOS Fiction 1986

2010-02-28T07:11:00.001-08:00

1986 saw the publication of six more original Star Trek novels, one of which was the first of several "event" books. Although I did purchase all of these books shortly after they were released, my fervor for Trek fiction was beginning to ebb around this time, no doubt partially due to the fact that I started university in September of this year.

First up was Mindshadow (#27) by J.M. Dillard. It was published in January 1986. My copy is from the first printing and was purchased on 16 January 1986.

Next, Crisis on Centaurus (#28) by Brad Ferguson. It was published in March 1986. My copy is from the first printing and was purchased on 15 March 1986.

May 1986 saw the release of Dreadnought! (#29) by Diane Carey. My copy is from the first printing and was purchased on 5 May 1986.

J.M. Dillard's second Trek novel of the year was Demons (#30), published in July 1986. My copy is from the first printing and was purchased on 26 July 1986.

In 1986 Pocket Books released their first "event" Star Trek novel. These novels tended to be by popular authors, longer than average, and of higher price. They were also released outside of the numbering sequence used for most books in the series. The first event novel was Vonda N. McIntyre's Enterprise: The First Adventure which was published in September 1986. My copy is from the first edition and was purchased in October 1986.

The final Trek book for 1986 was the second of the year from Diane Carey -- Battlestations! (#31). Carey was really into exclamation points in those days! This was a sequel to her earlier novel Dreadnought! and was published in November 1986. My copy is from the first printing and was purchased on 24 January 1987.

Pocket TOS Fiction 1985

2010-02-27T21:22:00.001-08:00

Pocket Books kept rolling along in 1985 with six more original Star Trek novels.

Uhura's Song (#21) by Janet Kagan was published in January 1985. My copy is from the first printing and was purchased 30 January 1985.

Laurence Yep's Shadow Lord (#22) followed in March 1985. My copy is from the first printing and was purchased on 16 March 1985.

May 1985 saw the publication of Barbara Hambly's Ishmael (#23). My copy is from the first printing and was purchased on 21 May 1985.

Killing Time (#24) by Della Van Hise followed in July 1985. My copy is from the first printing and was purchased on 27 July 1985. Apparently the first printing of this book accidentally used an early draft of the manuscript; the correct final draft was used for later printings.

Dwellers in the Crucible (#25) by Margaret Wander Bonanno was published in September 1985. My copy is from the first printing and was purchased on 13 September 1985.

The final Trek novel for 1985 was Pawns and Symbols (#26) by Majliss Larson, published in November. My copy is from the first printing and was purchased on 13 November 1985.

Pocket TOS Fiction 1984

2010-02-27T18:56:00.001-08:00

In 1984, Pocket Books kept up the half-dozen-books-per-year pace they had established the previous year. Once again I religiously purchased each book as soon as it showed up at my local bookstore.

The Trellisane Confrontation by David Dvorkin was published in February 1984. The Star Trek line no longer bore the Timescape label, starting with this book. My copy is from the first printing and was purchased on 9 February 1984.

Corona, by renowned science fiction author Greg Bear, was published in April 1984. My copy is from the first edition and was purchased on 12 April 1984.

Next up was John M. Ford's The Final Reflection (#16), published in May 1984. This marks the first book to be explicitly numbered -- #16. My copy is from the first printing and I purchased it on 9 May 1984.

July 1984 saw the release of Diane Duane's 2nd Star Trek novel entitled My Enemy, My Ally (#18). My copy is from the first printing and it was purchased on 9 July 1984. Note that #17 in this series was the novelization of the third Trek movie.

The Tears of the Singers (#19) followed next, written by Melinda Snodgrass and published in September 1984. My copy is from the first printing and was purchased on 12 September 1984.

The final 1984 entry comes from Jean Lorrah -- The Vulcan Academy Murders (#20). It was published in November 1984. My copy is from the first printing and was purchased on 16 November 1984. Fun fact: I met Jean Lorrah at the Maplecon 6 convention during the summer of 1984 where she read the first two chapters from her book.

Pocket TOS Fiction 1983

2010-02-27T16:03:00.000-08:00

1982 was a little quiet with only 2 Trek novels published, but Pocket shifted into high gear in 1983 with six new novels.

Black Fire by Sonni Cooper was published in January 1983. My copy is from the first printing and was purchased on 7 February 1983. My 11 February diary entry provides my thoughts on the book: "I'm also well into Sonni Cooper's new Star Trek novel, Black Fire. The style is swift-paced, at times too much so, and the characterizations, especially those of Kirk, Spock, and Scotty, are probably the best I have so far encountered in any of my ST readings. The cover illo. is also one of the best I have seen; Kirk is near perfect, Spock is almost as well done. The Enterprise and Klingon vessel are also nicely rendered."

Marshak and Culbreath's second Pocket Trek is Triangle, published in March 1983. My copy is from the first printing and was purchased on 18 March 1983.

M.S. Murdock's sole Trek novel (to date!) is Web of the Romulans, published in June 1983. My copy is from the first printing and was purchased on 20 June 1983.

A.C. Crispin's "Yesterday's Son" was published in August 1983. My copy is from the first printing and was purchased on 20 August 1983. This is another novel that I remember loving at the time. It picks up threads introduced by two of my favourite episodes -- The City on the Edge of Forever and All Our Yesterdays. Here's a portion of the 20 August entry in my diary: "Today I bought, and read in its entirety, the newest original Star Trek novel Yesterday's Enterprise by A.C. Crispin. I liked it fine. It deals with Zar, the son of Mister Spock and Zarabeth (apparently more went on in that episode then [sic] met the eye). Spock, Kirk and McCoy [unintelligible] him from Sarpedian's ice age with the Guardian of Forever which the Romulans later attacked though did not know of the Guardian's incredible powers. Ultimately Zar returns to Sapredian's past to institute rapid technological change before the sun goes nova."

Robert E. Vardeman returns with his second Pocket Trek -- Mutiny on the Enterprise published in October 1983. My copy is from the first printing and was purchased on 12 October 1983.

Rounding out the year was Diane Duane's The Wounded Sky. It was published in December 1983. My copy is from the first printing and was purchased on 12 December 1983. I had high praise indeed for this novel, as captured in my 19 December diary entry: "Today I finished Diane Duane's brilliant new Star Trek novel, The Wounded Sky. It is my favourite ST novel so far."

Pocket TOS Fiction 1982

2010-02-27T15:39:00.000-08:00

After kicking off their line of Star Trek novels in 1981, Pocket Books published two additional entries in 1982.

The Prometheus Design by Sondra Marshak and Myrna Culbreath was published in March 1982. I believe Marshak & Culbreath are the only authors to publish Trek novels for both Bantam and Pocket. My copy is from first printing and was purchased on 12 June 1982. My diary indicates that I finished reading the book on 18 June.

The Abode of Life by Lee Correy was published in May 1982. My copy is from the first printing and was purchased on 26 May 1983.

Pocket TOS Fiction 1981

2010-02-27T15:05:00.000-08:00

Pocket Books superceded Bantam as the published for Star Trek fiction in the early 1980s. Their line of Star Trek novels continues to this day.

First out of the gate for Pocket (if we discount the 1979 novelization of Star Trek: The Motion Picture) was The Entropy Effect by Vonda N. McIntyre, published in June 1981. My copy is from the first printing and I purchased it on 2 July 1981. I recall enjoying this one quite a bit when I first read it.

The Klingon Gambit by Robert E. Vardeman was published in October 1981. My copy is from the 3rd printing and was purchased on 12 March 1983.

The third and final Pocket Trek novel for 1981 was The Covenant of the Crown by Howard Weinstein. It was published in December 1981. My copy is from the 2nd printing and was purchased on 19 March 1983 at a store on the Sparks Street Mall in Ottawa.

Return of the Jedi Premiere

2010-02-25T19:43:00.000-08:00

I caught the theatrical release of Return of the Jedi on Friday 27 May 1983, its third day of release.

Here's the 27 May entry from my diary: "Today I saw Return of the Jedi, the third Star Wars movie but the last of the first trilogy. Dave Agulnik, Dave Albert and I left school right at 3:30 and got to Somerset Theatre at 4:10. We waited in line (with about 50 people ahead of us) until 5:30 when we were let in and the show started at 7:00. It was quite amazing to say the least. Special effects were super-superb, especially the size differential between the different ships -- fascinating. The story itself was gruesome, exciting, humorous, and thoroughly entertaining. It looks as if many critics think the to be the best of the series. Today in The Citizen Return of the Jedi was rated ***** which is as high as you can go."

Return of the Jedi Soundtrack

2010-02-25T19:30:00.001-08:00

My sole Star Wars soundtrack is from Return of the Jedi. I bought it on 4 July 1983.

During the 80s, Star Wars always seemed to be one step cooler than Star Trek. Cooler FX, cooler toys, etc. Another example is this album which, in addition to an awesome gatefold, also contained a glossy insert four page insert (see below) with fantastic stills from the film.

Interviews

2010-02-25T19:12:00.000-08:00

I have only one book in my collection that consists solely of interviews with Star Trek personalities. It is aptly titled The Star Trek Interview Book by Allan Asherman.

About a third of the book is dedicated to the stars of the show. The rest covers many of the writers, directors, and other production personnel who were part of the original series and early movies.

The book was published in July 1988. My copy is from the first printing.

ST:TWOK Expanded Soundtrack

2010-02-22T19:57:00.000-08:00

An expanded soundtrack for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan was released on Retrograde Records (affiliated with Film Score Monthly) in 2009. It contains additional, never-before-released soundtrack music from the film. I ordered a copy of the CD via the Screen Archives Entertainment website on 20 July 2009.

The CD includes a very informative insert booklet. I no longer have a decent turntable so it was doubly exciting for me to not only have music that wasn't on the original record but to also be able to hear the soundtrack with digital clarity for the first time.

ST:TWOK postcard

2010-02-22T19:49:00.001-08:00

This is a postcard, as yet unsent, featuring poster art for the film.

ST:TWOK Publicity Still

2010-02-22T19:41:00.000-08:00

I got my hands on a Wrath of Khan black & white publicity still, probably at a convention. It features Ricardo Montalban's Khan.

ST:TWOK Read-Along (Cassette)

2010-02-22T19:33:00.000-08:00

In addition to the Read-Along book with record, Buena Vista also released a Read-Along book with tape for Wrath of Khan.

The front and back cover of the book were adjusted to reflect the media type; otherwise the two books were identical.