It made history, it really did, that first annual STAR TREK Con. And “it” didn’t really expect to. The con’s promoters, that is, Al Shuster, Joan Winston, Allan Asherman, et al, expected only a chummy little gathering of say, 300 to 400 avid ST aficionados – 500, tops, and planned their convention accordingly, renting only three ballrooms in the top floor of the Statler Hilton in New York City, last Jan. 21, 22 & 23.
Over 3,500 persons showed up, more than at any other science fiction convention in the history of this planet.
Not counting, of course, guests of honor Gene Roddenberry, the series’ producer/writer, and his lovely actress wife, Majel Barret, who played Nurse Christine Chapel, on the show. Also, ST scriptwriter and guiding light, Dorothy C. Fontana, showed up too, and the three of them gave a special guest lecture to the well-over 1000 fans who fought tooth & ear to get within earshot for the cherished fan/pro question & answer session which followed.
The most frequently-chirruped question was: “If the series ever could start up again, what could we do to help make it happen?”
Answer: Write to all 3 TV networks, folk! DEMAND ST!
The ST-Con brought from hiding that all-around Renaissance man (lecturer, SF author, humorist, scientist, Biblical interpreter, literary expert and professional lecher). Issac Asimov. Dr. Asimov abdicated his Mysterious Hermitage (located somewhere between the baneful Black Forest and Santa’s toyshop) to deliver a few sparkling one-liners about Mr. Spock’s unique character, as well as to plug some of Dr. A’s latest literary releases; “Issac Asimov’s Joke Book,” “Issac Asimov’s Annotated Bible” & “The Sensuous Dirty Old Man.” This last he gave credence to by making numerous passes at the nubile nymphet teen “Trekkies” (girl STAR TREK fans) who flowed in abundant abundance throughout the hotel.
With a bit more decorum, veteran SF author Hal Clement gave a talk on the STAR TREK Universe. Also, Mr. Oscar Katz told over 1000 rapt listeners of the many trials and tribulations he and TREK creator Gene Roddenberry suffered in getting ST on the air; selling it to NBC, back in 1966, when he was a creative director at Desilu Studios. Mr. Katz is now a vice-president at CBS-TV.
But naturally, the most welcomed guests at The Con weren’t even listed on the program … namely us; THE MONSTER TIMES staff. We premiered our all-STAR TREK, 2nd great issue there, a week ahead of scheduled release, to the delight of the many thousands who cheerfully forked over the four bits cover price.
Many of MT’s staff, editors, publishers, writers alike, stood at the MT table in the Hucksters’ Trading Room, selling copies and answerings thousands of questions, cheerfully, of course. The view from the table was unique, to say the least, considering some of the notables who dropped by to buy copies:
Sol Brodsky, for one, Editor-Publisher of the Skywald “horror” comic mags PSYCHO and NIGHTMARE, sauntered to our table to express his well-wishes, and to applaud MT’s bold new art direction, half-seriously (?) asking for a loan of our art department.
Calvin B. Eck also dropped by to learn just enough about us to try and gain some publishing tips. Mr. Eck edits and occasionally publishes a semi-worthy competing monster pub called CASTLE OF FRANKENSLIME, or something like that, and is known for his hilarious impersonations of Orson Welles in A TOUCH OF EVIL.
A rather haggard, and otherwise overworked-looking Bill Dubay (production Ed for the Warren Publishing Monster line) sped past our table, whisking up a copy … plopping two quarters down on the table briskly. He whizzed by so fast, we didn’t have time to pumpany top-drawer Company Secrets from him. We hear that his boss is paranoid about such matters. And we can’t really guess why. We’ll have to ask the rich-man’s Lenny Bruce that sometime.
Larry Ivie, editor of MONSTERS & HEROES magazine, picked up a copy of TMT, also, saying he read the first issue, even though he dislikes our newspaper and urged us to change to standard mag format, the way he & everyone else does. Well, ya can’t please every competitor.
Numerous contributors to MT were present, also; Mark Frank, Buddy Weiss, Berni Wrightson, Marvin Wolfman, Len Wein, Stanley Simon, Gary Gerani, Ron Borst, Jim Wnoroski, and Philadelphia’s own Steve Vertlieb, who flew in just to pick up his advance copy of ish No.2.
A gala STAR TREK costume ball was one of the final festivities and one of the most frequently-attended ones, Dozens of STAR TREK fans paraded about the Grand Ballroom, dressed as the U.S.S. Enterprise crew, as well as some of the numerous and picturesque villains and life-forms which appeared on the series in its 3-season existence. The costumes ran from humorous to grotesque. One lady portrayed a tribble (a fuzz-ball critter), various persons paraded about as Klingon and Romulan officers. Mr. Spock was impersonated by at least a dozen fans (more than half of whom were, strangely enough, women, Strange in that Vulcans like Spock are supposed to be totally logical creatures).
A convention art room held for display and sale many works of STAR TREK-oriented art, not the least impressive of which were a batch of printed sketches by MT’s own Allan Asherman. Most repros of this sketch, A.A. sold for 25¢ each. But signed reproductions of the same sketch by A.A. went for $1.00 each, Bet you didn’t know that an Asherman autograph goes for 75¢ these days! The inflated price is because Allan is a MT associate editor, which almost goes without saying.
But seriously, the First Annual STAR TREK Convention was such an overwhelming success, that there will definitely be another one Next Year!