The Daily Scrapbook:2/28/13 — May1978– See You in the Funny Papers –A Trek Newspaper Comic!

Here’s Today’s Flashback: From May of 1978, an article about the upcoming  Star Trek daily newspaper comic by Mandala productions, the same company that had produced (in an era before widespread videos)  the 12 “Fotonovels” of the original Star Trek series.   I actually owned all 12 Fotonovels (the most dog-eared being the ‘All Our Yesterdays’ volume) but sold them a few years ago on eBay.   Anyway, I can’t recall if our local paper got the original series Star Trek Comic, but we did get one based on the 1st movie.
Also keeping in the ‘funny’ range, another “Grin and Bear It” Sunday comic dealing with female astronauts, and a clipping from who knows where detailing some scenes from the famous Star Trek Blooper reels.  (I always liked to keep my scrapbook pages along theme lines).

V2-04

The Daily Scrapbook 2/27/13 (March 28, 1978) Star Trek Crew set for $15 Million Movie Blast-Off

Here’s today’s Flashback:  From March 28, 1978, an article (from all things) The Star tabloid — a real full color article on the launch of the Trek movie (a feature less common then than it is now).  You can see the estimate for the movie was 15 million dollars, I believe when it was all finished it came to something like 40 million (but I’ll have to check my facts).  You’ll note that as ever the picky Trekkie, I was always on top of clerical errors in these old articles, here noting that Grace Lee Whitney was mis-identified as  Christine Chapel, even as the real Chapel, Majel Barrett is standing at left in big picture, you can see my teenage scrawl identifying her in the margin, as well as  the mis-caption of the lower right hand pic, and cross outs of other mistakes involving Waler Koenig and Grace.  And the flashback is naturally backward too! Oh these Trek amateurs!  At least Grace looks ecstatic, probably hoping that this would bring back some good work.  I always liked Grace, a crime she was screwed over in the original production because Gene wanted Kirk to have more space babes!

V2-03-Complete 2

The Daily Scrapbook 2/26/13 March to April 1978 –Trekkies Get their wish!

V2-02 Here’s today’s flashback:  A smattering of articles and bits about the exciting news that Trekkies would finally get their wish; the new Star Trek movie was finally taking off!  We all waited with baited breath for more details. You can see I must have scrutinized many a magazine for clippings related to the announcement, even The Star (tabloid), for heaven’s sake! (I’ll post that one tomorrow) (God, no wonder I never had a date in High School!)  I recall the initial excitement that our hopes of a Star Trek return were coming true, but despite this, I still had a strange queasiness about it — would it be the same retooled with a ’70’s attitude?  Only time would tell.  Robert Wise, the award winning director of West Side Story and The Sound of Music was lauded as the chosen director here, and note that the movie was  was announced by future Disney President Michael Eisner. Yet in the end, it was painfully obvious that Wise wasn’t the best choice, but at this point, all that mattered to me was  that Nimoy was back, for it truly wouldn’t be Trek without him.  I was cautiously optimistic.
You’ll also notice a book club ad for a Star Trek Puzzle book, only 75 cents!

The Daily Scrapbook 2/25/13 Volume II Begins! From April 2, 1978 – Trek more than flight of fancy for many fans…

Hey kids, I finally got a chance to scan the second volume of my 4 Star Trek scrapbooks so lets release the clippings!   First up, from April 2, 1978: a commentary on how Star Trek was almost a way of life for some fans. Now a lot of people at the time may have found me obsessed with Trek, and I was! But I didn’t build my own Enterprise for heaven’s sake!   In this article we also see the first definition of ‘Trekker’ vs. ‘Trekkie’, which seems to have a disdain for the latter.   I’m happy with Trekkie because, heck, it’s just a TV show, a fun, wonderful, insightful and imaginative TV show, but a TV show nonetheless!

V2-01

You may have also noted the Grin and Bear It comic from the same Sunday paper…Grin and Bear It was always one of my late Dad’s favorite comics, and to this day it is one of mine.  It’s simple but honest humor keeps me in touch with my Dad’s memory, and reading this particular one 3 1/2 years after his death, I knew he would have gotten a kick out of it.   Here it deals with complexities of life with astronauts of the female persuasion…

George Harrison’s 70th Birthday

Today, February 25, would have been George Harrison’s 70th Birthday! (note special header banner above)  Happy Heavenly Birthday to my other favorite 60’s pop icon (Sorry Leonard, I fell for George first!) Love this guy.  Maybe I’ll spend today listening to All Things Must Pass and Brainwashed, maybe throw in a viewing of A Hard Day’s  Night  or  Help!, and Martin Scorcese’s Documentary — And don’t forget the Harrison Tribute I made 3 years ago!  (under the name Peace2baby on YouTube)

george_harrison_1964_02_25

tumblr_lojog7hkcD1qfslgqo1_500 tumblr_m0x6mxPM3Q1qadyfc tumblr_m1t9huRPDE1qgv804o1_500

Colorized George and Kermit

I colorized this funny photo of George with my Adobe PhotoShop — I guessed at the colors of the Fair Isle sweater that turned out to be surprisingly accurate! But the tee was actually blue- something I’ll fix eventually…

tumblr_m4wa6rpzBK1qalx0to1_1280tumblr_m2qg1mFzSO1qadyfcGeorgeHarrison001 george1 George Harrison with green guitar Living in the Material World

My Weekly Spock: 2/25/13 That Seventies Spock…

Here’s some 1970’s Nimoy, in an era of some of the ugliest fashion ever (oh wait, it got worse in the 1980’s!) Nimoy mostly pulled it off!

Leonard-leonard-nimoy-18461177-500-810

I recall receiving this very postcard from the LNAF in 1974. Oh dear, that awful white stitching, the big button Henley insert, the huge collar! The seventies are in full swing!

mod_nimoy_v2

As Paris, in a signature neckerchief (not ascot) that would become a Nimoy favorite on screen and off throughout the 70’s.

$(KGrHqJHJDQE92O7FilDBPoKD6kmCw~~60_57
Nice and Nautical – the neckline reflects his perfect square jaw, and the ever growing sideburns wipe out the pointy Star Trek ones for good (at least until he had to shave them again in ’78)
side smile

As Tom Kovak in ‘Baffled’- with BIG collar — collars got bigger and bigger through the 70’s until they almost engulfed the suits they were under! No matter, he’s adorable here.

With Nichelle and George at a 1974 Convention. The ascot king strikes again -- this time in a fashion forward (for the time) incredible denim patchwork suit! I remember he wore this on his Mike Douglas show appearance, sorry I don't have full length shot of it! Love Nichelle's sweater here too.

With Nichelle and George at a 1974 Convention. The Neckerchief King strikes again — this time in a fashion forward (for the time) incredible denim patchwork suit! I remember he wore this on his Mike Douglas show appearance, sorry I don’t have full length shot of it! Love Nichelle’s sweater here too.

FArFri 2/22/13 Spock and Zarabeth by Marcello Baez

Spock_And_Zarabeth_by_Marcelo_BaezContinuing our romantic theme for February, here’s a beautiful, if sad moment in Star Trek history.  Spock reluctantly  bids Zarabeth goodbye in Spock and Zarabeth by artist Marcelo Baez. You can really feel the cold here.   It’s nice to see that many modern artists still like to draw characters and images from this classic series, and Bael is a wonderful artist!   I recall wishing that Spock could have taken her with him!  Well, they’ll always have that cave!

Wideo Wednesday “Shatner at his Finest”

You know, Bill Shatner gets a lot of bum raps for his scenery chewing, but I assure you that Trek would have been a LOT less fun without him!  In this famous scene, Kirk fears he’s losing command from the Friendly Angel.   In an otherwise awful episode, this tense moment actually is one of the better moments. Kirk nearly chokes  Spock at the height of his frenzy,  but Spock brings him back ever so gently by just saying “Jim.”  (And yeah, I gotta give both Nimoy and The Shat a lot of credit for not cracking up in that extreme close-up!)  I’m sure there’s those out there who, at this moment,  yell “Just kiss him already!”, but  after years of feeling a little embarrassed by this scene, watching it today reminded me of  the true devotion these two characters have for each other. And you gotta love the exasperated and somewhat “Get Over it!” response Spock gives when Kirk comes to his senses.  That’s true bromance.

Kirk:  I’ve got…command.                                                                                                Spock:  CORRECT, Captain!