Friday, May 8, 2009

BEST Trek mainstream journalism of the week



Lots of slick PR out there, lots of manufactured hype this week—but this has to be the coolest piece of the week, especially by a mainstream outlet. It stems from the other end of the continent and it's from the '70s, so I never got to be there. But—as we did in our First-Person Fandom series in Communicator—it gets back to our roots. And Why We Are Still Here, logistically as well as emotionally.

Behold, via NEWSWEEK online: lost pics and insights from the first Trek cons, the fabulous frolics of New York run by "The Committee" and detailed in the late Joan Winston's book, The Making of the Trek Conventions. This slideshow is even narrated by with audio by costumer designer and early NYC concon member Angelique Trouviere.

And the coolest of the cool: I'd heard of the event, but never seen artifacts, til now— the first known Star Trek "conference" organized by a New Jersey librarian, March 1969. That's 'way before cancellation in June (and Apollo 11's moon landing in July). Thanks mucho, Angelique and NEWSWEEK: