"Save Star Trek"; Bjo Trimble's Original Instructions

[KTJ]

In 1969-70, I participated in the third season Save Star Trek fan campaign for a fourth season. I remember receiving a notice about the campaign, who to write to and a set of instructions (like, don't write anything pertaining to Star Trek on the envelope; use letterhead if you're a professional; don't start petitions, etc). One of them exhorted action by warning "If thousands of fans just sit around moaning about the death of Star Trek, they will get exactly what they deserve: GOMER PYLE! (Yetch!)"

I have a great many vintage fanzines, including a complete set of Inside Star Trek, but I haven't been able to locate a complete set of the original announcement/instructions. I have a feeling these were enclosed in Lincoln Enterprises catalogues, which I have long since parted with (and, of course, now wish I hadn't).

 

[ZapBrannigan]

That kind of ephemera is bound to be scarce today.

The stuff you're referring to was a little before my time as a fan. I imagine that back in those days, one-sheet mailers and inserts were photocopied or mimeographed, and their layout was often amateurish to the point of jarring. But still pretty cool to get in the mail, back when there was nothing but TMOST, the Blish novels, and some AMT model kits.

 

[KTJ]

Well, my next step is to try to contact Bjo Trimble directly... good luck with that, as I don't (and won't) have Facebook. I'll find it one way or another.

 

[GSchnitzer]

In 1969-70, I participated in the third season Save Star Trek fan campaign for a fourth season. I remember receiving a notice about the campaign, who to write to and a set of instructions (like, don't write anything pertaining to Star Trek on the envelope; use letterhead if you're a professional; don't start petitions, etc). One of them exhorted action by warning "If thousands of fans just sit around moaning about the death of Star Trek, they will get exactly what they deserve: GOMER PYLE! (Yetch!)"

I have a great many vintage fanzines, including a complete set of Inside Star Trek, but I haven't been able to locate a complete set of the original announcement/instructions. I have a feeling these were enclosed in Lincoln Enterprises catalogues, which I have long since parted with (and, of course, now wish I hadn't).

Are you after originals, or just copies? Do you just want to know what their content was (i.e., what was in them)? Or do you want them as collectables?

 

[johnnybear]

Well, my next step is to try to contact Bjo Trimble directly... good luck with that, as I don't (and won't) have Facebook. I'll find it one way or another.

I'm on FB and tried to contact her once but she never answered me! At first I thought it was a bit unfriendly as it were but these days I think perhaps she gets a few hundred messages a week so...
JB

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

In 1969-70, I participated in the third season Save Star Trek fan campaign for a fourth season. I remember receiving a notice about the campaign, who to write to and a set of instructions (like, don't write anything pertaining to Star Trek on the envelope; use letterhead if you're a professional; don't start petitions, etc). One of them exhorted action by warning "If thousands of fans just sit around moaning about the death of Star Trek, they will get exactly what they deserve: GOMER PYLE! (Yetch!)"

Thanks for the historical references. It is telling that those in support of TOS used a "quality tactic" in contrasting with Gomer Pyle, that some independent film producers (and critics who supported it) used in the 1980s as a ploy for support / swipe at the more attention earning blockbuster films. Some--in their frustration--argued a world without their work was just junk for the masses.

I have a great many vintage fanzines, including a complete set of Inside Star Trek, but I haven't been able to locate a complete set of the original announcement/instructions. I have a feeling these were enclosed in Lincoln Enterprises catalogues, which I have long since parted with (and, of course, now wish I hadn't).

It would be nice to see scans of IST.

 

[KTJ]

Are you after originals, or just copies? Do you just want to know what their content was (i.e., what was in them)? Or do you want them as collectables?

I just want the content, I don't need the original document. The announcements were included with Star Trek Enterprises catalogues, which were just little plain leaflets at first.

Actually, I was starting to go to eBay where someone is selling the first STE catalogue so I could include it as an illustration, and I have found part of what I was looking for in this entry at A Piece of the Action.

I remember receiving this in the mail. This was for the campaign for the fourth season. (note the idea of interesting ABC in picking up the show). I participated in this one. I did not know about the earlier 1967-68 letter campaign as I only started watching the show in November of '67.

However, Sawyer doesn't include the page of instructions, "How to Write Effective Letters to Save Star Trek". These were also sent out for the fourth season campaign. It included things like:

• Never use personal stationery; use a #10 white envelope, and if possible, company letterhead from your business, lodge, etc., to show that adults were fans.
• Keep it polite and intelligent.
• Why they didn't provide an example letter: People might just copy it, which is what fans of Hee Haw did and the campaign didn't have nearly as much impact as unique letters.
• By the same reasoning, don't send carbon copies. Make each letter unique and word them a little differently from each other.
• Don't just write to the network, write to TV Guide, your local affiliates, and television reviewers.

I tried to leave a comment to Sawyer, but Blogger kept hiccupping.

 

[KTJ]

It would be nice to see scans of IST.

I can do that!

 

[NTRPRZ]

I've got a bunch of early Inside Star Treks, too. They're neat nostalgia items, but apparently not too valuable as I put them on Ebay and got no hits.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

It would be nice to see scans of IST.

I can do that!

Before anybody goes to too much trouble, Gerald Gurian has posted a bunch of Inside Star Trek scans at his magnificent website, The Star Trek Prop Authority:

http://www.startrekpropauthority.com/2010/10/special-series-inside-star-trek-june.html

They're in his archive under October 2010.

 

[feek61]

Are you after originals, or just copies? Do you just want to know what their content was (i.e., what was in them)? Or do you want them as collectables?

I just want the content, I don't need the original document.

If you only want the content; the entire letter can be found in Bjo's book "On The Good Ship Enterprise, My 15 Years with Star Trek" on page 26-29

 

[bbailey861]

If you only want the content; the entire letter can be found in Bjo's book "On The Good Ship Enterprise, My 15 Years with Star Trek" on page 26-29

Another book that somehow escaped me. Just ordered it online for one buck plus shipping. Great deal. Glad you posted this. Thanks.

 

[KTJ]

If you only want the content; the entire letter can be found in Bjo's book "On The Good Ship Enterprise, My 15 Years with Star Trek" on page 26-29

I have the book. That is the December 1, 1967 letter the Trimbles sent out to the ST fanzine editors (which at that time meant Juanita Coulson, the Langsams and Elyse Pines, perhaps Shirley Meech and Peggye Vickers). What it describes is the proposed "one-shot" containing the addresses to write to, instructions for writing effective letters and ideas for agitation. It was mailed out to thousands of fans, using mailing lists kept by the fanzine editors. What I want is the one-shot.