Star Trek Chicago

Star Trek Chicago was the first Star Trek convention to be held in Chicago and it was chaired by Lisa Boynton.
 
It is NOT the same con as The Chicago Star Trek Convention.
 
Unlike the Star Trek Lives! cons, it was a for-profit procon and paid its guests to attend, making it more difficult for fan run conventions to compete with. 
This con had over 16,000 attendees, and grossed $100,000 for its promoters, Lisa Boyton and the Talos IV Group. Yet it was a financial disaster, because in the end, it lost $10,000.
This convention, and the disastrous subsequent one put on by Lisa Boynton the following year in New York (New York Star Trek '76), were hailed by many fans as the end of the era of fan-run conventions with actor guests.
The editors of the zine Star Trek Prospers wrote in 1977: "STRANGE INTEREST? Morgan Powell, Lisa Boynton's associate on the Chicago con, has sold a book on her experience to Bantam called "The Big ST Con." This should raise a few Vulcan eyebrows!" from Star Trek Prospers #27 (May 1977) Powell was the con's "information officer" Chicago Tribune, Action Line, August 9, 1975 . It is unknown if this book was ever published.
Morgan Powell went on to produce another con, the disastrous The Greatest Show Since Earth.
A similar series of large pro-cons cons were Star Trek America and The Schuster Cons, and eventually, Creation Con.
==Boynton's Second Con==
See New York Star Trek '76. Also a disaster.
==Guests of Honor==
Guests of Honor were: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Nichelle Nichols, Walter Koenig, George Takei, Arlene Martel, Mark Lenard, Philip Jose Farmer, Robert Bloch, Harlan Ellison, Dr. J. Allen Hynek (professor of astronomy at Northwestern University and director of the Center for UFO Studies), Hal Clement, David Gerrold, Jesco von Puttkamer, and Frank Kelly Freas.
A newsletter mentions that Leonard Nimoy did an ad for this con: 
In 1975, a Toledo Ohio newspaper ran an article about the upcoming Chicago convention: 
==Jesco von Puttkamer's Start in the Star Trek World, and Inspiration for Nichelle Nichols==
Nichelle Nichols cites this speech as an inspiration. (Dec 31, 1986) 
From a Q&A in Inside Star Trek #29 (1979):
==Nichelle Nichol's Remarks==
Some of Nichol speaking informally to the assembled fans, as quoted in Stardate #10: 
==Con Staff==
Crew List:
* Lisa Boynton (convention chairperson, head Trekkie) 
* Douglas Newitt (hotel liaison) 
* Doreen Kowalczewski (registration) 
* Dena Cheston (executive secretary) 
* Andy de Cyan (art show director, dealer registration) 
* Ralph and Valerie Carnes (program directors) 
* Clyde Jones (operations director, security coordinator, art coordinator, personnel coordinator -- "Whew"!) 
* Tauna Le Marbe (pen and ink sketches, layout, T'Pauna) 
* Morgan Powell (press representative, film and TV liaison, logistics command, laundry, and morale)
==Programming==
This con was on the radio. From the program book: "Fans! For your continuing enjoyment, if you don't close down when we do -- WHPK --FM, 88.3 on your FM dial -- will broadcast each evening from 3 A.M. to 10: A.M -- a continuing convention program -- music, interviews, focusing on the convention. Check it out!"
===Leslie Fish's First Gig===
This con was the first one that Leslie Fish attended. She was a guest of honor.
From a 2017 interview: 
==Convention Program Book==
 
The program book contains 44 pages. 
There is some fan art, including portraits for the bios of the main guests of honor. These illos are not credited. 
On the dedication page: "Star Trek Chicago is dedicated: You! The fans who keep the spirit of the Trek alive! Peace and long life."
The program's welcome: 
 
File:Startrekchicagoflyerourcon.jpg|an ad printed in the Ourcon program book 
Image:startrekchicago1975survey.jpg|survey, insert in the program book
Image:stchi1.jpg|convention program page
Image:stchi2.jpg|convention program page
Image:stchi3.jpg|convention program page
 
Image:stchi5.jpg|convention program page
Image:stchi6.jpg|convention program page
Image:stchi7.jpg|convention program page
Image:stchi8.jpg|convention program page
 
Image:stchi10.jpg|convention program page
 
Image:stchi12.jpg|convention program page
Image:stchi13.jpg|convention program page
Image:stchi14.jpg|convention program page
==Videos and Photos==
* Star Trek Convention- Chicago 1975
==The Fanzine in Response==
A fanzine was published with cartoons illustrating the disastrous convention: The New York and Chicago Strektaculars! is a 27-page zine in comic book about a gofer behind the scenes at two large Strektacular cons. The narration and art are by Phil Foglio, with lyrics by Anne Passovoy and "ritzy lettering" by Doug Rice.
As listed in Menagerie #10: "Phil Foglio reports in cartoons from behind the scenes at two of the biggest disasters Trek cons ever-Chicago 1975 and New York 1976. See even more than you bargained for."
==Fan Comments==
===1975===
===1976===
 
 
===1979===
===1980===
 
===1996===
 
===2011===
In 2011, one attendee put together a brief video slideshow about the convention. It can be seen on Youtube here. In it he describes how fans were treated to back to back Star Trek episodes on the full size set of the USS Enterprise until 3am. Rich Portnoy shot 8mm footage at the end and can be seen on Youtube here.
From comments to Rich Portonoy's Youtube video: 
*"They were selling lollipops at the convention with the engraved image of Spock. Someone in the audience asked Leonard if he posed for the﻿ lollipop....To which he replied in a disgruntled voice;﻿ "We're not here to talk about lollipops". The audience was pretty upset at the guy who asked the question."
*"Takei coming into the hotel drenched after jogging all around the park nearby and all the fans that ran with him. The lobby when Leonard﻿ Nimoy came in and people went from being busy to INSANE in a matter of just minutes. My first sale of artwork at that con, to Hal Clement, (author); and going to the dealer's room and spending every penny. An escalator when crowds were nuts and being held back by the Klingons. One held up his foot and asked the crowd, "Would you hit a Klingon in toesocks??"
*"No, no! The toe-socks incident was in New York the next February. Same con committee, same Klingons. He was trying to keep the crowd from﻿ surging up a shut-down escalator and assuring them there was no room at the top either. Some agitators began saying, "How can you trust a Klingon?" To which he replied, "How can you not trust a Klingon who wears toe-socks?" while shaking off a boot to show striped toe-socks. The crowd laughed so hard, they forgot to riot."
*"Oh my! Blast from the past. The Klingons are members of the Dorsai Irregulars who were hired to﻿ do crowd management at the event. I am one of them, but I was managing a section of the ballroom instead of being on stage. The first Klingon seen in the video was Robert L. Aspirin, who went on to become an SF author. The bagpipes were played by Corinna and it's Lucy who is being hugged."
*"I remember that convention very well: 3 days for $40! I attended﻿ the main ballroom cast presentations - twice! After their little speech and a short Q & A, the cast member sat at the side to sign autographs. There were two movie "theaters" (one that exclusively showed episodes, and another showing Sci-Fi films) and another room had guest speakers. Harlan Ellison was there, so was David Gerrold (who can be seen giving Nichelle Nichols a short kiss in the video above."
*"When Nimoy got up to speak, a Mother asked if her little boy could take a close look at his ears, which made a very cute moment. In the morning, from a taxi, I could see George Takai jogging to the Hilton. Finally, the hallways were full of vendors selling mostly homemade stuff, as this was long before mass merchandising production. Four years later, the movie﻿ premiered! Yeah, I was there, too, and it was a great time." reference link.
===2020===
==References==
Category:1975 Conventions
Category:Star Trek Conventions
Category:Conventions in United States