Old footage from a ’76 Star Trek convention is awkward, hilarious, and really sweet

Photo: Ultimessence

Photo: Ultimessence

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Want to feel incredibly charmed and incredibly uncomfortable at the same time? Look no further than an old Star Trek convention! Boing Boing recently unearthed super 8 footage shot at a 1976 Star Trek convention in Colorado, which captures burgeoning nerd culture at its finest. Hosted by Terry McCoy—who is eerily similar to Kyle Mooney’s awkward reporter character—the video features cosplay, Star Trek paraphernalia, awkward fan interactions, and even appearances from Trek stars Leonard Nimoy and James Doohan.
The convention was held seven years after the original Star Trek was canceled and only four years after the very first Star Trek convention in 1972 (the show found a larger following in syndication than it did during its original run). It was shot by Sam Klemke of Ultimessence, who uploaded the video to his YouTube page. The whole thing provides a lovely glimpse of early Star Trek fandom, back when having 15 to 20 people in a fan club was enough to earn a spot at a convention. Of course, as in current Star Trek fandom, social skills were very much optional.