Gierak the Great's Transporter Log I
| Zine | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Gierak the Great's Transporter Log I |
| Publisher: | likely Gierak the Great |
| Editor(s): | |
| Type: | |
| Date(s): | March 1977 |
| Medium: | |
| Fandom: | Star Trek: TOS |
| Language: | English |
| External Links: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Gierak the Great's Transporter Log I is a 21-page booklet created to promote an attraction and exhibit at several Space-Cons, the first in 1977.
"Gierak the Great (transporter designer) and Richard Gierak (transporter engineer)" were listed as guests of honor for that con. The con booklet also refers to him as "Dr. Richard A. Gierak." The doctor is Dr. Richard and his son (also Richard) is his teenaged son.
[From the booklet]: This booklet is the culmination of an idea becoming a reality. Gierak the Great conceived the method by which the "Transporter" operates and was first presented to the public and fans at the Star Trek and Space Science Convention held in San Francisco from Feb. 11 through Feb. 13.
Contained herein are photos and signatures of the guests that were "transported" in addition to technical notes of the "Transporter" as built by Gierak the Great.
The "Transporter" is scheduled to appear at conventions throughout the country and must be recognized as the largest illusion to be created in this country in many decades.
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Who Was Gierak the Great?
From "Space-Con #7's" program book in 1978:
DR. RICHARD A. GIERAK: Dr. Gierak worked for many years as a Chemical Technician, then a professional chemist. He holds a degree in Biology and is currently a practicing Dr. of Chiropractry in Concord, California. He is also the Director of New Frontier Institute and a research pioneer in the fields of astral projection, telepathy, psychokinesis, and regression and progression through the use of altered states of conciousness.
Richard Gierak [his teenaged son], also known as "Gierak the Great" has performed magic and illusion shows for nine years. He is the designer of most of the illusions seen in his shows, and he also builds and sells customized illusions to other magicians. This year, his show is titled "Time Lapse," and is a "history of magic as performed in medieval, contemporary and future times." The show will feature a unique Laser presentation. He is planning to take this show on a multi-city tour this summer.
[snipped]
The Transporter is the brain-child of "Gierak the Great", a young magician who designed and built it when he was fifteen with the help of his father, Dr. Richard A. Gierak. Now a few years older, "Gierak the Great" is still proud to display this optical wonder, an impressive conglomerate of flashing lights and applied physics. It is a full-size simulation of the one used aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise in the TV series, "Star Trek," and boasts the exact same specifications: 9.5 feet high, 12 feet long, 12 feet wide with a 6-person capacity, a 35-90 second cycle time, and a reset time of 3 seconds. Located in the Anaheim Room, the Transporter is a unique 3-dimensional illusion that will delight both science fiction buffs and prestidigitation fans. As an added attraction, skits written especially to feature the Transporter will be presented as a part of the programming in the Anaheim Room.
What Was the Transporter?
From "The Argus" -- a Fremont-Newark, California newspaper (February 11, 1977):
A full-scale reproduction of the Star Trek transporter will "beam" down guests on and off stage. The device, built by 'Gierak the Great' of Concord, creates the illusion of dematerialization and subsequent reappearance of objects. It is identical in size and appearance to the original Star Trek transporter, which moved objects from one point in space to another through molecular transference.
From "Valley News" -- a Van Nuys, California newspaper (June 17, 1977):
One of the most complex and technologically perfect mechanisms ever assembled for science fiction, the famed "Transporter" as seen in almost every episode of televsion's series will be at the convention. It will be demonstrated by its father-son inventor team, 15 year old Gierak the Great and his father Dr. Richard Gierak of Concord, Calif. Speciel effects, duplicationing those used on the television series, will actually show visitors how the phenomenon works.