Trekkie Opinion Poll
| Fan Survey | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Trekkie Opinion Poll |
| Surveyor: | members of the club, The Intergalactic Corporation of Quadrotriticale Quirps, Ltd |
| Date(s): | 1976 |
| Medium: | |
| Fandom(s): | Star Trek: TOS |
| External Links: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Trekkie Opinion Poll is a 1976 survey/poll created by members of the club, The Intergalactic Corporation of Quadrotriticale Quirps, Ltd.
The point of the poll was to show Paramount what fans wanted to see in further Trek on the small screen, or the big screen, plans that became Star Trek: The Motion Picture four years later.
The club sent out "thousands" of surveys in December 1976, and received just under 700 in return.
There were also many responses to the poll that had been filled out by customers at the New York location of Federation Trading Post. These responses were never seen or tabulated as they were thrown into the trash by employees at that store.
The results, and comments, were published in Intergalactic Etcetera #5. Doug Drexler, a contributor to that zine, was an employee at Federation Trading Post.
Enough fans complained about the use of "trekkie" that one of the creators of the poll wrote an open letter called I before e except when the i becomes an r.
When the movie was finally released, the editors of Intergalactic Etcetera expressed their extreme dissatisfaction with the film, a feeling that many fans shared. See some fan comments some fan comments.
Description
From Intergalactic Etcetera #4:
Sometime in December 1976, we started to distribute the Trekkie/Trekker Opinion Poll. It was the same time when Paramount had "definite plans" for a movie. So we printed thousands of polls asking fans what they wanted to see in the Star Trek movie. To some fans it was good enough to check off the various ideas presented, and to some it meant practically writing the script out, and everything in-between. Unfortunately, when Paramount, or so the rumor went, changed their minds [about the movie] and canceled their plans, one of the Star Trek stores distributing our polls threw them all out, figuring that was the end of the poll also. So, our apologies to those hundreds of fans who filled out a poll there, and their opinions were lost. But, fortunately Quirps do not succumb to rumors so easily. We decided to find out what the Star Trek fan would have liked to see...We then trekked off to the Mini-Con III, on May 15, 1977 in New York City. It was truly a great feeling to see so many people from so many states and countries take such an interest in the outcome of Star Trek (and so much that they decided to fill out two or three polls... but don't worry, due to a few lessons from Sherlock Bones we were able to keep track of them). It was also amazing how many people would look us straight in the eye, as if were the producers (hmm, not a bad idea there...) and tell us how we'd better do it.
This Mini-Con is where we ran into, or rather where Howard Weinstein ran into us. As he was passing through the dealer's room, he eventually got to our table, and quite aware of his identity, we handed him a poll. He stopped and filled it out, and then asked me, "May I sign it?", and of course, we said "of course."
Some Commentary on the Process
From Intergalactic Etcetera #5:
True Star Trek fans are they!
So we said, "How about Isaac Asimov?" Two of us went to a lecture of his (not because of the poll, that was an afterthought, but because as most people know, Dr. Asimov is a fantastic speaker). With no time to speak to him, we just managed to hand him a poll, which he promptly pocketed, and we never heard from him again. Figuring hopefully, he just misplaced it, we mailed him one...he always answers his mail. Sure enough, he answered our letter. He mailed our letter back and wrote on it, "I hate filling out forms!"
The other convention we distributed our polls in, was the Star Trek America Convention in September 1977, also in New York City, This is where most of our responses were obtained. Stationed there in a row of telephone booths, we were thought of as authorities on Star Trek, and the most frequently asked question we found was "What ever happened to Stanley Adams, did he really kill him self??", but then of course, a close second was, "Would you tell me where the rest rooms are?". At these types of conventions, you find people of all walks of life, including graffiti artists.
We posted up a number of signs advertising our poll, in every imaginable place (including the rest rooms..), and we'd come back them, and find poll responses written directly on the signs. Unfortunately, these responses must be censored....
Sample Ballots and Commentary
The fifth issue of The Intergalactic Etcetera contains much commentary as well as some sample completed ballots.
description of the project, plus Howard Weinstein's completed ballot
some completed sample ballots
some fans' opinions about all the cancelled plans for more Trek on the big screen and small screen
some fans' opinions about all the cancelled plans for more Trek on the big screen and small screen, illo by Doug Drexler
some completed sample ballots, Andorian illo by Doug Drexler
some completed sample ballots, Sherlock Spock illo by Doug Drexler
some completed sample ballots, plus a description of trying to get Issac Asimov to fill out this poll
some write-in suggestions from fans for the Star Trek film
some write-in suggestions from fans for the Star Trek film
some write-in suggestions from fans for the Star Trek film, a completed ballot, and a short essay on the term "Trekkie" vs "Trekker" - see I before e except when the i becomes an r
statistics
statistics
statistics, plus some desired alien appearances
