#bjo trimble

This is Courtney. She was "born" in 1965, and yesterday I bought her from a lovely woman in a parking lot for $45. I explained to this unsuspecting woman what fanzines are, as well as some of the culture behind them, then- at her insistence- proceeded to show her a gallery of explicit Gayle F fan art until we got too cold to continue.

I named her after a gone-but-not-forgotten Trekkie by the name of Tim Courtney. I think of her often despite being born 26 years after her passing in 1970. Here is a short biography written fondly by Bjo Trimble:

"Tim's father wanted a boy, so he named his only child—a girl— Timothy! A person of fantastic energy and verve, Tim went from top honors in college to modeling, world travel and nursing. Completing her nurse's training, Tim went to Africa and started a clinic there. She returned to the U.S. in time to see Star Trek on TV, and fell in love with Mr. Spock. During the long nights on Special Duty, Tim learned to draw, and naturally drew more pictures of Mr. Spock than anything else. Soon she was amusing young patients, who clamored for her artwork. Friends encouraged her to send art to fanzines, also. Then tragedy struck; Tim died of cancer in early 1970. She left these Spock illustrations as her legacy to Star Trek fandom."

-Kat

This is not an exciting post, but this is the stuff I live for.

I just got a copy of a March 12, 1965 fanzine called APA L. The first page I read is a report of visiting an SF convention, and technical problems with a TYPEWRITER delaying publication.

This is fandom before Star Trek, Planet of the Apes, way before Star Wars. TV sci fi of the non-anthology ilk was what, Captain Video?

Front and back covers for Bjo Trimble’s On The Good Ship Enterprise: My 15 Years With Star Trek. I had no idea that the woman who was one of the keystones of early Star Trek fandom had written a book about her experiences until I found a copy on the shelf of my local bookstore. Some of On The Good Ship Enterprise was originally printed in her columns for Starlog, but the vast majority of the material here is all-new to me. 

“The Woman who Saved Star Trek” laid the foundations that defined the future of science fiction. Betty JoAnne “Bjo”  Trimble is renowned as “the woman who saved Star Trek” – even to many outside of Trek’s fanbase. August 15th, marks her 92nd birthday. She worked hand in glove with her husband John Trimble to change history. A “Save Star Trek” protest. “Sarnoff” referred to Thomas Sarnoff, head…

New Squee! with Bjo Trimble. 

Squee! interview with Bjo Trimble. She discusses her experiences as a woman in science fiction fandom, being friends with luminaries such as Forrest Ackerman & Robert Bloch and her part in leading the successful fan-led campaigns to save Star Trek and name the space shuttle "Enterprise".