First Issue of Sci-Fi Publication Starlog Hits Newsstands (1976)

August 1976 saw the first issue release of Starlog, the monthly science fiction magazine founded by Kerry O’Quinn and Norman Jacobs in 1976, that focused primarily on Star Trek at its inception, then general science fiction movies and media. Starlog was one of the first publications to report on the development of the first Star Wars movie, and it followed the development of what eventually became the 1979 film Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

Starlog was born out of Star Trek fandom, but was also inspired by the success of Cinefantastique Magazine, the seminal publication that became the model for Star Trek and Star Wars coverage. Starlog’s primary focus was the making of science fiction media, including books, movies and television series, commenting on the work that went into creating these media. The magazine used interviews and features with artists and writers as its content foundation.

Science fiction fans, including those who follow the television network Syfy, have voiced that Starlog is the science fiction magazine most responsible for cultivating and exhibiting fanboy culture in America during the magazine’s heyday in the 1970s through the early 1990s.