European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 19, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Starry eyed Over profits by Scott Maxwell associated press three High school buddies Itom Aurora Colo started a modest newsletter to fellow Star trek lans a decade ago Are no managing a multimillion Dollar nationwide Enterprise Star trek the Olli Cial fan club is he creation of Dan Madsen. John Davis and Robert Allan who were drawn together by a common fascination with anything to do with Star tick the television series that inspired subsequent movies the club today us part of the men s Enterprise called fan clubs inc. Was inspired by the release of Star trek the motion picture m 1979 Madsen now president of fan clubs inc and publisher of the club s magazines began putting out a Small photocopied newsletter Tor fellow trekkie 1 we ran the thing out of Rry basement Madson says you know there were posters and All kids of Star trek stuff on the Walls " Madsen began with 15 subscribers to his newsletter today 3fi 000 people subscribe to the Star trek fan Magazine their club i j licensed by Paramount pictures As the Only official Star Tvan fan club fan clubs inc also operates fan clubs for Back to the future and Lucas films. The movie company of George Lucas producer of Star Ivars and american grat Litt Headquarters is a nondescript building in an air or business Park Allan estimates that fan club Magazine sales will account Lor about 50 percent of the $1 million the company will earn this year up irom $400 in earnings just three years ago he says that besides the 35,000 subscribers to the Star trek Magazine the company s Lucas films Magazine has about 15,000 readers. The inaugural Issue of the Back to the future fan club Magazine should have about 16.000 readers the men have High Hopes Lor the Back to the future Magazine because of the release of the movie Back to the future it the magazines Are Slick Lour Cotor publications averaging 25 pages they feature interviews with stars letters to the editor behind the scenes looks at the technical wizardry and special effects of the movies and a list of upcoming conventions and events. They also contain order forms Lor merchandise and classified advertisements for members who want to buy sell Trade and Swap Allan says the magazines boast impressive renewal Rales big magazines like time and Newsweek Are Happy if they gel a is percent renewal he said. Back when we had 5.000 subscribers we had a 95 percent renewal Rale. Now. With 60.000 subscribers we have a 70 percent renewal Rale. Thai s nothing to laugh the company also markets movie Memorabilia such 7"en years ago irom left Robert Allan. Dan Madsen and John Davis started a Star trek Tan club in High school. Now it s a multimillion Dollar business run out of this trekkie decorated office in Aurora Colo. As Star trek mugs and action figures and Indiana Jones of Doias merchandise sales have shot up from nothing two years ago to about $500.000 this year the entrepreneurs say Allan says Ian club members include lawyers 4-year Olds grandmothers and priests schools and libraries subscribe As Well the three men initially took some ribbing irom friends and relatives who were sceptical of the Ian club s potential but they Learned the necessary skills to make it a Success Madsen worked in a print shop where he Learned How to Lay out and design the newsletters Davis got a College degree in English and Allan worked As a Wailer to make ends meet. Soon after they began marketing merchandise in 1982, Paramount pictures contacted them. They were concerned at fast because we were operating and handling merchandise without a Madsen says. But they saw our newsletter and they were fairly impressed. So we signed a contract with them. They thought it had the right amount of fanaticism and the right amount of professionalism they were looking Madsen. Davis and Allan have since travelled around the world to meet and interview the stars of the movies and series they write about. The License gives them exclusive rights to interviews and photographs and allows them to sell officially licensed merchandise the three admit that Aurora in t exactly where one might expect to find the official Star trek Ian club bul Davis says the location makes sense Well we live Here Lor one thing he said. And Denver is one of the hottest markets Lor Star trek in the country we can do just As Good a Job from Aurora As we could from California or new York we do a lot of phone interviews and travel when we have Allan says their respective interests May eventually take them to new frontiers we re looking at expanding into Rock fan clubs and celebrity fan he says. Madsen says there May still be other prospects on the horizon. We re looking at films he says. John has considered writing for movies or episodic television and i be always thought about being a director. We d like to make our own movie Madsen says a genuine interest is what has made their efforts successful. Everything we be done so far was because we were fans of it. We re interested in what we re doing. It in t just a the address is fan clubs inc., . Box 111000. Aurora. Coto. 80011. Food shoppers Are Baing Lacad with a major decision these Days. Should they buy a Zucchini or make the House payment it s happened before. Every Lime the South experiences a deep freeze the Price of fruits and vegetables soars out of reach to the Veggie freaks whose idea of pigging out is to Graze on the front Lawn these Are indeed dark Days. For me. It s an Omen. Two weeks ago i said god. If you want me to get off this Crummy diet give me a the very next Day in the supermarket i picked up a single Tomato. Ii was marked s3 at that very moment. I heard Organ music. The Tomato was resumed and i headed for the Dove bars. H does t take much to dissuade me from buying and eating greens. Not Only am i not a vegetable disciple i have never been convinced that vegetables make you thin. The first time my mom took me to the zoo i watched As the keeper to Frew a bucket of greens to an orangutan. I was t the brightest kid on the Block. But i figured Here was an animal that exercised regularly ate healthy and got a lot of sleep and look How he turned out. He had a Waistline the size of a Disney parking lot. That sorta set the Pace for me. I m possibly the Only person who can visit a salad bar and run up a calorie Tab of 1.200 on one plate. I Start with a bed of Croutons arid drown them in a sea of Blue cheese with Bacon bits then Garnish it with two Cherry tomatoes As is generally , carbohydrate eaters Are attracted to mates who thrive on proteins. I came from a family where Gravy was a beverage and Ketchup was a vegetable. My husbands family bought lettuce by the told. After we married it was t easy trying to blend our eating habits. I thought a Long time before i made a decision to bring a child into a world polluted by Brussels sprouts. When my husband looked into the refrigerator last week he said where s the vegetables i handed him an Artichoke with the Price on it and he gasped. Let me guess. You bought a designer Artichoke i thought i told you to get if you want me to buy i said i d arrange financing but the Way i look at it we Are being Given a sign that the world is coming to an end As we know what kind of nonsense is that he asked. A the foods experts say Are Good for you Are dwindling fresh fish vegetables the shortage can be he said. The weather is an act of that s what ave been telling you i said. Hear the Organ c 1mo Erma Bombeck Page 16 the stars and stripes monday february 19,1990
