Remembering the 10th Anniversary

Hi All. Happy Star Wars week!

30 years ago I (and a whole bunch of other Star Wars nerds) were in Los Angeles for the 10th Anniversary Star Wars convention.

Guests included (going from memory):
Anthony Daniels
Peter Mayhew
Billy Dee Williams
Gene Roddenberry
Irvin Kershner
Richard Marquand
and George Lucas

I’m sure there were more. If I remember correctly this was the first licensed Star Wars con ever. Certainly the first that Lucas ever attended.

I look back on it with tremendous regret that I was more interested in seeing Billy Dee Williams (for example) than any of the ILM guys! Arrrrgh. Otherwise it was a blast! I also rode Star Tours for the first time that week.

Anyone have the Star Wars Vault? There is a fold out of the birthday card that everyone at the convention signed. I was there early so my signature is quite prominent in the upper right corner. Embarrassingly I wrote how excited I would be for Episode I!

This week I’ll see if I can dig up any photos I have.

Was anyone else from here there?

Mod Edit: the 10th Anniversary Edition in 1987? Was anything released or done? thread also has some info on the 10th Anniversary.

I have a button thats from the convention I got on ebay sometime. I put it on my messenger bag.

SilverWook said:

Great idea for a topic!

I was there, but only for a few hours sadly. (I did sign the card.) Was that hotel laid out like a labyrinth or what? 😉

Instead of one huge dealer’s room, it was a lot of small dealer’s rooms. I’m still not sure I found them all. One memory I have is examining a beautiful light saber replica as someone else was looking over my shoulder at it as well. (This dealer had some impressive Trek prop replicas too, back before Paramount got ugly about such things.) I pressed the power button on the saber, and they jumped out of the way. Silly guy thought it was going to work. 😛

Not sure where my photos are. They’re on the long dead Kodak 126 film format, which might be problematic to get scanned today. I mostly took pics of the prop room display. There were Raiders props on display too. It’s amazing to me you could just walk up and touch the Ark of The Covenant. (And an Artoo Detoo.) And of course, every wise guy was opening the lid. AFAIK, nobody had their face melted off.

The only items I still have for sure are the 10th anniversary poster, and the official T-shirt, which amazingly still fits this old Wookiee. I mostly kept that shirt stashed away. I’ve worn it to my first screening of TFA and again when I saw the 70mm IMAX version.

I’d forgotten about the dealer’s room(s). I scored an inordinate amount of Star Trek blueprints at that con.

When I find (and scan) my photos, yes I have pics with the Ark and R2 and whatever Obi-Wan lightsaber they had there. (I had always thought it was Guiness’ saber but I now learn that that is unlikely.)

It never occurred to me to open the ark. I was amazed enough just to be able to touch it!

I can scan 126 😃

I’m a little distressed that I can’t find my photos. I’ve schlepped those damn things around for 30 years. I’m trying to stay calm and know that they’ll turn up. Why I never scanned them I have NO idea. sigh

OTOH my mother just told me that she still has the convention program! (My poor kids, I don’t save anything like Grandma did.)

Further notice if and when…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLcbzPT0T1c just came across this on youtube and remembered this thread …are these the droids your looking for ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mN0hnmHVB8 these may literally be the droids your looking for …

I had that poster. (Have?) I also have the 10th anniversary silver mylar. I should finally get that framed. (There are some items I haven’t looked at in a couple of moves across country. I admit I fear for them.)

YES! Those ARE the droids I’m looking for! It’s funny that there is video of the droids and Vader, but no video of the presentation afterwards with all three Star Wars directors, Gene Roddenberry, and then a Q&A with Lucas. Tsk.