The Starlog Project: Starlog #49, August 1981: Bond Is Back

Starlog kicks off its sixth year of life by focusing on the new James Bond flick and some of the biggest names in the industry (such as someone called George Lucas). On the merchandising side, the magazine releases its calendar for 1982, this time featuring paintings from the Brothers Hildebrandt's Atlantis.

Starlog #49
68 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $2.50

Ever since Moonraker took James Bond into space, Bond has been an accepted member of the science-fiction community. He grabs the cover of this issue and is represented in the forms of much special-effects coverage (but little else) in #49.

In Kerry O'Quinn's From the Bridge column, the publisher challenges readers to imagine life without a god; Communications letters range from someone trying to get a job as an extra on Revenge (yep, still being called that) of the Jedi, to excitement over the space shuttle's initial launch (finally), to a Swede defending her country for rating The Empire Strikes Back so that children can't see it, to more celebrity anniversary greetings (Gene Roddenberry, Howard Weinstein, John Carpenter, etc.), and more; short news items in Log Entries include the Brothers Hildebrandt's Clash of the Titans movie poster (they were forced to make it more Star Wars-y), updates on some Disney movies, neon sculpture, an LP record of Carl Sagan's Cosmos, and more.

Steve Swires interviews Escape from New York stars Kurt Russell and Adrienne Barbeau; David Hutchison examines the storyboarding of the SFX in Raiders of the Lost Ark; Don McGregor interviews Bond special effects wizard Derek Meddings; David Hirsch's In Syndication column visits NATPE -- the National Association of Television Program Executives -- to learn about how producers are selling their shows to TV stations; Bjo Trimble's Fan Scene gives guidance on how to publish a fanzine; Don McGregor continues the Bond SFX coverage by penning a retrospective look at special effects for many past James Bond films; Michael A. Banks reports on the launch of the Space Shuttle Columbia; it's part two of James H. Burns' interview with Star Trek veteran George Takei; an unbylined article previews the New World Pictures dark science-fiction film Mind Warp, including a photo of production designer James Cameron working on his designs for the movie; in the wake of Raiders of the Lost Ark's success, Peter Sullivan gives an overview of past movie serials; Kerry O'Quinn's second portion of a three-part interview with George Lucas explores the movie-maker's early life and his intentions for Star Wars; David Gerrold's Rumblings column once again urges readers to be heard in the debate over funding America's space program; part two of the magazine's fifth-anniversary contest features a trivia quiz; and Howard Zimmerman's Lastword recounts how we finally got to the launch of an honest-to-goodness re-usable spaceship (the shuttle) and notes the military's plans to have a presence in space.

"I've reached that point where I want to be married, ... but I don't feel that I can impose the erratic nature of my lifestyle -- taking off at a moment's notice to another city on business for anywhere from a weekend to a couple of weeks -- on someone as the foundation for a solid relationship. I wouldn't want to drastically change myself because I don't see marriage as something you should have to alter yourself for. I want to have a partner with whom I could share, but unfortunately, there's no immediate candidate right now."

--George Takei, actor and author (Mirror Friend, Mirror Foe), interviewed by James H. Burns: "George Takei: Part II"

To view previous Starlog issue descriptions, click on "Starlog Internet Archive Project" in the keywords below.

Famous Monsters' Revival Issue Cover Revealed

The reborn Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine has released a photo of the cover of its first issue (#251, July 2010).

I'll be there to buy it when it goes on sale, but I must say, it looks like they're playing it depressingly safe, using that corny old font for the the cover blurbs. I'd be much more interested in seeing them do a better mix of the classic logo with a fresher outlook. After the previous rebirth of the magazine was nothing more than an embarrassing attempt to reanimate a dead corpse, I am hoping the people putting out this version will try to produce a good monster magazine and worry less about aping the exact cover text of the Warren copies.

After all, the J.J. Abrams Star Trek movie was a hit when it threw out the rule book and was willing to mess with the formula.

True, a cover is only one page of a many-leafed magazine. But it is the one that sets the stage for the rest that follow. I hope the inside demonstrates fresh thinking and design.

The Starlog Project: Starlog #48, July 1981: Celebrating Five Years

Starlog ends its fifth year of publication with another bumper-sized issue. It was a year of pretty big changes at the magazine and of growth at the company itself, and the coming year would bring even more changes (just wait for it). Meanwhile, Starlog releases its latest photo guidebook: TV Episode Guides, spinning off into the trade paperback series one of its most popular signature features from the magazine.

Starlog #48
100 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $3.50

A personal note: I originally purchased this issue at the Manitowoc, Wisconsin, grocery store where my family did its weekly shopping, and my mother was somewhat taken aback by the cover price of $3.50 (hey, that was a lot in those days). When we got home and I started digesting the magazine page by page, article by article, I absorbed Kerry O'Quinn's special anniversary editorial and thought it perfectly illustrated why I liked the magazine so much. I presented the editorial to her and asked her to read it to understand why I'd pay so much for a science fiction magazine.

So, the rundown: Kerry O'Quinn's From the Bridge, "Keeping the Kid Alive," explains the importance of keeping a youthful enthusiasm and drive in your life; the Communications section features three pages of readers offering their anniversary greetings to the magazine; short news items in Log Entries include an update on Futuropolis (a winner of the magazine's 1978 short film search that has been expanded into a 30-minute film), Vonda McIntyre's Trek novel The Entropy Effect -- in which Kirk dies -- is one of the most eagerly awaited books of the year, Terry Gilliam's Time Bandits is coming, The Shadow is coming back into action, the brouhaha following President Reagan's attempted assassination led to the renaming of the lead character in The Greatest American Hero, and more.

James H. Burns interviews Harrison Ford for his second chat with the magazine in 12 months (this time, he talks Indiana Jones); David Gerrold takes on drug abuse in his Rumblings column; in part one ("A New View") of Kerry O'Quinn's three-part interview with George Lucas, the humble producer/director/genius talks about his influences and how he handles the work; Howard Zimmerman's "Starlust" poem is reprinted from issue #29.

In the special 36-page anniversary section, a series of SF films from the past year are reviewed via photos (The Empire Strikes Back, Altered States, Flash Gordon, Galaxina, Outland, Scanners); the first part of a three-part anniversary contest begins, with a cartoon find-the-oddities quiz; Robert Greenberger examines science-fiction comics; Greenberger also compiles the past year's Starlog article index; Greenberger -- again -- provides a "Sneak Peek at the Heavy Metal Movie"; Susan Adamo interviews science-fiction artist Vincent DiFate; Joseph Veverka returns with an article on plans for the Halley Comet flyby; Greenberger is back (what, did this guy lose an office bet or something?) with yet another article, this time a preview of science-fiction television programs for the coming year; David Hirsch previews SF games and toys; Hirsch also examines "Shuttles in Space: A Visionary Concept in Fact and on Film"; and wrapping up the anniversary section is a reprint of Howard Zimmerman's poem "Return" from issue #41.

Steve Swires interviews John Carpenter about Escape from New York and gets some information on his forthcoming version of The Thing; Bill Cotter and Mike Clark interview Lost in Space actor Bill Mumy; Sam Maronie reveals the special effects work of John Stears; Alan Brennert, a former Buck Rogers story editor, relates some amusing behind-the-scenes anecdotes from his time on the show; it's another four-page collection of anniversary greetings from science-fiction celebrities (including Arthur C. Clarke, Christopher Reeve, David Prowse, Douglas Trumbull, Mike Minor, Jesco von Puttkamer, the Brothers Hildebrandt, Harlan Ellison, and many more); Quest features a short story by W. Keith Brenton and space art by Gerhard Mros and Bruce Wildish; and Howard Zimmerman's Lastword thanks all kinds of people who've made Starlog's five years a success.

"I don't want to upset your readers too much, but it's just a movie. It's no big deal. From a technical point of view -- my own point of view -- I don't think it's altogether that well-made a movie, because I was working under extremely difficult conditions."

--George Lucas, writer/director/producer, interviewed by Kerry O'Quinn: "The George Lucas Saga: Chapter One: A New View"

To view previous Starlog issue descriptions, click on "Starlog Internet Archive Project" in the keywords below.

Check out Omni Magazine Tribute Site

A Chicago tech consultant named Mirko Cukich is building a very cool-looking web site devoted to the late great magazine Omni. Omni was a science and science-fiction magazine produced by Penthouse publisher Bob Guccione from 1978 to 1995; at its height, its circulation was larger than 1 million, but it dropped down to around 600,000 at the time of its closure.

Omni was launched just months after Starlog launched Future (renamed Future Life a year later), and Guccione's company was just too much larger for Future/Future Life to compete, so it died four years later. (Though it should be noted that the second issue of Omni excerpted Starlog/Future's great Space Art book of space paintings.)

I loved both magazines, though I was probably more attached to Future Life. That led me a couple years ago to make my own online tribute to Future/Future Life, and I still occasionally hear from the magazine's writers, other readers, or researchers with questions about the magazine because of that tribute page. The feedback from that page is what has led me to my ongoing project to chronicle all of the issues of Starlog -- a project that will likely take me more than a year to complete, but I'm starting it here on my blog and will soon begin storing it on my main web site.

But frankly, Cukich's site is kind of putting my efforts to shame. Give his site a look and bookmark it so you can keep visiting as he populates it with more issues.

The Starlog Project: Starlog #47, June 1981: The Junior Varsity Team of SF Movies

The Starlog staff continues to change and grow, fueled not only by normal turnover but by continued growth at the Starlog publishing company, which was already publishing or within a few months would be publishing Starlog, Future Life, Fangoria, Fantasy Modeling, Comics Scene, Fight Game (a boxing magazine), Country Rhythms, Screen Greats, and probably some others I've missed. Anyway, the Starlog staffbox now includes names such as John Clayton (staff photographer), financial manager Joan Baetz, contributing editor Barbara Krasnoff, and an ever-changing lineup of designers and art staff.

Starlog #47
68 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $2.50

This issue features two big films that weren't as good as those that have gone before (yes, a personal judgment, I know, but it's my blog). Superman II wasn't as good as Superman -- The Movie, and Outland simply wasn't good. Harlan Ellison would soon take star Sean Connery to task in the pages of Starlog for accepting second-rate flicks like Outland, and in his column in sister magazine Future Life, Ellison would pick apart the movie piece by piece. So it's not just my personal judgment after all.

In his From the Bridge column, publisher Kerry O'Quinn describes meeting and interviewing George Lucas, which would see print beginning in the next issue; Communications letters include feedback on Altered States, ideas for supporting the space program, Buck Rogers critiques, and more; Log Entries short items include an update on the Heavy Metal movie (which is slated for an August release), a possible Man from U.N.C.L.E. movie, Britain's Hammer Films aims for the small screen, the SF musical-comedy Search for the Gods?, the new Harlan Ellison Record Collection, and more.

Alan Brender interviews Outland star Frances Sternhagen, who plays a doctor's role originally written for man; David Gerrold writes about moving beyond adolescence; Alan Brender reports on the Star Wars radio program made for public radio; Susan Adamo interviews Douglas Adams about his Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy; James H. Burns interviews Sarah Douglas, who plays Kryptonian baddie Ursa in Superman II; Burns also talks with George Takei in part one of his interview; Martin J. Bower describes (in text and many photos) the miniatures used in Outland; Alan Brender interviews Buck Rogers' Dr. Goodfellow, Wilfrid Hyde-White; Michael A. Banks interviews David A. Kyle; David Hirsch's In Syndication looks at "The Return of Doctor Who"; David Hutchison explores the props used in Star Trek -- The Motion Picture; Quest features a fake final exam for Jedi students, some Jedi cartoons, and some space art from various readers; and Howard Zimmerman uses his Lastword column to praise The Greatest American Hero and to criticize the Oscars.

"Mark Hamill is especially excited about the radio show. In an interview with Starlog during the premiere at the Griffith Observatory, he comments: 'It appealed to me because it wasn't money-oriented. It sprang purely from the desire to help revitalize interest in radio."

--Alan Brender, writer, "Star Wars' Latest Incarnation: It's a Radio Play"

To view previous Starlog issue descriptions, click on "Starlog Internet Archive Project" in the keywords below.

Spaghetti Harvest: Classic BBC

Since it's now April 2, you know this must be true. So here's a classic from the BBC:

The Starlog Project: Starlog #46, May 1981: The Original Clash of the Titans

Forget about the loud 2010 remake; Ray Harryhausen's final movie (so far), Clash of the Titans, takes center stage in Starlog #46.

Starlog #46
68 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $2.50

Rather than continue the Year of Empire (okay, that name is wearing thin even on me, and I coined it), the editors reach back in time this issue to remember Star Wars: Episode IV with some cool pix.

Kerry O'Quinn's on a roll lately with his inspirational, get-off-your-butt-and-make-your-dreams-come-true editorials, and he doesn't stop in this month's From the Bridge, in which he defines science-fiction fans as being the hope for a better tomorrow; Communications letters include reader reactions to Scanners and the revamped Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, the new Doctor Who (Peter Davison), SF musical scores, and more; Log Entries short items include the big news that Star Trek is returning -- to television, first news of Heartbeeps, controversy behind the scenes of Altered States, George Lucas makes a big ($5 million) donation to USC, and more.

Alan Brender interviews star Harry Hamlin of Clash of the Titans; David Gerrold uses his Rumblings column to talk about science-fiction tarot cards (the art in them, that is); a four-page feature showcases some never-before-seen (?) color and black-and-white photos from Star Wars: A New Hope; Susan Adamo uncovers the special effects magic that makes William Katt's character fly in The Greatest American Hero TV series; Robert Greenberger previews Superman II (including a sidebar on the Superman II comics); Alan Brender interviews actress Blair Brown about Altered States; Jeff Szalay reports on Reach for the Sun, a PBS science-fiction special; Ron Goulart visits the science-fiction comics of the 1960s and 1970s in the final part of his SF comics series; Samuel J. Maronie interviews SFX and production Designer Joe Alves (Escape from New York, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Forbidden Planet); David Houston hasn't abandoned the magazine completely, as he shows with his SFX article on Monster Planet (I'm just thinking that Monster Planet would be a good name for a cable channel); Sharon Griner and Jerome Bixby each contribute short (in Bixby's case, ultra-short) stories to the Quest page; David Hirsch's In Syndication column looks at syndication via the public broadcasting stations; and, last but not least, Howard Zimmerman's Lastword column says he's underwhelmed by the new Buck Rogers, urges people to read Fangoria, and passes along news that Harlan Ellison will be writing a short story in the windows of a B. Dalton Booksellers in New York.

"The first draft of the script weighed in at 300 or so pages and would have made a six hour film. A second draft didn't do much better and when it came to revisions, [Mario] Puzo said he was 'all Supermanned out.' His interpretation of the Man of Steel was close to the James Bond films but with a lot of 'camp' elements, similar to the Batman TV series."

--Robert Greenberger, writer, "Superman II: The Adventure Continues"

To view previous Starlog issue descriptions, click on "Starlog Internet Archive Project" in the keywords below.

Louis Leterrier to Vanity Fair: You Shouldn't Remake Clash of the Titans

In a Q&A with Vanity Fair, French director Louis Leterrier told the magazine that the Ray Harryhausen Greek fantasy film Clash of the Titans shouldn't be remade. "[Y]ou shouldn’t. It’s bad. Don’t do this," he said he told the studio.

And yet, um, y'know, he uh -- how do I put this so I don't insult his fragile artistic soul? -- well, he directed the remake.

Also: Fangoria's Allan Dart reviews the new Clash -- and prefers the original. You really shouldn't have remade it.

The Starlog Project: Starlog #45, April 1981: Buck Rogers' Swan Song

Inflation strikes back, as the cover price goes up 25 cents. There's a special four-page heavy-paper "3-D module kit" insert in this issue, but the price increase remains next issue, while the insert does not. Also, as noted last issue, David Houston's Visions column is no more, and now he has also finally been taken off the list of columnists in the staff box.

Starlog #45
72 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $2.50

John P. Hogan, the inventor of the 3-D model kit in this issue, is actually making at least his third appearance in the magazine. His modular paper designs rated a Log Entries item years earlier, and a couple years earlier he reappeared in an item about a Starlog solar t-shirt he designed (which publisher Kerry O'Quinn modeled in a photo).

Kerry O'Quinn touts his company's various products in his From the Bridge column; Communications letters include definitions of science fiction, questions about Space: 1999, comments on space war, and more; Log Entries short news items include a first look at the King Arthur fantasy Excalibur, ChesleyBonestell's reaction to real pictures of Saturn, a Christian science-fiction story (The Namos Chronicles), the imprisonment of Russian SF author Oles Berknyk, and more.

Alan Brender interviews Thom Christopher, who plays the new Buck Rogers character Hawk in that show's second and final season; Bjo Trimble answers readers letters about Star Trek; David Gerrold makes the case that mankind has to get into space; James H. Burns previews Kingdom of the Dwarfs, a new book from David Wenzel; Samuel J. Maronie visits the set of John Carpenter's Escape from New York, one of the great low-budget SF films of the past few decades; Robert Greenberger previews Panic Offshore, a made-for-TV monster movie; the four-page paper 3-D model kit is introduced with a short article on creator John P. Hogan; there's also (on page 66) instructions for assembling the kit; Joseph Veverka completes his "Voyager View of Saturn" space science article; Robert Greenberger looks at the phenomenon of science-fiction art books; Alan Brender interviews writer/director Peter Hyams about his new film, Outland; Quest features the artwork of Benjie Small and the short-short fiction of Phil Yahnke; Ron Goulart's "SF in the Comics" series covers the science-fiction boom in the 1950s; David Hutchison's SFX section looks at the Flash Gordon movie's mattes; David Hirsch's In Syndication looks at how the Planet of the Apes was packaged; and Howard Zimmerman's Lastword column covers hopes for the space shuttle's inaugural launch.

"The Namos Chronicles is a filmstrip that has the makings of a science-fiction story. There's a planet, Namos, locked in battle against the evil Kaprians. There are spaceships and laser guns. Even alien monsters. What distinguishes Namos Chronicles from most other SF stories is that underneath the hardware are the parables of Jesus."

--Log Entries: "Scriptures in Space"

To view previous Starlog issue descriptions, click on "Starlog Internet Archive Project" in the keywords below.

The Starlog Project: Starlog #44, March 1981: Houston, We Have a Problem

Starlog releases its newest Starlog Record, First Men in the Moon. On the contributor front, former editor David Houston is still listed as a columnist, but his column has been replaced by associate editor David Hirsch's new In Syndication column.

Starlog #44
68 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $2.25

It's a real-space-heavy issue, a true NASA-lover's delight. Meanwhile, the various controversies take a low profile this issue, as the magazine gets down to its usual bring-us-the-news business.

Publisher Kerry O'Quinn's From the Bridge column is a collection of reader letters (including someone accusing O'Quinn's editorials of ruining Starlog) and his responses; Communications letters include reader reactions to Howard Zimmerman's criticism of Cosmos, feedback on the magazine's 3-D coverage, and more; short news items in Log Entries include information about the upcoming Dino De Laurentiis Conan movie, a Howard the Duck lawsuit, DC Comics' Green Lantern Corps mini-series, and more.

James H. Burns interviews Bob Balaban, star of Altered States; David Gerrold uses his Rumblings column to urge readers to actively support the U.S. space program; Alan Brender interviews Verna Fields, the studio executive behind The Incredible Shrinking Woman; Brender also pens a studio-by-studio roundup of science-fiction film and television productions that were affected by the 1980 actors strike; it's real-science time again, as Joseph Veverka steps into Jonathan Eberhart's sciency shoes and writes the first of a two-part feature on Voyager's trip to Saturn; Michael Smith previews the Disney Condorman movie; Suzanne Weyn profiles artist Walter Velez; Bjo Trimble's Fan Scene is the second blow of the one-two punch of Gerrold-Trimble this month, as she urges readers to write to politicians to get them to support space exploration; Bill Pearson and David Hirsch explore the miniature models used in the Flash Gordon movie; Ron Goulart goes "From Flash Gordon to Wash Tubbs" in part four of his "SF in the Comics" series; Alan Brender interviews Flash Gordon director Mike Hodges; David Hirsch's In Syndication column premieres, covering the syndicated world of genre programs; and Howard Zimmerman answers readers' criticisms of his negative take on Cosmos.

"The initial sequence saw Flash and Dale on Mongo being hunted as outlaws by the forces of Ming the Merciless, a price of 'a thousand gold mingols' on their heads. The first line Flash speaks sets the style for what is to follow for the next few years. As he pilots a rocketship, one-handed, toward a safer patch of territory, he says, with Dale perched on his lap, 'Alone at last!' Almost immediately, their ship explodes."

--Ron Goulart, writer, "SF in the Comics: Part IV: From Flash Gordon to Wash Tubbs"

To view previous Starlog issue descriptions, click on "Starlog Internet Archive Project" in the keywords below.