The Starlog Project: Starlog #65, December 1982: Jedi Fever

Change is afoot at Starlog. On the staffing side, Milburn Smith joins the company as assistant publisher, and this is managing editor Susan Adamo's last issue before she moves on to Video Games magazine. The latest photo guidebook is released: Fantastic 3-D. And 16 pages of this issue are converted to full color, apparently to accommodate three color Parker Brothers video game ads. It's also the time of year for publishing the annual postal statement of ownership and circulation: The total paid circulation for the issue closest to the statement's filing deadline is listed as 119,634 (up from last year's 108,970), including the number of paid subscriptions of 16,815 (down from 18,550 the previous year).

Starlog #65
68 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $2.50

It's the second time in a little more than two years that Mark Hamill graces the cover of Starlog from the set of Dagobah, Yoda's home planet. He first did it back in issue #40, and here again he does it, though the photo this time is frankly kind of dark and a bit grainy.

Kerry O'Quinn gets back in his usual mode (after a couple issues delving into dysfunctional SF conventions and uncooperative movie studios) with a description of his trip to the Johnson Space Center in Houston (in the company of Nichelle Nichols, Harve Bennett, and others); letters in the Communications pages include an Ohio teacher who suffered a religious right-wing backlash for some SF/fantasy-inspired moments in her classroom, lots of thoughts about various aspects of Star Trek, a Swedish fan explains how The Empire Strikes Back was censored and edited in his country, and more; Log Entries short items include news of Superman III, Walter M. Miller's A Canticle for Liebowitz heads to public radio, the 1982 Hugo winners are announced, and more.

Mark Hamill is interviewed by Susan Adamo in the radio studio where he recorded The Empire Strikes Back for public radio; Ed Naha -- former senior writer/associate editor/etc. at Starlog, former co-editor of Future Life, and founding editor (under a pseudonym) of Fangoria -- begins a regular column in Starlog called Hollywood Babylon, with a behind-the-scenes look at life and business in Tinseltown; David Gerrold's Soaring column examines some of the ways fans critique Trek films; Alfred Webre interviews Arthur C. Clarke (about UNISPACE '82, 2010: Odyssey Two, and more; the centerfold two-page poster is from Raiders of the Lost Ark; Ed Naha previews Dance of the Dwarfs; Bjo Trimble's Fan Scene covers "The 10-Foot Star Trek Poll," a survey of Trek fans; Joe Copeland writes the story of his experiences as Mark Hamill's stand-in during the Arizona desert shooting for Return (though then still called Revenge) of the Jedi -- complete with a photo of him wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with Blue Harvest, the fake name of the film given out to mislead fans and the press during shooting; David Hutchison explores "E.T. -- The Little FX Movie that Made Good"; John Dods profiles Tim Hildebrandt following his professional breakup with his brother Greg; an unbylined article describes in text and photos "The World of The Dark Crystal"; and Howard Zimmerman's Lastword revisits the Spielberg-Starlog spat over E.T. coverage and also says good-bye to Susan Adamo.

"A growing friction between the brothers had begun to show in their work. Then the titans clashed. What has happened? Everyone involved had a different answer. 'No comment!' says Tim's wife Rita, '-- but someday I'm going to write a book!' 'It was not a friendly thing' offers Tim. Were there artistic differences? 'No, not many,' says Time. Greg agrees."

--John Dods, writer, "An Artist Unleashed: The New Career of Tim Hildebrandt"

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The Starlog Project: Starlog #40, November 1980: Mark Hamill Redux

The Year of Empire continues, with Starlog publishing its delayed interview with Star Wars star Mark Hamill (this time, he doesn't go to war with Harlan Ellison). The Hamill interview was originally scheduled to appear a couple issues earlier, but it was delayed due to scheduling changes by Hamill. And a tidbit for inveterate staffbox-watchers: David Houston is no longer listed as the magazine's West Coast editor; nor is he even listed as a conributor, though his Visions column does still carry his byline. And Starlog releases the latest in its line of trade-paperback photo guidebooks: Science Fiction Toys & Models (inaccurately listed as Toys & Games in the payment coupon, if you're picky enough to notice).

Starlog #40
76 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $2.25

This issue: Author/columnist David Gerrold strikes back at Fred Freiberger, and also takes a big swipe at Starlog's publishers and editor, plus Freiberger himself is back for part two of his interview, this time covering his tenure on Space: 1999.

Kerry O'Quinn's From the Bridge column is another "Grab Bag Notes," this time covering Swedish censorship, Short Film Search info, and comments overheard at science-fiction conventions; Communications letters include positive and negative feedback on David Gerrold's review of The Empire Strikes Back, British commiseration over a lack of SF TV, an unusual degree of anger over a mild comic, and more; short news items in Log Entries include a threat that Dino De Laurentiis is about to unleash his Flash Gordon movie, more film studio money games (this time concerning the Superman movies, and there's a separate update on the Alien revenue controversy), Sweden deems The Empire Strikes Back "too scary and too violent" for people under the age of 15, and more.

David S. Packer interviews Mark Hamill, who discusses his work in The Empire Strikes Back and says that he's as much in the dark as everyone else about what will happen in -- as it's still being called at this point -- Revenge of the Jedi; Bjo Trimble's Fan Scene responds to reader letters; comedian Rick Overton is profiled (though mostly in pictures, including several showing his science-fiction models); Alan Brender interviews Jane Seymour, who discusses her new film Somewhere in Time, and her past work on Live and Let Die and Battlestar Galactica; Gerry Anderson's Space Report is a photo feature on Martin Bower's models of spaceships belonging to various SF villains; Karen E. Willson wraps up her three-part article exploring the making of the Buck Rogers episode "The Flight of the War Witch," and she ends the article with some extended thoughts on where and how an episode can go flat; the Fourth Annual Science-Fiction Merchandise Guide is published in an eight-page yellow-pages insert; Karen E. Willson interviews Gene Roddenberry, who discusses the making of Star Trek-- The Motion Picture and responds to Harlan Ellison's extensive critique of the film in Starlog #33; the Quest page includes a short story by Sheldon E. Inkol and a comic strip by John Hall; this is shaping up to be a Karen E. Willson issue, as she interviews Gil Gerard about his frustrations and hopes for Buck Rogers in the 25th Century; Mike Clark and Bill Cotter continue their two-part interview with producer Fred Freiberger, who discusses his work on Space: 1999; David Hutchison covers the back-stage SFX work on The Empire Strikes Back; David Gerrold defends himself and Dorothy Fontana against claims by Fred Freiberger in part one of the Clark/Cotter interview, and he criticizes publisher Kerry O'Quinn and editor Howard Zimmerman for publishing an article in which the interviewee was "suckered into a phony feud"; David Houston's Visions column continues looking at music and genre films, focusing on the work of John Williams and Jerry Goldsmith; and Howard Zimmerman's Lastword sort-of responds to Gerrold's complaints (in particular, the "phony feud" bit), and also explains why sometimes the magazine doesn't deliver what it previews in the Next Month box (which reminds me of Fangoria editor Bob Martin's response to that topic, in which he wrote that he kind of considers the next-month box to be the science-fiction section of his magazine).

"I thought that it was an excellent review, except that Harlan, as usual, would like to escape dealing with the fact that motion pictures, like television and most entertainment today, is a blend of art and commerce. I wish Harlan's adolescent wishes ... that money would cease to be an influence ... I wish they could come true. But [that wish] is not the real world that we live in."

--Gene Roddenberry, producer, interviewed by Karen E. Willson: "An Interview with Gene Roddenberry: The Man Behind the Myth"

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

Starlog Internet Project: Starlog #23, June 1979: Alien Invasion

This issue has one of my favorite Starlog covers: A very moody, mysterious, dark shot from Alien. It perfectly captures the otherworldly thrills that Alien will deliver. It's funny that only this week did I look closely enough at the photo to realize that it's cut off and replaced by a solid band of black along the top (and, presumably, along the bottom, though I can't see an obvious clear cut). Look about half an inch beneath the "R" and the "L" in the magazine's logo, and you can see that the bluish alien tunnel doesn't just fade into darkness, it's sheared off where, presumably, the edge of the original photo ended.

Starlog #23
76 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $1.95

As the magazine completes its third year of publication and prepares for its large anniversary issue the following month, the focus is on aliens: the odd Doctor Who, Gort and Klaatu, Space: 1999's Maya, and the most alien of aliens -- the Alien alien. Some are good, some bad, some are peaceful, some want to plant a baby alien in your chest.

Kerry O'Quinn's From the Bridge chronicles his company's move into film production (which would not come to much); the Communications letters pages include a note about the delayed launch of Fantastica magazine, Harlan Ellison's reply to Mark Hamill's comments about him a couple issues ago, and more; short news items in Log Entries include an advance look at The Black Hole, info on Superman II, talking with the Flat Earth Society, celebrating Isaac Asimov's 200th book, and more; Gerry Anderson's Space Report features a photo essay on Space: 1999 character Maya.

A large preview article on the new movie Alien is the Starlog article that future "Uncle Bob" Bob Martin was born to write, so it's good that they let him write it; Peter S. Perakos gives a sneak preview of the Philippines-lensed movie Monument (remember that movie? Of course you don't); Susan Sackett's Star Trek Report answers the most-asked question about Trek; David Gerrold's State of the Art column discusses the awards game; Ellen M. Mortimer profiles Britain's time-traveling low-budget classic/embarrassment (take your pick) Doctor Who, and she writes an episode guide to the 1974-1978 seasons of Who; Al Taylor provides a retrospective on the classic The Day the Earth Stood Still; David Hutchison gives a behind-the-scenes peek at the work of Joe Viskocil; David Hirsch interviews Darth Vader himself, David Prowse; Douglas L. Crepeau gives us an overview of "Blacks in Science Fiction Film"; David Hutchison's SFX section continues looking at careers in the special effects trade; David Houston's Visions column looks at Charles Darwin's effect on science fiction; the Next Month box bloats to two-thirds of a page to announce the 100-page anniversary issue (on sale Tuesday, June 5, 1979 -- be there!); and Howard Zimmerman eeks out a one-third-of-a-page Lastword column, where he remembers the late Al Hodge.

"Mr. Hamill's confusion about my attitude toward the little film in which he appeared is touching.... Equally touching is his understanding of the unimportance of his opinions; would that more of us had the sense and nobility to perceive our limitations. ....I take it as a gesture of magnanimity not to further ridicule him: As a functional illiterate, Mr. Hamill does a good enough job on himself."

--Harlan Ellison, letter writer, Communications

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

Starlog Internet Project: Starlog #21, April 1979: Mark Hamill vs. Harlan Ellison

There's a Fangoria angle to this issue of Starlog. First, we see the name "Bob Martin" pop up on the staffbox, listed as associate editor. Martin was marking time until his magazine, Fantastica, exited legal limbo and he could do his real job. Not explained until much later was that competitor Fantastic Films magazine was suing Starlog, claiming that the name Fantastica was too much like Fantastic Films. Eventually, the mag would be renamed Fangoria and a (publishing) star would be born.

Starlog #21
76 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $1.95

In an interview that set off a public spat between Star Wars star Mark Hamill and author Harlan Ellison, Hamill tells Starlog some not-necessarily complimentary things about Ellison, who had apparently not liked Hamill's movie that much. The back-and-forth would continue for a while, until the two patched things up. All reported in Starlog.

Publisher Kerry O'Quinn talks about science fiction's global mission in his From the Bridge column; Communications letters range from reader reactions to Superman, Battlestar Galactica, the reason Chewbacca didn't get a medal, Harry Harrison praises Galactica-bashing, and more; Log Entries short news items include an overview of NASA's 1979 plans, a 3-D illustrated Harlan Ellison project, first word on Futureworld, news of The Cry of Cthulu film, and more.

David Houston discovers two science-fiction convention-going fans who got their day in the sun; Steve Swires interviews Mark Hamill, who shares his thoughts on everything from the Battlestar Galactica rip-off idea to his love for science fiction to why Harlan Ellison doesn't like Star Wars; Susan Sackett's Star Trek Report covers the goings-on on the Trek set; Robin Snelsom reports on Pioneer-Venus exploration results; David Houston gives a behind-the-scenes look at how the bridge set of the Galactica was built; Michael Catron reports on the premiere of Superman in Washington, D.C., which President Jimmy Carter attended; Gerry Anderson's Space Report explores "The Birth of 'Starcruiser 1,'" complete with a sketch of the ship; Ted Michael Hruschak and Richard Meyers find that "Lost in Space Lives," writing an introduction to their complete episode guide to the series (a series whose fans sometimes complained that Starlog gave it short shrift compared to Star Trek); Steve Swires interviews George Romero on the making of Dawn of the Dead; Jonathan Eberhart's Interplanetary Excursions, Inc., visits Hektor, the oddball celestial body; David Houston writes about Buck Rogers' life as a motion picture; David Gerrold takes on Warren Beaty and Heaven Can Wait; Andrew P. Yanchus gives us a history of plastic model kits (complete with a two-page "SF Model Checklist"); Paul Mandell visits SFX legend David Allen; David Houston's Visions column looks at Brave New World and 1984; and, finally, Howard Zimmerman suggests science fiction fans take a look at real science now and then.

"[Harlan Ellison] wrote one article in which he said something like, 'Not only is Luke Skywalker a nerd, but Darth Vader sucks runny eggs.' Thats a wonderful effect, and he really should be a lounge act in Las Vegas. I don't think it's worthy of him, with the reputation he has as a wonderfully imaginative science-fiction writer, to lower himself that way. Why should I think his opinion is important, when I know my opinion isn't important?"

--Mark Hamill, actor, "An Interview with Mark Hamill

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