July's Space Babe: Virginia Hey

July's Space Babe (and the first of 2014) is the striking Virginia Hey as Warrior Woman in 1981's Mad Max 2 (a/k/a The Road Warrior). A woman of few words, this post-Apocalyptic amazon wielded her deadly crossbows in defense of her desert community, and gave her life to secure their survival.

Born in Sydney, Australia in 1952, the lovely Hey was a model before launching her acting career with Mad Max 2. She went on to star in several Australian television series, while also making appearances in numerous feature films, such as The Living Daylights.

In 1999, she returned to the sci-fi genre with a co-starring role on Farscape, where she portrayed an alien priestess named Pa'u Zotoh Zhaan. In recent years, she has been focusing her talents on a line of perfumes and aromatic candles.

Her official website: Virginia Hey.

Captain's bLog: 0702.14

I haven't done one of these round-up posts since last November. Man, I've really been slacking off, huh? Anyway,you may have noticed that I've been posting a little more frequently of late, and it's my plan to to get back to somewhat regular updates here on the blog. I doubt I'll be posting daily again (there was a while there when I was posting twice a day!), but I'll try very hard to get in at least a couple posts a week. In fact, look for a new "Space Babes" post on Friday.

I want to thank the few loyal readers who generously donated to the Space: 1970 editorial fund (link in the sidebar) over the last few months. I am incredibly grateful, and feel guilty that I didn't post more. I hope to rectify that over the coming weeks.

As an early birthday (coming up next week) gift, my wife picked me up one of the recently re-issued Space: 1999 Eagle Transporter kits from Round 2 models. This is a replica of the original MPC/Fundimensions kit from the 1970's, and I'm thrilled to have it again. (I hope they re-issue the Hawk Interceptor soon!) I also recently picked up the fifth and final season of The Six Million Dollar Man on DVD, and have been really enjoying revisiting it. Steve Austin spends a lot more time as an astronaut this season - even returning to the moon - and there are rematches with Bigfoot and a new Death Probe. Plus aliens. So, you know, all the good stuff.

• On Video: As noted in previous posts, the 1983 Roger Corman-produced Space Raiders is due out on DVD and Blu-ray in August from Scorpion Releasing. It's a fun flick, full of recycled effects footage from Battle Beyond The Stars (and, I think, 1982's Android), and I'll enjoy having a copy in my library.

I missed it, but 1975's Rollerball was released a month or two ago on Blu-ray by Twilight Time. Unfortunately, it was a limited edition, and has sold out from the company. That's disappointing, because I really would have liked to pick up a copy.

Suddenly, I'm also thinking that I've forgotten another upcoming 70s sci-fi release. I really should start making notes.

UPDATE: I was right. I did forget something. Kino Video will be releasing a Blu-ray edition of the 1979 disaster flick, Meteor, in September. I'll post more info on this release soon.

• Space: 1970 Wants You: I've always been open to - and grateful for - submissions from my readers. Now I want to outright encourage you folks to send me any cool Space: 1970-era stuff you might think would be interesting to your fellow Star Kids. Rare photos and production art, behind-the-scenes stills, nominations for "Space Babes" or Reader Polls, pretty much anything, really. Hell, even if you'd like to write a Guest Post, just e-mail me. I'll do my best to credit any contributions I use, of course.

• Shameless self-promotion: Finally, I'm still working on my sci-fi adventure webcomic, Perils On Planet X, which is illustrated by the talented Gene Gonzales, and colored by the equally-talented Ian Sokoliwski. It runs a page a week, with a new one posted every Friday, and it's absolutely free. We're closing in on the end of the first story arc, and the story is blasting along like a rocket, packed with Flash Gordon/John Carter-styled pulp thrills. I hope you'll check it out, if you haven't already.

SLEEPER (1973) Poster Art

 

I first saw Woody Allen's slapstick sci-fi satire, Sleeper, on network television around '76 or '77. I had very little idea who Allen was, but it was set in the future and had robots, so I wanted to see it. I remember being confused by some of it, but really enjoying the physical comedy and futuristic stuff. I honestly can't recall if I've seen it since... so, clearly, I need to watch it again.

While I go hunt down a copy, here's the phenomenal poster art by the great Robert McGinnis.

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (1978) Lobby Cards

A number of familiar publicity stills (including the always-popular "beheading of Baltar" scene) grace these theater lobby cards for the 1978-79 (depending on the country) theatrical release of the Battlestar Galactica pilot film ("in Sensurround!).

As you might have noticed, I'm easing back into regular updates here on the blog, even if they've mostly been photos and videos with only brief commentary. I am working on some more substantial posts, though  - some of which I've been working on for a long time. I even have a Space Babes post in the works for July! So stay tuned, Star Kids!

LOGAN'S RUN (1976) Studio Press Tour

Here's an interesting look behind the scenes at the making of Michael Anderson's Logan's Run feature, via a 1975 MGM press publicity tour. We get brief glimpses of Anderson, producer Saul David and costume designer Bill Thomas, who shows off a few of the film's costumes, including a rather different Sandman uniform than the one actually used in the final movie.

It also looks like it's David Hasselhoff (Starcrash) modelling the Sandman uniform, though I can't positively confirm it. If it isn't him, the resemblance is striking!

Happy Birthday, Commander

All of us here at Space: 1970 (okay, it's just me - this is a one-man operation) would like to take this opportunity to wish the great Martin Landau, a/k/a the beleaguered Commander John Koenig of Space: 1999, a very happy anniversary of his birth. The acclaimed actor turns 86 today.

Unused SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN Comic Art by Staton

 

Here's an interesting find: an unpublished cover painting of The Six Million Dollar Man's Colonel Steve Austin battling an alligator by my friend and collaborator, legendary cartoonist Joe Staton, intended for the fourth issue of the 1976 Charlton Comics series. For some reason, a considerably less-dynamic piece by Jack Sparling was used instead.Cool, huh?

News: SPACE RAIDERS (1983) DVD & Blu-Ray Details

Well, it's official. The 1983 Roger Corman-produced interstellar adventure film, Space Raiders, directed by Howard R. Cohen, and starring Vince Edwards, David Mendenhall and Thom Christopher (Buck Rogers), is coming in September from Scorpion Releasing, in both DVD and Blu-ray formats.

This outer space take on Treasure Island will be presented in its original theatrical widescreen aspect ratio, and special features will include on camera interviews with star David Mendenhall, producer Roger Corman, and production supervisor Clark Henderson.

The low-budget effort from the tail end of the Space: 1970 era (as I loosely define it) recycles copious effects footage from the legendary B-movie producer's earlier space operas, Battle Beyond The Stars and (I believe) Android (which I'll be writing about here soon). The SRP for the DVD will be $19.95 and $29.95 for the Blu-ray.

INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (1978) on the ABC Sunday Night Movie

Here's the ABC Sunday Night Movie intro for their repeat broadcast of Phillip Kaufman's 1978 remake of Invasion Of The Body Snatchers, starring Leonard Nimoy and Donald Sutherland. For me, this was the scariest sci-fi flick of the Seventies, even edging out Alien. And, because (unlike Alien) Invasion was rated PG instead of R, I actually got to see it unaccompanied by parental units... which probably added to the fright factor. Of course, I also got to see Brooke Adams topless, so it balanced out.

Needless to say, the version that aired on ABC used an alternate, "clothed" take of that scene.

Behind-The-Scenes Pix #48: BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS

From the 1980 Roger Corman-produced Battle Beyond The Stars (probably my favorite of the Star Wars feature film rip-offs): the New World effects crew carefully sets up a shot featuring the intricately-detailed Hesphastus Station miniature.

THUNDARR Art by Alex Toth

A number of talented comics illustrators worked on the development of Ruby-Spears' 1980 sci-fantasy animated series, Thundarr The Barbarian. Among these were the legendary Jack Kirby and animation veteran Alex Toth. Toth, who had designed such quintessential animated action-adventure characters as Space Ghost and The Herculoids, was responsible for the design of post-Apocalyptic heroes Thundarr, Princess Ariel and Ookla the Mok.

Along with his design duties, the production company also had Toth draw up some Thundarr presentation pieces for the network, including this dynamic action artwork (which was probably originally in color - if anyone has a color scan, please send it along!). It's really too bad the limited budgets of network animation in those days didn't allow for this sort of dynamism on-screen!

Still Going Boldly...

It's that time of year again! Today, Space: 1970 celebrates the great Leonard Nimoy's birthday, and this past Monday, we saw the anniversary of our captain, William Shatner's birth. Both galactic living legends turn 83 this year!