2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY Marvel Comics Cover Gallery

I don't know if anyone has ever satisfyingly explained why Marvel Comics chose to license Stanley Kubrick's 1968 science fiction headtrip, 2001: A Space Odyssey, for an ongoing monthly comic book, nor why they waited eight years after the film's release to do so. It is also baffling why (except for the fact that they were contractually obligated to keep the artist busy with work) they chose the awesome Jack Kirby to write and illustrate it.

Kirby was an astounding artist and creative genius, but his explosive, dynamic art - and decidedly thunderous prose - were hardly sympatico with Kubrick's stark visual style and leisurely storytelling. Also, the film really didn't seem to lead naturally into any sort of traditional continuation, so the Marvel Comic had to blaze its own, bizarre path in building on the film's narrative.

In any case, after an oversized "Treasury Edition" adaptation of the film in 1976, the subsequent ongoing 2001 comic ran for ten issues, all produced by the legendary Kirby, who explored the movies themes and concepts in his own unique manner. The stories were wild, colorful and bugnuts crazy, but they did make one lasting contribution to the sprawling Marvel universe in the form of Kirby's robotic creation, Mister Machine/Machine Man, who was introduced and featured in the final issues of the book.

Here are Kirby's covers for the ten-issue run:

THE INVISIBLE MAN (1975) is Dynamite!

The editors of Scholastic Magazine's Dynamite sure loved cover-featuring 70's genre television, including more than a few one-season wonders like 1975's The Invisible Man, starring David McCallum, Melinda Fee (The Aliens Are Coming) and Craig Stevens.The show was NBC's "answer" to rival network ABC's hugely successful bionic adventure show, The Six Million Dollar Man, and even shared many of the same creative personnel. Unfortunately, it only lasted a mere 13 episodes before fading away....

Not at all coincidentally, today is David McCallum's 80th birthday. Here's wishing him a great one!

Happy 35th Anniversary BATTLESTAR GALACTICA

"Fleeing from the Cylon tyranny, the last battlestar, Galactica, leads a rag-tag fugitive fleet on a lonely quest: a shining planet, known as... Earth." On this date in 1978, the three-hour world premiere of Glen A. Larson's Battlestar Galactica aired on ABC, and like most of you, I was sitting on the living room floor about three feet from the TV, enjoying every minute of it. Happy 35th anniversary to the epic series that refuses to fade away!

Kenner 12" Boba Fett!

"That's why you got the job!" I never had any of the large-sized Star Wars action figures - hell, I had very few of the small ones - but I would have loved to own this cool Boba Fett doll. And Darth Vader (sold seperately), for that matter....

Posting has been light here of late as I've been concentrating on other projects and, frankly, recharging the nostalgia batteries. About a month or so ago, I started to feel a bit exhausted trying to come up with material to maintain nigh-daily Space: 1970 updates, and although I didn't really plan it, I obviously needed a break.

Regular posting will resume shortly. Stay tuned....

Behind-The-Scenes Pix #44: THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN

The bionic man himself (clad in iconic red track suit), Lee Majors, hangs with the original Dr. Rudy Wells, noted actor Martin Balsam, on location at Edwards Air Force Base during the shooting of the original Six Million Dollar Man television movie/series pilot in 1973.

STAR TREK Black Light Spock Poster

Another profoundly Seventies sci-fi artifact: a trippy, licensed Spock black light poster, circa 1976, to adorn your dorm room wall! The Seventies were, indeed, the golden age of Star Trek merchandising!

MAN FROM ATLANTIS: My Review From '77

Apparently, I was destined to author this blog. On a recent visit to my parents' house, my mom presented me with this recently unearthed, Junior High-era essay that I wrote in the Autumn of 1977, reviewing the Man From Atlantis television series. Attached to this grammatically-challenged document was a first place ribbon - so, obviously, this was written for some sort of classroom competition.

I think my grammar is slightly better these days, but I'm surprised at how otherwise familiar my writing style appears here. I'm also quite pleased at my note that the show had a lousy time slot; at 13, I was clearly reading enough TV Guides and Starlogs to understand the role of scheduling on a series' success or failure.

PLANET OF THE APES (1974) CBS TV Series Promo

Another YouTube rarity - producer Herbert Hirschman talks about the then-upcoming, CBS Planet Of The Apes television series for network affiliates and advertisers, accompanied by some feature film clips, pre-production art and behind-the-scenes mask-making footage.

News: SATURN 3 (1980) Blu-ray Key Art Revealed

Shout! Factory has released the key art for their upcoming DVD & Blu-ray combo of Saturn 3, which uses the original U.S. theatrical poster image of the homicidal robot, Hector.

Coming in December as part of the company's Scream Factory line, this 1980 Stanley Donen "sci-fi gothic" film stars Kirk Douglas, Harvey Keitel and Farrah Fawcett. More product details (i.e. extras, exact street date) to be announced in early Autumn. I'll be sure to pass along the info as it becomes available.

STARSHIP INVASIONS (1977) Press Stills

"Forced to seek a new home, the Legion Of The Winged Serpent has selected Planet Earth."

From the depths of interstellar space... here comes a small selection of publicity/press kit stills from director Ed Hunt's Canadian tax shelter sci-fi mash-up of Star Wars space opera and Close Encounters UFOlogy, Starship Invasions, starring Robert Vaughn (Hangar 18) and Christopher Lee.

This one's still not legally available on DVD in the U.S. (as far as I know)...

Obit: Michael Ansara R.I.P.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the imposing Michael Ansara, who portrayed Klingon Commander Kang in the classic Star Trek episode "Day Of the Dove" (as well as a couple of Deep Space Nine episodes), has passed away. He was 91.

The deep-voiced actor also appeared in a recurring role as Kane, Princess Ardala's right-hand man on Buck Rogers In The 25th Century (replacing Henry Silva, who had played Kane in the pilot), and also appeared in episodes of Irwin Allen's 60s sci-fi shows including Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea, Lost In Space, Land Of The Giants and Time Tunnel.

Shameless Self-Promotion: PERILS ON PLANET X

Back in February, I launched the Perils On Planet X sci-fi webcomic, with new, free, full-color comics pages posted every Friday. The first chapter of that swashbuckling space saga ("Captives Of the Corsair Queen") concluded after 24 weeks (with nary a missed update!), on July 12th. (The whole first chapter is still available, by the way, if you want to catch up... and it's free, as always!)

Chapter Two, "Flight Into Terror," will begin Friday, August 2nd. The creative team remains the same: Yours Truly, writer; Gene Gonzales, artist; and Ian Sokoliwski, colorist.

In "Flight Into Terror," time-tossed Earth astronaut Donovan Hawke and the beautiful Xylosian princess, Odyri, make a daring escape from the aerial city of the savage Strato-Pirates, only to find themselves lost in a vast, untamed, alien jungle. "Flight" will run for 28 weeks, and is packed with action and excitement, including raygun battles, aerial dogfights, giant monsters, jetpacks, lost cities... and savage, sanguinary simians.

I hope you'll join us this Friday, and even more, I hope you'll enjoy the adventure enough to share the comic with your friends (and your enemies - I'm not picky!).  I would expect that fans of the kind of shows and movies I write about here on the blog - and fantasy roleplaying enthusiasts - would really enjoy Perils On Planet X.