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Starlog #81, April 1984: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Flies

A fine issue, featuring a cover with Christopher Lambert from his new movie Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes. Alas, the cover also features one of the most tasteless blurbs in the magazine's history: "Veronica Cartwright: I Got Raped by the ALIEN!"

In staffing news, Robert Greenberger (who edited the short-lived Comics Scene during his tenure in the Starlog offices) is leaving for a job at DC Comics, and new associate editor Leslie Stackel comes aboard. Also, I think I neglected to mention the arrival some months back of Robert R. Rachoi as vice president and circulation director.

Starlog #81
70 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $2.95

I have no inside knowledge of this, but here's a thought: Starlog magazine was the cash cow of the Starlog family of periodicals. It had the highest or one of the highest circulations of any of its magazines (I could be wrong, but I think only Black Elegance and perhaps Country Rhythms would have higher circulations at some points), yet its cover price was higher than others. Consider, in this very issue of Starlog, we see the ad again for the new music magazine Rock Video, which has roughly the same number of pages as Starlog (though I think it even had more color pages than Starlog), yet its cover price was $2.25 versus Starlog's $2.95. A 12-issue subscription to Rock Video cost $21.98 (and you got a free t-shirt!), while a 12-issue subscription to Starlog cost $27.49 (with no t-shirt).

The rundown: In his From the Bridge column, Kerry O'Quinn touts the upcoming Starlog Festival convention series; Communications letters throw more fire on the Starlog-hates-Lost-in-Space controversy (I would witness this firsthand in the year 2000, when I attended a small SF convention in New York City and one of the pro-Lost speakers took a swipe at Starlog for its alleged anti-Lost bias -- these people hold a grudge!), express surprise at Kirstie Alley's absence from the new Star Trek movie, offer corrections to recent special effects articles, grade Brainstorm (including a letter from Richard Gordon, who I believe is the veteran movie producer brother to Fangoria columnist Alex Gordon), and more; Log Entries short news items include a preview of the Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah film Splash, a photo preview of upcoming genre films, lots of short headlines (such as Harlan Ellison leaving the film adaptation of Bug Jack Barron), and more.

Lenny Kaye's Space Age Games gives a lot of attention to Coleco, and it also peers inside home computers; Robert Greenberger interviews Hugh Hudson, director of the new Tarzan film; Milburn Smith chronicles Tarzan's many book, film and television productions; Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier preview Dreamscape; Milburn Smith lists the science fiction, fantasy and horror films that won Academy Awards from 1931 to 1982 (and, it should be noted, Starlog produced a one-shot special magazine in 1983 about the Academy Awards, though it never repeated the feat); David McDonnell highlights artist Mark E. Rogers' The Adventures of Samurai Cat book; Lee Goldberg looks at the "death duel" between a TV adaptation of Blue Thunder and the competing series Airwolf, which it cheekily calls an "original imitation"; Howard Zimmerman reports from the World Fantasy Convention in Chicago; Lee Goldberg visits the set of Buckaroo Banzai, a film destined for cult status (and a favorite of the Starlog staff); William B. Thompson interviews novelist Alan Dean Foster, who did the novelization for The Last Starfighter; David Gerrold reports on the status of the rough cut of Star Trek III -- The Search for Spock; Thomas McKelvey Cleaver interviews The Right Stuff's Fred Ward; Robert Greenberger interviews Veronica Cartwright (Alien, The Right Stuff); in his Lastword column, editor Howard Zimmerman says good-bye to Robert Greenberger and comments on plans for a space station.

"I know when I'm getting close to camp, ... and I have actors who, by virtue of their own talents, prevent me from going over that line. You could have cast this film in a certain way which would have made it impossible not to be campy."
–W.D. Richter, director, interviewed by Lee Goldberg: "On the Set of Buckaroo Banzai"

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Starlog #82, May 1984: Trek on a Roll

The stars line up for this issue of Starlog: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Max von Sydow, Ian McDiarmid, Christopher Lloyd, and more. It's even the third consecutive strong cover for the magazine. And with the much-anticipated return of Star Trek to the nation's theaters, the magazine has plenty of fodder for upcoming issues. In Starlog spinoff news: the third edition of the Starlog Scrapbook and the second edition of the Starlog Poster Magazine are out.

While writing this synopsis, I'm struck by the fact that the magazine filled the equivalent of three full pages (two full pages, two half-pages) with small-print letters from readers. It used to be a sign of a magazine's health if it had a lively letters page, and Starlog certainly had that. Today, of course, you can't make the same assumption; many people -- especially the most talkative -- prefer the instant gratification of online forums, so even popular and healthy magazines these days often have shrunken or no printed letters pages. A shame, I think, because a printed letters page is so much less likely to be taken over by one or two ill-behaved boors who can't bear to have anyone disagree with them. Alas, progress waits for no man ...

Starlog #82
70 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $2.95

The magazine renames its two-page foldout poster the Starlog Fantasy Classic (instead of the usual Starlog Science Fiction Classic) so it can feature an indisputably classic movie: The Wizard of Oz.

The rundown: In his From the Bridge column, Kerry O'Quinn's in full inspiration-overdrive mode again, offering his thoughts on young people who try to decide where to put their energy; in the Communications section, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi producer Howard Kazanjian responds to an earlier letter writer who complained that Jedi was passing along Christian theology (a laughable suggestion, frankly, considering the entire Star Wars series' debt to Buddhism), plus readers share their thoughts on The Day After, The Right Stuff, and the possibility that the Enterprise will be destroyed in Star Trek III -- The Search for Spock; Log Entries short news items include a report on the upcoming Supergirl movie, an overview of the merchandising for Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, first word on the William Katt Disney flick Baby, a short interview with The Steps of the Sun author Walter Tevis, an obituary for former Tarzan actor Johnny Weissmuller, and more.

Lenny Kaye's Space Age Games column provides a roundup of a number of new video games, as well as some thoughts on "The Incredible Shrinking Computer" (which was, by the way, the title of a two-part article Kerry O'Quinn wrote for now-defunct Future Life magazine five years earlier); Lee Goldberg interviews the multi-talented Christopher Lloyd about his work in Buckaroo Banzai and Star Trek -- The Search for Spock; Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier interview Ian McDiarmid, whose many acting credits include Star Wars' Emperor Palpatine; Patrick Daniel O'Neill interviews Doctor Who producer John Nathan-Turner; Sal Manna interviews Swedish actor Max von Sydow about his role in Dune; Robert Greenberger interviews V's Faye Grant; Brian Lowry reports on the SF comedy The Ice Pirates; Lowry also interviews Arnold Schwarzenegger about his role in Conan, King of Thieves (eventually renamed Conan the Destroyer); David Gerrold says "I can't write," but obviously means more and something different than what he says; David Hutchison pens the second of his multi-part look at the special effects of Return of the Jedi; and Howard Zimmerman examines The Ice Pirates and Isaac Asimov's The Robots of Dawn in his Lastword column.

"I've always liked Star Trek stylistically and visually. It's more of a thinker's adventure. It has action, but it's more of a thoughtful kind of dialogue than in most of these films. Ideas are presented and worked out. They think out their problems as they go along. ... No, Buckaroo Banzai does the same thing in a different way, the audience gets it less spelled out, it's less explicit. Buckaroo Banzai represents something more than it talks about. I'm not sure what, though."
–Christopher Lloyd, actor, interviewed by Lee Goldberg: Christopher Lloyd: Call Him Klingon"

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Starlog #83, June 1984: Indy's Back

The first Indiana Jones film, Raiders of the Lost Ark, kind of came from out of nowhere, even though it was put together by two of the biggest names in filmdom: Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. It didn't even get its own cover on Starlog, despite the many fantastical and magical elements to the story (two words: melting face); it did share a cover with The Empire Strikes Back back in issue #51. But everyone was on to the game by the time Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom came out, so here it debuts with a Starlog cover.

Starlog #83
70 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $2.95

Cover note: Occasionally, a letter writer would complain to Starlog that its covers have more and more text on them. Magazine purists (which I am in many ways, but not in this) often want to strip a cover of most or all cover text except the logo. But Starlog was a newsstand magazine, and if it didn't have something on the cover to induce someone to pick it up and look through it, they were unlikely to buy it. Thus, everything from the big Indy film to a letters pages controversy ("Lorenzo Semple's Hate Mail") gets plugged on the cover.

The rundown: In From the Bridge, publisher Kerry O'Quinn shares a letter from an aspiring filmmaker from South America who has an eagerness for working in the United States; Communications letters include those above-mentioned responses to screenwriter Lorenzo Semple, Jr.'s tart comments on other filmmakers, including Irvin Kershner, and hey -- there are letters responding to the interview with Kershner in issue #79, where he responded to Semple and other critics; short news items in Log Entries include a look at Doug Trumbull's Showscan movie projection system, a report on 13 half-hour adaptations of Ray Bradbury stories for public radio, a look at the Destroyer series of novels, an announcement of Fangoria editor David Everitt's co-written book Not-the-A-Team Beauty Book, an obituary for Kenneth Strickfaden, and more.

Lenny Kaye's Space Age Games and Computers column sports its new title, which accurately describes what it covers; Sal Manna interviews Robin Curtis, who takes over for Kirstey Alley as Saavik in Star Trek III -- The Search for Spock; David Gerrold resurrects his quotemeister Solomon Short for a return visit to his column; Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier visit the set of V--The Conclusion; Starlog's British correspondent, Adam Pirani, visits the set of Doctor Who episode "Resurrection of the Daleks"; Thomas McKelvey Cleaver interviews producer Frank Marshall about Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom; novelist Ann Crispin explains the art (and profession) of writing movie/TV tie-in novelizations, which she has done for both the Star Trek and the V universes; Steve Swires interviews producer Paul Aratow about Sheena, Queen of the Jungle; Thomas McKelvey Cleaver interviews Kate Capshaw, from Temple of Doom (and future wife of Steven Spielberg); C.J. Henderson interviews fantasy writer Fritz Leiber; Kim Howard Johnson makes a first appearance in Starlog's pages with an interview with special effects master Derek Meddings regarding Supergirl; and Howard Zimmerman wraps it all up in his Lastword column, where he gets a bit metaphysical.

"It's easier to open up about life and its problems when it's fiction. Almost any good story must come from this kind of searching. And, of course, what is even more interesting is when we read a good story by someone else, and it touches off our own thoughts about ourselves, and we see that there's something similar that we want to write. We all do it -- we'll see a good movie or read a good book, and we'll want to add something on -- something out of our own experience which makes the story more personal and more complete for us."
–Fritz Leiber, writer, interviewed by C.J. Henderson: "Fritz Leiber: America's Grand-Master of Fantasy"

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Starlog #84, July 1984: The Stars Our Destination

In the United States, we frequently hear the statistic that 90 percent of all new restaurants fail within their first year. New magazines fair a bit better, if I recall the statistics, but it can still be a brutal business. So for Starlog to celebrate its eighth anniversary is indeed a big thing. After nearly a decade, it's impressive how smart this magazine has been about exploiting its position, with spinoffs of every kind (records, videos, magazines, books, calendars, even watches). But it owes its success to something more fundamental than just opportunism: It's a professional, well-done magazine that combines veteran, genre reporters with inspiration for the reader. There were times when competitors gave readers a few more pages or some more color than Starlog provided, but none of them seemed to quite grasp the smart editorial mix that Kerry O'Quinn, Howard Zimmerman, and the rest of the staff put together.

Speaking of spinoffs, this issue hosts a number of them, such as an ad for four Rock Poster Magazines (they would publish a whole bunch of these eventually). There's also the newest -- the fourth -- edition of the Special Effects photo guidebook; ads for various movie lecensed magazines show that the company has produced 'em for Fame, Staying Alive, Joanie Loves Chachi (it hurts to even type that), and others; new official movie magazines for Star Trek III (a magazine and a separate poster magazine) and Conan the Destoyer, as well as a "Coming in December" note that it'll be producing a 2010 official licensed movie magazine. These editors have been busy.

Starlog #84
100 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $3.95

We get some more science-fiction photo collages out of Howard Zimmerman, as his time at Starlog starts to draw to a close (don't worry, you have a year to get used to the idea). Once again a collage is featured as the graphic on the contents page.

On to the rundown: Every anniversary issue, publisher Kerry O'Quinn writes a special anniversary editorial, and this year is no different. This time, in his From the Bridge column, he recounts traveling to Florida to watch a space shuttle launch. In the Communications readers letters section, we get a batch of correspondence about the magazine itself, a letter from "The Nose" about Dick Tracy, a comment about the in-production film Enemy Mine, and more; in what is likely the shortest Log Entries section in the magazine's eight years so far (about two full pages), short news items include a report on the Michael Pare film Streets of Fire, a note about T.E.D. Klein's book The Ceremonies, and more (but not much).

Brian Lowry kicks off the feature section by interviewing actress Catherine Mary Stewart, who discusses The Last Starfighter, Night of the Comet, and more; legendary cartoonist (and former Starlog art director) Howard Cruse contributes a one-page comic on the occasion of reaching 1984, the year made famous by George Orwell; Steves Swires interviews Leonard Nimoy, who has directed the first of his two Trek films: The Search for Spock; Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier interview Marc Singer, one of the stars of The Beastmaster and V; Robert Greenberger interviews actress Phoebe Cates about her role in the quirky Joe Dante film Gremlins (about which article a design note: whoever decided to print the text of the interview in blue letters against a light blue background wasn't thinking clearly); and David Gerrold's column offers "A Defense for Didactics," sparked by Robert Heinlein's newest novel Job, A Comedy of Justice (an appropriate writer for Gerrold to cite; for years, Gerrold's work -- especially his War Against the Chtorr series -- has been mentioned as the successor to Heinlein, a heady comparison).

The special 36-page full-color anniversary section is led by an intro page featuring another Howard Zimmerman SF collage (his last?); Zimmerman and Milburn Smith write "The Year in Review," featuring not only a roundup of the big films but lots of interesting charts (the top 10 SF and fantasy films of the year, Hugo and Saturn awards winners, etc.); David Hutchison continues the magazine's fascination with Disney World's EPCOT Center; Howard Zimmerman reports on the magazine's first Starlog Festival in Chicago, complete with photos (and I have to admit, I'd have liked to have attended the trivia session featuring a panel of Zimmerman, David Gerrold, David Hutchison, David McDonnell, and Kerry O'Quinn); David McDonnell provides a roundup of SF television for 1983-1984 (a time when Glen Larson's Automan actually got on the air); writer (and spouse of L. Sprague de Camp) Catherine Crook de Camp provides a personal report about being "On Tour with Conan the Barbarian"; Robert Greenberger talks with the writers of Conan the Destoyer, Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway; Disney expert David R. Smith provides the history of histrionic Donald Duck; Thomas McKelvey Cleaver interviews Tarzan actor and future Highlander Christopher Lambert; an unbylined two-page article features some info and photos on the long-awaited film sequel, 2010; David Hutchison is back with part three of his coverage of the special effects for Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, focusing on effects for the scenes in Jabba the Hutt's palace; Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier interview Ke Huy Quan, the 12-year-old co-star (as Short Round) of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom ("You call him Doctor Jones, doll!"); former Famous Monsters of Filmland editor Forrest J. Ackerman writes about the Ray Bradbury film Quest; and Lee Goldberg interviews writer Earl MacRauch of Buckaroo Banzai.

Patrick Daniel O'Neill interviews Jimmy Olsen himself, Marc McClure, about his work in the Superman films; Lenny Kaye's Space Age Games and Computers column looks at Interactive Picture Systems; David Hutchison interviews Frank Oz about the new Muppets Take Manhattan film; Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier interview wee little Drew Barrymore about her roles in E.T. and Firestarter; and editor Howard Zimmerman wraps it all up in his Lastword column by sharing his happiness about the first Starlog convention.

"I want to say something to the kids. If you want to be in a movie, it's really fun, but it's not as easy as you think it is. But it's the most fun thing, and if you want to do a movie, and you have the chance, you should do one. I'm glad I did."
–Drew Barrymore (age nine), actress, interviewed by Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier: "Drew Barrymore: E.T.'s pal is a Firestarter"

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Starlog #85, August 1984: Arnold Schwarzenegger Takes Over

One of the enjoyable aspects of following movies -- especially genre movies, in science fiction -- is watching how certain movies come along and become milestones. For example, Conan the Destroyer is the cover story of this film, and though it was a big film at the time, it had little "legs" when it came to influencing the SF and fantasy genre. On the other hand, Gremlins, the nasty little Joe Dante film that seemingly came out of nowhere, became something of a benchmark for 1980s fantasy films. I'll leave it to you to argue over whether it had anything to do with the quality of either film (I've never seen so much as five minutes of any Conan film, so I can't comment on whether they're good or bad). But for those of us who are looking back 30 years at a science fiction media magazine, it's fun to remember when and why a film moved us or captured our attention, while others were simply watched and forgotten.

On an unrelated note, it's worth noting (well, if you're focusing on details, it's worth noting) that the ad for Starlog's series of photo guidebooks is a bit of an error this issue. It goes back in time before the new Special Effects guidebook is released, even though the ad in the previous issue, #84, included the new book.

Starlog #85
70 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $2.95

On a magazine production note, it appears that Starlog has either changed printers again and/or changed paper stock. It might have begun with the previous issue (the anniversary issue, #84), but it definitely is here with this one. The color pages if anything seem a bit thicker and heavier, while the black-and-white pages seem to be a bit thinner. A detail, perhaps. But for everyone who watches magazines and wonders why they do certain things, it helps to know that they are often shopping around to different printers to see who can provide them the same quantity and quality at cheaper prices. As an editor/publisher myself, I'll admit to being more conservative; I prefer to stick with a printer, unless it's necessary to move. But from the fairly regular changes in paper weight and quality over the years, I get the sense that Starlog was much more promiscuous with its printers.

The rundown: The Starlog Science Fiction Classic two-page foldout poster this month is a real gem of a classic, Blade Runner (showing Harrison Ford's Rick Deckard jumping across cars, chasing his target); Kerry O'Quinn's From the Bridge column, titled "Coming Attractions," includes his memories from visiting the set of 2010, plus some reflections on the treats enjoyed by Starlog Festival attendees; Communications letters include a ton of responses to various David Gerrold articles, including the excerpt from his A Matter for Men novel, plus readers chastise the editors for their Veronica Cartwright cover blurb in #81 (proving I wasn't the only one who thought it was in bad taste) and give Howard Zimmerman feedback on his column about Reagan administration attitudes toward free information; Log Entries short news items include a preview of The Neverending Story, a chat with Demon author John Varley, the Superman comic reaches issue #400, Bob Clampett passes away, and more.

Brian Lowry kicks off the features section with an interview with Richard Fleischer, director of Conan the Destroyer (who explains why he was embarrassed by the ad campaign for his Amityfille 3-D film, among other topics); Lee Goldberg interviews Buckaroo Banzai's Jeff Goldblum (who probably has more quirky characters on his acting resume than any 10 other actors put together); Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier interview French filmmaker Luc Besson, who talks about Le Dernier Combat (The Last Combat); I have neglected to mention that a few issues ago, associate editor Leslie Stackel moved on to other things, and Penelope MaGuffin took her place, but Stackel's name still appears, such as with this interview with Muppet meister Jim Henson, who talks Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, and more; David Gerrold ladles on the praise for his friend Harlan Ellison in his column this month; Jan Goldberg interviews actress Dame Judith Anderson about her role in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, and more (Jan Goldberg, by the way, is the mother of regular Starlog contributor Lee Goldberg); David McDonnell and Marc Weinberg talk with director Joe Dante about his weird little film Gremlins (with a sidebar by Patrick Daniel O'Neill on actor William Schallert; Dennis Fischer visits the set of the odd Michael Pare film The Philadelphia Experiment; Sal Manna talks with Ivan Reitman about Ghostbusters (and Meatballs and other films); David Hutchison interviews director Peter Hyams about 2010; Lenny Kay's Space Age Games and Computers column focuses on the new Apple Macintosh; Lee Goldberg (Jan's son) profiles Robert Zemeckis and Romanding the Stone; Robert Greenberger interviews the cute Lance Guest (no, not Lance Bass) about his starring role in The Last Starfighter; and Howard Zimmerman's Lastword column offers some questions to ponder for fans of V. (If only they'd listened...)

"The drawbacks? The Mac's black and white monitor removes some of the fun of computing, inhibiting gameplay, for instance. It seems a peculiarly conservative touch for an appliance so resolutely future-conscious. The Mac's lack of expandability might be another problem, though in reality, anyone needing more storage space might be interested in an upper level computer anyway."
–Lenny Kaye, columnist, Space Age Games and Computers: "The Mac Attack"

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Starlog #86, September 1984: Buck Up, Buckaroo Banzai

Buckaroo Banzai, an odd film boasting some pretty serious star power (Peter Weller, John Lithgow, Christopher Lloyd, Ellen Barkin, etc.), became a favorite of the Starlog staff. Considering that it bombed big-time at the box office, I can only assume they were the other four people in the theater when I went to see it. But they did their best to raise awareness of the flick, so it gets the cover treatment this issue.

Unfortunately, it's a rotten photo they chose for the cover. It's too busy, there's no obvious place to focus, and the right one-third of the cover basically features multicolored wires. Though it might have appealed to electricians, I'd assume this issue didn't exactly fly off the shelves of the bookstores.

Starlog #86
70 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $2.95

Here's an aside that you're completely free to ignore: The Next Month section on the last page is broken into three sections, each headed with a title from an old game show (To Tell the Truth, Celebrity Sweepstakes, and Password Plus). Which whimsy reminds me of a former colleague at a magazine who told me of someone he used to work with who worked the entire Lord's Prayer, phrase by phrase, into a long article as the subheads to the separate sections of the article.

The rundown: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is featured in the two-page foldout poster this issue. In his From the Bridge column, publisher Kerry O'Quinn tries to guide young readers so they appreciate their uniqueness; Communications letters include a bunch of readers commenting on David Prowse and Darth Vader, the continuation of the does-Starlog-hate-Lost-in-Space controversy, feedback on the Chicago Starlog Festival, and more; short news items in Log Entries include a check-in with writer Harry Harrison, a new Henry Thomas movie (Cloak & Dagger), lots of short headlines, and more.

Lee Goldberg interviews Buckaroo Banzai star Peter Weller; David Gerrold recounts the good and the bad of the Chicago festival; Brian Lowry interviews Dan O'Herlihy, lizard star of The Last Starfighter; Patrick Daniel O'Neill interviews veteran Trek actor Mark Lenard; David Hutchison continues his multi-multi-part exploration of the special effects of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi; Steve Swires interviews writer/director John Sayles (The Brother from Another Planet); David McDonnell and John Sayers interview Rick Moranis (Ghostbusters); British correspondent Adam Pirani interviews David Tomblin, assistant director on the Indiana Jones films; Brian Lowry interviews Chris Columbus about Gremlins, for which he wrote the screenplay; Lenny Kaye's Space Age Games and Computers column reviews a lot of games, such as Buck Rogers Planet of Zoom; Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier interview Noah Hathaway, the original Boxey from Battlestar Galactica and Bastian from The Neverending Story; Steve Swires interviews Tanya Roberts about her starring role in Sheena, Queen of the Jungle; and Howard Zimmerman wraps it all up in his Lastword column with a few words about Gremlins, Ghostbusers, and other recent films.

"We cracked the schedule again, ... But it was much more difficult, inasmuch as Harrison Ford had a bad back, so we had to shoot for three weeks without him."
–David Tomblin, Indiana Jones assistant director, interviewed by Adam Pirani: "David Tomblin: A.D. to Indy Jones"

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Starlog #87, October 1984: Who You Gonna Call?

Ghostbusters! The broad ghost comedy takes center stage in Starlog #87, and the magazine celebrates with cover text shouting "SPECIAL ISSUE: MORE PAGES! MORE COLOR!" But by "more pages," they really mean they've only added two pages to the normal page count. They are in color, granted, and at least they didn't raise the cover price.

On the spinoff front, the third edition of the Starlog Poster Magazine is out, featuring Star Trek III, Gremlins, Splash, Conan the Destroyer, Buckaroo Banzai, and more.

Starlog #87
72 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $2.95

While we're at it, we should note that the roof text on the cover includes a plug for an article inside: "'Bones' McCoy Remembers Star Trek III." All fine and dandy. Except the photo next to the text shows Captain Kirk, not Dr. McCoy. Now who ya gonna call?

The rundown: In his From the Bridge column, publisher Kerry O'Quinn recommends the two-man play Actors, performed by Mark Lenard and Walter Koenig; Communications letters fill up three full pages with reactions to Star Trek III: The Search for Spock; short news items in Log Entries include Vonda McIntyre discussing her novelization of Star Trek III, a fire destroys a soundstage used for the 007 films, an update on the Six from Sirius Epic comic, and more.

In the first half of a two-part article, Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier and Julius Fabrini interview Trek's DeForest Kelley; Steve Swires interviews David Prowse; Lee Goldberg visits the set of 2010 (plus a sidebar by Steve Jongeward and Gerard Raymond on author Arthur C. Clarke's separate visit to the soundstage); Jim George interviews actor Edward Andrews; David Hutchison examines Richard Edlund's special effects for Ghostbusters; Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier interview Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz, the screenwriting duo of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom; Paul Mandell interviews Dune director David Lynch (including a sidebar, "David Lynch: Bewitched by the Bizarre"); Space Age Games (no longer "... and Computers") looks at writing music on computers; Lee Goldberg interviews actor Lewis Smith from Buckaroo Banzai; comics historian Ron Goulart looks at the comics history of Sheena; Marta Randall reviews David Gerrold's book A Matter for Men; Brian Lowry interviews director Nick Castle about his film The Last Starfighter; and Howard Zimmerman's Lastword column shares his thoughts on Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.

"When I heard about Blade Runner, I thought that I should be doing the film. I identified with it 100%. I know that people who worked on it had seen Eraserhead. But I was really disappointed in the over-all movie. I was expecting so much, and I don't really know exactly what went wrong. ... In Blade Runner, it was a matter of not being enough of a storyline. Most of the images, though, were totally beautiful."
–David Lynch, director, interviewed by Paul Mandell: "David Lynch: Director of Dune"

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Starlog #88, November 1984: The Last Review Issue

This is the third and, alas, final annual special issue featuring reviews of the previous summer's science-fiction and fantasy films. I've always thought it was a great idea, but next year at this time, the magazine would be celebrating with a special 100th issue, and it would never again publish a special review issue.

At least they went out in style. This issue features more big names than the previous two review issues. For example, reviewers include David Gerrold and Ben Bova, both huge names in the SF world, but neither even gets listed on the cover. It's that packed with big names.

Starlog #88
100 pages (including covers))
Cover price: $3.95

In the realm of the greater Starlog publishing family (er, factory?), the ad for the company's growing cadre of licensed film magazines has been revamped and now includes the previously unseen The Best of Stallone (good luck finding this on eBay for less than $25 today) and Rocky III. Also, if you remember my note in my entry for Starlog #87 where I noted a mistake on the cover, the publisher offers an explanation (see quote at bottom). Still, didn't anyone at the offices see final proofs before printing?

The rundown: Gremlins wins the top spot on the cover, continuing that nasty little film's climb to the top. In his From the Bridge column, publisher Kerry O'Quinn shows his love for Star Trek III: The Search for Spock; Communications letters include reader feedback on Gremlins and V, Starlog milks the Starlog-hates-Lost in Space meme, muppets, and more; and short news includes Doc Savage's 25th birthday, a check-in with Jon-Erik Hexum, The Cabinet of Doctor Fritz, and more.

Marc Weinberg interviews Hoyt Axton about his experiences in Gremlins; Chris Henderson previews Bantam Books' Castles book (and yes, even though I'm a space opera aficionado, fantasy castles are really cool); Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier and Julius Fabrini complete their two-part interview with Star Trek actor DeForest Kelley; operating on their own, Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier interview Raffaella DeLaurentiis about his Dune film; Thomas McKelvey Cleaver interviews Dreamscape screenwriter David Loughry; author Howard Weinstein reviews Star Trek III: The Search for Spock; but wait, we're not done: Arthur C. Clarke and A.C. Crispin also separately review Trek III; writer and comics historian Ron Goulart reviews Ghostbusters; Psycho author Robert Bloch reviews Gremlins ("... Gremlins emerges as a genuine novelty"); novelist Lawrence Watt-Evans reviews Conan the Destroyer; celebrated author Theodore Sturgeon (who has a law named after himself, didn't you know?) reviews The Last Starfighter; author Norman Spinrad reviews Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes; writer Alan Dean Foster reviews Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom; writer and Starlog columnist David Gerrold reviews Dreamscape ("The film is just good enough to suggest what it could have been and isn't."); writer George Clayton Johnson reviews Brainstorm; Ben Bova reviews The Right Stuff ("What happened? What got lost in the translation? The heart. Because it's so obvious that The Right Stuff failed..."); and David McDonnell provides his omnibus and entertaining roundup review of fantasy films (such as Iceman, The Neverending Story, Nate and Hayes, Metropolis, All of Me, and many more).

Lee Goldberg interviews 2001: A Space Odyssey star Keir Dullea; Adam Pirani previews the George Orwell film adaptation 1984; Bill Cotter previews the weekly V series; Thomas McKelvey Cleaver previews a little SF adventure from James Cameron called The Terminator; Robert Greenberger interviews the late actor Richard Deacon; and Howard Zimmerman uses his Lastword column to say goodbye to departing designer Neil Holmes, plus he offers some reading and viewing tips.

"P.S. Before thousands of readers send us letters pointing out that our top cover line in Starlog #87 is about 'Bones" McCoy, but the accompanying photo shows Admiral Kirk – we know! The fault lies not in our office, but somewhere in Hong Kong, in a color separation plant where somebody decided we didn't really want DeForest Kelley and substituted William Shatner. I guess everyone in the world isn't a Star Trek fan. Apologies to all!"
–Kerry O'Quinn, publisher, From the Bridge: "Yearning!"

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Starlog #89, December 1984: Harlan Ellison vs. James Cameron

Some of you might know the details of this better than I do, but this issue features what I think is the interview that played a role in a lawsuit between writer Harlan Ellison and director James Cameron over the origins of The Terminator. From what I've gathered over the years in comments here and there (mostly online), Ellison sued, claiming that the story was ripped off from his work; Cameron allegedly admitted (or bragged) as much in a Starlog interview (and in a conversation elsewhere); Cameron's associate demanded to see the interview before it was published; Starlog said, Nope; Cameron's pal threatened legal action, and it turned out Cameron had been offered the right to review the article (not standard practice at Starlog or most other magazines, and apparently it only happened here because of an oversight); Cameron's associate removed a potentially incriminating quote from the article, which Starlog then published. BUT, Starlog still had the original interview, which was provided to Ellison and was the "smoking gun" used to threaten legal action against Cameron's studio; so Ellison was paid off and given a credit in future releases of the film. Lesson learned: Don't piss off Harlan Ellison or Starlog's editors.

At least, that's what I gather from reading several online explications of the controversy, as well as a bit of input from one of Starlog's editors. If there's a story that gives Cameron's point of view better, please let me know. You can see Ellison explain the story here. You really have to appreciate Ellison's comment about Cameron's ego out-sizing even his own.

Starlog #89
70 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $2.95

Enjoy the two-page foldout posters while they last; their time is coming to an end. This issue, the Starlog Science Fiction Classic poster is renamed the Fantasy Classic so it can feature Gremlins. Also, a note (and a complaint): The non-color pages seem to be printed on even cheaper paper, so much so that some of the photos are unbelievably black and impossible to view.

Anyway, the rundown: Kerry O'Quinn's From the Bridge column relates more convention fun; Communications letters cover reaction to Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Fangoria columnist Alex Gordon on Max von Sydow, a reader who hates the magazine covering Knight Rider, and more; Log Entries (now bylined) short news items include Lee Goldberg on the new Twilight Zone TV show, Will Murray on The Spider, Andrew Denning on the passing of Richard Basehart, David Hutchison on the re-release of The Empire Strikes Back, and more.

Okay, so it turns out that Lenny Kaye's column hasn't reverted to its previous name, as suggested last issue – in his Space Age Games and Computers column, Kaye says a lot about Coleco; Lee Goldberg interviews Buckaroo Banzai director W.D. Richter; David Gerrold explains why writers say "no" to your requests; Dennis Fischer interviews V actress Jane Badler; Steve Swires interviews Irish McCalla, the original Sheena; Lee Goldberg interviews 2010 (and Altered States) actor Bob Balaban; Ben Landsman and Patrick Daniel O'Neill interview Doctor Who actor Patrick Troughton; Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier interview Dune star Kyle MacLachlan; Patrick Daniel O'Neill interviews Supergirl actress Helen Slater (with a sidebar on the Supergirl comics); Thomas McKelvey Cleaver delivers one of the most controversial interviews with James Cameron; Anthony Scott King goes behind the scenes of John Carpenter's Starman; Lee Goldberg earned quite a paycheck with this issue – he next previews the Star Wars TV special The Ewok Adventure, which was a big leap over The Star Wars Christmas Special, which isn't saying much; and editor Howard Zimmerman echoes O'Quinn's convention comments.

"I have written the screenplay for Alien II, ... It does exist. What will be done with it, no one really knows. I can't really say anything more about Alien II than that it does exist."
–James Cameron, writer/director, interviewed by Thomas McKelvey Cleaver: "James Cameron: How to Direct a Terminator"

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Starlog #90, January 1985: Hide the Womenfolk, It's Gene Simmons!

Gene Simmons and his band KISS would have a long relationship with Starlog. Simmons, apparently a science-fiction fan, is interviewed in this issue about his role in the movie Runaway. In the 1990s, Starlog Group would publish a number of official KISS special magazines. KISS (or at least its record company) was one of the first advertisers in Starlog magazine a number of years earlier. Anyway, he's back, freaky long tongue and all.

Starlog publishes its annual postal statement of ownership and circulation this month. The total paid circulation for the issue closest to the statement's filing deadline is listed as 190,699 (down from last year's 227,420), including the number of paid subscriptions of 13,408 (down from 18,100 last time).

Starlog #90
70 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $2.95

The Peter Hyams-directed sequel 2010 takes center stage, grabbing the cover spot of Starlog #90. And page 59 is a big ad for Starlog's official 2010 movie magazine (which, for the record, has a pretty cool cover). Also this issue, the two-page foldout poster is officially redubbed just "Poster" (as opposed to the "Science Fiction Classic Poster" or "Fantasy Classic Poster), so that saved the editors a lot of typing time each month. It features the classic Silent Running this month.

The rundown: Kerry O'Quinn's From the Bridge column is another "Grab Bag Notes," with comments on his new intern, the North By Northwest soundtrack album that O'Quinn produced, Isaac Asimov's visit to his office, and more; Communications letters include feedback on Supergirl, Conan the Destroyer, Sheena and Greystoke, a quick thank-you from Muppet-meister Jim Henson, and more; short news items in Log Entries include Robert Greenberger on the box office performance of genre films in 1984 (Ghostbusters and the Indy sequel were tops), David McDonnell on a V comic book from DC, a roundup of SF books from Chris Henderson, and more.

Chris Henderson interviews actor Joe Morton, star of John Sayles' The Brother from Another Planet; Lee Goldberg interviews actor Roy Scheider, star of 2010; Brian Lowry interviews screenwriter Stanley Mann (Conan the Destroyer, Firestarter); Lee Goldberg talks with Ewok Adventure director John Korty;  David Gerrold's column worries about "A Dilemma for Gods"; Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier interview Dune's Dean Stockwell; Adam Pirani talks with Jeannot Szwarc, director of Supergirl; Richard Robinson interviews KISS star Gene Simmons; Robet Greenberger interviews actress Karen Allen of Starman; Mike Clark interviews actor Michael Ironside of V; Edward Summer recounts the life and history of Pinocchio; and Howard Zimmerman talks 2001 and 2010 in his Lastword column.

"I used to publish my own magazine, Cosmos ... with the mimeograph machine down in the basement. It used to elicit letters from professionals. I got a letter from Isaac Asimov commenting on the magazine. Jack Gaughan, a famous illustrator for Amazing Stories, would write letters. Many of the guys who wrote in at the time as fans went on to become professionals. Fred Clarke used to contribute and he went on to publish Cinefantastique. And there was Marv Wolfman, who now writes for DC Comics."
–Gene Simmons, singer/actor, interviewed by Richard Robinson: "Gene Simmons: A Famous Monster Turns to Science"

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Sting, lead singer for The Police and a co-star of the new David Lynch Dune film, is on the cover. In his end-of-the-book editorial, editor Howard Zimmerman says the magazine is taking a big risk by featuring Dune, because the early word on the film is that it's a sleep-inducer. Nonetheless, they must have thought Sting would bring in a certain number of new readers to reduce the risk.

Some updates on the world of Starlog: The magazine's cover logo is now sporting a new boxed tagline: The Science Fiction Universe. (The company would eventually make that tagline a registered trademark, along with the logo itself.) Also, the fourth volume of The Best of Starlog magazine, now including some never-before-published articles (so, not really a best-of magazine after all, is it?), is out.

Starlog #91
72 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $2.95

There's no foldout poster this issue, as those two pages are moved elsewhere into the magazine and another two pages are added (hence the slightly higher page count, as with issue #87, but at least this time they didn't trumpet it on the cover).

The rundown: In his From the Bridge column, publisher Kerry O'Quinn gives encouragement to a reader seeking help with his artistic career; letters in the Communications pages include Walter Koenig thanking the magazine for plugging his stage show, reader reaction to Buckaroo Banzai and The Neverending Story, thoughts on actor Jeff Goldblum, and more; short news items in Log Entries include Chris Henderson on a traveling museum exhibit on robots, Chris Steinbrunner on the upcoming World Fantasy Convention in Ottawa, David McDonnell on the departing magazine design staffer Denise Lewis Balestracci, Chris Henderson on The Plague Dogs, and more.

David Gerrold's column prints some of his lymericks; Lee Goldberg interviews 2010 actor Elya Baskin; Kim Howard Johnson talks to the Monty Python troupe about their "wacky TV exploits with flying saucers and alien desserts"; Steve Swires previews Larry Cohen's black comedy The Stuff; Marc Weinberg interviews actor Charles Martin Smith about his work in Starman and his screen test for the role of Luke Skywalker; Weinberg also interviews Kenneth McMillan, who plays the villainous Baron Vladimir Harkonnen in Dune (plus a sidebar by Paul Mandell talking with Alicia Witt, who plays Alia); Martha J. Bonds interviews actor and author Walter Koenig; Lee Goldberg interviews author Michael Crichton about Runaway; Dennis Fischer previews the CBS program Otherworld; David R. Smith recounts plans for a Disney version of an Oz story in the 1950s, The Rainbow Road to Oz; David Hutchison examines the special effects of V; and in his Lastword column, Howard Zimmerman shares his misgivings about Dune.

"I liked the idea of bringing some creature from outer space into a mundane English suburban setting, and then being almost ignored and all but absorbed into everyday English life. That reminds me – we actually did start writing a film with a science-fiction opening, with these aliens coming out of their spaceships, rather like Close Encounters. Suddenly, the door bangs shut behind them, they can't get back in and suffer enormous embarrassment."
–Michael Palin, a real python, interviewed by Kim Howard Johnson: "Science Fiction, According to Monty Python, Part I"

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Starlog #92, March 1985: When Starman Met Barbarella

Though this issue looks much the same as most of the previous dozen-or-so Starlogs, editor Howard Zimmerman previews some changes that will take place a couple issues in the future. More pages, additional science reporting, and a new guest column alternating with David Gerrold's column (was that Gerrold's idea or the publisher's?), for starters.

Starlog #92
70 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $2.95

The cover this month features John Carpenter's surprise film Starman. The 23rd two-page foldout poster is a shot from Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, showing a Klingon ship firing at a Federation vessel.

The rundown: Kerry O'Quinn talks personal freedom in his From the Bridge column; Communications letters include former Starlog columnist Susan Sacket raising money for Gene Roddenberry's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, readers commenting on V and praising Ray Bradbury, remembering Luke Skywalker's friend Wedge, and more; Communications short news items include David McDonnell on several new books from Philip Jose Farmer, Lee Goldberg on the tragic death of 27-year-old actor Jon-Erik Hexum, Milburn Smith on the death of Francois Truffaut, and more.

Steve Swires interviews director John Carpenter about his Karen Allen/Jeff Bridges film Starman; Marc Weinberg profiles Zach Galligan, star of Gremlins; Lee Goldberg visits the location lensing of the next James Bond film, A View to a Kill; Starlog publishes a one-page reader survey (the type that asks about your purchasing habits, used to help the magazine attract advertisers); Tom Carlile pens a retrospective of the Jane Fonda 1960s film Barbarella; Jean-Marc and Randy Lofficier explore the comics history of Barbarella; Robert Greenberger interviews Jeremy Leven, writer of Creator; William Rabkin explains the ILM-created special effects of Starman; Adam Pirani visits the set of Oz; Kim Howard Johnson continues his talks with former Monty Python stars, here interviewing Terry Gilliam about his (soon-to-be-classic) film Brazil; Lee Goldberg interviews Runaway star Tom Selleck; Chris Henderson previews The Faces of Science Fiction, a book featuring photographs of science-fiction writers; and Howard Zimmerman discusses some changes coming to the pages of Starlog.

"In light of her current mind-set, Jane Fonda probably would have been much happier if she had never heard of Barbarella. Although it is by no means the low point in her film career, this bizarre little fantasy, almost totally devoid of social or intellectual significance, came at a bad time in her life. Just a few months after it hit the world's movie screens, Fonda had undertaken her self-appointed role as America's most strident critic of the Vietnam War, nuclear proliferation and the exploitation of women in the marketplace. Critics were quick to draw the comparison between her new activist role and her latest outing as an actress. Barbarella became somewhat of a landmark – probably the last pure-entertainment film Jane Fonda would ever make."
–Tom Carlile, writer: "Barbarella: Nostalgia Time in Outer Space"

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Starlog #93, April 1985: The Return of the Return of the Jedi

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi is back, featuring another cover and two articles inside. On a more technical side, the magazine reverts this issue to a stabled spine; it had been mostly (but not always) perfect-bound (also called square-bound or just plain old glued) ever since issue #77. Not a very interesting point to make, I guess, but it's a welcome change from the purely selfish p.o.v. of this Starlog Project: Stapled issues are easier to scan for page spreads.

Starlog #93
70 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $2.95

This issue includes the final two-page foldout poster (#24 in the series, collect 'em all): Star Wars: A New Hope. Starting next issue, there would be no more posters, no more foldout inside front covers of any sort, thanks to a reformatting of the magazine that would result in more pages and new features.

The rundown: Kerry' O'Quinn's From the Bridge column touts the "New and Improved" Starlog coming down the pike, as well as some improvements to the Starlog Festivals; Communications letters include extensive reader responses to the special review issue, #88; short news items in Log Entries include David McDonnell on the special guests at the Starlog Festivals, Chris Henderson on the latest science-fiction and fantasy books, Brick Thornshaw on the appearance by Fangoria co-editor "Uncle Bob" Martin in Day of the Dead, David Hutchison on Disneland's 30th anniversary, and more.

Lee Goldberg interviews director Richard Donner about his latest filme, Ladyhawke; Robert Greenberger talks with British actor Simon Jones about the Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Doctor Who, and more; Janet Fielding, a former Doctor Who companion, is interviewed by Patrick Daniel O'Neill; Lee Goldberg interviews actor John Lithgow (2010, Buckaroo Banzai, Twilight Zone movie, and much more); Goldberg also talks with actor Robert Englund about his role in V, as well as a recent little film of his called Nightmare on Elm Street; Adam Pirani interviews 1984 star John Hurt; David Gerrold serves up "Glop II" in his column, a collection of notes on various topics; Monty Python expert Kim Howard Johnson provides the second of his two-part article on SF in the Python oeuvre; Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier interview Bill Norton, director of Disney's li'l dinosaur movie, Baby; the Lofficier's also interview Denis Lawson, the Scottish actor who played Luke's pal Wedge in the Star Wars films; speaking of the Wars, David Hutchison continues his multi-multi-part examination of the special effects of Return of the Jedi, this time looking at the speeder bike chase; and Howard Zimmerman uses his Lastword column to give us his final Zimmerman Awards (such as, "Best Performance By Arnold Schwarzenegger: The Terminator").

"The [V] mini-series was done from the point-of-view of a modern Anne Frank; it was as if the entire occupation was seen through this teenage girl's eyes. Dominique was playing it shy and homely. ... When they recast, Blair [Tefkin] lightened it up and they made her an LA-Valley girl which painted them into a corner, too, because there was really nowhere to go with that idea after the intergalactic abortion."
–Robert Englund, actor, interviewed by Lee Goldberg: "Robert Englund: He's Willie, Lost Earthboy and Good Guy Alien"

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Starlog #94, May 1985: A Bigger Package

Starlog's editors make a number of changes to the magazine starting with this issue, and they're all positive. First, there are more pages in the package -- a total of 76 instead of 70; they got rid of the two-page inside front cover foldout, and added eight non-color pages (printed on colored non-glossy stock, such as a blue or yellow). Two new sections also premiere: Future Life revives the name of the late, great magazine, and it features science and space-related articles and news bits; Fan Network is a neat little section that answers reader questions (such as, "Whatever happened to the Silver Surfer move?"), features convention news and calendar, fan club listings, and other fan-centric news items, assembled by junior staffers Carr D'Angelo and Eddie Berganza. And, thankfully, the publishers seem to be printing on a slightly better black-and-white paper stock for the non-color pages. In fact, they might have even switched printers again, because the color pages have better color registration. All-in-all, combined with a well-chosen selection of feature articles, this iteration of Starlog is quite good, a welcome revival of sorts.

On the corporate front, the company releases the latest (volume four) of its Starlog Scrapbook special, this time featuring Jane Fonda's Barbarella on the cover.

Starlog #94
76 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $2.95

One change that actually is a mixed-emotions situation was to make David Gerrold's long-running column appear every-other-month instead of monthly. I still don't know if that was the decision of Gerrold (who would, in a couple year's time, join the team that finally brings Star Trek back to weekly television, and likely had plenty of projects on his plate to keep himself busy) or if the publishers and editors actually thought they should reduce the presence of one of their defining voices in the magazine. Dunno. Nonetheless, they made the change, and at the same time they introduced a rather nifty guest column that would bring into the pages a number of writers -- some well known, others less so -- on a pretty wide variety of topics. They could have had both a Gerrold column and a guest column -- after all, at one point the magazine featured columns by Gerrold, Susan Sacket, Jonathan Eberhart, and David Houston, and it still found room for plenty of feature articles and the other departments. But they chose this path.

The rundown: In his From the Bridge column, publisher Kerry O'Quinn discusses the joys and the all-consuming passion of devoting yourself to projects that fascinate you; in the Communications section, readers share lots of ideas (sparked by what, I don't know) about George Lucas and his Star Wars creation, offer feedback (on Runaway, Starman, The Ewok Adventure, and The Terminator), defend England against David Gerrold, and more; in the Log Entries short-news section, Edward Gross (who, unless my mind is getting rusty, makes his first of many appearances in the magazine) chats with Gremlins writer Chris Columbus, David McDonnell previews an E.T. sequel in book form, Adam Pirani reports on the reopening of the James Bond film set destroyed by fire (see issue #87), David Hutchison previews new video casette releases, and more.

Mike Clark interviews V star June Chadwick; Fan Network debuts, packed with news and information; Adam Pirani interviews Robert Watts, producer of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom; Jim George and J. Cat McDowell interview Star Trek's Mr. Scott, James Doohan; the new Future Life section premieres with an article by Max Rottersman on the use of the space shuttle to retrieve satellites, plus short news reports on claims of the discovery of an extra-solar planet, NASA's 1985 launch schedule (including the classified mission on September 18 with a Department of Defense payload), and more; former editor of Famous Monsters of Filmland Forrest J. Ackerman is the first Other Voices guest columnist, and he announces a contest; William Rabkin interviews Ladyhawke producer Lauren Shuler (with a sidebar by Lee Goldberg chatting with Michelle Pfeiffer); Steve Swires interviews writer John Sayles (The Brother from Another Planet, Clan of the Cave Bear); Lee Goldberg previews the James Michener TV adaptation Space; in part six of his never-ending series, David Hutchison looks at staging the walker fighting in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi; Brian Lowry interviews William Katt, star of Baby and the late The Greatest American Hero; Lowry also interviews actor Yaphet Kotto, star of Alien and Live and Let Die, among others; Cary Bates interviews veteran film composer John Barry; Dennis Fischer examines the TV series Otherworld (which, I have to admit, I'd never heard of before I reviewed the issue for this Project, despite the fact that there frankly weren't very many genre programs around back in the mid-1980s); and Howard Zimmerman's Lastword explains how the magazine decides what to feature. All in all, a great issue and a good magazine.

"[The Cannes Film Festival] was like going to Las Vegas, ... It's so trashy that it's funny. The festival is so transparent. There is no attempt made to disguise the fact that it's really about money. The foreign distributors just buy in bulk: 'Give me 500 hours of action, 500 hours of softcore and 200 hours of hardcore. I'll put my own titles on them.'"
–John Sayles, writer/director, interviewed by Steve Swires: "John Sayles: From Hoboken to Hollywood"

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Starlog #95, June 1985: A View to a Kill

Maybe I'm not getting an accurate view because I'm consuming (well, re-consuming) these issues in a relatively compressed period of time, rather than taking them one month at a time without the benefit of hindsight, but it seems as if just last week that the previous James Bond film was all the rage at Starlog. Yet here we are with A View to a Kill, the latest Bond film, and co-star Grace Jones grabs the featured cover slot this issue.

Starlog #95
76 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $2.95

Starlog has never had an overflow of advertising. Perhaps it was just a matter of the publishers' business philosophy to charge readers more and have fewer ads, or perhaps it was because advertisers don't like magazines that don't have independently verified circulation figures (because they can't be sure they're being told the correct number of people who might see their ads). But whatever the reason, Starlog nearly from the beginning had a lot of "in-house" ads that sold products from other companies; you sent the cut-out coupon to Starlog, but the delivery of the product was fulfilled by the other company (and, presumably, the other company paid only for the number of fulfilled orders). So what are some of the products you can buy in this issue of Starlog? How about a Doctor Who wallet or coffee mug, or a Raiders of the Lost Ark movie program?

The rundown: In his From the Bridge column, Kerry O'Quinn writes about the secret to success; the Communications section is filled with three pages of readers' thoughts on the Dune movie; and in the Communications short-news section, items include David McDonnell and Adam Pirani on the cancellation -- er, hiatus -- of Doctor Who, genre historian Will Murray on the return of pulp character Moon Man, Chris Henderson on fantasy writer Barbara Hambly, and more.

Brian Lowry interviews Jonathan Betuel, scripter of The Last Starfighter and director of My Science Project; the Fan Network includes science-fiction pen pals, reader questions, a Mark Hamill fan club, and more; John Sayers and David McDonnell profile Edward Feldman, producer of Explorers; David Gerrold's column comments on computers and writing (a favorite topic of the author's, who even today, in 2010, is still a columnist for a computer magazine); Merritt Butrick, Star Trek film actor, is interviewed by a young writer named Anthony Timpone, who would soon be editing sister magazine Fangoria (and would continue to do so for a quarter century); Adam Pirani interviews Grace Jones about the new Bond film; Adam Pirani writes "On the Set of Oz, Part Two," but I don't remember part one; Mike Clark interviews actor Frank Ashmore about V; Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier visit the location shooting of the Mad Max sequel, Beyond Thunderdome; Patrick Daniel O'Neill interviews actress Mary Tamm, who portrayed Doctor Who companion Romana in the Tom Baker years; Kim Howard Johnson visits the set of the Ron Howard film, Cocoon; in the Future Life pages, John Clayton (the same John Clayton who's the magazine's staff photographer?) explores the designing of a space station, plus news items on phased-array radar and space lasers; Lee Goldberg interviews Ladyhawke and Blade Runner actor Rutger Hauer; Marc Weinberg interviews a cute Matthew Broderick, who plays "Mouse" in Ladyhawke; and Howard Zimmerman wraps it all up in his penultimate Lastword by talking about some trends in genre films.

"I used to hear stories that Rober [Moore] always played tricks on all the girls with whom he had love scenes, like pulling out dildos and things like that. Maybe. I don't know. So, I decideed, during our scene, to get back at him before he got to me. ... Oh, I can't say. I'm not going to tell! They recorded it on film, too. But it won't be shown."
–Grace Jones, actress, interviewed by Adam Pirani: "Grace Jones vs. 007: 'Trouble Follows Me Around'"

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Starlog #96, July 1985: Howard Zimmerman Exits

Starlog's ninth anniversary celebration is the occasion editor Howard Zimmerman chooses to announce his departure from the magazine he has edited for 90 issues. Zimmerman will be replaced by the managing editor, David McDonnell, who would stay with the title for nearly 300 more issues before it finally closed its doors in 2009. Zimmerman moves over to Byron Preiss Visual Publications, and, after Preiss' death in 2005, would create his own firm. Zimmerman also authored a number of books on dinosaurs.

Starlog also announces its lineup of new licensed film magazines: Rambo: First Blood Part II, A View to a Kill, and Explorers.

Starlog #96
100 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $3.95

The magazine celebrates with its usual 100-page birthday issue, but it's a different package than in recent years. There's still the addition of an extended full-color section, but with the exception of a roundup/review article of the year in genre media, the extra pages are mostly taken up with more of the same type of articles you find in the magazine every month. That's a trend that would continue.

The rundown: The cover is once again (and for the final time) the magazine's patented boxed-photo layout against a white background. Kerry O'Quinn pens his usual anniversary editorial, asking "Where are the heroes?"; Communications letters include praise for the magazine, reaction to David Prowse's complaints about how he's treated in the Star Wars films, a call for an all-science-fiction cable channel (what a concept), and more; Log Entries short news items include David McDonnell's Medialog (a wrapup of pretty much everything going on in the SF media world, in short blurb form), David Hutchison on Erik Luke's plans for a Jetsons movie, Will Murrayon a Destroyer film, Patrick Daniel O'Neill updates the Doctor Who hiatus, and more.

Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier interview singer/actress Tina Turner about her role as Auntie Entity in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome; Jim George profiles Al Lorimer, special effects coordinator on The Man with One Red Shoe; Adam Pirani interviews actor David Rappaport (Time Bandits, The Bride); Fan Network includes reports from the Starlog convention in Boston, more on the Doctor Who hiatus, and more; Robert Greenberger, Chris Henderson and Carr D'Angelo review the year in television, books, and comics; two pages are devoted to photos from Return to Oz; Lee Goldberg interviews Bond actor Roger Moore; Dennis Fischer interviews Lifeforce director Tobe Hooper; Robert Greenberger interviews Red Sonja's Brigitte Nielsen; David Hutchison previews Disney's The Black Cauldron; Kim Howard Johnson interviews Cocoon producers Richard and Lili Zanuck; William Rabkin interviews Harvey Bernhard, producer of The Goonies; novelist Mike McQuay writes about "Apples to Oranges" in the Other Voices guest column slot; Steve Swires interviews actor Peter Cushing, Grand Moff Tarkin himself; and speaking of Star Wars, David Hutchison's seventh (of seven) article investigating the special effects of Return of the Jedi looks at the use of matte paintings; Jerry Ahern explains how you can dress like Indiana Jones (complete with suggested retail stores); in the Future Life section, John Clayton describes the Hubble Telescope, due to be deployed the following year, plus there's short news, including Mark Shannon on a documentary about the microchip, Max Rottersman on the Keck telescope, and more; Mike Clark interviews Jonathan Harris, who portrayed Dr. Smith in TV's Lost in Space; Brian Lowry interviews Woody Woodpecker's Walter Lantz; Kim Howard Johnson interviews Python John Cleese; and, for the final time, Howard Zimmerman wraps it all up in his Lastword column, saying goodbye to the magazine he helped build into a success.

"The Goonies is the most magical picture I've ever worked on. ... It's every kid's secret dream – to find pirate treasure. It will appeal to kids as well as to everyone who remembers how they felt when they were kids. Certainly, The Goonies will be in the top five all-time biggest grossing motion pictures."
–Harvey Bernhard, producer, interviewed by William Rabkin: "Harvey Bernhard, Keeper of The Goonies"

From WEIMAR WORLD SERVICE

From WEIMAR WORLD SERVICE

From WEIMAR WORLD SERVICE

Starlog #97, August 1985: The New Regime

The David McDonnell Era begins at Starlog, as he takes the captain's chair following the departure of long-time editor Howard Zimmerman. Carr D'Angelo assumes McDonnell's old post as managing editor. The magazine hires a new senior staffer, too: Robert M. Sacks is the new production director.

Starlog also releases its newest special publication: Science Fiction Trivia, a digest-sized one-shot magazine stuffed with more than 1,300 questions from the magazine's staff. In the not-too-distant future, Starlog would team up with a book publisher to release an expanded edition of the trivia book in paperback format.

Starlog #97
76 pages (including covers)
Cover price: #2.95

A little design note: The Starlog logo on the cover is given a 3-D look, which it would largely retain in one form or another for the rest of its life. Also, the Next Month box no longer takes up half of the final page; it is now reduced to a small box on the bottom of that page, which now features an expanded editor's column.

The rundown: In his From the Bridge column, publisher Kerry O'Quinn writes a belated farewell note to Howard Zimmerman; Communications letters include lots of 2010 feedback, fanciful ideas of the next Star Trek film, and more; short news items in Log Entries include David McDonnell on upcoming science-fiction television shows, Carr D'Angelo on a Star Trek comic book written by Walter Koenig, McDonnell with a roundup of genre news, and more.

Adam Pirani interviews Christopher Walker, who discusses his roles in The Dead Zone, Brainstorm, and A View to a Kill; Kim Howard Johnson interviews Ron Howard, director of Splash and Cocoon; the Fan Network section includes a Ghostbusters fan club, a contest to win a canister of The Stuff from the movie The Stuff, reader queries (such as "I ... would like to know what a person has to do to become an animator with Don Bluth Studios"), and more; Brian Lowry interviews actor Paul Smith, who discusses his roles in Dune and Red Sonja; Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier interview Mad Max himself, Mel Gibson; the Lofficiers also profile young actor Barret Oliver (The Neverending Story, D.A.R.Y.L., Cocoon); Disney historian David R. Smith celebrates the 30th anniversary of Disneyland (this is the article to get if you want to see a photo of Ronald Reagan co-hosting the live broadcast of the opening day ceremonies); there's a two-page photo preview of Fright Night; Lee Goldberg continues his interview with Goonies director Richard Donner; Goldberg also previews the new Robert Zemeckis film Back to the Future and discusses all of the changes in the story and casting from the initial plans; Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficer interview the young stars of Explorers: Ethan Hawke, River Phoenix, Jason Presson, and Amanda Peterson; Marc Weinberg talks with Steve Railsback, who plays a vampire killer in Lifeforce; in the Future Life section, Scott Zachek interviews America's first female astronaut, Sally Ride, and Mark Shannon contributes a short item on the X-29 super-jet; Brian Lowry explores the animation in Disney's The Black Cauldron; Patrick Daniel O'Neill interviews actor Scott Glenn (The Right Stuff, Silverado); David Gerrold says goodbye to his friend, the late legend Ted Sturgeon; and David McDonnell wraps it all up in his first Liner Notes column, in which he introduces himself and gives background on some of the interviews in this issue.

"I really wanted to be a rock star because I play guitar and I sing with my sister. But, as it went along, I started getting into commercials and acting. I got a part in Seven Brides just by auditioning and I liked it a lot. I really like acting because you can create a character. You can make someone who has never existed before. That's neat."
–River Phoenix, actor, interviewed by Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier: "Joe Dante's Explorers"

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From WEIMAR WORLD SERVICE

From WEIMAR WORLD SERVICE

Starlog #98, September 1985: The Perils of Science at Home

In 1985, there were a lot of genre films somewhat related to a theme: My Science Project, Weird Science, Explorers, and Real Genius. Young people get caught up with science gone awry, things blow up, things (more or less) end happily. What was it about the mid-80s that made this a theme, instead of space opera or adventure?

Starlog #98
76 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $2.95

In the minor-design-items-of-note this issue: The contents page has featured multiple photos for a couple years, but none of the photos were full-color. (They tended to be tinted different colors; a cost-saving measure, I assume.) This issue, the contents page pictures are all in full color. In Starlog staffing news, Eddie Berganza, who had been an editorial assistant, is now listed in the staffbox as the assistant editor of the magazine. Oh, and the fourth edition of the Starlog Poster Magazine is out, so clear some wall space in your room.

The rundown: In his From the Bridge column, publisher Kerry O'Quinn comments on an SF fan with physical ailments who withdrew from the world; Communications letters include a reader accusing Starlog of not helping women and minorities in the genre (the editors' response is even longer than the reader's letter), multiple comments on the film Ladyhawke, praise for Kim Howard Johnson's Monty Python articles, appreciation for the new Future Life section, and more; Log Entries this issue is a mere two and one-thirds pages, but it still includes a big Medialog report by David McDonnell with updates on all kinds of genre media, Bob Schreiber on new Mars Attacks trading cards, and David Hutchison with a roundup of video news (including the promise that next issue Videolog would spin off into its own column).

Robert Greenberger interviews actress Jennifer Beals, but not about being a "flashdancing maniac," rather for co-starring with Sting in The Bride; writer Norman Spinrad explores "Jack Barron vs. The Black Tower" (about plans to adapt his Bug Jack Baron for the screen) in the Other Voices guest column; Brian Lowry visits the set of My Science Project; the Fan Network pages include info on an animation gathering, an announcement of the new edition of the Fandom Directory, and Eddie Berganza on Harrison Ford's performance at Cannes; Lee Goldberg profiles Mr. Teen Wolf/Marty McFly himself, Michael J. Fox; Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier interview Starlog favorite Joe Dante, director of Explorers and Gremlins; Patrick Daniel O'Neill talks with director Martha Coolidge of Real Genius; Anthony Timpone provides a brief interview with Anthony Michael Hall of Weird Science; Dennis Fischer profiles actor Ernie Hudson about Ghostbusters and Spacehunter; Adam Pirani interviews actress Tanya Roberts (Sheena, A View to a Kill); Ian Spelling interviews Cocoon star Tahnee Welch (this is the first article by Spelling, who would become one of the magazine's most prolific contributors over the next couple decades); Kim Howard Johnson interviews Welch's costar Steve Guttenberg; Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier interview two of the young stars of The Goonies, Jeff. B. Cohen and Corey Feldman; the Lofficiers also interview Australian director George Miller, he of Mad Max fame; Brian Lowry visits the set of Warning Sign; in the Future Life section, Bruce Gordon and David Mumford explore Disneyland's Tomorrowland; and David McDonnell wraps it up in his Liner Notes, in which he echoes my comments about the interesting number of teens-in-Sf/fantasy storylines at this time (honest, I didn't peek at his editorial before I started writing this thing).

"I want to be a comedian/actor all my life. But, I know it's not a real stable business. One day, you're hot, one day, you're not. So, I think what I would do is go to college and get a degree in brain surgery, because I have really good manual dexterity. No, no, I was thinking of being something like a brain surgeon, but that's too gross for me, so I'll probably be a dentist instead. But I do have really good manual dexterity."
–Jeff B. Cohen, actor, interviewed by Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier: "Gooning Around with Jeff. B. Cohen and Corey Feldman"

From WEIMAR WORLD SERVICE

From WEIMAR WORLD SERVICE

From WEIMAR WORLD SERVICE

Starlog #99, October 1985: Party Like It's #99

Star Wars is back on the cover of Starlog this issue, for about the 98th time out of 99 issues. Okay, that's an exaggeration, obviously; I'm sure Star Trek was on the cover 104 times out of the first 99 issues. So there must be some parallel universe double-counting going on. (About that latter franchise: Just wait a couple years until Next Generation starts, and we'll see Trek-galore  – did I just coin a phrase? trakalore? trekglore?) This time, the occasion is a new interview with Anthony Daniels, the ever-present C-3PO from all six Wars films.

Starlog #99
76 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $2.95

The big news is not that big this issue. It's that this is the last double-digit magazine in the Starlog series. Yep, with next issue, the mag hits ol' number 100. And they've started celebrating early, plugging that special issue with two small ads within #99, in addition to the next-month box on the last page. "Watch for the Solid Gold cover!" we're told in the ads. Okay, we will. Oh, and by the way, the subscription ad informs us that sister magazine Fangoria is now published nine times annually, up from eight.

The rundown: Kerry O'Quinn's From the Bridge column recounts what he learned from his vacation in the U.K. and France; Communications letters include feedback on A View to a Kill and Lifeforce, praise for recent interviewees Peter Cushing, James Doohan, Rutger Hauer, and Jonathan Harris, and more; Log Entries short news items include Chris Henderson's brief chat with writer Damon Knight, David McDonnell's Medialog roundup, Henderson's Booklog roundup, and more.

Adam Pirani profiles actor Ian Holm about Brazil and Alien; Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier interview Terry Hayes, Mad Max writer and producer; the Fan Network pages include fan club and convention listings, Daniel Dickholtz (his first appearance in Starlog, I believe) on a New York convention appearance by Leonard Nimoy, and a "Fan Notebook" of short bits; Brian Lowry interviews actor Anthony Daniels; David Hutchison's Videolog column debuts with a look at efforts to restore classics, such as Metropolis, and there's a sidebar by Lee Goldberg noting some science-fiction TV series that did not sell (such as Generation: "The father is an inventor, his brother is a 'sports gladiator,' his wife is the host of a futuristic TV talkshow, his parents are worried about the continuation of human values and his kids are attractive."); William Rabkin profiles Amazing Stories' Mick Garris (who once was a contributing writer to Starlog, among other publications); Lee Goldberg previews the revival of the Alfred Hitchcock Presents TV series; Edward Gross interviews Don Jakoby, writer of Lifeforce and Blue Thunder (about which he explains his dissatisfaction); Goldberg (again) previews The Twilight Zone TV revival; Brian Lowry interviews screenwriter Eric Luke (Explorers); Goldberg was a very busy man this month – he also profiles director Bob Zemeckis about Back to the Future; Bruce Gordon and David Mumford continue their look at Disney's Tomorrowland, in the Future Life section; Adam Pirani interviews Bond impressario Albert R. "Cubby" Broccoli; Will Murray visits the set of Remo: The First Adventure; David Gerrold's column asks "Is There a Household Robot in Your Future?"; and editor David McDonnell uses his Liner Notes page to share some nice thoughts about various folks, including a touching note about Albert Broccoli.

"Someone at NBC thought it would be dynamite to revive the series [Alfred Hitchcock Presents], considering the renewed interest in Hitch as a filmmaker. I was extremely nervous about remaking the work of a man now dead."
–Christopher Crowe, producer, interviewed by Lee Goldberg: "Alfred Hitchcock Presents"

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From WEIMAR WORLD SERVICE

From WEIMAR WORLD SERVICE

Starlog #100, November 1985: The Importance of Being 100

Just think of all of the science-fiction media magazines that never published 100 issues: Fantastic Films (didn't even get halfway there), Questar, SF Movieland, Star Blasters, Science Fiction Illustrated, Sci Fi TV, Sci Fi Teen, The Monster Times, and more. How many can you name? The point is that it's difficult to keep a magazine afloat for a decade or more, so Starlog's 100th issue was quite an achievement.

Three big players in genre entertainment bought ads in this issue congratulating the magazine for its milestone issue: Lucasfilm, Warner Bros., and Amblin Entertainment.

Why am I listing all these things? Because this is a biggie list issue. The theme is "The 100 Most Important People in Science Fiction," who are featured in short writeups in a loooong article that sprawls throughout much of the issue. I won't reprint the list of names here, because, well, I'm too lazy. But suffice to say it includes many of the people you would expect to be on such a list of genre notables (Isaac Asimov, Frank Frazetta, Harlan Ellison, George Lucas, etc.), as well as some less well-known choices that might have surprised some readers (Olaf Stapledon, A. Merritt). This list would continue in the magazine's 200th and 300th issues, so pretty much anyone you though should have been on this 100 list gets onto the list sooner or later. I think my cat is number 293.

Starlog #100
100 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $3.95

In Starlog spinoff news, the sixth edition of The Best of Starlog is out, including new and previously published articles.

But back to issue #100. This special 100-page magazine includes extra color pages, as well as interviews with some of the biggest names in the field. And as much as it is a celebration, the magazine does not shy away from controversy, especially with publisher Kerry O'Quinn's interview with Gene Roddenberry, which includes quite a bit of religious criticism. They do something else that's not controversial but is rather cool: The issue includes separate short articles by each of McDonnell's predecessors as editor, David Houston (who gives some interesting background on the magazine's early years) and Howard Zimmerman.

The rundown: For the first time ever, co-publisher Norman Jacobs pens an editorial. The From the Bridge column is broken into two parts, with O'Quinn writing part and then Jacobs writing part. Jacobs tells us what most of us suspected; he's the business person running the Starlog empire (somebody's got to negotiate with printers and distributors). Meanwhile, O'Quinn talks about the magazine's growth and shares a barrage of quotes from readers (including one that, I think, was mine: "If there is any magazine on the market that constantly offers inspiration and positive values, it is Starlog" — which is attributed to "John" in "Wisconsin," both of which I was, and it sounds very much like something I'd have written back then; I know, I know — that, and a dollar, will get me a cup of coffee). There is no letters page this issue, and Future Life, Fan Network, and Videolog also take the month off. But Log Entries is here! So short news items include Chris Henderson on a number of new genre books from Charles Shffield, Richard A. Lupoff, and others, and David McDonnell's roundup of news bits includes word on a Heavy Metal movie sequel (to be called – but never made – Heavy Metal's Burning Chrome), a sequel to The Ewok Adventure, and much more.

In the Other Voices guest column, Starlog's founding editor, David Houston, relates the tale of Starlog's inspiration and creation (including this insight, from an explanation of when Houston joined the company: "Kerry and Norman . . . enjoy, and succeed at, the process of publishing: define a market, discover how to answer a need, locate effective suppliers, find and hire the right personnel, keep costs low, give it a best effort; and it doesn't make much difference what the subject matter might be. Evidently. They've come out with everything from astrology to wrestling."); "The 100 Most Important People in Science Fiction/Fantasy" kicks off with John W. Campbell Jr., and ends many, many pages later with Willis H. O'Brien; Kerry O'Quinn interviews Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry about life, the universe, and everything -- but mostly about religion; Mike Clark interviews Lost in Space creator Irwin Allen; Steve Swires interviews stop-motion effects magician Ray Harryhausen; Lee Goldberg interviews George Lucas; it's time-travel time: back in issue #92, Steve Swires interviewed John Carpenter in the first part of a two-part profile, and this issue — eight months later — part two of that interview is published; Swires also interviews Leonard Nimoy about Star Trek IV; Lee Goldberg interviews writer Harlan Ellison (who gets even more biting in part two of this interview, published next issue); Robert Greenberger interviews actress Nichelle Nichols; Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier profile writer Richard Matheson; Steve Swires finishes his two-part interview with Peter Cushing (the first part ran in #96); Howard Zimmerman writes a guest Lastword column, in which he looks at the ways science fiction media have evolved in the past decade; and David McDonnell's Liner Notes column gives some background on this anniversary issue.

"I always liked the bizarre. I suppose that was part of my Germanic background. Fantasy films always attracted me. I can remember my parents taking me to see The Lost World and Metropolis when I was very young. My love for science fiction and fantasy led me to join the Science Fiction League in Los Angeles, where I first met Ray Bradbury and Forrest J. Ackerman. We all had similar interests. We dreamt about space platforms, and going to the Moon and Mars. That was in the 1930s, so most 'normal' people thought we were off our rockers."
–Ray Harryhausen, filmmaker, interviewed by Steve Swires: "Ray Harryhausen: The Man Who Can Work Miracles"

This is a work in progress. Check back regularly for the rest of my ongoing compendium of Starlog -- the complete run, nearly 400 issues of the science fiction film/TV/books/etc. magazine.

In the meantime, as I continue adding them on this site, you can see the up-to-date project on my blog.

Copyright © 2010 John Zipperer, except for Starlog images and layouts, which is the property of Starlog.