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My Favorite Magazines:
The Starlog Project
Starlog issues: 1-20 | 21-40 | 41-60 | 61-80 | 81-100 | 101-120 | 121-140 | 141-160 | 161-180 | 181-200 | 201-220 | 221-240 | 241-260 | 261-280 | 281-300 | 301-320 | 321-340 | 341-460 | 361-374
Other magazines: Starlog Project | Future Life
| STARLOG |
| Starlog magazine was published from 1976 through 2009, primarily by O'Quinn
Studios (eventually renamed Starlog Group), though it went through two sales in the last few years of its life, first to The Creative Group and then, upon that company's bankruptcy, to The Brooklyn Company, which continues to publish sister magazine Fangoria. |
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Starlog #101, December 1985: Ewoks and Harlan Ellison -- Eeyikes!
So make it three-for-three: Of all of the controversies that have raged in Starlog's pages over the past decade, three of them involved a certain meek writer named Harlan Ellison. First, he got into a spat (a relatively silly one, admittedly) with Star Wars star Mark Hamill. Then he wrote one of the all-time great movie reviews in Starlog #33, in which he dissected Star Trek – The Motion Picture and set off a vociferous response from readers and industry professionals alike. Now, he is back with an interview in which he bites the hand that, um, interviews him.
Starlog #101
76 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $2.95
Ewoks. Why did it have to be Ewoks? The teddy bears take center stage on the cover this issue. Maybe Ellison's right.
The rundown: In his From the Bridge column, Kerry O'Quinn breaks the news that David Gerrold's column in Starlog is ending; letters in the Communications section include praise for Sting, reactions to Return to Oz and Back to the Future, comments on the Starlog Festival in Los Angeles, and more; poof! there's no more Log Entries, the short-news section that has appeared in Starlog since the very first issue, and it is replaced by Medialog, which this issue includes Patrick Daniel O'Neill with an update on Doctor Who, Eddie Berganza on the Hugo Award winners, Kerry O'Quinn on Star Trek IV, and more.
Julius Fabrini interviews actor and author George Takei; David Gerrold ends his long-running column with "Hail and Farewell"; Bertrand Borie and Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier interview Sting about his work in The Bride and Dune; Fan Network includes a photo report on the premiere of Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, and queries from readers (including, "I love Godzilla and want to know more. When is the new movie due?"); Will Murray profiles Fred Ward (Remo: The First Adventure); Adam Pirani interviews Ewok portrayer Warwick Davis; Marc Weinberg profiles Misfits of Science actor Kevin Peter Hall; Lee Goldberg completes his two-part interview with writer Harlan Ellison ("My role in life is to be a burr under the saddle"); Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier explore The Jetsons; John Adcox interviews author Lloyd Alexander; Brian Lowry profiles screenwriter Hal Barwood (Warning Sign); Adam Pirani visits the set of Irwin Allen's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland; Jean Airey and Laurie Haldeman provide a one-page chat with Doctor Who producer John Nathan-Turner; Will Murray reports on Doc Savage's return to radio; Edward Gross interviews actor Roddy McDowall (Fright Night, Planet of the Apes); the Videolog column covers the Video Visions Space Archives, and more; Chris Henderson's Booklog column reviews a number of new books; the Future Life pages include David Hutchison on an Imax astronauts film, Max Shannon on biochips, Scott Zachek on Cassini's mission to Saturn, and David Hutchison on a NASA phone service that lets you listen in on space shuttle mission talk; Adam Pirani interviews Legend director Ridley Scott; David Caruba profiles actor Patrick Macnee about A View to a Kill and Avengers; and David McDonnell's Liner Notes column recounts a pretty bad day, which included the Starlog editor reading Harlan Ellison's critical comments about Starlog.
"I have known [publisher] Kerry O'Quinn for years and I wrote for Future Life, so I will give you a very candid answer. I am always suspicious of whores. Starlog, Fantastic Films, almost all the magazines with the exception of Cinefantastique are flacks for the industry. They live off the free hand-outs and they can't really say bad things. How honest can a magazine like that be? ... I respect some of the things that Kerry tries to do. I respect some of the writers. The magazine does what the magazine does. I don't revile it and I don't usually publicly put it down."
–Harlan Ellison, writer, interviewed by Lee Goldberg: "Harlan Ellison: 'Call Me a Science-Fiction Writers – I'll Tear out your Liver!"
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Starlog #102, January 1986: Enemy Mine, Frenemy Mine
Six degrees of separation: The movie featured on the cover of this edition is Enemy Mine. The novelization of the movie was written by David Gerrold (with Barry B. Longyear). Oh, wait, that's just one or two degrees of separation. Science fiction's a small world.
This month, Starlog publishes its annual postal statement of ownership and circulation. The total paid circulation for the issue closest to the statement's filing deadline is listed as 217,435 (up strongly from last year's 190,699), including the number of paid subscriptions of 12,945 (down from 13,408 last time).
Starlog #102
76 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $2.95
In his Linter Notes column in upcoming issue #104, editor David McDonnell will explain the genesis of this issue's alien cover. Apparently the editors, publishers, and art director were in agreement about putting Enemy Mine on the cover, but they disagreed about whether to feature the alien photo (Louis Gossett Jr. as alien Jeriba) or the clean-cut human photo (Dennis Quaid as Davidge). Which is more science fictiony? Well, aliens, natürlich, so the Gossett lizard-man photo went to the cover. In his #104 column, McDonnell displays both covers. I think the Quaid one would have been nice, too, but that might just be because Dennis Quaid is easy on the eyes. But no one asked me.
The rundown: Kerry O'Quinn's From the Bridge column relates the publisher's experience playing the live-action game PHOTON; Communications letters include a plea to cover Silverado, an English special effects supervisor who takes umbrage at comments about his countrymen, corrections to Starlog's trivia book, and more; Medialog includes McDonnell's headline-news roundup of genre developments (such as Tim Burton being signed on as the new director of the Batman movie), plus Edward Gross talks with The Fly writer Charles Pogue.
Mike Clark goes behind the scenes to preview Irwin Allen's Alice in Wonderland; David Bianculli reports on a press conference with Steven Spielberg, who comments on his Amazing Stories TV series; the Fan Network pages include answers to readers' questions (such as, "Where can I write Supergirl's Helen Slater?") compiled by Anthony Timpone, plus a Fan Notebook collection of news bits (such as a report on a concert by The Replicants), a Star Trek IV contest, and more; Ben Landman interviews former Doctor Who Peter Davison; Booklog features Chris Henderson's overview of new releases (including Harlan Ellison's An Edge in My Voice, which includes columns he wrote for Starlog's departed sister magazine Future Life – another couple degrees of separation connected with this issue) and Michael Vance's chat with writer Stephen R. Donaldson; William Rabkin visits the Munich, Germany, set of Enemy Mine; Robert Greenberger interviews Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy creator Douglas Adams; William Rabkin previews Clue, the movie version of the board game; Steve Swires interviews actress Mary Woronov; Lee Goldberg interviews Kirstie Alley ("She isn't Saavik. I am."); Kim Howard Johnson dissects the problems Terry Gilliam had with the studio working on his Brazil film; David Hutchison lists new genre video releases in Videolog; Will Murray talks with Remo: The First Adventure director Guy Hamilton; Anthony Timpone interviews actor/producer Michael Douglas about The Jewel of the Nile; Lee Goldberg talks with director Jeannot Szwarc about his Santa Claus; Karen E. Bender profiles actors Nicholas Rowe and Alan Cox about Young Sherlock Holmes; Brian Lowry interviews Bugs Bunny voice magician Mel Blanc (with a sidebar by Anthony Timpone: "Friz Freleng on Mel Blanc"); and editor David McDonnell wraps it all up in his Liner Notes column with an announcement that he will be succeeding the departed Fangoria editors Bob Martin and David Everitt as "interim" editor of that mag, plus he shares the tale of his first meeting with Mel Blanc.
"They offered me less money than they did for Star Trek II, so I figured they weren't very interested in me for Saavik. ... I thought [new Saavik Robin Curtis] was at a real disadvantage playing a role someone else established, especially with Star Trek, which has an enormous following. I think she did a fine job. I have no problem with what she was doing except that, when I saw the film, I said, 'She isn't Saavik. I am.'"
–Kirstie Alley, interviewed by Lee Goldberg: "Kirstie Alley: 'She isn't Saavik. I am.'"
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Starlog #103, February 1986: Let's Put on a Show!
The striking cover photo of actress Daryl Hannah's painted face from Clan of the Cave Bear might look rather familiar to genre magazine fans of a certain age, even if they never saw the movie. A similar cover (albeit with the photo flipped) appeared at the same time on the winter 1986 edition of Heavy Metal magazine. Considering how many magazines were covering the same films and TV shows, I suppose it's only surprising that such coincidences didn't happen more often.
Starlog #103
76 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $2.95
Starlog recently redesigned and updated the ad promoting its lucrative line of licensed movie magazines, and we see that the company produced not one, not two, but three official publications for Rocky IV: a magazine, a deluxe magazine, and a poster magazine. And they did one for John Travolta's Staying Alive? Huh. Wonder how that sold.
The rundown: In his From the Bridge column, publisher Kerry O'Quinn argues that information made all the difference in the death toll between two hurricanes, 47 years apart; Communications letters offer wide-ranging reactions to Explorers, The Goonies, Cocoon and The Black Cauldron, plus a defense of Sheena by her creator (S.M. Iger) and a reader who sees oedipal themes in Back to the Future and Fright Night; David Hutchison's Videolog announces some genre video releases, including the first Starlog-created video: Cinemagic – The Best of Science Fiction Lunacy; Medialog includes David McDonnell's roundup of genre news (such as Terry Gilliam being named to direct something called The Chocolate Project), and Robert Greenberger's very brief chat with animator Don Bluth.
The feature articles this month are packaged in a theme of How to Make a Science-Fiction Movie. William Rabkin talks with screenwriter Ed Kharma (Enemy Mine, Ladyhawke); Chris Henderson's Booklog column reviews Philip K. Dick's Radio Free Albemuth, and other books; Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier interview producer Harve Bennett about Star Trek IV; in the Fan Network section, Forrest J. Ackerman announces the winner of his contest from issue #94, plus a producer urges readers to send him their resumes; the Future Life pages include David Hutchison on an underwater EPCOT feature (The Living Seas), Max Rottersman on tracking space debris, and Hutchison on a science-fiction group on the CompuServe online service; William Rabkin talks with director Wolfgang Peterson (The Neverending Story, Enemy Mine); Adam Pirani interviews production designer Norman Reynolds (Young Sherlock Holmes, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Raiders of the Lost Ark); Steve Swires profiles cinematographer Dean Cundey (John Carpenter's The Thing, Back to the Future, Big Trouble in Little China); Robert Greenberger interviews Clan of the Cave Bear star Daryl Hannah; Don McGregor interviews stunt coordinator Bob Simmons (James Bond films) – with a sidebar by Adam Pirani covering Bond stuntman Martin Grace; Rachel Long interviews actor Rutger Hauer (The Hitcher, Blade Runner); Anthony Timpone interviews editor Terry Rawlings (Alien, Blade Runner, Legend); David Hutchison covers special effects supervisor John Dykstra (Star Wars, Lifeforce, Battlestar Galactica); Hutchison also talks with sound designer Ben Burtt (Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back); Brian Lowry interviews special makeup designer Rob Bottin (Explorers, Legend, The Thing), with a sidebar by Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier talking with actress Leslie Rickert; Thom Clement interviews composer Elmer Bernstein (The Black Cauldron, American Werewolf in London); and editor David McDonnell's Liner Notes column focuses (oh, can we say fixates?) on Darby O'Gill and the Little People.
"Lifeforce was probably the worst patch-up job of timing in a movie I've ever seen in my life. Bad! Every print – the 70mms were worse. Bad! Terrible! There was stuff we had worked on a long time that came out looking awful because they didn't time right. OK? That's a real bitch! I don't intend to ever have somebody do that to me again. They paid good money for those effects, and they were damn good effects and it's wrong for them to be destroyed by somebody's lack of concern."
–John Dykstra, special effects wizard, interviewed by David Hutchison: "John Dykstra: Planning Science-Fiction Illusions"
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Starlog #104, March 1986: Re-Warring
Star Wars is on the cover of Starlog for the third time in six issues, and there hasn't even been a Star Wars film for several years. Call it savvy marketing, call it a lack of enthusiasm among the editors for any of the new movies out in early 1986, or call it a lack of originality. But it probably worked and moved copies at the newsstand. Wookies attract.
Starlog #104
76 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $2.95
Overdosing on the tales of filmdom's special makeup effects artists had long been a signature approach of sister magazine Fangoria. Maybe it was because there weren't a lot of new horror films in those days; maybe it was because (as was intimated from time to time in the magazine) many higher-up creators such as directors and writers objected to being interviewed by a magazine called Fangoria. Whatever the reason, it served another good purpose, taking the magazine's readers behind the scenes of how a film is made and how Hollywood really works. Though they would always remain part of the magazine's mix of articles, Fango eased up on the makeup stories as the film world served up more new terror treats and as the magazine grew.
So, two things: This issue of Starlog features several stories branded on the cover under "Makeup FX torture tales." And Starlog editor David McDonnell was taking over the interim editing chores of Fangoria (while continuing his Starlog magazine duties, plus licensed film magazines) after Fango editors Bob Martin and David Everitt both exited stage left.
The rundown: In his From the Bridge column, Kerry O'Quinn suggests people take Basic Thinking 101; letters in the Communications section include a reader disturbed by the sexual content of recent SF films (The Goonies, in particular), reaction to Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, a story about a less-than-awesome encounter with George Lucas, and more; the Medialog section includes Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier's report on the unveiling of Gene Roddenberry's star on Hollywood Boulevard, Edward Gross on Spider-Man: The Movie, and David McDonnell's media roundup, including news on the flick Solarbabies; and Videolog includes David Hutchison's roundup of new video releases, plus Carr D'Angelo on D.A.R.Y.L.
Edward Gross interviews writer/producer Joseph Stefano on The Outer Limits, old and new (including a sidebar featuring Stefano's original story theme guidelines for the series' writers); Lee Goldberg previews The Ray Bradbury Theater; Booklog features Edward Gross' chat with British James Bond author John Gardner, Geraldine Freedman's check-in with author Joan Vinge, and Chris Henderson's roundup of new books; Lee Goldberg talks with actors Jimmy Hunt and Hunter Carson about their roles in Invaders From Mars; Adam Pirani visits the location set of Highlander; Ian Spelling interviews actor James Remar (The Clan of the Cave Bear); Will Murray interviews actor Joel Grey (Remo: The Adventure Begins, Cabaret); Adam Pirani interviews Peter Mayhew, Star Wars' Chewbacca; William Rabkin interviews Louis Gossett, the alien in Enemy Mine; in a roundup of short articles on makeup effects professionals, Will Murray profiles Carl Fullerton, William Rabkin profiles Stephan Du Puis, Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier profile Michael Westmore, and Richard Meyers and Phil Nutman profile Stuart Freeborn; David Hutchison previews F/X; William Rabkin reveals the unseen footage from Enemy Mine; Edward Gross interviews V creator/producer Kenneth Johnson, who dissects the TV series; Anthony Timpone interviews actor Stephen Collins (Tales of the Gold Monkey, Star Trek – The Motion Picture); the Future Life pages include David Hutchison's three short articles on comets; the Other Voices guest columnist is author William F. Wu; the Fan Network pages include Anthony Timpone answering reader questions (such as, "Is there going to be a conclusion to Lost in Space?"), plus short items on a young man who really wants to be Robin (of Batman) and Merana Cadorette's hand-sculpted Star Wars figurines; and editor David McDonnell's Liner Notes column explains how the staff chose the cover of Starlog #102 (the Enemy Mine cover), making a nice behind-the-scenes look at how magazines are produced (and why).
"My feeling was that Warner Bros. was worried I wouldn't do V as quick, cheap and dirty as they wanted it done, and they were right, so I left. ... They were astonished because I also had, at the time, a 12-hour blind series commitment with NBC through Warner Bros. which was going to bite the dust if I left. That's about a half-million dollars, and they said nobody walks away from that. I said, 'Oh yeah, read my lips, guys.' Then, they brought in more writers and totally bastardized the six-hour script we had written."
–Kenneth Johnson, producer, interviewed by Edward Gross: "Kenneth Johnson: V: What Could Have Been"
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Starlog #105, April 1986: There Can Be Only One!
Highlander takes the cover spot this issue. The movie was a surprise hit (though I'll admit I never saw it; I was, however, subjected to its first sequel, which was a truly terrible movie, and I've always retroactively judged Highlander by the sequel – unfair, I know). But Highlander is only one of a new batch of genre films that ruled the screen (and the fan magazines) for a while. Others – Aliens, Big Trouble in Little China, Star Trek IV, Legend, even the finally-released Brazil – are also represented here, which makes one wonder why the magazine had to put Star Wars on the cover so many times in recent months.
Starlog #105
76 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $2.95
Starlog never really did anime well. Though it did very well covering American animation, especially in its spinoff Comics Scene magazine, it really missed the boat when it comes to Mobile Suit Gundam, and it gave some welcome but only limited coverage to Space Cruiser Yamato (aka Star Blazers). It did some nice feature articles on anime in the final decade or so of its life, but it was too U.S.-focused for most of its 374 issues, and in the process it probably missed an audience of burgeoning anime and manga fans. This issue includes part one of Fred Patton's look at "Japanimation," and it's a good opening salvo. But there wasn't enough follow-up to make it stick.
The rundown: In his From the Bridge column, Kerry O'Quinn unveils the cover design of Starlog/Fangoria's upcoming new video release, featuring Tom Savini; Communications letters include a number of negative reactions to the Amazing Stories TV series, Entertainment Tonight's Leonard Maltin writing to share a story about a recent convention, a Canadian reader who has had it with Starlog's attempts to inspire him, and more; in the Medialog section, Lee Goldberg previews Big Trouble in Little China, David Hutchison announces that Starlog will be saluting Star Trek at an upcoming special convention, Lee Goldberg quotes William Friedkin praising Starlog (am I wrong to read that and think the editors are still smarting over Harlan Ellison's criticism?), David McDonnell provides a roundup of happenings in the SF media world, and more.
Steves Swires goes behind the scenes of The Manhattan Project; Patrick Daniel O'Neill profiles actress Mia Sara about Legend; Fan Network includes info on a Japanimation association, The Stuff contest winners, reader queries (such as, "Will we ever see the Star Wars Holiday Special on TV again?"), and more; Patrick Daniel O'Neill interviews the sixth Doctor Who, Colin Baker (plus a sidebar by Julius Fabrini on the new productions of Who); author Ron Goulart gives his "Confessions of a Zany Sci-Fi Writer" in the Other Voices guest column; Adam Pirani talks with actor Christopher Lambert about Highlander; the Future Life section includes Rick Kolker on where the Space Shuttle Enterprise will end up, a report from the Ames Research Center on the detection of ice on Halley's Comet, Douglas Barton on regulatory acceptance of genetically engineered drugs, and a PBS note about a public television program, "The Rise of a Wonder Drug" (aka penicillin); Fred Patten begins a two-part overview of Japanese anime, such as Astro Boy, Star Blazers, Marine Boy, Force Five, Voltron, and more; David Hutchison's Videolog announces new genre video releases; Joe Russo, Larry Landsman and Edward Gross revisit Beneath the Planet of the Apes; Daniel Dickholtz interviews actress Grace Lee Whitney; Adam Pirani interviews actor Jonathan Pryce (1984, Brazil, Something Wicked This Way Comes); Will Murray profiles The Shadow creator Walter B. Gibson; in Booklog, Kathleen M. Gooch gets Barry Longyear's reactions to the filming of his Enemy Mine, and Chris Henderson provides a roundup of new print releases; Steve Swires highlights a Dr. Pepper SF-flavored commercial; Bill Cotter puts together a complete episode guide to V; and David McDonnell's Liner Notes compiles a number of obituaries.
"Starlog, I think, is a very well-edited magazine. ... It's very interesting, and it's a little more fan-oriented than something like American Cinematographer, which I think is the best magazine of its kind for imparting technical information. I think Starlog goes a little too far from time to time in the gee-whiz school of journalism but buried in there generally is an interesting little piece about how a film got made. It's that aspect of the magazine that I like and on which I focus. Some of those pieces are the kind of thing that Hollywood should be doing itself, trying to explore the workings of this or that particular film."
–William Friedkin, director, interviewed (briefly) by Lee Goldberg in Medialog: "William Friedkin on Starlog"
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Starlog #106, May 1986: Big Trouble in Little China
John Carpenter's film Big Trouble in Little China, which takes the cover spot this issue, is a very 1980s film. Fake characters, over-the-top action and acting, farcical premise. It's a film that should have been fun, but was instead forgettable. Carpenter's track record is long and impressive, but it includes a number of these utterly useless films (sorry for the strong opinions) among the many gems. On the other hand, this is probably the only issue of Starlog that features a Buddha on the cover.
In his column, editor David McDonnell notes that sister magazine Fangoria (which he is temporarily editing) is increasing its frequency from nine to ten issues annually, and the Starlog Scrapbooks, Poster Magazines, and Best of publications are being rebranded under a Starlog Presents label.
Starlog #106
76 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $2.95
This issue sees an actual mention of Mobile Suit Gundam. Groundbreaking. Probably never to be repeated. Alas.
The rundown: In his From the Bridge column, publisher Kerry O'Quinn talks about hope as the first step toward success; Communications letters include a proposal for a museum that would house science-fiction spaceship models, plus a ton of comments on many aspects of Star Trek; Medialog items include Carr D'Angelo with a promo for the Starlog conventions, Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier chatting up NBC Entertainment president Brandon Tartikoff (who talks Amazing Stories), and David McDonnell rounding up all of the genre multimedia news (including the upcoming Evil Dead sequel).
Adam Pirani previews Aliens, the sequel to the great Alien; Lee Goldberg interviews actress Louise Fletcher about her role in Invaders from Mars; the Fan Network pages include a note from Leonard Nimoy assistant Kirk Thatcher, Anthony Timpone's answers to reader queries (including, "What is the status of Ray Harryhausen's Force of the Trojans?"), a call for more fan club listings, and more; William Rabkin profiles actor Tim Curry (Legend, The Rocky Horror Picture Show); the Future Life section includes Chris Henderson on Kerry Mark Joels' book The Mars One Crew Manual, Douglas Borton on designs for the next generation of automobiles, and Daniel Dickholtz on the Star Trek game The Kobayashi Alternative; Lee Goldberg previews Big Trouble in Little China; Kim Howard Johnson chats with former Monty Python member Terry Jones, screenwriter of Labyrinth; Patrick Daniel O'Neill profiles Blake's Seven's Terry Nation; Kim Howard Johnson visits the location shoot for Cherry 2000; Ben Bova, writer and former editor of Omni and Analog, pens the Other Voices guest column, in which he discusses space-based defensive technology; Robert Greenberger interviews The Postman's David Brin; Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier explain the animated War of the Rock Lords; Lee Goldberg interviews writer Rockne S. O'Bannon; Steve Swires talks with director Leonard Nimoy about Star Trek III: The Search for Spock; Adam Pirani interviews Highlander actor Clancy Brown; in the conclusion of his two-part examination of Japanimation, Fred Patten includes Mobile Suit Gundam, TranZor Z, Robotech, Fist of the Big Dipper, and others; in Booklog, Kathleen Gooch talks to author James P. Hogan, and Chris Henderson rounds up the latest book releases; David Hutchison rounds up the latest genre video releases in Videolog; and editor David McDonnell wraps it all up in his Liner Notes column with some notes about doings in the Starlog family of publications.
"I would trade a million copy bestseller to be able to write a paper on mathematical physics that only a hundred people would appreciate and would stun Steven Weinberg in Cambridge. One of the most wonderful things about our culture is that people can be physics groupies. ... My brother had only two science and math courses in his entire college career and he's a ferocious science groupie – he subscribes to Scientific American and he's always calling me up with questions."
David Brin, author, interviewed by Robert Greenberger: "David Brin: Dispatches for The Postman"
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Starlog #107, June 1986: Tom Cruise in Legend, Top Gun
Tom Cruise dressed as a sprite! Ray Bradbury in shorts! Don Ameche in swimming trunks!
Those are just some of the sights to see in this issue of Starlog.
Starlog #107
76 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $2.95
Okay, I never saw Ridley Scott's film Legend, so I don't know if Tom Cruise is actually a sprite or just some male forest nymph or something. But it's interesting that this issue highlights him in two roles, as Jack O' the Green from Legend and as a fighter pilot in Top Gun. It's kind of like a time-travel check-in on Cruise's career, when he was transitioning from dancing in his underwear in Risky Business to headlining tough-guy action roles.
The rundown: The cover photo is from Jim Henson's Labyrinth movie. Kerry O'Quinn's From the Bridge column shares some convention thoughts; the entire Communications section is taken up with letters responding to Harlan Ellison's comments in his two-part interview back in #100-101; Medialog includes David McDonnell's roundup of genre news (including a planned ABC TV series based on the 1976 David Bowie film The Man Who Fell to Earth – see Starlog #1), Edward Gross talks to Pierce Brosnan about playing James Bond, and Gross also chats with He-Man himself, Dolph Lundgren.
Adam Pirani quizzes producer Gale Anne Hurd about Aliens and The Terminator; the Future Life section includes Douglas Borton on meddling with genes to fight diseases, and Borton (again) on an idea by Freeman Dyson for a micro-spaceship; Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficer profile composer Alexander Courage (Star Trek); the Fan Network section includes info on Buckaroo Banzai fan activities, Max Rottersman on a phone hotline about SF industry happenings, and more; Kim Howard Johnson interviews actor Don Ameche about Cocoon and Trading Places; Adam Pirani interviews Ridley Scott, who discusses Blade Runner and Legend; Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier interview actor Tom Cruise about Legend, with a sidebar by Anthony Timpone on Cruise's other film, Top Gun; David Hutchison lists the new genre video releases in his Videolog column; in a Comics Scene page, Daniel Dickholtz previews a new comic book, Captain Confederacy; Dennis Freeland interviews Jim Henson on Labyrinth (with a sidebar by Daniel Dickholtz talking with actress Jennifer Connelly); novelist Lawrence Watt-Evans explains his six laws of fantasy, writing this month's Other Voices guest column; Lee Goldberg talks to the screenwriters of Invaders from Mars; William Rabkin talks with writer Tom Benedek about Winter's Tale and Cocoon; Bill Feret interviews writer Jean M. Auel about Clan of the Cave Bear; Lee Goldberg interviews writer W.D. Richter (Buckaroo Banzai, Big Trouble in Little China); Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier talk with writer/director David Engelbach about America 3000 and a never-made sequel to The Day the Earth Stood Still; William Rabkin talks with Highlander screenwriter Greg Widen; Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier interview Doctor Who veteran Terrance Dicks; Booklog includes Thomas Arndt chatting with author Terry Brooks about his Shannara series and and Landover tales, plus obituaries for Judy-Lynn Del Rey and Frank Herbert; and editor David McDonnell wraps it all up in his Liner Notes with a few words about writers (and that photo of Bradbury in tennis shorts).
"I've never actually been asked to play James Bond. And the next question is, 'Would I like to play James Bond?' I suppose I would like to have a crack at it. It hasn't been a lifetime ambition to play James Bond, but I wish they would make up their minds one way or the other by offering it to me or giving it to someone else. Not a day goes by now without people saying, 'You're going to make a great James Bond.' But no one has ever come to me and said, 'Pierce, my dear boy, we would like you to play Jimmy Bond.' That may knock the rumor on the head, but I've been saying that now for quite a while and the rumor is still around."
–Pierce Brosnan, Medialog interview by Edward Gross: "Brosnan on Bond" |
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Starlog #108, July 1986: Short Circuit vs R2D2
The anniversary cover design is tweaked this issue; no longer is it a white background with boxed photos; some of the photos are still there – though more as homage than main effect – but there's a large image taking up the lion's share of the cover real estate: Number Five, the robot star of Short Circuit. The cover text labels him (it) "America's favorite robot." Hmm, I would think that honor would go to Kenny Baker's R2D2, also featured in this issue. But maybe Artoo doesn't qualify because he's not really American; from a galaxy quite a ways away, as I now recall.
This is the final anniversary special issue in this format, though even this format has changed considerably in the past couple years. The special all-color, extra-pages section no longer has all of the genre annual wrap-ups and reviews. Also, half of those extra added color pages are printed on non-glossy paper stock; they're still full color (and they look just fine), but non-glossy paper is naturally cheaper than the glossy stock.
Starlog #108
100 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $3.95
A picture's worth a thousand words, goes the old saying. The math on that calculation is probably debatable, but I'm reminded of it when looking at this issue's front cover and doing a quick count of all of the text. I count 104 words on the cover (including the logo and pricing info).
The rundown: The issue kicks off with the Communications letters section, filled with people praising and/or second-guessing the staff on its choice of the 100 most important people in science fiction from the magazine's 100th issue; Kerry' O'Quinn's anniversary From the Bridge editorial recounts the magazine's challenges and triumphs in its first decade of existence; the magazine announces a big 10th anniversary contest with a two-page spread; in the Medialog section, David McDonnell rounds up all of the latest genre news (including Sam J. Jones – formerly Flash Gordon – being slated to star in The Spirit), C.B. Hackworth on a new start to the Superman franchise, and a film fantasy calendar listing; the Fan Network includes the convention calendar and Anthony Timpone answering reader queries (such as, "Do you know how I can obtain one of those infamous V dolls?").
Mike Clark interviews actor David Hedison, who talks the original The Fly and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea; Steve Swires interviews actor Rod Taylor (The Time Machine, Twilight Zone, The Birds); Adam Pirani interviews Kenny Baker, who portrays R2D2 in the Star Wars films; Lee Goldberg interviews Kurt Russell (Big Trouble in Little China, Escape from New York); Adam Pirani talks with actor Michael Biehn about Aliens and The Terminator; Lee Goldberg profiles Martin Landau (Space: 1999, Star Trek, Meteor); cartoonist Phil Foglio provides a two-page comic, "From Book to Film: A Guide for Authors"; David Hutchison covers a documentary on the fantasy films of George Pal; Ian Spelling talks with Gene Roddenberry (along with a sidebar in which he interviews Roddenberry's wife, Majel Barrett Roddenberry); Brian Lowry chats with Chuck Jones; Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier interview Short Circuit director John Badham; Lee Goldberg profiles Tobe Hooper (Invaders from Mars); in an article that would be something of a landmark for the magazine, Bruce Gordon explores the implications of Back to the Future: "The Other Marty McFly?"; David Hutchison previews The Great Mouse Detective; Patrick Daniel O'Neill profiles actress Jennifer Connelly (Labyrinth); actress Greta Blackburn writes about her experience portraying Lorraine on V; in the Future Life section, Rich Kolker and Tom Chafin relate their experiences at NASA's Space Camp; coincidentally, Terry Pace previews the film Space Camp; David Hutchison mentions the new video releases in his Videolog column; Chris Henderson rounds up the latest book releases in Booklog; and David McDonnell's Liner Notes recounts some of the science-fiction and fantasy creators profiled in this issue.
"I walked in the office, and Jim [Cameron] was sitting there; ... he had a pen in his hand, and paper all over the place, with notes that he had written, and he was writing away. He said, 'Hi, Mike!' and just kept writing, and I said, 'How you doing, Jim, I came in to see the–' 'Yeah, yeah, the trailer's right over there,' and I asked, 'Jim, what are you doing?' He said, 'I've got to get this treatment of Aliens' – or the first draft, it was something like that – 'done by lunchtime,' and he was eating these cheese snacks – 'I don't have time for lunch,' and he was just hauling ass! This was the day after we finished The Terminator...."
–Michael Biehn, actor, interviewed by Adam Pirani: "Michael Biehn: Futuristic Hero"
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Starlog #109, August 1986: Sigourney Weaver Battles Aliens Again
Sigourney Weaver's Ripley returns to center stage this issue with James Cameron's Alien sequel, Aliens. This was arguably the biggest movie of this time period, and it would feature heavily in Starlog's coverage for quite a few issues. (That was helped, possibly, by the magazine publishing two official Aliens magazines. They certainly had the access and the materials.)
There's also a movie advertisement on the inside front cover for Solarbabies, which was not going to be the biggest movie of this time period. The most significant thing about it is that the ad lists its executive producer as being none other than Mel Brooks.
Starlog #109
76 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $2.95
On page 51 of this issue is one of those things that makes editors and publishers grind their teeth and pull out their hair. No, it's not the picture of Michael Jackson saluting; that's another matter. It's the half-page of blank space below it. Complete white. One can only assume that an advertisement or a half-page article dropped off the page somewhere along in production. In the editing process? Art directing? Production? Proofing? Processing and printing?
The rundown: In his From the Bridge column, Kerry O'Quinn gets political again by ruminating on political liberty and the Statue of Liberty; Communications letters include more on the controversy surrounding Gene Roddenberry's interview in issue #100 (in which he went off on religion), favorable reaction to the Roddy McDowell interview in #101, and more; and Medialog includes David McDonnell's roundup of genre news (such as John Malkovich being cast to play an android in Making Mr. Right), an unbylined item on a possible Greatest American Hero revival, and Lee Goldberg on a Mission: Impossible movie.
Steve Swires quizzes John Carpenter about his latest movie, Big Trouble in Little China; Ian Spelling (already becoming something of the Star Trek specialist he would one day be) interviews actor George Takei; Fan Network includes Daniel Dickholtz on the question of whether Star Wars fandom is dead, queries from readers (such as, "Who played the succession of younger Spocks in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock?"), and more; Kim Howard Johnson profiles Melanie Griffith about her role in Cherry 2000; the legendary writer L. Sprague de Camp writes about "Silent Specters, Spiders & Sauropods" in the Other Voices guest column; William Rabkin profiles actress Ally Sheedy about Short Circuit (plus a sidebar in which she talks about her role in WarGames); Lee Goldberg interviews actor Tom Skerritt, who talks The Dead Zone, SpaceCamp, and Alien; Adam Pirani interviews Skerritt's former co-star, Sigourney Weaver, who is reviving her Ripley character in Aliens; David Hutchison's Videolog chronicles anime videos plus other new releases; Edward Gross talks with Superman IV writers Larry Konner and Mark Rosenthal; Adam Pirani completes his two-part talk with Labyrinth creator Jim Henson (this is your chance to see David Bowie in a fright wig); the Future Life pages include Scott Zachek with more space camp details, Rich Kolker on a computerized look at the Statue of Liberty, and a completely blank half-page of nothingness (maybe a statement on the meaninglessness of life, or – more in keeping with Starlog's be-creative outlook on life – perhaps an invitation to readers to create their own article?); Lee Goldberg goes behind the scenes of Wes Craven's Deadly Friend; William Rabkin explores The Flight of the Navigator; Brian Lowry talks to the people behind Solarbabies; Lee Goldberg goes on location with the film Hyper Sapien; Chris Henderson rounds up the new print releases in Booklog; and David McDonnell gives some behind-the-scenes magazine news in his LIner Notes column.
"[Robert E.] Howard got his ideas of Roman orgies, oriental palaces, and medieval castles from the lavish sets that enhanced the movies of the '20s. He particularly admired The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923, Universal), which he says he saw several times. it featured Lon Chaney, Sr., in fearsome makeup as Quasimodo, and a great battle with Parisian proletarians whacking armored knights with sledge hammers."
–L. Sprague de Camp, writer, Other Voices: "Silent Specters, Spiders & Sauropods"
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Starlog #110, September 1986: Still Innovating
The inside front cover ad promotes a brand-new book from Starlog and Signet, Stephen King at the Movies. The 112-page, 7-3/4" x 10-3/4" trade paperback was written by Jessie Horsting, a genre journalist who had previously been a contributor to Starlog's late competitor, Fantastic Films. The book also contains an essay by Harlan Ellison (reprinted from elsewhere, if I recall) on adapting King to the screen, and it was designed by co-publisher Norman Jacobs. A rather nifty book, all in all, and only for $9.95.
Starlog #110
76 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $2.95
This issue also features the first in-house ad for Starlog's two official licensed movie publications from the film Aliens. Unfortunately, it's printed on some black-and-white pages that are too dark, so any text that is inside a shaded box is nearly unreadable. But you can still get the point: An official "movie book" – which, again if I recall correctly, was designed by former Starlog art director and celebrated comics artist Howard Cruse – and an official movie magazine (the difference is in the packaging, some posters, and the pricing). These two publications became quite the collectors' items, very difficult to find many years later. After haunting eBay for many years, I finally snagged them, but only after I passed up many sellers who had priced each publication at something like $29.95.
The rundown: The cover photo features director David Cronenberg with his Fly open. In his From the Bridge column, publisher Kerry O'Quinn highlights some fans who made professions out of their favorite genres; letters in the Communications pages include an NBC News correspondent who corrects some details of Kerry O'Quinn's hurricane editorial from #103, feedback on Enemy Mine and Brazil, some praise for Starlog in general and Harlan Ellison in particular, and more; Medialog includes Adam Pirani's chat with special effects ace Brian Johnson, plus David McDonnell's roundup of genre news (such as, ABC has taken a pass on the series based on David Bowie's The Man Who Fell to Earth film).
Adam Pirani interviews director James Cameron about Aliens; the Fan Network pages include answers to reader queries (such as, "Could you tell me what Night of the Comet's Kelli Maroney is up to?"), plus short items on Grace Lee Whitney, fan organizations that work to improve the world, thoughts on celebrating the anniversary of Star Trek, and more; speaking of Trek, Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier interview Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home director Leonard Nimoy; Mike Glyer gives the history and trivia behind the Hugo awards; in a major team-up, Lee Goldberg, David Hutchison, and David McDonnell interview author Ray Bradbury; David Hutchison also pens his usual Videolog column previewing the new releases, and Carr D'Angelo adds a chat with Jewel of the Nile director Lewis Teague; Brian Lowry previews The Boy Who Could Fly; writer David A. Kyle remembers First Fandom in the Other Voices guest column; Anthony Timpone interviews The Fly star Geena Davis (and Timpone includes a sidebar chat about the movie with director – and coverboy – David Cronenberg); Patrick Daniel O'Neill notes the 25th anniversary of the Fantastic Four in a Comics Scene column; William Rabkin previews Howard the Duck; Lee Goldberg talks with filmmaker Bob Gale (Back to the Future); Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier explore Short Circuit, and they interview actor Steve Guttenberg in a sidebar; William Rabkin interviews William Dear (Amazing Stories' mummy episode); in the Future Life section, Douglas Borton reports on Voyager 2's Uranus flyby, and he explains Swedish doctor Bjorn Nordenstrom's electric ideas for fighting cancer, Rich Kolker looks at space-grown plants, and John McMurphy notes that "Atomic Clocks Replace Greenwich Time"; Lee Goldberg chats with actress Kim Catrall (while, in a sidebar, Daniel Dickholtz profiles actor Dennis Dun); Chris Henderson's booklog previews the new print releases (such as Michael Ende's Momo); and David McDonnell wraps it all up in his Liner Notes column talking copy editing, a new edition of Starlog's Science Fiction Trivia book, and more.
"[At the 1975 North American Science Fiction Convention, Larry] Niven was going up in a hotel elevator carrying the Hugo he had won for 'The Hole Man' which friends had just delivered to him from Melbourne [where, at a different convention, the Hugos had been awarded]. Two teenaged boys popped into the elevator next to him, and recognized the award but not the owner. 'Gee, mister, where did you get the Hugo?" one asked. Hardly hesitating, Niven explained, 'I got it from Harlan [Ellison]. He's quitting science fiction, and giving away his awards. I think he still has a couple left.' The two excited kids jumped off the elevator at the next floor and went pounding away down the hall in search of Ellison. Niven hopes they found him."
–Mike Glyer, writer, "No Trivial Pursuit: The Hugo Awards"
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Starlog #111, October 1986: Howard the Duck
Howard the Duck might have made a good comic book, I dunno. Never read it. Howard the Duck might have been a promising idea to make into a movie, too, but it quickly became a punchline among movie fans and industry pros, rather than a hit. Howard the Duck might also have been a good idea for a Starlog cover feature, I dunno. Maybe it sold copies on the newsstands. Or maybe the magazine's editors and designers today shake their heads with disbelief, swearing they'll never again drink whatever they drank before they made this decision.
It's probably no coincidence that Starlog did not publish an official licensed movie magazine for Howie the duckster.
Starlog #111
76 pages (including covers)
Cover price: 29.5
Hey, they've printed the Aliens licensed movie magazines ad on a color page this time, and frankly it's readable – and makes me want to order them. Oh, wait, I already own them.
The rundown: Duck on the cover, and it's not Daffy. 'nuff said. Kerry O'Quinn's From the Bridge column talks about "Saw 2" (back when Saw meant Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2); Communications letters include comments on everything from religion (in which we get a reminder that Starlog has many readers who believe in God), to ST–TMP star Stephen Collins to R2D2, and more; Medialog includes Daniel Dickholtz chatting with actress Brooke Shields on Brenda Starr, and David McDonnell's roundup of genre media news (such as the possibility of a new Star Trek TV series).
Brian Lowry previews the animated The Real Ghostbusters; David Hutchison notes the new video releases in Videolog; Brian Lowry talks with Don Messick, voice actor; Fan Network includes a short article on fanzines and a sidebar listing nearly two dozen of them, answers to reader queries (such as, "How can I start an authorized fan club?"), and more; Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier explore "The Life and Times of Howard the Duck"; Future Life includes Rich Kolker on HOTOL (a giant radio-controlled plane), Douglas Barton on the science-fiction-come-true of the Chunnell (the Channel Tunnel), an item on a planned NASA astronaut memorial, and David Hutchison on laser-and-multimedia shows; Edward Gross profiles Chris Columbus (The Goonies, Gremlins, Young Sherlock Holmes, Galaxy High); Patrick Daniel O'Neill interviews actor Nicholas Courtney, Doctor Who co-star the Brigadier; Chris Henderson provides a Booklog roundup of the new print releases; Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier spend a day on the set of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home; Adam Pirani profiles special effects ace Brian Johnson; David Hutchison explains how The Boy Who Could Fly could fly (with a sidebar by Daniel Dickholtz on actress Lucy Deakins); Adam Pirani profiles special effects duo George Gibbs and Richard Conway (Brazil, Labyrinth, Monty Python's The Meaning of Life); Irv Sufkin interviews filmmaker Marshall Brickman (The Manhattan Project); William Rabkin interviews author Martin Caidin; Brian Lowry speaks with actress Sarah Douglas (Superman II, Solarbabies, Conan the Destroyer); and David McDonnell talks special effects in his Liner Notes column.
"The secret to understanding the future is understanding it in the small ways. If you went to a world with three moons, you might be stunned at first, but after three weeks, you wouldn't look up. It's the small things, the things we can't predict, that change social and cultural structure so much."
–Martin Caidin, author, interviewed by William Rabkin: "Martin Caidin: Better Living Through Science Fiction"
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Starlog #112, November 1986: Star Trek Birthday Overdose
This issue is one that I can not think about without remembering a specific time and place. I was in my first semester at university, and my attention was elsewhere. I decided I wasn't interested as much as I had been in science fiction (I was reading The New Republic more than Starlog), so after issue #111, I stopped reading Starlog.
That lasted one whole month, and then I decided I missed it and began reading (and subscribing) again. But it makes Starlog #112 the only issue I ever missed buying (or receiving in the mail) in the 30 years that I read the publication. Luckily, I quickly got #112 as a back issue, because it's a great issue. It's almost completely devoted to Star Trek, on the occasion of that franchise's 20th anniversary. Starlog had even thrown a special 20th anniversary convention to celebrate the occasion, and it sounds like it was a highlight for all involved.
Starlog #112
100 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $3.95
Some production notes: The 100-page issue includes lots of color, though all color pages in the magazine (not including the covers) are printed on non-glossy paper stock. But the color is still very crisp, clear, and bright; in addition, the black-and-white pages are heavier and whiter than normal. This issue also is printed with a perfect (aka squarebound, or glued) binding, instead of the usual staples, for the first time in years.
The rundown: A classic-Trek photo of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy graces the cover. Kerry O'Quinn's From the Bridge column recounts the highlights of the magazine's convention, which was called (with a rather unwieldy title) Creation Conventions presents Starlog Salutes Star Trek; Communications letters include still more people angry at Gene Roddenberry's criticism of Christianity in his interview in #100, some thoughts on the Trek movie franchise, an anti-Trek complaint, and more; Medialog features David McDonnell's roundup of genre news (such as the announcement of a Mel Brooks SF satire to be called Spaceballs – originally titled Planet Moron); Fan Network stretches over six pages with an extensive listing of fan clubs, reader queries answered (such as, "Will you ever reprint the Star Trek episode guide from Starlog #1?"), Gigi Porter on location with Star Trek IV's crew; Richard Gilbert on the current (in 1986) whereabouts of the Star Trek Galileo shuttlecraft, Carr D'Angelo on an Enterprise-themed motorcycle that has to be seen to be believed, and more.
Former columnist David Gerrold pens a special essay on "What Star Trek Means to Me"; novelist Howard Weinstein writes the Other Voices guest column on "If You Think It's a Long Way to Tipperary, Try Following a Starship for 20 Years..."; Allan Asherman explores myths and Trek; in the Comics Scene section, Daniel Dickholtz looks at new Trek comics; an unbylined article features Gene Roddenberry's words from the Starlog Trek convention; D.C. Fontana's comments from a panel discussion at the convention get two pages; Edward Gross interviews Trek writer/director John Meredyth Lucas ("The Changeling," "Enterprise Incident"); in a "Writers of Star Trek" section, Gross also profiles Gilbert Ralston and Art Wallace; Carr D'Angelo reports on the Starlog convention itself in a six-page article, complete with lots of photos of speakers and attendees; Dan Madsen interviews actor William Shatner; convention appearances by Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley get a couple pages each; Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier interview James Doohan; John Adcox interviews George Takei; Nichelle Nichols' audience question-and-answer session is transcribed; Walter Koenig tells the convention crowd about his desire to take Chekov to Disneyland; Majel Barrett talks about how she got the part of Nurse Chapel; in a "Guests of Trek" section, Frank Garcia profiles Bruce Hyde (Lt. Riley) and Craig Huxley (Kirk's nephew), and Garcia and Mark Phillips profile Lee Bergere (Abraham Lincoln); Robert Greenberger uncovers the world of Star Trek novels; and Charles Washburn writes about his behind-the-scenes experiences as an assistant director for the Star Trek TV series.
In a non-Trek article, Alan Howard explains the special effects behind the film Flight of the Navigator; Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier interview the great French comics artist Moebius (real name, Jean Giraud); John L. Flynn explores the world of science-fiction fan costumes; David Hutchison notes the latest genre video releases in Videolog; and in Liner Notes, editor David McDonnell recounts the many connections between Starlog and its partial namesake, Star Trek.
"Working with [Alejandro] Jodorowsky was a very intense collaborative process. We met every morning at eight, and worked until the evening. Jodorowsky was molding my personality. The first time he asked me to redo something, I was astounded! Nobody had ever questioned what I was doing before. But he always had a reason. It was never gratuitous. The whole creative process became like an initiation. It's because of this situation that I don't consider Dune a failure. For me, it was a success because I left the production a richer man."
–Jean Giraud, comics legend, interviewed by Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier: "Jean 'Moebius' Giraud: Stripping the LIght Fantastic"
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Starlog #113, December 1986: Shopping for Horrors
As I noted in issue #112's writeup, I ended my Starlog strike after that issue and resumed being a regular reader (addict?) with this issue, #113. That was probably the real moment in my life when I decided I didn't care if "science-fiction fan" was a permanent and healthy part of my identity.
On the merchandising side (aka, the Buy O'Quinn and Jacobs a New Yacht side), this issue includes an ad by the magazine for its newest commercial service: a 50-cent-per-call phone service that features a message from a different Trek crew member (such as Uhura) giving you updates on the new film, Star Trek: The Voyage Home.
Starlog #113
76 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $2.95
In most of its earlier years, Starlog printed its required postal statement of ownership and circulation in one of its end-of-the-year issues, such as December. But we've seen the publishers starting to move it into the new year, and by the 1990s, they'd be printing it as late as the March issue. Writing as someone who has had to fill out and print those forms in magazines to satisfy the post office, I can only say that either the rules for timely printing of the form were different back then, or their local post office was more indulgent (aka, looser on the enforcement) than the postal folks with whom I've dealt. So, no postal statement this issue.
The rundown: The cover photo features comedians Rick Moranis and John Candy, stars of the remake Little Shop of Horrors; in his From the Bridge editorial, publisher Kerry O'Quinn criticizes parents who seek to censor textbooks that don't match up with their religious beliefs; Communications letters include director Tobe Hooper (responding to an article in #107 about writing credits), Howard Cruse (praising a recent cartoon by Phil Foglio), reactions to Highlander and Labyrinth, and more; Medialog includes Carr D'Angelo's check-in with Robert Downtown Englund, Jean Airey on new Doctor Who companion Melanie Bush (played by Bonnie Langford), Patrick Daniel O'Neill with more Who news (who knew?), and David McDonnell's roundup of genre news items (such as Orson Scott Card winning the Nebula award for Ender's Game).
Brian Lowry previews the new TV series Starman, the spinoff starring Robert Hays from the film of the same name; Jessie Horsting (author of Starlog's newest book, Stephen King at the Movies), goes behind the scenes of The Wizard, starring David Rappaport; William Rabkin talks with Alan Brennert, executive story consultant on the new Twilight Zone TV series; Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier interview the legendary writer Robert Bloch, who talks Star Trek; the Lofficiers keep up the Trek coverage with an interview with James Doohan, who talks about Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home; but wait, there's more Trek: in two one-page articles, Anthony Timpone profiles Trek guest star John Hoyt (the ship's doctor in the series first pilot), and Frank Garcia profiles Sean Kenney (the immobilized Captain Pike in "The Menagerie"); Adam Pirani previews Little Shop of Horrors; Jim George and Fred Szebin provide a retrospective of the computers-amok film Colossus: The Forbin Project; Brian Lowry interviews Sondra Locke about her latest directing job, Ratboy (with a sidebar by William Rabkin chatting with effects wizard Rick Baker); Marc Shapiro talks to actress Sharon Stone about King Solomon's Mines and Allan Quatermain & the Lost City of Gold; Fan Network includes the announcement of the Cinemagic's eighth annual short-film awards, Chris Fletcher on his hew Trek fanzine (The Alternative Warp), answers to reader queries (such as, "Has there been any word released on the third book in David Gerrold's War Against the Chtorr series?"), and more.
Will Murray explores the sequel, King Kong Lives!; the Comics Scene section includes Daniel Dickholtz on the Comet Man comic, and David Hutchison's obituary for Floyd Gottfredson; Patrick Daniel O'Neill interviews author Gordon Dickson; Chris Henderson's Booklog covers the latest print releases; Ron Miller pens a two-page obituary to space artist Chesley Bonestell; David Hutchison's Videolog highlights the latest video releases; the Future Life page includes Rich Kolker on the Enterprise test shuttle ending up at the National Air and Space Museum, Douglas Barton on new techniques for creating better steel, and Rich Kolker on the latest visit to Mars; and in a nice coda to O'Quinn's editorial, editor David McDonnell uses his Liner Notes column to explain how religious pressure groups helped kill sister magazine Hard Rock. This was the Reagan era, after all – Moral Majority flexing its power.
"I remember there was a scene I just hated. I went to a sneak preview and stole about 30 opinion cards and wrote down that they should cut this terrible, sloppy, sentimental scene. Two weeks later, Stanley Chase called me into his office and he had all these cards in front of him. He said, 'You wrote all these, didn't you?' I said, 'Yes, I did.' They finally cut the scene."
–James Bridges, screenwriter, interviewed by Jim George and Fred Szebin: "Colossus: The Forbin Project: An Overlooked Classic"
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Starlog #114, January 1987: Bigtime Trek
They had a drinking game in the Starlog offices back in the mid-1980s. Every time anyone proposed publishing an article about any aspect whatsoever about Star Trek, they all took a swig of whatever was closest. Unfortunately, they got a little hooked on the booze, and the result is an avalanche of Trek coverage.
Okay, clearly I made that up. (But if it were true, it would explain the recent Howard the Duck cover.) Meanwhile, feel free to drink – responsibly! – every time you see another Trek article listed in these writeups.
Starlog #114
76 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $2.95
Animation legend Chuck Jones and science legend Arthur C. Clarke chime in this issue with letters to the editor. Any issue that features those can't be half-bad.
The rundown: Spock's image takes the lead position this month, featured on the cover (and the whole man is featured in an interview inside). Kerry O'Quinn's From the Bridge column cites the Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations ethos of Star Trek (drink!) to support his call for a new understanding of tolerance and enjoyment of people's differences (though, to be fair, let's remember that Trek is one of the most conservative shows around when it comes to featuring gay characters); in the Communications pages, Chuck Jones thanks the magazine for a recent article about him in #108, Arthur C. Clarke claims some credit for predicting live media coverage of the moon landing, tons of readers respond to Ben Bova's recent guest column (in #106) on stellar war and peace, a reader actually follows up on his complaint that Starlog doesn't cover Rambo (quit while you're behind, sir), and more; Medialog features David McDonnell's genre news roundup (printed on a streaky black-and-white page that is nearly unreadable, though I can just barely make out that plans are afoot for a new version of the My Favorite Martian TV series), plus there's news about a new Star Trek series (you know what to do) called Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Eric Niderost visits the San Francisco set of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home; Brian Lowry talks to Tom Patchett, writer/producer of TV's weird ALF series; the Fan Network section includes photos from a dress-up screening of The Fly, a note about a symposium being led by Industrial Light and Magic wizards, a Looney Tunes/Star Trek cartoon, and more; Brian Lowry interviews actor Robert Hays, star of the new spinoff TV series, Starman; Mike Clark talks with actor Guy Williams about his time in Lost in Space and Zorro; Daniel Dickholtz pens the Comcis Scene pages, looking at Watchmen; David Hutchison's Videolog covers the latest video releases, such as Legend; John Sayers profiles animator Don Bluth (American Tail); Lee Goldberg talks with director Peter Hunt (Hyper Sapien); Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier interview Leonard Nimoy about directing and acting in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (bottoms up!); Chris Henderson's Booklog covers the latest print releases, such as Vonda N. McIntyre's Enterprise: The First Adventure; Edward Gross interviews Marc Daniels, director of TV episodes such as "Mirror, Mirror" from the original Star Trek; William Rabkin talks with Michael Ritchie about directing The Golden Child; Roger Anker interviews writer William F. Nolan about his mentor Ray Bradbury, Logan's Run, and more; Brian Lowry chats with actor Paul Reiser about his role in Aliens; Dan Scapperotti, veteran of competitor Cinefantastique, joins the Starlog contributors' cadre with "Memories of Fu Manchu"; Jean Airey and Laurie Haldeman interview actor Gareth Thomas about Blake's 7; and David McDonnell's Liner Notes gets all Christmasy on us.
"One thing we've tried to express with Watchmen is the investigation of the superhero. We've tried to work out how a real superhero would live and function in a realistic world, what he would be like psychologically, what sort of things would really motivate him. We've also tried to examine how the presence of a superhero would alter that world in terms of technology, politics, what people think and so on."
–Alan Moore, writer, interviewed by Daniel Dickholtz: Comics Scene: "Man & Overman"
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Starlog #115, February 1987: Paper Trail
Just like issue #112, all of the full-color interior pages in #115 are no longer glossy paper; they are still full-color, but are printed on non-glossy paper. The black-and-white pages, meanwhile, are upgraded to a whiter, stronger paper stock. It's likely a cost-saving measure, but frankly the color still looks great, and the black-and-white looks better than ever. This will remain the case for the next few issues.
This month, Starlog publishes its annual postal statement of ownership and circulation. The total paid circulation for the issue closest to the statement's filing deadline is listed as 212,664 (down slightly from last year's 217,435), including the number of paid subscriptions of 8,747 (down significantly from 12,945 last time).
Starlog #115
76 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $2.95
Editor David McDonnell's column in this issue is, perhaps oddly, one that I have always remembered and thought about when considering other magazines. He explains that magazine issues that are on sale in January don't sell as well as other issues throughout the year, despite various gimmicks the editors might deploy to try to gain newsstand buyers' attention. For the record, he also mentions the situation with the previous January's issue, #103, which – as I wrote in my description of the issue – featured the same Clan of the Cave Bear cover photo as Heavy Metal magazine, which went on sale weeks before Starlog.
The rundown: Aliens is featured on the cover once again. In his From the Bridge column, Kerry O'Quinn urges readers to tap into their hidden talents (then again, it's the same column in which he says of some of the young filmmakers who entered the Cinemagic Short Film Search that "some of these so-called filmmakers should consider frying hamburgers at McDonald's"); Communications letters include more than a dozen readers responding to Bruce Gordon's article in #108, "The Other Marty McFly," and among those letter-writers is Back to the Future writer/producer Bob Gale; Medialog includes Jean Airey's brief chat with Doctor Who actor Colin Baker, plus David McDonnell's roundup of genre news (such as, oh, a reunion TV movie of the Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman).
Clifford Meth interviews Superman actor Christopher Reeve; in his Booklog column, Chris Henderson covers the new genre print releases, including The Reader's Guide to Robert E. Howard; legendary comics editor Julius Schwartz writes the Other Voices guest column, "The Solar Sales Service: Remembering Leigh Brackett and Edmond Hamilton"; speaking of whom, Will Murray features Edmond Hamilton and his famed pulp creation, Captain Future, Man of Tomorrow; Steve Swires, meanwhile, talks with the late writer Leigh Brackett in an interview he did with her in 1975; Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier interview producer Buck Houghton, who talks about The Twilight Zone; in his Videolog column, David Hutchison covers SpaceCamp and other new video releases; Lee Goldberg interviews actor DeForest Kelley about Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home; Joel Eisner interviewed Ted Cassidy, the late actor from Star Trek, Lost in Space, and The Addams Family; in the cover story, Brian Lowry interviews Aliens actress Jenette Goldstein; Jean Airey and Laurie Haldeman interview former Doctor Who actor Tom Baker; Steve Swires talks with director John Carpenter about Hollywood disappointments; in the Fan Network pages, Richard Gilbert writes about a fan-club-made Enterprise bridge, plus short bits about Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy references in Aliens, an ice-covered convention, attempts to get SF-related postage stamps made, and more; David Hutchison explores the special effects behind the Michael Jackson 3-D film, Captain EO (plus a sidebar on the Disney ride Star Tours); and David McDonnell wraps it all up in his Liner Notes column by explaining how he's tried to buck the January sales blues.
"When [Roger] Newton reached manhood, he vowed to fight the kind of super-criminals who had killed his parents and who threatened the stability of the nine worlds. A brash redhead who wore a grey synthsilk zippersuit and a phaserlike proton-pistol at his hip, Captain Future – [publisher Leo] Margulis had ordered [Edmond] Hamilton to change the name from Mr. Future to the more romantic form in the middle of writing the first novel – was part scientist and part space cowboy."
–Will Murray, writer, "The Once & Future Captain"
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Starlog #116, March 1987: The Women of Trek
This is as good of a time as any to praise the editor.
Since becoming the editor of Starlog with issue #97, David McDonnell (previously the mag's managing editor and a contributor to Comics Scene, and before that a contributor to Mediascene Prevue) made the magazine his own, as he should have done. But even before he assumed the top editorial position, his influence was clear. Cover lines became peppier – yes, sometimes controversially (remember the alien claim by Veronica Cartwright ion #81?). And with his ascension to the editorial pantheon, we got to see his judgment in article selection and presentation. We receive glimpses of why and how he chooses what, and how he presents it, courtesy of his editorials, so I don't think I'm totally giving you my simple opinion here.
Let's face it. Sometimes, editors of small magazines take the easy way out. They don't worry about articles. They don't push their writers much, because they're not being paid much (and Starlog's writers and editors were never paid enough). But McDonnell seems to have cared deeply about the details of his magazine, so I have always respected him, even when I disagreed with a particular article or presentation. I knew a professional was in charge.
Those thoughts come to me as I note the way he's taken the March 1987 issue, which is not in itself a special issue, and turns it into a mini-focus on the women of Trek. That's just smart editorial decision-making, and it's something he's done time after time.
Starlog #116
76 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $2.95
The magazine finally updates its Starlog Trading Post section, which is where it sells products from itself and other producers. Specifically, it adds the latest editions of the Starlog Scrapbook, Best of Starlog, and Starlog Poster Magazine.
The rundown: The cover features a spaceship photo of the Enterprise (you had me with "The cover features a spaceship" ...). In his From the Bridge column, publisher Kerry O'Quinn writes a thank-you letter of a sort to his business partner, Norman Jacobs, for being someone who suffered the bad times with him to reach for the "golden ring" of success (an editorial that is also notable for a photo of a younger O'Quinn at his drawing table, circa 1972). In the Communications pages, letters are printed from Marshall Brickman (interviewed in #111), tons of readers commenting on Aliens, still others writing in defense of Harlan Ellison, and more; and in the Medialog section, David McDonnell rounds up the latest genre news, such as that Mel Brooks and his company are pursuing a sequel to The Fly.
Daniel Dickholtz interviews Trek actress Grace Lee Whitney; Robert Greenberger interviews Majel Barrett Roddenberry; the Fan Network section includes short items on a Blake's 7 fan club, the Stardate SF role-playing magazine, the Comics Buyer's Guide awards ballot, 10th anniversary contest winners, answers to readers queries (such as, "Are there any videocassettes available for Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet & the Mysterions and Alien Attack?"), and more; Robert Greenberger interviews Robin Curtis, who briefly reprises her Saavik role in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home; Brian Lowry interviews actress Nichelle Nichols; Michael A. Banks and Dean R. Lambe write the Other Voices guest column, focusing on "The Art, Science & Combat of Collaboration" (along with a sidebar with suggestions for other collaborators); William Rabkin and Edward Gross interview the final Trek woman, Catherine Hicks; David Caruba talks to Sydney Newman, creator of The Avengers and Doctor Who; David Hutchison writes the Comics Scene column this month, looking at 3-D comics; Jean Airey and Laurie Haldeman profile Paul Darrow (Blake's 7's Avon); in a rare change from his usual Videolog treatment of noting new genre releases, this month David Hutchison uses the column to explore the controversy over colorization of classic black-and-white films, a hot topic at the time; Roger Anker interviews Incubus author Ray Russell; Brian Lowry profiles voice actor Daws Butler (Hannah Barbera cartoons); Chris Henderson's Booklog notes the new print releases, such as Isaac Asimov's Robot Dreams; Douglas Borton previews director Rusty Lemorande's Journey to the Center of the Earth; and editor David McDonnell's Liner Notes column talks SF conventions.
"[There was] a certain amount [of controversy about his Playboy short story]. For one thing, I had a Russian cosmonaut in the same spacecraft with an American astronaut, making the first manned moonshot. And the American was black. The story was written in 1967, just a week or two before the appointment of the first real-life black astronaut, Major Robert Lawrence. That made the Playboy legal eagles jumpy, because they were afraid my black astronaut character might be misconstrued as a portrait of Major Lawrence. Then, Lawrence was killed when his Starfighter jet crashed ..., making the situation even more touchy, and the magazine delayed publication of the story for more than a year. "
–Ray Russell, writer, interviewed by Roger Anker: "Ray Russell: Sly Old Fox of the Fantastic"
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Starlog #117, April 1987: Enter Tom Weaver
"Ib." That's the first word (a first name of an interview subject, if you're curious) of the very first Starlog article written by Tom Weaver, one of the most talented and prolific of contributors to the magazine. In issue #117, Weaver interviews the unlikely named Ib Jorgen Melchior, the "Danish Monster Master of Mars." Over the next two-decades-plus, Weaver would write countless (if, like me, you're too lazy to actually count them) articles for the magazine, almost always featuring actors, writers, directors, and producers from classic films, especially from the 1950s.
If you haven't read anything by Weaver, he might surprise you. His articles are mostly in the question-and-answer format. I have always appreciated his ability to go in-depth into the lives of the people he interviews. He is polite but insistent. He is informed about his subjects, but willing to be surprised by a contradicting fact from his interviewee and able to pursue it to a satisfying conclusion. He is a wizard at getting interesting stories out of his conversation partners. I rarely am familiar with the people he interviews, but I never miss reading a Weaver article (in Starlog or Fangoria), because he'll take an old movie I've never heard about, or an actor I've never known about, and I'll end up reading some interesting stories and excellent insight into movie making.
So, welcome to Tom Weaver.
(Not that you asked, but the last word in Weaver's first article is "that.")
Starlog #117
76 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $2.95
When I was in grade school, I read a short story by George R.R. Martin that blew me away. It might even have been the story from which the film Nightflyers originated (I'm not sure; I never saw the movie and I don't remember the story's title). But the story was incredible. I remember that someone's head exploded, and I'd been completely unprepared for it. I thought it was the most powerful story around. What it meant, of course, was that Martin was one of the most powerful writers around, so it's great that Hollywood tapped his works to make a film. But, still, I never saw the film.
BTW, in staffing news, Gary Schneider is the new production director at Starlog.
The rundown: Catherine Mary Stewart in Nightflyers is on the cover. In his From the Bridge column, publisher Kerry O'Quinn announces a special Starlog convention celebrating Star Wars' 10th anniversary (you'll of course remember the magazine's recent convention celebrating Star Trek's 20th anniversary, which turned into a special Starlog issue, #112, and the Star Wars convention will be mined for content for another special Starlog issue, #120, so stay tuned). In the Communications department, readers defend Howard the Duck (and make me feel sad for joking about it a few issues ago), rip on Starlog's cover text, criticize The Fly, and more; Medialog includes an unbylined short article quoting classic Star Trek actors commenting on the new series Star Trek: The Next Generation (including William Shatner's "I don't feel good about the new series"), and David McDonnell gives an overview of genre news (such as the cancellation of The Twilight Zone series).
Steve Swires interviews actor Adam West, who talks about the upsides and downsides of playing Batman in the camp 1960s series (when his agent pitched him the role, he said, "Come on, I'm trying to have a serious career"); between "ib" and "that," Tom Weaver spins his first Starlog article, an interview with the Danish writer and director Ib Jorgen Melchior, who talks about The Angry Red Planet, Robin Crusoe on Mars, and more; grandmaster L. Sprague de Camp continues the Mars mini-theme with an eight-page exploration of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Mars stories, with an assist from Edward Gross, who writes a sidebar on Princess of Mars screenwriter Charles Edward Pogue; David Hutchison has a few more words on the colorization debate and how it's being played out in the marketplace, and he shares them – along with some notes on new genre video releases – in his Videolog column.
Michael Wolff makes his first appearance as a writer for Starlog, with more Mars coverage – specifically, with a look at George Pal's The War of the Worlds adaptation of H.G. Well's classic novel; Jean Airey and Laurie Haldeman interview Terry Nation, creator of Blake's 7; Texas-based writer Ardath Mayhar, writing the Other Voices guest column, looks at the creation of fictional aliens; in the cover story, Brian Lowry interviews Nightflyers star Catherine Mary Stewart; in a three-page "The Writers of Star Trek" section, Edward Gross profiles three different contributors to that series: Carey Wilbur ("Space Seed"), David P. Harmon (The Deadly Years," "A Piece of the Action"), and Stephan Kandel ("Mudd's Women" and "I, Mudd," plus the animated series' "Mudd's Passion" and "Jihad"); Robert Greenberger interviews actor Mark Lenard, who reprises his role as Spock's father in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home; the Fan Network pages include items on international fan clubs, a revived Nichelle Nichols fan club, answers to reader questions (such as, "Holy turnaround, what's going on with The Batman movie?), and more; in a two-page "The Guests of Trek" section, Mark Phillips profiles Roger Perry, and Frank Carcia profiles Meg Wyllie and Michael Forest; still more Trek comes from Edward Gross, who interviews Robert Butler, director of "The Cage" pilot episode of the original series; in his Booklog column, Chris Henderson chats with Fred Saberhagen (who talks about The Frankenstein Papers), and he notes the new print releases; Eric Niderost previews Robocop; Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier talk with Frank Oz about his new film, Little Shop of Horrors; in the Comics Scene column, Patrick Daniel O'Neill talks with Mark Evanier, co-creator (with Sergio Aragones) of Groo the Wanderer; and in his Liner Notes column, editor David McDonnell shares some behind-the-scenes tales of interviews, including a cute exchange he had with Rick Moranis and Frank Oz ("Rick, he's telling you to lie").
"Hell, the plot for 'Space Seed' came from an old Captain Video I did some 30 odd years ago. Of course, we did some very far out things on that show, including the popular idea of people being transported in space while in suspended animation."
–Carey Wilbur, writer of "Space Seed," interviewed by Edward Gross: "Carey Wilbur: Seed for a Trek Fairy Tale"
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Starlog #118, May 1987: Taking Point Position on Star Trek: The Next Generation
Probably one of the most lucrative opportunities that ever came along to the Starlog publishers was Paramount’s decision to produce a new Star Trek series in the late 1980s. Starlog was already identified with Trek from its very first issue – which had originally been intended as a Star Trek one-shot publication until distributor wimpiness forced the publishers to rethink their strategy. Even its name is a Star Trek throwback. And the magazine has covered (and would continue to cover to its dying days) every aspect of Trek – basically, every single writer, actor (including guest star), director, producer, craft services provider, etc., would get an interview in the magazine. And don’t think I’m mocking that; the magazine had enough pages to cover other topics, and it did so quite comprehensively.
But then Star Trek: The Next Generation was on another level altogether. Not only did the show perform spectacularly well for Paramount (it was originally intended to be the flagship program of a Paramount network – as Voyager would be years later – but the network didn’t materialize, and Next Generation instead became a syndicated program; in fact, it became the number-one syndicated television program for years. So, not only did it do well for Paramount, it was a godsend for Starlog. It provided an opportunity to feature the popular program on its cover and within its covers issue after issue, thereby boosting sales. It gave the magazine the opportunity to have former columnist David Gerrold return, a la Susan Sackett’s Star Trek Report, to chronicle the creation of this series. And Starlog won the licensing rights to publish the official Star Trek: The Next Generation magazine, which it would produce for the full run of the series (and for successor programs Deep Space Nine and part of Voyager). Licensed magazines were a very important contributor to the Starlog Group (aka O’Quinn Studios) bottom line, and I’d hazard a guess that the Next Generation magazines were the single biggest source of cash from that business line.
This issue, Starlog #118, features the first of Gerrold’s behind-the-scenes Next Generation columns, offering an exclusive look at the designs, characters, story ideas, and personnel of this groundbreaking TV series.
Starlog #118
76 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $2.95
In Starlog company news, David McDonnell announces that he’s no longer overseeing sister magazine Fangoria’s editing chores. Those have been assumed by junior editor Anthony Timpone, who would hold onto the reins for almost a quarter century. They’re also starting to mine the merchandising possibilities of that magazine, with the launch of the Fangoria Poster Magazine, modeled on the successful Starlog Poster Magazine. In staffing news, Eddie Berganza and Daniel Dickholtz (the writer of much comics-related articles) move up the staff box to be listed as contributing editors.
The rundown: The cover photo is Star Wars’ C3PO and R2D2 (posing with a giant rodent), getting in one last cover appearance before Star Trek: The Next Generation takes it over. In his From the Bridge column, Kerry O’Quinn heralds the new Star Trek: The Next Generation series; Communications letters feature a bumper crop of letters commenting on recent coverage of Japanese anime, plus letters on the future of Star Trek, Kerry O’Quinn’s liberty editorials, and more; the Medialog section includes Patrick Daniel O’Neill’s report on the renewal of Doctor Who without the lead actor (Colin Baker), plus David McDonnell’s comprehensive roundup of genre news (such as, oh, let’s see, a note that there’s nothing firm about a Lost in Space reunion movie: “However, insiders maintain it’s very unlikely that such a revival will ever take place”).
In his inaugural Generations column, returning champion David Gerrold offers a first inside look at the planning for Star Trek: The Next Generation and he ends it with a suggestion that now’s a damn good time to renew your Starlog subscription, so you stay informed; another veteran returning to the Star Trek fold for Next Generation, Dorothy Fontana, is interviewed by Edward Gross; in his Booklog column, Chris Henderson covers the latest genre book releases; Steve Swires talks with actor Rod Taylor, who discusses Outlaw, TV’s Masquerade, and more; Tom Weaver interviews actor Jeff Morrow (This Island Earth, Kronos, Captain Lightfoot); Jean Airey and Laurie Haldeman profile Blake’s 7’s “cowardly safecracker” Michael Keating; the Fan Network pages include an update on Star Trek fan clubs, answers to readers’ questions (such as, “Is the two-hour, European-version of Ridley Scott’s Legend with Jerry Goldsmith’s music available on video?”), and more; William Shatner talks about spoofing Trek on Saturday Night Live, the Trek movies – including his first thoughts on directing Star Trek V – and The Next Generation in an interview with Ian Spelling, Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier.
In another three-writer teamup, Bruce Gordon, David Mumford, and Chris Tietz explore Disneyland’s Star Tours, a Star Wars-themed attraction (plus a fourth writer, David Hutchison, chimes in with a sidebar on George Lucas’ involvement with the Disney enterprise); author George R.R. Martin is interviewed by only one writer, Daniel Dickholtz, and he discusses Nightflyers; Dickholtz also pens the Comics Scene column, looking at Retief, a comic about a 29th-century diplomat; David Hutchison’s Videolog looks at some on-sale genre videos; Marc Shapiro checks in with special effects designer Bill Stout and his illustrations for Masters of the Universe; a special Tribute section features the obituraries of five people: Scatman Crothers, Ian Marter, Elsa Lanchester, Keenan Wynn, and Roger C. Carmel; and editor David McDonnell wraps it all up in his Liner Notes column, where he deconstructs his editorial writing style, imparting some tidbits of news along the way.
“I think it is a mistake. To call a series Star Trek that doesn’t have the cast and the ship in it is an error. The error seems to me to be overexposure of the Star Trek name and the possibility of not having the Star Trek quality we’ve become accustomed to. It remains to be seen. [Should The Next Generation fail,] the whole thing is unnecessary jeopardy. ... It’s unnecessary to take that kind of risk. I don’t know how much money they’re going to make. I suppose it’s going to be considerable, but it can’t be more than the grosses they would make from the films. I don’t understand their reasoning. I’m not connected with this TV series at all.”
–William Shatner, actor/director, interviewed by Ian Spelling, Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier: “William Shatner: Captain’s Log: Star Trek V”
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Starlog #119, June 1987: Superman IV and Spaceballs
The fourth Christopher Reeve Superman film is the cover. It is in keeping with Starlog’s amazing run of runny grainy or even blurry photos of Supes on the cover. (They do, finally, break with that tradition when they put Brandon Routh’s 2006 Superman Returns on the cover with a very good photo.)
Meanwhile, Mel Brooks’ science-fiction spoof Spaceballs takes second place on the cover (the upper left-hand corner). For the eBay collectors among you, note that Starlog will publish the official licensed magazines (poster magazines, actually) for both Superman IV and Spaceballs.
Starlog #119
76 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $2.95
On a magazine production note, this issue heralds the return of glossy paper for all of the interior color pages. Thankfully, we don’t lose the nice crisp white quality of the black-and-white pages, which is frequently the casualty when Starlog makes this type of a switch.
The rundown: In his From the Bridge column, Kerry O’Quinn hits the hotel bar with actress Nichelle Nichols, where they drink cranberry juice and talk philosophy; Communications letters include a complaint about a small-town science-fiction convention failure, writer Diane Carey and a bunch of readers comment on Star Trek novels, a reader plays if-I-were-an-alien, and more; and Medialog features David McDonnell’s extensive roundup of genre news (such as the announcement that Sylvester McCoy has been chosen to replace Colin Baker as the newest Doctor Who).
Edward Gross interviews John D.F. Black, writer of Star Trek episodes; in the Fan Network pages, Robert Greenberger checks in with actor George Takei (including some photos from a Chris Elliott farce in which Takei takes part), plus there’s a longer report on Stan Woo’s Yorktown II: A Time to Heal film (featuring Takei), reader questions are answered (such as, “In Star Trek III’s novelization by Vonda McIntyre, Saavik and David Marcus had ‘positive feelings’ for each other, not to mention sex. Was this edited out of the final film?”); and there’s more Takei in this issue, as Marian Sue Uram interviews that actor, who talks Walk of Fame, costumes, merchandising, and more; in his second Generations column, David Gerrold introduces the character of Data and answers some popular questions about the new series (such as casting, story submission, etc.); in a three-page section titled “The Guests of Trek,” K.M. Drennan profiles David Opatoshu (”A Taste of Armageddon”), while Bill Warren profiles Barbara Anderson (”The Conscience of the King” ) and Elisha Cook (”Court Marshall”); David Hutchison’s Videolog notes the new genre video releases (such as The Outer Limits); in the first of a two-part article, Steve Swires interviews actor Kerwin Mathews, a Wisconsin native who talks The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad, The Three Worlds of Gulliver, and more; Andy Mangels talks with Nexus creator Mike Baron; Kim Howard Johnson previews Superman IV.
Brian Lowry visits the set of Spaceballs, where he learns that Rick Moranis is a real alien; in his first of many articles for Starlog, Bill Florence interviews writer Stephen Goldin; writer Ryerson Johnson explores “Doc Savage: The Ghosts in Bronze,” in the Other Voices guest column; in the second part of their exploration of Disneyland’s Star Tours, writers Bruce Gordon, David Mumford, and Chris Tietz examine how some of the magic was made; Carr D’Angelo interviews filmmaker Susan Siedelman about her John Malkovich-starring film, Making Mr. Right; Chris Henderson’s Booklog notes the new genre print releases; and David McDonnell’s Liner Notes column passes along some behind-the-scenes info from Ryerson Johnson (such as rewriting Ray Bradbury).
“Like Young Frankenstein, it’s important that it look like its source material. We always said from day one, within the budget, we wanted this picture to look as much like a classy space movie as it could.”
–Thomas Meehan, co-screenwriter, interviewed by Brian Lowry: “Spaceballs: The Set Visit”
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Starlog #120, July 1987: Double Anniversaries
With this issue, Starlog magazine turns 11 years old. There’s even an extra-length anniversary editorial from the publisher, plus some tiny text on the cover, telling you of the occasion.
But the anniversary that really is celebrated is the tenth anniversary of the Star Wars phenomenon. It’s featured on the cover and in eight articles and an editorial inside. That’s probably appropriate. If Star Trek got the magazine going (and would super-power it again over the next seven years in the form of the new syndicated TV series), then Star Wars – coming along in the magazine’s second year – broadened its base and assured its market.
So happy birthday, both of you kids.
Starlog #120
100 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $3.95
In his end-of-the-magazine column, editor David McDonnell gets various Starlog personnel to share their memories of the first time they saw Star Wars. (I particularly like David Hutchison’s story, which involved driving 120 miles round-trip once a week to see it during a summer of theater in North Carolina.) Had he asked me, I’d have told him that I saw Star Wars just before the big old movie palaces were all chopped up into multiplexes, so the theater to which my father took us in Madison, Wisconsin, was a grand old downtown theater – and it was packed. It was the perfect audience with which to see such a movie. Everyone was into it, and the excitement was shared with the whole group. It was one of the last such experiences I would have until the mid-1990s, when I was living in Chicago and got to experience modern movie palaces with giant crowds once again. So it’s probably fitting that I saw the Special Edition of Star Wars: A New Hope in one such theater right off North Michigan Avenue.
The rundown: The cover image is the famous Star Wars advertising painting. In his special anniversary From the Bridge editorial, publisher Kerry O’Quinn discusses dreams (doing the dreaming and achieving your dreams); the Communications section begins with an editorial note declaring that the magazine has changed its policy and will no longer print full addresses of the letter writers (due to the abuse of those addresses by some readers and businesses), while reader letters include comments on new Doctor Who Sylvester McCoy, the new Star Trek series, and an old series (thoughts on Captain Future from letter writer Bill Blackbeard, the director of San Francisco’s Academy of Comic Art); Medialog includes David Hutchison on a planned re-release of George Pal’s Puppetoon shorts, plus David McDonnell’s roundup of genre news (including the news that Starlog contributors Lee Goldberg and William Rabkin will be scripting a Blade film).
Jean Airey profiles the new Doctor Who, Sylvester McCoy; in his third Generations column, David Gerrold explains the creation of the story bible for Star Trek: The Next Generation, shows us some Andy Probert designs for the new Enterprise, and shares a snip of dialogue between Picard and Riker; in a great Star Wars background article, Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier delve into the early versions of Star Wars (called The Star Wars), illustrated with Ralph McQuarrie’s wonderful production art; a four-page Fan Network section includes an extensive guide to Star Wars fan clubs, numerous one-panel cartoons, short items on the Lucasfilm fan club and a new edition of Bjo Trimble’s The Star Trek Concordance, and answers to reader queries (such as, “Is there any chance of us seeing the Star Wars trilogy uncut [i.e., with missing scenes restored]?” – such precocious readers); comics writer Roy Thomas uses the Other Voices guest column to explain “How I Learned to Stop Worrying & Love Star Wars (Within Limits)”; going even further down that path, Patrick Daniel O’Neill provides an eight-page exploration of Star Wars in the comics form (including a sidebar on the Star Wars newspaper comic strip and on a chat with Jo Duffy, a writer of the Marvel Star Wars comic book.
A 15-page section called “Starlog Salutes Star Wars” features mini-excerpts of Star Wars articles from previous issues of the magazine, illustrated with lots of great photos (including the first one I ever saw of Han Solo arguing with a pre-digitized Jabba the Hutt); Phil Foglio contributes a one-page “Star WarStories” comic; Adam Pirani interviews Sebastian Shaw, the first actor to play Anakin Skywalker (in Return of the Jedi); and Michael Wolff tries to decipher hidden meanings (or at least come up with explanations for un-revealed plot details) in “Behind the Lines of the Star Wars.”
In a non-Wars article, David Hutchison looks at Peter Donen’s special effects for Mel Brooks’ Spaceballs; Jessie Horsting goes behind the scenes of Joe Dante’s film Innerspace; Steve Swires completes his two-part interview with actor Kerwin Mathews; Kim Howard Johnson talks to Margot Kidder about her last time playing Lois Lane; Lee Goldberg and Edward Gross interview James Bond screenwriter Richard Maibaum; David Hutchison’s Videolog notes the latest genre video and laserdisc releases; Marc Shapiro previews Predator, the only film I know of to feature two future governors (Jesse Ventura and Arnold Schwarzenegger) – I assume Carl Weathers has a candidacy in the offing; William Rabkin looks at Harry & the Hendersons (illustrated by George Kochell); Patrick Daniel O-Neill pens a one-page tribute to Patrick Troughton, the second man to play Doctor Who; and editor David McDonnell wraps it all up in his Liner Notes column by asking his pals what it was like when they first saw Star Wars.
“Mark [Hamill] was absolutely delightful to work with. He was very kind, and maybe even appreciative, to an old actor like me. He was glad to work with somebody of my experience. He was very nervous with the scene because, quite suddenly, a new dimension came into the whole thing, a real and genuine emotion – for Luke to meet his father, in those circumstances, and know that when that dreadful mask was taken off, it meant it was curtains for him. Incidentally, Mark nearly took my ears [off] with [the mask]. ‘Wow,’ I said.”
–Sebastian Shaw, actor, interviewed by Adam Pirani: “Sebastian Shaw: The Return of Anakin Skywalker”
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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 text, which are the property of Starlog. |
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