LAND OF THE GIANTS historical timeline

 LAND OF THE GIANTS chronology

 

IN THE BEGINNING-by William Welch-contains the name the giants call Earth--Sun Planet 111. The giant planet is Polarus Planet V but the giants here do not even come from the planet---they are from another planet themselves and have colonized the planet for 20 years! An alternate universe this one has Major Steve Warren and Alex Bryan as the ship's occupants, Tyce, Elser, Pell, Hode, and others as the little people who live on the planet where giant invaders have already been for 20 years! Very different and worth only a brief look at. Not at all the enthralling LAND OF THE GIANTS we would know and love. 

 

THE BIRTHDAY GIFT-fan fiction story by Jon Perrin which must be set in an alternate universe since here, Barry's mother Evelyn died first and his father Paul died second. Paul had married a woman called Stephanie. Charlotte Bannerman was Paul's housekeeper. In THE CRASH, Barry's mother was already widowed and she died just before the takeoff of Spindrift. The relatives in England were on Barry's mother's side. Barry turns 10.

 

THE CRASH-June 12, 1983----Barry's age is 10, Betty (middle name is Ann) is 22, Val (middle name is Ames) and Dan are 25, Barry's already widowed mother died two weeks ago, he is going to live with 3rd cousins he's never seen, Mark is 32, Steve may be 26. We will assume Fitzhugh is 50. Kurt was closer to 55 but we can assume the character was 50 (can't we?). Steve, 7 years out of Princeton, six foot, just transferred from the Chicago-Buenos Aries run. Dan built close to the ground at 5'10", 185 pounds, sidekick for the past 3 years. Betty holds top honors in stewardess rating, even disposition, a year in the states, three months on the Panama City run, she is geared for VIP flights. Slightly nervous newcomer but happy under any circumstances. Fitzhugh stole a million dollars. London had police waiting for him. He says he was a top secret courier for many years. Mark fought his way from tramp steamers through wildcat wells and high iron construction to the status of millionaire at the age of 32. Betty passes out chewing gum. Valerie Ames Scott's luggage has places she has been: Monte Carlo, Nice, Sun Valley, Acapulco, Rio De Janeiro, Tokyo, New Delhi, London. She has mags, candy. Val has landed a private jet on the Champs Elysees, water skied through Venice at midnight, and parachuted from a plane. The Happening, a magazine, has interviewed her and put her on their cover. She has a chauffeur who picks her up on airstrips. Dan is an ex decathlon star. Mark has learned a long time ago not to argue with a gun. Strange gas room appears in the Spindrift (Jupiter 2 flight deck rear). Spindrift has solar batteries that need recharging.   

 

THE FIRST NIGHT-fan fiction short story by Jean Flack about Steve's pondering after the first night of landing on the giant planet--just after THE CRASH.

 

THE CRASH-There are other universes that have had the same occurrences on the same date--June 12, 1983 and sometimes earlier--but with slightly different changes--these include IN THE BEGINNING-a very different universe with only two astronauts trapped on a land of same sized humans who have been invaded by the giants from another planet; THE EIGHT MINUTE PRESENTATION REEL universe where Steve's name is Tim Burton and there is no Valerie, only a Joan Templeton-a scientist--a geneticist and a medical doctor, a DSC and MD--travelling to London to attend a scientific convention, Flight is 703, Fitzhugh used many aliases among them Peter Lingelhopper, Dan has been with Tim (Steve) since 1978, Betty wears a strange outfit with a dome on her head, Barry has sharp sarcastic wit, a giant goldfish attacks the little people; the UNAIRED CRASH PILOT universe which then runs almost the same to the main universe (except there is no dog attack in the junkyard and Fitzhugh finds their way back to the spaceship using his lost money), we see the Spindrift seat belt lights work; in another the CRASH occurred on September 25th, 1983 (the date of the final script and used in WILD JOURNEY). In another Steve Burton was played by Sam Elliot! 

 

THE LEINSTER NOVEL NUMBER ONE-THE TRAP--June 12th through to June 15th---(preferred to take place in an alternate universe, one of many infinite numbers of alternate universes)----here the giant planet has two moons. Added character of Marjorie in this parallel universe. She was from a ship called the Anne. Planet of giants is 11 light years from Earth. Spindrift has baggage compartments and rooms as well as exits from the rear of the ship. A fire exit is beneath the passenger compartment window storage area. Bubble roof exit. The Spindrift here is called Flight 703. Spindrift can land and take off using a rocket procedure--with its nose facing the sky and it can be raised or lowered onto its belly), the encounter with the space warp, and the landing on a giant road. Mark is called Wilson throughout the book and is much calmer, less at odds with Steve, if at all. Mark also wears glasses and is an astronomer who is taking a telescope-radar tracking device to London. Fitzhugh is seemingly a coward, overcoming a great fear. We find out he had a nervous breakdown after dismantling an atomic power plant which threatened to blow up. It wasn't his fault but he did manage to shut down the atomic pile--after two hours. Steve tells all this to Wilson. Barry is 14 not ten years old as he was in THE CRASH. He also smuggled Chipper aboard, another change from the TV show. Betty worries much too much and Steve is usually depressed. Leinster argues that skyscrapers could not hold a race of giants--the metal and wood would only hold so much weight and he explains that planes are impossible for a race of giants. He also gives an explanation as how the giants control their movements---their bodies have that reserve of adrenalin that Earth humans have in emergencies---but the giants' adrenalin is always on. There is beauty of this world as well as its horror. Also there are many social comparisons: Earth had everything so technically perfect, moving in unstoppable machines and mechanical routines that this time space accident never even occurred to Steve or Dan, in fact, no accident seemed possible. Other problems present themselves: hopelessness at never being able to find the warp, of finding a far out, changed future Earth if centuries have passed due to the 11 light year flight and passage of time, of killing for food, and extreme pessimism. Steve figures that a return to Earth so changed by future time would be a more difficult adjustment than life in the land of the giants. Leinster also notes that real experiences often have long, tedious stretches between them. The imagery of Dan holding up a torch while a menagerie of insects and animals parades around him, trying to find a way out of the shed, is stunning. So is the idea of Steve shoving a torch into a snake's out-of-the-darkness-looming face. Steve also conjectures a bit about the giant government and that they may deny the little people exist, may leave them alone, or even actually want to make deals with the little people. Steve says, "I plan to trust individual giants about as far as I can throw them."   

 

ENDINGS TO THE CRASH-June 12--June 13, 1983--There are many different endings to THE CRASH: among them: a comic strip version where Steve tells Betty that a burger will last them a long time; a viewmaster version that has Dan, Mark, and Steve working on equipment while Steve believes they will make it since insects make it on Earth; a similar ending in the script followed by Barry and Chipper finding Kagan's lost tape recorder leading into THE WEIRD WORLD opening; the unaired filmed pilot where everyone follows Fitzhugh back to the ship using his money as a trail. Consider each one an alternate universe. A few may be able to fit into just after the aired THE CRASH ending--it is night and the seven travelers are looking for a way back to the ship--they could find the money trail than the next day, Betty and Steve could talk about survival--then Steve, Dan, and Mark could work on the equipment, Barry and Chipper could find the tape recorder...

 

RON LORDI'S LAND OF THE GIANTS-This is a home movie version of the crash of Spindrift, beginning with all the scenes at the airport with Collier, who is a man here with a secretary. The flu is mentioned, the Shamrock is put on hold and Spindrift is taken by Mark Wilson, Alexander Fitzhugh, brunette Valerie Scott, and a FOUR YEAR OLD Barry Lockridge. There is no Chipper, Dan is white, and Betty has long brunette hair. All of the unaired pilot scenes are included here. Mark and Fitzhugh leave the ship, not Barry and Fitzhugh. Valerie is taken by a giant man-ape named Bobo, rescued by Steve, and both are captured by a long haired Jodar--who is much older than he was in GENIUS AT WORK and taken to Dr. Arno, who plans to dissect Valerie. Bobo breaks out and saves her. Mark joins up with Dan to rescue the other two. Bobo gets Val again. Using parts from the ship, Mark makes a laser sound type gun to get Bobo to release Val. A snake attacks Steve and Val but Bobo stops it. Spiders also attack first Steve and then Dan. Betty and Barry are captured by Kobick who wears a t-shirt. Fitzhugh aides in the rescue of the boy and Betty--and Mark who was also captured by Kobick. They all get away. A strange but fun endeavor.

 

THE WEIRD WORLD-June 20, 1983---Major Kagen first appearance and apparent death. The National Air Research Team was lost in a space orbiting lab and thought dead. Giants captured most of them. Only Kagen survived the capture and escape. His men were killed by a giant spider. First mention and look at Science Center.

 

THE BRITISH COLORING BOOK-June 12th-through to June 21, 1983--features unrelated drawings from THE CRASH and Kagan from THE WEIRD WORLD as well as the little people scouting around their new land, spotting various objects such as water glasses and spectacles. Val encounters a giant spider. (This could be short unrelated adventures and as such could also be part of an alternate or parallel universe in which these events took place only there, but not in the main universe).

 

THE TRAP-June 30, 1983-Giant mentions other spaceships from Earth have landed here. Mention of a reward for capturing little people. Giants have tents, radar, trucks.

 

THUMBNAIL SKETCH-fan fiction by Lindar--possibly July 1, 1983--A cat attack wounds Steve and he is nursed back to health, unable to be moved, by Dan. One time four years ago, they had beaten airbase security and snuck aboard the JX17, a top secret spacecraft. A very different alternate universe--the relationship between Dan and Steve is a lot...uhmm, different.

 

THE BOUNTY HUNTER-July 2, 1983 to July 4, 1983-Reward posters seen. Mark was the chairman of the board of 17 corporations before the age of 30 (and Val wonders if it was the other way around).

 

ALTERNATE WORLD BOUNTY HUNTER-July 2, 1983--Steve is named Tim in this alternate universe, the reward postings are dropped by plane, and giant flying insects attack the little people and the spaceship in this alternate universe. Also--the bounty hunter is the giant entomologist from THE CRASH. Giant language, written and spoken, is very alien, yet they speak some English. 

 

THE LEINSTER NOVEL NUMBER TWO--THE HOT SPOT--July 12, 1983-July 27, 1983--(preferred to be thought of as taking place in an alternate universe-but the same universe as Leinster's other novels)-

 

THE BRITISH ANNUALS-Crash Into the Unknown (another alternate world version of THE CRASH--in which the giants brought the spaceship, here called only 703, to their planet using a giant man made Time Warp, Fitzhugh is rougher and meaner); THE HAPPY RETURN (703 is in an ornamental pool of the scientist who made the Time Warp, Fitzhugh smokes a cigar and Mark acts somewhat cowardly but figures they are in another dimension--another universe, the ship lands on a tall building's roof in a city of skyscrapers); THE TOY TRAP---Val, Fitz, and Steve hunt for a battery but find dangers at a farm; escaping in a toy tank in a box, they discover this tank is a bomb to destroy the Law Palace and they stop it, Steve wanted to spank Valerie (!); BARRY AND THE BANK ROBBERS--Barry and Chipper who get away from 703 which is perched atop a larger skyscraper--the pair become involved with bank robbers, a vault, a lift, and a helicopter; giants here use pound notes, Steve wants to spank Barry(!); THE LOST ONE--Betty and Valerie (who wonders what her Riviera pals would say if they could see her humping water containers!!?!) meet Tuftian  Spicer--the angry, mad, only survivor of explorer team who set out from Earth in 1954 (when Val claims that was 32 years ago, we learn that the year here in this alternate universe is 1986), Val and Betty use a balloon to get away from him; THE BARGAIN---a drought takes place while Val, Steve, and Fitzhugh are away, a brush fire and the water shot by firemen spell trouble--washing 703 (with Dan, Mark, and Betty inside) near a drain--Barry offers to get a giant boy's baseball if the boy will pull 703 up out of the drain, Barry was a knot tying Boy Scout back on Earth; NIGHTMARE IN GIANT LAND-the giants' moon is 12 times the size of our moon and the stars appear larger, a giant carnival spells big trouble for all seven Earth people; MINI-SPIES--Steve and Mark stop Anti Earth group giants Kram and Arrof from killing a kindly Prof. Apage--a man who wants to make peace with the little people; TWO IN A TRAP-Betty and Valerie escape Dr. Kroom--we find out the giants have the same internal bone structure as Earthlings; PYGMIES AT PLAY--703 flies through a ventilator fan into a building--a department store and escapes again through a mesh of an air conditioner using its metal beryllium steel ram; MIDGET SAFARI--703 lay in the crotch of a giant flower tree, Steve, Mark, Fitzhugh, and Val are followed to a super market by Barry, Mark had a gun, 703 goes out of control; ESCAPE TO THE DEEPS continues the story begun in MIDGET SAFARI--we move faster than the giants do--Steve figures that time slows down for the giants so that on Earth--a man would live a lifetime in only a few years of a giant's life, the garden of the scientist who put the 703 through the Time Warp proves still dangerous, 703 is captured and gets away--but later lands in a giant pool; RAID FOR SURVIVAL---a rain flood nearly drowns Barry and Chipper but 703 swoops in to save them, the ship leaves the city and encounters yet another farm, lands in a haystack, Betty uses a medical chest from the ship; IN A NUTSHELL--a pool, a giant boy named Prak who puts Barry through some tests against his beetle, another boy named Arix, and a Steve rescue of Barry from an empty fish tank; THE BIG RISK---Dan and Barry play chess; Mark once worked for the FBI, building homing devices; Dan meets a scientist who is kind to the little people and will convince his people to trust them, when the meeting goes wrong--the kindly scientist--Burrock stops Dr. Olf from harming and capturing Dan, Mark hot wired the lift to help Dan get away; GRIFL MUST DIE--the gang try to steal a battery from a beggar's hearing aide, from which Mark and Steve overhear a plot to assassinate the President--Grifl who is arriving at the Praesidium, the beggar is a spy, Fitzhugh doesn't want to get involved since they have enough troubles of their own, they do get involved and save Grifl.              

STEVE'S BLACK EYE-fan fiction by Maria Anne Bennett-July 28, 1983---Valerie gives Steve a split lip and a black eye over some argument they have. Steve is tired of fighting with Mark, Fitzhugh, and Val. Mark goes after Val, convinces her to return so they can work together to get off the planet, and is grabbed up by a giant little boy-Robbie. Val makes him drop Mark and the two get caught in an avalanche and fall into a gully. Val nurses Mark and calls the others in to rescue them. Somewhat silly fan fiction but has it moments. Should really be considered an alternate universe--as Val would not hit Steve--she was hardly a very physical fighter.

 

THE GOLDEN CAGE-July 29, 1983-Marna's first appearance--she and her parents Mr. Charles and Mrs. Whalen were on a trip to Paris, France and the crashed in the land of the giants. Spindrift galley. Mention made of other Earth ships and people here.

 

THE HORNET-fan story by Josette Barlett-July 29, 1983--another version of THE GOLDEN CAGE--consider most fan fiction to be yet more alternate universes.

 

THE LOST ONES-August 7, 1983-Nick, Dolph, Hopper, and Joey appear, the others of their gang are supposed to be all dead except for Pete and Robbie--who are somewhere, captured by other giants.

 

WINGS OF FREEDOM-a sequel to THE GOLDEN CAGE by Jean Flack-August 8, 1983---this could be considered an alternate universe--Marna, after about a week and few days (a week and a few days after THE GOLDEN CAGE), leaves her giant captors and seeks out Mark and the Spindrift, realizing they were correct about her. En route, a giant rodent attacks her, she flees into a hole but it wounds her terribly and she dies in Mark's arms, re-meeting him, Betty, and Steve.

 

THE GOLD KEY COMIC BOOK ISSUES ONE TO FIVE-August 9---through to September 9, 1983----THE MINI CRIMINALS (The Power Seekers, The Torch is Lit); COUNTDOWN TO ESCAPE (The Wings of an Eagle, The Little Buccaneers); GIANT DAMSEL IN DISTRESS (Mirror Power, The Charge of the Light Brigade); SAFARI IN GIANTLAND (Assault and Battery, Babes in Toyland); CRISIS ! (The Doctor's Dilemma, A Life in Their Hands)-in this last one, Barry contracts a lung condition due to a virus caused by the space warp and it is mentioned Dan was a medic in service. These should also be considered as part of an alternate, parallel universe. There is also an Eastern Country which is at odds with the country the Spindrift is located in.

 

GOLD KEY COMIC NUMBER ONE---THE MINI-CRIMINALS-August 9, 1983

STORY: PART ONE-THE POWER SEEKERS-Steve, Barry, Betty, and a jacket and tie wearing Mark hear a giant alarm. They spot a criminal being chased by police. Mark points out he is carrying a transistor radio which they can use to get 703 functioning again. The group borrow a child's roller skate and follow. Next, Betty, Mark and Steve fly balloons across the street to follow the crook. Steve sent Barry  to camp to tell the others. Steve lets the gas out and soon the trio climb through a mail slot. They climb up a fishing pole to a table, then use a nail file to open the radio carrying case. Steve accidentally falls onto the "ON"  switch and music brings the criminal from his bedroom. Hiding in a cigarette pack, Betty sneezes. Carlo Krog captures all three and threatens  to squeeze them. He gets an idea to use them as crooks. Val, Dan, and Fitz ride on a lady's shopping wagon across the street and avoid pedestrians. Val looks into the letter drop slot and sees Krog holding Betty in a cigar wrapper. He tells Mark and Steve they will rob the Kalindor diamond or he will kill Betty! PART TWO-THE TORCH IS LIT-Carlo Krog leaves for the jewelry store. As he slams the door, Val, Dan, and Fitz just make it inside. They roll the battery off the table and haul it through the slot using Steve's rope. Using Krog's tools, Steve and Mark cut the glass case containing the diamonds and drop the gem off the table. They blast their way through the vent grill and carry the gem out. Krog carries them in his pocket. Steve uses Krog's butane lighter to set him on fire. He falls, dropping Betty's tube. Betty is freed. Dan rigs up a traffic light to hold on "RED". As Dan, Val, and Fitz cross the street under a paper bag, the other three join them. Krog follows them to the park. The six hide in a gopher hole. Mark sets his radio to the battery and calls the police, who arrive quickly. Steve shoots Krog's ankle and the police spot the crook. Krog aims his gun at the police but they shoot him dead. The battery is also dead. The others agree to try to find another power source. Fitzhugh as in the annuals is in full Navy dress, Mark wears his jacket and tie, and all are in early first season clothing. The battery search is repeated in "similar fashion in GRIFL MUST DIE" in the 1970 Annual story. In part two of this tale, 703 is oddly shaped and has a hatch on the roof. The inside does not match the TV version. The Annual illustrations also have a vague and different interior. For this issue of the comic, no door is seen 

in part two.

 

LAND OF THE GIANTS GOLD KEY COMIC #2--COUNTDOWN TO ESCAPE-August 13-August 15, 1983---

STORY: PART ONE-THE WINGS OF AN EAGLE--Barry misses a ball thrown by Dan and hears a monster at the zoo. Steve, Mark, Dan and the wise cracking, annoying Val go there and see a lion. They run from a caretaker into a giant aviary--a bird house. Val's friend Renato Brindisi used to train eagles. Steve gets Val to train the eagle which she through was a male. The others at white 703 (terribly drawn here and looking nothing like Spindrift from TV) use a harness to wrap around the ship. Finally the eagle flies 703 past a giant helicopter to the sloped side of a water tower on top a skyscraper. There is not enough fuel for a takeoff but this will do. They undo the harness and slide down but they hit the corner of a building--heading straight toward another building. The eagle grabs 703, saving it. Val and Steve go onto his leg which Steve has to burn slightly. He lets the ship go now and it flies toward the park. The eagle flies toward the aviary threatening capture of Valerie and Steve. PART TWO-THE LITTLE BUCCANEERS-Concealing themselves in the feathers, the two are not seen. Val finds out the eagle is a girl. Hawks attack them. They escape through another cage but a gorilla nearly smashes them. A boy drops his ice cream cone and grabs them. Val hits him and he drops them into water. A giant white polar bear surfaces. They barely get away from it and a zoo keeper who has a net. Using a lily pad, the pair go out onto a lake to a toy model boat. They take the ship away from an old man Slaghorn. It is a freighter which is nearly crushed by a giant oar from a couple in a rowboat. Steve calls the others who meet them by the beach. They plan to haul out the motor but a rainstorm hits. Everyone escapes but the freighter sinks with the motor on it. The giant rages but he will never know that a group of tiny people are more upset over the loss of his ship. Steve gives them hope and encouragement as the rain stops and the sun comes up through the clouds in a truly touching and beautiful scene. Val calls Steve, "Steve, boy,"  a lot. Steve says nonsense like, "Great howling comets!"  Similarly, Barry says things like, "Golly gee, whee" and more--this is more akin to Will Robinson on LOST IN SPACE than to Barry. The first part seems really stupid--to have an eagle fly 703 up off a water tower does not seem plausible. A zoo and the toy freighter. There is no door seen on the 703 and a different interior.

 

LAND OF THE GIANTS COMIC BOOK ISSUE #3-GIANT DAMSEL IN DISTRESS--August 16-August 18, 1983---

STORY: PART ONE-MIRROR POWER-Val after having nightmares (of 703 entering the green mass and later of monsters attacking her--rats, dogs, a giant foot, and a massive car)--goes to cut fruit. She tells Steve and Betty she can no longer work off her miseries playing at Miami or Monte Carlo. Val sees a young girl sitting on a park bench and decides to try to get her mirror--it may be good as a solar lens. To save her from an attacking man, Val hatchets open a hornet's nest and the hornets chase him away. Val tries to get the mirror but the girl, Linda, sees Val fall. They become good friends. Steve hugs Val when Linda brings the mirror and Val to camp. Bank robbers had jumped into Linda's car so the police think Linda is a gun moll and the crooks know she is a witness. Linda is visiting the city from a small town. The little people make a straw hat for her and use extra port windows for glasses for her. These will disguise Linda so she can get out of the park. But when a gust of wind takes her hat, a crook spots her while she is carrying 703 under her arm. PART TWO-THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE-Two thugs tail Linda to her hotel. They use a false letter to find out Linda Cruther's apartment number 15. The thugs force their way in. Steve uses 703 in flight to frighten the crooks. He lands the ship on a shelf and as the crooks try to gas Linda at a stove, he sprays ammonia at them. Val and Steve drop butter under the crooks, then the others haul light bulbs into 703's rocket engine tubes to fire them at the crooks. Next, Steve settles the ship onto a chandelier and burns it so that it will fall onto the crooks. 703, drained, flies toward the window but Linda grabs it to save them from spiraling out into traffic. On her window-balcony ledge the little people await the solar power to re-energize 703. Linda calls the police to come get the two robbers. 703, later, flies up past kites. One hits an updraft and 703 tears through the kid's kite--losing the solar mirror in the process. The mirror had been attached to the ship. The tracking kids and their father are lost by 703 which re-lands in the park. Val cooks a meal as the "heart weary crew and passengers return to their isle of loneliness in the land of the giants."  Spindrift is somewhat but it is white again as in the first two issue of this Gold Key comic series. Some of the imagery is interesting though (Val's nightmare was wild and the waiting on the window ledge a nice quiet calm before the storm). Now Spindrift's door is on the correct side but it is odd shaped and white.

 

LAND OF THE GIANTS GOLD KEY COMIC #4-SAFARI IN GIANTLAND-August 22-August 24, 1983---

STORY: PART ONE-ASSAULT AND BATTERY-Steve brings a newspaper ad about a sale of batteries. Using a giant map of the city they plot a safari toward the dept. store. Inside the ship (which looks like the Spindrift now--passenger compartment and all) Steve plans to go to Dacy Dept. Store at nine AM. For one hour they trek past grass, pavement, and cars. To cross a street they all tie each other together and climb up a bridge. Val falls, pulling Dan down also just as a truck approaches. Its diesel engine stack threatens with fire. The others pull them up and then hug the bridge for protection from the flames. Betty screamed but apologizes to Steve. They cross the footbridge and go due south. On a square metal surface the six (minus Barry) are lifted up on a cellar garbage lift while a janitor picks up the cans from below. Val continues her awful rhymes and quips as they go on after the lift lowers back down to the street level. The six pass a sleeping cat, a street cleaning truck, and a car which runs over them. Steve cuts a hole in a giant woman's shopping bag and the adults from 703 ride in it to the store. In the store, Steve climbs a wicker basket to see a list that tells the batteries are on the second floor. They decide to go up the backstairs instead of chancing the elevator. As they try, an escalator grabs them up and thrusts them upward. Betty almost got her foot caught. Steve tells Valerie to pray. PART TWO-BABES IN TOYLAND-Mark and Steve ride a tube up to the third floor, causing a giant lady worker to faint. They take a toy truck, ride down past the floor manager and down the escalator to the others. The others load a battery onto it and ride up the skis from the sports dept. They go to a parcel chute basket. They drive it past the man who wraps gifts and to a conveyor belt. Then, impossibly, ride across a package to get off the belt. Outside they startle the truck loaders and the horse of a mounted policeman. They hide the truck in an excavation pipe to eat, rest, and plan. The moon comes up full. Toward the dawn, they start the truck out again. A sewer rat attacks them. Dan props a stick in its mouth. Then Steve drives to a giant traffic light toward the park. A giant milkman jumps the red light and runs right over them. In the park, the truck brakes give out on a slope, forcing everyone to leap out. The truck overturns, dumping the battery into a sewer drain--into water. Steve tries to get their hopes up again. Mark asks Betty if she will "make us the best meal in giant park."  She answers, "Uh huh, Mark."  Spindrift's door is on the wrong side. Barry is not in this story at all. There is a toy truck escape on the basket and conveyor belt. In a department store but FLIGHT OF FEAR handled that concept a bit better. I also do not understand the logic of going in the morning. 

 

LAND OF THE GIANTS GOLD KEY COMICS #5-September 7-Sept. 9, 1983

PART ONE-THE DOCTOR'S DILEMMA-Spindrift's color is correct and the shape is almost right. The door is again on the wrong side. Steve and Mark dangle from a tree to avoid a giant who is sleeping on a park bench. They do this to get his glasses which can rev up the solar batteries. The man sneezes and nearly sends Steve flying. The pair get the glasses back to camp. They cannot blast off because Barry has a lung condition. Dan, once a medic in service (shades of DEADLY LODESTONE's reference to his having served a term in a war in Asia) says it is most likely a giant virus and the 703 cabin pressure could kill him in flight. Mark in tie and jacket and Steve use a sling, carrying Barry over the footbridge. An assassin bombs the Eastern Premier's limousine which the two hide Barry under. Ultimately the sneak into a doctor's medical bag. Dr. Rains stops the operation of Premier Klosson and Dr. Clemments agrees with him. A sliver of glass embedded in Klosson's heart endangers the rest of the operation. An official from Klosson's country complains only to be told by an official that the East had a dozen assassinations in the last few years. At Rains' home, Steve and Mark open the bag with the medical tools, poise a makeshift bow and arrow at him (in case he is not friendly) and pour a glass of water on him to wake him from sleep. The bow was a window blind, the arrow a scalpel. They explain to Rains but the doctor grabs a pillow, blocking their scalpel weapon. Steve and Mark, who would never leave Barry, are trapped. PART TWO-A LIFE IN THEIR HANDS-Rains grabs the pair but wants to help them. He tells them Barry has space warp flu. Rains makes an injection needle out of one of the human's radio wires. He administers an anti biotic serum because it would have killed one as tiny as Barry. Rains explains that Klosson's death may start a war. He carries the three in his medical bag, back to 703 where Fitzhugh, startled, warns the girls. Fitz tells them a nature lover giant stepped on and smashed the glasses. Rains offers to get them a power source, then suddenly gets an idea. Steve and Mark can, guided by him, remove the glass from Klosson's heart. After only a few hours rest and longer hours of preparation, the three go to the operating room. The pair remove it and save Klosson. Rains hurries the two back to the park with a battery. As he does enemies of peace follow and shoot him dead. They also kick the battery sky high. Rain's bag falls and opens. Steve and Mark get out. Steve, angry, runs at the killer, "I'll avenge his death somehow."  Mark tries to pull him back but Steve stabs the killer with a scalpel. This causes him to yell, drawing the attention of a woman who witnessed the murder--and a pair of cops. Steve and Mark flee as a shootout occurs. Apparently the killers are shot and killed themselves-by the police. Steve cheers everyone up again telling them Barry is well and that "some of the giant people like us--and somewhere out in giantland is another Dr. Rains who will help us."

With a political leader in jeopardy from spies and needing an operation. Mark and Steve have to step on Klosson's heart! One good point: we never find out if the assassins are from Klosson's own Eastern country or from the  country the little people are in. 703 looks most like Spindrift here, the color is red and in shape it looks fine. Only the door persists to be on the wrong side as in issue 4. Issue 2 had a badly rendered 703 both inside and out. It had a white color and red shutters with a rooftop exit hatch. Issue 3 had it still white but somewhat better illustrated. The Annuals bounced from a bad star shaped version to an excellent Spindrift.

 

THE GOLIATH GUN-September 10-11, 1983-Un-filmed episode, unmade-can be considered in an alternate universe. Not much known about this. A two man rocketship from the US crashes and a man called Davis gets out.

  

MANHUNT-September 13, 1983-Beta control system mentioned. Spindrift, carried off by a giant convict, is moved several times: near a farm house, into a quicksand bog, just outside of the bog, and finally to the same spot. Spindrift is air tight and has a ventilation system and viewport shutters-shields. Mark converts an astrogater into a radio range finder.

 

FRAMED-September 19, 1983-Barry is still 10 years old. First trip by little people inside a camera. 

 

THE WHITMAN COLORING BOOK-NAMED BY ME "THE REUNION"--September 20-September 24th--The little people face a forest fire, being stranded on an island, and returning a giant dog to its owner across a sea left by a rainfall. (This fun but improbable story can be considered part of another parallel universe for purists). There is a campsite fire.

 

THE CREED-September 26, 1983-Barry turns 11 years old; Dr. Brule--first appearance, is captured and imprisoned in solitary for life due to his helping the little people during an operation on Barry--the removal of his appendix. Brule also mentions an Earth ship had crashed here and all its occupants died--he found a German medical textbook--and it is all in German, leading one to believe it may have been a German spaceship. Fitzhugh can read German and the others cannot. Mark uses the ship's compressor to make ice packs for Barry.

 

THE FLIGHT PLAN-October 15th through October 17th, 1983-Joe's first appearance and apparent death. His real name is not Joe--it is Logia. Moluk is one of his giant aides.

 

THE JOE 90 STORIES-THE LAND OF THE GIANTS--ALTERNATE UNIVERSE--Oct. 18th, 1983--Dan, Mark, Steve, and Barry encounter a boy and his dog--and toys, Barry teases Steve about being much older, Barry is a teenager in this alternate universe; AIRFORCED-Steve and Mark seek uranium fuel and reach an airforce base--after being captured by a giant who is captured, deciding to enlist the help of an imprisoned giant, fight off a spider, they also take a wild ride in a helicopter, NOTE: There were 34 weekly issues of Joe 90 that had LAND OF THE GIANTS tales in them and there were also some Joe 90 Yearbook Annuals with GIANT tales in them. The little people (in the weekly series of Joe 90s) battled through snowdrifts, thunderstorms, and are caught by every conceivable type of giant from the friendly to the not so friendly. Soldiers, fishermen, gangsters, farmhands, and the police all feature prominently as adversaries, and giant animals also appear: a bull, a weasel, dogs, rats, and others.  

 

THE TV 21 STORIES-Oct. 22th, 1983--DANGEROUS LINE--a reward is out for their capture; in this parallel universe, Dan's last name is Bailey; an old man, a former conductor for the trains, captures Barry, Dan, Mark, and Steve for his grandson's train sets; the real train leaves with the little people in a shoe box--and they must get away from the train, Dan always wanted to be a railroad driver, Val tells Barry, "You should go on a train ride everyday--then perhaps, we wouldn't have our usual trouble in getting you to bed."   Betty uses a toy tea cup they found on their second day on the land of the giants; SOLDIERS OF DOOM---Mark rides a giant bumper of a car when Steve, Barry, and Dan are carried away in the trunk--put there by a family of picnicking giant; the son takes them for his battle games; GIANT MAKER---Magnus Karsh is a professor nearing the spaceship Spendthirft (?!?--a parallel universe don't forget), others made a laughing stock of this genius but he can make things grow to  "normal"  size--attempting to make the little people into giants. NOTE: there were 54 issues of TV 21 with LAND OF THE GIANTS serials in them and there were also TV 21 Annuals with GIANTS tales in them.  

 

UNDERGROUND-November 5, 1983-Gorak appears, apparent death-news of another spacecraft from Earth-a Capt. Hartmann. There is a campsite fire. Steve keeps his code designation book in a closet in the hall of Spindrift.  

 

BRITISH NOVEL NUMBER ONE-SLINGSHOT FOR A DAVID-November 6, 1983-(the British novels by James Bradwell could be its own parallel or alternate universe). Spindrift has jets, motor, and battery housings. Some information about the giants' security police. The giants have no names and their motives are obscure--sometimes too vague and muddled. Direct references are made to THE CRASH, UNDERGROUND (about most of Gorak's gang being killed off), MANHUNT (near where they almost lost the ship), THE BOUNTY HUNTER, and THE TRAP. Their watch hunt being more successful this time. Steve worries about Barry finding a good home once they get back to Earth and he is also drawn to Fitzhugh. He also has a problem putting things to a vote again---with Barry and girls joining up with Fitzhugh this time in saying no to a fire in the forest--which the giant killer later starts anyway. The very last page is interesting in that it suggests an almost sexual tension from Steve for Betty. One sore point is having Betty mess up so badly in the first spy mission on the HQ. I don't think Betty would do that badly--although it is a possibility. The main plot of assassination was a rather good one enhanced by the sub plot of the ship's near implosion. Irony also came into play when travellers voted down the fire and then the killer started it anyway. They had slaved to effect that alternate plan--shooting the killer! This is where the characterization falls down--it was Steve's idea to shoot the sniper even though in BOUNTY HUNTER he is against using guns and in other episodes abhors violence and murder. I feel the travellers would risk death by the fire to avoid killing and they could have been killed by the gun plan just as much as by the fire plan. Steve's first plan was the fire and even that could have killed the sniper. To have him and the others carry out this gun plan seems to make them murderers also. Dan is almost totally ignored. Mark sticks up for Steve and gives him some comfort!? The story is a good read though and is recommended to fans. Bradwell's two novels call the spaceliner only Flight 703 as does FLIGHT OF FEAR, the three Leinster novels (but he also calls it Spindrift, the Bradwell novels do not), the viewmaster booklet, and the early references to the show before it aired also do. Mark tells Steve he will have to repair the housing on the hydrogen cells and if radium is not refilled into them--the ship will implode. In the meantime, the gang get caught up in the affairs of a giant killer who stabs an accomplice. They try to get a watch off the dead man and a rock snags it off for them. Overhearing the giants, Steve and Dan deduce the giants are planning a sniper attack from a platform high in the tree---a sniper attack on Security HQ. Betty and Steve mount a mission to the HQ but Betty messes up, trips, and sets off alarms. Dan and Steve return, facing a rat on a chain, a gun sticking into the vents, and the heat turned up on them. They find out the killer has a poster of them and is one of the higher ranking men in the place--and his victim will be either the head of security or the leader of the country they are in-the dictator. The group outvote Mark, Dan, and Steve in setting fire to the platform but Steve gets another idea--use a gun that was lost in the quicksand area to shoot the sniper out of the platform. But before they can, the killer sets fire to the ship after getting Steve, who cuts his way out of the giant's pant's pocket. The ship takes off, repaired and distracts the giant sniper and he shoots the killer by mistake. Drained, the ship has to land back in the park--far from the city. Steve elects Barry to close the door on one more adventure.

 

BRITISH NOVEL NUMBER TWO-November 10, 1983-THE MEAN CITY-by James Bradwell-November 10, 1983-(see above for considering these two books in their own universe)--Out gathering berries, Betty and Steve encounter a giant caterpillar which falls asleep. Dan and Mark are near a highway where they see giant Roderick Keller bury a painting of a young girl in view of his wife Helen. The painting belongs to his political opponent--scientist Dr. Edwin Fowler. Both are running for mayor. Mark stupidly takes a puff off of Fowler's fallen cigarette. Mark has a plan: unbury the painting, hide it, and go find Fowler. If he will help them return to Earth, they will give it back to him. The two find all the others fast asleep--they ate the berries that make one fall asleep. Gooseberry juice. They rouse Betty who ate only a little. They hide the painting, go to a cafe to steal food and tie themselves to a car to go 30 Earth miles to Fowler's town. They avoid giants, use a phone book, call a taxi at a pay phone, hop in it and ride to Fowler's home! At Tower Heights, Fowler turns out to be a creep: he puts them in a toy doll house in a playpen--after drugging them, treats them (along with his wife Melinda) like pets and babies, and talks to his silly press relations advisor named John Donaldson--Happy for short. Happy wants him to put them on TV, dumping out of a gladstone bag. He also suggest that they be bred like rabbits to form a colony. He calls them dwarfs and warns Fowler to handle them carefully--he doesn't want too much public sympathy for them to build if they are killed by mistake! Fortunately, Angela, the daughter of Fowler, frees them, hiding them in her bathrobe. They start a long perilous voyage back to the ship. In the meantime, the others recover, find Mark's note, and use the berry juice (Steve and Fitzhugh exiting through a rear exit of the ship) to ward off more attacking caterpillars. But that isn't the worst: heavy rains come and put the ship in the center of a lake. They exit through a roof exit (the bubble?) and get in a raft which Val (proving to be a good swimmer) helps anchor to an oak tree. Eventually they have to climb its branches. The other three travel on a milk float and a train and then jump off into the waters beneath. They make it to a farm and a cow house, later spotting a familiar church to guide their way back to the ship. 24 Giant hours are five Earth days--or 120 hours. The space warp is called a Time Warp, a 4th dimensional barrier, a dimension lock hole, a space time warp. Mark mentions they want to get back to their own dimension lock sphere. Mark assumes a leader type role and Dan is reverted to a secondary position. Steve and Fitzhugh get scuba gear. Names of the towns of the giants--Hawkhurst, Grafton, Seaford, Harrington, Tower Heights. A homeless man. Politics, theft, rain and flooding, trains, cafes, motor travelling (a drunk almost drove but his wife took over), paranoia over the little people, the drug inducing gooseberries, the doll house and the humiliation (a very well done part at the Fowlers), the bus terminal, the TV show plot, and on and on. In A SLINSHOT FOR A DAVID, the giants were nameless and ruled by a dictator. In THE MEAN CITY, the giants have common Earth type names (Briggs, Jack, Melinda, and oh yes, did we really need a giantess called Helen Keller?) and are in some form of democratic type government---running for mayor and politics. In the first novel by Bradwell the park was close to the Security Headquarters and the city. Beyond that there were vast uninterrupted woodlands but 703 (called 703 in both novels by Bradwell, the comics, and FLIGHT OF FEAR) is in a small park by giant standards.

      

DOUBLE CROSS-December 1, 1983-Hook and Lobo appear, they wear Halloween like masks, there is a party of local rich people nearby, a museum appears, firemen and policemen appear.

 

FLAMES OF FEAR-December 3, 1983--a fan fiction comic book story by Steve King in 8 parts-it is just after a raid for ion propellant. Steve's older brother Chris lands. Poachers and giant animals such as a bloodhound create problems. Then there is a murder between the poachers-Zurak accidentally kills Klaus. Finally, a giant forest fire which badly injures Chris and he eventually dies. Chris saved Steve from a falling fiery branch. 

 

DEADLY ILLUSIONS-December 5, 1983-fan fiction comic by Steve King-details the burial of Steve's older brother Chris and picks up right after FLAMES OF FEAR. Steve may have an older sister named Jean. Illusions from a blue gas, the creation of a giant in the science center spells trouble. The younger giant who is using it on the little people kills, by mistake, the older giant who invented it.

 

THE DRAWING BOOK-December 17, 1983--Fan fiction by Janis Sherringham-can almost be placed at the end of the TV series except for the fact that Mark and Fitzhugh are really fighting with each other in an almost hateful way AND Barry is calling all the men, "Sir,"  and using the "Miss"  when he talks to Valerie and Betty. Purists can consider all fan fiction part of one or more alternate universes. Alien trader Joval wants to keep a magic pad that brings to life anything one can draw on it. His superior Krondar ejects it. It ends up on the land of the giants and Barry draws on it. A giant girl gets it.

 

ON A CLEAR NIGHT YOU CAN SEE THE EARTH-December 28, 1983-Optometrist Murtrah appears with infra red binocular glasses, he mentions his enemy-a Professor Kalar. He also tells them he knows Kalar has access to captured Earthmen through friends in the government and that the Academy of Sciences laughed him out.

 

GHOST TOWN-January 4, 1984-Toy model maker Akman reveals that he designed his toy town based on the measurements of the dead little people who crashed here in another spaceship (coming into "our dimension lock") before the Spindrift did.

 

BRAINWASH-January 12, 1984-Security Police-first brainwash technique tried on little people. Yet another past space shipwrecked crew was mentioned as having been here before Steve and the others: a flight from Shepard Space Center in Brookside, Kentucky---Flight 275 Expedition Team. They created a communications base under a street of the giants which was destroyed by Steve so it wouldn't fall into the hands of Capt. Ashem and Dr. Kraal. Barry's age is still 11. The girls wear new clothes. Val wears her hair pinned up.

 

TERROR-GO-ROUND-Jan. 21, 1984-Pepe and Carlos appear, a balloon ride. Val's hair is tied back.

 

SABOTAGE-January 22, 1984-First signs of help from organized government official--Senator Obeck. First appearance of Security Chief Boulgar and his aide Zarken. Obeck's comments seem to indicate that the giants may know something about the space warp phenomena.

 

SABOTAGE ALTERNATE UNIVERSE(S)---January 22, 1984---NOTE: In an alternate universe, Zarkin shot and killed Obeck and then Boulgar shot and killed Zarkin and became the chief enemy of the little people, hunting them down, framing them for every conceivable crime he could. In yet other universes, this enemy was different altogether.  In the main universe, Boulgar and Zarken went to prison; Obeck revealed the innocence of the Earthlings.

 

GENIUS AT WORK-February 9, 1984--Jodar first appears, Inspector Kobick of the SID (Special Investigations Department) appears. He has a surveillance photo of the little people-Mark, Betty, and Steve. Jodar reveals his home country is Elacks. The giants have baseball. SID HQ and a jail appear. Judge Modack and lawyer Rebo mentioned. Fitzhugh calls himself BS, Phd, MD, DC, in line for knighthood by Her Majesty.

 

DEADLY LODESTONE-February 13, 1984--Kobick returns--in his second appearance. Supreme Council mentioned and appear to rule as a dictatorship-oligarchy-communistic-police-state-like government. One of the Supreme Council appear--a fat  "Mr. Secretary."  He chastises Kobick for not getting the little people. Dan mentions he was in the Olympics--Steve read about it in the papers, Val tells about a brooch she bought herself and therefore it was not expensive. SID HQ appears. An evil minded Warden Barmak appears and is in charge of the prison Brule is in. Kobick's Sergeant is named Karf. Dan did a short term of duty in a Southeast Asia country (during a war?). Nurse Helg, Dr. Zale used as a cover.

 

NIGHT OF THE THROMBELLTINBAR-February 28, 1984--Parteg, Garner, Tobek, and Okun and his monkey Monk appear for the first time. Giantland has orphanages.

 

THE HIKE TO DANGER-March 4, 1984--Fan fiction written and illustrated story by Tony Crnkovich, age 12---the little people spot a spaceship in a giant's house. Steve and Fitzhugh steal the ship and fly it to Spindrift. Everyone gets in and they fly to an island to refuel and make camp. A giant scientist was here and he had radar, eventually he gets Dan and Barry and deposits them in a cage with a remote controlled door. Mark and Val are also captured. With Betty and Fitzhugh's help, Steve rescues everyone else. The giant throws dynamite at the new ship, which crashes into the water. Everyone gets out and it blows up. They swim back to their forest land.   

 

SO COLD THE NIGHT-March 8, 1984--Fan fiction by Josette Bartlett-Definitely an alternate-parallel universe since the little people are startled that the two giants who use a dog also have infrared binoculars that allow them to see in the dark. There is no mention of Murtrah so in this parallel universe Murtrah and the whole ON A CLEAR NIGHT YOU CAN SEE THE EARTH didn't seem to have happened. Valerie's dress sounds like the dress she wore in this point in the TV series so I have placed it here. Mark is also antagonistic to Steve in a slight way. Story also involved an electrical storm, cold nights, murder, one of the scientists defecting to the little people side, and rain.

 

SEVEN LITTLE INDIANS-March 16, 1984-Kobick's third appearance. Giants have zoos. Barry is still 11 years old. SID appears, Supreme Council talked about--money for rewards must come from their approval. Kobick has a new Sergeant named Arnak. First appearance of Grotius. Mention is made of moving the campsite.

 

TARGET: EARTH-April 1, 1984-Kobick's fourth appearance, Supreme Council discussed a great deal, the giants have a space program and designs on visiting Earth, Venus, and Mercury. Mr. Franzen and his wife Altha appear. Logar appears to die.

 

RESCUE-April 17, 1984-Kobick's fifth appearance. Sergeant Geido appears. The Bera family first appears: Talph Bera, Mrs. Bera, Tedar and Leeda. Little people go underground for the first time. Little people and giants work together to save children in the well. 

 

RETURN OF INDIDU-May 13 through to May 14, 1984--Magic seems to be a bit more wild on the land of the giants. Inidu and Enog, Grot and Torg-first appearances.

 

SHELL GAME-May 30, 1984-seaside town-The little people give a hearing aide to the family of a deaf boy. Spindrift is moved by the boy to a new location in the forest after spending almost a whole day in a closet in the home of the family at the seaside docks. Spindrift Utility room.

 

THE CHASE-June 12, 1984--Kobick's sixth appearance, June 12, 1984-Barry is still 11 years old. Valerie, Betty, and Fitzhugh, captured by Kobick and followed by Mark, were taken to the Supreme Council faces to faces but we don't see this confrontation. The little people team up with counterfeiters. SID HQ appears--Kobick is using an elaborate and lethal forcefield.

 

SMALL PREY-June 13 into June 14th, 1984--fan fiction by Lindar-well written tale--Steve mentions they were running and fighting for survival from Kobick for six months. However, he also mentions Kobick and it seems as if they have had many Kobick experiences so I have placed this here. This is definitely an alternate universe story as the relationship between Steve and Dan is different. There is also a more than a hint that Valerie and Mark are lovers.

 

WHITMAN NOVEL BY CARL HENRY RATHJEN--FLIGHT OF FEAR-June 15-through September 1. (This could for all intents and purposes be a part of the series since the characters and situations are most like LAND OF THE GIANTS the TV show; however the Spindrift in the episodes following THE CHASE is back in the forest so they must have returned to it or some forest area near Kobick's Headquarters and that same giant city; purists can consider this as part of yet another universe that parallels our own as in the SLIDERS TV show and comics). Barry is at the end of being 11 years old. Fitzhugh once used the alias of Silver Fox. Dan, Mark, and Steve figure that lost un-manned probes in space could have landed on the planet of the giants and caused disease, explosions, and resentment to Earthers. 

 

THE INSIDE RAIL-September 26, 1984--Barry is just 12 years old, giants have race tracks. First appearance of Moley and Chief Rivers of the racetrack security patrol. Val mentions she used to braid horsehair lariats for her grandfather. Giant money looks the same as our money. Fitzhugh likes horse racing, obviously.

 

CHAMBER OF FEAR-October 13, 1984--First appearance of Jolo, Deenar, and Mara. Fitzhugh, captured, was the model for one of Deenar's statue, maybe more.

 

THE MECHANICAL MAN-October 18, 1984--First appearance of Prof. Altoph Gorn and his aide Zoral, not to mention their hydraulic man-a giant robot shaped like a giant giant. Secretary Mek from the Supreme Council appears. Little people blamed for murder of night watchman but hopefully Mek and an SID man will clear this up. Gorn appears to die. There is a campsite fire. First appearance of the long range telescope device. First appearance of the torch electric gun. Cockpit crossbeams in Spindrift Control Room cockpit. Well lit. Mark tells Gorn he went to Cal Tech and MIT, was a designer and consultant of Space Technology. Gorn tells him he went to Polk Institute. Mark tells Gorn about the adrenalin factor but Gorn has never heard of it. Giants may always be using their adrenalin. 

 

DEADLY DREAMS-Oct. 20, 1984--Fan fiction story written by Cindy Black, taking place in an alternate universe. A passing reference as to Val braiding horse hair at one point--so it must be after THE INSIDE RAIL and possibly after the end of the show and before Cindy's THE JOURNEY HOME. I also don't think that Dan would allow and then order Barry to shout at the top of his lungs just to let Betty and Mark know they were in the area and saw the two giants that caught them--it would put them at risk for capture also. The story, without giving too much away concerns a spray that is used on Mark and Betty by two scientist giants--one a deadly spy, the other a cold, ambivalent type. The spray has a toxin which will eventually kill Mark and Betty through the use of dreams and nightmares. The effects of the toxin are played out in interesting ways--living dreams for example and living them while sleepwalking--as well as other ways. The others gather around and try to find out all they can to get an antidote.

 

COLLECTOR'S ITEM-October 29, 1984--Garak and his wife and Uncle Tojar appear, SID appear. Giants have goldsmiths. Garak and his uncle appear to die. Mark rigged a tracking device from the ship's auto radar control.

 

GIANTS AND ALL THAT JAZZ-November 12, 1984--Biff Bower, Nell Herpie, PG Hanley, and Loach appear. Giants have TV and boxing. They also have clubs like the High C club but they do not have a mute for their trumpets. They have trumpets but do not have jazz. First time a black giant appears. Steve fakes that he is Agent Hawkins of the SID. Fitzhugh fakes he is Alexander the Great, a mob type operator; PG Hanley has a friend Fred in the TV business.  

 

THE RETALIATOR-November 14, 1984--Fan fiction story by Steve Cook--While trying to find Barry and Fitzhugh, who stole off to a giant carnival fair--followed by Valerie, the others encounter robots of their friends--fake copies. Steve also had to be saved from a fire one of the robots set. The carnival moves off to another city leading the others to mount a rescue expedition via bus! The villain behind this is Logia-Joe's former accomplice--Moluk, with a scarred face. He wants to hand them over to Kobick and it was he who built the robots---he used Prof. Gorn's design. Fitzhugh tells Barry he used to work for either the CIA or the FBI.

 

SIX HOURS TO LIVE-November 22, 1984-Martha and Harry Cass appear, a Warden Sloan of a prison appears, News reporter Joe Simmons appears, first time Martin Reed appears, giants have the death penalty for the crime of murder, they have governors who can issue reprieves. Giants have radios. Julian Ankers killed. 

 

THE UNSUSPECTED-December 3, 1984--Toadstools produce hallucinations and cause major paranoia. Kobick appears for the 7th time with a new Sergeant named Eson. Steve attacks every member of the crew and threatens to hand them over to Kobick. Chipper is affected by the toadstools for a brief time as are Mark and Dan. A radio room or a converted utility room in Spindrift. Ikarica Solentus is the toadstool dust and toadstool.

 

A PLACE CALLED EARTH-December 15, 1984--Evil Olos and Fieldar appear, the much nicer Messenger appears--all three are time travelers from the Earth year 5477; Bron and Mezron appear to die. Steve has known Dan "a long time."  Cockpit seen. The time Olos and Fieldar are from is 5477 to Dan and Steve; to the future time travelers Olos, Fieldar, and the Messenger---it is 5032 of the atomic age---they measure time differently. Coordinates of the giant planet are Time: Minus 5000 years (does this mean it is 477 AD or even 32 AD to the Spindrifters?), 120 days, Distance: D to the 50th power over the square root of R. Huh ?

 

BIRDS IN A GILDED CAGE-December 18, 1984--Almost two years on the planet-fan fiction by Cindy Baker-Betty bonds with two giants-a man and a woman and she and the woman get drunk. Betty laments Steve's indecision regarding their so called romance. Cindy Baker alternate universe.

 

DEADLY PAWN-December 30, 1984--Barry is still 12 years old. Dr. Lalor, an ally appears. Kronig appears to die. The giants have chess. Radio room in Spindrift--converted again.

 

LAND OF THE LOST-January 1, 1985--Titus, Andros appear. Giants have fireworks and seas. Airplanes appear and an airport. Little people travel to another continent (all except Betty go there) across the Sea of Storms. They travel by balloon in an unplanned flight. Cockpit appears. (in another version of this story, Betty was with Val and Barry when the firecrackers went off near them while they hid under a mailbox).

 

DANGEROUS SOLUTION-Jan. 5, 1985----fan fiction by Michelle Ruggles--just after the journey back home from the land of the lost ruled by Titus across the Sea of Storms. This short tale involves how the others took the gold slave collar off of Mark's neck-with a dangerous acid.

 

BLOODSUCKER-January 7, 1985--fan fiction story by Paul Mount--Kolsek a giant vampire or a man who thinks he is a vampire is encountered by the little people. Fitzhugh believes in real monsters. Kobick and his men kill the "vampire". 

 

THE OUTCAST-January 9-January 22, 1985----Fan fiction by Carole Lewin--although Carole claims it is only nine months since THE CRASH, the accompanying art shows clothing from this time in the TV series. Also--nine months would place the month as May--which was when the summer hit the land of the giants according to Carole's other story THE REFUGEES. Here, we have a bad winter snow storm and Steve decides to cast out Chipper--the dog is just too getting them all almost killed too often. In the end, Chipper returns. Consider it early January and/or another alternate fan fiction universe.   

EVERY DOG NEEDS A BOY-February 22, 1985--kindly Ben and his friendly movie dog King appear. Dr. Howard appears. Malicious minded Carl Howard and his hungry and mean dog Krona appears. Store man Clinton appears. A black giant is seen in the crowd that watched King run off after he was nicked by a car. 

 

THE CLONES-March 2, 1985-March 4, 1985---Dr. Arno, and Dr. Greta Gault (the giants have female scientists) appear and appear to die in the end but...also many clones of Dan, Valerie, Barry, and Fitzhugh appear. Chipper can tell the clones apart from the real people--but with difficulty after the process is perfected. The wind tunnel trap appears. Steve and Dan met at the Academy--they pulled KP duty the first night. Mark knows about cloning on Earth--done with frogs. Spindrift radio room gets bombed by one of Val's clones. It looks bigger and is converted again.

 

FATHOMS: NIGHTMARE-March 7, 1985--fan fiction story--Mark, working on the engines, is recipient of a strange gas coming from the engines. It affects him badly and he has nightmares over and over--of a giant Steve, of other giants, of the others dead in their seats. Betty and Dan gamble that raising the oxygen in the engine room would clear Mark's lungs--and nearly blow up the ship. But it works.

 

COMEBACK--March 12, 1985--Egor Krull, Max Manfred, the gorilla Baby, and Quigg appear. Giants have movies and movie studios. Giants have bridges. The doors Max directs Valerie to open are called French doors! Fitzhugh nearly slips and says he played Othello in prison by calling the chap who played Ophelia a prisoner--he changes it to college.

 

NIGHTMARE--March 25, 1985--March 26, 1985--The Delta Device goes haywire--a device given to the Spindrifters by friendly Andre of the Science Center, Dr. Berger appears. Inspector Dobbs Kobick appears for the 8th time. Spindrift's camp is seen by Berger. A weird dimension occurs and Steve hallucinates--the radiation causes the little people and giants to vanish before each other's eyes. The others must have had similar nightmares to Steve. Even Chipper vanished. We see a large engine room with a reactor in it.

 

THE DELTA EFFECT: THE OTHER NIGHTMARES-March 25, 1985--March 26, 1985--fan fiction  details the other nightmares of the Spindrift crew, even Chipper, and also Inspector Kobick. Some background for Fitzhugh is demonstrated--he was part of the IMF Impossible Missions task Force. Betty was the first to vanish after Barry and Chipper vanished. We see her nightmare which is to perform on operation on Barry which fails, having Steve and Val plot against her, having Kobick be her unborn baby's father; Barry saw giant monsters made of light and shadow, a giant Chipper, his operation performed by an evil, pain causing Steve and Betty and Brule, his parents returned to him, then leave him again to be hit by a car and Barry was a tiny person among tiny people, much smaller than the giants and the Earth people; Val sees being crushed, maggots, and animals, lots of reptiles, and being raped; Chipper;s nightmare is being left by Barry and attacked by giant cats; Fitzhugh's nightmare consists of being tried for his crimes by his former employees on Earth--the Impossible Missions Force, dealing with uncover work and Fitzhugh feels his punishment-only one left on the planet has come true; Dan's nightmare is of everyone being in trouble and he can't help them, black giants are also as mean and as evil as white giants, he crashes the Spindrift and everyone dies, he gets to the lab from THE CRASH and sees Val and Steve already dissected, sinking Spindrift in the quicksand; Mark's nightmare includes being responsible for the ship blowing up and the capture or death of all the others, Val and Steve want to kill him in his nightmare, Kobick has a nightmare also--that the little people were all murdering him in his sleep, that he shrank and became a little person.  

 

SNAKE EYES-April 9, 1985-un-filmed episode about a casino and a gambling giant in a Las Vegas type setting; consider it a part of the main universe if you want or make it a parallel universe story. 

THE PRIZE WE SOUGHT-April 11, 1985--fan fiction by Foo Meyer--Val claims that her group haven't been lost in the land of the giants for over three years. However, Krista, the wife of the now dead Edmund Hamilton, Betty's marine biologist brother, tells them that the space warp was also a time warp--so the year in this story is relative. Steve and Krista aka Storm have had a relationship in the past. The group including Krista, find out she is from another parallel Earth universe, a mirror reflection of our Earth universe. Krista and her two surviving friends die since they cannot be in this universe.

 

HOME SWEET HOME-April 15, 1985--Ranger Wilson, Ranger Jack, first time Steve and Fitzhugh go back in time to 1900s and return to earth passing through the space warp--in the time space machine of Olos and Fieldar. The engine room looks very converted and changed with computer terminals. 

 

OUR MAN O'REILLY--May 1, 1985--O'Reilly and his myths about leprechauns appear, also he talks about saints, giants have alcohol and con-men, beer, lollipops, and bars. Store Protection Man Krenko, a crook in truth, appears. His aide the barman Harry seems to get away clean. The poor jeweler is named FJ Cunningham. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN THIS EPISODE IS THAT WHEN A PIECE OF JEWELRY FALLS--IT IS A GOLD CRESTED, RUBY-DIAMOND EMBEDDED CROSS ! O'Reilly calls it a reminder on the floor and seems to pray, fearing damnation. Fitzhugh nearly slips about a con job he did on a farmer in Dunningham, Ireland--correcting it by stating it was a real estate deal. 

 

PANIC--May 15, 1985--First appearances of Prof. Kirmus, evil minded SID megalomaniac Dr. Murad, Mrs. Evers-an undercover spy, the teleporter TV device which gives Betty and Fitzhugh a sighting of Earth as well as a planetary system with only four planets and other star systems, SID guards are Willis and Rogers. SID using electrified vent grills. Murad appears to die. Murad uses flame torch from a bunsen burner and a freezer-box-like device to torture Dan and Betty.

 

PAY THE PIPER--May 27, 1985-Barry is still 12. Barry mentions the spaceship got caught in a time warp. Fitzhugh claims they have been on the land of the giants for over a year now (well, two years is over a year). Alien entity the Piper-who takes the corporeal form of whatever the indigenous life forms of that particular planet, galaxy, and solar system are. First appearance of Senator and his son Timmy. Piper's base is inside a tree-a dimensional office of some sort. Piper uses his flute to do magic--can control animals and Timmy but seems tied into only being able to do this if his contracts and deals are violated or gone against. He is a con artist and seems to have lived a very long time--he was the Pied Piper of Hamlin in 1673 and gives Fitzhugh and the others the impression that his trip to Earth will arrive in 2743 AD. He must first stop at Andromeda, the Crab Nebula, and Alpha Centauri! He wears red, green and blue, a cape and a pointed bell fringed hat! He claims he is an intergalactic entity, not a giant, a man, or even humanoid. He has been doing business since the beginning of recorded history. His flute or pipe can be called other things. Music on the radio sounds like Dan and Biff's jazz music playing (and Dan says, "that's no good, turn it off!" !!!!). Piper also tells Barry about a planet on the edge of the universe where he took the children of Hamlin and wants to take Timmy and offers it to Barry: it has fields, streams, toys, and ice creams and claims the planet is also overrun with bones and biscuits (Val says, "More likely overrun with dog catchers."    Piper tells Valerie he doesn't have feelings and emotions. He can turn himself giant size or Earth size and can do the same with his flute. Spindrift contains a strange converted room which is shaped like the Passenger Compartment.

 

THE REGUGEES-May 28, 1985-Fan fiction by Carole Lewin--although Carole states it is only 15 months since THE CRASH, the clothing indicate Second Season clothes--unless we figure that they broke out the clothing in May of 1984 but then Carole also tells us that it is only 15 months since THE CRASH. Hot weather, a horsefly, a stag, a forest fire and a resulting flood from the putting out of the fire, spell trouble. A very hot summer begins. 

 

July--encounters with SID man Swann.

 

Mid August 1985--the hot summer seems to let up a bit. 

 

CHIPPER'S TALE-BY LITTLE CHIP-August 28, 1985--tongue in cheek fan short story by Chipper, lamenting the loss the dog has of a normal doggie life. Very cute. Chipper refers to some of the events in the early to mid second season.       

 

THE SECRET CITY OF LIMBO--September 26, 1985--Barry turns 13. First appearance of Taru and the underground city--which was supposed to house mole men-monsters living in the dark caves. First appearance of above ground archaeologists Dr. Krane and Mylo. General Aza, the war monger Head of Security, appears to die. Teleport grids (electro chemical matter transference device) enable little people to go to the underground city. The ancestors of the above ground giants nearly killed off the ancestors of Limbo. The ancestors of Limbo took refuge in a cave which became the City over time. A medicine they have takes away pain of the injury but not the injury. They have Periscope Observatory where Aza had an accomplice. They have political struggles and elections for Chief Magistrate and they drink traditional wine. Barry calls Steve Captain. Taru uses green smoke to mobilize a rock's crystal planes so Val can put her arm into it and this is how Limbo people are able to walk through rock. Fitzhugh dreams of what he could do with that on Earth. It is illegal for any of the Limbo people to be above ground. Limbo has a super hard layer of rock above it but blasting could break through. The Limbo people also have a laser type pistol that can immobilize anyone or thing and unfreeze them later with a green light, fire a poison red ray into it, and act as a blaster with deadly beams. Giants above ground have an Institute of Archeology. Giants measure time as we do (o'clock). There is a warehouse at the digging sight. Omicron 4 in the ground would cause an underground fire and prove useless to the above ground archaeologists. Aza was planning to use new gases and chemical warfare. Election returns are tallied and come in on an electric grid. The Limbo people use books much as we and the above ground giants do. Taru destroys one of the grids.      

 

DOOMSDAY--October 2, 1985--Barry is still 13. Kobick appears for the 9th and final time. Steve bids him a farewell at the end of this episode. Evil Dr. North aka real name is Dr. Greer appears. She kills off two of her cronies--Warkin and Kamber (an electrician for 15 years in a town over 200 miles away--a town called Cedarsville and he had a family). Giants' phone numbers have six digits. North uses a gun, mini-bombs, and a monkey named Pedro which turns against her in the end. She has had the entire city wired to blow up. Kobick has a new Sergeant. He had his medics work on healing Fitzhugh's leg. Acramycline is a drug used here as an anti-biotic--it gives the appearance of death, slowing down the heart and pulse rate, then allowing the person to come around again. It also gives the feeling of a fever and burning up before a person passes out. An SID Inspector called Turner was in the credits for Kevin Hagen's name! Airlines, apartments, banks, and a dove appear. SID take credit for stopping North. Dan and Steve posed as SID man Sergeant Mills on the phone.

 

Oct. 13, 1985--Mark has encounters with Swann.  

 

WILD JOURNEY--October 14, 1985--Thorg and Berna-first appearance of these strange beings, we never really find out if they are from the future of Earth, some other planet in the universe or another universe, or what. We do know they are time travelers, cannot change time in any way, and use an STM (Space Time Manipulator). This device can show anyone any time, any place projecting it onto a rock, can allow one to travel to that time and place, can shrink men into smaller men, can fire blasts that can kill, freeze and unfreeze time between one second and the next, and probably other things like trace targets. It can also, with smoke bomb effects, move a person or object from one spot to another on the same planet in the same time. These two feel something terrible will happen to them if they don't stop the time mess up they caused and warn Steve and Dan that a mess up in time could cause untold damage to the universe and that they would have to send Dan and Steve back to 1985 from 1983 by making them re-fly the spaceship into the space warp. They also use a pill on Steve and Dan that makes them forget the whole incident--thus the fly the ship, crash-land, and relive through to the present time. Steve put a note in his pocket to make him remember. Val's woman Friday Miss Smith (Smitty) appears. Miss Collier (a woman here but in the script a man) appears-she sends Steve and Dan out on their flights. Betty meets Steve and Dan for the first time as do Val, Mark, and Fitzhugh. Fitzhugh meets Chipper for the first time. Apparently LA Airport has other, larger, more roomy spacecraft for 45 passengers. There is a Calcutta run. A 10-6 form is a formal refusal to take out a flight. There is a ship called the Shamrock. Spindrift is in Hanger C-the repair hanger. There is a fuel induction line and a fuel room. There is a VIP room. There was a flu epidemic, limiting the pilot availability and the passenger count just before the flight. The date was given as September 25, 1983 for the ill fated flight. Steve and Dan have the same dream--they think--but it was a vague memory of their encounter with Thorg and Berna, two quirky strangers. We see a great deal of Intra Space Airlines. The Spindrift has a fuel induction room and was in Hanger H. This adventure may not have happened the second time around! Steve finds the note he wrote himself in the first time track. 

 

Oct. 14-Oct 29, 1985---Swann steps up efforts to get the little people. He gets Mark at least one more time.

 

THE DEADLY DART--October 30, 1985--First TV appearance of SID man Swann, mention of a carnival operator who once held the little people captive dying, Swann appears to die, Swann used traps on them--including a bow and arrow on Mark (which he tied Mark to later) and a magnetic cave trap among what may have been many other traps, mention is made that Kobick is away on Special Assignment, First appearance of SID doctor--Doc Jelko, reappearance and apparent death of Zoral, badly bandaged up, First appearance of LT. Greyson and evil killer Sergeant Barker. First appearance of Bertha Frye. Mention is made of moving the campsite. Mark uses a rear fire exit to leave Spindrift without anyone seeing him. 

 

THE KIDNAPPING-October 31, 1985--fan fiction story by Steve Cook-It is mentioned that the spaceship Spindrift has been here for some two and a half years. A giant boy named Tarn, malicious, gets the spaceship. His brother, the kindly Erik helps them get away--after much confusion since the two boys look very much alike. Spindrift flies. 

 

GRAVEYARD OF FOOLS--November 13, 1985-Barry is still 13. First appearance of the Servo Actuator which can manipulate time and space and other dimensions--the 4th dimension, cause hallucinations, move matter around, and do generally odd things. It came from the stars, from a long lost galactic civilization. It can control time and space and evil Melzac and his twin brother Bryk want to use it to control the giant planet and eventually the universe. They use a forcefield similar to Kobick's from THE CHASE. The little people are flown in a toy airplane. The twin giants' accomplice is called Tagon, who wanted to kill Mark right away. The other side of the planet is odd--almost like a Graveyard with all its trappings--no one had ever returned from the Graveyard. The little people also found themselves trapped in a land that looked like Earth one hundred million years ago, reckoning they may have gone through a time warp. Dinosaur-lizard appears, pirate giant Fitzhugh, falling boulder, and Dan faces his fear--of not being able to help the others.    

 

A SMALL WAR--December 1, 1985--First appearance of Alek Erdap and his father Mr. Erdap. Alek makes note of a boy named Valco who had wild, lifelike toys but this giant doesn't appear. The toys of Alek are very well made. Mark reveals a friend of his was shot and killed by a boy with a gun. Steve flies a toy plane. Mention is made of not staying at the spaceship during the middle of this adventure since Alek knows of it. Steve uses a flame thrower.

 

THE MARIONETTES--December 23, 1985--First appearance of kindly puppeteer Goalby, Lisa, Brady, and the Knife Thrower Carlos, also Bobo the Gorilla.

 

THE JOURNEY HOME-December 23-27, 1985--Fan fiction story by Cindy Black--think alternate world again--alternate universe--the same alternate as DEADLY DREAMS. It begins as Betty has a problem worrying her and ends up being friends with a giant who works for Kobick. This enables her to get materials for the eventual return to Earth. This happens. There are a lot of great scenes dealing with their reorientation into Earth life and their "story"  being told. For example, they all haven't had sugar in so long that Val's cake for a celebration was devoid of sugar since it would have given them diabetic shock. Also, they all cough when taking a slight drink. Fitzhugh is also put on trial and Val and Mark get married. These are just subplots but there is a much more moving one detailing Betty's problem and her relationship to Steve. And for once...Steve admits his love for her and she for him. And they get home.

 

THE SLAVE MAKERS--January 1, 1986--Barry is still 13. First appearance of giant aliens from another giant world. First appearance of kinder SID Inspector Bidor, giant space aliens Torg and Mora who use candy to control giants and Earthers alike, candy can be lethal if the dosage is wrong. Zygo elements in the candy do this. There is an alien giant fleet awaiting the tests of Mora and Torg for conquering the giant planet. The giant space aliens use invisibility and have a forcefield.

 

TIME FOR CHANGE-January 5, 1986---fan fiction story by Carole Lewin--date given at the story's end for the present time from which Steve comes from, frozen in a lab in the country of Elax--frozen in a state of suspended animation from 1986 to fifteen years into the future--the year 2001. Kobick, Dr. Arno, Greta Gault appear. Kobick takes Steve to Arno and Gault in Elax. They still want to perfect their clone device to make an army. Set this in an alternate universe as it makes for a depressing ending.

 

TEN PART SERIALIZATION-CHAPTER ONE BY CAROLE LEWIN-Mark was taking a tour of the giant city to map out previously untraveled spots for the entire group. He found out that SID officials, helicopters, and Kobick discreetly giving orders to his minions (some of these orders were in code) were the order of the day. Mark informed Steve about the SID search via walkie talkie. Mark encountered a very small spider. Then he froze as he saw a flash of bright red...which only Steve wore. But Steve was back at camp...  

 

THE VISITORS-June 1, 1986-fan fiction story by Trevor Douglas--Kagan was killed three years ago; Alan Virdon, Pete Burke (originally from the year 1972, and Galen--a chimpanzee arrive from the PLANET OF THE APES tv series circa 3974 to the land of the giants; a strange giant named Korak captured Alan, Steve, and Dan. Korak takes them to North of the city and to an undersea entrance way to Sea City. Taru appears and helps against war monger Zalizar of Sea City. Galen, Mark, and Betty attempt a transporter and end up in the Planet of the Apes' time. Mark meets another mutant group on the planet of the apes from another planet--a renegade group who have hidden in the destroyed cities of the planet of the apes--which is, of course, Earth in the far future of 3974. The mutants help them escape. One female is named Nila. Dr. Zaius and Urko appear. Taru makes Spindrift flight worthy.  

 

HOMECOMING-June 7, 1986--Fan fiction alternate universe story in which Captain Lee Crane and Seaman Kowalski journey through the space-time warp in a new improved Flying Sub and land on the planet of giants. Takes place three years after the crash of Spindrift. Crane and Ski take everyone back to the right planet--Earth. Steve had to blow up Spindrift so it wouldn't fall into the hands of the giants. Chip Morton on Seaview appears.

 

THE GIANT FISH--September 12, 1986-Fish swallows the Spindrifters.

 

ARRIVAL TO DANGER-September 14, 1986-fan fiction -the little people land in a desert after an encounter with a flock of geese. They have to deal with varying wildlife (as this desert contains a wide variety of wildlife found on Earth but not always in the same locations as it is on the giant planet--here they are all in one area), Native American type indians who prove out to be friendly and run this preserve and have a giant city dome, Inspector Kobick and a new giant enemy--Hunter aka Olland both arrive in a helicopter. Barry is still 13.

 

September 26th, 1986-Barry turns 14. 

 

A MARRIAGE MADE IN (also known as MARRIED)--October 9, 1986--Valerie and Mark get married. Barry is already 14.

 

THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE ROBINSONS-October 11, 1986--fan fiction by Trevor Douglas-the Robinson family still hopelessly lost in space has just come from an adventure with Doug and Tony while the time tunnel tried to set them right; the Robinsons went off course due to an electrical disturbance and ended up on the land of the giants where John was caught by Inspector Kobick. Before the giants could use Dr. Roban's truth serum on John, the others from Spindrift and the Jupiter Two effect a rescue. Then, the Jupiter flies into the green space-time warp and ends up on Earth in 1978 where the Robinsons meet the crew of the submarine Seaview. The Spindrift, for some reason, couldn't escape the pull of the giant world and landed back on it.     

 

January of 1987-Barry is still 14.

 

THE DANGER OF SCHOOL-April 12, 1987--fan fiction ---Barry is mentioned as being 14. Mark, Barry, Val, and Fitzhugh have a dangerous encounter with a train. Barry falls onto a tin foil wrapper and nearly gets burned by the sun. Barry is taken by a teen into a school. The others gather round and find ways in and search the place, with many perils about. Rats are in the drainpipes and vent systems, exterminators gas them. A handball game, in between periods, all sports at the gym field, a grass spider, a locker room where Fitzhugh was put after being caught, Kobick, Greyson, police informing teenagers, drug dealers, drug addicts, and other dangers await them! 

 

LIMBO'S TREASURE-June 3, 1987-fan fiction story by Thomas C. Bailey--Biff Bower returns, Limbo returns, there is also a parallel land of the giants and parallel Limbo people and a parallel Kobick--a Dr. Anton Kobick. Giants tell the little people the name of this planet is Terra V. 

 

INVASION---September 14th, 1987--fan fiction comic story by John Delves. Aliens call the giant planet Planet K7 and make themselves giant sized to start a scout for attacking and colonizing the planet. Steve tries to free Dan and Mark from the green aliens. Fitzhugh is sent by Steve to Kobick to join forces against the aliens. Spindrift, piloted by Betty and co-piloted by Valerie, now has a new nose laser and a forcefield which kills one alien. The girls fly the ship out into space, away from the aliens but can't abandon the four men. Spindrift repels the attackers and for once, Kobick feels hunted and trapped himself so lets the little people all go!  

 

THE LONG WAY HOME-Sept. 26, 1987-Barry turns 15-fan fiction ---Just turned 15 that day, Barry, taken by hot rodders is helped out of their car by a girl he knew from THE BOUNTY HUNTER. But he has to make a long pilgrimage back to the Spindrift folk. Mark builds a parajet type jump belt to help find Barry, who has to face a terrible accident on the highway caused by boys throwing rocks at cars, meets a friendly bag lady who shares food with him. Mark finds Barry and returns him. Barry had to face many of his own personal thoughts and fears on the way as he walked toward the forest.

 

 

Jan. 1988-Barry is still 15.

Sept. 1988-Barry turns 16

Jan. 1989

Sept. 1989-Barry turns 17

Jan. 1990

Sept. 1990-Barry turns 18

Jan. 1991

Sept. 1991-Barry turns 19

Jan. 1992

Sept. 1992-Barry turns 20

 

Jan. 1993-Fitzhugh is 60 years old.

 

May 30, 1993-VALERIE IN GIANTLAND--VALERIE AMES SCOTT'S DIARY-May 30, 1993--fan fiction novel by Deanna Lund and Fred Eichelman--alternate universe of what happens to the Spindrifters and their new found Earthling allies. Nick (who tries to rape Valerie but is stopped by Barry) and his gang reappear, a space time warp link to Earth has been going on between the giant planet and Earth for a very long time. There is an old city of relics found which makes the little people from believe the giants had a war a long time ago. Egor, Titus, Inidu, Biff Bower, Andros, other returning characters appear. Betty and Kobick help each other and Kobick helps all the little people stop the bad giants and Titus. Tedar and Leeda appear. Several colonies of little people appear, some that have come after the Spindrift crew and passengers, some that have come before and some that have had their great, great ancestors arrive via the space warp. Marna appeared. They make an attempt to return to Earth. Some do, some don't. There are also pirate giants. The last of this takes place on August 6, 1993. (NOTE: Consider this an alternate, parallel universe).  

 

BEYOND HOPE OF ESCAPE-August 10--?---Summer of 1993-fan fiction by comic by Phillip Heath--Mark's plan to raid a hospital to get a new giant formula called Zargon 7 which on Earth is Deutronium, goes awry. They do get some. Kobick gets Barry and Dan; Dr. Vargas gets Val and almost dissects her. All get rescued in time.

 

Sept. 1993-Barry turns 21

 

October 1993-Betty cannot wait any longer--she and Steve sleep      together for the first time. Talk about patience!

 

 

Dec. 1993-Mark and Valerie's twins are born-Alec and Marty. Barry,      their guardian is 21.

 

 

Jan. 1994-

 

THE CAPTURE OF VALERIE SCOTT-June 12, 1994-fan fiction story by Philip Heath--Dr. Vareda Zanar is the female scientific director of SID; this female giant puts Val threw a maze of monsters and traps: a water trap, a tilting room which became very hot, and a crushing room; detectors are in the air vents, Sergeant Gravek is Kobick's new sergeant; Steve uses a power drain to rescue Dan and Mark from Kobick and then Val from the maze of monsters.

 

Sept. 1994-Barry turns 22

Jan. 1995-

 

WOMEN IN BATTLE-April 1995-fan fiction by Philip Heath-Val and Betty have new outfits. The girls go out and remeet Marna. Val feels threatened by Marna's past relationship with Mark. Val and Mark have a close relationship now.

 

Sept. 1995-Barry turns 23

Jan. 1996-

Sept. 1996-Barry turns 24

Jan. 1997-

Feb. 1997-Inspector Kobick is put on trial by the Supreme Council who are trying to make it look like Kobick planted evidence of    the little people and the entire little people menace is just     a big hoax. The little people, faced with a more deadly    adversary than Kobick named Walken (Christopher Walken) are    forced to team up with Kobick to stop this plot and      conspiracy. The Supreme Council is nearly overthrown. (THIS IS FROM AN IDEA BY DOUGLAS DIAMOND) 

 

 

Sept. 1998-Barry turns 25

Jan. 1999-

 

According to fan fiction story FLIGHT OF THE RUBICON by Paul Mount, on Earth, sometime in 1999, there was a war with Hong Kong called the Hong Kong war.

 

April-1999-Steve and Betty officially marry.

 

Sept. 1999-Barry turns 26

Jan. 2000

 

DIMENSION 2000: SEED FROM ANOTHER PLANET-fan fiction-script written by Deanna Lund and Fred Eichelman-concerns a dimensional other universe Earth that has giants on it, ruled by evil Titus. There are also other stranded Earth people but from many different alternate Earths including a reptilian-people planet Earth. Hagan is the ruthless superintendent of the city security. One of the little people women is pregnant.

 

Sept. 2000-Barry turns 27

Jan. 2001

 

TIME FOR CHANGE-the year is 2001--fan fiction story continued-by Carole Lewin--Steve, awakens in the year 2001 after Arno's lab went on fire. In 1986 he was put into suspended animation by Dr. Arno and Greta Gault in a lab in the country of Elax, brought to them by Inspector Kobick. Steve finds things have changed in the year 2001. Kobick was killed by a worse replacement--named General Edelman-the whole of SID turned over to the military. Edelman was using the same labs that Franzen once did. Val and Mark (now 50) have a daughter who is five years old--a blond named Megan. Eight years ago, a family of three survived a crash and joined Dan and Mark's group: Hal Sheldon, his daughter Beth and her twin brother Wayne. The mother of the 12 year olds and Hal's wife died in the wreck as did the two pilots. They had been traveling from London to their home in Washington. Beth and Wayne were now in their early 20s. Betty and Hal had a child--a daughter named Sammy who was nearly two years old. Steve saved Megan from a snake. Dan had looked for Steve for years, relinquishing command to Mark. Hal has betrayed all of them to Edelman, told him about the space camp, and he and the giant have built a time machine transporter using parts of the wrecked space time machine used by Olos and Fieldar. Hal wants to take his two older children with him back to Earth in any time he wants, leaving Edelman in charge of Earth's future and the little people here! Instead, Steve is sent back in time to 1986 in the hopes that his body will vanish from the lab. But he goes too far back and Edelman seems to win out. A surprising but depressing ending...consider this yet another parallel story.    

 

 

Sept. 2001-Barry turns 28

Jan. 2002

Sept. 2002-Barry turns 29

Jan. 2003-Fitzhugh turns 70

Sept. 2003-Barry turns 30

Jan. 2004

 

FLIGHT OF THE RUBICON-depressing fan fiction story set in an alternate universe (as far as I am concerned it is)-by Paul Mount-set in the year 2004--in this alternate universe, Barry is a bit older--here he is 32 years old. Steve and Betty already have a son named Matthew, who appears to be about 15 with brown hair and blue eyes. There are giant ants in this story. Fitzhugh, Dan, and Spindrift are all gone-dead and buried. Giant cowboys appear. In this adventure, first Val and Mark die, destroying the War General. An Earth exile from the 24th century is a crippled War General controlling the planet of giants and in his mostly machine-body. Barry dies, falling from the Rubicon over a mob of angry giant soldiers.

 

RUBICON: SEASCAPE-fan fiction by Paul Mount-set in the year 2004--two full days after the Rubicon saw the space warp implode in FLIGHT OF THE RUBICON. The Rubicon crew, Betty, Steve, and their son Matthew come into conflict aboard a cruiser the Rubicon lands on in the sea. There was a triple murder involved--a giant woman's cry for help. That woman, they realized was the killer (a jealous woman in a crime of passion)--she is killed when they attack her with their lasers when she makes a move to kill them. 

 

RUBICON: PARADISE-Fan fiction by Paul Mount-set in the year 2004-several weeks after SEASCAPE. Rubicon sets down on an island. Thurak, a giant native, washes ashore and gets Maureen, one of the Rubicon's crew. He believes she will appease the lizard gods. On the other side of a mountain is a prehistoric jungle. And an erupting volcano--and the dinosaurs--giant dinosaurs! A rex steps on and kills Thurak and Maureen who was in his hands. Another depressing entry in the RUBICON saga.

 

Sept. 2004-Barry turns 31

Jan. 2005

Sept. 2005-Barry turns 32

Jan. 2006-

Sept. 2006-Barry turns 33

Jan. 2007

Sept. 2007-Barry turns 34

Jan. 2008

Sept. 2008-Barry turns 35

Jan. 2009

Sept. 2009-Barry turns 36

Jan. 2010

Sept. 2010-Barry turns 37

Jan. 2011

Sept. 2011-Barry turns 38

Jan. 2012

Sept. 2012-Barry turns 39

Jan. 2013-Fitzhugh turns 80-

Sept. 2013-Barry turns 40

Jan. 2014

Sept. 2014-Barry turns 41

Jan. 2015

Sept. 2015-Barry turns 42

Jan. 2016

Sept. 2016-Barry turns 43

Jan. 2017

Sept. 2017-Barry turns 44

Jan. 2018

Sept. 2018-Barry turns 45

 

 

Jan. 2019-RETURN TO EARTH-The Spindrifters finally make it back to      Earth but find the Earth is in trouble itself--it is no longer      liveable.

Jan.--August 2019--MASS EXODUS--The Spindrifters help in the project to move the entire population of the Earth to the land    of the giants in giant space stations. First, they must survive the journey through the dangerous space time warp, a landing, and contact with the giants, if they cannot avoid it.

 

 

Sept. 2019-Barry turns 46

Jan. 2020

Sept. 2020-Barry turns 47

Jan. 2021

Sept. 2021-Barry turns 48

Jan. 2022

Sept. 2022-Barry turns 49

Jan. 2023-Fitzhugh turns 90

Sept. 2023-Barry turns 50

Jan. 2024

Sept. 2024-Barry turns 51

Jan. 2025

Sept. 2025--Barry turns 52

Jan. 2026

Sept. 2026-Barry turns 53

Jan. 2027

Sept. 2027-Barry turns 54

Jan. 2028

Sept. 2028-Barry turns 55

Jan. 2029

Sept.  2029-Barry turns 56

Jan. 2030

Sept. 2030-Barry turns 57

Jan. 2031 

Sept. 2031-Barry turns 58

Jan. 2032

Sept. 2032-Barry turns 59-

Jan. 2033-Fitzhugh turns 100

Feb. 2033-Fitzhugh dies in his sleep.

Sept. 2033-Barry turns 60-

 

THE YEAR 4927--Some of the Earthlings return to the planet Earth and find it still exists and they manage to make it to the old Tic Toc labs in Arizona's desert. Eventually they establish a colony around the time tunnels and it grows into a full service so that in 5477; 5032 of the atomic age, we have the Messenger's Time Machine device in control of these people. It seems to rule over the Messenger and all time researchers (of which there are many) peacefully but treats criminals (such as Olos) harshly.

 

THE EARTH YEAR-5477--Olos and Fieldar go back in time to the giant planet (A PLACE CALLED EARTH) and their attack on the Spindrift group occurs sometime in the past (there is some conflict about the date as measured by Olos, the Messenger's Boss machine, and the Spindrifters as it could be Dec. 15, 1984 or some time in the year 477 AD or 32 AD). Some claim it may even be late 1983 or early 1984.

 

 

 

 

LAND OF THE GIANTS--THE NEXT TEN YEARS

 

"THIS IS GARY CONWAY, HERE ARE SOME SCENES FROM THE NEXT TEN YEARS ON THE LAND OF THE GIANTS!"

 

 

 

WITH OPEN ARMS---

 

Kobick stands in a jeep in front of the forest. He holds up a megaphone. "Little people! Burton, if you can hear me, surrender! I didn't want it to come to this but the army is going to burn you out!"

 

Barry and Fitzhugh duck into the brush as two giants with flame throwers tower overhead! The giants fire the flame into the brush!

 

Steve and Dan urge Valerie and Betty into the spaceship. Steve looks up at the burning forest, "We have to leave! Now!"

 

Spindrift blasts off! In the pilot seat, Dan says, "I think we're gonna make it."  A giant points his flame th