LAND OF THE GIANTS-fanzines: GIANTS LOG and SPINDRIFT zines; extra: the unmade THE SLAVE MAKERS episode

 

The first thing I found was the SID Files Number nine. It is dated November 1993 to Jan. 1994. The first pic is Betty. The second pic is Betty. The character bio is Betty Ann Hamilton by yours truly. It is four pages long. There is  a tour of soundstage 21 and 22 and we see the Writers building where Stefan had some schooling. The intro is written from the POV of SID and part of it is written as the Captain. There is a Bruce Dern article and a Lee Meriweather article/TimeTunnel article. The SID files were compilations of old articles and some new. Shenandoah picture is of Glenn Corbett. There are maps of the studio floors and pics of the studio from the outside. The buildings look familiar as if they’ve been used in episodes of FOX shows. From the Crash script we learn that Betty was 22 and “a year in the States” but what this mean is anyone’s guess. She was three months on the Panama run and being geared for VIP flights. She is a slightly nervous newcomer. From the script, we also learn Val is 25. The bio goes on about Betty as peacemaker between the group’s members as well as between giants and the group. That she is somewhat naïve is also explored. She’s also very direct. Her relationship to every member of the group is explored in detail and her optimistic outlook explored. In the first draft of the script of DEADLLY LODESTONE, it was Betty who was to help Steve operate on Dan. Her sympathy and compassion is noted. There is also a picture of Heather in a tie.

 

The next thing I found was SID FILES `1994 Photo Calendar. A full color cover is of Steve with feathered, big hair. Jan is Fitz above Val, both looking up and looking from what seems to be a giant book that is like a wall to them. Feb is Steve in the forest talking to someone. March is Irwin in the cockpit and Gary looking at the camera from his seat. April is Heather. March is a contact sheet of Don Marshall. June has Val and Steve in the cage from The Crash. July has Mark, Betty, and Val in almost extreme close up. August has Fitzhugh with brief case, probably from Wild Journey. September, my least favorite month, has my least fav episode featured: Egor and Baby, the Gorilla from COMEBACK. October has Mark, Steve and Dan, seemingly from THE MECHANICAL MAN with machinery on the floor. November is Paul Z, Sheila and Irwin Allen near a fire truck and an airplane. December is a picture of Barry, looking very, very young.

 

 The next thing I found was GIANTS LOG issue 25, Summer 1996. This is the RETURN OF INIDU issue with a great cover and back cover detailing the episode. There was a Day With Don Marshall and a focus on Starlog 230 with an interview with Don. The issue has dozens of storyboards from Return of Inidu and altered script scenes. There is a photo of Val and Fitz by the rat hole but a much rarer one of Inidu in the chair but Enog on the floor. There is also a good piece of art by Hea Young Boddington. There is a list of actors considered for Inidu and Enog. The boy giants are supposed to be 18 years old. Steve’s line, “Any port in a storm,”  and Gary’s 1973 Columbo episode is “Any Old Port In A Storm.”  This issue also has the entire transcript of the news report…which in the aired episode, we only get part of.  An amazing discovery by Jeanette. There is also a shooting schedule and credits for the episode, Jack Albertson and Peter Haskell. The bird was supposed to be an owl. A letter by me reflects on the fact that Stefan and Gary signed a copy of THE CLONES twice each! I also reflected on the fact that the special effects shots were limited from the original version of the scripts. I reflected on THE BIRTHDAY BOOK and reviews of each episode. Allen hot sheets include the date Tuesday Oct 13th, 2967. Season 3 of LIS and season 4 of VOYAGE have several notes made about scripts. One of the most interesting entries is about a script Sid Ellis was to write called DIAMOND MAN. Work was proceeding on Ghost Town (a rewrite), Underground (ABC has not gotten back to them on this one), and On A Clear Night. At that time the writer of A Small War was intending to do a rewrite…yes A SMALL WAR. Work was also going on with The Man from the 25th Century, a terrible pilot AND City Beneath the Sea. There is a Steve Marlo interview and a review of American Journal, a news show that had Deanna on it and info about her near marriage to Larry King. Marlo revealed that Allen was working on Pinocchio There is also a Neil Normal bio. A list by me is about the Children of the Giants, listing and describing all the episodes with children in them. The funny cartoon has Mark running into a mousehole but Jerry of Tom and Jerry seems to kick him out. A really great issue.

 

I’ll never forget when I first went to a nostalgia con and saw on a table a flyer for GIANTS LOG. Brilliantly drawn artwork from various episodes including the spider attacking Barry from Weird World, the car from the CRASH, and Steve facing the gopher, the giant hand coming at Betty and Steve…it was amazing that such a fanzine could happen or exist. I then had to wait a long time before I could get a pounds check to the UK although Jeanette was both quick and kind and eager to send me more stuff than ever. I have that flyer someplace. It was so cool.

 

GIANTS LOG issue 19 was from Winter 1994/1995. The cover is red and brilliant. I believe it was by Anna Dutto. The back cover is also cool and it is by Gordon Foulds. It has the glasses in the top right corner and firing a beam toward Earth and to one side is the giant dog and the other, higher up is a laughing Murtrah. For me, the greatest thing in this issue is a full synopsis of SNAKE EYES, an unmade script. An old man is shot but the little people contact his son and an ambulance. The son promptly captures them all. The man is a gambler who owes a lot of money to a criminal. Fitz brags he can play dice. The son threatens them if they do not help. The gang must sneak in before the game to make sure the dice are not loaded. The little people have to get inside the dice table to counteract the machinery of the rigged dice table. The son beats the Hood with the help of a Nick the Greek type. The Hood discovers it was little people and captures them. He wants to cheat at a game with Nick. When they win, the Hood plans for them to stay there…for good. The son tries to free the little people but bungles it. This alerts Nick to the cheat and Nick threatens the Hood with the backing of his own gambling fraternity. He makes the Hood turn himself in for the shooting of the old man. On A Clear Night was the first to establish that the words on the giant stuff is in English. Dan slipping on the ruler is not in the script. Val, Betty and Barry turning up after Fitz is captured was added in later. I wrote most of the episode synopsis for each issue. There is an article about Mark Phillips that can also be found on line. There is an article about Ron Lordi, a fan who made his own fan filmed version of the Crash. There is Gary Conway photo album. There are credits for the guest stars and writer with a small pic of Val drawing a map to indicate writers. There is an interview with Richard Shapiro. Another terrific issue.

 

Just to give you an idea of a typical SPINDRIFT, I’ll try to dig out some of those from across its run. What I’ve noticed is that even before the net, there was a huge Allen fandom, sometimes splintered and troubled but mostly together and supportive. There were loads of zines for all four shows, mostly fiction for TIME TUNNEL and VOYAGE but also some factual stuff. On the other hand, I also found some fiction zines for TIME and SPACE, an Innovation submission, a fiction of LIS called We are The Lil..something or other. I hope to chronicle all of this if time permits and if interest holds up. I also found multi media zines that usually included a GIANTS, VOYAGE, or LOST story. Oddly enough, a lot of zines also feature TIME usually with a crossover (Voyagers, V, Doctor Who, Dark Shadows) that date back to the 1980s and move forward from there. There are also stand alone novels (one deals with Atlantis).

 

Unlike the digest size GIANTS LOG, SPINDRIFT is full size. This issue THREE is red covered and has Betty at the ship with Steve (with his luggage) and Dan approaching it. The ship is at an airport. The issue is labeled Spring 1991. There is a full FOX press release, a Starlog article about the writers (Sugar Ray was afraid of snakes), a full color mini pic of Mark, a comic strip called INVASION, and a fic b Paul Mount. It is called Flight of the Rubicon part 3: The Rescue. There is an episode guide with black and white screen grabs from every episode. Esther and Bob Mitchell felt that what made a good Perry Mason or Hawaii 5-O, also made a good LAND OF THE GIANTS. THE SLAVE MAKERS went unmade and was to have giant aliens land on the planet, trying to take over using…well, some kind of cakes to control everyone. The little people work with the giants to stop the alien giants. I believe the new inspector in The Slave Makers was replacing either Kobick who might have been in the original or maybe even Grayson from THE DEADLY DART. Bob and Esther felt the little people did get off the planet (escaping just in time from Kobick who was in pursuit) but returning to Earth, they find it is about to explode. The population is living on space stations but the authorities want the Spindrifters to guide them to the giant planet to transplant the entire population there.  The original LIMBO script had the underground people as having big eyes and insects everywhere, the giants living in total darkness but Irwin wanted that changed to what it became. The well story of RESCUE was based on Kathy Fiscus’s ordeal in a well. The math problems in THROMBELDINBAR were those of the Mitchell’s son. They had to say their favorite character of the cast was Fitzhugh who had a sentimental nobility (something you can never say about Dr. Smith, really).

 

Spindrift issue 10: Winter 1992: A full cover photo of the seven which is more typical of SPINDRIFT’s covers as a whole. Oddly enough, there is another color mini of Mark on the index page, this time from the mid first season. There is a long interview with Gary and a full cover pic of Gary holding a GIANTS t shirt from the 1990s. There is also a nice computerized image of him as artwork. This has a “What LOG means to me” from fans, including me. There are also a bunch of articles about the Spindrift and related models and dioramas. Episode synopsis for both Manhunt and The Mechanical Man are backed by reviews and photo gallery pages as well as script excerpts. The Mechanical Man was originally to be called the PI Factor. Credits and pics of guest stars continued in THE GIANTS. Fiction included my own Spindrift Logs from the POV of the characters, mostly Steve but sometimes others.

 

The comic this time is DEADLY ILLUSIONS part four. Mark is being accidentally buried alive by a weasel but in the resolution to the cliffhanger, he uses the pin and rope to ride the animals to the surface. A giant scientist is experimenting with a gas that makes animals …and little people hallucinate. Another giant overhears about this. 

 

A text fiction is THE CAPTURE OF VALERIE SCOTT. Another one is TIME FOR A CHANGE in which Dr. Arno returns. Kobick turns Steve over to Arno and Gault who seem to be in the country of Elax (Genius At Work). In a horrible scene, Steve escapes a fire that claims the lives of lab animals. Steve does not age and returns to camp 15 years later in 2001 (the story starts in 1986). There’s something about a time transporter, too and a giant that kills Kobick and a planned invasion of Earth and another Earth man and his two children and a snake that attacks Mark’s young child. In one part, there is the name of a section of the city, Logan.

 

SPINDRIFT issue 20, Summer 1993 is the final issue. The cover is a photo of the crew near a giant tire, something that came from the gum cards. Page 5 is a great piece of artwork of various scenes and characters. Page 6 has a mini Steve pic from THE UNSUSPECTED. The zine ran for five years. From Starlog 176 there is an article about Irwin Allen. From 1968, there is an article about the show from LA Times or TV TIMES and it states that Gary is happy there is a minimum of violence in the first 17 episodes filmed. IMO, there is quite a bit more violence in those than in most shows but a show has to have some movement and threat. There is art of the characters in the passenger compartment by Mark Dorais. There is an episode guide that uses the original press kit (and this makes for some changes from the original scripts, thus for example in DEADLY LODESTONE, it is Betty who goes with Steve and Dan into the pipe to do the operation) synopsis for each episode. Also—and  I like this bit---the episodes are in production order. Each is accompanied by two photos. And a quote. And a mini synopsis. There is an art piece of the giant seeing the ship in the first few scenes of MANHUNT. There is a list of the music titles for MANHUNT and then the musical sheets for the second season theme. Next up is a brilliant artwork piece of Steve in the forest. Then, a pictorial salute to SPINDRIFT and LOG with a  well done color section of photos and most in black and white. The main characters have two pages each and Chipper gets one page. Celeste Yarnell gets a page. Then another color page. There is an article from 69-70 season about  and with Gary from TV Picture Life. There is an article about Deanna and Don Matheson and their marriage. Two pages on Heather follow. Then an interview by Jeanette of Kevin Hagen. Apparently Dobbs is Kobick’s first name. Hagen got Kobick’s watch fiddling from an Austrian actor named Helmut Langer. There is a pic of Kevin with his cat. Then an article and pics of Celeste. There is a page of nitpicking on some episodes’ flaws. My article on the Gold Key comic series is there. Then, a fan who built the Spindrift cockpit in his loft, Graham Pottinger. Gary Frisby writes about the Picturebook, which is merely a reprint of a few Gold Key stories, Countdown to Escape and Damsel in Distress. The MAD magazine parody is presented. Then the fiction is Paul Mount’s FLIGHT OF THE RUBICON: PARADISE. Another fic, HOMECOMING, details how Capt Crane and Kowalski crash on the land of the giants, find the group and after some conflict, get them back home. Dan as ordered by Steve sets the Spindrift to blow up as Steve could not let it fall into the giants’ hands. Everyone gets back to Earth.

 

This 165 page epic zine closes with an index to all 20 issues and the 1991 yearbook. Comic strips from the past included Flames of Fear and Beyond Hope of Escape. Other fiction over the five years included a three part LIMBO’S TREASURE, WINGS OF FREEDOM, THE FIRST NIGHT, THE KIDNAPPING, WOMEN IN BATTLE, the two part THE VISITORS, STEVE’S BLACK EYES, the two part THE RETALIATOR, THE BIRTHDAY GIFT, THE PRIZE WE SOUGHT, ARRIVAL TO DANGER, BLOODSUCKER (a Halloween giant vampire story), and my logs for every episode as well as four novels (THE HOT SPOT, THE MEAN CITY, SLINGSHOT FOR A DAVID, and THE TRAP---the only one missing is UNKNOWN DANGER). Much of the fan fic I found (all of it?) can be found in my timelines for both LAND OF THE GIANTS and the Irwin Allen Timeline (which has many other movies, tv shows, comics, and books as the relate to the shows and fictional history).

 

This was an epic five year run.      

 

GIANTS LOG issue 26 Autumn 1996

 

Rescue issue. Cover: fantastic montage of scenes from RESCUE. There are terrific color pictures of Heather Young from 1996 and Lee Meriweather. There are also color pics from Rising Star Convention 1996. There are lots of color pics and more black and white pics, many of which I have never seen, almost all of Heather as this issue has an interview with her. One pic is of her with a giant man (a really very tall man or a man on stilts) promoting the start of LAND OF THE GIANTS. There is also terrific art of Heather and other subjects. The back cover is artwork of all the main giants from RESCUE. The inside back cover has Steve contemplating which jacket he should wear to replace the ones already destroyed. It’s of not that every inside back cover is a humorous joke comic. There is a pic of Deanna from a 1960s New Year’s. Jeanette’s trip to NY and NYC is the subject of an article. There is an article from me about the Language of the Giants (which is posted in the files somewhere). I also review Ron Lordi’s fan made film LAND OF THE GIANTS, which used music from PLANET OF THE APES and JURASSIC PARK. There is a recent (1990s) pic of the little girl from RESCUE, now an adult. There are bios of all the guest stars from RESCUE. There is a synopsis from me and reviews from me and other fans. There are storyboards from Jeanette, acquired, I’m guessing from her many trips to the US and the costly and time consuming research. The best part, for me, is the info about the show itself from meticulous and costly research from Jeanette during her many trips to the US.

 

We find out: the names of giant stand ins: Gold, Silvery, Wurtzel, Gordon, Semon. The Fox Pico gate was near a small hill which was used as the shaft. Where each sequence is shot at is detailed. Ranch Park and Rancho Park are mentioned. I’m guessing these are the same and used as exterior(s). There are lots of minor changes to the lines and removals as well (Fitz calls the kids babies, not children in the original script). Then, there is this ending:

 

Steve: Kobick has the other one. We’ll never be able to use our radios and be safe again.

 

Betty: I wouldn’t say that.

 

(Val has the missing radio)

Steve: How did you get that?

 

Val: Kobick got careless and gave it to Lt. Emar.

Betty: And Lt. Emar got careless and laid it down.

Dan: And you got lucky and picked it up.

Val: Luck? (as she follows him off) Is that all the thanks we get for imagination, skill, foresight, daring, sacrifice, enterprise, cleverness, spontaneity…

 

The others laugh and follow them off.

 

All in all, another terrific issue. GIANTS LOG is a great magazine that even today, stands up as the BEST info, photos, and behind the scenes stuff on LAND OF THE GIANTS ever published. If back issues are available, buy them! Get them!

 

GIANTS LOG Issue 1 Summer 1990

WOW! When these arrived in the mail it was a dream come true. A magazine devoted just to my favorite series! Amazing. I can’t believe it’s been well over 20 years ago. The cover is another great piece of art from …I don’t know who. There is a nice intro from Jeanette and then an Irwin Allen run down article and a color cast photo. A season one ep guide follows with artwork of Steve and Dan facing the giant mantis. There is an article about Kurt and a beautiful one page spread of art of Kurt and GIANTS type lettering for his name. The back art is a joke of Dan, Mark and Steve seeing the Jupiter 2 landing. Steve says, “Whatever happens…I’m not getting upstaged by some kooky kid and his robot! Not on this show!” The back page is gorgeous artwork of a giant cougar or cat with Val and Steve beneath it in the leaves. A good first issue. By the time I found GIANTS LOG and Jeanette, it was well into issue 3 so my contributions didn’t start until issue 4.

 

GIANTS LOG issue 2 Autumn 1990  

Terrific cover of a left hand coming at Steve and Betty. The back cover is of a giant holding Mark in an open palm and Betty in a closed fist while Steve is at a cage on the table ready to climb down the pin and rope. It is more akin to an annual of 1960s to 1980s artwork and still very well done. There is a mini color photo of Steve. There is a bio for Gary and a full page of art of him with the logo of GIANTS done up with his name as in issue 1 for Kurt. There is a big color photo of Gary. A character profile is there for Steve. There is a letter page. There is also a small bit of art for a celebration. It shows the people struggling to pour a giant wine bottle into a giant wine glass. There is also an interview with Deanna. There is a color photo of the phone prop. Most of the artwork reflects season one (early season one) outfits. There is a lengthy article about LOG memorabilia. And a color pic of a collection. The inside back comic joke is a giant Betty getting her revenge for having stay back at camp and doing nothing. Accompanying this issue was a spread out Christmas card of the gang circa season two with spoons as they shovel snow. A giant bird is on Spindrift. The card is one of my most cherished LOG items ever. It’s just so special because it evokes the imagination of the series, takes it one step further, and proves fans loved the show as much as I did. They also made a snow man out of Fitzhugh’s clothes and briefcase!

 

GIANTS LOG  issue 3 Winter 1990/1991

 

Steve on the cover in a circle and giant boots with everyone else in the brush. The back cover is a giant boy picking up the Spindrift from the dirt, dirt hanging from its bottom as everyone else flees the scene at the “camera” view. Wild! A mini color pic of Mark from season two. Art of Mark and the crow attacking Mark, Steve, and Fitz. A color pic of Matheson holding the amphibian mask from the Voyage episode and shot in 1990s. Bio for Matheson. Color pic of Jonathan Harris with Anna Dutto. The original production order is listed, the order I prefer. The season two ep guide. Along with this are some story boards. There is also an interesting bit of script from A SMALL WAR that tells us that BARRY, not BETTY is in the boy’s hand showing him Dan’s blood. This is it Barry that gets through to the boy and not Betty in the original. There is a ROVACON report from Oct 1990. There is an interview with Conway. There is a color pic of Conway from 1990 holding GIANTS LOG 1 and a broken giant razor blade. The inside back cover has Val in her last outfit for the second season running and a joke about her running slow to hear this week’s exciting  incidental music. There was a calendar with this issue but I think I might have lost it or put it somewhere else.

 

GIANTS LOG issue 4  Spring 1991

Another stunning cover of Val and Steve in the foreground Spindrift behind them and the giant professor coming through the forest/jungle. Back cover is ---what looks computerized artwork---the Piper over Val, Steve and Dan and a tree behind him. Inside is a mini pic of Barry. Season two.The intro is “This is your captain speaking.” There is a bio/filmography of Stefan. Great art of Barry caught in the web. A full page of Barry with Stefan’s name in giant letters. There is a character profile of Barry. Underground is the giants’ letter page. I do a review of the 8 minute presentation reel from Allen starring Matheson. This can be seen on line. This is THE CRASH issue. A huge two page spread of artwork from THE CRASH is in the center of the issue. There is an original storyboard page of the set up of the set of the lab. There is a photo of fan Jeremy Baum with Conway and there is an interview with Don Matheson.  There is a synopsis and review of Flight of Fear. Mark Rogers points out all the great things about it and then says it is a disappointment. I cannot agree as it is exactly what we’d expect from a LAND OF THE GIANTS story with giant action everywhere and a fight for survival as well. There is a color pic of Deanna at Rovacon (and she looks stunning) and a color pic of Matheson (who looks so healthy and happy). The joke comic on the inner back cover has Steve and Val scotch taped down…with Mr. Magoo, Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny and a smaller character I cannot see, possibly Pikkachu? All in all a great issue and one can see that the magazine gets better and better with each issue.

 

TRIBUTE ISSUE 1991--To promote the series return to TV in the UK and to promote the club and zine, a mini booklet called GIANTS LOG TRIBUTE TO LAND OF THE GIANTS was made. Jeanette never does anything mini or small so while I say mini and booklet it is more like an issue. The front cover is an absolutely wonderful Spindrift in the dark fog from THE CRASH. There is a “this is your captain speaking” intro. The history of the concept is briefly written about and the Production order of the series is presented. There are storyboards from the Crash where we see that Val had short hair. There is a black and white picture of the cast, the girls and Barry sitting. The next few pages go over, briefly, the cast. There is a “Club Scene” and “Collectors’ Corner” as in regular issues. The joke comic is a scene of the six of the little people in the balloon from LAND OF THE LOST. One asks whatever happened to Betty. Betty is seen wandering around the forest, after what she claims is one of Steve’s funny turns. She’s completely lost from the camp The back page is a montage of Mark on the walkie talkie, Fitzhugh, Valerie, a weasel over Mark and Dan, the Piper looking in at Betty, Dan and Fitzhugh all centered around a heroic looking Steve with the hatchet (looking as if he’s about to toss it to Mark from THE BOUNTY HUNTER).

 

GIANTS LOG also presented an 8 part adventure story comic book called FLAMES OF FEAR which depicts Steve’s brother Chris arrives to try to find the crew and passengers. This is by Steve King. There is a huge fire which dumps branches on Chris and Steve. Chris is hit and eventually dies. The Spindrift which is making its way to Earth has to re-land in the forest because the fuel is dangerous. A well drawn story but grim as it involves one poacher accidentally killing another. It’s in the timeline. There are poachers and Betty wears her early first season uniform.

 

GIANTS LOG 5  Summer 1991---The Ghost Town issue. The cover is fantastic, all I’m saying. The back cover is art of the two giants. Inside it says July 1991. There is news that the fiction zine SPINDRIFT LOG was cancelled. Dan photo in color comes from the credits from THE CRASH (which are different from his usual season one credits). Who’s Who on Land of the Giants part V is about Dan and there is a bio for Don. A small note assures us via Conway that there are virtually no outtakes from the series. A two page spread has five drawings from Ghost Town. There is a synopsis by Peter Moore. Paul Z’s credits are in the issue and there is a detailed examination of the logo worn on Steve and Dan’s jackets and the colors used. Betty’s original design is from a drawing from the time. The next part of the Deanne interview. There is a color pic of Deanna and her daughter and grand daughter. The inside back cover joke comic is about Steve encountering his biggest fan.

 

NOTE: Now, actors, writers, and others from the show, especially the early episodes of season one (production order) all constantly say that the giants didn’t speak much. This is true (THE CRASH, THE TRAP, THE WEIRD WORLD, THE GOLDEN CAGE, MANHUNT).  They also say there are some episodes which they do not speak at all This is true---maybe once (THE LOST ONES).  Some say that the giants at first, did not speak English. Now, this is NOT true of the aired episodes. EVERY time the giants speak, in EVERY episode they speak in (almost all of the series except for THE LOST ONES), they speak English including the CRASH. They also say that the giants talked slower and walked slower. This is a set of fair statements---they seemed to walk slower in the early season one production order episodes. They do talk slower in THE TRAP and THE GOLDEN CAGE…and…that’s about it. By the 8^th episode filmed (FRAMED), they are speaking just fine. Fast and not slow. By DOUBLE CROSS, they are moving fast, too.

 

Now fictionally, the strange alien wording on the ONE can found in THE BOUNTY HUNTER and the alien wording in THE TRAP can be explained that there are some giants who are citizens but who come originally from another country that does not speak and/or write in English but there’s almost NO direct evidence of that (or indirect either, other than GENIUS AT WORK which tells us that there are other countries).

 

So to be clear, the giants did seem more alien and lumbering, even scary in THE CRASH, GOLDEN CAGE, THE LOST ONES, WEIRD WORLD, and….THE TRAP and that’s about it. They did still seem awfully huge in GHOST TOWN and TERROR GO ROUND but in the fourth episode filmed, BOUNTY HUNTER, they are speaking volumes. I suspect that, since BOUNTY HUNTER aired much later in the order of season one, that many more lines for the giant girl and father were dubbed in as the dialog and the visual part seem a bit…well done but somehow arranged. Either way, the ep as aired has them speaking a lot. In NO episode do they speak an alien language, not even in LAND OF THE LOST. In THE TRAP, the giants there do use some kind of device to talk to the girls and that’s the only time in THE TRAP that the giants do talk…in THE TRAP. It’s possible it is a language translator or more likely that the giants’ volume or tones were not understandable to humans from Earth.

 

Maybe the episodes had more dubbing in them after being filmed but certainly the giants always spoke English and almost always spoke in the aired versions. Before, when originally filmed, maybe they didn’t. And maybe they didn’t speak at all. This seems to be the case with Murray Leinster books, which appear to be written before the series actually aired.

 

GIANTS LOG issue 6  Autumn 1991

Another great cover for this FRAMED issue. The artwork is just so satisfying after years of having very little LOTG coverage, pictures, artwork or anything really. It is of Val atop the giant camera while Steve and Dan try to turn the camera. There is a bio about Deanna and credits. The episode was originally called FRAMEWORK. New props were made for this episode: the plug, studio, darkroom, camera, clothing rack base, trellis, doorbell, table top, etc. And it shows. The episode looks great and to me, sounds great due to the music used. There is a character profile for Valerie. Page 2 has little known facts about Land of the Giants. It cost 100,000 dollars to make the 8 minute presentation film (!). Cockpit seats were originally made for PLANET OF THE APES. The SID building is Fox’s Bureau de Change. I wrote a letter to UNDERGROUND, the letter page, defending Flight of Fear. There is a color photo of Stefan writing a letter that is printed in the issue. There is also a letter from Gary. There is the start of a ten part serialization by different writers. I was not quite sure what this was beyond a fan fiction story start but I thought, at the time, other fans were to write chapter two and three and four…I liked the start of it, too. It ends with Steve encountering something…that we do not find out what it is. Fans had to guess. There is artwork of Heather and a smaller frame of Steve and Betty dodging a giant hand. There is info about her career and life. There is an interview with Don Marshall. The spread has stunning artwork from Framed, six pictures in all, detailing the giants and little people in various scenes. There is a storyboard page of Dan hiding under the cigarette package (an amazing effect from FRAMED). A color photo of the camera which is or was at Universal Studios (why there?). Mark Rogers relates some trivia: Spindrift was redressed but the elipse of the company logo is different from that seen previously and remains uncorrected for a further ten episodes (in production order). Even I didn’t notice that! Supposedly, in one scene, Betty says, “Mark and Dan can never get past him,”  but her lips say, “Steve and Dan.”  This is thought to be a time when a flub is covered by later dubbing. Although I have not checked in production order….in air order, this is the first time a giant is mentioned by name, a policeman named “George.” Credits for Harry Harris and Paul Carr are given. There is a 1991 cast reunion and a color picture of Gary, Matheson, Deanna, and Stefan. Stefan relates that there were three Chipper dogs used for Chipper: one for close ups, and the other two used for stunts. Chip, Chipper, and Little Chip. During the reunion dialog, there is some joking around that Peter Greenwood states is about some stories that cannot be told. ? In the joke comic, Tony and Doug bash Steve and Dan just before they return to Earth in the past in Wild Journey. Tony and Doug of TIME TUNNEL want to use the ST device to return to 1968. The back cover is of the police arrested the killer and another bit of art with Val on the camera top while the one of the others turn it or hide. Another great and fun issue. This issue was longer than the others before it.   

 

GIANTS LOG Issue 7  Winter 1991/2

Betty. Dan and Steve in the vent. The climatic gun battle. This proves we are in the episode UNDERGROUND issue. Another great back cover of the giant, the alarmed entranceway to the vault, Fitz in a box, and Dan and Steve. There is a bio/credits for Irwin. If I have any criticism is that I’ve never liked color photos being glued or taped into an issue as with time, it ruins the pages. There is a color pic of Heather from the credits. There is a character profile of Betty and accompanying artwork with name in giant font. There is a Rovacon Report and an interview with Stefan (part one). I must note that every section is accompanied by a themed mini bit of artwork. For example, the interviews have a small pic of art of Val and Betty being “interviewed” by the giant in THE TRAP. An UNDERGROUND synopsis by Peter Moore and a wonderful centerfold of UNDERGROUND art. There is a story frame from the story board. There is a bio of Ellis St. Joseph. The 1991 cast reunion dialog is here (part 3). There is a large pic of Gary and Stefan, in color. The joke on the inside cover is of Kobick taking time off work to go to a party. He calls his own agency…in his mind, “Selection of Incompetent Dumdums. He cannot see in the dark as someone does something to his foot. It is Betty and Barry making faces at him. It’s too dark for him to see them.  Some of the cast chat includes a time Kurt chastised Stefan for looking off into the distance instead of looking at him (in the second season; I wonder if it was during Pay the Piper during their scene talking about Steve and the Time Warp). They also relate how the production tried to lay off the stunt doubles. Stefan also relayed how Kurt was the one to name the ship Spindrift. Kurt was recognized by the public more for Land of the Giants than his 52 or more movies. Again, another wonderful issue.

 

GIANTS LOG Issue 22 Autumn 1995

OMG. Jeanette has outdone herself with this issue. My favorite episode SEVEN LITTLE INDIANS. Steve with the giant beaked birds. Back cover is artwork of Stefan at various ages. There’s a happy new year from Deanne 1969. A great color spread page from Rising Star 4. Happy 40^th to Stefan. A major set of artwork from Seven Little Indians all over this issue. There is a pic I never saw before: of Steve and Dan at the giant phone (white). Of interest is the storyboard that shows a log in the hyena cage instead of a tree. BUT even more interesting is that storyboard that shows plans they had of having Steve and Dan run across the BACK of a rhino in one of the cages!!!! Wish they had done that. There are notes, revised scenes, revised dialog, deleted scenes, and all from the exhaustive research from Jeanette and her trips to the US and all of her hard work at the library in Ca and her contacts across the US and the UK. I can’t praise her enough. The script still had Barry calling Mark Mr. Wilson and Steve Captain. It also had Steve calling Barry, the boy. The actor who played the guard was in a Love American Style episode called LOVE AND THE SPENDTHRIFT. No kidding. There are exhaustive credits for every actor. A beautiful color page of Sheila Matthew and Robert Wagner. An article about the video/presentation called THE FANTASY WORLDS OF IRWIN ALLEN. There is a great piece of art of  Barry and Chipper above him, both close ups of their faces amid some kind of clover leaves. A high class black and white two page spread of Stefan as Barry and Stefan as Lucifer from FEAR NO EVIL (I have to admit that FEAR NO EVIL was…my guilty pleasure). Another photo comes from Class of 84 (another guilty pleasure). There is a very deep interview with Stefan about a variety of subjects. It’s interesting to note that Stefan hibernates as do I sometimes, depending on how people are treating me. There are high quality pics from GIANTS, THE WAY WEST and of Stefan on the steps. This huge issue continues with an article (a book review by Gary himself) about Gary’s wine and a book about his vineyard, again, accompanied in the issue with great color photos. As if all of that was not enough, the issue then continues with notes from Les Warner on William Welch’s original script for LAND OF THE GIANTS, called IN THE BEGINNING…a very different set up for the series and one that I am glad NEVER came about (the giants are invaders of the planet that has forest people who are the natural natives of the planet and are the little people and only two Earth men crash land…it all smacks of a PLANET OF THE APES scenario and I don’t like it much at all). The Earth men are Steve and Alex. The inside back cover has a good comic joke: Mulder tells Scully that he never thought his search for extraterrestrials would end up like it did: with he and she in a cage presided over by Kobick!

 

While looking at all these things, I also note that Kevin Hagen told us he always tried to imbibe some personality and humor into Kobick. Also regarding the issue about RESCUE, it has to be noted that the story boards show Val and Betty meeting with the mother, Mrs. Bera, on the ground and not on the bench.

 

Issue 22 is possibly my favorite issue. Jeanette is like SUPER RESEARCHER, WRITER, AND INTERVIEWER. She notes Carole Lewin’s help on transcribing the interview. At the same time, Jeanette was also doing SID FILES and…AND! the Irwin Allen News Network updates, many of which were more than one page and in full color also AND calendars for LAND OF THE GIANTS for each year the magazine/club was in existence. LOG and Allen fans in general owe her a great debt of gratitude.

 

GIANTS LOG Issue 8 Spring 1992

 

As a prelude to reviewing this (face it everyone, every issue is a winner and fantastic so review is no surprise), I watched TERROR-GO-ROUND again. Sorry everyone, I love this episode. There are a few things that set it apart from every other LAND OF THE GIANTS though. First, it seems to be part of that first season part two section of the series and while that is true, production order-wise, air order wise, it was aired 8^th or something. People criticize it for being a capture-escape episode. Hello, you do know you’re watching a LAND OF THE GIANTS episode, right? The music, too, sets it part as it’s a terrific NEW score (with maybe one small bit from THE LOST ONES as Steve climbs the rope). In air order, it makes the giants seem more like Earth people than ever before, with names like Luigi, Pepe, and Carlos as well as a very big and cuddly bear named Willie. The cover this time is of Mark strapped to the ring toss post, surrounded by Val, the balloon, the bear over Barry and Fitzhugh and Fitzhugh. The back cover is the balloon and the giants. During this time the IANN released an 80 page tribute to Irwin Allen. There is a bio, credits, and character profile on Kurt and Fitzhugh accompanied by the usual (and very good) color mini pics and a large page of Fitz as the clown in Marionettes, sitting cross legged from possibly The Mechanical Man and from The Crash, menacing with his gun. There is a great interview with Kevin Hagen, who comes across as so very nice. He explains he tried to play Kobick with some admiration for the little people and with some humour (British spelling).”  I’d say he succeeded and didn’t just try but did it fully. In fact, I thought he was in 12 episodes (and it seems like even more) but the truth is, he was only in NINE episodes. His impact often made me think he was in more and was a semi regular. He wasn’t. He was only in nine episodes. It should have been more. I would have loved to have seen an episode where Kobick shrinks to the little people size. There is a strange article from Carole Lewin about….The Giant of Film and  Television. It is only one page and is to be continued. I’m guessing it is the brief history of 20^th Century Fox. Carole also writes the synopsis for TERROR-GO-ROUND. The artwork inside the two page spread, is, as always, fantastic. I have a full page of review of the episode. The guest star credits are given (along with one great piece of art of Pepe). The cast reunion continues in part three here. There is a Don Matheson interview part two and a huge color photo of Don at a large Thanksgiving like table. On the third to last page are the usual Collector’s Item ads (one discusses the GIANT LOG 25^th Anniversary Book). Another ad is APPEAR IN LAND OF THE GIANTS. Artist Martin Wilkie offers artwork service to put two figures of fans or one into any scene from a favourite film or TV series but is offering a discount for GIANTS LOG members. This ad is accompanied by a sample of his work and it is stunning. Val in her yellow dress (without the piece that covered of her chest cleavage) crouching (a pose from THE MARIONETTES, no doubt about that) from a giant hand reaching for her and near an electrical socket. A fan is next to her in the full color piece. The comic joke on the inside back page is Dan being caught by a giant using a magnet…the pin in his Dan’s leg makes him stick to the magnet.

 

 

GIANTS LOG Issue 9  Summer 1992

The Flight Plan issue. The cover is particularly clever in that we see a giant image that gives the impression of Joe shrinking, Joe, Steve, Betty and Spindrift and the cockpit from outside (not a shot we often see), all artwork. The back cover, too, is impressive and clever…a giant shadow and a tiny Joe under it. We also see the giants as usual. There is part two of the Fox story by Carole. A mini color pic of Kobick. There is a bio, credits, and art work for Kevin Hagen, as usual impressive and comprehensive. Paul Z is interviewed with a nice mini color pic of Jeanette and Paul. There are also what look like Paul’s private collection drawings of characters. Prices for costumes for season two are presented. A new fiction zine is announced, TALES FROM AROUND THE CAMPFIRE. While this was never made, there were plenty of fiction zines presented by IANN (see the time line for a bunch of them). More on them later. Moore does a synopsis and the spread centerfold of art is very nice. Bios/credits for the guest stars and a brief note from Linden Chiles. The 1991 Cast Reunion Part IV is presented. The back comic has Fitz complain that he has only the same old faces to talk to and he thinks nothing could be worse until…a Klingon touches his shoulder…new modern day Klingon look. There were vouchers from Kobick for merchandising to those who helped the club/magazine.

 

GIANTS LOG Issue 10  Autumn 1992

Brilliant cover again: Dan, Val, Betty, and Barry’s faces in circular bubbles with a long shot of Steve, Mark, and Fitzhugh facing the pit with the giant in it holding Spindrift: spectacular. Deanna was announced as going to Creation Con, an upcoming 1992 convention. Deanna’s interview is here is it is part 3. I’ve already stated how the mini pics are great and with bold color but I don’t like that they had to be glued into the issue. Most have since created marks on the pages, both front and back and most have come off the page anyway. That’s the only complaint I have. There is a great color mini pic of Kurt and Deanna from what looks like SECRET CITY OF LIMBO with Kurt gesticulating with his hands and making Deanna laugh, both of them near some giant books. Of course Moore does the synopsis of MANHUNT. My review, as ever, is present, as is Gordon Foulds. The usual bios, credits, and artwork as well as some mini pics are presented. There is an article called THE GIANTS LOG DIARIES, a history of LOG fandom. The 25^th Anniversary Celebration was discussed and the 1991 Cast Reunion part V is presented. Stefan relays that the cast was sent out on the road a few times, each, including one time with he and Kurt together. There is a pic of Conway. The comic joke is about Dan’s ragged shoes…holed from running from giants for 25 years.

 

GIANTS LOG issue 11 Winter 1992/3

This issue was accompanied by yet another great calendar and another Collector’s Item merchandise catalog. The cover has a giant clock face on it with Betty and Val beneath it. In the clock are scenes from the episode. The back cover is two giants, Fitz ready to connect the two wires, Betty and Val sitting in the jar. This is Your Captain Speaking discusses a tape called CLONING AROUND WITH STEFAN ARNGRIM. Bob Mitchell’s passing called for a nice full page artwork piece and a tribute by Doug Diamond and another one by Carole Lewin. Carole points out that Betty is just about shown climbing down a rope in DOUBLE CROSS. Bob and Ester scripted 12 episodes. There is a letter from Jonathan Harris and a page of artwork of Harris’s characters. Part one of a Jonathan interview is here as well. He discusses his friend Mike Rennie. There is a full color pic of Jonathan from 1992. Not to be taken for granted, there is a THE TRAP synopsis and a full page spread of artwork from the episode: VERY NICE. I have a long review in the issue. There is TRAP trivia. The cast reunion part six is here. There is also a fine picture of Betty and Dan courtesy of Doug Diamond. The issue rounds out with news about a charity event and Rising Star. The joke page has Gary signing autographs as Steve…and signing giant autographs.

 

GIANTS LOG Issue 12  Spring 1993

THE CREED issue. An artwork piece montage of scenes from THE CREED. Quite fantastic. The back cover has Dr. Brule, the janitor, Steve, and a sweating, feverish Barry. More unbelievable artwork of Harris in part two of an interview with him. He talked about his work with the Flint Symphony Orchestra with Free At Last and Peter and the Wolf. He had no thoughts about Star Trek as he was not a regular viewer nor did he watch Next Generation. Jonathan seemed to never aspire to be anyone other than who he was and made himself the best Jonathan Harris he could be…in his own words. A terrific way to live. Doug Diamond reports on Creation Con and there is a picture with Deanna. THE CREED review and a few story board pics. There are credits, the great two page spread of artwork from THE CREED, and reviews. There is some interesting trivia: the corner of the wall of the soundstage can be seen as the janitor looks for the little people. There is a mirror image scene as the film is reversed. I haven’t seen this episode for some time and I am due for a viewing of it. There is a review of IN THE BEGINNING by me. I take readers through the script act by act and relate how I am unconvinced that this is any good. Thank goodness the LAND OF THE GIANTS that we know and love came about instead of this. Again, I am sure it was Doug Diamond that gave me the script and told me about it in the first place so thanks to him. The Irwin Allen Hot Sheets that Jeanette sought out and found are presented here for the first time and they are VERY interesting. It seemed as the Weird World was being prepared, the writer Shirl Hendryx was working on A SMALL WAR. There is also info about LOST IN SPACE and info about the actors and staff. These seem to be an Irwin newsletter for 20^TH CENTURY FOX. Angela Cartwright was in Buenos Ares as a prize for THE DATING GAME. There is an article about Stefan in London…and Jeanette sent me a prized photo of Stefan on the phone from London, talking to me (I received a surprise phone call from Stefan). There are some color pics of Stefan. Stefan said a group scene had the greatest takes: 62. The teen Hopper in THE LOST ONES needed 13 takes to say his line to Barry in that episode. He also recalled that the younger men in the group had three main “heroic” poses. Very funny stuff. Gary, Kurt, and Stefan liked practical jokes and it is too bad those outtakes are not available somewhere. I’m not sure of the joke comic as Dan leads the girls to try to get some batteries and a giant interferes. There is some reference to Star Trek as Kirk calls, “Wrong coordinates again, Spock. Scotty, come in, Scotty.”  All in all, a very informative issue.

 

 

GIANTS LOG Issue 13  Summer 1993

DOUBLE CROSS issue. Love this issue, too. Love all of em really. Great cover. I mean really great. Barry in the center in a keyhole. Giant on either side. Below is Betty on the table, looking over, Steve putting the cloth over. Fitzhugh near the sardine can. Back cover is Hook and Lobo; Fitz sitting on the sardine can. Barry looking out the key hole. Dixie Trek 1993 con is discussed. There is a great pic of Gary as Steve signed by Gary. VOYAGE 94 convention has an ad. 1991 Cast Reunion VIII is here. Heather joins the conversation and despite not having really had much contact, the cast seem to love each other, still. Don Matheson seemed a little down that he has not had much work in acting. There is a great contact sheet (well, two panels) of Fitz with the giant stethoscope. DOUBLE CROSS gets the synopsis, reviews (one by me), and credits. HANG ON! The CENTER FOLD of the artwork for this episode has outdone itself. It’s just FANTASTIC and amazing. I believe Peter Moore does these (?). Not sure. The signature has PDM on it. He’s amazing. There is an Irwin Allen hot sheet from 1967. VOYAGE reporting on RETURN OF BLACKBEARD. There is a  revised shooting order for VOYAGE season four. Sobey Martin seems to be congratulated on having “done it again.” CBS seemed to have objected to Jonathan Harris’s senorita bit. The script for A Day At The Zoo was too long and had to be cut. Peter Packer finished Castles in Space for an ailing Tony Wilson (feel bad for Wilson). The network picked up seven additional shows---episodes. For LOG: Harry Harris was starting to prepare Weird World. Underground was called The Underground. There is a Meeting A Giant by Richard Ryan, a chat with Paul Z. He’s a very interesting character. Paul almost worked on the US version of Red Dwarf, which I do not believe ever got made. Talking Giants has an interview with Kevin Hagen. There is a great, color picture of him with his cat laying on him.  I love this man. Hagen admits he used the pocket watch and added that, borrowing it from an Austrian actor named Helmut Langer. He also chose the glasses used (great choice!). There a great black and white  photo of Marshall and Kevin from LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRARIE. I adore this issue!!!!

 

 

GIANTS LOG Issue 14  Autumn 1993

Wow! Another great issue, another awesome cover (being the WEIRD WORLD issue, the cover TERRIFICALLY captures actor Glenn Corbett’s face as part of the montage!). Great episode (in fact, all LOTG has are great episodes…although I’d be hard pressed to find a lot to like in COMEBACK but I do!); great issue of GIANTS LOG. Cover: repetitive of me to say but outstanding! Kagen in the center of a spider web, spider, Barry stuck, Mark and Val, Steve firing arrow at giant gopher, Dan calling on the radio, his jacket off. The back cover is a series of Heather artwork pieces as Betty (from Shell Game, Marionettes in her singing costume, as Betty with her jacket off in season one, and a close up). FANTASTIC! Nichelle Nichols and David Hedison are in a picture from Dixie Trek. Rising Star 1993 is featured. Gary talked about a proposed LAND OF THE GIANTS movie that would not be a continuation but would use the same cast. At this time, Deanna also had a novel VAL IN GIANTLAND and another proposal (more on that in this issue). Don Marshall also had some ideas about a return, too and possibly a script. Talking Giants interviews Ellis St Joseph, who seems like a nice man. He was happy someone remembered his work. There is a bio for Heather and a color art piece of her as Betty and some scenes. There is also a pic I have never since before or since…Betty with giant letters in what looks like a giant post office. There is another black and white with Betty behind Dan, early second season. There are detailed credits for Heather and a large contact sheet of her from TIME TUNNEL-TOWN OF TERROR. Doug Diamond provides a nice pic of Mark, Steve, and Fitz from Weird World and the fire at the start of the ep. There is a nice color artwork piece of Kagen and various scenes. Weird World Trivia explains that at the end of the CRASH, there was a cliffhanger for Weird World----one pic of this comes from the Viewmaster reels. Steve and Mark are repairing damaged control panels; Dan is working over a camp fire as he hammers a straightened paper clip (in the Viewmaster shot he is working with Steve and Mark); the girls are putting up the lean-to; Fitz and Barry are wrapping his money in neat bundles (ever wonder how it got back in his suitcase?). Chipper digs in the dirt and finds the tape recorder. Hearing Barry call, the dog drops it and the tape starts. They both hear Kagen’s voice. I sort of recall this (wrongly?) differently in the CRASH script. The script went through revisons and Kagen’s tape message changed and was longer. It also may or may not have had dates on it. Page 25 has a brilliant pulp looking poster of Kagen, Barry, the spider and the web. There is a photo of Glenn Corbett, a bio, credits, and tribute. He had recently passed away. He had starred in a TV pilot called THE STRANGER about a fugitive on another planet…one like Earth in another universe…and Mystery Science Theater riffed on it once. Corbett was cool. DIMENSION 2000: SEED FROM ANOTHER PLANET by Deanna Lund and Fred Eichelman is given a full synopsis treatment. Characters are listed. Anna Dutto also gives it a full storyboard. A villain named Titus is in this. I believe parts of this are excellently melded either into or from VAL IN GIANTLAND. This is, to get irritatingly repetitive, another GREAT issue.   

 

BTW: Issue 14’s comic joke was Mark being called on a giant phone. He responded with something like, “How many times have I got to tell you. Don’t ring me at work.” 

 

 

GIANTS LOG issue 15  Winter 1993/94

Jan 1994: THE GOLDEN CAGE issue. Cover: Marna, Mark, Marna in her bed with comb and mirror. Foliage. Back cover: Marna in a heart. Mark at the top of the logo of THE GOLDEN CAGE in a cage.  This issue is full of great info. There is lots of info about fan fiction from IANN and GIANTS LOG, conventions, and the episode. There is info about Gary and his book Art of the Vineyard, info about his proposed movie. He asked for submissions. I think I sent one in about Val lost in a high rise ready to be demolished while she is ready to have Mark’s baby. A new photo section called FRAMED has Kurt this issue and an old interview. Kurt is charming but it seemed to me, that in everything I’ve read, that Kurt was bemused by LOTG and found it puzzling that people should know him from that and not from his movies. I think he was also a bit embarrassed by LOTG. I once read that he said, “I’m just glad my name is not above the title.”  There is a synopsis of THE GOLDEN CAGE and a two page review by me. Lots of trivia for this ep. A blooper is said to exist: Barry and Betty in the mirror of the house. The original title was On the Back of A Bird. There is some note of Starlog issues and an old article (possibly from a teen magazine) of Stefan showing people around the set (and  a giant carrot is mentioned and the laughter at working with such giant props). There are glossy pics of Spindrift and Irwin directing on the set of Spindrift as part of the Spindrift Revealed article part one. Jack Turley is interviewed and his discussion of how TV writers are sometimes aged out and ignored as they get older is a sad one.  There is also a glossy calendar with pictures. More glossy: Doug provided a shot from the presentation of the Jupiter 2 inspired Spindrift from that 8 minute reel. The pics of Spindrift are actually of the model used in the show as it looked in 1994. The Club Scene page lists FRIENDS OF DEANNA LUND, GARY CONWAY INFO GROUP, THE SEAVIEW CREW, THE ASTRAL TRAVELER, LISA AUSTRALIA, LISFAN, DAVID HEDISON FAN CLUB, and fan fic for Voyage in ANCHORS AWAY. Having seen some of these, they are wonderful. My article SPINDRIFT REVEALED is here split, this issue is for the first season. There is a Behind the Scenes with Stefan and he details on the sets, mostly about Spindrift this time. There is a color pic of him in what looks like a neat white striped suit jacket holding a script. Francine York is FRAMED and a bio and article is presented. Carole Lewin gives a brief overview of the Joe 90 and TV 21 comics (see the files on all the Irwin facebook sites). There was a competition. On page 42 (42!!!!) the Hot Sheets start at number 5, leading me to believe it is in the middle but from Oct 3, 1967 as listed on the contents page. It details work on the presentation films for THE MAN FROM THE 25^TH CENTURY and CITY BENEATH THE SEA. This surprised me because I always thought these two pilots were made well after LOTG ended. Why Irwin would spread himself this thin when he was doing LOST, GIANTS, and VOYAGE at the same time…is beyond me. It explains a bit more about quality control, I think. Of interest, 100 Halloween masks will be mailed to Neilson City TV Editors and Station Promotion Managers on behalf of the MAN OF MANY FACES ep of Voyage. The joke comic is of Steve, Dan and Mark leaving Barry at the ship. He quickly radios Marna and the Lost Ones to have a RAVE! I can’t help but imagine the music they use being the teen music from LOST IN SPACE’s THE PROMISED PLANET (also used in DOUBLE CROSS). WOW! A huge issue. And if that wasn’t enough, COLLECTOR’S ITEM for 1994 had a huge art piece of Matheson, stool, and cat from the Presentation Reel. The cover is a photo of Val and Steve  with a spool of thread and giant battery in second season clothing (mid second season). The art has Matheson holding the script to THE BEGINNING.

 

GIANTS LOG issue 16  Spring 1994

April 1994. THE LOST ONES issue. Dan telling Nick off. Steve vs Nick. The cage, the trapper. Yes, it’s another great cover. The back cover is Gary as Steve, as the character from Burke’s Law, and as the Teen Frankenstein. And a giant hand (from Ghost Town?). Deanna just welcomed a new grandson, Fritz Feld and Olan Soule passed away (we have art of both men from COMEBACK), and Gary gave an interview. I give a full page review of the LOST ONES. Barry’s socks change from beige to blue four times in ten minutes. In the script, the giant trapper makes pleased rumbling sounds. There are many story board panels. Zalman’s credits are given and there’s a lot of them. Gary’s whole life is detailed and it’s quite interesting, many things I did not know. There are, accompanying it, many photos, black and white and color, all great looking. There is also a contact sheet of Gary as Steve (and it looks like it is from the second season). The interview is extensive and interesting, covering every aspect of his life. My SPINDRIFT article part two is presented and Anna Dutto did a great layout based on my rough draft the interior, which tried to incorporate all the extra rooms. In the joke comic on the inside back page, Val (first season costume from the later episodes) is timing Dan, Mark and Steve’s climbs down the rope they train to increase their time. A small catalog of Irwin merchandise (GIANTS LOG CLUB SCENE) came with this issue and has terrific artwork of Gary, and a fantastic cover for the Astral Traveler of the Jupiter 2, Dr. Smith, and the Robot.   

 

GIANTS LOG issue 17 Summer 1994

July 1994

 

The BRAINWASH issue. Again, how many times can I say this: Brilliant cover artwork. This one is done by Anna Dutto as I guess the others are (?). The back cover is Ashem and Kraal. Synopsis and reviews. Trivia. It is noted that the pilot extra scenes were filmed here (dog attack for one). Del Monroe was originally supposed to be the prisoner that dies, which would have made this the fourth VOYAGE star to be in the show (the actors that play Sparks, Patterson, and Chip—Chip in this episode). It is noted that Dan might have originally been the one to rescue Steve (Marshall might have injured his shoulder). A large number of changes are noted. Detailed credits and bios (pics of Bob Dowdell). Deanna and her daughter guest in London. There is the bookend pic of Betty and Val in a glossy print. There is an interview with Deanna. Paul Z is interviewed at VOYAGE 94. Although Paul’s stories are funny, I do wonder about his assessment of Allen itself: he feels that since Allen wa an orphan, the man didn’t have emotional feelings and attachments, that he didn’t know what family relationships were like and that’s why his shows suffered. I tend to disagree on the whole. LIS and LOTG both had wonderful family and family like relationships. Even on Voyage, Lee and Nelson are like son and father or brothers, ditto Tony and Doug. Paul Z, however, seemed as if he was the hardest working man, sometimes working on all four shows at once and getting up early in the morning to do so. An article on John Williams follows. Williams’ credits are listed. There is also a few pages devoted to the musical cue sheets for THE CRASH. There is also a short article about a Thatched Barn near Elstree Studios in England that Irwin once bought…and lost. The after comic joke is a fan who never grew up meeting a stunned Deanna.

 

GIANTS LOG issue 18  Autumn 1994

October 1994

THE BOUNTY HUNTER issue. Gun on cover in crate; Steve and Mark outside crate; Giant reaching down; back cover: Deanna Lund surrounded by artwork of Valerie in all her dresses/outfits. The Bounty Hunter poster is recreated. There are two pics of Val against the passenger compartment backdrop. I give a two page review of the ep. The many changes to the episode are noted, especially the teaser which was heavily changed and moved…Mark’s encounter at the tent and almost being seen was the teaser. Other parts of this may have been shot and discarded. The original idea was to have the poster not be in English but some alien language (also the can is in an alien language). Chipper found the hairpin and Val noted, “Imagine trying to carry a head full of those.” A giant corn can was to have fallen on Dan. Val talks to the giant girl, telling her that they are both girls even if they cannot speak the same language. Vicious comments and sarcastic comments from Mark and Val about the gun and killing are removed (thankfully). The giants are noted as having rumbles or distortions coming from them. Later, “wild lines” –dialog were added to the finished episode. Kimberly Beck was in Friday the 13^th: The Final Chapter. Mark was to have said “Let’s make sure he’s dead.”  Dan was to call Steve over to a giant pool of blood! Eek! Rising Star 1994 with Deanna is featured with lots of photos from LOTG time and 1994. Deanna is profiled with a great photo in color of she and Don Matheson. Rob Medford advertises making caricatures, (here, two of Kurt stand out, one with a briefcase saying Kurt Kasznar). The hot sheets show disappointment with a rewrite of On A Clear Night You Can See the Earth---which had to be rewritten from page one…again. These are from Oct 4, 67. HARVE BENNETT made suggestions to the script for A SMALL WAR. LIS was doing A DAY AT THE ZOO, scripting TARGET: EARTH, and TWO WEEKS IN SPACE, which was almost done. Peter Packer was writing something called CARNIVAL IN SPACE, which does not seem to be A DAY AT THE ZOO but an unmade script. Additional scenes for VOYAGE’s Terror and Rescue were completed. ABC considered A TIME TO DIE one of the better efforts and was flattering to it.  THE GIANTS LOG interviews continue in TALKING GIANTS with Elizabeth Emanuel, Irwin’s researcher. She has some fun anecdotes. She started with Irwin by making suggestions about Prf. Challenger from THE LOST WORLD (he wouldn’t wear a hat) and despite her not being able to drive a car, Irwin hired her (he felt she had to drive to be on time). Irwin was very nice to Elizabeth. She used to have fun with him and told him that she liked the hippies. There is a list of uncredited LOTG staff and crew. Liz also relayed that she wrote an episode of LIS but by the time it was about to be accepted, the show went off the air. The back comic joke is Deanna hearing that Yvonne Craig was to be in LOTG…and we see Batgirl in the background.   

 

GIANTS LOG issue 20 Spring 1995

April 1995

Kobick on the cover hovering over a trash can and Fitz is behind it. The back is Don Marshall as Dan in various poses. Page 3 has a number of giants from DEADLY LODESTONE. A 5^th anniversary scrapbook was planned. My synopsis notes that the original 20^th Century Fox presskits for this episode followed the original script for this ep and not the finished version. For one difference, the original idea was for Betty to help Steve during the planned operation, not Val. I give a two and a half page review of the ep. The trivia section is absolutely awesome. There are script notes (anella was referred to as omega), 14 or more altered scenes, and 14 or so removed scenes (one involves Steve claiming that he can toss the caber at the spider because of having Scottish blood!). We learn the spider doesn’t die but walks past Dan. There is added dialog from Mark about the squirrels not being spies for Kobick (but wouldn’t it be cool if Kobick started attaching cameras to animal collars?). There are pages and pages of guest star credits and a great black and white pic of Don Matheson. There is also a glossy color spread of a director directing Gary and Marshall in the forest set and we see the overhead ceiling. There is a black and white pic of Steve and Dan moving a spool of thread. There is a huge profile of Don Marshall with quotes from other articles and pics (and some rare ones of him with Linden Chiles from the set of THE FLIGHT PLAN). Deanna and Don talk about how Dan was not supposed to be just a “yes” man. He and Gary worked well together. Don was one of the first black actors to a major lead in a prime time show (Link from Mod Squad might be first?). There are several pics from Doug of Don and one signed. There is an article about the 5^th anniversary celebration. Ron Lordi’s efforts are given a long article and lots of photos. He had planned on doing a second Land of the Giants fan film. I don’t believe it ever was made. VOYAGE 97 con is announced. The back comic joke is Seaview launching the Flying Sub…only it’s Spindrift. Another super issue for a very enjoyable episode.

 

GIANTS LOG Issue 28  Summer 1997

Sept 1997

One of my favorite issues. SHELL GAME. Cover: Dan, a dirtied Mark, Dell, the girls and Steve in the shell; the ocean surf. The back cover is the giant family in artwork. Future issues were to include THE INSIDE RAIL in issue 32 and DEADLY PAWN in issue 33. THESE NEVER WERE MADE.

 

A DC TV Magazine cover was presented in color. My synopsis with original storyboards and the original set lay out is presented. One thing I don’t understand is how the entire regular cast shot Spindrift exterior scenes without Kurt…as he’s in every scene in front of the ship. Maybe they meant someone else? The cast that did appear in RETURN OF INIDU finished some scenes on that. Notes refer to the fact that some of the cast were late to set and there were minor injuries noted. There are a whopping seven pages devoted to script changes to SHELL GAME and its amazing. Dell was originally supposed to be 18 years old! They considered hiring someone even older that looked younger!? Glad they didn’t go that route. Lots of deleted or changed dialog is noted. One had Dan say that Dall’s senses compensate: that his eyes are better because he is deaf. One thing noted as deleted is actually in the episode (the whole exchange between Mark and Dan about figuring out the kid is deaf IS in the ep). Also deleted is Steve saying, “As I’ve always said, never trust a giant, even the decent ones.”  There is also a scene that suggests the mother sees Dal leave with the ship.

 

Of most interest is a huge pre production analysis from first Dick McDonagh and then Les Warner to the writers, the Mitchells. There was new thinking about the show and its background. “The LOTG is a sort of Big Brother society but without the eye peering out from all over the place. Recently Inspector Korik was appointed to the National Office of Investigation. He will never go in for cruelty or malice he is a dedicated human bloodhound.”  Another interesting note is for them to tone down Fitzhugh. Dick wanted him to still have his weaknesses but with the aim of him not being too reminiscent of Dr. Smith from LIS.

 

ABC wanted the show to start with Barry finding the ocean and taking off back to the spaceship, followed by the giant boy. Steve was to warn him about Korik. Barry and Fitz were to get into a boat!  ABC wanted them to encounter a shark or a fish that Fitzhugh snared! The suggestion was not to make it too dangerous but comedic…such as bringing up a porpoise. This would make them jump out of the boat and swim for shore, helped by Dan. It seemed while Dick didn’t want Fitz to be like Smith, ABC did! They wanted Korick mentioned even in eps he was not seen in. They didn’t want Steve to have much hope in getting the ship ahead of the giants (?!). It seems a bear was to attack Steve and Mark here? The boy was to look out and spot his father rowing back in from the sea!  In an update of the analysis, all ship scenes would steer clear of the costly passenger compartment use (shame that). The set issue was discussed in the memo: script indicates a shack but the already standing Peyton Wharf building chosen was a two story lodge with fireplace. It is revealed that Irwin had an aversion to showing the miniature Spindrift when at camp. The note felt they were over on matte shots and that some had to be changed. It was red flagged. Chipper is mentioned. Not sure he was seen in SHELL GAME. Korick’s name has now been changed to Kobick. Again, not sure his name was mentioned in SHELL GAME. I don’t believe it was. Dan’s shirt was originally to be burned up instead of the dry leaves. It was suggested not to burn the shirt. Interestingly, Les points out that Steve’s speech sounds more like Barry and Dan’s speech sounds more like Fitzhugh. Also of note and concern are some details you might not expect: he wanted the crew to be sure that the new campsite did not have the little people’s outside belongings there and even have Steve mention that they have to go back and get their stuff from the old campsite. Les even wonders if the following episode will have the camp look like the old camp. A lot of thought involved. He ends with a positive note, “This analysis does not paint as alarming a picture it may at first glance.”

 

There is a painting on silk by Hea Young Boddington of various scenes from the ep. Credits for the guest stars follow. Gary Dubin was in a movie called Time Walker. There is a word search and a Starcon 1997 report. With actors from all four shows, this sounded almost like an Irwin Allen convention. Arthur Batanides, Will Schallert and Charles Dierkop were among the guests starring actors who also appeared. There are lovely pics of Sheila and her dog Fluffy. There is an odd article about and from Gary about a movie he was working on about divorce. There is a long article with great pics of Spindrift about the various models that could be built. An ad for           VOYAGE IN PERSON con is in the back of the issue. A long article about Jeanette’s stay with the lovely Heather Young, along with color and black and white pics of high quality are presented. The back joke was Gary getting a lift to work…hanging on a rope on the back of a giant car.

 

A jam packed, favorite, enjoyable, giant, grand issue! WOW!

 

Note: in addition to GIANTS LOG and LOTG calendars, Jeanette also presented the SID FILES, the Irwin Allen New Network flyers (mini zines with pics), fiction of LOTG, and various other postings. She ran an amazing club, an amazing person.

 

Giants Log  Issue 21

Summer 1995

The Night of Thrombeldinbar, a suitably strange title. Great cover and back cover, detailing the giants and the effects and the main plot points. Word got out that GNP Crescendo Records was putting out a six CD set of the music from all Irwin’s four main series. In what looks like a Christmas ornament, there is art from the episode inside on one page. Brilliant. There are three reviews, one by me. A piece of art has the woman at the window with the sign for Thrombeldinbar and cookies on the ledge. The sets are listed and the shooting schedule presented. This episode seems to have been filmed around Christmas, which is great, as it is a very holiday-like episode. A number of scenes were altered as Heather could not appear in this episode. Tobek is called Toby, again, another alien giants vs Earthlike giants factor. The script had Val throw a piece of cookie to the monkey, not the whole cookie. There are several removed scenes and altered scenes. Fitz was to have mentioned Kobick. There is no siren. Kurt extended a chant for the children. Ryder and Novello have extensive, impressive credits, all listed here.

 

The Fantasy Worlds of Irwin Allen was discussed. While I’m glad we did get that at all, for me, it was a bit of a mixed bag: lots of flaws. There is an extensive and interesting interview with Bob and Esther Mitchell. There is a letter from Bob (then, deceased—1992 is the year he passed away) under terrific art of Fitz, a math sheet, and the two giant boys above him. Just wonderful. There is a color centerfold of the cast of Time Tunnel and Giants as they look now (1995).

 

What Critics Were Saying by Mark Phillips was interesting but it seems all the negative comments have been taken out. For example, I recall MONSTER TIMES saying the good stuff presented here but I also recall them clearly stating that GIANTS had more “bombs” than the other Allen efforts. As a child, I, at first, thought they meant explosive devices but quickly learned they meant that they felt GIANTS had more bad episodes than LOST IN SPACE, TIME TUNNEL, and VOYAGE. To that I say: NO WAY. BULL. GIANTS had only one poor episode and that’s COMEBACK. And even that is enjoyable on some level. I can’t say that about all of LOST IN SPACE, TIME, or VOYAGE.

 

There is a “book review” of 30 YEARS OF TV SCIENCE FICTION, which is just a list of questions (NOW I’ll have to go look up these answers) about behind the scenes stuff and trivia stuff that I must admit are very interesting questions (such as Which Star threw a Party after his series was cancelled? And What EP of LIS was banned for two decades in LA?). I don’t know any of the answers to these questions and now I’ll have to find the book. Most annoying.

 

Oct 5, 67’s Irwin Allen HOT SHEETS (always interesting) are presented. Shelly Stark’s script ON A CLEAR NIGHT YOU CAN SEE THE EARTH is mentioned as being “badly done.” It was pushed back and consideration for it to be given to another writer was talked about! Bounty Hunter was ready to shoot. Rewrites on The Lost Ones, Underground, and A Small War (held off for year two’s END) were being made. Manhunt was to be delivered soon.  The Weird World and The Golden Cage needed minor changes. The Trap was ready to shoot.

 

This is unbelievable: “Bob Hamner’s revised draft of TWO WEEKS IN SPACE has been read by the director and all hands (?) agreed that it will make a very fine and funny show.”  WHAT?

 

Tony Wilson was working on TARGET: EARTH and would soon go back to SPACE CARNIVAL (which was never made).

 

New writers added to LIS’s writing stable were Norman Lessing, Ed Plumb, and Robert Vincent Wright. I don’t know if this ever happened for what they wrote for LIS but “all of them had very interesting story premises for LIS.”   TV KEY had an excellent review of SPACE PRIMEVALS.

 

A TIME TO DIE, TERROR, and RESCUE were going well. Problems seemed to come from DEADLY AMPHIBIANS. SAVAGE JUNGLE is called “unique.”  Bill Welch was finishing EDGE OF DOOM and seemed to be going back to finishing something called CITY OF DOOM (never made episode?). Work continued on CITY BENEATH THE SEA and MAN FROM THE 25^TH CENTURY (eek!).

 

Angela was nominated for some kind of award. Hedison was starting a singing career (WHAT? lalalalalalala).  The cut on the album was announced as “I Should Care.” Harris made numerous guest star appearances: Major Yorty show? The Pat Boone Show (Oct 16^th). The Chariot was to be made by a toy company. Doug Diamond and June Lockhart contributed to this HOT SHEET for GIANTS LOG. Apparently the hot sheets were written by Irwin himself.

 

VOYAGE 97 con in the UK was announced.

 

The back comic is QUANTUM LEAP’s characters appearing…Sam jumping into ….Betty and splitting her tights.

 

All in all, a VERY interesting issue, filled with stuff I never knew about GIANTS and Allen’s shows. An interesting insight to how these were made.

 

GIANTS LOG 23  Winter 95/96

TARGET: EARTH. What can I say? Terrific artwork on the front and back covers. The Fantasy Worlds of Irwin Allen, the two hour special, is described. There are storyboards from the episode and Altha looks like Betty in them. There is a nice glossy photo of Frazen from the very end of the episode. Memos from the time indicated that the lead (Gary as Steve) was not in the first part. There are a ton of changes mentioned by Bruce Fowler to Irwin and Dick McDonagh. Another suggestion was to change the last line (which wasn’t change from what I could read into it). Fowler seemed to want something like, “All our hopes and dreams gone in that.”   There were also suggestions from him about who should play the three main giants. There are several altered scenes (Steve hits Mark twice) and a few removed scenes. One of these is Steve making a trail for the dogs to follow. Another, more interesting, is Betty telling Fitzhugh, “Fitzhugh, as far as I’m concerned, we’re still in flight and you’ll simply have to take orders.”  Another has Mark mention that if a spaceship took off without a modification, they would miss Earth a couple of million miles. The tag has Frazen decide not to switch off the destruct button, “We’re not yet ready to visit the other planets.”   Does this mean that he commits suicide? That he runs out and survives? What?  

 

Scene 89 is a long, added scene where Steve follows Mark, Fitz, and Val to the vent and gives them a radio.

 

Arthur Franz’s long credits include Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man, Atomic Submarine, and Monster on Campus, three cult classics. And a lot more. There are pics of Dee from Time Tunnel as Helen of Troy and Verda from Lost In Space.

 

I wrote a huge, critical essay on the FANTASY WORLDS OF IRWIN ALLEN. Basically, I appreciated it but thought it could have been so much better.

 

The original notes and breakdown as well as storyboards for the presentation reel of giants, confusingly called IN THE BEGINNING (the name of the original script of the first full GIANTS unmade pilot which does not have any of our well known characters) is presented in its rich fullness. It is very nice to see this!

 

Part two of the Stefan interview is here with a ton of pictures.

 

I present my Barry Lockridge biography, an extensive examination of the character’s past, in the series and with the giants and his co-space travelers. There is a 1967 sketch of Barry to accompany it. The well drawn comic joke in the back inside cover is…lost on me. It has something to do with Betty telling Valerie she is taking the coloring of her a bit far and Val looking like she is wearing Haji (from Johnny Quest)’s headpiece. Wha?

 

In any case, a packed, grand issue of some 58 pages!

 

 

GIANTS LOG 24  Spring 1996

 

GENIUS AT WORK issue. You will not believe how good the front cover is. The back has the giants and this includes Steve and Fitz. The intro has news of Whit Bissell’s death. There is A MAGICAL EVENING WITH PAT CULLITON. Pat wrote a book, HOUDINI’S STRANGE TALES. Pat noticed that the third season of LIS’s theme song was played at some show about magic. (of note in the mid to late 1990s, both Disney and Universal studios used the third season theme music over their loudspeakers as people waited on lines.. I distinctly remember the third season theme song being played as I waited on the line to see/view/take part in the HONEY, I SHRUNK THE KIDS effects demonstration). A color pics of Marshall and Pat. Artwork from GENIUS AT WORK. The synopsis and review by me has lots of storyboards including one of Fitz “growing up.”  There is a beautiful full page picture (black and white) of Barry, Fitz, and Chipper hiding in the grass.

 

This episode introduced Kobick, somehow this issue says his name was Dobbs Kobick. Not sure but I suspect that the name Dobbs was found out on some old records by Jeanette. Interestingly, Del Monroe, John Napier (Manhunt’s criminal), Vincent Gardenia (Death Wish and All in the Family) and John Crawford (the Time Merchant, Alpha, Graveyard of Fools) were all mentioned as considerations for a reoccurring role (as Kobick!!!). There are six altered scenes, and three removed scenes. Dan catching up with Barry is an added scene. The GREAT Sheila Allen is wonderfully generous in sharing a lot of this info with GIANTS LOG. There are extensive credits of the very talented guest cast.

 

 

From 1968, there is a pre production analysis (from Les Warner), which is very interesting. A suggestion was to not use the floor grill but any old vent or drain (SO GLAD THEY DIDN’T USE THIS SUGGESTION as I like the floor drain for a change). I think they were mostly worried about any process shots of a giant looking in at Mark and Steve, special effect wise. These shots, if you look, are avoided but I’m glad they used the floor drain. Another suggestion was to have Barry hide near a paper bag and let the audience believe he was carried off by the cop (?). Another questioned the gopher hole and why there was no other way out of it---the suggestion was to have a rocky cul de sac instead. Wow, a lot more changes.

 

Apparently, Chipper was left out of this episode. The dog was to be one of the giant’s dogs (and TWO dogs were mentioned, neither Chipper). There was supposed to be a woman shopper. The city street scenes were to be at night. Props were to include a giant dog paw and two strawberries! In the original script, Barry and Fitz were to run to Jodar’s place to get the antidote WHILE the dog attacked Steve, Dan and Mark. A suggestion to fix this was used, apparently. Also, originally, Zurpin DID NOT go outside---he just let the dog go out after the little people and he stayed inside. This was fixed in the final ep. A dog (this time, maybe Chipper?) was supposed to carry the baseball in its mouth and give it to the police. Having this many giant principals in an ep presented a budget problem. Kobick was still named Korick. After the dog (not Chipper) brings the ball to the police, it is not seen again. Suggestions included not leaving it alone in the woods but having Jodar adopt it as his for good.

 

All of these changes make one wonder what other changes, alterations, revisions, removed or added scenes there were in other series, especially the Allen series.

 

In any case, my review of the six volume CD set is in this issue. I am very critical of it and while I appreciated ANYTHING from Allen TV shows, this set is lacking in many ways---and I have issues with all of the disks except maybe THE TIME TUNNEL. Can’t anyone get anything right with the Allen shows.

 

For example: anyone notice on the second season disks of LOTG the theme music for early eps in season two is the FIRST SEASON theme song. I can  safely say on the ORIGINAL airings, NO second season opening theme had the first season theme song. The end theme, yes but the second season opening theme was always on every second season episode. I don’t know why that is wrong. For the CDS: the LOST IN SPACE music: the action music is not the cues from the show. They are slower and one story behind this is that these are earlier takes from John Williams. I’m not sure I believe that story. For LOTG: the GIANTS PROBING cue is listed on the covers and the inside but on most disks it is entirely missing. I bought several to find out if it was just one disk. Out of six disks, a small piece of GIANTS PROBING is on just one. On none is it there in its entirety and on five it is missing completely.  Not good. VOYAGE: there is a lot cut out of ELEVEN DAYS TO ZERO and I, for one, do not like the cuts. Okay, we also get JONAH AND THE WHALE but that represents just maybe 10 percent of all the VOYAGE music used on the series. VOYAGE could have used, easily, four disks.

 

Interview with Stefan part three is here with a contact sheet of he and Chipper (glossy shots and nice!). There is also a great piece of artwork of Barry and Chipper. The comic has Steve telling Dan that living on this world is getting to him…because he doesn’t think “I suit the red costume.”  O…kay.

Another great issue, though and so many facts about this particular episode. Very interesting.  

 

During the time of GIANTS LOG  24 was a fan fic called THE HORNET by Josette Bartlett. This appears to be another version of THE GOLDEN CAGE with giant insects added to it as well as children who chase Val and Betty. 

 

GIANTS LOG Issue 27 Spring 1997

Sabotage issue. This is the first cover that I’m not totally in awe of. Don’t get me wrong, even a weak cover on GIANTS LOG is better than 90 percent of other fanzines and the pics are VERY nice but the mix isn’t as smooth in other issues (especially the Inidu issue). It is the weakest cover up to now, for me. In any event, the back, this time, is nicer than the front: Zarkin reaching down, Bolgar, and Obeck and an exploding bridge. Paul Z passed away in March of 97 and it is sad. There is a TV LOG from August of 1970 of Deanna and Matheson, in color. There is the storyboards, the usual synopsis (by me), and reviews. I don’t understand why so many fans do not like this ep and think it boring. Yes, there is  a lot of talk but it’s interesting: it’s political and it’s scary. Apparently 17 episodes were filmed and then almost a whole year went by before the back 8 were made. Then, they were aired out of order. Carole Lewin presents script changes. Removed is a scene where Steve tells the others that if Bolgar comes after them, to hide in a gopher hole. In the ep, they do not use a pencil to lift the phone up.

 

Of course the largest change is the ending. In it, Bolgar has Zarkin shoot and kill Obeck. In the back as Obeck is leaving. Bolgar asks Zarkin for the gun and for him to leave the back way but Bolgar shoots and kills Zarkin. In the back. Dan, Mark, and Steve climb down the phone cord and are out. When police arrive, Bolgar makes up some story about the murders. Steve tells the other two men, “He’s shrewd, clever, and dangerous. And he’ll never let up on us. Let’s get back to camp.”   This seems to indicate, as in other articles and interviews, that Bolgar was to be the new person hunting little people. I think Colbert turned it down, possibly (?). In a way, I’m glad they did not use Bolgar and did use Kobick. For one, Kobick is not the cliché evil manipulator of SABTAGE. Nor is he a cold blooded killer. I don’t think we ever see Kobick kill anyone (yes, he shot at the counterfeiter/terrorists in THE CHASE and possibly hit the father (?) but he would never kill anyone like Bolgar did. Rather than work against the politics and government, Kobick worked with them and for them and didn’t seem to disdain them. Kobick had more depth and morals than Bolgar.

 

Parley Baer has six pages of credits! SIX! The others also have long credits but not SIX! Amazing guest cast. AT HOME WITH GARY CONWAY details Jeanette’s 1995 trip to Gary’s elegant and large home with accompanying pictures. There is a Sabotage word search. There are production call sheets and reports.  I recall reading somewhere that Kurt and Deanna were concerned about their reduced role in this episode. There is a LOTG drinking game. There is an article by Paul Z, What is a Fan? There is an interesting pic of he and his niece at a giant TV in Greece. VOYAGE 94 con is discussed. Trevor Boddington has an article called A SPACESHIP COULD BE HIDING IN THE WOODS NEAR YOU. The bulletin board mentions Ron Lordi is planning on making a production about Valerie Scott’s adventures. My third “lesson” on LOTG continues with the chemicals and drugs of the land. Rising Star 96 is discussed. Rising Star 97 is advertised. There are great pics of Deanna visiting a sick child in the 60s, Heather and her boyfriend Robert in their HUGE home from the 1990s, Don and Deanna from recent (then) conventions. GIANTS TRAVELOGUE PART TWO has Jeanette in Chicago where she saw the world’s largest land clock, among other things. Having briefly met Heather (and Deanna, Marshall, and Conway as well as Lou Ferrigno at CHILLER some time ago) I can attest that Heather is a very warm, sweet and nice person. Of course, the others were nice, also and very welcoming and kind. In Utah, Jeanette met Heather, called Patti, met Jeanette in kind. Patti had on a cast. Her huge home was used for a series THE PROMISED LAND (with Gerald McRaney and Celeste Holme) for one episode with Valerie Harper as someone called The Magic Gate. I remember this series, a spin off from the equally spiritual and warm show TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL. It’s very good. In any case, Patti tripped over a rolled up rug and injured her ankle. And there she was, offering to help Jeanette carry her bags!

 

The comic in the inside back cover has the Jupiter 2 (a bubble on top and below (?)) hovering nearby as John flies on the parajets near Steve, who is climbing the rope off a table top, “Need a lift, fella?”

 

I always thought the parajets would come in handy in LOTG but it would be too easy a way out. In any event, Mark could have invented something like a rope launcher so they didn’t have to keep throwing the rope up every week, although a friend of mine many years ago loved it whenever they used the pin and rope and tossed it up at a table top. This issue is a whooping, grand 66 pages! 

 

GIANTS LOG issue 29 Autumn/Winter 1997

The Chase issue. Again, the cover is just random art pieces (good ones!) stuck together but on top of a drainage map overlay. It is okay but not as clever as past covers.  In the intro mentioned is Stefan’s Viper appearance. Issue 32 and 33 are announced (these never came to be as far as I know). They would have been the issues for THE INSIDE RAIL (32) and SIX HOURS TO LIVE (33). TV WEEKLY has a brilliant cover photo of Mark, Val, and Steve circa season two posing near a giant foot, a bare giant foot, and as far as I know, the foot was never used in the series. My synopsis has several story board frames and my review has the office layout sketch, all, as usual, from the production itself.

 

The original story was called Strange Bedfellows. Steve, Dan, Val and Betty are captured but taken directly to Kobick and offered a deal: Dan and Steve will track a group of thieves to get evidence. While they do this, Mark, Fitz, and Barry try to free the girls. They are captured, too. Steve and Dan join up with the thieves and help destroy the evidence in Kobick’s safe and free the others.

 

Deleted dialog (lots of script changes are noted in this issue, again, as usual): Kobick, “You don’t trust me.”  “Of course I do, as far as I can throw you.”  It seems as though Gary’s “Kobick, you’re too much,”  must be a change instituted by him…for the better, I might add. Deleted dialog: Dan, “Moral—trust no giants.”  Steve, “Except the good ones.” 

 

There are also notes from Les Warner circa 1969. The original trap was to be a box cage with electrodes. The farm house sequence was to be at night and the three men are to have a hide and seek with the giants amid the garden. Les questioned how the giant chemists could go down into the drain. He also wanted the rat NOT advancing on the boys. A note about Heather’s justified stance against physical action as she was pregnant, the note suggests Betty not be thrown back into the cage and almost knocked unconscious. There is a tribute to the wonderful Leith Stevens. He wrote original music for FRAMED, UNDERGROUND, MANHUNT, NIGHT OF THROMBELDINBAR, RESCUE and THE CHASE, all fantastic scores. For VOYAGE he wrote TIME BOMB, THE LEFT HANDED MAN, THE X FACTOR (!!!), MONSTER FROM THE INFERNO, DEATH FROM THE PAST, TERRIBLE LEPRECHAUN, MAN BEAST, and  A TIME TO DIE. Time Tunnel: REVENGE OF THE GODS and REIGN OF TERROR. Lost In Space: BLAST OFF INTO SPACE, which I like a lot. I’d like to track down the many films listed in his credits. I’m sure some of them have tracks that sound like some of his work for Allen’s shows.

 

There is a CHASE word search. There is a Rising Star 6 color centerfold and article. Doug’s NITPICKER’S GUIDE TO LAND OF THE GIANTS is presented. This, part one, details the first season, and is peppered with about 30 pictures, many rare and interesting. An amazing article. Stefan’s sister was originally considered for the little girl in GHOST TOWN. Doug tells us the pipes on the calliope are the missile tubes from VOYAGE. There is a great pic of Val, Mark and Fitz having just emerged from the Scientific Unit guidance system/nuclear reactor in TARGET: EARTH, in what looks like a publicity shot. In THE CHASE, a car logo can be seen: Dodge.

 

There are pics of Heather cooking…from the 60s? 70s?

 

My lesson five on LAND OF THE GIANTS is about the settings, buildings, homes, hospitals, hideouts, farms, etc.

 

There is a color pic of Sheila and a young man named Randy (Deanna’s handsome son?) and an older man named Bruce. There is a color pic of George E Swink. GIANTS Travelogue part four is presented.  

 

The comic is of Barry pointing to the Lost In Space Robot (who is saying, “Warning! Warning!”) and saying, “Look what I found, Mr. Fitzhugh.”  Fitz is looking at us and rolling his eyes or something. A funny comic.

 

The back cover has the giants of THE CHASE and Kobick punching a counterfeiter.

 

Another great issue that makes me sad that this fanzine did not go on to cover every episode in season two.

 

That month’s THE IRWIN ALLEN NEWS NETWORK newsletter Vol 3, Issue 2, Feb-May 1997 had pics of behind the scenes on THE ANIMAL WORLD but also fan club news mags that I remember from the 1990s: THE ASTRAL TRAVLER (LIS and from the UK), ALPHA CONTROL (from Australia), THE ALPHA CENTURIAN, Perdidos No Espaco, LOST IN SPACE MONTLY from the US, SCUTTLEBUTT of the SEAVIEW CREW from the Uk, Deanna Gram, and of course GIANTS LOG. There was also a Japanese fan club for LIS.

 

GIANTS LOG issue 30  Spring/Summer 1998

The cover is nice. This is THE MECHANICAL MAN issue. The back cover is nice, too. The logo of THE MAN part of the title has metal studs in it as if it were a machine. Don Marshall had written an original LOTG script that would bring the original cast back together. Future issues promised THE INSIDE RAIL (32), DEADLY PAWN (33) and THE UNSUSPECTED (34). These three issues never came about and issue 31, to my knowledge, WAS the last issue. The script was called the PI FACTOR but was changed when dialog was removed but then one bit was left in. Carole does more script changes…and there’s a lot of them. In fact, Mek wants to use the PI factor –the psychological impact of impervious soldiers on the enemy---on his enemies in the Supreme Council. It makes no sense. There is a deleted scene of Betty and Barry at the ship worrying. Set one is the European Street and another at the Old Writers’ Building. Some African American actors appear on the street scene as do a number of others, including a short lady. Les Warner’s notes continue to indicate they are in trouble with sets and effects and some have to be cut. A snooper shot? A snorkel shot? Mark cannot be shot riding in the overscale hand. It was suggested that because the script was too long, the chase of the robot after Gorn be eliminated and that Gorn just be killed against the panel. Inspector Kobick’s bio is in this issue. Doug Diamond’s second part to NITPICKER’S GUIDE TO LAND OF THE GIANTS  is in this issue. It is good that it is because at least the second season gets some coverage in GIANTS LOG before it ends publication, which it will with the next issue. Doug notes that the computer tech talked about in DEADLY PAWN was from the 40s and 50s. I have to admit I really still like THE INSIDE RAIL. Doug also notes that Sugar Ray Robinson requested Allen cast Don Marshall as second in command. Sugar Ray wore a version of Tony Newman’s shirt from THE TIME TUNNEL. When he appears, later, in CITY BENEATH THE SEA, he would wear a version of Don Marshall’s outfit from LAND OF THE GIANTS! Concerning LAND OF THE LOST, I also read articles about the travelers taking a balloon flight to the other side of the planet and into the future of the giants’ planet, having different adventures there. Doug believes the main street in HOME SWEET HOME looks like the one from the 1931 movie FRANKENSTEIN. I haven’t seen that movie in a long time so I cannot remember or tell but it is possible. In THE CLONES Doug notes a stagehand or crew man shadow moving about (the dog trainer?) and in THE SECRET CITY OF LIMBO that the ray shot from a gun goes past the table it is to hit? I always thought Dan and Barry seeing the truck was strange but I guess they could have used binoculars. I do not think it strange that they could have stopped the truck…maybe somehow they let air out of the tires or snapped an ignition line or something? It could be? The tank and jeep in A SMALL WAR were left over from PATTON. In THE MARIONETTES, the little girl was a contest winner. In WILD JOURNEY, the original script was to have Thorg turn himself into a giant to the giants! Collier was supposed to be a man. Steve and Dan knocked out a guard. Steve originally threw the note away before the SPINDRIFT took off. Both THE SECRET CITY OF LIMBO and GRAVEYARD OF FOOLS use sets from BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES. GRAVEYARD has so many changes (see my review if I’ve posted it and IF the FB files work) they cannot be relayed here. A janitor is credited in the end credits but does not appear.

 

We get another pic of Heather home cooking. And one of Kurt from his stage performance days. 1998’s cons are looked at with emphasis on IRWIN ALLEN and GIANTS. There are color pics and one with the two Dons with Harry Harris. There is a black and white pic of Arch Whiting –Sparks from VOYAGE.

 

My lesson six is on the SID men and their names of lack thereof.’’

 

The VOYAGE IN PERSON con is discussed.

 

The back comic is Gorn telling Zoral, “Didn’t I tell you not to leave him out in the rain?”  There are birds perched on the Mechanical Man, it is raining, and a spider has a web on its underarm.

One more issue to go and then a few specials.

 

GIANTS LOG issue 31 Spring/Summer 1999 (last issue)

June 1999

SIX HOURS TO LIVE issue. Don’s script now has a name: Escape from Giant Land. Issue 32 was to have been a celebration of the end of the 20^th Century. Great glossy shot of Dan, Steve and Fitz near the mouse hole and the sacks. Glossy photos from the episode and storyboards grace my synopsis and review. Sam Elliott was considered for Steve Burton (glad they chose more wisely, while I like Elliot, he’s all wrong for Steve). During the making of this, a boom fell over and crewman Richard Spelker fell from a raised platform. Scenes in the storeroom had to be redone due to a sound problem. Kurt filmed additional scenes for THE MECHANICAL MAN. Barry was originally to have been seen at the scenes as the ship but school took priority. Fitz’s sneeze is not in the script. A scene where Mark, Fitz, and Val in the mousehole call Betty was cut. Reed originally asked for coffee.  One policeman at the house was called Pete in the script. Richard Anderson has a huge list of movie and TV credits. So does Anne Seymour and Bill Quinn. Mark Dorais does a Rising Star VII report and a dozen black and white photos accompany y it. The Cloning Around Interview with Stefan is in this issue. Heather pics of her in a college football jersey and one with a football player. My lesson seven compares the land of the giants with Earth. Mark Dorais has an article about the Spindrift, with pics of the original model. There is also an interesting series of drawings of the original studio miniature, the Lunar Model, and the Aurora Model. There is a beautiful color art piece of the Spindrift. There is a comic of Fitzhugh as the alien from Centauri Prime of BABYLON FIVE. Accompanying this issue were contact sheets of the second season credits and pics from SIX HOURS TO LIVE.

 

All in all, it seems there will never be another GIANTS LOG and in truth, there will never be another GIANTS LOG or anything quite like it again. A paper zine, a semi professional zine that is better than 99 percent of the professional magazines out there.  I miss it terribly and each issue was a joy and a dream come true.

 

There was also a 25^th anniversary book and maybe even a 30^th anniversary book. I have to see if I have them. There were also at least 15 or more SID FILES, perhaps about 20, all with older articles from the past about the actors, the show, etc.

 

GIANTS LOG 1990-1995 5^TH BIRTHDAY SCRAPBOOK is a fantastic, large sized 242 paged book.

 

Gary’s foreword is well written and his love for the fans and GIANTS LOG is evident. There is, among other things, a caricature of THE MECHANICAL MAN episode. There is a happy birthday card of the Spindrifters lighting a giant cake. Going through this now, makes me think that most of this is high powered reprint stuff, good but I cannot help but think that a lot of the effort that went into this, the 25^th book, the Irwin Tribute Book, the SID Files, and a few other things could have gone into making more issues of GIANTS LOG. On other hand, GIANTS LOG also brought to us a number of fantastic fan fic novels with astounding full color covers with wonderful artwork (more on these later, THE OUTCAST, THE REFUGEES, and so many others, most of them in the timeline). The ship, in the promo, is still called Flight 703 (also see viewmaster, I think, and the novels). Jeanette reviews every episode, finally giving us her thoughts on every one. There are some full page pictures, many glossy and very nice. There are some pages that are full storyboards from episodes (one from UNDERGROUND is very nice). One from CHAMBER OF FEAR has the dog in the storyboard look very different from the dog in the finished episode (less like a German Shepard in the artwork). COLLECTOR’S ITEM might originally have been called THE COLLECTOR. In the storyboard for LAND OF THE LOST, we see that Betty was included when the fireworks go off at the opening of the episode. Was she taken to the land of the lost, too? One of the best storyboard bits includes the nightmare world of NIGHTMARE. SECRET CITY OF LIMBO has the giant,  Taru, with the original script giants’ HUGE eyes. The one from SMALL WAR (notice no “A”) has Barry holding a wounded Dan as the giant boy looks on from a tree root. There is a full page of artwork of Gary and his roles in various things. The years, year by year, of GIANTS LOG are pictorially featured and written about. The cover of each issue is featured. The June 30^th, 1967 typed synopsis for EPISODE FIVE—perhaps not yet called THE BOUNTY HUNTER is presented. A plane drops leaflets down about how the little people should be captured and a reward is out for them. Giants insects cover the campsite, drawn by artificial light from their artificial lights and torches. The giant entymologist features in this. The giants do not talk….much but there is some English at the end.  The girl cries for the safety of the little people. Steve is still called Tim. They find the wallet of the giant and inside a picture of the girl along with alien language alphabet. There is also a Les Warner production notes. I wrote a full page tribute to GIANTS LOG. There is a Don Matheson section. There is artwork from fans of all ages. The 1991 cast reunon is featured. Feb 1992 also had EPILOG JOURNAL feature LAND OF THE GIANTS. Chipper’s Tail is presented, perhaps changed from its original version. There is a huge Stefan section and a tour of Fox studios. THE GIANTS ARE COMING book is mentioned. In hindsight, I’m not sure a book…another book about GIANTS was something that Jeanette should have put energy into…as it might have been better if she put effort into doing more GIANTS LOGS.  It is a nice book but a lot of the material, GIANTS’s fans had already seen and read. There is a huge pic of Paul Z and a full page of Steve’s costume design. Dimension 2000 is presented again and I hate to say I have no interest in it to this day. There is  a full pic of Don Marshall and a Don section with extremely nice pictures. There is also a “THE AMOUNT OF TIMES THAT HAPPENS” feature from Carole Lewin. Stefan missing from 6 eps. Heather missing from 8. Really? I thought it was more than that! Chipper is missing from 20 eps. Steve is captured 19 times. Mark is captured 19 times. Fitz is captured 22 times. Dan, 20; Betty 14; Val, 25; Barry, 11. Barry is the one captured the least! Betty is left back at the ship in 13 eps. Radios are lost in 7 episodes. Barry chases after Chipper in  12. Mark unconscious in 9. Fitz unconscious in 14. Steve and Mark fight, physically in 8. My full Spindrift article is featured with a full page of the ship interior as drawn by Anna Dutto, all rooms featured. A GIANT Deanna section. A nice Anna Dutto full page of art has GHOST TOWN, THE CREED, PAY THE PIPER, and GENIUS AT WORK mixed. A Heather section. Also of interest are two fan made dolls of Steve and Val, with boxes to match. There is a Kurt section. There is a credits of GIANTS LOG section. There are ten inspired lines from GIANTS from Val, Fitzhugh, Dan, Barry. None from Steve, Mark, or Betty, which I find strange.

 

Looking over this book has given me fond memories and a lot of joy seeing how LOTG is blessed with such talented and dedicated fans, however, I wonder how much more the effort to making this and more “tribute” books could have been better put into GIANTS LOG issues.    

SPINDRIFT FANZINE

 

Spindrift Issue 1  Autumn 1990

Calling itself the Land of the Giants Appreciation Society, I can see how Jeanette would be angry that this “club” was making this fanzine, too. It does bear some similarity to GIANTS LOG. Okay, the size is magazine full size. It’s not as glossy or as polished and there is much less foot on ground research being done for any of the issues. That said, the cover is a nice drawing of Spindrift on the ground. Inside on page 3 is a small mini color pic of Steve and again, I’m not sure that mini color pics stuck on by glue work for me. It does look nice, though. We also get an introduction to the cast and characters of the show in badly photocopied pictures. There is a profile of Irwin Allen, calling him the Jules Verne of the entertainment industry. An article about giant props from St. Paul Sunday Pioneer Press from Feb 16, 1969 appears. There is a profile of Gary and an interview from Starlog from Feb 1990. In it, Gary tells us that Irwin wanted him for the lead right from the start. Of note, he relates that the on fun stories are sometimes not fit to print. Wonder what those are? I’d love to know. Sounds like they had fun in between the hard work. Deanna gets a profile next and a few old articles, too. There is a huge synopsis of THE CRASH and a review. There is a THE GOLDEN CAGE and THE INSIDE RAIL synopsis, too. No reviews. Next, MERCHANDISE is explored.

 

What no one ever mentions is a walkie talkie I saw as an 8 year old or so. There was a walkie talkie with pics of Val, Barry, and Fitz in the forest on the packaging. And of course the title LAND OF THE GIANT walkie talkie radio.

 

There is a really good comic of THE CRASH by John Delves. It gets into the heads of the characters. Steve even asks, “Where the hell are we?” when he and Dan go out and encounter the giant car. Spindrift is seen exiting the space warp, too. Betty thinks, “C’mon Steve, you’ve never let me down before.”  It ends with Steve and Dan leaving the ship and not yet encountering the car.

 

The best thing about SPINDRIFT is the comics and…the fiction. It is what sets it apart from GIANTS LOG, which had almost no fiction in its entire run (aside from the ten part serial, which only ran two parts…no one seemed interested in it but me and one or two others so IANN ran fiction in separate zines). WINGS OF FREEDOM by Jean Flack is a sequel to THE GOLDEN CAGE. Of course it involves Marna (see my timeline for full details). It is quite well done. Then there is Paul Mount’s depressing but well written FLIGHT OF THE RUBICON part one---FLIGHT OF THE RUBICON. Barry is 32. Now, there is nothing wrong with this fiction and this series and it IS well written. I just don’t like it. It’s grim, depressing, and possesses none of the warmth of the series. It also casts our cast aside for new characters and even kills many of them off. Again, see my timeline for full spoilers. The back page gives a small preview of what is coming soon.

 

Not a bad issue and certainly, if  you like LOTG fic and want to see or rather read more adventures, they are here for you.    

 

SPINDRIFT LOTG Appreciation Society newszine No. 2  Winter 1990

Cover: Spindrift under a Christmas tree with toys and presents. Inside: mini pic: Deanna from COLLECTOR’S ITEM. The rest of the cast get profiles and artwork and black and white pics, badly photocopied. There is a cute picture of a 4 year old fan holding a model of the Spindrift. There are many old articles, most of which I’m just not interested in. There is a fan art piece that is very good of a little girl leaning down and seeing Mark, Dan, Val, and Steve. GHOST TOWN, THE UNSUSPECTED (with a nice photographic centerfold), and COLLECTOR’S ITEM get the synopsis treatment. Paul Mount, whom I sometimes question whether or not he even likes LAND OF THE GIANTS, gives a review of THE UNSUSPECTED. More merchandise is written about including the ANNUALS and books. In one JOE 90 ANNUAL, Spindrift is picked up and put in a giant’s pocket. There is a club convention ad and it is odd to see LOTG pictured with a Cyberman from DOCTOR WHO. The comic is more of THE CRASH and with more changes, some of them interesting. We see Spindrift blast out of the boy’s hands from the exterior. The giant scientists talk a great deal in this. The female giant is called Martha. Professor is spelled with two fs in this. Dan says, “Okay, Steve, lets go—up and at em!” !  Back at the ship, Betty worries how they are going to survive. Steve laughs it off, “A burger on this planet will us for weeks.” 

 

FLIGHT OF THE RUBICON part two: THE SURVIVORS continues the tragic tale. Okay, I don’t know if this is a spoilers thing or not but if you want to read a story that ends the Spindrift and Dan at the same time in a flashback to 15 years earlier…or gives Steve and Betty a son named Matthew, who is 15 or so and that gives us a new ship and new characters, be my guest. There’s also scenes of giant military killing many of the troops that arrived from Earth. I, for one, did not care for this story, but I do like that we have SOMETHING of fan fiction for GIANTS.

 

There is a mini pic of Dan on the inside back cover.

 

All in all, not one of the better issues but it was still good to have comics and fiction, even if the fiction was not to my liking. There were many years where there was no fandom for Allen and LOTG in particular. And NO fiction.

 

 

SPINDRIFT no 4  summer 1991

Cover: comic of the CRASH literally. Steve, Dan, cockpit, space warp, Spindrift. Mini color pic: Betty, season two. A letter from Gary. An interview of Don Matheson from Starlog conducted by Mark Phillips. A pic of Mark holding the hatchet. Kurt’s obituaries. An article from TV TIMES from 1989 claims Allen’s shows may never find their way into anyone’s top ten favorites (actually all four might be in mine, certainly LOST and firstly, LAND) but they will always have their welcome for Sunday lunch. Ahhh…uhh. There is a STARBURST feature on LOTG. FRAMED, SHELL GAME, and COMBACK all get the synopsis and pic treatment with only COMBACK getting a review, the writer fan claiming it is the highest rated segment (in the UK? In the US?) and that it is enjoyable. It might be enjoyable but it is my least favorite episode.  Stefan’s part in THE WAY WEST is detailed. OMG: how sad was the scene. Poor Billy. In the letters section, Paul Mount defends his negative view of LOTG, and admits he doesn’t share other fans’ optimism of the show’s future as to where the characters would go and end up: thus he kills almost all of them off and destroys the Spindrift for “realism” and to remind us that people die  horribly. Thanks, Paul. The letter column also shows how LAND OF THE GIANTS, the words are written in Chinese. If only I were the tattoo getting type of person. There is a LAND OF THE GIANTS meets THE TIME TUNNEL one page gag comic strip where the tunnel complex brings back Kobick, who sticks his head through the tunnel.

 

Fiction: THE FIRST NIGHT by Jean Flack has Steve contemplating during a walk into the forest after their first night and the dog attack. With everyone back at the ship and camp, he wonders if they will survive. A  very well written character piece detailing Steve’s thoughts and both the pessimistic and optimistic side.

 

Comic: INVASION part two: this has a LAST ISSUE AS YOU RECALL to the start. While Steve convinces Fitz to get Kobick for help, the girls use Mark’s new forcefield to hold off approaching giant aliens. Betty tells Barry to turn Mark’s new fuel pump and turn off the beta controls. Betty starts to pilot the ship away…A pretty good installment of this comic, well drawn I might add. It is by John Delves.

 

Ficton: Flight of the Rubicon part four: SENTINEL. The story so far: In the year 2004, the USS Rubicon, an investigation/exploration vessel travels to the LAND OF THE GIANTS. Commander Carter and his crew meet up with Steve Burton and his wife Betty, apparently the only survivors of the spaceliner Spindrift which crashed on the planet twenty one years earlier. But Steve suspects that others in his group are being held prisoner by the giants in their city and when their camp is attacked and ravaged by giant bounty hunters, some of the Rubicon crew are taken prisoner. Steve, Betty and their 15 year old son, Matthew travel aboard the Rubicon to the heart of the giant city and a group of little people penetrate deep into the Bureau of Scientific Affairs building. The group find it surprisingly easy to make their way down into the security zone where the giants keep their prisoners. Here, they meet up with the Spindrift’s Mark Wilson, for years, a captive who has been helping the giants on a mysterious scientific project. Wilson’s friend, the giant scientist Dr. Craven, helps to free the other prisoners, and as the little people are about to escape the Security Zone, the Security Chief, Kantos, storms into the room, kills Dr. Craven and turns his gun on the little people…whew!

 

Three of Carter’s men, one just out of his teens, attack Kantos after Carter puts the lights out with a laser. They are smashed to pulp. It turns out that to protect Val, Mark cooperated with the military, who overthrew the scientific elite and planned an invasion of Earth…with more firepower and with Mark’s scientific know how. Narrowly escaping the city, Rubicon heads for the Sentinel Base at the Sensei Mountain range where giants, using the tech Mark gave them under duress, have established this base, a massive military installation where  a giant army is being prepared. Mark tells them that the giants have been artificially keeping the space warp open with energy funneled from the planet’s core and at Sentinel, a fleet of spaceships is ready. Under the leadership of the mysterious War General, the giants are planning to pass through the warp and invade the Earth…and their own planet, due to power from the core being drained, may be at risk, too…Depressing story.

 

A better issue than 1,2, and 3. Still, the fiction should be more uplifting.

 

There is a mini color pic of a group shot in the lean to from A SMALL WAR. The back cover is a teen drawing of 703 flight Spindrift and not bad at all.

 

SPINDRIFT no. 5  Autumn 1991

First issue with a photo cover, except for the flashlight in the margin shining from a giant hand onto a shadowy figure little person.

 

This issue holds some fondness for me as it is the first that my contributions started to appear. Mini pic: Kurt as a pirate from GRAVEYARD OF FOOLS. A page devoted to the definition of Spindrift, and art of the ship flying up from an ocean. Gary Conway interview by Paul Mount and a semi mini color pic of Gary glued in. Gary answers a question of Lost In Space lost all credibility, did you ever have a problem with that with an answer that says LOTG was often written that way and that he and the others had to change some of the lines to make it more conversational. Gary feels that people would not talk the way some of the lines were written and felt Star Trek suffered from that somewhat. He also felt Irwin would have been okay if the characters became very cartoonish. Irwin wanted a giant preacher to marry Val and Mark. ABC wanted the show. Fox cancelled it. Due to budget. There are more old articles from old places, nowadays, which I’m just not interested in. There is a coloring book copy of Heather from one of the coloring books (there were two). This one looks like it comes from THE CRASH coloring book. Celeste Yarnell’s credits are listed. A two page spread has the diagrams of and color schemes of the outfits worn by the men and women and child of Land of the Giants circa season one. Very interesting. There is a synopsis of the WEIRD WORLD and DOOMSDAY and reviews by me and others. There are a page each of photos from the episodes. A column, Apart from Giants has a review of Don Matheson from REVOLT OF THE ANDRIODS in LOST IN SPACE.

 

There is a coloring book image of Major Kagan from the CRASH coloring book (UK only?). Opposite that is my first LOG entry based around the WEIRD WORLD from Steve’s log book. It is dated June 20^th, 1983.

 

Comic: INVASION Part 3 has the girls pilot the Spindrift away from the aliens toward the space warp in more well drawn artwork. Chipper even features. In the meantime, Kobick and his men are attacked by the alien spaceship and two men are blasted. Steve proposes they join forces: Kobick is helped by them to defeat the aliens and he will let them free. Betty is ordered by Steve to take the ship, which was on runaway acceleration, into the space warp after Dan instructs Betty on how to free the ship from its runaway flight. Val tells Betty she better make a quick decision…they are on top the space warp. The artwork is good. Barry looks a bit young for his second season self; Betty wears her second season outfit; I am not sure what Val is wearing; Betty is called stewardess by both Barry and Steve, which almost NEVER happened on the series; Val calls Betty honey and Steve does, too. Despite some of this minor inconsistencies, this is a pretty good story and a well made comic.

 

My second log entry, DOOMSDAY, dated October 2, 1985, is presented, again from Steve’s point of view and in his voice.

 

FLIGHT OF THE RUBICON part five: ATTACK FORCE is presented. This time there is artwork if you want to see a 50 plus something Steve and a giant spider. I must say, even though I hate this story, the spider art and the spider sequences are unforgettable and quite scary.

 

The Rubicon is shot down by the giants’ defense systems and the ship is rescued by a group of dissident giants led by Hoovik, who also saves them from giant spiders, but not before at least two men are horribly killed. Mark realizes that they need to gain access to Sentinel if they are to put a stop to the insane schemes of the giant’s leader, the mysterious War General. But to do so, the little people have to gain the confidence of Hoovik and his people…as this will mean Hoovik and his people will be committing suicide if they help the little Earth people…

 

This installment also tells us that Steve’s son Matthew has a kind of sixth sense when it comes to danger. He can feel something before it happens.

 

There is a mini pic on the inside back cover of Mark, Val and Steve in the balloon from LAND OF THE LOST. The back cover appears to be Spindrift on a beach front of a jungle/island. It is kind of escapist and very nice.

 

 

SPINDRIFT no. 6   Winter 1991

There is a Merry Christmas cover with a photo. Covers are generally from here on out not very impressive unless stated. Mini pic: Dan. Stefan interview where he tells us he liked on Chipper, one he didn’t get to work with very much and the one for close ups he could not stand. At that time, he tells us that his favorite is THE WEIRD WORLD. There are black and white photo copies of Stefan with his band and a career listing of Gary’s. The second season costume guide is here with outlines and color schemes…again, most interesting. There are OBITs for Gene Roddenberry and Irwin. There is a child’s piece of artwork for THE TRAP and it’s very good. I just realized that in that episode there didn’t seem to be a traditional trap, did there? Anyone know? BTW, the UK version of the first novel was called The Trap.

 

THE TRAP and PAY THE PIPER get the photo/synopsis/review treatment but this time there are quotes from the eps as well. My logs for THE TRAP (dated June 30^th 1983) and for PAY THE PIPER (somehow undated…the date is supposed to be…May 27^th 1985) are presented, again from Steve’s voice.

 

FLIGHT OF THE RUBICON fiction part six: The War General is presented. It ends with THE END…OR THE BEGINNING? Spoilers ahead….

 

 

In it, Barry dies, Mark dies, and Val dies. Barry is said to be big and burly. There is a distinctly Doctor Who feel to the War General and indeed, the entire feeling of death that surrounds and permeates this story. The War General is from the 24^th century. He is sort of a mixture of Doctor Who tropes…Davros and the Emperor of the Daleks, looking a bit like that Emperior from EVIL OF THE DALEKS. And…he’s from Earth. There’s also an underling named Kantos who turns against the War General. Carter disengages a ladder that the giants were reaching for…with Barry on it. Basically, he kills Barry so their ship will not be pulled down. The man named Stacey fell before that into a crowd of giants.  Hoovik is also shot dead. Before that Kantos (not sure who Kantos was but I thought he encountered our group in the past but not sure now) and his men have their way with the women and children of the rebel camp and then kill them all. All of Carter’s troopers are also killed. More looking revealed that in issue 2, Kantos’s past is revealed. When Dan blew up the Spindrift, he received a car and injury; Kobick was killed. Kantos had been one of his SID men. More glory.

 

Okay, so this morbid and grim, disgusting fic is well written but…it’s up to you to like it, hate it or ignore it or feel nothing for it. I just don’t like it or its vision for LAND OF THE GIANTS. Inside back cover: a color mini pic of a model Spindrift and a cat reaching at the viewport.

 

 

SPINDRIFT YEARBOOK 1991

 

A photographic cover that is striking. A giant with no features, the outline filled in with white is in center, surrounded by the cast, Steve, Dan, Betty from season one, Mark from season two, Val from season one’s second half, Barry from INSIDE RAIL or COMBACK, Fitz from season one, possibly WEIRD WORLD. A signed letter from Gary…in the original ink from the pen. My two page THE CRASH log written from Steve’s POV is here. I joined the magazine with issue 3 or 4 or something. THE CRASH is dated June 12, 1983.

 

Steve King’s 8 part, well drawn, comic story FLAMES OF FEAR is presented in the issue scattered throughout. A good story, it entails the crash of someone looking for Flight 612…Steve’s brother Chris. In the middle of this, giant poachers and police after them threaten the group as well as a giant dog. The accidental murder of one poacher by another and a raging forest fire and unstable fuel threaten the Spindrift’s escape from the forest.

 

Jon Perrin’s THE BIRTHDAY GIFT is here. Barry’s mother was named Evelyn and his father Paul. This details how he coped with his mother’s death and the news that his father was about to remarry---to someone named Stephanie. Then, in a training exercise, his father is also killed. It’s well written, sad and emotional. It also has the sensitive character of Barry’s father’s housekeeper Charlotte. I always somehow assumed Barry’s parents died together in a car accident. I am not sure if I read that in one of the novels or what or just assumed it since I first saw the show.

 

For some reason along the way throughout the book, each cast member has a photo and their name explained and their Zodiac sign. There are some nice Spindrift blueprints.

 

My log for FRAMED, dated September 19^th, 1983 is from Steve’s POV.

 

THE PRIZE WE SOUGHT by F. Meyer is about two Betty Hamiltons, one from a parallel universe. Krista “Storm” Stavarton with her crew crash land on the planet and Betty’s brother, whom Krista married in 1980, is killed. Edmund Hamilton was a marine biologist. The visitors do not eat our food but some type of nutrients and they are dying from a metal on the giant land. They are all from a parallel Earth, one which runs identically to our own.

 

A Mark Wilson art work piece by Michael Dodgson.

 

My THE GOLDEN CAGE log is dated July 29^th, 1983.

 

The next seven pages detail THE GOLIATH GUN, an unfilmed LOTG episode. Giant motorcyclists find a two manned rocketship crashed in the forest. A survivor named Davis joins the little people. More on this another time.

 

Pic: Fitz in a giant hand.

 

Fiction: My story ARRIVAL TO DANGER: the little people land in a desert to find many strange and dangerous encounters with animal life including a giant frog, a rhino moving at the ship slowly, a tiger and her cubs, a python, a crocodile, and a deer that prances right through camp, running from a lion. Native American type people live in a huge modern-like dwelling but Kobick’s arrival along with a new enemy, Olland, endanger not just the little people but the tribe as well. A boy named Tenko and his grandfather the Chief help hide the spaceship. The little people fire an arrow to stop Olland from killing the Chief.

 

A puzzle page.

 

My GHOST TOWN log dated Jan 4, 1984 (the fictional date).

 

Someone named David Simpson drew Spindrift.

 

My THE INSIDE RAIL log is dated Sept 26^th, 1984.

 

A competition winner Phillip Heath has his comic book story printed, BEYOND HOPE OF ESCAPE. A new chemical, Zargon 7 is really deutronium DX47 which could be used for the ship’s hydrogen cells. This entails them going to the hospital. Dan and Barry are captured by the SID and after getting the fuel, Val is captured, too. But Val is captured by a Dr. Vargas. He tries to dissect her but Steve cuts a gas line and lights a match. The giant is stopped and Val rescued. Explosives are used to free Dan and Barry. For some reason, Steve orders Barry to cut the phone line? Kobick appears. Val vows never to use fly paper or tape again since the giants always tape her down with the stuff.

 

Paul Mount’s well written BLOODSUCKER has Barry and Fitz return from going three miles north…where they were not supposed to. Fitz discovered a giant dog with its throat ripped out. Investigating, the others find a giant man who seems to be a vampire. Is he or is he just a vampire fan acting out a sick fantasy. We never fully find out because Kobick and his men arrive and shoot him. Kobick tells his men to get forensics and clean out his charnel house…but we never read about any bodies being in the house. This may be a censored version of the story. In any case, this is well written and written in first person from Steve’s POV. A very good story and one I could see being done on the series.

 

This 100 page issue is a good one.

 

 

SPINDRIFT No 7  Spring 1992

Distorted lens view of DEADLY PAWN pic. Oh, on the cover. Mini pic: Stefan. An interview with Celeste. This great lady owed a lot of animals at that time. There is an Irwin Obit. There is a list of his credits and awards. There are two pages each for LOST IN SPACE, LAND OF THE GIANTS, VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA, and THE TIME TUNNEL. TARGET: EARTH and HOME SWEET HOME get the treatment this issue. I wrote a letter about the Rubicon fiction saga. There is a shooting schedule of HOME SWEET HOME (originally called THE RETURN) which also seems to indicate that two horses were to be present. Gary’s COLUMBO episode, ANY OLD PORT IN A STORM is featured. 

 

Steve King’s comic DEADLY ILLUSIONS starts in this issue.  One interesting thing is that the opening has Steve conducting a funeral for his brother Chris who died in FLAMES OF FEAR, the previous comic. Dan and Mark clean the ion off the fuel cells so they will not be damaged. Fitz’s briefcase has vanished and so had Chipper. Steve, later, thinks about Chris fishing with him and his sister Jean. A strange fog envelops Steve and he encounters his dead brother Chris. To be Continued…

 

Steve’s log for TARGET: EARTH is dated April 1, 1984 and is by me. The other log is for HOME SWEET HOME and is dated April 15^th, 1985.

 

Another comic: INVASION part four. For some reason, one of Kobick’s men is named Titus. Betty decides not to go through the space warp and to return for the four men. This part is a bit shaky because it seems some parts are left out. Titus gives himself up to smuggle the little men into the alien ship but then he gets out somehow and lets the little people out of his pocket without the aliens seeing…somehow. The men reverse the molecular anomolizer and make the aliens shrink (is our size their normal size?). Titus tries to crush their ship but is shot. Betty arrives and uses the recently installed nose laser to attack the alien ship. It crashes into the SID car and the blast from that makes Spindrift crash. Kobick gives up on the search for the ship for now. Spindrift has landed between the bark of two trees (but in the last frame doesn’t seem to be there). Val sends out a beam for the men to find them. The back mini pic: Val and Mark color pic from THE CRASH (probably the viewmaster shot?). The back cover is a really good drawing of the giant snake which is the model cover of the giant snake and the cover of one of the FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND (issue 55? I think?).

 

A pretty good issue.

 

GIANTS LOG 25TH ANNIVERSARY TRIBUTE TO LAND OF THE GIANTS 1967 to 1992

 

NOTE: an ad for LAND OF GIANT DISCOUNTS from Coventry Building Society in this mag reminded me of a GIANT SALE ad on TV in which Don Matheson supported by two pretty, scantily clad girls (I think) promoted some sale, possibly a going out of business sale by a clothing franchise. I had the commercial on video tape until a few months ago when I just had to throw a lot of stuff out. I believe Don was in a brown leather jacket!

 

This GIANTS LOG magazine is full size and has a brilliant color cover of the ship encamped as a giant searches for it at night. Very vivid and nice colors. Bob Mitchell signed a full page of the giant boys and Fitz art from NIGHT OF THROMBELDINBAR. There is a two page dedication to Irwin Allen and an appreciation of LOTG by Peter Moore. There is a Gary pic and credits (yes, again) and a piece of art of Spindrift being fueled at the airport which is named Cestus (DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE THIS NAME COMES FROM? I’m not sure it is from the show or novels). Carole Lewin writes an episode to remember, all the titles of the episodes are in the prose. Not sure of the point of that. Jeanette gives a terrific chronological review of every episode in production order. Jeanette may not have realized the garbage dump sequence was written long after the first part of THE CRASH and after some of the other episodes had been started on. There is a Zalman King (Jeanette incorrectly states he plays Joey) in the hand pic and a glossy pic of Dan on the thermos with Mark on the ground, a shot I have not seen before. I’ve seen others like it, though. FRAMED was one of the highest rated episodes. Jeanette also calls Joe the last Earth person encountered by our group…this is incorrect. Joe is a giant and NOT an Earth person. Perhaps she meant Earth sized person. DOUBLE CROSS was originally called PIGEON’S BLOOD (what does that mean?). She also mentions several bloopers (Steve’s vanishing head in SEVEN LITTLE INDIANS and a hand handing Fitz the razor in UNDERGROUND, both of which I haven’t really noticed in any great detail but I’ll be looking for them now). I disagree with her about RESCUE…the rest of the cast are involved but not all of them can be in the action all the time. I also don’t judge a story on the fact that Barry and Betty do not appear. I think RETURN OF INIDU is a fine story, despite that and despite it being set in one room, which, of course, it’s not: we have a few outside scenes in the storm. I also will have to watch THE CHASE because I remember there being some optical effects in it and I sort of like it. Another blooper: the Fitz statue blinks. Jeanette thinks COLLECTOR’S ITEM focuses on the giants’ problems too much. I cannot agree. I think there is needed conflict in the episode and I like it. She also levels this criticism at SIX HOURS TO LIVE, which I like, too. It’s odd but if the giants were not developed, that might be a criticism, too. Personally, I found it had a great balance across both seasons in that respect. I also did not find A PLACE CALLED EARTH confusing. Criticisms leveled at LAND OF THE LOST can be explained away: the radios now have a longer range than they did in MANHUNT (not sure how that might explain the limited range in OUR MAN O’REILLY). Jeanette praises the set for THE SECRET CITY OF LIMBO but that came from BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES and reappears in GRAVEYARD OF FOOLS. Again, Jeanette faults LIMBO for focusing on the power struggle between the giants. I do get that Fitz and Val remain in one place for a very long time but I still like this episode. I like WILD JOURNEY, I really do but I’m not sure why everyone likes it SO MUCH more than I do. I feel it’s rather like a typical Irwin Allen story, much like THE TIME MERCHANT in LOST IN SPACE and even NO WAY BACK from VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA’s last episode. Both are about averting a disaster some time in the past and both involve some form of a time piece or time travel. I’m also not sure I would call THE MARIONETTES a light hearted frolic. Yes, I get that there is a song and dance bit but…Steve uses an explosive on the giant who threw a knife at Goldbe…who himself had his hand crushed…Val falls from a high drop after a gorilla picks her up…Brady threatens to punctuate Val with a pencil…all quite dark. A contact sheet of Mark and Fitz, Betty and Val, Barry from THE CRASH. A mini art piece of Dan accompanies FANFARE, fans letters about their encounter with the LAND OF THE GIANTS. There is a glossy pic of Val and Mark from LAND OF THE LOST in the balloon.

 

I do a full story synopsis of THE SLAVE MAKERS, an unproduced script from Jan 1970 that was never made into an episode although there is a picture of a possible alien giant, Mora, from the episode floating around. Written by Bob and Esther Mitchell, it concerns forcefields, giant aliens using them and an element that put into cakes to control the little people so that Mark, Betty and Barry have a war with Dan and Fitzhugh while Val and Steve try to save everyone. A new Inspector named Bidor seems to ally himself, for a time, with the little people. I also review the episode, which wasn’t really fleshed out enough yet. I wish I had it on disk so I could post it for all of you.

 

Big Stefan pic and a contact sheet of he and Chipper. His credits. In fact, the credits of every main cast member and Kevin Hagan are in this magazine. Carole also presents SCENERY WATCHING, an article about the scenery. She claims that in THE WEIRD WORLD, the characters pass the gopher hole on the way to the gopher hole. She notes the bloopers around Spindrift in MANHUNT, the oxygen tank, the lights inside, and the door panel outside on the second outdoor mock up Spindrift. She claims from FRAMED until GENIUS AT WORK there are scratches on the door control panel on the outside of the ship. In GENIUS AT WORK and more noticeable in DEADLY LODESTONE, the ship exterior was redone and the colors more muted. The camp plants seem to come and go at will as well as some boulders and rocks until it more lush and thick. She also claims that the outside buildings area in OUR MAN O’REILLY, THE CHASE, BRAINWASH, and SABOTAGE were in BATMAN and CHARLIE’S ANGELS. I’m not sure CHARLIE’S ANGELS was a Fox show but that might not stop studio sharing. An impressive list of merchandise is next but although every conceivable product is listed, I still see no mention of the walkie talkie that was released. I must admit for a two season series, LAND OF THE GIANTS had more merchandise than some shows that lasted three (hello, LOST IN SPACE) and four (VOYAGE) and also than shows that lasted ten seasons.

 

There are pics of fans and the LOTG cards (a few of them). There are a ton of pics of Don Marshall. There is a Lunar Models article about the Spindrift. Judy Noble writes about the LADIES OF LAND OF THE GIANTS. There is a full page Deanna artwork piece that is VERY nice. Fred Eichelman about Rovacon: the little con that grew. A nice full page of Heather as Betty taped down in THE SECRET CITY OF LIMBO. Neil Comer writes that he’s not a real fan of LOTG. Okay.

 

Paul Sing Sangha writes an interesting set of huge blue prints of the Spindrift, trying to show us where all the engine/work/radio/utility rooms and engine rooms were. It sort of works but I wish the print were better and the font clearer. There are also schematics of the door controls. There is also a Fox Studio building shot and an article about a book called John Gregory Dunne called THE STUDIO. The review is by Jerry Fielder. It talks about maybe two or three events that happened behind the scenes, none of them very earth shattering. There is a huge cast list THE GIANTS OF GIANTS of everyone who appeared on the show.

 

Fiction: CHIPPER’S TAIL by Little Chip is a Chipper POV one page fiction.

 

Gordon Foulds does an excellent and long comic as the little people discuss what he could do to celebrate the TV series LAND OF THE GIANTS at its 25th year. Kobick arrives and gives him the answer.

 

TAKE FLIGHT by Jane Jackson is a poem

 

There is an Irwin Allen party contact sheet. Who is that lady with Matheson?

 

The inside back cover is another Foulds comic with a giant cake and candle for the 25th anniversary. Steve thinks it will take 25 years to eat this cake. The back cover is the Spindrifters pouring a bottle of wine, the Piper and some of the group under him, GIANTS LOG RIGHT TO REPLY, and the Spindrift, all art pieces that are incredible.

 

All in all a stunning piece of work. It is over 120 pages.

 

GIANTS LOG TRIBUTE TO IRWIN ALLEN

 An 82 page book magazine size format. The cover is stunning. It looks as if Irwin is holding Val (in her late second season outfit) through some mist or ocean with the time vortex, the Seaview, the Robot, the Towering Inferno, and the Jupiter 2 as well as a dino from THE LOST WORLD all round. Stunning PDM artwork. There are articles about his movies and tv series as well as artwork from all the shows. Peter Moore does a review of VOYAGE. Carole writes A Personal Memory about Voyage. Anna Dutto does some great Voyage artwork of Lee and Nelson. Ann Rivers writes THROUGH SEA AND SPACE, a tribute to Irwin. Anna does an incredible LOST IN SPACE full page piece of artwork which includes the green girl, one of the spiked monsters from PRISONERS OF SPACE, the Robot, The Keeper’s spaceship, one of the monster aliens from TWO WEEKS IN SPACE, The Keeper, the Satcons and a giant lizard among the alien rocks and mountains. A Matter of Time by Mark Rogers is a tribute to THE TIME TUNNEL.

 

Most impressive is a TIC TOC TIMELOG showing the years Tony and Doug visited on one chart in year visited order and with title of episode.

 

Josette Bartlett writes THE ALLURE OF LAND OF THE GIANTS which brings the beauty of the land as well as the hidden and not so hidden dangers of the land to the fore. There are two contact sheets of THE CRASH. There is artwork and pics for CITY BENEATH THE SEA, aka ONE HOUR TO DOOMSDAY. Pics abound for all the shows and movies. Carole does an article, THE SPECTACULAR FILMS OF IRWIN ALLEN but focuses only on THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE and THE TOWERING INFERNO.

 

SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON, FLOOD! And THE SWARM are all pictorially presented. Frankly, I consider these Irwin’s down years, right after THE TOWERING INFERNO. BEYOND THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE has a full page pic series. Trevor Boddington does THE INSPRIATION OF IRWIN ALLEN which focuses on the dioramas and models. THE LEGACY THAT IS IRWIN ALLEN by Rock Suegreen is next. In alphabetical order, all Irwin’s tv shows and movies are listed.

 

There is a mix page of photocopied pics from VOYAGE, GIANTS, TUNNEL and…ALICE IN WONDERLAND (ekk!).

 

The LOST IN SPACE inside back cover is by Anna Dutto and is WONDERFUL. Amazing.

 

 The back cover is an Irwin art piece and is very, very nice. A nice tribute book to Irwin Allen.

 

 

 

SPINDRIFT LOG no 8 Summer 1992

Betty pic cover. Don Marshall interview with a big color pic and a black and white pic, one from season two and one from season one. Mini pic: Steve. The Studio book is in an article. There are pages of ads and info about Gary’s wine. The LAND OF THE GIANTS review by Cleveland Amory from 1969, infamous for claiming that Heather Young as Betty is “…almost constantly strangled by her size one sweater.” 

 

THE MARIONETTES and DEADLY LODESTONE get the treatment. My letter is printed. Kurt’s movie FOR THE FIRST TIME is presented, a feature for Mario Lanza.

 

My logs appear: DEADLY LODESTONE (Feb 13^th, 1984) and THE MARIONETTES (Dec 23^rd, 1985). I thought some of these were from the others’ viewpoints. These are from Steve’s viewpoint.

 

Comic: DEADLY ILLUSIONS Part two: A giant gets a signal as Steve is snared in an animal trap. The giant puts on a gas mask. A device picks up Fitz and Barry, the blue mist is emitted and they see Chipper and Fitz’s money…and are snared by a net. The girls worry and this makes Dan call for Steve but no one can hear his calls over Steve’s radio…

 

Fiction: The Kidnapping by Steve Cook: even though the story claims the ship has been here for two and a half years, Dan calls Valerie Miss Scott, something that would never happen two and a half years in. A giant boy captures the spaceship with Fitz inside. Mark and Steve pursue the giant and  when the boy manages to get caught on a bush, they manage to get inside the ship with Fitz’s help. The boy takes them to his house where the three men get out to look for food and a way to get the ship out. The father returns but the other son, the twin of the first one, helps the men use an adapter to recharge the power cells of the ship Spindrift. While the men figure out that the boys are twins and that the good one, Erik, will help them escape, the others search for food. Betty, Chipper, and Barry have an encounter with a couple at a picnic grounds near a bench. Val and Dan search a farm and I suspect something was cut out of this story as the aftermath of a battle Dan had with a giant rat is discussed. In any case, Erik leaves with the ship under his arm and Steve takes off. The other brother fights with Erik but timely intervention by Steve stops the fight and burns Tarn on the face. The ship lands hard in the middle of some prickly bush that would be a good defense. Steve elects Dan and Fitz to go get their stuff at the other camp tomorrow morning and bring it to their new camp. A well written story and a good adventure for all involved, this story is actually fun and entertaining and I could see it clearly as a TV episode.

 

The mini pic on the inside back cover is Betty and Dan with the pin and rope, Fitz laughing at them from THE CRASH. The back cover is a drawing of Spindrift flying through some brush (from the story?).

 

A good issue of SPINDRIFT.  There was also a STAMP APPEAL for guide dogs for the blind accompanied by a piece of art of Kobick with a letter with the stamp ripped off and Steve below him with a stamp.  

 

SPINDRIFT LAND OF THE GIANTS APPRECIATION SOCIETY NEWZINE NO. 9  AUTUMN 1992

 

Issue 9 is back to an artist cover and I think for fanzines artwork works better, usually, for the covers. This is a piece of art based on the photo of the cast in a dish around toast, knife and spoon. Mini color pic: Val in her seat from THE CRASH. A ton of pics of Don Matheson, then and past, black and white, and color and a long interview. Matheson says he liked season two better because the clothes fit better and were looser and they were all looser. He says that at times if Heather was standing around, he would give her his lines to say. He says they all did stuff like that. He claims there was no ego on set and that if they were being temperamental, it was something they were all going through. He also had to bring to the fore that Mark must have had more clothes in his luggage. Irwin once freaked when he took his vest off. Irwin wanted a reshoot because of that and got it. Matheson did put it back on and later, won in getting Mark to have it off. Stefan credits, Gary on Entertainment Tonight.

 

NOTE: at times, such as with the MECHANICAL MAN, these issues state dialog that the scripts use and in MM Steve tells Mark that Gorn’s death was not his fault and gives some moral lines about it. I WISH that Jean and Anne Flack, who ran Spindrift, put the dialog from the episode in the synopsis AND also put the dialog that was changed in a different spot. They didn’t and often, I miss the changes. Shrug.

 

For example, in this issue, in THE BOUNTY HUNTER, they dialog up a whole scene where Chipper digs up a giant hairpin and Val makes a comment about having a whole head of hairpins that size in her head. Betty and Barry also appear in that scene. These scenes would be great if they were depicted outside the synopsis for the episode. Anyone not that familiar with the show would think these scenes were in the actual episode. They are not. THIS, TO ME, IS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THE ZINES of SPINDRIFT. These changes should have been reflected in the text as such and as it stands they are not. Often the lines have been changed just slightly by the cast but sometimes there are huge different scenes, whole scenes that have been removed from the scripts. Or a different ending or beginning. As it is presented in SPINDRIFT it is useless as a synopsis because it doesn’t present the episodes are they are/were nor does it differentiate the changed/added scenes. Major flaw.

 

THE BOUNTY HUNTER, ON A CLEAR NIGHT YOU CAN SEE THE EARTH, and OUR MAN O’REILLY all get the treatment in this issue, a page of pics each, synopsis, and reviews.

 

THE GIANTS, a new feature, has the credits of the guest stars. It’s kind of boring.

 

Deanna’s HULK episode is featured. There are two coloring book pages, a usual thing for SPINDRIFT to add visual impact. It works.

 

There is an appeal from Fred to get fans to write to the makers of current sci fi, Deep Space 9 (Deep Sleep Mine) and NEXT GEN and ask them to put Deanna into them.

 

DEADLY ILLUSIONS part three is here and the girls get trapped and then Dan. It becomes a bit tedious and then, when Mark goes after them, the artwork changes and Mark looks a lot like Steve and then like no one. A weasel goes past him in a tunnel and while it ignores him, it causes a cave in that threatens to bury Mark…

 

Logs from Steve’s POV for THE BOUNTY HUNTER (July 2, 1983), ON A CLEAR NIGHT YOU CAN SEE THE EARTH (December 28^th, 1983) and OUR MAN O’REILLY (May 1^st, 1985) by me are presented.

 

Paul Mount (who sort of panned OUR MAN O’REILLY in his review this issue) has his FLIGHT OF THE RUBICON series continue with RUBICON: SEASCAPE. This, as all of Paul’s stories, is well written. I can also say I enjoyed it more than the previous morbid parts of this series. The Rubicon lands on a yacht where murders have taken place. The opening of the murders ---a prolog that makes you think one thing is happening when another really is---is clever. Some truly eerie and scary parts to this and I envisioned Lara Parker of Dark Shadows (earlier in this issue we see David Selby and Don Matheson from FALCON CREST, David also being Quentin in DARK SHADOWS) as the female giant. I won’t give anything away but this is, thus far, my favorite Rubicon segment. I also forgot to mention that there is also a little Earth man named Professor Mower and his daughter Maureen. They’re not very fleshed out and they will be important in the last Rubicons.

 

The back cover has a giant hand reaching for Steve who is running through the LAND OF THE GIANTS logo. It’s art and very ANNUAL-like.

 

 

SPINDRIFT issue 11    Spring 1993

The flashlight is gone. The cover is art of Spindrift being refueled on the ground at the airport with cestus (lower case C) being the name of the airport or the company? The motto, “We get you there.”  Mini color pic: Betty, first season. Kurt’s career listing. An interview with Stephen Cornish an exec at London FOX who is thanked and interviewed for his rescreening of GIANTS in the 1990s. He briefly talks about a show called ALIEN NATION, a show which I found annoying and preachy and unlikeable. He, himself, seemed to enjoy Irwin’s stuff and thus, he wanted to see them rescreened.

 

There is an article about WHY I LOVE LOTG, a feature which seems to have been a regular one.

 

DOUBLE CROSS, GENIUS AT WORK, and EVERY DOG NEEDS A BOY are given the synopsis, review, pic page retreatments. At the end of the last one the giant dog gazes at Chipper and neither could be happier.

 

Don Marshall’s STAR TREK ep is featured. Celeste’s TREK episode is featured.

 

The logs for DOUBLE CROSS (Dec 1, 1983), GENIUS AT WORK (Feb 9, 1984), and EVERY DOG NEEDS A BOY (Feb 22, 1985) are presented.

 

DEADLY ILLUSIONS comic part five is here. One scientist wants to hand the little people over to the SID but the younger one kills the older one, his boss. He claims not to have meant to kill him. His plan was to use the older one’s blue mist invention to capture all the little people and turn them over to the SID but the older one wanted to hand them over earlier. The gun was the older man’s gun and he pulled it on the younger one so it was an accident in the fight. In the middle of this, Mark pulls a switch on the electronic cages using the rope and pin. The art here is better than in the third part.

 

LIMBO’S TREASURE by Thomas C Bailey is in parts. Part one is called THE UNWELCOME VISITORS. Part two is LIMBO’S SPECTRE. Part three is NIGHT OF THE GATE. Part four is THE GOLD SNATCHERS. Next issue: WELCOME TO TERRA V. Steve, Dan, and Mark hear jazz with soul playing at the Easy Quarter Club and realize it might be the jazz player Dan once taught but before they can investigate, two giants from Limbo appear and claim to be planning to rob the jazz player’s club. The men track them to Gremmick National Park, a park they knew well. In a cave where a huge grid to Limbo is there is also a dedication statue to Gen. Andrew A Gremmick of the United Calvary Corp 1816 to 1887.  Kobick tells his Captain Jennifer Hanson about the body archeologists brought in (Azar) and how his ID has been established. Mark is making a sound modifier to defend against giants and giant animals. Kobick fears the Mid Meditterainian Sector and the Regime of Light and Reason. In Limbo there is a giant named Dr. Anton Kobick (?) who has his screens set on Earth and the USA in particular. He tells his aide about the little people. Our Kobick goes to Biff (real name Lyle Sands!)’s club and dances with a girl named Anne (!). For some reason instead of making contact right away, Dan and Val ride the bumper of Biff’s car. Mark and Steve set off a fire alarm to get the Limbite burglars, with a stolen trumpet, out of Biff’s club. Biff tells Val and Dan that this planet is called Terra V. NEXT ISSUE: WELCOME TO TERRA V.

 

The inside back cover has Steve from coloring book saying, “See you all in June.” 

 

SPINDRIFT No 12  Summer 1993

Art cover: Val with chess pieces. Mini pic: Kurt (possibly from TARGET: EARTH). Great full page Don Marshall art and after that his credits.  DWB Magazine article. Deanna article from TV Guide Feb 15^th, 1969. Promos in print. From Jan 69 TV21/TV TORNADO No 209 Gary Conway. Then, a song? THE CREED, GIANTS AND ALL THAT JAZZ, and THE SECRET CITY OF LIMBO, three episodes that cannot be more different from each other if they tried, are given the treatment here. Some minor line changes. Heather’s TIME TUNNEL episode is featured in APART FROM GIANTS. I present the accompanying Spindrift Logs for the episodes: THE CREED (dated Sept. 26^th, 1983), GIANTS AND ALL THAT JAZZ (Nov. 12^th, 1984) and THE SECRET CITY OF LIMBO (Sept 26, 1985).

 

Comic: Part 6 of DEADLY ILLUSIONS is presented. As the others attempt to leave the tabletop, the giant returns. Mark hatchets his ankle and leads him on a merry chase but is finally trapped in a vent that is blocked. The giant uses a ruler to try to scoop him out. As the others climb down, the giant turns his attention on them. Mark sneaks out to a gas cylinder and releases the blue gas to stop the giant…

 

Fiction: LIMBO’S TREASURE continues: Part Five is Welcome to Terra V. Part Six is Grids, Grids, and Mord Grids. Part Seven is The Way Home. Part Eight is Kobick and the Bear. Frankly, this story is sort of boring and it makes the near annihilation of Taru’s people come down to a skirmish in the past. Dan and Val, at one point, hide in a doll house. Mark and Steve return to Limbo and somehow discover these giants are…in 1994? Biff gets to see the Spindrift camp. A gateway takes the ship and everyone in it in an effort to return it to Earth. Biff goes to Limbo…Frankly, a lot of talk and scattered scenes, the story starts to make less and less sense, seems less and less like the Limbo of the episode, and seems to have less and less meaning to it. And it seems fit to get worse.

 

The mini pic is a color one of Steve, Val, and Betty in the hallway in SHELL GAME.

 

 

SPINDRIFT No 13 Autumn 1993

A nice red cover and art of Steve and Spindrift. I don’t understand the arrows all over it but maybe that’s just me. The intro mini pic is a color one of Dan. There is also a cartoon of a giant foot stepping on someone and Steve saying, “Is that a take, Irwin?”  The art is nice but I don’t really get the joke. Artwork of Betty and a Heather career listing. RETURN OF INIDU, CHAMBER OF FEAR, and GRAVEYARD OF FOOLS, all “scare Halloween type” episodes are featured. CHAMBER has an interesting excerpt from the script that lets us follow Val’s thinking as she tries to save Mark from the wheel turning gadget. It’s interesting in that the writers didn’t have to detail her thoughts as we do not really see those on screen but perhaps it is good motivation for the actors. There is no dialog from the script for GRAVEYARD OF FOOLS but I present a long two page review that compares the script, revisions, and the final product (and there’s a lot of changes and revisions, for one, Barry and Betty rescue Mark). I also mention Kurt’s movie THE KING’S PIRATE where he plays a pirate quite like the one here, in look anyway. Doug McClure, a Steve Burton type (ever see Doug McClure’s dinosaur/fantasy/sci fi movies?) if ever there was another one, was the main star in that movie.

 

On page 23 there is a brilliant mock up of Deanna as Val (early first season outfit and look) and Steve with a lot of scary images around them: a giant reaper, a werewolf, skulls, tombstones, trees and the moon above. I don’t know if this was for GRAVEYARD or not but it is a full page art piece and looks rather nice.

 

Gary’s movies I WAS A TEENAGE FRANKENSTEIN and HOW TO MAKE A MONSTER (I like both of these cult movies but I must say at least HOW TO MAKE A MONSTER has a sort of happy ending) are presented.

 

The amazing credits of the amazing John Carradine are presented: SIX PAGES OF CREDITS! From his 20s to the time of his death, it appears that he was constantly working.

 

Tom Bailey’s letter in the letter section discusses his fan fic. The General is not the leader of the giants’ planet but of one area. Kobick has a boss and it is the General. Taru has a new name (?). There is something called the Terra Pattern but either I missed something or it’s not fully explained. I forgot to mention in the last review of last issue that Biff prayed to Jesus. Tom discusses that here.

 

My log is presented for RETURN OF INIDU (May 13^th, 1984) and is from Fitzhugh’s point of view. The log for CHAMBER OF FEAR (October 13^th, 1984) is also presented and is from Miss Valerie Scott’s POV. The log for GRAVEYARD OF FOOLS (Nov. 13^th, 1985)is presented and is from Mark’s POV.

 

Comic: DEADLY ILLUSION part seven and the conclusion. The giant thinks the little people are in the cage but then the sheriff arrives with a deputy and the little people are gone: the blue mist made the killer hallucinate them. On the way back through the undergrowth, they find Chipper and Fitz’s money, which the dog was burying or had buried. Everyone has a good laugh.

 

Fiction: LIMBO’S TREASURE. Part Nine: EXIT SPINDRIFT, Part Ten: THE WATCHERS, Epilogue: THE TURNING POINT. Okay, the story has broken down, for me, anyway. It is almost unreadable. Maybe it is just me but I still do not know what Biff’s trumpet has to do with Limbites wanting it or with their many grids, both giant size and little people size and what that has to do with all these parallel Terras (Earth…I think). There seem to be parallel Kobicks and Earths…There is  a description of the green thing (space time warp?) that seems to have been taken from one of the production stills…it is described as having things that look like craters. Instead of ending up home, the Spindrift gang end up on Terra VII. What I don’t understand about the next scenes is…are these copies of Kobick giant size or Earth size? They talk about being in a San Antonio of a parallel Earth so I guess they are Earth size. There are no more giant descriptions. Then again, they talk about the General Gremmick and he’s a giant from the 1800s that the new giants (?) are showing tapes of that they got from Spindrift’s computers (?). And then the story just ends. Okay, judging from Tom’s artwork in  this issue, I’m guessing he’s a teen or younger so I’ll give it a pass. It’s not that with a lot of work this story couldn’t be made to be really good, it could be. It’s just in present form, not very clear what’s happening most of the time and how it all fits together. For a young writer, it is okay. Someone refers to Betty as Commander so maybe she’s been given an honorary title? Or do stewardesses have that title already?

 

Inside back cover: Mini color pic of Betty in early second season clothes and Mark on the radio and outside. I’m not sure what episode this comes from.

 

The back cover: a very nice full page piece of art...a giant, seemingly Dracula in shadows, just his eyes, bridge of nose, forehead and a reaching hand reaches for late first season Mark, Betty, Fitzhugh, Val, and Steve. For some reason, Steve’s face looks as if he’s Tim Curry from ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW. In any case, a nice back cover this time (at times in some issues, there is nothing on the back cover).

 

 

SPINDRIFT No 14   Winter 1993

I haven’t noticed when it started but the covers do not mention NO (number) but just say Newszine 14 and claim YEAR 4. The cover is orange and a bit…the giants’ logo and a giant and a giant giant. Steve and Val appear very small in a cage on the right lower corner. Mini pic: Barry on the radio to Val in CHAMBER OF FEAR. Dixie Trek May 1993 with Gary, Rising Star 2 Oct 1993 with Deanna, and a nice bit of art of Val from early first season. There is a color pic of Deanna signed and an article from Starlog, dated August 1992, LIVING DOLL IN GIANT LAND. She saw Val as “ a rich, spoiled heiress who jetted around, did whatever she wanted. Money was no object. She did anything for excitement—skydiving, scuba diving, flying—it didn’t matter. She was not used to anyone saying no to her. Gary would sometimes drive me nuts but you knew when a scene was done, it was going to be done right.”  In this interview, it states Deanna was in contact with Heather but in other articles, I’ve read she really wasn’t in touch with her much.

 

THE CHASE, A PLACE CALLED EARTH, and A SMALL WAR, again three episodes that are very different from each other, are featured, given the synopsis with dialog (some of it different and slightly changed and some of it the same), reviews, and a page each of photos. Of note, I think is the fact that Olos states BACTERIAL AGENTS (note the plural) where as in the aired ep, I believe he says agent (singular).  My letter states it was originally Barry, not Betty, who convinced Alek of the truth. Also, if you watch, Mark’s scene of falling and the tank coming at him was added in later. Mark falls---Steve and Dan have already run off (and don’t notice?). Then, Mark gets away and runs. Next second, we see him right behind Steve and Dan. This fall of his and the tank coming at him as he’s stuck, I believe, was added in later. Sean Kelly was in John Wayne’s THE COWBOYS. It also featured Tom Nardini from EVERY DOG NEEDS A BOY.

 

Philip Heath’s letter incorrectly states Shirl Hendryx was the only female writer for LOTG. Unless I’M very wrong, Shirl is a man.

 

Comic:  A jokey A GIANT LEAP. Sam Beckett of QUANTUM LEAP leaps into Betty and panels show how he/she can have a fight with Mark, tell Steve to stay with the radio and have supper ready, and how she/he can have a heart to heart talk with Kobick and solve his problems and get him to repent. Sam’s partner Al shows up and tells him Ziggy computed the timeline: Kobick will resign the SID, help the little people get back to Earth, and become a priest. Cute.

 

Kevin Hagen, Dee Hartford, and Warren Stevens have their credits listed. In the UK at the time, LOTG was in the top 30 shows. Foo Meyer of Israel noted that Inidu spelled backward is almost Houdini.

 

A letter from Rhys Meredith states my GRAVEYARD OF FOOLS review got it to make sense.

 

Ian Wayne Beazley has a poem called A NIGHT TO REMEMBER part one.

 

My logs include THE CHASE (June 12, 1984), A PLACE CALLED EARTH (Dec 15, 1984), and A SMALL WAR (December 1, 1985). The only one NOT from Steve’s POV is A SMALL WAR. A SMALL WAR log is written from Dan’s POV.  I thought it appropriate as in DEADLY LODESTONE it was implied Dan was in Vietnam or some kind of conflict in South East Asia (“courtesy of a short term tour of duty in South East Asia”).

 

As usual for a Spindrift issue, there are images from the colouring books. There is a nice art of Fitz with one of the soldiers from A SMALL WAR.

 

Fiction: WOMEN IN BATTLE by Philip Heath. Okay, behind this story is a good one: what if it were over 11  years later (March 12^th 1995) and Marna returns and makes Val jealous. That written, none of this fits in with the characters, especially not Valerie, who at one point in the story, jumps out of a tree to physically attack Marna and beat her up! That’s after she’s just thrown a rock and injured Dan so that he can hardly walk!!! WTF? There’s no way that Val would do that, especially a Val after ten years. In any case, Val and Mark were planned to be married in the third season of LOTG. I would have waited for maybe season four or five to do that but anyway…this story is dreadful for those reasons. Everyone wears the Cestus emblem now because the passengers have been honorary members. Val stops short of bashing Marna’s head in with a big rock. Okay, no. Just no.

 

The mini pic: color of Steve holding Chipper from THE TRAP.

 

SPINDRIFT newszine 15 Spring 1994

One of the better covers: art of Mark and Fitz, seemingly from THE CRASH or WILD JOURNEY over the Spindrift. Again, those strange lines…what are they supposed to be, flashlight rays? Mini pic: Steve (from THE CLONES or NIGHTMARE?). Stefan buys melons in an article from TV Guide Jan 10^th, 1970.

TV21 March 1, 1970: cover of this comic anthology/magazine and a second page of the comic as the little people struggle after a fire.

 

Graham Pottinger presented LAND OF THE GIANTS Picture Story Strip as in TV 21 and Joe 90 comics 1969 to 1970. He does an intense breakdown of Issues 1-6 and then of 7-11 and 12 to 16. I’m not sure all the info of issue to issue is accurate but see the articles I’ve posted and the comics I’ve posted in full on the sites. There were more issues than discussed here, I think. I believe it ran in one set of magazines and then the magazine changed its name and started again with issue one but it was the same magazine with new stories. Sigh.

 

Gary Frisby reviews the under rated THE MEAN CITY novel by James Bradwell. Dan is called Danny and Fitz is called Fitzy. This is one of those spinoffs that claim the flight number (Supersonic flight number) is 703. Val is an excellent swimmer. Giant caterpillars vs Betty and Steve (not really, the giant things ignore them), fruit that puts almost everyone to sleep), a flood for Fitz, Steve, Val, and Barry,  and a ride on a bumper for Mark, Dan, and Betty. In the main plot, Mark, Dan and Betty hope to retrieve a stolen and bury (?) a painting of a scientist named Fowler who works for the council. They hope he will return the favor and help them return to Earth. Fowler turns out to be...foul but his daughter Angela frees the trio. I always liked this book.

 

THE LOST ONES, THE FLIGHT PLAN, and DEADLY PAWN, three strong episodes, are presented. There is no dialog presented from THE FLIGHT PLAN. Fan Philip Heath believes the “teens” are from NYC in the USA…maybe because they are animal like?

 

APART FROM GIANTS presents Don Marshall in a movie I’d like to see: THE RELUCTANT HEROES from 1971.

 

The credits for GIANTS states that Whit Bissel (THE TIME TUNNEL, I WAS A TEENAGE FRANKENSTEIN and I WAS A TEENAGE WEREWOLF) died in 1981. He didn’t! At that time, he was still alive. He passed away in 1996.

 

There is art that has a dog that looks like Scooby Do, happy to have a part in GIANTS as he towers over Dan and Mark.

 

Logs for THE LOST ONES (August 7, 1983), THE FLIGHT PLAN (October 17^th, 1983), and DEADLY PAWN (Dec 30, 1984) are presented. While the first two are from Steve’s POV, DEADLY PAWN has a POV from Barry and from Mark (Mark gives a commendation to Betty, who is more than a stewardess to himself and the others).

 

 

Fiction: THE VISITORS by Trevor Douglas. Chapter One has no title and isn’t even really called a Chapter. Chapter Two: Crisis. The PLANET OF THE APES 1970s TV show characters Alan, Galen, and Pete crash land on the land of the giants. A giant named Korak captures some of them and takes them to Sea City (on the way encountering a giant octopus). This takes place a year after THE SECRET CITY OF LIMBO. To help Steve, Dan, Alan, and Pete, Mark enlists the aid of Taru from Limbo. Taru’s transporter accidentally sends Galen, Mark and Betty to a beach and on the planet of the apes. Sea City has a mad despot out to take over everything via invasion… a Dr. Zalizar and Korak and a female Dr. Helen Robanz work for him but want to stop him now. Taru saves the others from an SID search and transports Spindrift away from the forest. With Dr. Zaius in pursuit, Mark, Betty, and Galen enter the Forbidden Zone. Two of Sea City giants are called Farrow and Garland. Steve and Dan go down a mail chute to try to find and free the female giant and Korak helps them do this. Mark, Betty, and Galen face a thunder storm in death valley. Two giant guards head for Dan and Steve’s cell where Robanz is. Next issue: Captured.

 

Back cover: a stunning chessboard of art scenes from DEADLY PAWN.

 

 

SPINDRIFT newszine 16

Standard cover: pink, Dan, Spindrift, Val in the Prof from CRASH hand. Mini pic: Val (possibly from A PLACE CALLED EARTH). Full page pic of Steve (with mouth gaping open?), Val, and Mark from behind the scenes (?) from EVERY DOG (?). TV GUIDE article HOW’S LIFE AMONG THE GIANTS THESE DAY about Gary and his life. It is from Jan25th, 1969. Gary has some excellent ideas about acting and relates them well in this interview.

 

There is a character profile of Fitzhugh.

 

There is a comparison of Matheson and Burt Lancaster.

 

Thomas Bailey writes a comparison of Planet of the Apes and Land of the Giants.

 

Paul Mount reviews SLINGSHOT FOR A DAVID. NIGHT OF THROMBELDINBAR is given the treatment and a shooting schedule is presented. RESCUE is also given a treatment and for all of these, the dialog has lines that are similar, if not exactly the same, but changed in some small ways to the actual production. It seems to me that the actors may have made the dialog more natural, the way people actually speak. PANIC is also done.

 

There is a full page of what looks like computer art from YOUNG GUNS OF TEXAS. In APART FROM GIANT, Gary’s movie YOUNG GUNS OF TEXAS is featured.

 

The “guest stars”  section this time have credits for Broderick Crawford and they are long. There is also an analysis of his handwriting? Lee Meriweather’s credits are listed.

 

Poem: Part two of A NIGHT TO REMEMBER.

 

LOGS: Fitzhugh reports on THE NIGHT OF THROMBELDINBAR (Feb 28^th, 1984). Steve reports on RESCUE (April 17^th, 1984) but Valerie adds her own commentary. The female input is examined by her: she mentions both Mrs. Bara and Betty. One line, “And to Steve and Dan, sorry we put you in the ground, almost for good but we’re glad it got you back to us, safe and sound.”   Betty Ann Hamilton reports on PANIC (May 15^th, 1985).

 

 

Fiction: CAPTURED! by Trevor Douglas is really part two of the VISITORS story from last issue. Two excellent pieces of art finish out the story and the back cover has more art of five different scenes from THE VISITORS. They are all rather well done. The story ends here, lots of action but predictable. Mark worked on the mutants’ nuclear bomb, hoping to have it just destroy their underground lair but only seems to jam the detonator switch. One of the female mutants helps him escape. Is Mark responsible for Earth’s destruction BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES? Taru rescues them. The others use smoke pellets to get out of Sea City and escape the evil ruler there. In the end, Spindrift is fully restored but is still stuck on the giant planet (guessing that they cannot find the space warp). In any case, all’s well it ends well.

 

The inside back cover mini pic is Steve in his short sleeve gray shirt in front of Spindrift (not sure what episode).

 

 

SPINDRIFT 17  Autumn 1994

Cover: Valerie Scott arrives in London. Back cover: A giant picking up the Spindrift under his arm.

 

Mini Pic: Mark from A PLACE CALLED EARTH maybe?

 

Pics and articles about Deanna and her daughter Michelle going to England. Mark biography and an early pic of Mark. A colouring book pic of Mark.

 

Murray Leinster’s novel THE HOT SPOT is reviewed by many fans, including me.

 

UNDERGROUND, SEVEN LITTLE INDIANS, SIX HOURS TO LIVE, and LAND OF THE LOST are all given the treatment. There are minor dialog changes from script to finished episode. Kobick’s last line in SEVEN was to be, “But there will be a next time and sooner or later we’ll catch them.”   He also calls the dog TINY in the finished episode rather than the script MINIATURE. The last line in SIX is Steve, “Let’s get down out of here and go home.”  There is a full page of Titus’s face over Mark, Val and Steve in the balloon. The guest stars John Abbott and Richard Anderson get credit treatment. Anderson has four pages of credits. Nehemiah Persoff has four pages of credits, too. Foo Meyer sent in an interview done with Persoff when he returned to his native Israel in 1992.

 

LOGS: UNDERGROUND (Nov 5, 1983), SEVEN LITTLE INDIANS (March 16 1984), SIX HOURS TO LIVE (Nov 22, 1984), and LAND OF THE LOST (Jan 1, 1985). All are from Steve’s POV.

 

Novel LOGS: THE HOT SPOT (July 12, 1983).

 

Fiction: Steve’s Black Eye by Maria Anne Bennett. An uneven story that has, at its base, a story that could have been good but it makes Steve a bit…unsympathetic and makes Val give him a black eye, something she would never do. The interaction and friction reminds me of the early episode (in production order) and its worth exploring that but… here it just seems wrong. Val and Steve do not act like themselves at all and even Mark’s “I’m not a babysitter” when Dan asks him to check on Fitz and Barry is sort of wrong. Val storms out of camp (I’m not sure we’re told why she hit Steve) and Mark goes after her. He gets pinned down by a giant boy but Val saves him but he’s unconscious. Dan goes after them and gets Steve to help. Earlier, when relaying what happened, Steve calls her a B word and Steve seems to hope she’s gone. He has lost all patience with her and also seemingly with Mark and Fitzhugh. For some reason I just didn’t like this story and that might be the reason why.

 

SPINDRIFT Newszine No 18   Winter 1994

Cover: an Xmas cover. Mini pic: early first season Heather (The Lost Ones?). Rising Star 3 Sept 30^th to Oct 2^nd is reviewed. VOYAGE 94 was reviewed with a lot from Paul Z.

 

THE TRAP novel is reviewed by me. TERROR GO ROUND is given the treatment. One bit of dialog that happens BEFORE the gun shots from Carlos to the balloon is when Steve says, “It’s not a free balloon.”  In the finished ep, that dialog happens after he tries to shoot them down. THE CLONES, NIGHTMARE, and THE DEADLY DART are also given the treatment. A major change in THE CLONES is when, in the climax, Dan points the flare gun at Steve, Steve comes off as more aggressive, telling Dan he only has one shot, “You want to kill me? I’ll make it easy for you. But there’s only one flare in that gun. Don’t miss.”  I don’t believe this is in the finished episode. Rightly so. I like the way it is in the finished ep. The scene in the script gives more info about what’s going on in Steve’s head and in the clone itself. NIGHTMARE was originally THE DELTA EFFECT. THE DEADLY DART was originally THE RETALIATOR. 

 

There is a credit list of Joseph Ruskin and an interview from Starlog. He relates how the bear was afraid and not really set up for the show or prepared. William Schallert’s credits are listed…four pages. Torin Thatcher’s credits are listed.

 

Logs: my logs include TERROR GO ROUND (Jan 21, 1984), THE CLONES (March 2, 1985 and from Dan’s POV with a comment from Steve, who just “thinks” he’s the real Steve), NIGHTMARE (March 25, 1985 from Steve but with the rest logging their own nightmares although Val refuses to discuss any of it), and THE DEADLY DART (October 3, 1985 from Steve’s POV but with a long addition from Mark).

 

Novel LOG: a log from Steve’s POV from the TRAP novel. June 15^th, 1983.

 

Fiction: The Retaliator by Steve Cook is well written. Fitz wants to take Barry to a fair ground and when Steve refuses them their trip, they go anyway, pursued by Val and later the rest. There is some good escapism here and it’s mostly well written but…some ideas go nowhere. Betty wants to use Chipper to track Barry…but doesn’t. Mark and Steve somehow survive crossing a field of giants at the fair…and aren’t seen. If the trio were caught, we never find out in this, the first part. Getting info at a giant house via the giants’ phone, the three men encounter some trouble. Mark is nearly flattened by a giant parcel. The fair has moved on to a new giant’s city named Tendal. Ten giant miles is 25 to 30 for Earth people.

 

Inside back cover: Mini color pic of Mark.

 

Back cover: art (computer art?) of a giant face (Irwin’s?) over Dan, Betty, and Steve in a wire cage.

 

 

 

 

SPINDRIFT No. 19  Spring 1995

Cover: It looks like the nice artwork of five pics were arranged to represent a newspaper but it does not quite come off.

 

Mini pic: Dan.

 

TV GUIDE article from Oct 25, 1969, “HE ACTED HIS WAY OUT OF A PAPER BAG.”  Kasznar’s life is given a treatment and he has lead an interesting life. I’d like to find a few of his oldest movies including L’Image. TV GUIDE article WHO’S HIRE A PLAIN GIRL LIKE ME? From May 3, 1969 about Heather is presented. There is a character profile of Steve Burton by Paul Denton.

 

BRAINWASH, SABOTAGE, and WILD JOURNEY are given the treatment. One line of dialog from Thorg in WILD JOURNEY has him say, “Because our primary rule is to kill no one---or permit anyone else to do anything to change the past while travelling in time.” 

 

Art of Chipper in a giant hand by Art Hubball is very cute.  

 

APART FROM GIANT features Don Matheson’s VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA episode DEADLY AMPHIBIANS. Gary’s show BURKE’S LAW is also featured with an episode list of guest stars. There are more eps of BURKE’S LAW than of LOTG.

 

There is bit of art of Doug from THE WALLS OF JERICHO ep of THE TIME TUNNEL. His credits are also listed.

 

LOGS: BRAINWASH (Jan 12, 1984), SABOTAGE (Jan 22, 1984 with a comment from Steve and a longer log from Dan), and WILD JOURNEY (Oct. 14, 1985 with Steve related it as a dream he thought it was).

   

NOVEL LOGS: SLINGSHOT FOR A DAVID (Nov 6, 1983): Steve’s POV. THE MEAN CITY (Nov 10, 1983---Steve’s POV and Dan’s POV).

 

Fiction: THE RETALIATOR part two by Steve Cook. Steve, Dan and Mark take a bus (!?) to Tendal where they manage to avoid cars, puddles, splashes from cars, and a hobo who spots them. They make their way to the fair ground but a giant with skin graft scares on his face captures them and brings them to his other captors…Val, Barry, and Fitzhugh. This giant turns out to be Moluk from THE FLIGHT PLAN, backed by Kobick. It was Moluk who built the robots from info from wrecked spaceships from Earth and from Gorn’s plans. He used photos Kobick had of the little people. The others manage to get away but Fitz’s sneeze gets himself, Steve, and Dan re-captured. The others trip Moluk.

 

Inside back pic: Deanna and Matheson.

 

Back cover: art of the gang at the ship, not unlike a MANHUNT production pic. 

 

 

I’ve already covered issue 20. That does it for LAND OF THE GIANTS zines. There is the SID FILES which is mostly articles from the past and my character profiles of all the characters (some of them ten pages!). There were also the one off zines of fiction released by GIANTS LOG. Additionally, there were multi media zines which had a few GIANTS stories in them. Two were slash (Steve and Dan) and while that’s outrageous, the two stories were well written (one encountering a spider that traps them in its trap door lair) and tense and scary. Many of the pre internet (as least pre for me) are listed in my timeline. There’s also a slash story about an older Barry and older Will who are lost from their friends, firstly on the land of the giants and then space and then in time and space. An alien remodeled the Space Pod to be larger and more self sufficient.

 

Then there are the stories on the net. Fanfic.net has many of these. Some are well done, some are…not. Some of the crossovers are strange, such as with the Partridge Family and/or Gilligan or TV’s Batman. A few have a sexual slant just under the surface. Others are photo stories that are definitely fetish oriented and are kind of disturbing and aren’t really stories at all but photo stories. Or live action cartoons. There was a fan fic site that housed other people’s fiction but that site closed down and re-opened with just the administrator’s fiction. One net blog has THE FINAL CAPTURE by Dirk Pitt. Here is a link to a timeline I made.

 

There used to be a site dedicated to the SPINDRIFT which had some fan fic.

 

 

Then, there’s this site:

http://squeezynz.byethost16.com/LandOfTheGiants/Intro2.html

 

It used to have fan fics by others but no more. Those stories are someplace but might be lost for good. I’ll try to find out more about those.