Surveying the Gen X landscape and the origins of geek
The only behind the scenes shot I could find, which is a shame. That’s John Terry (Hawk) on the far left, and director Terry Marcel to his right.
Yes, all of these Hawk the Slayer posts are leading up to something. I’ve convinced a clever chap and kindred spirit by the name of Richard McKenna to write some movie reviews for the site, and his first one—can you guess the film?—goes up tomorrow. I’m excited and lucky to have him.
(Image via SciFiNow)
I found these at a wonderful site called Matte Shot, a tribute to golden age special effects artists. The third image shows the matte as it appears in the film, and you can see a lot more at the link, including a miniature of the castle. Took got his start at Britain’s Pinewood Studios, and his first mattes appear in Warlords of Atlantis (1978), the oft-forgotten (and still unreleased on DVD in the U.S.) fourth fantasy-adventure directed by Kevin Connor and starring Doug McClure.
Took went on to work on classics like Clash of the Titans (1981), The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988), and Batman (1989). More recently, he has worked as Miniature Effects Supervisor on The Wolfman (2010) and The Monuments Men (2014). He was also Visual Effects Supervisor on my favorite horror film of the last 15 years, Neil Marshall’s The Descent (2005).
Cover and interior illustrations are by Gino D’Achille. Unfortunately, I have no scans of the latter. The cover above is from a first edition, while the back sleeve is from a 1985 edition. The book follows the format established by John Keel’s Strange Creatures from Time and Space (Fawcett, 1970). See below for that cover: yet another stunner from Frank Frazetta.
(Back cover image via Library of the Phantasmagoria)
The Hamlyn Book of Ghosts in Fact and Fiction was the first in a four-volume series by UK publisher Hamlyn. The other volumes, which I’ll post about separately, are The Hamlyn Book of Horror (1979), The Hamlyn Book of Mysteries (1983), and The Hamlyn Book of Monsters (1984). All but one were written by Daniel Farson (Bernard Brett wrote The Hamlyn Book of Mysteries), and all featured spectacular wraparound cover art by Oliver “Zack” Frey.
The series was probably prompted by rival publisher Usborne’s The World of the Unknown series (see here and here), first published in 1977 and aimed directly at the paranormal-obsessed youth market, although Hamlyn had been dabbling in the subject for many years: of particular interest is 1971’s Witchcraft and Black Magic by Peter Haining, a well-written overview featuring surreal, nightmarish illustrations by Jan Parker.
Ghosts in Fact and Fiction is not quite as garishly illustrated as Usborne’s All About Ghosts, though Hamlyn would ramp up the intensity for The Hamlyn Book of Horror. Usborne responded in kind—or maybe it was simple coincidence—with their Supernatural Guides (1979), three of the most delightfully gruesome introductions to occult subjects ever published.
Writer Daniel Farson led quite the eccentric life. He started his career as a journalist and appeared on several groundbreaking, investigatory news programs in the 1950s and early 1960s. He abruptly quit television and left London in 1964 to become a full-time writer. His 27 books include biographies (including one on his great-uncle, Bram Stoker), several memoirs of bohemian Soho (of which he was a contributing rake), travelogues, and two horror novels. He also wrote a volume for Aldus Books’ A New Library of the Supernatural called Vampires, Zombies, and Monster Men (1976), and a volume for Smithmark’s Great Mysteries series, Mysterious Monsters (1980).
Special thanks to The Cobwebbed Room for an excellent entry on the Hamlyn series, including full artist credits and contents lists.
Backstory is in the third photo. The Alien Invader is feared for its “villainous crew of hideous mutants, hostile aliens, and outcast earthlings who stop at nothing to get what they want.” Mos Eisley with rocket engines and red lightning decals, in other words.
Read the whole catalog here. I was not smart enough to be on any sort of “Aerospace Team,” and that’s probably for the best. It would have ended in tragedy.
2 Warps to Neptune 