I think the little guy is going to win this hand.
Archive Page 28
Wally Wood Cover Art for Galaxy Magazine (April, 1959)
Published August 17, 2015 Magazines/Zines , Sci-Fi/Space Art 1 CommentStar Wars, Star Trek and the 21st Century Christians by Winkie Pratney (Bible Voice, 1978)
Published August 14, 2015 Books , Star Trek , Star Wars (Original Trilogy) 7 Comments
A very strange but fascinating attempt to force the Evangelical Christian worldview into the Star Wars and Star Trek universes. The self-published book by “mavin” Pratney is written in free verse and dedicated to George Lucas, Gene Roddenberry, and Jesus. From Chapter 1:
Understand.
You were made to live forever.
Our hunger to go beyond the stars is not alien.
It is normal. You were born to rule the Universe.
Our desire to plant a border beyond the edge of the Universe is but a dim, diluted echo of our true created destiny.Don’t give up. Don’t throw in the towel
because all the world seems filled with its small aspiring Darth Vaders –
Don’t line up behind the Dark Lord.Our awareness that our lives ought to be involved in a great battle
which somehow involves the whole future of Mankind is far, far more than fairy tale.
Our dreams,
Our hopes
Our expectations are not big enough.
It is time we gave up our small ambitions and discovered our real destiny […]The odds seem overwhelming –
Many strong and great men gone forever.
No sign of any of the Jedi Knights around Against us, near invincible technological might
Its ally, supernatural power twisted to evil and destructive ends.One by one, the strong men in high places giving up the battle,
One by one, the few and the brave hunted down and killed.And now, the Final Showdown.
You can read the whole thing on the author’s site.
‘Prayer: Close Encounter of the Best Kind’ T-Shirt, Circa 1978
Published August 14, 2015 '70s Decor/Design/Fashion , Close Encounters of the Third Kind 2 Comments
Toy companies weren’t the only ones trying to capitalize on the sci-fi fever of the late ’70s. Organized religion had taken a beating throughout the ’60s, with Star Trek, The Lord of the Rings, H.P. Lovecraft, and other eccentric narratives offering the rebellious young more compelling mythologies. UFOs were mysterious and poetic. Christianity was authoritarian and dogmatic. And then came Star Wars…
As I’ve said elsewhere, the “satanic panic” of the ’80s was more a backlash against the changing nature of youth than anything else. The real devil inside was imaginative, independent-minded kids who decided for themselves what they wanted to believe in.
(Images via eBay)
TV Guide Ads for TV Movies: World War III (1982)
Published August 13, 2015 '80s Movies/TV , Cold War Flashbacks , TV Guide Leave a Comment
I only vaguely recall this two-part miniseries that focuses on the lead-up to a nuclear war through the eyes of opposing diplomats and military leaders. Not nearly as effective or frightening as The Day After, but it did premier a year earlier and was generally well received. Rock Hudson really hams it up as the POTUS, and Cathy Lee Crosby’s character is, apparently, “craving one last moment of love.” Trailer is below.
(Image via Platypus Comix)
Little House on the Prairie Colorforms Play Set (Colorforms, 1978)
Published August 12, 2015 '80s Movies/TV , Colorforms 11 Comments
Could ABC not have put together a better ad for the first network showing of a horror masterpiece? Or did they not bother because half of the movie had to be cut? What’s with that shitty tagline, ABC? The original is one of the greatest ever devised! Why does Tom Skerritt look like Jesus? Why does John Hurt look like he’s humping the control panel? Why does Sigourney have a perm, and why is she holding James Bond’s gun from Moonraker?
(Image via Platypus Comix)
Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee Reading Horror Comics (Circa 1974)
Published August 10, 2015 Big Kids Reading Comics , Comic Books , Curtis Magazines , Warren Publishing Leave a Comment
Two of my heroes. The issues are Creepy #11 and Dracula Lives #4.
Lee passed away on June 7, 2015. Earl Norem, who painted the cover of the issue Lee is reading, died on June 19, 2015.
(Images via The Peter Cushing Appreciation Society UK)
Boy Reading Comic Books, 1956
Published August 7, 2015 Comic Books , Kids Reading Comics Leave a Comment
The only two I can make out are below. The headline on the newspaper on the sofa reads: “Big Russian Attack; Hungary Asks for Help”—referring to the Hungarian Revolution of 1956.
2 Warps to Neptune 