Retro Fan #25 March/April 2023 (magazine review).

Due to international postal delays caused by COVID-19 and issues with the British Post Office, several issues of TwoMorrow magazines did not arrive as expected earlier this year. In my eagerness to read them, I embarked on a buying spree. It’s worth monitoring their website closely as they frequently run sales on earlier issues.

The magazine kicks off with an interview with actress Linda Day George, conducted by Bob Greenberger. If you’re only familiar with her as Lisa Casey from ‘Mission: Impossible’, you might be surprised to learn that she has enjoyed a substantial career in films and TV. She has appeared in 9 pilot TV shows, although only one of them was picked up, and even then, it did not last long. Importantly, TV executives did not attribute these failures to her. Linda transitioned into acting from a modeling career, during which she spent time with Lynda Carter. She even co-starred in a season one episode of ‘Wonder Woman’ alongside Carter. Linda was also the face of Dove soap adverts for 9 years.

A significant portion of the magazine is dedicated to animated Superman features. Writer Will Murray examines the Fleischer version, revealing design sketches by Joe Shuster and discussing the necessity of toning down the character’s muscular build to simplify the animation process. Having reviewed this series a couple of years ago, I found I had a stronger connection to the content this time around. This is what I like to call the ‘Retro Fan’ effect: I find myself revisiting old material for a closer look whenever possible.

Andy Mangels explores the Filmation version of Superman, highlighting the influence of the radio version of the character, which first introduced elements like changing in a phone booth. Much of this material also appears in Lou Scheimer’s book, ‘Creating The Filmation Generation’. I must admit, I am not a fan of repeated animation clips, a technique that was also used in the animated ‘Star Trek’ series, which I found tedious.

Mark Voger delves into the peculiar world of DC Comics’ comic books based on celebrities like Bob Hope and Jerry Lewis, which, interestingly, had longer runs than the actual careers of their titular stars. These comics did not fare as well in the UK market. Despite Channel 82 occasionally airing old Bob Hope and Bing Crosby films, Jerry Lewis remains notably absent.

Switching gears, Scott Saavedra takes readers on a journey through some of the most popular American advertising jingles, cautioning readers about potential earworms. However, I would like to correct one point: the New Seekers performed the Coca-Cola song ‘I’d Like To Buy The World A Coke’, but Judith Durham’s Australian band, The Seekers, had disbanded in 1968 and did not reunite until 1975, so they would not have been available to perform the song anyway. From a UK perspective, David Dundas’ ‘Jeans On’ stands out as a memorable advert jingle that made the transition to a full-fledged song, much to the artist’s surprise.

I experienced some trepidation when I came across Shaqui Le Vesconte’s article on ‘Space: 1999’, my least favorite series from Century 21. While she does acknowledge the show’s scientific shortcomings, she overlooked the episode where Moonbase Alpha inexplicably gains an atmosphere, allowing the crew to play tennis outside. The subsequent loss of the atmosphere, and the resulting decompression, should have shattered the base’s windows and killed everyone inside. Despite this oversight, she provides a fair assessment of the series. I am eagerly awaiting an article on the earlier series ‘UFO’.

One sitcom that did make its way to UK audiences for a couple of seasons was ‘WKRP In Cincinnati’ (1978-82). Writer Scott Shaw! revisits the show’s history and its cast. I particularly enjoyed the scene where a guest brings graphs to show the radio listeners, as well as the episode where both DJs mistakenly believe they will be escorting women to a concert as part of a competition. ‘WKRP In Cincinnati’ remains a memorable series.

Although I’ve never seen any of the ‘Rambo’ films or read the original book by David Morrell, writer Bob Vaughn’s article provided a thorough introduction to the franchise. He also discusses the various interpretations of ‘Rambo’ and the controversial release of related toys, which Sylvester Stallone opposed due to the adult nature of the films. However, he was relieved that the toys did not bear his likeness.

Finally, Kit Frascella shares her passion for the Monkees, a band she discovered long after their TV series first aired. Her article is a testament to the enduring power of fandom and the lengths to which fans will go to celebrate their favorite media.

In conclusion, if you’ve missed out on previous issues of ‘Retro Fan’, remember that you can purchase them directly from TwoMorrows.

GF Willmetts

October 2023

(pub: TwoMorrows Publishing. 82 page magazine. Price: $10.95. (US). ISSN: 2576-7224. Direct from them, you can get it for $10.95 (US))

check out website: www.TwoMorrows.com and https://twomorrows.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=98_152&products_id=1678