Hasslein Blog: September 2012

REFERENCE GUIDES BY GEEKS, FOR GEEKS

Hasslein Blog

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Demon Without a Glass Sequel

by Rich Handley
I came across an essay today titled "Cranks and Conspiracies," penned by my friend Jerry Seward for his long-running fanzine Power Star. The article discussed writing legend Harlan Ellison's two promised-but-never-delivered Babylon 5 episode scripts. Among them was a sequel to one of the best The Outer Limits episodes ever aired, Ellison's "Demon With a Glass Hand," starring Robert Culp.

I remember well the rumors Jerry discusses—that B5 would revisit the storyline of that Outer Limits episode, and that Culp would return as his character Trent (a seeming impossibility, given how "Glass Hand" ended). What's more, I recall being just as bummed when this never came to pass. When I first heard Ellison was planning to merge B5 with The Outer Limits, I was intrigued. As a general rule, crossovers normally don't interest me, but "Demon With a Glass Hand" actually seemed like a pretty good fit with the Babylon 5 universe, and both Ellison and Culp were said to be involved, so I was excited about the possibilities.


Culp as the extremity-challenged Trent, co-starring with the lovely 
Arlene Martel (Star Trek's T'Pring and The Twilight Zone's
"Room for one more, honey" hospital nurse)
Read more »

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posted by Hasslein Books @ 8:31 AM   0 Comments

 

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Rest in Peace, Michael O'Hare

by Rich Handley
Every year, Hollywood experiences the passing of far too many talented people we admire, as we're reminded during the "In Memorium" portions of the annual Academy Award and Emmy Award broadcasts. Sadly, another name can be added to the list for the next memorial videos: Michael O'Hare.

Michael O'Hare (1952-2012)

O'Hare may not have become a household name, but to science fiction fans, the Illinois-born actor was well-known as Commander Jeffrey Sinclair, the star of Babylon 5's pilot and first season, and a recurring guest star in seasons two and three. O'Hare's soft-spoken yet articulate approach injected a strong gravitas into the character that, for many fans, made his performances mesmerizing and powerful.
Read more »

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posted by Hasslein Books @ 10:00 AM   1 Comments

 

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Hasslein Books at New York Comic-Con

by Rich Handley
So, who's planning to attend New York Comic-Con in two weeks? We'll be there on Saturday, walking the floor, checking out the vendors and cosplayers, and trying our hardest not to get trampled by the claustrophobia-inducing crowds. Leave a comment if you're going as well!




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posted by Hasslein Books @ 8:27 PM   0 Comments

 

Revisiting Back to the Future: The DT Moviehouse Review

by Rich Handley
Author Edward M. Erdelac has posted a nostalgic, reverent and insightful review of the first Back to the Future film, here. Considering that the movie is almost 30 years old, any article or review written about it today is unlikely to point out anything new. So it says a lot that Ed's review is both a great read and able to offer some keen observations about the actors' performances.
Read more »

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posted by Hasslein Books @ 10:02 AM   0 Comments

 

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Stephen Clark's Foreword to the Back to the Future Lexicon

by Rich Handley

I've just finished reading the foreword to A Matter of Time:The Unauthorized Back to the Future Lexicon, contributed by BTTF.com's Stephen Clark, and I'm still grinning from ear to ear. Thank you, Stephen. I'm proud to have this essay in the book.

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posted by Hasslein Books @ 6:55 PM   0 Comments

 

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Bond 50: The Complete 22-Film Collection, Now Available on Blu-ray and DVD

by Rich Handley
Available today on both DVD and Blu-ray is The Bond 50: The Complete 22-Film Collection...


...which will become INcomplete in little over a month, when Skyfall hits theaters.
Read more »

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posted by Hasslein Books @ 11:10 AM   0 Comments

 

Back to the Future Lexicon... Coming Soon!

by Rich Handley
A quick update on the progress of A Matter of Time:The Unauthorized Back to the Future Lexicon: The book's design is nailed down, the artwork is almost complete and our proofreading team will be turning in their edits this week so we can go into production starting next week. Things are looking good for a holiday 2012 release!


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posted by Hasslein Books @ 8:25 AM   0 Comments

 

Putting the "Ass" in "Hasslein Books"


A reader named JuliaApes2009 offered a followup comment to one of yesterday's posts (click here), noting, "i love pota and got the book [Timeline of the Planet of the Apes] as a gift when it first came out. i didn't even know about it my mom found it. i took the cover art and brought it to my tattoo guy. its my first one on my ass lol!!!--Jules"

Here's Julie's tattoo:


And here's the book's cover, from which this mASSterpiece originated:


Thanks for your cheeky enthusiasm, Julie... and for the view! I just hope we haven't been the butt of a joke here. What do our readers think? Photoshop or actual tattoo? (Wiseass cracks welcome.)


UPDATED: It turns out that the person who put the "ass" in "Hasslein Books" was, in fact, our very own Web designer, Steve Cafarelli, who punked us by posting a Photoshopped picture of an ape-enhanced woman's bottom, posing as the owner of said derriere. Unfortunately, I fell for it. But on the positive side, people took notice and visited the site. I guess an exposed female rear end will tend to do that.

 Good job, Steve. Nicely played.

 Jerk.



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posted by Hasslein Books @ 7:05 AM   4 Comments

 

GUEST BLOG FROM MARK MARTINEZ: Star Trek Comics Retrospective--Mario Caria, Cover Artist

By Mark Martinez; Posted by Rich Handley
Mark Martinez, who maintains the amazing Star Trek Comics Checklist site, has submitted a guest blog that we're pleased to publish. Mark's article discusses Mario Caria, an artist who drew some distinctive covers for Star Trek comics reprinted in Europe. Enjoy!

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Star Trek Comics Retrospective: Mario Caria, Cover Artist
By Mark Martinez

Where we ask the Guardian of Forever to take us back in time for a brief visit with an Italian Star Trek comic artist who isn't very well known to Trekkies outside of Europe.

Comics were introduced to the Star Trek universe back in 1967 via the pencils and brushes of Italian artists. Penciling and inking the first three dozen Gold Key Star Trek comics from Western Publishing were Nevio Zeccara, Alberto Giolitti, Giovanni Ticci, Massimo Belardinelli, Angelo Todaro, Giorgio Cambiotti and Mario Pedrazzi. If you follow the links underneath these names, you can learn more about the artists.

More than forty years later, Star Trek comics are experiencing an Italian renaissance thanks to IDW Publishing's stable of artists from Italy, like David Messina, Elena Casagrande, Giovanna Niro, Federica Manfredi, Ilaria Traversi, Arianna Florean, Sara Pichelli, Fabio Mantovani, Francesco Francavilla, Emanuela Lupacchino, Mario Alberti, Claudia Balboni, Chiara Cinabro, Andrea Priorini, Nicola Zanni, Gaetano Carlucci, Francesco Lo Storto, Davide Amici, and probably more that I've missed. Most of these talented artists have blogs, websites, or Facebook pages linked by their names, where you can learn more about them and their artwork. One Italian artist is missing from these two lists.

Mario Caria

Read more »

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posted by Hasslein Books @ 6:21 AM   0 Comments

 

Next James Bond Villain Already Chosen?

by Rich Handley
Skyfall has yet to hit theaters, and yet rumors are already surfacing that Benedict Cumberbatch (of Sherlock, The Hobbit and Star Trek Into Darkness fame) is being pursued to play the villain in the as-yet-untitled James Bond 24 (or 25, if you count Never Say Never Again... which you should, dammit).


Benedict is everywhere these days, so it's no surprise that the Bond producers would want to court him (though his plate would seem to be pretty full already). He's a fantastic actor with a great range and a good deal of gravitas, and he'd likely add to the film's box-office draw. For James Bond, Cumberbatch would seem a natural fit.

The real question, if the rumor proves true, is this: Will he be playing Kamal Khan?

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posted by Hasslein Books @ 4:42 AM   0 Comments

 

Monday, September 24, 2012

LOST Satire: "We Didn't Write the Mysteries"

by Rich Handley

Like millions of others, I was an avid viewer of the television show LOST while its story was still unfolding. And when I say "avid," I don't mean "I liked to watch it each week." I mean I put a LOT of thought into figuring out the mysteries, wondering if I could come up with the answers before they were revealed. Every week, I and a group of e-mail friends discussed each new installment in great detail. Our comments ranged from carnal appreciations of the actors' physiques (such as "Holy crap, Kate looked hot last night" for the guys or "Sawyer without a shirt!" for the girls), to deep analysis of various story elements from scientific, theological and historical angles.

The characters that mattered most, minus Daniel, Miles and Rousseau.

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posted by Hasslein Books @ 2:09 PM   0 Comments

 

Sunday, September 23, 2012

You Know You're Getting Noticed When Someone Steals Your Work

by Rich Handley

Last year, eBay auctions were brought to my attention regarding puzzles made from the covers to my first two books, Timeline of the Planet of the Apes and Lexicon of the Planet of the Apes.

Both book covers were created by brilliant Argentinian artist Pat Carbajal, who has since continued to work on our other projects, the next of which will be A Matter of Time: The Unauthorized Back to the Future Lexicon. To see his work gracing the covers of these haphazardly constructed puzzle boxes was upsetting.



Read more »

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posted by Hasslein Books @ 1:48 PM   4 Comments

 

New Red Dwarf Series X Clip Now Online

by Rich Handley
We're getting closer to the airing of Red Dwarf Series X... or rather, the British are. Here in the United States, there's still no word on when the show will air, despite earlier claims that it would be released everywhere simultaneously. Ah, well. In the meantime, a new clip has surfaced, this time from the upcoming episode "Lemons." Check it out here.

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posted by Hasslein Books @ 6:13 AM   0 Comments

 

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Ed Erdelac's A-to-Z Movie Reviews

by Rich Handley
Like us, author Edward M. Erdelac watches a lot of movies. Ed has a number of them in his home collection, and he's about to do something both of us have considered doing with our own DVDs and Blu-rays: namely, re-watching all of them.

But Ed is taking a novel approach to his re-watch efforts—he'd doing it alphabetically, starting with 8 Mile. He's already worked his way through the films with number titles, as well as the "A" section of his collection. Next on his list? The Back to the Future trilogy.

You can follow Ed's efforts at his blog.

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posted by Hasslein Books @ 6:12 AM   0 Comments

 

Back to Back to the Future of the Past

by Rich Handley
Just for the heck of it, enjoy these vintage Back to the Future images...


Ad for a battery-powered car:

One-sheet for the first movie:

Beautiful painting by Drew Struzan:

And just because... an Ewok in a DeLorean:


Thanks to Pat Carbajal for the images.

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posted by Hasslein Books @ 6:01 AM   0 Comments

 

Pat Carbajal Brings Bela Lugosi Back From the Grave

by Rich Handley
Pat Carbajal, who has created the amazing covers and interior illustrations for Hasslein Books' various publications, has contributed a fantastic depiction of Bela Lugosi for issue 2 of Monsterverse Entertainment's Bela Lugosi's Tales From the Grave. This particular issue features cover art by Academy Award-winning make-up legend Rick Baker (of Planet of the Apes fame), as well as short stories and artwork by Kamil Kochanski, James Groman, Kerry Gammill, Mike Dubisch, Neil Vokes, Jack Herman, Sam Park and others.

Order your copy today!



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posted by Hasslein Books @ 5:51 AM   0 Comments

 

Thursday, September 20, 2012

How Many James Bond Homages Can YOU Spot?

by Rich Handley



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posted by Hasslein Books @ 7:18 AM   0 Comments

 

A Real American Hero, A Really Popular Toy

by Rich Handley
The results of a recent poll conducted by The Children's Museum of Indianapolis, which drew more than 24,000 voters, have deemed G.I. Joe the favorite toy of the century, followed by Transformers, Legos, Barbie dolls and View-Master kits. This poll just confirms what everyone who was boy in the 1980s already knew: G.I. Joe is damn cool.

If you're a Joe fan, then James McFadden's upcoming publication for Hasslein Books, Fighting for Freedom: The Unauthorized G.I. Joe Chronology, will be right up your alley. Keep an eye on this space for more information, as James is currently hard at work on this great new timeline book, which will explore the vast fictional world of G.I. Joe in comics, cartoons, feature films and more.


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posted by Hasslein Books @ 6:15 AM   1 Comments

 

New Fiction From Universal Monsters Chronology Author Jim Beard

by Rich Handley
Jim Beard, a co-writer on Hasslein's upcoming publication, It's Alive: The Unauthorized Universal Monsters Chronology, has contributed to a new anthology titled Black Bat Mysteries Volume 2, which is now available at Amazon.com.


Read more »

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posted by Hasslein Books @ 5:43 AM   0 Comments

 

Gotta Get Back (to the Theater) in Time

by Rich Handley

Back to the Future: The Musical will be playing at the Hertford Theatre, in England, from Oct. 31 to Nov. 3. The play is being presented by Mayhem Productions.



Mayhem describes the performance on its Web site as follows: "Join Doc and Marty on a spectacular race through time in this amazing new musical production. Featuring a real DeLorean car and dazzling special effects. Book your tickets now on 01992 531500!"

Details and ticket information are available at the above links. If anyone in the United Kingdom is able to see this and report back to us, we'd be extremely grateful!


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posted by Hasslein Books @ 5:28 AM   0 Comments

 

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

A Long-Overdue Statement of Appreciation

by Rich Handley
Hi, folks. We would just like to take a moment to thank Steve Cafarelli, Hasslein Books' Web designer and a long-time friend of co-founders Rich Handley and Paul Giachetti, for doing such amazing work to create Hasslein Books' Web site and this blog. Thank you, Steve. We're lucky to have you on the team.


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posted by Hasslein Books @ 9:03 PM   0 Comments

 

Marty! The Back to the Future Lexicon Looks Amazing!

by Rich Handley
I just got my first glimpse at the interior layout of my upcoming book, A Matter of Time: The Back to the Future Lexicon—and I'm simply blown away by how Pat Carbajal's breathtaking illustrations and Paul Giachetti's well-honed design skills have once again made my manuscript a thousand times better. I can NOT wait to hold the final product in my hands, as the sample looks absolutely fantastic. Watch this space, or visit Hasslein Books' Web site or Facebook page, for more updates about this heavy encyclopedia (as well as Greg Mitchell's upcoming companion book, Back in Time: The Unauthorized Back to the Future Chronology), due out sometime before Christmas.     —Rich Handley



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posted by Hasslein Books @ 9:01 PM   0 Comments

 

New Zombie Story by Back to the Future Timeline Author Greg Mitchell

by Rich Handley
Novelist and screenwriter Greg Mitchell, author of Hasslein Books' Back in Time: The Unauthorized Back to the Future Chronology (coming in 2013), published a new short story for the Kindle this week, titled "Flowers for Shelly: A Zombie Love Story." According to Amazon.com, it tells the tale of Caleb, "a working-class husband who must battle his way across a zombie-infested city with his gun-toting best friends to rescue his wife."


Read more »

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posted by Hasslein Books @ 12:28 PM   0 Comments

 

Dr. No Returns to Theaters

by Rich Handley

 Dr. No, the very first James Bond film, is back on the big screen, for one day only on Sept. 24, 2012. Click here for details regarding AMC theaters showing this film classic in your area.


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posted by Hasslein Books @ 5:10 AM   0 Comments

 

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

YouTube Video: "You Know My Name, A James Bond Tribute"

by Rich Handley
If anyone ever asks you, "Why do people like the James Bond films?" show them this:


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posted by Hasslein Books @ 6:04 PM   0 Comments

 

Great Scott! It's Back to the Future: The Musical

by Rich Handley
If you live in the United Kingdom, you can be among the first fans to see Mayhem Productions' Back to the Future: The Musical, which will be performed at the Hertford Theatre from Oct. 31 to Nov. 3, 2012. Back in February of this year, rumors of a Broadway BTTF musical had surfaced, but screenwriter Bob Gale quickly debunked such claims as false (see story at SlashFilm). Could the existence of a British BTTF musical eventually lead to a U.S. release? That would be heavy.


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posted by Hasslein Books @ 2:02 PM   0 Comments

 

Rupert Wyatt Stepping Down from DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES?

by Rich Handley
Word on the street is that Rupert Wyatt may not be directing Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, the sequel to his widely praised Rise of the Planet of the Apes (see story at Ape Central). Why? Apparently, he considered the studio-imposed deadline to be unattainable. Will another director be able to recapture the brilliance of Rise? We'll find out in May 2014. The good news: The film is still being co-written and produced by Rise scribe Rick Jaffa, who recently indicated that Dawn would likely contain no time-travel elements (see story at IGN).

This is very disappointing news, as Rise did a brilliant job of rejuvenating a flagging franchise that had never quite recovered from Tim Burton's 2001 Apes re-imagining, and Rupert Wyatt played no small role in that success. The loss of Wyatt as director may very well prove damaging to the sequel. Still, as long as Fox chooses a competent director and keeps their stinkin' paws off the movie, there's still a chance the sequel will be a worthy one.


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posted by Hasslein Books @ 10:59 AM   0 Comments

 

Artwork Sneak Peak: The Unauthorized Back to the Future Lexicon

by Rich Handley
Here's an advance look at the artwork from the upcoming book A Matter of Time: The Unauthorized Back to the Future Lexicon, by Rich Handley, due out sometime before Christmas 2012. This is just a small piece of an illustration of Emmett "Doc" Brown, created by artist Pat Carbajal. To see the rest of this image, as well as Pat's many other breathtaking renderings... well, make sure to pick up the book this winter.





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posted by Hasslein Books @ 8:55 AM   0 Comments

 

Monday, September 17, 2012

Create-A-Slogan Contest!

by Paul C. Giachetti

Hasslein Books presents:
Create-A-Slogan Contest!

Hasslein Books is looking for a new slogan to accompany our updated logo, as part of our redesigned Web site. We felt our old slogan, "PUBLISHERS OF GENRE-BASED REFERENCE BOOKS," while accurate, failed to evoke the spirit of the company, which is to supply fans of science fiction, and consummate geeks in general, the best reference books about their favorite series. Our second slogan, "REFERENCE BOOKS FOR SCI-FI GEEKS," also falls a little flat, so we're turning to you, the fans, to help us out!
Read more »

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posted by Hasslein Books @ 4:54 PM   0 Comments

 

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Hasslein Books to Publish Red Dwarf Encyclopedia

by Paul Giachetti

No, faithful blog readers, today's entry is not about the ridiculously apocalyptic weather Mother Nature has blessed the Northeast with last winter. Today's selection is a combination "I freaking need to update this blog NOW"/shameless promotion piece about a British television series called Red Dwarf. Why, you may ask, am I writing a blog about this particular show, when I watch hundreds of hours of other sci-fi and/or comedy television, probably on a monthly basis, and never bothered to write about any of them? Well, you inquisitive and nosy little reader you, I'm writing about it because I WILL be writing about it. A LOT about it. A whole book's worth, actually.
Read more »

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posted by Hasslein Books @ 5:40 PM   0 Comments