Space Precinct #6

30 Jan 1996. Cover price £1.25.
36 pages. Full colour.
Manga Publishing Ltd.

Edited by Cefn Ridout.

Cover by Colin MacNeil.

Contents:

 2 Also Available from Manga Publishing in-house advertisement for The X-Files: Firebird and The X-Files #09 (Feb 1996).

 3 Gerry Anderson's Space Precinct 2040 introduction by Cefn Ridout. / Contents / Indicia

 4 Fanderson - the Official Gerry Anderson Appreciation Society (half page) advertisement. / Manga Books Mail Order (half page) advertisement for Grantham Book Services.

 5 Cruise Control w: Paul Grist; a: Colin MacNeil, lettering by Elitta Fell, colouring by Nigel Parkinson.

11 Space Precinct Fun Packs to be Won! competition; photographs (uncredited).

12 The Illusionists, part two, Breeding Aliens text feature by Jim Swallow; photographs (uncredited).

14 Captain Courageous Jerome Willis & Christine Glanville interviewed by Ralph Titterton; photographs (uncredited).

r: FAB Magazine (Official Gerry Anderson Appreciation Society) #19 ().

16 Roll Call Sally Brogan / Matthew Brogan (half page) / Elizabeth Brogan (half page) fact files by Lee Brimmicombe Wood; photographs (uncredited).

18 Demeter General Hospital [City of Demeter Department of Interplanetary Health] cutaway by Graham Bleathman.

20 Case Review True Believers recap.

21 True Believers, part two, w: Simon Jowett; a: Graham Manley, lettering by Annie Parkhouse.

33 Crimewatch readers mail.

34 Episode Guide Body and Soul recap by Peter J. Evans; photographs (uncredited).

35 Hot New Game advertisement for Upper Deck's Sumo Dudes

23 Outrageous Characters & Retro-Mecha Action at its Best! in-house advertisement for Giant Robo videocassettes.

Colin MacNeil's cover, featuring Orrin and Romek, is a stylish affair, placing a squad car front and centre in a hint towards a complete story, Cruise Control, in this issue. Ridout's introduction continues to request readers to send in "drawings, paintings, sculptures, potato prints," suggesting that word of cancellation was very late into production, though the lack of a "next issue" plug hints at there being at least some indication as to the title's fate.

The aforementioned Cruise Control is the kind of story which highlights character, without sacrificing plot, or credibility, and is one of the best glimpses into the Space Precinct universe - brief, to the point, and very amusing. Grist manages to pack a lot of information into very few pages, delivering something which is both perfectly suited to the franchise and yet feels fresh.

Demeter City is a diverse place, an interstellar melting pot of races and species from across the galaxy, some of whom are only out for a quick credit and not all of them ready to do it legally. Here, Humans from Earth are side-by-side with Creons from the planet Danae, Tarns from Simter, and a host of others like Xyronites and Saganians, as well as less well-known and often highly dangerous aliens liket the Meki, the Snake and the morphing murderess Aleesha.

Jim Swallow's The Illusionists feature, on alien prosthetics featured in the series, doesn't go into detail on the creation of the suits or animatronics, but offers enough of an insight into the unbelievable turnaround required in order to meet demands - it is barely imaginable that such complex designs are so rapidly manufactured in screen-ready form. Without seeing the workings of the facial appliances, we can only ponder the processes involved.

A further reprint from FAB is a sign that all is not right with the back-up features. It is difficult to pinpoint why the extracts are so unsatisfying when there are clearly very talented, intelligent, and articulate people involved, and the conclusion must be the extreme lack of space allocated to these pieces. Had more room been placed aside, we might have discovered more about the series' workings, and the hurdles which needed to be overcome.

Reading that things are great, and no trouble at all, is boring. The hint of a challenge - as Jerome Willis describes whirring servos during scenes - and suddenly the set comes alive. Knowing that every line of dialogue requires post-production tinkering brings to us a feeling of peeking, however slightly, and however briefly, behind the curtain to see how the trick is performed.

The final three Roll Call installments, featuring Brogan's family, does a fine job of bringing the characters inner lives to light, though the slang used to exemplify the children's dialogue is painful. A problem which crops up remarkably often in titles, and is extremely evident here, is the re-use of identical images on the same page - Sally Brogan's headshot being placed at the top and bottom of the page. It's never a good idea to do this, and the duplication is not sufficiently spaced apart to mitigate any sense of penny-pinching.

A cutaway of Demeter City Hospital highlights one of the most underused elements throughout the franchise. We know that bio-mechanical engineering exists in the series, though how advanced this surgery is - for example, we never see a human receiving artificial limbs capable of replicating full movement. Artificial eyes, oft-used in SF, is never broached, nor is the possibility of inter-species bio-compatibility, raising the disturbing question of where blood supplies for species not otherwise seen is obtained.

While not up to the standards of the opening installment, True Believers continues to throw ideas at the page as if there's no tomorrow. There wasn't a tomorrow for the title, but still... It's interesting to see reactions from Romek and Orrin to the rioters, although not enough context to the background of the One True Path has been peppered throughout the franchise to make their appearance more than Plot Device of the Week #42.

The dramatic conclusion, in which Matt is injured, leaves the issue with a thrilling cliff-hanger which is very promising. It's infuriating that a conclusion to the story wasn't published in the title's run, but at least there is the collections...

With a final surge of exceptional content, Space Precinct ends on a high.

#5

Space Precinct

Space Precinct #4

19 Dec 1995. Cover price £1.25.
36 pages. Full colour.
Manga Publishing Ltd.

Edited by Cefn Ridout.

Cover by Mick Austin.

Contents:

 2 Fanderson - the Official Gerry Anderson Appreciation Society (half page) advertisement. / Telephone Collector Phonecards (half page) advertisement for P & J Promotions.

 3 Gerry Anderson's Space Precinct 2040 introduction by Cefn Ridout. / Contents / Indicia

 4 Case Review The Last Warrior recap.

 5 The Last Warrior, part four, w: Ian Carney; a: John Erasmus, art assist by Ronit Bergman, Jon Davis, Madeleine Wurzburger & Isabelle Vialle, lettering by Annie Parkhouse.

17 Space Precinct Videos to be Won! competition; photographs (uncredited).

18 Slomo cutaway by Graham Bleathman.

20 The Illusionists, part one, Cities, Worlds and Starships text feature by Jim Swallow, contributions from Steve Begg, Bill Pearson & Alan Marques (of The Magic Camera Company); photographs (uncredited)

23 Double the Pages! Double the Action! in-house advertisement for Mortal Kombat Tournament Edition.

24 Star Laws text feature by Ralph Titterton; photographs (uncredited).

26 Christmas Spirit w: Stephen Jewell; a: Gary Chaloner, lettering by Gary Chaloner.

32 Roll Call Captain Rexton Podly fact file by Lee Brimmicombe Wood; photographs (uncredited).

33 In the Next Issue of Space Precinct

34 Episode Guide Flash recap by Peter J. Evans; photographs (uncredited).

35 It Found it's Voice... Now it Needs a Body - Ghost in the Shell in-house advertisement for cinematic release.

36 From the Hidden Files of the FBI in-house advertisement for The X-Files: Firebird and The X-Files Special Edition.

Mick Austin is a very talented artist, able to inject a great deal of life - realistic details, and a sense of humanity - into a single image. A (surely unintended) side-effect of maintaining such fidelity to the cast's appearance highlights a critical problem with the source material, and it is something which, once considered, can never be scrubbed completely from the mind:

Slomo is a less advanced version of Metal Mickey. In space.

He even looks like he's made of plastic in Austin's image. It is, as I've said, a wonderful painting of the officers in a moment of relaxation, away from the usual drama, allowing them to be seen as more than their duties, but by hewing so close to reality it negatively affects my perception of the character. There's even a detectable hint of Omnibot 2000 and Nintendo' R.O.B. in his genetic (or rather programming) code, which makes him even less credible as an assistant to police operations. Whenever such a robot is central to a television series, credibility issues inevitably arise.

After an emergency briefing, all available officers head out from the 88th Precinct.

Brogan and Haldane accompany Officers Castle and Took to search Lower Downtown for the living weapon.

The Last Warrior, rattling along with as much style as anything else from Gerry Anderson's prodigious creative mind, hits a minor, though surmountable, problem in the latest installment. The five-armed bio-weapon, glowing with power, appears to have been dropped into the Space Precinct universe from an episode of Power Rangers, though it is so stylishly rendered that the incongruity of its appearance is largely mitigated. Largely. There's a lingering sense that this is out of place in a universe where attempts have largely been made to stick close to believable drama.

The last warrior's song now reaches a crescendo.

"O dark lord above, accept this offering," the lyrics implore.

"The blood sacrifice of a billion sould to restore the honour of the Ka-Llan people after their dishonourable defeat at the hands of the Creons!"

What he doesn't realise is that the Ka-Llan-Creon War was a damp squib that ended over twenty years ago!

There's significant problems in dealing with the living weapon - immense, and psychically-resistant, there appears no means by which to take it down without unacceptable collateral damage accruing around the officers. Brogan has an idea which might just work, but time is running out...

Let down by the final page, in which that old television standard of everyone chortling at an unfunny joke, as the scene fades to black before the closing credits, creeps into the story. I dislike the original Star Trek series because of those moments of forced levity, and the formula is no better here. Artificially ending every story with a moment of jocularity is an ill-advised move, and the story's theme of inter-species war does not immediately suggest humour as a means with which to round out the strip.

If Schindler's List ended with someone cracking a joke, the remaining characters laughing and smiling as the credits roll, there would have been outrage and protests. World War II was fought on a single planet, with (even by today's standards) primitive weapons. Space Precinct is set in a universe filled with alien species, and the subject of the plot is a relic of an inter-planetary war with advanced bio-mechanical weapons capable of devastating damage. A modicum of respect in-universe would have been appropriate - closing the plot with a memorial for the dead, a quote from the Creon leader during the conflict in a text box, seemingly more appropriate.

Graham Bleathman's cutaway makes clear further issues with the design of Slomo. In a busy scene (in the show), or in a crowded panel full of happenings (in comic strips), the robot isn't so noticeably awful, but in isolation, and in such scope, deficiencies are painfully apparent. Even Bleep would be embarrassed hanging around with this tin can.

Covering the series' special effects work, The Illusionists uses Bugs as one of Bill Pearson's credits, as if we are meant to nod in agreement with his being part of crafting such a stellar piece of quality television. I'm sure he's proud of the work featured in that series, but - as both drama, and SF - the series was abysmal, and it is worrying that a more discerning tone isn't taken when discussing his involvement in Space Precinct. If you refer to earlier works, then the overwhelming urge should be to point out that the current project is better than everything which has gone before.

The original pilot, Space Police, is (finally) covered, with photographs from the production. Had there been more consideration, the preliminary footwork - sketches, character notes, and rough plotlines - would have appeared first, then the pilot, and finally leading in to an extensive look at the show from which the title is based, grounding readers in the long history which brought the series to screen.

Tom, Dick, and Harry, the alien police officers who appear to be based on humanoid cats, are conspicuously absent from Space Precinct, and one can only wonder at the possibilities had they been included. It was, in retrospect, a wise move, distancing the production from accusations of pilfering from Larry Niven, though the unfortunate appearance of the make-up might also have required their reconsideration. There are a few ideas which are mentioned as having been part of the original story that don't sound particularly well-considered, and their exclusion must be seen as a good thing.

Officer Cathy Costello, whose ability to generate an impenetrable black shell around her, should have been included in the show, as it is something which sounds like it might provided opportunity for great action scenes. Guyver-esque transformations are too few and far between to constitute anything resembling a consistent character type - the only other example of a similarly-attributed character which comes to mind is DC Comics' Blue Beetle, in a series with numerous subtle allusions to his bio-boosted inspiration.

Calling Space Police's villain V. Lann, and his sidekick E. Vile, smacks of desperation.

The seasonal story, Christmas Spirit, tying in with the cover illustration, opens with the precinct in turmoil - overworked and understaffed, the officers attempt to cope with the deluge of cases. Slomo reports an incident at Bracy's department store uptown, and, sensing an opportunity to escape from the madness surrounding him, Podly decides to personally investigate, taking Slomo along with him. Well... he might come in handy if criminals start shooting - not that I'm suggesting Podly would throw Slomo into the line of fire as a distraction.

It turns out that the robot Santa has gone crazy, and has taken Mr. Bracy and several children hostage in the toy department. Well, now we know where Futurama got the idea. Having been told that Santa doesn't really exist, the robot began giving away everything in the department for free, and when staff attempted to shut it down, it raided the toy department's armoury and gatecrashed Mr. Bracy's children's te party.

Wait. THE TOY DEPARTMENT HAS AN ARMOURY?

Slomo rushes in to talk robot-to-robot with the rogue Santa, and narrowly avoids a being shot. So close... Maybe next time, huh, Podly?

The level of artwork is superb throughout, and the storytelling better than anticipated (with a few minor concerns) - this really did feel, for about fifteen minutes, as if it was going to challenge other notable SF series' of the nineties for longevity, and this title would have been perfectly positioned to exploit the demand been present.

As the series draws to an untimely close, I can't help but feel disappointment in the lack of foresight shown by network executives in cancelling it.

#3

Space Precinct

#5

Space Precinct #3

05 Dec 1995. Cover price £1.25.
36 pages. Full colour.
Manga Publishing Ltd.

Edited by Cefn Ridout.

Cover by John Higgins.

Contents:

 2 Fanderson - the Official Gerry Anderson Appreciation Society (half page) advertisement. / Breaking the Barriers - Subscribe... And Survive! (half page) subscription information.

 3 Gerry Anderson's Space Precinct 2040 introduction by Cefn Ridout. / Contents / Indicia

 4 Case Review Arcadia recap.

 5 Arcadia, part two, w:/a: David Hine, lettering by Elitta Fell.

11 Double the Pages! Double the Action! in-house advertisement for Mortal Kombat Tournament Edition.

12 The Anderson Tapes, part two, Gerry Anderson interview by Peter J. Evans; photographs (uncredited).

15 The Anderson Tapes The Anderson Series, part two, outline of Gerry Anderson television series'.

30 Roll Call Police Officer Jane Castle fact file by Lee Brimmicombe Wood.

31 Space Precinct Mugs to be Won! competition.

18 Space Suburb cutaway by Graham Bleathman.

20 Case Review The Last Warrior recap.

21 The Last Warrior, part three, w: Ian Carney; a: John Erasmus, art assist by Ronit Bergman, Jon Davis & Madeleine Wurzburger, lettering by Annie Parkhouse.

33 Book Guide Demon Wing recap by Jim Swallow.

34 Episode Guide Enforcer recap by Peter J. Evans.

35 In the Next Issue of Space Precinct

36 Fromm the Hidden Files of the FBI in-house advertisement for The X-Files: Firebird and The X-Files Special Edition.

A very psychedelic cover immediately dates the issue - although it is a fine image, it is a much overused look for comics and magazines of the mid-nineties. There was a while when every other comic had some sort of swirling, garishly-hued image adorning the cover, and very few have weathered the years well.

Arcadia, determined to throw as many familiar plot points as possible into one story, falls back on the hokiest of them all. Captain Podly decides to set aside thirty-six years of following regulations in order to hand over evidence Bagaan in return for his niece, Ranna, prompting Romek and Orrin to chase after him. Once Bagaan's men open fire on their police cruiser they call in back-up, despite not being there for the criminal.

The overly-familiar elements aren't necessarily a bad thing, allowing for some interesting character observations. Arcadia is a far batter story than it sounds, though the final panel over-eggs the humour. Part of the problem the television series suffered was a desperate lack of grounding, and that sense of 'looking in on a sit-com' rather than 'following along with a real police unit' (as with NYPD Blue) is replicated on the page.

There's room for more intelligent stories set within this universe, tackling subjects which the series couldn't have touched. That a reticence to address such material was present through the title was a slight, though not insurmountable, problem. At least there were no attempt at canon-welding the continuity of the other series into the franchise.

Gerry Anderson's reserved statement regarding the future of the show, in the wake of Grove TV's demise, is optimistic, with notions to increase the realism of the series should it have been picked up. I wish we could have seen such a direction, as it would have filled a gap in the market for intelligent SF on the small screen.

It's hard to say which assaults the senses more.

The deafening rattle of utility pipes serving Downtown Demeter...

Or the stench of the city's unrecyclable waste water...

Or the all-surrounding darkness which hints at the oblivion of death!

The Last Warrior is more like the show Space Precinct should have been, with a style and mood which hints at the possibilities of the series if it had continued. Wonderfully-strange aliens fill the scenes, placing both Brogan and Haldane in full action hero mode for the duration.

#2

Space Precinct

#4

Space Precinct #2

21 Nov 1995. Cover price £1.25.
36 pages. Full colour.
Manga Publishing Ltd.

Edited by Cefn Ridout.

Cover by John Erasmus.

Contents:

 2 Patlabor 2 The Movie in-house advertisement for videocassette.

 3 Gerry Anderson's Space Precinct 2040 introduction by Cefn Ridout. / Contents / Indicia

 4 Case Review The Last Warrior recap.

 5 The Last Warrior, part two, w: Ian Carney; a: John Erasmus, lettering by Annie Parkhouse.

17 Street Fighter II Animated in-house advertisement for videocassette.

18 Police Cruiser cutaway by Graham Bleathman.

20 The Anderson Tapes, part one, Gerry Anderson interview by Peter J. Evans; photographs (uncredited).

21 The Anderson Tapes The Anderson Series, part one, outline of Gerry Anderson television series'.

23 Breaking the Barriers in-house advertisement for Crying Freeman, The X-Files: Firebird, Dirty Pair: Dangerous Acquaintances, Gerry Anderson's Space Precinct 2040, and Tank Girl: The Odyssey graphic novels.

29 Arcadia w:/a: David Hine, lettering by Elitta Fell, colouring by Nigel Parkinson.

30 Roll Call Police Officer Jack Haldane fact file by Lee Brimmicombe Wood.

31 All Action Spider-Man Caps advertisement for Panini.

32 Book Guide The Deity Father recap by Jim Swallow.

33 Space Precinct Paperback Books to be Won! competition.

34 Episode Guide Protect and Serve recap by Peter J. Evans.

35 In the Next Issue of Space Precinct

36 Double the Pages! Double the Action! in-house advertisement for Mortal Kombat Tournament Edition.

A superbly evocative cover, capturing the leads in action - and in a manner which the series never quite achieved - the second issue builds upon the fantastic start to the series. It shouldn't be a surprise that The Last Warrior is building to be a very distinguished story, but the art is truly worthy of being placed alongside the classic sixties' strips. There's a great story as well, with solid characterization, an ear for dialogue, and some brilliant observations.

Graham Bleathman's cutaways are proving to be thoroughly enjoyable, with enough detail in the key to answer niggling concerns.

August 1995 and there's no end in sight to the heatwave that's gripped Britain this summer. And just when you thought it couldn't get any hotter, the sun pops out over rural Oxfordshire and Gerry Anderson's household starts to slowly broil. Gerry himself was preparing for his role as guest of honour at Worldcon in Glasgow a few days later, but despite the heat and his undeniably hectic schedule, the legend in his own primetime agreed to speak to Space Precinct Magazine about life, the universe and luxury cars.

The Anderson Tapes has a few revelations about the way the series made it to screen, and explains how Grove Television got involved. It is amusing to know that he wasn't particularly interested in SF, initially wishing to move away from puppets into "real" film-making, when his shows have outlasted nearly everything broadcast contemporaneously. A (brief) outline of the various programmes lists everything up to 1968's Thunderbird Six, though I would be more interested in the shows (like Space Police) which never quite reached television screens.

To the East of Demeter an imposing structure has bloomed like an exotic desert orchid in the arid wasteland. A wonderland known as Arcadia

Soon after its completion, the sons and daughters of Demeter City's elite are made an offer they can't refuse.

The wacky cult featured in Arcadia is in no way based on the Scientology cult.

Its leader, Bagaan, a red-skinned alien, offers the youths the means to travel to the boundless worlds of hyper-reality. After returning home, the son of a prominent city councillor demands to be taken back to Arcadia. Bagaan tells the youth's father that he has become hopelessly addicted to hyper-reality, and offers to de-program him in exchange for the man's support in relaxing gaming legislation in Demeter City.

There was an opportunity to explore the darker edges of Demeter in the comic, with stories which might not have passed network scrutiny, though instead of examining inter-species hostility, the effects of food, drink, and environment on differing physiologies, or political schisms created by differing outlooks on the universe, we get a story which could have been slipped into a late-period episode of The Avengers, or even The Champions.

A look at the first Space Precinct novel, The Deity Father, is an interesting piece of cross-promotion, and is seriously tempting me to go hunt for a copy. It is immediately followed by a competition in which twenty lucky readers had the opportunity to get their hands on a copy gratis. Slick.

As with The X-Files, there are one-page episode guides, of questionable use. Surely fans of the series will have been picking up either SFX or some other magazines covering the series, so replicating the information in the tie-in title is... odd.

Well worth its place in the Anderson canon.

#1

Space Precinct

#3

Space Precinct #1

31 Oct 1995; Cover price 1.25p.
36 pages. Full colour.
Manga Publishing Ltd.

Edited by Cefn Ridout.

Painted cover by Kev Walker.

Free Space Precinct sticker album and stickers.

Contents:

.2 A cosmic new album and sticker collection from Panini advertisement for Space Precinct sticker album and stickers.

.3 Gerry Anderson's Space Precinct 2040 Editorial by Cefn Ridout. / Contents / Indicia

.4 Patlabor 2 The Movie in-house videocassette advertisement.

.5 The Last Warrior w: Ian Carney; a: John Erasmus, lettering by Annie Parkhouse.

17 More Mega Manga Action with... in-house advertisement for Manga Mania.

18 The Station House cutaway by Graham Bleathman.

20 Policing the Final Frontier text feature by Peter J. Evans.

23 Parental Guidance w: William Cade; a: Andrew Currie, lettering by Peter Nicholls, colouring by Steve Whitaker.

29 Space Precinct Action Figures and Toys to be Won competition.

30 The Imagineers text feature by Peter J. Evans.

32 Roll Call Lieutenant Patrick Brogan fact file by Lee Brimmicombe Wood.

33 In the Next Issue of Space Precinct

34 Episode Guide Double Duty recap by Peter J. Evans.

35 Breaking the Barriers in-house advertisement for Manga Books.

36 Street Fighter II Animated in-house videocassette advertisement.

Gerry Anderson's work has inspired many great comics, and Manga obviously saw in Space Precinct potential to recreate some previous successes. This issue gets off to a good start with a painting which captures the essence of characters without being too faithful to likenesses - the bold image is one of several in the comic's run which surpasses series visuals, which is a problem. The show wasn't exactly the most aesthetically-pleasing SF to air, and when it compares unfavourably to a spin-off comic there's a problem no amount of promotion can fix.

The comic was living on borrowed time, and determined to live life to the full.

A car crash is the inciting incident in The Last Warrior. Okay, technically it is a 'hopper' (the flying vehicles of the series), and despite some really effective art, the first story here opening with a fender bender is something of a let-down. Unable to shoot it down while they are over a heavily-populated area, Brogan and Haldane take chase. Haldane jumps onto the vehicle and, discovering a dead Creon, has to regain control before crashing into Demeter City Hospital. I take back my disappointment.

Graham Bleathman's cutaway of the Station House is gorgeous. This is a location which has obviously had some thought applied to requirements for a police force operating in space: garage and a maintenance bay, holding pens, administration offices, hermetically sealed office for non-air breathing visitors, canteen... If Space Precinct had shown such workings of the world in as much detail, then we would be talking about the show with as much respect as Babylon 5 receives.

Policing the Final Frontier, a text feature on the series, brings up 1986's Space Police pilot without offering up any visuals to contrast and compare with what eventually ended up on screen. I can honestly say that I have never seen this pilot, not for scarcity but due to never having been sufficiently intrigued, and background details offered here do not encourage me to go look for it.

The opening of Parental Guidance is funny, but once again highlights an inconsistent tone which was to plague the nascent franchise. Silas' parent drop in for a visit while he is at work, arranging for him to show Morin, a young woman who bullied him as a child, the sights. This feels like a story intended for younger readers, which is somewhat at odds with stated intentions that the series was to appeal to a multi-generational audience - explaining episodes focusing on drug smugglers.

Aiming material at a slightly more mature audience could have opened up so many storytelling avenues.

Photographs of tie-in toys for The Imagineers, an article on Vivid Imaginations, aren't appealing. It appears as if someone has hurriedly stood the figures on a table and snapped a couple of shots rather than crafting images which would encourage readers to go out and purchase them. This isn't grumbling about a lack of artistic flair - either the toys are an important link in the overall marketing strategy or they aren't.

The run-down of officially-licensed products is interesting, and seems comprehensive enough to make the article of lasting interest to fans of the show, but most of what is described is left unseen on the page. The more I consider the lack of decent photographs, the more it feels like the comic was in desperate need of a photographer to help supply shots. And you'll note, no doubt, that all of the cast photos peppered throughout are from promotional material which was also issues to other magazines and newspapers.

For fantastic artwork alone, this is still a great read. It is a shame that supplementary material wasn't up to similar high quality.