ALF gains a chair, meets a dog

This silvery spaceship chair is a repaint of a dolls' wooden high chair I found on the kerb a few days ago. Note the new green and red buttons on the throttles and gears. A perfect chair for...



... my Mum's ALF doll, which used to sit an a rather substandard stool in her spare room.


ALF (Alien Life Form) meets Jack.

Double spike!

This year, the grass tree has developed a new spike - while last year's is still in the centre. Normally, it has only spiked every second year.

A taste of Jam Sandwich

In 1983, I renewed my acquaintance with ABC-TV director, Virginia Lumsden, who had overseen an episode of "Mr Squiggle and Friends" I did in January 1980.

"Jam Sandwich" was a children's afternoon magazine show, quite similar to "Simon Townsend's Wonder World". The night they featured science fiction media fan clubs: including Astrex (the NSW Star Trek Fan Club) and the Australasian Doctor Who Club. Young reporter Rachel Enright was making her "Jam Sandwich" debut. Her more experienced host, Tim Grogan, who'd been with the show since its first episode in October 1982, even forgot her name at the end!

We were invited to gather, in costume, one evening at the original 106a Bathurst Street location of Galaxy Bookshop.


The show's opening credits resembled a "Space Invaders" computer game.


Rachel Enright and Tim Grogan presenting; Rachel discovers Galaxy Bookshop - and K-9.




Assistant Manager Ron Serduik morphs into "Doctor Who" fan, Karsten John.


Therin of Andor (Ian McLean) and the Empress of Traken (Carol Bott) beam down.


Rachel and Karsten witness a beam-down!




A non-commercial network helps to promote my fanzine!


Aliens from "USS Hood Orientation Manual: Races of the Federation".








Gary Armstrong explains how he built his K-9 robot.


K-9's control box (80s-style miniaturisation); Therin goes browsing.


Chrissy Amphlett and the Divinyls accompany the episode's closing credits (above right).

Into the Vault

According to Trek Today, new "Star Trek" books will include:

The Star Trek Vault (Abrams – October 2011). Charting the first 40 years of Star Trek, Star Trek Vault is the ultimate treasure trove of Star Trek imagery and memorabilia, sure to appeal to both the casual and die-hard fan. Author Scott Tipton has written numerous Star Trek comics. His award-winning website, comics101.com, was named one of Entertainment Weekly‘s “100 Greatest Websites.”

Star Trek TNG 365 (Abrams – Fall 2012). Star Trek: The Next Generation 365 is the definitive, authorized guide to the landmark television program that aired from 1987 through 1994. A visual celebration of the adventures of Captain Picard and his crew, the book covers the entire series in unprecedented detail, combining in-depth commentary, behind-the-scenes histories, and interviews with writers, cast, and crew with synopses for the series’ 178 episodes.

Star Trek Book of Opposites (Quirk Books – September 2011). The Star Trek Book of Opposites will make a great novelty gift for Star Trek fans of all ages, offering an exciting voyage of silly educational fun. The book will pair colorful photographs of Star Trek‘s classic heroes and aliens to introduce the concept of opposites through immediate visual humor.

Star Trek: The Animated Series music

Star Trek TAS music! Art by Kail.

Woah, spooky. I was only thinking today that I wished Arex and M'ress were in that famous TAS cast publicity shot you see around. And yay, M'ress without her sometime-black koala nose - but with her black collar.

Post-Rapture signage

Post-Rapture poster

Rapt

Hellova stupid time to buy new shoes, but at least the "Star Trek" novel had a time travel theme (21st May, 2011).

The Gruffalo goes to The Joan

My school's latest adventure, captured as a Photo Peach slideshow!

The Gruffalo goes to the Joan

On finding Abigail

A few weeks ago, one of Australia's "current affairs" programs, "Today Tonight", tracked down the now-elusive Australian icon, Abigail (aka "Number 96"'s first Bev Houghton), who had holed herself up in a disused country church building after being flooded out in Victoria's share of 2011: The Year of Natural Disasters.

Mmmmm. None of these reports by the TV tabloid shows ("Today Tonight" and similar, opposition "A Current Affair", or was it the other way around? - the shows are almost interchangeable sometimes) have lived up to their mysterious and frenetic hype. It’s crazy when the “What dark secrets of Aussie TV will be revealed this time?” segments seem shorter than the oft-repeated promos that lead up to them. I guess it gives us a respite to the other TT and ACA exposes that often turn out to be extended advertisements for their networks' latest dancing, cooking or weight-loss lifestyle shows.

One of Abigail's defenders on Andrew Mercado's website (article linked here; see also TV Tonight) was Sheila Kennelly, better known to "Number 96" fans as Norma Whittaker. Well said, Mrs Whitt! And great to see her online! I love how the “Number 96″ cast continue to look out for each other in so many ways. When I was interviewing many of the cast in the 90s, it was frustrating that the anecdotes of those groundbreaking years at Channel Ten were mostly warm and affectionate, not the nasty stuff that sells books (and editors need for getting the marketing people on side).

It’s disappointing that Abigail has chosen to retire from showbiz. Her performances were always compelling to watch, whether selling B&D Rollerdoors and Amber tiles, or flirting with Don Finlayson (below) , Jack Sellars and Alvin Purple. I hope she can again slip into her self-chosen countryside obscurity as/if she so wishes.