I liked ROCKETSHIP X-M!
Really.
The only thing I'm cricisizing is fandom's reaction to the picture.
Tho I haven't seen it, I imagine I'd even have liked THE MAN FROM PLANET X.
And I was nuts about the Flash Gordon serials!
It can't be my second childhood -- maybe I just haven't outgrown my first...
In any case, I think it would be a good idea for some Hwood film company to dig up those old FG and Buck Rogers props and launch a line of B-grade stefilms -- VENGEANCE OF MARS, starring Jon Rogers and his spaceship, Trigger!
Seriously -- they could write out most of the troublesome physic phenomena; lack of gravity, for instance, can be done away with by grav-plates (or -belts). Same thing for variance of gravity on other planets. And most of the aliens could be explanably humanoid, or similar to the many monsters left over from horror movies. Or why couldn't Disney draw in the monster -- or George Pal fix up a puppet? And it's simple enough to rig a man up in a space suit and breather helmet. Alien scenery? Hollywood has never been at a loss for that -- tabletop stuff does good for distant shots, and they can always arrange props for close-ups.
Harmful?
You think such out-and-out spacepics would ruin science-fiction?
Why?
What harm has been done by the Saturday Western epics to the classic Technicolor extravaganzas? Have they caused such authors as Luke Short to cease turning out slick-quality material for Satevepost, Colliers, or book publication?
With the science minimized, such films could spread the popularity of sf; an introduction for beginners, or such-like.
And I'd sit in the darkened mezzanine, joyfully masticating popcorn and shouting to Captain Putrin:
"They went thataway!"
Is it necessary to tack -con or -vention onto the name of every sf con? It's getting monotonous. The Little Men produced at least a favorable variation at the Nolacon -- they proposed calling the convention (if they got it) the Leprechon. And Chicago is in favor of certain changes -- calling the '52 con the 10th Annual SF con instead of the usual '10th World SF con' -- it's never truly been a world con.....now if they would go a step further and call it something besides the Chicon... Maybe, since the gals are supposed to be in charge of things, they could call it LADIES DAZE...
--OKAY! I don't like it either. But there should be some bright fan who could come up with a good suggestion. Might be they could hold a contest...
WAW with the crew in fifty-two!
And it has a meaning.
Yus.
WAW, decoded, reads: Walter A. Willis. The crew is, notherly, fandom. And what is the important fan event of the year of our lord, nineteen hundred fifty two A D?
Chicago, of course.
Meaning, let's have Willis at Chicago. We can do it. After all, we only need money.
And cooperation.
Well?
Data entry by Judy Bemis