I'm still a bit behind in my RetroFan reviews, but I can't let issue 40 go without comment. After all, the cover boy is Jay North, star of our Retro Retro series from Season 11, Dennis the Menace!
My standard message remains in effect: RetroFan is my favorite mag, and I recommend you check it out at TwoMorrows.com.
Mark Voger's cover story on the 1959 CBS series is a great overview (Listen to our podcast for some more details) of the series itself but also delves into the unfortunate dark side of the show for North. His on-set guardian was an abusive aunt who physically hit him (out of sight of the other adults) when he messed up a line. No wonder North grew to resent the show before reconciling it with later (He died earlier this year).
Voger manages to convey the gravity of that situation while still celebrating the accomplishments of the sitcom and its comic strip origins. Just be aware the story is as much about North and the perils of child stardom.
Another cover subject is the equally precocious Incredible Hulk! Andy Mangels discusses a show that we might well have covered on the podcast if it weren't mysteriously unavailable on Disney Plus: The 1982 Saturday morning Hulk cartoon on NBC. Mangels is also puzzled by its scarcity, but he delivers my favorite piece in the whole issue.
He gets some interesting quotes from some original animators, like Rick Hoberg, who assets that much of Marvel's animation team turned its attention right to G.I. Joe as soon as that deal went into effect and therefore wasn't too disappointed when NBC ordered no new episodes after the initial 13. Mangels does explore the original plan for a second season: A pairing of Bruce Banner with his cousin Jen Walters, AKA She-Hulk. He also talks about the idea to give a series to Video Man from Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends. Anyone who is curious about the history of the neglected 1982 Hulktoon must read this one.
Will Murray covers one of the greatest Western TV series, Have Gun Will Travel. He focuses on star Richard Boone's influence on the show and the production changes behind the scenes over the course of its 6 years. It's all fascinating stuff, though as is often the case with these TV overviews, I would have loved more discussion of specific notable episodes.
I enjoyed the story on Big Little Books adapting adventure TV shows. Like all these pieces, it's well illustrated with interesting photos and examples. Coverage of The Prisoner takes an interesting angle, with an interview with a creator of a comic book based on the show and a travel story about visiting the original shooting location in Wales.
This is a very 50s/60s issue, what with a look at Remco's 1966 Lost in Space robot toy, plus an extensive profile of Mickey Dolenz's time starring in Circus Boy. The latter draws heavily on Dolenz's autobiography, and it makes me think I really ought to read that book.
Hogan's Heroes gets a thorough profile courtesy of Bob Crane biographer Carol Ford. While there is an obvious emphasis on Crane, Ford does not neglect other individuals and aspects of the show.
This is a stellar issue of RetroFan, and though the Hulk piece is one of the few with direct relevance to BOTNS-era TV, I think our listeners will find a lot to enjoy.
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