By Laen August
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The podcast currently has 76 episodes available.
CALLING ALPHA CONTROL: RON GROSS 4.0
EPISODE SYNOPSIS: We welcome back AGAIN a very special friend of the Alpha Control Podcast; the “Artist-Laureate” of Irwin Allen’s original Lost in Space - Mr. RON GROSS. Ron is an incredibly talented & prolific graphic artist who is skilled in both traditional and digital rendering techniques. Many of his beautiful creations employ a distinctive hybrid production methodology that he personally developed. Ron's Lost in Space related works include assorted box art illustrations for both Polar Lights and Moebius Models. In association with Kevin Burns of Synthesis Entertainment, Ron also designed the official 45th and 50th Lost in Space anniversary logos. Fans of the series are most familiar with his stunning calendars & poster art based on the original Irwin Allen television properties. As well as an officially licensed - Limited-Edition Lost in Space Deluxe Trading Card set from Monsterwax, featuring his own dazzling Artwork, as well as a fascinating series ‘In Universe’ storyline released in 2019.
RON’S BIO: Ron grew up in Aurora Illinois and resides in the greater Chicago area to this day. After retiring from a distinguished career as a Sales Executive, Ron's fully devoted himself to his passion for creating art. When we spoke with Ron last time, we focused on his THEN “newly-released” book, "Fantasy Worlds Beyond: The Irwin Allen Art of Ron Gross". Published in Spring 2021, this beautiful Art Book burnished his well-deserved fame among serious Lost in Space aficionados. Now Ron has followed up his many accomplishments, with yet another fantastic project: his newly released book, "Lost in Space: The Initial Adventures." More than 5 decades in the making, this richly illustrated novelization of the multi-episode story arc that launched series contains a variety of "lost scenes” throughout - as well as Ron’s own speculative exploration of the mysteriously planned, but never developed sixth episode of the story arc titled; “Refuge of the Damned”. A topic that has intrigued Lost in Space fans for years.
So, today we’re going to speak in-depth with Ron about his fabulous New Book & how he managed to make this childhood passion a reality. So, sit back, relax & enjoy “ACT IV” of our compelling ongoing conversation with gifted Lost in Space graphic artist & author Mr. Ron Gross.
PODCAST INFO: This interview was conducted on 25 APR 2022.
LINKS: http://www.outerportals.com/home.html
Lost in Space: The Initial Adventures: Gross, Ron: 9798433306585: Amazon.com: Books
Fantasy Worlds Beyond: The Irwin Allen Art of Ron Gross: Gross, Ron: 9798727194386: Books - Amazon
http://www.monsterwax.com/LIScards.html
https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/
EMAIL: [email protected]
CALLING ALPHA CONTROL: DR. STEVEN D. BLOOM PART II
EPISODE SYNOPSIS: We welcome a special guest to Alpha Control; Dr. Steven D. Bloom. As well as being a big fan of LIS & Science Fiction in general, Steve is the author of a fascinating book titled, The Physics and Astronomy of Science Fiction. Published in 2016 by McFarland; the book explores a wide range of Sci-Fi Movies, TV series, Books & Short Stories by exploring their underlying concepts of physics & astronomy. Written for those of us who are NOT real ‘rocket scientists’, Steve’s entertaining & highly readable book assesses the accuracy and plausibility of many of the complex concepts that often appear in science fiction, such as Interstellar Travel, Time Travel, Teleportation, Robots, Alien Life as well as other genre fixtures.
STEVE’S BIO: Steve Bloom grew up in the New York City suburbs where in the early 1970’s he would rush home from his neighborhood school to watch re-runs of Lost in Space. There began his love for science and astronomy in particular. Later, he would go on to major in Astrophysics at Columbia University and then earned his Ph.D. in Astronomy from Boston University in 1994. After that, he continued doing research as a post-doctoral fellow at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center located outside Washington DC in Greenbelt, MD and then at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA. Today Dr. Bloom is a professor of physics and astronomy at Hampden-Sydney College, located near Farmville, Virginia, where he lives with his wife, daughter and cat.
As I mentioned last time, when we got together to record, Steve was VERY generous with his time! Which is why I decided to split our conversation into TWO Special Calling Alpha Control interviews. Today, we’ll pick up the discussion where we left off last time, talking about LIS & Steve’s wonderfully informative book on the “science of science fiction”. I think you’ll be both delighted & amazed by some of what you learn in this interview. So, sit back, relax & enjoy Part II of this intriguing conversation with DOCTOR STEVEN D. BLOOM.
PODCAST INFO: This interview was conducted on 6 JAN 2022.
LINKS: Amazon.com: Steven D Bloom: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle
https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/the-physics-and-astronomy-of-science-fiction/
https://physastro.net/
www.stevendbloom.net
https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/
http://www.monsterwax.com/LIScards.html
EMAIL: [email protected]
CALLING ALPHA CONTROL: DR. STEVEN D. BLOOM PART I
EPISODE SYNOPSIS: We welcome a special guest to Alpha Control; Dr. Steven D. Bloom. As well as being a big fan of LIS & Science Fiction in general, Steve is the author of a fascinating book titled, The Physics and Astronomy of Science Fiction. Published in 2016 by McFarland; the book explores a wide range of Sci-Fi Movies, TV series, Books & Short Stories by exploring their underlying concepts of physics & astronomy. Written for those of us who are NOT real ‘rocket scientists’, Steve’s entertaining & highly readable book assesses the accuracy and plausibility of many of the complex concepts that often appear in science fiction, such as Interstellar Travel, Time Travel, Teleportation, Robots, Alien Life as well as other genre fixtures.
STEVE’S BIO: Steve Bloom grew up in the New York City suburbs where in the early 1970’s he would rush home from his neighborhood school to watch re-runs of Lost in Space. There began his love for science and astronomy in particular. Later, he would go on to major in Astrophysics at Columbia University and then earned his Ph.D. in Astronomy from Boston University in 1994. After that, he continued doing research as a post-doctoral fellow at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center located outside Washington DC in Greenbelt, MD and then at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA. Today Dr. Bloom is a professor of physics and astronomy at Hampden-Sydney College, located near Farmville, Virginia, where he lives with his wife, daughter and cat.
When we recorded this episode, I had a lot of questions for the Professor & he was VERY generous with his time. In fact, so much so, I’ve decided to split our conversation into TWO Special Calling Alpha Control interviews, where we’ll discuss Steve’s love for Sci-Fi entertainment, (especially LIS) and dig deeply into his wonderfully informative book on the “science of science fiction”. I think you’ll be both delighted & amazed by what you learn in this two-parter interview. So, sit back, relax & enjoy Part I of this intriguing conversation with DOCTOR STEVEN D. BLOOM.
PODCAST INFO: This interview was conducted on 6 JAN 2022.
LINKS: Amazon.com: Steven D Bloom: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle
https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/the-physics-and-astronomy-of-science-fiction/
https://physastro.net/
www.stevendbloom.net
https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/
http://www.monsterwax.com/LIScards.html
EMAIL: [email protected]
SPECIAL - CALLING ALPHA CONTROL: ANGELA CARTWRIGHT & BILL MUMY
EPISODE SYNOPSIS: We welcome two very special guests to Alpha Control: Angela Cartwright & Bill Mumy. Although well-known to LIS fans as the talented young actors who played Penny & Will Robinson on the classic series, BOTH performers have played numerous roles in dozens of movies & TV shows and between them racked up hundreds of appearances on both the Big & Small screen. But if that wasn’t enough, these ‘gifted go-getters’ are ALSO multi-talented artists in a wide variety of creative fields. Angela’s life-long passion for art & photography, led her to pursue a second career as an artist, as well as a jewelry & clothing designer; eventually establishing her own art studio, which can be explored online at Angela Cartwright Studio.com.
Bill on the other hand, has also achieved great success as a gifted musician, singer, song writer, voice artist & producer. In addition to his prolific catalog of solo songs & recordings, Bill is the co-founder of the off-beat rock duo Barnes & Barnes and veteran member of the band America. In his latest musical endeavor, he teamed up with musicians Vicki Peterson of the Bangles and John Cowsill of the Beach Boys, to write and record as the rock group, “ACTION SKULLS”; which has released two critically acclaimed albums; 2017’s ‘Angel Hear’ & 2020’s ‘A Different World’.
What’s more, both actors are published authors. Angela’s titles include her award-winning coffee table book Styling the Stars: Lost Treasures from the Twentieth Century Fox Archive, & her Art books titled: Mixed Emulsions, In This House & In This Garden among others. She also conceived and collaborated on The Sound of Music Family Scrapbook along with her fellow ‘Von Trapp’ family siblings. Likewise, Bill’s lasting fascination with comic books propelled him into a career creating & writing scores of them for both Marvel & DC. And in the early 1990’s, he authored many issues of the celebrated "Lost in Space" comic book series for Innovation Comics. Later in 2005, he followed up with the acclaimed 360-page graphic novel, “Lost in Space: Voyage to the Bottom of the Soul”.
With all that going on, it’s hard to believe this ‘talented twosome’ have also co-written three other terrific books: their first was their fantastic pictorial-memoir “Lost and Found in Space”, followed by “On Purpose”, a sci-fi adventure novel for young adults & finally their latest collaboration - the updated & expanded edition - “Lost and Found in Space 2”. As you can imagine, I’ve got a lot of questions for them both. So, get set to ‘Blast Off’ for this fascinating conversation with LIS Stars - Angela Cartwright & Bill Mumy
PODCAST INFO: This interview was conducted on 18 JAN 2022.
Don’t forget that from now until the end of FEB 2022 you can get 20% off the Deluxe Autographed Edition of their New book plus a set of limited edition trading cards using the cosmic Coupon Code revealed at the end of this interview! - Just go to NCPBooks.com at the link below for more information.
NCPBooks.com
OTHER LINKS: angela-cartwright.com billmumy.com
SHOP: angelacartwrightstudio.com
ART SITE: acartwrightstudio.com
FACEBOOK: OfficialAngelaCartwright bill.mumy
https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/
EMAIL: [email protected]
SPECIAL ALPHA CONTROL: PARODY TV AD MEDLEY
EPISODE SYNOPSIS: Happy New Year to all our fellow Galactic Castaways! While we toil away on pre-production for our next episode, please enjoy this Special Bonus Parody TV Commercial Medley! In the meantime, we will be back Next Time with another episode of Alpha Control, where Kurt & I get back to reviewing our beloved original Lost in Space. Until then, take care & will talk to you soon!
PODCAST INFO: This Bonus Content was produced on 27 DEC 2021.
LINKS:
http://www.marccushman.com/books.html
https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/
EMAIL: [email protected]
The Deadly Games of Gamma 6
EPISODE SYNOPSIS: An alien trainer, Myko, with his troupe of gladiator fighters arrives for their yearly display of games which are televised throughout the galaxy. Myko tries to persuade Professor Robinson to enter one of the contests. John refuses, but Dr. Smith, hearing that vast riches are paid to the victor, volunteers to fight a little alien only half his size. Myko agrees but doesn’t tell Smith that his half-pint opponent can make himself invisible, or that the military leaders of the galaxy are watching the games, planning to invade any planet whose representatives appear to be cowardly. Sadly, Dr. Smith loses the fight to the little alien. So, in order to save Earth from invasion, John challenges Myko to a game of Cosmic Russian Roulette.
PRODUCTION OVERVIEW-Writer: Barney Slater, Director: Nathan Juran, Producer: William D. Faralla, Executive Producer: Irwin Allen. Guest Stars: ‘Myko’ – Mike Kellin, ‘Alien Leader’ - Peter Brocco, ‘Geoo’ – Harry Monty, ‘Gromack’ – Ronald Weber & ‘Alien Giant – Chuck Roberson.
Film dates: 22 – 29 Aug 1966 (6 days), Air date: Wednesday Nov. 2, 1966 (no summer release)
PODCAST SYNOPSIS: Intro-Welcome, Production Notes, Show review, Next Week Preview, Outro. This podcast was recorded on 9/22/2021
SHOWNOTE LINKS:
The Deadly Games of Gamma 6 | Lost in Space Forum (proboards.com)
https://www.hulu.com/lost-in-space
http://www.marccushman.com/books.html
https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/
EMAIL: [email protected]
SPECIAL ALPHA CONTROL: SURPRISE "SHOW PROMO"
EPISODE SYNOPSIS: While we toil away on postproduction for our next episode, please enjoy this Special Surprise Promo inspired by another one of our favorite TV shows from the era. It’s a fun one! In the meantime, we will be back Next Time with another episode of Alpha Control, where Kurt & I get back to reviewing our beloved original Lost in Space. Until then, take care & will talk to you soon!
PODCAST INFO: This promo was recorded on 2 November 2021.
LINKS:
http://www.marccushman.com/books.html
https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/
EMAIL: [email protected]
The Android Machine
EPISODE SYNOPSIS: Dr. Smith finds an alien machine; he presses a button & a silver-clad android named Verda appears. She tells him he has ordered her & now she is his property forever and cannot be returned. The children take to her & she becomes so attached to them that she tries to sacrifice herself to save them when they are attacked by a monster. When an alien arrives to demand payment for the android, Smith, anxious to get rid of her, says she is defective. The alien is prepared to have her destroyed, but the children plead with their father to save her by trading some of their valuable deutronium fuel for her. But when the alien discovers that Verda has become so human that she is willing to sacrifice herself for love, he declares that she is far too valuable to be destroyed.
PRODUCTION OVERVIEW-Writer: Bob & Wanda Duncan, Director: Don Richardson, Producer: William D. Faralla, Executive Producer: Irwin Allen.
Film dates: 12 – 19 Aug 1966 (5 days), Air date: Wednesday October 26, 1966 (no summer release)
PODCAST SYNOPSIS: Intro-Welcome, Production Notes, Show review, Next Week Preview, Outro. This podcast was recorded on 7/7/2021
SHOWNOTE LINKS:
The Android Machine | Lost in Space Forum (proboards.com)
https://www.hulu.com/lost-in-space
http://www.marccushman.com/books.html
https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/
EMAIL: [email protected]
CALLING ALPHA CONTROL: MARTA KRISTEN
EPISODE SYNOPSIS: We welcome a very special guest to Alpha Control; Marta Kristen. Well-known to LIS fans as the beautiful actress who played Judy Robinson, Ms. Kristen has had a fascinating life before, during & after her time on the classic series.
MARTA’S BIO: Born as Birgit Annalisa Rusanen in Oslo Norway at the end of WWII. She spent the first four years of her life living in an orphanage until she was adopted by Prof. & Mrs. Harold Soderquist of Detroit, MI., who named Marta in honor of a social worker who helped her parents navigate her adoption process. Marta quickly adapted to her new family & home in the U.S. & displayed a talent for performing at an early age. As a teenager in Michigan, she was already acting in Summer Stock theatre by the age of fourteen.
Then in 1959, a family trip to California marked a fateful turn in her life, as Marta was later ‘discovered’ by a Hollywood producer while on a date at a drive-in in Santa Monica. That in-turn led to several guest-starring roles on some of the most popular TV shows of the early 60’s including; The Loretta Young Show, Leave It to Beaver, My Three Sons & Alfred Hitchcock Presents where she shared screen time with her future Robinson sibling Billy Mumy.
Prior to LIS, Marta also scored roles in the Disney feature film ‘Savage Sam’ & later the beach party movie; ‘Beach Blanket Bingo’, where she played the Mermaid ‘Lorelei’. When she later appeared on an episode of the series ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’; Marta caught the attention of Irwin Allen, who wanted to cast her in his next big Sci-Fi TV series & wouldn’t take no for an answer. Eventually, Marta agreed to become a member of the Robinson family & the rest is history. Originally, her character was meant to be the ‘love interest’ of the castaway’s pilot Major Don West. For a variety of reasons that romance remained more suggested than overt. But during the 3 seasons she played Judy Robinson, Marta still experienced some Wild Adventures while “Lost in Space”.
After the series ended, Marta raised a family and continued to work, making over 40 TV commercials as well as guest starring in numerous TV shows, parts in several feature films & on the stage. Today Marta Kristen still resides in southern California while continuing to work on her craft, as well as making occasional public appearances at various LIS related events. Her fans still adore her & their lasting affection is returned by her warmth & charm. I had the pleasure of speaking with Marta in person at the 2021 WondeFest convention in Louisville, KY. So, get ready to enjoy this delightful interview with the Luminous Marta Kristen.
PODCAST INFO: This interview was conducted on 6 June 2021.
LINKS: Marta Kristen - The Official Website
http://www.marccushman.com/books.html
https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/
EMAIL: [email protected]
CALLING ALPHA CONTROL: RON GROSS 3.0
EPISODE SYNOPSIS: We welcome back a special guest to Alpha Control; Lost in Space artist Mr. RON GROSS. Ron is an incredibly talented & prolific graphic artist who is skilled in both traditional and digital rendering techniques. Many of his beautiful creations employ a distinctive hybrid production methodology that he personally developed. Ron's Lost in Space related works include assorted box art illustrations for both Polar Lights and Moebius Models. Ron FAMOUSLY scratch-built his own 1:70 scale Jupiter 2 model that eventually became the design basis for the classic kit marketed by Polar Lights in 1998, thus filling the void for this decades-long awaited product. Ron has shared his novel scratch-building techniques with a wider audience, writing multiple articles for publications such as "Scale Modeler," "Fine Scale Modeler," and "Sci-Fi and Fantasy Modeler". In association with Kevin Burns of Synthesis Entertainment, Ron also designed the official 45th and 50th Lost in Space anniversary logos. Fans of the show are most familiar with his stunning licensed calendars & poster art based on the original Irwin Allen television properties.
RON’S BIO: Ron grew up in Aurora Illinois and resides in the greater Chicago area to this day. After retiring from a distinguished career as a Sales Executive, Ron's fully devoted himself to his passion for creating art. When we spoke with Ron last time, we focused on his THEN soon “to-be-released” Limited-Edition Lost in Space Deluxe Trading Card set, featuring his own dazzling Artwork, as well as a fascinating series ‘In Universe’ storyline. This beautiful, ‘officially-licensed’ Card Set, which was released in late 2019 quickly became a huge critical & professional success for Ron, adding to his well-deserved fame among serious fans as the modern “Artist-Laureate” of Irwin Allen’s original Lost in Space. Now Ron has followed up that accomplishment, with yet another fantastic project: his newly released book, "Fantasy Worlds Beyond: The Irwin Allen Art of Ron Gross". More than three years in the making, this full-color volume contains over 200 illustrations, covering Three Decades of Ron’s artistic contributions to the world of Irwin Allen and includes Many Works that have never been seen before! Today we’re going to speak in-depth with Ron about his fabulous New Art Book & what it took to make this long-held dream a reality. And I’ll ask him what other future LIS & Irwin Allen projects might be on his agenda. So, sit back, relax & enjoy this compelling ‘Round 3’ interview with gifted Lost in Space graphic artist & enthusiast Mr. Ron Gross.
PODCAST INFO: This interview was conducted on 19 MAY 2021.
LINKS: http://www.outerportals.com/home.html
Fantasy Worlds Beyond: The Irwin Allen Art of Ron Gross: Gross, Ron: 9798727194386: Amazon.com: Books
https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/
http://www.monsterwax.com/LIScards.html
EMAIL: [email protected]
The podcast currently has 76 episodes available.
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