Greetings, Spy Vibers! I've been out on a special mission recently to organize a writers festival at the school where I teach. About fifteen writers from different fields visited classes all this week to share their work and to talk to students about their careers. I headed up the special events, which featured folks like Jonathan Rinzler (Star Wars books), Fred Schodt (Japanese culture & Manga), Geeta Dayal (music journalist), Rebecca Coffey (science writer and novelist), and Trina Robbins (graphic novels and Wonder Woman writer). We had an amazing week of lively discussions and inspiration! But I do apologize to readers who have been waiting patiently for our next post here on Spy Vibe. The sad news came today that Leonard Nimoy has passed away. His work is so iconic and influential to our culture, I will post a tribute to him over the weekend. The other news on the radar is the exciting announcement that the new issue of MI6 Confidential is now available- and this one is all about Spectre and Blofeld! From the press release: "Ask anyone with a passing interest in Bond and they'll recall the terrorist organisation SPECTRE pulling the strings on some of 007’s most dangerous missions; but not because they have been a regular fixture of recent times. However, the organisation will be back (and just possibly its ubiquitous leader, Blofeld) in the 24th screen adventure. This issue pays tribute to the legacy that went before it. Packed with trivia, and historical data, we recount the rise of Blofeld from the germ of an idea from author Ian Fleming and producer Kevin McClory to his most recent filmic appearance in For Your Eyes Only. We also explore the little-told history of Roger Moore’s seventh and final outing, A View To A Kill – celebrating its 30th anniversary by catching up with several of the film’s alumni. In This Issue: Snowbound - An early look at the production of Bond 24, now known as SPECTRE, The Many Faces of Blofeld - The master villain and his organisation on screen, Kevin McClory Interviewed - When the Thunderball producer reflected on 007 in 1979, SPECTRE In Print - Charting the organisation's involvement in the Fleming and Gardner novels, Dance Into The Fire - The complete history of Roger Moore's final outing as Bond, Steamy Rendezvous - Fiona Fullerton on spending a day in the hot tub with co-star Roger Moore, The Final Cut - Editor Peter Davies remembers the global shoot for A View To A Kill, The Bond Connection - Traditional cool meets modern street grit in Kingsman."Packed with images and well-researched articles, Spy Vibers shouldn't miss an issue of MI6 Confidential. More info here. See my interview with Trina Robbins here.
Selected Spy Vibe posts: Bond LEGO, Deadlier Than the Male, Spectre Report, Music For Spies, Thai Bond Design, Brian Clemens RIP, Bond vs Modernism, Imitation Game, New Avengers Books, Road to Hong Kong, Inside Gerry Anderson, Ringo Does Goldfinger, Sixties Beat Wear, SPECTRE Announced, Popular Skullture, New Gerry Anderson Sets, New SECRET AGENT set, Art of Modesty, Avengers Blu-ray update, Tokyo Beat 1964, Polaroid Spy, Modesty Monday, Feraud Mod Fashion, Flint Scores!, Bond Danish, Home Movies, New Richard Sala Book, New 007 Comics, Designing Bond Books, Green Hornet Manga, Margaret Nolan Art, No 6 Festival, Barbarella Returns, 007 Audio Books Return, Designer: Gene Winfield, Avengers Interview: Michael Richardson, Ian Fleming: Wicked Grin, Jane Bond Hong Kong Records, Ryan Heshka Interview, Comics Week: Man From R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E., Comics Week: Archie, Comics Week: Robots, Comics Week: Cold War Atomic, Comics Week: SPYMAN, Comics Week: Jimmy Olsen, Rare Avengers Scripts, Man From Uncle UK Comics, Mattel X-15, Thunderbirds Comics, Shakespeare Spies: Diana Rigg, Shakespeare Spies I, Rodney Marshall Avengers Interview, Avengers Book: Bowler Hats & Kinky Boots, George Lois Design & Mad Men, Richard Sala: Super-Enigmatix, Danger Diabolik Soundtrack, Cold War Archie, Playboy Bunny Interview, The 10th Victim Japanese and Kindle, U.N.C.L.E. Japanese Books, The 10th Victim German Edition, The Saint books return, Trina Robbins Interview, Catsuits, Batman '66 Green Hornet Interview: Ralph Garman Ty Templeton.
When author Ian Fleming entered into a collaboration to adapt James Bond for the big screen in the late 1950s, he could have titled the project Lawsuits Are Forever. The collaboration did not yield a movie deal, but it did entangle Fleming in a battle over Bond that would plague him for the rest of his life. One of those collaborators, Kevin McClory claimed the rights to use now-familiar 007 conventions, like Blofeld and SPECTRE, as well as the plot to Thunderball. The lawsuits dragged Fleming down and may have contributed to his stress and failing health in the early 1960s. In the wake of a legal battle that lasted over 50 years, a forfeited producer credit on the Thunderball film, the independently made Never Say Never Again, and a potential Bond parallel series from Sony, all Bond-related movie rights were finally won by Danjaq, LLC (managed by the family of Albert Broccoli) and MGM this week. Spy Vibe sends a heartfelt congratulations out to Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson! It must be a great relief to the family. 007 fans are speculating and hoping they now might see the return of Ernst Stavro Blofeld and SPECTRE in future films. Barbara Broccoli has said it's more interesting to invent new villains for the contemporary age. But now that the producers are clear of legal issues, I do hope we might see a Blofeld re-booted in the Craig-Bond universe. If they choose to bring the character back, however, it will need to be done with care. Sam Mendes skillfully sprinkled vintage elements into Skyfall without letting them pull us out of the story or winking to the audience. Mendes is set to direct the next Bond film. For more info, see my review of Skyfall here and check out the excellent documentary about the history of the James Bond film legacy, Everything or Nothing.
Recent Spy Vibe posts: Steranko S.H.I.E.L.D. Artist Editions, David Tennant's Ian Fleming audio books, The Prisoner & Captain Scarlet, HMV returns to Oxford st w Beatles promo, Diego Fortunato & Verner Panton, Saturday Morning Cartoons, Assassination Bureau on DVD, new Young Bond series, Peter Asher, Gerry Marsden tour, Elio Petri on Blu-ray, Sophia Loren, new Beatles BBC album, new Hercule Poirot novel, Beatles fall 2013 releases, A Hard Days Night cinematographer dies, Magic Christian on Blu-ray, Early Beatles image archive, Julie Newmar, Erno Goldfinger, Hitchcock tribute.
Recent Ian Fleming posts on Spy Vibe: Erno Goldfinger, Ian Fleming Music Series links: Noel Coward, Whispering Jack Smith, Hawaiian Guitar, Joe Fingers Carr, new Ian Fleming Catalog, Jon Gilbert interview, Double 007 Designs, Bond audio book reissues, discovery of one of Ian Fleming's WWII Commandos, James Bond book covers, Ian Fleming's Playboy interview for Kindle, Spy Vibe's discovery of a rare Ian Fleming serialization, rare View to a Kill, Fleming's Royal gold typewriter, Ian Fleming's memorial address, Spy Vibe's Ian Fleming image archive.
