FOR YOUR SHELF ONLY: RAYMOND BENSON

For Your Shelf Only continues! Spy Vibe recently talked with Jon Gilbert, rare book dealer and author of Ian Fleming: The Bibliography. Our chat began a new series on Spy Vibe, offering fellow collectors and fans of spy novels a chance to share their experiences and some of their prized books. 

Our first guest is Raymond Benson, author of over 25 books, including The Black Stiletto and tie-in stories for Metal Gear Solid and Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell. He is also one of the six writers in the world chosen to write official James Bond continuation novels. As a lad, I read his pieces in Bondage Magazine, coveted his James Bond Bedside Companion, and I now enjoy his movie features in Cinema Retro. Raymond, thank you for visiting the Spy Vibe lair!

Many of us grew up collecting Ian Fleming and other spy books, usually used paperbacks found in second hand shops. When did you start reading spy fiction? Did you collect as a kid? And as a Bond author, have you collected rare Ian Fleming editions? I discovered Bond around the time Goldfinger was released (1964), so the readily available books in the U.S. were the classic Signet paperbacks, so I quickly got those (adding to them as the additional titles came out) and still own the same set today. I didn't seriously collect the collectible stuff until the early 1980s, around the time I started researching and writing The James Bond Bedside Companion. By the mid-80s I had a complete set of Fleming UK first editions, but I have since sold them. I was always more interested in the literary collectibles as opposed to the film ephemera. 

Some collectors of rare editions are interested in the investment aspects. Did you collect your Fleming first editions through dealers or hunting for bargains at bookshops? Were you able to sell the collection at a profit? I used a dealer I knew, although I found a handful of them when I was in the UK in 1982 researching the James Bond Bedside Companion and bought them from a shop. I certainly sold them for a profit, and I imagine that if I had hung on to them, they'd be worth even more now.

What are your all-time favorite cover designs? The Richard Chopping designs are my favorites, of course, with From Russia With Love the top one. [Below image: Spy Vibers can find From Russia With Love and other Bond rarities at James Bond First Editions]

I just picked up a signed UK 1st edition of your book, The Man With the Red Tattoo. I was drawn to the story because I lived in Japan for many years. Do you keep rare editions of your own books? Yes, I try to get every edition of my own titles, foreign and otherwise, but it's not easy. Ian Fleming Publications doesn't always get copies of foreign editions, so I have to seek them out elsewhere. I suppose the UK editions of my titles are getting to be somewhat collectible, but the real gems are the UK hardcover of Tomorrow Never Dies and the first printing of Zero Minus Ten. [Below image: Spy Vibers can find Zero Minus Ten and other Benson rarities at James Bond First Editions]

How do you track down those rare editions of your own books? It would be interesting to hear about which countries are included in your collection. In many cases, the country/publisher in question would send a few copies to Ian Fleming Publications, and then they would send me a sample copy. But not every publisher did that, so it was a case of someone making me aware of a particular title. I'm confident that I don't have all the various foreign editions of my books!

What do you remember about being at Ian Fleming's own writing desk at Goldeneye? Was that an inspiring journey? When I first sat at the desk I swear I went into some kind of trance. We were there to take my picture for publicity reasons, as it was recently announced I was the new Bond author. I remember the photographer saying, "Raymond! Raymond! Earth to Raymond!"

Could you glean anything about Fleming's personality or writing habits from sitting at his work space? Not really, it had been "cleaned up" and was simply a desk with a lamp and potted plant on it when I was there.

Are there books you still look for? Did you collect pulp novels or magazines in preparation for The Black Stiletto? I don't really collect that stuff anymore. And, no, nothing really contributed to The Black Stiletto other than whatever has been in my head for decades. I do, however, enjoy the pulp novels of the 30s, 40s, 50s, and the lurid paperback covers associated with them are cool. Most of the pulps I read were of the crime novel type-- James M. Cain, Raymond Chandler, Jim Thompson...

As I said, I sold off the real collectible Fleming items, so all I have now are the commercial editions of the Bond books. If you saw the recent WGN TV interview with me, you will have seen on my wall a collage of signed Bond actor photos... I do have several signed items on my walls from various film directors and musicians. [Spy Vibers can also see Raymond play the James Bond Theme on his piano in the interview!] 

Richard Avedon said that his autograph collecting was a way to express his desire to be part of the professional world of the imagination. When did you start to collect signatures? Probably in the 1970s.

Who is in your collection? Which pieces do you treasure most?

Mostly film and music related. The most treasured one is Stanley Kubrick. Other directors I have are Woody Allen, David Lynch, Ingmar Bergman. In music: John Lennon, Ian Anderson and Jethro Tull, Yes members, Neil Young, Philip Glass, John Barry, Robert Wyatt. Writers: Ian Fleming, Harold Pinter, Ruth Rendell, Stephen King, Isaac Asimov, Stan Lee. [Below: set design for Kubrick's Dr Strangelove by Sir Ken Adam]

Did you get to meet Bergman? He's at the top of my list, along with Woody Allen and Fellini. I missed meeting Bergman by 5 minutes. I was in Sweden and we were by the Royal Theatre in Stockholm, where Bergman often directed plays. I said I wanted to go inside, so I did, and I asked someone facetiously, not expecting anything, "Is Ingmar Bergman here?" and they replied "You missed him by 5 minutes." ! [Raymond's tribute to Bergman at Cinema Retro]

In terms of James Bond signatures, which cast and crew do you have? I've got Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, Lois Maxwell, Desmond Llewelyn, Ursula Andress, Joseph Wiseman, Mie Hama, Akiko Wakabayashi, Richard Kiel, and John Cleese.

Did you find your various autographs at auctions or shops, or were you able to meet many people in person? Most were in person, although a few (like Kubrick) were got from reputable dealers. 

Are there autographs you still want to find? I want Ennio Morricone, Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, The Marx Brothers, and Alfred Hitchcock.

Collectors all have moments when they stretch their budgets to pick up a cool treasure that crosses their path. What are the most valuable items that have ever been on your shelf or wall? Probably John Lennon's signed first edition of In His Own Write, also signed by Brian Epstein. [Cover photo shoot above]

It sounds like you collect less than you did in the past. Was that a process of conserving space, funds, and time? All three!


Thanks again to Raymond for joining us. For more information about Raymond Benson, please visit his website. You can find Raymond Benson's books and other spy treasures in Spy Vibe's secure Amazon Store. Stay tuned for another edition of For Your Shelf Only. Series links: Jon Gilbert, Raymond Benson, Jeremy Duns, Peter Lorenz, David Foster, Rob Mallows, Roger Langley, Craig Arthur, Fleming Short, Matt Sherman. 


Check out Spy Vibe's classic 2009 article, Set For Adventure, where we joined forces with Lee Pfeiffer, Jeremy Duns, Stephen Bissette, and others to look at the best set designs from spy entertainment. More about Spy Vibe creator Agent J at Jason Whiton.

FOR YOUR SHELF ONLY: JON GILBERT & IAN FLEMING: THE BIBLIOGRAPHY

Spy Vibe celebrates the upcoming release of Ian Fleming: The Bibliography with an exclusive interview with Jon Gilbert, author and rare bookseller at Ian Fleming First Editions. 

Welcome, Jon. Thank you for this interview with Spy Vibe. I am so thrilled about Ian Fleming: The Bibliography. I have always adored Fleming’s work and the ways designers have presented his stories, so I can imagine this research being a real labor of love.

Many of us Bond fans grew up collecting Ian Fleming’s books, usually used paperbacks found in second hand shops. At what age did you start to collect? What books did you seek out and what was it about them that captivated you?

My family business is rare books so I have always been surrounded by first editions- it was the Fleming titles with the Richard Chopping covers which really caught my attention and I started to buy these for myself from the age of 18-25 (the Cape hardbacks being far more affordable then). Those first edition hardcovers were the copies I read, which is unusual- as you mentioned, many of us read the popular paperbacks first time around. 

When did you begin to collect rare books that required more investment? When did you start to build a library of Fleming editions? Can you recall some of your best finds? 

As a rare book dealer I have sold unusual Fleming material for nearly twenty years. In the last fifteen years all items sold have been catalogued, and most have been photographed- this wealth of information is the basis for my book. When I embarked upon writing the bibliography I simultaneously decided to build a comprehensive collection of Fleming material (not just the Bond books), which, four years later, comprises every [known] issue and impression of the Cape hardcovers, plus about ninety-five per cent of all the Pan paperbacks, a vast selection of US hard and soft covers, as well as proof copies, periodicals, typescripts, letters and promotional/advertising material. I have had several great 'finds' over the years, and I am pleased to have discovered a few previously unknown issues of certain titles- the first edition You Only Live Twice with gilt on the spine and no Japanese characters springs to mind. This was originally 'aired' in Firsts Magazine, November 2008 by my collector friend James Pickard- a proud moment. The Thunderball trial binding with the silver hand is another treasured rarity- it originated from the publisher's salesman and is possibly unique.

Do you have favorite 007 cover designs?

The Chopping covers are all remarkable, but I also greatly admire the British 'X' series paperbacks, starting with the bullet-hole Thunderball cover, designed by Ray Hawkey, who sadly died just recently. I was able to visit the Pan Macmillan archive and gather information on their various paperback releases, which will appear in the bibliography.

From your research of print runs, what are some of the most rare Bond books out there? 

The first three titles in first impression have always been sought after- the print runs are not that small but there are some important issue points to consider and many of these were taken up by the lending libraries; collectable examples really are rare now, with Moonraker likely the hardest in strictly fine condition. Some of the later hardback impressions had surprising small runs, really just enough to replace worn out library stock- very few of these were sold on the high street as the cheaper paperbacks were doing such brisk business. Proof copies are also elusive. The numbers are very small, and the first five or six are virtually unobtainable- for example, there are only 35 copies of Doctor No in uncorrected proof form.

Speaking of rare editions, Queen Anne Press published Talk of the Devil, a collection of rare pieces by Fleming. Will this be available in the future as a stand-alone purchase?

As far as I am aware there are no separate editions of Talk of the Devil due out. That book was conceived as a bonus/incentive to accompany the full set. It's a great volume, but to sell it seperately would undermine the collected edition of the works (which are still available from QAP). I suspect it will eventually come out, but we're talking years rather than months.

You also deal in rare Bond-related editions and ephemera (James Bond First Editions). When did you start that business? Have you seen a great increase in value recently? Are there counterfeit editions to watch out for? 

My father-in-law ran the business from the '70s and I joined in the early 90s. The Bond brand has always been popular, so we have long dealt with the Gardner/Benson and other continuation authors as and when their new titles were released. Raymond Benson kindly held signing sessions at our bookshop whenever he was over from America and we have strong links with Ian Fleming Publications (formerly Glidrose) so it is only natural that we stocked the Young Bond and Moneypenny series as well. There are some rare John Gardner titles and a few Benson oddities- maybe they will appear in a James Bond bibliography one day, rather than a Fleming one. Values for these, like the Fleming books, continue to rise- there are some curious pirate editions from Taiwan that are desirable. The only outright 'fake' I can think of is the odd spurious copy of The Man with the Golden Gun, pretending to be the rare original with the gold gun stamped on the cover- some copies are in circulation with a newly impressed gun to the common plain cover binding but fortunately the cloth is not the same- any experienced dealer or collector will be able to spot a counterfeit.

The sample pages from the Bibliography in the new issue of MI6 Confidential show some image-grids of historic series designs. To what extent will your book include every jacket design from every UK and US series? What about foreign series designs?

We have about 500 images in the colour section and a similar amount in black & white, within the text. Even so, that still is not enough to illustrate every jacket produced. All the important first editions are shown in full (bindings and jackets), plus the entire UK Pan paperback range published from 1955-1978, when Triad took over. Images are also provided for the more recent paperbacks, up to the Vintage range of 2012. The US hardcovers are also shown in full, plus a general representation of the various American paperbacks published from the fifties until now. There are also sections illustrating the periodical, anthology and omnibus appearances of James Bond. No foreign language printings are covered- that would be enough for an entire volume in itself.

I used to shop for used Bond books in Bloomington, Indiana, near my college, but never realized that the Lilly Library had a Fleming archive. Did you work with this collection and what is housed there? 

I live and work in the UK so my research has focused on the various publisher's archives here. Whilst I have not visited the Lilly Library, I have had access to some copies of their records compiled by other Bond historians, and been able to view material online. Brad Frank, the editor of the Bibliography and a Director of the Ian Fleming Foundation, visited the Lilly and has provided some comment. There is also a precious catalogue of the Lilly Library Fleming collection published in-house (1970's) which is a most valuable resource.

Have you made a pilgrimage to Goldeneye? Raymond Benson mentioned his trip there and that Sting wrote Synchronicity at Fleming’s retreat. Are there others you know of who have gone there to create? 

It's on the 'must do' list, but hasn't happened yet. Obviously the place has a rich history- after Fleming, the estate was owned by Bob Marley, who sold it to Island Records chief Chris Blackwell. It is now a beach resort run by Island Outpost- I'm sure much creative talent has passed through over the years. 

Some questions about Ian Fleming: The Bibliography and its binding. To clarify, the standard edition is in red and the limited edition is in white? Will the editions include slipcases? 

The Standard edition is in red-coloured Ratchford's Colorado bookcloth, with contrasting black endpapers. The spine and upper board are tooled in gilt. The Deluxe edition is limited to 250 copies, bound in quarter white vellum over black sides, inspired by the original special edition of On Her Majesty's Secret Service (Cape, 1963). It features scarlet endpapers and gold tooling. Slip-cases or clamshell boxes are not included, but can be made to order.  

For Fleming fans without deep pockets, will there be a trade edition of the Bibliography available in the future? 

This is the only edition scheduled at present. 

In addition to learning about the publication history of Ian Fleming, what do you hope your readers will learn about Fleming’s process and about nuances of the James Bond universe? 

A clear picture has emerged of Fleming's creative process, his writing practices and the general book production routine, which I hope will be conveyed to the reader. The bibliography is crammed full of facts, figures, dates and details, including much previously unpublished information; I'm sure it will please even the most fanatical of James Bond enthusiasts. The editorial team, the Fleming family and other early readers have enjoyed the narrative and background that is provided for each novel; whilst this is a technical volume, it is certainly not a dull reference book. 

Thanks again to Jon for joining us on Spy Vibe. No portion of this interview may be used without written permission of Jason Whiton. More information about Ian Fleming: The Bibliography and rare 007 books at James Bond First Editions. Stay tuned for another edition of For Your Shelf Only. Series links: Jon Gilbert, Raymond Benson, Jeremy Duns, Peter Lorenz, David Foster, Rob Mallows, Roger Langley, Craig Arthur, Fleming Short, Matt Sherman.

More about Spy Vibe creator Agent J at Jason Whiton. Check out Spy Vibe's classic 2009 article, Set For Adventure, where we joined forces with Lee Pfeiffer, Jeremy Duns, Stephen Bissette, and others to look at the best set designs from spy entertainment.

007 AT 50 BEGINS IN HOLLYWOOD

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of James Bond, the American Cinematheque in Los Angeles has planned to show 35mm prints of every film in the series in order this June- Dr No (June 8th) to Quantum of Solace (June 24th). Although some titles periodically show up at revival theaters, this will be a rare chance to see most of these classics on a big screen. I hope to catch some of the lesser-known Roger Moore and Timothy Dalton films. There are also guest actors and directors scheduled to appear. Details at the link above and at my fellow C.O.B.R.A.S. site, Double O Section. 

RAYMOND BENSON INTERVIEW

Raymond Benson, author of the James Bond Bedside Companion, 007 continuation novels, video games and more, discusses his long career with Authors on the Air. In this lengthy on-line interview, Benson talks about how he became an official Bond author, his experiences writing for different markets, and he takes an in-depth look at his new novel in the Black Stiletto series, Black Stiletto: Black & White. You can find Raymond Benson's books and other spy treasures in Spy Vibe's secure Amazon Store.

EAMES ALUMINUM

Spy Vibers looking to redecorate their pads and lairs this summer should check out the Herman Miller sale at Design Within Reach. Items are 15% off and include free shipping through Monday, June 11. From DWR: "This is the authentic Aluminum Group, designed by Charles and Ray Eames, and produced by Herman Miller. The 1950s collection was a special project for Eero Saarinen and Alexander Girard, who were designing a house for the industrialist J. Irwin Miller." More at Design With Reach.

006 NUMBER OF SEX

Rare poster for the Japanese "pink" film, Number 006 is the Number of Sex (1978), starring Etsuko Hara. Thanks to the folks at Pulp International for their collection of exotic treasures and Jhalal Drut for the heads up.

CINEMA RETRO 23

Spy Vibers who were planning to pick up the new issue of Cinema Retro at their local bookstore are encouraged to subscribe directly to ensure they get their copy. Subscription details here. The magazine posted this announcement earlier today:

DUE TO UNEXPECTEDLY HIGH DEMAND, THIS ISSUE IS ALREADY IN SHORT SUPPLY. AS OUR FIRST PRIORITY IS TO BE ABLE TO FILL ORDERS FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS, WE MUST RESERVE THE LIMITED NUMBER OF ISSUES LEFT IN STOCK TO FILL NEW SUBSCRIPTIONS AND RENEWALS THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE CURRENT SEASON. WE REGRET THAT WE CANNOT OFFER SINGLE ISSUE SALES OF #23 AT THIS TIME. DON'T MISS A SINGLE ISSUE OF THIS SEASON. IF YOU HAVEN'T SUBSCRIBED OR RENEWED, DO SO TODAY!

HIGHLIGHTS OF ISSUE #23 INCLUDE:

• Coverage of the Bond in Motion exhibition in England- the largest single collection of original 007 vehicles ever displayed. We take you inside the gala press event that opened the exhibit.
• Dean Brierly analyzes the criminally underrated crime thriller The Night of the Following Daystarring Marlon Brando and Richard Boone
• Roland Schaefli pays tribute to the John Wayne-Howard Hawks adventure Hatari! and takes us on a visit to the African locations as they are today
• Tim Graves celebrates the excellent, but little-remembered psychic thriller Games starring James Caan and Katharine Ross.
• Adrian Smith examines the British sex films of the 60s and 70s- and how film companies battled the censors to sneak in as many "tits and bums" as possible
• Elvis on the Back Lot: Dean Sills looks back on The King's Hollywood hits- and how infrequently the exotic locations were actually filmed on location
• Raymond Benson looks at the best films of 1982
• Lee Pfeiffer takes a second look at the Italian Western A Minute To Pray, A Second to Diestarring Alex Cord and Robert Ryan
• Gareth Owen revisits the filming of The Slipper and the Rose at Pinewood Studios
• Dave Worrall looks at the films that depicted the legendary raid on Entebbe and takes us back in time to the filming of Disney's Candleshoe through unseen on-set photos
• Plus the latest DVD, soundtrack and film book reviews

In addition, Spy Vibers who missed the original printing of Cinema Retro's tribute issue to Where Eagles Dare can now purchase a new updated edition. Details here.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOM JONES

Happy Birthday to Sir Tom Jones! The singer was born Thomas John Woodward on June 7th, 1940. As the vocalist in a Beat group in the early 1960s, he came to the attention of the recording industry and quickly rose to stardom. Jones is best remembered by Spy Vibers for his swaggering recording of the Thunderball theme song. Sir Jones recently performed at the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Concert. He appeared on the bill along with fellow 007 stars: Sir Paul McCartney (Live and Let Die), Dame Shirley Bassey (Diamonds Are Forever), and A View to a kill star, Grace Jones. Here is an early televised performance of Thunderball. Note the spy-vibe electric guitar taking over for the brass section- cool, Mr. Jones!

SPY VIBE HITS 400,000

Spy Vibe hit a landmark yesterday, passing over 400,000 visitors to the site since it launched in January 2009. Thank you to all readers out there for celebrating '1960s Style in Action' with me. We have a fun season ahead with the 50th anniversary of two major cultural influences from the 1960s: James Bond and The Beatles. Stay tuned for new articles, reviews, contests, and news about my upcoming spy book projects. 

1968 EXHIBIT

I recently went to an exhibit at the Oakland Museum that examines the year 1968. There was an introduction area that celebrated political fliers and posters addressing issues of the times. The graphics and messages did a good job setting the tone for the main exhibit. Visitors then entered a large space that was divided up into thematic rows, as well as a few room spaces devoted to specific topics. The chaos of the era was captured in how the displays were loosely organized and in its focus on both violent conflicts and colorful sizzle of 1968 design. The juxtaposition was actually overwhelming at times. The scope of the show was largely about turbulent change, yet we got glimpses sprinkled throughout of groovy pop culture and plastic house-ware items. It was surreal, for example, to stand next to a real Huey helicopter, with terrifying war testimony and footage, as the theme to The Monkees played in the background. 

Surreal, but the juxtaposition also provided an accurate context to 1960s entertainment. There were numerous displays that featured artifacts and information about the Vietnam War (including the helicopter), the space race (with a reproduction of the Apollo space capsule), the Black Panthers, Martin Luther King jr, Robert Kennedy, and Feminist demonstrations.

Some highlights that Spy Vibers will want to check out if they visit the museum are the music room (with Yellow Submarine and Janis Joplin), the fashion displays that feature Twiggy and Jane Fonda, a 1968 living room, and a groovy TV room that features video loops (including Spy/crime shows: Man From U.N.C.L.E., Get Smart, Mannix, and Mission Impossible). Want a movie snapshot of 1968? Try this marathon of Vietnam-era stories being filmed and released: The Green Berets, The Monkees Head, Easy Rider, Barbarella, and Yellow Submarine. The 1968 exhibit runs through August 19th. More info at the Museum website. Photos by Jason Whiton.

BEATLES 50TH SALE

50 years ago on June 6th, 1962, The Beatles made their first historic visit to Abbey Road Studios (then called EMI Studios) to create a commercial test as newly signed EMI artists. The group, with Pete Best on drums, recorded three originals (Love Me Do, P.S. I Love You, Ask Me Why) and one cover from their stage set (Besame Mucho). The group worked for musician's union rates. Pete Best was dismissed from the band on August 16th, before the band returned for a second recording session.

Eight years of brilliant Beatles music and cultural influence followed. In the fall of 1970, Paul McCartney flew to NYC to record one of his most interesting solo albums, RAM. In celebration of The Beatles 50th and of the new release of the remastered RAM, author and Beatles scholar Bruce Spizer is having a sale on his book, The Beatles Solo on Apple Records. Normally listed for $50, this excellent reference book is now $25. Sale ends on midnight June 12th. Spizer's books command hundreds of dollars on the collector's market once they go out of print, so take advantage of this great discount while you can. More at Bruce Spizer's website. You can find Beatles books, CDs, and films (including the remastered Yellow Submarine- released today!) in Spy Vibe's secure Amazon Store.

GOLDSMITH RELEASE

Fans of composer, Jerry Goldsmith (In Like Flint, Man From U.N.C.L.E., Planet of the Apes), will be interested too check out the upcoming premiere release of his score for the 1967 film, Warning Shot.

From Screen Archives Entertainment: La-La Land Records, Paramount Pictures and Capitol Records presents the world premiere release of Jerry Goldsmith’s original film score from the 1967 Paramount Pictures thriller WARNING SHOT, starring David Janssen, Ed Begley and Keenan Wynn, and directed by Buzz Kulik. This CD marks the first time Goldsmith’s thrilling, original WARNING SHOT film score tracks have ever been released. While WARNING SHOT’S score masters are lost to the ages, tracks 1-16 of this release were rescued from the film’s monaural music stem. Fluctuating volume levels have been smoothed out, but some hiss is audible, as are occasional low-level sound effects and dialogue bleed from the film’s audio masters. All of these have been minimized, with light stereo ambiance added to improve listenability – much like our well-received release of SECONDS. Also featured on this release is the Si Zentner album, remastered from the original ¼ inch audio master. Tracks 17-22 showcase Si’s interpretation of Goldsmith’s WARNING SHOT score while Tracks 23-27 features Si’s versions of other famous Goldsmith themes, such as MAN FROM UNCLE, A PATCH OF BLUE and THE PRIZE. Produced by Lukas Kendall, transferred by Johnny Davis, restored by Michael McDonald and mastered by Doug Schwartz, this special release features exclusive, in-depth liner notes by film music writer Jeff Bond and is limited to 2000 units. You can find Goldsmith soundtracks and other spy treasures in Spy Vibe's secure Amazon Store.

DEIGHTON GOES TO TOWN

Our fellow C.O.B.R.A.S. site, The Deighton Dossier, has posted a really interesting look at an issue of Town magazine from 1965. Published during the filming of The Ipcress File, the article includes Deighton's review of Ian Fleming's novels and provides a window into both the filming of Ipcress and into Deighton's life as an emerging writer. The Bond-style cover was designed by Ray Hawkey, who designed book jackets for Deighton and Fleming. Read more at the Deighton Dossier.

TAILORED 007 SUITS

Our fellow C.O.B.R.A.S. site, HMS Weblog, posted an interesting news item recently about the original suits tailored for Sean Connery and the upcoming London exhibit, Designing 007. The Savile Row tailoring house, Anthony Sinclair, is in the process of reconstructing some of the James Bond suits. Not only will they be on display, but it appears that off-the-rack editions will be available to the public. More details at HMS Weblog.

BOND VILLAIN LAIR FOR SALE

Have you ever wanted to live in your own secret mountainside submarine hideout? Do you take interior design tips from Karl Stromberg, James Bond villain from The Spy Who Loved Me? If so, then this is the deal you have been praying for. The photos below are not set designs by Sir Ken Adam, but real estate shots from the nation of Norway, which has just listed one of their secret sub bases on the market!

Details from i09: "Norway is selling its NATO-funded secret submarine hideout, officially titled the Olavsvern Naval Base. Located off the Northern Coast, the whole unit (which includes a sub docking station, elaborate Austin Powers-like tunnel systems and office space) for only $17.5 million. The above ground property is a sprawling 38,000 square feet and houses office buildings, residential suites, a workshop and a warehouse. But the real meat is located inside the side of the mountain. The sub base houses a dry dock (so you can take in your subs) an emergency power system, the previously mentioned tunnels and fuel cells. The base was used during the Cold War by American submarines that were on assignment in the Arctic Ocean. But according to TV2 Olavsvern has been reduced to a supply base."

If you don't have your own submarine yet, I suggest picking up the amphibious super-spy car we listed a few weeks ago here. And here's a great idea from our Agent Marco: Spy Vibers from around the world combine forces in a Kickstarter campaign to buy the base. Once it is ours (Mwaahahaha) we manage the property as a timeshare. Imagine, your next vacation or evil villain conference can be held in NATO-modern luxury!

INVISIBLE HANDS OF RICHARD SALA

Cartoonist and Spy Vibe agent, Richard Sala, is well known for his thrilling stories, which often pay homage to the quirks and conventions of early pulp mysteries and serials. His world is filled with eccentric masterminds, gruesome henchmen, exotic locations, dagger-wielding chicks in black jumpsuits, and innocent investigators who brave the labyrinths of spooky mansions and secret lairs. Yes, his books are as awesome as that sounds! Richard also wrote and drew a cartoon for Liquid Television in 1991 called Invisible Hands. After years of fuzzy bootlegs on Youtube, you can now see the six episodes on the official Liquid Television website. 

I interviewed Richard for Spy Vibe in 2009 and asked him about his work. We quickly got on to the subject of our first crush and favorite spies- Diana Rigg and The Avengers: "I may have had other crushes as a kid, but she was my first real serious one, that's for sure! I loved (and still do) everything about The Avengers. In the years before VHS or syndication, you saw these shows when they aired ONCE - maybe twice if you were lucky and they reran it. So there were lots of kids like me who would try to remember everything about the episodes they had just seen. I had notebooks where I wrote down plots and titles. Doing that I became aware of how awesomely clever and smart the episodes were -- and I loved writing down the names of the oddball characters. I tried to get cast names, but often wasn't fast enough (no IMDB or episode guides back then!). I took photos off of TV with my little Instamatic camera -- a whole ordeal that's probably worth a separate article. My brother and I would record shows on our reel-to-reel tape-recorder because it was the only way to have a record of the shows we loved. Then we'd listen to them over and over." I also used to make audio tapes of favorite shows and films. As Richard said, it was a way to re-experience those thrilling adventures, much in the manner of radio dramas. Like Richard, I wrote episode guides for The Prisoner and gained an appreciation for the production and storytelling. Little did we know that we would someday be able to own libraries of these programs. 

We also spoke about his many influences, including Franju's Judex, and spy icons like James Bond, Flint, and Matt Helm. Read the full interview here at The Adventures of Richard Sala. Below is one of the eccentric characters from his new serialized project Skeleton Key, info at Here Lies Richard Sala. You can find Richard's books and other spy treasures in Spy Vibe's secure Amazon Store. 

JEREMY DUNS TODAY

The Paul Dark trilogy by Jeremy Duns was released today in a handsome omnibus edition and ebook from Penguin. From Jeremy's blog: "On May 29, they will publish all three Dark novels – which form a trilogy – in an omnibus paperback edition, titled The Dark Chronicles (it will also be available as an ebook). This has great jacket art evoking pulp thrillers from the Cold War era." You can find this book and other spy treasures in Spy Vibe's secure Amazon Store.