Forgotten Heroes: Manimal

By Owen Quinn author

Photos copyright Universal

I was recently made aware of just how many movies and television shows the younger generation have never heard of, never mind seen. So to that end, we look back at some characters you really need to see before you kick the bucket.

In 1983 a a new type of hero never before seen hit our screens in the form of English actor Simon MacCorkindale as Doctor Jonathan Chase, a billionaire and a man with a dark secret. As a child he watched his father die only for the body to disappear Jedi Knight style. He left his son with a gem of wisdom. “My son you must have faith and learn. This is not the end. This is the beginning.”

Ok not the best parting words but Chase would travel to the deepest recesses of Africa and the peaks of Tibet and learn these dark secrets. One of these was how to bridge the gap between man and animal. By deep breathing and concentration he could turn himself into any animal you could think of. Using this ability he helps the police as a consultant until he meets officer Brooke MacKenzie (Melody Anderson) who discovers his secret. They form a partnership in which they flirt for all eight episodes of its short lived run. Making up the team is Chase’s best friend Ty (Michael D Roberts) who also provides the comedy relief.

Every animal transformation was anticipated like the Wonder Woman spin or Bruce Banner’s eye change heralding the arrival of the Hulk. While we never really knew how Chase was able to do this, it was impressive nonetheless. Simon MacCorkindale who went on to feature in Falcon Crest had a very distinctive face and shape. Academy Award winner Stan Winston created the transformation effects reminiscent of the Howling wolf. You would see Chase at midpoint of either his panther or hawk metamorphosis then cut to the real animal. This was in a time where effects were pushing the envelope to be better than before until the arrival of CGI. There is a lot to be said about practical effects.

John Carpenter’s The Thing was all practical effects and delivered a stunning movie with some of the most memorable monsters from the big screen never seen before. Jump forward to the prequel where both were used and you can clearly see the practicals are better than computer generated. Similarly when they did a CGI Pumpkinhead, it was woeful.

Manimal was not well received but again fell victim to network scheduling before being cancelled. However the show now has cult status. The stories bar a couple are pretty standard and logic as always where shapeshifters are concerned went out the window. Chase would change wearing clothes and when he turned back to human he was still wearing the clothes. At least the Hulk lost his shirt and shoes on more than one occasion. It was a similar problem with Maya from Space 1999 but not one for the gelatinous Odo from Deep Space 9.

Chase and his friends would deal with a wolf girl, a tiger accused of murder, Chinese mobsters threatening a neighbourhood, Russians, traitors, scrimshaws and falling from aeroplanes. Perhaps the best was Breath of the Dragon where a Chinese mobster was terrorising a neighbourhood and converting young peple to his cause as the Dragon. In this one Chase had to adapt the skills of the animal world and fight as a man to free the people from the Dragon. It is also the most hard hitting of them all and violent as an elderly man refuses to be intimidated and is set on fire along with his property. Logic fails here probably due the writers counting on kids watching the show as the man was up and about again in no time with minor burns. This was despite the fact he was engulfed and even Chase had trouble putting out the flames. Dialogue could be clunky as the show failed to find its own identity.

But ultimately Manimal failed due to having no money put into it. It was clear they were on sets rather than real buildings and a wall part cardboard was obvious when the bull smashed through it. It was also a show before its time with a huge idea that the times could not fully realise into a show that didn’t follow the standard formula. Chase would transform into a panther, hawk, snake, bull and a dolphin to name a few but not even Stan winston could come up with a human dolphin effect. There was no attempt to explore where Chase had gone and what other mad mysteries and secrets he discovered. We had a global playground here that went no further than the streets of New York. Why did his father vanish when he died? What did the cryptic message mean? Who were the tribe Chase was with when they witnessed his father’s death? Didn’t that freak him out and did he get the answer he needed?

Like Wakanda, Manimal had its very own mythology that was wasted completely.

if done today Manimal could be anything he wanted thanks to technology but alas 1983 was not the right time for him to be born. However the show did have its fans and MacCorkindale would return once more to the role of Manimal in an episode of Night Man. This time Chase returned as Night Man fought a time travelling Jack the Ripper. Chase now had a daughter who could also change into animals but this went against the original as Chase learned how to do this from someone. It wasn’t passed on through irradiated cells. Also all animal transformations here were CGI rather than practical. There a brief possibility of a new live action revival in 2012 but it never went ahead.

MacCorkindale rejected the role of Captain Archer in Enterprise but was one of the British actors tht paved the way for others in america alongside Joan Collins. He would die in October 2010 from cancer in London. He was a great actor that held your attention on screen. I personally liked the show despite its failings because there wasn’t a kid in the world that hasn’t seen it and done the animal transformation actions. You start breathing through your nose and mouth and stretch your hand out in front of you hoping it will bubble and became a panther’s pae or hawk talon. That’s why the kid in me will never die.

Manimal remains a victim of being born in the wrong time when television minds and money couldn’t handle such big ideas.

Forgotten Villains: The Avengers: Cybernauts

By Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors and Zombie Blues

I was recently made aware of just how many movies and television shows the younger generation have never heard of, never mind seen. So to that end, we look back at some characters you really need to see before you kick the bucket.

Between 1976 and 1977 larger than life villains, bizarre situations and even monster rats were every day life for our heroes. In one episode there was even a Pied Piper who controlled birds rather than rats. In Gnaws, a lovely spin on Jaws, the Spielberg great white shark movie, they fought a giant rat, grown to elephant size by means of a top secret government formula that accelerates growth. It was aimed to end world hunger but as always with these things, some was stolen. They would face one odd situation after another with some of the action transferring to Canada who had partly funded some of the 25 episode run.

Only in the Avengers could a fishing rod become a deadly weapon on an island where the body of Hitler is being kept in suspended animation and a gang of monks are actually Nazis that have stopped aging. They faced mad Chinese Mandarins and old school friends with a grudge as well as criminals that could put half of London to sleep to pull off the ultimate robbery and plastic surgeons that could take people, change their faces and replace people like the Prime Minister were ten a penny. There was nothing that Steed, Purdey and Gambit couldn’t handle. Watching them back now I think they are great stories, some have a logic problem, but it’s all done with such energy and enthusiasm. Gambit is in love with Purdey and constantly tries to get her into bed but she is a lady that has the deadliest high kick in the world and can take down anyone that got in her way.

Played by Joanna Lumley who is a national icon, let’s be honest, Purdey fitted the quintessential Avenger girl; beautiful, deadly and fun. For the first time ever, Steed had a male side kick in the form of Gareth Hunt’s Gambit who was a super spy and a martial arts expert though he could pull off a mean Irish accent. Steed, as played by Patrick Macnee, was…well, Steed. An English gent who enjoyed the finer things in life, loved the ladies and he was still lethal with an umbrella. Week after week these three acted as a team to keep the world safe and there were times they came close to failing but triumphed in the end.

One such battle was the Last of the Cybernauts…? which brought back an old enemy from the sixties series, the titular robotic Cybernauts. First encountered twice by Steed and Mrs Peel, played by Diana Rigg. It seemed they were gone forever but not so. It was this battle almost saw the end of all three of the Avengers.

The episode begins on Steed’s birthday when they receive a call that a double agent has been identified and they leave to take him down. Felix Kane is his name and in the ensuing car chase he is caught in an explosion. Fast forward a year later and we discover that Kane wasn’t killed and the events still bear heavily on Steed’s mind. Kane is now a wheelchair bound cripple who wears masks to convey his moods and he is hellbent on revenge. He tracks down the Cybernaut technology via the original builder, Frank Goff, now released from prison, and has him reactivate the robot. Killing Goff , he uses the Cybernaut to kidnap a surgeon, Professor Mason, who will be able to complete Kane’s plan. He wants to be augmented using Cybernaut technology so he can kill the Avengers himself. Steed is almost killed by the robot when Kane sends it to steal some technology that Mason needs to complete the surgery.

Gambit also has a run in with the Cybernaut along with Purdey on a staircase where they manage to throw it from the top flight. Mason succeeds in combining Kane with a Cybernaut and he targets Purdey first, knocking Gambit down along the way with a car. Mason manages to warn Steed about Kane’s plan. He intends to leave her in the same state as himself to torture Steed and when he invades her apartment, it seems Purdey is going to die. They really go for it in the fight scene and her flat is trashed. The famous Purdey moves are there but she is worn down by the Kane cyborg and he manages to grab her, ready to smash her body for her friends to find. However, Steed and Gambit burst in and spray Kane with plastic skin which freezes the Cybernaut tech and stops him in his tracks.

A lot works well to make this an unforgettable episode. The Cybernauts themselves are creepy, blank faced silver robots and can kill you by breaking your neck with one blow. Unlike the Cybermen in Doctor Who, the Cybernauts are mindless, controlled by remote using cameras in their eyes to allow the controller to see where they are going. The incidental music makes a huge impact in conveying their menace.

These really are lethal weapons and the fact they have no expression to read means that you never know when they are going to break your neck. And again, when Gambit and Purdey go up against it they might as well be fighting air as nothing they do can stop it or slow it down. Kane himself is a Davros-like villain made even creepier by the false plastic masks which he changes to convey his mood. He is also reminiscent of the John Lumic character in the 21st century Doctor Who’s Rise of the Cybermen and Age of Steel starring David Tennant. But he is much more sinister, living in a place that is covered in pictures of Steed, Purdey and Gambit’s faces as well as life-sized cardboard cut-outs, all the focus for his hate and vengeance making him the quintessential Avengers villain. There was almost an appearance by Diana Rigg but it never happened and the episode works well none the less. A complete classic from a classic show.

Hellraiser Special Now on Sale, London Launch This Week

The latest Phantasmagoria special is out now. This time it is a Hellraiser celebration with three articles by yours truly. Packed with features and interviews thre will be an official launch this week in London on Saturday 23rd March between 1 and 3. Check out the advert below. Sadly I can’t be there but if you’re in the area pop in and support a cracking magazine.

Comic Book Legend for Dublin Comic Con Summer 2024

Dublin Comic Con in association with Tallaght Academy of Sequential Art are delighted to announce that legendary creator Frank Miller will be joining this year’s Dublin Comic Con Summer Edition on August 24th and 25th.🔥

Both DCC and TASQ are thrilled to welcome Frank Miller to Ireland, his ancestral home, for the very first time.

Frank Miller first gained notoriety in the late 1970s as the artist and later writer of Daredevil for Marvel. Next came the samurai drama Ronin, followed by the groundbreaking Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and Batman: Year One. He next fulfilled a lifelong dream by doing the all-out crime series Sin City, which was an instant success. Recently, Miller, launched Frank Miller Presents, an independent publishing company focused on creating and curating a new line of comics.

Dublin Comic Con Spring 2024 Edition Review

By Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors and Zombie Blues

By Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors and Zombie Blues

Dublin Comic Con has been going for eleven years now and it’s been a full year since I was there. Instead of going to the summer edition 2023 with the Terminator cast, I ended up getting a below the knee amputation.

So I was detrmined to get there this year on my new leg and went I did. And I have to say it was the breath of fresh air I needed in a storm of chaos. We stayed at the Samuel Hotel which I recommend as it is close to the Convention Centre but I recommend you book your parking in advance at the centre.

The sets were back amazing attendees with a full sized Tauntaun which is my favourite creature from Star Wars. My only regret was not being able to sit on it but then again how the hell was I getting down again with a false leg? It was beautiful and really stood out the minute you saw it. Ghostbusters were present as was Mandalorians, Batman, Predators, animee characters, a female Wolverine, Star Wars characters and Superman. You also had an Indiana Jones set but were you brave enough to switch the golden statuette for a bag of sand? If course, you get to be captain of the Enterprise as well.

There were plenty of traders and choice to part you from your money but I love going round the stalls to see what is on offer. You had various costuming clubs, some more eye cathing then others but all in the spirit of the weekend. I also have to mention the guide dogs we met. We had to buy some of their merchandise as it is a brilliant cause and should be supported. We arenhuge dog fans in our house so it was a no brainer. Having them in a primary position is a clear sign that this event is not all about the money. There are great charities that can be helped out and when you get to meet the beautiful dogs being trained or are trained, you have to give something. We came away with two stuffed dogs, pens and pencils. In August get your arses up there and help out this great cause plus you get to meet and pet the dogs themselves.

But it is the guests people come to see and this year we Emily Rudd, the cast of Grand Theft Auto, Steven Ogg, Ned Luke and Shawn Fonteno, return of the voice of Bender, John Dimmagio, Supernatural’s Mark Shephard, Yellow Power Ranger Alyson Kipper Sullivan, Craig Fairbass, Theo Solomon and Devora Wilde. There were comic book artists and writers, something for everyone.

I had a great time and it thoroughly recharged my batteries. It may seem easy to run a show like this but trust me it isn’t. You are always going to people that moan but it was my nephew’s first one and he loved it. He got to hold birds he had never been able to before and see props from the movies. These shows are a generational thing for all of us. My son started as a mini stormtrooper nine years ago and now he is volunterring at it. My nephew will be back as will other members of my family. I was there when there were no comic cons in Ireland at all and when I heard about Dublin Comic Con starting, I offered my help from the start. I was tired of travelling to England all the time for cons.

Shows like this are vital to the future of fandom here regardless of who else comes and goes. There is a lot of behind the scenes work that goes on all year round planning, set building and securing new and exclusive guests. I am 55 years young and freaked when I heard Kate Mulgrew was coming this August. That alone is awesome and a huge thing for fans for not only of Star Trek but Orange Is The New Black also. Not to mention all of the other work she has done. She is a great captain and a great actress. This is not to be missed especially as there are others to be announced.

That is the attitude to take when attending Dublin Comic Con. You are entering an environment where the worries of the world are left behind and you have no idea what you are going to walk into during that show (Tauntaun). It is a family and friends day where you revel in the stuff you love. Did I leave it still a fan of Dublin Comic Con ? Damn right.

Well done team Dublin Comic Con. You were just what the Doctor ordered. I got the celebrities I wanted and new faamily memories of us being together. Awesome.

TW meets Supernatural’s Mark Sheppard

By Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors and Zombie Blues

This was my third encounter with a member of the Supernatural cast. I had already met John Winchester (Jeffrey Dean Morgan_ and Sam Campbell )Mitch Pileggi) so in Dublin on the 9th March 2024, it was the turn of the King of Hell himself Crowley.

I have been a fan of actor Mark Sheppard ever since I saw him in the X Files first season in the episode Fire. So meeting him especially after his brush with death last year was a thrill for me. We were lucky that we caught him early so there wasn’t many people round him so had a chance to chat with him about living in Ireland, his Dad and his heart attack. He let my wife fell the device they placed in his chest in the event of future attacks.

A nice guy that can chat about absolutely anything. I’m glad he’s now off my wishlist.

TW meets The Walking Dead and GTA’s Steven Ogg

By & photos copyright Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors and Zombie Blues

As Negan’s right hand man, Simon was a psycopath that the zombie apocalypse gave free rein to his madness. You can just imagine he was either bullied in life or saw the world through hate filled eyes because it owed him favour that never existed. Things like the law prevented him from acting oit his power trip on those weaker than him. Or he was always like that; a nasty boss who would love to put a bullet through an employee’s head that made a mistake or degrade someone oublicly just for the sake of it. Such was his ego that he tried to overthrow Negan but ended up a zombie pet.

As Trevoe in GTA he is every bit the villain there too. But is actor Steven Ogg as arrogant in real life?

We had seen him at a couple of Walker Stalker cons in London but we had to get the bigger cast names first which weren’t cheap. A couple of years ago he was in the RDS but the photo and autograpg was for someone else. Simon was not a character in the comics just like Daryl but he like Norman Reedus has symbolised the Saviours as much as Negan has. So when he was announced for Dublin comic Con Spring Edition 2024 then I had to be there. Yes he was there as part of the GTA team but had Walkng Dead photos.

So what was he like?

He is Awesome! It is rare celebrities fo the extra mile for fns but Steven did this al weekend. No one came away disappointed at all. If ever there was an actor the polar opposite of the characters he plays then Steven Ogg is that person. He takes his time with fans, talks to them all, is respetful and values those that volunteer and cannot be faulted at all. Lesser celebrities can be divas so should take a note from Steven’s blueprint.

Wwhat a great weekend with such a great guest that cares about those willing to part with their money in these times just to meet him for a photo and an autogrpah.

Legend, legend, legend.

Dr Who Magic Moments: Ace & Tegan Meet their Doctors

By Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriros and Zombie Blues

I loved the classic era and as a teenager watched the fifth Doctor crew and saw the seventh Doctor and Ace deliver stories in the final two seasons that are all time classics.

We only saw what happened to Tegan after she left the Doctor via Big Finish audio plays and novels as with Ace. But when they returned in Jodie Whittaker’s final story, Power of the Doctor, everyone punched the air with joy. But what we were not expecting was the return of the fifth and seventh Doctors at the same time.

When the former companions are recruited by Kate Stewart to work for UNIT, Ace is happy to see the Dotor is now a woman but Tegan is fuming that he never got in contact again. The 13th Doctor’s evasiveness irritates her and she tells Yaz that they are her from decades ago.

But when the Cybermen launch their attack, Tegan fights alone until she is contacted by the 13th Doctor via a neural hologram that responds to her thoughts. Tegan’s Doctor appears and she chides him for forgetting her. He tells her he never forgot any of them. She asks what she is thinking seeing all these Cybermen and one word brings them back together; Adric. He died saving the Earth from a Cyberman bomb which wiped out the dinosaurs instead.

Similarly with Ace, we learn she left the Doctor under bad circumstances leaving a rift behind between them. Now facing a Dalek army beneath a volcano, Ace faces her Doctor’s hologram once again where they resolve their past.

There is something chilling about these two scenes that do somewhat overshadow the final 13th Doctor’s story but they are so welcome for so many reasons. It is nostalgia, a yearning for loose ends to be tied up and resolution. It is old friends returning and fighting once again and affirmation of the bonds they share that last across space and time. It is about being able to finally say goodbye to those we have lost and if the message is strong enough then the universe will find a way to make it happen. Tegan and Ace can finally move forward secure in the knowledge that their Doctor is watching over them and proud of the people they have become. Absolute and complete magic.

When the Doctor needs a rest, those he loves will stand in his place and be the defender he helped them become. There are friendships in life that will bind you to that person in ways you never see but are part of the person you will always be.

Dublin Comic Con Tauntaun Display: Another Classic

By & photos copyright of Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors ad Zombie Blues

I love the Empire Strikes Back and I love a Tautaun. They are of the era I grew up on of stop motion by the late, great Ray Harryhausen. The cuts between the physical prop and running across the snow are so reminiscent of The Golden Voyage of Sinbad and The Mysterious Island etc

So thos year when walking around Dublin Comic Con I nearly fell over my crutches when I rounded a corner and saw the guys behind DCC had included a brand new display as seen below. Let’s just say my only regret was I couldn’t have gotten to sit on him. I’ll just have to make do with my 12 inch collector’s series one with Han Solo.