Greetings Loyal Airmen, we got a whole bunch of fun things to share with you this Flight Log, so by all means, lets jump right into it.

Airship 27 Productions is happy to announce the release of our fourth pulp title of the year, DAN FOWLER G-Man Volume II.  Following on the heels of the first volume, this terrific action packed collection features a great cover by Brian McCulloch and interior illustrations by Neil T. Foster with four brand new stories of the ace fed by Derrick Ferguson, Aaron Smith, Joshua Reynolds and Christ Bell.  The book is on sale at our website, on Amazon in both hard copy and on Kindle.  As ever, Loyal Airmen, thanks for your support and of course we will have copies on our tables at Pulp Fest in July.

                   
                                                      Art by Syd Mead
One of the greatest science-fiction artist of our times is Syd Mead.  Mean his career working for the automotive industry in Detroit designing futuristic proto-type cars we all may one day see on the super highways of tomorrow.  It was his success here that brought him to the attention of Hollywood and soon he was doing graphic design work for some of the major sci-fi movies of the past twenty-years to include one of the Air Chief's all time favorites, BLADE RUNNER.

You can imagine our surprise when we learned that the local Museum of Art was having a Syd Mead exhibition running for almost a month.  Last weekend Valerie and the Air Chief took in this great show and we were simply blown away by the thirty some pieces of work on display.  There was even a 90 minute documentary film on Mead's life and career.  In part of that film he talks about how he enjoyed working with BLADE RUNNER director Ridley Scott and how they would spend hours discussing the world that the story was set it.  Many of Mead's drawings would eventually be realized as actual sets on the movie.

Now one of the most dramatic scenes in that classic sci-fi drama is when super clone, Roy Batty,  played by actor Rutger Hauer, knowing he hasn't much time to live, actually saves the human cop sent to destroy, Deckard, played Harrison Ford, before he can fall off a top building roof.  He then drags Deckard away from the edge and sits down opposite him to spend his last minutes of life in an attempt convey all the things he has experienced in so short an existence.  “All the things I've seen,” he begins and them says, “…attack ships of the shoulder of Orion.”  Hauer is so superb in this role, the audience actually tries to visualize those amazing outer space vistas he is referring to. 

Imagine our surprise when going through the art gallery, we find a painting entitled, “Attack Ships off the Shoulder of Orion.”   Sure enough, in reading the accompanying card, Mead explains having been himself inspired by the movie after it was completed and began to imagine the things Roy Batty alluded to his dying monologue and thus he produced this amazing painting.   Had immediately had Valerie snap a photo of the Air Chief along side this truly stunning work of art.  Ironic isn't it?  Mead's sketches helped inspire Ridley Scott and in the end his movie in turn inspired Mead.  Talking about coming full circle.  If you aren't familiar with Syd Mead's work, he does have his own website on-line and there you can purchase lots of super art books filled with his works and even prints to frame and decorate your own Headquarters.

And keeping with our sci-fi movies theme here, we finally got around to go see the new STAR TREK – INTO DARKNESS, the sequel to the J.J. Abrams reboot of the beloved franchise created by the late Gene Roddenberry.  Over the past two weeks since its release, there has been a real firestorm of contention between those folks who loved it and those who hated it.  Oh, we've seen a few middle-ground ho-hum, but not many. For whatever reasons, pro or con, sci-fans have been very passionate in their stances on this one.  So, you ask, where does the Air Chief stand?  We're giving it a big ole thumbs up, having thoroughly enjoyed the two hour action packed story that reassembled the young cast from the first movie.  Whereas we'll never consider a classic of the genre, ala BLADE RUNNER, Val did give it a B and the Air Chief was happy to give it a B +.  So there you go.  Again, we truly like this cast and honestly hope there's a third entry somewhere in the future.

Coming up next will be MAN OF STEEL.  Oh, yeah.  But before that there is still the big Denver Comic Con coming up just next week.  Be back here for our next Flight Log when we'll give you more of our own plans for that event.  Till then, enjoy the warm weather….say some prayers for the folks of Oklahoma and if you can spare them a few dollars, send them to the Red Cross relief fund.  In times like this, we Americans stick together, especially our Loyal Airmen.  God bless

Ron – Over and Out!