Saturday, January 14, 2012

Stuart Kaminsky on The Night Stalker

The late Stuart Kaminsky's very seminal Kolchak article, from CFQ Vol. 4 #1 (1975).  For the longest time this was the Kolchak writeup. We like to think that Stuart would be participating in the blog if he were still with us. 









 

(Thanks to DJS for the reproduction.)

6 comments:

  1. What a treat! Thanks guys, I had never read that before. Very, very cool.

    One mistake I spotted - The author incorrectly identifies The Diablero as being portrayed by actor Ted Cassidy (aka "Lurch" from The Addams Family). Any Kolchak fan will tell you The Diablero's moccasins were filled by the great RICHARD KIEL (who, as we all know, also played the role of "Peremalfait", The Bayou Monster from "THE SPANISH MOSS MURDERS" episode).

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  2. I contend that Kiel also portrayed Matchemondeo in "The Energy Eater."

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  3. That's true. And Patrick Swayze's girlfriend was the alien in UFO. He wrote that song about her. How does it go... "She's like the wind..."

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  4. Ha! I remember this article well. As a matter of fact, I probably still have that issue of CFQ buried in a box somewhere. Stuart did a terrific job analyzing the show and its dauntless hero, a latter-day Van Helsing indeed! Thanks, DJS...

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  5. Bittersweet posting for me, to be sure. Stuart was a dear friend and a remarkably versatile writer -- academic, film historian, biographer and Edgar-winning mystery author (he well knew how devoted I was to his series of Toby Peters novels). There also were many unadvertised kindnesses shown over the years to Kolchak creator Jeff Rice. He was always looking for ways to help. I, of course, interviewed Stuart for "Night Stalking," and Stuart wrote the introduction to the 1993 Cinemaker reprint of Jeff's original novel. When Moonstone got into the Kolchak business, I recruited Stuart, who wrote the first original comic book script, "Fever Pitch," 1992, and the short story "The Night Talker" for the first Moonstone anthology, "Kolchak: The Night Stalker Chronicles." So he has quite a "stake" in the Kolchak universe. Terrific guy and a terrific writer. It's wonderful to see him recognized here, and, yes, I know he'd be contributing to the discussion.

    Also bittersweet because I knew Fred Clarke, the late publisher and editor of Cinefantastique. I was a regular contributor to the magazine in the late '80s and early '90s. A lot of memories here.

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