Central Hotline: 513-961-3317 or East Hotline: 201-779-6040
Helper's Network, 379 Amazon Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45220-1148

The Quake
Nan has confirmation that nearly all major BATB people (and their families) made it through the quake with no injury. Those not listed are merely those Nan hasn't been able to get through to yet...and in this case, no news is probably good news. And not all of them live in the LA area. Nan will try to update this information in the next Gazette. Confirmed as OK are: Jo Anderson, Roy Dotrice, Ellen Geer, Linda Hamilton, Ron Perlman and David Schwartz.

Ron Perlman
Thanks to Pamela Sondag of Faces of Perlman, a tentative release date for Cronos. It will premiere in NY the end of March, then be released in LA and the rest of the country in April. According to a review reprinted in Faces, Ron plays the greedy nephew of an aging industrialist trying to get hold of a device that grants immortality. An alternative interpretation has him as an angel sent by God. Take your pick...

And on Feb. 6, The Cisco Kid airs on TNT. In regard to which, thanks to Kate Thomas for the news that this movie has spun off a music video and Ron Perlman appears in it briefly. Kate saw only a promo for the music video, on Entertainment Tonight, and nobody said where the video will be shown. Perhaps in conjunction with the movie-behind the opening or closing credits, for instance. If anybody spots it, please relay to the Hotline.

From Darlene Sullivan: Ron Perlman is a featured voice (third billing) in Phantom, a new kids' animated series to air next fall. The people supplying voices are, in order, Scott Valentine, Margot Kidder, Ron Perlman, Mark Hammell, Alan Oppenheimer, and Deborah Harry.

Ron Perlman Hosts B&B Marathon...And More On SF Channel
The BATB marathon, all 14 hours of it, will be hosted by Ron Perlman, from a script prepared from the as-yet unpublished Official B&B Annotated Guidebook by Jana Ondrechen from a manuscript Jana supplied. Ray Cannella promised to promote the book and the SF Channel MAY even flash the hotline number on the screen during the episodes, as thanks, Ray said, for the small help and promotion Nan provided. The Marathon airs Monday, Feb. 14, beginning at noon and ending at 2 a.m. Tuesday morning (all Eastern Time).

The episodes to be shown are: The Pilot; Terrible Savior; Siege; Masques; Nor Iron Bars a Cage; Shades of Grey; China Moon; The Alchemist; Promises of Someday; A Happy Life; Chamber Music; Remember Love; Dead of Winter; Arabesque; and When the Bluebird Sings. Ray warns that not all episodes will begin promptly on the hour; there'll be Ron's introductions and (of course) commercials that separate the episodes. If you want it all, tape it all, rather than assuming a given episode will begin at a specific time.

One way or another, Nan will get Ron's introductions and make them available to the fandom. Ray said he'd try to get the original footage...maybe with out-takes!...and pass it on to Nan, if he can. But whether or not, Nan will make sure that even the cable-deprived don't miss Ron. Details in the next Gazette.

Even more news: on the two days preceding Valentine's Day, Saturday the 12th and Sunday the 13th, Ron Perlman is going to host the SF channel's Second Annual Pilot Playhouse, where they play the orginal pilots of sf series. The Pilot Playhouse airs at 7 p.m. and then repeats at 11 p.m. (ET) both days-but they are two different shows on the two days. In the first, on Saturday, they're airing the original color pilot for Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (although that series was in b/w its first season, the pilot was in color); the pilot for Friday the 13th, the Series; and the pilot for UFO. Interviews with Jerry Anderson of UFO and with David Hedison of Voyage are planned. On Sunday, the shows will be the uncut REPEAT: UNCUT (the hug is back!) pilot of Beauty and the Beast and Quantum Leap. Each showing of Pilot Playhouse is 3 1/2 hours...and all of it hosted by Ron Perlman.

Linda Hamilton
Marilyn Beck spotted a syndicated article in the NY Daily News saying that Linda Hamilton begins filming Feb. 7 on Separate Lives, with Jim Belushi. In the movie, Linda plays a psychologist with a split personality.

From Sandy Shelton comes word that in the Winter issue of Ms. Fitness magazine, there's a contest for the title of most fit woman in America; among the nominees is Linda Hamilton. If Nan can, she'll let you know who wins. Nan imagines it's an honor Linda would as soon not get, since her one try at body building (for T2) has been all the media have been willing to talk about ever since.

Sandy also reports that the Feb. issue of Premiere magazine has an article on Linda Hamilton's new movie, still untitled at this point, in which she plays the attorney wife of psychiatrist Richard Dreyfuss in a story involving an autistic child. Sandy says there's a picture of Linda, but not a recent one.

Jo Anderson
From Gloria Handley, of the Jo Anderson Fan Club, comes news that Jo has changed agents; she used to be with ICM, which is Linda Hamilton's agency; she's now moved to the Gersh Agency, which is Ron Perlman's agency. Hmmm.

Jo also has a new movie, "Saving Grace", a TV movie of the Week (Jo thinks) in which she appears with Patty Duke. Jo didn't know which network if would be on, but it's due sometime in Feb., so keep your eye out for it.

Innovation Goes Under
Some bad news combined with some good, hopeful news. You'll recall that last fall, Lee Tennant of LTE Inc. in Chicago was going to get the first issue of the Innovation BATB comic signed by Ron Perlman: the Platinum Autographed Edition, so-called. The bad news is that people have been getting refunds because the project is off. If you haven't got your refund by now, write to Mr. Tennant with details of the order: he thinks some three or four people may have been missed because his computer took the beginning of January as its time to die, and some names may have been omitted from his refund list. The reason the project had to be canceled is that Innovation itself has gone bust and is out of business.

The status of refunds for those who subscribed to the comic series is unknown: no one at Innovation has replied to Nan's requests for informatin.

Now the good news: Mr. Tennant is going to try to take up where Innovation left off: buy the various licenses, contract with the artists and writers, and start a new series of graphic novels covering Lost in Space, the Ann Rice books and Beauty and the Beast. This will take some time to set up, but Nan is very encouraged because her impression of Mr. Tennant is that he's that rare animal, a real businessman with a love for fannish collectibles rather than someone with great ideas but no follow-through or marketing sense; naming no names, there have already been enough of those in this fandom. If you'd like to encourage Mr. Tennant in this new project (and Nan encourages you to do so) or need to check on the status of your refund, here's the address: Mr. Lee Tennant, c/o LTE Inc., P. O. Box 296, Worth, IL 60482.

The Battle for Paramount Affects B&B
If you can't tell the players without a scorecard department, the battle to acquire Paramount, the movie and publishing company, has an impact on Beauty and the Beast. Some months back, Spelling Entertainment merged with Republic and both then, in turn, became subsidiaries of Blockbuster. Now Viacom, in its battle to acquire Paramount (which won as of this date 2/16/94-Beastfan), home of Star Trek, among other things, has looked to Blockbuster for funds to stave off rival QVC, the home shopping network, which had made what seemed a winning bid for Paramount. Viacom and Blockbuster will be merging - and among the smaller chips changing hands on this megadeal table will be Republic, home of BATB. What effect his will have on the prospect of a movie is now, at this point, anybody's guess. But Nan's certain things are going to be confused until this matter is finally settled...and probably for months afterward. Giving this extremely unsettled situation, Nan thinks it better that we hold off awhile on the We Want a Movie letter campaign she intended to get going, at least until the dust settles a little more.

Cinemaker
As announced in the last Gazette, Nan Dibble is now handling orders for existing books from Cinemaker and also filling backorders when sent appropriate paperwork. She's now decided what to do about those who'd ordered hardbacks, since no more hardbacks will be produced. If you have an order for a hardback, when that book is available, Nan will fill your order with a paperback and credit you with the difference in price, the credit to be applied against a future order. Nan handles only existing books, but several new books will be coming from Cinemaker in the next few months.

If you have a hardback preorder, please let Nan know, with a copy of the order and of the cancelled check, or something similar, when the given books is published (the Gazette will announce it) and she'll see your order is promptly filled and the credit assigned. Send to Nan c/o Helper's Network (address at top).

Notices and Factoids
A reminder about the April Fool's contest. Everyone is invited to submit a funny, preferably preposterous hotline script, not too insulting to anyone and things one can say on the public phone lines. Entries should be a full typed page, single spaced, any margins. The winner will be credited and the winning entry will be read on the Helper's Network Hotline on April 1. Final date for submissions will be March 25. Start thinking funny!

In a major coup, Beth Blighton has gotten the agreement of David Schwartz and Ron Perlman for David to interview Ron using questions Beth will supply. The interview, when it's done, will appear exclusively in Lionheart. It will be the first time Ron Perlman has done a fullscale, indepth interview for a fan publication. A year's subscription (4 quarterly issues) is $25 (US) (ask Beastfan about other countries' prices) to Lionheart, 326 Dale, Benton Harbor, MI 49022.

Two excellent Classic novels by British zine writer Janet Kilbourne are now available from Therion Press. Nan thinks so highly of them that she's recommended both to Ed Gross of Cinemaker for publication. But you can get them now. Nan describes them as being at the top of a very short list of the best BATB writing she has ever seen, including her own. They're both wholly original, superbly written, romantic, exciting, splendid in characterization, drama, and realizm. "Land of My Dreams" is set immediately after Nor Iron Bars a Cage; "Darkness at Dawn" is set between The Hollow Men and the Trilogy. Each is $20 (US) (ask Beastfan about other countries' prices) including postage to Therion Press, 379 Amazon Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45220-1148.

For information on joining Helper's Network, or for a free copy of the newly updated Newcomer Flyer giving information on the fandom, send a request to Helper's Network (address at top).

If you'd like to make your views, whatever they may be, known to the SF channel about anything related to their airing of BATB, including the marathon, send to the attention of Ray Cannella, The Science Fiction Channel, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, NY NY 10020 (or post on their AOL board - their new one is scheduled for 2/21-Beastfan).

From Mickey Sayles comes word that a collection edition of Mad Magazine, dated (really!) September 1994 (but available NOW), and entitled Mad Mania 3 Super Special, has a 4 page BATB parody in which Vincent and Catherine, vaguely recognizable although Vincent's much too interested in dogfood, give birth...to Alf.

Get your Tunnelcon memberships in! For convention info and membership forms, send SASE to Barbara Hix, 1521 Everett St., Las Vegas, NV 89101. Convention dates are July 8-10, at the Stardust in Las Vegas. If you can't afford to send your membership now, at least send a note declaring your intention to attend, and how many people will be in your party, so that convention organizers can QUICKLY have some idea of how many people are coming, as a basis for negotiating for star guests. THIS IS IMPORTANT! So DO IT NOW!

TV Guide estimates that science fiction is so popular that they're introducing a regular column on the genre by one Glenn Kenny, a lifelong Godzilla fan. You may think of BATB as romance, or as fantasy, but it's also SF, as its reception on the SF channel demonstrates. Nan thinks this change of focus for TV Guide is a good sign, and we may get some positive mentions of BATB in the future (which we have - Beastfan). To help that along, she intends to write to Mr. Kenny, send him a copy of the Gazette, and welcome him to his new job, letting him know along the way that BATB fandom is alive, well, and appreciative of any positive notice. If you'd also like to send him a brief, friendly housewarming letter, you'd address it to Glenn Kenny, c/o TV Guide, Box 500, Radnor, PA 19088.

Thanks to Kathy Bayne of the Official Armin Shimerman Information Service (OASIS) for the news that Armin is scheduled to appear March 18-20 at the Creation Grand Slam Star Trek Show in Pasadena. For exact places and rates, contact Creation in California: 818-409-0960. Kathy also reports that a Quark action figure will be marketed this spring.

BEASTFAN-THE LAST PAGE OF THE GAZETTE WAS A "DO IT YOURSELF PRESS RELEASE" FOR THE MARATHON, WHICH I WILL MAKE AVAILABLE TO ANYONE WHO WANTS ONE. IT CAN BE ADAPTED FOR OTHER BATB RELATED EVENTS. JUST LET ME KNOW.