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

Valentine's Fallout
The Valentine's Day B&B Marathon seems to have been only a qualified success: Ray Cannella expressed himself as pleased at how much press the marathon got-not only in TV Guide but in USA Today and Entertainment Weekly (SURPRISE-BEASTFAN), among other periodicals. That's good promotion for the young SF channel. However, despite a number of people suddenly getting sick and staying home that day, glued to their TV's, the ratings for the Marathon weren't as high as the SF channel had hoped they'd be, compared to their other programming normally shown during that time period. With the good publicity, presumably everybody who can get the SF channel and was interested, did watch, or at least tape. At least people will know the series is still around... Through the kindness of the Jersey Tunnel Community, Nan has a tape of Ron's contributions both to the Marathon and to the Pilot Playhouse, including ads and promos Ron did. Copies can be had for $8.50 US, $10 CAN from Helper's Network. Nan also has a tape of The Cisco Kid, complete with the music video, for $8.50.

Ron Perlman
Ron Perlman has been very busy this past year. Here's an overview and update on films he's recently been involved with.

It looks as though Police Academy 6, Mission to Moscow won't be released theatrically, but will go directly to video-today's equivalent to the drive-in, where the money is often better for low-budget productions. Cronos should be premiering soon in limited release, about the end of this month, then go on to general release in April. According to informant Vivian, who follows the trade publications with a magnifying glass, offered for distribution at the American Film Market are When the Bough Breaks, in which Ron got third billing, and, surprisingly, The Cisco Kid. Maybe they're selling distribution rights abroad.

Another complete movie, Sensations, whose cast includes, in order, Eric Roberts, Keri Whrer, Ron Perlman, and Ed Begley, Jr., is in post production, meaning editing, music, dubbing, and so forth; and in relation to Fluke, with Eric Stolz, now filming near Atlanta, a near-miss sighting; informant Jan King, traveling by car with her husband through Covington, GA (where, she adds, the TV series In the Heat of the Night is filmed), saw light set-ups, trailers, and other paraphernalia of filming. Stopping at a diner, she was told she'd just missed, quote, a big guy who'd stopped in for coffee, and they called him The Beast, end quote. Thanks to Jan for relaying to the hotline.

GAZETTE SUBSCRIPTIONS
To renew memberships or to subscribe to the Gazette, Nan asks that the subscription or renewal be figured only through December, 1994, at the rate of $1.25 an issue. She fully intends to continue the Gazette through 1995, but doesn't want to have subscription/renewals that are now beginning to stretch practically into the next century. Let's keep this sensible, and take things a year at a time. So if you subscribe or renew, figure the number of issues left through December, multiply by $1.25 and that's what's due. Back issues are also available, same price.

Classified ads are now available for the Gazette, free, on a space-available basis, for anything you can type on a standard 3x5 card.

JO ANDERSON
Gloria Handley relayed that Jo Anderson appeared (although uncredited in the TV Guide) in One Woman's Courage, a TV movie starring Patty Duke shown on Feb. 28 on NBC. Jo will be appearing in April in a two-part episode of the series Sisters, playing an unsuspected illegitimate half-sister of the titular characters.

VIACOM WINS!
Viacom made a winning bid for movie, TV, and publishing company Paramount. This will result in a merger between Paramount, Viacom, Blockbuster, and their subsidiaries, Spelling Entertainment and Republic. It's going to be complicated, and it probably won't be fully settled until the end of this year. Some fans are mounting a letter-writing campaign in behalf of a B&B movie to officials in these various organizations, but Nan doesn't encourage this or participate, on the grounds that everything's too crazy right now-for instance, the CEO of Blockbuster just quit, apparently because the megamerger would substantially affect the role be expected to play when the merger was limited to Spelling/Republic/Blockbuster. A lot of the major players are going to change before everything's worked out, and Nan thinks energies will be better spent when more people aren't worried about losing their jobs, bailing out, or being moved, voluntarily or involuntarily, to another job in another part of the country. But you all naturally will need to decide for yourselves. (THIS HAS CHANGED NOW WITH NEWS OF TALKS OF "THE MOVIE" - BEASTFAN)

CINEMAKER
The two existing books (Beyond Words, Beyond Silence, Nan Dibble; Lost Yesterdays, Impossible Tomorrows, Prosser/Swope) are now available at or through Barnes & Noble/B. Dalton bookstores nationwide. But there's a slight temporary hitch. If you don't see the book displayed and want to order, the two books are listed at the moment on their computer as, QUOTE IN IT'S ENTIRETY, B&B by Nan Dibble. No title, no mention that there are two books, not one, and only one of them is by Nan. This is being corrected. Thanks to Bev Liddell and Dottie LaBorde for alerting Nan to this problem. Nan in turn notified Ed Gross of Cinemaker, who will try to get things straightened out.

Nan's new book, Bright Spirit Descending, has been approved and has gone to be printed. It's a novelization of "The Alchemist" and "To Reign in Hell". About half of it is an original account of the founding of the tunnel community. It has a Kevin Barnes cover and lovely Barb Gipson artwork (6 pictures) inside. It's a long, substantial book, but the price is the same: $9.95 + 1.50 s/h. The book should be available by the end of March or early April. Nan will accept preorders now for immediate fulfillment as soon as the books reach her. She'll also make a note of backorders-people who ordered "the first four novels". If you had such a preorder and want Bright Spirit Descending, send Nan a copy-ONLY A COPY-of the paperwork including, if possible, a copy of your check or money order, and she'll see that you get your book. She expects to get a list of these orders from Cinemaker, but if you send to Nan directly, then you can be sure your preorder will be filled. Those who preordered hardbacks will get a credit for the difference, to apply to a future order.

Jana Ondrechen's Official B&B Annotated Guidebook (just call it the Guidebook), is also almost ready for publication. A big book, with episode summaries of all 55 episodes, full cast lists, lots of photos, and background information both about and within the episodes, it has a special prepublication price of $22.45 including postage. The price will jump by $5 once the book is published, which Nan estimates will be the end of April or early May. Nan is also accepting preorders for the Guidebook, which isn't included in the "first four novels" offer but must be ordered separately.

The long-awaited Perlman and the Beast is still in progress, still be waited for. It's really coming, but no date yet on when it will be published. For Cinemaker orders, preorders, or backorders, send to Nan c/o Helper's Network.

NOTICES & 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 lines. Entries should be a full typed page, single spaced, any margins. The winner will be credited and the winning entry will be rad on the Helper's Network Hotline on April 1. Final date for submissions will be March 25. Start thinking funny!

Besides the two excellent Classic novels by British zine writer Janet Kilbourne (Land of My Dreams and Darkness at Dawn) mentioned in the January Gazette, Therion Press is going to be publishing (in March) pro Canadian writer Jena Snyder's B&B inspired novel, Kilkenny Cats. You may know Jena as the author of At the Mirk and Midnight Hour.

This present book, a mystery, is NOT straight B&B; investigator Diana has become Megan, and Vincent has become Tomas, a normal- appearing man on the run from the IRA and from the police, who believe he's responsible for the car bombing that killed his wife and young child. Tomas is living in Central Park and has become a friend and protector to the down-and-outs of the bowery. Megan/Diana is investigating the murders of several derelicts, and her first and strongest suspect is the elusive, mysterious Tomas. Although the book's spirit and dynamic is B&B, it's not precisely a B&B novel. Nan also has a third Kilbourne book, Catch the Wild Wind, an original novel following from "To Reign in Hell". Though not so strong, structurally, as the other two, it's still engaging reading. Each zine is $20 US, $22 CAN, $25 else. (postage included) to Therion Press, 379 Amazon Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45220-1148.

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

Jean Doekel has several years' worth of issues of Pipeline and some early issues of Once Upon a Time is Now she's offering to historians of the series and/or the fandom. The first offer of $10 takes the lot. Send to Jean Doekel, 1708 Wyoming Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45205.

Well-known Austrian fan artist Rosemarie Hauer has been delivered of a daughter, Johanna Magdelena, on January 25. This is the Hauers' first child. Congratulations!

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!

(ALSO INCLUDED IN THE FEBRUARY GAZETTE WAS A NOMINATION FORM FOR THE TUNNELCON III AWARDS, A CONDENSED VERSION (FROM THE MIRROR POOL) OF THE B&B SEMINAR, AND A CONDENSED VERSION (FROM LIONHEART) OF THE DAVID SCHWARTZ INTERVIEW. THOSE INTERESTED IN OBTAINING THESE, LEAVE ME E-MAIL.-BEASTFAN)