Indiana Jones nor Noah, except only kind of slightly in a manner twenty-five thousand years adrift for Noah.
What we are really talking about is Production Design At The British Broadcasting Corporation In The Seventies! a topic of undoubted glamour and interest, especially for anoraks.*
Anyway, the real focus of interest is that drama-mentary Doctor Who serial "The Ark in Space", which your humble scribe has been watching of late, and holding forth on the production design. This was pretty good, if you take a couple of provisos into consideration: A) Things were done on a shoestring and B) Shooting was done on a very rapid timescale. Those involved had to be two of either 1) Cheap 2) Good or 3) Quick.
Low and beholden, what did Conrad discover on his DVD but an interview with Roger Murray-Leach, the Production Designer mentioned yesteryon, who confirmed A) and B) above. He pointed out a few interesting quirks and tweaks about the episodes of 'Doctor Who' that he'd worked on. For 'The Ark In Space' - you see where the title of today's scrivel comes from? - he explained that the sections of curved hull were built so that they ended just out of eyeline, and "just" meant with only 6" to spare. Art?
In the Cryogenic Chamber they managed the effect of lots of chambers with the simple expedient of using a mirror to reflect the sole chamber that had been built. This was so effective that I only realised what they'd done when Roger explained it. That has to be 1), 2) and 3) combined.
More of this anon.
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| The Ark of which I yark |
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| Now you know where to look, it's obvious |
Schadenfreude
Or, Conrad Is A Horrible Person #487. But we knew that already.
You may not be aware, but there were several ballfoot games on Sunday, one of which was Liverpool versus Manchester United. United lost, 3 - 1. The BBC, to Conrad's poisonous relish, opened a "Have Your Say" Comments on this particular subject.
By the time I took this photo there were well over a thousand comments; many people, it seems, do not like Manchester United very much and My! they were not at all shy in saying so. Profanities will get a Comment removed, so there were a few inventive uses of substitute letters.
Surprisingly, I have now acquired a slight knowledge of football, by a process of osmosis. A palladium lining to every crowd, I suppose.**
Or, Conrad Is A Horrible Person #487. But we knew that already.
You may not be aware, but there were several ballfoot games on Sunday, one of which was Liverpool versus Manchester United. United lost, 3 - 1. The BBC, to Conrad's poisonous relish, opened a "Have Your Say" Comments on this particular subject.
By the time I took this photo there were well over a thousand comments; many people, it seems, do not like Manchester United very much and My! they were not at all shy in saying so. Profanities will get a Comment removed, so there were a few inventive uses of substitute letters.
Surprisingly, I have now acquired a slight knowledge of football, by a process of osmosis. A palladium lining to every crowd, I suppose.**
The Comic Artist As Spy
All hail Ron Smith! Wartime fighter pilot turned comics artist. Probably best known for drawing Judge Dredd in 2000AD, Ron's comic career started looooong before then. He was employed by Scottish publishing house D.C. Thomson, which is where things start to get weird.
Cut to South Africa in the Sixties, where the repellent apartheid regime held sway. A group of white women who strongly disapproved of apartheid got together under the catchy name 'Black Sash' and sent information to D.C. Thomson, who wanted a bit of face-to-face time.
So - they sent Ron, reasoning that, since his occupation was down as 'artist' rather than 'nosy interfering investigative journalist', he'd have a better chance of meeting the Black Sash ladies.
"Yes, but - "
SILENCE!
As part of his cover story, Ron went to Kruger National Park.
And there my anecdote ends.
All hail Ron Smith! Wartime fighter pilot turned comics artist. Probably best known for drawing Judge Dredd in 2000AD, Ron's comic career started looooong before then. He was employed by Scottish publishing house D.C. Thomson, which is where things start to get weird.
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| This just about sums up 2000AD - gleeful nihilism. |
So - they sent Ron, reasoning that, since his occupation was down as 'artist' rather than 'nosy interfering investigative journalist', he'd have a better chance of meeting the Black Sash ladies.
"Yes, but - "
SILENCE!
As part of his cover story, Ron went to Kruger National Park.
And there my anecdote ends.
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| Guess who? |
You What? Writ In Letters Ten Feet Tall
Looking for a short item to round off today's BOOJUM! I rashly Googled "Disgusting Russian Food", because I equally rashly pretended yesterday that the noble Haggis is one of the wonders of the Western world. I mean, it is to me and every Scot who ever lived, but everyone else seems to regard it with suspicion.
So I thought I'd go in for a bit of reciprocation, and see what kind of repugnant nosh our Slavic chums like to scoff. This is as much a voyage of discovery for me as it is for you, since I know very little about Ruffian cuisine. Borscht and blini is about my limit.***
Art?
Looking for a short item to round off today's BOOJUM! I rashly Googled "Disgusting Russian Food", because I equally rashly pretended yesterday that the noble Haggis is one of the wonders of the Western world. I mean, it is to me and every Scot who ever lived, but everyone else seems to regard it with suspicion.
So I thought I'd go in for a bit of reciprocation, and see what kind of repugnant nosh our Slavic chums like to scoff. This is as much a voyage of discovery for me as it is for you, since I know very little about Ruffian cuisine. Borscht and blini is about my limit.***
Art?
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| "Seld". Well, I'm not sold |
I don't know if this is real or a fake, but - just wow. It looks like you need to beat that tin's contents to death with a stick after you open it. Eat at your own peril!
Then I discovered a Buzzfeed article with a lot more information and pictures. You can believe we shall be revisiting this topic, O yes indeed!
Then I discovered a Buzzfeed article with a lot more information and pictures. You can believe we shall be revisiting this topic, O yes indeed!
* Conrad = anorak made of 100% anorak. The anorak, betide, is a wonderfully efficient item of clothing
** "Silver" is so recherché, dahling.
*** Oh - caviar and vodka. Of course.
** "Silver" is so recherché, dahling.
*** Oh - caviar and vodka. Of course.
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