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Wednesday, March 16, 2016

A BEAST COMES TO LIFE ABOARD THE SEAVIEW !!!


Season Three of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea ran simultaneously with the first season of Time Tunnel and the second season of Lost in Space. It began with a disembodied brain from outer space, continuing with a werewolf story rating a sequel. The Seaview's officers and crew encountered Nazis who believed World War II was still ongoing. This season had two espionage stories and only one ocean peril story, reminiscent of the first season. One of those three stories was about a hostile foreign government trying to steal a strange new mineral with the aid of a brainwashed Admiral Nelson. This espionage story ended the third season.

The Gold Key comics book series continued to provide original stories instead of adaptations of the television series. I always thought it lived up reflecting the integrity of the TV show.
 







Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea #8  From the frozen wastes of time, a million-year-old beast comes to life aboard the Seaview!
Cover painting by George Wilson.
"Underwater Pioneers"
Inside front cover feature on underwater apparatus.
"Expedition to Doomsday Part I"
The world beneath the polar ice cap had gone berserk. A frozen beast suddenly comes to life. The towering top of an iceberg mysteriously plummets down into the polar seas...and from somewhere far above, a strange explosion sends out deadly rays toward the Seaview and her crew. 
"Expedition to Doomsday Part II: The Roar From One Million B.C."
Preserved in the frozen arctic, the creature awakens and breaks loose in the Seaview. And even the mighty  undersea leviathan can not long confine the pent-up ferocity of a million-year-old brute.
Artwork by Alberto Giolitti. He had a handle on illustrating the Seaview, however the design from Season One was used throughout the comic book series.
Unfortunately, this issue & forward did not have a back cover pin-up. 

The slipcover image for Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea The Complete Series: Volume Two came from issue #12. Another fine George Wilson painting. Highly Recommended!
The back slipcase cover uses this issue's cover.  In addition to reprinting the features, the second volume published concept artwork, publicity photos and various collectibles from the TV series.







"Expedition to Doomsday" & the "Underwater Pioneers" feature were reprinted in Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea The Complete Series: Volume Two. A fine hardcover collection of issues #7 through #14.
Seaview had two sister ships depicted in the television series, the Neptune (a variant submarine destroyed late in the first season) and a virtually identical Angler (featured in one episode.) The Polidor (a prototype attack sub) was destroyed in the third episode of the series.
Admiral Harriman Nelson & Commander Lee Crane of the S.S.R.N. Seaview. Richard Basehart played Nelson in the TV series. Walter Pidgeon played Nelson in the motion picture.

Season Three of the television series continued the shift towards paranormal storylines, popular in the late sixties. Mummies, werewolves, talking puppets and an evil leprechaun walked the corridors of the Seaview, along with fossil, flame, frost, lobster and shadow men.


For the inquiring mind, the View-Master slide reel was based on the episode "Deadly Creature Below" from the previous season. I'm happy to say I still have my copy.

Live Large My Friends!

Thank You!
David Hedison turned down the movie role of Captain Lee Crane intended for him. Robert Sterling played Crane in the movie. Hedison later accepted the role for the TV series.
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea Japanese book, published by Kaiseisha in 1969. Includes 172 pages, hardcover with dust jacket, text in Japanese.
David Hedison accepted the role of Captain Lee Crane for the TV series. Although his rank was Commander, he was often referred to as Captain on the TV show. 




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