Starlog

Infobox_Magazine
title = Starlog

| image_size = 200px
editor = David McDonnell
frequency = Monthly
category = Science fiction
company = Starlog Group
firstdate = August 1976
country = United States
website = [http://www.starlog.com/ Official site]

"Starlog" is a monthly science-fiction film magazine published by Starlog Group Inc. The magazine was created by publishers Kerry O'Quinn and Norman Jacobs. O'Quinn was the magazine's editor while Jacobs ran the business side of things, dealing with typesetters, engravers and printers. They got their start in publishing creating a soap opera magazine. In the mid-1970s, O'Quinn and high school friend David Houston talked about creating a magazine that would cover science fiction-related films and television programs.

History

O'Quinn came up the idea of publishing a one-time only magazine on the "Star Trek" phenomenon. Houston's editorial assistant Kirsten Russell suggested that they include an episode guide to all three seasons of the show, interviews with the cast and previously unpublished photographs. During this brainstorming session many questions were raised, most notably legal issues. Houston contacted "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry with the intention of interviewing him for the magazine. Once they got his approval, O'Quinn and Jacobs proceeded to put together the magazine but Paramount Studios, who owned "Star Trek", wanted a minimum royalty that was too much for their costs to cover and the project was shelved.

O'Quinn realized that they could create a magazine that only featured "Star Trek" content but without it being the focus and therefore getting around the royalties issue. He also realized that this could be the science fiction magazine he and Houston had talked about. Many titles for it were suggested, including "Fantastic Films" and "Starflight" before "Starlog" was picked.

To keep costs down, "Starlog" was initially a quarterly magazine with the first issue being published on August 1976. The issue sold out and this encouraged O'Quinn and Jacobs to publish a magazine every six weeks instead of quarterly. O'Quinn was the magazine's first editor with Houston taking over for a year and then replaced by Howard Zimmerman when Houston was promoted to the "Hollywood Bureau." Zimmerman was eventually succeeded by David McDonnell, who is still the editor of the now-monthly magazine.

, and Gene Roddenberry.

The magazine's 200th issue repeated the format of the 100th issue but this time interviewed such notable artists as Arthur C. Clarke, Tim Burton, William Gibson, Gale Anne Hurd, and Terry Gilliam.

"Starlog" was one of the first publications to report on the development of the first ' movie, and it also followed the development of what was to eventually become '. The magazine is devoted to science fiction films, television series, and books. Many fans of this long-running magazine considered its heyday to have been the 1980s with very little substance to the content in later years and many of its long-time contributors having since moved on. But it continues to boast some top-flight genre journalists, including film historians Will Murray and Tom Weaver. It is one of the longest-running and most popular publications of its type.

It published its 30th Anniversary issue in 2006.

On Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007 at approximately 11 a.m. a warehouse, operated by Kable News, in Oregon, Illinois containing back issues of Starlog and Fangoria Magazine burned to the ground. (At this point it is not known if the warehouse contained all of the back issues.)

Others

In addition to "Starlog", O'Quinn and Jacobs also published dozens of other magazines, including the science/science-fiction hybrid "Future Life", "Comics Scene", "Cinemagic," and "Fangoria", which is dedicated to horror films. Over the past 30 years, "Starlog" has produced books, videos, science fiction conventions, trivia books, and more. It has also had a number of foreign editions, including in Japan, Germany, France, The UK, Brazil, and Australia.

After the entire magazine industry took a serious stumble in 2001, Starlog Group was eventually purchased by Creative Group, Inc., which continues to publish "Starlog" and "Fangoria", and is expanding its franchises into the Internet, satellite radio, video, and TV.

Best science fiction movies by year

In 2002, the magazine announced the best science fiction movies by year. The winners are as follows.
* 1977 - ""
* 1978 - the pilot of "Battlestar Galactica" (released to theaters)
* 1979 - "Alien"
* 1980 - ""
* 1981 - "Raiders of the Lost Ark"
* 1982 - ' (with "Blade Runner" and ' given honorable mentions)
* 1983 - "" (with an honorable mention to "The Right Stuff")
* 1984 - "The Terminator" (with "Ghostbusters" given an honorable mention)
* 1985 - "Back to the Future"
* 1986 - "Aliens"
* 1987 - "Robocop" (with an honorable mention to "The Princess Bride")
* 1988 - "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?"
* 1989 - "Batman"
* 1990 - "Total Recall" (with a special mention to "Edward Scissorhands")
* 1991 - ""
* 1992 - "Batman Returns"
* 1993 - "Jurassic Park"
* 1994 - "Stargate (film)"
* 1995 - "Toy Story"
* 1996 - "Independence Day"
* 1997 - "Men in Black" (with a special mention to "Starship Troopers")
* 1998 - "Armageddon" (with a special mention to "")
* 1999 - "The Matrix"
* 2000 - "X-Men"
* 2001 - ""
* 2002 - "Spider-Man"

Other Uses

* The term "starlog" is also used in the TV series, "" in lieu of the more traditional stardate.

External links

* [http://www.starlog.com/ Official Starlog website]