James Bond Origin short story in November PLAYBOY

Double O Section has landed the scoop that a 6-page illustrated short story by James Bond Origin author Jeff Parker and artist Bob Q will appear in the November-December issue of Playboy magazine. Below is part of the Dynamite press release.

October 18, Mt. Laurel, NJ: Dynamite Entertainment and Ian Fleming Publications Ltd. announced today that the latest James Bond series, James Bond Origin, from Jeff Parker and artist Bob Q will have a standalone story in the upcoming issue of Playboy magazine! 

Fans can read an exclusive six-page story from the creative team behind the critically-acclaimed Dynamite series, James Bond Origin, which takes readers back to March 1941 and tells the definitive account of James Bond’s exploits during World War II. The November/December 2018 issue of Playboy will be available at newsstands everywhere October 30th with digital editions available today for desktop and mobile devices through Playboy.com. 

Speaking about the opportunity, writer Jeff Parker said, “the team of James Bond Origin recently had the chance to create a short Bond story for Playboy, calling back to the days when the Ian Fleming short stories would run in the magazine beginning with “The Hildebrand Rarity” in the March 1960 issue.”

Thanks to Double O Section.

OO7 Magazine #50 to be released in printed edition

Having released a printed edition of OO7 Magazine #49, Graham Rye will now released a printed version of OO7 Magazine #50, which will complete the printed run of OO7 issues 1-55. Issues 49 & 50 were previously only available as online publications.

This issue works as a book Bond tie-in as it covers the release of the 2006 film adaptation of Ian Fleming's Casino Royale starring Daniel Craig. It also includes an article called "The World Would Disagree" about Ian Fleming before Bond.

You can pre-order OO7 Magazine #50 at the OO7 Magazine website. Shipping starts April 23.

OO7 Magazine #49 released in printed edition

Graham Rye has released a printed version of OO7 Magazine #49. If you recall, this was one of two issues that were released as an online publication only.

Of particular interest to book Bond fans is Hank Reineke’s interview with Ian Fleming biographer and James Bond continuation author, John Pearson, who penned the excellent James Bond The Authorized Biography of 007 in 1973.

You can purchase OO7 Magazine #49 at the OO7 Magazine website.

When 007 met HUGH HEFNER

The sad news this week is that Hugh Hefner, legendary founder of Playboy, has died at age 91. Hefner was a big fan of Ian Fleming and James Bond and did a great deal to popularize the super spy in America in the 1960s.

Bond's first appearance in Playboy was the short story The Hildebrand Rarity, published in the March 1960 issue. This was followed by a serialization of On Her Majesty's Secret Service in the April, May, and June 1963 issues. Next came the short story The Property of a Lady in January 1964. The same year saw the serialization of You Only Live Twice in the April, May, and June issues. The Man With The Golden Gun came in the April, May, June and July of 1965. The final Fleming story Octopussy appeared in the March and April 1966 issues.

Playboy continued it's James Bond association by featuring a Bond Girl pictorial for almost every film of the 1970s and 1980s. Then in January 1997, the literary James Bond returned with an original short story, Blast From The Past, penned by new James Bond continuation author Raymond Benson. This was followed by excerpts of his Bond novels Zero Minus Ten (April & May 1997), The Facts of Death (July 1998), and Doubleshot (June 2000).

But perhaps the greatest fusion of James Bond and Playboy came in the January 1999 issue with an original story by Benson that featured 007 at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles. Bond even meets Hugh Hefner himself!

Raymond discussed the story with me in our 2004 CBN Interview.

This story was done in-between The Facts of Death and High Time to Kill. It was summer of 1998 and I was in the middle of writing HTTK. Playboy was about to celebrate its 45th anniversary with the January 1999 issue, which they were already planning and putting together. (They must have all the material for an issue at least four months prior to its publication, and the issue usually hits the stand one month before the cover date; thus the January 1999 issue is actually on sale in December 1998).

I honestly can’t remember who thought of doing a Bond short story again for the 45th anniversary issue, but I suggested doing a sort of humorous tale in which Bond meets Hugh Hefner. Since Hef was a huge Bond fan, had published Ian Fleming, and lived a Bondian lifestyle–and Bond was the ultimate playboy–it seemed to make sense. At least it was a nudge, nudge, wink, wink concept that everyone felt was appropriate. In the summer of 1998, Hef was about to throw the first “Midsummer Night’s Dream” party in five years–the last one was in 1993, I think–in which the guests must arrive in sleepwear. He had just separated from his wife Kimberley and was in party mode. He was also living with three blonde girlfriends. So it was to be a big event, with 1000 people invited.

I think it was Hef’s personal assistant that suggested setting the story at the Midsummer Night’s Dream party. This is now an annual event, held the first weekend of every August. Since Hef would appear in the story as himself, it also made sense to feature two real-life Playmates as the Bond-girls. Hef’s office put me in touch with Lisa Dergan, Miss July 1998, and Victoria Zdrok, Miss October 1994. I had wanted a Russian girl and Victoria fit the bill–I actually requested her. Lisa was suggested by Hef’s office. I interviewed them both by phone and then met them in person later on several occasions.

I wrote the first draft of the story in July but I needed to fill it in with authenticity. So my wife and I were invited to attend the pajama party! It’s safe to say that it was the party to end all parties–at least from our limited perspective. The women wore lingerie and the men wore pajamas and it was just as I describe in the story. The food and drink was fantastic and the eye candy was phenomenal. It was a fairly surreal experience–at one point, around 3am, my wife and I found ourselves on the dance floor two feet away from the likes of Jim Carrey, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Pamela Anderson. We met all sorts of other celebrities and Hollywood’s beautiful people. It was certainly a unique research trip.

Back home, I finished the story quickly and turned it in before the end of the month. Other celebrities and real people are mentioned in the story, but the villain’s name was based on my good friend Doug Redenius, the vice president of the Ian Fleming Foundation. I called him “Anton” Redenius in the story. As I said before, this story wasn’t meant to be taken seriously–it was all in good fun.

Midsummer Night's Doom appeared in the January 1999 issue of Playboy with artwork (at the top of this post) by John Rush. It was also included in the 2010 book, Choice of Weapons.

You can read Raymond Benson's own personal tribute to Hugh Hefner at CinemaRetro.

R.I.P. Mr. Hefner. Thank you for all you did for 007.

Special IAN FLEMING edition of The Book Collector

The Spring number of The Book Collector will be a special issue on the theme “Ian Fleming & Book Collecting”. Fleming was the publisher of The Book Collector from its start and its principal shareholder from 1955 until his death.

Spring 2017 marks the 65th anniversary of the magazine’s launch, and the first anniversary of The Book Collector’s reversion to the Fleming family, after 50 years, in the person of James Fleming, the novelist’s nephew.

Contributors to the issue will include Fergus Fleming, editor of Ian Fleming’s letters, on “Ian Fleming and The Book Collector”, Joel Silver, Director of the Lilly Library, Indiana University, on “Books That Had Started Something: Ian Fleming’s Book Collection”, and Nicolas Barker, for 50 years Editor of The Book Collector, on his former editorial colleague, “Percy Muir: Ian Fleming’s Bookseller”.

Jon Gilbert, compiler of the prize-winning Ian Fleming: The Bibliography, writes on “Collecting Ian Fleming”, and Sheila Markham interviews two Fleming collectors, Michael L. VanBlaricum and Jeremy Miles.

Other contributions consider Ian Fleming’s friend the typographic designer Robert Harling, who too was a novelist, Richard Chopping, designer of most of the James Bond dust-jackets, and the output of Fleming’s publishing imprint, the Queen Anne Press.

All who are subscribers on February 26th 2017 will automatically receive a copy of the Ian Fleming Special. There will also be a limited edition for collectors set on hot metal and signed by James and Fergus Fleming.

For more details and to subscribe visit The Book Collector online.

EVENT Magazine previews TRIGGER MORTIS

The UK Mail on Sunday's EVENT Magazine is previewing Trigger Mortis with an exclusive extract and interview with author Anthony Horowitz who graces the cover. You can also read it all online HERE.

Click to enlarge.

The magazine is also teasing the book on Twitter (@EventMagUK) with extracted quotes, such as the one below. Some the other quotes are a little spoilerish (IMO), so seek them out at your own risk.

Trigger Mortis will be released on September 8, 2015 in both the U.S. and UK.

Pre-order Trigger Mortis U.S. edition.

Pre-order Trigger Mortis UK edition.

15 YEARS OF 'BONDAGE'

Are you into Bondage?

…Magazine, that is?

Bondage was the official magazine of the James Bond 007 Fan Club (not to be confused with the James Bond International Fan Club, publishers of OO7 Magazine). The "American club" — as it was called back in the day — was run by Richard Schenkman from 1974 to 1989.

While Bondage never grew as thick nor as slick as its overseas counterpart OO7, its content was always first class. In the pages of Bondage you could find lengthy in-dept interviews with such Bond luminaries as Cubby Broccoli, Michael G. Wilson, George Lazenby, Timothy Dalton, Tom Mankiewicz, John Glen, and John Gardner. The magazine published several Ian Fleming short stories that had never been published in America, and one of its major contributors was the yet-to-be-named continuation author Raymond Benson. The club and magazine served Bond fans for 15 years, and within the pages of Bondage are facts and photos found nowhere else.

Today back issues of Bondage are hot collectibles. While issues 1 to 7 are exceedingly rare, the remaining ten issues can be found at reasonable prices. But which issue contains that choice interview or story that you simply must have?

To help you on your search, here is a complete checklist bibliography of Bondage magazine — the covers, the content, and some choice news and rumours that didn’t always turn out to be true. Happy hunting.

BONDAGE:

A Complete Bibliography – 1974 to 1989

Bondage – No. 1, June 1974
12 pages

NEWS: Eon tells the club the next Bond film after The Man With The Golden Gun will be Moonraker. Eon says it will adapt the Ian Fleming short stories. Alice Copper’s musical version of The Man With The Golden Gun will not be used after all. The Man With The Golden Gun started shooting in April on schedule.
BOND ON T.V. From Russia With Love airs on ABC with cuts even worse than Goldfinger. Will we see a YOLT/DAF theatrical double bill re-release in the future?
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? David Hedison appeared on T.V.’s Cannon. Sean Connery is filming Ransom and will next do Murder on the Orient Express.
REVIEW: Zardoz starring Sean Connery.
TOYS & GAMES: Live and Let Die tarot card set still available.
KUNG FU BOND? With The Man With The Golden Gun, is James Bond becoming a follower instead of a trendsetter?
BONDED RECIPES, EDITORIAL, SURVEYS.


Bondage – No. 2, December 1974
Special The Man With The Golden Gun Issue
12 pages

REPORT: The Man With The Golden Gun – Cubby and Harry have done it again!
LOCATIONS: A report on filming The Man With The Golden Gun in the Gulf of Siam, Hong Kong, and Bangkok.
AT THE STUDIO: The Man With The Golden Gun at Pinewood and the huge Solar Energy Plant set.
SPECIAL NOTE: Eon Productions tells the club that the next Bond film will not be Moonraker as reported in issue #1, but The Spy Who Loved Me.
SOME FACTS ON THE STARS: Roger Moore, Christopher Lee, and Herve Villechaize profiled.
BONDED RECIPES: “Scrambled Eggs James Bond” (from 007 in New York).
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Sean Connery is now filming Murder on the Orient Express.
MISC, QUIZZES, HOW TO JOIN THE CLUB.


Bondage – No. 3, January 1977
20 pages

NEWS: Saltzman spits!
NEWS: Double Double-Oh-Seven Next Year by Bob Forlini (news of rival Kevin McClory film, James Bond of the Secret Service).
PREVIEW: The Spy Who Love Me by Richard Schenkman.
ARTICLE: Russia Dealing Bonds.
PICTORIAL: The Man With The Golden Gun car jump. Fan poster art by Tom Bennett
HISTORY: James Bond’s Aston Martin.
BONDED RECIPES: Chinese Fired Rice.
ARTICLE: Is Spy Moore’s Last Bond?
REVIEW: The Spy Who Loved Me: A review of Fleming’s Novel.
ARTICLE: Why So Many Felix Leiters? by Bob Forlini.
CAST & CREDITS: The Spy Who Loved Me.


Bondage – No. 4, Summer 1977
20 pages

THE BIG NEWS: While Octopussy and Moonraker were also being considered, it has been decided that For Your Eyes Only will be the next Bond film.
MUSIC: Marvin Hamlisch and Nobody Does It Better.
HISTORY: Portrait of M by Robert Forlini.
ARTICLE: The Women of The Spy Who Love Me.
LITERATURE: The Little-Known Ian Fleming/James Bond Short Stories by Saul Fischer.
SPECIAL STILL PICTORIAL: Connery meeting the Queen at the You Only Live Twice premiere. Roger Moore workout for The Man With The Golden Gun.
OPINION: Roger Moore in Bond’s Future? by Richard Schenkman.
VEHICLES: Getting around in Spy, a look at the Lotus and the wetbike.
BONDED RECIPES: Green Street Spaghetti.


Bondage – No. 5, Winter 1978
20 pages

NEWS: Nothing yet on “Eyes Only”. Tom Mankiewicz has submitted several story ideas. Cubby scouting Venezuela, Brazil (Rio), Argentina, and Paris as possible locations.
INTERVIEW: Q&A With Albert R. Broccoli.
MUSIC: John Barry and Bond by Paul Harrod.
PICTORIAL on the production of The Spy Who Love Me (including rare pic of Roger Moore and David Niven together on the set).
ARTICLE: Bond’s Weaponry by Robert Forlini.
CLUB MERCHANDISE
SPECIAL STILL PICTORIAL: George Lazenby’s Bond-like Sony T.V. commercial in pictures and text.
BONDED RECIPES: Roast Beaver (!) and Roast Duck.


Bondage – No. 6, Summer 1978
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service Special
20 pages

NEWS: Moonraker Launched! New film started shooting August 14. James Bond of the Secret Service back off the ground as well.
INTERVIEW: George Lazenby: Ten Years Later Q&A.
HISTORY: Das grosse Erlebnis – Piz Gloria by Tom Bennett.
PICTORIAL: Peter Hunt: A Director’s Scrapbook. Personal pics from the production of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
ARTICLE: The Original James Bond Car, My Life With 007′s Aston Martin DB5 by Jerry Lee.
CLUB MERCHANDISE
SPECIAL PICTORIAL: Roger Moore and Lois Chiles in Paris on the first day of shooting Moonraker.


Bondage – No. 7, Summer 1979
20 pages

CLUB MEMBERS NOTICES: Club Moonraker coverage will appear in the new sci-fi magazine, Questar.
INTERVIEW: Q&A with Kevin McClory by Richard Schenkman.
FAN ART: Club Member Artwork.
PICTORIAL: Moonraker.
CLUB MERCHANDISE
ARTICLE: James Bond in the Classroom by Fred R. Eicheiman, Ed.D.
ARTICLE: The Spy Who Lived Twice by Saul Fischer. A comparrison of the many similarities between The Spy Who Loved Me and You Only Live Twice.


Bondage – Number 8, 1980
20 pages

CLUB MEMBERS NOTICES: Pics of club members personalized 007 license plates.
INTERVIEW: Q&A with screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz by Richard Schenkman.
BOND BOOKSHELF: Colonel Sun, The Book of Bond, and The James Bond Dossier.
ARTICLE: Moonraker From Book to Film by Andy East.
HISTORY: On the Set of Diamonds Are Forever by Robert Short.
ARTICLE: Ken Adam Talks About the Production Design of Moonraker.
FAN FILM REPORT: The Spy Who Did It Better by Mark Pirro.
BOOKS: Writing The James Bond Films: A Behind the Scenes History by Steve Rubin.
INTERVIEW: An Exclusive Interview With “James Bond” by Danny Biederman.
TRVIA: The James Bond Quizbook.


Bondage – Number 9, 1980
20 pages

INTERVIEW: Q&A with 007′s “Special Effects Wizard” Derek Meddings by Richard Schenkman.
HISTORY: James Bond’s Hardware by Ian Fleming. (Remarkable article written by Fleming in 1957.)
INTERVIEW: A Panel Discussion with Albert R. Broccoli, Lewis Gilbert, and Ken Adam held at the Museum of Modern Art June 29-30, 1979.
LITERATURE: My Friend the Octopus by Ian Fleming. (Little-know Fleming story from 1957.)
INTERVIEW: Bob Simmons by Richard Schenkman.
TRVIA: James Bond 007 Quizbook.
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING.


Bondage – Number 10, 1981
24 pages

IN MEMORIAM: Peter Sellers, John Lennon, Bernard Lee.
INTERVIEW: Q&A with Terence Young at the Festival du Film by Richard Schenkman.
INTERVIEW: Richard Schenkman talks with associate producer Stanley Sopel.
LITERATURE: Treasures of the Sea by Ian Fleming. (Another little-know Fleming story from 1957.)
HISTORY: THUNDERBALL Open end Interviews with Sean Connery, Claudine Auger, and Terence Young from 1965.
INTERVIEW: Maurice Binder at the Museum of Modern Art.
ADVERT: The Illustrated James Bond, 007, a James Bond 007 Fan Club publication.


Bondage – Number 11, 1982
25 pages

INTERVIEW: John Gardner: A talk with the man holding James Bond’s literary license by Richard Schenkman.
INTERVIEW: For Your Eyes Only press junket coverage by Richard Schenkman. Q&A interviews with: Topol, Julian Glover, Sheena Easton, Maurice Binder, Robbin Young (flower shop girl), Cubby Broccoli, and Roger Moore.
MERCHANDISE: For Your Eyes Only posters.
QUIZ/GAMES: The 007 Night Spot.
MUSIC: Twisting with James
BOOKS: Publish or Perish: Writing The James Bond Films: A Behind the Scenes History by Stephen Jay Rubin.
ARTICLE: The strange case of the two prettiest women in For Your Eyes Only…one who wasn’t in the film and the other was a man!


Bondage – Number 12, 1983
20 pages

INTERVIEW: The John Glen Interview by Richard Schenkman and Tom Sciacca (including details on Octopussy).
HISTORY: A Visit to the Lilly Library by Raymond Benson. Benson reports on the Fleming archive while doing his research for The James Bond Bedside Companion.
MERCHANDISE: The August Halle Productions gunbarrel lithograph.
REPORT: Never Say Never Again by Richard Schenkman (includes pic of cut scenes).
HISTORY: Talking with Bond: Pino Locchi, the Italian Voice of 007.
INTERVIEW: The Lois Maxwell Interview by Mark Greenberg.


Bondage – Number 13, 1984
20 pages

LITERATURE: “How To Write a Thriller” by Ian Fleming. Amazing article by Fleming from 1962. Illustrated by George Almond.
INTERVIEW: A Dialogue with Kingsley Amis by Raymond Benson (infamous interview in which the author of Colonel Sun trashes the first two Gardner novels.)
REPORT: HOLLYWOOD! Picture coverage from both the premieres of Octopussy and Never Say Never Again.
HISTORY: On the Set of Diamonds Are Forever by Danny Biederman.
MERCHANDISE: Final chance to get the August Halle Productions gunbarrel lithograph.
INTERVIEW: The Adolfo Celi Interview by Piero Corsini.


Bondage – Number 14, 1985
20 pages

INTERVIEW: The 1985 Model: John Gardner by Richard Schenkman.
GAMING: Be Your Own James Bond: A Look at the James Bond 007 Role-Playing Game by Raymond Benson.
REPORT: A View To A Kill (includs pics from cut “Zorin protestors” sequence).
REPORT: James Bond in San Francisco by Rick Johnson.
OBITUARY: Ivar Bryce 1906 – 1985, A Remembrance.
REPORT: Sean Connery: Harvard Man of the Year. A full report with pics from the Hasty Pudding Theatricals 1984 banquet.
MERCHANDISE: Vintage Bond Corgi’s for sale.


Bondage – Number 15, May 1987
20 pages

HISTORY: Casino Royale: The Forgotten Bond by Leonard Thomason.
REPORT: On the Set of The Living Daylights: A Reporters Notebook by Richard Schenkman.
INTERVIEW: A Conversation with Timothy Dalton by Richard Schenkman.
REPORT: SOLD! A report on the sale of the Aston martin DB5 by Raymond Benson.
LITERATURE: “Treasure Hunt in Eden” by Ian Fleming. Part One: Pirate Gold. (Story written by Ian Fleming in 1958 printed here in American for the first time.)
BACK ISSUES.


Bondage – Number 16, Winter 1989
23 pages

LITERATURE: “Treasure Hunt in Eden” by Ian Fleming. Part Two: Butterflies and Beachcombers. Illustrated by George Almond.
MUSIC/BOOKS: The Soundtracks to the Novels by Raymond Benson. Researched by Mark Atkins. (A terrific examination of the music contained in the works of Ian Fleming.)
REPORT: Report from the Set of License To Kill by Richard Schenkman.
INTERVIEW: Timothy Dalton Revisited by Richard Schenkman. (Interview contains pics of cuts scenes, and an ominous prediction by Dalton that he “has a feeling” that Licence To Kill will be “the end of the lot.” Not just his last Bond…but the last Bond altogether!)


Bondage – Number 17, Summer 1989
28 pages

TELEVISION: Fleming’s Life Depicted in Goldeneye. Report on TV movie starring Charles Dance.
LITERATURE: “Treasure Hunt in Eden” by Ian Fleming. Part Three: Gold or No Gold?
TELEVISION /HISTORY: Ian Fleming’s Other Spy by Jon E. Heitland. (A look at Ian Fleming’s involvement in the creation of Napoleon Solo and The Man From U.N.C.L.E.)
INTERVIEWS: Chatting at the Plaza. Press junket interviews with John Glen and Talisa Soto from Licence To Kill (with a promise that other interviews would appear in Bondage #18).
LOCATIONS: Everyman His Own 007 by Richard Schenkman. (Terrific collection of fan photos and remembrances of visiting Bond sets and Bond locales.)
INTERVIEW: A Visit to the James Bond Classroom. Raymond Benson interviews Michael G. Wilson and director of publicity Saul Cooper.
BACK ISSUES & BOOKS.

This first appeared on CommanderBond.net.

Irish Motorist on 007's SAAB and that bloody Alan Dukes!

Reader Donal Rogers from Ireland has sent over this terrific article from the June 1983 issue of Irish Motorist about James Bond's new choice of car, the Saab 900 Turbo. Of course, by 1983 we were three books into the John Gardner cycle, so I'm not sure how "new" the Saab really was at this time. But it's a fun article and I especially love the mid-article rant about...Alan Dukes?

Donal tells me, "Alan Dukes was the Irish Minister for Finance at the time the article and so would have been responsible for difficult national budgets at a time of severe economic crisis for Ireland in the early 1980s."

I also like the expression of dismay that Bond is "now a regular jogger." I had to think about it, but I do recall that Bond does go jogging while at the Anton Murik estate in License Renewed, but I'm pretty sure it's so he can surveil the property.

Anyway, enjoy this blast from Ireland's past.

Click to enlarge.

Thank you Donal.

IAN FLEMING in Spring 2013 Fine Books and Collections

The Spring 2013 issue of Fine Books and Collections features James Bond creator Ian Fleming on the cover. Inside is an article on "The Birth of Bond" by the mighty Mike VanBlaricum of the Ian Fleming Foundation (the man who helped me build my own collection of Fleming Firsts).

IAN FLEMING in The UK Sunday Times today

The Sunday Times Magazine (UK) has a cover profile of James Bond author Ian Fleming today. It's nice amid all the Skyfall and 50th Anniversary hype to get a nod to 007's creator. The article illustration, by the way, is by our friend Peter Lorenz of the excellent blog, Illustrated 007. Congrats Peter!

Bonding with ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

By now you probably know that the new issue of Entertainment Weekly magazine has special James Bond 50th Anniversary coverage as well as a peek at the new film Skyfall.

Nothing literary Bond related and no mention of Fleming anywhere, unfortunately, but there is a nice shot of Timothy Dalton from his 1986 screen test that I've never seen.

Here's a look back at past Entertainment Weekly Bond covers, including their fantasy covers that came inside the Fall Movie Preview issue of 2006 (love these).

OO7 MAGAZINE #55

OO7 Magazine, the longest running James Bond fanzine, is out now with issue #55.

As you can see from the cover, the new Bond film SKYFALL is covered in "Will BOND 23 rise or fall?" by Luke Williams. Robert Sellers, author of The Battle for Bond, looks back at "The Search For Bond: How the 007 role was won and lost" in the first of a four part series. Photographer Terry O'Neill is interviewed about his career working with all five James Bond actors and his upcoming book, All About Bond.

Finally, book Bond fans will be interested in “Balloon, mein herr?”, an examination by Luke Williams of the fascinating parallels between the film versions of Graham Greene’s The Third Man (1949) and Ian Fleming’s The Living Daylights (1987).

You can purchase OO7 Magazine #55 along with all the current issues of the OO7 Magazine Archive Files at the OO7 Magazine website.

Mi6 Confidential previews IAN FLEMING: THE BIBLIOGRAPHY

The latest issue of Mi6 Confidential (#15) has just landed on my door, and while the cover story is devoted to the location filming of Skyfall, I'm happy to report that there is still plenty inside for the literary Bond fan.

First and foremost is an exclusive extract from Jon Gilbert's upcoming Ian Fleming: The Bibliography. With all the 50th Anniversary books heading our way this Fall, this is actually the book I'm most looking forward to, especially after getting this peek inside. It looks amazing!

The magazine also reports on the appointment of William Boyd as the latest continuation novelist, and includes a look back at the 1974 strip, The Phoenix Project, which featured 007 in action in Istanbul.

You can purchase Mi6 Confidential (#15) at mi6confidential.com.

Thanks to Hugh Maddocks.

Mi6 Confidential looks at cover art by Michael Gillette

The new issue of Mi6 Confidential(#14) includes a treat for us literary Bond fans; a story on the cover designs for the 2008 Ian Fleming Centenary editions with work in progress artwork from Michael Gillette's own sketch books. The article also says that Gillette was asked to design the covers for the new John Gardner reprints, but declined.

You can purchase Mi6 Confidential (#14) at mi6confidential.com.

Thanks to Hugh Maddocks.

MI6 Confidential looks at the art of Young Bond

Editor Hugh Maddocks alerts me that the lastest issue of his James Bond fanzine, MI6 Confidential, features a look back at Kev Walker's artwork for the Young Bond series, including an unused cover for Blood Fever that even I've never seen (third from the left). Very nice!

This issue also has a terrific profile of the life and art of Richard Chopping with some nice images of his From Russia With Love cover. And a very fine article about Bond strip artist Yaroslav Horak. All in all, a must get for fans of the literary 007.

You can purchase this issue of MI6 Confidential (#13) at mi6confidential.com.

OO7 Magazine celebrates Timothy Dalton...the Book Bond

Graham Rye has just released the latest issue of his OO7 Magazine Archive Files, this one devoted to Timothy Dalton and his two Bond films, The Living Daylights (1987) and Licence To Kill (1989).

As most Bond fans know, Dalton took inspiration for his portrayal of 007 from the Fleming Bond books, more so than any Bond actor before or after. He was touted at the time as "The Most Dangerous Bond...Ever", and his uniquely hard-edged performance and films were a bold departure from the Moore era and well ahead of their time. Maybe a little too far ahead, as certainly Licence To Kill is a film that is more appreciated today than when it was released in 1989.

Graham and OO7 always championed Dalton and his films, so this looks like one to get. Certainly fans of the literary Bond will want this one on their shelfs, as it's nice to think of Timothy Dalton as "The Book Bond."

Purchase OO7 Archive Files from the OO7 Magazine website.

UPDATE: Wow! What a joy this issue is. Not only are the photos great, but the articles themselves are OUTSTANDING. The entire mag is written by Luke Williams who is obviously a giant Dalton fan. I love that he makes the case that Licence To Kill is actually "the best Bond movie ever" and, you know, he might have a point! But I especially love his article about Eon's battle with the British censor to get a 15 rating for Licence To Kill. This is all new information to me, thoroughly researched and brilliantly written. This might be one of the best articles ever produced for OO7 Magazine, and is the kind of true insider info that can only be found in an unofficial publication. Bravo, bravo, bravo. I also wasn't aware of the tensions between John Barry and a-ha. I learned a lot from this mag, and that's saying something.

I just wish Luke wouldn't make so many of his points by bashing Roger Moore. Every page of his The Living Daylights overview contains a swipe at Roger and his films. It's just really hard for a Roger fan like me to read. But I guess hating on Roger, and especially Moonraker, is also in the great tradition of OO7 Magazine, so... :)

Great work.

The lost John Gardner comic strip adaptations

OO7 Magazine Online recently revealed that at least two John Gardner James Bond continuation novels, Icebreaker (1983) and Role of Honor (1984), were adapted into comic strip form, most likely to run as part of the Daily Express series. Unfortunately, these adaptations appear to have never been published.

Now thanks to OO7 publisher and editor Graham Rye (who owns the original artwork) here's a look at a panel from Role of Honor.

Click to enlarge

Courtesy of 007 MAGAZINE (to view the remainder of the exclusive images of these strips visit www.007magazine.co.uk and subscribe to 007 MAGAZINE OnLine).

Link: 007 MAGAZINE wins its complaint against ‘MI6 Confidential’

Good for Graham! OO7 Magazine is a terrific publication and has been THE go-to Bond fanzine for a whopping 32 years. I'm proud to say I own every issue.

"How James Bond Destroyed My Husband"

Currently on eBay there is a listing for the October 1966 issue of Ladies Home Journal containing the article, "HOW JAMES BOND DESTROYED MY HUSBAND" by "Mrs. Ian Fleming." I haven't read this, but from what I know about Anne Fleming, this could be a corker! However, I'm too cheap to pay the Buy It Now of $39.99. Over to you.

OO7 Magazine #54 now shipping

OO7 Magazine issue #54 is now available for purchase worldwide from the OO7 Magazine website.

This latest issue will be of particular interest to us book Bond fans as it contains a cover story on graphic designer Raymond Hawkey, who created many of the classic Bond paperback covers of the 1960s.

This issue also contains an interview with legendary Bond screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz and Associate Producer Stanley Sopel.