BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO Bill Mumy, one of the actors who starred in the successful sixties sci-fi series, Lost in Space, returns to familiar territory with the graphic novel he penned, Lost in Space: Voyage to the Bottom of the Soul. He stopped by to talk acting, comics, and more.
THE PULSE: When did you start reading comics? Was it something you always did or something that you became interested in when you were a little older?
BILL MUMY: I started reading comic books before I could really read. I guess I got addicted to them by the time I was five, around 1959.
THE PULSE: Which comics did you follow religiously as a younger reader? Why?
MUMY: Super hero stuff. Always been that genre that I've loved the most, although I've also gotten heavily into the EC and pre super hero Marvel books over the years. I read the Archie stuff for awhile too when I was around 11 or 12. But in the beginning it was DC super hero titles. All of 'em. Started with the Superman books, Action, Superman, Adventure, Jimmy Olsen, Lois Lane, then got into the Justice League, Flash, Green Lantern, etc... I don't know why. It was my destiny!
THE PULSE: What comics do you find yourself following now?
MUMY: I read a lot of them still. My favorite book is the JSA, cuz I love the DC Golden Age characters more than any others ... but I read quite a lot of books. Batman, Detective, Superman, Action, Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman, JLA, Aquaman, Birds of Prey, Nightwing, Robin ... that's about it DC wise.
I read Captain America, (absolutely have loved the Winter Soldier story!) Because Joe Stracizinski's writing Fantastic Four and Spider-Man, I've followed his stuff. I read whatever Peter David's writing ... and I read the New Avengers. I read Planetary and a few independents. I enjoy Flaming Carrot ... I'll pick up other titles if they catch my eye or I hear good things about 'em.
THE PULSE: You've guest starred or had roles in several superhero shows in your career so far. What was it like, as a fan of the medium, getting the chance to play in the worlds or some of your heroes?
MUMY: I've loved those projects, because of the comic books! I've done Superboy, Ultra Man, the Captain America film, The Flash, Batman The Animated Series ... there's more I'm forgetting right now. I've always jumped at those opportunities just for the fun of it. No regrets there.
THE PULSE: When did you first start thinking about writing your own comics?
MUMY: Well, like a lot of kids I used to write and draw my own comic books when I was a kid on the set of Lost in Space. "Captain Panther and the Fox", "The Comb", "The Daredevils"... but I started writing real comics for Marvel in 1986 with the Comet Man. A six issue series that I wrote with Miguel Ferrer. It sold over half a million books.
THE PULSE: How tough was it to get the chance to work on your own comics? What helped you get your first break?
MUMY: It was quite easy. And the acting thing helped a lot. I'd met a lot of comic book professionals over the years at sci-fi and comic book conventions, where I would be a guest at. I'd become friendly with Jim Shooter when he was running Marvel. We were talking one day at a con, and he asked what I was up to, and I told him Miguel and I had just written a Twilight Zone spec script ... He literally said, "You should write something for Marvel. Something sci-fi." So, Halley's Comet was coming our way, and Miguel and I wrote an outline for a sci-fi super hero story about this poor schmuck whose entire life gets wrecked and Jim loved it and ... we did it. Kelley Jones pencilled it and Bill Sienkiewicz supplied the great covers. It was a great way to enter the medium. We had The Fantastic Four, the Hulk and Nick Fury in the books. We had a ball.
THE PULSE: It seems natural, after acting in Lost in Space for a handful of years, that you would come up with your own ideas for stories and situations the characters could be involved with. We know, with the Lost in Space Voyage To The Bottom of The Soul 360 page graphic novel, you're getting the chance to finish a comic story you began a decade ago, but when you were working on Lost in Space, did you ever suggest stories or ideas to the writers? Did you ever get the chance to add anything to the mix there?
MUMY: On Lost in Space I never would have thought to enter a creative opinion. I just showed up, hit my mark and read my lines. But I had a great time working on that show.
THE PULSE: How frustrating was it to begin that comic book series in 1993 at Innovation and then just be a few issues into your tale before the company folded?
MUMY: You don't want to know... It was very frustrating. I do discuss it in detail in the forward to the graphic novel.
THE PULSE: Did you ever think you'd get the chance to finish the series as you envisioned? What were some of your initial thoughts when Bubblehead approached you?
MUMY: I had given up on it. I didn't think it was going to happen. Certainly not happen the way I wanted it to. But ... it DID! John and Ruth Severin have been perfect all the way. Great people. Very professional and positive. They wanted to do it and they wanted to do it right. They reassembled the original team and I couldn't be happier about it. It's an ambitious project that came out the way I wanted it to.
THE PULSE: When the complete story was originally announced (http://www.comicon.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=37&t=004318) there were plans to have the book ready for 2005's San Diego Comic-Con. What delayed its release from then 'til now?
MUMY: The usual. Deadlines on artwork. Michal had something like 170 pages to paint when he took the project back on ... he just couldn't keep up the pace non-stop. But that's cool. He did a great job. What's a few months after twelve years?
THE PULSE: Getting to tell a story like this, do you feel as if the Lost in Space saga has come full circle for you? Does it feel like you've finally got an ending or closure to something you began so long ago?
MUMY: Hmmmm, well, I've learned to keep the original experience of filming the television series back in the mid '60s separate from any other Lost in Space project ... So ... not really. I'm very glad to have closure on Voyage to the Bottom of the Soul, though! But, Lost in Space will never really "end" for me. It's my treasure and my scar.
THE PULSE: What was the collaboration process like to bring this story to life? How open was Bubblehead and how well did Michal Dutkiewicz illustrate the tale?
MUMY:Bubblehead was great. They'd read the original printing six issues ... they wanted to complete the project, they knew I wanted the original team back in place to do it, they read my unpublished scripts for the second half, I did some tweaking, they contacted George Broderick Jr. and Michal Dutkiewitz and ... it all fell into place the way it was supposed to. Michal did a great job back in the '90s and he's done a great job now. He's a stickler for details and he wants it all right.
THE PULSE: Did you already have all of the writing done on this story in 1993? Or did you have to finish it recently? If you had it all done, did you update or tweak it at all for this new publication or did you just leave it as is? If you had to finish it, was it tough to get into that mindset again or did it all flow smoothly?
MUMY: It was basically done. I just tweaked a little. But it was there. I'd finished it back at the end of 93 basically.
THE PULSE: What other comic projects are you working on?
MUMY: I have several outlines and projects that I'm juggling and about to pitch.
THE PULSE: How'd you get bit by the acting bug when you were a kid? Was this something you were after or did your parents push for you to be in the spotlight?
MUMY: It was my energy. I bugged my parents to "get me into the tv" set. I wanted to be like Zorro and Superman. It was those two adventure "super hero" shows that made me want to do it. And of course, Guy Williams who played Zorro, played John Robinson on Lost in Space. I was really happy about that! Guy was great.
THE PULSE: Prior to acting on Lost in Space, which made you one of the most envied kids in television, you worked on a ton of notable television series in a variety of roles. What was it like working with Loretta Young, Elizabeth Montgomery, Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, to name a few? Were you fans of theirs before getting the chance to be on their series?
MUMY: I truly had a great time working a lot as a child actor. If I didn't my folks would've stopped it. I had a huge crush on Elizabeth Montgomery! Bewitched was one of my favorite shows. I loved watching Rick Nelson and his band tape their musical numbers ... That was great. I did so many shows in those years ... almost everyone was nice to work with. There were only a few jerks. Showbiz is a very collaborative medium. Most shows have a tight "band" and they groove well together. I really enjoyed it.
THE PULSE: I'm a fan of watching as many Christmas episodes as possible around the holiday season, and one of my favorites is your guest appearance on Bewitched in a Vision of Sugarplums. What do you remember the most about filming that episodes?
MUMY: I loved the Bewitched. That was the first of two Bewitched I did. I just had a great time with Elizabeth and the crew were really nice to me. I was madly in love with her. When I did the second episode, "Junior Executive", where Endora turns Darren into a kid, (me), it was really great, cuz I got to be her husband and kiss her! That's a great trivia question by the way, "name the THREE actors to play Darren Stevens"...
THE PULSE: Back when you first started acting, there weren't a lot of "reruns" or shows being aired in syndication. So, when you were doing these jobs, did you ever think forty years later people would still be watching the episodes or new audiences daily would be introduced to some of the characters you created?
MUMY: I didn't think much more into the future than the next issue of Superman comics! No... 40 years ahead? To a ten year old? No. I never thought about stuff like that.
THE PULSE: You also did a lot of work in Disneyland, did you ever get to meet Walt Disney? If so what was that experience like?
MUMY: I did. He was great. He called me into his office when I was filming "Sammy, the Way Out Seal"... I was nervous to meet him. He just wanted to ask me if I was having fun and tell me the show was coming along great. It was cool. Disney was a wonderful place to work when Walt was there.
THE PULSE: You seemed to work in a lot of sci-fi tinged things like Twilight Zone and Alfred Hitchcock. Were you ever bothered as a youngster working on disturbing stories or strange things like that? Or did you just enjoy the experience and not think much about the subject matter?
MUMY: Never bothered me. I loved that stuff.
THE PULSE: Do you think working on Alfred Hitchcock and the Twilight Zone were a good training job for being believable as Will Robinson on Lost in Space?
MUMY: Alfred Hitchcock was a total jerk to me. But, no... those were just different characters and different stories. I don't think it had anything to do with the way I played Will. I hope that I was believable in everything I did. That's the job.
THE PULSE: Back when you first got the role as Will, there weren't a lot of sci-fi series like that on television. What did you look to for inspiration and influences in bringing the role to life?
MUMY: I looked to the script. I looked to the reality of the situation. In anything. That's all you can do. Believe what you're saying and what you're doing when the camera rolls. It's simple.
THE PULSE: How soon after the first few episodes aired did you realize this show was gaining a rabid audience and following? Was there any one thing or a few things that happened that made you really know this was something that was going to be around for a while?
MUMY: I never got caught up in ratings or how big the show was ... I just enjoyed going to work everyday.
THE PULSE: I'm sure people have asked you a lot about your favorite episodes from the series or best memories of being in the show, but I was wondering if there was one thing you hated about a particular episode or something within the series? Is there any episodes you hope you never have to watch again? Why?
MUMY: Well, I don't really watch the series much... but, I think a lot of the really campy silly ones are too over the top. At the time, I preferred the first season, the more serious adventure type episodes. But I loved being there everyday. I don't want to see "The Great Vegetable Rebellion" ever again, but TV Guide named it one of the greatest 100 episodics ever made ... so what do I know?
THE PULSE: After Lost in Space, were you typecast a lot? Did you find it tough to get into another series or weren't you actively seeking the chance to be in series television again?
MUMY: I didn't want to do another series after LIS for a long time. I did movies and guest shots and after starring in Stanley Kramer's "Bless the Beasts and Children" in 1971, I took a few years off to study music in college and work with my band at the time, Redwood. Then I came back to acting in 73 in "Papillion" with Dustin Hoffman and Steve McQueen.
THE PULSE: What other projects (out of comics) are you working on?
BILL MUMY WITH THE JENERATORS.
MUMY: I've just finished guest starring in an episode of "Crossing Jordan" and I'm in a Sci Fi Channel movie of the week called "Shock Wave" that should come out soon ... I'm in the recording studio finishing my next solo CD, and I'm very happy with that. I'm gigging with my band, The Jenerators, and Barnes and Barnes have recently released all our back catalogue on Oglio Records with lots of bonus tracks ... I do a lot of voice over work and I'm writing a lot of projects. You never know what will happen every time the phone rings. I have my two children, Seth and Liliana and they're busy and my wife Eileen and I just try to keep everything going as smooth as possible. I update my scene constantly at the website, which is www.billmumy.com
If you're interested in getting this Lost in Space book, it's currently only available through the official website www.lisvoyage.com . The book will also be in the Diamond Catalog in February.
Posts: 20777 | From: PA | Registered: Aug 2002
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Nice to hear that he had a good time and turned out well. So many child TV stars haven't had such a good experience. Sounds like he's mostly been able to do what he wanted to do in life.
Now I'm waiting for that Heather North interview!
Posts: 1489 | Registered: Jun 2005
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[sigh] What I wouldn't give to be able to use the phrase "when I was filming 'Sammy, the Way Out Seal'"...
Posts: 11 | Registered: Feb 2003
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Oh come on, Jen, next thing you'll be telling us you don't know Nicole Jaffe either!
We like these interviews with the people you do get a chance to talk to, though!
Speaking of Disney, have you ever checked out "Barefoot Executive?" Starring Kurt Russell, Harry Morgan, Joe Flynn, Heather North, and a chimpanzee named Raffles. Lots of fun, in a 1970s Disney kind of way. Heather North sounds (and coincidentally enough looks) rather like her "Scooby Doo" character.
Posts: 1489 | Registered: Jun 2005
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