Special - Calling Alpha Control: LUBLINER & CLARK

Special - Calling Alpha Control: PAUL LUBLINER & MIKE CLARK

 EPISODE SYNOPSIS: We welcome BACK our old friend & LIS Super Aficionado Mr. Mike Clark & he’s accompanied today by his friend & colleague Mr. Paul Lubliner to Alpha Control for an exclusive interview. Both Mike & Paul have been life-long fans of the Fantasy Worlds that Irwin Allen created on his 1960’s TV series. Today they are well known to the LIS fan community for collaborating on the fantastic documentary film, ‘RESTORING THE GEMINI 12’. The film which Mr. Clark produced in 2016 has over 400,000 views on YouTube & it chronicles Paul’s amazing work restoring to original condition, the 50 year-old 4 foot filming miniature of the Robinson’s Spacecraft that was used to produce special effects shots for the unaired pilot ‘No Place to Hide’. After LIS was picked up by CBS in 1965, much of that SFX footage would be recycled in several episodes of LIS & the Gemini 12 would be re-designated as the Jupiter 2.

Recently, Paul & Mike have teamed up again for a new documentary film that takes the story of the Gemini 12 Model to a whole other level-literally! That film titled ‘RELAUNCHING THE GEMINI 12’, is being released on YouTube in 3 parts over a few weeks in August of 2020 & it documents their effort to recreate one of the most iconic special effect sequences ever seen on LIS using virtually the same technics that were used to produce the original shots! The film is a story of challenges, setbacks & unrelenting determination to do what at times seemed an almost impossible task & it’s created using the same high-quality production values that made their 1st documentary a treat to watch.

MIKE'S BIO: Mike Clark has had a long career in television on the camera & production side of things. He also had a 15-year career as a feature writer for the classic Sci-Fi Film/TV magazine STARLOG. During his career he’s had the opportunity to interview most of the original cast members & some of the behind the scenes creators of LIS, including Irwin Allen himself. As a result, he’s become something of a recognized expert on the classic series. So much so that, Mike was featured as the main facilitator of the Cast Commentaries ‘Special features’ that are included on the incredible LIS: The Complete Adventures Blu-Ray set. Today Mike resides in Southern California running his own video production company Clark Media Productions.

PAULS' BIO: Paul Lubliner is the CEO of Highliners, producer of highly detailed scale model train kits & parts, which he founded over 30 years ago in San Diego. The company is renowned by model railroad enthusiasts world-wide for their quality & scale accuracy. Paul has used his expertise as a master model maker & skilled fabricator of miniature parts for model trains to pursue another passion; restoring classic Irwin Allen film miniatures including the original 4' Seaview model, the 2 wood patterns for the Flying Sub and of course, the original Gemini 12 miniature.  Paul also created the screen-accurate 8-foot Seaview model replica used in Kevin Burns’ TV-documentary ‘THE FANTASY WORLDS of IRWIN ALLEN’.  For the new 3-part documentary series, RELAUNCHING THE GEMINI 12, Paul constructed a duplicate 1:1 scale Gemini 12 replica; complete with spinning radar, fusion core & Lydecker tubes for inserting guidewires, just like the original model used by LB Abbott’s Fox special effects crew in 1965.

We’ll talk more with our guests about that replica & what it was used for, as well as lot of other fascinating details about their new film project. You’re in for a real treat for the ears, so sit back relax and enjoy this wide-ranging conversation with Paul Lubliner & Mike Clark.

PODCAST INFO: This interview was conducted on 29 MAY 2020.

LINKS: NEW Gemini 12 YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnA9Rt_48p4sJC3Ba5sM1PA

Mike Clarks’ BIG13 YouTube Channel- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvkITJdy8aTGId4D8Hvj3dA

Mike Clark’s Website- http://www.big13.com/

Winchell-Mahoney Time Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2103715256560172/

Supercar/Fireball XL5 TV Series Fans
https://www.facebook.com/groups/418609601927647/

Paul Lubliner’s Model Railroad Business- https://highlinersonline.com/

https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/

EMAIL: [email protected]