This interview is reprinted from A Sense of Wonder Fanzine 1978-79, second of two parts.
A Sense of Wonder Interview:
DAVID HEATH
Editor's Note: David Heath Jr., an Army Captain, is editor and publisher of No Sex, a fanzine dealing with science fiction. This is the second of a two-part Interview.
Sense of Wonder: What would you say makes a good fanzine now?
Heath: Nowadays most good zines are centered around a few good artists who are willing to work for free. Earl Geier, Stephen Schwartz and McNasty are the kinda guys who seem to draw like rabbits reproduce and you see them everywhere...and they're really good. we need more good fan artist like them. Even though I've drawn for close to 100 zines I don't consider myself a "good" artist or even cartoonist. My lack of formal training makes me insecure in my art and 60% of my stuff never sees print because I don't think it worthy of being seen, dig? I guess that's really why I draw and edit my zine -- if people like it, it gives me a sense of accomplishment in spite of my insecurity.
Sense of Wonder: What are your interests in fandom?
Heath: SF and only SF.. I love hard nuts and bolts science fiction and don't care who knows. In pursuit of this I have a collection of all IF and Galaxy science fiction magazines. I also have over 300 Ace double novels. My paperback collection is about 2000 books now. i also have SF television series on video tape. love Star Trek, Twilight Zone and outer limits. My favorite, though, was The Prisoner. many consider this spy oriented show not to be SF but the concepts and format are more thought-provoking then 1984 or even Animal Farm -- unusual for the commercial aspect of television.
Sense of Wonder: Would you say that the Prisoner set a standard for SF on television -- that it's the best we've seen so far?
Heath: Before I answer your question directly let me say that I wouldn't classify The Prisoner as hard "nuts and bolts" science fiction which is represented best by certain episodes of The Twilight Zone (The Invaders, I Shot and Arrow -- better respected for its drama than its SF), Outer Limits and some Star Trek episodes ("City on the Edge for Forever, "Tholian Web", etc). Rather, The Prisoner is what I would call "thinking" or "soft core" SF which is represented by books like 1984, Brave New World etc. This type of SF is often called social fiction or speculative fiction. The reason I mention all this is because I like The Prisoner because it was the first SF series on television to bring themes of social fiction to air in a thought-provoking manner.
Yes. I think it's the best SF ever presented in aq social vain because of the themes presented and not the gadgetry. the basic questions of the individual will always be relevant, kinda like the stuff brought out in I Robot. The Prisoner was a series of conflicts but a personal conflict. It's YOU (everyman, as in Everyman Productions, Ltd.) against THEM. They will fold, stamp, label, number, classify and codify you while the individual will not have this. the Prisoner brings up the concept of Future Shock -- did cavemen have to worry about conformity and mind control? Obviously not; the question is should we ever resist? Why resist the hive mind? Bees don't and they get along fine. The moral of the series of course is you must resist -- heck, that's what makes life fun, interaction and resistance. "Who are the prisoners here...?"
Sense of Wonder: Jack Kirby once tried to adapt he Prisoner to the comic book form at Marvel Comics, Do you think the series is easily adapted?
Heath: I think the 17 episodes of The Prisoner could be adapted to a comic book. I would hate to see anyone try to go beyond the original screenwriters -- i think the effect would be lost if they did and there would be a desire to either break Number Six or let him escape when the intent of the story was obvious that there was no escape.
Sense of Wonder: Could you elaborate more ont he moral of The Prisoner?
Heath: I said the moral of the story was to show you must resist, I say this based on the last couple episodes that end with Number Six hitchhiking down the avenue to London, then riding off into the sunset in his Lotus. To get there he went through a convoluted episode involving conflicts with The Village, Number Two and finally himself. We resolve the conflict through an inner thing that the individual, you, must come to grips with if there is to be a triumph over the hive mind. The goal or the prize? Freedom of course. The picture of Number Six riding down the strasse in his Lotus, his hair blowing in the wind reminded you of 2001: A Space Odyssey -- an enigma that offered hope for the man...if you could understand it.
Sense of Wonder: Lets' switch from video medium to print medium. The biggest SF magazine is OMNI. Any opinions on it?
Heath: OMNI Magazine? When I read it I think I'm reading PLAYBOY magazine which i always found boring. The idea of presenting all the gee-whiz things coming in the near future is nice, but somehow it doesn't capture my imagination as I thought it would especially with Ben Bova helping to edit.
Sense of Wonder: Have you ever thought about drawing professionally for comics?
Heath: Yes, I've thought about drawing a story to market in a comic, but I'm not good enough to pull it off.
Sense of Wonder: Has your work been influences by anybody in particular?
Heath: Yes, my work is greatly influenced by Vaughn Bode. i never traced his stuff or anything like that but I used to spend hours studying his technique of drawing and story telling. Bode was unique in the underground world in that his universe was believable in a perverse sort of way.
Note as a follow-up. To set the record straight, I did trace Bodes' art. I no longer have that extensive SF collection, I sold it in the late 80's for money when times where hard and i miss those books a lot. It must have been after this interview that I did professional work for Space Journal Magazine others in the form of covers, interior art and strips for pay.