Larry Copeland bio:

Growing up in the Philadelphia area during the early ‘80’s, I stumbled upon Star Blazers in the afternoon after school on WTAF, Channel 29 (undoubtedly like a lot of us who became fans).  Even then, I thought Star Blazers was hands down the best animated show I’d ever seen… and that was saying something, given that I watched way too much TV as a kid, including several other cartoons.

I lost touch with Star Blazers pretty much until someone introduced me to YouTube, probably 8-9 years ago… at which point I reconnected with SB, as well as discovering a fair amount of the Japanese roots of the show in Space Battleship Yamato.

Then almost 4 years ago, on a whim, I did a Google search for “Comet Empire” and found Freddo Kopetz’s “Visions” site.  Over the next few months, I proceeded to spend far too long at a time – when I should have been doing other things – getting up to speed on “The Rikasha Incident”, “The New Comet”, and Freddo’s other SB/SBY side stories.

Even before making contact with Freddo himself, a crazy new story idea based in his SB universe started coming into my mind… one that combined baseball and Earth’s recently made orange-skinned friends called “Take Me Out to Rikasha”.  But what started out as a planned three or four page story still lies very incomplete on my hard drive with the introduction having taken almost five pages.  Did I tell you I was long-winded?

Actually, one of the main reasons that first story still lies far from complete is because another Freddo-SB-universe-based story idea came to mind… one where I am inserted into that universe, telling my story in the first-person.  And if I’m going to insert myself (or at least a character based on myself) into the story, then the reader will necessarily be finding out a lot about me.  And probably the most important part of my life is that I am Jewish, leading a religious lifestyle… hence, there are numerous references to yahadus (Jewish religious practice and thinking) throughout.  Yes, writing this story provides me the opportunity to fantasize about meeting the Wildstars and being on the Argo… but l’havdil (separating between a dream world and reality)… it also gives me the chance to expose otherwise unfamiliar readers to certain aspects of traditional Judaism… and hopefully give them a good impression of it.

Right now, this story as well is still very much under construction, but I have more or less completed certain chapters, of which the short vignette “March Silliness at the Wildstars” is one… as such, context is certainly lacking… I realize “Who the heck is this Chaim Kopelowitz guy, and how did he get to be friends with the Wildstars?” is a very reasonable question to ask… G-d willing, I’ll soon have the time and inspiration to fill in the story’s gaps, and the reader will have the answer to that question.

A quick note of thanks to Freddo Kopetz for encouraging me to write and for his efforts at writing and maintaining the “Visions” site. I hope everyone enjoys my initial foray into fan fiction.

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1. (Story Number One) “March Silliness at the Wildstars.” Or, what happens when the family watches college basketball. To read the tale, CLICK HERE

2. (Story Number Two) “Star Blazers Purim Vignette.” Or, a look at the Koplewitz’s Purim Party, complete with merriment, thanks to G-d for a long-ago victory He wrought, and the arrival of the Wildstars. To read the tale, CLICK HERE
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