I Was Illya Kuryakin

How many of you recognize the globe emblem on the Right of this page? I know Perfectly Human does. That was the logo for tv series from the sixties...The Man From U.N.C.L.E. That was, and still is, my favorite television program. I used to walk a quarter of a mile down a country road past a graveyard ..at nite..every friday nite to watch it. I was 12 years old. And I was Illya Kuryakin.

I made UNCLE comunicators out of ink pens. I made myself a shoulder holster out of an adjustable cloth belt for my UNCLE SPECIAL. That was what the pistol UNCLE agents carried was called. My mother worked in a drycleaners with a press just like the one in Del Flora's Tailor shop. (everybody knows that's the secret entrance to UNCLE headquarters right?) How cool was that?

My best friend and I roamed the woods, and fields of Tennessee saving the world from the evils of THRUSH every day. Neighbor's Barns became secret labs where plots to enslave the world needed to be infliltrated, and "destroyed" We thought we were being soo covert in our approach, but i found out later Mrs. Neal saw us almost every time...."Why I knew you boys weren't hurtin nuthin in that old barn." She told me years later. We were secret agents.

I'll never forget the first UNCLE paperback book I ever saw. It was in Bower's dept. store in downtown Monterey Tennessee in the summer of 1966. (accross the street my sister, and i bought RUBBER SOUL..my favorite BEATLES album, but that's another blog.) The book was THE COPENHAGEN AFFAIR The third book in the series. I loved it!! It was everything the series used to be, and more! By now with BATMAN, LOST IN SPACE, AND GET SMART to compete with UNCLE the tv show had become another in an endless parade of tongue in cheek tv shows.

The books were (to a 13 yr old) high drama. Truth be known i still reread them to this day. oh! I was in heaven. Every few months there would be Napoleon Solo, and Illya Kuryakin on the paperback book rack.


(ok boomers how many of you have PAPER BACK WRITER playing in your head now?) I ordered #1 THE THOUSAND COFFINS AFFAIR, #2 THE DOOM'S DAY AFFAIR, and #4 THE DAGGER AFFAIR from ace books, and i was off on a road of collecting UNCLE books that would last until the 80s when i found two that i didn't know exhisted in a second hand store!! #22 THE STONE COLD DEAD IN THE MARKET AFFAIR,and#23THE FINGER IN THE SKY AFFAIR. Can You imagine my joy? Finding two "new" UNCLE books after years of thinking there would be no more UNCLE?

Not too long ago I found out that my favorite UNCLE writer David McDaniels wrote a "final" UNCLE book. It wasn't published because the series had been canceled. NOOOOOOOO! It is out there. I read about it from time to time...THE FINAL AFFAIR by David Mc Daniels. And I must have it!! If anybody out there has it...or knows somebody that has it. or you can help me in any way to get my hands on this book....PLEASE!!!! Help me save the world from THRUSH one more time.

Oh...for those of you too young to remember UNCLE.....

U.N.C.L.E. stood for the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement.

T.H.R.U.S.H. stood for the Technological Hierarchy for the Removal of Undesirables and the Subjugation of Humanity.

Who's side are you on?