Benjamin J. Szumskyj is an Australian horror editor, author and much more besides. He is also a valuable friend to this campaign and one who champions the brilliance of Millennium. He is also responsible for getting this campaign into print for the very first time.
This is one man's campaign story so far, and one which suggests one way by which YOU can make a huge difference with very little effort. Read on, be inspired and, more importantly, turn that inspiration into action. FRANK BLACK NEEDS YOU!
I like challenges. Take for example, the following: the return of Millennium, a television series that was cancelled several years ago after a thoroughly entertaining three seasons. Like most television shows, once it's been cancelled, that's it. No more. From time to time, you might squeeze out a film, but generally it's the end. This of course, can be hard to deal with. For some fans, having been there from the beginning, they feel lost as they come to the realization that their beloved characters will no longer return for another adventure. Sure, other shows replace the timeslot but there's nothing quite like the original. Personally, I don't watch much television but I have been a fan of particular television series over the years. I liked The Twilight Zone. I liked Xena: Warrior Princess. I liked The X-Files. I also liked Millennium. As a latecomer to the series, I never had the chance to truly experience it as each episode counted down to the year 2000. In fact, I remember watching a few minutes of the first episode as a teenager and declaring "this is boring". But, time passed, tastes changed and after purchasing the entire series of The X-Files on DVD last year, I took a gamble and purchased Millennium on DVD. Watching them one by one, night after night, I became an instant fan. I came to befriend Frank Black, his wife Catherine, daughter Jordan, and the myriad of friends, colleagues and enemies he encountered from the beginning of the series until the very end. Before I pressed PLAY on that final episode of Season Three, I hesitated as I knew this was it. No more Frank.
Why the trip down memory lane, you ask? Simple. I want to explain to you how much I loved the series. How much I enjoyed the characters, the mythology and the suspense. Most importantly, being that I like challenges, in hearing through the grapevine that there might be a chance that a film, even season, of Millennium could make a return to the small or large screens made me ask "How can I help?" Through the TIWWA forum, I met fellow fans and soon enough found out about the BacktoFrankBlack campaign. In doing so, I wrote an article about it all and had it published in an Australian horror magazine, Black. But I wanted to do more, despite my limited time. Then it hit me; flyers! But where would one disturb them? It was then that I was reminded that SWANCON, the annual science fiction convention and writers' festival held in Perth, Western Australia was soon approaching. It was then that I put one and one together and within a short amount of time, I downloaded a flyer from the BackToFrankBlack website, printed several hundred copies up and with a small fee, had them inserted into every convention bag handed out at SWANCON. It was easy as that. The challenge had been easier than expected and rather than talk the talk, as too many of us do in the world, I walked the walked (so to speak). So if you have ever asked yourself "How can I help?", simply look at my story and follow suit and know that on the day when Millennium: The Movie is released in cinemas worldwide or another season debuts on television, it was in some small part, because of YOU.
Cheers & God Bless
Benjamin Szumskyj
Teacher & Editor
