The Legend of Astro Annie

Astro*Annie!

Name: Edna Norbloom
Alias: Astro Annie/The Pink Salmon

* The Legend of Astro Annie *

"Astro-Annie" was a corny space show that came out in the early 70's, starring Edna Norbloom as the leading lady, Astro-Annie herself. (It also co-starred Gregory Hammell as Lt. Joseph Theibes, and British actor Sammy Withers as Fletchor.) Anyhow, "Astro-Annie" was basically a lower budget Star-Trek rip-off starring a woman, and although this genre was large at the time, the budget really showed, as did Mark Johnson's poor scripting. Greg Hammell was once quoted as saying, "If it weren't for the war going on, I would have been out of [the show] in a minute...it was so absolutely terrible." But the show held its ratings on CBS for almost 3 years before it was finally cancelled.

While the show was in production, Edna Norbloom was considered a sex-symbol of her time, being both gorgeous and single. She had been acting for her entire life and had gathered a large number of fans, and many said that she loved them more than the acting itself. However, when the show was finally cancelled in 1974, Edna was left jobless for the first time in her life. Off the screen, most of her fans deserted her for Kelsey Jennings, who took the "Astro-Annie" time-slot with her side role in the citcom "One Man's Treasure."  Bereft by all that she held dear, Edna sank into depression and was not seen again. Sources say that she gained a great deal of weight after the cancellation, and feeling she would let down her remaining fans in such a state, shielded herself from the press entirely. But, as no one has seen her since 1974, it is indeed difficult to say what has become of the "Astro-Annie" star who had taken America by storm.

However, being her biographer in theory, I do know what happened to Edna Norbloom. She did gain an astonishing 250 pounds and all her former beauty left her. She moved down to a small flat near a fishing port in California and became a clerk in a small fish shop; a far cry from her soft acting career. As the years progressed, she became more depressed, even violent. She met up with a group knowns as "RABBLE" and dawned a costume once again. This time Edna Norbloom would become the infamous "Pink Salmon," an obese, foul- fishy smelling woman known for her cunning in the world of crime. Today, she remains on the loose, with only our masked saviour, Frankenwall, between her evil deeds and what's left of the world of good.

Edna Norbloom's story is a sad one but one that should finally be told. The once stunning beauty has captured Freewall's heart, as she had so many others, but I don't believe he will ever be enlightened by Astro-Annie's real whereabouts any time soon. At least, not by me. Their confrontation is inevitable of course (for reasons undisclosed), but I will leave that for another time. The longer the poor boy can go without having his dreams shattered the better.