New History Book on Underdog and TTV Out NOW!!

Now you can order my second book "Created and Produced by Total TeleVision productions: The Story of Underdog, Tennessee Tuxedo and the Rest" at BearManor Media

Also available at Amazon

Front cover by Mike Kazaleh ("The Simpsons", "New Adventures of Mighty Mouse")

Back cover blurb by Scott Shaw! ("Scooby-Doo", "Captain Carrot")

Written by Mark Arnold ("The Best of The Harveyville Fun Times!")

380 pages! Full color covers! Complete TTV history!

From Fun Ideas Productions and BearManor Media!

Order your copy today! Only $29.95!

George's Greatest Miss

What a disappointment. This should have been a career-encompassing greatest hits. Instead, we get an album of random tracks that are too top heavy on four of George's albums "All Things Must Pass", "Cloud Nine" and "Brainwashed", and "Concert for Bangla Desh" and virtually ignore everything else. Many have said this should have been a two-disc set. In light of that, here is a more coherent single-disc set that actually does cover George's entire solo career:

1. My Sweet Lord
2. What is Life?
3. Bangla Desh
4. Give Me Love
5. Dark Horse
6. You
7. This Song
8. Crackerbox Palace
9. Blow Away
10. All Those Years Ago
11. Wake Up My Love
12. I Don't Want To Do It
13. Got My Mind Set On You
14. When We Was Fab
15. Handle With Care
16. Cheer Down
17. My Sweet Lord 2000
18. Horse to the Water
19. Any Road

I Finally Replaced Archie's Car

I am so happy. I went to Supercon in San Jose last weekend and found an item that was stolen from me years ago...Archie's Car!!!!

The genesis of this story dates back to 1969 when The Archies were HOT and Post cereals had various Archie items included in their cereals or as sendaway items. For example, there were cut-out records on the back of the boxes and a sendaway of Jughead's beanie.

One of the items was a small plastic car included inside of boxes of "Alpha-Bits" referred to as "Archie's Car". There were cut-outs on the back of the box of Archie and the gang that you were supposed to insert into the car and a cut-out of a garage.

The cut-outs were later discarded, but I always loved my Archie's Car. Later, in 1989, I had a party at my apartment in San Francisco, and invited people from my work at KBHK-TV 44 at the time.

I invited my boss and he brought along his wife and son. His son was about 9 years old at the time. I had a habit of having favorite toys on display on my bookshelves; Archie's Car being one of them.

Anyway, I noticed that the boss' son was looking at the car at the time, but figured he'd just put it back after holding it. Next day, I was cleaning up and noticed that my Archie's Car WAS GONE!!!

HORRORS! I was so mad. And I couldn't tell the boss, because I had no real proof that he actually took it. I only saw that he was looking at it, so I let it go.

Years later, I wanted to replace my Archie's Car and looked for it at shows and in stores and later on line. I never saw one. At one toy show, someone had a red one, but I wanted my yellow one back. (The car also was available in blue, apparently, but I've never seen one.)

Time after time, I checked Ebay to no avail. If you look up Archie's Car on Ebay, typically you will see the "Burger King" versions, which I also own, that feature Archie and the gang actually in the driver's seat.

Anyway, at last Saturday's Supercon, I was looking around...and THERE IT WAS!!! And it was YELLOW!!! It looked just like the one that was stolen, so I purchased it without hesitation. Cost me $20, which seemed fair. Of course, I would like to have not had to pay to replace it, but now the search is over.

And here it is (see photo above)!!!

Finally Found Thurl Ravenscroft Album!!!

I finally found a download of a very rare Thurl Ravenscoft album!! For those who don't know, Ravenscroft was the voice of Tony the Tiger for over 50 years!! He also sang the theme song to Disneyland's Haunted Mansion and the Grinch song in "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and "No Dogs Allowed" in "Snoopy, Come Home" among other things.

This particular album was available as a digital download and is everything I expected. Ravenscroft narrates the story behind the Gospel song and then sings it. I had the pleasure to interview with Ravenscroft a few years ago, and I asked him if there were any plans to issue this to CD and he said probably not. Sadly, it turned out to be his final interview and can be found in "Hogan's Alley" magazine.

I would still love to see it rereleased. Despite a download, I'd still be interested in a vinyl version of this, so if you see one cheap, please let me know...

If the Rich Just Paid More Taxes....

Interesting chart that was sent to me showing that the rich only pay about 35% of their income in taxes currently. In the past, they have paid up to 91% of their income and guess when we were strongest economically as a country, when the rich were paying that much!!!

Look at the 1920s before the Great Depression, the rich paid the least in taxes and look what happened? THE GREAT DEPRESSION!!!

During WWII and after, when they were paying a lot, we were doing GREAT economically as a country.

As the rich have paid less and less since the 1950s, our economy has gone down and down accordingly. IT'S ABSOLUTELY AMAZING, but not totally unexpected.

So wealthy people, you know what to do. Your fun is over. It's time to pay more than your share to help us low paid individuals out and SAVE OUR COUNTRY!!!

This is the bailout we need!!!

Paul and Ringo in Concert Again

Only about 29 years too late....

Cracked Book

I have been told to write a new blog entry due to monumental demand (alright one person), but that's enough for me to do another plug for my upcoming book on "Cracked" magazine.

The book is going to be called "If You're Cracked, You're Happy: The History of Cracked Mazagine" and will be published by Bear Manor Media.

I am currently in the process of interviewing as many of the original creators as possible including John Severin.

I am also in the process of indexing every issue ever published including the annuals and specials and am currently up to 1969.

I'll post periodic updates here, but please feel free to comment or give me any assistance on the project. I would like to know if anyone has a "Who's Cracked?" T-shirt from 1958, or any other rare "Cracked" merchandise?

Please email me at thft@att.net if you have anything...