Fun Ideas: May 2006

Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Muppetvision 3-D

Though you have to travel to one of the Disney theme parks to see this fine interactive 3-D film, it is well worth the trip to see the final performances of Jim Henson (Kermit, Swedish Chef) and Richard Hunt(Scooter) doing their classic "Muppet Show" muppets before their untimely deaths. Hopefully, someday someone will see fit to release this to home video (with glasses). Stranger things have happened as Disney's previous 3-D film "Captain EO" was released to cable TV for a time (albiet in a 2-D print) and Disney is actively reissuing complete season sets of "The Muppet Show", so the chance for a release is very good, perhaps as a bonus feature on one of the box sets.

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Regards,

Mark Arnold
http://funideas.home.att.net

Monday, May 29, 2006

Flip Wilson Show

I'm rewatching the old "Flip Wilson Show" (1970-1974) DVDs again. I am annoyed that they only have five episodes on each disc and there's only two discs and that the shows have been severely edited to half-hour shows, when the original series aired as an hour long show.

Maybe Rhino (or Shout Factory) will see fit to release all 65 episodes in their full length versions. Flip is generally forgotten today due to his basically dropping out of sight after his show ended in 1974, and then dying in 1998. But Flip is just as important or even more important than comedians like Richard Pryor or Bill Cosby, because he was like a combination of both of those performers. He wasn't so "hip" like Pryor so as to be censored on the airwaves ("SNL" tape delay and segments of "Richard Pryor" show) or so "nice" like Cosby ("The Bill Cosby Show", "Cos", "The New Bill Cosby Show", "The Cosby Show" and "Cosby" plus Jell-O pudding commercials) became. It's a shame he isn't more revered today, being relegated to such status as Godfrey Cambridge or Dick Gregory, basically forgotten today.

Regards,
MARK ARNOLD
Fun Ideas Productions - P. O. Box 2616 - Saratoga, CA 95070
_________________________________________________________
Please click on my web sites:
Fun Ideas - http://funideas.home.att.net
MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/fun_ideas_productions
The Harveyville Fun Times! - http://thft.home.att.net
Mark's Rare Comics - http://rarecomics.home.att.net
So Rare! Collectibles - http://sorare.home.att.net
Food Shop - http://foodshop.home.att.net
Blog - http://fun-ideas.blogspot.net
Protecto, the Little Robot - http://protecto.blogspot.com

Friday, May 26, 2006

Being a Beatles Fan is Tough

Being a Beatles fan is tough because there's a number of things for whatever reason, both group and solo, that have not been released or re-released in an updated format. I will attempt to list a few below that have never been released in a legitimate form (i.e. not bootleg):

Beatles -
"Live at the Hollywood Bowl" CD
Any Beatles live CD
"The Beatles at Shea Stadium" DVD
"Let it Be" DVD
"Rock 'n' Roll Music" CD
"Love Songs" CD
"The Beatles Christmas Album" CD
Complete Decca audition CD
An "Anthology" greatest hits CD
The Complete BBC Sessions on CD
CD upgrades with better booklets

George Harrison
A live CD from the Dark Horse tour from 1974
A good career-spanning greatest hits CD
CD debuts of rarities and non-album tracks
"Live in Japan" DVD

Paul McCartney
"James Paul McCartney" DVD
"Wings Over the World" DVD
"Rock Show" DVD
A music video DVD
A Live CD from the early days of Wings tours
Oodles of demos and unreleased stuff ("Cold Cuts" box set)
A good post-Wings career-spanning greatest hits CD

John Lennon
"Live in New York City" DVD
"Tom Snyder Interview" DVD
"Mike Douglas Show" DVD (although I heard one is coming
"Jerry Lewis Telethon" performances in any form
"Imagine" DVD (not the documentary, but the 1971 feature)

Ringo Starr
"Scouse the Mouse" CD
"Ringo" (aka "Ognir Rrats") DVD
A music video DVD
Live DVDs of the the All-Starr Band tours not yet on DVD
The Chips Moman album on CD
"VH1 Storytellers" DVD
A good career-spanning greatest hits CD

Those are a few that pop off the top of my head...

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

The Adventures of Jerry Lewis and other Forgotten DC Comics

As much as I love the DC Archives hardback collections of comic books, it is a shame that the company seems to avoid their non-superhero material with a passion. I would love to see archived volumes of the following (this list is not all-inclusive, just ones I thought of off the top of my head.):

The Adventures of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis
The Adventures of Jerry Lewis
The Adventures of Bob Hope
Sgt. Bilko
Sgt. Bilko's Private Doberman
Sugar and Spike
Funny Stuff
Leading Comics
The Fox and the Crow
Real Screen Funnies
Welcome Back, Kotter
Peter Porkchops
Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer
House of Mystery
Plop!
Flippity and Flop
The Three Mouseketeers
Captain Carrot and his Amazing Zoo Crew
Debbi's Dates
Swing With Scooter
The Dodo and the Frog

These are just a few...

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Freelance Writing Position Wanted

Hey everyone,

Although I do hold down a full time job, I would like to attain another freelance writing position to help supplement my income. If anyone is aware of a good one that pays reasonably, please let me know...

I'm currently checking on Craigslist and have found some, but no responses yet. I'll let you know.

Monday, May 22, 2006

Supercon and San Diego Comic Con International

I went to Super-Con yesterday and had fun. I was very good about not spending much money until Phil from the Comic Collector Shop informed me that one dealer had a ton of Harveys. "Oh no!", I said. And he did have quite a few that I don't have yet (FYI, I still need about 533 issues to complete my collection and finding missing issues in good condition at a reasonable price is becoming harder and harder.) Anyway, after plopping down $73 I came away with about 20 books. Not bad, but not as good as the old days when I could buy a complete long box of Harveys for under $50.

Oh well. I'm happy with my purchase. Now, on to San Diego in July. I will be working for Lee at Lee's Comics, so come by and say hi...

Friday, May 19, 2006

The Electric Company and Sesame Street

Does anyone remember this? In the early 70s, both "Electric Company" and "Sesame Street" had primetime specials that I believe aired on the major networks that contained material a little more risque and sophisticated than what would normally appear on the shows. One skit I remember is a game show in which if the contestant got the question incorrect, he would lose a piece of clothing and by the end of the show, the contestant was standing there naked with a barrel strapped over him. I would love to find these shows...

--
Regards,

Mark Arnold
http://funideas.home.att.net

Thursday, May 18, 2006

The Electric Company

Traded in some stuff for the recent "Electric Company" DVD box set. I love this show. It's too bad they stopped making it, but I guess after six years they were all kind of burnt out. It's also too bad that they don't run it on regular PBS anymore. I don't feel that it's dated at all. The chroma-key stuff looked quirky then, and it still does now. I know they've shown some episodes on Noggin, but I don't have cable. Here's hoping that they'll release a second box set, and also if the booklet is correct, a return to the air with some new episodes (provided that they are written and performed as good as the originals were).

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Taxes

Taxes suck, and that's all there is to it. I mean, if the government owes you money, there is NO interest. However, if you owe them something, and it's late, hoo-boy! Anyway, I got an adjustment recently and will be up to date and it was my fault, but it still doesn't sting any less.

I suppose it could be worse. I feel sorry for those like Redd Foxx, who never paid taxes and the IRS came in and literally took the rings off of his fingers to pay for the balance due.

I hate it that you can't choose what your taxes can go for. If it was up to me, not a cent would go for the war in Iraq or for this current immigration thing.

Monday, May 15, 2006

MySpace and My Stand-up Comedy Debut

I haven't done a blog in a few days because I have really gotten addicted to MySpace. As you can see below, the link to my MySpace page is http://www.myspace.com/fun_ideas_productions. To me it is really goofy but fun and that's the key.

Anyway, just wanted to report here that I made my auspicious stand-up comedy debut on May 12 at Linda's Restaurant in San Jose. I told about 15 jokes in front of a crowd of about that many, to some laughs and scattered applause.

I really need to polish the act if I'm actually going to do it, but it was fun for a first timer.

Friday, May 12, 2006

Beatles Live on CD

Isn't it about time that there was a legitimate Beatles live album released to CD? Personally I would like to see a legitimate release of the Hollywood Bowl album with both concerts from 1964 and 1965 complete. Also, a CD release of the complete 1965 (and 1966 if available) Shea Stadium concerts would be fun. Finally, the 1966 Japan and San Francisco Candlestick Park concerts would be nice, too.

Of course, I have all of this stuff already on bootlegs, but again a legitimate release would be appreciated. D'ya hear me Ringo, Paul, Yoko and Olivia???

--
Regards,

Mark Arnold
http://funideas.home.att.net

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Lewis Black

Comedian Lewis Black finally has a new album out! I haven't purchased it yet, but when I do, I'll be sure to tell you all about it. In the meantime, I recommend clicking on the Amazon link to the left of this blog entry and order it and anything else right now as I get a little piece of the action by your click through. Thanks!

--
Regards,

Mark Arnold
http://funideas.home.att.net

My Space

My Space has gotten a bad rap for being a haven for child molesters and pornographers, but actually it is a decent site in places. I now have a "My Space" site. You can see it at http://www.myspace.com/fun_ideas_productions

I will be continuing my blog here, so no need to go to My Space for that.

Regards,
MARK ARNOLD
Fun Ideas Productions - P. O. Box 2616 - Saratoga, CA 95070
_________________________________________________________
Please click on my web sites:
Fun Ideas - http://funideas.home.att.net
The Harveyville Fun Times! - http://thft.home.att.net
Mark's Rare Comics - http://rarecomics.home.att.net
So Rare! Collectibles - http://sorare.home.att.net
Food Shop - http://foodshop.home.att.net
Blog - http://fun-ideas.blogspot.net
Protecto, the Little Robot - http://protecto.blogspot.com

Monday, May 08, 2006

Free Comic Book Day

I helped Lee at Lee's Comics out for the 5th annual Free Comic Book Day last Saturday. There were approximately 30 titles to choose from. I had to limit everyone to two copies a person and good thing too as we did hand out almost all of the books during the seven hour period. Lots of attractive women, too. I guess handing out comics attracts them...

Anyway, the next big thing is the San Diego Comic Con in July. I will be there. Stop by Lee's Comics booth and say "hi".

Regards,
MARK ARNOLD
Fun Ideas Productions - P. O. Box 2616 - Saratoga, CA 95070
_________________________________________________________
Please click on my web sites:
Fun Ideas - http://funideas.home.att.net
The Harveyville Fun Times! - http://thft.home.att.net
Mark's Rare Comics - http://rarecomics.home.att.net
So Rare! Collectibles - http://sorare.home.att.net
Food Shop - http://foodshop.home.att.net
Blog - http://fun-ideas.blogspot.net
Protecto, the Little Robot - http://protecto.blogspot.com

Friday, May 05, 2006

Bad News About Hot Stuff

I also posted this on the Richie Rich's Vault. Cry. -Mark.

Hello from Amazon.com.

We are sorry to report that we will not be able to obtain the following item from your order:

Sid Jacobson "The Ultimate Hot Stuff"

Though we had expected to be able to send this item to you, we've since found that it is not available from any of our sources at this time. We realize this is disappointing news to hear, and we apologize
for the inconvenience we have caused you.

We must also apologize for the length of time it has taken us to reach this conclusion. Until recently, we had still hoped to obtain this item for you.

We have cancelled this item from your order.

Sincerely,

Customer Service Department
http://www.amazon.com
==============================

Regards,
MARK ARNOLD
Fun Ideas Productions - P. O. Box 2616 - Saratoga, CA 95070
_________________________________________________________
Please click on my web sites:
Fun Ideas - http://funideas.home.att.net
The Harveyville Fun Times! - http://thft.home.att.net
Mark's Rare Comics - http://rarecomics.home.att.net
So Rare! Collectibles - http://sorare.home.att.net
Food Shop - http://foodshop.home.att.net
Blog - http://fun-ideas.blogspot.net
Protecto, the Little Robot - http://protecto.blogspot.com

Thursday, May 04, 2006

Three Dead Trolls in a Baggie

I don't know why I'm searching for so much British and Canadian stuff lately, but here's some more. In a commentary about The Frantics on Amazon, someone said that if you like The Frantics, you'll like Three Dead Trolls in a Baggie. Never heard of these guys before, but they seem pretty funny after looking at their website at www.deadtrolls.com. Does anyone have any comments?

Incidentally, their name refers to slang about a triple-decker cheeseburger.

Regards,
MARK ARNOLD
Fun Ideas Productions - P. O. Box 2616 - Saratoga, CA 95070
_________________________________________________________
Please click on my web sites:
Fun Ideas - http://funideas.home.att.net
The Harveyville Fun Times! - http://thft.home.att.net
Mark's Rare Comics - http://rarecomics.home.att.net
So Rare! Collectibles - http://sorare.home.att.net
Food Shop - http://foodshop.home.att.net
Blog - http://fun-ideas.blogspot.net
Protecto, the Little Robot - http://protecto.blogspot.com

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Flanders and Swann

It's interesting how some things from Britain catch on in the US while other things do not. Take for a start the musical comedy team of Flanders and Swann. Though they released albums and even toured the US back in the 50s and 60s, they are certainly not as well known here today as say Monty Python.

Even Tom Lehrer (who is US based) has a bigger US following than Flanders and Swann despite having similar comedic styles of writing and singing satirical songs accompanied by the piano and the fact that they all retired their comedy music careers roughly around the same time (circa 1967).

There is an import CD box set that contains all three of their original albums, plus some bonus unreleased tracks that are all very funny. Perhaps they weren't a bigger success here because Michael Flanders' delivery on some of his opening remarks is so dry and so droll at times, that it requires a bit of paying attention to in order to get the joke, something we Americans don't seem to be able to do, easily (US comedy style seems to veer more towards the Three Stooges, which I highly enjoy as well).

I think they're great and it's too bad that they are no longer with us (Flanders died in 1975, and Swann in 1994). I highly recommend these albums especially if you are a Lehrer fan!

Regards,
MARK ARNOLD
Fun Ideas Productions - P. O. Box 2616 - Saratoga, CA 95070
_________________________________________________________
Please click on my web sites:
Fun Ideas - http://funideas.home.att.net
The Harveyville Fun Times! - http://thft.home.att.net
Mark's Rare Comics - http://rarecomics.home.att.net
So Rare! Collectibles - http://sorare.home.att.net
Food Shop - http://foodshop.home.att.net
Blog - http://fun-ideas.blogspot.net
Protecto, the Little Robot - http://protecto.blogspot.com

Monday, May 01, 2006

Saving Gas...

Didn't drive to work today, so I could cold call from home and save a little gas. Then, my work had an in-house meeting. D'oh! Oh well, so much for saving gas. I can't worry too much about it, because tomorrow I have appointments and have to drive anyway, so oh well again.

--
Regards,

Mark Arnold
http://funideas.home.att.net