Fun Ideas: September 2006

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

80s Music

Why do I love 80s music? Well, I don't love ALL 80s music. When they put out 80s compilations that have Air Supply, bad songs by Hall & Oates, bad songs by Chicago, and 70s leftovers that crept into the 80s, I avoid them.

What I do like is the 80s compilations that have that extended mixes of good new wave music. What's interesting about these compiliations is sometimes it is the very first time these mixes appeared in the US.

I can remember easily plopping down $20 or more for an import 12" just to get that rare mix. There used to be a great shop in San Francisco called Butch Wax Records that I used to buy all of this stuff.

Certain groups went crazy with the alternate mixes. I was (an still am) a huge Thompson Twins fan, and every album would have at least four singles, and of those singles, they would have a 7" and then one or two 12" records, each one with a unique mix of the new "hit" song.

Now finally 20 years later you can get CDs of 10-12 of these various mixes. Too bad these weren't available at the time, but oh well, better late than never.

I find 80s music more current than what's currently being released. Isn't that weird?

--
Regards,

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

Friday, September 22, 2006

My Harvey Comics Book is Now in Hardback!

If you couldn't stand the fact that my Harvey Comics book was getting manhandled when you read it in paperback, now you can order it in HARDBACK for only $49.95 at www.lulu.com/content/435447!

As F.R. Gumby says from Monty Python: "Its back is too hard!"

Makes a great gift.

Regards,
MARK ARNOLD
Fun Ideas Productions - P. O. Box 2616 - Saratoga, CA 95070
_________________________________________________________
Please click on my web sites:
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MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/fun_ideas_productions
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Richie Rich's Vault - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/richierichsvault
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, September 20, 2006

Mac Filmmakers Meeting Tonight!!

This just in from Kevin. Meeting tonight at Apple headquarters in Cupertino, CA.

Hi, Fellow MacFilmmakers--

Yes, after our brief hiatus, we ARE meeting this month. Yay!

Our meeting is this Wednesday night, September 20th, 7:00 pm, in
Apple's De Anza Three Auditorium. The focus for the evening is DVD
production. Full details are in the process of being posted to our
Web site even as you read this, so be sure to check in there for ALL
the info:

http://www.macfilmmakers.com/

I hope to see you this Wednesday!

--Kevin

Monday, September 18, 2006

Book Publishing

Wow! Learning lots of new things by publishing my own book. Most of them positive, but it is still a learning process. It's taken a bit of time leaving little time for me to concentrate so much on my blog here, but I'll try. In the meantime, take a look at my book as I'll be plugging it frequently at http://www.lulu.com/content/281328

Friday, September 15, 2006

My Harvey Book is published!

Now you can get my first book "The Best of The Harveyville Fun
Times!" at this URL: http://www.lulu.com/content/281328

Front cover by Shelley Pleger ("Shanda the Panda")

Back cover by Ernie Colon ("The 9/11 Report", "Richie Rich")

Forward by Tony Isabella ("Tony's Tips", Marvel Comics)

Edited by Mark Arnold ("Hogan's Alley", "ComicBase", "Atomic Mouse")

400 pages! Full color covers! Complete Harvey Comics history!

Order your copy today! Only $29.95!

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Lee's Comics

My good friend Lee Hester of Lee's Comics in Mountain View and San Mateo, CA, has asked me to write a weekly installment for his weekly email newsletter. I quickly obliged and started the ball rolling with a column devoted to how I got into comic book collecting and my background.

My hope with the column is to shed light onto a different aspect of comic book collecting besides the usual superhero stuff. You see, as I said in the column, I became and still am a collector of more esoteric stuff. It's not that I will turn my nose up at superhero comic books, it's just not my preference. I like Harvey Comics, Archie Comics, Dennis the Menace, EC horror, humor magazines and funny animal books. Although there are fans of these genres, they don't comprise the whole of the industry. It is a small niche that really likes what I like.

Anyway, to sign up for Lee's Newsletter, go to his website at www.lcomics.com and sign up at the bottom of the main page.

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

How to Win the War on Terror

Dear President Bush,

Here is how to win the war on terror:
1) Pull all of our troops out of the area.
2) Create a situation in which all of the Arab nations fight amongst themselves instead of us.
3) Sit back and watch.

The Arabs will be too busy fighting each other that they won't need to bother with us.

Actually, the main thing you need to do regardless is to find who is supplying all of these Arabs with ammunition. I am constantly seeing footage on my television of these guys shooting their rifles randomly in the air when they are celebrating something. Why don't you blow up the weapons of non-mass destruction? Why don't you get all the troops to round up all of the supplies needed to produce bombs? Why don't you disable all of their transportation sources as they seem to use car bombs regularly?

Why? Why? Why?

Until then, we are foolish to wage any fictious 'War on Terror'.

It would also be good to take a few tips from the British on how to run the area. WE set up Iraq in a "peace sign" shape of 3 countries. One is Kurdland, one is Shi'iteland, one is Suniland. There. Done. We go home. We claim victory. We move on to other things instead of fighting another Viet Nam!!!

Yeah I know someone reading this that some of my views are rather simplistic and may be presented in kind of a silly fashion, but really George, WHAT ARE WE REALLY DOING TO WIN THE WAR ON TERROR?

All I see is you going on TV every other night saying that we need to stay the course and not cut and run. What for? Does it really matter? Even if we pulled out now and said, "Alright Iraq, you win.", what would that really mean? Iraq or most any other country for that matter has no ability to take over our country in that fashion. They can't even govern themselves, much less a country many times larger than themselves.

I'm going to end this (cut and run) before I really get sore, you stubborn fool...

Monday, September 11, 2006

Back From LA and Writing Assignments

I am back from the Los Angeles Comic Book Show and met up with Buck Biggers, co-creator of "Underdog". I got the scoop about the entire Total TeleVision story and it is scheduled to be printed in the next issue of "Hogan's Alley" #15, which is due to come out in June 2007.

On my MySpace I placed an ad for myself trying to solicit freelance writing assignments, so I will reprint it here. Any help would be appreciated if you are reading this...

Freelance Writing Assignments WANTED:
Minimum rate is $.10 per word.
Knowledgeable on a wide variety of topics including:

Comic Books/Strips
DVDs/Movies
Television
Books/Magazines
Sales/Marketing
Art
CDs/Music

Please contact me at thft@att.net with assignment,
rate of pay, and deadline requirements.

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Show

I will be in LA for this upcoming show on September 10, working for Lee at Lee's Comics if you want to meet up with me.

My main reason to go is to meet Buck Biggers, co-creator of Underdog, whom I had the recent pleasure of interviewing over the phone.

Let me know if you are planning on going and I'll see you there...

Monday, September 04, 2006

Saturday Night Live DVDs

Who do I have to kill in order to get Lorne Michaels to produce DVD sets of the first 105 episodes of "Saturday Night Live" from 1975-1980 in their entirety? Of course, there are some worthy later episodes, particularly the 1987-1992 era, but I am sick of these "Best of's" like "The Best of Gail Matthius" or "The Best of Danitra Vance" mainly because they sometimes use partial skits.

A real example is on "The Best of Chris Farley" DVD where they have Paul McCartney on "The Chris Farley Show". They only use the second half of the skit! The biggest laugh is in the first half of the skit when Chris asks, "Do you remember when you were with The Beatles?" Just sloppy. Who edits these things?

That's why I want complete episodes. Let the viewer decide. There have always been low points in "SNL" since day one (Bill Murray as the lounge singer comes to mind), but does that mean that this stuff has to be relegated to the cutting room floor? The batting average was quite high during those first five years.

I long to see John Belushi say on the "Adopt Belushi for Christmas" skit: "I'd like a roast goose stuffed with drugs and I'd like to come home and play with your daughter." They NEVER play that skit anymore because of the Belushi drug mention, but it was and still is hella funny! Same with "Puppy Uppers and Doggie Downers". Never see that on any "Best of's" either.

There was also a lot of good non-drug humor, but those were censored ones that stood out in my mind.

I think my absolute favorite skit (which is available on a "Best of") is where Belushi wins the decathalon eating "Little Chocolate Donuts".

Friday, September 01, 2006

National Lampoon Magazine

I'm really getting in to re-reading all of the back issues of "National Lampoon". What's amazing to me is that how a lot of the material really holds up, but better still, I'm re-reading things from an adult perspective instead of a teen-age one and realize that some of the jokes were really more juvenile than I remember or more sophisticated than I remember depending on the article.

I actually was surprised that certain features didn't really run that long and that although there was a lot of nudity, it didn't happen every issue. In fact, some issues didn't have any. It seems that nudity kind of came in waves in the "National Lampoon".

It's too bad there isn't a "National Lampoon" now. One that could really skewer Bush in the way that they used to skewer Nixon. I think the general likability of every President since Nixon has kept us from satirizing Bush, Jr. the way he ought to be. I mean there's no "First Family" LP, no "Smothers Brothers Show", etc. I guess its because it seemed that EVERYONE hated Nixon especially after Watergate, whereas now Bush still has a pretty loyal following even if his poll numbers are in the toilet. I also think more people live in fear of the man. They didn't fear Nixon.

Anyway, back on the subject, it is too bad that "National Lampoon" only exists as a web site or a name to slap atop a movie or DVD. It used to be a sign that meant "good movie", now it means "beware!" Apparently, the "Harvard Lampoon" agreement ran out and "National Lampoon" can no longer use the name to head up a magazine cover.

"Cracked" came back recently and in a format more like the old "Lampoon" than "Mad". I think this is very wise. Check this out. If they do it right, they may achieve the respect they deserve. However, it is more difficult in this day and age of home video and the Internet to make a go of successful magazine, especially a humor one.

For now, I'm enjoying the back issues. I do have every one and I've flipped through all of them from 1970-1979 so far. They published until 1998.

If you've never seen one, I suggest checking one out or an anthology to get a real taste. Amazon usually sells these. Just click on the item at the left and search for "National Lampoon" under books.

Fun Ideas