Fun Ideas

New Richie Rich! Hooray!!

2012-02-02T08:22:00.001-08:00

"Richie Rich Gems Winter Special" #1 is OUT NOW with new and reprint stories in the classic Harvey style!

Arrgh! Ringo's album a disappointment!

2012-02-01T08:36:00.000-08:00

I love Ringo and I love it when he puts out a new album, but with "Ringo 2012", here was a time that he should have waited until he recorded some more material. I really like most of his recent albums, especially "Vertical Man" (1998), "Ringo Rama" (2003), and even his last studio album "Y Not" (2010)!

This time out, there are only nine tracks, one of which was previously released on a Buddy Holly compilation, two are remakes of older Ringo tunes and one is a cover version. The entire offering clocks in at under 30 minutes!

There's something strangely wrong when "Wings", one of the remakes originally done for "Ringo the 4th" (1977) is the best tune on the album!

Surely, Ringo could have delved into the archives and put those tunes from the "Vertical Man Best Buy Bonus CD" that have been really illusive all of these years on the album. Or, he could have done a few more cover versions or pulled out some unreleased rarities from the past to round out the album and make it a solid 12-14 tracks!

Here's hoping Ringo reconsiders his recording career and gives his fans a worthwhile album instead of a short pile of table scraps.

I Love the Underdog DVD Set!

2012-01-28T07:12:00.000-08:00

I got my advance copy of this, and I have to say that it turned out quite well. There are always problems always inherent in these sorts of things where all of the film elements had to be compiled from different sources. As a result (I'll go through the negative first), some of the opening and closing elements are of a rough bootleg quality, because they are! I supplied them. Somehow, even though these shows had aired endlessly for about 30 years, things got lost. The audio wasn't even transferred on many cartoons, so that we have many cases where audio from bootlegs is supplied to be reconnected with pristine video images.

Now for the positive, this is the most complete Underdog set that has been issued, and that you will probably ever find. Episodes are presented in chronological order and overall are very well. Unfortunately, some of the episodes have the updated titles, but this is very minor considering the excellent picture quality of a lot of these items. And the theme songs are all there, and all original, too!

The documentary segment plays very well and is quite informative. Everyone is very animated in their discussions...even me! My segments were recorded in Oregon last August. I haven't listened to the phone conversations yet, but I assume that they've come out well, also. I even learned something that I didn't include in my book, that Norma MacMillan voiced Sweet Polly from LA, and not New York. No one told me that before and I never thought to ask.

Overall, I'd give it 9 1/2 out of 10, for the few minor shortcomings this has, but really it is a 10 for the outstanding effort put in by me and Cliff MacMillan, Reed Kaplan, Mark Yurkiw, Dave Downey and all the rest of the interview subjects.

Next, comes Tennessee Tuxedo...

Ringo's Best

2012-01-06T09:49:00.000-08:00

Poor Ringo. Nobody likes him, well except maybe some of his early 70s hits, when he puts out a new album, everyone virtually ignores him. So, for those who don't think Ringo is worth it, here's a short list of Ringo must have albums...

Ringo (1973)
Goodnight Vienna (1974)
Time Takes Time (1992)
Vertical Man (1998)
Ringo Rama (2003)
Y Not (2010)

Best live album: VH1 Storytellers (1998) or Live at Soundstage (2007)

Best compilation: Photograph (2007)

Ringo's next album Ringo 2012 comes out on January 30.

Happy Birthday, Stan Lee!

2011-12-28T08:17:00.000-08:00

In a year where we lost a lot of comic book greats like Gene Colan, Jerry Robinson and Joe Simon, it's great to know that the mighty Stan Lee lives on! He's 89 today and always seems so full of energy that he will live forever! I know someday the sad day will come, but I hope that it's at least 10 years off.

Final Photo of Lennon and McCartney Together?

2011-12-27T19:52:00.001-08:00

I was watching a documentary of Harry Nilsson called "Who is Harry Nilsson?" and on it was a still photo from 1974 featuring John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Now, the book "The Beatles After the Break-Up" has a photo from a similar time, but John and Paul are not sitting next to each other. Here, they are next to each other. To the left is Harry Nilsson and I believe that's Linda McCartney on the right bottom. Anyway, this surely has to be the last photo of these two together. What do you think?

How to Fix the Post Office

2011-12-27T17:46:00.000-08:00

Every year the US Post Office belly aches that they have no money and that they are going broke and raise the prices of First Class mail stamps as a result. I don't get it. Yes, most people send emails nowadays for free instead of slapping on 44c on a letter, but at the same time, since Internet sales are up, that means more people and companies are shipping packages than ever before! And they're not all using FedEx and DHL, etc. I commonly use the US Postal Service to mail my packages because the Post Office is convenient and has flat rate packages for Priority Mail.

So, here's my plan to fix the US Post Office: 1. Don't give discounts for two ounce letters. If a one ounce letter is 44c, then two ounces would be 88c, etc. 2. Don't give discounts for junk mail or postcards or bulk mail. EVERYTHING is at least 44c. 3. Lose the commemorative stamps. Nowadays, you can create your own stamps and commemoratives are passe. If you are a stamp collector, change hobbies. 4. Go back to printing stamps in black and white with glue you have to lick or better still, don't sell stamps at all. Instead, sell pre-stamped envelopes that you have to buy. They will all be business-size. Greeting card manufacturers would have to conform as well or it will cost more to mail out those special sizes.

These are just some of the things that I feel would work. Let me know what you think.

Grrrr! On My Book Reviews

2011-12-26T09:54:00.000-08:00

I'm gonna use this space to grouse. I am usually pretty good about accepting criticism, unless it's non-constructive criticism. What I mean is, on Amazon, every one of my books has some reviews on them, both positive and negative, and every one has one basically stupid review that shouldn't warrant posting that says some unfounded negative comment.

For example, on my Harveyville book, someone complained that the book is poorly laid out and just random reprints of my old fanzine "The Harveyville Fun Times!". Well, it is! I've never lied about it. It is a scrapbooky type of book similar in style to Domenic Priore's "Look! Listen! Vibrate! Smile! book about The Beach Boy's "Smile" album. I would love to do the full-color, coffee-table treatment for Harvey Comics, but I haven't yet been able to interest a publisher.

And, on the TTV Underdog book, someone else was complaining that I didn't cover two minor characters that only appeared in the final season of "King Leonardo" and weren't that significant. Big friggin' deal. Did you like the book otherwise? No comments about that by this reviewer.

Recently, on the Cracked book, someone complained that my book only tells a history and is not a best of book, and is now returning because he felt that he didn't get what he paid for. I never claimed it to be a best of book. I've always said that it was a history. Did you like it on those merits? I can't do a "Best of Cracked" until Cracked.com gives me permission to do so.

It's a shame people don't read about my books before buying and use the "Look Inside" feature which is available on some of them. Then they complain that it wasn't what they expected, when it is clearly laid out and give me a low rating based on that, rather than if they enjoyed the book on the terms with which they were written. It gets my goat!

So, to make me happy, and you are not obligated, if you read and truly enjoyed or truly did not enjoy any of my books, I would appreciate you going on Amazon and telling me so or not. I don't mind the negative review if it has constructive criticism, not arbitrary bitching about some moot point or feeling mislead since you didn't do your research ahead of time and based your purchase on what the book ought to be in your mind instead of what it is.

Frozen in Ice Update

2011-12-18T16:15:00.000-08:00

Since my other potential book projects are currently in limbo, I have decided to proceed ahead with my Disney book that I introduced a few months ago. I have just finished watching the Disney theatrical films from 1968 and now am venturing into 1969, which is cool since "The Love Bug" is one of my favorite Disney films. It'll be interesting to see how this one turns out, but I think it will be good. I will only put it on the shelf if one of the other book projects comes through, since this one would be a self-published deal like my Harvey and Beatles books. More later...

Joe Simon and Jerry Robinson R.I.P.

2011-12-16T17:37:00.001-08:00

I know this picture appeared in many places, but it is still amazing to me that these two comic book greats that were frequent comic convention attendees are now gone...

Casper the Friendly Ghost: The Complete Series

2011-12-11T16:54:00.001-08:00

Here's a screen capture of me doing the commentary for the Shout! Factory "Casper the Friendly Ghost: The Complete Series" DVD release. This particular commentary was done right in my own living room!

It has been highly recommended on various reviews on Amazon and all over the Internet, so I am really proud to promote it again, here! It was released right before Halloween, but it still can make a great Christmas gift. Look for "Underdog: The Complete Series" in February 2012 and "Tennessee Tuxedo: The Complete Series" soon after that...

Dickens Fair Photos

2011-12-07T08:32:00.000-08:00

I went to the Dickens Fair on Sunday at the Cow Palace. I took a bunch of photos and here they are!

Me and Miss Yvonne

2011-12-05T08:16:00.000-08:00

I was working at the Super Toy Show last Saturday and got my picture taken with the most beautiful woman in Puppetland, Miss Yvonne. I also got her to sign my "Pee-Wee Herman Show" DVD which had previously been signed by Pee-Wee himself. This is the DVD of the show that he did live prior to "Pee-Wee's Playhouse". Of course, Pee-Wee and Miss Yvonne appeared together recently on Broadway in a "Pee-Wee Herman Show" reunion. She was very nice...as you can see.

Dinner with Barbara Lucey Tancredi

2011-12-02T10:27:00.000-08:00

My friend Greg Beda and I had dinner last night with Barbara Lucey Tancredi and her husband. Barbara is the daughter of Harry Lucey, one of my favorite Archie artists. Barbara was in town to see the Archie Art Show. We had a nice meal and she signed my copies of the Craig Yoe Archie book and the IDW Harry Lucey books. Pictured from left to right: Me, Barbara, Greg

Final Days for the Archie Art Show

2011-12-01T10:49:00.001-08:00

If you haven't gotten over to the Cartoon Art Museum at 655 Mission Street in San Francisco to see the Archie Art Show, you had better hurry as it ends this Sunday, December 4!

Here is the info you need to know:

Hours
Tuesday to Sunday, 11am – 5pm
Closed Monday and on the following holidays:
New Year’s Day, Easter, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

Admissions
$7 – Adults
$5 – Students & Seniors
$3 – Children (ages 6 – 12)
FREE – Children (age 5 & under)

This retrospective includes over 40 pieces of original artwork spanning Archie’s publication history, with ephemera including a special look at the Archie newspaper strip, preliminary sketches, correspondence and other rarities. Featured artists include Bob Bolling, Gene Colan, Dan DeCarlo, Frank Doyle, Stan Goldberg, Rich Koslowski, Harry Lucey, Bob Montana and others.

Woody Allen

2011-11-26T12:07:00.001-08:00

Again, I haven't had a post in a while. I've been busy working on a lot of projects. I did take time to watch a two part documentary on the life on Woody Allen and his films. I've always liked Allen's stand-up comedy and like the alien creatures in "Stardust Memories", liked his "earlier, funnier films the best", but overall, I appreciate Allen's output. He has had an amazing career and it just keeps going. He has churned out at least one film a year since 1969 except for four different years, apparently.

Some of Allen's films I really love, some I really hate and some are just kinda there, but it is amazing his overall output. If you do get a chance to see this two-part episode of "American Masters", by all means do. It would be on your local PBS stations.

Al Jaffee CAPS Dinner

2011-10-31T10:17:00.000-07:00

Mad Fold-In artist Al Jaffee was honored at a CAPS dinner in Woodland Hills (near LA) on Saturday. I was in attendance and here's the photos I took. Various people in the photos include me, Grant Geissman, Scott Shaw!, Russ Heath, Jerry Boyd, Mark Evanier, Sergio Aragones, Mell Lazarus, Bill Morrison and of course Al himself.

Alice in Wonderland Fry's

2011-10-31T08:19:00.000-07:00

Fry's Electronics is a computer chain based in California with a few stores in other states. I know Oregon has a few. Anyway, many Fry's stores have themes. For instance, the Palo Alto location is themed like the Wild West, while the Campbell, CA store is themed like an ancient Mayan temple. To kill time before I went to the Al Jaffee CAPS dinner last Saturday, I went to the Fry's in Woodland Hills. It is themed like "Alice in Wonderland" and has huge statues of virtually all of the major characters (though strangely none of the Mad Tea Party characters). I had to get my camera and take a few sample pictures. Some are slightly blurry because I didn't know if they would like me taking photos around the store:

Disney Insider 2005 Yearbook

2011-10-18T09:57:00.000-07:00

I bought this book yesterday for a fraction of the original cost. Apparently, this book was a huge flop when it came out in 2005. It was supposed to be the start of an annual tradition, but I think the original cost of $50 put a lot of people off. I know I wouldn't have purchased it then. Now, it's a nice record of Disneyland's 50th birthday as well as other stuff that was happening in 2005 for Disney. It's worth a purchase now. I see copies for sale on Amazon as low as 25c plus shipping and handling. This was a little less than I paid, but I had never seen it before. I highly recommend it now for it's low price and that it's filled with information.

Jabberjaw aka Mantalo

2011-10-14T18:37:00.001-07:00

Does anyone have any copies for sale of the French comic book "Mantalo" which is their translation of Hanna-Barbera's "Jabberjaw"? Please advise. Here's a panel from one of the stories. I'm doing an article about Marvel's Hanna-Barbera comics.

Laurel and Hardy DVD Set Coming Out in Two Weeks

2011-10-12T09:37:00.000-07:00

A few years ago, they released a very comprehensive DVD set of Laurel and Hardy in England. I was all set to buy it when it finally reduced to an affordable price. Just as I was about to purchase, this set came along. I am really looking forward to it and highly recommend it.

Steve Jobs

2011-10-05T16:44:00.000-07:00

Just got the news that Steve Jobs is dead. Now, I personally was never a huge fan of him or of Apple in recent years, but I still don't wish anyone ill will and was sorry to see him deteriorate so. In any case, I'm sure Apple will continue, I will continue to be a long-standing PC fan and life goes on until we too, meet our maker...

Archie Books

2011-10-05T13:09:00.000-07:00

Man, there's a lot of Archie books coming out now. I'm not sure if the sales response has been good, but they're still coming out. This week there's "The Best of Harry Lucey" and "Archie Americana: the 1950s" alone. Recently, there's been "The Best of Archie", the Archie Archives series from Dark Horse, and "The Best of Stan Goldberg" and 2 volumes of "The Best of Dan DeCarlo" and an "Archie's Joke Book" book among other things and of course, the "Archie's Madhouse" book and the Archie 70th anniversary books written by Craig Yoe that I helped him with. Much stuff. More later.

Shark Etiquette

2011-09-30T10:48:00.000-07:00

So, I went to a pre-game of the San Jose Sharks last night and since it was a "school night", I decided to get up and leave before the final buzzer with the Sharks ahead two goals to nothing. I had never left early at a game before but as I was leaving, one person in our party was handed a small business card size message that said that it wasn't good form to leave during game play. I had never heard of this before. Is this really a hockey rule, or just an HP Pavilion rule? What is this, a classical music concert? I noticed that they also banned the barkers hocking cotton candy and such. WOW! I never heard of anything like this. Is this common? Certainly doesn't happen when I've seen the Giants, A's or the Warriors play.

Subtle Casper Rip-Off

2011-09-28T16:38:00.000-07:00

Saw this in a local grocery store selling Halloween balls.

Harvey Halloween Comic Book Giveaways

2011-09-24T09:55:00.002-07:00

Just for fun, here are the three (so far) Halloween comic giveaways. These are offered to children at better comic book stores, or you may be lucky enough to find them online somewhere like Ebay. In any case, the Casper/Little Lulu book is from 2009, the Hot Stuff book is from 2010 and the Casper's Scare School is the new one from 2011.

New Halloween Comic Book Giveaways!!!

2011-09-23T07:36:00.000-07:00

Casper's Scare School by Various
Donald Duck by Carl Barks
Fraggle Rock by Various
Laugh Comics starring Betty and Veronica by Various
Scary Godmother by Jill Thompson
Smurfs by Peyo
Snarked by Roget Langridge

I always like Free Comic Book Day in May, but also now I like Halloween every year, because they have a number of great comic book freebies. This year has a Casper one (Yay!). I also got the Laugh one, the Donald Duck one and the Smurfs one. Not so interested in the others, but you might be. These are available for free from your BETTER comic book stores. Some stores might let you get them BEFORE Halloween!

My Advance Copy of Casper DVD Came In!

2011-09-20T19:40:00.000-07:00

So I received my advanced copy of the "Casper" DVD that I did commentaries and interviews for. Overall, I give the set high marks with some minor quibbles that I had no control over.

On the plus side, the set looks good. There are two slimline case clamshells; one featuring the two theatrical discs and the third disc in its own case features all of the "New Casper Cartoon Show" episodes.

The 20-page full-color booklet looks fantastic and of course, it was written by yours truly, so it is crammed with tons of information including where every episode appears in comic books, when applicable.

The first three Casper cartoons that are now in the public domain are actually featured as bonus features of disc one. There are 10 commentaries strewn throughout. All feature me with three of them with Edmee Reit (widow of Sy), three of them with Bradley Bolke and three of them with Alison Arngrim (daughter of Norma MacMillan).

I first saw the 15+ minute documentary in Oregon and was upset that I looked so "zombie-like", but after re-watching it a second time, it's not too bad, but I still come across as a bit dull in comparison with the animated Alison, who makes the documentary fun!

The commentaries are generally pretty good, considering that I had never done anything like this before, and recorded everything in a marathon 10-hour session in my home.

They DID get the "New Casper Cartoon Show" opening and closing in color which I begged them to do, and got MOST of the individual episode openings where Casper and friends zip in to watch a cartoon in a TV cloud.

Now, for the negatives. Even though I begged them to go back to Paramount to get the original cartoons for the original elements and credits, it just wasn't or couldn't be done. As a result, the Harveytoons opening is used and even "The Harveytoon Show" opening is used in a couple of cases. And on the public domain cartoons, the Paramount logos are used, but in one case the UM&M openings are used.

HOWEVER, if you use that above criteria to NOT buy the set, you will be missing out, because this is the most comprehensive set of Casper cartoons that has ever been issued and probably ever will be issued. It has the ONLY appearance of "The Bored Billionaire" EVER on home video AND is the only set that has all of the Casper cartoons in one place; a feat that will probably not be repeated any time soon.

As a result, you can literally toss out any previous Casper DVD collections, as this definitely takes the place of those sets. The Casper DVD from Shout Factory is due to be released on October 11.

Herman and Katnip DVD

2011-09-19T19:15:00.000-07:00

So, it came in the mail. They use "The Harveytoon Show" versions of H&K and sometimes have a condensed music opening for each cartoon, but it is not the complete theme song each time, just an edited version. I don't know the cartoons well enough to know if they have been edited as well, but they did somehow cram 33 cartoons onto the single disc set. It features every cartoon from "Mice Meeting You" to "Katnip's Big Day" except the one with Buzzy and the ones made prior to 1950. The cover picture is the same, but repainted and "The Complete Series" is in a blue spot. The end credits appear every fourth cartoon and are generic, not specific to each individual cartoon. As usual, you have to play the disc to see the contents as they are not listed on the back. There is no booklet. The run time is listed at 208 minutes. Overall, not bad if you want all the cartoons in one place, but kinda chintzy considering they could have gotten Jerry Beck and myself to give commentaries and historical backgrounds.

Earl Kress

2011-09-19T14:44:00.000-07:00

Since I saw both Cartoon Brew and News from ME with tributes to Earl Kress, I figured that I should write my own. I wasn't as close to Earl as Jerry Beck and Mark Evanier were, but his death has affected me similarly. Earl and I knew of each other. In fact, the photo above that graces this blog entry, I believe I actually took at the Van Eaton Galleries when they had my Harvey Art Show on display. I was a fan of Earl's for his great work that he did in regards to the history of Hanna-Barbera, including the various CD compilations he worked on for Rhino Records, to his most recent book about Yogi Bear. I did not know he was sick. I am very happy that I did meet this great man who contributed as I do to the history of animation and comic books. He will be missed.

New Roadrunner DVD a Disappointment

2011-09-15T20:37:00.000-07:00

I will carry on my usual tirade about the strange way that Warner Bros. releases their Looney Tunes cartoons. I am a huge proponent of releasing all 1000+ cartoons chronologically and have stated in previous posts how you could do that without alienating a lot of people with a lot of Bosko and Buddy cartoons. On the positive side, these cartoons have not been released before on the Golden Collection (although the box states that three have been released before elsewhere). On the negative side, latter-day post-Chuck Jones cartoons are featured and even some made for the Internet apparently. Oh well. More Looney Tunes are due out soon on Blu-Ray, but once again Warner Bros. is releasing everything haphazardly by reissuing stuff already on DVD combined with stuff never before released to DVD. Frustrating.

Human League is Back Again

2011-09-15T20:30:00.000-07:00

Human League is back again with a new album in about a decade. It's not that they really go anywhere, it's just that they take time to do a new album. Their last album called "Secrets" was another great album, released way back in 2001. They have consistently good dance melodies and techno beats. For people who think Human League begins and ends with "Dare", you'd be missing out on quite a lot. The cover of '"Credo" is kind of dull as you can see, but there's a nice gatefold photo that shows the trio a little older, but still looking good after all of these 30+ years.

Sugar and Spike Volume 1

2011-09-15T20:20:00.000-07:00

Yay! The Sugar and Spike collection from DC Archives is out (even though Amazon says September 20) and boy, does it look beautiful! It covers the first eight issues of the now hard-to-find Sugar and Spike series. I have about half of the original comics in my collection, but they mostly are from the tail-end of the series, not from the beginning, so these will mostly be new to me. One downside, the Archives are now $60 instead of $50, but it is still cheaper than buying the original comics separately. BTW, this is the actual cover image unlike the one I featured earlier this year.

Herman and Katnip DVD

2011-09-15T09:56:00.000-07:00

Has anyone purchased and watched this yet?

"World Flags"

2011-09-12T17:37:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite items I've owned since I was a kid and actually since my DAD owned since he was a kid, is this "World Flags" book from 1942. What is significant about it is the German flag is the Nazi flag with the swastika and the Japan flag has the sunrays. Also, the US flag has only 48 stars. More amazing is how some flags have remained unchanged since 1942, but many more have changed. A very interesting book and it's only valued at about $8-12 on Ebay, but very historically interesting.

1972 Sesame Street Calendar

2011-09-11T08:48:00.001-07:00

Does anyone have one of these? I'd even take a beat-up one. It's the 1972 Sesame Street Calendar. The reasons for wanting this are numerous. First, it is the first Sesame Street calendar. Second, although I collect Sesame Street merchandise into the 1980s, I tend to focus on merchandise from the early 1970s, of which this is one as it came out in 1971. Finally, the entire calendar is drawn by the legendary Jack Davis! I wan'it! I wan'it! So, if you have one sitting around your house, please send it my way...

This is Post 1000!

2011-09-08T12:37:00.000-07:00

So, I got out of my funk. I think I figured out why I was down, but I don't want to publicize it here. It was nothing serious. I just felt like sleeping or just lying on the couch all day. It's hard to be motivated or enthusiastic when I feel like this and it doesn't matter how much success or good times you experience, the lulls come now and then and you just have to slog through them, knowing in the back of the mind that it'll be over in a day or two. Now, back to writing! I am starting a book on writer George Gladir of Archie and Cracked fame. George is very enthusiastic about working with me. If you don't know, he's written just about every Archie story for the past 50 years and even created Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. I plan to cover all aspects of his career, so if you have any questions you'd like answered or if you have some artwork or other images you'd like to share for the book, please let me know.

Not Posting

2011-09-07T16:27:00.000-07:00

I hate to say it but I haven't been inspired to write lately. A terrible predicament if you are a writer. I decided that writing something here after so many days is better than writing nothing for another day. Hopefully, I will get out of my writing funk pretty soon and start producing again. It's not for lack of subject matter. It's just laziness and depression, pure and simple. Not like heavy-duty depression, just mild melancholia. I don't really know why. My life is going really well at the moment. I'm sure that I will get over it soon.

Advertising

2011-08-26T08:23:00.000-07:00

I asked my friend Lee at Lee's Comics whether he wanted to advertise coming up in September and his answer was:

NO!

Dining with Old Friends

2011-08-25T16:44:00.000-07:00

It's a San Francisco State reunion, along with other friends. It's me with Joe Silber, Lawrence D. Sander and Kristin Sideris, and also Joe with his wife Rachel and Joe with another friend whose name escapes me at the moment because I only met him last night. I was apartment roommates with both Joe and Lawrence back in college and Kristin and Joe also lived in the dorms with me. This was circa 1986-1990.

Bye-Bye, Sears in Mountain View, CA

2011-08-24T17:08:00.001-07:00

Photos taken by me live at approximately 9:30am today...

Frank Hill at the San Jose Toy Show

2011-08-15T10:19:00.000-07:00

Who is Frank Hill? Not the guy on "King of the Hill"; that was Hank Hill. Frank was one of the many different artists who worked on the long-running "Dennis the Menace" comic book over the years. He tended to do the Dennis adventures where they would go to some local theme park like Frontier Village. He also worked on the "Tom and Jerry" and "Short Ribs" comic strips and did work for "Treasure Chest" among other projects. Anyway, my friend Greg Beda brought him to the Toy Show to do drawings and signings. Here's some pics of Frank, Greg, me and Frank's wife...

Lee's Comics at the San Jose Toy Show

2011-08-15T10:16:00.000-07:00

Here he is...Lee Hester of Lee's Comics, unveiling some of his new collection for the first time at the San Jose Toy Show last Saturday!

Katy Perry Concert

2011-08-15T10:04:00.000-07:00

I know, I know. What the @&$% is Mark going to a Katy Perry concert for? Well, I did enjoy myself. Katy is visually pleasing as were the thousands of teenage and early 20 something girls in attendance. Katy is not the greatest singer, but she does put on a pretty good show. Not great, but very good. Christina Aguilera has much better vocal chops, but Katy's not bad. She's better than Britney Spears in the vocals department. But really, does anyone really go to these things to listen to the singing? It's really a Cirque Du Soliel type of visual presentation complete with some magic and trapeze artists.

Katy, at two albums, doesn't really have enough material yet to sustain a two-plus hour concert, but again, that's not really the point. Both men and women are there to ogle the lovely Ms. Perry. She did have some funny moments, but there was a bit of a lull in the middle and strangely, she did all of her biggest hits in the first 20 minutes, saving only her "TGIF" song for the encore. It was Friday, naturally.

Anyway, to recommend or not recommend is mainly based on your liking of visual eye candy. If you are going for some solid singing and real showmanship, Katy doesn't quite have it yet, but is close. Give her a couple more albums with good material, assuming she's not a flash-in-the-pan and has some staying power.

New Overstreet Price Guide is Out...

2011-08-12T09:49:00.000-07:00

I posted this on "Richie Rich's Vault" and now on my blog...

I still buy "Overstreet" like a fool, but mainly because my name is listed in it year after year. I actually did send in some corrections this time out, and expect about half of them to be ignored. "Overstreet" STILL doesn't list all of the Harvey Comics produced by Jeff Montgomery, nor do they list ANY of the Harvey Comics that Marvel published.

I keep trying.

As far as values go, I do a spot check each year to see what they say "Casper" #1 (St. John), "Richie Rich" #1 (1960) and "Little Dot" #1 (1953) have risen to, just for kicks. Unfortunately, the "Guide" has not been a reliable source of information for years as far as values go. The last time I saw a comic value go down dramatically was "Howard the Duck" #1 (1976), but it has risen since, and is now higher than the original peak.

I work with Lee and Lee's Comics often and he says that except for the few key issues, most everything else is overvalued that has come out in the past 40 years, especially the lengthy runs of "X-Men" apart from #94 and "Giant Size" #1. Stuff like that hasn't sold for guide for years.

He does say that old Harveys do fly out the door at almost any price nowadays, something that never happened 20-30 years ago. He does, however, generally price them very fairly and when he does get them in, most can be had for $10 or less. More for non-Harvey World comics.

He does mail order too, if anyone cares and is a strict grader, which is why his prices are so good and he has a 100% rating on Ebay. Most comic book dealers overgrade and overcharge because they can.

Let's Hear it for Joe Shlabotnik!

2011-08-10T09:21:00.001-07:00

Why not? Here's the best of those classic strips! This was Charlie Brown's baseball hero!

Marilyn Monroe Statue

2011-08-10T08:47:00.000-07:00

I saw on the news today the new Marilyn Monroe statue now erected (heh-heh) in Chicago. It brings back memories for my of the "Eyesight to the Blind" segment of The Who's movie "Tommy" (1975) where Tommy (Roger Daltrey) is taken to a church by his mother (Ann-Margret) to get his deaf, dumb and blindness cured. Life imitates art again! Incidentally, that's Eric Clapton with the rest of the original Who performing the song.

Archie Art Show a Success

2011-08-08T11:05:00.000-07:00

Here's some photos from yesterday's Family Fun Day at the Cartoon Art Museum. Archie co-CEO Nancy Silberkleit was on hand as was the brother of the late Jon D'Agostino, longtime inker at Archie. Current inker Rich Kozlowski was on hand to do sketches. Greg Beda, Alan Groening and I went up. Steve Leialoha and Trina Robbins showed up. Linda and Skeet Rose brought an Archie cake from Goldilocks. And my high school friend Andy showed up with his daughter.

Many more photos than this were taken as I and the others were minor celebrities for the day.

After a bit, Greg, Alan, Andy, her daughter and I went to eat at Mel's Diner.

At the end of the day, Nancy was dropped off and was heading back to her hotel by the airport. I asked if she wanted a ride back instead of a taxi, since we were going that direction anyway. Initially nervous because of her fearing headlines such as "Rapid Archie Fanboys Kidnap Archie CEO", she did agree to go and we dropped her off without incident at her hotel.

The Archie Art Show continues at the Cartoon Art Museum, 655 Mission, in San Francisco until December 4.

Surprise Guests at Lee's Comics

2011-08-02T08:52:00.000-07:00

You never know who will show up out of the blue at Lee's Comics. Here's comic distributor Bud Plant, author Craig Yoe and author Jim Vadeboncoeur making a surprise appearance with Lee. The other photo features me in Bud's place.

Buster Keaton Film Festival Fridays at the Stanford

2011-08-01T17:08:00.000-07:00

Every Friday this month is Buster Keaton silent movie night. Here's David Packard announcing the most recent showing. The shows all feature live organ accompaniment by Dennis James. The Stanford Theatre is located at 221 University in Palo Alto. (650) 324-3700

Comic Con Report

2011-07-31T07:19:00.000-07:00

After a whirlwind two weeks, I'm finally getting around to writing about my experiences at the 2011 Comic Con International. I went with my friends Greg Beda and Alan Groening.

We left on Tuesday, July 19th after a delay at the rental car place, which was a drag. They told Alan to pick up his car at a different time and through some sort of miscommunication, actually rented out the car we had reserved to someone else!

After that was straightened out, we were on our way. We got down to San Diego the same day, but decided to stop short at about 30 miles north because we were tired and the fact that we didn't officially have a place to stay until Wednesday night (The Doubletree). Along the way we ate at Harris Ranch Steak House. Pricey, but good.

On Wednesday, we finished our trek. Alan drove us to the convention hall and Greg and I got our exhibitor passes. Alan and I couldn't get out pro passes until 3pm for some dumb reason.

After getting the passes, Greg and I wheeled our stuff to our table and did a basic set up. Then, we met up with Alan and the three of us went to lunch. Afterwards, Greg went to the hotel, followed shortly by Alan, who now got his passes.

I decided to stay at the Con and set up because it was Preview night and I had to get the boxes I had my friends Linda and Skeet bring down separately to save on car space. Turns out I didn't need them, but I didn't know how well my books would sell. I could have gotten by with four boxes of books, but I had eight.

Wednesday night went very well and I sold a few books. Before the show I made a quick circle and said hi to a few people I know including Jerry Beck and a few different dealers.

After a night's sleep in the Doubletree, the Con started in earnest on Thursday, which started off really slowly. I also went round to some booths such as the Archie booth, the IDW booth and the Shout Factory booth. The three booths would be visited by me numerous times over the next couple of days.

I got the Archie book that Craig Yoe wrote and Greg and I contributed to signed by virtually everyone in attendance that worked for Archie including Dan Parent, George Gladir, Victor Gorelick and Jonathan Goldwater over the next few days.

Thursdays sales picked up by the end of the day, but not until I had purchased a large amount of "Dennis the Menace" comics. My collection is virtually complete.

On Friday, it was deader than Thursday and I decided for the first time in over a decade to take in a panel. This was the "Mad Magazine" panel and I brought my 2-volume "Cracked Mazagine" book set to give to Sam Viviano who works for "Mad" as Art Director and was indispensable in getting me in contact with Jack Davis, Al Jaffee and Angelo Torres, all of whom worked for "Cracked" at some point in their careers.

The panel featured Sam as well as Sergio Aragones, Peter Kuper, John Ficarra, Dick De Bartolo and a couple of guys who work on the new "Mad" cartoon show for Cartoon Network. They showed some clips from the show, which I felt were very funny. Then Ficarra did the equivalent of a stockholders meeting and used funny slides to tell the story of what "Mad" has been doing in the past year and when the next year holds for them.

Then the panel was opened up to questions. The highlight of the panel was when Peter Kuper ("Spy vs. Spy") picked up my "Cracked" book and said, "Oops, I'm at the wrong panel. This is a "Cracked" panel." I managed to get a photo of him doing this.

Afterwards, I exchanged pleasantries with Ficarra, Kuper and DeBartolo and then split back for my table.

Friday I said was exceptionally slow so Alan, Greg and I decided to do free sketches for tips to pass the time. I did a few Underdogs and many of The Beatles which I took photos of, because I knew that I would probably never see them again.

Saturday was Archie panel day and most of the Archie people that I mentioned appeared on the panel except George Gladir who seems to be a wandering spirit on his own time-frame and schedule. Turns out George was only there on Thursday, but he did come back on Sunday as you will find out shortly.

Sales were back up on Saturday and I purchased a few pages of original art. I got an Archie page, and some full color drawings of Hot Stuff, Spooky and Richie Rich from Dan Parent. I would have bought his Casper, but I didn't like the pose, and told Dan so. I said next time I will buy the rest of his Harvey drawings if he draws Casper again in a better pose. He also had Little Dot, Little Lotta and Wendy.

Craig Yoe was at the Archie panel for the "Archie" book, and I exchanged my Beatles book for his "Archie's Madhouse" book despite the fact that I helped him out on it. I guess I can't always get freebies for my work in lieu of pay. I also wanted to get his 3-D book, but he didn't want to trade for anything else, including the "Cracked" book. Surprising, but true.

I also bought some other original art including a Charles Rodrigues "Shut-Ups" page from "Cracked", a Vic Martin double-page spread from "Wacko", a Ray Billingsley page from "Crazy", a Mr. Howell production drawing from "New Adventures of Gilligan's Island" and a Casper production drawing from "Casper and the Angels".

I also got a few Two Morrows mags and books I had missed because they had a lot of their stuff at 40% off! I even bought an extra copy of the old "Comic Book Artist" issue that I wrote the major Harvey Comics article for.

Back at the table, the guy next to us had some incredible prints of paintings he had done including one of Casper with Velma from "Scooby-Doo", a 3-D looking print of Snoopy flying the dog house and a "Famous Monsters" parody cover called "Fabulous Monsters of Discoland" with Lincolnstein.

On Sunday, George Gladir made his return and showed up unexpectedly at our table. No one else was there, even Greg, who is a huge Archie fan. George posed for a picture with my "Cracked" book (his major accomplishments in life are writing for Archie and for "Cracked") and then he split. It was like a TV show or something as Greg showed up just as George was out of sight.

He did come back about an hour or so later and I asked George if he would stay for a bit. He said he would and Greg sat with him while I ran off to get Victor Gorelick and Craig Yoe. They all ran down to our table and I took various photos of the three of them together. Then after everyone departed, I took George to see Dan Parent at his table and took their photo, leaving George at that point.

Also, somewhere along the line Matt Groening came by. Alan phoned his mom and Matt spoke with her. She didn't believe it. I'm still not quite sure if Alan and Matt are related or not, yet they do share the same last name.

And, in my rushing around, I did pass a group of people and was wondering who they were escorting. I took a look and saw William Shatner in the center of the group being hustled to a panel or something. He looked just like he did on "$#!+ My Dad Says!"

I kept going back to the Shout Factory booth because they had postcards advertising the upcoming "Casper" DVD set that I wrote the booklet for and did commentaries on. I passed them out at my table. The DVD should be out on October 11.

I made a few last sales and trades. I got a "Smurfs" book in trade which is quite nice and the guy who runs Stand-Up Records, the label that gave Lewis Black his recording career start, bought a set of "Cracked" at the last minute, requesting that I ship them to him after the show.

I know somewhere along the line I spoke with Bill Morrison and John Lustig and Joe Staton and Roy Thomas and Walt Simonson and Neal Adams and Raphael Navarro and got autographs and/or photos in most cases.

Breakdown was relatively painless but we had to make a couple of trips to the parking garage at the Hilton as I had so many book boxes. We left a bit later than Greg and Alan have in the past, but a lot earlier than I have left when I have worked with Lee of Lee's Comics.

The three of us wanted to make it to Gorman, but only made it as far as Norwalk before we crashed for the night. Monday was all driving and it took forever as we stopped at many places along the road and Interstate 5 north whittled down to one lane for a time.

We finally got to San Jose about 5 or 6pm. I debated whether I would go to work on Tuesday, but in the end decided not to, opting to get some rest and do some follow-up emails and work on some pending projects including getting ready for a second round of Shout Factory commentaries, this time on "Tennessee Tuxedo" and "Underdog" as well as preps for the Archie Art Show at the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco.

Incidentally, that show runs through December 4 with a reception coming up on August 7.

Overall, the show was very good. I made some good contacts, bought some good original art and comics, saw a couple panels and sold a few books, at least enough to pay for my share of the table and hotel.

I still plan to post some more pictures on Facebook and on Photobucket. Stay tuned.

Archie Art Show on Now in San Francisco

2011-07-27T21:15:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that the Archie Art Show is going on now at the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco through December 4th. Be sure to show up for the opening reception on August that should feature a cake with this image by Archie artist Rex Lindsey. The Cartoon Art Museum is located at 655 Mission Street.

San Diego

2011-07-26T18:15:00.001-07:00

I got back from San Diego Comic Con or Comic Con International. I have some stories to tell, but not just yet. Maybe tomorrow.

Archie Art Show Now Open in San Francisco

2011-07-18T08:41:00.000-07:00

My friend Greg Beda and I went to see the Archie Art Show at the Cartoon Art Museum at 655 Mission Street in San Francisco. There were a few minor errors that we hope to see corrected, but overall it is a good looking show. It's running now through December 4th. Artwork was provided by Greg and myself as well as by Bill Morrison, The Geppi Museum and Archie Publications. A reminder that there will be a free opening reception on August 7th with refreshments, but if you cannot wait, it's going on now.

The Walt Disney Family Museum Pictures

2011-07-14T16:35:00.000-07:00

I went to the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco recently. If you get a chance to go...go! These are photos of what's in the lobby area. You aren't allowed to take photos on the interior but the museum exhibits are VERY detailed and go through Walt's entire life and accomplishments with many original artifacts and also many state of the art touchscreens and other visual and audial presentations. The best being a scale model of Disneyland that features every ride Walt conceived even if it appeared in the park after his lifetime. This means that it is a model of a Disneyland that never existed as it has items like House of the Future side-by-side with Space Mountain. VERY RECOMMENDED!

Haven't Blogged for a Bit...

2011-07-12T08:19:00.000-07:00

because in the days leading up to Comic Con International, I've been swamped. Not only do I have to pack and make sure that I have everything including my books prepared for San Diego, I also have been writing (at last count) 50 various interview questions, I had to record an intro for the Casper DVD with my own inferior equipment, I had to deliver books that are being driven to San Diego, I have to give something to the Cartoon Art Museum, I had to do corrections for the revised version of the Archie book, I am transcribing a phone interview I did recently, I have to do another full day of commentary recordings and I somehow manage to keep my 9-5 job, so no time for good blogging. More soon...

Led Zepagain Photos

2011-07-08T08:44:00.000-07:00

Shout Factory Commentaries

2011-07-05T18:15:00.000-07:00

I spent the entire day today recording commentaries and being interviewed for Shout Factory's upcoming DVD releases of "Casper", "Underdog" and "Tennessee Tuxedo".

Whew! It's exhausting. Anyway, what made it exhausting is that I had to record commentary tracks for 16 different cartoons. While that doesn't seem like a lot, try to concentrate on what you are watching and also communicate with a person on the phone and keep everything within the 5-7 minute time frame.

I've always wanted to do commentaries and now I finally got my chance. Now that it's done, I want to do more. It's exhausting, but fun.

It took a little over nine hours to do, but it was well worth it. Results and release dates will be posted soon, as I know them.

Colgate Comedy Hour, Part II

2011-07-04T09:43:00.000-07:00

So, I started writing about the "Colgate Comedy Hour" and got side-tracked about variety shows. I like the "Colgate Comedy Hour" as they had recurring celebrity guests. I'm watching a set on DVD which apparently has all 28 episodes featuring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis as hosts.

Abbott and Costello were frequent hosts, as was Fred Allen, Eddie Cantor and Donald O'Connor.

The shows were done live and although rehearsed, there was a lot of free-wheeling adlibbing involved, especially in the Martin and Lewis episodes which caused them to cut-up A LOT! It was and is really, really funny.

In any case, a show like this is needed today and also the DVD sets of the older available episodes are a must see!

Colgate Comedy Hour

2011-07-04T08:16:00.000-07:00

Why don't they make shows like this anymore? I've talked about variety shows before and the popular response as to why they don't do variety shows anymore is that they aren't very popular. However, back in the day, virtually every star had a variety show at some point. Some were better than others, but I realized after a time that what killed variety shows was Sid and Marty Krofft!

Up until S&M got their mitts on a variety show that became popular, there was no stopping them. Unfortunately, after their first success with "Donny & Marie", it was all down hill from there and strangely, the networks kept calling on them to produce lousy variety show after lousy variety show.

There follow-up shows included: "Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters", "The Brady Bunch Hour" and "Pink Lady and Jeff", the latter two effectively killing off the genre.

We need a variety show to break up the monotony of so many reality shows and so-so sitcoms and crime dramas.

Richie Rich #2

2011-07-01T08:36:00.000-07:00

Much mixed feelings from the hard-core Richie Rich fans from the Richie Rich's Vault Yahoo Group. Personally, I like this reboot and have said so before, but many wish it would just go away. And so it will after two more issues, because there are no guarantees that this series will run past the initial four. I hope it does, but we shall see.

Many who are against it don't like the "anime" look of the entire venture. I tend to feel that it is written and drawn well despite being "off model".

Here's the cover to #2, which just came out last Wed.

I'm in the Metro (Again!)

2011-06-30T11:24:00.001-07:00

On page 42 of this week's "Metro" (June 29-July 5, 2011), there is a review by Richard Von Busack of my "Cracked" book. Happy day! I wish that I could post the cover here, but I don't have access to a scanner at the moment. You can read the issue by clicking here:

Metro

Excellent Book, Delicate Subject

2011-06-29T09:33:00.001-07:00

I read this book on loan from a friend of mine. I'd like to own it, but man, $200+! Is this book sexist? You bet. Is it also inciteful? Yes! It gets a bit bogged down by Kirksite's dabblings with women on a trip to Australia and New Zealand, but his main point of why and how men get caught up and dragged down by women sometimes is an inciteful book as "He's Just Not That Into You: The No-Excuses Truth to Understanding Guys", (which I've also read and liked.) This book should have been as popular as that one, but men typically don't read or care about these kind of "self-help" books.

Kirksite's writing style is very easy and quick and it's a shame that the book is not more readily available. I think that's mainly due to the sensitive nature of the subject matter. It's not going to win many female supporters, if any.

Time for a Political Rant of Sorts on Words

2011-06-28T12:45:00.001-07:00

This may be a meandering one, but I feel like airing my grievances and I can't wait until Festivus.

A friend of mine has taken issue with the term "Obamacare" in use in headlines of various newspapers. I asked him what term he would use and he said, "Obama's Health Care Plan" or similar such verbiage.

His complaint is that by the use of "Obamacare" in the headlines of a news story is akin to editorializing and professing an editorial bias. While I agreed with his assessment on the face of it, the unfortunate thing is that we do live in a world of lingo and abbreviations and I believe the papers are not taking an editorial slant, rather they are using the common or becoming common terminology of the day in their writing. Does this mean it is correct or right? Not necessarily. Newspapers really should be above using slang.

I explained that even 10 years ago, no one said, "I'm going to Google that subject." Now, Google is a commonly used verb even if Webster's doesn't agree. Another example is the terminology of "Watergate". Despite the fact that this one word seems to sum up the entire description of the Nixon White House in his second term, it is really just the name of a hotel. The term "Watergate" shouldn't even be used. Instead, it should be hotel break-in or just break-in.

What makes matters worse is that now the term "fill-in-the-blank-gate" has permeated our society as a term to describe some sort of scandal. We use the terminology all of the time and it really doesn't mean anything. Putting gate on the end of something is ultimately just a bad etymology. So, if someone stole a bunch of gold, would we call the scandal Golden Gate? Or if Bill Gates did something wrong, would we call it Gatesgate? It's all pretty silly if you ask me.

So, back to Obamacare. Yes, we shouldn't call it that, but it's now too late. It is the jargon of the Republicans planning to get elected who strangely enough call themselves the Tea Party and that has been bastardized into the Teabaggers.

Tea Party isn't even a proper term for what they are doing. The Boston Tea Party had to do with taxation without representation, not about higher or lower taxes or overthrowing incumbant parties, which is supposedly what the Tea Party is on about. And representation means (for those who don't know) a voice in the political system, not overthrow (despite the fact that they threw tea into Boston Harbor as a protest).

In other news, I now see handmade stickers popping up all over the place that say "Obama Failed Us". I got so agitated that I wrote "Republicans Have Too" on one of them. I'm still a registered Republican, but in my lifetime, I've seen the Democrats become the traditional Republicans and the traditional Republicans just go off the deep end and have become the party of "Against".

The Againsters would be a better name for the Republicans who seem to just be against whatever's happening in the other party. If Bush implemented any of the things Obama has (and actually he did in some cases before he left office like the first bailout), the Tea Party would think it was the greatest thing in the world, but because it was a (shudder) Democrat who's (more shuddering) also a black man doing this stuff, it's suddenly not cool.

The two parties are all the same and they should just get along for that very reason. Neither party is really willing to end the war or raise taxes on the very wealthy or cut stuff that really needs to be cut. Stuff that actually could improve the economy.

Off of soapbox...for now...

Weird Al is Back!

2011-06-25T17:11:00.000-07:00

Actually, he never went anywhere. A few months ago, I bemoaned the fact that Weird Al hasn't released an album of new music since 2006, which is true, but since 2006 has posted new videos and songs on the Internet. Finally, Al has released his new album "Alpocalypse" which does not fail to disappoint.

On this one, he does parodies of Lady Gaga and other current acts. The thing that amazes me about the 51-year-old Al is that he does parodies of acts that I usually hear AFTER his parody. It's like he's making these people's careers. In actuality, even thought I try to keep up with current music, I certainly don't do it to the depths that I used to. Instead, picking on a few choice newer acts that catch my interest like Black Eyed Peas, Katy Perry and Lady Gaga. I don't tend to like hard-core rap or syrupy ballads and so avoid a lot of people that Al has parodied.

In other words, I usually enjoy Al's previous album better by the time the new one comes out. So, I like "Straight Outa Lynwood" much much better than I did in 2006.

Some people HATE Weird Al, which is their right. He is not for all tastes. In any case, you've got to admit the dedication and detail Al pays not only to his parodies, but in his original songs as well.

The highlight of Al's latest for me is his Doors genre parody called "Craigslist". Ray Manzarek actually performs keyboards on this and the second disc DVD contains a video of it with Al doing Morrison par excellence.

For those who can't stand to have a second disc with DVD videos, you can also just purchase the single disc CD.

Another thing, I'm sure Al won't do this, but I think it would be funny if Al did a video of "Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah" where he sings alongside Allan Sherman and does a duet with him a la Natalie Cole and Nat King Cole.

Finally, I was reading Wikipedia's coverage about Weird Al and was surprised to find out how many music acts that I like that also like Weird Al don't like parodies of their own songs including Paul McCartney, Jimmy Page and Prince. Hey guys, lighten up. Geez, your image isn't THAT good. In fact it is an honor to have Weird Al do your song. I know that I would like to hear "Chicken Pot Pie" ("Live and Let Die") and the Led Zeppelin polka medley. And Billy Joel, get over the "It's Still Billy Joel to Me", one of the funniest unreleased Weird Al parodies of all time.

White Album Ensemble

2011-06-24T08:49:00.000-07:00

I saw the White Album Ensemble with friends last night at San Jose's free Music in the Park. I've seen them before, and they were as good as usual, but this time did not play any Beatles album through its entirety, instead focusing on Beatles songs everyone knows and loves, with particular attention to the 1966-1970 period. There were also a couple solo Lennon songs ("Imagine", "Instant Karma") thrown in for good measure. This time they had a full brass section, which I don't think they had before. I seem to remember the brassy sections being done on the keyboard before.

The Ensemble is different from other Beatles covers bands as they make no attempt to really look or sound like The Beatles. They just perform and sing the songs very well, and that's all that's really necessary. So, if you ever get a chance to see them, do!

I snapped some photos which I am showing here.

Jack Sheldon and Gene Colan

2011-06-24T08:33:00.000-07:00

Of course, lots of famous people I admire die all the time, but never two in one day that I've actually met!

I'm saddened to say the passings of Jack Sheldon and Gene Colan.

I met Jack a few years ago at a Ronnie Schell comedy benefit at San Francisco State University. He was there with the also now late Merv Griffin. Jack and Merv used to work together and they went on stage with some fun patter about celebrities and music and comedy. Merv sang a few songs and Jack played his trumpet.

Jack was better know to us kiddies as the singer for "Conjunction Junction" and "I'm Just a Bill" for "Schoolhouse Rock". He even sang a parody of "Bill" on the "Simpsons" once called "I'm an Amendment to Be". He was a jolly guy when I met him backstage and really enjoyed cutting up with Merv, who was also a great guy.

Gene Colan appeared at a signing at Lee's Comics in 2007. He was already in ill health and the reason that he was doing the signing in the first place was to earn money to pay for his medical bills. Gene was very soft-spoken and very cordial and signed my Marvel book and also the second volume of Dark Horse's "Creepy" reprints.

I saw him soon after at the Cartoon Art Museum and I believe also at Wondercon and was thinking to myself, "This guy isn't sick, he does more traveling than me!" He was with his second wife, Adrienne at the time, who later, in a bizarre set of circumstances physically assaulted Gene and then took her own life in 2010. At the time of me meeting her, Adrienne appeared to be normal. Apparently, not so.

Although he did work for "Daredevil" and "Iron Man", it was his work for "Howard the Duck" and "Tomb of Dracula" that I admired most. He even did some work for "Cracked"!

I miss them both.

UPDATE: Seems that reports of Sheldon's death are greatly exaggerated! Details later...

Joan Walsh Anglund

2011-06-23T14:36:00.000-07:00

My sister was really into Joan Walsh Anglund when we were kids in the 70s. Back then, they issued numerous books, dolls and calendars with the large-headed, no-mouthed children who's only intent is to be cute.

This type of design has since been surpassed by the likes of Hello Kitty, but I saw a book today of some poetry and drawings by Anglund, so I decided to look her up on Wikipedia.

They actually have removed her entry, but I did discover in another spot that she was born in 1926 and is still alive. I don't know what she currently does or if she currently does any artwork. She may just be old and feeble. Does anyone have any news?

Blu-Ray

2011-06-23T14:22:00.000-07:00

Mark Evanier commented on his blog entry about the upcoming Blu-Ray release of "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" that he has not embraced the new format. His reasoning being that by the time he converts to the new format, the Blu-Ray will be deemed obsolete. I tend to agree with that notion despite having friends that swear by Blu-Ray.

Now, I am no luddite, but I tend to embrace new formats that seem to be practical and do not compromise what I already own. Also, cost and availability has a lot to do with it, too.

In the case of video, I go back to the stone ages of Super 8 and actually purchased a few 7 minute films that cost 10x more than an entire DVD does today.

When video tape came in, my dad purchased a Beta machine in early 1977. I thought this was the greatest invention of the world. Unfortunately, Sony was slow on the uptake on video tape and very soon VHS took over. I HATED that format, and initially refused to embrace it, until it became impossible to find Beta tapes anymore. This despite the fact that Beta is a better quality video tape format than VHS ever was.

Next came 12" laser discs and video discs. Many people got laser discs, but I passed due to the cost and the fact that you had to flip everything over to get the rest of the film. Besides, by this time, vinyl record albums were on the way out and being replaced by CD's. I saw no purpose in replacing the large format discs with another version.

Now my mom purchased a video disc machine. This differed from the laser disc as the principle was more closely related to the vinyl record with a needle than what eventually became the DVD. Had my mom not purchased one of these machines, I would have bypassed this format as well

Next came DVD. I totally embraced this format, but was initially hesitant, thinking that it wouldn't catch on. I made the conscious decision to not by DVD's unless Disney released them and the machines dropped in price lower than $200. Eventually, Disney joined the DVD race with "Mary Poppins" and machines did get lower, and I sold virtually all of my video tapes. (I still have my films, however...)

Now, it's Blu-Ray. I haven't accepted this format primarily because I don't have a high-definition TV (and don't plan to get one anytime soon), the movies I tend to buy aren't released on Blu-Ray anyway, and the ones that are, usually don't have much that's significantly different in that format.

Now, if they released the COMPLETE Looney Tunes or something to Blu-Ray, you can bet your boots I'd be buying them, and a new TV and a Blu-Ray player today.

Also, agreeing with Mark Evanier, if I did transition over, they'd probably replace it with a new format as soon as I got it, such as streaming video or video on a flash drive or such similar non-spinning device.

Robert Crumb at the San Jose Museum of Art

2011-06-22T16:55:00.000-07:00

Well not him, but his artwork. This show runs June 23 through September 25, 2011, and it will be the last time all the pages of Robert Crumb's Book of Genesis will be together in one setting as after this the pages will be split up and sold.

I went to a sneak preview today and took a few pics. Highly recommended!

Stanford Photos

2011-06-20T17:41:00.000-07:00

A while back I posted a few Castro Theatre photos from San Francisco. Now, here's some photos of the interior of the Stanford Theatre in Palo Alto, CA. Enjoy...

I love these old theaters.

Looky!

2011-06-17T08:26:00.001-07:00

Drool! Drool!

A recent collection unearthed by an 85-year-old original owner...

Robert Crumb Art Exhibit in San Jose

2011-06-15T17:35:00.000-07:00

The San Jose Museum of Art at 110 South Market Street in San Jose, CA, is planning to have "The Bible Illuminated: R. Crumb's Book of Genesis" on display from June 23-September 25, 2011. I plan to go. Do you?

Road Pictures

2011-06-15T17:31:00.000-07:00

If you are in the Palo Alto, CA area from June 15-17, they are running two of the classic Bob Hope-Bing Crosby Road pictures at the Stanford Theatre. They are running "Road to Rio" with my favorite one "Road to Utopia". I plan to go on Friday night at 6. Join me if you like.

Fairport Convention

2011-06-15T07:55:00.000-07:00

So my friend Greg has been trying to get me to like Fairport Convention, Sandy Denny and Richard Thompson. At first, I poo-pooed them thinking they were a bit lightweight, but then I realized that, as Greg pointed out, that Fairport is a lot like Jefferson Airplane and I like them. They are also a lot like The Mamas and the Papas strangely enough, with their harmonies.

They also hung around Led Zeppelin a lot, with Denny contributing vocal's on Zep's "Battle for Evermore" on their 4th album.

Ok, ok, so I like them now. I don't know if I'll rush out to buy all their albums as I have done with groups I have embraced in the past,

Here's my books! They're all in! Woo-Hoo!

2011-06-13T16:25:00.000-07:00

The IT Crowd

2011-06-13T08:28:00.000-07:00

I'm always on the lookout for some great TV shows on DVD. Since I don't have cable, I have to scour the shelves at the library or DVD store to see what's available. I took a chance on a new one (even though it originally aired in 2006) called "The IT Crowd". It's written by the same guy who wrote "Father Ted" (a favorite of mine) and "Black Books" (another good one, but not as good as "Father Ted") and produced by the UK producer of "The Office" (not a huge fan, but I like Ricky Gervais. I preferred "Extras").

Anyway, "IT Crowd" is kinda like a UK version of "The Big Bang Theory". I've only seen the first season of six episodes, but I liked what I saw. It's two nerdy IT guys named Roy and Moss who's IT response is usually, "Have you turned it on and off?" A new lady named Jen gets hired to be their "Manager". There is also a goth guy named Richmond who lives in the office behind a red door.

I'll have to get the second through fourth series and catch up...

Casablanca

2011-06-12T09:08:00.000-07:00

I'm rewatching "Casablanca" on DVD and realize that I probably like the film better for the relationship between Claude Rains and Humphrey Bogart rather than the one you are supposed to like between Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman.

The reason why has to do with the genuineness of the Rains/Bogart friendship. Even though they had threatened each others lives as in the Bogart/Bergman relationship, they are more willing to forgive and move on, creating the great line that Bugs Bunny often repeated, "This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

Anyway, as a huge Rains fan, and a somewhat good Bogart fan, this helps. Claude Rains is just fantastic in any role and he usually is underrated or ignored by most reviewers.

Overall, what's fantastic about "Casablanca" to me is not the romance, which is nice, but really it's the suspense. You really don't know until the last few frames of the picture where this thing is going and who is going to live or die or stay or escape.

Even today upon multiple viewings, I am fascinated by the intricacy of the writing, that you really can't guess what's going to happen next until it happens.

The Big Broadcast of 1938 and International House

2011-06-12T07:18:00.000-07:00

I went again to the Stanford Theatre, one of my favorite places to go. This time I went to see "The Big Broadcast of 1938" and "International House".

Both films feature the great W.C. Fields, but "Broadcast" is probably best known now for the feature film debut of Bob Hope and the song "Thanks for the Memory" which became Bob's theme song.

W.C. does a great bit on a pool table and on the golf course. There are other things going on like a crazy flip-over dance with Martha Raye and a storyline for Bob where he's in alimony prison for his three ex-wives and is now on the arm of ever lovely Dorothy Lamour. In the end, Bob goes back to one of his exes turning down Dorothy!

The main storyline is a big broadcast aboard a ship about a ship race between the Gigantic and the Colossal, but not that it matters. There is so much going on and its so incongruous that you really just have to sit back and enjoy the set pieces and not the film as a whole.

But "Broadcast" seems totally coherent in comparison to "International House". This bit of insanity takes places in Wu-Hu, China, a name which prompts the following dialogue exchange between W.C. Fields, the effeminate Franklin Pangborn and an unnamed lady.

Fields: Where am I?

Lady: Wu-Hu!

Fields: Woo-hoo to you, too. Now where am I?

Pangborn: (more insistent) Wu-Hu!

Fields: (obviously not wanting to be propositioned by a man, casually tosses away his boutonniere.) Don't let the posie fool you!

Fields flies in a crazy helicopter-type contraption and ends up in Wu-Hu, but the main thrust of this story if there is one is showcasing various musical acts such as Cab Calloway and Baby Rose Marie (later of "The Dick Van Dyke Show") on an invention pre-dating television.

George Burns and Gracie Allen exchange some lame Vaudevillian jokes and a doctor and nurse and Bela Lugosi is even here as a Russian General.

The story at times sometimes moves at a snail's pace, and the dialogue is generally unfunny, but it's great to see all these old timers once again. I am not alone in this assessment, as the reviews from the time as printed in "The Films of W.C. Fields" parrot my views.

In other words, it was considered bad back in 1933.

Comments on Cracked Book

2011-06-10T10:13:00.000-07:00

The comments are a startin'. They are generally pretty favorable, but it's starting that people as usual are nitpicky about the details. I actually appreciate this, though sometimes it is a bit harsh. Anyway, start checking out the reviews of my Cracked books on the internet and then do me a favor and buy a copy please!

Neil Innes

2011-06-09T08:31:00.001-07:00

Saw Neil Innes last night at the Red Devil Lounge in San Francisco. Who is he, you may ask? If you've seen "Monty Python and the Holy Grail", he's the minstrel playing and singing with Brave Sir Robin. Or, you may know him from the Rutles. Or maybe other Monty Python stuff. Or maybe even the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. If you're really hard core, you may know him from "Rutland Weekend Television" or "Do Not Adjust Your Set". Or you may still not know him at all. If that's the case, it's your loss...

More About Bugs Bunny

2011-06-06T09:42:00.001-07:00

I like this picture...

Warner Archive Updates

2011-06-04T09:27:00.000-07:00

I still get annoyed with these studios offering DV-R's for $20 apiece and up for usually schlocky old movies. On the plus side, how else are you going to complete your collections of schlocky old movies.

Warner Archives has just released "Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd" and "Rio Rita" to DVD, and thus every Abbott and Costello film is now own on DVD in some form. The annoying thing again is that these two movies cost more than the 8-film sets that Universal put out years ago of old A&C films.

Another film out is Soupy Sales' "Birds Do It". Not a great film at all, but it is nice to have it out.

Though again I complain, I am happy there are series like Warner Archives, Universal Vault, Disney Exclusives, etc., etc.

The Looney Tunes Button Fund

2011-06-04T07:37:00.000-07:00

I want to buy this Looney Tunes button, but I don't want to pay $100. Please, help a brother out and contribute to the "I Want to Help Mark Arnold Get The Looney Tunes Button Fund". Paypal your contributions to funideas.mark@gmail.com

This was a button that Dell Comics offered to subscribers back in 1947. Author Craig Yoe has one and made me aware of it. Now I've seen one for sale for more money than I'm usually willing to shell out for such things. (Of course, if you have one for sale at significantly less than $100, please let me know.)

You will be rewarded for your efforts by the comforting thought that you have made this comic book and animation fan very very happy. Thank you for your support.

Might as well plug the Beatles book too

2011-05-29T09:51:00.000-07:00

Well, my Beatles book still isn't up yet on Amazon, but not to worry. If you want to order it, it's available now through Lulu.com. Just search for the title "Mark Arnold Picks On The Beatles" and it'll be there. This book has a lengthier genesis than the two Cracked books, mainly because I started it sooner (2007) and put it on the shelf as I completed my TTV and Cracked books and my final issues of "The Harveyville Fun Times!" Now, they're all done and I'm bored...not really. I'm starting work on a Disney book and there are other books in the planning, as well as I'm doing commentary for some upcoming Shout Factory DVD releases. Above is the front, spine and back cover to my Beatles book.

It's what happened from the 50s to the late 80s

2011-05-29T09:49:00.001-07:00

In the long tradition of this author, I'm going to review my own book. Of course, I'm going to give it five stars. It took so long for me to produce -- 2 1/2 years! I interviewed over 80 creators from the original Cracked maga....er, mazagine and indexed every magazine and book they ever produced. So much it had to be split into TWO VOLUMES! The other one is here: If You're Cracked, You're Happy: The History of Cracked Mazagine, Part Too Enjoy! Buy Me! (an old Cracked phrase), and tell me what you think...

It's what happened from the late 80s to the present

2011-05-29T09:46:00.000-07:00

In the long tradition of this author, I'm going to review my own book. Of course, I'm going to give it five stars. It took so long for me to produce -- 2 1/2 years! I interviewed over 80 creators from the original Cracked maga....er, mazagine and indexed every magazine and book they ever produced. So much it had to be split into TWO VOLUMES! The other one is here: If You're Cracked, You're Happy: The History of Cracked Mazagine, Part Won Enjoy! Buy Me! (an old Cracked phrase), and tell me what you think...

The BEST Archie History Book So Far...

2011-05-29T09:04:00.001-07:00

I did help out Craig Yoe with this book, but it is not why it is the best. It would have been the best even without my help. Craig has strove...er strived...striven? ok, Yoe has made sure that he gave ample coverage to virtually all of the major Archie artists and writers over the years, something no other collection has done. While I truly regard Dan De Carlo as one of the greats, most Archie volumes give him praise if they give anyone praise, truly overlooking a lot of the other talents including Bob Montana and my favorite, Harry Lucey! Even the writers are covered at great length such as George Gladir. There is not only coverage of the comic books, but of the radio shows, TV shows, and The Archies singing group! Yoe has even created pages of his top 10 favorite Archie covers in various categories. Not an easy feat since there are over 5000 Archie covers at this point, over 600 on the main Archie title alone. So please buy and enjoy. It's a very handsome looking book even if you are only a casual fan. This will make you a fan!

Photos From Big Wow!

2011-05-23T16:00:00.000-07:00

Here's Lee Hester, Ron Murray, Greg Beda and me at the Big Wow!

Even More on Richie Rich

2011-05-22T08:09:00.000-07:00

Scoop!, the weekly email newsletter from Diamond Distribution reported that the new "Richie Rich" #1 has sold out, and is going into a reprint. This stirred even more controversy on the Richie Rich's Vault as everyone reasoned that of course it sold out because it was a #1, and everyone was curious and print runs on comics are lower than then they used to be.

Of course, none of these publishers really have had any faith in anything Harvey since the early 90s. No Harvey related series has lasted more than a handful of issues, regardless of sales... Let's take a look:

1. Casper and Friends Magazine - 3 issues

2. Harvey, the Magazine for Children - 7 issues

3. Harvey Comics Classics - 5 books (3 books did sell out, but 2 of those were never reissued (Richie Rich and Hot Stuff))

4. Harvey Comics Treasury - 2 books (with a 3rd planned that probably won't come out (Richie Rich), because these sold particularly poorly.)

5. Casper and the Spectrals - 3 issues (with a year gap between issues 1 and 2)

6. Richie Rich (new series) - 4 issues (and a FCBD edition)

and of course, there have been a few one-shots here and there...

I STILL think that they way to reintroduce Harvey Comics to children is to give it over to the amazing Archie Comics and let them produce digest reprints with maybe one or two new stories and distribute them to grocery stores, but who listens to me. I've been saying that since 1994...

I will say that at my local Lee's Comics, the Richie Rich did sell out and I polled a few people that I know did buy and most said that they'd buy it again. In fact, at the Big Wow! Toy Show that I'm at this weekend, most were commenting on how appalling Sid and Ernie's story was, compared to the rest of the book...most were happy with the reboot with the most negative comment being that the new story would be confusing for small children. The old Harveys always had arrows that told you where to go and not too much dialogue.

Cracked Book Press Release

2011-05-20T08:55:00.000-07:00

Woo-Hoo!!! FINALLY, after 2 1/2 years, here it is...the press release for my Cracked book...

Well, Should the Rapture Not Happen This Friday....

2011-05-19T08:53:00.001-07:00

Come see me at the Big Wow! Supercon in San Jose at the San Jose Convention Center, Hall 3
150 West San Carlos St. San Jose. I will have a table selling my books this Saturday and Sunday. Stop by and say hi!

Donald Trump to NOT Run For President!

2011-05-18T17:01:00.000-07:00

Can't we pretend anyway?

Ronald McDonald to be Retired?

2011-05-18T16:55:00.001-07:00

Now, who would want to go and do a thing like that????

Maria Shriver Book from 2000

2011-05-18T16:34:00.001-07:00

#11. Sometimes your husband takes advantage of his powerful position and cheats on you....

Thor Not a Bore!

2011-05-16T09:03:00.000-07:00

I saw the previews for "Thor", the new Marvel Comics superhero film and was not impressed. It looked as if it would be a boring time. I heard some good reviews, so I decided to chance it and after a requisite space battle, the story settled into a very fun and amusing groove that had me riveted. There were many doses of humor and action and the whole thing held together very well and everyone did a good job. People have said that it's not as good as "Iron Man", but better than "Iron Man 2". Well, I liked "Iron Man" 1 and 2 equally and like this as well. Make sure to stay through the closing credits....

Fleetwood Mac

2011-05-13T17:28:00.000-07:00

Fleetwood Mac has been around forever, but I've tended to pay attention to the most popular era of their history, the Lindsay Buckingham-Stevie Nicks years. I have started to check out albums that I've ignored over the years and found two from vastly different eras, that I've really enjoyed. One is "Future Games" from 1971, and the other is "Time" from 1995.

All of them have Mick Fleetwood, John McVie and Christine McVie, but everyone else is different. The main thing that I've discovered is that there is an overall consistent quality in Fleetwood Mac's music, no matter what the era, but I tend to give the nod to the post-Peter Green, pre-Buckingham-Nicks era from approximately 1970-1974. There is some really progressive and great sounding stuff. Other albums from that time include "Heroes are Hard to Find", "Kiln House", "Penguins", "Mystery to Me", "Bare Trees" (another favorite), etc. etc. A very productive time.

In any case, it proves time and again why Fleetwood Mac is a great band. I enjoy the new sounds each time I hear a new album that I've never heard before.

Sharks Win!

2011-05-13T17:25:00.001-07:00

What a nail biter. After being ahead 3-0, the San Jose Sharks in hockey screwed up and went into last nights game tied at 3-3!

Fortunately, it was not a repeat of the classic Yankees-Red Sox play-offs in baseball where the Yankees were ahead 3-0, and then the Red Sox won the series at 4-3! (Incidentally, I was rooting for the Sox all the way that year!)

So, the Sharks won, everyone can exhale and they are onto the next level!

More Richie Rich Stuff

2011-05-13T17:21:00.000-07:00

Yeah, yeah I know, there's been too much Richie Rich stuff on my blog, lately. Anyway, there's one more thing to report. The first issue as shown the other day is also available in an alternate 70s retro gold cover vaguely resembling the old "Richie Rich Vaults of Mystery" covers. This shows the cover but it is white but the actual issue has a wraparound gold-ish cover that's somewhat hard to scan and reproduce here.

Anyway, if interested, be on the lookout for this. If you already are against the new "Richie Rich" series, this won't help...

"Priest" is Paint By Numbers

2011-05-13T10:13:00.000-07:00

Hey kid! You like "The Matrix"? You like movies with vampires? You like 3-D? You like "The Road Warrior"? You like "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"? You like the motorcycles in "Tron"?

Then, this movie is for you.

Otherwise, beware!!!