Good Evening New York City

Paul McCartney has just released his 347th album since leaving The Beatles, where he sings "Let Me Roll It" for the 45,652nd time in his career. The 94-year-old ex-Beatle said of the release, "I just need to milk it one more time before I join John and George in the sky!"

Ringo commented that he was more impressed with "Two Virgins", and has now approached Paul to be an All-Starr, as this album now qualifies him.

George Martin was quoted as saying, "What?"

McCartney hopes to outsell (and outlive) Yoko Ono's new CD, "I'm Screaming My Head Off and I Don't Know Why". Available at better record stores and Goodwills everywhere.

If You're Stumped About What to Get Me for Christmas

It's the entire Beatles catalog on a handy Apple-shaped USB!!!

Christmas is Coming! Buy My Books!

Didn't mean to scare you...

Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Christmas CD

I saw this on CD for the very first time when I went to Border's yesterday. Does this mean that the other long out-of-print and never issued to CD Hanna-Barbera albums are due out soon?

Hey Hey I'm a Be-Atle!

Me playing the guitar on the new Beatles Rock Band with my friend Grant Grothaus on vocals.

1000 Comic Books You Must Read

Here is yet another book that I assisted with about the information on Harvey Comics. My friend Tony Isabella has written an excellent volume as it covers all types of comic books, not just the superheroes. My highest recommendation!!

Josie and the Pussycats

My Josie and the Pussycats article will be appearing soon in "Back Issue" magazine #40.

Fun Ideas Productions News

In case you didn't hear it (or I haven't bragged about it enough to you in person or on Facebook), here is my appearance on the November 4th edition of "The Dan Shahin Show" on KSCU in its entirety.

http://www.vimeo.com/7448204

I'll be posting my appearance on "The Howard Stern Show" from the same day as soon as I get a copy of it.

Also, while I have your attention, please be sure to stop by The Saratoga History Museum anytime from now through January as I'm being honored as one of 100 famous Saratogans. The museum is located at 20450 Saratoga-Los Gatos Road in Saratoga (obviously). It is normally open Fri, Sat and Sun from 1-4pm. There will be an open house reception on November 27 at 6pm. All are invited. I'll be there.

And, for my East Coast friends. If Saratoga, CA, is too far away, you might want to attend the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art at 594 Broadway #401 in New York, on November 19, at 7pm, as they have an opening reception for "The Art of Archie Comics", which I helped coordinate. I don't think I'll be in attendance that day, but the show does run through February 28, 2010, so I may make it out there before the show concludes its run.

Archie Finally Does it Right!

After years of ignoring their past, Archie is FINALLY doing it right, by reprinting their older material in a format intended for collectors. Above you see the cover of the first volume of the collected newspaper strips. These will be followed by various volumes of comic book material focusing on a particular artist or characters in hardback collections. Also, there are now DVD-ROMs that compile a goodly amount of Archie comic book material in archival form.

Who says that material like this has to be only about superheroes. The clincher on this is that the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art (MoCCA) in New York is running an art show featuring original artwork from the 40s to the present. The show runs from November through January and features contributions by yours truly, who also brought you the Harvey Art Show last year.

Let me know if you need any further information about any of these Archie products or shows.

Mark Arnold LIVE! on KSCU (Nov. 4, 2009)

I'm scheduled to appear as a guest to talk about my book and other projects live on KSCU radio 103.3 on Wednesday, November 4, at 9pm. Listen, if you're local.

Here's the "Mad" Ad

My dad came through and found a copy of the ad I was looking for in the last blog entry. Although this one is a call for artists, I'm sure if there was a writer's ad, it would have been very similar. Anyway, this ad originally appeared in the September 23, 1956 edition of "The New York Times".

I had contacted Sam Viviano of "Mad" and he did not have a copy and once my dad located this in a local library to me, I sent Sam a copy for the "Mad" archives. Sam said that this ad also is rumored to have been answered by Mort Drucker and Norman Mingo, among others.

The writer ad was supposed to have been responded to by Paul Laikin and Frank Jacobs, but they may have just responded to this same ad, placed by Al Feldstein when Harvey Kurtzman left "Mad" and took virtually the entire staff with him.

Mad Magazine Help

I am writing a book on "Cracked" magazine and one of the interview subjects was Paul Laikin, who has worked for every black and white humor magazine over the years, being editor for many of them, too, including "Cracked", "Sick" and "Wacko". Anyway, Laikin was the first of two writers hired by "Mad" after Harvey Kurtzman left with the staff. New editor Al Feldstein placed an ad in the "New York Times" in 1956-57 for new writers and two respondees were hired: Laikin and Frank Jacobs. Laikin stayed with "Mad" until about 1959 and Jacobs is still there to this day.

What I need is a copy of this help wanted ad. Please let me know if you have access to a copy.

Wonka Bashing

I was reading through Amazon comments about "Willy Wonka" and decided to respond to one of them for kicks. Here's the original post and my rebuttal.

One Sick puppy..., November 15, 2008
A Kid's Review

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is one of those movies thats just so twisted its not even funny. The first time I saw this movie, I was about four and it scared the crap out of me. I remember the sadistic, demented Willy Wonka played by Gene Wilder (Who is probably the best thing this movie has as a fan of his other movies.)and the hellish Oompa Lompas with their little songs. Let's not forget that tunnel w/ the snakes and chickens, I had nightmares for months. Was it wrong that I felt sorry for the fat boy who got sucked up the tunnel? Or the little girl who got turned into that blueberry? I mean it was sick!!! Their kids they don't even know their behavior is wrong! I mean of course I know its fake but still. You never even know what happened to them (their actually is a small line about them being alright but I didn't hear it until like the 3rd viewing.) The special effects a downright terrible, even for back then. The chocolate river looked like some kiddy w/ mud in it. The musical scores (Besides "The Candy Man") were downright awful.
What I don't understand most is that this movie is considered a classic. Its played regularly on tv, and was shown almost daily at my school. If this movie is for you that's fine, you're entitled to your opinion, no need to bash me in your comments, that's just stupid. All I want to say is that I have no idea how a movie that was a critical and box office flop became regarded as a children's classic. This movie is way to disturbing for young children and maybe some adults. I'm even a fan of the book and I don't like this. What we fans need to a truth to the book adaption. Then we'll be satisfied.

and now my response:

I'll take issue with your comments as well (just for kicks). Anyway, I saw this movie originally when I was 4 in the theater in 1971 upon first release! Yes, it was freaky and weird and a bit disturbing especially during the boat ride, but it became my favorite movie of all time, and leaps and bounds greater than that inferior "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" movie, which I so much wanted to love, too, but couldn't, and "Charlie" WAS more faithful to the book.

The main problem with the book is Roald Dahl. Even though I love him as an author and he has great ideas, some of his book ideas really don't translate well to the motion picture screen and "Willy Wonka" solved the majority of those book problems and made it a better story, as a result.

Strange if you are a fan of the book, as you state, then you should remember the kid sucked up the tube and the girl who got turned into a blueberry as those remained unchanged from the book.

Actually for years it WASN'T played on TV. It was, in the early 70s, but by the late 70s through the mid-80s due to ownership changes from Paramount to Warner Bros, it remained strangely hidden from view.

Finally, I take great issue with your comment "The special effects are downright terrible, even for back then". Actually, they were state-of-the-art for 1971. Really! When the words pop up saying "brat" and "cat" and "mother" and "father", those were actually the very first computer graphics, and this was the first feature film to use them. They were also used at the same time on "Sesame Street" and the then brand-new "Electric Company" TV shows. Without those effects, you wouldn't have all those Pixar films and all those feature films you have nowadays that rely so much on computer animated effects, including "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory". In "Willy Wonka", this was the best you could do in 1971. You can't bash a film's special effects for that.

Of course, you are entitled to your own opinions, but please do some research before making "factual" statements that are presented as "truth".

Many Casper Comics Coming Out

These are the covers of some various "Casper" comic books out now or coming soon. The three are the new "Casper and the Spectrals" series (issues #1 and 2 shown here), the "Casper 60th Anniversary Book" and the "Casper Halloween Treat" giveaway (also featuring "Little Lulu"). There's even more soon, but I've been sworn to secrecy for a little while longer....

Harvey in Roy Thomas' "Alter Ego" #89

Make sure to pick up Roy Thomas' "Alter Ego" #89. It has extensive coverage of Harvey's horror and superhero titles. Basically, it covers everything non-humor, although it does talk about "Flip!". Yours truly helped out with some of the information and images.

More Quality From Yoe!

I really enjoy Craig Yoe's books ("Comic Arf", "Secret Identity: The Fetish Art of Superman's Co-creator Joe Shuster", "Weird but True Toon Factoids"), and this one is more of the same, a high quality observation of a neglected aspect of the comic world. One thing it would have been great to have unearthed are some scandalous Richie Rich artwork by Ernie Colon and Lennie Herman. As it is, there's some great stuff in here and more surprising is who it is sometimes by.

What? No Harveys!!

I picked up this book and was sorely disappointed that not one Harvey comic book story made the grade. It might be a rights issue with Classic Media, but it seems a shame that not one "Casper" or Richie Rich story was accepted. Granted, I love "Sugar and Spike" and "Dennis the Menace" and have an appreciation for all things Walt Kelly, but the lack of a single Harvey story is inexcusable. At least Dark Horse has reprinted some of these stories in their 5-volume series. I was hoping for at least one...

"Cold Turkey" and "Zotz"

I was just told about two movies that I think I would love, but they came out on VHS about 100 years ago and no DVD release is on the horizon. I don't understand the movie companies withholding their inventory. Warner Bros. and Disney have figured it out at least and have put some of their more obscure movies out as a "print on demand" DVD available through the Internet as in the case of Warner Bros. or as part of a Movie Club as Disney has done. Both are not available in stores.

The other movie studios should take a lead from this and should rerelease every single solitary movie in their inventory, especially if their is a major star, like "Cold Turkey" has Dick Van Dyke, Bob Newhart and a number of others, while "Zotz" stars Tom Poston and was produced by William Castle.

What is wrong with the studios? It's easy money to put this stuff out in either limited release as explained above or in box sets by subject or star or director.

As a fan, it's very frustrating and baffling.

Entertaining Memoir from One of the Last Classic Cartoon Voices

I just met June Foray and Stan Freberg at the recent Comic Con International in San Diego. I was in cartoon voice bliss. Two greats in one day in one setting!! It would have only been surpassed if Mel Blanc, Daws Butler and Paul Frees were also there, but they have long ago left this mortal coil.

Anyway, June is one of those people that may not be a household name, but you HAVE heard her voice, be it as Rocky, the Flying Squirrel (pictured on cover) or Granny in the Warner Bros. cartoons or two different Witch Hazels, one for Disney and another for Warner Bros.

Or, you may have seen her in various live-action roles in such places as "Green Acres", or as the voice of "Talky Tina" in a classic "Twilight Zone" episode where she creepily states, "I'm Talky Tina, and I'm gonna kill you!!"

This book is well-written and covers her entire life and career. It's a little rushed on discussing some of her voicework and I think she spends a little too much time on her formative years, but that's minor quibbling as I really knew nothing about her childhood. Read about the life and career of one animation's greatest LIVING legends!!

Also (plug plug) if you get a chance and like animated cartoons, pick up my book "Created and Produced by Total TeleVision Productions". Unfortunately, June never voiced anything for them.

This is a great book and a great asset for my own book about TTV

I sought out this book for its coverage of many voice artists that are now deceased particularly Norma MacMillan and Jackson Beck. This was a very helpful reference for my book about TTV called Created and Produced by Total TeleVision Productions. It was also a good read about other known and unknown vocal talents. Highly recommended!