I helped out putting on a Harvey Art Exhibit at the Cartoon Art in San Francisco. Please stop by and see it if you are in the area between June and November 2008.
-Mark.
From Richie Rich to Wendy the Witch:
The Art of Harvey Comics
Cartoon Art Museum Exhibition: June 28 - November 30, 2008
The Cartoon Art Museum proudly presents a visual history of one of the most popular comic book publishers of all time: Harvey Comics. From Richie Rich to Wendy the Witch: The Art of Harvey Comics celebrates the art and characters created and/or popularized by Harvey including Casper, The Friendly Ghost; Wendy, The Good Little Witch; Richie Rich, The Poor Little Rich Boy; Hot Stuff, The Little Devil; Sad Sack; Joe Palooka; Little Dot; Little Audrey; Little Lotta, and many more. The exhibition includes original art from various Harvey comic books and merchandise by stalwarts such as Warren Kremer (1921-2003), who along with animator Steve Muffatti (1880-1968) defined the “Harvey” look.
Harvey Comics was founded in 1941 by Alfred Harvey (1913-1994), with a digest-sized comic book called Pocket Comics that put the company on the map with their line-up of superheroes that included The Black Cat. Various artists and writers who eventually achieved greater success elsewhere got their start at Harvey, including Jack Kirby, Joe Simon and Jim Steranko. By the end of the 1940s, Harvey transitioned to publishing comic books featuring popular comic strips of the day that included Joe Palooka, Dick Tracy, Blondie, Mutt & Jeff and Sad Sack. By the 1950s, romance and horror titles came into the mix.
An inspired bit of licensing in 1952 led to the 1957 purchase of Casper and several other animated cartoon characters created by Paramount Pictures’ Famous Studios, with Baby Huey, Buzzy the Crow, Herman & Katnip and Little Audrey among them. The enormous popularity of these characters spelled the end of the other genres at Harvey, and the company became solely a producer of children’s comics during that era.
Various newly created characters, such as Richie Rich, Little Dot and Little Lotta, followed the same house style to become a group affectionately known as the “Harvey World,” Though various ownership changes have occurred since the original Harvey shut its doors in 1982, the characters have never ceased to be influential, with hit movies like Richie Rich (1994), starring Macaulay Culkin, or Casper (1995), starring Christina Ricci, or the current five-volume series of Harvey Comics Classics published by Dark Horse Comics.
This exhibition runs through November 30, 2008, and features artwork by Warren Kremer, Ernie Colón, Sid Couchey, Howard Post, Fred Rhoads, Ham Fisher, Dom Sileo, Marty Taras, and many more. Details regarding the opening reception and other upcoming Harvey events will be announced shortly.
Cartoon Art Museum € 655 Mission Street € San Francisco, CA 94105 € 415-CAR-TOON € www.cartoonart.org
Hours: Tues. - Sun. 11:00 - 5:00, Closed Monday
General Admission: $6.00 € Student/Senior: $4.00 € Children 6-12: $2.00 € Members & Children under 6: Free
The Cartoon Art Museum is a tax-exempt, non-profit, educational organization dedicated to the collection, preservation, study and exhibition of original cartoon art in all forms.
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Saturday Night Live Complete Season Reviews
I am checking out the reviews to the now three seasons available of the "Complete Saturday Night Live" and am amazed at how many reviewers are upset about the omission of the commercial break bumpers and more importantly of the video quality.
For people who "poo poo" the shows due to that have got to remember that video tape before 1980 on network television was considerably worse than in the 1970s. It's also more difficult (though not impossible) to make the video quality better.
It's a lot of complaining for nothing. Imagine if it was kinescopes.
The bumpers are an unfortunately loss, but at least they have the final one before the goodbyes.
For people who "poo poo" the shows due to that have got to remember that video tape before 1980 on network television was considerably worse than in the 1970s. It's also more difficult (though not impossible) to make the video quality better.
It's a lot of complaining for nothing. Imagine if it was kinescopes.
The bumpers are an unfortunately loss, but at least they have the final one before the goodbyes.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Review
I saw "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" and have to say that the final result seems like there has not been a 22-year gap between the third film in the series and this one.
Many people thought Harrison Ford really old, because of his age (65), but I think he looks great. Ford always looked a bit haggard, even in "Star Wars" because of his big bent nose and various scars. He looks better at 65 than many of the "Star Trek" actors looked at 65 reprising their roles.
Even Karen Allen, reprising her Marion role not seen since the first film still looks hot!
Without giving too much away, this is obviously a revitalization of the series in order to make Shia LaBeouf ("Holes", "Disturbia", "Transformers") the "new" Indiana Jones.
The final assessment is that this film ranks as an equal to the third film in the series "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" (1989) and much, MUCH better than the second film in the series "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" (1984).
It is not as good as "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981), but that film is so classic, it would be so hard to duplicate its success.
Overall, the film is not an embarrassment and is a good addition to the franchise.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Clyde Flipside
I was reading an old issue of "Cracked" #52 (June 1966) and they had a four page article about "The Flipsides" featuring a cartoon janitor named Clyde Flipside. It says that it was to be a series airing soon produced by Krantz Films.
In doing extensive searches on the Internet, I couldn't find anything further about this film or series, yet Clyde Flipside looks REALLY familiar, like "The Flipsides" came out under a different name. Clyde resembles a cuter, more cartoony version of "Cracked's" mascot, Sylvester P. Smythe.
There is also a vampire character named Count Flipside, a singer named Flip Flipside, and a director named Cecil B. Flipside.
In looking up Krantz, all I could find was info about "Spider-Man", "Rocket Robin Hood", "Max, the 2000 year old Mouse", but nothing about this series.
Please help.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
William Castle Films
I love William Castle films. I never really paid attention to him until John Waters wrote an essay about him about 20 years ago in one of his books. Most of his films are pretty stupid, but they seem to hold my interest better than say, the Roger Corman films.
The gimmicks were all fun too like the Punishment Poll in "Mr. Sardonicus", and the Ghost Viewer in "13 Ghosts" and the vibrating seats in "The Tingler".
Even without the gimmicks, Castle films are great fun like "House on Haunted Hill" or even Castle's later "straight" films like "Rosemary's Baby" or "Bug".
I haven't seen "Homicidal" or "Strait Jacket" or "I Saw What You Did" (or if I did, I saw them a looooonnnnngggg time ago, so I don't remember what happens.), but I plan to eventually.
The majority of Castle's films are available on DVD, but not easily, so you probably have to order off of Amazon.
The gimmicks were all fun too like the Punishment Poll in "Mr. Sardonicus", and the Ghost Viewer in "13 Ghosts" and the vibrating seats in "The Tingler".
Even without the gimmicks, Castle films are great fun like "House on Haunted Hill" or even Castle's later "straight" films like "Rosemary's Baby" or "Bug".
I haven't seen "Homicidal" or "Strait Jacket" or "I Saw What You Did" (or if I did, I saw them a looooonnnnngggg time ago, so I don't remember what happens.), but I plan to eventually.
The majority of Castle's films are available on DVD, but not easily, so you probably have to order off of Amazon.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Superman with George Reeves
I recently watched a couple of episodes of the George Reeves "Superman". It's still as cheesy as I remember and it got me to thinking, why doesn't anyone do a superhero movie the way they used to do these shows. Superheroes used to be treated as really campy stuff.
Take for instance "Batman Begins". Everyone loved it because of how faithful it was to the latter day "Batman" comic books. I found it excruciatingly dull. Where are the big telephones? Where's King Tut?
Anyway, the Reeves "Superman" is quite stupid and quite entertaining in its stupidity.
Take for instance "Batman Begins". Everyone loved it because of how faithful it was to the latter day "Batman" comic books. I found it excruciatingly dull. Where are the big telephones? Where's King Tut?
Anyway, the Reeves "Superman" is quite stupid and quite entertaining in its stupidity.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Uncle Sam Magoo Review
Mr. Magoo has had a lengthy career from theatrical cartoons in the 1940s and 50s to three different TV series: "Mr. Magoo" (1960), "The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo" (1964) and "What's New, Mr. Magoo" (1977). There was also a theatrical animated feature "1001 Arabian Nights" (1959) and a lousy live action film starring Leslie Nielsen. Sandwiched between all of this were a couple of primetime TV specials, one which is excellent "Magoo's Christmas Carol" (1962) and one not so excellent "Uncle Sam Magoo" (1970). The only thing going for it is it is the last new Magoo show to be produced by UPA ("What's New, Mr. Magoo" was produced by DePatie-Freleng). The biggest problem with it is, although somewhat historical, it is also quite boring. The best moments are at the beginning when Magoo is arriving at the UPA studios. As usual, Jim Backus voices, but it is not enough to perk up the proceedings. Check out "Magoo's Christmas Carol" instead.
Monday, May 12, 2008
The Creeping Flesh Review
I bought "The Creeping Flesh" on DVD awhile back and finally got around to watching it. It is a horror movie made in 1972 and stars Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, but it is not by Hammer.
It's actually quite good, but may seem quaint by today's standards. It has a good twist ending which I partially predicted, and that's why it was fun.
Cushing and Lee are always fascinating together and I am trying to get all of their appearances together. Usually they were Van Helsing and Dracula, but the non-Dracula films like "Horror Express" or "Hound of the Baskervilles" are much more interesting.
It's actually quite good, but may seem quaint by today's standards. It has a good twist ending which I partially predicted, and that's why it was fun.
Cushing and Lee are always fascinating together and I am trying to get all of their appearances together. Usually they were Van Helsing and Dracula, but the non-Dracula films like "Horror Express" or "Hound of the Baskervilles" are much more interesting.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Humor Magazines
I am exchanging emails with a person who collects humor magazines as I do. I got to thinking if I was to recommend the cream of the crop to a novice to humor magazine collection, what would I recommend?
Here are my choices:
Mad - 1952-1980
Crazy - 1973-1976; 1980-1983
Sick - 1960-1968
Cracked - 1969-1980
National Lampoon - 1970-1980
Help! - any issue
Trump - any issue
Humbug - any issue
Snafu - any issue
Bananas - any issue
This is not to say I don't like other stuff, this is what I find to be the best. I still buy and read "Mad" to this day, but really only for Sergio Aragones and Al Jaffee and the fact that it's the only one left. Incidentally, I started reading "Mad" in 1974.
Here are my choices:
Mad - 1952-1980
Crazy - 1973-1976; 1980-1983
Sick - 1960-1968
Cracked - 1969-1980
National Lampoon - 1970-1980
Help! - any issue
Trump - any issue
Humbug - any issue
Snafu - any issue
Bananas - any issue
This is not to say I don't like other stuff, this is what I find to be the best. I still buy and read "Mad" to this day, but really only for Sergio Aragones and Al Jaffee and the fact that it's the only one left. Incidentally, I started reading "Mad" in 1974.
Friday, May 09, 2008
Archie Fan Club Button, Part 2
Here's my first experience adding an image to my blog. This is a quickie photo taken with my webcam that shows the three different Archie Fan Club button designs. I'll try to do a photo more often with my blog posts. Enjoy!
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Golden Wonder Crisps
Well, you learn something every day. On a recent DVD of "Little Britain", a joke was made about Golden Wonder Crisps. Being a true American, I had never heard of that brand, so I looked it up.
On www.goldenwonder.com, they talk about the products history and how it developed from 1947 to the present and have some adverts from the past. Great stuff!
Anyway, I guess we're just stuck here with Pringle's and Lay's in the good ol' USA!
On www.goldenwonder.com, they talk about the products history and how it developed from 1947 to the present and have some adverts from the past. Great stuff!
Anyway, I guess we're just stuck here with Pringle's and Lay's in the good ol' USA!
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
"Iron Man" Review
Ok, I didn't think I would like this one, but I loved it!! It's just the right amount of humor and seriousness to make a superhero movie work. I didn't want to see it because of being disappointed with too many superhero movies in recent years ("The Fantastic Four" movies, "Ghost Rider", "Daredevil", "Hulk", etc.)
I wasn't even a big fan of the recent "Batman Begins". I know my opinion is a minority opinion, but I found it boring. In fact, when people ask me my favorite Batman movie, I usually say, "The one with Adam West where he wrestles the rubber shark and can't find a place to dispose of a bomb!" Of the more recent ones, I tend to like the Val Kilmer one.
Anyway, "Iron Man" was a surprise because I'm not a huge fan of Robert Downey, Jr., and thought he was a bad choice. I've changed my mind. Also, the director directed "Elf" before, but he did a great job here, too!
There are a couple of funny cameos and some great lines and apart from suspending your belief on some physics issues, it is a great ride. Must see.
I wasn't even a big fan of the recent "Batman Begins". I know my opinion is a minority opinion, but I found it boring. In fact, when people ask me my favorite Batman movie, I usually say, "The one with Adam West where he wrestles the rubber shark and can't find a place to dispose of a bomb!" Of the more recent ones, I tend to like the Val Kilmer one.
Anyway, "Iron Man" was a surprise because I'm not a huge fan of Robert Downey, Jr., and thought he was a bad choice. I've changed my mind. Also, the director directed "Elf" before, but he did a great job here, too!
There are a couple of funny cameos and some great lines and apart from suspending your belief on some physics issues, it is a great ride. Must see.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Bee Gees
I always kinda hated The Bee Gees with their falsetto singing. Lately, I've been going to the library and checking out various music CDs of artists that I have ignored over the years such as Traffic, Genesis and The Bee Gees.
The Bee Gees album was a greatest hits collection called "Number Ones". I have to say that their earlier stuff from the 60s on the collection is quite good.
Listening again to their blockbuster 70s hits in hindsight is good too, unlike when they were played incessantly on the radio from 1977-79. The composing and orchestration are great.
The problem still is with the singing. Who told The Bee Gees to sing this way? I guess it gave them an identity, but it still is quite annoying 30 years on.
Finally, I will take this opportunity to let everyone know that Andy Gibb was NEVER a member of The Bee Gees. In fact, the rumor persists on non-Bee Gees project. I was watching an animation documentary by the people who did the opening credits animation for the film "Grease" and they said Andy Gibb wrote the song. Andy had nothing to do with this song, as it was Barry Gibb who wrote it (Frankie Valli sang it, incidentally).
The Bee Gees album was a greatest hits collection called "Number Ones". I have to say that their earlier stuff from the 60s on the collection is quite good.
Listening again to their blockbuster 70s hits in hindsight is good too, unlike when they were played incessantly on the radio from 1977-79. The composing and orchestration are great.
The problem still is with the singing. Who told The Bee Gees to sing this way? I guess it gave them an identity, but it still is quite annoying 30 years on.
Finally, I will take this opportunity to let everyone know that Andy Gibb was NEVER a member of The Bee Gees. In fact, the rumor persists on non-Bee Gees project. I was watching an animation documentary by the people who did the opening credits animation for the film "Grease" and they said Andy Gibb wrote the song. Andy had nothing to do with this song, as it was Barry Gibb who wrote it (Frankie Valli sang it, incidentally).
Monday, May 05, 2008
Underdog help
Just FYI. I am still feverishly working on my Total TeleVision book and would love to know if you have any rare artifacts from the following shows:
King Leonardo
Tooter Turtle
The Hunter
Twinkles
Go-Go Gophers
Tennessee Tuxedo
Klondike Kat
Commander McBragg
Underdog
The Beagles
The Sing-a-long Family
Cauliflower Cabby
Gene Hattree
The Colossal Show
I am especially interested in scans of original art or scripts or photos of memorabilia particularly from the 1960s. Email me here or at thft@att.net if you have anything of interest.
King Leonardo
Tooter Turtle
The Hunter
Twinkles
Go-Go Gophers
Tennessee Tuxedo
Klondike Kat
Commander McBragg
Underdog
The Beagles
The Sing-a-long Family
Cauliflower Cabby
Gene Hattree
The Colossal Show
I am especially interested in scans of original art or scripts or photos of memorabilia particularly from the 1960s. Email me here or at thft@att.net if you have anything of interest.
Sunday, May 04, 2008
Archie Fan Club Button
I realized that there are not two, but THREE Archie Fan Club buttons produced over the years.
FYI, here's the date range for the Archie buttons:
1. 1950s-1971 - Says "Member Archie Club" with Archie in a bow-tie.
2. 1972-1973 - Says "Member Archie Club" with Archie's head only in updated drawing.
3. 1974-1990s - Says "Official Member Archie Club" with Archie's head only and "Archie Club" in balloon lettering.
#3 is easy to find. #1 is a little bit harder, but it's #2 that's the difficult one as it was only available for two years!!
I finally purchased #2, so now my collection is complete!!
FYI, here's the date range for the Archie buttons:
1. 1950s-1971 - Says "Member Archie Club" with Archie in a bow-tie.
2. 1972-1973 - Says "Member Archie Club" with Archie's head only in updated drawing.
3. 1974-1990s - Says "Official Member Archie Club" with Archie's head only and "Archie Club" in balloon lettering.
#3 is easy to find. #1 is a little bit harder, but it's #2 that's the difficult one as it was only available for two years!!
I finally purchased #2, so now my collection is complete!!
Friday, May 02, 2008
Money money money
I need money. Doesn't everyone? It sucks because just when I start taking control of my money situation I can't seem to hold down a job to save my life, and I'm not that much in debt anymore. It's just that I can't pay it completely off because no one wants to keep me as an employee.
I'm a good guy and that's the problem. It seems today that you have to be a complete asshole to make it in the world monetarily.
Oh well. Life goes on. I'll pay my debts, but it'll take a couple more years. If I had a decent job, I could pay it off now.
Time will tell....
I'm a good guy and that's the problem. It seems today that you have to be a complete asshole to make it in the world monetarily.
Oh well. Life goes on. I'll pay my debts, but it'll take a couple more years. If I had a decent job, I could pay it off now.
Time will tell....
Monday, April 28, 2008
Free Comic Book Day 2008
I went to the Saratoga Library book sale and love it when I find some goodies for cheap. I purchased an old "Casper" and an old "Dennis the Menace" comic for only 25c each. Cool!
BTW, if you think 25c is cheap, then here's a better deal. Go to your local comic book store on May 3, 2008, and it will be the annual Free Comic Book Day. Yes, they're free!! I'm working at Lee's Comics in Mountain View that day, so if you are a San Francisco Bay Area local, stop by and say hi.
BTW, if you think 25c is cheap, then here's a better deal. Go to your local comic book store on May 3, 2008, and it will be the annual Free Comic Book Day. Yes, they're free!! I'm working at Lee's Comics in Mountain View that day, so if you are a San Francisco Bay Area local, stop by and say hi.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Post 400
This is my 400th post to my blog, not that anyone's counting and as usual I don't have anything to talk about. I am still transcribing an interview I did with Tread Covington for my TTV book, and I'm still interviewing for yet another 9-5 type job.
Anyway, be patient as I am trying my best to post to my blog on a daily basis. Sometimes the words just don't come, even though I am supposed to be a writer!!
Anyway, be patient as I am trying my best to post to my blog on a daily basis. Sometimes the words just don't come, even though I am supposed to be a writer!!
Thursday, April 24, 2008
New Beatles Book Blog
I know I keep mentioning it here, but please check out my new Beatles blog at http://beatlesbook.blogspot.com
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Second Entry on Beatles Blog
Just to emphasize that I am indeed serious about posting on my new Beatles blog every day, I just added the listing for "Abandoned Love" by George Harrison. Check it out at http://beatlesbook.blogspot.com
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
New Beatles Book Blog
Hey everyone,
I just started another blogsite. Not that I post all that often here, but it is solely devoted to my upcoming Beatles book. The first entry is up today and I plan to add to it daily (yeah, right!).
Anyway, here's the URL: http://beatlesbook.blogspot.com/
I just started another blogsite. Not that I post all that often here, but it is solely devoted to my upcoming Beatles book. The first entry is up today and I plan to add to it daily (yeah, right!).
Anyway, here's the URL: http://beatlesbook.blogspot.com/
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Ringo Starr "It's Love"
I am looking everywhere for this stupid download. I hate it when musicians and/or record labels do this: put out an exclusive track in some bizarre format. In this case, the powers-that-be at Capitol Records thought that it would be neat to have a free download of the otherwise unavailable Ringo Starr track "It's Love" given away for free if you typed in a code on the "New York Daily News" site. What happens to us poor schmucks who don't live there. And the record labels wonder why people do illegal downloading for free.
So I plead with Capitol Records to issue the song in a legitimate form or put it for free on your website or something. Email me a copy at thft@att.net
Help!!
Oh, and by the way, I will be starting a blog exclusively on the Beatles soon, to help promote my book and to solicit help on it. Details soon.
So I plead with Capitol Records to issue the song in a legitimate form or put it for free on your website or something. Email me a copy at thft@att.net
Help!!
Oh, and by the way, I will be starting a blog exclusively on the Beatles soon, to help promote my book and to solicit help on it. Details soon.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Across the Universe Review
When "Across the Universe" came out in theaters a few months ago, many of my friends asked me if I was going to or had gone to see it. I said, "No" on both counts. Although I am a major Beatles fan, I am not a fan of cover versions. That's not saying that there hasn't been some excellent cover versions come out over the years, Earth Wind & Fire's "Got to Get You Into My Life" comes to mind, but in general, I'm not a fan of cover versions, unless it's the Beatles doing them.
So anyway, it came out on DVD, and I figured, "Why not?" I will say that it is isn't as terrible as I thought it would be, but it also could have been better. The best parts of the movie were the songs ironically, and the movie would have been a zillion times better if there wasn't a storyline. It should have been a song movie a la "Fantasia", but with Beatles music instead.
The best parts were the more surreal ones that were sung by Joe Cocker, Bono, and Eddie Izzard, respectively. The worst parts as I said were the attempts at a lame storyline.
Overall, it's worth a view and I give it a thumbs up, but you may want to fast-forward through the talky parts.
So anyway, it came out on DVD, and I figured, "Why not?" I will say that it is isn't as terrible as I thought it would be, but it also could have been better. The best parts of the movie were the songs ironically, and the movie would have been a zillion times better if there wasn't a storyline. It should have been a song movie a la "Fantasia", but with Beatles music instead.
The best parts were the more surreal ones that were sung by Joe Cocker, Bono, and Eddie Izzard, respectively. The worst parts as I said were the attempts at a lame storyline.
Overall, it's worth a view and I give it a thumbs up, but you may want to fast-forward through the talky parts.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Pop Culture Convention a Success With Richie Rich
I went to do my panel at the PCA/ACA National Conference in San Francisco. Dr. Kathy Merlock Jackson and I did a presentation on Richie Rich. Our presentation was called "Dollars and Dandy Devices: Richie Rich as Prototype for Gadget-Oriented Baby Boomers".
At first I thought it was going to be a disaster as my dad and I created a DVD slide show of selected Richie Rich drawings and covers, but when I got to the Marriott hotel to test it out on their equipment, it didn't work! Another speaker who was discussing Oprah Winfrey put in his DVD that he burned, and it worked fine.
Kathy and I had a backup plan that I would hold up the comics books, as she fortunately brought them with her. Luckily Dr. Harold Dorton brought his laptop and that saved the day. Before that, we were told that the Marriott could rent a laptop to us for only $250!!
The presentation went without a hitch and a few questions were asked. I should have taken photos, but for some reason, the thought didn't even cross my mind.
The PCA/ACA National Conference isn't a conference I normally attend, but this was my second time, as it was in San Diego in 2005 and San Francisco this year. Next year, it will be in New Orleans and plans to be in California again won't be until after 2014.
Hopefully, greater things will happen due to this and other papers and presentations Kathy and I are doing. See http://www.english.ufl.edu/imagetext/archives/v3_3/jackson/
for another example of our collaborations.
At first I thought it was going to be a disaster as my dad and I created a DVD slide show of selected Richie Rich drawings and covers, but when I got to the Marriott hotel to test it out on their equipment, it didn't work! Another speaker who was discussing Oprah Winfrey put in his DVD that he burned, and it worked fine.
Kathy and I had a backup plan that I would hold up the comics books, as she fortunately brought them with her. Luckily Dr. Harold Dorton brought his laptop and that saved the day. Before that, we were told that the Marriott could rent a laptop to us for only $250!!
The presentation went without a hitch and a few questions were asked. I should have taken photos, but for some reason, the thought didn't even cross my mind.
The PCA/ACA National Conference isn't a conference I normally attend, but this was my second time, as it was in San Diego in 2005 and San Francisco this year. Next year, it will be in New Orleans and plans to be in California again won't be until after 2014.
Hopefully, greater things will happen due to this and other papers and presentations Kathy and I are doing. See http://www.english.ufl.edu/imagetext/archives/v3_3/jackson/
for another example of our collaborations.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Harvey Comics Classics Series
The "Harvey Comics Classics" series continues with a book about Hot Stuff, the Little Devil. The most important aspect (to me that is) of this book is that I write the Foreword to the book. It just came out last Wednesday, and I give it my highest recommendation.
You can find it online or at better comic book stores.
You can find it online or at better comic book stores.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Another Day, Another Sausage
If you are a hardcore fan of Frank Zappa, or just happen to have the album "Broadway the Hard Way", you'll know the reference above. Anyway, I don't have anything really to say today, but I'm trying to submit more regularly to my blog.
That said, I will say how much I miss Frank Zappa and his music and always regret that the 1988 tour never made it to the West Coast, where I most assuredly would have seen him.
Fortunately, the tour in memorialized in three different album sets: "Broadway the Hard Way", "The Best Band You Never Heard in Your Life", and "Make a Jazz Noise Here".
All well worth picking up for both the casual and hard core fan as they have all of the "hits" as well as many decent covers and on "Broadway" a certain Mr. Sting is lurking about and actually sings on "Murder By Numbers".
Take that, Police fans!!
That said, I will say how much I miss Frank Zappa and his music and always regret that the 1988 tour never made it to the West Coast, where I most assuredly would have seen him.
Fortunately, the tour in memorialized in three different album sets: "Broadway the Hard Way", "The Best Band You Never Heard in Your Life", and "Make a Jazz Noise Here".
All well worth picking up for both the casual and hard core fan as they have all of the "hits" as well as many decent covers and on "Broadway" a certain Mr. Sting is lurking about and actually sings on "Murder By Numbers".
Take that, Police fans!!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Texting
Is it just me or am I the only one who finds texting on a cell phone annoying? I recently upgraded my service on Verizon, and they had to send me a text message to implement the new service.
They said that they had to unblock the texting to send me this, so I said all right. All of sudden I get bombarded (well ok, 3) with text messages. Look, I have a number of email addresses and check them frequently. I also have a voicemail.
I know people are not always in a position to leave a voicemail, but guess what? If you call, and don't leave a message, I usually will call you back, unless you have your number blocked.
I haven't gone on a blog tirade for awhile. I'm not pinpointing anyone, just the concept of texting. When the Verizon guy asked me if I wanted texting on my new service and I said, "no", he replied, "Oh, you must be over 30!" I thought that was particularly funny.
Anyway, anyone reading this, email or voicemail will do. If you have an incessant need to text, well go ahead, I just won't receive it...
They said that they had to unblock the texting to send me this, so I said all right. All of sudden I get bombarded (well ok, 3) with text messages. Look, I have a number of email addresses and check them frequently. I also have a voicemail.
I know people are not always in a position to leave a voicemail, but guess what? If you call, and don't leave a message, I usually will call you back, unless you have your number blocked.
I haven't gone on a blog tirade for awhile. I'm not pinpointing anyone, just the concept of texting. When the Verizon guy asked me if I wanted texting on my new service and I said, "no", he replied, "Oh, you must be over 30!" I thought that was particularly funny.
Anyway, anyone reading this, email or voicemail will do. If you have an incessant need to text, well go ahead, I just won't receive it...
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Jumper Review
Although this movie had great potential, it is all pretty silly and even somewhat confusing. It concerns a boy who discovers his ability to travel through time portals.
Later, after all of this jumping around, another group is out to get these "jumpers". It's not really satisfactorily explained why.
The overall exercise seemed to be to do a lot of on location shooting. It's not boring, however, just kinda stupid.
Hayden Christensen (Darth Vader) still can't act and Samuel L. Jackson does his best with more subpar material.
Brainless, mindless, fun, but don't expect much more.
Later, after all of this jumping around, another group is out to get these "jumpers". It's not really satisfactorily explained why.
The overall exercise seemed to be to do a lot of on location shooting. It's not boring, however, just kinda stupid.
Hayden Christensen (Darth Vader) still can't act and Samuel L. Jackson does his best with more subpar material.
Brainless, mindless, fun, but don't expect much more.
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Pogen Cookies and Frank Zappa
One of the best Frank Zappa songs is this one called "Florentine Pogen". For fun, I decided to do a search on the Internet to see if anyone knew what a "Florentine Pogen" was. I do, but I just wanted to see what others said.
Amazingly, little is known about these Swedish cookies. and most people hadn't even heard of them. I was living in Southern California in the early 70s as was Zappa. His song debuted in 1974. It has nothing really to do with the cookie, other than the name, but Frank must have been eating them just the same. The Florentine ones were probably the best ones they made.
Apparently, the Pogen Cookie Company is really spelled Pagen in Sweden, but people in the US would probably pronounce it pay-gen, so that's why the change to Pogen.
Nobody seems to remember the many varieties of Pogens. I still have a brochure about the cookies and besides Florentine Pogens, there was Oatmeal Pogens, Toffee Pogens, Sprits Pogens, Walnut Pogens, Raspberry Pogens, Sugar Pogens, Ginger Snap Pogens, Pogens Pistachio, Apricot Pogens, Chocolate Chip Pogens, Coco-Mint Pogens, Half Moon Pogens and Space Pogens.
I remember trying them all as a kid, and remember that most if not all of them were pretty good. I never quite understood why they called the pistachio Pogens Pogens Pistachio, but oh well.
So now you know...
Amazingly, little is known about these Swedish cookies. and most people hadn't even heard of them. I was living in Southern California in the early 70s as was Zappa. His song debuted in 1974. It has nothing really to do with the cookie, other than the name, but Frank must have been eating them just the same. The Florentine ones were probably the best ones they made.
Apparently, the Pogen Cookie Company is really spelled Pagen in Sweden, but people in the US would probably pronounce it pay-gen, so that's why the change to Pogen.
Nobody seems to remember the many varieties of Pogens. I still have a brochure about the cookies and besides Florentine Pogens, there was Oatmeal Pogens, Toffee Pogens, Sprits Pogens, Walnut Pogens, Raspberry Pogens, Sugar Pogens, Ginger Snap Pogens, Pogens Pistachio, Apricot Pogens, Chocolate Chip Pogens, Coco-Mint Pogens, Half Moon Pogens and Space Pogens.
I remember trying them all as a kid, and remember that most if not all of them were pretty good. I never quite understood why they called the pistachio Pogens Pogens Pistachio, but oh well.
So now you know...
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Cloverfield Review
I really wanted to see this, but was also hesitant, because I thought it would be another "Blair Witch Project", a movie I hated.
What a pleasant surprise to see that it actually had a story. It has been told many, many times before, namely in multiple "Godzilla" films, but the "live coverage" look made it seem fresh and new.
A problem I have with the shaky camera bit in 2008, however, is that there are more and more stabilizers in cameras these days, that the shakiness is almost moot, yet camera operators keep doing it. A telling scene is one where the crowds are surrounding the head of the Statue of Liberty (mercilessly out of scale I might add), and they are using their cell phones to capture the action and the images in their phones are quite stable and everyone's trying to get a good shot.
Finally, at 85 minutes, it's just a tad too long to make this feature film worthy. It would have made for a marvelous half-hour episode of the original "Twilight Zone".
Overall, it is worth seeing just to see a very noble experiment, but be prepared to get a little queasy with all of the camera movement.
What a pleasant surprise to see that it actually had a story. It has been told many, many times before, namely in multiple "Godzilla" films, but the "live coverage" look made it seem fresh and new.
A problem I have with the shaky camera bit in 2008, however, is that there are more and more stabilizers in cameras these days, that the shakiness is almost moot, yet camera operators keep doing it. A telling scene is one where the crowds are surrounding the head of the Statue of Liberty (mercilessly out of scale I might add), and they are using their cell phones to capture the action and the images in their phones are quite stable and everyone's trying to get a good shot.
Finally, at 85 minutes, it's just a tad too long to make this feature film worthy. It would have made for a marvelous half-hour episode of the original "Twilight Zone".
Overall, it is worth seeing just to see a very noble experiment, but be prepared to get a little queasy with all of the camera movement.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
"Liverpool 8" is Great!
Ok, people probably think that since I am a Beatles fan that I like anything and everything The Beatles put out. Not so. I am, however, very impressed with Ringo Starr's output for the last decade. Every album, save for "Choose Love" from 2005 has been remarkably good. It's too bad most other Beatle fans don't think so.
"Liverpool 8" follows in the traditions of 1998's "Vertical Man", 1999's "I Wanna Be Santa Claus", 2003's "Ringo Rama", and 2005's "Choose Love". "Choose Love" was a major disappointment compared to the others on this list, but still leaps and bounds ahead of Ringo's late 70s and early 80s output. In fact, if you compare the last decade to Paul's solo output, Ringo's has been far, far superior (although Paul finally emerged with a good album last year with "Memory Almost Full").
For those wanting to explore Ringo beyond "Yellow Submarine" and his early solo hits, I'd recommend the above five studio albums. They are all hard-rocking and are fun, "good time" albums that all feature catchy hooks and melodies.
I have listened to "Liverpool 8" three times already since purchasing it yesterday, and know that I will be listening to it a lot more.
"Liverpool 8" follows in the traditions of 1998's "Vertical Man", 1999's "I Wanna Be Santa Claus", 2003's "Ringo Rama", and 2005's "Choose Love". "Choose Love" was a major disappointment compared to the others on this list, but still leaps and bounds ahead of Ringo's late 70s and early 80s output. In fact, if you compare the last decade to Paul's solo output, Ringo's has been far, far superior (although Paul finally emerged with a good album last year with "Memory Almost Full").
For those wanting to explore Ringo beyond "Yellow Submarine" and his early solo hits, I'd recommend the above five studio albums. They are all hard-rocking and are fun, "good time" albums that all feature catchy hooks and melodies.
I have listened to "Liverpool 8" three times already since purchasing it yesterday, and know that I will be listening to it a lot more.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Persepolis Review
I recently saw an advance screening in San Francisco of "Persepolis", an
animated feature film based on the graphic novels by Marjane Satrapi. The
screening was through the SF branch of ASIFA, courtesy of Karl Cohen. I invited
Lee Hester of Lee's Comics to join me to see this and he enjoyed the screening as well.
The screening had its share of a few comic book notables in the audience, namely
Trina Robbins ("Go Girl" and "From Girls to Grrrlz") and her partner Steve
Leialoha ("Spider-Woman" and "Batman" among others). Lee shared some of his
popcorn with them.
As for the movie, I didn't know what to expect. I actually expected a
disturbing, depressing tale and even though I have eyeballed the graphic novels
(on sale at Lee's Comics!), I never have actually read them for that very
reason. I shouldn't have had such a jaundiced view.
What a refreshing surprise to find that it wasn't really about any particular
political events, although the overthrow of the Shah and the Iran-Iraq War was
mentioned and even shown briefly, it wasn't the main focus of the story.
The real story was about Satrapi herself and her story is so universal, it
really could be told anywhere by anyone. I could even write a story about my
struggles of trying to be a writer and trying to maintain a job and
relationships that would be vaguely similar to Satrapi's.
There were some truly funny moments including Satrapi's pursuit of pirated audio
music cassettes and also her escapades with her various loser boyfriends.
That said, the film is not bereft of some tragedy, but like I said, it isn't the
sole focus. Satrapi has had a well-rounded share of life experiences.
The film is in French with English subtitles, but don't let that keep you away.
It's a very entertaining feature film. I suppose it didn't have to be animated,
but I am glad that it was and it is somewhat similar in art style to Charles
Addams.
Incidentally, Persepolis is the name of an ancient Persian ceremonial capital.
Of course, the present day capital of Iran is Tehran.
animated feature film based on the graphic novels by Marjane Satrapi. The
screening was through the SF branch of ASIFA, courtesy of Karl Cohen. I invited
Lee Hester of Lee's Comics to join me to see this and he enjoyed the screening as well.
The screening had its share of a few comic book notables in the audience, namely
Trina Robbins ("Go Girl" and "From Girls to Grrrlz") and her partner Steve
Leialoha ("Spider-Woman" and "Batman" among others). Lee shared some of his
popcorn with them.
As for the movie, I didn't know what to expect. I actually expected a
disturbing, depressing tale and even though I have eyeballed the graphic novels
(on sale at Lee's Comics!), I never have actually read them for that very
reason. I shouldn't have had such a jaundiced view.
What a refreshing surprise to find that it wasn't really about any particular
political events, although the overthrow of the Shah and the Iran-Iraq War was
mentioned and even shown briefly, it wasn't the main focus of the story.
The real story was about Satrapi herself and her story is so universal, it
really could be told anywhere by anyone. I could even write a story about my
struggles of trying to be a writer and trying to maintain a job and
relationships that would be vaguely similar to Satrapi's.
There were some truly funny moments including Satrapi's pursuit of pirated audio
music cassettes and also her escapades with her various loser boyfriends.
That said, the film is not bereft of some tragedy, but like I said, it isn't the
sole focus. Satrapi has had a well-rounded share of life experiences.
The film is in French with English subtitles, but don't let that keep you away.
It's a very entertaining feature film. I suppose it didn't have to be animated,
but I am glad that it was and it is somewhat similar in art style to Charles
Addams.
Incidentally, Persepolis is the name of an ancient Persian ceremonial capital.
Of course, the present day capital of Iran is Tehran.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
No Country For Old Men Review
I love the Coen Brothers. I have loved every movie they have done except "The Ladykillers", which I do not know why they did. It's like remaking "Gone With the Wind" or something.
Anyway, I'm happy to report that "No Country for Old Men" has taken the Coen Brothers back to "Blood Simple" and "Miller's Crossing" territory with excessive gore and a great story.
Javier Bardem is a totally ruthless killer and Tommy Lee Jones personifies the real cop, meaning that Bardem gets away with it, and Jones can't find any clues. This is what makes the film disturbing for people. They hope that "CSI" would come to the rescue.
If you are not a Coen Brothers fan, or if you aren't familiar with their work, I'd suggest starting with "Fargo" and "The Big Lebowski", arguably their two best films. Follow this up with the aforementioned "Blood Simple" and "Miller's Crossing" and then try this, and you will be deeply impressed.
Anyway, I'm happy to report that "No Country for Old Men" has taken the Coen Brothers back to "Blood Simple" and "Miller's Crossing" territory with excessive gore and a great story.
Javier Bardem is a totally ruthless killer and Tommy Lee Jones personifies the real cop, meaning that Bardem gets away with it, and Jones can't find any clues. This is what makes the film disturbing for people. They hope that "CSI" would come to the rescue.
If you are not a Coen Brothers fan, or if you aren't familiar with their work, I'd suggest starting with "Fargo" and "The Big Lebowski", arguably their two best films. Follow this up with the aforementioned "Blood Simple" and "Miller's Crossing" and then try this, and you will be deeply impressed.
Friday, January 04, 2008
Simpsons Movie Review
I haven't written a blog in awhile just because I have been exceedingly busy with the holidays and such. Anyway, I finally saw the "Simpsons Movie" last night on DVD and have to say that I half like it. I have given up on "The Simpsons" as of last season as the writing has really gone downhill. I didn't even want to see the movie because of this. I later found out that the movie was written by some of the older writers. This made me more excited to see it.
What's interesting is there is a joke about 2/3's of the way through the picture where it says, "To Be Continued" at the top of the screen. What's amazing is that the last half hour of the movie really sucked!!
I believe the first hour of the movie was written by the earlier writers, while the last half hour was written by the current team. It's just that noticeable! See for yourself if you don't believe me. I was laughing for the first hour and then then laughs completely dropped off especially when they were trying to be funny.
Even the first hour had moments of lousy humor...Spider-Pig, give me a break!!
Ultimately, what could have been the best Simpsons story just felt like a standard half hour show padded out to 90 minutes. Very disappointing.
What's interesting is there is a joke about 2/3's of the way through the picture where it says, "To Be Continued" at the top of the screen. What's amazing is that the last half hour of the movie really sucked!!
I believe the first hour of the movie was written by the earlier writers, while the last half hour was written by the current team. It's just that noticeable! See for yourself if you don't believe me. I was laughing for the first hour and then then laughs completely dropped off especially when they were trying to be funny.
Even the first hour had moments of lousy humor...Spider-Pig, give me a break!!
Ultimately, what could have been the best Simpsons story just felt like a standard half hour show padded out to 90 minutes. Very disappointing.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Beatles 2008 Group. Join now!
Hi,
I'm Mark Arnold and I'm writing a book about The Beatles, my favorite group. It's currently over 300 pages and I hope to have it completed by next Summer with a Fall 2008 release date. I'm looking for artists and advertisers. Anyone who's artwork is used will receive a free copy of the book when it is published (Limit one book per artist).
The URL is http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/Beatles2008/?yguid=3662762
Please join my Yahoo! Group!
Thanks so much!
Regards,
Mark Arnold
thft@att.net
I'm Mark Arnold and I'm writing a book about The Beatles, my favorite group. It's currently over 300 pages and I hope to have it completed by next Summer with a Fall 2008 release date. I'm looking for artists and advertisers. Anyone who's artwork is used will receive a free copy of the book when it is published (Limit one book per artist).
The URL is http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/Beatles2008/?yguid=3662762
Please join my Yahoo! Group!
Thanks so much!
Regards,
Mark Arnold
thft@att.net
Friday, November 30, 2007
Juno Review
My friend Lee and I saw an advanced screening for "Juno", about a sixteen-year-old who "accidentally" gets pregnant. Though I initially was hesitant about it (as was
Lee) as it may be extremely sappy, it came across as quite humorous and even
edgy.
I have compared it to the best of Dan Clowes movie work like "Ghost World" in
style, as well as "Little Miss Sunshine" in attitude, so if you like either of
those films, you will probably enjoy "Juno".
Everyone does a credible acting job, especially people who kind of surprised me
like Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman as the hopeful adoptive couple. Ellen
Page is really outstanding as the teenage mom to be, with a surly and nasty edge
to her, and she looks young enough to be 16, even though in real life she's actually 20 (21 in February).
It's funny that many in the cast has done a superhero movie. Ellen Page
portrayed Kitty Pryde in "X-Men 3: The Last Stand". J.K. Simmons (who portrays
Juno's father) is best known as J. Jonah Jameson in the "Spider-Man" films. Of
course, Jennifer Garner was Elektra in "Elektra" and "Daredevil". And Jason
Bateman did the voice of Hermes in an episode of "Justice League" (ok, it's a
stretch).
Other good acting is by Allison "West Wing" Janney as the stepmom and Michael
"Superbad" Cera as the nerdy boyfriend who gets Juno pregnant in the first
place.
We got free t-shirts and split a popcorn and enjoyed a great show worth seeing.
Lee) as it may be extremely sappy, it came across as quite humorous and even
edgy.
I have compared it to the best of Dan Clowes movie work like "Ghost World" in
style, as well as "Little Miss Sunshine" in attitude, so if you like either of
those films, you will probably enjoy "Juno".
Everyone does a credible acting job, especially people who kind of surprised me
like Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman as the hopeful adoptive couple. Ellen
Page is really outstanding as the teenage mom to be, with a surly and nasty edge
to her, and she looks young enough to be 16, even though in real life she's actually 20 (21 in February).
It's funny that many in the cast has done a superhero movie. Ellen Page
portrayed Kitty Pryde in "X-Men 3: The Last Stand". J.K. Simmons (who portrays
Juno's father) is best known as J. Jonah Jameson in the "Spider-Man" films. Of
course, Jennifer Garner was Elektra in "Elektra" and "Daredevil". And Jason
Bateman did the voice of Hermes in an episode of "Justice League" (ok, it's a
stretch).
Other good acting is by Allison "West Wing" Janney as the stepmom and Michael
"Superbad" Cera as the nerdy boyfriend who gets Juno pregnant in the first
place.
We got free t-shirts and split a popcorn and enjoyed a great show worth seeing.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Beowulf is Amazing!!
Thanks to ASIFA (The International Animated Film Association), I got a free pass to an advance screening of "Beowulf". I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know it was animated, nor did I know that it was in 3-D until a few hours before seeing the picture.
I saw the picture and the Century Theaters in the new annex of the San Francisco Center and boy, are those nice theaters with leather seats and everything. The Center itself rivals the best of Las Vegas in their shopping areas.
Anyway, got the glasses, which were not cheap either. They were heavy duty "Austin Powers" type glasses with polarized lenses, the only way to see 3-D. Forget that "red-blue" stuff. We also got free popcorn and a drink to boot!
Unfortunately, someone didn't tell the projectionist how to run a 3-D film and the film look double-imaged, or basically how it looks without wearing the glasses. Some people gave up quickly and walked out, but the projectionist kept trying.
Eventually, after about a half-hour, the folks from Paramount apologized and said that they did not have a flat print, and they couldn't get the 3-D print to work, so people started filing out.
I was slowly gathering my things, because I never make a hasty exit out of the theater, when suddenly one stubborn guy started yelling and applauding. I quickly put the glasses back on and looked at the screen and it was in F*&%ing #-D!!
Now, I've seen 3-D films before, so the novelty isn't that new for me, but I was concerned more with the story than the effects. Let me tell you, YOU MUST SEE THIS FILM! If you've seen films like "Final Fantasy" or "Polar Express" and how they claim that this was lifelike animation, "Beowulf" blows it all away!! There were times when I thought that this was a live-action film, the animation was so good!
The effects were excellent, the story very entertaining and engaging with some elements of humor, and it was worth waiting for. Too bad 90% of the patrons had already left. They missed a great show and will probably tell their friends that 3-D and "Beowulf" sucks!
My highest recommendation!! 2007 has been the best year for films this decade by a longshot!
I saw the picture and the Century Theaters in the new annex of the San Francisco Center and boy, are those nice theaters with leather seats and everything. The Center itself rivals the best of Las Vegas in their shopping areas.
Anyway, got the glasses, which were not cheap either. They were heavy duty "Austin Powers" type glasses with polarized lenses, the only way to see 3-D. Forget that "red-blue" stuff. We also got free popcorn and a drink to boot!
Unfortunately, someone didn't tell the projectionist how to run a 3-D film and the film look double-imaged, or basically how it looks without wearing the glasses. Some people gave up quickly and walked out, but the projectionist kept trying.
Eventually, after about a half-hour, the folks from Paramount apologized and said that they did not have a flat print, and they couldn't get the 3-D print to work, so people started filing out.
I was slowly gathering my things, because I never make a hasty exit out of the theater, when suddenly one stubborn guy started yelling and applauding. I quickly put the glasses back on and looked at the screen and it was in F*&%ing #-D!!
Now, I've seen 3-D films before, so the novelty isn't that new for me, but I was concerned more with the story than the effects. Let me tell you, YOU MUST SEE THIS FILM! If you've seen films like "Final Fantasy" or "Polar Express" and how they claim that this was lifelike animation, "Beowulf" blows it all away!! There were times when I thought that this was a live-action film, the animation was so good!
The effects were excellent, the story very entertaining and engaging with some elements of humor, and it was worth waiting for. Too bad 90% of the patrons had already left. They missed a great show and will probably tell their friends that 3-D and "Beowulf" sucks!
My highest recommendation!! 2007 has been the best year for films this decade by a longshot!
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Ringo in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
Should Ringo be inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as an individual as
much as a member of The Beatles? Of course! If you are just looking at chart
action, Ringo has done more on the charts than George or even John ever did in
the solo years and he was the first ex-Beatle to have two back-to-back #1's
(from the same album, even)!
So what if Ringo doesn't write his own music all the time, he's the Beatle's
Beatle. Ringo is the only one seen hanging around consistently with the other
ex-Beatles. How often did you see John and Paul hang out together, or Paul and
George immediately after the break-up? Ringo was always the glue that held
everyone together and was able to get the others to help him out on his albums
consistently, and really enjoyed being around his "brothers".
Currently, you see Ringo and Paul hanging out together so often, you'd think
they were married!
Ringo is also the only one who could conceivably pull-off the All-Starr Band
concept year after year and keep his ego in check.
Ringo is also known for literally being "Ringo". Even people who don't know all
of The Beatles by name or looks or even know or care about The Beatles seem to
know Ringo by name or sight.
Ringo is also a survivor! When many of his contemporaries have left us (not
always by their own volition), Ringo continues on and on and soon into his 70s!
He battled drug and alcohol addictions, a near fatal car crash, and almost died
in the late 70s from an intestinal problem, yet he survived!
Ringo has never been respected as he has always been perceived as goofy, but
that goofiness is also charming and Ringo is also very lovable and intelligent
as well.
Without Ringo, there would be no Mr. Conductor, no All-Starr Bands, no "I'm the
Greatest" with John and George, no "Octopus's Garden", no "It Don't Come Easy",
no "Photograph", no "Ringo" album!
Sure, Ringo has put out a lot of crap ("Sextette", "Ringo the 4th", a cover of
"Where Did Our Love Go"), but he's always charming and interesting to watch what
he'll do next, which is more than you can say about 90% of others in the music,
movie, TV or animation fields.
Please induct him now!
much as a member of The Beatles? Of course! If you are just looking at chart
action, Ringo has done more on the charts than George or even John ever did in
the solo years and he was the first ex-Beatle to have two back-to-back #1's
(from the same album, even)!
So what if Ringo doesn't write his own music all the time, he's the Beatle's
Beatle. Ringo is the only one seen hanging around consistently with the other
ex-Beatles. How often did you see John and Paul hang out together, or Paul and
George immediately after the break-up? Ringo was always the glue that held
everyone together and was able to get the others to help him out on his albums
consistently, and really enjoyed being around his "brothers".
Currently, you see Ringo and Paul hanging out together so often, you'd think
they were married!
Ringo is also the only one who could conceivably pull-off the All-Starr Band
concept year after year and keep his ego in check.
Ringo is also known for literally being "Ringo". Even people who don't know all
of The Beatles by name or looks or even know or care about The Beatles seem to
know Ringo by name or sight.
Ringo is also a survivor! When many of his contemporaries have left us (not
always by their own volition), Ringo continues on and on and soon into his 70s!
He battled drug and alcohol addictions, a near fatal car crash, and almost died
in the late 70s from an intestinal problem, yet he survived!
Ringo has never been respected as he has always been perceived as goofy, but
that goofiness is also charming and Ringo is also very lovable and intelligent
as well.
Without Ringo, there would be no Mr. Conductor, no All-Starr Bands, no "I'm the
Greatest" with John and George, no "Octopus's Garden", no "It Don't Come Easy",
no "Photograph", no "Ringo" album!
Sure, Ringo has put out a lot of crap ("Sextette", "Ringo the 4th", a cover of
"Where Did Our Love Go"), but he's always charming and interesting to watch what
he'll do next, which is more than you can say about 90% of others in the music,
movie, TV or animation fields.
Please induct him now!
My Encounter With Stan Lee
Reading Lee's Comics' recent encounter with Stan "The Man" Lee, reminded me of my own
"personal encounter" with him. Check out Lee Hester's blog on one of the links on this page.
I've seen Stan Lee being paraded around many times at the San Diego Comic
Convention (now called Comic Con International) during the 90s and 00s, but one
year (I believe it was 1995, but I've been to San Diego so many times, the
memory clouds as to exactly what year it was), I got to meet the man himself.
Anyway, on this particular occasion, I was doing my usual rounds on the sales
floor scanning the boxes for more elusive Harvey Comics and the like, when I
poked my head behind a half-closed curtain that was close by.
There was some rustling and that's what attracted my attention. Behind the
curtain was Stan Lee! He was packing up some stuff and placing it in a
briefcase. I introduced myself and then asked him what was going on.
Stan said that he just completed a presentation and that he was going to be
going shortly to a signing. I asked him, "Where is everyone?" Stan and I looked
around and realized that no one was around, so I decided to take this
opportunity to chat with him until his "handlers" arrived.
I asked him how the show was going for him and he said, "very well", and then we
started talking about just general stuff like current movies that we liked and
stuff. I also mentioned that I had a "Fantastic Four" book from the 70s with his
signature in it, and he said he probably signed it, because he signed a lot of
books like that in those days.
I mentioned my "Harveyville Fun Times!" publication and he wished me luck with
that as publishing is a difficult field to break into. Soon, someone came up
and said that Stan was needed for his signing. I said good luck to him and that
it was nice meeting and chatting with him. Stan agreed and was led away to his
next event, and I resumed looking through old boxes of books.
"personal encounter" with him. Check out Lee Hester's blog on one of the links on this page.
I've seen Stan Lee being paraded around many times at the San Diego Comic
Convention (now called Comic Con International) during the 90s and 00s, but one
year (I believe it was 1995, but I've been to San Diego so many times, the
memory clouds as to exactly what year it was), I got to meet the man himself.
Anyway, on this particular occasion, I was doing my usual rounds on the sales
floor scanning the boxes for more elusive Harvey Comics and the like, when I
poked my head behind a half-closed curtain that was close by.
There was some rustling and that's what attracted my attention. Behind the
curtain was Stan Lee! He was packing up some stuff and placing it in a
briefcase. I introduced myself and then asked him what was going on.
Stan said that he just completed a presentation and that he was going to be
going shortly to a signing. I asked him, "Where is everyone?" Stan and I looked
around and realized that no one was around, so I decided to take this
opportunity to chat with him until his "handlers" arrived.
I asked him how the show was going for him and he said, "very well", and then we
started talking about just general stuff like current movies that we liked and
stuff. I also mentioned that I had a "Fantastic Four" book from the 70s with his
signature in it, and he said he probably signed it, because he signed a lot of
books like that in those days.
I mentioned my "Harveyville Fun Times!" publication and he wished me luck with
that as publishing is a difficult field to break into. Soon, someone came up
and said that Stan was needed for his signing. I said good luck to him and that
it was nice meeting and chatting with him. Stan agreed and was led away to his
next event, and I resumed looking through old boxes of books.
Friday, November 02, 2007
Disturbia Review
I had a free pass to see this before it came out, but either in conflicted with something else or I wasn't that interested in seeing it. In any case, I have now viewed it on DVD and it is a very good film. Just don't tell anyone it is really "Rear Window"!
I get annoyed with the dozens of remakes that are made every year and I always say that why don't filmmakers just take the same stories and create new characters and new situations with essentially the same plot, instead of just a straight remake. This is was happened here, and I think the film's better for it.
That's why "Risky Business" is as good as "The Cat in the Hat" (the book at least) and the recent "Martian Child" is as good as "Lilo and Stich" or "Clueless" is as good as "Emma" or "West Side Story" is as good as "Romeo and Juliet", etc., etc.
If you've seen "Rear Window" you know the basic plot, but instead of the voyeur being holed up due to a broken leg, he has a leg brace due to a conviction and cannot leave his home beyond 100 feet or so.
The suspected killer is near by and like "Rear Window", nobody believe the main character's paranoia. The main thing that sets this apart is that the story is updated to the 21st century to include the latest technology and attitudes. This is what really sets everything apart. The women in the film are sexy like in "Rear Window", but they're also strong and have no problem stabbing and kicking instead of just cowering in the corner while their man saves them.
Highly recommended!!
I get annoyed with the dozens of remakes that are made every year and I always say that why don't filmmakers just take the same stories and create new characters and new situations with essentially the same plot, instead of just a straight remake. This is was happened here, and I think the film's better for it.
That's why "Risky Business" is as good as "The Cat in the Hat" (the book at least) and the recent "Martian Child" is as good as "Lilo and Stich" or "Clueless" is as good as "Emma" or "West Side Story" is as good as "Romeo and Juliet", etc., etc.
If you've seen "Rear Window" you know the basic plot, but instead of the voyeur being holed up due to a broken leg, he has a leg brace due to a conviction and cannot leave his home beyond 100 feet or so.
The suspected killer is near by and like "Rear Window", nobody believe the main character's paranoia. The main thing that sets this apart is that the story is updated to the 21st century to include the latest technology and attitudes. This is what really sets everything apart. The women in the film are sexy like in "Rear Window", but they're also strong and have no problem stabbing and kicking instead of just cowering in the corner while their man saves them.
Highly recommended!!
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Are Comic Books For Kids?
I read an article just now called, "An Audience Worth Fighting For!" by Zach Smith.
While I generally agree with the author's statements, I do disagree with the
statement that "Comic books were originally created for kids." While kids have
been the main readers of comic books since their inception, the realities are
that comic books were created to make money, which is why they aren't targeted
to kids anymore. The people who have money now and are willing to spend on comic
books are fans who grew up with the books, which is why they are targeted to
them.
EC (and Harvey for that matter) did horror comics that many adults read, not
because they wanted to destroy young minds, but because they were making money
at it, and they enjoyed doing them. Sure, there were companies out there
concerned about such things as whether you are warping kids' minds (i.e. Archie)
and that's why they helped initiate the Comics Code, but also "Archie" didn't
sell half as well as those old horror books, so there was some personal interest
vested in getting a Code established.
That's like saying, "Animated cartoons were originally created for kids." I've
watched enough animation documentaries to confirm that most animation was
created by animators to entertain themselves. They really didn't care who was
watching it, and as long as they got their paycheck, they continued to put out
product. Since most "responsible" adults especially from the Great
Depression/WWII era considered spending any money on "frivolous junk" i.e. comic
books, it fell on the kiddies who had no concept of "saving money for a rainy
day", and would eagerly spend, so the books were geared towards them as a
result.
Nowadays, since adults are very willing to spend hundreds, even thousands on a
single book, why print up a cheap 10c book for some kid to read and trash, when
you can print it in a deluxe hardback on glossy paper and charge a big price for
it! The content then has to follow suit so the Comics Code is more of a
formality than anything else.
It is the harsh realities of the industry.
While I generally agree with the author's statements, I do disagree with the
statement that "Comic books were originally created for kids." While kids have
been the main readers of comic books since their inception, the realities are
that comic books were created to make money, which is why they aren't targeted
to kids anymore. The people who have money now and are willing to spend on comic
books are fans who grew up with the books, which is why they are targeted to
them.
EC (and Harvey for that matter) did horror comics that many adults read, not
because they wanted to destroy young minds, but because they were making money
at it, and they enjoyed doing them. Sure, there were companies out there
concerned about such things as whether you are warping kids' minds (i.e. Archie)
and that's why they helped initiate the Comics Code, but also "Archie" didn't
sell half as well as those old horror books, so there was some personal interest
vested in getting a Code established.
That's like saying, "Animated cartoons were originally created for kids." I've
watched enough animation documentaries to confirm that most animation was
created by animators to entertain themselves. They really didn't care who was
watching it, and as long as they got their paycheck, they continued to put out
product. Since most "responsible" adults especially from the Great
Depression/WWII era considered spending any money on "frivolous junk" i.e. comic
books, it fell on the kiddies who had no concept of "saving money for a rainy
day", and would eagerly spend, so the books were geared towards them as a
result.
Nowadays, since adults are very willing to spend hundreds, even thousands on a
single book, why print up a cheap 10c book for some kid to read and trash, when
you can print it in a deluxe hardback on glossy paper and charge a big price for
it! The content then has to follow suit so the Comics Code is more of a
formality than anything else.
It is the harsh realities of the industry.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Martian Child Review
I didn't know what to expect from this film. I did a little investigating beforehand and discovered that it was sort of a science fiction tale and starred John Cusack and his sister (playing his sister, so what a stretch) Joan Cusack. I also discovered that the movie was based on a story written by David Gerrold, best known to me as one of the writers of the original "Star Trek", so I was intrigued.
So it is a story of a small boy who claims to be from Mars and I won't spoil it by saying which way it goes, but I will say that it is very satisfying. Admittedly, the film volleyed dangerously close to being syrupy but it has enough humorous and harder situations to keep it on an even keel.
I will say that despite my respect for Mr. Gerrold, I realized after I saw the film that the story was not entirely unique. In fact, I figured out that it is awfully a lot like "Lilo and Stitch", the Disney animated movie from a few year's back!!
Ultimately, unless you don't like movies that are in the least bit heartwarming, I would give it a try. The film is nicely paced, and although it kind of wraps up a little too neatly, it leaves you with a nice, good feeling.
As a footnote, I saw the movie in a Palo Alto theater when a 5.6 earthquake hit. It's interesting to see how people react in different situations. I usually just take natural disasters in stride, but I did check around to see if I or anyone else was in danger of some chandelier falling or something, but this was one of those crummy box theaters, so I just sat there calmly, figuring that I'd duck beneath the seats if the shaking got heavier. Other people tended to be more vocal and when the shaking was done a few leaped out of their seats and onto their cell phones.
So it is a story of a small boy who claims to be from Mars and I won't spoil it by saying which way it goes, but I will say that it is very satisfying. Admittedly, the film volleyed dangerously close to being syrupy but it has enough humorous and harder situations to keep it on an even keel.
I will say that despite my respect for Mr. Gerrold, I realized after I saw the film that the story was not entirely unique. In fact, I figured out that it is awfully a lot like "Lilo and Stitch", the Disney animated movie from a few year's back!!
Ultimately, unless you don't like movies that are in the least bit heartwarming, I would give it a try. The film is nicely paced, and although it kind of wraps up a little too neatly, it leaves you with a nice, good feeling.
As a footnote, I saw the movie in a Palo Alto theater when a 5.6 earthquake hit. It's interesting to see how people react in different situations. I usually just take natural disasters in stride, but I did check around to see if I or anyone else was in danger of some chandelier falling or something, but this was one of those crummy box theaters, so I just sat there calmly, figuring that I'd duck beneath the seats if the shaking got heavier. Other people tended to be more vocal and when the shaking was done a few leaped out of their seats and onto their cell phones.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Bay Area Comic Book and Animation Group
This is the local group that was on Meet Up during the first half of
2007 designed to get all fans of comic books and animation of the San
Francisco Bay Area together to attend events or parties related to
comic books and animation. It can be an organized event like a comic
book convention, a tour of a museum like the Cartoon Art Museum in San
Francisco, or a film festival, or you can even host a party in your
own home.
Just so no one feels left out, we invite fans of all genres, not just
Marvel and DC. We encourage fans of Harvey, Archie, EC, etc. to join
as well. So let us know and on we go....
We're at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BACBAAG
2007 designed to get all fans of comic books and animation of the San
Francisco Bay Area together to attend events or parties related to
comic books and animation. It can be an organized event like a comic
book convention, a tour of a museum like the Cartoon Art Museum in San
Francisco, or a film festival, or you can even host a party in your
own home.
Just so no one feels left out, we invite fans of all genres, not just
Marvel and DC. We encourage fans of Harvey, Archie, EC, etc. to join
as well. So let us know and on we go....
We're at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BACBAAG
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Envy Review
I was recommended to see the movie "Envy" with Ben Stiller and Jack Black. While I liked the cast and the story, the execution was a little off. The movie had its moments and a few laughs, but it didn't grab me completely like some of their other movies. I did really like Christopher Walken who always seems to play some suitably creepy character. Stiller and Black did their usual shtick, so if you are not a fan of their previous work, this movie won't help.
The story as it is concerns Black inventing a dog poop spray that makes it disappear. Stiller claims that this is not possible. Black proves him wrong, becomes a zillionaire, and then the fun begins.
Rachel Weisz and Amy Poeler also star, though a friend of mine who watched it with me wondered what Weisz was doing in a film like this. I liked it better than she did.
The story as it is concerns Black inventing a dog poop spray that makes it disappear. Stiller claims that this is not possible. Black proves him wrong, becomes a zillionaire, and then the fun begins.
Rachel Weisz and Amy Poeler also star, though a friend of mine who watched it with me wondered what Weisz was doing in a film like this. I liked it better than she did.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
30 Days of Night Review
Saw this and didn't know what to expect. What started out as a half-way decent vampire flick degenerated into a very stupid one. The main hero did something near the end of the movie that made absolutely no sense whatsoever, especially as it occurred near the end of the 30 days. They waited that long, they could have kept going.
It was strongly reminiscent of the original "Night of the Living Dead". So much so that it almost seemed cookie-cutter in its approach. Also, the vampires weren't terribly threatening. They just seemed to wander around and howl a bit, and occasionally feast. It seemed like you could overwhelm them rather easily.
Another thing, every so often the main character would say that everyone had to move from their hiding place. Why? Their hiding place wasn't discovered. Wouldn't they be discovered more easily by all that moving around? And also, early on in the movie, they announced that they would sleep in shifts. By the end of the month, they seemed to stay up all the time.
In another scene, an ultra-violet lamp was used to great effect until the vampires cut the power. This is Alaska. You would think that they would have an extra generator or two up there.
I like vampire films from "Nosferatu" to Lugosi "Dracula" to Lee "Dracula" to Coppola "Dracula", but this one was unfortunately stupid.
It was strongly reminiscent of the original "Night of the Living Dead". So much so that it almost seemed cookie-cutter in its approach. Also, the vampires weren't terribly threatening. They just seemed to wander around and howl a bit, and occasionally feast. It seemed like you could overwhelm them rather easily.
Another thing, every so often the main character would say that everyone had to move from their hiding place. Why? Their hiding place wasn't discovered. Wouldn't they be discovered more easily by all that moving around? And also, early on in the movie, they announced that they would sleep in shifts. By the end of the month, they seemed to stay up all the time.
In another scene, an ultra-violet lamp was used to great effect until the vampires cut the power. This is Alaska. You would think that they would have an extra generator or two up there.
I like vampire films from "Nosferatu" to Lugosi "Dracula" to Lee "Dracula" to Coppola "Dracula", but this one was unfortunately stupid.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Haven't Posted in a while
Life has been a whirlwind as of late. After being completely out of work for over three months, I got a job and also a lot of projects are coming down the pike. This is good. You'll hear more about them as time goes on, I'm sure, but for now, I just wanted to post another blog before too long. I used to do these things every day, you know!
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Looney Tunes Volume 5 List is Out. Some Titles STILL Missing
Well, it's another year and another year for me to be disappointed, but less so, as quite a few from my list of 66 two years ago has dwindled down to 49. Here are the remaining cartoons I would like to see on DVD before I die! BTW, if you want to know what IS on Volume 5, check it out on Amazon.
1. The Village Smithy
2. Egghead Rides Again
3. Porky's Hero Agency
4. Cinderella Meets Fella
5. Hamateur Night
6. Porky's Picnic
7. Porky the Giant Killer
8. The Timid Toreador
9. Porky's Cafe
10. Horton Hatches the Egg (I know this is on a Dr. Seuss collection, but I want it on a Looney Tunes collection)
11. Fresh Hare
12. The Impatient Patient
13. Coal Black and De Sebben Dwarfs
14. Tick Tock Tuckered
15. Daffy Doodles
16. Birth of a Notion
17. Hot Cross Bunny
18. Daffy Dilly
19. A Lad in His Lamp
20. The Bee-Deviled Bruin
21. A Ham in a Role
22. Mutiny on the Bunny
23. It's Hummer Time
24. Hare We Go
25. Rabbit Every Monday
26. Chow Hound
27. Ballot Box Bunny
28. Thumb Fun
29. The Hasty Hare
30. Fool Coverage
31. Hare Trimmed
32. I Gopher You
33. No Parking Hare
34. Beanstalk Bunny
35. Hare Brush
36. This is a Life?
37. Dime to Retire
38. The High and the Flighty
39. Rabbitson Crusoe
40. Bedevilled Rabbit
41. Piker's Peak
42. Ducking the Devil
43. Hareway to the Stars
44. Bonanza Bunny
45. From Hare to Heir
46. Wet Hare
47. Bill of Hare
48. Mad as a Mars Hare
49. Dr. Devil and Mr. Hare
1. The Village Smithy
2. Egghead Rides Again
3. Porky's Hero Agency
4. Cinderella Meets Fella
5. Hamateur Night
6. Porky's Picnic
7. Porky the Giant Killer
8. The Timid Toreador
9. Porky's Cafe
10. Horton Hatches the Egg (I know this is on a Dr. Seuss collection, but I want it on a Looney Tunes collection)
11. Fresh Hare
12. The Impatient Patient
13. Coal Black and De Sebben Dwarfs
14. Tick Tock Tuckered
15. Daffy Doodles
16. Birth of a Notion
17. Hot Cross Bunny
18. Daffy Dilly
19. A Lad in His Lamp
20. The Bee-Deviled Bruin
21. A Ham in a Role
22. Mutiny on the Bunny
23. It's Hummer Time
24. Hare We Go
25. Rabbit Every Monday
26. Chow Hound
27. Ballot Box Bunny
28. Thumb Fun
29. The Hasty Hare
30. Fool Coverage
31. Hare Trimmed
32. I Gopher You
33. No Parking Hare
34. Beanstalk Bunny
35. Hare Brush
36. This is a Life?
37. Dime to Retire
38. The High and the Flighty
39. Rabbitson Crusoe
40. Bedevilled Rabbit
41. Piker's Peak
42. Ducking the Devil
43. Hareway to the Stars
44. Bonanza Bunny
45. From Hare to Heir
46. Wet Hare
47. Bill of Hare
48. Mad as a Mars Hare
49. Dr. Devil and Mr. Hare
Monday, September 17, 2007
Casper CD and "Casper Meets Wendy" AGAIN
Of all the Casper kids albums released in the 1960s and 1970s, this one is the best. Originally issued on Golden Records in 1963, this album features the actual voices (Norma MacMillan and Bradley Bolke) who performed on "The New Casper Cartoon Show" in 1963. The CD features an extra treat with the addition of the "Casper, the Friendly Ghost" theme by Mitch Miller and the Sandpipers that was previously released as a single on Golden Records. Other Casper releases were originally on Peter Pan Records and not as good, and at present are not scheduled to be released to CD anytime soon. Later Casper albums were solely music albums, usually a soundtrack to a feature film.
Also, "Casper Meets Wendy" has been reissued to DVD for the third time! Originally released in 1998 as the third Casper feature film (although direct-to-video), the DVD was issued on DVD for the first time in 2002. Then it was reissued on DVD in 2004 to promote Hilary Duff, who had become a big teen star. Now, it has been reissued again as of September 11, and subtitled the "Family Fun Edition". I assume it has some different extras than the previous versions, but maybe not. Does anyone know?
Also, "Casper Meets Wendy" has been reissued to DVD for the third time! Originally released in 1998 as the third Casper feature film (although direct-to-video), the DVD was issued on DVD for the first time in 2002. Then it was reissued on DVD in 2004 to promote Hilary Duff, who had become a big teen star. Now, it has been reissued again as of September 11, and subtitled the "Family Fun Edition". I assume it has some different extras than the previous versions, but maybe not. Does anyone know?
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Little Britain
Ok, ok, I finally watched it...and I loved it! I've had a number of friends recommend this series to me, and I ignored them because usually people don't know or understand my taste in comedy. Also, when someone says something is "just like Monty Python", I hesitate, because usually that means there's just a bunch of men dressed like women and acting really gay.
Sure, Python had its share of cross-dressing, and Graham Chapman was gay, but that wasn't the complete focus of the show. Python hit on a lot of different levels that I cannot begin to elaborate on here.
I am a big fan of British TV, and I have enjoyed "The Goodies", "Paul Hogan" (well he's Australian), "Benny Hill", "Reginald Perrin", even "My Hero", etc. but there have been a lot of attempts recently that...well, were attempts like "The League of Gentlemen" and "French and Saunders".
"Little Britain" is different. The characters are very broad, and a lot of times gay, but also very funny. The skits are usually relatively short so even if you don't like a particular skit, it won't last very long. They also aren't word heavy like "A Bit of Fry and Laurie". In other words, there's a lot of good old slapstick mixed in to the conversation.
The only complaint is perhaps the repetitiveness of the skits, but even I found the cookie-cutter method quite charming in its own way, so that it was fun to expect a particular punchline or outcome.
I understand that David Walliams and Matt Lucas are done with their three season (or series) commitment and have no intentions of doing more for the BBC, and are currently shooting more for HBO. I have only watched Season Two, so I have some catching up to do, but overall I give this show high marks and praise!
Even the outtakes are good!
Sure, Python had its share of cross-dressing, and Graham Chapman was gay, but that wasn't the complete focus of the show. Python hit on a lot of different levels that I cannot begin to elaborate on here.
I am a big fan of British TV, and I have enjoyed "The Goodies", "Paul Hogan" (well he's Australian), "Benny Hill", "Reginald Perrin", even "My Hero", etc. but there have been a lot of attempts recently that...well, were attempts like "The League of Gentlemen" and "French and Saunders".
"Little Britain" is different. The characters are very broad, and a lot of times gay, but also very funny. The skits are usually relatively short so even if you don't like a particular skit, it won't last very long. They also aren't word heavy like "A Bit of Fry and Laurie". In other words, there's a lot of good old slapstick mixed in to the conversation.
The only complaint is perhaps the repetitiveness of the skits, but even I found the cookie-cutter method quite charming in its own way, so that it was fun to expect a particular punchline or outcome.
I understand that David Walliams and Matt Lucas are done with their three season (or series) commitment and have no intentions of doing more for the BBC, and are currently shooting more for HBO. I have only watched Season Two, so I have some catching up to do, but overall I give this show high marks and praise!
Even the outtakes are good!
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Harveyville 2008 Calendars are Here!!
Hey! You know you've always wanted a "Harveyville Fun Times!" calendar and now you can. Click on 2008 calendar as I made one up this year featuring some of the best covers or you can get a vertical calendar at 2008 vertical calendar or you can buy other "Harveyville Fun Times!" merchandise at Cafe Press.
Check it out!
-Moderator Mark.
Check it out!
-Moderator Mark.
Harveyville 2008 Calendars are Here!!
Hey! You know you've always wanted a "Harveyville Fun Times!" calendar and now you can. Click on 2008 calendar as I made one up this year featuring some of the best covers or you can get a vertical calendar at 2008 vertical calendar or you can buy other "Harveyville Fun Times!" merchandise at Cafe Press.
Check it out!
-Moderator Mark.
Check it out!
-Moderator Mark.
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Bela Lugosi
I recently purchased "The Bela Lugosi Box" and have started watching the films. I own about 30 of his films and this set has 15 of them. Lugosi has been revered as a good actor, but I don't know. If you gave him better films, he would still come off as sort of campy. Even his best known film "Dracula" from 1931 has its campy moments.
Don't get me wrong. I like the guy. Why would I buy a box set of his films if I didn't? It's just for acting chops Boris Karloff and Vincent Price have better skills. Even Christopher Lee is better.
Anyway, this set is fun for quite a few laughs and it has three of those dreaded Ed Wood films which I think are great in their campiness, so watch and enjoy or bevare!!
Don't get me wrong. I like the guy. Why would I buy a box set of his films if I didn't? It's just for acting chops Boris Karloff and Vincent Price have better skills. Even Christopher Lee is better.
Anyway, this set is fun for quite a few laughs and it has three of those dreaded Ed Wood films which I think are great in their campiness, so watch and enjoy or bevare!!
Friday, August 31, 2007
Red Skelton
I'm watching some DVD's of old Red Skelton shows. Now, he seems to be somewhat funny and this isn't my first introduction to him. What's amazing to me is that his show was on for 20 years and yet no one really ever talks about it. They talk a lot about "The Simpsons" going into its 19th year and "Gunsmoke" ran for 20 and praise is heaped upon "Walt Disney" and "Ed Sullivan", but "The Red Skelton Show" is virtually ignored. It aired from 1951-1971.
Perhaps it is because Skelton's type of humor was really sort of cornball. In fact, when I used to watch Skelton on TV when he appeared occasionally up until his death in 1997, I noticed his propensity to laugh at his own jokes that weren't very funny to begin with.
Skelton was also an anomaly in the movies as well. Whereas other stars of his caliber such as Bob Hope or Jack Benny transcended the "compilation" type feature like "Big Broadcast of 1938", Skelton happily immersed himself in those type of pictures, so that there isn't one defining moment of Skelton genius.
I guess that's what made him unique, but also very puzzling to me.
Perhaps it is because Skelton's type of humor was really sort of cornball. In fact, when I used to watch Skelton on TV when he appeared occasionally up until his death in 1997, I noticed his propensity to laugh at his own jokes that weren't very funny to begin with.
Skelton was also an anomaly in the movies as well. Whereas other stars of his caliber such as Bob Hope or Jack Benny transcended the "compilation" type feature like "Big Broadcast of 1938", Skelton happily immersed himself in those type of pictures, so that there isn't one defining moment of Skelton genius.
I guess that's what made him unique, but also very puzzling to me.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Stardust Review
I had extreme reservations about seeing this film, mainly due to the nonexistent or negative publicity surrounding it mainly due to the fact that there have been a number of fairy tale movie disappointments in recent times like "Chronicles of Narnia" or "Polar Express". It didn't matter that Neil Gaiman wrote it, because I wasn't sure if he could write the type of movie I would like anyway. (Actually, Jane Goldman and Director Matthew Vaughn wrote the screenplay.)
Anyway, I am happy to say, and with Lee's encouragement to go see it, that "Stardust" is the surprise movie of the year and ranks up there with "Grindhouse" as my two favorite movies of 2007 and is a contender for one of my favorite movies of all time.
It has in its cast some of my favorite actors of all time like Robert DeNiro (in one of his best roles) and Peter O'Toole, and others that I respect very well like Michelle Pfeifer and Claire Danes. But good actors do not necessarily make a good movie, nor does good directing alone, which is done by Matthew Vaughn, who has only directed "Layer Cake", previously, but is in line to direct the upcoming "Thor". Good writing does! If you don't have a good script in the first place, the old "you can't polish a turd" phrase applies.
Speaking of casting choices, Lee asked me once what woman is my type. I have never heard of or seen Kate Magowan before, but I was immediately entranced by her appearance and her performance, and she isn't even the main star. And of course, there's good eye candy with Sienna Miller and even Claire Danes, who doesn't come off as plain as she usually does.
The movie is at once very fantastical and is paced very well. There is a lot of humor and at once reminds me of "The Princess Bride", but unlike that film's jarring returns to Peter Falk and Fred Savage, this movie stays in its fairy tale setting the entire time. It also reminds me of two other films that I enjoyed very much, "Time Bandits" and the recent "Nanny McPhee". "Stardust" is better and is a definite must see that should be seen on the big screen to be fully enjoyed. The visual effects, though plentiful, do not burden down the proceedings as the story is consistently the main focus, not the effects.
Without spoiling anything, there are three storylines going on that actually tie up very nicely by the end of the film. One is of a dying king (O'Toole) telling his surviving sons what they need to do to become the next heir to the throne; a second is of three witches (the main one being Pfeiffer) who need to find another solution to help refresh their lost beauty; and the final one is the story of Tristan (Charlie Cox) who wants to marry the beautiful Victoria (Sienna). She concedes to do so if he can fulfill this one task. Through a number of twists and turns, it is accomplished with great satisfaction and with some surprising results. Ian McKellan handles the narration chores throughout and although I am usually against excessive narration in a movie, this is done very well.
Despite some violence, this is really a movie that the entire family can enjoy and be entertained. They don't make movies like this very often. I'm glad they did this time out.
Anyway, I am happy to say, and with Lee's encouragement to go see it, that "Stardust" is the surprise movie of the year and ranks up there with "Grindhouse" as my two favorite movies of 2007 and is a contender for one of my favorite movies of all time.
It has in its cast some of my favorite actors of all time like Robert DeNiro (in one of his best roles) and Peter O'Toole, and others that I respect very well like Michelle Pfeifer and Claire Danes. But good actors do not necessarily make a good movie, nor does good directing alone, which is done by Matthew Vaughn, who has only directed "Layer Cake", previously, but is in line to direct the upcoming "Thor". Good writing does! If you don't have a good script in the first place, the old "you can't polish a turd" phrase applies.
Speaking of casting choices, Lee asked me once what woman is my type. I have never heard of or seen Kate Magowan before, but I was immediately entranced by her appearance and her performance, and she isn't even the main star. And of course, there's good eye candy with Sienna Miller and even Claire Danes, who doesn't come off as plain as she usually does.
The movie is at once very fantastical and is paced very well. There is a lot of humor and at once reminds me of "The Princess Bride", but unlike that film's jarring returns to Peter Falk and Fred Savage, this movie stays in its fairy tale setting the entire time. It also reminds me of two other films that I enjoyed very much, "Time Bandits" and the recent "Nanny McPhee". "Stardust" is better and is a definite must see that should be seen on the big screen to be fully enjoyed. The visual effects, though plentiful, do not burden down the proceedings as the story is consistently the main focus, not the effects.
Without spoiling anything, there are three storylines going on that actually tie up very nicely by the end of the film. One is of a dying king (O'Toole) telling his surviving sons what they need to do to become the next heir to the throne; a second is of three witches (the main one being Pfeiffer) who need to find another solution to help refresh their lost beauty; and the final one is the story of Tristan (Charlie Cox) who wants to marry the beautiful Victoria (Sienna). She concedes to do so if he can fulfill this one task. Through a number of twists and turns, it is accomplished with great satisfaction and with some surprising results. Ian McKellan handles the narration chores throughout and although I am usually against excessive narration in a movie, this is done very well.
Despite some violence, this is really a movie that the entire family can enjoy and be entertained. They don't make movies like this very often. I'm glad they did this time out.
Stuff I Don't "Get"
I feel that I'm a fairly intelligent person, but there's a number of things in this day and age that I truly don't get that other people love or at the very least accept blindly. The following is a list of those things. Some of them are obvious, others not so much. This list is not necessarily complete, just some ideas that came to mind:
1. Lenny Bruce
2. Jacques Tati films
3. Will Farrell movies
4. Julia Roberts' beauty
5. Bush's high approval ratings in 2007
6. Bob Dylan's singing (except maybe on "Lay Lady Lay")
7. The "9/10" on gasoline prices
8. Sales tax is separate in the US
9. Daylight savings time
10. People who don't remember their own childhood
11. People who don't let you merge when you are signaling on time and then change to the lane you were in when you finally do merge
12. Pretentious people
13. Vitamins and "Ask your doctor if it's right for you" medications
14. Discounts on stamps for two ounce letters
15. Islamic extremists
16. Non-Islamic extremists
17. Multiple logos on TV screens
18. Scrolling text and moving graphics on TV screens
19. The high praise for TV shows like "Arrested Development" and "The Office"
20. Dane Cook's comedy
21. The US boycott of Cuba in 2007
22. "Matrix" movies
23. "Lord of the Rings" movies
24. Chris Tucker
25. Martin Lawrence
26. Bernie Mac
27. Iphones
28. Apple-only fanatics
29. Scooby-Doo
30. Hedwig
31. Standing in line for movies or products that are commonly available
32. Brad Pitt
33. Tony Danza (except on "Taxi")
34. People who have no knowledge or interest in anything that came out before they were born
35. "Reality" shows
36. "Entertainment Tonight" and those type of shows
37. Eddie Izzard
38. Whoopi Goldberg
39. Rachael Ray
40. Dr. Phil
41. Tyra Banks
42. Oprah Winfrey
43. David Letterman's show ever since he moved to CBS
44. "The Family Guy"
45. "American Dad"
46. Carl's Jr. commercials
47. People who get upset at the things people like Anne Coulter says
48. Terminally flaky people
49. The fact that there seems to be an endless supply of ammunition in Iraq, so much so that people can randomly shoot their guns off into the air when their soccer team wins
50. Why we don't have Social Security taken out of our checks all year long and then the SS administration complaining that they don't have enough funds to pay everyone
51. No socialized medicine in the US
52. The fact that socialism is considered a dirty word in the US
53. Jackson Pollack paintings
54. Robin Williams being compared to Jonathan Winters
55. Humorless superhero movies
56. Excessive use of penguins in animated films
57. Why I don't make more money
58. Taking your shoes off at the airport
59. The uproar about Janet Jackson's tit on the Superbowl
60. The fact that making lists like this does absolutely nothing to change these things
1. Lenny Bruce
2. Jacques Tati films
3. Will Farrell movies
4. Julia Roberts' beauty
5. Bush's high approval ratings in 2007
6. Bob Dylan's singing (except maybe on "Lay Lady Lay")
7. The "9/10" on gasoline prices
8. Sales tax is separate in the US
9. Daylight savings time
10. People who don't remember their own childhood
11. People who don't let you merge when you are signaling on time and then change to the lane you were in when you finally do merge
12. Pretentious people
13. Vitamins and "Ask your doctor if it's right for you" medications
14. Discounts on stamps for two ounce letters
15. Islamic extremists
16. Non-Islamic extremists
17. Multiple logos on TV screens
18. Scrolling text and moving graphics on TV screens
19. The high praise for TV shows like "Arrested Development" and "The Office"
20. Dane Cook's comedy
21. The US boycott of Cuba in 2007
22. "Matrix" movies
23. "Lord of the Rings" movies
24. Chris Tucker
25. Martin Lawrence
26. Bernie Mac
27. Iphones
28. Apple-only fanatics
29. Scooby-Doo
30. Hedwig
31. Standing in line for movies or products that are commonly available
32. Brad Pitt
33. Tony Danza (except on "Taxi")
34. People who have no knowledge or interest in anything that came out before they were born
35. "Reality" shows
36. "Entertainment Tonight" and those type of shows
37. Eddie Izzard
38. Whoopi Goldberg
39. Rachael Ray
40. Dr. Phil
41. Tyra Banks
42. Oprah Winfrey
43. David Letterman's show ever since he moved to CBS
44. "The Family Guy"
45. "American Dad"
46. Carl's Jr. commercials
47. People who get upset at the things people like Anne Coulter says
48. Terminally flaky people
49. The fact that there seems to be an endless supply of ammunition in Iraq, so much so that people can randomly shoot their guns off into the air when their soccer team wins
50. Why we don't have Social Security taken out of our checks all year long and then the SS administration complaining that they don't have enough funds to pay everyone
51. No socialized medicine in the US
52. The fact that socialism is considered a dirty word in the US
53. Jackson Pollack paintings
54. Robin Williams being compared to Jonathan Winters
55. Humorless superhero movies
56. Excessive use of penguins in animated films
57. Why I don't make more money
58. Taking your shoes off at the airport
59. The uproar about Janet Jackson's tit on the Superbowl
60. The fact that making lists like this does absolutely nothing to change these things
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Stupid Google!
Stupid Google dropped my Mark's Rare Comics website from their listings on July 31, making my number of views plummet. My dad contacted Google to get it reinstated, but the damage has been done. Mark's Rare Comics used to rank at the top (or in the top 3) if one typed "rare comics" in the Google search. No more. For those wanting to see my site, it's at http://rarecomics.home.att.net
Saturday, August 04, 2007
Sicko Review
As with all Michael Moore projects, I loved "Sicko". What's interesting about Moore, is that I don't always agree with his politics and also I know sometimes he manipulates his facts somewhat to prove a point. What he does do with this and all of his films is to make his films entertaining and to make you think. "Sicko" was at once very funny and also very depressing. The best part was when Moore mentioned the word "socialism" and visions of old USSR stock footage appeared in the background while he revealed that the US has socialized schools, libraries, firefighters and police. We're just idiots about this stupid health care issue. We could easily adjust to a universal healthcare model if our politicians would stop being bought off. And what are they being bought off for anyway, they already do and will continue to have free healthcare and if done right, the taxes won't go up. Of course, us being the US, we won't do it right, and taxes will soar.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Freelance Writing and Other Jobs
Hey Everyone reading this. I am looking for a freelance writing job writing about the entertainment industry. My interests include movies, TV, animation, comic books, etc. Also, if you have any full time (or even part time positions) in your entertainment-based company, please let me know. Drop me an email at thft@att.net with what you can offer.
Freelance Writing and Other Jobs
Hey Everyone reading this. I am looking for a freelance writing job writing about the entertainment industry. My interests include movies, TV, animation, comic books, etc. Also, if you have any full time (or even part time positions) in your entertainment-based company, please let me know. Drop me an email at thft@att.net with what you can offer.
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Superior Casper Volume From Beck and Cabarga!
If you've seen my review of Sid Jacobson's book "Ultimate Casper", this book is even better. In fact, if I could give it six stars, I would. This is the best treatment of a Harvey character that I have seen. This time the book presents Casper in a truly historical perspective, giving a brief history and also reprinting stories from not only the Harvey days, but the prior St. John days, including Casper's first appearance in comic books.
Some may quibble about the black and white artwork, but Leslie Cabarga explains it well in his editor's notes that the original artwork and silver prints were used for this high quality production. Jerry Beck informed me that this volume should be compared to the likes of the "Marvel Essentials" or "DC Showcase" series than the "Marvel Masterpieces" or "DC Archives". In fact this book has much better paper and reproduction than the black and white Marvel and DC volumes and it is a miracle that this was even produced.
I am looking forward to future volumes of this series. Richie Rich is next and Hot Stuff is scheduled to be third. If proven successful, Dark Horse should continue to re-present every major and minor Harvey character over the next few years and the possibility of a new comic book line may develop.
For those looking to investigate the history of Harvey in greater detail, I'd recommend "The Best of The Harveyville Fun Times!"
Some may quibble about the black and white artwork, but Leslie Cabarga explains it well in his editor's notes that the original artwork and silver prints were used for this high quality production. Jerry Beck informed me that this volume should be compared to the likes of the "Marvel Essentials" or "DC Showcase" series than the "Marvel Masterpieces" or "DC Archives". In fact this book has much better paper and reproduction than the black and white Marvel and DC volumes and it is a miracle that this was even produced.
I am looking forward to future volumes of this series. Richie Rich is next and Hot Stuff is scheduled to be third. If proven successful, Dark Horse should continue to re-present every major and minor Harvey character over the next few years and the possibility of a new comic book line may develop.
For those looking to investigate the history of Harvey in greater detail, I'd recommend "The Best of The Harveyville Fun Times!"
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
San Diego Comic Convention 2007
I know you are all probably waiting for my response regarding SD Con. I just got home last night and didn't want to write anything of great detail until today (Tuesday). I'll go with the plusses first (there are a few).
First of all, as many of you may or may not know, San Diego became impossible even for me to go after 2002 as the hugeness of it all cost wise and otherwise kept me from going. I said silently to myself that year, "I won't go again unless everything is paid for." My meaning behind this statement is that I would not go again unless I was considered a professional in the eyes of the industry and under that guise may have my trip paid for in some way so that I would no longer have to finance it myself. (I found out recently from Scott Shaw! that even high profile celebrities are not usually paid to attend this, but that's another story.)
Anyway, in recent years through my newspaper advertising sales work, I became good friends with Lee Hester, the owner of Lee's Comics for the past 25(!) years. He has stores in Mountain View and San Mateo, CA, and has done the San Diego Con now for 20 years straight. Up through 2005, he used his regular employees to staff his booth, but in 2006, Lee asked me if I wanted to man the booth during the show. In exchange I would have all my meals, transportation and hotel accommodations paid for, and also would be given a small salary on top of that. I immediately seized the chance and Lee and I did the 2006 show.
Everything went so smoothly, that Lee asked me to be his semi-permanent convention staff and we went on to do the Los Angeles Comic Book Convention, San Jose Toy Show, Wondercon, the APE, and I sold the bargain comics when Lee had various sales at his Mountain View location.
Of course I was asked to do San Diego again, and I readily agreed. Now, as previously stated, I would probably never attend San Diego again due to its size and lack of finding the remaining Harvey Comics I need to complete my sets for under $10 each (or any Harvey Comics at all for that matter. I now have better luck on the Internet). A strange thing happened between last year and this year. Because I published my book ("The Best of The Harveyville Fun Times!"), I am starting to get recognized within the industry. So being sort of a minor celebrity has encouraged me to continue going under this "new phase".
Lee had excellent sales this year, but NOT of old comics. In fact, after the 2006 show, I recommended that he not bring so many of his 15 long boxes of moderately-priced Silver Age books due to the lack of sales. These boxes are heavy and if you don't sell them, lugging them back onto the truck on Sunday evening is painful. Lee not only heeded my advice of not bringing so many, he actually didn't bring ANY of his moderately-priced books. He did bring the expensive wall books (which I sold the most expensive one being a NM copy of "Giant Size X-Men" #1 for approximately $850!) and he brought his $2 bargains, which generally sell well.
A few years ago, Lee obtained one of those old "Hey Kids Comics" spinner racks and he decided to put random selection of comics from the 50s to the 80s on these racks for $2 each! Some of these in Mint condition. (Not everything mind you, but for the persistent, you could actually walk away with a number of books worth $20 or more for only $2 each.) Lee has taught me a lot about marketing and sales that I didn't know and it has helped me with my other careers and with the marketing of my book.
Other dealers think Lee is insane, but what Lee does (and it is no secret) is buy up collections for cheap, but instead of meticulously going through the Price Guide with each book and bagging and boarding them and jacking the price up to the Guide price, he sifts through and takes out the really good stuff (like a "Giant Size X-Men" #1) and sells the rest for cheap. It gives the fans something to look through, and the ability for them to buy older books at affordable prices.
However, this year a strange thing occurred: the $2 books didn't sell as well as last year. The novelty had worn off. To boost sales, Lee did something even I thought was crazy, reduce them to $1 each!! That worked and we had steady crowds for those books all week long, while the other Gold and Silver Age dealers just sat on their hands for virtually the entire weekend.
My theory about all this is plentiful. Younger readers are not buying the Gold and Silver Age books for many reasons: 1) Usually the prices are higher than most people want to pay; 2) Most collectors usually are nostalgic for items from their youth. Items from the youth of 20 and 30 year olds are items originally issued in the late 80s to early 90s, which is well after the Silver Age. (When you get to be 40 as I am, you start to realize that things are starting to make a comeback that you weren't interested in originally, like the Transformers. I thought they were interesting toys for about 30 seconds and that's where my interest ended because I was 16 and more interested in wanting to get laid than toys. So when they issued a movie this year, all of my 25-35 year old co-workers were all excited. I wasn't.) 3) As Marvel and DC and others have put out pristine versions of their older books, the need to have it on the original newsprint has diminished greatly except for the hard core collectors, of which there are not so many as they are getting older and older and older and not spending so much on old comics anymore either because they have them already or they can no longer afford them, or by natural attrition (i.e. death).
On a happier note, Lee did bring a current shipment of this week's new comics as a test, and those sold exceptionally well!!
This was Lee's most successful year at the Con, so what did he sell? He sold the remaining stock of the PureHero sports shirts. For comic book shows, Lee has ventured further and further away from comic books and more and more towards toys and clothing and other items, and these things are highly successful (and would be considered a disgrace for this email group). So there you are.
For me, I sold two copies of my book at the show and signed them. I bought exactly 8 Harvey Comics from Graham Crackers (about the only reasonably priced comic book dealer other than Lee that had books that I wanted). I saw, met and/or spoke with Scott Shaw!, Lou Ferrigno, Ray Bradbury, Peter Kuper, Pat Block, Rafael Navarro, George Gladir, Maggie Thompson, Bill Morrison, Peter David, Roy Thomas, Sergio Aragones, Mark Evanier, Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez, Paul Dini, Renee French, Neil Gaiman, Rick Geary, Mike Ploog, Gary Carter, Ian Boothby, Bruce Schwartz, Paul Merolle, Matt Brody, Mary Fleener, Brent Frankenhoff, Dominic Prestera, Mitch O'Connell, Greg Evans, Robert Steven Rhine, Joe Ferrara, Michael Bennett, Brett Warnock, among others. I wanted to talk to a few people like Jerry Beck and Leslie Carbarga, but time didn't permit. Apparently Sid Jacobson was on the floor as was Gary Owens, but I didn't see either of them. And, some people I expected to show up, didn't.
I made a lot of good contacts and was trying to line up some more freelance work and to that end considering my time constraints, I was very successful.
On another positive note (and Joe Torcivia would like this one should he ever come back to San Diego), a couple of years ago, the Gaslamp area fixed up the Little Italy section of the downtown and made it really nice. It's slightly north of the convention. We stayed at a very nice but small hotel called La Pensione and ate almost every night at this great and cheap Italian restaurant called Filipe's that has a huge lasagna with a huge meatball for only $6 and it is filling!! Our bill for six people one night was $38!! Fortunately, this is sort of a chain and although most of the locations are in Southern California, there is one in Northern California, so I may make the pilgrimage sometime this year to that one.
Now, the negatives. As it has been said endlessly, this con is TOO BIG!! It's really a movie studio promotion show with a small Gold and Silver Age section and some artists that was the backbone of the original show. That Lee had to switch to selling other merchandise besides comics had to do more with economics and practicality rather than Lee's love of old comic books. Our friend Ron Murray (who shares Lee's booth with us) actually declared a loss this year as he only carried Gold and Silver Age books. In fact on Saturday, traditionally the busiest day at the Con, Ron had zero sales to show for the entire day!!
Also, it is VERY difficult to get around. I do not attend any panels anymore and rely on people coming up to Lee's booth or making deliberate pilgrimages to speak with the people I want and need to speak with. It took me forever to get to Artist's Alley which was on the completely opposite end of the show from Lee's (Lee's is booth #1100; Artist's Alley was around #5400). Coming back, I walked behind Ray Bradbury in his wheelchair as they were clearing the aisle for him and that helped me get back to the Lee's booth in a reasonable amount of time.
Prices are insane for accommodations, especially since the closer hotels are booked so far in advance and not just for the Con, but for those *&%@$*& Padres games as well. Also, the Con does sell out now, something it never did before and they keep people waiting outside for longer and longer periods due to fire constrictions. You can move about pretty well in the comic book area, but if you are in the movie area, forget it. Moooooo! Mooooo!
So, would I recommend San Diego for anyone else in the future. Only if you are trying to make key contacts or are working the show as I am. Otherwise, it's a wash and you'd be better off going to a more moderately priced and sized show, especially if you are interested in old comics.
In fact, Wondercon, even though it is owned by Comic Con International, is more like the San Diego Comic Con of yore and as a result, much more fun. It is in San Francisco each Jan. or Feb. and is highly recommended if everyone wanted to go to a show that was just like the old days and in California. The weather's usually nicer out here during that time too than for the rest of the country.
Anyway, that's my report.
-Mark.
First of all, as many of you may or may not know, San Diego became impossible even for me to go after 2002 as the hugeness of it all cost wise and otherwise kept me from going. I said silently to myself that year, "I won't go again unless everything is paid for." My meaning behind this statement is that I would not go again unless I was considered a professional in the eyes of the industry and under that guise may have my trip paid for in some way so that I would no longer have to finance it myself. (I found out recently from Scott Shaw! that even high profile celebrities are not usually paid to attend this, but that's another story.)
Anyway, in recent years through my newspaper advertising sales work, I became good friends with Lee Hester, the owner of Lee's Comics for the past 25(!) years. He has stores in Mountain View and San Mateo, CA, and has done the San Diego Con now for 20 years straight. Up through 2005, he used his regular employees to staff his booth, but in 2006, Lee asked me if I wanted to man the booth during the show. In exchange I would have all my meals, transportation and hotel accommodations paid for, and also would be given a small salary on top of that. I immediately seized the chance and Lee and I did the 2006 show.
Everything went so smoothly, that Lee asked me to be his semi-permanent convention staff and we went on to do the Los Angeles Comic Book Convention, San Jose Toy Show, Wondercon, the APE, and I sold the bargain comics when Lee had various sales at his Mountain View location.
Of course I was asked to do San Diego again, and I readily agreed. Now, as previously stated, I would probably never attend San Diego again due to its size and lack of finding the remaining Harvey Comics I need to complete my sets for under $10 each (or any Harvey Comics at all for that matter. I now have better luck on the Internet). A strange thing happened between last year and this year. Because I published my book ("The Best of The Harveyville Fun Times!"), I am starting to get recognized within the industry. So being sort of a minor celebrity has encouraged me to continue going under this "new phase".
Lee had excellent sales this year, but NOT of old comics. In fact, after the 2006 show, I recommended that he not bring so many of his 15 long boxes of moderately-priced Silver Age books due to the lack of sales. These boxes are heavy and if you don't sell them, lugging them back onto the truck on Sunday evening is painful. Lee not only heeded my advice of not bringing so many, he actually didn't bring ANY of his moderately-priced books. He did bring the expensive wall books (which I sold the most expensive one being a NM copy of "Giant Size X-Men" #1 for approximately $850!) and he brought his $2 bargains, which generally sell well.
A few years ago, Lee obtained one of those old "Hey Kids Comics" spinner racks and he decided to put random selection of comics from the 50s to the 80s on these racks for $2 each! Some of these in Mint condition. (Not everything mind you, but for the persistent, you could actually walk away with a number of books worth $20 or more for only $2 each.) Lee has taught me a lot about marketing and sales that I didn't know and it has helped me with my other careers and with the marketing of my book.
Other dealers think Lee is insane, but what Lee does (and it is no secret) is buy up collections for cheap, but instead of meticulously going through the Price Guide with each book and bagging and boarding them and jacking the price up to the Guide price, he sifts through and takes out the really good stuff (like a "Giant Size X-Men" #1) and sells the rest for cheap. It gives the fans something to look through, and the ability for them to buy older books at affordable prices.
However, this year a strange thing occurred: the $2 books didn't sell as well as last year. The novelty had worn off. To boost sales, Lee did something even I thought was crazy, reduce them to $1 each!! That worked and we had steady crowds for those books all week long, while the other Gold and Silver Age dealers just sat on their hands for virtually the entire weekend.
My theory about all this is plentiful. Younger readers are not buying the Gold and Silver Age books for many reasons: 1) Usually the prices are higher than most people want to pay; 2) Most collectors usually are nostalgic for items from their youth. Items from the youth of 20 and 30 year olds are items originally issued in the late 80s to early 90s, which is well after the Silver Age. (When you get to be 40 as I am, you start to realize that things are starting to make a comeback that you weren't interested in originally, like the Transformers. I thought they were interesting toys for about 30 seconds and that's where my interest ended because I was 16 and more interested in wanting to get laid than toys. So when they issued a movie this year, all of my 25-35 year old co-workers were all excited. I wasn't.) 3) As Marvel and DC and others have put out pristine versions of their older books, the need to have it on the original newsprint has diminished greatly except for the hard core collectors, of which there are not so many as they are getting older and older and older and not spending so much on old comics anymore either because they have them already or they can no longer afford them, or by natural attrition (i.e. death).
On a happier note, Lee did bring a current shipment of this week's new comics as a test, and those sold exceptionally well!!
This was Lee's most successful year at the Con, so what did he sell? He sold the remaining stock of the PureHero sports shirts. For comic book shows, Lee has ventured further and further away from comic books and more and more towards toys and clothing and other items, and these things are highly successful (and would be considered a disgrace for this email group). So there you are.
For me, I sold two copies of my book at the show and signed them. I bought exactly 8 Harvey Comics from Graham Crackers (about the only reasonably priced comic book dealer other than Lee that had books that I wanted). I saw, met and/or spoke with Scott Shaw!, Lou Ferrigno, Ray Bradbury, Peter Kuper, Pat Block, Rafael Navarro, George Gladir, Maggie Thompson, Bill Morrison, Peter David, Roy Thomas, Sergio Aragones, Mark Evanier, Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez, Paul Dini, Renee French, Neil Gaiman, Rick Geary, Mike Ploog, Gary Carter, Ian Boothby, Bruce Schwartz, Paul Merolle, Matt Brody, Mary Fleener, Brent Frankenhoff, Dominic Prestera, Mitch O'Connell, Greg Evans, Robert Steven Rhine, Joe Ferrara, Michael Bennett, Brett Warnock, among others. I wanted to talk to a few people like Jerry Beck and Leslie Carbarga, but time didn't permit. Apparently Sid Jacobson was on the floor as was Gary Owens, but I didn't see either of them. And, some people I expected to show up, didn't.
I made a lot of good contacts and was trying to line up some more freelance work and to that end considering my time constraints, I was very successful.
On another positive note (and Joe Torcivia would like this one should he ever come back to San Diego), a couple of years ago, the Gaslamp area fixed up the Little Italy section of the downtown and made it really nice. It's slightly north of the convention. We stayed at a very nice but small hotel called La Pensione and ate almost every night at this great and cheap Italian restaurant called Filipe's that has a huge lasagna with a huge meatball for only $6 and it is filling!! Our bill for six people one night was $38!! Fortunately, this is sort of a chain and although most of the locations are in Southern California, there is one in Northern California, so I may make the pilgrimage sometime this year to that one.
Now, the negatives. As it has been said endlessly, this con is TOO BIG!! It's really a movie studio promotion show with a small Gold and Silver Age section and some artists that was the backbone of the original show. That Lee had to switch to selling other merchandise besides comics had to do more with economics and practicality rather than Lee's love of old comic books. Our friend Ron Murray (who shares Lee's booth with us) actually declared a loss this year as he only carried Gold and Silver Age books. In fact on Saturday, traditionally the busiest day at the Con, Ron had zero sales to show for the entire day!!
Also, it is VERY difficult to get around. I do not attend any panels anymore and rely on people coming up to Lee's booth or making deliberate pilgrimages to speak with the people I want and need to speak with. It took me forever to get to Artist's Alley which was on the completely opposite end of the show from Lee's (Lee's is booth #1100; Artist's Alley was around #5400). Coming back, I walked behind Ray Bradbury in his wheelchair as they were clearing the aisle for him and that helped me get back to the Lee's booth in a reasonable amount of time.
Prices are insane for accommodations, especially since the closer hotels are booked so far in advance and not just for the Con, but for those *&%@$*& Padres games as well. Also, the Con does sell out now, something it never did before and they keep people waiting outside for longer and longer periods due to fire constrictions. You can move about pretty well in the comic book area, but if you are in the movie area, forget it. Moooooo! Mooooo!
So, would I recommend San Diego for anyone else in the future. Only if you are trying to make key contacts or are working the show as I am. Otherwise, it's a wash and you'd be better off going to a more moderately priced and sized show, especially if you are interested in old comics.
In fact, Wondercon, even though it is owned by Comic Con International, is more like the San Diego Comic Con of yore and as a result, much more fun. It is in San Francisco each Jan. or Feb. and is highly recommended if everyone wanted to go to a show that was just like the old days and in California. The weather's usually nicer out here during that time too than for the rest of the country.
Anyway, that's my report.
-Mark.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Ringo News
I found out Ringo re-signed to Capitol Records, making it the first time all four Beatles are back on the same label since 1975 (except that Paul's latest is on that stupid Starbucks label, so this may ruin things). Ringo's next studio album (Liverpool 8) will be out in January 2008 after the greatest hits compilation (Photograph: The Very Best of Ringo Starr 1970-2005) comes out in August 2007.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Blogs Used to Be More Fun
Blogging used to be more fun when I could actually send something to my blog via email. Nowadays, you may have noticed that I don't blog nearly as often as I used to mainly because now I have to log onto the Blogger site and after I type what I am typing here, I have to do a word verification which sometimes doesn't take the first time. Such a drag!!
Anyway, this is my latest blog entry, like it or lump it...
Anyway, this is my latest blog entry, like it or lump it...
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Harry Potter 5
After somewhat of a letdown after the fourth Harry Potter film, I'm happy to say that the fifth Harry Potter film called "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" got everything back on track. I don't want to spoil anything, but I will say this, if you haven't seen the other four films, don't bother to see this one as you possibly would be really confused or not fully comprehend what's going on. It's not as dark as everyone claims and there is quite a bit of humor. Overall I was really impressed and I am looking forward to the next two entries.
Friday, July 06, 2007
Superman in "The Adventures of Big Boy"
I brought in the "Superman" issue of "The Adventures of Big Boy" as a gag into Lee's Comics yesterday, and the amazing thing was, the staff was able to identify where Big Boy artist Manny Stallman cribbed his Superman poses to the exact "Superman" issue!!
Incidentally, this issue of "Big Boy" #266 from June 1979 is one of the highest valued issues of the entire series despite the artwork being deplorable. Although this issue was really a plug for the 1978 "Superman The Movie", amazingly "Big Boy" gave absolutely NO credit to DC Comics for this.
Later in the year when Big Boy, Dolly and Nugget reminisce on their recent visits to various celebrities such as the casts of "Little House on the Prairie" and "Sesame Street", the visit to see Superman is strangely absent....
Incidentally, this issue of "Big Boy" #266 from June 1979 is one of the highest valued issues of the entire series despite the artwork being deplorable. Although this issue was really a plug for the 1978 "Superman The Movie", amazingly "Big Boy" gave absolutely NO credit to DC Comics for this.
Later in the year when Big Boy, Dolly and Nugget reminisce on their recent visits to various celebrities such as the casts of "Little House on the Prairie" and "Sesame Street", the visit to see Superman is strangely absent....
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
The Comics Journal Library Vol. 7: Harvey Kurtzman (Comics Journal Library)
This is a great book especially if you are a fan of Kurtzman, which I am. If you don't know who he is, pick up some reprints of the earliest "Mad" issues, when it was a comic book and before it was a magazine and if you don't laugh your ass off, you really don't have a sense of humor.
Monday, July 02, 2007
Gene Wilder
I have concluded that Gene Wilder is one of my favorite actors of all time, even though he has starred in a ton of crappy movies, most of the them he made. For the sake of writing a blog, since I haven't in a bit, I will list my favorite Wilder films. He has a few other good ones, but if I was stuck on a desert island, these six would be must haves:
1) The Producers - 1968 Especially for the "blue blankie" part...
2) Start the Revolution Without Me - 1970 Remember...it all happened in 1789!!
3) Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory - 1971 "There's so much time and so little to do!"
4) Blazing Saddles - 1974 "Well Jim, what do you like to do?" "I don't know...play chess...screw..." "Well, let's play chess!"
5) Young Frankenstein - 1974 "That's Fronkensteen!"
6) Silver Streak - 1976 The best Pryor/Wilder film hands down...
1) The Producers - 1968 Especially for the "blue blankie" part...
2) Start the Revolution Without Me - 1970 Remember...it all happened in 1789!!
3) Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory - 1971 "There's so much time and so little to do!"
4) Blazing Saddles - 1974 "Well Jim, what do you like to do?" "I don't know...play chess...screw..." "Well, let's play chess!"
5) Young Frankenstein - 1974 "That's Fronkensteen!"
6) Silver Streak - 1976 The best Pryor/Wilder film hands down...
Friday, June 15, 2007
The Tubes for Free
I saw The Tubes again for the fifth or sixth time last night in San Jose for free at "Concert in the Other Park". I don't think I have ever paid to see them. The first time I saw them it was at The Keystone in Palo Alto for one of my birthdays and we actually snuck in. This was about 1989 or so. About 10 years later I saw them for free at some street fair in Hayward. Then two years ago, they were in San Jose at this same "Concert in the Other Park" event. I especially liked that one as they did their "Wild West" show.
Last night's show was more straightforward and more PG-13 rated. They said that they were having their X-rated show in a couple of nights at a paying venue. At least Fee Waybill did WPOD in full Quay Lude attire. Strangely, the show started off with "Turn Me On", not a bad song, but not one of their big hits either. After a few more of these obscure gems like "I Was a Punk Before You Were" and "Mr. Hate", Fee launched into a James Brown tribute before settling into a string of their hits: "Tip of My Tongue", "What Do You Want From Life", "She's a Beauty", "Sushi Girl", "Don't Want to Wait Anymore", Talk to Ya Later" and the aforementioned "White Punks on Dope". They even did "Tubes World Tour" which I've never seen them perform live. All very lowkey and very fun.
Fee Waybill, Roger Steen, Prairie Prince and Rick Anderson were there, plus an unnamed keyboardist (it wasn't Gary Cambra).
Last night's show was more straightforward and more PG-13 rated. They said that they were having their X-rated show in a couple of nights at a paying venue. At least Fee Waybill did WPOD in full Quay Lude attire. Strangely, the show started off with "Turn Me On", not a bad song, but not one of their big hits either. After a few more of these obscure gems like "I Was a Punk Before You Were" and "Mr. Hate", Fee launched into a James Brown tribute before settling into a string of their hits: "Tip of My Tongue", "What Do You Want From Life", "She's a Beauty", "Sushi Girl", "Don't Want to Wait Anymore", Talk to Ya Later" and the aforementioned "White Punks on Dope". They even did "Tubes World Tour" which I've never seen them perform live. All very lowkey and very fun.
Fee Waybill, Roger Steen, Prairie Prince and Rick Anderson were there, plus an unnamed keyboardist (it wasn't Gary Cambra).
Saturday, June 09, 2007
Oh, How the Mighty Have Fallen...
People who know me well, know of my Harvey Comics fandom. Anyway, part of that is following the exploits of Casper. Well "Casper", the movie from 1995 has been compiled with three other so-so family films from the 90's, "Leave it to Beaver", "Flipper" and "The Little Rascals" in a single DVD set under the title of "Family Favorites". See it here at http://www.amazon.com/Family-Favorites-Collection-Rascals-Flipper/dp/B000LV6NZY/ref=sr_1_1/103-2231692-6437463?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1181402128&sr=1-1
Thursday, June 07, 2007
McCartney Finally Dood a Good One!!
Paul McCartney finally released a good album. His first good studio album since 1997's "Flaming Pie". After duff albums like "Run Devil Run", "Driving Rain" and "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard", he's finally come back with something that's worthy of his Beatles status. I was EXTREMELY hesitant in purchasing this album since Ringo's albums have been so much better in recent years and even George's and John's posthumous releases. I felt that McCartney should either hang it up or just release older unreleased material when he knew how to compose a tune.
I bought the deluxe edition with the extra tracks, but unless you are a completist (like I am), save your money and just buy the single disc version. Even though this is touted as Starbucks Coffee's debut release and they acted like you could only find it there, Best Buy actually had it as a best buy at $9.99, whereas Starbucks had it at $15.99.
Will McCartney have a hit single with this? Probably not, but that's not due to the quality of the tunes, but rather the climate of music sales where there's no such thing as a single market anymore and people tend to download for free what they previously paid for.
I bought the deluxe edition with the extra tracks, but unless you are a completist (like I am), save your money and just buy the single disc version. Even though this is touted as Starbucks Coffee's debut release and they acted like you could only find it there, Best Buy actually had it as a best buy at $9.99, whereas Starbucks had it at $15.99.
Will McCartney have a hit single with this? Probably not, but that's not due to the quality of the tunes, but rather the climate of music sales where there's no such thing as a single market anymore and people tend to download for free what they previously paid for.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Paul McCartney's Memory Almost Full and Traveling Wilburys
Two new releases are coming up shortly. Paul McCartney's "Memory Almost Full" comes out on June 5. The video for "Dance Tonight" is already available to watch at YouTube. Check out http://www.youtube.com/paulmccartney.
Also, the virtually complete two-disc set of "The Traveling Wilburys" is available on June 12. Check out http://www.amazon.com/Traveling-Wilburys-2CD-1DV-Deluxe/dp/B000OYC1J0/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-7911356-4920012?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1180640705&sr=8-1
I say virtually because there's other stuff they left off like the extended mixes and the instrumentals. Oh well.
There's supposed to be a new Ringo Starr greatest hits, but I haven't seen it yet.
And probably for Lennon, the 85th greatest hits album for him.
Nothing on group matters at this time.
Also, the virtually complete two-disc set of "The Traveling Wilburys" is available on June 12. Check out http://www.amazon.com/Traveling-Wilburys-2CD-1DV-Deluxe/dp/B000OYC1J0/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-7911356-4920012?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1180640705&sr=8-1
I say virtually because there's other stuff they left off like the extended mixes and the instrumentals. Oh well.
There's supposed to be a new Ringo Starr greatest hits, but I haven't seen it yet.
And probably for Lennon, the 85th greatest hits album for him.
Nothing on group matters at this time.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Hot Fuzz Review
"Hot Fuzz" was a big surprise for me. It's made by the same people who made "Shaun of the Dead", another movie I really liked.
Anyway, I thought that this would just be a silly copper caper, but it turned out to be so much more...and both funny and gruesome too!
My highest rating!
Anyway, I thought that this would just be a silly copper caper, but it turned out to be so much more...and both funny and gruesome too!
My highest rating!
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Rocky Balboa
I am one of these strange people that has to see every movie of a particular movie series even after the series goes down the toilet. Strangely enough, the "Rocky" series never did. It's really a matter of taste. Either you like the "Rocky" movies, or you hate them. Jokes aside, Sylvester Stallone is really a great writer and actually writes dialogue and stories that seem plausible. An aging Rocky Balboa reentering the boxing ring years after retirement seems like a ludicrous idea, but Stallone uses real life examples such as George Foreman's latter-day bout and constructs a story that logically creates a reality that one can accept a geezer boxing away. Every Rocky movie is somewhat over the top, so that has to be accepted if one is to watch these. I would consider "Rocky III" (Mr. T) and "Rocky IV" (Dolph Lundgren) to be the craziest of the series, yet somehow even those two movies have one foot based in reality. I don't know how he does it. I also don't know how Stallone takes basically the same story and somehow makes it exciting over and over and over again.
Regards,
Mark Arnold
http://funideas.home.att.net
Regards,
Mark Arnold
http://funideas.home.att.net
Monday, May 07, 2007
Spider-Man 3 and Superman 3
I just saw "Spider-Man 3" and I have to ask, why do all movie series starring superheroes have to get both "over the top" and also "extraordinarily silly" by the time they get to the third film?!? Both "Spider-Man 3" and "Superman 3" (from 1983) qualify for this. Even "X-Men 3", "Star Trek III", "Jaws 3", "Alien 3", etc. all suffer from a serious case of "What do we do next to top ourselves and write us out of a corner? I know, let's make it embarrassingly silly, or so extreme in action, so that we don't have to do a fourth one!"
Superhero movies in general are hard for me to take seriously. I have no problem with the movies being silly (like Adam West's "Batman") as long as that's the precedent established with the first movie of the series.
So, did I like "Spider-Man 3". Yes. In places. But there are scenes that will make even the most die-hard fan cringe.
Regards,
MARK ARNOLD
Fun Ideas Productions - P. O. Box 2616 - Saratoga, CA 95070
_________________________________________________________
Please click on my web sites:
Fun Ideas - http://funideas.home.att.net
MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/fun_ideas_productions
The Harveyville Fun Times! - http://thft.home.att.net
Richie Rich's Vault - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/richierichsvault
Mark's Rare Comics - http://rarecomics.home.att.net
Beatles - http://groups.google.com/group/martb
So Rare! Collectibles - http://sorare.home.att.net
Food Shop - http://foodshop.home.att.net
Blog - http://fun-ideas.blogspot.com
Protecto, the Little Robot - http://protecto.blogspot.com
Comicspace - http://www.comicspace.com/Mark_Arnold
BUY MY FIRST BOOK! "The Best of The Harveyville Fun Times!" today!
Go to Amazon or you can order it directly from the publisher by
clicking here: http://www.lulu.com/thft
Superhero movies in general are hard for me to take seriously. I have no problem with the movies being silly (like Adam West's "Batman") as long as that's the precedent established with the first movie of the series.
So, did I like "Spider-Man 3". Yes. In places. But there are scenes that will make even the most die-hard fan cringe.
Regards,
MARK ARNOLD
Fun Ideas Productions - P. O. Box 2616 - Saratoga, CA 95070
_________________________________________________________
Please click on my web sites:
Fun Ideas - http://funideas.home.att.net
MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/fun_ideas_productions
The Harveyville Fun Times! - http://thft.home.att.net
Richie Rich's Vault - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/richierichsvault
Mark's Rare Comics - http://rarecomics.home.att.net
Beatles - http://groups.google.com/group/martb
So Rare! Collectibles - http://sorare.home.att.net
Food Shop - http://foodshop.home.att.net
Blog - http://fun-ideas.blogspot.com
Protecto, the Little Robot - http://protecto.blogspot.com
Comicspace - http://www.comicspace.com/Mark_Arnold
BUY MY FIRST BOOK! "The Best of The Harveyville Fun Times!" today!
Go to Amazon or you can order it directly from the publisher by
clicking here: http://www.lulu.com/thft
Monday, April 30, 2007
My Beatles Book Update
I have finished my basic reviews for George Harrison's material. Now I
am working on John Lennon's stuff. My plan right now is to then work
on Paul McCartney's and Ringo Starr's material followed by the group
material. I will then take a second pass at everything, actually
listening very closely to each track and give deeper insight to the
recordings. I tentatively plan to get everything done by the end of
2007, but it may be 2008. You can always check my progress at http://groups.google.com/group/martb
Regards,
Mark Arnold
http://funideas.home.att.net
am working on John Lennon's stuff. My plan right now is to then work
on Paul McCartney's and Ringo Starr's material followed by the group
material. I will then take a second pass at everything, actually
listening very closely to each track and give deeper insight to the
recordings. I tentatively plan to get everything done by the end of
2007, but it may be 2008. You can always check my progress at http://groups.google.com/group/martb
Regards,
Mark Arnold
http://funideas.home.att.net
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Senor Coconut
I don't know if I've written about this before, but one of my favorite albums of all time is "Senor Coconut y Su Conjunto: El Baile Aleman". Why? On it, they do Merengue and Cha-Cha-Cha versions of Kraftwerk songs. Mind you, you probably have to be a Kraftwerk fan to truly appreciate this. However, the "Coconut" version of "Autobahn" is priceless for the opening alone. In the original, you hear a car start, in "Coconut's" version, you hear a car not turning over, playing on all the stereotypes and suceeding!
It's probably hard to find, but check out Ebay or something. I don't know. I got mine at Tower and you know where they are now...
Regards,
MARK ARNOLD
Fun Ideas Productions - P. O. Box 2616 - Saratoga, CA 95070
_________________________________________________________
Please click on my web sites:
Fun Ideas - http://funideas.home.att.net
MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/fun_ideas_productions
The Harveyville Fun Times! - http://thft.home.att.net
Richie Rich's Vault - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/richierichsvault
Mark's Rare Comics - http://rarecomics.home.att.net
Beatles - http://groups.google.com/group/martb
So Rare! Collectibles - http://sorare.home.att.net
Food Shop - http://foodshop.home.att.net
Blog - http://fun-ideas.blogspot.com
Protecto, the Little Robot - http://protecto.blogspot.com
Comicspace - http://www.comicspace.com/Mark_Arnold
BUY MY FIRST BOOK! "The Best of The Harveyville Fun Times!" today!
Go to Amazon or you can order it directly from the publisher by
clicking here: http://www.lulu.com/thft
It's probably hard to find, but check out Ebay or something. I don't know. I got mine at Tower and you know where they are now...
Regards,
MARK ARNOLD
Fun Ideas Productions - P. O. Box 2616 - Saratoga, CA 95070
_________________________________________________________
Please click on my web sites:
Fun Ideas - http://funideas.home.att.net
MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/fun_ideas_productions
The Harveyville Fun Times! - http://thft.home.att.net
Richie Rich's Vault - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/richierichsvault
Mark's Rare Comics - http://rarecomics.home.att.net
Beatles - http://groups.google.com/group/martb
So Rare! Collectibles - http://sorare.home.att.net
Food Shop - http://foodshop.home.att.net
Blog - http://fun-ideas.blogspot.com
Protecto, the Little Robot - http://protecto.blogspot.com
Comicspace - http://www.comicspace.com/Mark_Arnold
BUY MY FIRST BOOK! "The Best of The Harveyville Fun Times!" today!
Go to Amazon or you can order it directly from the publisher by
clicking here: http://www.lulu.com/thft
Monday, April 23, 2007
An Ape Named APE
I worked the APE Convention (Amateur Press Exposition) over the weekend. I met quite a few people including Dan Vado of Slave Labor Graphics and Steve Wyatt of Super-Con fame and Raphael of Sonambulo fame. I worked for Lee Hester at Lee's Comics and saw a few friends from the Bay Area Comic Book Meet Up Group. We actually sold quite a bit of stuff and the atmosphere was most relaxed and set up and take down was relatively easy. If you are ever in San Francisco during the time of this show (typically April), I suggest checking it out.
I also purchased some books like "Girls with Corpses", "The Possum" and a comic on the Titanic and another on the Santa Cruz Beack Boardwalk and finally purchased Dan Fogel's "Underground Comic Book Price Guide". I got a few autographs and a few original sketches including one of Ren & Stimpy.
Totally fun...
Regards,
Mark Arnold
http://funideas.home.att.net
I also purchased some books like "Girls with Corpses", "The Possum" and a comic on the Titanic and another on the Santa Cruz Beack Boardwalk and finally purchased Dan Fogel's "Underground Comic Book Price Guide". I got a few autographs and a few original sketches including one of Ren & Stimpy.
Totally fun...
Regards,
Mark Arnold
http://funideas.home.att.net
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Grindhouse Good!!
I haven't gotten this excited about a movie since "Borat". As anyone who knows me, I am HIGHLY critical of most movies made these days. That's because I have seen so many movies in my life at this point: silents, action, drama, comedy, foreign, shorts, cartoons, documentaries, you name it, that I have become jaded that something's been done before ad nauseum. I cannot believe reviewers like Roger Ebert can consistently give films a "thumbs up" after the amount of films he's viewed, or it may be the fact that Ebert doesn't have any more discretionary taste or perhaps is even paid to give a more positive review for a bunch of so-so films.
I am not saying that "Grindhouse" is the best film ever made and even the concept is not original. Heck, they made "Movie/Movie" way back in 1978 where it was a double-feature genre parody/tribute. It just doesn't done with exploitation films.
The Robert Rodriguez movie ("planet Terror") in itself is reminiscent of Rodriguez and Tarantino's earlier "From Dusk Till Dawn" (also a great film). It's a typical zombie film but with the added elements of extreme gratuitous gore (but not as much as "Saw" or "Hostel") and strong elements of humor (like "Return of the Living Dead" or "Shaun of the Dead") My favorite scene *SPOILER* is where the owner of the BBQ is laying on the ground with his guts supposedly hanging out and it turns out that he just passed out with a bunch of sausage links with sauce on himself. *END OF SPOILER* For those disappointed with "Spy Kids 3-D", "Sharkboy and Lavagirl" and even "Sin City" will be happy with this superior feature, and if you like any of those, you'll love this even more!!
The trailers at the beginning and center of the two films are priceless and I won't spoil them here. I will say that one of them is directed by Rob Zombie, who is in a similar class to Rodriquez and Tarantino for this type of film. DON'T go to the bathroom during these trailers!! Really...DON'T! (There's a joke there, son.)
If you have to go, go during the opening credits of "Death Proof", Quentin Tarantino's film. There are no jokes here and you won't miss anything for about two minutes. There is an ironic punchline to this towards the end of the credits which *SPOILER* shows a girl walking along holding her groin area in a little bit of pain looking for a toilet. I laughed hysterically at this. It is similar to the scene in "Lawrence of Arabia" where Lawrence is crawling through the desert and ends up at an oasis right before Intermission! *END OF SPOILER*
Tarantino's film starts off slower and seems interminable compared to Rodriguez's film, but give it a chance, it really grows on you and show's you how GOOD a filmmaker Tarantino really is. He's not much of an actor (he appears briefly in both films), but his directing and song-selection is always top-notch. And, if you haven't seen "Pulp Fiction", "Kill Bill", Jackie Brown", and "Reservoir Dogs" by now, stop reading this and rent them all. It's basically a grisly car-chase film confidently attributed to "Vanishing Point" and starring the always excellent Kurt Russell and Rosario Dawson and others.
The main reason I think this movie is not doing so well is three-fold: 1) Unlike "Movie/Movie" this is truly a double feature complete with bogus trailers and no "true" intermission, so it clocks in at 191 minutes, which is a long time to sit if you want to digest every morsel of footage (which I HIGHLY recommend) and 2) I don't think most people "get it". Younger kids tend to go to the movies and most of them raised in this age of digital clarity and uncut features in first run movie houses don't remember the days of scratchy films with missing scenes and even having the film break or burn through! (someone even complained about these elements on IMDB!) And 3) exploitation films tend to not be made these days. There's not really a Roger Corman, Russ Meyer or William Castle-type out there. EVERYTHING is an A-picture from the biggest epic to the lowliest comedy. A Will Farrell film like "Blades of Glory" in traditional times would have been a B-picture, but not anymore...too bad...we need more movies like "Grindhouse", not made on big budgets, just plain fun...
PS There is also a book of the film filled with pictures and the original script and Rodriguez/Tarantino continued the quality by making it look like a well-read used book!! A must read!! Tell Lee to buy one for you!!
Regards,
MARK ARNOLD
Fun Ideas Productions - P. O. Box 2616 - Saratoga, CA 95070
_________________________________________________________
Please click on my web sites:
Fun Ideas - http://funideas.home.att.net
MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/fun_ideas_productions
The Harveyville Fun Times! - http://thft.home.att.net
Richie Rich's Vault - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/richierichsvault
Mark's Rare Comics - http://rarecomics.home.att.net
Beatles - http://groups.google.com/group/martb
So Rare! Collectibles - http://sorare.home.att.net
Food Shop - http://foodshop.home.att.net
Blog - http://fun-ideas.blogspot.com
Protecto, the Little Robot - http://protecto.blogspot.com
Comicspace - http://www.comicspace.com/Mark_Arnold
BUY MY FIRST BOOK! "The Best of The Harveyville Fun Times!" today!
Go to Amazon or you can order it directly from the publisher by
clicking here: http://www.lulu.com/thft
I am not saying that "Grindhouse" is the best film ever made and even the concept is not original. Heck, they made "Movie/Movie" way back in 1978 where it was a double-feature genre parody/tribute. It just doesn't done with exploitation films.
The Robert Rodriguez movie ("planet Terror") in itself is reminiscent of Rodriguez and Tarantino's earlier "From Dusk Till Dawn" (also a great film). It's a typical zombie film but with the added elements of extreme gratuitous gore (but not as much as "Saw" or "Hostel") and strong elements of humor (like "Return of the Living Dead" or "Shaun of the Dead") My favorite scene *SPOILER* is where the owner of the BBQ is laying on the ground with his guts supposedly hanging out and it turns out that he just passed out with a bunch of sausage links with sauce on himself. *END OF SPOILER* For those disappointed with "Spy Kids 3-D", "Sharkboy and Lavagirl" and even "Sin City" will be happy with this superior feature, and if you like any of those, you'll love this even more!!
The trailers at the beginning and center of the two films are priceless and I won't spoil them here. I will say that one of them is directed by Rob Zombie, who is in a similar class to Rodriquez and Tarantino for this type of film. DON'T go to the bathroom during these trailers!! Really...DON'T! (There's a joke there, son.)
If you have to go, go during the opening credits of "Death Proof", Quentin Tarantino's film. There are no jokes here and you won't miss anything for about two minutes. There is an ironic punchline to this towards the end of the credits which *SPOILER* shows a girl walking along holding her groin area in a little bit of pain looking for a toilet. I laughed hysterically at this. It is similar to the scene in "Lawrence of Arabia" where Lawrence is crawling through the desert and ends up at an oasis right before Intermission! *END OF SPOILER*
Tarantino's film starts off slower and seems interminable compared to Rodriguez's film, but give it a chance, it really grows on you and show's you how GOOD a filmmaker Tarantino really is. He's not much of an actor (he appears briefly in both films), but his directing and song-selection is always top-notch. And, if you haven't seen "Pulp Fiction", "Kill Bill", Jackie Brown", and "Reservoir Dogs" by now, stop reading this and rent them all. It's basically a grisly car-chase film confidently attributed to "Vanishing Point" and starring the always excellent Kurt Russell and Rosario Dawson and others.
The main reason I think this movie is not doing so well is three-fold: 1) Unlike "Movie/Movie" this is truly a double feature complete with bogus trailers and no "true" intermission, so it clocks in at 191 minutes, which is a long time to sit if you want to digest every morsel of footage (which I HIGHLY recommend) and 2) I don't think most people "get it". Younger kids tend to go to the movies and most of them raised in this age of digital clarity and uncut features in first run movie houses don't remember the days of scratchy films with missing scenes and even having the film break or burn through! (someone even complained about these elements on IMDB!) And 3) exploitation films tend to not be made these days. There's not really a Roger Corman, Russ Meyer or William Castle-type out there. EVERYTHING is an A-picture from the biggest epic to the lowliest comedy. A Will Farrell film like "Blades of Glory" in traditional times would have been a B-picture, but not anymore...too bad...we need more movies like "Grindhouse", not made on big budgets, just plain fun...
PS There is also a book of the film filled with pictures and the original script and Rodriguez/Tarantino continued the quality by making it look like a well-read used book!! A must read!! Tell Lee to buy one for you!!
Regards,
MARK ARNOLD
Fun Ideas Productions - P. O. Box 2616 - Saratoga, CA 95070
_________________________________________________________
Please click on my web sites:
Fun Ideas - http://funideas.home.att.net
MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/fun_ideas_productions
The Harveyville Fun Times! - http://thft.home.att.net
Richie Rich's Vault - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/richierichsvault
Mark's Rare Comics - http://rarecomics.home.att.net
Beatles - http://groups.google.com/group/martb
So Rare! Collectibles - http://sorare.home.att.net
Food Shop - http://foodshop.home.att.net
Blog - http://fun-ideas.blogspot.com
Protecto, the Little Robot - http://protecto.blogspot.com
Comicspace - http://www.comicspace.com/Mark_Arnold
BUY MY FIRST BOOK! "The Best of The Harveyville Fun Times!" today!
Go to Amazon or you can order it directly from the publisher by
clicking here: http://www.lulu.com/thft
Monday, April 09, 2007
The Harveyville Fun Times! #67 is almost ready...
Included is an interview with Howard Post, and information about the upcoming Casper and Richie Rich books, and other information about all things Harvey and some Disney and other stuff. Check out http://thft.home.att.net for more information.
Regards,
Mark Arnold
http://funideas.home.att.net
Regards,
Mark Arnold
http://funideas.home.att.net
Monday, April 02, 2007
Gene Deitch
I recently purchased this book about "Terr'ble Thompson" from Fantagraphics. This was a long lost comic strip by Gene Deitch, better known as an animation director for virtually all the studios in the 1950s and 60s. Primarily at UPA and Terrytoons. He created a number of characters and the Terr'ble Thompson character evolved into the animated Tom Terrific. I was able to contact him and set up an interview for a future issue of "Hogan's Alley"! Happy Day.
Regards,
Mark Arnold
Fun Ideas Productions
http://funideas.home.att.net
Regards,
Mark Arnold
Fun Ideas Productions
http://funideas.home.att.net
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