Hollywood Autograph Show Photos

Here are some random photos I took at the recent Hollywood Autograph Show. I really need to get a newer camera for better zoom and resolution, but here's what I took. See if you can name all the celebrities like Davy Jones, Martin Landau, Peter Lupus, Shannon Elizabeth, Piper Laurie, Valerie Harper, David Soul, Paul Michael-Glaser, David L. Lander, etc.

John Severin 1921-2012

I interviewed John and Michelina Severin when I was working on my Cracked book. I was determined at the time that if Severin wouldn't do it, I wouldn't do the book as John Severin IS Cracked Mazagine in my mind. Fortunately, he did. Now he's gone after 90 years.

McCartney's Standards Album Great After You Get Used to His Voice

Paul McCartney's "Kisses On the Bottom" didn't grab me at first as I was upset at how old McCartney sounds. Yes, I know he's 70 years old, but we always expect old Paulie to sound the same. Ringo sounds the same. Roger Daltrey sounds the same. Mick Jagger sounds the same.

Oh well. After I got over this initial shock, this new album of standards is truly growing on me. It's not necessarily Paul's best album, but it is far, far from his worst and definitely worth buying. It's just a shame he didn't record it about 20 years ago.

Make sure to get the 16 track version from Target stores, rather than the 14 track version available everywhere else.

Another Richie Book Out Now!

Now, another new Richie Rich comic book has been released: "Richie Rich Gems Valentine's Special". This one has one new story and the rest reprints all in the classic Richie style. Buy it today!

New Richie Rich! Hooray!!

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

Arrgh! Ringo's album a disappointment!

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

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

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

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

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

I Love the Underdog DVD Set!

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

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

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

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

Next, comes Tennessee Tuxedo...

Ringo's Best

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

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

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

Best compilation: Photograph (2007)

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

Happy Birthday, Stan Lee!

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

Final Photo of Lennon and McCartney Together?

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

How to Fix the Post Office

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

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

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

Grrrr! On My Book Reviews

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

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

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

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

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

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

Frozen in Ice Update

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

Joe Simon and Jerry Robinson R.I.P.

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

Casper the Friendly Ghost: The Complete Series

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

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

Dickens Fair Photos

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

Me and Miss Yvonne

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

Dinner with Barbara Lucey Tancredi

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

Final Days for the Archie Art Show

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

Here is the info you need to know:

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

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

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

Woody Allen

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

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