The Secret Origin of Something Wicked This Way Comes!

And no, I'm not talking about the short story "The Dark Carnival." This is from Guideposts magazine, June 1991.
See you later, Kiddies, for some more Halloween hauntings!

Something Wicked Is a Great Achievement

Welcome back, my little fiends …

We continue our Halloween peek at Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes, which not only is deliciously fun and powerfully emotional, it also looks great sitting on a bookshelf right next to Agatha Christie’s book By the Pricking of My Thumbs.

This image is the “original” cover art for the hardback.

One great facet of this great book is Bradbury’s depiction of the relationship between Will Halloway and his father Charles Halloway, library janitor and knight in arthritic armor. Will and his dad love each other, but don’t express it much. Will’s failing is the typical youth’s self-centered outlook that “nobody ‘old’ can understand the turmoils of my life.” Dad’s failing is that his melancholy temperament inhibits his remembering the joy of living, and sharing that wonder with his son.

The conflict they (and Jim Nightshade) must face will force them to pull together, reexamine themselves and each other, and ultimately break down the wall of reserve between father and son.

A personal note … like Will and Charles Halloway’s relationship, my growing-up wasn’t filled with warm, happy times with my father – huh, my dad’s name is Charles, too! That is, I was loved as a child, but my dad’s main expression of love was going to work every day, and taking a second job in the evenings to pay the bills. Of course, he threw balls and Frisbees with me, and I sat on his lap eating popcorn Sunday nights and watching Bonanza.

But although I was (and still is) the emotional show-off type, Dad was more reserved. It wasn’t until about college time for me that he began to show on the outside the love he had always held on the inside.

The first time I read Something Wicked was in the Spring of my Senior year in high school. Soon afterwards, I asked Dad into my bedroom to listen to Harry Chapin’s song “Cats in the Cradle.” As I turned the record off at the end of the song, I sensed that Dad was wondering why I wanted him to hear it. But I gave him a hug and said, “I just wanted to thank you for NOT being a dad like that!”
More meanderings tomorrow, my little graveyard rats, along with Bradbury’s OWN recounting of the inspiration of Something Wicked This Way Comes !

Another Brad-Burial

If you love Halloween...

If you had a best friend as a kid but you grew apart...

If your relationship with your father was ever "love from a distance"...

If you grew up feeling that Halloween is the BEST holiday of the year ...

And if you believe in right and wrong, and that you should do your best to do right...


Then this is a book for you!

As the cover says, a long awaited major novel by Ray Bradbury. This is the cover of the paperback first printing. Pretty allegorical, huh? I'm assuming that the mirror-maze panel on the left symbolizes the evil "drinking damnation unto himself," or however the quotation runs. The panel on the right symbolizes the gamble that interaction with Cooger & Dark's carnival proves to be. The tall reflection in the middle may symbolize Jim Nightshade's desire to be "grown-up," too soon. Note the carnival's flyer blowing across the gambler's face.

The smartest thing this kid could possibly do would be to turn and run away, eh? But, I believe you can glimpse that this fellow has blond hair--his hair seems a light color. This means that he's Will Halloway, and in turn, this means that his friend Jim Nightshade has probably just run into that treacherous maze ahead of Will.

What other choice does Will have? He has to try to help his friend!

(more tomorrow, kiddies!)

More Creepy Goodies Abound

Well, only one today, kiddies.

Some of you may not have heard of how horror comics from EC "borrowed" some of Ray Bradbury's stories without permission and printed them in their comic books.

That's just what happened! And, when Bradbury found out about it, did he scream and yell and threaten to sue? No, that's not what a gentleman would do.

What he did was, have a meeting with some editors at EC about their "accidental" omission of his story credit and payment. EC wised up real quick and actually worked out a deal for more stories, actually mentioning Bradbury's name as a blurb on several covers!

Now, that's a win-win situation, kiddies!

In 1965, the nice fantasy fiends at Ballantine Books collected Bradbury's EC tales and reprinted them in paperback (black & white, natch!) as "The Autumn People." Stories are:

There Was an Old Woman -- The Screaming Woman -- touch and Go -- The Small Assassin -- The Handler -- The Lake -- The Coffin -- Let's Play Poison.

PLUS ... A foreword by the brave Mr. B himself.

With art by "Ghastly" Engels, Davis, Crandall, et alia, this book was quite a find for youngsters such as ourselves in the way-back times.

Stay tuned for more Brad-Burials tomorrow!

Count Floyd Is a Genius

Ooh, very scary kiddies!

Our first image of Halloween madness is the world's first "instant paperback," produced in 1969 on the death of Boris Karloff (aka William Henry Pratt), the California truck driver and acting stand-in whose "interesting" face was noticed by Jack Pierce, the prima donna of Universal's makeup department, as an interesting face upon which to build the ghastliest monster yet attempted for the silver screen...

Frankenstein's Monster! Karloff died on February 2, 1969, and this book, an anthology of Famous Monsters of Filmland articles, reminiscences, and interviews, came out within a month.

Even more so than the monster craze started by FM and stoked by all the other film magazines; by Eerie, Creepy, and their ilk; more so than the tattered EC comics handed down from uncle or big brother; -- this book legitimized monsters to our parents.

"Junior, why don't you stop reading those monster rags, they'll rot your mind!"

"But mom, this is a serious book about the makings of a complicated movie, with make-up tips and everything! Look! IT'S A BOOK!"

"Well, then, if it's printed in a book ..."

STAY TUNED, KIDDIES, FOR MORE MONSTER MADNESS ...

15 Years Later in STAR TREK

Compare this slick concoction with the Lincoln Enterprises photocopied/mimeo'd cataolg in a previous post. Evidently Paramount learned which side to butter the fannish bread.

This newsletter/update was sent out to fan clubs nationwide. Ever since the early 1970s, when the fan nerds began graduating from college and *gasp* earning a living, their newfound status as money-spenders gave weight to the growing chorus: We want STAR TREK! We want STAR TREK! We want STAR TREK!

Forgetting (if you don't mind) the Animated Series, the on-again, off-again status of the property frustrated fans to no end. So, when the contracts and stars were FINALLY all lined up in the right row, Paramount began stoking the greedy little hearts of fans worldwide with offerings such as this one.

And like a good husband discovering that his beatiful bride snores or laughs funny or .... , we sat there in the audience and took what came, because it was ....STAR TREK.

Back in the Day

Yes, before instant publishing and home computers, before cable TV and video recording, there was a world where you had to actually be home to watch a TV show when it aired.

On the plus side, back then there were also about 8 minutes more TV show and 8 minutes less commercials/station IDs.

And if a TV show became popular, based either on ratings or on fan mail, then a little cottage industry might spring up, put together by a star's studio, agent, or even fan club. These folks would handle mailing out autographed photos, etc.

And if a show became REALLY popular, there might be some money to be made by selling film off the editing-room floor, or extra uniform patches, or ... well, look at the pix.

This Lincoln Enterprises catalog came along after STAR TREK's cancelation. Inside all scripts are offered, up to the end, for $5.50 each. Anyway, have a look at another piece of fandom from the past.

Notice how the text is mimeographed typwriterese? And how the art was just scotch-taped on? This is how it was done in the age when men were men, and women were babes.

You also might notice that the "logo" on the front page (center panel of first image) was actually scissored out from the STAR TREK letterhead and taped onto the catalog page. You can see the original color letterhead below.

Back when sci-fi was a dirty word and STAR TREK had about the status of the Followers of the Sun in "Bread and Circuses," this is how the word got around.

Wanna Be a Member?

That title is taken from the great Betty Boop cartoon, "Bimbo's Initiation." But we're not here to talk about sweet Betty, are we?

Nope, it's time for another Super-Button! It's got an early rendition of ol' Supes by Wayne Boring, from before Wayne went off on his own barrel-chested, "The Chin"-style tangent.

Here's the teeny-tiny writing around the back edge of the button:

BUTTON WORLD MFG. INC. B'KLYN 36 NY OFFICIAL LICENSE COPYRIGHT NATIONAL PERIODICAL PUBLICATIONS 1966.
Hey Kids! print it on a sticker and wear your own button! Show how proud you are to be an Official Member Superman Club! (that's what the button says, anyway)

Star Trekkin'

Back when there was only ONE "Star Trek" (was there ever another one?), you could buy this nifty letterhead paper & envelope. I trimmed the scan -- the envelope is really a standard #10 size.

Who Remembers Shrinky Dinks?

For all of the silly-minded out there (like me), NO! "Shrinky Dinks" are NOT what the male members of the Polar Bear Club have 30 seconds after jumping into subfreezing water.

No, Shrinky Dinks were an emotionally charged, high-action, highly involving toy! Y'see, you took these pieces of special paper, colored them, then put them into a hot over, and ...

...they got smaller. Wow, huh. Check out the box. "Provides hours of fun," it says so!

And they say kids never had fun in the old days!

More Fun Food in OKC

Here are a couple of more relics from the distant past when eating places were fun, but did not cost the equivalent of a car downpayment (are you listening, Outback and Hideaway?)

JB Nimble's was the ice cream parlor who offered the Kitchen Sink award featured a couple of days back.


Fred Gang's Meat Market is only a dim memory now, but it really existed -- I stole a couple of napkins!

A Couple More Buttons

In 1956, Republicans wore this button, "I Like Ike and Dick." Note that the back of the button has some kind of union logo.

Could IPEW stand for International Petroleum and Electronics Workers?
Back when you got premiums with cereal, you couldn't beat a Superman pin! found only in Kellogg's "PEP" cereal, a name that has gone away into the sunset, like "Sugar" Frosted Flakes and "Sugar" Smacks.

Lost Treasure of Oklahoma City

When we came to Oklahoma City in the mid 1970s, there were lots of fun places that no longer exist. I didn't even get to visit some of them, such as Molly Murphy's. Others, because we went to OCU in NW OKC, we were more likely to visit.

Shakey's Pizza Parlor was at NW 39th Expressway & May Ave. This yo-yo is electric! It holds a double-A battery, copper contacts, and a small flashlight bulb in each half. When the yo-yo rotates, centrifugal force propels the contacts to connect, making the yo-yo light up! Of course, now the contacts have corroded, and the lights don't work, rats!

J.B. Nimble's Ice Cream Parlor was where NW 63rd St and the Northwest Expressway intersect. Right now I think the site is a car dealership! At any rate, J.B. Nimble's was a "destination," with bright lights, parties going on, and the infamous "Kitchen Sink." This concoction arrived at your table in a roughly 4 x 12-inch dish, said dish being upheld above its base by a miniature U-trap (plumbers take note). Just as it sounds, the Kitchen Sink was a LOT of ice cream, nuts, and toppings. If one person could finish the whole thing, they received the famous Kitchen Sink Award. The mists of time forbid me from remembering which of my cohorts earned the honor.

Wonder Woman Puzzle

Well, if you're like me and can't figure out women, at least here's one that may be easier to figure out.

Super Books !

The Gospel According to Superman is by John T Galloway and came out in 1973, published by A.J. Holman Company, a division of J.B. Lippincott. It covers the familiar equations of Jesus with Kal-El, with the plus of having lots of B & W reprint pages within its small covers.

In Search of a Superman is by Frank Allnutt, "author of the best seller, THE FORCE OF STAR WARS." I'm sure all of us are familiar with that one too. This one isn't even from a "label" of a major publisher, like the first book. This one is "An Omni Book," published by Omni Distributors. It came out in 1979, on the heels of Superman: The Movie.

Both of these books, like the similar 2006 The Gospel According the the World's Greatest Superhero by Stephen Skelton, enunciate (sometimes to tedious length) the intented, and more likely accidental, likenesses and differences between the two.

Readers of National Lampoon in the 1970s may remember the Neal Adams-illustrated Son-o'-God comics that sometimes appeared there.

Of course, similarities are there in nearly every hero tale, since it seems that people have always looked for a hero to rescue them from the trials of this Earth.

I hope you find Him.

Super Cheese!

If you’re a reader of Dial B for Blog --http://www.dialbforblog.com/ -- then you might remember Robby’s “Month of Superman,” wherein he showed off lots of different stuff. When he features “Super Cheese,” he was displaying something I had sent him.

Yes, Superman Imitation Pasteurized Cheese Spread really DID exist. It was produced by the Clearfield Cheese Co. of Curwensville, PA. Although you might not have heard of Clearfield Cheese Co., I guarantee you’re familiar with one of their inventions.

Clearfield Cheese Co. was the dairy that invented single-wrapped cheese slices!

Hey Kids! Here’s how to make your own Superman Cheese box! Copy the picture and paste it onto a legal-size page in the graphics program of your choice. Resize the image to 7 ½ by 13 ½ inches. Print it out, cut and tape it, and voila! Your own Superman Imitation Cheese Spread box!

(cheese sold separately)

That's My Dad

I can never be prouder of someone, or more thankful for someone, than my dad (also called Dad). He was the Hand with the Paddle when I was younger, and the Guy Who Knows Things when I got a little older.

When we were expecting for the first time, twenty-some years ago, I asked him for suggestions on Dad-hood. He told me, "The best way to be a good father is to be a good husband." Word!

As the "baby" of the family, I got the "mature" Charlie, not the volleyball champion or the guy who had black hair but whose beard was bright red (I've seen the photo!).

But I'm so thankful that I still got the man who loved us enough to slay bookkeeping dragons every day, and took a second accounting job too. He loves to pretend to be scandalized by my "wacky" mom. Every Christmas Eve for a decade or more, he would read us a story aloud, "The Birthday of Little Jesus," which told of 8-year-old Jesus going into the hills to find a lost lamb. All three of us kids knew that Dad would do that for us.

Now he has to have an oxygen tube hooked to him, and use a walker. My dad, the same guy who excelled at sports all his life, hitting his last hole-in-one in his 70s (age that is), who used to run 2 miles a day at lunch when working, is now tethered to a machine and can barely walk the length of the house.

But now, as things wind down physically for Mom & Dad, I have never been prouder of my parents. Getting older, becoming dependent on friends, strangers, and relatives, has got to be galling. But, with dignity and a sense of humor, Dad is still dispensing wisdom and love.

Thank you Dad!

Super Watch!

Purchased in 1997 at a Warner Bros. Store, this splendilicious Fossil© watch is proof that sometimes corporate goofs can get it right! It was well worth the $45.
Besides being “Water 100 Resist” – whatever THAT means – and having a fun retro-industrial look to the silver case and setting knob, look at the Superman figure.
That little ol’ Supes is attached to the end of the second hand. That means he makes a complete Super-circuit every minute! Now look at the close-up. Rather than looking like a WB or Silver Age superguy, I’d say that this Superman looks a lot like the guy on the cover of All-Star Superman #1. Don’t you?

The Last of the Super-Pets !

The fourth Super-Pet is a friendly, telepathic blob from Antares named Proty II. He's Chameleon Boy's pet, and has the same shapeshifting powers. He's Proty Number Two because the first one croaked bringing Lightning Lad back to life. Look it up!

Our last Super-Pet is Streaky the Super-Cat, who like Comet is a "pet" of Supergirl. As revealed in a storyline in Action Comics, Linda Lee, still incognito as Superman's "Secret Weapon," was trying to come up with a Kryptonite antidote by, basically, pouring a series of chemicals (long-distance via super-tongs) onto a piece of Green K.

Now, this must have been MUTANT Green Kryptonite, because, unlike EVERY OTHER piece of Kryptonite in the univers, THIS PIECE was reduced by atmospheric friction to marble size. Since Super-Creator Jerry Siegel wrote these tales, I guess nobody told him that DC had a "Kryptonite continuity rule," as stated in Superman #130: When passing into our atmosphere, Kryptonite "didn't burn up in Earth's air like ordinary meteors because Kryptonite can't combine chemically with oxygen, which cause combustion."

So, when this marble-sized piece of mutant Green K was experimented on by Kara Zor-El, nothing happened. That she noticed, anyway. Actually, "by a strange twist of fate," the Green K's properties were changed to turn it into "X-Kryptonite." Another strange twist of story-telling fate got that small piece of Green K (oops, "X=Kryptonite") into a ball of yarn that -- just by coincidence, mind you -- was being played with by the stray cat adopted by Linda Lee, which she'd named "Streaky" because of the zigzag on his side.

And now we come to the end of this subhuman tale. The art for the Super-Pets is from a story with art by Pete Costanza. The Superboy cover was drawn by the NEVER EXCEEDED Curt Swan.

More Origins of Super-Pets

Our recaps of the Super-Pets' origins from Adventure 364 continues with perhaps the only two critters who could (technically anyway) REALLY be called "Super."

Lentils and Germs, I give you ... Krypto the Super-Dog, and Beppo the Super-Monkey!

Now, Krypto was baby Kal-El's pet pup, and was launched by dad Jor-El into space to orbit Krypton and return safely. However, a passing meteoroid whacked Krypto's rocket into deep space, and .. by a strange twist of fate ... it landed on Earth around the time that Clark Kent/Superboy became a teenager.

On the other rocket fin, Beppo was actually a hitchhiker on Kal-El's ship! As revealred in Superboy 76, he was one of Jor-El's experimental monkeys who hopped into the ship just before takeoff. Hmm, mayb e that's why there wasn't room for Lara?!?

In the origin story of the Super-Simian, he is never named. In fact, "Beppo" is the name of an organ-grinder's monkey that is "aped" (sorry) by the Kryptonian critter. He sees that the organ-grinder's monkey, named Beppo, is dressed in a uniform, and then steals Kal-El's super-playsuit, causing his ensuing mischief to be blamed on Kal-El.

At the end of the tale, the super-monkey flies into space, still wearing the playsuit! so, I guess that this means that Superboy's and Superman's outfit is the SECOND suit made by Ma Kent from the Kryptonian blankets also in the rockets. What a trivia question!

Beppo the Super-Monkey was given that name later on, in a later story.