Ogre's Castle beginning

Here is the beginning of the next story from Eerie #13.  Boy, those magical critters are some plug-ugly palookas, huh?

Dig Those Bony Fingers!

Here is the rest of "Wentworth's Day," the first tale from Eerie 13.

That's right, kiddies!  It was neck-and-neck between the late Nahum Wentworth and Amos Stark, but Stark found out that his own shotgun had provided the blast from the past!

I particularly like the Marching Finger Bones of the last panel.

See you in a couple of days with the beginning of "Ogre's Castle," the next tale in this maggoty mag!

Part 1 of "Wentworth's Day!"

Here we have the contents page & first half of "Wentworth's Day," which I read when I was nine or so, and was my first known exposure to anything having to do with that Great Old One, HP Lovecraft.

Wait!  I take that back!  BEFORE I read this story, I had read Ray Bradbury's story "Pillar of Fire," in which a reanimated corpse goes into the library of a sanitized future society and askes for a book on Lovecraft.  "Is that a sex book?" inquires the librarian.  When I first read Bradbury's story, I had NO IDEA that this exchange was a dirty pun, a joke on Bradbury's part.

Anyway, here are the first pages of Eerie13.  This story, "Wentwoprth's Day," is kind of like an unholy spawn of a Lovecraftian "strange book in an old house" tale and a standard EC corpse-revenge story.

Unlike some of my childhood crushes, these Eerie stories retain their cheesy charm.  I guess that means I grew up cheesy too.

We leave you know with salesman Hadley beginning to learn more than he wishes about the accident that happened to Nahum Wentworth.

The rest of this shaggy bog story on Monday!

Page-by-Page through Eerie #13

This issue of Eerie magazine, one of several scare-mags from Warren Publishing, is cover-dated February 1967.  That means it came out just after I turned ten years old.

I bought my copy from the Git-N-Go about a half mile from our house, next to the creek where I caught crawdads.  This was in Bartlesville, in northeast Oklahoma.  Here's somebody's photo of the Git-N-Go sign as I remember it from the 1960s:

Well, here are the front outside & inside covers for this fun little piece of newstand seduction. 

Only the outside front & back covers were in color; all the other pages and inside covers are B&W.  And what's wrong with that?  In the same way that the crime noir films or classic monster movies are praised for their monocolor starkness, I really enjoy these stories as they are.  They wouldn't be improved by throwing buckets of colored ink on them.

Of course, the cost of color interiors would have really jacked up the forty cent cover price.

As to the records sold inside the front cover, I'm not familiar with any of them.  Many were repackaging of radio shows, as you can tell by the Basil Rathbone credit on the Dinosaurs! record.

Come back in a few days for our first story, which as it turns out was my first exposure to good ol' Aitch-Pee Ell (say it out loud).

Another Reason I'm Glad I Quit Buying DC Comics

http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2011/06/dan-didio-signals-the-end-of-the-clark-kentlois-lane-marriage/

Remember the happy day featured in this 1996 Wedding Album?

Never happened.

Another reason I'm glad I have several thousand issues of comics about THE REAL SUPERMAN.  Because he's no longer married, and he no longer stands for Truth, Justice, and The American Way.

A Quaint & Curious Volume of Forgotten Lore

This is a fine (and fun) book for all fans of "classic" monsters.  With an analytical eye towards classical mythology, Frank J Dello Stritto takes a look at Frankenstein, Invisible Men, and other creatures of the imaginative ilk.

The cover shown above represents a "cut-out" image of the complete cover art, seen below:

Lots of our friends are haunting some poor guy's "sleep of reason."  Below is Goya's original, "The  sleep of reason produces monsters."

If you're like me, you'll almost prefer the new version on the book cover.  Who needs cats and owls, when you can have Renfield guarding your sleep?  (also, notice on the book cover that Kong is lurking in the background, along with cornices featuring Erik the Phantom and Kharis)

As to the INSIDES of the book, Dello Stritto has done a fine job of doing what I have always appreciated:  take the silliness or quirkiness of the monster movies as a given.  Go on from there!  Examine the strange ideas and characters either examined or, perhaps, left unexamined.

I liked the chapter discussing good ol' Larry Talbot and his more cultured parallel, Doctor Henry Jekyll.

There are just so many ideas and movies discussed.  Dello Stritto makes a lot of comparisons between the movies and mythology, too.  Since I've gobbled down several other books since I finished this one, its details aren't as clear in my memory as I'd like.

Guess I'll have to reread it!

This book not only makes you think about how things seemingly unrelated -- mythology and monsters -- do indeed share common ideas; it also makes me want to watch some of the films again.  And seek out those I haven't yet seen.  And that's a great service to the movies.

There are plenty of illos throughout, mostly of posters and lobby cards, that make the essays even more fun.

So, for a fun stroll down Monster Memory Lane, read this book.  I bought mine direct from Cult Movies Press, at:

CULT MOVIES PRESS

644 East 7 1/2 Streeet
Houston, TX
77007

You'll be glad you read it!

The Solution to the Heroes & Villains Crossword

And now you know ... the rest of the news, as Paul Harvey used to say.

See you again soon!

Superman on Blu-Ray

What? you mean you didn't know that the entire ouvre was released in a mega-pack yesterday?

http://www.comicmix.com/news/2011/04/02/warner-formally-announces-superman-the-blu-ray-collection/

Shame on ye!

Well, here are a few things I noticed while watching the Extended Cut of Superman the Movie.

I'd seen it before on DVD, but not Blu-Ray, and so perhaps I was paying *extra* attention.

Superman: The Movie:
1)  After young Clark (Jeff East) finds the Kryptonian crystal in the barn, Ma Kent wakes up one morning to find Clark standing atop a ridge on the horizon.  You may have noticed (product placement here) that as she enters the kitchen calling Clark's name, she takes a box of Cheerios from the cupboard and sets it on the table.  Then she looks out through the screen door and sees her son far away.  What's interesting is the exterior shot, taken back through the screen door showing Ma Kent looking out toward Clark (and the camera).  She had set the Cheerios box on the table inside.  But you can see another Cheerios box OUTSIDE, on the table on the porch beside the door.  So, did the Cheerios migrate; or did Clark already open a previous box and leave it on the porch; or it is just a case of continuity glitch?

2)  In the first Daily Planet scene, when we introduce the paper's staff and Perry tells Jimmy to get some coffee, remember that Jimmy hands off this request to an even more junior staffer, adding "tea, no lemon."  I had not previously notied that on this guy's red T-shirt is the logo "SUPER COPY."  He also appears in Superman II.  Was this a subtle hint to justify Lois's later naming of Superman by reinforcing how common the term is to indicate something spiffy and great? (I almost said "SUPERlative")

3)  When the gunman forces Clark and Lois into the alley so he can "rip off this lady's purse,"  Lois drops the purse at the crook's feet, kicks him, the gun goes off, and Clark has to catch the bullet.  Then Clark pretends to faint as the gunsel runs away.  So, the purse was dropped on the ground right in front of where Clark "fainted."  Well, then, why o why, when Lois picks up her purse, does the "revived" Clark walk up to her from more than a dozen feet away, from around a corner deeper into the alley from where they were standing when she dropped the purse at their own feet?

4)  When the Metropolis cop follows Otis underground to find Luthor's Lair, Otis hides in a niche that is also a secret door.  When train 504B passes by, Otis enters the hideaway under cover.  A minute later, when the train has passed, the cop climbs into the niche.  Luthor's spring-loaded door forces the hapless cop under the wheels of the next train -- train 504B!  Either the train runs in a two-minute circle, or it was too much trouble to renumber the train and models used.

5)  It was funny to notice something about the crooks in the getaway car in "Superman's First Night."  Remember, after rescuing Fluffy the cat, Supes notices gunfire by the docks?  It was kind of humorous to note that the driver of the getaway car, under his knit ski mask, was wearing honking big Clark Kent glasses.

Well, while you can't box up the feeling of fun and wonder inspired by Superman, a new presentation like this allows you to take a fresh look, and re-experience again, the belief that a Superman can fly.

Up, up, and away!

Heroes and Villains Crossword

In honor of Soonercon 20: Heroes and Villains, which was this past weekend here in OKC, I wanted to share with you a crossword puzzle on the same theme.  You'll probably want to print it and solve it on paper.

One hint:  If you're not familiar with 1960s cartoons, you will experience a knowledge handicap.

ACROSS


1. Cap’n Crunch opponent Jean _____

7. Perseus beheaded her

10. Airplane!’s “Worst Boy”

13. Lancelot Link, Secret _____

14. King Arthur's nemesis

16. Bumblyburg's green hero

18. Rango adversary

20. Marvin the Martian's foe

22. Emperor Ming’s home

25. Man or Monster?

27. Captain Marvel nickname

28. opposed Robin Hood

29. Metro City’s second name

32. super monkey

34. Superman of 2965’s enemy

35. Mermaid Man’s sidekick

36. Green Hornet’s great-uncle

40. Thing's name

42. Johnny Blaze was the first

43. the Fatal Five’s foes

46. drank Dracula’s blood

47. Hero’s newspaper Daily _______

48. Booth yelled, “Sic semper _____!”

50. opposed Thrush

51. Beans Baxter’s opponent

53. “that damned, elusive _____”

54. Thin Man dog

55. Magnificent Seven villain



DOWN

2. always beat Baron Otto Matic

3. accidentally created by Mr Incredible

4. early Superman gender-switching foe

5. Here he comes to save the day!

6. aka Ralph Dibny

8. a tall Philistine

9. Son of Dracula's alias

11. “Only a Master of Evil”

12. Saucy Jack

15. withstood Baroness Paula von Gunther

17. fought Aliens, then became their Mom

19. a living costume

21. Drake Mallard's secret identity

23. Silver Surfer boss

24. STAR TREK sleeper ship

26. lurked in the Labyrinth

30. Morlocks ate them

31. the First Red Hood

32. super base, the _____ Building

33. he loved Mother too much

35. Winston Smith’s nemesis

37. Dracula’s chief opponent

38. he sang “High Noon”

39. Yellow Peril (and beard)

41. not Bat, not Man, not Batman

44. the Good Witch of Oz

45. Captain America's bonehead foe

49. he was dragged around Troy

52. the ur-Adversary






Next Monday I will post the solution.  See ya!

The Fallout Follies

Here is another compilation of nuclear songs. This batch, unlike some of the previous ones and unlike some of the ones to come, have a decidedly pessimistic tone, hence the slightly mnore black-humor cover art.

Here are the tracks:

1 - Talking Atom Pete Seeger 1947
2 - The Fall of the Planet Earth The Moonbillies 1960
3 - Talkin' World War III Blues Bob Dylan 1963
4 - Mushroom Clouds Love 1966
5 - Handsome Johnny Richie Havens 1967
6 - Thank Christ For The Bomb (edit) Groundhogs 1970
7 - King Of The World Steely Dan 1973
8 - Atom Satillite Del Byzanteens 1979
9 - Face The Fire Dan Fogelberg 1979
10 - Uh-Oh Plutonium Anne Waldman 1982
11 - Two Suns In The Sunset Pink Floyd 1983
12 - I Hate You (from STAR TREK IV) Edge of Ettiquette 1986
13 - After the War Gary Moore 1989
14 - The Bomb Song Corey Dwyer 1990
15 - Enola Gay Utah Phillips 1991
16 - Hot Frogs on the Loose Frank Small 1993
17 - Duct Tape John McCutcheon 2004
18 - Feed the Bomb Project Bluebird 2009
19 - Whistling in the Nuclear Wind Karl W Mahlmann 2011
20 - bonus track



And here is the link:  http://www.megaupload.com/?d=X8CX086L

45s & Favorites, Disc 2

You might have to be "of a certain age" to smile with fondness at these songs. They are 45s I bought as they came out (yes, I am THAT OLD) or loved to listen to if they came on the radio.

Some are dubs of the actual 45 rpm, others are better recordings found elsewhere.



Here are the tracks:

1970

1 Mississippi Queen Mountain

2 Uncle Charlie and His Dog Teddy/Mr Bojangles Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

3 We Gotta Get You a Woman Todd Rundgren

1971

4 That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be Carly Simon

5 Walk Away James Gang

6 Tiny Dancer Elton John

7 Hocus Pocus Focus

8 Behind Blue Eyes The Who

1972

9 School's Out Alice Cooper

10 Rock And Roll Part 1 & 2 Gary Glitter

11 A Piece of Paper Gladstone

12 Back Off Boogaloo Ringo Starr

13 Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You) Stevie Wonder

14 Give Ireland Back to the Irish - instrumental - (Version) Wings

15 Early 1970 Ringo Starr

16 Mary Had a Little Lamb Wings

1973

17 You Light Up My Life Carole King

18 Back When My Hair Was Short -single version Gunhill Road

19 Rocky Mountain Way Joe Walsh

20 Under the Boardwalk Rickie Lee Jones - 1983

21 It's the Real Thing The New Seekers - 1971





Here is the link: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=OVQ56XPK





And if you're wondering why you had The New Seekers singing Coke songs, it's because I picked up a freebie record at a record shop that had two 30-second Coke songs on one side and a minute-long Coke song on the other. This was in 1971. So I included the songs as a gentle reminder that this great music was brought to you by . . .



The Free Enterprise system.



I am really in love with the Carole King song included here. It has NOTHING to do with the cloying Debbie Boone whine. Carole King's song really resonated with me (and still does) -- I feel this kind of gratefulness for my wonderful wife. "I didn't know how good life could be / Until you gave your love to me." Mawkish? Maybe. True? ABSOLUTELY!



In the original issue of "Mr Bojangles" on 45 rpm, one side had only the song. The other side of the single had the version "Uncle Charlie / Bojangles" given here. It was lots of fun to play this on a jukebox and watch people's faces as Teddy the dog howled, and then the familiar guitar into to "Bojangles" kicked in, and all was semi-understood.

Rest of the Leapfrog

Another Comment on the Smallville Finale

No, I haven't made a comment before.  But just about everybody else has!  One online survey of fans had an option, "Better than I thought it would be."  Well, I guess that's how I felt too, overall.

Kudos to the producers for bringing in John Schneider. Thank you.  And, with only twenty minutes or so left, to hell with the whole "no flights or tights" thing.  And triple thanks for keeping Lana OUT of it.

...change of thought ...
On December 7, 1979, Joyce and I were in line to enter the first showing of STAR TREK: The Motion Picture.  The guy next to us kept saying to his wife, "I've waited TEN YEARS for this."

Me, too!  In the last fifteen minutes we finally got to see Clark be Superman.  I think it worked pretty well.  I won't quibble about Ollie's magic disintegrator arrows, or how Superman's identity is safe in a world where a SMALLVILLE comic is published, but...here it comes ... I had this one small, niggling observation.

I will accept the magickally-assisted rebirth of Lex Luthor and the possession of Lionel Luthor's shell by a demon we called Darkseid.  I believe a man can fly.

My question is, why wasn't EVERYONE ELSE flying, due to a planet-sized gravitational pull, only a hundred miles or so above the Earth?  You know, they all say that the Rings of Saturn may have been caused by a Saturnian moon that was pulled apart by gravitational forces.

Well, what about a couple of PLANETS closer than Paul Newman's rimshot in The Hustler?

I'm just sayin'.

PS I DO like it that this Superman can push around planets!  Of course, we'll never see him again, but this was, overall, a good way to try and get from the creepiness of Smallville to the lighter world of Superman.

Bizarro Not Leap the frog!

Here's a pretty cute story from the Leapfrog Superman module.

Me not like this story.  You not like it either!

Records from Regulus

In our never-ending battle to share records from the popular culture to the topic of Flying Saucers and the Space Race, we bring you Records from Regulus.

Here are the tracks:
1 Man from Mars Ferrante and Teicher 1955


2 Those Funny Little Saucers in the Sky Dr Danny Hart of the Church of Soul-Truth 1958

3 Take Me to Your Leader Cha Cha Cha Sam Space and the Cadettes 1958

4 What Do You Hear from the Red Planet Conried-Pearce 1959

5 The Girl from the Fourth Dimension Sheldon Allman 1960

6 Space Mice Walter Brennan 1960

7 Sky Men Geoff Goddard 1963

8 Hootenanny on Mars Randy Starr and the Merry Martians 1964

9 You Came from Outer Space The Kirby Stone Four 1964

10 Mr Spaceman The Byrds 1966

11 The Invaders Are Here Mike Adkins 1967

12 Urban Spaceman Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band 1968

13 Space Oddity David Bowie 1969

14 It Came Out of the Sky Creedence Clearwater Revival 1970

15 Space Buggy Asleep At The Wheel 1973

16 I've Seen the Saucers Elton John 1974

17 Flying Saucer Attack The Rezillos 1977

18 The Flying Saucer Man and the Truck Driver Red Simpson 1979

19 Thing from Another World Marlin Wallace 1981

20 Rocket Ship Kathy McCarty 1988

21 I Saw Elvis in a U.F.O. Ray Stevens 1989

22 Humans From Earth T-Bone Burnett 1991

23 Background Background 2000

24 I Want an Alien for Christmas Fountains of Wayne 2005

25 Heck, I'd Go Maria Muldaur 2006

26 Flying Saucer U F O with Dee Dee Bridgewater 2006


I must say that this is some fun stuff, and I hope you like it.


Here is the link: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=LTYSBH70

Sharing a list of Movies

Today I got a plug from Sofas and Sectionals.  It may be a plug, but it's an interesting list of Superhero Movies:

http://www.sofasandsectionals.com/superhero-movies-we-want-to-see

Read and enjoy.  Is Namor really going to be a big draw?

Get the Scoop

These are five middle pages from Leapfrog's Superman learning module.

Next, a Bizarre story

Read All About It!

In this story from the Leapfrog book, we learn about a poor schlub who wishes he could he powerful like Superman.  Hmm, sounds like me!

See you again soon!