No Hair Gel on the Wig, Please!

In Action 273, cover-dated February 1961, DC had Supergirl artist Jim Mooney propose several "newer" hairstyles for Linda Lee. It seems readers were complaining about those brunette pigtails.

As I recall, the (maybe fixed) poll gave Linda the "Campus Cuddle-Bun" style. Frankly, though I don't care much for Streaky the Super-Cat, Streaky the Super-Haircut I DO like!

What do YOU think?

Here's the link to the photo, since BlogSpot seems to not like to show it directly upon clicking:

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_1urA8os4CpiTk4frdBOMYf-ZPge1lqQrIKkET5W49cUsUERVWcXAUUD-LZRjh1l4Mq_tq3y0gcFHkfv-6ET1DH39r4u0LWZY2Hi4NKFdm5hFkX9YdjZMelRgBdt027mE2Ytx/s320/Linda+Lee+Hair.jpg

Not Available (any more) in Any Store!

To help with your Super Christmas shopping, here's an ad from about 50 years ago. *sigh* If only we had that proverbial time machine to buy all this neat stuff.

No, not so I could sell it as MINT IN BOX nowadays, either!

Just Checking In

Here's a Christmas image to say "Howdy" to all my Super-Pals while I am at work today.

John A Brown was a local Oklahoma Department store.

Hitting the "Mute" Button

In UFO/Unsolved Mysteries circles, "mute" isn't a button on yout TV remote. It's short for "mutilation" of livestock or other animals.

Since the 1960s or before, folks have been finding their free-roving animals -- livestock, dogs in the backyard, horses -- dead and cut up, sometimes with parts removed.

Sometimes investigations point to predators. Other times, cellular damage and other findings indicate a technological cause.

Once in a while, lights in the sky or other activity hs been noted where animals are later discovered. Occasionally, an animal has been found with its legs broken in a way only possible if it were dropped from a height.

The whole cultural "meme" of black helicopters spying on you came from the cattle mutilation tales.

Now, explanations have run from from them ol' little green men, to government experiments. The aliens want to modify animal flesh as part of their plans to create an alien-human hybrid. With these views, you'll often hear that pig DNA is nearly identical to human DNA, etc.

The government side of the theory bank usually takes the view that the US government (or parts thereof) are taking samples from randomly "free-range" critters to test for radiation poisoning or some such. One of the latest offshoots proposes that the animal parts taken are analyzed for the presence of prions, the chief indicator of Mad Cow Disease, BSE (Bovine Spongiform Enchephalitis).

All I know is, when I read about such things I get hungry for a hamburger!

That Connivin' Lois!

Take a gander at the cover of Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #59, dated August 1965. Given Smallville's latest few angles, this cover scene may well take place on the CW in a couple of weeks!

But look in the lower right-hand corner for the Extra! In another Let's-Make-Lois-Crazy story (we all know she DESERVES IT), Superman and Batman get together to put another knot in the tail of that lil' ol' curious kitty named Lois Lane.

Check out the fine Curt Swan art. Note how Bruce (Batman) Wayne has a squarer jaw than Clark (Superman) Kent. Also see how Swan's renderings of Lois are less cartoonish and more true-to-life than the Schaffenberger art on the cover.

It starts out innocently (!) enough. Superman, on an outer-space mission, gives Batman an anti-gravity belt and asks the Caped Crusader to don a DIFFERENT cape (and a Superman face mask) to keep an eye on Lois. So Batman-playing-Superman rescues Lois, as shown in the story's Splash Page.

Bruce doesn't know that Lois revived quickly enough to ID him as Gotham's favorite playboy. Get a load of her gloating daydream, figuring out how to wrap Bruce-Superman around her little wedding-ring finger.

Soon Lois's plan works! Bruce falls in love with her, while Lois reads his every action as confirmation of his super-powers. As you can read in page 8 of the story, Lois just HAS to brag to her sister Lucy about her plot. And, just returned from outer space, a nosy Super-Someone with super-hearing happens to be eavesdropping, and decides on a little twist to Lois's plot.

Just think! if only Lois could have kept her yap shut, she might have found herself Mrs. Bruce (Batman) Wayne. Not too much of a disappointment, you think?

Just wait until the Best Man flies in!

So, on page 9 of the tale, we see Lois break it off while Bruce bravely tries to carry on with a broken *sniff* heart. Now, while the last panel may sound cruel and full of male asininity, think over Lois's behavior in this story.

Lois has plotted and schemed and dissembled, all because she (mistakenly) thought she was going, through trickery, to marry Superman in his Secret Identity. At least, judging by THIS story, she DID deserve to have a knot jerked in her (pretty little) tail, don't you agree?

CBS -- Tool of the "Magic" Industry

Anyway, that's my opinion after watching last week's episode of Numbers on CBS -- the episode with the disappearing magicianette reappearing as a corpse after the always-dangerous, sometimes fatal "girl-in-the-water-tank" trick.

Now, maybe this is just me. But as soon as I saw the "trick" with the girl in the tank, surrounded by water, and the aforementioned water filled with swirly orange-gold confetti leaves, I said to myself, "Umm, nope. Tchh -- uh-uh!" (Apologies to the Vancombe Lady.)

Have you seen one of those "aquarium spinning lights" you can buy at flea markets and other places? Where the fish spin one way and the background turns in the other direction? Tell me honestly, did you really believe that there was water flowing around the light bulb in the center?

No, you just have a couple of transparencies of plastic spinning in opposite directions.

In the Numbers episode, all that folderol about how strong the glass would have to be to hold "x" amount of water, and the power of the pumps to feed it into the tank -- what a bunch of specious nonsense.

I figure that the gal stands inside a dry central tube, with a fan below the grid she stands on, the fan gently wafting her hair in waterlike fashion.

Between the outer wall of the gal's tube, and the inner wall of the ouside, there is a few inches (the least space, the better for water pressure) of hollow space where water and golden papery leaves are pumped. There's plenty of visual distortion to blur the image of the (dry) woman within.

I think the Nefarious Magician's Union for Keeping People in the Dark must have paid off CBS big-time to get the network to play along with the whole stupid idea of filling the tub with water.

Yeah, don't start about Houdini -- this trick on Numbers was NOT about the gal holding her breath, it was just about vanishing and comong back again. A soaking-wet, reappearing magicianette is probably NOT on the bill.

"Pandora's Bride" Book Review

Every few years, Universal Studios comes out with some officiated product, which not only helps keep the monsters as "properties" active, it also slakes the thirst of us fans.

The last couple of years have seen a novel each about the big four or five -- Dracula, the Wolf Man, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, the Mummy, Big Frankie, and this one, The Bride of Frankenstein: Pandora's Bride, by Elizabeth Hand. All are published by Dark Horse Press.

What's good: the idea of the female creature, who takes the name Pandora, learning about the world and making allies and enemies. The idea of interaction with other fictional people -- people from other fictions, I mean. The idea of her again meeting the Monster and becoming friends (he can grow and learn, too).

What's bad: The choice of good guys and bad guys. In this tale, Dr Pretorius is like a New Ager's idea of God -- he's charming, whimsical, well-wishing, and powerless, except to create imperfect beings who outgrow him.

In this tale, Henry Frankenstein isn't the pathetic, neurotic genius seen in the films -- a man torn by self-doubt. No, he's an evil, endlessly rich fanatical genius who desires to enslave all women as domestic robots, because (in Hand's view), THAT'S WHAT MEN WANT.

This either says a lot about misanthropy on Hand's part, or tells us Too Much Information about her formative years.

Then we find out that Henry Frankenstein, that mean ol' slimy devil, isn't even the REAL Mad Genius behind it all.

No, the ultimate villain is a character so marginal that in the two films (Frankenstein and Bride ) they were played by two different performers!

What's fun anyway: Mixing it up with characters from M , Metropolis, The Cabinet of Dr Caligari , and other fictions. Somebody tell me, who are Wykstan and Christopher? Are any of the night-club types characters from Caberet?

This book is set in Germany, between WWI and WWII. Another book in the series featuring the male Monster, Frankenstein: The Shadow of Frankenstein by Stefan Petrucha, also includes Baron Frankenstein and his creation, but is set in the 1880s. Chronology impairment much?

This tells us that the editors of this series couldn't care less about any internal whatchamacallit, they just wanted to sell some books to fanboys.

Oops! I bought one.

Anyway, if you are a Psycho Nut Completist like me, or merely somebody who believes that a "Y" chromosome denotes evil, feel free to read this book.

It's a Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Well, as a part of longstanding (personal) tradition, I finished reading Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes around 10PM last night.

Re-reading, actually. This might be something like the twentieth time. Shivers, hopes, evil, victory over the emptiness of Emptiness, all wrapped around friendship and Father-Son appreciation. I love it!

A few years ago, I lost (temporarily) my 1st paperback printing of this great book, so I bought a newer printing. Then, I was thankful to re-discover the original. I've gone back and forth between copies. This year I read the newer one, a 1998 Avon printing.

Also, for the first time, I took a good hard gander at the (small) cover art. Only about 2 x 2 1/2 inches, its intricacies had escaped me. Here's a blown-up scan.

While the picture doesn't recreate the specifics of the carousel scene at book's end, it's still pretty darn good, to quote Sir Paul. Brr!

Enjoy your transition, this midnight, from Halloween to All Saint's Day.

This Is Halloween (again)

Here is another Hostess Monster Pack cakes mask. Carry a metal lunchbox and weart a five-pound bag of sugar on each foot to get the walk correctly.

This Is a Halloween Book Review

No Fun, Just Over-Analytical Page Use

This book -- obviously a textbook -- is kind of like what they say about "effective" sermons -- first you tell your audience what you're going to say; then you say it; then you tell the audience what you told them.

Similarly, in the first pages Prof Picart uses Koestler and other buzz-type words to come up with "shadows" of feminine characteristics in some horror film/comedies. Then she does the good ol' categorization of such women and first-shadow, second-shadow, third-shadow, or -- wow, what fun! -- aspects of more than one shadow of femininity.

In the same tedious way, we have analyses of male characters as being in protector roles, or mad-scientist roles, and so on.

Then Prof Picart sums up and tells us what she told us.

Now, this might be great stuff to use as a basis for impressing people. But as far as teaching something or to *gasp* entertainingly informing somebody, this book is as dry as Ray Bradbury's Dust Witch.

After reading this book and being properly impressed with the author's scholarship (but unimpressed as to the author's capability to enjoy what she analyzes), I still must have missed the part where she explains why these films -- Young Frankenstein, Rocky Horror Picture Show; the Terminator and Alien franchises; and others -- are worth such exhaustive analysis?

My take:

Things should be examined, NOT because it's a course requirement, but because the things (films where horror also has a comedic element) are worthwhile expressions of the human artistic impulse. Monsters are an undeniable fascination. There's an undeniable attraction to the idea of graveyard humor in an attempt to "get a handle" on the intimations of mortality presented by the graveyard gang. Therefore, why not look at a few treatments of the combination of both?

Leave out the tired male/female categorizations. Why can't people just be people? Sometimes a Mad Scientist is "just a cigar"!

I've read involving books, and interesting textbooks, about film and fantasy media. But this book needs a pie in the face. Lighten up!

This Is More Halloween

Hey Kids!

Get your Mom or Dad to print this picture and cut out the mask. You too can appear to be the top half of a Munsters character!

This Is Halloween (a bit more)

About a decade ago Hostess had Monster Cakes for Halloween, with special Munsters-related packaging. Here's how the front of the box looked.

External links for USNW

Here are Photobucket links for the individual pages of the 1973 US News & World Report about some of our American soldiers' battles against their foes.

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo152/MarkAAlfred/USNWR01.jpg

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo152/MarkAAlfred/USNW02.jpg

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo152/MarkAAlfred/USNWR03.jpg

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo152/MarkAAlfred/USNWR04.jpg

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo152/MarkAAlfred/USNWR05.jpg

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo152/MarkAAlfred/USNWR06.jpg

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo152/MarkAAlfred/USNWR07.jpg

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo152/MarkAAlfred/USNWR08.jpg

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo152/MarkAAlfred/USNWR09.jpg

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo152/MarkAAlfred/USNWR10.jpg

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo152/MarkAAlfred/USNWR11.jpg

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo152/MarkAAlfred/USNWR12.jpg

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo152/MarkAAlfred/USNWR13.jpg

Thanks, and back to Halloween on Monday!

This Is Halloween! (a bit)

Here is the cover of a 1991 official "Universal Monsters" coloring book.

This was before the finalization of the stars' heirs' legal tangles over the images of their parents, etc, in character makeup. That's why the paid-by-the-cover artist was doubtless directed to make sure that the characters don't identifiably match up with any of the actor(s) who may have played the various characters.

Get ready for the fun and thrills of Halloween!

The Back Side

Welcome to Photobucket?

Well, here are some 1990s Superman valentines.

This is my first attempt to join the good ol' third-party-hosting bandwagon. Here goes!

Thanks, and see you again soon.

The Last Part of the Article

I am thankful for this contribution to our country.

"Some Contribution to His Country," Part the next-to the Last

Here is the rest of the US News & World Report article from 1973, in separate posts due to a graphics error.

11th Page of Article

Page 10

Page Nine

Eighth Page

One at a time

We are using separate posts for each page so that they will load as accessible JPEGS

Next pages

Here is the next page from 1973.

again

"Some Contribution to His Country," Part 2

The third, fourth, and fifth pages from the 1973 US News & World Report.


You may let me know your feelings or thoughts.

More later.

"Some Contribution to His Country," Part 1

These pages were in a donation to our thrift store. I was impressed after reading them.

I'll be sharing more of this article the rest of the week. Feel free to leave a comment if you want to.

See and Read at the Earth's Core

You know, plenty of mythology says that there are bad guys in the supposedly hollow reaches of the underground Earth. Deros, trolls, what have you.

Well, it appears that Darkseid is down there too! At least some of the time, anyway.

Man, those Kryptonite chains must hurt! Makes you wonder why nobody ever came up with Green-K underwear as an instrument of torture.

Oops, oh yeah! These are comic books, not S&M movies.

At any rate, dear correspondents, I fear that I can't provide a review of the fine story. I've never watched the tape.

Since it's called "See and Read," my first thought is that this thing came with a book. Then I thought it would be kind of clumsy to br reading a book while watching a video.

So maybe you read words on the screen instead. I don;t know.

But if I ever get around to watching the video, I'll pass on the news!

Soaring in Front of the Moon

Here's another jigsaw puzzle, this one

from Craft Master.
With the "Super Powers" logo, it's a good bet that it hails from the 1980s, maybe around the time of Superman's 50th Birthday in 1988.
And the fine print says ... Copyright 1984! Well, missed it by THAT much.

I Love You ... and I'll Beat Up a Bad Guy to Prove It!

Yes, that's the message behind these DC Comics Superheroes Valentines.

Or perhaps, the theme is, "I'm protecting the world for our love."

Or, "Let everybody THINK we're wrestling ..."

We'll be sharing more love in the days to come!

The Pow! Wham! Zap! Comic Book Trivia Quiz

Here is The Pow! Wham! Zap! Comic Book Trivia Quiz by Michael Uslan and Bruce Solomon, from 1977. As you can see by the blurb, Stan Lee thoroughly enjoyed it.

Now, when I see the name Michael Uslan, my first thought is the 6(?)-issue 1975-1976 run of DC's Beowulf The Dragon Slayer, which Uslan wrote, in which Beowulf met things like flying saucers, witch women, and Dracula -- none of which are in the original poem. Vlad "the Impaler" Dracula, of course, came around about a thousand years too late to meet the ol' B-boy, who was a near-contemporary of King Arthur (fl. 500-550 AD).

We have questions on humor comics, DC, the Fantastic Four amd the Hulk, and -- just a bunch of good stuff.

Gosh -- just think of those days, in 1977. Back then it WAS IN FACT POSSIBLE to "know everything" about a comic or comic-book character.

Rots o' Ruck on that today, campers!

A Response from Mr Dankbaar

Well, I reviewed Files on JFK a few days ago.

Imagine my surprise on hearing from the author, Wim Dankbaar! He also included a note to share with all of you guys:

September 18, 2008

Spooks, Hoods & The Hidden Elite
Who doesn't like a good conspiracy story? And are they not even better if they are educational and non fiction?

Hello, my name is Wim Dankbaar. I am 46 and from the Netherlands. I have been interested in the JFK assassination since 1988, and I have learned a lot since then. The last 6 years I have been actively involved in a quest to unearth the truth of the JFK assassination. I have spent lots of time, energy and money on what I believe is an intriguing and noble cause. I could not have achieved this without the help and sacrifices of hundreds of others, building on their work and knowledge. I have authored a book and produced films on people with inside knowledge on the coup d' état that changed history and America, and probably the world. I have found that the people and their heirs, who seized power by killing Kennedy and covering up the truth, are still in power today. I have found these forces control corporate mass media channels to a certain degree. I have found they have assets to discredit the truth or prevent it from being shown through our so called free media.

So what is in fact the big challenge to get the truth out? For me, it is no longer to learn the truth, but rather to present it to the public at large.

http://video.google.nl/videoplay?docid=8250980122157253214

Here you have a video link to a brand new, full fledged documentary of 2 hours that presents the most powerful (yet unknown) evidence you have ever seen for the plot to kill John F. Kennedy. JFK was one of the most loved presidents in history, representing hope for freedom and democracy. The man telling the story, Chauncey Marvin Holt, is dead now and was a self admitted career criminal. But in some ways, at least in my view, he was also a good man. For having a conscience and for sharing his story. He knew he was going to die shortly. In fact he died 8 days after this recording. This was the last thing he wanted to do. For YOU and your children.

Just one of the startling revelations in this film, is that the cuban exile militants, Orlando Bosch and Luis Posada Carriles, who are now being protected by the Bush administration (just google their names), were on Dealey Plaza when Kennedy was killed. You will further learn how Government Agencies and Organized Crime worked together.

I have decided to make it available free of charge on Google video. If you value the information, you may spread it far and wide. Tell your friends and relatives. Or give them as your next present the DVD in broadcast image quality:

http://www.jfkmurdersolved.com/special1.htm

For broadcast and/or distribution rights contact info@jfkmurdersolved.com

Sincerely yours,

Wim Dankbaar

http://www.jfkmurdersolved.com

See you around the Super Neighborhood!

A Big Book Reviewed

Being (as you friends will know) a big armchair investigator of various mysteries, I finally broke down and spent some hard-earned Amazon credit on a big fat book, Files on JFK.

Just like an "I love you" note from your kid that's all misspelled and smeared with dirt or peanut butter, the message is more important than the presentation.

THIS BOOK NEEDED A COPY EDITOR!

I mean, words are misspelled, the name of Russian premier Khrushchev is spelled "Kroetschov," big blocks of text within emails or letters are printed again after appearing once earlier in the book.

Nevertheless, I can believe that the story in this book MIGHT be the truth.

The big picture is that the JFK assassination originated in elements of CIA and organized crime. The familiar names are named -- David Atlee Philips, Rosetti, Nicoletti, Giancana, George HW Bush, etc the like -- but with insight from James Files aka James Sutton aka a lot more names.

You see, in November 1963 Files was a 21-year-old ex-military guy who had become not only the driver and go-to guy for a Mafia hit man, but also a CIA asset. When CIA and other US intelligence agency members began to percolate angrily over their being "choked off" during the Bay of Pigs aborted invasion, along with other perceived failings in JFK's behavior or character, they decided to do something about it.

So they got together with some of their hand-in-hand friends in the Mafia and did it. This was NOT an agency thing, this was a few guys using their connections. Probably some other acquaintances were drafted in after the fact, presented with the most drastic fait accompli that I, anyway, could imagine.

By this I mean that members of the FBI and the Secret Service also participated in the hiding of evidence, forgeries, and lies. It was the Secret Service that switched the windshields on the "Assassination Lincoln." It was J Edgar Hoover himself who stressed repeatedly on November 22nd (and forever after) how important it was that the country and the world believe that Oswald alone was the patsy -- oops, I mean believe that he was the assassin.

At any rate, this is a long and rambling lead-up to the especiality of THIS book.

And in this book, James Files tells a very credible story of being the (semi-reluctant) shooter on the grassy knoll, behind the picket fence.

In my opinion the single most convincing part of Files's tale refers to the cartridge from the bullet he fired into JFK's right temple. Files says that after firing the head shot, he removed the .222 cartridge and bit it.

Well, in 1987 a guy and his son found a .222 cartridge down a ways in front of the wooden stockade in Dealey Plaza. After Files's story was told in 2004 or 2005, investigators went back to look at that cartridge. After examination from at least one dentist, the indentations previously thought to be "just dents" were found, in fact, to be human teethmarks.

Sounds pretty authoritative to me.

Let me know what YOU think.

Faster Than a Speeding Beer Runner!

Yes, and probably more powerful than a gas drive-off, it's ... Prepaid Man!

I saw this thing today, and just had to share it.

I was at Cash Register Systems in OKC buying some spare Master keys for our cash registers when I spotted this in their magazine rack. It's a four-page reprint of an article from the c-store industry journal Convenience Store / Petroleum, all about the features of CCTV (as in Closed Circuit).

Of course, what CCTV has to do with Prepaid Man is beyond me! However, notice that our swiped hero has the strengths of: Radio Frequency - POS - Back office - Security - Loyalty.

Just goes to show that DC's lawyers should be going after ripoffs like this and leaving the Shuster/Siegel estates alone to their ownership of Superboy.

Not a Bird or a Plane, It Just Plays One on TV!

Here is James Van Hise's and John Field's book on "The Television Adventures of Superman."

It's copyrighted 1988 and published by "Schuster and Schuster."

It's squarebound and looks a LOT like all those "Files Magazine" booklets about Jonny Quest or the U.N.C.L.E. TV shows.

I'll Keep You Posted

I came across this paperback the other day. It's copyrighted 1988 -- smack in the Reagan-Bush era.

I don't know anything about the author, but the tagline -- "They'll kill to keep a woman out of the White House" -- struck me as amusing given Hillary Clinton's failed coronation and the VP aspirations of Gov. Palin.

That's all, just seemed a little funny to come across.

If I ever read the book, I'll let you know how it turns out. If it's anything like Irving Wallace's 1960s potboiler The Man (a Negro man becomes US President, how scary--not!) -- then it will take a historic idea and dumb it down for some silly thrills.

If I want some silly thrills, I'll just rub ketchup on my face and lie down in the backyard and let Buddy slobber me to death.

Better Than the IN-active Book of Fun.

One of the tie-ins with the 1984 Supergirl movie was this book of word-finds, coloring, and easy puzzles.

You know, no wonder Ethan the gardener was so easy for Selena to mis-direct into serving her (Selena) instead of his true love, Linda Lee. Ethan has a thing for older women, as suggested by the name of his business. It's right there on the side of his truck, "Ethan's Mother Earth Landscaping Service." Oh, also note the cute "23 1/2 hr. service" also -- I guess a guy should get a half hour for lunch.

By the way, Helen Slater looked pretty good as Supergirl. Too bad it was such a pathetic story.

But hey, don't forget the lovely Jerry goldsmith score!

What Do You Think?

Well, the great Filemaker "inventory" of "Mark's Books" has rounded the back turn, and with a little more than 1800 books (in the same room) listed, it's all downhill from here!

I've gotten around to inclduing all the "Super" coloring books I've come across over the years. The one shown here is from around 1989.

Look at the signature. Looks like "Fred Carillo '89" to me. But look at everything about Superman and Lois -- their faces, their body language, the way Lois's knees are together, how Superman's left knee is directly below his left elbow --

Doesn't something about this piece of art just SCREAM "Dave Gibbons!" Dave Gibbons!" a la Watchmen, 1986.

Or is it just me?

Can't Fly? Wrestle a Shark Instead

Here we have a 1981 book called The Superman Book of Superhuman Achievements, by a guy named Shep Steneman.

It's all about all the wonderful things "mere" humans have done, like crosscountry ballooning or gliding 900 miles unpowered or walking 478 miles in only 101 days.

The funny thing is the Andru/Orlando art that decorates various pages. The marathon page includes Lois & Jimmy in jogging suits. Or check out Supes creating a hot-air balloon.

Or, is this really how hang-gliding works?

Lots of silly fun.

And don't forget the subtext .. who needs to be able to outrace trains or leap an eighth of a mile, when you can be like Hugo Zacchini, the original Human Cannonball!

Not Bad for 15 Years in the Freezer

In 1993, my friend John Hunter, then co-owner of Planet Comics in Oklahoma City, came back from a Comicon with not only a "undercover" video of ABC's promo for its fall series Lois & Clark -- he also brought a present *just* for me.

It's a chocolate Lois & Clark bar! As you can see by the Skybox logo, it was probably a promo for some trading cards issued by Skybox in tandem with the new series.

It's a shame it's cracked into pieces, but here it is in all its not-too-destroyed glory. It's on its way to outlasting two freezers. It's withstood at least a couple of multi-day power outages.

Not bad for a 15-year-old chocolate bar!

Nerdy enough for ya?

A Seasonal Observation

Each season has its own perfume
It carries for its own --
The Winter has his special scent --
Like taste of snow on tongue --

Or like the wind sucked through a scarf --
Chill flannel -- holly -- sleighs --
Or steaming cider -- chestnuts split --
The first thaw -- icy trees --

Sweet Spring dabs sachet at her ears --
The scent of greening hills --
Of rain-swept air -- and sun-drenched grass
And teeming daffodils --

The Summer’s scents are fireworks --
Ice cream -- mimosa too --
The nights she brings are full with scent --
Of new-cut grass and dew --

Are You a de Camp Follower Too?

L Sprague de Camp and his wife Catherine were guests at a Pseudo/PsurrealCon (I forget which) in Norman, OK, about 20 years ago. By the way, the "L" stands for Lyon, his first name.

They were very nice, elderly people, very goodnatured about being surrounded by SF nuts, and possibly thankful that they were remembered at all!

Besides SF & fantasy, de Camp wrote nonfiction, such as his bio of good ol' Eich-Pee-Ell. Also a LOT of historical speculation and research, as in

this book, cowritten with his wife, Citadels of Mystery. They cover things like Macchu Pichu, El Dorado, and such.

de Camp wrote another noteworthy book solely on Atlantis, Lost Continents: The Atlantis Theme. It's also a fine read.

Be advised, de Camp is dry-witted, urbane, and restrained. He doesn't ramble on in florid prose with wild speculations.

But he's a fine researcher, and (given the time of the writing) the books are in-depth and insightful.