It's Not Spinach, So Don't Say the Hell with It!

You know, I wrinkled my forehead in dismay when I heard about this project. I would have wrinkled my lip, but I'm no good at doing Elvis.

But I went ahead and bought the two-disc set (audio CD + audio DVD) and listened to the 2nd disc on my DVD player in 5.1 Dolby.

Fun! For the young and the old, as I discovered when Jazra came in and started jam-dancing to "Lady Madonna."

It all sounds pretty good, and the idea of cross-overlaying songs is nothing new. The Beatles Remixers Group has been doing it for years, with Astounding Results!

Anyway, I'm thankful that crass commercialism (the Circus del Yuppie) led the way to a fun re-interpretation of my friends. Come on, it ain't blasphemy. You'll always have the originals. And if you don't, you can get them at Target.

KEY TO REFERENCES IN THIS POST:
BLOG ENTRY TITLE: "It ain't Spinach" etc refers to the James Thurber cartoon wherein a kid is refusing to eat whatever his parents have set before him. With his arms crossed and a scowl on his face, he announces, "I say it's spinach, and the hell with it!" Later this line was used as a song by Mr. Irving Berlin
1) "wrinkled lip/Elvis" refers to the most common visual imitators' attempt to look like Mr. Presley, the Elvis "sneer"
2) "Fun for the young and the old" is a reference to the Bill Gaither song "Plenty of Room in the Family" which has a line, "room for the young and the old"
3) "with Astounding Results" is an imitation of the old-fashioned way advertising posters used capitalization seemingly on a whim, specifically the Mr. Kite poster used by John for the song lyrics
4) "re-interpretation of my friends" is a reference to getting by "with a little help from my friends"
5) "You'll always have the orginals" etc -- a reference to Rick Blaine's lines to Ilsa in Casablanca that they would "always have Paris" in their memories

Don't Worry About the Lines

Despite what the number on the cover (next to the price)implies, this book is from 1980, not the 19th century. I discovered it at a local thrift store, and rescued it from oblivion. It's one of Jazra's favorite educational books.

Long ago I decided that people are more important than "things." This means that since this book wasn't in great shape when I got it, the heck with "preservation." If somebody (especially my grandkid) gets some fun out of coloring in it, by gosh that's what it was made for!

What do you expect? She's only 3 (four in April).

Farewell, Lily !

With a sad smile of nostalgia, we say "Fare Well" to Lily Munster, aka Yvonne DeCarlo, who has just died at the age of 84.

I sometimes got the feeling that DeCarlo felt put-upon in the role, being a serious movie actress before being shoehorned into this madness.

Or maybe it was just her art in acting, because her role was having to put up with a big green doofus of a Frankenhusband!

You can read a fine appreciation of her life and career ad Brian's Drive-In Theatre, at http://www.briansdriveintheater.com/yvonnedecarlo.html .

Farewell, Lily!

Now, Anyone Can Draw Superman!

Thanks to good ol' Curt's instructions, anybody can now prove how good or bad they are at following instructions.

To be honest, all the guidance in the world wouldn't help me draw Supes! *sigh* Some of us were born to be merely admirers of some of the arts.

How All Those Folks Made It to Earth

Just follow the dotted lines, and you'll see that all spaceways lead to Earth. Whether you're a rock, a dog, a baby, or if you live in a city in a bubble -- if you're from Krypton, odds are you're gonna end up on Earth!

This scan is from The Amazing World of Superman, published in 1973 to celebrate Metropolis, Illinois' commencement of the Superman tourist trade.

You don't know about Super-Menace? Shame on you! Get thee to a reprint!