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.

Secret Origins of Super-Pets!

This GRRR-E-E-E-A-T-T-T !! Curt Swan cover is from Adventure 364, cover-dated January 1968. It shows four of the five members of the Legion of Super-Pets. Who's the fifth? Proty II, of course. Why he is "number two" is something for you to figure out. HINT: It involves lightning rods.
Anyway, in this story the Super-Pets feel unappreciated and go shopping for more appreciative masters. Along the way, they recap their origins, which I'll share with you.
First up, Comet the Super-Horse! After reading this recap, you will understand why some uncharitable souls have made the comment that it's creepy to think about Supergirl making out with her horse.

Yes, Comet's human form is called Bronco Bill, and as a rodeo star in Midvale, Supergirl's home town, he has dated and smooched up Linda Lee Danvers (this is in the Silver Age "real" world, of course).
And like Cinderella at midnight, Bronco Bill sometimes has to cut their dates short when the comet that's transformed him fades away.
Stay tuned for our next Super-Pet, another "faux" Super, Streaky the Super-Cat. He also is "owned" by Supergirl. who therefore has a 40% interest in the franchise name.

Sites to Have Fun With

One is "Let Them Sing It for You," at http://www.sr.se/p1/src/sing/index.htm# -- where you type in words and you hear your message sung word-by-word from various pop songs. Don't forget that if your word is too complicated, you can often achieve success by breaking it down phonetically. That is, "sooner"+"can" sounds remarkably close to "SoonerCon."

Another fun one is "#9", http://www.escape.com/~dario/beatles/number9/?NF=1 -- which lets you mix-n-match 12 different snippets from the Beatles' "Revolution 9" (from the White Album, of course!) to create your own version.

And don't forget "The Earth Is Not Moving," http://www.fixedearth.com/ -- guaranteed to set back the IQ of any Christian (or non) who reads it.

A wonderful site is "I Used to Believe," http://iusedtobelieve.com/ -- where folks from all over can share the silly (?) things we believed as children -- from the commonplace (inside the core of a golfball is an acid that will melt your body to mush) to the, umm-- odd: "When I was little I thought that videotapes worked by sending a signal to the actors who would then quick get ready and perform the movie for you. If you pressed pause, they would stand totally still, and if you pressed rewind they would do it all backward."

Me? I used to believe that by 25 I've have several successful albums. Poetry published. A TV show with Mark Barragar (aka Ranger Roger for you OKC types). I used to believe that the people who got angry with me would get over it, since I am personally incapable of carrying evil feelings or grudges around.

Now I believe that the only way I can help people who are mad at me is to try not to make them more crazy, by trying to leave 'em alone.

But, back to fun websites, "Ugly Christmas Lights" http://www.uglychristmaslights.com/ -- will put you in the Holiday mood, since tonight I just saw my first Christmas commercial (September 29, people!).

Have a swifty nifty weekend!

A Couple of Ruminations on the Disciple Peter

Several times I've read about brash, loudmouthed Peter, who loved Jesus but kept shooting his mouth off. I'm a lot like that too.

I've often also found it challenging to write in the rhyme scheme I stole from Emily Dickinson, the same kind of scheme as the hymn "Amazing Grace." I find that the restrictions of syllables and emphasis challenge me to try to pack a lot into the simple structure. So, here goes:

Peter
July 19, 1981

I lived with him for three long years --
Together -- dust and rain --
Yet at the crux -- I choked on fear --
I disavowed his name --

And yet when once again we met --
At dawn -- beside the sea --
His eyes no condemnation held --
He slew -- forgiving me --

+++++++

May 7, 1995

My master was so generous --
With Peter -- by the sea --
Against denials triplicate
He drew -- I love yous -- three--

And when he meets me -- face to face --
They say -- "beyond the veil" --
How many loves must I declare,

To balance out my scale --

Working on a New Design

I've spent most of today trying to learn Microsoft Front Page so that I can use it to redesign the STAR OKC website, which is at www.starokc.org. After I did what I thought I wanted, I asked My Son the Genius to help me "upload" it to my Cox space.

Whereupon he informed me that I was stupid and was doing it all wrong, and he had to fix it.

Well, between this and that we have SOMETHING there at www.starokc.org.

WHY, you ask? Basically because the domain name is paid-for for another year or two. And it doesn't need to chronicle the happenings of a defunct SF club. No, it can instead be used for SOMETHING CONSTRUCTIVE, I hope!

Here's my crazy dream: Use the site as a bulletin board for OKC fandom. Whether the Mirage, Jedi OKC, Serendipity, or whoever! Pretty soon I'll have more stuff up, but I want to have email addresses, links, and updates for area cons, stores, clubs, and any other interest group.

Why not?
So, any OKCers, please have folks send me info on any happenings, and we'll get it there. For now, send to them to blog@starokc.org. And I sure hope that folks can understand that there's room for everyone in the OKC fandom umbrella!
Thank you and good night!

The Left-Out Super-Power

Though it had its problems, Superman Returns was a pretty fun movie. The fanboy in me was tickled and thrilled to see him use Super-Breath to blow out a fire.

However, as I read through some of my Superman comics from the late 1950s, I see the Man of Steel often using a super-power that seems to be mostly ignored by today's comic writers...

The Super Head-Butt!
Check out these examples from just three issues! The boulder smash-up (art by Wayne Boring) and the cannon panel (also by Boring) are BOTH from Superman 126. The gong-shot (Kurt Schaffenberger) comes from Superman 128, and the helmet crunch (Al Plastino) is from Action 251.

Boy howdy! If more people knew about the Super Head-Butt, then the Ugly Superman might choose a different moniker to wrestle under.















Maybe it's time for a little Super-Aspirin!

Rejected Again!

Anybody else remember the magazine The Twilight Zone? It was a pretty good conglomeration of media-type stuff and fiction. At least once they had an amateur fiction contest, and I got six of seven of these in the mail over stories I submitted.

For some reason they were nice enough to send me two! (The original really is blank on the addressee side.)

You know, if they had accepted a few of my stories, they would have gotten enough readers to keep from going out of business. Right?