PARD's Third Hand

This is the penultimate crowd of images which greets me every time I view the desktop of good ol' PARD.

Once more I challenge you to ID all the images.

See you Thursday, fiends and nay-brrs!

  

Star Trek FAQ – Book Review

          This 2012 book by Mark Clark is a fine achievement.  I’ve read too many books about Star Trek to count, and edited a half-dozen (see the Jacobs/Brown website).  But Clark has done an admirable job of not only digesting (distilling?) tons of material relating to the show, its creators, and its stars, but presenting it in a fun, not-too-flippant way.  For a too-smartass approach to a Trek topic, read Sherilyn Connelly’s The First Star Trek Movie:  Bringing the Franchise to the Big Screen, 1969-1980.

            Now that I’ve raved, I’m gonna rant.  As is my wont, I’m compelled to compile.  That is, reel off a list of mistakes that should have been caught.

• ·         In several places, instead of referring to sensors, the word “censors” is used
• ·         On page 197, Clark says that Alexander Courage’s eight-note “fanfare” is bongo-driven, but the bongos don’t come in until much later, after Shatner’s narration ends
• ·         On page 210, someone moves to a “Zen-like metaphysical plain” – the appropriate term for levels of existence is spelled “plane”
• ·         On page 229, “how per powers work” should be “her powers”
• ·         On page 243, we’re informed that Chekov said scotch was invented by a little old lady from Moscow – we all know that in “Tribbles,” Chekov says “Leningrad”
• ·         On page 250, we learn that in “I, Mudd,” Harry Mudd is “monarch of a planet populated entirely by curvaceous female androids,” somehow overlooking the Norman, Herman, and Oscar series of male androids
• ·         Page 253’s summary of “The Savage Curtain” mentions “the Vulcan hero Sarek” when it should be Surak, not Spock’s own daddio
• ·         Page 332 refers to Star Trek “stationary,” not “stationery”
• ·         348 mentions someone holding “the financial reigns” of Trekdom, not its “reins”
• ·         Page 360:  It’s Kirk, not Uhura, who delivers the “too much of anything, even love” line in “Tribbles”
• ·         Page 364 reports that Yeoman Rand says, “May the Great Bird of the Galaxy bless your planet,” when Sulu says it to her in “The Man Trap”

Clark’s schtick of using Trek-related phrases for chapter or sections titles seemed too self-consciously “precious” at first, but I warmed to it. For instance, Clark gives a nice précis of antecedents and inspirations for Roddenberry’s Trek vision in a chapter titled “Space Seeds.”

I would argue with him about the transporter sending a person’s atoms (along with their “pattern”) across space.  I think only information is supposed to be “beamed” here or there.

His chapter on goofs and gaffes that made it onscreen left out one of my favorites, from “Space Seed.”  When Kirk breaks the glass of Khan’s glass sleep unit, his phaser falls off.  McCoy notices and throughout the rest of the scene, De Kelley keeps glancing to the phaser on the floor,  At fadeout, McCoy is bending down to pick up that fallen weapon.

This is a fun potpourri of information and musings on that inescapable, ineluctable phenomenon Star Trek, which (like Julius Caesar) doth bestride the narrow world.
  

My Bike Was Unstuck!

I couldn't tell you WHAT Kellogg's cereal this came from. Probably something with the word "sugar" in the name.

Yes, the word "DANGER" is the wax-paperish backing for the two stickers.  And now that I think of it, Toucan Sam's sticker should be part of the official platform for every American political party.

Ah, those were the days!  See you on Thursday.

  

PARD's Second Hand

 As described in this earlier post, when I got my new laptop I decided to assemble the background image from many childhood influences.  They're arranged as a deck of cards fanned across a tabletop.

Below is the first hand.

The second hand of 13 followeth hereunder.

Surely you students of pop culture can name all of 'em?

Go ahead, it'll be fun.  Be safe and hale until next time -- that's Monday!

  

That Bloody Button!

 THAT BLOODY BUTTON

            It seems that everybody on Earth is now familiar with the Comedian’s bloodied Smiley Face button.  Below is its appearance after the Comedian’s murder, from page 11 of Chapter One.

            Worn by Edward Blake both in and out of costume, it was his wry commentary on life’s absurdity.

            In a June 2017 interview with Entertainment Weekly, artist Dave Gibbons narrated his discussions with writer Alan Moore about their character designs for Watchmen.  An early concept had the Comedian togged nearly all in black.

So on the sketch that I did, I drew a tiny little yellow smiley-faced badge, almost as a throwaway, because I thought that’s a really interesting contrast. This big hulking dark character, with this little splash of bright, silly color.

            Next came the inspiration which has locked the bloody Smiley into place as an eternal pop-culture reference.

Alan saw that and he liked it. And when he wrote the first issue it had to start with the death of the Comedian. So he thought, “How about the Comedian’s been thrown out the window [and] the first thing we see is just that badge with some blood on it? And then we pull back and see more?” So he wrote that into the first script. But then we realized that what we had in that smiley-face badge was really the ultimate cartoon. The simplest cartoon. A black and yellow smiley face, with a splash of really realistic blood on it.

            But, Dear Reader, where did that specific blood-drop come from?  Whence its shape, its heft, its contours?

           Well, I can’t say for sure, but let me share a suspicious similarity with you ...

            It all started with the Smiley-Face button.  The Smiley was created by Harvey Ball in 1963.  As we see in Watchmen, Adrian Veidt’s severe beating of Blake caused blood to drip onto the button.

            While exhaustively reading, speed-scanning, and inspecting the maxi-series and its various book publications, I came to the cover of Chapter Eleven, and a long-harbored thought came a-bubbling ...

           That shape ... that shape ... that configuration, I just knew that I’d seen it somewhere besides in the Watchmen comics.

             Then it hit me.  The blood-spot shape reminded me of a pylon or support for a spaceship model I had.  Inspired, I got out my G.I. Joe footlocker – it contains my model paint, glue, and leftovers for lo! the past fifty years or so.

            I discovered which model I’d been trying to recall.

           This is the X-Wing Fighter model released in 1977 by MPC.  My own model X-Wing is in fragments – this is a completed model seen online – but I still have the kit directions, and I also still have the plastic support which lifted the completed model from its base.

           Check out the shape of the support, in my copy of the directions.

           This is the actual piece.  Doesn’t it look familiar now?

           Another hint ...

           Ladies and gentlemen, I rest my case.  In my opinion, the blood-spot’s shape is much too similar to have not been inspired by the shape of the model piece.

 I encourage somebody to interrogate Mr Gibbons regarding his STAR WARS inspiration.  It's too suggestive to be a coincidence! 

            What do you think?

  

Happy STAR TREK Day … from Spock and Me!

 As you’ve probably heard, September 8 is a big hoop-de-doo day.  On September 8, 1966, Star Trek premiered.  Along with Jonny Quest, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and The Adventures of Superman, it was a big influence on my growing up—if you allege that ever happened.

In July, 1980, family member Spock chose to investigate the concept of Sleep Learning.  After all, if it worked for Edgar Cayce, why not for the world’s best dog?  So he went to dreamland with his head cradled on some LPs in our inventory.

Directly under his schnozzola is the two-LP soundtrack for The Empire Strikes Back.  And to the left of that is a Peter Pan Star Trek story record.

You can see that Star Trek has passed down to many generations of the family. See you Monday.

  

Some Notes About Kandor

While in my younger decades, I took many notes about things found in DC comics of the Silver Age. From 1990, here's a page of my notes about Kandor.

Of course, regarding Superman #158, I knew whereof I spoke.

I've lived with this puppy a long time.  Vide the portrait taken by Mom:

That's a plate of cinnamon toast on the left, my Kitty on the right, and my six-year-old self in the middle, with one of the best comics ever.

A few Super Blog posts regarding this comic:

Number 1 in a Great New Series!

Letters, They Got Letters!

Good Taste in Reading!

Anyway, study my notes on the Bottle City of Kandor and write a nice long note on how it's now presented in the comics, compared and contrasted with the Silver age version.  Get those papers turned in by next Thursday!

Otherwise, I'll have to write something for Thursday!  Either way, see you then!

  

A Surprise Anniversary Party!

As reported in the October 12, 2001 Comics Buyers Guide, the ladies of comicbookdom threw a party for Lois Lane Kent on the 5th anniversary of her marriage to Clark (Superman) Kent.

And what would they talk about at such a party nowadays?  Talk to you again on Monday!

  

Attention, Day Laborers!

Labor Day is Monday!  Before then, here are the calendar pages for September.

Don't forget, the year 1971 has the same layout as 2021, so you can print these pages, hang them in your office, and watch people freak out!

You Need Some "Innocence of Spirit"!

That's part of the observations of the reviewer of Star Trek: The Motion Picture in the January 16, 1980 issue of the magazine The Christian Century.

Well, that's the end of this month of TREKKING WITH CLIPPINGS.  Never fear, there're several hundred left in the ol' scrapbook scans folder.

See you on Thursday with who-knows-what.  First, on the First, you'll see the September PsychoFlairapy calendar pages for the month.

See you then!

  

Spock Dies or Not? Spock Lives or Not?

From the May 10, 1982 and May 18, 1982 Tulsa Worlds.

Waffle?  Let 'em twitch in the wind!

See you Monday.

  

As McCoy Said, "The Vaccine WORKS!"

Why won't folks believe him?

It's clipped from the December 21, 2020 Daily Oklahoman.  See you on Thursday.  Until then, stay healthy, and don't hitchhike on the wrong ship!

  

Nichols Says RIGHT ON!

That's because this was the name of the magazine that ran this photo spread.

Yup, everyone should have the same opportunity to make it to space.  Study hard and be a fitness nut, and you'll stand a better chance than I do!

For the record, this is from the June 1984 issue of Right On!

See ya Monday, fellow Trekkers, Trekkies, and Trekkettes!

 

For the Last Time: Hurrah!

From the October 8, 1991 National Enquirer:

We all know how "last" it really was.  See you Thursday!

  

I Think He Looks Sketchy Too

From the July 20, 1993 National Enquirer:

I ain't sayin' that at least once, Princess Margaret or the Queen Mother ain't gotten bombed, but that's between the porcelain throne and their security detail.

See you Monday for more TREKKING WITH CLIPPINGS!
  

Merch Trek, Part 1

Yup, crass commercialism reaches into Trekkies' pockets!

Didn't you buy a lot of bubble-gum packs?  I sure did!

Although I had a lot of the small figures, I never got the JC Penney bridge set.

Did you play this game?  We didn't have Vectrex, or any other game systems.

I must confess that when STII came out on video, I borrowed money from my boss to buy it, paying it back in bits, because Joyce would have gotten mad at me for blowing FORTY BUCKS on a video.

SOURCES OF THESE IMAGES:

• Topps Bubble Gum cards wrapper -- from 1979
• JC Penney Christmas catalog -- December 1980
• STTMP videogame review comes the September 1982 Video Review
• The ST II video ad ran in The Dallas Morning News of November 12, 1982

See you Thursday!