April Tricks from a Dead Trickster

G Gordon Liddy died at the end of last month.  He made a latter presence in talk radio.  He was a thug, a crook, and a very depressing example of the "any means is justified by the end" philosophy.  He instigated the Watergate break-ins, which in my opinion brought down the Nixon presidency and shoveled excrement across whatever good things Nixon may have achieved.

But Liddy also inhabited a big part of the public consciousness in the Seventies, including the October  1973 National Lampoon.

There are probably a lot of youngsters out there who don't know that CREEP was an acronym for the "Committee to Re-Elect the President."  Really! 

Of course, we all know that, when Dave Gibbons designed the Comedian for Watchmen (seen above in a concept sketch), he swiped the concept from the NatLamp story.

(They say that some Marvel character named Fury was also involved, but I don't see it.)

Hope to see YOU on Monday, campers!

  

Beany and Cecil’s Sea Monster

As a connoisseur of Western animation, I know a thing or two about Beanie and Cecil.

So when I saw the above sea monster, in Curious Woodcuts of Fanciful and Real Beasts: A Selection of 190 Sixteenth-Century Woodcuts from Gesner's and Topsell's Natural Histories, I immediately saw a resemblance.

“A resemblance to what?” you ask.

Why, to the “Monstrous Monster,” a classic “Bob Clampett car-TOOON!” from 1962.

Watch it on YouTube above!  You'll love it!

The MM enjoys such things as Ships-Kabob!

See you Thursday!

  

Seeing Things - Buffaloed!

I Been Buffaloed!

That is, I’ve been haunted by a buffalo the past few years.

You see, there’s a growth of vines – maybe honeysuckle – growing on a highway fence that I pass by nearly every day.

And, to me, it’s reminiscent of a buffalo silhouette. Look closer!

What do you think?

Here’s a side-by-side comparison. Am I crazy?

Don't answer that!  See you on Monday!

  

Godzilla vs Kong Silliness

            In the brand-monkey-spankin’ new flick Godzilla vs Kong, I noticed a few howlers.  We’ll start in reverse order as to their occurrence in the film.

            At the one hour and twenty-seven minutes point, Kong and Godzilla are squaring off.  Kong hangs out on top of a building.  Given his size, he’d have to weigh hundreds of tons.  I don’t think any human-made building could handle that kind of torque!

            At the one hour sixteen-minutes point, there’s a nice touch which was surely intentional.  As ol’ Kong charges his weapon, there’s an energy ring in the shape of the Worm Ouroboros.

Don’t you agree?

            At 22:17, Kong is taking a boat ride.  Didn’t anybody think that on a long ocean voyage, the poor critter might get a tad sunburnt?  I mean, even in the atrocious 1976 film had Kong riding under cover, in a converted supertanker.

I can’t believe this howler made it into ANY supposedly professional production. Am I the only person who can spell “disembowelment”? If they took away his porridge, THEN perhaps you might say the “Titanus Cranium Reptant” was disemBOWLED.

Well, there you have it, silliness running rampant in modern-day showbiz. Whoda thunk it? see you on Thursday! 

 

Welcome to April Foolishness, the 2021 Edition!

We'll start off this month of silliness with some pages from the June 15, 1988 issue of Amazing Heroes.

See you on Monday, with a look at some absurdities in the otherwise-pretty-good Godzilla vs Kong.

Remember, if you laugh at yourself, you'll probably be first in line!

  

April 1971/2021's Calendar Page

The fourth month of 2021 --- or 1971.

I can't tell you why this month is red!  However, one way in which 1971 differs from 2021 is in the placing of Easter.  This year, Palm Sunday was March 28, and Easter is April 4th.  Be warned!

See you on Thursday for the commencement of 2021's April Foolishness!

  

Crazy Ol' Ed Greer? I Never Met the Man

But I did collect his coupon, because Mazeppa told me so!

This would have been a great deal, but I never made it to any Greer Stereo Tape Centers.  What did I miss?  

Of course, if I'd've taken advantage of this wonderful offer, I wouldn't have this treat to share with YOU 50 years later!  You can tell, of course, that the coupon is made to fit as a vertical insert into a carboard six-pack carrier for glass bottles?

Like this one.  Well, this is the last post in this year's MARCH MAZEPPA MADNESS.  Tune back in on Thursday for the commencement of 2021's APRIL FOOLISHNESS!  Until then, a final LAWZEE! to all fellow Mazeppites!

  

The World Premiere of My Mazeppa Song!

Yes, some time in 1971, I decided that Mazeppa Pompazoidi needed a theme song.

It's supposed to be sung to the tune for the song "More," aka "The Theme from Mondo Cane."

I must note two important things:

1. I didn't spell "Mazeppa" correctly
2.  Being a clueless 15-year-old, I never did anything with the thing -- until now!
   

And now the whole world knows the truth about "The Mezeppa Song."  See you on Monday with another relic from the Seventies!

  

More Screengrabs from THE LOST TAPES OF MAZEPPA -- Volume 1

All of these images are from the opening credits of The Lost Tapes of Mazeppa, Volume 1, available here.

Above is Hoss Chopright.

Benny the Crusher dares you to knock the tattoo off his shoulder.

Teddy Jack Eddy prepares to hit you so hard your driver's license will have a black eye.

Sherman Oaks, Gary Busey, and Little Darlin' (Janie Jackson) on the diner set.

This is before the motorcycle accident.

Johnny Donut is ready to begin Dialing for Dullards!

I can't dance, so don't make me!

Swayve and de-BONER.

Members of the crew of "Mazeppa Show 73."

See you on Thursday with an authentic, unreleased, previously unknown bit of Mazeppa memory!

  

Born to Be Hardy?

In this article from the March 29, 1995 Tulsa World, John Wooley avers that Gailard Sartain is a natural to play Oliver Hardy.

I agree.  You may decide for yourself by watching the 1999 film The All New Adventures of Laurel & Hardy in 'For Love or Mummy' on YouTube.  

See you on Monday!

  

Love the Signs, Hate the Fish

One of the funnest parts of watching the Uncanny Film Festival and Camp Meeting is getting glimpses of Gailard Sartain's graphic genius.  So today we'll look at a couple of the silly signs he made for the diner set which was used for an ongoing set of silly vignettes.

Two tuna-riffic signs may be glimpsed on each side of Sherman Oaks as he sits at the diner counter.

Here they are in screengrabs from various skits.

... And here are my replications.  Are they reasonable facsimiles?  Let me know!

See you Thursday!

  

Lawzee! from 2005

From the October 14, 2005 Tulsa World's Sunday insert, called (evidently) Spot:

How in the world could 2005 be FIFTEEN YEARS AGO???  It was only yesterday!

See you on Monday, mon frere!