Chalk this one up to aging lettering legend, Artie Simek. Earlier in 1970's DAREDEVIL # 71, he had misspelled the word "forty" as "fourty." Here we see ol' hornhead tossing a statue at a fleeing helicopter just as the statue starts...TICKLING??!!
When Marvel was young, THE INCREDIBLE HULK, their second attempt at a super-hero monster mag was heralded with little messages along the bottom pages of their other mags of the time. Although now considered classic, that original series lasted all of six issues before being cancelled. A few years later, after the character had bounced around in FANTASTIC FOUR, SPIDER-MAN and THE AVENGERS, someoned nade the decision to give the feature a second try, this time in TALES TO ASTONISH. The only problem was that this was the home of 
Giant Man and the Wasp. Perhaps to soften the blow, Ol' Greenskin fought Highpockets in issue 59 as written by Stan Lee and drawn by Dick Ayers (note the in-joke sign from that issue). In the back of the issue, though, was this full page Kirby/Ayers ad (with a somewhat disproportionate and surprisingly placid-looking Hulk) announcing the coming of the feature that would eventually take over the book.
Six Random Things About Moi
No matter how you look at it, Linda Lovelace was a tragic figure on an epic scale. Her rise and fall in the public consciousness was discussed in some depth by Joe-Bob Briggs at the time of her 2002 death and it can be found here: http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/comment-briggs042502.asp. In short order she went in 1972 from a drug-addled "free spirit" who may or may not have been forced into prostitution to the toast of the town as the epitome of what was then called "porno chic." She hobnobbed with A-list celebs from Sammy and Frank to Hef to Linda Blair. Trying for a legitimacy that was simply beyond her limited and rather specialized talents, she appeared in a couple of flop R-rated pictures. After that, she made an ill-advised attempt at cashing in on her infamy by appearing in dinner theater sex farce. Specifically, she had a very brief run in Philadelphia in PAJAMA TOPS beginning in late 1973 (slightly more than a week), a traditional comedy of sexual misunderstandings. Based on an older French play, PAJAMA TOPS had been a minor success in various stagings over the years but the bottom line was sadly that Lovelace, appearing as the potential mistress "Babette LaTouche," simply couldn't carry her weight. It's a fun part later carried off slightly better in a filmed version of the stage play by--of all people--Pia Zadora. At leas
t one online report has the desperate Linda resorting to her old prostitution ways offstage during the brief holiday run (and being scammed by a bunch of well-to-do welchers at that!). She married her last husband around this time and when the play flopped she retired from show business. Several years later she would turn up again with her books full of controversial allegations. By the time of her car crash death, however, she was reported to be making money selling signed photos on the autograph circuit. For the star of what would be easily one of the biggest money-making films of all time (if anybody ever had any legitimate figures on how much money DEEP THROAT had made) Linda Lovelace never really made any money in show business at all. 
Unexpectedly happened on a used book sale at the Public Library today and, as befitting my name, I could not resist. Sometimes, these sales can be filled with treats and delights. Other times, there are bargains you just can't pass up. I did, however put back a 25 cent hardcover copy of Maxene Andrews' autobiography as the whole middle section was detached. Likewise, I did not take the Rolling Stone SNL book from the early '80's. Never thought it was worth full price and sadly, it didn't look like it was worth 50 cents to me today, either. 
got the bright idea of mounting it on Broadway. Tryouts were held in Los Angeles and San Francisco beginning in August of 1973 with tweaking here and there for the entire run. Pernell Roberts was a handsome Rhett Butler in a nice-looking toupee. Although not known as a singer, the legendarily "difficult" actor had, in fact, sung on several episodes of BONANZA and released at least one album. Lesley Ann Warren, who WAS known for musicals, was well-cast as Scarlett. Character actress Udana Power was Melanie with Terence Monk (whom I would see opposite Lucie Arnaz in SEESAW a few years later) as Ashley. Theresa Merritt who would, the following year, have her own TV series with THAT'S MY MAMA, played the controversial Mammy role.
British author Terry Pratchett, for those out of the loop, is and has been for many years to Fantasy what the late Douglas Adams was to Science-Fiction. His Discworld novels have long been fan-favorites and these
days regularly hit the US Bestseller lists. Awhile back, I purchased HOGFATHER, a 2 part UK TV movie based on one of the later Discworld books and enjoyed it quite a bit. More recently, I've had a chance to watch the paradoxically newer 2 parter based on th
e first two books, THE COLOUR OF MAGIC and THE LIGHT FANTASTIC! It's even better. The problem with any of these types of shows is the pacing. As a 2 parter, it can sometimes seem a bit leisurely and episodic. That didn't for a second keep me from enjoying this colorful concoction immensely!
tle travelling through space. There's also magic, dragons, assassins and a personification of Death voiced by the great Christopher Lee (who had previously voiced him in several UK animated Pratchett projects). 
one deals with Twoflower, a rich, lucky but naive tourist and Rincewind, a disgraced wizard in training who's appointed his guide. Jeremy Irons appears as does Tim Curry chewing the scenery as the main villian. Sean Astin stars as Twoflower. The major role of Rincewind goes, perhaps surprisingly, to David Jason who co-starred with Graham Chapman in THE ODD JOB b
ut is better known as the voice of cartoon characters DANGERMOUSE and COUNT DUCKULA. Well, perhaps NOT so surprisingly as Jason had also appeared in a different role in HOGFATHER and is listed as a Producer on this one! He gives the role a quirky, fidgety, mumbling, cowardly performance that delightfully steals every scene he's in, even with such legendary scene-stealers as Curry around. Nigel Planer (hippie Neil from THE YOUNG ONES) appears as seperate characters in both movies, also.
It is episodic but then so are the books. The special effects are well above 
those in the average TV projects and the humor is consistent and genuinely funny...and British. The characters are bizarre, too. A particular favorite is Cohen the Barbarian, an aged legendary warrior who is still a force to be reckoned with...especially after he gets his new choppers! Then there's the luggage..an anthropomorphized trunk with legs that follows its owner everywhere and saves the day more than once. 
Robin, the Boy Wonder, as we all know, is a dick...but in this case I do not mean Grayson. This 1950 solo ROBIN story is
from that series' relatively long run in STAR SPANGLED COMICS and features the only appearance (as far as I know) of Roberta, the Girl Wonder! The reason that this is Roberta's only appearance is, as previously stated, Robin is a dick. 
dreamboat. Robin (being, as we've said, a dick) is not amused and makes a point of explaining to her that, well, SHE'S A GIRL! And girls, of course, can't fight crime! 
eat, Robin ignores her and goes about his business leaving her to play the Wertham card as she poutingly accuses him of being gay! "What have you got against girls, Robin? Don't you like girls?" 
girl from the telephone cleaning service (WTF!!??). Eventually, she wears our Dick down and they go on a costumed superhero picnic. She pleads to see him without his mask and Robin actually agrees...pending the Dark Knight's approval, of course. 
er, ever trust her. 
n while it lasted, Robin patronizes her with, "Good girl. I thought you'd see it that way." OMG! He's such a...you know. 
One of my favorite defunct comic book companies was St. John which lasted throughout most of the 1950's. During this time, their main claim to fame was that they did the very first 3-D comics. They also published Joe Kubert's TOR, a MAD-like THREE STOOGES comic and WHACK, in my opinion the best of the Kurtzman-era MAD imitations. Kubert, as one of the companies main artists, often teamed with cartoonist Norman Maurer who had worked on the original DAREDEVIL comics in the forties. Together, the two of them actually appeared "on camera" quite a bit in an effort to create an identity for themselves similar to what Gaines an
d Feldstein had done at EC. 
Now this was a nice surprise. IDW has been putting out some particularly nice product but I hadn't even heard about this one when I traipsed into my local comic shop for the first time in months a few weeks back. WHATMEN is a MAD-style (read: Kurtzman and Elder-style) parody of WATCHMEN that act
ually works at least 90 % of the time. Oh, there's the usual ratio of just pointless silliness for these types of things but even then it's carried off well by veteran comics writer Scott Lobdell (not normally known for his comedic work). The art team of Alejandro Figueroa and Aldo Giordanelli does a splendid job of mimicking Dave Gibbons' signature art style and everything from the coloring to the lettering effectively evokes the original! I won't give away the gags because I want YOU to go get a copy and enjoy it for yourself. I will say that my favorite is the fact that Ozyma
ndias is portrayed as a grown-up Calvin from CALVIN AND HOBBES with his pet Bubastis as a Hobbes stand-in who is only seen as real from his point of view. At other times, he's simply a stuffed animal. Something tells me WHATMEN is ten times funnier than the real MAD parody.
In the Fall of 1966, ABC invested a lot of time and money toward Milton Berle's fourth or fifth attempt at a TV comeback. THE MILTON BERLE SHOW was Mr. Television's return to the variety show format that had made him a household word on NBC in the early 1950's. The show was produced by Bill (Jose Jimenez) Dana, written by at least one of Jack Benny's classic writers and some talented new guys. Berle hosted the then-annual look at the new 1966-67 television season for the network and to top it off, they even 
gave him the biggest possible guest he could have for one early episode--Batman! Then they even threw in Van Williams as the Green Hornet AND Bruce Lee as Kato at the start of THAT well-remembered series!
ith the rush to sign actors as villains on the two popular Fox shows, what if an actor was signed to play two different villains on both shows as they shot simultaneously on the lot! Thus we see Berle as the Liar (or rather more accurately, the "Riar."), an Oriental villain fighting Adam West's Caped Crusader only to be called constantly to the next soundstage where his Fink Pussycat goes up against the Hornet and Kato. We even get to see Bruce Lee in action if only for just a second.
...but even then it goes on too long. Still, since most BATMAN and GREEN HORNET fans were probably watching THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. on NBC, most fans still don't even know that this weird guest-appearance occurred. 
In the earliest days of television, nearly every city had its own chldren's programming "host." In some cities, they interacted with kids and in others they just introduced cartoons or taught magic tricks. Sometimes these hosts were clowns or cowboys or firemen or sailors. In Cincinnati, it was everybody's uncle...Uncle Al.
ever got to appear on THE UNCLE AL SHOW but I loved him nonetheless, watching it faithfully well past the point I should have "outgrown" it. My cousins were on it, my best friend was on it (her brothers, too!) and at least four other people I still know were also on it! I did get to see Uncle Al and Captain Windy in person on two occasions. Once, when I was about 4 years old, they flew into a nearby department store parking lot (ironically about 2 blocks from where I now live!) dropping styrofoam "snowballs" from a helicopter at Christmas. (I've often wondered if this inspired the famous turkey episode of WKRP IN CINCINNATI.) The other time was when I was about 13. It was on the very last day of Cincinnati's Coney Island amusement park when the two appeared in a musical revue spotlighting their four daughters.
