Bingo's Telephones

Remember Bingo? That Wilkin Boy? In spite being little more than a hipper Archie clone without the romantic triangle aspect, Bingo was successful enough to hold his own comic book--which began in 1969--throughout the 1970s. He's even been revived from time to time both in cameos and in reprints in the numerous Archie Digests. It's there where I spotted this story. 

Take a quick look. Notice anything? Now remember that nearly ALL of Bingo's stories were made in and took place in the 1970s. This one is credited to Frank Doyle and Stan Goldberg. While Stan just left us recently, Doyle passed in 1996. 

So...do you see it? 

The telephones! 

There are NO curly cords attached to the receivers and what appears to be a crudely added antenna can be seen instead! Also the dials have been fairly nicely replaced by pushbuttons! Rather than confuse today's young readers with something many of them may never have seen, today's Archie is retouching elements from past stories before reprinting them!

UPDATE: I found the original pages for comparison!

In Search of Spencer

As some of you may recall, I've been working on a project with former LAND OF THE LOST star Kathy Coleman. Well she's also been working on a project with her former co-stars. Click through to YouTube to see this widescreen trailer completely.

Marvel UK Art From the '70s

 

Wally Wood's Panels That Alway Work--The Official Print!

We've mentioned this on the Wood blog before but I don't believe it's been mentioned here. The Wallace Wood Estate has taken Woody's oft-bootlegged "22 Panels That Always Work," originally assembled by former Wood Assistant Larry Hama, and turned it into a lovely, cleaned up, compact, slick paper poster print. If you work at all in doing comics, studying comics or just enjoying comics, this is something to consider for yourself for your workspace or even as a holiday gift this season.

Copies of the poster and (other Wood books and merchandise) can be ordered here:

http://www.vanguardproductions.net/Woodprint2/index

Happy Birthday To Roy Thomas

On Facebook, time permitting, I often try to make little personalized birthday messages. Since Roy Thomas--one of my all-time favorite writers of comics, comics history or anything else, isn't on FB, I sent him this one today and he liked it. Now back to work. I'm actually spending the day transcribing and interview someone did for Roy's ALTER EGO!

Weird Mystery Tales and Me

You can preview the first two pages of my article on DC's WEIRD MYSTERY TALES coming up in January's BACK ISSUE MAGAZINE here. You can also order it there. And while you're there, Twomorrows is having a 50% off sale on many of their great publications. Check 'em all out!

Superior Duck

I can't seem to find out much on SUPERIOR DUCK. It was produced by Chuck Jones. It was made in either 1991, 1992 or 1996 depending on the source. It was theatrically released with...? 

While I have no personal memory of it at all, it's mildly amusing and features Frank Gorshin doing a fine job (contrary to what some YT users say) as both Daffy Duck and Foghorn Leghorn. Other Looney Tunes characters cameo including Road Runner and Coyote, Tweety, Taz, Marvin the Martian and Bob Bergen's Porky Pig. The real surprise though (Spoiler!) is the Superman cameo at the end (See above). Certainly looks NOHING like Jones' style but still...

Here's the whole thing. Watch out for a bootleg version where someone has had the temerity to redub Gorshin's lines!

Catwoman in the Seventies

Internet issues are preventing me from being able to be online consistently. While we wait, here's a look at the unique Catwoman of the 1970s Filmation cartoons. Seen with her is Clayface who was in the animated opening credits to the '66 series but never mad the actual show because his powers proved too complicated to depict in real life.

Jack Kirby's Superman

Let's start your week with a rarely seen unadulterated SUPERMAN portrait from Jack King Kirby, also featuring Jimmy Olsen and DNAlien Dubbilex.

Bowie In a Strange Land

From 1973, here's a piece about how David Bowie was set to play Robert Heinlein's famous alien who comes to Earth in the film version of STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND.

Never happened. 

Instead, three years later we get Bowie as an alien who...well...falls to Earth in THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH. A consolation prize, maybe?

The Worst of Eerie Publications

Here's another new, just out last week book that I worked on behind the scenes recently. Compiled and edited by Mike Howlett for Yoe Books' ongoing Chilling Archives of Horror Comics, this hardcover collects stories from those gory black and white magazine comics that used to litter the stands next to the classier CREEPY, NIGHTMARE, PSYCHO and VAMPIRELLA. Included is the one story that everyone seems to remember from their nightmares--a little acid-tinged hippie ditty from Archie artist and Kirby inker Chic Stone. This stuff took what Dr. Wertham warned America about and made it a reality...then cranked it up to 11. You can order a copy here:

Frazetta On Prayer

Keeping in mind that I self-identify as Neo-Pagan, nonetheless may I present this lovely Frank Frazetta PSA from the 1950s.

Snoopy, Bill Mauldin and Veterans Day

I'm not sure when it started but at some point PEANUTS creator Charles Schulz began giving a shoutout to noted WWII cartoonist Bill Mauldin every Veterans Day. My Dad, himself a WWII vet, always loved those running tributes and would always talk about "quaffing a few root beers" like Snoopy in a  toast to his fellow veterans. 

Thank you, all, and Happy Veterans Day.

Wilbur Ad

Happy Anniversary Robin Hood

One of my favorite stories since childhood, from Howard Pyle to Doctor Who, this particular Disney version sadly has a negative connotation for me since I was, in fact, robbed while watching it! Seems a ne'er-do-well who knew 14 year old me from school was sitting a few rows ahead and decided to come and beat me up right there in the theater for my money! Nobody helped. Not the guy I'd gone with, not the ushers and certainly not the other filmgoers who were yelling "Sit down. You're blocking the picture!"Sigh...He took about $5.00 I had, then casually walked to the emergency exit and left the theater. I complained to the management in tears and it seems like they refunded my 75 cent admission price and gave me a free Coke. I stayed and finished the movie and the asshole apparently moved away (or was SENT away) within the week. Needless to say, I couldn't enjoy it nearly as much as I had hoped to!

Samantha in Japan

Like many major US celebs, Liz Montgomery appeared in Japanese TV ads for a big paycheck, here reprising her role as Samantha in a couple some 10 years after the final BEWITCHED episodes had aired in the US. She did a total of 8.

1950s Fawcett Ads

More Superman and Nick O'Teen

Yesterday's PSA post proved so popular that here's more from the UK anti-smoking campaign with Superman from 1980.

Two Rare Superman PSAs

Real World Reminder: Don't Forget to VOTE Tomorrow!