Wild Cards

Future bestselling fantasy author George R. R. Martin was involved with the BEAUTY AND THE BEAST television series in 1988 (or was it ’89?) when he appeared at the San Diego Con, unfortunately conflicting with what was billed as "An Afternoon of Hellfire and Brimstone with Harlan Ellison." Only one thing could make me pass that up and that one thing was WILD CARDS. WILD CARDS was a then-new book series which postulated a world in which comic book-style super heroes were real. A virus from space (dubbed the Wild Card Virus since you never knew what you would get) landed on Earth and caused mutations. Some people were killed—melted, bones turned brittle, etc. Others were given weird abilities by the virus and chose to use them to their own ends, These were called jokers. Still others chose to use newfound powers and abilities for good. They were called Aces. WILD CARDS was done as a series of interconnecting short stories by different authors including Martin, Roger Zelazny and a number of newer writers. Eventually, Martin developed the format of what was called the "mosaic novel" in which the characters appeared no longer in separate stories but simply in individual sections of a single, book-length narrative.
Jetboy was already a hero on Earth when Dr. Tachyon arrives. Other characters include the Great and Powerful Turtle, the Sleeper, Kid Dinosaur, Chrysalis and Fortunato. That day in San Diego, only a handful of us came to hear George R. R. Martin so he eschewed the stage and we all simply sat around in chairs in front of it talking…mostly about WILD CARDS. The series, like many things, outstayed its welcome but the early volumes were terrific. Marvel did a graphic novel series that went nowhere some time back and, with the author’s current bestselling popularity, some of the early WILD CARDS volumes were re-released in trade paperback just a couple years back. I eventually sold my original copies but today I picked up later printings of the first two volumes at a library used book sale. These contain nifty Tim Truman covers and as I read once again of Jetboy this evening, I recalled how much I enjoyed these books two decades ago. Thanks, George.

Technical Difficulties

Today's technical difficulties are brought to you by the letter "A" for "AAARRGGHH!!" In an attempt to delete my non-working Google Ads, I accidentally deleted my blog. Restoring the code restored the blog itself only now my profile, links, etc. are all down at the bottom of the page and my banner appears between each entry. Any suggestions anyone? In the meantime, here's another piece of my Paint art.

Peter Sellers is Jacques Clouseau is James Bond

No real story here. Just that that 007 piece yesterday reminded me of this great still of the late Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau in the classic James Bond intro stance. When you consider that Sellers was one of several actors who played Bond (or a variation thereof) in the 1967 parody version of CASINO ROYALE and that now three actors have appeared in films as Clouseau, making it also a Bond-like franchise...well, I just thought it was kind of ironic, amusing and interesting, okay? Come to think of it, sometime superspy Roger Moore also appeared as Clouseau in the dreadful grave-robbing Pink Panther movie, THE TRAIL OF THE PINK PANTHER. I guess what goes around comes around...and it goes around and around and around and it comes out here.

Yoe, Craig!

One of my favorite folks is eccentric humorist, cartoonist and comic and cartoon historian Craig Yoe. I first discovered him when he had a column in TBG (or was it CBG by then?) back in the proverbial day. In 1999, he published one of my favorite books from my Library, CRAIG YOE’S WEIRD BUT TRUE TOON FACTOIDS! The book is a collection of more-or-less random bits of minutiae and trivia on comic books, animated cartoons, newspaper comic strips old and new and any and all related fields. One reason why I enjoy the book so much as I’ve been told that I ALSO am a collection of more-or-less random bits of minutiae and trivia on comic books, animated cartoons, newspaper comic strips old and new and any and all related fields. It may be a slim volume but within its hard covers you’ll find Milton Caniff’s nudes, Basil Wolverton’s portrait of Ben Franklin, Mel Blanc’s headstone, a flashing Pikachu and rare and/or previously unpublished art by Chuck Jones, Dick Ayers, Joe Shuster and dozens of other artists all laid out in a RIPLEY'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT style format!
I JUST recently discovered that Craig Yoe is now blogging with Arf Lovers Blog and, as you might expect, his blog is a colorful, eclectic mess of wonderful ephemera! I must warn you, though. Stay away if you’re easily offended. Despite his having been long-connected with the Muppets, Arf Lovers Blog is NOT an all-ages blog. Recent posts have offered a BARNEY GOOGLE Tijuana Bible and a topless model done up as WONDER WOMAN. Since I no longer manage a bookstore, I also missed another book, MODERN ARF as well as a forthcoming follow-up, ARF MUSEUM. With his obsession on cartoon trivia, I can’t wait to see what he’ll come up with next!

My First ADVENTURE in Print

I sent my very first letter to a comic book in 1966. It was mailed to GREEN LANTERN and it had been dictated to my mother as handwriting was still, at age 7, a practiced art. I dutifuly bought all of the subsequent issues looking for my letter but to no avail. Letters to SUPERBOY and a few other DC comics also went unpublished. Finally, though, in the late summer of 1968, a pivotal year by anyone’s definition, my very first letter was printed in ADVENTURE COMICS number 374.
According to my memory, I had written a long, in-depth missive regarding the nuances in characterization and continuity seen in the new eleven page LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES story in issue 371. Someone—most likely Assistant Editor E. Nelson Bridwell, apparently slashed it down to the few lines seen here. Either that or this really was all I wrote and I had forgotten by the time it was printed. Hey, I was nine by that point, okay? Whaddaya want? Irene Vartonoff? TM Maple? Even Bob Rozakis had to start somewhere!
Re-reading issue 371 today, it is quite a good one, breaking the mold in a number of ways. After being sent back to the Legion Training Academy, Colossal Boy is blackmailed by criminals into stealing Legion secrets. Bouncing Boy, now a trainer there, catches him and in a subsequent trial, he is expelled by newly chosen leader Ultra Boy. Since more than half of the book is filled out with a reprint (which also inexplicably gets the cover!), I’d presume someone had a problem with the "Dreaded Deadline Doom," perhaps artist Curt Swan or inker Jack Abel (whose ultra clean inks had been seen on SUPERMAN at that time, also). I can’t get through to GCD right now but I’d guess the story was by Jim Shooter, boy wonder comics writer. Shooter’s stories were often characterized by their non-standard (for DC) ways of looking at characters. The story itself concluded in the following issue’s book-lengther in which Timber Wolf and Chemical King (a new character but one whose fate was already known from the infamous "Adult Legion" issues) are inducted and we see the return of Legion traitor Nemesis Kid (as well as the young Lightning Lord).
Now that you’ve seen my earliest published work, don’t forget to order your copy of my most recent, THE DUFFY’S TAVERN MATTER found in Jim Harmon’s IT’S THAT TIME AGAIN 3. Order your copy today from Amazon, B&N or directly from http://bearmanormedia.bizland.com/ Tell ‘em Booksteve sent ya!

The New James Bond-1968

The trailer for the new James Bond thriller, CASINO ROYALE, went on line this week ('Casino Royale' Exclusive Trailer Premiere - Moviefone) and I’m sorry to say I was not particularly impressed. If Timothy Dalton was a Sean Connery type and the more polished, self-effacing charm of Pierce Brosnan echoed Roger Moore’s 007, then Daniel Craig may well be the new George Lazenby.
Let’s go back to October of 1968 when LIFE Magazine presented the finalists of the first "New Bond" sweepstakes and then announced Lazenby as the winner. It’s fascinating to see actual moments from these gentlemen’s screen tests. Of the bunch, De Vries and Rogers had both played monsters on DOCTOR WHO and Richardson, with a fake beard, appeared opposite Raquel Welch in Hammer’s ONE MILLION YEARS, BC a couple years earlier. He was probably the favorite or at least thought so.
George Lazenby, an Australian model, got the role and did a passable job in what many fans say they would consider perhaps the best Bond of them all if only Connery had done it. Although he claims in the piece to be looking forward to the hoopla, it didn’t last long for him as this was his only starring film. Connery returned for one more Bond and then the role was recast with former SAINT Roger Moore. Lazenby would turn up in odd places over the years including in a fun cameo as essentially James Bond in the TV movie, THE RETURN OF THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. and in several appearances as the main character’s father in the series THE PRETENDER. It’s a shame he doesn’t work more often because he seems a much better actor now.

Happy Birthday, Kim

Today is my friend Kim's 23rd birthday. It's been a bit sad for me as we've not been on speaking terms lately (for all the usual pointless, stupid reasons) but I felt the least I could do is to make sure that my readers all over the world KNOW that today is my friend Kim's birthday. She doesn't read my blog but if anyone sees her and knows her, say Happy Birthday from me! We now return you to your regularly scheduled pop culture stuff!