Pop Culture Debris

Kung Fu Requiem

2009-06-07T15:06:00.000-07:00

Ashley Holt not only crafted the wonderful tribute artwork above, but writes about the death of David Carradine in a note perfect mix of childhood nostalgia, social commentary, and wry observation.

Who Knew Conan O'Brien Was In Such Great Shape?

2009-06-06T15:28:00.000-07:00

Perhaps I'm easily amused, but I think this cross-country opening of Conan's taking over the command chair at NBC's The Tonight Show is nothing short of brilliant. The monologue that followed ... er, not so much, but I've never thought of him as a "joke teller" so much as a humorous conceptualist anyway. I've read reviews that griped about the numerous sketches during this first week of shows, but the critics seem to be missing the point. Of course the show is going to have a different feel with a new host, and like or loathe Leno, his filmed pieces usually fell flat (or celebrated the woeful ignorance of the American public). Even if Conan stumbles from time to time, credit his writing and production staff with being as experimental as possible in a new time slot with a potentially new (and larger) audience.

TV GUIDE: July 2, 1977

2009-06-04T18:35:00.000-07:00

Borrowing (stealing) a page from Al Bigley's recent TV GUIDE-oriented blog posts, I dug out a vintage issue I had in the stack o' reading material for review. Nothing particularly special about this issue, at least on the surface - and what a ghastly surface to behold! Enjoy the awkward, yet strangely fascinating cover shown above featuring the stars of Alice! I picked it up at the flea market along with a handful of other issues for twenty-five cents a pop (not a bad price for instant nostalgia).

Here's three quick tidbits from inside this issue:

"Gaining nary a gray hair in the process, Wonder Woman will leap forward from World War II to 1977 merely by entering a disco time machine and ... sorry ... merely by switching the series from ABC to CBS next season. LYNDA CARTER as Wonder Woman will still assist an intelligence agent played by LYLE WAGGONER, but how does he stay young? Simple. He's now the son of the man Wonder Woman worked for 30 years ago."

First thought: Ewww. Second thought: This is the season where a so-called "cute" robot named Ira (?) was added to the cast. Final though: Shades of the Captain America/Peggy Carter/Sharon Carter love triangle, and if you don't have a clue what I'm talking about, you're probably reading the wrong blog ....

"New Version of Star Trek is On Launching Pad. Paramount Pictures is planning to produce 22 episodes of an all-new Star Trek to begin appearing in April 1978. It is part of an effort to create one night a week of prime-time programs on a proposed "fourth network' of independent and network-affiliated stations. Paramount has signed Gene Roddenberry, the original producer, to put together the new show at a cost of $400,000 an episode. Will Trekkie heroes from the original series be back? That hasn't been decided yet."

In other words, Shatner's in - he's tired of doing dinner theatre, but Nimoy's trying to get a piece of the action from the Trek-licensing machine at this particular junction of his career.

And lastly ...

"Paul Michael Glaser has returned to his role as Starsky in ABC's Starsky and Hutch. A lawsuit was in progress and two days of testimony had been taken when an agreement was reached between Glaser and the producers. In the settlement, the actor, who made $10,000 an episode last year and was to earn $12,500 for 1977-78, will get a raise and some directing assignments. His new salary is said to be $25,000 per show."

Shh! Settle down Glaser - do you want to give Nimoy ideas?

Seriously, do you?

Jaw-droppingly awful cover artwork copied from the good folks at http://www.coverbrowser.com/ ... lots of great magazine artwork (not including this example) to be found here!

Good!

2009-06-02T09:03:00.000-07:00

Instruments of Enlightenment

2009-05-23T18:30:00.000-07:00

For every op-ed piece such as this one as reported in The Nation, I find solace in the independent publishers who beat back against the tide, including Winston Salem's own Press 53 (which I highly recommend you click over and check out this very moment).

Still, having been a professional working writer for - my god - twenty years this June, I've lived through so many permutations to smash into the venues in which I've toiled (newspapers, comics, children's stories, paperback originals, coloring and activity books, newsletters, etc. ) that the one constant I can attest to when it comes to publishing is this:

For all of the constant visual and aural noise we are consumed by daily, the written word will always have value, and books will always have the power to move the mind, body and soul.

If the delivery method changes, then so be it - but I'm going on record now to say the sheer tactile pleasure of the printed word vastly outweighs the electronic screen. If that makes me a book snob, so be it - lord knows as a collector I do so love to cling to physical objects (he says without a shred of intentional irony).

Okay, enough literary musings ... next entry will be more whimsical (I promise)!

Walt Disney's War of the Worlds (In Color)

2009-05-08T13:16:00.000-07:00

Books Are No Passing Fad

2009-05-06T06:42:00.000-07:00

Against all odds, a new bookstore opens with an amazing back story (and back list). Click the above photograph to learn more!

Pending Birthday Gift Suggestion #1

2009-04-27T12:22:00.001-07:00

Burning Down The House ...

2009-04-26T13:50:00.000-07:00

... literally.

Thursday morning, approximately 3 a.m., I'm awakened by my dog barking, and in turn, a pummeling at the back door to warn me of potentially terrible news.

I staggered out to a warning of "Fire," that most dreaded of words. The abandoned house next door was in full orange bloom. I watched in slack fascination for a short time, than ran for the digital camera. The first of the photos shown above was taken through the dining room window (which is why you see the glare of the flash reflected back), before I stepped out into the side yard to feel the heat on my face, and peer into the unreal inferno.

The fire department arrived as I was stepping outside, and put the fire (which a mere sixty seconds before, seemed unstoppable in all of its horrible glory) down and out within minutes. Long story short -- no one was injured, my own house is fine and this tale is apparently of such little interest locally that the blaze didn't even make the local newspapers.

Still, I'll never forget experiencing such a dangerous vision so close to home.

"Rare" Convention Appearance

2009-04-18T12:56:00.000-07:00

I rarely attend conventions these days, but Chris Garbee of Untamed Worlds coaxed me out of con-retirement for the Roanoke Valley Comicon ... a one-day show in Salem, Virginia on Saturday, April 25th. I'll be there to hawk (er, sign) books and comics I've written, which range from recent Dreamworks hits Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar 2 and Monsters Vs. Aliens to earlier works such as Elfquest, Jimmy Neutron, E.T., The Ren & Stimpy Show and Explorers.

Hours are from 10 AM until 4 PM. Admission is $5.00 each and children 10 and under are free with a paid adult. The show has moved to a new location at the Salem Civic Center, offering a large con space (over 5000 square feet) with almost 50 dealers.

In addition to me, other luminaries include Andy Smith, Budd Root, Kevin Sharpe, Louis Small Jr and Matt Slay.

There will be an an art contest at this show. Paid admission is all that is required to enter the art contest (and a piece of your original art work, of course). There will also be free comics for the first 100 people through the door and hourly door prizes. The Salem Civic Center offers plenty of free parking, and, if you don't bring enough cash, there is an ATM on site.

Take Exit 141 of I-81 and follow the signs to the Salem Civic Center. And if you show up at my table and say "Pop Culture Debris sent me," I'll give you a free comic!

Why Neutral eBay Feedback Sucks

2009-04-18T12:30:00.000-07:00

So, another week goes by - another one of the scant few Andy Griffith biographies I have left sells on eBay.

The feedback I receive to go with my 100% positive feedback record?

"So no one else is disappointed:Bk has no Photos+Andy didn't sign-his writer did."

Of course, this is neutral feedback and not a negative, but it still stings. I have no way of responding on eBay in public, so I was going to email the buyer ... and then decided I didn't want to get into a war of the emails with an unarmed opponent.

That being said, here is my unsent reply, and why I think so-called "neutral" eBay feedback sucks:

Dear Disappointed,

Out of over 200 other purchases of this same book on eBay, no one else has been disappointed. I never have understood why, if someone isn't pleased with a item, why they can't be bothered to let the seller know. The book's description plainly says signed by the author. It lists no photos in the book and instead gives the name of Bill Neville, the illustrator.

Instead of leaving neutral feedback a simple request for a refund would have appreciated, and gladly given if not satisfied. Instead, to demonstrate your so-called cleverness, you have to leave a snide remark "warning" the world.

Somehow, I imagine you are the same kind of dimwit who leaves negative remarks about authors on the Amazon site in the Book Review section when you are upset over slow shipping or condition (both of which, let me add, since I know you don't bother to read descriptions, are things writers have absolutely no control over - those complaints should be directed at the seller).

Also, if you had an iota of savvy, you would know that a true Andy Griffith autograph isn't going to be selling on eBay for $14.99 in the first place. Griffith rarely signs anything, one of a multitude of facts to be learned in the disappointing book you purchased.

Sincerely yours,

Andy Griffith's Writer

There. Venting complete.

Dying Is An Art, Like Everything Else ...

2009-03-27T13:56:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me well enough to have read my poetry knows of the high regard in which I hold Sylvia Plath.

Ergo, a photo swiped from The New York Times website, along with an embedded link therein in which several luminaries debate "Why The Plath Legacy Lives."

Which is actually a rather painfully ironic title in light of Plath's death, as well as the recent passing of her son. A purposeful one? One hopes not.

Stories & Links of Interest

2009-03-19T15:46:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of ShelfTalker: A Children's Bookseller's Blog comes a photo list of "The Most Interesting Bookstores in the World!"

The New York Times takes note of the sudden interest in the chair that cushioned William Shatner's ass for three years (don't miss the piece of trivia from Shat stand-in Eddie Paskey that closes the article).

Apparently, I Have A Fan ....

2009-03-12T18:53:00.000-07:00

The Many Humiliations of Illya Kuryakin Part 2

2009-02-14T10:19:00.000-08:00

Poor Illya K! We all know that kinky torture sessions are as common as brushing your teeth when you are a licensed agent of U.N.C.L.E., but even my hardened eyes are shocked at this sight! Illya clones or evil twins? Napoleon Solo on the dark side! Barbie with bunny ears? What fresh hell has our long-suffering hero landed in the midst of THIS time?

A Muppet's Tale

2009-02-12T12:06:00.000-08:00

While screening the film A Knight's Tale today as part of a unit on Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, I was suddenly struck with who the character Wot (played by Serenity's Alan Tudyk) kept reminding me of ... so, for your viewing pleasure, I give you the lastest separated at birth candidates:

Wot

Beaker

Bonus Thurday Muppet content ... Mental Floss recently contributed a fun "Secrets of the Muppets" piece to the CNN website. I did remember Oscar the Grouch as being orange in his first appearances, but never knew Miss Piggy was from Iowa. I guess what enlightened minds say is true ... we do learn something new every day.

Star Wars Retold!

2009-02-04T07:29:00.000-08:00

The Grand Comic Book Database Project

2009-02-01T15:38:00.000-08:00

For friends and readers into comics, you can easily spend an afternoon enjoying The Grand Comic Book Database Project. I found a lengthy list of my own comic book writing credits (by no means complete, but an excellent start) ... even one or two I had forgotten about! Click the cover above to check out my incomplete resume!

Beatles NOT For Sale

2009-01-24T12:31:00.000-08:00

Click the cover artwork to learn more ....

Political Cartoon of the Day / Month / Year?

2009-01-20T12:45:00.000-08:00

Mike Luckovich of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution hits the mark of timeliness with verve and humor. The only Obama Inauguration cartoon to make me laugh out loud!

The Future of Publishing

2009-01-13T17:39:00.001-08:00

Some common sense ways to (hopefully) bring both readers and books into the technological age....

The Art of the Title

2009-01-11T12:24:00.001-08:00

Discovered while researching Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, this is my favorite new web destination. However, Mockingbird is only the beginning. A plethora of opening title sequences to a vast array of both television shows and films are analyzed here (from Deadwood to 300 to The Incredibles to Repo Man), along with the ability to play the credits sequences directly from the site!

Truly a place on the web in which one can become lost and spend hours.

Don't say I didn't warn you ....

The Best Television of 2008 Part 1

2008-12-22T19:44:00.000-08:00

This will be a reoccurring series of posts as I recall what I caught on the TV Eye this past year that moved me, inspired me, and made an impact that still hums loudly and truthfully in my mind. In no particular order:

Lost: "The Constant." Originally aired February 28, 2008. Time travel is a central theme of this series, but never has it been used to ramp up the emotional stakes as seen in this episode (which was indeed award-worthy for both an intricate script by Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindel and lead performance by Henry Ian Cusick). I won't bother to give a synopsis here, since Lost fandom has already obsessively done so at this link. I will say that anyone who caught this episode remembers it vividly as a high water mark of the fourth season that mixes suspense, romance and mind-bending temporal theory.

Mad Men: "The Wheel." Originally aired October 18, 2007. Okay, I know this technically isn't a 2008 show, but later in 2008 is when I first saw it and was moved to tears. I'm not sure watching the 13th episode season finale would work out of context, but I caught Season One in rapid order thanks to the magic of the Tivo and it totally floored me for a sequence that was heart-wrenching. Advertising executive Don Draper mines his own family photo album and un-admitted (until this moment) internal fears to pitch Kodak on how to sell their then-new slide projector. The Kodak crew have been calling the device "the wheel," until Don renames it accordingly.

As Jon Hamm as Draper delivers the monologue reproduced below, he clicks from slide to slide to accent his selling points ... tracking his life backwards as he (and we - the viewers) realizes that perhaps he does indeed love his wife, his children, and this life he has created for himself, and quite possibly has lost them forever. The editing is simple, the pictures used grainy and fully carrying that captured in the moment "family photo" look, and the musical underscore here is devastatingly sad.

One of several Mad Men scripts nominated this year for an Emmy award (the winner was the Mad Men pilot, which was also brilliant and again makes me think that the season finale has the greater emotional resonance only if watched in the proper order at the end of show - frankly, if Mad Men has not seen a second season, this would have worked as a series finale as well), this was simply put unforgettable ... with an ending that was equally so in terms of placing Draper in a life that he had (once again) created for himself.

DON: “Technology is a glittering lure, but there's the rare occasion that the public can be engaged at a level beyond flash, that they have a sentimental bond with the product. My first job, I was in-house at a fur company with this old pro copywriter, a Greek named Teddy, and Teddy told me the most important idea in advertising is 'new.' Creates an itch — you simply put your product in there as a kind of calamine lotion. But he also talked about a deeper bond with the product — nostalgia. It's delicate but potent … Teddy told me that in Greek, nostalgia literally means 'the pain from an old wound.' It's a twinge in your heart far more powerful than memory alone. This device isn't a spaceship. It's a time machine. Goes backward, forward, takes us to a place where we ache to go again. It's not called 'the wheel' — it's called 'the carousel.' It lets us travel the way a child travels, around and around and back home again, to a place where we know we are loved."

Atari 2600 Cartridges Forever

2008-12-09T20:09:00.000-08:00

IGN is reporting that The Venture Bros. Season Three DVD set will be arriving sometime in the upcoming New Year. While this year's 13 episodes were a mixed bag (High Points: "The Buddy System," "What Goes Down, Must Go Up," and "Now Museum, Now You Don't" - Low Points: "Dr. Quymn, Medicine Woman," and "Tears of a Sea Cow"), only a series as twisted as this would have a season premiere that focused exclusively on the fates of the arch-villain and his hot wife without nary a sighting of Hank or Dean, the so-called "heroes" of the show. Oh, and you simply have to love the retro packaging ... "Yar's Revenge," anyone?

Lots ... Big Lots

2008-12-02T18:41:00.001-08:00

Just an F.Y.I to fellow James Bond aficionados who don't fancy paying $$$ for their Bond DVDs ... the Big Lots retail chain is currently selling the ENTIRE series from Dr. No through Die Another Day (basically, every Bond film until Daniel's Craig's debut in Casino Royale) for a mere $4.00 each. Sure, these aren't Blu-Ray discs, nor the recent 2-disc sets with yet even more fine-tuning in the way of remastered picture and sound, but since the majority of the Bonds I already owned came from these initial "Special Edition" releases from MGM, my collection is now complete for under $20.00.

Frankly, Octopussy isn't even worth the $4.00 I just paid (see this previous entry of Bond as a literal Clown ... this after he swings from a jungle vine and gives a Tarzan yell and NO I AM NOT MAKING THAT LAST PART UP). Oh, and an extra "shout out" to the hacks within the MGM art department for the ghastly photoshopped cover. Nothing says license to kill like a ghoulish Roger Moore standing before a hellish landscape of fire, a helicopter, and some turrets. The original movie poster would have been a vastly superior choice. Both are shown below for your viewing pleasure.