It's A Wonderful Life

It's time for the annual viewing of "It's A Wonderful Life". A movie that has become one of the most loved of all American films over the years. However, there was a time when almost no one had ever heard of the film. It was released in 1947. The first film for Liberty productions and I believe their only film. It was also the first film back for Jimmy Stewart after having been in the service in WWII. The star was in fine form but the film flopped at the boxoffice. It did get nominated for a few Oscars but was over shadowed by "The Best Years of Their Lives" After that most people forgot the film. Roughly 25 to 30 years later the copyright expired. Most stations on tv started airing the film as it was now free. There was hardly a time when you couldn't find it on. Especially at Christmas time. It was when I was in college in 1979 or 1980 that I first heard of the film. I am a big Jimmy Stewart fan and couldn't believe that there was a film of his that I had not at least heard of. Everytime I tried to watch it I was always too late. It had either just gone off the air or was on at a time I was too busy to watch. Rememer this was before VCR's were common in every household. Finally I got to watch it on a local PBS station. But I didn't see the movie at Christmas. No the movie that has become a symbol of Christmas I got to see it in the Spring. It didn't matter. I quickly fell in love with the film. It became my favorite movie. As it became more popular and was on every station every day during the month of December I started losing interest. This nice secret find of mine was now everywhere. Then something happened. NBC bought the copyright. Now only they can air it. It is sort of nice. Now you don't get an overdose every year. People of all ages have since viewed the film and became fans just like I have. So thanks to all those stations who aired it since the 70's and to NBC for cutting down on the dosage. But I still fondly remember and long for the day when on a local PBS station I found something truly wonderful.
As you can see by the photo above I have the DVD. If you wish to purchase it you can at Amazon. Just click here http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00062J00S/qid=1134265745/sr=11-1/ref=sr_11_1/104-6281411-6542349?n=130
or click on the title above. 

Hot Wheels Christmas comic

Nothing says Merry Christmas then being run over by Santa. I saw this cover on This Is Pop and since I previously posted about the Hot Wheels cartoon I just had to show it here. I should have known but didn't that there was a comic book based on the cartoon that was based on the toy. Whew! Talk about mass marketing! Not sure who did the cover art but it may have been Neal Adams. Parts of it look like his art and he was working for DC around that time. If you want to go to This Is Pop click here http://blogthisispop.blogspot.com/ or click on the title above. 

King Kong 1966 cartoon

Greetings from the frozen Yukon. Well it feels like that here with all the snow today. Just wanted to tell anyone, who has not gotten next week'sTV Guide, that with the release of the new King Kong movie they are releasing the 1960's King Kong cartoon series on DVD. A 2 volume set for $12.98 each. I really enjoyed it when I was younger and, though it may not live up to my memory of when I was 5 years old, it will be great to see it again. For more info on the series click here http://www.toontracker.com/kong/kong.htm to go to toontracker and read about it or click on the title above. Thanks for stopping by and keep warm. 

Betty & Veronica Christmas Spectacular 1980

Here is another Christmas photo. Sorry I miss some days showing these but I have been busy lately. The book is from 1980 and the stories are very good. It is amazing how fresh they keep these characters. My favorite is The "Nice" Time. Veronica decides that people should be nice all year long. Not just at Christmas. She gets all of the girls to do this. Everybody notices the difference. Mr. Weatherbee is shocked to find out that Veronica is even being tolerant even of Jughead. The boys compliment the girls in the new attidue. The only one that they didn't notice the difference in was Betty. The girls ask why can't she make and effort to be nicer. The answer from the boys was "You can't upgrade perfection." There are other funny stories like Veronica wearing a designer original. A red outfit with white fur and always had to remind people it is not a Santa outfit. The first story is a contest to find the best Santa at the Christmas party. Who wins? The real Santa of course. If this is at your local comic book shop it makes an enjoyable light Christmas reading. 

Hot Wheels Cartoon

Remeber this CARtoon. I sure do. Well I don't remember it as well as the people at toontracker. They reminded me of a few things. Two things I do remember are the song. I loved the theme song and to this day it sometimes plays in my mind. The other thing is that it is the first cartoon that the FCC said was really a commerical for the Hot Wheels toys. To be honest it was plain even for a boy of about 9 or 10 that it was also a commercial. But I didn't care. I already had the cars and loved the cartoon. However, that is what led to it's cancellation. It was a pioneer and blazed the trail for other cartoons like He-Man and G.I. Joe. If you want to see what toontracker has to say about it or other cartoons that aren't on anymore you can click here http://www.toontracker.com/hotwheels/hotwheels.htm or on the title above. 

Beyond Tomorrow

Her is your Chrismas photo of the day. This is an old movie that I found out last year. It was a steal at K-Mart for $1.99. It is Christmas Eve and 3 wealthy old men are lonely for company. They each toss a wallet out the window of the townhouse to see what honest person will return them and hopefully spend Christmas eve with them. A working girl Jean returns one then later an up and comming singer named James returns another. They both stay with the men. James and Jean are attracted to each other. Both become good friends with the 3 men and the men do what they can to help James and Jean become husband and wife. After all 3 men die in an accident their spirits linger on to help James and Jean. It is a wonderful story and if you have the chance to watch it you should. 

John Lennon

Alot of people have memories of the day John Lennon died. It is recapped well over at booksteve's site http://booksteveslibrary.blogspot.com/2005/12/lennon.html My memory is somewhat humorous. I was in my first year of college and living at home. I was getting ready for bed. My Dad was watching the 11 o'clock news. I can't believe I am putting this in print for the world to see but the story makes no sense without it. At the time I was washing and getting ready for bed I decided I should wash my feet. Now George Clooney's Dad was the anchor of the local news in my area at the time. I heard Nick Clooney say that John Lennon had died. I stopped what I was doing and watched the rest of the news with my Dad. At the end of the broadcast Nick said it wasn't long ago that the question everyone asked was what were you doing when you first heard about the Beatles. Now the question will be what were you doing when you first heard John Lennon had died? Right then I thought I can't believe my answer will be I was washing my feet. 

Flintstones Christmas Party

Here is the Christmas photo of the day. This is the Marvel edition with Hanna Barbera. The story is written by Mark Evanier and inked by Scott Shaw! It is pretty good. Fred is depressed at Christmas time until he decides to get gifts for the Bedrock Orphans. The problem is that he goes too deep into debt and will loose his home on Christmas if he can't pay back the money. Also, he fogot to mail out the invitations to the Christmas party. Santa knows of Freds problems and decides to help. He also sprinkles some Christmas magic on a tree that Fred decorated outside the orphanage. Santa gathers all the Hanna Barbera friends and with them and the orphans they are able to save the Flintstones home. If you can find this at your local comic book shop you should buy it. 

Sheldon Moldoff is still co-creator of Hawkman

I said in an earlier post that Sheldon Moldoff at a Mid-Ohio Con told me that the writer created Hawkman. I informed him that since he was the first artist to draw Hawkman then he helped design his look and was a co-creator in this post http://onmymind1.blogspot.com/2005/11/sheldon-moldoff-art.html
Well it seems he has been billed that way ever since. Here is what they have to say about Mr. Moldoff at the San Diego Comic Con International 2006 site.
Sheldon Moldoff
One of the Golden Age's greats, Sheldon Moldoff returns to Comic-Con after a few years absence. Moldoff co-created the original Hawkman and had a long run as the ghost of Bob Kane on many Batman titles into the 1960s. Moldoff's popular recreations of his work, drawn in full-color, are eagerly sought out by fans.
You can get the there site and see the guest for 2006 by going to this site. http://www.comic-con.org/cci/cci_guests.shtml Also, thanks to Mark Evanier of News from ME to providing the San Diego Comic Con International site on his site. You can go to Mark's by clicking here http://www.newsfromme.com/ See now everyone has a site.