Convention memory

Seeing this post at The Comics Reporter reminded me of something that happened at a local convention back in the 80's. I was with a group of friends. My buddy Mike was not really a comic book fan but did have a few he liked. He usually went to store and conventions about comic books because he wanted something to do with us. However, this day he had a certain magazine that he was looking for. I don't remember the title but it isn't important. He did find it that day. Finally he found it at a price of something like $5. He told the seller..."Wow! It's worth alot more then that." He was surprised at Mike's reaction. The seller said "I'll sell it to you for more if you want." Mike just said no this price is fine. We all left the table and told Mike never tell them it's worth more before you buy it from them.

Dick Tracy strip part 2

 

Harmon's Galaxy by Jim Harmon

I just read the post on Old Time Radio at Booksteve's. He mentioned some books by our frined Jim Harmon. One book of fiction that he didn't mention as it didn't deal much with old time raido is Harmon's Galaxy. It is as wonderful book of fictional stories some ar about okd time radio characters. One is about an old masked texas avenger that is very enjoyable. So here is a shout out for the great writer and editor Jim Harmon. You can get a copy of the book at Amazon.com. 

Dick Tracy Strip 1990

In 1990 they produced a Dick Tracy movie starring Warren Beatty. The local papers in Cincinnati had not carried the adventures of the hawk nosed, yellow trenchcoat detective since the 1970's. With renewed interest because of the movie they started carring it again. From June of 1990 to April of 1991. Thankfully I collected almost all of them. I had hoped that the movie would have given them enough interest that it would have continued longer. However I knew that was not going to happen so for the first time in my life I collected a strip. I will put it up here almost daily. You should be able to click on the picture to enlarge it enough to read. I hope you enjoy it. 

Superman #283 1975

I just found this issue in the $1 bin at the local comic book store. I remember when I got this book but lost it over the years. For some reason I loved the cover story. It was a simple story of a man trying to find out who Superman is so he can blackmail him in to helping him. Of course it didn't work. What really gets your attention is Supes calling himself Chris Delbart. Everyone knows he is Clark Kent. Using his superspeed he is able to trick the man's tracking instruments to get new clothes. Of course the little used power these days is his superventriloquisim to make it seem that everyone was saying hello to Mr. Delbart. Now did you get a look at that suit on him? Did we really dress like that in the 70's? At least it isn't a leisure suit. 

Good advice for graduates

I have no idea if Mr. Gates really gave this speech but the advice I got in this e-mail is good. Not only for this years graduates but for anyone of any age.

Boy, do we need to hear more of this from the business world!


Love him or hate him, he sure hits the nail on the head with this! To anyone with kids of any age, here's some advice.
Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.

Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it!

Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.

Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

If you agree, pass it on.
If you can read this - Thank a teacher! 

The Young Rebels #1

Just wanted to show you the cover of The Young Rebels comic book. Maybe they can use this photo on the, hopefully soon to be released, DVD set. 

Do you know this man? the answer

It's Louis Gossett Jr. Early in his career Mr. Gossett was on a TV show called "The Young Rebels." At the time Mr. Gossett was just called Louis Gossett. A few years later he would add Jr. to his name and not long after his movie career took off. He has won the Oscar for best supporting actor for the movie "An Officer and A Gentleman." The above photo is from his role in the movie "The Deep."
"The Young Rebels" only lasted about 15 weeks. It was on Sunday nights where it competed against Lassie, Hogan's Heroes, Wild Kingdom and the first half of the Wonderful World of Disney. Unless they were going to change it's time slot, the show was doomed from the start. They never changed it's time slot.
The show took place in Chester, Pa. in 1777. Mr. Gosset played Isak Poole, an es-slave and member of the fictional Yankee Doodle Society. They sought to overturn British rule of the area. Network executives hoped that the rebelious youth of the late 60's early 70's would watch the show as they were trying to over throw the establishment of that time. At least that was the way the network executives saw it.
I was not part of the high school or college crowd they were trying to reach. I was an elementary school student and history buff. I only got to see one episode but I was hooked. However, it must have been the last episode as I never saw it again. I hope they release the series on DVD.
The photo of Mr. Gossett was from the comic book that Dell produced on the series. It was the first issue and I believe the only issue that they produced about the show. If you look above you will see the cover for the issue. 

Do You Know This Man?

It's time for that new game show...DO YOU KNOW THIS MAN? He is a famous actor. An Oscar winner. He starred in a little known and long forgotten tv show in the early 70's. Who is he? Tune in tomorrow to find out. If you are the winner you will win a lifetime supply of Rice A Roni the San Francisco treat. That is if you go to the store once a week for the rest of your life and buy it.

It's That Time Again 3

It's here! It's here! "It's That Time Again Volume 3 Even More New Stories of Old Time Radio" is finally here. In it is my first published short story. I won't tell you to get it at Amazon.com. I urge you to go to Bearmanor Media to buy the book. What kind of writer would I be if I didn't push my publisher's site. I will leave it up to you to decide how wonderful my story is about War of the Worlds meeting a colorful hero but if you don't like mine you may like Steve Thompson's Johnny Dollar/Duffy's Tavern team up. I am sure you will like stories by Jim Harmon and the others. So don't wait click away and buy it today. I just got my copy and it is wonderful. 

Do you know this man? The answer

The post yesterday of a man dressed in uniform was Eric Braeden. It was from the short lived action drama of the 60's "The Rat Patrol" He played the Nazi enemy opposite series star Christopher George. Mr. Braden went by his given German name in the series of Hans Gudegast. He changed his name and got duel citizenship in America and Germany since the series left the airwaves. However, you can get season one on DVD at Amazon if youi click on this link
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CCBCD0/qid=1143515627/sr=8-
1/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-7804148-0455939?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=130 

Do you know this man?

Do you know this man? He is an immigrant and he was a co-star of a dramatic series in the 60's. He has since become quite famous. Espically with a certain crowd of television viewers. If you don't know then come back tomorrow for the answer. 

What Guides Your Life?

Oh, how I love your law! I think about it all day long. Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, foot your commands are my constant guide. Yes, I have more insight than my teachers, for I am always thinking of your decrees. I am even wiser than my elders, for I have kept your commandments. I have refused to walk on any path of evil, that I may remain obedient to your word. I haven't turned away from your laws, for you have taught me well. How sweet are your words to my taste; they are sweeter than honey. Your commandments give me understanding; no wonder I hate every false way of life. Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path.
Psalm 119:97-105 NLT 

Rest In Peace Buck Owens

I just saw on Booksteve’s Library that Country singer and Hee Haw star Alvis Edgar “Buck” Owens died. Now Steve admits to not liking country music except for Buck Owens. I didn’t like country music either as a young boy. That is really unusual as I grew up in the country till I was about 13 years old. We lived across the street from a bar and fishing lake that played country tunes from people like Eddie Arnold and Jim Reeves among others. However, Mr. Owens music was not among them so I never heard of him until “Hee Haw” hit the airwaves. I had heard of Roy Clark and some of the other cast members but Mr. Owens came out of nowhere, at least to me, to be the co-star of a variety program. Mom and Dad told me he had hit records on the country charts and as time went on I found that to be true. He was known as a pioneer of the Bakersfield style of country music. It is ironic that the last song I remember hearing from him was called “Bakersfield.” Mr. Owens even has a link to the Beatles and the Monkees. His hit song “Act Naturally” was covered by the Beatles with Ringo singing lead. He and Micky Dolenz of the Monkees were two of the first people to own a moog synthizer in the USA. Not strong links but links none the less. It is understandable that Mr. Dolenz would get one as he was in a pop rock band and learned to play it very well for sound effects on songs like “Daily Nightly” and “Star Collector.” Country music didn’t sound as pop as it does today. So it surprised a lot that a country star like Mr. Owens got one. “Hee Haw” started out on network television as the country answer to “Laugh In.” “Laugh In” Ran from 1968 to 1973 on NBC with a brief try to bring it back in 1979 that failed. “Hee Haw” got the last laugh. It ran on CBS from 1969 to 1971. Normally for a TV show back then that would have been the last it would have been heard from. CBS canceled shows that had rural sittings as the audiences with more money were living in the suburbs and cities. “Hee Haw” however was one of the first shows to go into first run syndication and one of syndications biggest hits. The show ran until 1993. I remember watching the show when I was in elementary school. Then years I was waiting one night for a college buddy to pick me up I was watching it and it struck me that the show was on almost my entire life. That was in 1983. Mr. Owens left the show in 1986. It continued with Roy Clark as the solo host and in its 24 years it made Buck and Roy’s stars shine brighter and made stars of the Hager Twins, Archie Campbell, Grandpa Jones, Junior Samples, Lulu Roman, Kenny Price and others. It even spun off another show called the “Hee Haw Honeys.” That is something that “Laugh In” never did. “Hee Haw” and “Hee Haw Honeys” was also the first time that America started its love/hate relationship with Kathie Lee Johnson later known as Kathie Lee Gifford.
As I said before I was not a fan of country music as a young boy. I liked things like the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Monkees. Then as I got older a funny thing happened. A lot of those groups broke up and some of them did country music. We all know that Nesmith had a successful country music career. Ringo Starr released a country album as did Gordon of Peter and Gordon. Even the Bees Gees and Paul McCartney have done at least one country song. With all that I started to listen to country music. My Dad heard me one day listening to Mike Nesmith and the first National Band. He said I didn’t know that you liked country music and I told him well I like his music. I started remembering sitting on the front porch as a little boy listening to the music waft across the street as I enjoyed listening to it. I remembered watching Hee Haw and watching Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty and others. I found out that I had always liked country music. I had just been in denial. It got even more popular in the 1980’s as America was taken over by the Urban Cowboy era. It is sad that Buck Owens passed away. He left a legacy of good music and a lot of laughs and fun. I hope he is in Heaven pickin’ and grinnin’.
The above photo I got from this site.

Superman Fan Film

Ok I have replaced the Archies video with a Superman Fan film. It really is very good but they say that the new Superman film is the basis for it. Perhaps at the end but most of it is really based on the TV show Smallville. Click on the video link above to see it.