JLA #31 "Going Home!"

And with this cover, we come to the last issue of "my" bilingual JUSTICE LEAGUE series.
I dated the day I actually finished inking it: May 29, 2001. Twelve years ago? Have I really been out of Japan that long? It seems just like yesterday....

Happy Birthday, Burt Ward!

Today July 6 is Mr. Burt Ward's 68th birthday. Yes, believe it or not, the adorable Burt Ward was 20 when the BATMAN series started filming in late 1965. He turned 21 at the height of its popularity. That means he's about 20 years older than I am! 

He must have thought he had struck a gold mine when the first ratings came out and the quirky show was a huge hit. Everybody who was anybody wanted to be on the show. The guest villains read like a Who's Who of Golden & Silver Age Hollywood. It was a feast for the eyes and the senses. However, after less than three full years it petered out and was unceremoniously cancelled.

Most people thought it would whither, die out, and disappear. Actually, the opposite happened. Like STAR TREK, it never really went away. It went into syndication almost immediately and became stronger and stronger over time. Look at me, for example. I was too young to watch it during its first-run period; I watched it on re-runs every day after school on KDNL-TV Channel 30 in St. Louis. My guess is that it is on air somewhere in the US every single day. 

Burt Ward took all of this hoopla in stride. He tried to find other acting work, but was typecast and realized he had to make a living some other way. He became a real estate agent, among other things. He wrote a very amusing book called MY LIFE IN TIGHTS. And he travels to comic-book conventions; recently he and Adam West traveled together on the Wizard World Convention circuit. I only met him briefly during his time in Columbus, but I did get to hear them talk about their adventures. They seemed happy and nostalgic for their experiences. 

Happy Birthday, Burt Ward! 

Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)

I tried to think of a patriotic movie I could review for Fourth of July Film Friday, and then it hit me: James Cagney won his only Best Actor Oscar for his role as George M. Cohan in Yankee Doodle Dandy. I had never seen it, so I decided this would be the perfect excuse.

On the one hand, it's a great 1940s musical. The numbers are fun and over-the-top (now I understand why in all The Little Rascals shorts I watched as a kid, every time they "put on a show" they had to go over-the-top!). The songs are all by Cohan, which means they are catchy and fun. The acting is top-notch, of course.

On the other hand, it's a 1940s musical, which means the story is simplified. For some reason, Cohan's actual older sister is made into his younger sister for the film. The whole story is told, literally, by Cohan to President Franklin Roosevelt. In 1936 Cohan was given the Congressional Gold  Medal, the first civilian from the artistic world to receive the award.  It is this honor that is shown as the reason Cohan is called to the White House, although it is obvious that the US is in the midst of WWII at this point in the film.

For what it is, the film is highly entertaining. I especially liked the bit where Cohan tells people he is popular because he gives the people what they want, because he is OF the people. He travelled extensively as a child and did not consider himself just an East-Coaster or of any particular region, but as an American. This might be Hollywood make-believe, but with James Cagney espousing it, it sure does sound good!

The highlight for me (especially this week) are the especially patriotic songs: "Yankee Doodle Boy," "You're A Grand Old Flag," and "Over There."  The scene where Cohan is singing "Over There" to a group of troops when their power goes out is especially powerful and quite well done. Just thinking about these songs makes me have them in my head, which I guess this week is not a bad thing.

If you don't like song-and-dance, you might not like this movie. If you like any of the songs I just mentioned, though, you'll like this movie. And by gosh, that Cagney kid can sing, dance, AND act!

Directed by Michael Curtiz

Screenplay by Robert Buckner & Edmund Joseph
Story by Robert Buckner
Dance numbers staged by
Leroy Prinz & Seymour Felix
James Cagney's dance routines by John Boyle
Music & lyrics by George M Cohan

 

Happy Independence Day 2013!

Read any good Declarations lately?
Best part:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. That they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

And yes, I'm writing that from memory (but I did verify it, haha).

To read the actual document, go here: http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html

Happy Fourth of July, everybody!

Captain America

Seeing as how Wednesday Comics comes on July 3 this year, let's talk about the most patriotic character in all of comics....the one-and-only, often imitated but never duplicated CAPTAIN AMERICA.

I don't know the history of this character other than that Joe Simon and Jack Kirby created him in the fall of 1940. They were against the Nazis and what was happening in Europe at the time, although the US was not yet at war. The cover of Captain America #1 (shown here) has Cap knocking Hitler in the jaw.

Think about that for a minute. It's easy to imagine this scene now, some 70 years later. However in 1940 this was Cap hitting an actual, sitting leader of a well-known country! According to Joe Simon's autobiography Marvel got complaints and for awhile he and Kirby had to have police protection at their studio. Still, the comic sold more than one million copies.

From that austere beginning Captain America has been a part of the US popular culture almost non-stop. He existed in the Fifties for a few years, but was retired when the vast majority of super-hero comics were cancelled. He returned in The Avengers #4 (1964) and has been around ever since.

One of my favorite runs on his book was during the Watergate Scandal, when Cap questioned his allegiance to the US. He actually dropped his Captain America identity for a few issues and was known as Nomad. He eventually realized that America is more than just who happens to be President at any given time and resumed his Cap identity.

Personally, one of the reasons I like Captain America is because of his origin. He was scrawny, weak Steve Rogers but he still wanted to help the war effort. He couldn't enlist (4-F) but he was determined to help out in some way. Scientists use him as a guinea pig for their Super Soldier formula, and the rest is history. The important point, however, is that he *used* to be the bullied. He wasn't one of the privileged, rich, jock types; he was the bullied kid who eventually turns the tables on the bullies.

Another good Captain America was more recent. Immediately after 9-11 he appeared in several Marvel Comics as a type of focal point. One of the best stories from this time had him come across a group of bullies who wanted to beat up on a Muslim teenager. Cap stood up for the kid and basically told the bullies, "Americans don't do that. We don't stoop to the other guys' level." THAT is why Captain America is cool.

  

Happy Birthday, Jan Smithers!

When I was in high school I watched WKRP in Cincinnati every week. I did not have a crush on Loni Anderson; no, I had a crush on Jan Smithers as Bailey Quarters.
WRKP only lasted four years, 1978-1982, but in that time the ensemble cast were each featured in special episodes that highlighted their characters, and Jan Smithers was no different. She started out as a cypher that nobody noticed, but blossomed into a well-rounded news professional.

Jan Smithers became famous when a photograph of her on a friend's motorcycle was made the cover image for NEWSWEEK in March 1966. Then she appeared in several TV-movies and as a guest-star on such shows as Hotel and Love Boat. By 1987 she had basically retired from acting.

Tomorrow July 3 is Jan Smithers' birthday. She will be 64 years young.

Happy Birthday, Jan Smithers!

I hope to see you in something again soon!

the Newsweek cover that "made her a star"

 

with WRKP co-stars Tim Reid and Gary Sandy

 

with WRKP co-star Richard Sanders

 

the closing theme from the show with stills of the stars

Happy Birthday, Florence Ballard!

Florence Ballard, arguably the founder of The Supremes, was born on June 30, 1943. Unfortunately, she died tragically on February 22, 1976.

Here is her being recorded talking about how she left the group in the spring of 1967. It's sad to hear it because 1. she was forced out and 2. she's no longer with us. I can't really hear the interviewer, but her voice is strong and clear. I can just imagine somebody saying, "Girl, you're drunk and fat!" and her coming back, "Sucker, I had two beers and I'm a big girl. Get out of my face!" haha!
Unfortunately, she was not meant to be the superstar she should have been.

I often think of Flo when during the course of my life I get into arguments based on ego or pride; do I try to work with "my Diana Ross" or do I take the high road? Flo's life is an education, but I'm never sure what the lesson is. All I know is, the more I know about Flo and The Supremes, the less I like listening to some of their later songs.

Happy Birthday, Florence Ballard!

Thank you for gracing us with your wonderful presence!

Six minute interview about her last performance in 1967

and how she was mis-treated leading up to her firing

Motown Promo video featuring The Supremes, Holland-Dozier-Holland in the

background, and Berry Gordy