OUR GANG & SUPERMAN MOVIE STAR JACKIE COOPER DEAD AT 88

Jackie Cooper, a top child star of the 1930s, dies at 88 - KansasCity.com

Somewhere in the Great Beyond, Jackie, Farina and Chubby are forcing Miss Crabtree's brother to wear a dress.

NEWS LEADER RUNS LETTER FROM OZARKER UPSET BY GARFIELD

Everybody knows that I find most of the Letters to The Editor in the Springfield News Leader to be the same old garbage day after day. The fact that the News Leader considers right-wing propaganda written by local hillbillies worthy of print bothers me. Not a day goes by without a media bashing letter. Within the last week we saw a return of the "Springfield-needs-to-stand-up-against-sex-in-entertainment" letters that have been a staple of the News Leader since the early 60's crusades against ballet on Ed Sullivan Show, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and the Normal Heart. Trust me, if any would be O.K. Armstrongs or Jean Dixons spring up, I'll be the first to make fun of them.

With that said, let us look at what will go down as the goofiest Letter to the Editor of the year. It was from Tad Pemberly of Springfield and tackled a serious subject. Apparently, a few days back Garfield said he loved tuna. Tad was upset.

"I find this one word to be the ultimate betrayal to all Garfield fans everywhere. Everyone knows that Garfield loves lasagna, not tuna. The statement that Garfield loves tuna is a slap to the face of all newspaper readers who have enjoyed the rotund tabby cat's 31 years of comic strip hilarity. Furthermore, this strip demonstrates Davis' lack of audience awareness."

Tad goes on to say, " To summarize, Jim Davis needs to put down the pen. This latest strip in a long line of offenses toward his audience is simply too much to bear for one reader. In addition, the comic strip editors of the Springfield News-Leader need to take better care in their reading to ensure the strips printed in their comics section do not offend."

In most areas of the country, this would be seen as a stupid letter. Bad part is this is the Ozarks. There will be about thirty letters that agree with this guy. The News Leader has published many letters from comic strip haters over the years. Dick Tracy and Spiderman were removed from the News Leader and Daily News in the late 70's because of complaints from tight-assed Ozarks parents. Throughout the 80's, the News Leader ran letters from people who hated Doonesbury and the Far Side. Also in the late 80s and 90s there was a crusade from a psycho-idiot (who claimed to live in a dumpster behind the Gene Taylor Main Post Office) to have the funnies removed from the News Leader because "life-is-too-depressing-to-be-enjoying-humor." Boo-hoo, cry me a river.

Reading this letter from Tad Pemberly reminded me the time Steve Allen read a Letter to the Editor of the New York Daily News criticizing artist Zach Mosley's Smiling Jack comic strip for "a lack of realism in dealing with aviation and sex." Allen would usually assign the name of a famous person to the letters he read to make a joke (similar to the e-mails on the Jim Rome Show). Allen said the letter was written by Milton Caniff, the artist behind the rival comic strip "Steve Canyon." Maybe Tad Pemberly is the guy who draws "Heathcliff."

I'm sure within a few days some idiot will write a letter to the editor entitled "Obama Brainwashed Garfield Into Say He Loves Tuna Instead of Lasagna." If I ran the News Leader I would run nationally syndicated liberal columnist instead of letters from crazy Ozarkers. Of course opinions like this are why I'm considered the Super Villain of the Ozarks!!! Mwu-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

DISNEY & MARVEL BELONG TOGETHER

I'm a little late on the Disney buyout of Marvel. Here is the Washington Post story. I know this has upset some Marvel fans and would have upset me too when I was younger. However, below is proof it was meant to be.

MICKEY MOUSE CLUB



MIGHTY MARVEL MARCHING SOCIETY




SPRINGFIELD HAD ITS OWN BATMAN & ROBIN

One of my reasons for majoring in media/broadcasting was to eventually write a horrible wrong enacted on children of the Ozarks. None of the TV stations in the Springfield market ever ran the Batman TV series in syndication. I mention this to anyone and get the same old "Ozarkers- don't-like-that-show" garbage (Of course, they get obsessive over the Andy Griffith Show). I began thinking about it and decided that probably when the Batman TV show went on the air in 1966, the Springfield News Leader ran an anti-Batman editorial and several pages of anti-Batman letters from "concerned Ozarkers" (or as I call them "right-wing nutcases"). So I decided to check the old News Leaders at the library to see if my theory was right. What I discovered was more interesting.

Apparently, the show spawned (as in the horrid film Dark Knight) Batman & Robin imitators.

Two Drury College students named Gary Griffin and Biron Valier, both from St. Louis, took on the roles of Batman & Robin respectfully. City Officials didn't find this funny and gave their Batmobile, a green Mustang, a parking ticket. HOLY SLAP IN THE FACE, BATMAN! If this happened today, I'm sure the Greene County Prosecutor would haul them into court for "upsetting an old person" or something.

I'm sorry about the condition of the photo and story, but that is what the microfilms at the Greene County Library are like. The outfits look good, but this story makes me think of the Ray Dennis Steckler film Rat Fink a Boo Boo.

I would love to know more about this story or hear from this Dynamic Duo, so I'll accept comments on this. However, if the comments are off the subject or not pertaining to this story, I will delete them because I'm still the Super-Villain of the Ozarks!!! Mwu-HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

RADIO/CARTOON VOICE OF LOIS LANE DIES AT 94

Joan Alexander, who was the voice of Lois Lane on the Adventures of Superman radio show, had died at age 94. She was also the voice of Lois Lane in the Fleischer and Filmation cartoons. Here is the Washington Post story about her.

Springfieldian Brad Pitt Nominated For Oscar - The Dark Knight Didn't Get Best Pic (HA-HA)

I was happy to see that The Dark Knight was not nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture since everyone knows I am world famous as "The Guy Who Didn't Like The Dark Knight." One Dark Knight fan said I "suffered from being a douche bag."

However, it was cool to see Springfieldian Brad Pitt nominated for Best Actor in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. All together Benjamin Button received 13 nominations. Here is CNN's report on the Oscar nominations.

Now, soon we will see comments on the News Leader message boards by a bunch of local redneck, right-wing jerks who will brag that they "Don't care about the Oscars" and "Ain't gunna watch'em."

I don't like this attitude. See I'm in radio. I feel I deserve an award of some kind, but unfortunately the companies I've worked for have never given me the recognition I deserve. I, unlike many in the local market, believe that I'm in the same league with Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Sean Penn and others. I AM A CELEBRITY! I AM A GOD WALKING AMONG YOU SILLY LITTLE MORTALS!

You people should have more respect for the Hollywood community. They deserve awards for what they do, unlike you plumbers, bankers, real estate people, insurance agents, tire store salespeople, youth ministers, gym coaches and other riff-raff. After all you Ozarkers are stupid enough to worship talk radio goons, that nerdy lady governor of Alaska and that bald plumber guy.

You people are going to watch the Oscars this year or I'll have to zap you with my death ray, which will reduce you to atoms for me to scatter to the fore winds. It is either that or I'll have my robot stomp your house. Mwu-HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Neal Hefti 1922 - 2008

He was the arranger for such Big Bands as Count Basie, Woody Herman and Harry James. He worked with Frank Sinatra, but he will be remembered for writing one of the greatest TV theme songs of all time. Neal Hefti, who wrote the theme song for the TV show Batman, has died at age 85 (according to AP).

He said it was the hardest writing job he was ever given, although it has the easiest lyrics to remember. It provided Hefti with his only Top 40 hit and was covered by such artist as Harry James, Nelson Riddle (who scored the TV show and 1966 movie), the Who, the Kinks, Jan and Dean, Link Wray, the Ventures and the Jam.

Hefti was also the writer of the Odd Couple theme song.

I Didn't Like The Dark Knight (but it didn't suck as bad as I thought it would)

In March, I predicted the Dark Knight would suck. This was based on the publicity photos I was seeing of Heath Ledger playing the Joker. I had a feeling this was going to be like that Hallie Berry/Catwoman movie a few years back. I took some flack about it from some fanboy. Last week, I decided since this has been a very popular (or unpopular) post, I would do the honorable thing and see The Dark Knight.

THE DARK KNIGHT DOES NOT SUCK - BUT I STILL DIDN'T LIKE IT. It was a very good, well-crafted, scripted and shot film. The cinematography is well worth the ticket. Heath Ledger's Joker is creepy and, at times, funny.

It still isn't the Batman I grew up with. Most of the The Dark Knight script was influenced by comics made after 1986. The exception was a story I remember reading when I was ten years old in a Batman digest. The story was from 1973 an entitled "The Joker's Five Way Revenge."

Even that story didn't have the body count of this film (However, there have always been rumors about the Joker in this story, which may have explained the Joker/Ledger quoting the line from Brokeback Mountain and his "nurse" disguise).

One thing missing that the previous film and TV versions, (Okay, I've still not seen Batman Begins) except for the movie serials, had that was a trademark of the comic books for many years - giant, working models of everyday items. I would have loved for Ledger to have killed several innocent bystanders with a sign in the shape of a giant ear of corn. He would have then said to Christian Bale, "I know. My humor is corny."

See I grew up preferring the stories of the 40's - 70's. The artwork by Dick Sprang (see above) and Carmine Infantino (SP) coupled with what one DC writer referred to as "the Chamber of Commerce Batman." It was this Batman that was on the TV show in the sixties and Saturday morning cartoons of the seventies. The Batman of my childhood doesn't sound like he gargles Draino. Actually he sounds like the mayor on Family Guy.

Also, once more (some one posted a comment that agreed with me on this) I ask "Why did the Joker look like he put his make-up on in the back seat of a school bus on a bumpy road?" I prefer the dyed skin concept from the comics.

However, I like the idea of a villain centered movie. How about DESDINOVA THE SUPER VILLAIN OF THE OZARKS movie?

Okay, Okay! I'll Go See The Dark Knight - If I Have Time

It has become one of the most read post on this blog of all time (Maybe the post about the Seeds song featured in the Axe commercial the most read. It is probably more popular). In March, I said that "I Think The Dark Knight Would Suck." I gave my opinion why and also admitted preferring the 60's TV show over all other versions. From photos I was seeing of Heath Ledger's Joker makeup I was not getting a good feeling.

Then I received an angry post from a Dark Knight-Fan named andrew (with a lowercase "A") who took me to task for judging the film before I even saw it. There was even a thread on the IMDB message boards about me (it has been deleted - Mwu-HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!).

I watched the trailer the other night at Campbell 8 theater before Get Smart (which I recommend) and I've decided, to be fair, I'll try to see The Dark Knight for a review. Are you happy, nerd boys?

Great Hera! Wonder Woman Finds a Floating Corpse!

The AP is reporting that actress Lynda Cater, who played Wonder Woman on TV in the 70s, was boating earlier this week when she saw a body floating in the Potomac River.

Here is the rest: "Lynda Carter tells The Washington Post she was alone in a boat when she saw the body Wednesday. She says she didn't have a cell phone with her, so she yelled to some fishermen and asked them to call police. Carter waited until rescuers arrived and directed them to the body.

District of Columbia police say the body of 47-year-old Helen Johnstone of Washington was found floating on the river Wednesday. The medical examiner's office has not declared an official cause of death.

Carter says she "did what anybody would have done." (snip)

At least it wasn't Steve Trevor. I remember a discussion with some classmates in college in which my friend Jennifer said she wanted to be Wonder Woman because she had "a man she had to take care of."

I Upset a Comic Book Geek and I Still Say The Dark Knight Will Suck

Every time I think I’ve posted something that won’t be controversial and provoke the wrath of a crazy person, I get a comment posted that proves why I don’t like comments. This time, a post I made in March about the upcoming Dark Knight has upset a comic book geek.

Let me say, I want to see Iron Man and the upcoming Incredible Hulk film, however, I’M NOT EXCITED ABOUT THE DARK KNIGHT. It just doesn’t look good and I especially don’t like the makeup job on the late Heath Ledger’s Joker.

Well, I found an unmoderated comment on the blog from an "andrew." I noticed "andrew" is what I call a ‘blog and dash’ person. He creates a Blogger account so he can leave and snotty comment on the blog that offends him. That is how I get most of my comments.

He starts off with a real intelligent statement: "First of all you may be suffering from being a douche bag." I "may be suffering from being a douche bag." As you will see in reading andrew’s (He doesn’t seem to know how to capitalize proper names), that is the pot calling the kettle black.

"2nd read a book and read history on wha batman is really suppose to be because nolan has figured it out." I own several collections of Batman comics from the early days on down. I was reading Batman comics before you were born. I probably know more Batman history than you have ever thought about knowing. I know all about how he was the dark figure of the night that carried a gun. I also know the Joker murdered his enemies, leaving them with a smile.
My favorite part: "i work for warner bro's as a PA, and ledgers makeup is supreme to what it is suppose to be. He is scarred in actuality, and the makeup just adds to the image because he obviously puts it on himself, he does not care what it looks like." OH YEAH! RIGHT! I tracked with Feedjit the views from today and the only person viewing the post about The Dark Knight was from Woodbridge, Illinois. Something tells me you are 22 years old and work at McD’s. The rest of that seems to make no sense.

The rest of this doofus’ tirade gets ugly: "Get your head out of your ass and go make some more web sites that just makes you sound ignorant and un educated. Yes i do study film, and you may not nonethelss, go watch the trailer again because you really need to if you took the time to make this website, and by the way did you try and justify the 60's batman show somehow? robin was real cool. Jesus"

I hate to tell you ‘andrew’ but I have two degrees from Missouri State University. One of those is in electronic media production. I have had several film classes and I’m quite a film buff. Also, I watched the trailer for The Dark Knight. THAT IS WHEN I DECIDED IT WOULD SUCK!
Okay, one thing I will point out to you, ‘andrew.’ Go find some Batman comics from the 50’s and 60’s. Notice how the Joker seems to act like an overgrown child rather than a murdering psycho and Batman and Robin are like Boy Scouts. Throw in stories involving aliens, time travel and those famous DC Comics talking gorillas and you’ve got the basis for the TV version. Frankly, the TV show along with the "New Look" improved Batman comics and paved the way for all the Dark Knight stuff of the Seventies and Eighties that you fanboys get all horny over.
AND WHY DO YOU PEOPLE HATE ROBIN? WHAT DID HE DO TO YOU? YOU KILLED ROBIN IN THE EIGHTIES, WASN’T THAT ENOUGH???

Why is it believe ‘andrew" is the guy who fired off the e-mail to the homophobic gym teacher over the Practice? Maybe I should start sending andrew's comments around as a chain e-mail.

John Phillip Law 1937-2008

CNN reports that actor John Phillip Law, the American actor who appeared in many foreign and domestic film in the 60's and 70's, had died. He was 70.

Here is his IMDB bio and credit list. One of the films he made was the 1968 Mario Bava adaptation of the Italian comic strip Danger: Diabolik. Here is part of a documentary on the film which includes an interview with Law about playing the super-criminal Diabolik. He also gives us a taste of Diabolik's trademark evil laugh. A mask criminal with an evil laugh who taunts the "good" people in government? Sound familiar?

I bring up Diabolik for a reason. Diabolik was part of a tradition of European pop culture of the scary, masked super-criminal/hero. I had at one time planed to write a series of stories involving a character which combined that genre with the American masked-avenger of the oppressed (Scarlet Pimpernel, Zorro, etc.). I decided my character would look like Diabolik. I "lifted" a picture from a fetish supply company's website of a person in a bondage mask and Photoshoped it.

I never got to write the stories (The character was to be called The Plague) but I wound up using the picture and evil laugh (Mwu-HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!) for this blog. So it could be said that Diabolik was the inspiration for Desdinova, the Super-Villain of the Ozarks.

If You Can't Get Out To See Iron Man This Weekend Watch This

"Hazel" and "Peabody and Sherman" Creator Ted Key Dies

Associated Press is reporting the death of cartoonist Ted Key. Key was 95.

Here is part of the story : "Hazel" was a popular feature in The Saturday Evening Post from the time it debuted in 1943. It evolved into a prime-time series in 1961 that starred Shirley Booth and ran for four years on NBC and one year on CBS.

Key also created the characters Mr. Peabody and Sherman for producer Jay Ward. The time-traveling dog/scientist and his boy made their TV debuts in 1959 in segments on the animated show "Rocky and His Friends."

In 1969, Key acquired the rights to his character from SEP. Since then it has been syndicated to newspapers by King Features. Key retired in 1993.

I had several books when I was a little super-villain that were illustrated by Mr. Key. I believe one involved a caveman sitting on a dinosaur egg.

Mel Brooks once said if Hazel was his maid, he'd half to kill her. Hazel would say, "Sure Mr. B!"

I Think the Dark Knight Will Suck

I'm sorry but I just have to say this at the risk of being called "old school," but from what I can tell this new Batman movie, The Dark Knight, is going to suck.

I know the extreme comic book nerds hate me because I prefer the 60s TV show because it had that subversive humor I enjoy. Also I never liked Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns. It looked like he drew it on a school bus traveling down a bumpy country road.

What I don't like so far about the new movie is the Joker's makeup. It looks like he put it on while riding in a school bus traveling down a bumpy country road. Too bad Heath Ledger's last great role will be as the Joker with the worst makeup job. According to this CNN report, the Joker IS wearing makeup. In the comic books and the 1989 movie, the Joker's weird look came about because of chemical dye (In the movie, he falls in to a vat and in the comic book he jumped in to escape police capture).

Also notice the dark look of the photos. I'm a little sick of the "Batman-lives-in-a-dark-world" concept. The TV show was overly bright and colorful because the TV networks were trying to sell color TV (I believe RCA dealers gave away Batman mask to kids whose parents bought a new color set). However, I believe if you are going to make a movie, the audience should be able to see what's going on.

I've not seen Batman Begins yet, so I guess before I see the Dark Knight I will have to see it. I don't know. I just think it looks bad.

Thank You Phil Morrissey!

Reader Phil Morrissey sent me this comic panel. Cool, huh! Better art work than the last comic panel that appeared here.