The Brave or the Bold: "...Tragedy Tomorrow, Comedy Tonight!"

Redartz:  Good day, and welcome! One of the great strengths of the medium of comics is the versatility it displays. No less than film, books or television, comics can entertain, educate, shock, inspire, tug at the heart and tickle the funny bone. It's the last two that we are dealing with this time.

More specifically, the subject is to consider the ability of our favorite characters to star in both stories  of drama and stories of humor (hence our title above, with a nod to Steven Sondheim). I'm sure that all of us could , given a character, come up with a stirring dramatic story featuring said character. The challenge is to also recall an entertainingly humorous tale as well! As an example, I'll start off. And the subject of my picks are my old favorite, Spider-man.

Spider-man is ideally suited for this subject. At various times, and by different creators, the character has ranged from comic to tragic, usually blending both in the same story. Some of you may bring up other examples from Spidey's backstory, but I'm going with "The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man" as my dramatic entry. A short story, half of ASM 248; but with volumes of impact. Without spoiling anything (in case any of you haven't read it), the story tells of Spider-man's meeting with a young fan. The tale, by Roger Stern , Ron Frenz and Terry Austin, perfectly captures the essence of Peter Parker's heroism and humanity. And I defy you to read it without getting a lump in the throat before you're through.









 
On the other hand, my humorous pick is a comical gem. "Untold Tales of Spider-Man" Annual from 1996, by Kurt Busiek, Mike Allred and Joe Sinnott, is a perfect example of Spidey's capacity for fun. The story of Peter's date with Sue Storm caps a hilarious battle of egos between Pete and his friendly nemesis, the Human Torch. Some of you might recall that I did a full review of this book some time ago; the book is worth another mention. Brilliantly written, and perfectly illustrated, "A  Night on the Town" is guaranteed to give the reader a giant size dose of laughs.
And that's just one (two, actually) example of a character who carries tears and laughter equally well. What others can you think of?

TV Guided: Incidental Music- Setting the Tone...

Redartz:  Hello everyone! This week we shall look at (listen to) some television music. And not Theme music, which is a subject all its own (and which we have addressed previously). Our topic is incidental, or background, music. You might consider it the soundtrack of a tv show. 

While theme songs often come quickly to mind (some qualify as genuine ear worms- think "Gilligan's Island"). background music may be virtually unnoticed. However, that background is crucial to the success of any show. And in some cases, the incidental music can truly stand out, and even become a major element of a show's appeal. 

Today I give you two examples of shows with phenomenal background music. Hopefully you all will offer up some additional musical recommendations (I'm always looking for more music to load on the ol' tablet, and incidental music is perfect for so many activities). But for the moment, let's listen to "Spider-Man" and "Lost in Space".

Any of you who have been following BitBA for awhile will know how highly I regard the 1967 Spider-Man cartoon. Indeed, I did a post about it. Well, one of the big draws to the show is the music. Many of you will be familiar with it, especially the music from the first season. Ray Ellis, who composed the classic theme song, also provided the incidental music used throughout the show (and which was also used in the second and third seasons). Loaded with great 60's surf guitar licks, his music really enhanced the web-slinger's adventuring. But the music from the later episodes was excellent, as well. Provided by a group of UK artists known as KPM, the later seasons music was stunningly cool and loads of jazzy fun. Syd Dale, Johnny Hawksworth, David Lindup, Johnny Pearson and others; such were the names behind the following musical examples. Enjoy...

 Incidental Music from "Spider-Man" 1967

 Don't know about you, but I'm feeling stoked already. And we're not done, next up is a sampling of music from the Irwin Allen classic "Lost in Space". Some of you may know that the familiar theme music (both versions, actually) from the show were composed by John Williams. Well, the show's incidental music was largely William's work as well. If you've seen the show, you know that the music ranges from positively creepy to breathlessly exciting to hilariously humorous. It sure provides evidence of John Williams' versatility. I still remember as a youngster watching the show; the suspenseful music accompanying the inevitable appearance of some monster would always send me hiding behind the sofa. This show's music is popular enough that it's been released repeatedly on cd as a full soundtrack. I haven't picked one up yet, but it's on my list. See what you think...

 Incidental Music from "Lost in Space"

 

And there it is, two shows with magnificently memorable musical accompaniment. Do you concur with my praise for these shows? Or am I off base? What other shows featured some great listening behind the dialogue? It's all up for discussion, and you are on the speaker list!

Chew the Fat: Tech and the Bronze Age...

Redartz: As we all sit around conversing, we are making use of various tech devices- smartphone, tablet, or laptop. Some of us may even have come to take such items for granted (not me yet, I still find myself amazed at the capabilities of my phone these days). But one thing we all have in common is the memory of a time before such innovations were available. We had surely seen the concept of high technology- in the form of Reed Richards' room-filling devices and Tony Stark's famous suit. But we largely hadn't experienced much technology beyond the television and radio.


 

 'Back in the Bronze Age', we gradually gained access to certain technologies. I recall when pocket calculators were introduced, and thinking they were pretty amazing (and remember that they were not allowed in school, the thinking was we wouldn't learn math calculation if we relied on a device). 









 


We had some early electronic games- remember Pong? First encountered this at our local bowling alley. My pals and I thought it was incredible, actually playing something on a tv screen! Little did we know what lie ahead within just a few years...

And somewhat later in our Bronze Age, the first home computers were introduced. I can remember looking at the Tandy computer ads from Radio Shack in the comics, and thinking I'd likely never be able to get something like that. Turns out I was wrong, but it took awhile. I never actually touched a computer until the late 90's when my wife's workplace provided  one on which she could work at home. It was pretty intimidating at first, but addictive. And I taught myself to type on the tutorial during a period of unemployment , which turned out to be a very wise endeavor. A couple years later I was back at school, learning electronics along with a bunch of other middle age career changers; and I was one of only a few who could type. Made those research papers much easier. And of course it makes blogging much quicker, too...

So.......what are your thoughts on technology? What were your earliest encounters with it? Video games? Were you one of those who got into computers early on? How did tech affect you, and your interests (cataloging my comic collection is infinitely easier now than it was in the 70's, all on index cards).  Discuss anything tech, from tech-inspired comics and movies to your first cellular phone. Now pardon me while I go charge my tablet...

Sound and the Fury: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow- The 'One Hit Wonders'...

Redartz:  Don't know about you, but I've been listening to a lot of music lately. Which is saying something, as I listen to quite a bit of music during 'ordinary' times. Anyway, among the extensive tunes by the Beatles, Steely Dan and the  Moody Blues, I am also enjoying the likes of The Champs, Terry Jacks and Jump 'n' the Saddle. To clarify, those charming acts known collectively as 'one hit wonders'. Incidentally, the singular hits from those acts just mentioned were "Tequila", "Seasons in the Sun", and "The Curley Shuffle".  But you knew that.

Those single-hit sensations take numerous forms. Some represent the sole chart appearance of an act with a more extensive catalogue. One such example is Thomas Dolby, who gave the word "She Blinded Me With Science". Some know him only from that excellent tune, but I found his album cuts most enjoyable. 

Some one-hitters are basically novelty hits. The above- mentioned "Curley Shuffle" fits that category. And then, other one hit acts are just that, acts that made one brief splash and then disappeared into the ether. Anyone remember Clint Holmes and "Playground in my Mind"? 

So, here for your auditory assessment are a few of my favorite 'one hits'. What other such hits do you remember (or prefer to forget)? What acts do you know of that had great material that went undiscovered  by the majority of the listening public? And perhaps you might even consider some acts that should have been 'one hit wonders'; that is, they should have quit while they were ahead.
Let the discussion  begin!

Norman Greenbaum: "Spirit in the Sky"

Daddy Dewdrop: "Chick-a-Boom"

Rockwell: "Somebody's Watching Me"