Two Questions: Comic Book Text Pages and Favorite Movies

Martinex1:  Today we have two questions for you.   Feel free to answer one or both - it is up to you.

QUESTION 1:  How much did the text pages, letter columns, bulletins, and checklists add to your comic collecting enjoyment?

QUESTION 2:  What is your favorite movie that is not science fiction, fantasy, or comic book related?  (Romances, comedies, musicals, biographies, and dramas are all fair game).

Rank And File: The Detective Shows of the Bronze Age

Martinex1:  You would be hard pressed to convince me that the golden age of television detective shows was not in the 1970s  through the early 1980s.  In my mind, the best shows of this ilk ran right along the same timeline as the comic book bronze age.   Maybe there was something in the air.

Whether police detectives or private investigators, I couldn't get enough of the crime procedural when I had control of the TV set.  In a previous post, I shared my admiration for Columbo, so that is a no-brainer to be on my top five list, but how would I rank my favorite detective shows and which did I consider the worst?   And how would you order your list?

Today we play Rank And File with crime shows of all kinds... and don't feel you have to leave out comedies or cartoons!

So here are my top five:

1) Columbo -  see my post from December 5th, 2016 if you have any questions about my perception of the durability of the rumpled lieutenant.
2) The Rockford Files - James Garner played a very nuanced and complex somewhat down-on-his-luck investigator.  He wasn't always politically correct.  He often found himself on the wrong side of the law.   He had bills to pay.  He got annoyed by inconvenience.  And he had a heart of gold.   The opening theme clinches it for me; every time I hear that music I have to tune in.
3) Quincy, M.E. - He was a Medical Examiner and not a police officer, but he investigated like one digging into clues and searching for scientific evidence long before CSI.   Jack Klugman was pivotal in the role; I could not grasp that he and Oscar Madison were the same guy.    I actually learned some interesting facts from that show and remember talking about Legionnaire's Disease in the fourth grade because there was an episode about it. 
4) Police Squad - On the heels of the movie Airplane!, the creators rolled out this comedy full of slapstick, puns, and site gags.   It was very short-lived and existed before the Naked Gun movies.  I thought it was hilarious as a kid.  And Leslie Nielson was great.
5) Inch High Private Eye - This Hanna-Barbera offering came out just as I was starting to get into my detective fascination as a wee youngster.   So it is a nostalgic favorite that most don't even remember.

And here is my "dishonorable" mention:

Mrs. Columbo - what were they thinking?  This was a train wreck.  It was like something out of Bizarro's world.  In 1979, following the end of the detective's series, the network cast Kate Mulgrew as the never before seen wife.   And that was mistake number one as she was way too young and not at all the character hinted at in the original great series.  She was suddenly depicted as a columnist with an eye for crime.   Between doing laundry, taking care of the children,  and working at the paper, she solved mysteries.  Huh?  Detective Columbo's car and rumpled clothing could be seen in the opening credits, but other than that there was no real connection.  If fact, in the subsequent season there were inferences to divorce and the title character's name was changed to Mrs. Callahan.  It was horrible in so many ways.

Redartz:  In all the cop shows and movies, the hero's partner always backs him up. No difference here; I'm backing up my buddy Marti! Backing him up with my picks, that is...

1)  Barnaby Jones - My dad always watched the detectives, and he got me hooked on this one. How can you resist Buddy Ebsen's homey drawl? An excellent theme song too.
2)  Columbo - can't add anything to what Marti already said about the show. Brilliant.
3)  Scooby-Doo - Hey, the gang were detectives, weren't they? After all, "if it weren't for those blasted kids... "
4)  Charlie's Angels - Never missed the show, at least for the first two seasons. Perfect representative of  70's pop culture. And I had such a crush on Kate Jackson.
5)   Police Squad - I'd almost forgotten about the show. A crime, as it was hilarious! 

So now it is your turn.  How would you rank these types of shows?   See the below photos for some ideas - but there are plenty beyond even this lengthy list to choose from.   Share your thoughts and let's have some fun!

Follow The Leader: Episode 3: Jim Shooter - Editor Extreme!

Martinex1:   Here it is Tuesday, and as we said earlier this week we need your help filling some gaps in our topic schedule.   So it is Follow The Leader time!   We will take any topic suggested and throw it out to the masses for consideration and conversation.   Most Tuesdays will be like this and we will be listening to our commenters and following their lead.   The challenge is to keep the conversation rolling and going, so keep in mind that sidebars, tangents, and non sequiturs are welcome!  Those only make the day more exciting.

So here are the general rules:

1) Whoever gets here first (or even second) post a topic starter in the comments that others can jump on and discuss for the day; supply as little or as much detail as necessary to get the ball rolling.

3) The range of possible subjects is broad - comics, movies, music, television, fiction, hobbies, queries, etc.  Try to have the topic touch some aspect of Bronze Age nostalgia if possible.

4) Keep it clean and family friendly.

5) All others...follow the Leader! Your job is to keep the conversation rolling.   (As I said - follow the topic wherever it takes you; a conversation started about comics may lead to comments on jazz for all we know)!

Note:  There is one caveat... if Redartz or I notice that the suggested topic is something we already have in the pipeline, we will let you know and inform you of the projected date for that subject for discussion.  That is just so we don't double up.   Hey - great minds think alike, right?

So get your big brains boiling -  it is your site for the day!

TV Guided: " Emergency!"

Redartz:  Emergency! No, there is no urgent crisis underway here at the ol' BitBA. Rather, we are revisiting one of my very favorite tv shows from those swinging 70's. "Emergency" was sort of like "Adam-12" but with firemen and emt's (then known as  paramedics). This figures, as "Emergency" was created by Jack Webb, R.A. Cinader and Harold Bloom, who were responsible for "Adam-12" and "Dragnet". However, it was an hour-long program, as opposed to those two half-hour 'cop shows'. 



"Emergency" was a bit of a departure from the medical shows I'd seen before. And I'd seen many; my parents were a doctor and a nurse, and they loved "Marcus Welby", "Medical Center" and such shows. But "Emergency" got me hooked as it featured much more action than those other medical dramas. Exciting rescues from burning buildings, car crashes, plane crashes, explosions, all those crises that appeal to the attentions of a kid. The show also had quite a few humorous touches, from the interactions between the staff at Station 51 to the odd 'rescues' the guys would sometimes be summoned to. 




Of course, much of the credit for the show's success and appeal was due to the strong cast. Centered generally around paramedics John Gage (played by Randolph Mantooth) and Roy DeSoto (Kevin Tighe), along with the rest of the crew of their station ( among them fireman Chet Kelly , a frequent source of comic subplots). Additionally, the show prominently featured events at Rampart General Hospital, led by  Dr. Kelly Brackett (Robert Fuller), Dr. Joe Early (Bobby Troup) and head nurse Dixie McCall (played by Troup's real-life wife, Julie London). The rapport between paramedics Gage (single, and often with some scheme in mind)  and DeSoto (married, and more levelheaded) was  
evident , and presaged the "buddy flicks" that came soon after. 

"Emergency!" lunchbox

One of the strengths of the show was its authenticity. Probably due to the influence of producer Webb, the show used actual equipment ,  procedures, and terminology; even going so far as to cast actual firefighters among the Station 51 crew. And the rescues presented on the program were well-filmed and convincing. Watching Gage and DeSoto climbing a towering construction crane to save an injured worker became a queasy, acrophobic  experience for the viewer as well. 















"Emergency"s blend of action, drama and humor made it popular enough to become a Saturday night fixture for much of the decade. No small feat, as it was scheduled against perennial ratings winner "All in the Family". Indeed, the show was sufficiently popular to inspire an animated 
Saturday morning version, "Emergency Plus 4". I watched both shows faithfully, eager to see what disaster would be encountered cach week.




 A few favorite episodes featured:

 Gage being bitten by a rattlesnake while on a rescue 
An explosion and fire at Rampart Hospital
A thankful patient rewarding the crew of Station 51 with a sackful of cash, which they weren't supposed to accept



Finally: the show had one of the coolest openings on television: 

Any other fans of the show out there?   "Squad 51, KMG365, over"...

Happy New Year! BITBA Preview Edition!

Happy New Year gang!   We hope 2017 is incredible, amazing, and even uncanny for you and your families!  Cheers to all! 

The years have flown by, but here we celebrate the nostalgia and happiness back in the bronze age while looking forward to a brighter future!

So after enjoying this selection of New Year's (and past years') covers... skip to the end of the post for some previews for the coming months on this site!

So now let's rip down the curtain and share a few things that you can expect in the new year at BITBA coming to you from Red and Marti (and any contributors that decide to join in).

• In TV GUIDED expect to see some discussion around some classic television programs including but not limited to:  EMERGENCY!,   Land of the Lost  Bewitched, The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries, Kolchak: the Night Stalker and much much more!
• In THIS & THAT, plan on more reviews and discussions with Red and Marti around series and comics such as Marvel Two-In-One, The Micronauts, E-Man, Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man, Batman, Atlas-Seaboard comics, What If, Mad Magazine, Avengers #160, and other Bronze Age classics. 
• In PANEL DISCUSSIONS, we will have plenty of fun while also taking a close look at the art of Sal Buscema as well as the styles of many talented and varied inkers.
• In FUNNY BOOKS, we will join in some mayhem with Dennis the Menace and others.
• Redartz will take us for a ride on the RETRO METRO on at least a monthly basis to explore pop culture in the year of choice.
• We've got plenty of things to RANK AND FILE this year, so be on the lookout for various rogues galleries, mystery books and shows, back-up Avengers, and monster movies!
• OFF THE BOOKSHELF has much to browse through, including the old Marvel novels, Encyclopedia Brown and kid detectives and explorers, and other gems.
• We've got more questions than you can shake a stick at during the TWO QUESTIONS posts throughout the year.
• In BRAVE OR THE BOLD, expect some classic DC/Marvel/Charlton/Atlas-Seaboard match- ups for characters, villains, and even creators!
• And between SHORT CUTS and CHEW THE FAT we've lined up a number of quick topics for you to sink your teeth into.
• In February, get your rampaging under control for HULK WEEK!  That's right - for the first time ever, a whole seven days of posts around our favorite gamma irradiated creature!  Day in day out, we intend to smash the internet with Hulk conversations!
• Over at THE QUARTER BIN, watch for the Inauguration Special $1 Challenge in late January - which was a spectacular suggestion from one of our frequent commenters from across the pond!  He supplied some fantastic covers to consider, so we will spotlight his contribution on the 20th.
• And on that topic, we will need your help for topics during nearly weekly forays into FOLLOW THE LEADER.   We cannot do it alone here at BITBA! Coming up with new and fresh ideas every week can be challenging. so we hope you will  be prepared on most Tuesdays to take the reins and start the discussions rolling.   So be prepared for Tuesday mornings (at least most Tuesdays) for a rambunctious round table!   And remember, we will share guest posts as well if you have anything in mind (comic reviews, movie and book analysis,  stories, convention notes, collecting memories, etc).   Just contact us at backinthebronzeage@gmail.com to submit and contribute. And don't be concerned about telling us what you think.   Feel free to comment and make suggestions on other books you think we should review, TV Shows you would like to see explored, and other general topics.  Let us know what you look forward to most.  Also, follow us on Twitter @BackintheBronze if you like that type of thing.
• And every Sunday, feel free to pipe in to offer suggestions for television programs, movies, books, comics, and websites that other bronze agers may enjoy!  Sunday is our time for recommendations and sharing!

So once again, Happy New Year!   Thanks for visiting our site!   It is exciting to see we are nearing 100,000 page views after only a couple of months, so please keep on visiting.  And don't be shy, we encourage all friendly comments and opinions.