Chew the Fat: Aquaman!

Martinex1: The Aquaman movie is due out around the holiday season.  And a lengthy trailer was recently released (check it out below).  What is your opinion of Aquaman - from his comics to the JLA to the Super Friends?  Do you think the DC movie universe will have a hit with this one?  Or do you think they may have missed the boat again?  Let's Chew the Blubber today as we discuss Aquaman all day!

TV Guided: Afterschool TV!

Redartz:  Think back to your school days. After a long day full of books, papers, pop quizzes, broken pencil leads, teachers and bus drivers, you finally return home and lay down your backpack. What do you do next? If you were like many of us, you grabbed a Pop-Tart and went for the television. After-school programming was a staple of many local television stations for many years. It may have been reruns of old sitcoms, game shows, or cartoons. And it may have involved some local tv talent, hosting a kid's program to lock up the afternoon audience. 

Growing up in central Indiana, our afterschool viewing often involved independent station WTTV out of Indianapolis. "Channel 4" always came in a bit rough at our location, some static. But that didn't matter to me, I tuned in to watch their two kids show hosts: Cowboy Bob and Janie. Both these programs featured lots of cartoons, along with animal visits, puppets, bad puns, visiting children, and all the usual kid show elements.

"Cowboy Bob" Glaze

Janie Hodge

Cowboy Bob was assisted by his dog "Tumbleweed" and by "Sourdough, the Singing Biscuit". Janie also was surrounded by puppet helpers, and commonly presented Popeye cartoons during her show. 
Both these shows, and the hosts that made them memorable, are a fond part of my youth. 

And, of course, there were other afterschool offerings. Reruns of  "Gilligan's Island", "I Dream of Jeannie", "The Munsters", and many other 60's staples were found on the local channel. And when I got to High School, I'd return home to catch "The Gong Show" which conveniently started just after the bus dropped me off. Homework could wait; Chuck Barris couldn't. 

So what programs did you enjoy upon getting home each day? Were there local hosts that you followed? Grab a seat and share...

Riding the Retro Metro: Saturday October 3, 1970!

Redartz:  Greetings; welcome once again to that ever friendly ferry to the past- the Retro Metro. Today we go all the way back to the beginnings of the Bronze age, to the year 1970 (and yes, I know we're off by a day, but such distinctions matter little in time travel, eh?). Most of us were pretty young then, or even only potential humans. Nonetheless, there was much to be enjoyed back then. Being kids, those of us around then were perhaps less caught up in the social turmoils of the time. I was certainly aware of the Big Issues of the day, but my personal world was more centered on entertainment (and dinosaurs, but that's another story).

So, as we begin our excursion, we note the mammoth hit song on top on the US Billboard Pop Chart: Diana Ross, "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"

Number one for three weeks now, it is Diana's first chart topper since leaving the Supremes. And it proves the Motown hit machine just keeps on rolling.

Rounding out the top five:

2,  Creedence Clearwater Revival, "Lookin' Out My Back Door"
3.  Dawn, "Candida"
4.  Neil Diamond, "Cracklin' Rosie"
5.  Bobby Sherman, "Julie, Do Ya Love Me"

Neil Diamond, "Cracklin' Rosie"

All these songs are common accompaniment to the daily school bus rides. In particular, I like CCR's hit , with the line "...dinosaur patrolling, listening to Buck Owens...". What a mental picture. And that Neil Diamond song is very catchy.

Others of note:  Jackson Five, "I'll Be There", I know that song primarily due to watching their cartoon show.  The Carpenters, "We've Only Just Begun", a big hit for this breakout brother and sister act. The Spinners, "It's a Shame", some great soul sounds. Eric Burdon and War, "Spill the Wine", some very odd sounds. Ernie (Jim Henson), "Rubber Duckie"- my parents bought my brother, sister and me the Sesame Street LP. This song is on it, and here it is; actually on the radio too!

Tops in the UK:  Freda Payne, "Band of Gold"


But hey, this is Saturday, and you just know where all of us kids will be found this morning; parked in front of the television with a bowl of Cap'n Crunch. Here's some Saturday morning highlights:

ABC:  Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp; Here Come the Double Deckers, Hot Wheels, The Hardy Boys, American Bandstand

I've watched all these shows. Lancelot Link- how can you not like chimps as spies? And the Hardy Boys show features familiar characters from the book series ; my library of those Hardy Boys mysteries is growing. Then there's Hot Wheels: the toy cars are the best; they're all over my room. So naturally watching the show would follow. I made it a point to pick up two of the featured cars from the cartoon- the Demon and the Jackrabbit Special...

Hot Wheels Opening

CBS:  Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Hour, Sabrina and the Groovie Goolies, Josie and the Pussycats, Archie's Funhouse, The Harlem Globetrotters, Scooby Doo, Where Are You?

There's no better way to start a Saturday morning than with Bugs Bunny and friends! Classic Warner Bros. toons; and an hour of them. Then there's the Groovie Goolies; fun, music, monsters and merriment. It becomes tough to pick  a channel; you want to watch everything. Josie and  the Pussycats are great, too; I actually prefer them to Scooby Doo. Plus two more winners in Archie and the Harlem Globetrotters; CBS has a potent lineup.

The Harlem Globetrotters

Groovie Goolies intro

NBC:  Heckle and Jeckle, The Bugaloos, The Pink Panther, H.R. Pufnstuf, Hot Dog

Ah, then you have NBC. As I don't care for the live-action shows (give me animation every time), the only thing I ever watch here is, occasionally, the Pink Panther. 

Speaking of watching, here's what awaits on the evening tv schedule:



ABC:  Let's Make a Deal, The Newlywed Game, The Lawrence Welk Show, The Most Deadly Game



My parents, grandmother, aunts and uncles all gather around the set for Lawrence Welk each week. It seems to define Saturday nights. But to be honest, it doesn't really excite me much. 









CBS:  Mission: Impossible, My Three Sons, Arnie, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Mannix

Now Mission: Impossible, that's cool viewing. On those occasions when I'm allowed to watch it,  I make sure to catch it from the start- don't want to miss the great opening sequence. And what a cast; Peter Graves, Martin Landau, Barbara Bain and Greg Morris make quite a team. 
Much attention is being given to the new show featuring Mary Tyler Moore; no longer teamed with Dick van Dyke. I'd bet this show will be around awhile. Oh, and my Dad still loves to watch Mannix...

NBC:  The Andy Williams Show, Adam-12, NBC Saturday Night at the Movies

 


Another family favorite is the Andy Williams variety show. That's one program I enjoy along with  Mom and Dad, especially the Cookie Bear. Then , Adam-12 carries on the tradition of grounded cop shows, in the tradition of (and by the creator of) Dragnet. 












BBC1:  Here's Lucy, Show of the North, High Adventure Prince Valiant, The Harry Secombe Show, Ben Travers Farces: Turkey Time, Match of the Day

BBC2:  Disco 2, Rugby Special, We Were Caesars, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In


And now, we take our weekly trip to the spinner racks for some comic goodness. My spinner rack of choice is at a nearby drug store, and they actually have two racks full!  Here's some of what we find today...

From the viewpoint of later years, there is loads to pick from. O'neil and Adams's Green Lantern/Green Arrow jumps off the rack. That Hulk has a great cover, and Kang! The Avengers face off against the women, and what a lineup!Then there's Marvel's new title, Conan the Barbarian- sporting great artwork and a whole new direction in comic adventure. And a late issue of Sugar and Spike, to boot! Of course ten-year old redartz was, at this point, buying Archies, and probably the Hardy Boys and Hot Wheels comics too. Amazing what a variety awaits on the comics stand in 1970. 

Alas, the 1970's are history now, and so is this trip aboard the Retro Metro. Thanks for riding along!

Follow the Leader: Episode 93: Reviled Characters!

Martinex1: We all know what day it is... so Follow the Leader please!

Chew the Fat: Plays and Musicals!

Martinex1: We frequently talk about comics, movies, televisions and music; but we rarely discuss the theater, plays, and musicals.

From about the time of high school until the current day, my friends and I have made a habit of going to the theater.  From Shakespeare to Arthur Miller to Andrew Lloyd Webber's works, we've seen our share of stage productions.  My wife and I have season tickets and see four or five shows per year. 

And through the years, there have been some memorable performances.  Some productions are wacky and weird.  Some serious and some humorous.  Some are just odd and the choices questionable.  Some leave me wanting more.  Others leave me cold.  

I am sure we all have theater experiences - as audience and participants. 

It is a broad topic I know, but what are your favorite experiences at the theater, and what would you not recommend?  Let's Chew the Fat!