Animation Congregation: The Flintstones- First Family of Animation!

 

Redartz:  Way back in 1960, a show debuted on ABC that would change the rules of tv animation forever. That show was "The Flintstones"; the first prime time animated series on US television. As such, it paved the way for such shows as the Simpsons, many years later. The Flintstones, from the fine folks at Hanna Barbera,  ran on ABC for six seasons; after which it became a familiar staple of Saturday mornings for the next several decades. Watching Fred, Wilma, Barney and Betty is one of the earliest tv memories I have; as that show was one of the few evening shows that little Redartz was allowed to watch (having debuted the same year the Flintstones did; purely coincidentally). 

Of course, most of my Flintstone viewing was done on weekdays after school: the show was syndicated, and shown for years every afternoon. The Flintstones and Rubbles became as familiar as my own family, and it was always a treat to watch; even when viewing an episode rerun for the sixth time. And of course the show's iconic theme song is burned into the memory of every kid and former kid from the last five decades! Speaking of that theme, we saw it in all it's glory up above. But the closing theme was replaced for awhile by this charming bit with Pebbles and Bamm Bamm; you may remember it...

 

 By the way, Pebbles and Bamm Bamm had a show of their own, originating in our own Bronze age circa 1971.  It  was just the first  in a long line of Flintstones-based shows, movies and specials...

 One of the many appealing features of "The Flintstones" was the preponderance of guest stars who made appearances on the show. I have particularly fond memories of  "Ann Margrock"...

 

  

 

 Then there was Stoney Curtis...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 And even Elizabeth Montgomery and Dick York doing their magic from "Bewitched"...

 

 

 Those are but a few. No doubt you all can name some other favorite cameos. As with the Batman show a couple years later, the Flintstones'  popularity seemed to attract others who 'wanted to get in on the act'.

Indeed, the Flintstones truly became a pop culture monolith; tie-ins and promotions were popping up everywhere and continue to this day. How many of us had Flintstone lunchboxes, played with Flintstone colorforms, or took Flintstone vitamins? And then there was "Pebbles Cereal". It was a favorite at our house, and you can still pick up a box yet today on the shelf at your local supermarket. Interesting fun fact: some of you may remember Post (the manufacturer of "Pebbles" cereal) years ago had a cereal called "Rice Krinkles". Kind of like Rice Krispies, but sweetened; they vanished from the shelves in the mid to late 60's. Apparently they were re-branded into "Pebbles" at the request of the folks at Post. Oh, and Cocoa Pebbles are my choice, although the Fruity ones are good too.

 

 

 

And  how could we fail to mention the Flintstones' countless appearances in print? It's testimony to the show's ongoing popularity and influence that every major comic book publisher in the United States has published the characters at one time or another. Dell, Gold Key, Charlton, Marvel, Archie, Harvey and DC all have had a turn presenting the adventures of the Stone Age icons. I'd draw your attention to DC specifically, having had some fun with "The Flintstones and the Jetsons", and featuring Fred and friends in "Scooby Doo Team-Up". Here's a gallery of Flintstone comics, old and new, including examples from each of those afore-mentioned publishers. 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, lest you think that "The Flintstones" is just a part of television's past. there is word of a new series coming on Fox called "Bedrock". Apparently twenty years later than the events from the original series, it will give us Fred approaching retirement age and Pebbles as a young adult. Will it be worth watching? Only time will tell, but it just goes to show you that you can't keep a good caveman down..

Oh, one more bit of vintage- here's the Screen Gems tag that followed the ending credits for the Flintstones.  It all comes back to you...

Chew the Fat: Second Chances, Afterthoughts, and Updates...

 

Redartz:  You know how sometimes, in the middle of a conversation, you draw a blank? There's something you want to say, but you just can't quite put it all together; and by the time it comes to you, the conversation has moved on. Well, this week the discussion has you and your belated comment completely in center stage.Or, it may simply be that there has been new information, new experience, new stories to tell since a given topic was addressed. As we generally live week-to-week, it can be challenging to go back and add a thought to something weeks or months past. Whatever the reason, this time around we are opening up the forum for a review of the year's topics to this point; to give you the chance to add that update; insert that late comment, put the exclamation on that previous point.  

An update to a recent post is what prompted this little interlude: a few weeks ago we discussed the Disney Ducks and specifically Uncle Scrooge. I mentioned that I was starting Don Rosa's "The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck"; since then I've completed that volume. It was so impressive, it became necessary to give you some updated thoughts. And here they are:

First off, it's a beautiful presentation package. Two huge volumes in a nice slipcase. Quality stock pages with fantastic color reproduction.  Fantagraphics built this collection to last. The first volume features Don Rosa's original 12 part series of "Life and Times". The second volume is filled with additional stories and background related to but not actually part of the series. It's a bin of comics riches well worth diving into and burrowing through...

Secondly,  the stories are phenomenal. I just finished volume 1 and am amazed at the detail Rosa included. I'm no expert on Carl Barks' entire library.  But its apparent that Rosa has touched on many elements, major and trivial, that I recall from Barks' original tales. The characterizations are full and engaging, the guest appearances wide ranging. And the artwork? Spectacular,  again a wealth of richness. One can easily see why this tale won the Eisner Award. It's one of the most enjoyable comic novels I've ever read. Can't wait to start on Volume 2! Oh, here's a sample page from the first volume...

For any of you who might be interested,  this book gets my highest recommendation!

Now that you have my update,  the opportunity falls to you. And to make it a bit easier for you, here's a lighting list of all the topics we have dealt with this year so far: 

Gil Kane, Fred Hembeck, Popeye, Classic Films, Modelling kits, Eclectic Music, Snow, the Fantastic Four, Close shaves, DC's Adventure Comics, the Best Comics of the Bronze Age, Cars in Pop Culture, B/W Science Fiction, Situation Comedies, Bicycling, Comic Book Oddities, Homecomings, Barry Smith, Live Concert Albums, Unexpected Finds, Yearbooks, Reruns, the Disney Ducks, Summertime, Progressive Rock, Marvel on Video, Fast Food and Joe Kubert. Whew... 

Ok, we've laid out the spread for you. It's a veritable banquet; so now's the time to remedy all those instances of  " Wish I'd said that"... 

Panel Discussion: Joe Kubert, Artistic Ace!

 

Redartz:  The subject of our tribute and discussion this week is a man perhaps less familiar to Marvel zuvembies,  but certainly revered by DC fans, and the comics world in general. Joe Kubert's career began back in the Golden Age of comics, and spanned every subsequent decade until his passing in 2012. His work was seen at practically every publisher you could name- MLJ/Archie, Quality, Atlas/Marvel, EC, and St. John (where Kubert and Norman Maurer introduced the world to 3-D comics).

But Kubert is probably best known for his brilliant work at DC, where he worked for many years . Here's an example of Joe's earlier work from Eerie #9, 1952 (Avon Publications).

Kubert created, or was involved in the creation of many characters,  including Viking Prince, Tor, Thorn, Enemy Ace; and was part of the team that started the Silver Age with the Flash in Showcase 4. He handled a huge share of DC's noted war comics, his years on Sgt. Rock positively iconic. On many of those war tales Kubert worked with Robert Kanigher, weaving the adventures of Rock, The Losers, Unknown Soldier, Haunted Tank and Enemy Ace. He also handled the art on DC's "Tarzan", and gave us the classic look for Hawkman. And although he was mostly associated with 'adventurous' titles,  Kubert also rendered most of DC's heroic stable: Batman, Superman,  Flash, and the Justice League.  Indeed, as often as Gil Kane's work could be seen on Marvel covers, Kubert's shined on DC covers.

On a personal note,  my first exposure to Joe's art was on the great covers for "Rima the Jungle Girl".
Those books were a visual treat both inside ( gorgeous work by Nestor Redondo) and outside, with Kubert's dramatic covers. Years later I further came to appreciate Kubert's skills when I became intrigued by his "Enemy Ace" strip. His magnificent,  gritty, powerful rendering is unmistakable. And those aerial dogfights and vintage planes- Kubert was a master. 

Speaking of mastery, his eye for drama was second to none. You'll see this on display below in another BitBA Gallery of Great Covers. But first we must mention another of Kubert's contributions to the industry: the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art. Founded in 1976, the Kubert School has produced many new professional talents for the comics world.  Just another way in which Joe Kubert's influence continues to this day, and on into the future. 

And now, time to look over some covers (something I always enjoy, anyway). Hope you enjoy them too, and that they inspire you to share your thoughts on this giant of the comics industry...

 

                                  Love the three-part design of the cover on the left below...

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

This may be my favorite comic cover of all time...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

   

 

 

 

  

 

 

   

 

 

Saw this on the racks in 1974 and couldn't pass it up...

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

Kubert really had a knack for rendering piercingly powerful expressions, as on the right below...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

Some dramatic perspective, here...

 

 

 More recently, here's the cover from Joe's Graphic Novel treatment of Viet Nam...

 

 

 

And how better to conclude this tour of Kubert's work than with his take on the Bible?

In response to HB's request, here is the cover for Justice Inc. #4. Another impressive Kubert...

Short Cuts: The Fun and Foibles of Fast Food!

 

Redartz:  One facet of Bronze Age life (and life today, as well) that loomed large for kids was the phenomenon of Fast Food. Few of us were immune to the appeal of a cheeseburger and french fries, courtesy of Ronald McDonald, the Burger King, or some other purveyor of prefab cuisine. It may have been a weekly family meal. It may have been a trip to get a cone after a ball game. It may even have been an afterschool job (my first real job was flipping burgers at McDonalds). Whatever the origin, most of us have some experience, and hence some memories, of these restaurants. 

 

 

Most prominent, and most frequently visited by our family, was McDonald's. I couldn't resist those fries. And  to this day I've a fondness for the Filet-O-Fish sandwich. Just keep Ronald at a distance, please; clowns can be...discomforting.

One standout memory of McDonald's for me actually stems from my brief period of employment therein. One summer's day I went out with a friend to play tennis all afternoon, foolishly forgetting about any sunscreen. That night I was scheduled to work the grill, and all was fine at first. But as the evening wore on, my sunburn became more and more evident, and painful. It got to the point I was almost feverish standing in front of that grill, so I found some relief by ducking back into the freezer repeatedly until my shift ended. Not a pleasant night. 

 

Another chain that we patronized fairly often was Burger Chef: pretty similar to McD's overall, but with a more local flavor. "Burger Chef and Jeff" were the animated spokesmen who enticed kids to drag their families in for a "Fun Meal". This combo of a sandwich, fries and drink also included a toy, which MeDonald's soon 'borrowed' in the form of the "Happy Meal". One fond memory of  Burger Chef is the sight across the midwest of birdhouses in the shape of a Burger Chef store. They can still be seen on occasion, usually with the old logo long faded away. Burger Chef itself faded away in the 1980's, as it was absorbed by Hardee's. 

That's two stories from two fast food places. How many more stories await from you, and how many other such restaurants attracted your patronage? Did you go for the big national chains, or prefer smaller local outfits? Who made the best burgers? Who had the worst commercials? Who watered down the Cokes ? It's all to go this week...