Riding the Retro Metro: Thursday Sept. 15, 1977!

Redartz: Ah, you're here! Perfect timing; we're ready to board the Retro Metro for another trip back, back, baaaaack to the Bronze age! Today's episode takes us to that colossal cultural year of 1977. To be specific, Tuesday September 15; 1977. There's much for people to talk about right now: the recent passing of 'The King", Elvis Presley. US President Jimmy Carter has signed the Panama Canal Treaty, giving control of the canal back to Panama. NASA has launched Voyager 2 on a mission to Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus. And disco is the current big trend in music; as seen in the film "Saturday Night Fever". The soundtrack is full of BeeGees tunes, and their younger brother has the top song on the US Billboard Pop Chart:  Andy Gibb, "I Just Want to Be Your Everything"

Rounding out the top five:

2. The Floaters, "Float On"
3. The Emotions, "Best of My Love"
4. James Taylor, "Handy Man"
5. Fleetwood Mac, "Don't Stop"


None of the top five this week are what I'd call favorites, but they are quite listenable. And granted, the lyrics of "Float On" make it fun enough: "Cancer, and my name is Larry". 

As is often the case, the most interesting songs, for me, are further down the chart. Among them this week: ELO, "Telephone Line"; another innovative tune from Jeff Lynne and crew.  London Symphony  Orchestra, "Star Wars Main Theme"; the summer's big science fiction blockbuster installs a symphonic piece onto the top forty, courtesy of composer John Williams. Meco, "Star Wars Theme/ Cantina Band"; Star Wars strikes again, but with a disco beat. And, it includes the catchy bit from the cantina on Tattooine.Heart, "Barracuda"; a great rocker from the incredible Wilson sisters..Carly Simon, "Nobody Does it Better", another movie theme on the charts- this one from the current James Bond adventure.

Tops in the UK:  Elvis Presley, "Way Down"

Although the King is dead, his music lives on. In a big way in the UK, as he tops their charts this week!

Having surveyed the music scene today, let us now check out the evening's tv viewing. As for the US Television Schedule:  

Kene Holliday and Victor French of "Carter Country"

 

ABC:  Welcome Back, Kotter; What's Happening!!; Barney Miller, Carter Country, The Redd Foxx Comedy Hour

I'll often tune in Barney Miller, with the excellent ensemble cast (including Hal Linden, Abe Vigoda and Ron Glass) of oddball big city police officers. Other officers, the small-town variety, are seen on "Carter Country", a sitcom based in the Georgia environs that were home to President Carter (hence the name). 











CBS:  The Waltons; Hawaii Five-O; Barnaby Jones

All these shows are perennial favorites of my parents, and their set is faithfully tuned to CBS. My tastes lie elsewhere, however...

NBC:  CHiPs; Man From Atlantis; Rosetti and Ryan

 

If "Emergency" had motorcycle cops instead of paramedics, and had a disco background, it would be "CHiPs". This show is my Thursday night pastime; starring Larry Wilcox and Erik Estrada as two California Highway Patrolmen (the source of the show's title). Some action, some humor, some 70's cheesiness with a constant disco beat. Then you have "Man From Atlantis", with  Patrick Duffy as 'Mark Harris'- the last survivor of lost Atlantis. Sort of like Namor the Sub-Mariner, but without the pointy ears and winged feet.

BBC1:  Tomorrow's World; Top of the Pops; Happy Ever After; When the Boat Comes In; Cannon; Great Writers

BBC2:  Inside Germany; Day Out; London and the Thames; The Nun's Story


Now that we have the video entertainment in order, we must make a run to the spinner racks and see what four-color wonderment is out right now:

S

That issue of Amazing Spider-man looks like a winner; the Punisher back for more fun'n'games. Then there is that Mister Miracle: with Steve Englehart and Marshall Rogers doing the book, it is well worth a look. Avengers and X-Men are always a lock for a good read. Power man is pairing up with Iron Fist, that sounds like a story worth following. The comic adaptation of Star Wars (there's that movie again) reaches it's conclusion in this issue. But above all, that Marvel Two-in-One Annual is the pinnacle. Completing the tale began in the already classic Avengers Annual 7, Jim Starlin and Joe Rubinstein promise a great ride. And with two of my favorite characters starring in the book; oh man. A lot to choose from this week; this just has to be one of the greatest times to be reading comics.

Of course,any time is a good time to read comics! And although our visit for today has come to it's inevitable end, we have the option to continue it a bit further with your stories and memories! So I'll pass the steering wheel over to you;  and sit back to ride until the next excursion on the Retro Metro!

Two Questions: Our Parent's Generation and Classic Work Conversation!



Martinex1: The title of this feature may be Two Questions but today I have some extra inquiries.


My father was in the hospital this week (he is doing well and back at home) but it made me think about our parents' generation.  We obviously focus so much on the Bronze Age but in many ways we were children of the Golden Age.  My dad shared stories from his youth and growing up in the 1940s, and I had never heard some of those tales before. From personal stories of broken bones to tidbits about the culture and era, I was captivated.


So I ask you the following - some simple and some more complicated questions about the previous generation.


QUESTION 1: Are there stories from your parents and the age in which they lived that caught your attention and gave you an understanding of how they were shaped?  Were there following impacts to how you were raised?


QUESTION 2: I know as a father that I encouraged and hoped my children would be excited about some of the entertainment that I enjoyed - from comics to movies.  But what literature, movies, and music did your parents impress upon you?  Are some of your favorites a result of your parents' influence (directly or indirectly)?  What are those books and films that "stick" with you?


QUESTION 3: Do you miss any of the traditions that your parents observed?  Do you honor those traditions or do they seem to be a distant part of your life when your parents were more of an influence?


QUESTION 4:  How do you feel our generation compares to that of our parents?  Have we dropped the ball on any honorable aspects or have we improved upon their foundation?


QUESTION 5:  Similarly to the above question, have we improved upon the creative arts over the last generation?  Or are our works derivative in comparison?


Maybe this is more of an introspective post today, but since many of the BitBA gang are of the same age group I'd be curious what you have to say.


We will get back to lighter four-colored fare in the future! Cheers!

Follow the Leader: Episode 90: I’m Alone in my Likes!



Martinex1:   Who follows the followers?   Follow the Leader! 

Two Questions: Seasonal Songs and Tagalongs

Redartz:  Greetings, gang! Once again, we have a couple of things for  you to ponder over. Let's get right to them, shall we?

1. What songs bring to mind, for  you, a particular season? 

I was thinking about this recently, as Summer is rapidly nearing it's end here in the USA. There's a whole genre known as 'summer songs', and each year much debate can be found on chat sites debating which song will be the 'song of the summer'. But what struck me is that nobody ever speaks about the other seasons! Sure, 'seasonal music' can refer to the holiday-themed tunes you are surrounded with at the end of each year. But discounting those, what songs are linked, for you anyway, to a specific season? I'll give my example right now: Gordon Lightfoots's "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald". This great tune will be forever associated with Autumn, in my mind. Perhaps because it  was popular in the fall of 1976; I still recall hearing it playing on a radio while helping my Dad rake leaves in the yard. And lyrically, it has some fall-ish elements: referring to the "gales of November". Even the production, the sound of the song, has a wistful feel that almost chills you. So, that's my Fall song.

 Gordon Lightfoot, "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"

2. Name an unusual Team-up / Mash-up that you'd love to see in a comic.  

In the recent post about 'fun' comics, I mentioned the "Archie Meets Batman '66" comics. These days crossovers between companies are returning (although Marvel seems the exception to this), and even crossovers between different media (Green Lantern and the Planet of the  Apes) are becoming a 'thing'. In that spirit, what oddball combo would you like to see; any pairing is fair game. I'm going for some haunted humor in my answer: Casper the Friendly Ghost meets the Ghostbusters! Would Peter and the crew immediately try to capture the ethereal youngster, or would Casper convince the 'busters' to help him corral the "Ghostly Trio"? I'd buy this book sight unseen...

Okay, there's my questions and answers. Now let's hear from you!  

Chew the Fat: "Just For the Fun of it"...

Redartz:  There are lots of reasons for selecting the particular comics that filled our shelves as youth. The reasons are much the same now, with the addition of hindsight and years. We may pick a specific comic because it's continuing an ongoing storyline. It may feature a favored artist or writer. Perhaps we grabbed it up for the sake of completeness: we don't want to miss an issue. Some folks will buy a given issue for perceived collectible. Some will buy a book just for the cover (I've done that numerous times, as recently as last month). But one of the best reasons to buy a particular comic book is "just for the fun of it".

Last weekend I doubled up; visiting a comic shop and a flea market! And since I've long ago abandoned completion as a goal, I just look for books that appeal to me. Some are books I once had and would like to reacquire, some are books I've always wanted to read. But often I just pick up a book because it looks like a lot of fun. This was the case last weekend, as I picked up these little smile-inducers:

 


My first stop was on Sunday, at a local comics shop. I try to visit one about every month or so, to see what's new, and to pore over some back issues. This go-round I spotted these gems on the rack: if you're not familiar with them, DC has been publishing comics based on the 1966 Batman  TV series for several years. The characters and villains are drawn like, and scripted like, the portrayals we remember: Adam West, Burt Ward, Cesar Romero, Burgess Meredith, and all the rest. What's more, they bring some of the TV villains onto the page that previously were only seen on the show: for instance, these books feature the Bookworm (resembling Roddy McDowell, of course) among some of the more familiar faces. 

And of course, as you saw recently in my Archie post, I have a fondness for the denizens of Riverdale. So seeing these two favorites paired up was , in a word, irresistible. And  irresistibly fun. So for any of you who may despair that 'fun' comics aren't available any more, you can rest assured. There are many lighthearted, amusing, 'just plain fun' books being published yet today. 

 

Next day was Monday, and it meant a trip to the flea market. There were many comics for sale there, including several comic dealers with nice back issues at full collector's prices. I did pick up a couple books from one (he had everything for half off), but where I most enjoy looking are the random comics found in random booths, usually stacked (you guessed it) randomly. It was at one such table that I saw this comic. As you can see, it's certainly been read before. Many times. And that's part of it's charm. Of course the biggest part is the subject: Little Lulu. Lulu is another character hearkening back to my youth, particularly in the form of those Golden Comics Digests that usually accompanied me on family trips. Artist /writer John Stanley came up with clever, amusing stories, and gave the kids (Lulu, Tubby, Alvin, and the rest) loads of personality. Tubby is always coming up with some kind of scheme, usually to Lulu's detriment. And Lulu is no helpless victim: she shows great ingenuity in her various forms of revenge. The books were great fun to read as a kid, and are still a kick. Finding this for a dollar was another 'must succumb' moment. You know, just for the fun of it. 

So, what comics have you grabbed up, 'just for kicks'?

Adventures in Comics: Sensory Overload- Your First Comic Convention!

Redartz:  Greetings and salutations to all! The other day I was researching topics for a post, and happened to discover a reference I missed. Awhile back (actually, over a year ago) we had a post discussing our first visit to a comic book shop. In that post I mentioned my first comic convention, and added that it would be the subject of some future post. Lo and behold, that later post never occurred. That is, until today. You now will be regaled with the story of my first comic con (and as your reward for sticking with me this long, you get to follow up with your experiences). And now, to the story...

It was about six months after I first started collecting (and obsessing over) comics. It was 8th. Grade; it was my best comics friend and me, it was a big weekend. And the big weekend actually started on Friday night- our school had scheduled a sock hop; and it was my first dance as well (a whole weekend of firsts). And at that dance, I actually danced with a girl for the first time (to "Express", by B. T. Express, in case you were wondering). Although my dancing left much to be desired, I was having fun. And the fun continued after the dance, when I went over to my pal's house for the night to prepare for the next day's event (his Mom was kind enough to drive us).  That evening was filled with enthusiastic talk about comics, girls, school, dancing, girls, comics, and girls. 

Come Saturday morning, it was off to the comic convention. It was the first ever for our modest sized town, and was sponsored by  our local comic book shop. When I walked into that convention room, it was like the experience upon first encountering a comic shop: I was dumbstruck. Dozens of dealers, displaying literally thousands of comics of all types and eras. And the prices! It must have been the effect of competition among the dealers, but the books were priced lower than I'd expected. 

There were actual Golden Age comics, Superman from the 1940's! There were EC comics, Western comics, early Marvels from before the 'Marvel age' even began. There were even some examples of original art- I was amazed to look upon the actual drawn page from which a comic was reproduced. There were toys and comic-oriented memorabilia. Who would have thought so much cool stuff could be derived from the pages of four color newsprint?

 

It took a great deal of self-control not to simply run to the first table and start grabbing books. I forced myself to look the whole place over, and select some tables to revisit. I noted several books I wanted, and methodically went back and picked most of them up. The biggest treasure I bought that day was Amazing Spider-Man 19; the first Ditko issue I'd purchased to that time. And it was acquired for the total of 5 dollars; a great deal in my eyes- and it was in such beautiful condition. Like new...

After several hours of looking, buying, admiring and gawking, we went home with stacks of books and hours of reading to look forward to. In fact, most of the next day was spent doing just that. Looking back now, I realize it was a pretty humble show; a couple dozen dealers and no pro guests. It was only later, at a bigger convention in the sprawling city of Indianapolis, that I first got to meet some of the artists and writers responsible for all those great comics. And a few years after that, the mammoth Chicago Comic Con raised the stakes even higher. Nevertheless, that first small town convention will always remain a treasured First, safely bagged and boarded in my memory. 

Okay, as you've been kind enough to sit patiently while I reminisced, I'll give you the same courtesy. Tell us the stories of your first Con; and if you've never been to one, describe what you'd like to see and do at one...

Follow the Leader: Episode 89: The Mount Rushmore of Bands!



Martinex1: If you have a chance, look back at the 88 topics that we have previously discussed on Tuesdays as we Follow the Leader! Every week we wait for a topic starter and then jump in with plenty of comments.  What is it going to be today?