Issuu

November 2020 No. 11 $9.95

Why can’t I get a date?

SUPERMAN’S FREAKY PAL, JIMMY OLSEN

Interview with

David Selby Dark Shadows’ Quentin Collins

Who is... The Niece of Frankenstein?

Kolchak: The Night Stalker

u vent d A TV’s

an erm p u fS res o

Casper • Rod Serling • Scratch models • Quisp and Quake & more! 1

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FEATURING <right> Ernest Farino • Andy Mangels • Will Murray • Scott Saavedra • Scott Shaw! • Michael Eury

RetroFan: The Pop Culture You Grew Up With! If you love Pop Culture of the Sixties, Seventies, and Eighties, editor MICHAEL EURY’s latest magazine is just for you!

RETROFAN #11

HALLOWEEN ISSUE! Interviews with DARK SHADOWS’ Quentin Collins, DAVID SELBY, and the niece of movie Frankenstein GLENN STRANGE, JULIE ANN REAMS. Plus: KOLCHAK THE NIGHT STALKER, ROD SERLING retrospective, CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST, TV’s Adventures of Superman, Superman’s pal JIMMY OLSEN, QUISP and QUAKE cereals, the DRAK PAK AND THE MONSTER SQUAD, scratch model customs, and more fun, fab features! (84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Now shipping!

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RETROFAN #12

Hollywood interviewer CHRIS MANN goes behind the scenes of TV’s sexy sitcom THREE’S COMPANY—and NANCY MORGAN RITTER, first wife of JOHN RITTER, shares stories about the TV funnyman. Plus: RICK GOLDSCHMIDT’s making of RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER, RONNIE SCHELL interview, Sheena Queen of the TV Jungle, Dr. Seuss toys, Popeye cartoons, DOCTOR WHO’s 1960s U.S. invasion, and more fun, fab features! (84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Ships Dec. 2020 Look for #13 in February 2021!

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RETROFAN #9

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Interviews with MeTV’s crazy creepster SVENGOOLIE and Eddie Munster himself, BUTCH PATRICK! Call on the original Saturday Morning GHOST BUSTERS, with BOB BURNS! Uncover the nutty NAUGAS! Plus: “My Life in the Twilight Zone,” “I Was a Teenage James Bond,” “My Letters to Famous People,” the ARCHIE-DOBIE GILLIS connection, Pinball Hall of Fame, Alien action figures, Rubik’s Cube & more!

With a JACLYN SMITH interview, as we reopen the Charlie’s Angels Casebook, and visit the Guinness World Records’ largest Charlie’s Angels collection. Plus: interview with LARRY STORCH, The Lone Ranger in Hollywood, The Dick Van Dyke Show, a vintage interview with Jonny Quest creator DOUG WILDEY, a visit to the Land of Oz, the ultra-rare Marvel World superhero playset, and more!

NOW BI-MONTHLY! Interviews with the ’60s grooviest family band THE COWSILLS, and TV’s coolest mom JUNE LOCKHART! Mars Attacks!, MAD Magazine in the ’70s, Flintstones turn 60, Electra Woman & Dyna Girl, Honey West, Max Headroom, Popeye Picnic, the Smiley Face fad, & more! With MICHAEL EURY, ERNEST FARINO, ANDY MANGELS, WILL MURRAY, SCOTT SAAVEDRA, and SCOTT SHAW!

NOW BI-MONTHLY! Interviews with ’70s’ Captain America REB BROWN, and Captain Nice (and Knight Rider’s KITT) WILLIAM DANIELS with wife BONNIE BARTLETT! Plus: Coloring Books, Fall Previews for Saturday morning cartoons, The Cyclops movie, actors behind your favorite TV commercial characters, BENNY HILL, the Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention, 8-track tapes, and more!

NOW BI-MONTHLY! Celebrating fifty years of SHAFT, interviews with FAMILY AFFAIR’s KATHY GARVER and The Brady Bunch Variety Hour’s GERI “FAKE JAN” REISCHL, ED “BIG DADDY” ROTH, rare GODZILLA merchandise, Spaghetti Westerns, Saturday morning cartoon preview specials, fake presidential candidates, Spider-Man/The Spider parallels, Stuckey’s, and more fun, fab features!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

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LOU FERRIGNO interview, The Phantom in Hollywood, Filmation’s STAR TREK CARTOON, “How I Met LON CHANEY, JR.”, goofy comic Zody the Mod Rob, Mego’s rare ELASTIC HULK toy, RetroTravel to Mount Airy, NC (the real-life Mayberry), interview with BETTY LYNN (“Thelma Lou” of THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW), TOM STEWART’s eclectic House of Collectibles, and MR. MICROPHONE!

Horror-hosts ZACHERLEY, VAMPIRA, SEYMOUR, MARVIN, and an interview with our cover-featured ELVIRA! THE GROOVIE GOOLIES, BEWITCHED, THE ADDAMS FAMILY, and THE MUNSTERS! The long-buried Dinosaur Land amusement park! History of BEN COOPER HALLOWEEN COSTUMES, character lunchboxes, superhero VIEW-MASTERS, SINDY (the British Barbie), and more!

Interview with SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE director RICHARD DONNER, IRWIN ALLEN’s sci-fi universe, Saturday morning’s undersea adventures of Aquaman, horror and sci-fi zines of the Sixties and Seventies, Spider-Man and Hulk toilet paper, RetroTravel to METROPOLIS, IL (home of the Superman Celebration), SEAMONKEYS®, FUNNY FACE beverages, Superman/Batman memorabilia, & more!

Interviews with SHAZAM! TV show’s JOHN (Captain Marvel) DAVEY and MICHAEL (Billy Batson) Gray, the GREEN HORNET in Hollywood, remembering monster maker RAY HARRYHAUSEN, the way-out Santa Monica Pacific Ocean Amusement Park, a Star Trek Set Tour, SAM J. JONES on the Spirit movie pilot, British sci-fi TV classic THUNDERBIRDS, Casper & Richie Rich museum, the KING TUT fad, and more!

Interviews with MARK HAMILL & Greatest American Hero’s WILLIAM KATT! Blast off with JASON OF STAR COMMAND! Stop by the MUSEUM OF POPULAR CULTURE! Plus: “The First Time I Met Tarzan,” MAJOR MATT MASON, MOON LANDING MANIA, SNUFFY SMITH AT 100 with cartoonist JOHN ROSE, TV Dinners, Celebrity Crushes, and more fun, fab features!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

The Crazy Cool Culture We Grew Up With

CONTENTS Issue #11 November 2020 27

Columns and Special Features

Retro Interview Dark Shadows’ David Selby

Oddball World of Scott Shaw! Quisp and Quake’s cereal war

Retro Heroes Kolchak: The Night Stalker

Ernest Farino’s Retro Fantasmagoria TV’s Adventures of Superman

57 63 51

Departments

Retrotorial

RetroFad The Pet Rock

Oddball World of Scott Shaw! EXTRA “My Hero Was Rat Fink’s Big Daddy!”

Scott Saavedra’s Secret Sanctum Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen

Too Much TV Quiz

Celebrity Crushes

Will Murray’s 20th Century Panopticon Who Created Casper the Friendly Ghost?

Retro Television Rod Serling, In and Out of The Twilight Zone

Andy Mangels’ Retro Saturday Morning Cartoon Preview Specials, Part Three

Retro Interview Julie Ann Ream, the Niece of Frankenstein (Glenn Strange)

RetroFan™ #11, November 2020. Published bimonthly by TwoMorrows Publishing, 10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614. Michael Eury, Editor-in-Chief. John Morrow, Publisher. Editorial Office: RetroFan, c/o Michael Eury, Editor-in-Chief, 112 Fairmount Way, New Bern, NC 28562. Email: euryman@gmail.com. Six-issue subscriptions: $67 Economy US, $101 International, $27 Digital.

56 75

Super Collector Retrofitting Your Collectibles by Wesley Voyles

RetroFanmail

ReJECTED RetroFan fantasy cover by Scott Saavedra

Please send subscription orders and funds to TwoMorrows, NOT to the editorial office. Dark Shadows © Dan Curtis Productions. Superman and Jimmy Olsen © DC Comics. All Rights Reserved. All characters are © their respective companies. All material © their creators unless otherwise noted. All editorial matter © 2020 Michael Eury and TwoMorrows. Printed in China. FIRST PRINTING. ISSN 2576-7224

by Michael Eury

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michael Eury PUBLISHER John Morrow CONTRIBUTORS Michael Eury Ernest Farino Dan Johnson Rod Labbe Andy Mangels Will Murray Nicholas Parisi Lon Rovner Scott Saavedra Scott Shaw! Bill Spangler Wesley Voyles DESIGNER Scott Saavedra PROOFREADER Rob Smentek SPECIAL THANKS DJ Adie Gary Browning Dan Curtis Productions DC Comics James Chambers Mark Dawidziak Mark Evanier Steve Friedman Joe Gentile Michael Hayde Heritage Auctions Jim Pierson Brigid Reardon Tom Ruegger Rose Rummel-Eury Claudis Selby Stephen Sansweet Pete Vilmur VERY SPECIAL THANKS Julie Ann Ream David Selby

“Non-essential worker.” That’s the designation I bear as I write this in May 2020, being temporarily unemployed in a pandemic-created editorial production slowdown that has shuttered the comic-book business (publisher TwoMorrows’ main market) and its distribution network. Even Barnes & Noble, the mainstream outlet for this magazine, with its stores closed due to precautions against the spread of coronavirus, rejected both RetroFan #9 and 10 from the distributor since those issues’ cover dates would be expired by the time B&N could reopen to display them. Obviously, the professionals who brave possible infection to go to work each day—including medical and emergency-response personnel—and the retail workers who toil through long shifts to provide goods for fearful and sometimes churlish shoppers deserve kudos for offering services that are undeniably essential. But after having some extra time on my hands during these months of home isolation (where I’ve rediscovered my affection for Leave It to Beaver, not that you asked…), I’ve come to realize that my job as this magazine’s editor and a contributing writer is, in its own way, essential, as are the jobs of the writers, designer, publisher, and printers who help produce RetroFan. Judging from the social-media explosion of enthusiasm issue #9 garnered upon its May 2020 release, many of you agree. No, we’re not saving lives by publishing RetroFan, but we’re sure as heck enriching them. For Baby Boomers and Gen Xers, plus purveyors of pop culture of more recent vintage, RetroFan’s funky fallout shelter of kitschy nostalgia is more essential than ever before. The pandemic is threatening our traditional distribution venues, so if you don’t want to miss an issue of RetroFan, I urge you to subscribe. Subscription info can be found at the bottom of page 1 and elsewhere in this issue. And what an issue this is! Just look at that mesmerizing cover! Dark Shadows’ own Quentin Collins, the immensely talented and approachable David Selby, is both hunky and horrific, reminding me of when, as a grade-school kid, I would rush through my homework in time to tune in to Dark Shadows—until Mom made me stop watching it because of my vampire and werewolf nightmares. You Monster Kids of the Sixties and Seventies are gonna love Rod Labbe’s interview with Mr. Selby… and if that’s not enough to get your goosebumps popping, this issue also features Bill Spangler’s look back at Kolchak: The Night Stalker, a retrospective of Twilight Zone master Rod Serling by his biographer, Nicholas Parisi, and horror star Glenn Strange as remembered by his “niece,” Julie Ann Ream (as told to interviewer Dan Johnson). Plus regular columnist Will Murray exhumes the origins of animation’s pleasantest poltergeist, Casper. It’s not an all-scares issue, though, as our regular columnists explore some topics you’re gonna love. Ernest NEXT ISSUE Farino flies high with TV’s Adventures of Superman, Scott Saavedra has fun with the goofy Jimmy Olsen comic book, Scott Shaw! recalls the rivalry between the cereals Quisp and Quake, and Andy Mangels concludes his three-part feature exploring those weirdo Preview Specials that promoted Saturday morning cartoons and kids shows. SHEENA All that and more is waiting for you, making RetroFan Pin-up Queen of the TV Jungle #11 yet another groovy grab bag of the crazy, cool culture Three’s The Making we grew up with. With the coronavirus pandemic creat- Company of Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer ing a “new normal” of social distancing, facemasks, and Popeye’s frequent hand washing, you can count on RetroFan to Long, Strange TV History whisk you back to a simpler time when the only creepy Behind the scenes of the virus you had to fear was Eddie Haskell. (Rest in peace, sexy Seventies sitcom Ken Osmond—your Eddie Haskell remains one of TV’s most unforgettable characters.) Did you own these retro Dr. Seuss toys? Thank you for being a supporter of this magazine. I Good Morning World with Ronnie Schell • Doctor Who • CB Radios • & more! hope this issue brings you joy. December 2020 No. 12 $9.95

WHAT IS… The GREATEST Christmas movie of all time??

The answer will blow-ho-ho your mind!

Come and knock on their door…

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RETROFAN

November 2020

FEATURING Ernest Farino • Andy Mangels • Will Murray • Scott Saavedra • Scott Shaw! • Rick Goldschmidt

Three’s Company © DLT Entertainment. Sheena © Galaxy Publishing and Valdoro Entertainment. Rudolph © 2012 Miser Bros. Press/Rick Goldschmidt. Popeye © King Features Syndicate, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

RETRO INTERVIEW

David Selby Beyond the Shadows by Rod Labbe

In this world that we know now, Life is here, then gone But somewhere in the afterglow, Love lives on and on… “Quentin’s Theme” (a.k.a. “Shadows of the Night”) Words and music by Robert Cobert (1968)

g g g Meeting and getting to know a celebrity, especially one who affected you profoundly during your formative years, is an almost indescribable experience. Take actor David Selby, for example. We were introduced, in a manner of speaking, on December 16th, 1968, his first episode of Dark Shadows, ABC-TV’s gothic-flavored

Rehearsal shot from Night of Dark Shadows, with Selby as “Charles Collins,” a flashback role, and Lara Parker as Angelique. Night of Dark Shadows © 1971 MGM. Photo courtesy of Jim Pierson and Dan Curtis Productions.

afternoon “spook” opera. My weekday passion, DS entranced me totally—except when pre-empted by news reports of assassinations or the Vietnam War. There were vampires and a werewolf, ghostly weeping widows, witches, gypsies, warlocks, and religious fanatics, séances galore, ceaseless thunder, and one very David Selby today. Photo by Eric Wallace.

gloomy mansion situated atop a rocky, ocean-swept cliff in Collinsport, Maine. Really, what more could a starving horror fan want? David played Quentin Collins, introduced as a brooding specter possessing young David (David Henesy) Collins. Similarities between Peter Quint and Henry James’ Turn of the Screw could not be dismissed. Notwithstanding, it RETROFAN

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RF: Eloquent! DS: Hey, if there’s one character I’m familiar with, it’s Quentin Collins. RF: The build-up to your first appearance was nothing short of excruciating! It was great to hear you speak, after months of silence. DS: I laughed wickedly once in a while, just to break up the monotony. The character developed nicely, and viewers eventually came to understand him as a flesh-andblood person. That’s what any actor wants. For me, Quentin was an infinitely enchanting personality. If I recall correctly, he never went after anyone who didn’t deserve it! RF: Quentin clicked, and your past life exited stage left. Good or bad?

Gimme a head with hair—Rapunzel’s! David’s Quentin Collins makes the scene with Bobby Sherman, Greg Brady, a couple of Cowsills kids, and other fan-faves on the cover of the February �� Magazine. 16 © Primedia. 6

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DS: No complaints. I’ll admit, it was a bit more difficult to go places, but fans never bothered us in any horrid or intrusive way. Leaving the studio at night took finesse. If I walked home, kids escorted me. Or if I hailed a taxi, it wouldn’t be unusual for them to jump into the cab! RF: What was the fan mail situation like? Delivered in a dump truck? DS: The sheer enormity shocked me. Thousands and thousands of letters, boxes, and bags worth. Gifts, too. Love beads, food, pastries, whatever could be sent through the mail safely. I donated most of it. That fans thought enough of us to send gifts and homemade trinkets spoke volumes. We had a devoted group. Still do. RF: Your face was splashed all over the teenybopper mags. Remember these? [holds up articles] “Spend One Night with Quentin!” “My Darkest Dark Shadows Secrets!” And this steamy shocker: “Ten Things You Didn’t Know About David Selby!” DS: [laughing uproariously] Stop, Rod! Stop! Gloria Stavers, editor of 16 Magazine, orchestrated every one of those, and she was very protective of us… a vibrant personality. Through her efforts, I was able to communicate with our fans. She’d come to the studio and take pictures, saying, “Wear this or wear that, smile into the camera, look serious, look happy.” Yes, ma’am! [laughs] Magical. RF: My sister loved 16, and even I’d buy an occasional issue. 16 and Tiger Beat were the only monthly publications covering Dark Shadows. We cut out the pics for our scrapbooks! DS: Gloria kept us apprised of the fan response, and it was significant. I appreciated that! To suddenly find yourself the object of interest and curiosity is thrilling. The kids outside out studio represented a microcosm of the overall picture. Not a day went by when we

weren’t greeted enthusiastically by those delightful kids. RF: Philadelphia Gum put out two sets of Dark Shadows trading cards in the very late Sixties. How surreal was it, seeing your face on a bubblegum card? DS: Very surreal. As a boy, I collected baseball cards—so to be on one myself was the closest I’ve ever come to being a professional baseball player. The Dark Shadows marketing machine took off like a rocket, working full-tilt. We did an album, singles, and “Quentin’s Theme” hit the Billboard charts. There were Halloween costumes, fan clubs, magazine spreads, and personal appearances. I’d no idea we’d still be talking about those cards more than 50 years later! We lived for the moment, without any idea it would stretch beyond our wildest imaginings. RF: Christmas of 1969, my favorite gift was the Dark Shadows soundtrack LP, and your narrated version of “Quentin’s Theme” rocked. The touch of a diamond stylus, and we were living at Collinwood, eerie mood music wafting from room to room. DS: That LP was one of the nicest perks we had during production. At festivals, I’m asked to sign copies from fans who weren’t even born in 1969. Do you still have your copy? RF: I do. Ensconced in plastic and close to brand-spanking new. Would you autograph it for me? DS: My pleasure. I’d never done anything like that before, so I was green. Later on, I recorded a duet with Nancy Barrett called “I Wanna Dance

Dark Shadows © Dan Curtis Productions. Courtesy of Heritage.

him. Quentin emerged from the writers’ imagination and my own sense of pretend. His backstory revealed the tragic man behind the scowl. I saw him as someone with a deep emotional need to connect… someone who, despite all his insecurities, wanted inclusion and acceptance. Now, an immortal, Quentin’s wandering the Earth through time.

Dark Shadows © Dan Curtis Productions.

retro interview

FA ST FAC TS Dark Shadows ` No. of seasons: Six ` No. of episodes: 1,225 ` Original run: June 27,1966–April 2, 1971 ` Primary cast: Joan Bennett, Jonthan Frid, Grayson Hall, Louis Edmonds, Kathryn Leigh Scott, David Selby, David Henesy, Lara Parker, Alexandra Isles, Thayer David, John Karlen ` Creator: Dan Curtis ` Network: ABC

Spin-offs and remakes: A promotional photo of David Selby as Quentin Collins. Dark Shadows © Dan Curtis Productions

with You.” None of them reached gold status or anything, but they were well received. RF: You’re still very much taken with Dark Shadows, aren’t you? I can tell. DS: I’ve never stopped loving it! Creatively speaking, Dan’s writing staff elevated us as actors, and Shadows allowed viewers to forget what was going on around them. The perfect give-and-take. Who needs real-life strife, when you can escape to Collinwood? We went from social turmoil and war to a fairy-tale scenario and did it convincingly. There were good guys and bad guys and everything in-between. Never a dull moment! RF: Glad you mentioned the bad guys, because Dark Shadows certainly had its share of colorful villains: Angelique (Lara Parker), Nicholas Blair (Humbert Allen Astredo), Count Petofi (Thayer

David), and Reverend Trask (Jerry Lacy). A rogues’ gallery par excellence! DS: There’s great attraction to evil, and the beauty of these characterizations was in the actor’s interpretation. We made them our own. RF: The [fan and media] conventions— they’re not the same old, same old? A constant rehashing? DS: Oh, no, Rod. Not at all. The festivals continuously astonish me. We get a wide range of fans, professors, lawyers, bankers from JP Morgan, doctors, teachers, into the thousands. The one thing they have in common is an undying affection for Dark Shadows. RF: A testament to what you guys put out there. DS: I’m honored by their continued loyalty. No other word comes to mind. Dark Shadows is an irreplaceable part of my life.

` House of Dark Shadows (1970 movie, with TV series’ cast) ` Night of Dark Shadows (1971 movie, with TV series’ cast) ` Dark Shadows (1991 TV remake starring Ben Cross, Lysette Anthony, Jean Simmons, Joanna Going, Barbara Steele, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt; 12 episodes) ` Dark Shadows (2004 TV pilot starring Alec Newman, Marley Shelton) ` Dark Shadows (audio dramas starring original TV cast members and continuing the series’ storylines, based upon the 2003 stage play Return to Collinwood; produced intermittently since 2004) ` Dark Shadows (2012 movie directed by Tim Burton, starring Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Eva Green, Jackie Earle Haley, and Chloe Grace Moretz) ` Dark Shadows: Reincarnation (forthcoming CW series, details TBA)

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November 2020

RETROFAD

The Pet Rock No messy cleanups, no whines for attention, no incessant yapping, no bottomless feedings, no unwanted hair clumps, no inappropriate spraying… For some of you, I’ve just described the perfect mate. But that was Gary Dahl’s idea of the perfect pet. And it’s an idea that made him millions. Dahl (1936–2015) was a down-on-his-luck advertising writer when, in the mid-Seventies, a happy hour at a Northern California bar gave him something to really be happy about. As the legend goes, his drinking buddies were carping about their respective pet problems and the unrelenting responsibilities of caring for a dog, cat, or other critter. Dahl laughed that off with a playful boast about his carefree “companion”—a pet rock. That quip earned a round of chuckles from barflies who then ordered their next round of drinks, too stoned to realize they had just witnessed the birth of a new sensation. But not Dahl. Had he been a comic-strip character, a cartoon light bulb would have flashed over his head. He began to brainstorm the commercialization of his idea. His first problem was a lack of capital. At the time, Dahl was without steady work and eking out a meager living, residing in a cabin. He convinced a couple of colleagues to invest in his project. What Dahl lacked in finances, he made up for Pet Rock creator in imagination. His Pet Rock was Gary Dahl in ��. nothing more than a smooth stone © UPI. that was plentiful along Mexican beaches and purchased for under a penny each. How it was marketed reflected Dahl’s genius: Each Pet Rock was nestled atop a caressing bed of excelsior (wood shavings used in packaging; insert your own Stan Lee gag here), packaged inside a cardboard carrying case ventilated with air holes. Rounding out the package was a manual that instructed the owner on the proper care and feeding of their new Pet Rock. Dahl rolled out his Pet Rock in August 1975 at a San Francisco trade show—then was barreled over by an avalanche of orders from major retailers. Americans, still dazed from Watergate and its residual cynicism, were hungry for a diversion. The Pet Rock, retailing for just under four bucks, became a smash during the Christmas season. Dahl sold close to 100,000 Pet Rocks a day, nearly 1.5 million during the initial release, reaping 95 cents profit on each unit, making the entrepreneur a millionaire overnight. Bye-bye, cabin; hello, Easy Street. 10

RETROFAN

November 2020

by Michael Eury

In 1976 Dahl hurled at the market flag-painted Bicentennial Pet Rocks and other products bearing the Pet Rock name, all sold by his company Rock Bottom Productions. Yet as is a common theme in our RetroFad fables, a rockslide of imitators followed (including Kryptonite Rocks, green-painted stones sold in a box bearing Superman’s likeness), although Dahl’s Pet Rock name was protected by trademark. After the initial joke wore off, people realized they were essentially buying… well, a rock in a box, and the Pet Rock began to lose its luster. Complicating matters were Dahl’s investors, who felt their earlier compensations were inadequate and took their partner to court. Dahl had to pay his investors big.

He wasn’t one to chuck it all, however, and Dahl twice returned to Mother Earth to create the novelty items the Canned Earthquake and the Official Sand Breeding Kit, neither of which I’m guessing most of you have ever heard of. Using his stillsizeable Pet Rock riches, Dahl bought and operated a watering hole in Los Gatos, California. It became a mecca for would-be inventors seeking an audience with the creator of the Pet Rock, more interested in courting Dahl for advice and investments than filling their glasses. Dahl ultimately circled back to the advertising business and even authored the 2001 book, Advertising for Dummies. Although he died in 2015, his Pet Rock lives on, as both an intriguing example of rock-solid ingenuity and as an actual retail item (check out Amazon if you want one). Rock on!

THE ODDBALL WORLD OF SCOTT SHAW!

Q u isp &

Quake’s

Sugar-Fu

eled

Feud Fig ht!

by Scott Shaw!

Take sides… Quisp or Quake? You’ll be (sugar-) shocked to learn the secret they share! (Trust us, it’s a lot to swallow!) Quisp and Quake © The Quaker Oats Company. Animation cel courtesy of Heritage Auctions (www.ha.com).

What’s more nostalgic than eating cold breakfast cereal while watching animated cartoons on TV? Well, how about eating cold breakfast cereal while watching animated cartoons about the cold breakfast cereal you were eating—so tasty that you kept shoveling it down, despite the fact that the cereal was shredding the tissue on the roof of your mouth (like the Shredded Wheat you definitely weren’t eating?). A lot of vintage cereals still stock the shelves of your favorite supermarket. But, most likely, you will not find America’s most beloved cereal in your local grocery store. And no, the nation’s favorite isn’t Corn Flakes. According to the “Mr. Breakfast” website, cereal enthusiasts ranked Quaker Oats’ Quisp as the “greatest breakfast cereal of all time.” It even edged out Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes, 5,551 votes to 5,517! Not bad for a bright pink propeller-headed Jerry Lewis impressionist from another planet who wears a scrooch gun on his hip, eh?

Let’s Go WABAC, Shall We?

But first, let’s all hop into Mr. Peabody’s WABAC machine to revisit the history of the studio responsible for creating the subjects of this article. Jay Ward Productions’ first cartoon production was Crusader Rabbit (1950–1952), serialized funny animal adventures starring a feisty bunny rabbit his best friend, a goofy tiger. This pioneering TV show provided the template for Hanna-Barbera’s The Ruff and Reddy Show (1957–1962) and Ward’s Rocky and his Friends (1959–1960), starring a feisty flying squirrel and a goofy bull moose, both characters repurposed from a unsold cartoon show pitch, The Frostbite Falls Review. Two-

chapters-per-episode serialized storylines starring “Rocky and Bullwinkle” were joined by segments featuring “Mr. Peabody and Sherman,” “Fractured Fairy Tales,” and “Aesop and Son,” plus lots of funny intros, transitions, and fillers. Not a mediocre cartoon in the bunch, although most of the show was animated in Mexico to decidedly variable results. The Bullwinkle Show (1961) was a full-color primetime extension of Rocky and his Friends that added the well-meaning but inept Canadian Mountie Dudley Do-Right to the mix. Fractured Flickers (1963) was a departure from cartoons, although its opening titles are some of the studio’s most outstanding footage. The series itself was dubbed silent movies, cleverly written by Ward’s usual funnymen and hosted by Hans Conried. The Dudley Do-Right Show (1969–1971) repackaged two “Dudley” cartoons from The Bullwinkle Show with a “The World of Commander McBragg” short from Total Television’s Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales. (Don’t ask for an explanation; that’s an entire article in itself.) Not much of a series, Hoppity Hooper (1964–1967) had spectacular opening titles by Gerard Baldwin, but with only one new lead feature leading a line-up of segments from previous series, even from Total Television and Gamma Productions. Even the new segment starring a naive frog, a dimwit bear, and a conman fox seemed to lack the sharp and over-kids'-heads references that made their earlier productions so memorable. Fortunately, Jay Ward Productions sprang back with George of the Jungle (1967). This was Jay Ward’s final cartoon series but it was, in many ways, his finest production. The dimwitted jungle king was joined by two more satiric heroic characters, swashbuckling dogooder “Super Chicken” and racecar driver “Tom Slick.” All three RETROFAN

November 2020

the oddball world of scott shaw! [LEFT] Animation legend Jay Ward, and voice actors June Foray (voice of Rocky) and Bill Scott (voice of Bullwinkle), in 1985. This photograph hails from Ms. Foray’s personal collection and was used in her memoir, Did You Grow Up With Me Too? – The Autobiography of June Foray (BearManor Media, 2009). Courtesy of Heritage.

[BELOW] Moose and squirrel sell milk and cereal! Jay Ward Productions' partnership with General Mills included comic-book ads like this one promoting Cheerios. Rocky and Bullwinkle © Jay Ward Productions and Classic Media, Inc. Cheerios™ © General Mills.

were based on adventure stories characters that Jay Ward, Bill Scott, and the gang all read about back when they were kids. The results were well-animated, hilariously hip stories that still hold their own when matched against the quality of any modern-day cartoon shows.

A Quaker to the Rescue

But their income depended on selling more TV series, and by this time, SatAM cartoons were smothered by the edicts of censors, educators, and humor-assassins. What was a funny cartoon studio to do? Fortunately, five years earlier, job insurance arrived in the form of the Quaker on the front of those oatmeal “drums.” The Quaker Oats Company began its 22-year association with Jay Ward Productions one weekend late in 1962. In an interview, Ward’s creative partner Bill Scott described Ward’s avoidance of involvement in cereal advertising: “The studio was pretty much closed up; we were in summer-vacation mode. One day the advertising people for Quaker phoned, and our secretary told them Jay would be delighted to submit a proposal on a character they had in mind: a character called ‘Captain Crunch.’ ‘Why, certainly,’ she told them, ‘Jay would be glad to.’ Of course, Jay hated commercials! He never wanted to do them.” But that really wasn’t the case. Jay didn’t have any problems with clients. What he truly despised were the idiots overseeing things at advertising agencies. (And having worked as a Senior Art Director at a big ad agency myself, I’d say that was an accurate assessment.) What he demanded was total creative freedom if he were to make commercials for television, a wish that was granted to him by General Mills in 1959. Bullwinkle starred in a number of Cheerios commercials produced by Jay Ward. They and a few others from the studio’s growing cast of characters also appeared on many of General Mills’ cereal boxes, including Dudley Do-Right, Boris and Natasha, and briefly, Mr. Peabody and Sherman. So it wasn’t surprising when their competition, Quaker Oats, also came 12

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a-callin’ to Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood, the home of Jay Ward Productions. As Bill Scott recalled, “This Cap’n Crunch project was actually a brilliant notion; a clever fellow from Compton Advertising (Ken Mason) came up with a wonderful concept for selling a kids’ cereal. It had never been done before: that was, to research and find out the thing that kids liked most in a cereal, then to make that the name of the cereal and the name of the eventual character. That is, tie the whole thing together and then totally aim it to animated TV commercials.”

the oddball world of scott shaw!

After two and a half years of fully developing the “Cap’n Crunch” concept with the Chicago ad agency, Quaker Oats was finally preparing to launch the cereal itself… but first, they needed the input of an animation studio, because in those days, every kids’ cereal required animated TV commercials starring their brands’ specific spokes-characters, mostly cartoon funny animals and imps. Compton Advertising’s (Quaker’s agency) William Ayers and Bruce Baker headed out to Hollywood to meet with various animation studios, including Hanna-Barbera Productions, but due to their work on TV commercials for General Foods, Jay Ward Productions was indeed a frontrunner. Thanks to writer Alan Burns and cartoonist Roy Morita (and much later, with voiceover icon Daws Butler) who developed the personalities and designs of “Cap’n Crunch,” his kid-crew, pooch and even ongoing foe Jean La Foote were created over a frantic weekend, Jay Ward Productions was no longer dependent on selling animated cartoon series to television. Jay Ward authority and animation designer/director Darrell Van Citters has uncovered some incredibly diverse rough sketches submitted by another studio. As with General Foods, Ward once again had income from the same industry that was keeping most of the animation studios solvent—advertising. Cap’n Crunch cereal appeared on grocery store shelves in 1963 and was an immediate hit with kids. Ward’s TV commercials followed late the next year. So did trips to the dentist.

if you’re willing to admit that they were essentially the same cereal in two different shapes! Bill Scott and the ad agency Papert-LoisKoenig created a unique spokes-character for each cereal, and like Cap’n Crunch, each of them had the same name as the cold, pre-sweetened breakfast cereal they represented. After a year of development and manufacturing, in 1965, both cereals—“Quisp” and “Quake”— simultaneously premiered on supermarket shelves and on national television. (Their first commercial was recorded in March that year, so it’s likely they made their debut around the time schoolchildren’s summer vacations began and the kids would be watching more hours of TV daily.) Neither name sounded like the “mouth experience” of kids, but one was a funny mangling of the word “crisp” and the other one was named after its manufacturer, Quaker Oats. It was decided to have the two cereals compete against one another in a kind of popularity contest. The voice-over announcer of Q&Q’s commercials, Paul Frees, invited viewers at home to decide: “Take sides with either—two new cereals from Quaker, sort of a breakfast feud.” It was always a tussle between “cwazy energy” versus “the power of an earthquake,” with ridiculous story elements and lotsa puns to keep things interesting. The cereal’s different in-pack giveaways and mail-order premiums were also occasionally mentioned in competitive terms. The odd thing was, although Quisp and Quake were constantly trying to out-do each other in rescuing people in distress, they never The Breakfast Battles Begin! actually rescued anyone! Instead, each commercial would end According to Bill Scott, “When the cereal on a never-to-beresolved cliffhanger, with the company approached Jay about doing endangered individual(s) still this stuff, he said, ‘We’ll only do it struggling to decide which as long as it’s fun.’” That was Jay’s cereal would provide the main concern about everything that energy to solve the tricky left his studio. Then a layout artist on situation. the “Tom Slick” segments of George of the The ad campaign was presented Jungle, commercial director Sam Cornell, once as if it was a one-minute-per-episode told me that whenever Jay was circulating among television series, although the breakfast his cartoonists at work, he’d drop by every desk to battles themselves—appropriately referred to as “Your ask, “Is it funny?” (By comparison, back when I was Breakfast Cereal”—bore a greater resemblance to the serialized working across town at H-B, Bill Hanna and adventure movies of the Thirties and Forties. That was the Joe Barbera’s usual questions for me was the material that amused and excited Bill Scott and his creative team same one: “Is it done yet?”) back when they were kids. In fact, Jay Ward not only relied on the ad But make no mistake, it was the clever writing and truly account, he genuinely enjoyed working with the brass at funny animation that made the older RetroFans among us Quaker Oats, who he referred to as “gentlemen—with a who still value and even cherish the memory of Jay Ward’s Quisp sense of humor.” and Quake commercials. Jay Ward authority and voiceover artist Therefore, after a year of the studio’s very funny Cap’n Crunch Keith Scott wrote, “By early 1966, Ward was enthusiastically TV commercials airing nationally—and promoting very healthy overseeing the many recording sessions required for these sales to kids eager to gobble up Cap’n Crunch cereal (despite the commercials, and was proud of the fine animation emerging from damage the ultra-crunchy product inflicted on young mouthhis studio.” Animation historian Leonard Maltin has said, “Quaker roofs), Jay Ward was approached [gave] Ward amazing freedom… Quisp [INSET TOP] and Quake [INSET BOTTOM] as they looked and enough money for him by Quaker Oats to help create a during their �� premiere. © Quaker Oats Co. Animation cels courtesy new brand of cereal… actually, to turn out a product much of Heritage. two brands within one, at least handsomer than any of his shows RETROFAN

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MONSTER MASH

The Creepy, Kooky Monster Craze In America, 1957-1972 Time-trip back to the frightening era of 1957-1972, when monsters stomped into the American mainstream! Once Frankenstein and fiends infiltrated TV in 1957, an avalanche of monster magazines, toys, games, trading cards, and comic books crashed upon an unsuspecting public. This profusely illustrated full-color hardcover covers that creepy, kooky Monster Craze through features on FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND magazine, the #1 hit “Monster Mash,” Aurora’s model kits, TV shows (SHOCK THEATRE, THE ADDAMS FAMILY, THE MUNSTERS, and DARK SHADOWS), “MARS ATTACKS” trading cards, EERIE PUBLICATIONS, PLANET OF THE APES, and more! It features interviews with JAMES WARREN (Creepy, Eerie, and Vampirella magazines), FORREST J ACKERMAN (Famous Monsters of Filmland), JOHN ASTIN (The Addams Family), AL LEWIS (The Munsters), JONATHAN FRID (Dark Shadows), GEORGE BARRIS (monster car customizer), ED “BIG DADDY” ROTH (Rat Fink), BOBBY (BORIS) PICKETT (Monster Mash singer/songwriter) and others, with a Foreword by TV horror host ZACHERLEY, the “Cool Ghoul.” Written by MARK VOGER (author of “The Dark Age”). (192-page FULL-COLOR HARDCOVER) $39.95 • (Digital Edition) $11.99 ISBN: 978-1-60549-064-9 • Diamond Order Code: MAR151564

GROOVY

When Flower Power Bloomed In Pop Culture

GROOVY is a far-out trip to the era of lava lamps and love beads. This profusely illustrated HARDCOVER BOOK, in PSYCHEDELIC COLOR, features interviews with icons of grooviness such as PETER MAX, BRIAN WILSON, PETER FONDA, MELANIE, DAVID CASSIDY, members of the JEFFERSON AIRPLANE, CREAM, THE DOORS, THE COWSILLS and VANILLA FUDGE; and cast members of groovy TV shows like THE MONKEES, LAUGH-IN and THE BRADY BUNCH. By MARK VOGER. (192-page FULL-COLOR HARDCOVER) $39.95 ISBN: 978-1-60549-080-9 • Digital Edition: $13.99 Diamond Order Code: JUL172227

HOLLY JOLLY

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its religious origins to its emergence as a multimedia phenomenon. This FULL-COLOR HARDCOVER explores movies (Miracle on 34th Street, It’s a Wonderful Life), music (White Christmas, Little St. Nick), TV (How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer), books (Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol), decor (1950s silver aluminum trees), comics (super-heroes meet Santa), and more! Featuring interviews with CHARLES M. SCHULZ (A Charlie Brown Christmas), ANDY WILLIAMS (TV’s “Mr. Christmas”) and others, the story behind DARLENE LOVE’s perennial hit song Christmas (Baby Please Come Home), and even more holiday memories! Written and designed by MARK VOGER (author of the TwoMorrows’ books MONSTER MASH and GROOVY), the profusely illustrated HOLLY JOLLY takes readers on a time-trip to Christmases past that you will cherish all year long! SHIPS NOVEMBER 2020! (192-page FULL-COLOR HARDCOVER) $43.95 • (Digital Edition) $15.99 ISBN: 978-1-60549-097-7

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RETRO HEROES

Creatures & Conspiracies The Truth-Seeking Hero of Kolchak: The Night Stalker by Bill Spangler In the summer of 1978, I was part of a group of science-fiction fans that were putting on a convention in State College, Pennsylvania, the home of Penn State University. As part of that committee, one of my tasks was to come up with a costume to wear at the planned costume party. (This was back in those prehistoric days before “cosplay” became a word.) Now, I had no discernable costuming skills. However, I managed to come up with an outfit that caused moments at later conventions where someone would look at me and say, “Oh, yeah, you’re the one who came as Kolchak.” Carl Kolchak was introduced to the world in The Night Stalker, a 1972 made-for-TV movie on ABC that set ratings records. [Editor’s note: The Night Stalker scored a 33.2 rating and 54 share in the Nielsens during its original airdate of January 11, 1972.] The Night Stalker was followed by a second movie, and that was followed by a TV series that lasted just shy of one season. In many circumstances, that would be the end of the story. But Kolchak, like the menaces he faces, has proven to be remarkably hard to kill. Chris Carter, creator of The X-Files, has told interviewers that the TV show—Kolchak: The Night Stalker—was a major influence on his thinking. In one such interview, he said, “I had an opportunity to create a show for Fox. And they said, ‘What do you want to do?’ And I said, you know, The Night Stalker was this fantastic show and I was scared out of my pants. I said, there’s nothing scary on television anymore. Let’s do a scary show.” The show that scared Chris Carter out of his pants ran in 1974 and 1975. An attempt to reboot the series in 2005 lasted only six episodes in its original run, although ten were produced and all ten were shown when the show migrated to Syfy. Still, Carl Kolchak’s encounters with creatures and conspiracies continue to attract fans, thanks to the availability of the original adventures and an ambitious publishing program by Moonstone Books.

Never-Say-Die Journalist

Like the Thin Man, the title The Night Stalker did not refer to Kolchak at first. It referred to the monster in the first movie, a vampire named Janos Skorzeny, who was on a killing spree in modern Las Vegas. Kolchak was a reporter for the Las Vegas Daily

[ABOVE] Darren McGavin as Carl Kolchak, the seersuckered supernatural sleuth of Kolchak: The Night Stalker. © Universal Television. Kolchak © Jeff Rice Estate. [RIGHT INSET] Kolchak creator

Jeff Rice (1944–2015).

News, searching for the big story that would land him a job in New York City. Discovering the truth behind Skorzeny proves to be an even bigger story than he imagines. He stops Skorzeny, but he can’t fight the Powers-That-Be in Vegas, who suppress the truth because it’s “bad for business.” This story started life as a novel by Jeff Rice, a Las Vegas journalist and actor. According to The Night Stalker Companion by Mark Dawidziak, generally considered to be the definitive reference on Kolchak’s adventures, Rice submitted his manuscript to an agent, looking for representation. This individual also turned out to be the agent for prominent fantasy author Richard Matheson, who wrote I Am Legend, The Incredible Shrinking Man, and “Duel,” among other stories. Matheson expressed interest in the book, and that led to a deal for a made-for-TV movie, produced by Dan Curtis, the force behind Dark Shadows, and John Llewellyn Moxey was tapped as director. A major piece of the project arrived when Darren McGavin was cast as Kolchak. RETROFAN

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retro heroes

McGavin is probably best known these days as Ralphie’s Old Man in the classic holiday movie A Christmas Story. However, McGavin, who died in 2006, had a decades-long career in both movies and television. His other credits include The Martian Chronicles, Tribes, and Murphy Brown. McGavin gave Kolchak a mixture of flamboyance and determination that was very appealing. He knew when he was physically outmatched and was perfectly willing to exercise the better part of valor. When it came to uncovering the truth, however, he never stopped, even when he knew his efforts would be blocked. As McGavin’s wife, Kathie Browne McGavin, put it, “The people who really love The Night Stalker love Kolchak because he never gives up. He’s fighting, always fighting. You can take the monsters and take them to be anything you want—the government, big business, corrupt officials. Their hero comes at the end, beaten up but ready to fight another day,” Mark Dawidziak, who is also a professional journalist, describes Kolchak as “the embodiment of what a journalist should be.”

Montage of press photos from the �� telemovie, The Night Stalker. © Universal Television. Courtesy of Heritage.

Kolchak arrived at roughly the same time that Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein were breaking the Watergate scandal, Dawidziak said. However, he offered a radically different image of what journalists looked like. The movies cast Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman as Woodward and Bernstein, but Kolchak was “scruffy, badly dressed, and had a European surname. It was a much more practical role model for a journalist.” McGavin also created Kolchak’s visual signature, his seersucker suit, battered hat, and sneakers. “I got this image of a New York newspaperman who had been fired in the summer of 1962,” he said, “when he was wearing a seersucker suit, his straw hat, 22

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button-down Brooks Brothers shirt, and reporter’s tie and he hasn’t bought any clothes since.” While the romantic lead in the first movie was played by Carol Lynley, you could say that Kolchak’s co-star, throughout McGavin’s association with the character, was editor Tony Vincenzo, played by Simon Oakland. Although there are points in their stormy relationship where Vincenzo seems to be an obstacle arbitrarily placed in Kolchak’s way, his feelings are explained clearly in this movie. Vincenzo admires Kolchak as a reporter, but he also has to appease the newspaper’s owners and local authorities. The title character in The Night Stalker was played by Barry Atwater. Unlike Bela Lugosi’s Dracula or Jonathan Frid’s Barnabas Collins, Atwater played Skorzeny as speechless and animalistic.

Primal Fears in Primetime

The combination of setting, theme, and acting produced a major hit. Ratings on The Night Stalker beat the highest rated madefor-TV at that point, 1971’s Brian’s Song. Rice’s original novel was published, and it wasn’t long before work began on a sequel. The sequel, The Night Strangler, relocated Kolchak and Vincenzo to Seattle, where Kolchak discovered an alchemist (Richard Anderson) who killed women in order to produce a serum that would maintain his immortality. This story did not come from Rice, although he did write a novelization. It was developed by Matheson and Curtis, who also directed. The Night Strangler premiered in 1973. It did well in both ratings and critical reception, although not as well as the original. A third script was written, but never produced as ABC executives became more interested in producing a weekly series starring Kolchak. The third script, The Night Killers, took Kolchak and Vincenzo to Hawaii and is described as being more science-fictional in nature, with UFOs and politicians being replaced by android duplicates. This screenplay was written by Matheson and William F. Nolan, the co-author of Logan’s Run. A prose adaptation of The Night Killers is available from Moonstone Books and a limited edition of all three scripts is still available. The TV series—which came to be titled Kolchak: The Night Stalker—debuted in the fall of 1974. It wasn’t an easy birth, and the show was plagued with problems. According to The Night Stalker Companion, there was a constant tug of war between McGavin and producer Cy Chermak on how to convert Kolchak’s adventures to a weekly format. This was aggravated by budgetary problems. This time, Kolchak and Vincenzo were in Chicago, working for the Independent News Service. Regulars in the newsroom now included prissy Ron Updyke (Jack Grinnage), aging but youngat-heart Emily Cowles (Ruth McDevitt), and intern Monique Marmelstein (Carol Ann Susi). In addition, Kolchak had regular dealings with morgue attendant Gordy “The Ghoul” Spangler (John Fiedler), who I like to think of as Uncle Gordy. Despite the story problems, there are several episodes of the show worth talking about. Many fans consider “Horror in the Heights” the best of the weekly episodes. Written by Jimmy Sangster, who scripted some

retro heroes

“I said I would submit four or five concepts, and if there’s one of the classic as Hammer horror films, this story boasts several clever plot twists, some political commentary, and a strong we all agree on, I’ll do it,” he says. One of those concepts was performance by Ruth McDevitt as Miss Emily. Grave Secrets, about the deaths surrounding a proposed landLike most TV shows at the time, episodes of Kolchak: The Night development project. Grave Secrets, along with Dawidziak’s other Stalker were designed to be self-contained, and to be watched books, are available at his website, www.markdawidziak.com. At this in any order. One result of this was that Kolchak treated every writing, his most recent book is The Shawshank Redemption Revealed, encounter with the paranormal as if it were his first. The one based in part during his time on the set during the filming. exception to this approach was “The Vampire,” written by David The X-Files acknowledged its connection with Kolchak: The Chase and Bill Stratton. Although it never Night Stalker at roughly the same time, with directly refers to the original movie, Kolchak two episodes featuring Darren McGavin, knows that this vampire was created by “Travelers” and “Aqua Mala.” The creative Janos Skorzeny and he knows what he has staff on X-Files had made two previous to do is stop it. attempts to bring McGavin onto the show, “Mr. R.I.N.G,” by L. Ford Neale and John once as Kolchak himself and once as Huff, may be the episode that bears the Mulder’s father. Ultimately, though, they closest resemblance to The X-Files. Kolchak cast McGavin as Arthur Dales, one of the uncovers a secret government project to first FBI agents assigned to the X-Files. build a robot soldier, and his “interrogation” In “Travelers,” Fox Mulder contacts Dales by government agents leaves him injured and for help with a case from the McCarthy era disoriented from drugs. that involved Mulder’s father. Naturally, a In “The Spanish Moss Murders,” by Al dif ferent actor (Fredric Lehne) plays Dales Friedman and David Chase, a legendary during the Fif ties scenes, but McGavin swamp creature terrifies the Cajun narrates the flashbacks, a nice salute community in Chicago. The writers find to the format of The Night Stalker. The a unique way to transport a swamp framing sequence for this story seems creature to the big city, and the monster’s to take place before Mulder meets Dana appearances are well-staged. Scully, and Dales is living in a lower-class “Legacy of Terror,” by Arthur Rowe, relies neighborhood in Washington D.C. more on strange contrasts than special effects to In “Aqua Mala,” Dales has moved to establish the mood. Kolchak discovers that a Florida. He lives in a mobile home but has string of luxury hotels is actually a front for an elaborate set-up of radios and police a religious cult that wants to bring an Aztec monitors. Dales calls on Mulder and demon back to Earth. Scully for help to fight a creature that has “Chopper,” which turns the Headless been pulled up from the ocean depths Horseman into a headless motorcyclist, by a storm. This is a stand-alone episode, started as a proposal from Robert with no new information about Dales’ Zemeckis and Bob Gale, the creators of the background or the continuing subplots on Back to the Future movies. Even the weaker X-Files. On one level, the episode resembles episodes have good points, however. One some of the stories from the Night Stalker TV Screen captures from the �� such point is that the victims of the various telemovie, The Night Stalker. © Universal series. creatures are almost always given some “Travelers” was co-written by Frank Television. Courtesy of Heritage. humanizing detail, like they collect plush Spotnitz, one of the main writers on The animals, or they’re six credits away from their X-Files. He would go on to develop the 2005 master's degree. reboot of Night Stalker, which also ran on ABC. In this version, Kolchak: The Night Stalker lasted 20 episodes, but reruns of the Kolchak (Stuart Townsend) is young, dark, and brooding. He’s show went into a late-night spot on CBS. This spot attracted new obsessed with unraveling the conspiracy behind the death of fans, viewers who may have been more receptive to the show’s his wife and their unborn child. He even spent some time in a style and subject matter than the primetime audience. mental hospital, recovering from the event. He’s still working for Tony Vincenzo (Cotter Smith) on the Los Angeles Beacon, but Grave-digging he’s spending most of his time with Perri Reed (Gabrielle Union), In 1994, a new adventure was added to Kolchak’s resume when the senior crime reporter on the Beacon. Reed, unsurprisingly, Dawidziak’s novel Grave Secrets was published. A new publisher is skeptical of Kolchak’s claims. An F.B.I. agent named Fain had printed an omnibus volume of The Night Stalker and The (Jon Pyper-Ferguson) is trying to prove that Kolchak killed his Night Strangler, Dawidziak tells RetroFan, and wanted Rice to wife. But is he motivated by the evidence, or is he part of the write a new book. Rice wasn’t interested, but he recommended conspiracy? Dawidziak because they had developed a friendship while the Frankly, it’s tempting to dismiss the reboot with one or two latter was writing Nightstalking, the first edition of The Night withering comments. Replacing the older, more world-weary Stalker Companion. Kolchak with a younger, more romantic version seems entirely RETROFAN

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retro heroes Kolchak keeps on creepin’! Among the many continuations of the Kolchak saga: Mark Dawidziak’s Grave Secrets (1994), Christopher Mills’ Night Stalker of the Living Dead (2008), and James Chambers’ The Forgotten Lore of Edgar Allan Poe (2016). Kolchak © Jeff Rice Estate.

work featuring a licensed character to be awarded but it does happen.” Chambers says he had already sold a prose short story with Kolchak when he was approached about doing Forgotten Lore, although the story was not published until after the graphic novel. “My first step was a comprehensive rereading of Poe and reading the stories and poems I hadn’t yet read. This was a very deep dive into Poe’s writing and biography and I found insights into many of his stories I had read in the past. “I then turned to Kolchak,” he continues, “whose stories always contain certain key elements, such as Carl consulting with an expert on folklore and myth, Tony Vincenzo refusing to publish his ‘outlandish’ stories, and so on…. Everything crystalized when I discovered how much common ground existed between Kolchak’s voice as a narrator and Poe’s as an author. Both have a cynical, macabre, and world-weary humanism to them, and they share a wry, dark sense of humor.” Chambers believes Kolchak appeals to fans on multiple levels. “His personality is an attractive blend of cynicism, optimism, and pragmatism. Kolchak’s not above a little bribe now and then to grease the wheels for a story, but he’s always going to do the right thing when it matters most. “He’s a reluctant hero in the best way. He’s not whining about being forced into these situations or how fate keeps him from doing what he’d rather be doing. He’s reluctant because he must overcome his fear and revulsion in order to act. That’s something everybody can understand. “I think, too, that fans love that he is who he is at all times,” Chambers asserts. “Kolchak is an oddball—the way he dresses, the way he works, his outlook on life—he never compromises that. He has no time for worrying about what others think of him. I think his biggest appeal is that he is a fundamentally honest character in a world of cover-ups and corruption.” Moonstone’s books—including Night Stalker of the Living Dead and The Forgotten Lore of Edgar Allan Poe—are available at www. moonstronebooks.com. Upcoming releases are Dawn of the Demons, a prose/graphic novel mix by Ed Gorman and Ricky Sprague, and Kolchak and the Night Stalkers, a prose novella by Chambers. 26

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Chambers explains, “We take a new approach to Kolchak, where he winds up working with a team of characters to take on a supernatural menace. Thanks to Moonstone’s library of classic characters, Kolchak works with a new version of the Domino Lady, Derek Flint (the spy played by James Coburn in the movies), private eye Pat Novak, T.H.E. Cat (a cult favorite Sixties TV show starring Robert Loggia), and several more surprise guests. They’ll all be drawn together by a Lovecraftian menace too big for any of them to face on their own.” Two series that were heavily influenced by The Night Stalker were the News from the Edge novel trilogy from the late Nineties by Mark Sumner, and Abbott, a four-issue comic-book series, written by Saladin Ahmed, with art by Sami Kivela. The protagonist of the News from the Edge books is Savannah “Savvy” McKinnon, a reporter for the tabloid Global Query, and her adventures combine mystery and supernatural elements. The titles of the trilogy are The Monster of Minnesota, Insanity Illinois, and Vampires of Vermont. The main character in Abbott is Elena Abbott, an African-American reporter in 1972. She’s investigating a series of grisly murders, which she believes to be the work of occult forces. Abbott was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story in 2019. The Hugo, for the record, is one of the two major awards in the science-fiction field, and is voted on by sci-fi fans. All of Darren McGavin’s adventures as Kolchak, as well as the 2005 reboot, are available on DVD. In addition, the first TV series can be found on NBC’s streaming service. For a while, “I was out here on my own chronicling Kolchak’s adventures,” Dawidziak says. “But I’ve given other people the tools to carry on the research. It’s not really mine anymore. I’m the proud granddad, standing on the sidelines.” BILL SPANGLER, who wrote “Thunderbirds Are Still Go” for RetroFan #4, used to have a photo of himself dressed as Kolchak, interviewing another attendee at that costume party, dressed as Dr. Frank N. Furter from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. But he wouldn’t run that photo here, even if he could find it.

ERNEST FARINO’S RETRO FANTASMAGORIA

That was my reaction to my parents gently breaking the news to me that George Reeves, the actor who played Superman/ Clark Kent in the TV series Adventures of Superman, had died from a gunshot wound. He died on June 16, 1959, and the news broke the next day on June 17—my birthday. I turned seven years old. Kids of that age are generally not secure in understanding the nature of death and dying anyway, so to wrestle with this notion regarding “The Man of Steel” was too much to deal with. Of course, it was true. And perhaps that reality gradually helped me start to understand such weighty life issues. But for the moment, I was content to live in the world of Metropolis, The Daily Planet, and “a strange visitor from another planet who came to Earth with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men.” The backstory is well known, so we’ll include just a brief refresher course here. Jerry Siegel (the writer) joined his high school friend Joe Shuster (the artist) in the Thirties to come up with a new comic-strip character. Based on Siegel’s concept, Shuster designed Superman’s costume based on heavyweight boxing champions of the day, adding elements such as the cape. Superman first appeared in Action Comics #1 (June 1938) and was an instant hit, but, not anticipating continued success, Siegel sold their rights to Action Comics’ National Allied Publications (later DC Comics) for—wait for it—$130 (about $2,400 today). For all intents and purposes, Siegel and Shuster were soon left behind by the success of their high-flying hero, and other creative personnel stepped in. Notably, the animator Max Fleischer’s studios (creators of the famous Popeye cartoons of the Forties) produced a series of 17 Superman cartoons in Technicolor from 1941 to 1943. In 1948 Columbia Pictures produced the first liveaction appearance of Superman on film: a 15-chapter B&W serial, Superman, starring Kirk Alyn as Superman and Noel Neill as Lois Lane and directed by Thomas Carr, who later directed many early episodes of the Adventures of Superman television series, also starring Neill. According to Jim Harmon and Donald F. Glut in their book The Great Movie Serials: Their Sound and Fury, the serial was a “tremendous financial success” and played in “first-run theatres that had never before booked a serial.” A sequel, Atom Man vs. Superman, directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet, was released in 1950. In 1976 Warner Bros. decided to make a Superman movie. Siegel contacted the studio, and some parties at Warner Bros. and DC Comics were surprised to discover that Siegel and Shuster were still alive. As Arlen Schumer wrote in Pete Von Sholly’s anthology of essays Fantastic Fictioneers (PS Publishing, 2019), “renowned comic book artist and firebrand Neal Adams, who, with grassroots support from many of the giants in the comic art fields,

Faster Than a Speeding Bullet! by Ernest Farino

Superman TM & © DC Comics.

“That can’t be true. I don’t believe it. He’s Superman!”

George Reeves, with signature.

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ernest farino’s retro fantasmagoria

lobbied and publicly pressured DC’s corporate owners Warner Bros. to right the moral and ethical wrongs wrought on Siegel and Shuster. In short time, Warners conceded and promised modest annual stipends for the two for the rest The Mole Men were played by (alphabetically): of their lives—Shuster John T. Bambury’s only other major credit was the died in 1992, Siegel in all-dwarf Western The Terror of Tiny Town (1938), one of 1996—but perhaps more the films included in The Fifty Worst Films of All Time by importantly for posterity, Harry Medved and Randy Lowell (1978), winning the DC agreed to affix the PT Barnum Award for “Worst Cinematic Exploitation credit ‘Created by Jerry of a Physical Deformity” in The Golden Turkey Awards by Siegel and Joe Shuster’ Harry and Michael Medved (1980). to every Superman story Billy Curtis appeared as a Munchkin in The Wizard (and credit crawl in of Oz (1939), as the cowboy hero of The Terror of Tiny Town, movies and television) in as one of the friends of The Incredible Shrinking Man perpetuity.” (1957), and in the Clint Eastwood Western High Plains Superman: The Movie was Drifter (1973). He also appeared as a smaller version of released in 1978—Superman’s the alien during its disintegration in The Thing from 40th anniversary—and starred Another World (1951). Christopher Reeve, Marlon Brando, Jerry Maren appeared in The Wizard of Oz as the and Margot Kidder and was directed Munchkin who hands Dorothy a welcoming lollipop. by Richard Donner (interviewed Johnny Roventini’s voice was heard on thousands of at length by Glenn Greenberg in radio programs sponsored by Phillip Morris cigarettes, RetroFan #3). The film became the and seen on television in his bright red bellboy uniform second-highest-grossing film of 1978 paging, “Call for Phillip Morris!” after Grease. Interested RetroFan readers are encouraged to seek out any of the numerous books on Superman were combined and distributed as [including, if you’ll forgive the plug, theatrical features overseas and in ye ed’s own The Krypton Companion, Mexico, adding new scenes to tie the from TwoMorrows—ed.], as well as episodes together. Unfortunately, this the many blogs and Facebook groups newly added transitional material has devoted to the Man of Steel. In the not been seen in decades. meantime, we’ll back up to a time Superman in-between the Kirk Alyn serials and and the Mole the Christopher Reeve movie, 1951 to Men is what got be exact, when 37-year-old George me (that sevenReeves first portrayed Superman in year-old kid) the feature film Superman and the Mole hooked, and I Men. (The on-screen main title hyphenates “Mole-Men,” but all faithfully watched of the posters and advertising omit the hyphen. So we’ll drop the the show every day hyphen here for clarity.) This was later re-edited into a two-part after school, hoping episode for television, retitled The Unknown People (Parts 1 and that story with 2), and kicked off the Adventures of Superman television series those little guys in first-run syndication across America on September 19, 1952. from inside the Sponsored by Kellogg’s cereals, the series was filmed in California Earth would show on the RKO-Pathé stages and the RKO “Forty Acres” backlot. The up again. first two seasons (52 episodes) were filmed in black and white, As told by and while seasons three through six (51 episodes) were filmed Doug Sederberg in color, they were originally telecast in black and white, only [TOP] This “strange visitor from another planet” could bend steel in his bare hands. [RIGHT] George Reeves as to be shown in color in 1965 the Man of Steel. Superman TM & © DC Comics. in local syndication. Episodes

MEET THE MOLE MEN

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November 2020

ernest farino’s retro fantasmagoria [LEFT] On the set of Gone With the Wind in 1939 with the huge threestrip Technicolor camera. As the smitten Tarleton Twins, George Reeves as Stuart (RIGHT) and Fred Crane as Brent (STANDING, LEFT) pester Scarlett O’Hara (Vivien Leigh) with “all this talk of war, war, war.” © Warner Bros.

[ABOVE] Glamorous Phyllis Coates (born Gypsie Ann Evarts Stell) was TV’s first Lois Lane in Superman and the Mole Men (1951) and then in the first season of the Adventures of Superman series. Equally glamorous Noel Neill played Lois Lane in the film serials Superman (1948) and Atom Man vs. Superman (1950), as well as the Adventures of Superman series, taking over from Phyllis Coates. Neill gave Lois a more wholesome, “girl next door” persona, contrasting Coates’ more “serious” portrayal. When Ernest Farino met Noel at a convention and showed her this decidedly un-Lois Lane photo, she smiled and waved it off, remarking that innocent cheesecake pictures were just part of the drill for female contract players.

on IMDb, “Reporters Clark Kent (George Reeves) and Lois Lane (Phyllis Coates) arrive in the small town of Silsby to witness the drilling of the world’s deepest oil well. The drill, however, has penetrated the underground home of a race of small, furry people (Billy Curtis, Jerry Maren, John T. Bambury and Johnny Roventini) who then come to the surface at night to look around. The fact that they glow in the dark scares the town folk, who form a mob, led by the vicious Luke Benson (Jeff Corey), intent on killing the strange people. Only Superman has a chance to prevent this tragedy.” There was something about that “deepest oil well” (six miles down, as I recall) that captured my imagination, and every time I’d see a subterranean movie since, whether the cheap-o and often bad ones like Unknown World (1951) or At the

Earth’s Core (1976) or even the good ones like Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959) or Deep Impact (1998), part of me was always hoping those little guys would show up somewhere. The ensuing series was subject to the Law of Averages and some episodes were great, others just okay, and some downright silly. But, as the saying goes, there’s no such thing as bad pizza, and I ate it all up accordingly, unfettered by that pesky critical and sometimes cynical eye of the adult. Today I can enjoy the episodes through the rose-colored glasses of nostalgia, along with my cumulative film experience casting newfound amusement at the inexpensive sets and, shall we say, “basic” special effects. But I’ll admit to one thing: that quivering orchestral tremolo that heralds the beginning of the opening title sequence still gives me a chill (in a good way). Instead of slogging through the details of the various episodes (and the entire series is available in DVD box sets), let’s touch on a few stories behind the series. With author Michael Hayde’s kind permission, we’ll use his “Ten Myths About George Reeves’s Portrayal of Superman on TV” as a guide (from his book Flights of Fancy: The Unauthorized But True Story of Radio & TV’s Adventures RETROFAN

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ernest farino’s retro fantasmagoria

made. “With a gunshot wound, you check to see if there is powder on the skin, and that can tell you whether the gun was selfinflicted, if it was held up to his head, or if it was shot from across the room, in which case it couldn’t be suicide,” Schoenberger said. She added that the body was taken to a funeral home and washed before the autopsy, and the bullet hole in Reeves’ head was sewn up, so there was no way to tell the depth of the wound. As it turned out, the funeral home was owned by Eddie Mannix. (Reeves was in the midst of an affair with Toni Mannix, wife of film studio executive Eddie Mannix, and they conclude that Mannix’s documented Mafia ties were called upon to kill Reeves.) That sad fact—the harsh reality—was that Reeves was dead. But I never bought into the suicide angle. Despite playing into some of the myths mentioned above, to its credit the film Hollywoodland, directed by Allen Coulter, presents as many as three theories, leaving it to the viewer to draw his or her own conclusion. Narrator: Faster than a speeding bullet. More powerful than a locomotive. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Man 1: Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! [ABOVE] George Reeves, in costume, participates rides a float sponsored by the City of Hope to aid Leukemia research. [LEFT] The September 25, 1953 issue of TV Guide, a rare collectible which, in good condition, can go for as high as $600.00 and up. © TV Guide. [RIGHT] Superman – Now in Color! Newspaper ad c. 1965 sponsored by Rochester, New York’s CBS-affiliate WROC-TV. Episodes 1–52 were filmed in black and white, but, while the episodes 53–104 were filmed in color, they were originally telecast in black and white. The episodes were first shown in color in 1965 when the series was syndicated to local stations, such as WROC.

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Woman: It’s a plane! Man 2: It’s Superman! Narrator: Yes, it’s Superman, strange visitor from another planet who came to Earth with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men. Superman, who can change the course of mighty rivers, bend steel in his bare hands. And who, disguised as Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper, fights a never-ending battle for truth, justice and the American way. And now, another exciting episode in the Adventures of Superman. Mere mortals may come and go, but the Adventures live on… Thanks to Steve Friedman and Pete Von Sholly. ERNEST FARINO recently directed an episode of the SyFy/Netflix series Superstition starring Mario Van Peebles, as well as serving as Visual Ef fects Consultant. Previously Farino directed Steel and Lace starring Bruce Davison, episodes of Monsters starring Lydia Cornell and Marc McClure, ABC’s Land of the Lost starring Timothy Bottoms, and extensive 2nd Unit for the miniseries Dune starring William Hurt, Noah’s Ark starring Jon Voight, and Supernova starring Luke Perry. A two-time Emmy®-winning Visual Ef fects Supervisor for SyFy’s Dune and Children of Dune miniseries, Farino supervised the Emmy-nominated visual ef fects for the Tom Hanks/HBO miniseries From the Earth to the Moon; James Cameron’s The Terminator, The Abyss, and T2; as well as Starship Troopers, Snow White–A Tale of Terror, Creepshow, and many others. His publishing enterprise, Archive Editions, has published Mike Hankin’s elaborate three-volume book set Ray Harryhausen – Master of the Majicks, The FXRH Collection, and more.

SCOTT SAAVEDRA'S SECRET SANCTUM

by Scott Saavedra Do you believe a bit of good news is like taking a hallucinogenic drug? Have you ever been an island king? A werewolf wearing a bowtie? A turtle giant? Stretchy? A police officer of the opposite sex on another planet? Are you willing to put nearly any darn thing into your mouth? Then you just might be Jimmy Olsen, Superman’s Pal and total trouble magnet. Over the decades there have been many different creative interpretations of Jimmy Olsen, a comic-book character originally seen in the background and even occasionally rescued in various Superman comics. It’s the sort of thing that happens to popular-culture creations that manage to endure, and Jimmy has been around a long, long time. The version of Jimmy Olsen that captured my attention and, well, maybe not my heart but some other lesser organ (pancreas?) got into quite a bit of mischief during the last half of the Fifties through the Sixties. What kind of mischief? You’re going to want to sit down.

Weirdo Wedding

Special wedding events have long been a staple of popular entertainment. In comic books, Dick Briefer’s Pirate Prince

was one of the first featured adventure characters to have wedding-themed woes with a two-parter in Daredevil Comics #18 and 19 in 1943. Reed Richards and Sue Storm of the Fantastic Four got married in the rambunctious “Bedlam at the Baxter Building!” (Fantastic Four Annual #3, Oct. 1965). Battles with villains were waged, wedding vows exchanged, and Fantastic Four creators Stan Lee and Jack Kirby were turned away at the door due to a lack of invitations. Jimmy Olsen got a big wedding story just a couple of years later in Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #100 (Mar. 1967), “The Weirdo Wedding of Jimmy Olsen!” The tale goes something like this (deep breath): Perry White gives Jimmy tickets to see the Beatles at Metropolis Stadium; Jimmy drinks “Super-Physique Formula” (a product of the 7th dimension) from his trophy case, gets in a fight with Lucy Lane’s date, loses, asks Lucy (Lois Lane’s sister) to marry him, she says yes; Jimmy gets rid of his snapshots of old girlfriends; he travels to the future via a time globe he keeps in an enormous vault in his apartment to let past girlfriends Saturn Girl, Duo Damsel, and Light Lass know that he is marrying Lucy since he had plans

Look closely at the wedding guests gathered under the awning, where it appears that Jimmy's boss Perry White wasn't invited but Clark Kent was (a mystery unexamined in the story). [TOP] Jimmy reacts to Lucy Lane's expression of everlasting love in the least normal way possible. From Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #100 (Mar. 1967). TM & © DC Comics.

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Scott Saavedra's secret sanctum

to go to the future anyway (and there’s more to that whole multi-relationship if you can believe it); Superman builds Jimmy and Lucy a gigantic island mansion (cub reporters must be millionaires in Metropolis); a feature of the house is a private theater stocked (stocked!) with films of Jimmy’s many adventures; Lucy gets robots that look like Lucy to use for shopping and household chores (this is creepy, right?); VIPs from everywhere arrive for the wedding; and common people think that this special day should be a national holiday. Great Caesar’s Ghost! I am not even close to getting to the part where Lois Lane tries to make the day about her failure to bag Superman and, hey, speaking of Superman… he turns into a mole (“one of the world’s ugliest creatures!”—thank you, judgmental bystander) whose frantic digging saves

largely because actor Jack Larson made him so likable. Even Reeves’ death (as well as the death of John Hamilton, who played Perry White) didn’t immediately put an end to Adventures of Superman or Jimmy’s own adventures. A suggestion that the show become Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen with Superman body doubles and other tricks was rejected by Larson.

The Rise of Jimmy

The boy who would be Jimmy. Superman #13 (Nov.–Dec. 1941). TM & © DC Comics.

The Road to Jimmy

Jimmy's love life was the stuff of nightmares. Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #98 (Dec. 1966). TM & © DC Comics.

Metropolis half a billion dollars on its subway project. There’s more—lots more—but we’ll be here all day just to get through this one adventure. So, was this fable an outlier? Oh, no. It’s not even his first wedding story. But at least the bride this time was human. Plenty of Jimmy’s adventures have thrown a freckled fist into logic’s face. That wasn’t always the case for the Daily Planet’s cub reporter/ photographer. He began his comic-book life as a pretty unremarkable guy. 36

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Jimmy Olsen got his name on the radio program The Adventures of Superman early on following its debut in 1940. A year later, a newspaper copyboy—basically a young errand runner—named Jimmy appeared in Superman #13 (Nov. 1941). More than just a background character, Jimmy was an important part of the adventure along with his boss, Perry White (editor of the Daily Planet, a great metropolitan newspaper), feisty reporter Lois Lane, and mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent, who, in the guise of Superman, fights to free dimes from the tiny fists of young readers. It’s true that three years earlier, an unnamed blond copyboy of similar build made a brief appearance in Action Comics #6 (Nov. 1938), but other than his fine bowtie there was really nothing much to connect him the modern Jimmy Olsen. For the most part, Jimmy was a background player with a line of dialogue here and there. This early evolving version of Jimmy was as grounded in reality as a character in a fantastical comic book could be. He was a minor element of Superman’s adventures. A television show would change that. The popular syndicated television program Adventures of Superman [see Ernest Farino’s column this issue for more] may have made a star of George Reeves in the title role but it also helped put Jimmy Olsen on the pop-culture map. Jimmy was a much-loved character on the show,

The Daily Planet’s favorite cub reporter/ photographer/guy-who-needs-to-getrescued became the star of his own comic book in 1954. Jimmy Olsen’s popularity on television was mentioned on the first page of the first issue of Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen (how about just SPJO from here on out?) and influenced the decision to publish the comic. Still, a whole comic book devoted to a low-level newspaper employee— friend of a super-hero or not—had to be pretty risky. The comic-book business was in a state of upheaval at the time. The popularity of super-heroes had plunged after the end of World War II and gruesome horror and crime comics helped fill the sales void. It was those types of comics that alarmed parents, politicians, and meddlesome fools. A newly setup self-regulatory group, the Comics Code Authority, managed to calm the

This 1956 promotional postcard features Jack Larson, who played (and helped popularize) Jimmy Olsen in the Adventures of Superman television series. © Warner Bros. Courtesy of Heritage.

Scott Saavedra's secret sanctum

angry villagers (who, in fairness, weren’t all wrong). Still, the new rules not just dumbed down comics for a generation but led to reduced sales, fewer publishers, and plenty of out-of-work talent. Jimmy’s publisher, National Periodical Publications (better known today as DC Comics), had the most successful heroes in town with Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman still fighting colorful criminals and space aliens. To the public, at least, DC was a class act (behind the scenes, well, the way Superman’s creators, for example, were once mistreated presents a much darker picture). DC comics were pleasant, sharply produced, and reasonably inoffensive. Still, DC struggled like every other publisher trying to land on the Next Big Thing. Jimmy Olsen would not be that exactly, but, jeepers, that cub reporter made a very good showing. Plus, SPJO did well enough to encourage another Superman Family title to be created, Superman’s Girl Friend, Lois Lane, in 1958. Thanks to U.S. postal

Superman's "getta load of this guy" pose hints at the "who can be the biggest jerk" dynamic between him and Jimmy Olsen that would drive so many stories. Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #1 (Sept.–Oct. 1954). TM & © DC Comics. Courtesy of Heritage.

regulations and the hard work of John Jackson Miller at comichron.com, some hard data about comic-book sales has been collected. In 1960 SPJO average sales were 498,000 an issue, putting the title behind

such sales-beasts as Uncle Scrooge (at over 1,000,000 copies per issue!), Superman, Mickey Mouse, and Batman but ahead of Action Comics (starring Superman!), Detective Comics (Batman!), and Wonder Woman (she’s a wonder!). So what did young Olsen—I’m guessing he’s about 18 in these stories—do that was so interesting? At first, he just did his cub-reporting job and have a pal named Superman.

Superman’s Pal

Jimmy’s first story in SPJO #1 was “The Boy of 100 Faces!” The story title is, as were so many DC comics of the Silver Age (a collector’s term for a period roughly ranging from 1956–1970), a stupid lie. Jimmy chases down a news story working undercover as a “Happy Smile” ice cream salesman and a “Barton Brush Man,” spoofing both Good Humor ice cream and Fuller Brushes. That’s two “faces” if you don’t count his own identity as a cub reporter. It’s a pretty straightforward reporter-on-the-trail-of-criminals tale. But aside from the different jobs, Jimmy’s face remains the same. The only real “comic book” element—well, beyond the Man of Steel himself—is that Jimmy only escapes death when he uses his “wristwatch Superman signal” (later streamlined to just signal watch). The device sends a sound only Superman can hear (“My boy pal in trouble!”). The other stories star Jimmy as a lumberjack (and he’s okay) and one where he makes a mess of trying to spare Superman some embarrassment. Ultimately, Jimmy Olsen pretty much comes across as a decent young man who has some trouble making sound choices. The power of flight is bestowed to Jimmy in the second issue (it’s just a dream, uh… spoiler alert) but the action of note is Superman handing his pal a mangled gun from a recent adventure. It’s for Jimmy’s Superman souvenir collection, which would grow to contain potions, alien technology, questionable inventions, and odd bits of debris—trash, really— from various adventure and dimensions. The collection would factor—for good or ill—in numerous stories. SPJO #5’s cover (May–June 1955) teases a story about Jimmy’s collection featuring an item of note: “Invisibility Belt worn by Luthor (a scientific genius and sworn enemy of Superman).” You’d think the Defense Department might want a look at that.

Jimmy Olsen's iconic pal-summoning signal watch debuted in his first issue and made regular appearances for years. TM & © DC Comics.

Some of these early tales could have incredibly small stakes. In SPJO #7 (Sept. 1955) Jimmy and Superman bust up a mob operation that created fake marbles to be used for cheating in a marble championship. Unless there used to be big, big bucks in marble competitions, I fail to grasp the upside to such an ef fort. Other adventures: Jimmy gets a cold and can suddenly sing (SPJO #9), Jimmy goes undercover as an elevator operator and gets amnesia (SPJO #10),

Jimmy was very proud of his Superman trophies, but when he suddenly starts tossing some of them out the Man of Steel takes it really, really hard (using his power of Super Self-Pity). Who would throw such swell stuff away? It's difficult to see here but Superman spelled Jimmy's name with the barrel of a gun taken from a criminal. Panel from Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #131's (Aug.–Sept. 1970) reprinting a story from 1956. TM & © DC Comics.

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WILL MURRAY’S 20TH CENTURY PANOPTICON

Who Created Casper the Friendly Ghost? by Will Murray

Like many Baby Boomers, my childhood was filled with familiar faces. Some of those faces I kept seeing over and over, but I didn’t realize until I was an adult that I was looking at the same features worn by completely different characters. Confused? Let me relate the strange saga of Casper the Friendly Ghost. I first encountered Casper in the early Sixties on an ABC program called Matty’s Funday Funnies, sponsored by Mattel Toys. Casper was the nominal star, but the show also included Baby Huey and Little Audrey––all cartoon characters available in comic books put out by Harvey Comics. In those days, I watched TV cartoons and never thought about the people who created © Classic Media, LLC. them. What seven-year-old would? You turned on the TV at the appropriate hour, the cartoon magically appeared, and that was all you needed to know. 44

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Naturally, I also read the comics, which included satellite characters like Wendy the Good Little Witch, Hot Stuff the Little Devil, and others. Although I preferred Superman and Batman in those days, the Harvey comics were pleasant fun. And since my sister bought them, I could read them for free! Although I long ago ceased following Casper and his ghostly associates, as an adult researcher into popular culture, I naturally became interested in how the little phantom came to be.

The Friendly Ghost Rises

The character didn’t start on TV or in comic books, but originated in short theatrical cartoons during the period when movie theaters showed short subjects with the main feature. Amazingly for such a ubiquitous presence during my childhood––surveys showed that in the early Sixties he enjoyed a 98% recognition [TOP] C’mon, you easily terrified toons—how could you not love this pintsized poltergeist? Casper the Friendly Ghost, as rendered by Warren Kremer for a Sixties-era 45rpm record cover. Casper the Friendly Ghost © Classic Media, LLC. Original art courtesy of Heritage Auctions (www.ha.com).

rate––Casper got off to a slow and very rocky start. At various times, he was the official recruiter for the Boy Scouts of America, spokes-spook for UNICEF, goodwill ambassador for various national sports leagues, and the mascot for the Apollo 16 Moon mission. As an experienced delver into the creative cauldron, when I learned that two entirely different people claimed to have created the character, animators Seymour Victor Reit (1918–2001) and Joseph D. Oriolo (1913–1985), I was not completely surprised. According to Oriolo, Casper was born on Halloween night when his daughter Joan was four. After hearing spooky stories of ghosts and goblins, the little girl became frightened of the dark. So Joe made of cardboard cutout of a friendly ghost and hung it in the backyard tree to prove that not all ghosts were bad. As an adult, Joan recalled, “He did it for me because I was afraid of the dark. He told me that there are good things in the dark, that not everything was bad. The way he told stories, you had to believe.” Reit politely disagreed, saying, “Joe was an associate of mine years ago, when we were both employed at the Fleischer Animation Studios in Miami. He was a fine artist and animator; however, he was not the creator of ‘Casper the Friendly Ghost.’ Joe created the actual cartoon of the character––but the concept, series, idea and plotline were mine, prior to Joe’s involvement. Joe played an important part, but I was Casper’s legit ‘Poppa.’” Sy Reit was an animator working on Gulliver’s Travels and the Popeye cartoon series when he conceived one of the strangest animated characters of all, inspired by research he did into a supposedly haunted castle. The year was 1939. “At that time,” Reit recalled, “Fleischer paid a few bucks for Popeye jokes submitted speculatively by the staff. People also tried their hands at writing short stories for use in the series called Fabletoons. One weekend I wrote a 3–4-page story I titled ‘Casper the Friendly Ghost.’ The story was mine––every last word. Shortly after, I gave it to Joe Oriolo, who wanted to develop visuals, and perhaps peddle it either to the studio or to a children’s book publisher.” Oriolo executed a number of sketches, modeling Casper’s look on that of a small boy. But what to call a timid ghost? They toyed with several names, finally deciding on Casper, after H. T. Webster’s famously meek Casper Milquetoast, star of the syndicated panel, The Timid Soul. The collaborators never sold their Casper children’s book. Then Reit went into the Army, leaving Oriolo stateside, still toiling at the animation company, which relocated to New York as Famous Studios. “In the interim,” Reit explained, “Joe had created the Casper drawing and sold both story and cartoon concept to Fleischer’s.” Orolio’s first attempt to visualize Casper gave him a squiggly tail instead of feet and an incongruous sailor’s hat. He might have gone nowhere but for another cartoon sailor. “While we were in New York,” Oriolo recounted, “King Features decided to take Popeye the Sailor back. The contract had expired and they wouldn’t renew it with Famous Studios. They were looking for new characters. I developed the character and gave it to Sam Buchwald. He called me into his office one day and I said, ‘If you’re looking for a character, I’ve got a good little character which I have already developed.’ And I have the original concept as a book prepared for, I think, Grosset and Dunlap at the time. They were going to buy the book. I decided that if it’s a one-shot

The Friendly Ghost has been the spooks-person (sorry, couldn’t resist) for numerous organizations, as this montage from the Sixties and Seventies shows. Casper and related characters © Classic Media, LLC.

deal then maybe the book would be more acceptable to the public if there was something up on the screen.” Thinking short-term, he accepted a modest deal from Buchwald, the studio’s president and general manager. Oriolo recalled, “He says, ‘I’d like to give you a token amount of $175,’ and he said, ‘I’ll give you 10% of merchandising if this thing takes hold.’ Now he had the merchandising contract on his desk and he told me to come back for it, and I used to come back trying to get the thing many a time and he was too busy… I have lost millions of dollars because of that through the years….” Fleischer released “The Friendly Ghost” into theaters in May 1945. It told how Casper ran away from a haunted house because, unlike other ghosts, he didn’t want to scare people but befriend them instead. But people and animals invariably flee from the small spook once they realize he’s a ghost. In a chilling scene, the RETROFAN

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Will Murray’s 20th Century Panopticon

But the connection children made with the Famous Friendly Ghost, and the reason he resonated with so many generations, was summed by another son of Alfred Harvey, Leon: “To a young child, a ghost merely need represent someone who is different and, perhaps, unjustly feared. When you’re bereaved of friends, as Casper is at the beginning of all his stories, it’s as though you’re invisible, like a ghost. In other words, you don’t exist until you connect with somebody as friends.” Sid Jacobson thought it went deeper than that. Kids saw Casper as one of them. “Letters from children were incredible in their amount, their acceptance of the reality of the character, and believed in his being a special friend.” When a live-action Casper firm was released in 1995, the producers broke with tradition and gave Casper an origin: He was a boy named Casper McFadden who died of pneumonia. The film did well, but nobody believed the origin. Casper was too magical to have ever been a real boy…. By that time, Joe Oriolo had passed away. Sy Reit was philosophical about the millions of dollars that the character had generated, admitting at the time, “All I have are some nice memories and a little nostalgic sadness that I am not part of the movie. I’m not mourning or grieving over what I might have lost with Casper. It was fun. I did the story. It has a lot of cachet. My career went on in all sorts of interesting, fun ways.” Happily, Reit was offered a substantial honorarium by the filmmakers, so it worked out in the end. And he never had a bad word to say about Joe Oriolo. In the spirit of his gentle creation, Reit always gave his friend all due credit.

Animation cel from 1963’s The New Casper Cartoon Show. © Classic Media, LLC. Courtesy of Heritage.

“The Casper series was based on a definite collaboration between my script and Joe’s artwork––and that is precisely how it happened,” he insisted. “Joe and I worked together subsequently, but over the years he may have forgotten or overlooked the true origins of our lovely little character. Nevertheless, he was a good artist and a top animation director, and did a lot toward making the Casper series successful.” WILL MURRAY is the writer of the Wild Adventures (www.adventuresinbronze.com) series of novels, which stars Doc Savage, The Shadow, King Kong, The Spider, and Tarzan of the Apes. He also created the Unbeatable Squirrel Girl with legendary artist Steve Ditko.

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RETRO TELEVISION

Rod Serling In and Out of

The Twilight Zone by Nicolas Parisi

Rod Serling was a visionary. This would likely seem obvious to anyone who has watched even a few episodes of Serling’s landmark television series, The Twilight Zone. For five seasons between 1959 and 1964, Serling opened the door to a “wondrous land of imagination” unlike any that had been seen on television. At a time when more than 20 Western series were on the air and the rest of the schedule was dominated by detective dramas, The Twilight Zone presented an unclassifiable combination of surrealism, noir, science fiction, fantasy, and horror, with some social commentary often in the mix. During its initial run, members of the World Science Fiction Convention awarded The Twilight Zone three consecutive Hugo awards for Best Dramatic Presentation. But long before Serling had proven himself a visionary of televised science fiction, he was a pioneer of the television medium itself. Rodman Edward Serling was a Christmas baby, born December 25, 1924. During his childhood in Binghamton, New York, he listened to radio dramas, read the pulps and comic books, and fell in love with the original King Kong. He would come to remember his childhood as idyllic, particularly because of what came afterward. On December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. And on January 16, 1942, one day after graduating from high school, Serling volunteered to serve in the United States Army. He was five feet, four inches tall, weighed 118 pounds, and was barely 18 years old. He wanted to be a paratrooper. His short stature was an obstacle, but after three months of basic training, Serling completed a month of jump training, made 37 practice jumps as part of his advanced training, and earned his wings. The accomplishment would become a stark example of the warning: be careful for what you wish. Assigned to the 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 11th Airborne

Submitted for your approval: Rod Serling: His Life, Work, and Imagination (University Press of Mississippi, 2018), author Nicholas Parisi’s superb, in-depth biography of one of television’s most influential and enduring visionaries. © 2018 Nicholas Parisi. Photo credit: Bettmann / Getty Images.

RETROFAN

November 2020

CELEBRITY CRUSHES

My Comic Book Crushes “I’ve got a comic-book crush on you, sweetie pie.” Maybe the song would have had those lyrics if it referred to three comic-book heroines that made the jump from the four-color world to the real world. These super-ladies were not only wonders, but they definitely drove me batty (waiting for their next appearance). I’m referring to Batgirl (Yvonne Craig), Wonder Woman (Lynda Carter), and Supergirl (Helen Slater). As a comic collector who hit his teenage years in the Seventies (and moved up to color TV, too), seeing these fantasy females portrayed was a fan’s treat at a time when the public did not “get” the merits of superheroines and superheroes. Today, seeing Black Widow, Captain Marvel, or Wonder Woman saving the day on the big screen has become somewhat expected. In my youth, on a handful of TV stations you got your comic fix any way you could. My crush on Batgirl is complicated. Being introduced to her on the Batman TV show in 1968, she was just part of the gang. After all, to an eight-year-old boy, seeing Batgirl in black-andwhite lacked the magic that I would later discover once I saw her in color (in syndication). My wife and I got to meet Yvonne Craig in person at a small convention, where we got autographs and took pictures with her. Hearing her stories of Batman, Star Trek, and Elvis made for a memorable encounter. Her memoir book is a great read if you can find a copy. Posters of Farrah (of course!), Charlie’s Angels, and 7-Eleven Marvel Slurpee cups were on my walls during my high school years. Yet there was a special place for my poster of Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman. After all, she was in her red, white, and blue satin tights (and then there was the poster with her in that orange dress on the blue couch). The Wonder Woman TV show was like a comic brought

to life with Lynda perfectly cast as Princess Diana, WW, and Diana Prince (in the Army or the IADC). Three years of Wonder Woman were not enough for me. [Other screen Wonder Women] Cathy Lee Crosby and Gal Gadot are both wonders, too, but Lynda’s version will always be worth another spin (either on the DVD player and/or for a quick costume change from a favorite episode). The Bionic Woman, Catwoman, and Mrs. Peel were all favorites, but then the movie Supergirl (1984) flew in. Its plot was weak, but the flying scenes were outstanding and the costume looked like it came out of Action Comics #252 (May 1959, Supergirl’s first appearance). Some movies are guilty pleasures, and Supergirl is one of mine. Today’s superhero cinema creators know how to salute the stars of past projects. In this case, the 1984 Kara of the Supergirl movie, Helen Slater, is on the CW Supergirl series, playing Supergirl’s adoptive mom. Maybe there could be a scene where both actresses can go up, up, and away. That would be historic (you thought I was going to say SUPER). We RetroFans are living in the best of times, as today we have several methods of getting to view these wonder women (including DVD, cable, and internet). You can’t make the excuse that you missed the listing in TV Guide these days. So if you want to see Barbara Gordon get on her Bat-cycle, see Diana fly in the invisible plane (or not see the invisible plane), or see Kara’s cape flap in the wind, just go to your platform of choice and hit play. You may just develop a comic-book crush too. LON ROVNER has been a comic collector (Marvel and DC) since about 1967. He has gone from buying 12cent comics at the corner drug store at the end of the block to driving to Dreamland Comics in Libertyville, Illinois, and using a credit card.

Hey, lovelorn, quit sobbing into your pillow and writing diary entries—instead, share your Sixties/Seventies/Eighties Celebrity Crush with RetroFan readers! You can become famous, get three free copies of the magazine, and earn a whopping $10 as well. Submit your 600-word-maximum Celebrity Crush column to the editor for consideration at euryman@gmail.com. 56

RETROFAN

November 2020

Batgirl, Supergirl, and Wonder Woman TM & © DC Comics/Warner Bros.

by Lon Rovner

RETRO INTERVIEW

Strange Relations Julie Ann Ream, the Niece of

Frankenstein

If you are a fan of classic film and television, then no doubt the name Glenn Strange is well known to you. Glenn wore many hats before he got into acting. He worked as a stuntman, musician, and cowboy before getting into the film business. Most actors are lucky if they can count one iconic role to their name, but Strange is best remembered for at least three. To Western fans, he was the Lone Ranger’s first nemesis, Butch Cavendish, and he was Sam the Bartender on Gunsmoke. To fans of classic horror, he was the last actor to play the Frankenstein Monster during Universal’s Golden Age of Horror. Recently I had the honor of interviewing Julie Ann Ream for RetroFan. Ms. Ream spent ten years as an investigative agent on the TV series Unsolved Mysteries and has worked for NBC, CBS, and Lifetime. She is also a producer of live events and Western award shows, most notably the Western Legends and Silver Spur Awards. She also co-produces the Roy Rogers Festival.

by Dan Johnson

Julie also comes from a very famous Hollywood family, and Glenn Strange was her “uncle.” “Glenn was my grandfather, Taylor Curtis ‘Cactus Mack’ McPeters,’ first cousin,” says Ream. “They were closer than any two brothers could be. They were born one week apart to sisters in Weed, New Mexico, in 1899. They lived together from birth, moved back to Texas where they were raised, and then worked side-by-side all of their careers. “After I was born, I was brought home from the hospital to my grandfather’s little ranch house,” Ream recalls. “It was in North Hollywood, and sat behind the infamous Palomino Club, and was near Republic Pictures. By this time my grandfather and Glenn had a good deal of their careers under their belts, but Glenn was [TOP] Glenn Strange’s first turn as the Monster in 1944’s House of Frankenstein, also starring the original Frankie, Boris Karloff, as the mad scientist Dr. Niemann and Lon Chaney, Jr. as Larry Talbot (the Wolf Man). © 1944 Universal Pictures. Lobby card courtesy of Heritage. [INSET] Julie Ann Ream. Facebook.

RETROFAN

November 2020

ALTER EGO #166

ALTER EGO #167

ALTER EGO #168

COMIC BOOK CREATOR #23

COMIC BOOK CREATOR #24

FAWCETT COLLECTORS OF AMERICA (FCA) Special, with spotlights on KURT SCHAFFENBERGER (Captain Marvel, Ibis the Invincible, Marvel Family, Lois Lane), and ALEX ROSS on his awesome painting of the super-heroes influenced by the original Captain Marvel! Plus MICHAEL T. GILBERT’s “Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt” on Superman editor MORT WEISINGER, JOHN BROOME, and more! Cover by SCHAFFENBERGER!

Salute to Golden & Silver Age artist SYD SHORES as he’s remembered by daughter NANCY SHORES KARLEBACH, fellow artist ALLEN BELLMAN, DR. MICHAEL J. VASSALLO, and interviewer RICHARD ARNDT. Plus: mid-1940s “Green Turtle” artist/creator CHU HING profiled by ALEX JAY, JOHN BROOME, MICHAEL T. GILBERT and Mr. Monster on MORT WEISINGER Part Two, and more!

Two RICHARD ARNDT interviews revealing the wartime life of Aquaman artist/ co-creator PAUL NORRIS (with a Golden/ Silver Age art gallery)—plus the story of WILLIE ITO, who endured the WWII Japanese-American relocation centers to become a Disney & Warner Bros. animator and comics artist. Plus FCA, MICHAEL T. GILBERT, JOHN BROOME, and more, behind a NORRIS cover!

WENDY PINI discusses her days as Red Sonja cosplayer, & 40+ years of ELFQUEST! Plus RICHARD PINI on their 48-year marriage and creative partnership! Plus: We have the final installment of our CRAIG YOE interview! GIL KANE’s business partner LARRY KOSTER talks about their adventures together! PABLO MARCOS on his Marvel horror work, HEMBECK, and more! Cover by WENDY PINI.

TIMOTHY TRUMAN discusses his start at the Kubert School, Grimjack with writer JOHN OSTRANDER, and current collaborations with son Benjamin. SCOTT SHAW! talks about early San Diego Comic-Cons and friendship with JACK KIRBY, Captain Carrot, and Flintstones work! Also PATRICK McDONNELL’s favorite MUTTS comic book pastiches, letterer JANICE CHIANG profiled, HEMBECK, and more! TIM TRUMAN cover.

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COMIC BOOK CREATOR #25 WORLD OF TWOMORROWS

BACK ISSUE #124

BACK ISSUE #125

BACK ISSUE #126

BARRY WINDSOR-SMITH discusses his new graphic novel MONSTERS, its origin as a 1980s Hulk story, and its evolution into his 300-page magnum opus (includes a gallery of outtakes). Plus part two of our SCOTT SHAW! interview about HannaBarbera licensing material and work with ROY THOMAS on Captain Carrot, KEN MEYER, JR. looks at the great fanzines of 40 years ago, HEMBECK, and more!

Celebrate our 25th anniversary with this retrospective by publisher JOHN MORROW and Comic Book Creator magazine’s JON B. COOKE! Go behind-the-scenes with MICHAEL EURY, ROY THOMAS, GEORGE KHOURY, and a host of other TwoMorrows contributors! Introduction by MARK EVANIER, Foreword by ALEX ROSS, Afterword by PAUL LEVITZ, and a new cover by TOM McWEENEY!

HORRIFIC HEROES! With Bronze Age histories of Man-Thing, the Demon, and the Creeper, Atlas/Seaboard’s horrifying heroes, and Ghost Rider (Danny Ketch) rides again! Featuring the work of CHRIS CLAREMONT, GERRY CONWAY, ERNIE COLON, MICHAEL GOLDEN, JACK KIRBY, MIKE PLOOG, JAVIER SALTARES, MARK TEXIERA, and more. Man-Thing cover by RUDY NEBRES.

CREATOR-OWNED COMICS! Featuring in-depth histories of MATT WAGNER’s Mage and Grendel. Plus other indie sensations of the Bronze Age, including COLLEEN DORAN’s A Distant Soil, STAN SAKAI’s Usagi Yojimbo, STEVE PURCELL’s Sam & Max, JAMES DEAN SMITH’s Boris the Bear, and LARRY WELZ’s Cherry Poptart! With a fabulous Grendel cover by MATT WAGNER.

“Legacy” issue! Wally West Flash, BRANDON ROUTH Superman interview, Harry Osborn/Green Goblin, Scott Lang/Ant-Man, Infinity Inc., Reign of the Supermen, JOHN ROMITA SR. and JR. “Rough Stuff,” plus CONWAY, FRACTION, JURGENS, MESSNER-LOEBS, MICHELINIE, ORDWAY, SLOTT, ROY THOMAS, MARK WAID, and more. WIERINGO/MARZAN JR. cover!

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TwoMorrows. The Future of Comics History.

KIRBY COLLECTOR #79

See “THE BIG PICTURE” of how Kirby fits into the grand scheme of things! His creations’ lasting legacy, how his work fights illiteracy, a RARE KIRBY INTERVIEW, inconsistencies in his 1960s MARVEL WORK, editorial changes in his comics, big concepts in OMAC, best DOUBLE-PAGE SPREADS, MARK EVANIER’s 2019 Kirby Tribute Panel, PENCIL ART GALLERY, and a new cover based on OMAC #1! (84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Now shipping!

OLD GODS & NEW: A FOURTH WORLD COMPANION (TJKC #80)

Looks back at JACK KIRBY’s own words, as well as those of assistants MARK EVANIER and STEVE SHERMAN, inker MIKE ROYER, and publisher CARMINE INFANTINO, to show how Kirby’s epic came about, where it was going, and how he would’ve ended it before it was cancelled by DC Comics!

HOLLY JOLLY

MARK VOGER’s sleigh ride thru Christmas pop culture! Explores movies (Miracle on 34th Street, It’s a Wonderful Life), music (White Christmas, Little St. Nick), TV (How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer), books (Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol), decor (1950s silver aluminum trees), comics (super-heroes meet Santa), and more! Featuring CHARLES M. SCHULZ, ANDY WILLIAMS and others!

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BRICKJOURNAL #65

BrickJournal celebrates the holidays with brick sculptor ZIO CHAO, takes a offbeat look at Christmas with our minifigure customizer JARED K. BURKS, and decks the halls with the holiday creations of KOEN ZWANENBURG! Plus: “AFOLs” by cartoonist GREG HYLAND, step-bystep “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, and more! (84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Ships Dec. 2020 Look for #66 in February 2021!

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ANDY MANGELS’ RETRO SATURDAY MORNING

Saturday Morning Preview Specials by Andy Mangels

Welcome back to Andy Mangels’ Retro Saturday Morning. Since 1989, I have been writing columns for magazines in the U.S. and foreign countries, all examining the intersection of comic books and Hollywood, whether animation or live-action. Andy Mangels Backstage, Andy Mangels’ Reel Marvel, Andy Mangels’ Hollywood Heroes, Andy Mangels Behind the Camera… three decades of reporting on animation and live-action—in addition to writing many books and producing around 40 DVD sets—and I’m still enthusiastic. In my RetroFan column, I will examine shows that thrilled us from yesteryear, exciting our imaginations and capturing our memories. Grab some milk and cereal, sit cross-legged leaning against the couch, and dig in to Retro Saturday Morning! Normally in this column, I have spotlighted one series or set of series, giving you behind-the-scenes stories, cool factoids, and interviews. Starting in issue #9, continuing in #10, and concluding this issue, I’ll instead be giving you the Retro Saturday Morning treatment of one of the most anticipated shows every fall from 1968 forward… the Saturday Morning Preview Special. In the September 26, 2008 issue of TIME magazine, Family Guy’s Seth MacFarlane gave his own thoughts on the phenomena: “I

was obsessed. Every year, the Friday before the new Saturdaymorning shows would premiere, the networks would do this big preview special, and I was always glued to the TV. As horrible as they were, they were entertaining at the time. There was a lot of showmanship from the networks based around the new lineup.” The problem with nostalgia for the Preview Specials is that they were only ever aired once. They were never rerun, never offered in syndication, and never released on home video, DVD, or streaming. Because of the cross-platform licensing rights for clips and music, they never can be legally released. Some of them exist in parts and pieces on YouTube—a few of them exist completely there—but by and large, this set of shows is a missing part of television history. Very little has been written about them, and even Wikipedia has many of its crowd-sourced facts wrong. Until now. Now there’s RetroFan to the rescue. Utilizing this author’s amazing resources, here is as much information and material that could be dug up on the astonishing phenomenon of Saturday Morning Preview Specials! Beware, though… proceeding without caution can bring untold emotions, unfettered joy, and quite possibly, madness! RETROFAN

November 2020

Andy Mangels’ Retro Saturday Morning

1984 ABC – The ABC Saturday Morning Preview Park Airdate: Friday, September 7, 1984, 8pm, 30 minutes Written by Ken Shapiro Directed by Barry Glazer Produced by Larry Klein, Dick Clark

Although he was a hit on the Dr. Demento Show on radio and stage, and had one album out, “Weird Al” Yankovic was still relatively early in his career when he hosted this special. His second album, “Weird Al” Yankovic in 3-D, had come out in February 1984, with a monster hit in his Michael Jackson parody, “Eat It.” Considered hot enough with kids to be chosen as the host of the ABC special during the fall, Yankovic shared the screen with costumed versions of Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo (voiced by Don Messick) as they taped at Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, California. First up, Al and the Doos played bumper cars before showing a scene from Turbo Teen. Arguing about going into a cave marked Dragon’s Lair, the trio introduced a clip from arcade game spinoff Dragon’s Lair. Next up, the trio met Missy Gold (Benson) at the arcade, where her robot friend Orbie introduced a segment from Mighty Orbots. Following a brief look down at The Littles, while Al enjoyed a parachute ride, Scrappy introduced newcomer Firestorm in scenes from SuperFriends: The Legendary Super Powers Show. Next up, a visit to a half-full discothèque of somnambulant preteens brought Al to meet howling DJ Wolfman Jack and his bird, and a preview of the breakdancing new series Wolf Rock TV, which combined music videos and animation. Finally, a preview for American Bandstand’s 33rd season and The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries led into a complete fall recap, and a cute motorcycle gag to end the show. Oddly, for a special hosted by a comedy singer, guest-starring a DJ, and produced by a music producer… there wasn’t a single song to be heard! 64

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November 2020

Andy Mangels’ Retro Saturday Morning

1984 NBC – Laugh Busters

Airdate: Saturday, September 8, 1984, 8:30pm, 30 minutes Songs: “Laugh Busters” (rewritten version of “Ghostbusters”), “Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys” (Danny Cooksey), “Video to Radio” (Kidd Video) Written by Christopher Brough, Paul Raley, Robert Smith Directed by Jack Regas Produced by Christopher Brough, Andrew Golov NBC was top-rated on Saturday mornings, so their preview choice for the year seemed a lackluster affair. As Director D. W. (Sandy Helberg) prepared to preview NBC’s new Saturday mornings, he’s stopped by the evil Gargamore O’Dette (also Sandy Helberg) and his henchmen Hank and Hubie Gritz (James Avery and Bill Saluga from Going Bananas). Black-caped Gargamore is allergic to laughter, so he planned to kidnap the animated stars of the new NBC shows. Thom Bray, in character as Boz from Riptide, and his robot sidekick Roboz, were quickly asked to help save the new schedule by D. W. First up, a live-action Spider-Man from Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, who web-swung from New York to Burbank, California—yes, really!—was rescued from a giant sheet of ACME flypaper by the K.I.T.T. car from Knight Rider and pint-size Danny Cooksey (Diff’rent Strokes), with some extra help from Alfonso Ribeiro (Silver Spoons) and orangutan Roxanna Banana (Going Bananas). Then, even rolling boulders couldn’t stop the teen rock band from Kidd Video from making a musical stop, or Alvin and the Chipmunks from trying to catch a free train ride. As with the Chipmunks, almost every character switched back and forth from animation to live-action costumed versions depending on the scene’s needs… although Mr. T’s bus had to stand in for the busy star in a preview clip for Mister T. Next up were scenes from The Pink Panther and Sons, Snorks, and The Smurfs, before everyone ended the show with a liveaction dance-off to the theme song. Wait! Did I forget to mention how Papa Smurf callously murdered Gargamore by causing him to evaporate? No, I’m not making that up. Papa Smurf is an executioner. R.I.P. your childhood memories.

RETROFAN

November 2020

Andy Mangels’ Retro Saturday Morning

1985 ABC – The ABC Saturday Sneak Peek and Fun Fit Test Airdate: Friday, September 6, 1985, 8:30pm, 30 minutes Written by Tom Ruegger Directed by Tom Trbovich Produced by Eleanor Sanger Riger

ABC was in last place on Saturday mornings, so they took a huge gamble—and gave Lucasfilm a huger licensing fee—to get into the Star Wars business. The Saturday morning schedule was thus going to be home to Ewoks & Droids Adventure Hour, with new adventures of the Skywalker saga’s kid-friendliest characters. But to really seal the deal, they needed the stars to show up, and in this preview special, they did. Although this show was hosted by Tony Danza (Who’s the Boss?)—and occasionally, 1984 Olympian Mary Lou Retton—what audiences really tuned in for was the appearance of C-3POand R2-D2 for a half-hour. C-3PO was—as always—played with elegant fussiness by Anthony Daniels, while the remote-controlled R2-D2 was fitted with a tie, a snorkel, and other costume silliness, as well as being forced to dance with Retton. Luckily, Threepio wasn’t asked to do the gymnastics or exercises demonstrated by Retton, although Artoo seemed awfully smitten with the pint-sized acrobat… when he wasn’t mistaking garbage cans for fellow droid stagehands.

As the show progressed, Danza would ask multiple choice “Fun Fit” questions, each answer of which included short clips from ABC shows, and led in to longer promo segments. Scenes from The Bugs Bunny Looney Tunes Comedy Hour, Ewoks & Droids Adventure Hour, and Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show aired, prior to the stage getting dark and spooky as a large demonic box appeared. The box led into a clip for The 13 Ghosts of ScoobyDoo (with Vincent Price playing Vincent Van Ghoul), followed by The Littles. Retton then came back onstage to promote ABC Fun Fit and American Bandstand. Cute young Drew Barrymore was the draw for a trailer for the debut of the new ABC Weekend Specials (her episode was “The Adventures of Con Sawyer and Hucklemary Finn,” and co-starred the then-unknown Melissa Joan Hart). This special was written by ex-Filmation writer Tom Ruegger, who was editing The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo at the time. He would go on to develop and produce A Pup Named Scooby-Doo at Hanna-Barbera, and then to Warner Bros., where he created, wrote, produced, and wrote the main title lyrics for Tiny Toon Adventures, Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, Road Rovers, and Histeria! He executiveproduced and wrote scripts for Batman: The Animated Series and developed, wrote, and produced Freakazoid, and served as the Chief Creative Executive of

[ABOVE] Tony Danza and C-�P�. [RIGHT] Writer Tom Ruegger.

the studio. [Editor’s note: See our sister mag BACK ISSUE #98 for a look at BTAS.] More recently, he developed, wrote and produced Animalia and Disney’s The 7D. Ruegger says of this special that “I wrote The ABC Sneak Peek and Fun Fit Test preview special for Jenny Trias, Squire Rushnell, and Ame Simon back in 1985. The ‘one-day shoot’ was one to remember. The cameras were supposed to roll at 9 a.m., but Mary Lou Retton—a minor at the time—didn’t have a work permit, so we didn’t start till a permit arrived at noon. Three hours completely wasted. By 5 p.m., we were [LEFT] C-�P� AND R�-D� are confused by trash cans. [CENTER] The droids bookend Danza and Mary Lou half finished, but host Tony Retton. [RIGHT] R�-D� wears a tie. © ABC. Star Wars © Lucasfilm. Danza was completely 68

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Andy Mangels’ Retro Saturday Morning

finished. He wanted out. He was leaving. When the producer and director insisted that he stay, he threw a solid one-hour f-bombpacked tantrum until promised a bunch more money. If we had cell phones back then—with video cameras—Tony’s tantrum would’ve become a famous moment in the history of show biz tirades!” Danza had apparently established Who’s the Boss?, and filming continued. Why was Ruegger on-set for filming? “Why was I even on the set? Well, the day before the shoot, the director said the script was way too long and insisted that I cut out half of the pages. The script went from 42 pages to 21 pages. Then, on the day of the shoot, a desperate call went out at 3 p.m. for me to report to the director. The show was now 15 minutes short! So right there, with actors standing around waiting and the guys inside the droid outfits ready to pass out from heat exhaustion, I reinstated everything from the original script. And voila, 15 more minutes of material!” Ruegger notes that in his opinion, “the producers and directors of these sorts of specials—I co-wrote The Flintstones 25th Anniversary Celebration produced by Bob Guenette… Yikes! That’s a tale for another time—would do the shows a service by at least occasionally following the writers’ cues.” Ruegger recognizes that the special is a missing part of Star Wars canon. “For some strange reason, this TV special has not been given its own night in the spotlight at the Paley Center for Media, or at the Television Academy, or at the Skirball Center. Let’s

hope that oversight gets rectified before this classic of television’s past—and a crucial chapter in the Star Wars canon—crumbles into video dust. (Kidding! It’s a wreck!) In retrospect, I’m very glad for the opportunity to put words and sounds in the mouths/ speakers of C-3PO and R2-D2.”

RETROFAN

November 2020

Andy Mangels’ Retro Saturday Morning

1985 CBS – All-Star Rock ’n’ Wrestling Saturday Spectacular

Airdate: Sunday, September 8, 1985, 4pm, 60 minutes Songs: “My Secret (Didja Gitit Yet?)” (New Edition), “Stir It Up” (Patti Labelle) Written by Mark Evanier Directed by Bob Bowker Produced by Sid and Marty Krofft, Dave Wold, Cyndi Lauper, Bob Bowker, Mark Evanier, Albert J. Tenzer Reporter Scott Osborne reported on location in Los Angeles, where wrestler “Rowdy” Roddy Piper took over a studio from host Hervé Villechaize, who was going to do a live variety show. Piper forced announcer Gary Owens to announce him. Accompanied by dancing Piperettes, Piper delivered a rousing opening to the live audience, before showing a brief music-less clip from Cyndi Lauper’s Goonies music video. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar came on as the first guest to trade barbs with Piper, before a clip from The Berenstain Bears was played. Then, Piper interacted with two gay stereotypes in the audience who were super-fans of his, before Gary Owens played a clip of him interviewing Hulk Hogan about his new animated This really happened. From left to right: Gary Owens, Pee-wee Herman, Patti LaBelle, and the show's host, wrestler "Rowdy" Roddy Piper. © CBS.

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November 2020

series, Hulk Hogan’s Rock ’n’ Wrestling. The New Edition performed next, before being dissed by Piper and introducing a clip from Wuzzles. Piper and Captain Lou Albano next performed an altered scene from King Lear, with special guest Pee-wee Herman. A hilarious interview followed, wherein Pee-wee took his socks off and forced Piper to wear one on his hand to puppet-interview him, followed by a clip from Jim Henson’s Muppets Babies & Monsters. Quick clips from Dungeons & Dragons, Land of the Lost, and Charlie Brown & Snoopy were then followed by Patti Labelle performing a song from the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack. Labelle muzzled Piper to air a clip from CBS Storybreak, before Faye Flamboyant, a chubby, aging Cyndi Lauper “lookalike,” came onstage. The real Cyndi Lauper finally broke onstage with Hervé Villechaize, and invited the audience to move to the studio next door for the real show. This would be Mark Evanier’s final Saturday morning preview special. The live-action clips and songs were throwbacks to earlier specials, and the type of primetime series the writer had worked on for years, but a sense of chaos and anarchy seemed to pervade this particular special. Evanier recalls that he was called in to write by the producers. “The Kroffts had made some arrangement with Cyndi Lauper to do some projects together4, which I don’t think ever happened. Cyndi and her then-boyfriend, named Dave Wolff, they were going to co-produce the show with Sid and Marty and me and Bob. I brought Bob in because I’d worked with him before on these. This was our third one together. I came up with the storyline and things like that. I put Gary Owens in it because Cyndi Lauper had decided she wanted to have Hervé Villechaize and Patti LaBelle and Pee-wee Herman and a couple of other people—some who didn’t get in the show. She came up with the cast and said, ‘Here, Mark. Figure out a show where we can get all these people in.’ I said, ‘We need to add one person who is absolutely normal and belongs on a talk show,’ so I called Gary Owens, and he was delighted to do it. Then Gary and I took turns being the warm-up guy for the live audience.”

Andy Mangels’ Retro Saturday Morning

Evanier wasn’t much of a wrestling fan, but Owens and Piper don't share a laugh. © CBS. notes that WWF head Vince McMahon “was heavily involved in the show. He was as involved with it as anybody. We were hampered by the fact that because Roddy Piper was our host and we had to have Hulk Hogan because we were plugging Hulk Hogan’s Rock ’n’ Wrestling. But we weren’t allowed to have them in the studio at the same time because they hated each other. They had a legitimate hatred of each other that it started in the ring and manifested itself in real life. We only had Hulk Hogan for two hours because he was literally stopping off flying from one place to another. We couldn’t have him for one second more. He had to be oiled up and wouldn’t let the make-up guy oil him up—we had to get a woman to do it.” Hogan wasn’t available for the reverse shots of Gary Owens interviewing him, when the camera was not on Hulk, but Owens. “Hulk Hogan had to leave, so the reverse shot is me,” says Evanier. “I played Hulk Hogan’s shoulder. We put some bronzer on my shoulder and Marty Krofft liked. He promised the guy he put him in a show. a ripped T-shirt. I was stepping on a box. I’m six-foot-three and I The guy who spoke, Ira Nussbaum, was Dave Wolff [Lauper’s had to stand on a box to be as tall as Hulk Hogan!” boyfriend]. I didn’t think either [character] was gay, actually— Diminutive actor Hervé Villechaize (whom Evanier reveals just stupid. One Piperette was Deanne Krofft Pope, Marty’s was once a background inker for Harvey Comics) also had issues. daughter.” “Hervé had a problem. He couldn’t grip anything. He couldn’t Much of the dialogue during the talk show segments almost zip his own fly. He had a couple of wardrobe changes and would seemed improvised. Evanier says, “Roddy Piper couldn’t learn come out of the dressing room with his fly unzipped and shirttail dialogue to save his life. He was a great guy. What we did hanging out and maybe other things and would be demanding essentially was, I wrote a script and I would act out the script and the wardrobe ladies zip him up. They wouldn’t do it, so I had to if Roddy was interviewing Patti LaBelle, I’d sit in the guest chair convince the stage manager to do it. I tell that story when people and he’d interview me and I’d do the lines and then Patti would ask, ‘What does a producer do?’ Stuff like that.” As for a few of the trying to remember roughly what I’d said. It didn’t come exactly. cameos, Evanier says they were all friends of the production. “The It was loosely interviews based on the script.” Paul Reubens [Peetour guide/CBS page was played by Steve Nevil, a friend of mine. wee Herman], who seemed the smoothest with delivery, was The two fans in there, one was the maître d’ at a restaurant that easier. “He was the only one with an improvisation background. He was very good. Everyone was fine. It was actually kind of fun on the set.” One burning question for Evanier I had was, How many times did it take for Kareem to hit Piper with the basketball? “Once. The hard part was with Hulk Hogan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, I’m not used to working with people taller than me! I’m six-three. I know shorter people get used to it, looking up at people, but it threw me a little bit.” According to TV Guide, the special was scheduled to be aired on a Sunday, September 8th (4 p.m.), but some local TV markets apparently scheduled it to air on Saturday, September 7th (8 p.m.), while other markets rescheduled it to NBA great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar bounces a basketball off of Piper's noggin. © CBS.

RETROFAN

November 2020

Andy Mangels’ Retro Saturday Morning Fox Kids Sneak Preview (1999) was hosted by Malcom in the Middle's Frankie Muniz. © FOX.

1991 NBC – NBC’s World Premiere Cartoon Spectacular Airdate: Sunday, September 8, 1991, 7–8pm 1992 ABC – ABC Saturday Morning Preview Special Airdate: Wednesday, October 12, 1994, 7:30pm 1993 ABC – ABC Saturday Morning Preview Special Airdate: Friday, September 17, 1993, 8:30pm 1994 ABC – ABC Saturday Morning Preview Special: It’s a Whole New Level of Fun! Airdate: Friday, September 9, 1994, 7:30pm 1995 ABC – The ABC Saturday Morning Sneak Preview Airdate: Friday, September 8, 1995, 8:30pm 1995 WB – Welcome Home, Animaniacs! – Kids’ WB Preview Airdate: Saturday, September 9, 1995, and others 1996 ABC – The ABC Saturday Morning Preview Party Airdate: Friday, September 6, 1995, 8pm 1996 WB – Kids’ WB! Sneak Peek Airdate: Friday, September 6, 1996, 8pm

1999 FOX – Fox Kids Sneak Preview Airdate: Saturday, September 11, 1999, 10:30am, rerun Friday, September 17, 1999, 4:30pm 2002 FOX – What’s Inside the FoxBox? Airdate: Sunday, September 1, 2002, 6pm 2003 FOX – Fight for the FoxBox [a.k.a. Fox Box Rocks] Airdate: Sunday, August 31, 2003, 7pm

1997 ABC – Disney’s One Saturday Morning Airdate: Friday, September 12, 1997, 8:30pm

2008 CW – The CW4Kids Brand Spankin’ New Spectacular Sneak Peek Party Airdate: Friday, September 12, 1998, 4:30pm

1998 ABC – Disney’s One Saturday Morning on Friday Night Airdate: Friday, September 11, 1998, 8:30pm

2010 CW – The CW4Kids Toonzai Friday Fall Preview Airdate: Friday, September 3, 2010, 4pm

The quotes from the fantastic Mark Evanier are from a March 2020 interview, with transcription by Rose Rummel-Eury, and the quotes from Tom Ruegger are via email in June 2020. Many thanks also to the wonderful Gary Browning at LA’s Paley Center for research help, DJ Adie and Tim Lybarger for some missing preview specials, and Pete Vilmur and Stephen Sansweet at Lucasfilm! Artwork and photos are courtesy the collection of Andy Mangels. ANDY MANGELS is the USA Today bestselling author and co-author of 20 books, including the TwoMorrows book Lou Scheimer: Creating the Filmation Generation, as well as Star Trek and Star Wars tomes, Iron Man: Beneath the Armor, and a lot of comic books. He recently wrote the Wonder Woman ’77 Meets the Bionic Woman series for Dynamite and DC Comics, and is currently working on a book about the stage productions of Stephen King and a series of graphic novels for Junior High audiences. Additionally, he has scripted, directed, and produced Special Features and documentaries for over 40 DVD releases. His moustache is infamous. www.AndyMangels.com and www. WonderWomanMuseum.com RETROFAN

November 2020

CORRECTION BOX

In RetroFan #9, the first part of this article, there were two errors, and we have a new bit of trivia:

Next time out, we’ll take a picture-filled look at Saturday morning animation studios’ holiday greetings!

1999 ABC – Disney’s One Saturday Morning on Friday Night Airdate: Friday, September 10, 1999, 9:30pm

` Page 44, column 1, Drooper was voiced by Allan Melvin, not Daws Butler. ` Page 53, column 1, “Whoofur” should be spelled “Woofer.” ` Page 56, column 1, “Frank and Harry Karamazoff” is a pseudonym for writers George Tricker and Neil Rosen, who hated writing this special so much they used the fake names.

SUPER COLLECTOR

s e r u s a e r T r u o Y it f Retro (All captions by Wesley Voyles) The restored (completely cracked face and hand enamel repainted, shoulder swivel replaced) Marx Girl from U.N.C.L.E. April Dancer retro-outfitted with Barbie YSL Mondrian outfit helps the eBay custom Men from U.N.C.L.E. (with original Gilbert heads) save the world from a jet engine model.

Unit was $10 simply because it was dirty, had a scratched-up cockpit dome (the scratches polished right out), and had a few missing pieces that were easy to replace and even improve upon.

Action Figures

A Scratch Modeler’s Secrets

Dated charm can’t always compensate for something made too cheaply or that is too hurriedly painted to entice anyone it is passed on to to save, even if the subject is a classic TV show. Many saved Boomer “gems” by Wesley Voyles are doubtless landfill-bound within 20 years or so without enhancement. Even if the objects in question are presumably unimprovable, when it comes to recent, high-end, 1/6 scale, retro action figures, there is little if anything to choose from in commercially released vehicles and buildings/playsets. Further, if there were ever any original vehicles or playset buildings for a vintage figure they are likely unaffordable if you find them, which has inspired me in the making of many of the items pictured in this article. If cleaning, repainting (with inexpensive reversible acrylic paints), simple repairs, making accessories, and outfit- or even entire body-swapping can persuade a future collector to preserve your valued figures, why not try it? Making foamboard buildings of any scale is relatively easy. Vehicles are more challenging, but many don’t require any sculpting talent (I have no such talent and am visually challenged to boot), especially when you can repurpose parts from other toys or repurpose entire toys themselves. Also, many vintage toys are extremely cheap if you’re willing to invest a little effort. My Seventies Mego Lynda Carter Wonder Woman figure cost me all of $10 because it had a missing foot (the head sculpt is all you want anyway), my Sixties Marx Girl from U.N.C.L.E. was maybe $20 from Mexico due to the figure’s (fixable) condition issues, and my G.I. Joe Adventure Team Mobile Support

Many classic Boomer “action” figures, such as the Sixties 1/6 scale James Bond/Man from U.N.C.L.E./Honey West from Gilbert, the iconic Mattel “mod” Barbies, and the Seventies Mego Lynda Carter Wonder Woman, among others, are essentially statues, articulation-wise. But the Bond/U.N.C.L.E figure heads fit onto articulated Elite Brigade bodies and the skin tones are close.

Buildings

Ever found a complete Seventies Ideal Captain Action Quick Change Chamber or a Seventies Mego Wayne Foundation Building for sale? Who could afford one if they did?

“The road’s here, Max.” Sideshow’s 1/6 Get Smart Chief and Maxwell Smart figures ride in a Nineties Barbie car alongside Product Enterprise’s Steed and Mrs. Peel on a Barbie Vespa. (What figure doesn’t look good on a Vespa?)

RETROFAN

November 2020

RetroFan #11