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July 2021 No. 15 $9.95

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THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.

My Dad, the Teen Idol

Ricky Nelson

EVEL KNIEVEL

TOYS OF THE

SEVENTIES

Somebody’s gotta play the bad guy

Daniel ‘Rolf’ Truhitte

The Fabulous Furry FREAK BROTHERS

Rural Sitcom Purge • The Muppet Show • Super 7 • Sixties Movie Sets & more! 1

82658 00436

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

RetroFan:

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!

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An exclusive interview with Logan’s Run star MICHAEL YORK, plus Logan’s Run novelist WILLIAM F. NOLAN and vehicle customizer DEAN JEFFRIES. Plus: the Marvel Super Heroes cartoons of 1966, H. R. Pufnstuf, Leave It to Beaver’s SUE “Miss Landers” RANDALL, WOLFMAN JACK, drive-in theaters, My Weekly Reader, DAVID MANDEL’s super collection of comic book art, and more!

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The Crazy Cool Culture We Grew Up With

53 25

CONTENTS Issue #15 July 2021 Columns and Special Features

Retrotorial

Retro Television Goober and the Truckers’ Paradise

Retro Brit The Muppet Show

Scott Saavedra’s Secret Sanctum The Rural Sitcom Purge

Retro Interview The Sound of Music’s Daniel “Rolf” Truhitte

Andy Mangels’ Retro Saturday Morning Filmation’s Super 7

Ernest Farino’s Retro Fantasmagoria On the Set… Movies in the Sixties

Will Murray’s 20th Century Panopticon The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Retro Music “Ricky Nelson Remembered” with Matthew Nelson

Departments

Oddball World of Scott Shaw! Gilbert Shelton’s Wonder Wart-Hog and Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers

23 25 34

Too Much TV Quiz Batman TV villains’ henchmen

Retro Toys Evel Knievel Diecast Miniatures

Celebrity Crushes

RetroFad Killer Cars

RetroFanmail

ReJECTED RetroFan fantasy cover by Scott Saavedra

RetroFan™ #15, July 2021. 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: $68 Economy US, $103 International, $27 Digital. Please send subscription orders and funds to TwoMorrows, NOT to the editorial office. The Man from U.N.C.L.E. © Turner Entertainment Co. & Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. Freak Brothers © Gilbert Shelton. All Rights Reserved. All characters are © their respective companies. All material © their creators unless otherwise noted. All editorial matter © 2021 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 Rena Konar Andy Mangels Ian Millsted Breanna Mona Will Murray Mike Pigott Rose Rummel-Eury Scott Saavedra Scott Shaw! DESIGNER Scott Saavedra PROOFREADER Rob Smentek SPECIAL THANKS Hake’s Auctions Heritage Auctions Bob Ingersoll Michael Lovitz Manfred Mroczkowski Jeff Rovin Gilbert Shelton Jim Shooter Kathe Todd VERY SPECIAL THANKS Matthew Nelson Daniel Truhitte

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When we started RetroFan back in mid-2018, I’ll admit, I was a little worried that our eclectic contents might not catch on. Since the other magazine I edit for TwoMorrows Publishing, the long-running comics-history title Back Issue, features a theme each issue (the current issue spotlights TV Tie-in Comic Books, which should excite fans of Lost in Space, Primus, The Bionic Woman, Emergency!, and other classic shows), I didn’t want RetroFan to parrot that concept. Also, I hoped that by throwing all sorts of stuff into each issue—classic television, toys, comic books, food, bubblegum music, cartoons, movies, monsters, politics, fads, roadside attractions, you name it—that there would be something for everyone in each issue… and there would be new discoveries as well, even for the most knowledgeable pop-culture fan. With this issue, we’re winding down our third year of publication, and the response from readers has been overwhelmingly positive to our hodgepodge approach! Thank you, loyal readers and newcomers, for supporting this mag! Wait’ll you see what’s in store during year four! This issue we run the gamut of subjects, from the original teen idol, the wholesome, handsome, Ricky Nelson, to the anything-but-wholesome (or handsome) Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers (and Wonder Wart-Hog, too!), Gilbert Shelton’s counterculture comix hit that premiered in the late Sixties and is now finding a new audience in animation (with superstar voice talent). Where else other than RetroFan will you find The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Muppet Show, Evel Knievel toys, and a behind-the-scenes photo gallery of Sixties War and Western movies in the same issue? You’ll meet the charming Dan Truhitte, whose “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” duet with Charmian Carr in The Sound of Music still makes ladies swoon, and discover a Saturday morning super-hero cartoon that spent more time fighting lawsuits than super-villains. Following Scott Saavedra’s Secret Sanctum column about the Great Rural Purge, where country-based sitcoms were axed in one fell swoop, there’s a one-pager I wrote featuring a topic that ignites my nostalgic flames into a raging inferno: Goober and the Trucker’s Paradise, a Retro TV column about a little-known, kinda-sorta spin-off of The Andy Griffith Show (TAGS), starring George Lindsey as Goober Pyle. Like an oldie that earworms itself into your brain, I can’t stop thinking about what it would have been like if TAGS had never been cancelled (its continuation, Mayberry R.F.D., was a top-rated show when CBS pulled the plug on it) and if other denizens of North Carolina’s most famous fictional small town received their own shows. Maybe Don Knotts wouldn’t have strayed to do movies if they had offered him the weekly series Barney Fife, Man Undercover (then again, we wouldn’t have had The Ghost and Mr. Chicken). Imagine an Opie on Campus dramedy, where Ron Howard, as UNC-Chapel Hill journalism student Opie Taylor, brought small-town sensibilities to Seventies’ social issues such as women’s lib, civil rights, student drug use, and war protests. Denver Pyle as Briscoe Darling could have headlined The Darlings, a Hee Haw-like comedy/variety show featuring the Darling Family (bluegrass band the Dillards) and different guest stars each week. Okay, I’ll shut up now and attempt to douse my fandom inferno by watching an Andy Griffith rerun. As I write this editorial on January 7, 2021, the United States is in political turmoil and COVID-19 continues to storm through our communities. And that’s only the beginning of the list of things going wrong. That’s one reason we’re proud to bring you RetroFan every other month. In our pages, chaos is spelled KAOS and is sworn to Get Smart, and the only virus you need to worry about is Boogie Fever. We’re a safe haven from harsh realities, and we’re happy you’re with us for another groovy grab-bag of the crazy, cool culture we grew up with!

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RETROFAN

Department of Corrections: In issue #13’s retrospective of Bob Crane’s radio career, Crane’s start date at station KNX was September 10, 1956, not September 13.

July 2021

WILL MURRAY’S 20TH CENTURY PANOPTICON

by Will Murray

Growing up, I lived through several great crazes. First came the Monster Craze, which ran from the late Fifties through the Sixties. TV showings of Universal and other movie monsters triggered monster mania in Baby Boomers like myself. While that fad was still in full cry, the Spy Craze kicked in. It started with the publication of a list of President Kennedy’s favorite books. One was Ian Fleming’s From Russia, With Love, a James Bond novel. Bond books sold like crazy and Dr. No was optioned for the first in a long and still-running line of James Bond franchise films. Espionage thrillers became hot. Soon, spies were everywhere. It didn’t take television long to latch onto the fad. I won’t enumerate all the spy shows that careened through the Sixties [Actually, fellow columnist Ernest Farino did that back in RetroFan #6!—ed.]. Suffice it to say that The Man from U.N.C.L.E. was the first, biggest and best of them all. It started with Ian Fleming himself, by way of producer Norman Felton, who had just scored a TV hit with Dr. Kildare. Felton had an idea for a TV series with the sophisticated tone of Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest, which he shared with a pair of advertising executives in 1962. “They were intrigued by the idea of something that was mystery on a high plane,” Felton recalled, quoting one executive as saying, “You know it’s a bit like the Bond things, the way you told that. If you want to go with Ian Fleming, I’ll bet the two of you could come up with a series.” “As Norman told the story to me,” revealed producer-writer Sam Rolfe of Have Gun, Will Travel fame, “he and Ian had been having lunch with an NBC executive. Previously, there had been a conversation in which Ian had agreed to invent a series for Norman. At the lunch, the NBC exec panted for info on

Ian Fleming.

Norman Felton.

NBC promised explosive action in this 1964 promotional poster for The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Art by Gerald Allison. The Man from U.N.C.L.E. © Turner Entertainment Co. & Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. Courtesy of Heritage.

what the two were up to… what was the series to be about. Ian’s Bond sagas were just getting very hot. “Ian casually mentioned that he was thinking about a hero named ‘Solo,’ a name he came up with on the spur of the moment… a name he had given a minor villain in earlier Bond novel. Norman tacked on the first name of ‘Napoleon,’ equally spontaneously. And that was just about all they had.” Felton remembered the meeting differently. “Ian said, ‘I like your character because the way you told it, it was so different from a character I have, James Bond. Because James Bond wouldn’t have a background like you suggested. Why don’t we call him Napoleon Solo.’ I asked, Why Napoleon? ‘Well, it’s a good name, you know. It goes well with Solo.’” RETROFAN

July 2021

Will Murray’s 20th Century Panopticon

Rolfe resumed: “Napoleon Solo… and Norman subsequently knocked out a couple of pages about a man who belonged to something like the C.I.A. and went to take his orders from the President of the U.S.A. On the basis of this meeting, NBC made a blind commitment for 26 hour shows. “And now the trouble developed. Ian really was in no position to create a series. Norman was no writer. Everything hung on the premise promised by the name of ‘Ian Fleming’… and he couldn’t do it. Norman came to me with this problem… I was there, and he knew of my work.” It was a tricky legal situation. Anything that smacked of James Bond was subject to expensive litigation. And it would be difficult in that Cold War era not to come across as Bondian. Fortunately, Rolfe had a perfect solution, as well as a bulletproof shield against lawyers. “Now—some years previously I had invented a series concept called The Dragons and St. George,” he explained. “This was a couple years before Bond erupted on the world, and made the genre popular—even financially rewarding. At the time of St. George, the networks were afraid of the

much, apparently giving me the highest form of flattery by offering to buy some my story ideas and scenes for his own Bond series of books—but he could not, legally, be involved in any way. “Now Norman returned home—went to NBC, and told them that Ian was out and that I had developed the U.N.C.L.E. concept. I was told at the time to keep saying ‘Developed,’ not ‘Created,’ because there would still be a feeling that Ian was involved that way, and might help sell the series. NBC liked my concept—ordered a script from me. I wrote it––and the rest is, as they say, history.” But a complicated history. For legal reasons, the show title changed from Ian Fleming’s Solo to simply Solo,

(TOP LEFT) We Spy: U.N.C.L.E. agents Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin, as played by actors Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, on TV’s The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (TOP RIGHT) Robert Culp, seen in a 1965 publicity photo, passed on the role of Solo. (BOTTOM) Front and back covers to issue #1 of the tie-in comic. The Man from U.N.C.L.E. © Turner Entertainment Co. & Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc.

concept—it didn’t seem to fall into any category they could show a precedent for… not comedy… not too straight… what to make of it? They passed. “With Norm’s problem in hand, I went back to St. George and culled out much of my original concepts. I wrote a prospectus for a new series that called the organization U.N.C.L.E., invented in minute details all its workings and departments, made it international in scope so that it didn’t become US versus the Reds every week, etc. I also invented THRUSH as a backup villain of some size, meaning to have it used only when we failed to come up with some fresh, suitable opponent every week. I created a suitable family of characters for U.N.C.L.E., fleshing out Solo, Mr. Waverley, and others—started developing the gimmickry of the gadgets, and voila—the series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. was born.”

‘A New Type of Hero’

But the fleshed-out concept still had to pass muster with NBC executives. “Now it became tricky,” Rolfe revealed. “NBC was buying Ian Fleming—they didn’t know I was behind the scenes bailing out a non-existent series. First, Norman flew back to England to see Ian and show him the prospectus, trying to get some sort of commitment from him. Ian read the material… liked it all very 4

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July 2021

then morphed into The Man from U.N.C.L.E. A heavy named Solo had appeared in Goldfinger, then being filmed. Felton wanted agents more realistic than the stereotyped Hollywood hero. He envisioned Solo as a suave Canadian and imagined his Russian counterpart, Illya Kuryakin, of average stature. Rolfe, on the other hand, saw Illya as a husky giant. Since Felton did the casting, he won that argument when he chose Scottish actor David McCallum to play the cerebral Slav. He cast Robert Vaughn as Solo after future I Spy star Robert Culp declined the role. “McCallum and Vaughn were not cut in the pattern of the typical all-American hero,” Felton observed. “They were small,

Will Murray’s 20th Century Panopticon

intelligent, unique, not particularly muscular, and the fans seemed to go for heroes of all nationalities. We offered a new type of hero.” From Rolfe’s script, Felton produced a pilot, which was shot in color for potential theatrical release. In this pilot, the head of U.N.C.L.E. was Mr. Allison, played by Will Kuluva. When NBC executives screened it, one of them ordered Felton to recast the actor with the K name. He meant Kuryakin, but the producer took him to mean Kaluva. Leo G. Carroll was brought in to play

choice. Thus was born THRUSH, a supra-nation bend upon world domination. THRUSH was meant to be an apolitical foe, and only an occasional one. But the shadowy group soon dominated the series as an ongoing global threat. Neither producer had given any thought to the meanings of THRUSH nor U.N.C.L.E. They were winging it. Years later, neither was completely clear on who contributed some elements. “Well, it just emerged,” Felton recalled. “It’s hard to know who did what. It’s very difficult to unwind the mechanics of it.” Yet

When the world cried U.N.C.L.E.! Just some of the merchandise available in the mid-Sixties. The Man from U.N.C.L.E. © Turner Entertainment Co. & Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. Courtesy of Heritage.

Alexander Waverly. Felton wanted to replace Kaluva, anyway. Thus, the career of McCallum and possibly the future of the show was saved by that miscommunication.

The Doc Savage Affair

Rolfe took over production for the regular episodes, with Felton staying on as executive producer. Aside from Mr. Waverly, another change was to rename the series’ primary opponent organization. It had been WASP, but legal issues once again quashed that

he gave most of the credit to Rolfe. “The work Sam Rolfe did in writing the extensive background for U.N.C.L.E. and in producing the first season was superb. Without it, we would never have made the series.” From the first episode, “The Vulcan Affair,” to the last, every episode was titled “The (Something) Affair.” Each act was given a number and an on-screen chapter title, as if these were filmed pulp novels. Which they were, at least in spirit. RETROFAN

July 2021

Will Murray’s 20th Century Panopticon

(LEFT) Robert Vaughn at a 2009 nostalgia show (Vaughn died in 2016). The Yeti. (RIGHT) David McCallum in 2015. U.S. Marine Corps.

stole from ourselves when we put The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. on. The public can take only so much of that stuff.” Yet the men from U.N.C.L.E. refused to die. Such was the momentum of the franchise, a paperback series persisted until 1971. I was sad when the TV series ended, but happy that Solo and Kuryakin continued. And I was captivated by the familiar mock-serious U.N.C.L.E. tone when I started reading Doc Savage. Solo and Kuryakin returned for a 1983 TV movie, Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E., and were revived in a 2015 theatrical

disappointment. Neither led to sequels. Perhaps the rare chemistry of Robert Vaughn and David McCallum can never be equaled. Except that it was. While The Man from U.N.C.L.E. was airing, two seasoned actors who had appeared together in one 1964 episode teamed up to be the next hot male duo on a new television phenomenon called… Star Trek. Yet another TV craze was upon us Baby Boomers…. 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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July 2021

RETRO MUSIC

Ricky

Nelson

Remembered

by Breanna Mona

Imagine being a third generation hitmaker. Your grandparents had a beloved sitcom, your Rock and Roll Hall of Famer dad was Life Magazine’s first “teen idol,” and growing up, your neighbor was “Uncle” George Harrison. Could you manage remaining humble or even sane? Somehow, Matthew Nelson manages just fine. Remarkably down-to-earth, Nelson, 53, has no shortage of endearing stories about his late father, Ricky Nelson, who he describes as his “best friend” in a recent phone interview. Last year, Matthew and his twin brother Gunnar celebrated the 80th anniversary of their father’s birthday. They toured their beloved multimedia “Ricky Nelson Remembered” show—which featured Stone Canyon band members Denny Sarokin and Jay Dewitt White—around the country and slaved away in the studio, creating new country music to bless their loyal fans with. Ricky Nelson was, of course, the notoriously handsome son of Ozzie and Harriet Nelson—from ABC’s Fifties sitcom series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. Ricky quickly became a Fifties teen heartthrob and the only artist to have a number one song, number one movie, and (ABOVE) Matthew and Gunnar Nelson continue to make music in (LEFT INSET) the tradition of their grandparents, radio/TV/ movie stars Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, and (RIGHT INSET) in remembrance of their late father, Ricky Nelson. Photo: Pucker Productions.

number one TV show in the same week. He landed a staggering 53 singles in the Hot 100, with hits like “Hello Mary Lou,” “Poor Little Fool,” “Travelin’ Man,” and “Garden Party.” Nelson died tragically in a plane crash in 1985 at the age of 45 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame a few years later, in 1987. Determined to earn their stripes in music, Ricky’s twin sons, Matthew and Gunnar—sporting long, Barbie-like golden locks— tore up the Nineties music scene as the band Nelson. Their glam-metal hits “(Can’t Live Without Your) Love and Affection” and “After the Rain” cemented the Nelsons as the only family in history to have three successive generations of number one hitmakers. They have since trimmed their hair, but they haven’t put down their mics. Nelson has put out 14 albums and celebrated the band’s 30th anniversary, with country music plans afoot under the name First Born Sons. “We’re calling it something different so people kind of understand that it’s different,” Matthew Nelson says. “Kind of like how my dad had the Stone Canyon Band.” Nelson is quick to sing his father’s praises. “He was a sweetheart,” Nelson says. “Impossibly beautiful, I do have to say. The women loved him. He was great looking, but he was also just a really sweet man. He deserves to stick around a little bit.” The brothers do all they can to keep their father’s music playing and legend alive. “Our dad was our best friend,” Nelson says. “I miss him. It’s been a long time since this accident, but I RETROFAN

July 2021

retro music

Matthew and Gunnar Nelson keeping their father’s musical legacy alive at a “Ricky Nelson Remembered” show. Photo: Pucker Productions.

Band started playing their new stuff instead of his hits from the Fifties. Matthew Nelson shares a little-known story about the song. The legend goes that Ricky Nelson was supposed to be on the bill that night with surprise guests Elvis and John Lennon at the Richard Nader Oldies show. Elvis didn’t show, and it’s largely assumed John and Yoko Ono showed up since Ricky hints at it lyrically. “With the ‘Garden Party’ story,” Nelson says, “there’s a line in the song that says, ‘Yoko brought her walrus, there was magic in the air.’ I had known that John actually didn’t attend the show— George did.” The reason Lennon was a no-show did not come as a surprise to Nelson. “A few years ago, we were doing an autograph signing after a show and May Pang was in line—she was John’s girlfriend when Yoko sent him on his ‘lost weekend.’ She said, ‘I just wanted to tell you, I don’t know if you know that John wasn’t at the show.’ I said, ‘I know that, Ms. Pang.’ She said, ‘I just want to tell you, he really wanted to go. Yoko wouldn’t let him. He really was upset about it, but Yoko wouldn’t allow him to go.’ I laughed and said, ‘First of all, I heard that, [and] second of all, isn’t that about typical?’ [laughs]” In a full-circle moment, Matthew Nelson says his four-year-old son Ozzie is a total “Beatles freak.” Unbeknownst to little Ozzie, his favorite Beatles song “Here Comes the Sun” wasn’t just written 14

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July 2021

by the late “Uncle George,” but it was also the tune Ricky Nelson and his wife walked down the aisle to. “It [the Beatles connection] keeps coming up, all these little Easter eggs in our lives, like, ‘Hey, we’re all connected and there’s magic here.’ It’s somebody on the other side. To me, music is the voice of God. It’s bigger than we all are. I think about the truest joys I’ve ever had, and they’ve been related to music.” “Ricky Nelson Remembered” is the brothers’ way of feeling close to their father since his passing. “It’s just really a wonderful visit with people that appreciated him, grew up with him, and loved the music,” Nelson says. “Gunnar and I always say this show is bigger than we are. We are willing to go through whatever it takes to do it because, in a sense, it’s keeping our father alive.” Nelson’s “Ricky Nelson Remembered” performances are resuming after COVID-19 event cancellations. For upcoming tour dates, visit www. matthewandgunnarnelson.com/ricky-nelson-remembered/. BREANNA MONA is an entertainment journalist in Cleveland, Ohio, who finds joy in the minutiae of all things pop culture (more than she cares to admit).

SCOTT SAAVEDRA'S SECRET SANCTUM

The

Great Rural Purge Don't that beat all

What It Was and What It Wuzn’t by Scott Saavedra

Howdy. This is the tale of the great Rural Purge. You may have heard of it. And if you haven’t, well, what it was, was the end of a mess of fine television programing. Plus a whole lot of good, decent television characters that got themselves knocked off the air without so much as a “hey” from the broadcast networks they called home. The most repeated comment about the Rural Purge was made by Maxwell Emmett Buttram (a name with more double consonants than a cross-eyed optometrist’s office—that’s city humor), who famously said, “CBS cancelled everything with a tree—including Lassie.” Maxwell—better known as Pat— Buttram was a performer fondly recalled as the persistent salesman Mr. Haney on Green Acres, a notable victim of the Purge. Even if you add Buttram’s years as a voice actor and as a later sidekick to Gene Autry, it is this quote that seems his greatest legacy. It is in nearly every single commentary about the Rural Purge that I’ve read (including this one).

Buddy Ebsen as Jed Clampett from The Beverly Hillbillies is seen here in better days before the Rural Purge (in fact, he's just discovered “Texas Tea” and is about to get rich in this screen capture from the serie’s opening). The Beverly Hillbillies © Viacom.

In Buttram’s quote you can sense the pain mixed in with the humor. Nobody likes losing a job. The thing about the Rural Purge is the unfairness of it all. Popular shows like The Beverly Hillbillies and Green Acres chopped down while still vital and sturdy… well, that’s just wrong. But it’s not quite so straightforward as that. The tale of the Purge, both the truth and the wily bits, begins with an amiable rural story… about a sporting event.

The Deacon Makes His Debut

In 1952, Andy Griffith, born June 1, 1926 on the “wrong side of the tracks” of Mount Airy, North Carolina, was not a household name. However, by the next year a recording of his monologue, “What it Was, Was Football,” reached #9 on the Billboard charts. The record told the story of an inexperienced preacher carried along by an eager crowd funneling into an arena to see a college football game, an event he was unfamiliar with. The short routine was full of the kindly preacher’s wonderment at the spectacle told in “Deacon” Andy Griffith’s—that’s how he’s credited—appealing Southern drawl. What it was, was a hit.

A version of Andy Griffith’s “What it Was, Was Football” was adapted into a four-page feature illustrated by George Woodbridge for MAD #40 (July 1958). It does not appear to have ever been reprinted. © EC Publications, Inc.

RETROFAN

July 2021

Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. © Paramount Television.

Scott Saavedra's secret sanctum

(LEFT) Bonanza promo art and (RIGHT) signed photo of James Arness, star of Gunsmoke. Both were two of the longest-running shows in the U.S. market. Bonanza © NBCUniversal. Gunsmoke © Viacom.

Bonanza at 14 seasons (and an amazing 431 episodes) and Gunsmoke at 20 seasons (and a jaw-dropping 635 episodes). Bonanza was cancelled in 1973, Gunsmoke in 1975. They earned their rest. Fun Fact: Gunsmoke began as a radio show in 1952 (ending in 1961, so, yeah, Gunsmoke existed on both radio and TV for a time), with William Conrad as Marshall Matt Dillon and Howard McNear (Floyd the Barber! Floyd the Barber!) as Doc Charles Adams.

It featured Nabors singing and acting in skits with regulars from Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., Ronnie Schell [interviewed in RetroFan #12] and Frank Sutton, Sgt. Carter himself. Guests of the show included Andy Griffith, Minnie Pearl, and Tennessee Ernie Ford. The show was cancelled in 1971 (no, not due to the Rural Purge but part of a variety show purge—there was one but it doesn’t have its own name, so sometimes these shows are added to the Rural Purge—I am not kidding, and it chaps my hide). The Victim Everybody Forgets: The New Andy Griffith Show (premiered Jan. 8, 1971). Griffith plays Andy Sawyer, the mayor of fictional Greenwood, North Carolina. This time he has a wife, played by Lee Meriwether. The show had some of the feel of the not-new Andy Griffith Show, which worked against it. Cancellation came just a few months later, on May 21, 1971. It was actually Griffith’s second failed show in as many years. The other, Headmaster, was a dramatic series quickly given the axe.

Counting Our Chickens

Even removing the Westerns, Nazi prison camp, and a dog show not cancelled in the 1970–1971 season, we end up with five rural programs broadcast on the CBS network that were abruptly

Mr. Ed © Viacom.

Two last “victims”: Some sources list Mister Ed (1961–1966) as part of the purge since it had a horse, I guess. It was also broadcast by CBS (sometimes called the “Country Broadcasting System” by bullies) like Green Acres and all the rest, after debuting in syndication, which was highly unusual. It was cancelled in 1966, way ahead of the purge. Another program, a spin-off of The Andy Griffith Show, was Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., not specifically rural but featuring a very good-natured, rural-born character played by the equally goodnatured performer, Jim Nabors. But Gomer Pyle was cancelled in 1969 despite being a top ten show for its entire run. At the time the Vietnam War was increasingly contentious, making a military-set show awkward, but Nabors wanted to move on to other challenges, so, goodbye U.S.M.C. That other challenge turned out to be The Jim Nabors Hour, a variety program on CBS. 20

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July 2021

Jim Nabors (RIGHT) sings "Blowin' in the Wind" in a 1969 episode of Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. Rob Reiner plays Moondog (LEFT), with Leigh French as Michele (CENTER). Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. © Paramount Television.

Scott Saavedra's secret sanctum

cancelled and cast aside and one that was a honest-to-gosh failure. So yes, there was Rural Purge of actual rural-themed shows, just fewer than most believe. However… where I diverge from the common wisdom on the purge is that it was due to the to the rural nature of the shows. There were other factors as well. But first, let’s have a look at those responsible for the purge, our villains.

The Good for Nuthin’ Snakes in the Hen House

Fred Silverman (the Hitman). He’s the main bad guy because we know his name and know he was directly associated with the purge. He was actually a high-level henchman. It was CBS President Robert Wood who promoted Silverman to Vice President, Programs, with the job of sweeping out all of the shows that attracted audiences that weren’t responding to advertiser’s commercials. Who decided who the undesirable viewers were?

(LEFT) Fred Silverman made the cover of Time a few years (and at a different network) after the Rural Purge. © TIME USA, LLC. All Rights Reserved. (RIGHT) A. C. Nielsen, creator of the Nielsen Rating System, as he appeared on CBS's What's My Line? game show in 1964. The urbane, erudite What's My Line ended its network run in 1967. © Goodson-Todman Productions.

Advertisers (the Client). You can’t have “free” television without them and their dang commercials. They had new ideas about who they wanted network shows to be targeted to, and it wasn’t the folks watching The Beverly Hillbillies and their backwoods ken (rude). These people didn’t even like boys because they had no money (I found no mention of their lack of interest in girls). How did they know who was watching the shows? Nielsen TV ratings (the Weapon). A measuring system that had improved considerably since its early days as a data collector of radio audiences. Nielsen had separated information about who was watching what into better-defined demographic groups than it had been able to previously achieve. This improvement, combined with advertisers’ own research, led to more targeted information that brought demands for shows that provided the most loose-with-money audiences for broadcasters. The Big Round-Up So that’s the Rural Purge. CBS had six rural programs that didn’t fit in with its advertisers’ desires for programming that would

attract non-old people who wanted to be told what things to buy. Seems straightforward, right? Ratings didn’t matter—most of the rural shows were doing well enough. It was mostly about making more money. If advertisers sell more product, they’re happy. If television networks can sell advertising for more money because it’s more effective, they’re happy too. And if audiences lose rural shows, then they’re happy too! Wait, what?

Land of Milk and Automobiles

Growing up, I lived in a valley. Not one of those beautiful green valleys you might see in a movie or, more to the point, a rural-set television show. My family lived in the San Fernando Valley, which the residents of the sprawling adjacent city of Los Angeles (where I was born) referred to dismissively as “The Valley” as if we lived far away from where all the cool action was (we did). The Valley

The Columbia Broadcasting System, Inc. (CBS) was a ratings leader and often referred to as the Tiffany Network. Prior to the purge it was also mocked as the Country Broadcasting System. The CBS Eyemark, a design classic, is based in part on a Pennsylvania Dutch Hex Sign. © CBS.

was primarily composed of asphalt and cement and cars. I lived in the Encino section of The Valley. It wasn’t a city or town but rather a vague—to me—area that bumped up against another vague area such as Tarzana (where Tarzan’s creator Edgar Rice Burroughs had a ranch back when The Valley had ranches). In the last 176 years, Encino’s greatest contribution to popular culture was in being the home to the “Valley Girl,” a type that actually existed (totally), and as the home of Bud Abbott, Edward Everett Horton (when I was very young he lived just down the street with the 101 freeway running through his backyard—true), and David Hasselhoff, among others. It’s true that the RKO Encino Ranch used to be about a block away from my parents’ rental home in Encino, but movies filmed there like It’s A Wonderful Life were not reflections of an Encino existence but of other, lovelier places. Besides, the studio was torn down and replaced by houses long before my family came to the area. My point, and I’ve got it here somewhere, is that I didn’t live the rural life. We were so far removed from rural that a farm exhibition trailer came to our grade school with a chicken and a cow and a cat once every year. My school was named after the RETROFAN

July 2021

THE MAGAZINE FOR LEGO ENTHUSIASTS OF ALL AGES! ®

BRICKJOURNAL magazine (edited by Joe Meno) spotlights all aspects of the LEGO® Fan Community, showcasing events, people, and models every issue, with contributions and how-to articles by top builders worldwide, new product intros, and more. Available in both FULL-COLOR print and digital editions. Print subscribers get the digital version FREE!

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Starship builders NICK TROTTA and ATTILA GALLIK, TIM GODDARD’s space builds which have been featured online and showcased in the book LEGO Space: Building the Future, STEVEN SMYTH’s intricate Star Wars builds, “AFOLs” by Greg Hyland, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, Minifigure Customization by JARED K. BURKS, and more!

ALICE FINCH’s art/architectural models, the WOMEN’S BRICK INITIATIVE and the BRICK ALLIANCE (bringing more builders to the community), the WOMEN OF PHILIPPINES LUG (LEGO Users Group) and their creations, STEVEN SMYTH’s intricate Star Wars builds, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, Minifigure Customization with JARED K. BURKS, and more!

Get an introduction to TOM GERARDIN’s LEGO best friends Billy and Charlie, tour Disneyland Paris’ Sleeping Beauty Castle in bricks with DARIO DEL FRATES, and visit more theme parks LEGO-style with BILL VOLLBRECHT! Plus: “AFOLs” by cartoonist GREG HYLAND, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, Minifigure Customization by JARED K. BURKS, and more!!

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Pop Culture Books HOLLY JOLLY Celebrating Christmas Past In Pop Culture

MONSTER MASH

GROOVY

Time-trip back to the frightening era of 1957-1972, when monsters stomped into the American mainstream! 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), with a Foreword by TV horror host ZACHERLEY. By MARK VOGER.

From WOODSTOCK to THE BANANA SPLITS, from SGT. PEPPER to H.R. PUFNSTUF, from ALTAMONT to THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY, 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. GROOVY revisits the era’s ROCK FESTIVALS, MOVIES, ART—even COMICS and CARTOONS, from the 1968 ‘mod’ WONDER WOMAN to R. CRUMB. A color-saturated pop culture history written and designed by MARK VOGER (author of the acclaimed book MONSTER MASH), GROOVY is one trip that doesn’t require dangerous chemicals!

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TwoMorrows. The Future of Pop History.

HOLLY JOLLY is a colorful sleigh ride through the history of Christmas, from its religious origins to its emergence as a multimedia phenomenon. It 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 perrennial hit song Christmas (Baby Please Come Home), and more holiday memories! By MARK VOGER, the profusely illustrated HOLLY JOLLY takes readers on a time-trip to Christmases past that you will cherish all year long!

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Get all three Mark Voger books for just $99.95! These three full-color Hardcovers normally retail for more than $120, but get this specially-priced trio for only $99.95, and save $24! Phone: 919-449-0344 E-mail: store@twomorrows.com Web: www.twomorrows.com Don’t miss exclusive sales, limited editions, and new releases! Sign up for our mailing list:

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RETRO BRIT

… s r ta S t s e u G l ia c e p S y With Our Ver

s t e p p u The M by Ian Millsted

Ian Millsted continues his occasional Retro Brit series exploring the crossover zone of the Venn diagram of British and American retro culture. This time the focus is on a classic hit on both sides of the Atlantic. Yes, folks, it’s The Muppet Show.

Really, you’ll never be too old for these fuzzy guys. © Disney.

My friend Danny saw The Muppet Show before I did. It was the fall of 1976 and I was ten years old. Prime age for a comedy puppet show, perhaps, although I don’t think I need to convince RetroFan readers that The Muppet Show works for a prime age anywhere from five to a hundred. In any case, I took the hint from Danny and started watching whenever I could. We both got the humor from the start and were not alone, as the series went on to become a huge success. What makes The Muppet Show of special interest to this column is that it was, despite appearances, a British television program. How did that happen? The story really starts with two remarkable people, Jim Henson and Lew Grade. Jim Henson had been making television programs and appearances with various puppets, under his brand name of Muppets, since the late Fifties, but with a profile raised by regular usage on Sesame Street from 1969 onwards. He was looking for ways of reaching a more adult or primetime audience for some years, but by the mid-Seventies this had mostly been limited to various specials and the late-night appearances on the first season of Saturday Night Live. However, his approaches to the three U.S. networks for a regular series had not been met with favorable responses. Fortunately, there were other options. Lew Grade was born Louis Winogradsky in Russia in 1906 but moved, with his family, to London five years later. His earliest forays into RETROFAN

July 2021

retro brit

was impressed to see Western stars Roy Rogers and Dale Evans appear, reminding him of the films he’d watched when they were all younger. Of more recent vintage was Sylvester Stallone, very much on the upward curve of his career as a film star, and possibly also using the show to broaden his audience. Spike Milligan, a household name in the U.K. but possibly less well known in the U.S., was exactly the type of zany comedian who fitted in with the Muppets like a glove. Indeed, Milligan appeared in almost every item in that particular episode. Victor Borge managed a similar high percentage of screen time when he appeared in Season Four. A neat bit of serendipity occurred when John Denver guested in December 1979, just a couple of weeks before rival channel BBC showed Denver’s own U.S.-made special on which the Muppets guested. If you like the Muppets, or John Denver for that matter, they were never far away. Fans of screen super-heroes were spoiled for choice with consecutive appearances first by Christopher Reeve and then Lynda Carter. Reeve was in London filming Superman II at Pinewood Studios, not far from the Elstree (Borehamwood) Studios, where The Muppet Show was made. An even shorter journey was required for guest star Mark Hamill as The Empire Strikes Back was being made on other stages at Borehamwood. One episode that is unlikely to be rerun on any U.K. channel is one of the last to appear. When planned guest Richard Pryor was unable to make the recording of his episode, the scripts were rapidly rewritten to allow Chris Langham, one of the scriptwriting team, to step up. Langham was an experienced performer in front of camera and had been one of the main cast in the first series of Not the Nine O’Clock News, with Rowan Atkinson and others. Langham’s career subsequently went on an upward trend before crashing down when he was convicted of downloading pedophilic images to his computer. More happily, the Muppets, Jim Henson and his team, and Lew Grade had all made the jump to the movies. Lew Grade had made some tentative steps into the film world from the late Sixties onwards by editing episodes of The Saint (see RetroFan #14) and Danger Man into film format for international cinema release. From the mid-Seventies onwards, he entered into the medium wholeheartedly. Initially, this was very successful, with films such as The Return of the Pink Panther seeing good box-office business. The received wisdom is that Grade, and his production company ITC, failed, but the facts don’t fully bear that out. Although there 28

RETROFAN

July 2021

A beautiful painting by Dick Walz produced for a Muppet Show book. (INSET) Kermit and company become box office stars in 1979’s The Muppet Movie! © Disney. Both, courtesy of Heritage.

were commercial failures such as The Legend of the Lone Ranger and Raise the Titanic, he also produced, or executive-produced, films such as On Golden Pond and Sophie’s Choice. I greatly enjoyed the Grade-produced Capricorn One and The Dark Crystal, among others. The Muppet Movie is a great movie by any standards. It manages the tricky transition from small screen success to legitimate movie with a strong script, good pacing, and fun songs. Grade is affectionately parodied on screen as the character Lew Lord, portrayed by none other than Orson Welles. The Muppet Show ended in 1981. By then I was approaching 15, but would still have watched new episodes if they had been made. The Muppets’ future appeared to be in movies, but as it turned out they have flourished across the range of media, probably hitting a high point with A Muppet Christmas Carol. My aim has been to provide a personal response to the initial period of Muppet success. However, it has been a pleasure to pass on my love of the Muppets to my daughter, who has in turn found Muppet gems I wasn’t aware of such as the advertisement for giant crumpets (search for Warburtons Giant Crumpets—it’s worth two minutes of anyone’s time. Other crumpets are available). Whichever side of the Atlantic takes ownership of The Muppet Show, in reality it is something that brings people together. The talent that Jim Henson assembled displayed brilliance in all they did. Credit is due to them and to Brian Henson and all the others that followed on. At this point I turn to Mr. Stadtler and Mr. Waldorf for a final quote. Erm, gentlemen? Sorry, not sure we can print that. IAN MILLSTED is a teacher and writer based in Bristol, England. He is pleased that he learned at an early age that pigs can be stars and that eating a tyre to “The Flight of the Bumblebee” is a perfectly valid thing to do, but only if you’re the Great Gonzo.

RETRO INTERVIEW

Somebody’s Gotta Play the Bad Guy An Interview with

Daniel “Rolf” Truhitte by Rose Rummel-Eury

Within four weeks of its premiere in 1965, The Sound of Music became the #1 box office movie in America. By 1968, while my dad was concerned about the burgeoning drug culture in our northern California town, I was twirling around in the backyard, singing, “The Hills Are Alive.” This movie lives in my heart. It has everything! Beauty! Danger! Nuns! Children just like me, except they can sing! And… romance. I’m not talking about the boring romance between the Captain and Maria. No, no, no. The stirrings in my heart originated from the looks that Liesl and Rolf shared in the gazebo.

(ABOVE) The hills are alive… with amore! The Italian poster for The Sound of Music promoted the Rolf/Liesl romance. Poster art by Enzo Niestri. © 20th Century Studios. Poster courtesy of Heritage. (RIGHT) Dan Truhitte today.

Fifty years after the movie opened, the editor of this magazine held a local-history fundraiser in Concord, North Carolina, and Daniel Truhitte—happily relocated to the South by that time—volunteered his time and talents to help. Michael and I got to know Dan and his wife TJ. I am very happy to report that Dan is not a Nazi in real life, but he is one of the nicest guys around. RetroFan: Dan, you were an unknown when cast as “Rolf” in The Sound of Music, yet you obviously had acting, singing, and dancing talent. What’s your background? Dan Truhitte: My maternal grandfather was a Pentecostal minister and my mother and her three sisters sang at church—so music was always a part of my family’s life from pretty early on. When I was little, my mother took my sisters to dance class at the Crockett Dance Studio and I went with her. The head of the studio, Dean Crockett, offered me a scholarship—which I didn’t

A Hollywood Reporter announcement of Daniel Truhitte’s hire as “Rolf” in the screen version of The Sound of Music. All images accompanying this article, with the exception of the movie poster, are courtesy of Dan Truhitte.

even ask for! Mr. Crockett was the father of two little girls—Leslie and Allison—who later became professional dancers. He said he would give me lessons and I would partner with his daughters. He said I could take tap, I could take tumbling—but I would also have to take some ballet. My mother and family agreed and I agreed, so I started taking classes when I was six years old. I loved it! There were many fine song-and-dance men: Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Dan Daily, Gene Nelson, Danny Kaye—I got to see it all and be a part of. It was what I wanted to do and so I stayed with it. RF: When did you add singing? DT: The voice part didn’t start until I was about ten years old. I had begun competing in talent contests. I’d tap dance and do tricks and practically wipe myself out and then some girl would come along and sing some song and would always win! RETROFAN

July 2021

NEW BOOKS FROM TWOMORROWS

OLD GODS & NEW A COMPANION TO JACK KIRBY’S FOURTH WORLD

For its 80th issue, the JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR magazine presents a double-sized 50th anniversary examination of Kirby’s magnum opus! Spanning the pages of four different comics starting in 1970 (NEW GODS, FOREVER PEOPLE, MISTER MIRACLE, and JIMMY OLSEN), the sprawling “Epic for our times” was cut short mid-stream, leaving fans wondering how Jack would’ve resolved the confrontation between evil DARKSEID of Apokolips, and his son ORION of New Genesis. This companion to that “FOURTH WORLD” series 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 determine how it came about, where it was going, and how Kirby would’ve ended it before it was prematurely cancelled by DC Comics! It also examines Kirby’s use of gods in THOR and other strips prior to the Fourth World, how they influenced his DC epic, and affected later series like THE ETERNALS and CAPTAIN VICTORY. With an overview of hundreds of Kirby’s creations like BIG BARDA, BOOM TUBES and GRANNY GOODNESS, and post-Kirby uses of his concepts, no Fourth World fan will want to miss it! Compiled, researched, and edited by JOHN MORROW, with contributions by JON B. COOKE. (160-page FULL-COLOR trade paperback) $26.95 • (Digital Edition) $12.99 ISBN: 978-1-60549-098-4 • NOW SHIPPING!

OR -COL FULLDCOVER HAR RIES SE nting me f docu ecade o d y! c ea h s histor comic

AMERICAN COMIC BOOK CHRONICLES The 1950s

MARVEL COMICS IN THE 1970s (Expanded Edition)

PIERRE COMTOIS’ sequel covers how STAN LEE became publisher, JACK KIRBY left Marvel, and ROY THOMAS rose as writer & editor! New edition with 16 extra pages! (240-page trade paperback) $29.95 (Digital Edition) $12.99 INCLUDES 16 EXTRA PAGES! NOW SHIPPING!

REED CRANDALL ILLUSTRATOR OF THE COMICS

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The 1990s

BILL SCHELLY tackles the Atomic Era of Marilyn Monroe and Elvis: EC’s TALES FROM THE CRYPT, MAD, CARL BARKS’ Donald Duck and Uncle Scrooge, the FLASH in Showcase #4, return of Timely’s CAPTAIN AMERICA, HUMAN TORCH & SUB-MARINER, & FREDRIC WERTHAM!

KEITH DALLAS & JASON SACKS detail the decade X-MEN #1 sold 8.1 million copies, IMAGE COMICS formed, Superman died, Batman broke his back, Neil Gaiman’s SANDMAN led to the VERTIGO line of adult comics, and gimmicky covers, skimpy costumes, and mega-crossovers ruled!

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TwoMorrows. The Future of Comics History. TwoMorrows Publishing • 10407 Bedfordtown Drive • Raleigh, NC 27614 USA

Other volumes available: 1940-44 1960-64 1965-69 1970s 1980s Phone: 919-449-0344 E-mail: store@twomorrows.com Web: www.twomorrows.com Don’t miss exclusive sales, limited editions, and new releases! Sign up for our mailing list:

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ANDY MANGELS’ RETRO SATURDAY MORNING

THE BATTLE OF

THE SUPER SEVEN 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 this RetroFan column, I will examine shows that thrilled us from yesteryear, exciting our imaginations and capturing our memories. Grab some milk and cereal, sit crosslegged leaning against the couch, and dig in to Retro Saturday Morning! They say that politics makes strange bedfellows, but animated super-heroes on television can get just as wild. From 1976–1981, a behind-the-scenes battle between Filmation Associates, DC Comics, and Marvel Comics resulted in multiple television series, a new comic character, a game-changing copyright lawsuit, a second lawsuit that everyone knows about but which never existed, and team-ups and takedowns! This is the indepth story of how the saga of the Super 7 changed comic-book and animation history…

Filmation and DC Comics Are Super Best Friends

In the fall of 1965, Filmation Associates, a relatively new animation company, swung a deal with National Periodical Publications (the name for DC Comics from the Sixties to 1977) to create The New Adventures of Superman cartoons. The studio was founded by animators Lou Scheimer and Hal Sutherland, and disc-jockeyturned-producer Norm Prescott. Filmation was a scrappy young company, and they got the Superman job by tricking National

editors Mort Weisinger and Whitney Ellsworth into thinking they were far bigger a company than they were. The New Adventures of Superman premiered on September 10, 1966 on CBS, running two Superman shorts and one Superboy short. The show was an immediate hit, and helped change the emerging Saturday morning television culture by being both an adventure show and by featuring licensed characters. By the time Superman was a hit in Fall 1966, Filmation had already made a deal with National to develop even more of their heroes for animation. “DC actually asked us to do Aquaman, but I wasn’t convinced the network would buy it without seeing a pilot,” said Scheimer in my interviews with him for the 2012 TwoMorrows book, Lou Lou Scheimer, c. 1975. Scheimer: Creating the Filmation Generation. “He wasn’t as famous as Superman or Batman.” The pilot got the notice of CBS executive Fred Silverman, and in September 1967, CBS debuted a new show called The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure (covered extensively in RetroFan #3). Each hour included two Superman, two Aquaman, one Superboy, and one “guest hero” segment, with three shorts apiece: The Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman, The Atom, Teen Titans, and Justice League of America. For that last segment, DC heroes such as Green Arrow, Doom Patrol, B’wana Beast, Metamorpho, Metal Men, Challengers of the Unknown, Plastic Man, the Blackhawks, and (TOP) (LEFT TO RIGHT) Superstretch, Microwoman, Manta, Moray, Isis, Web Woman, and Merlin. © DreamWorks. (INSET) Seventies-era Aquaman promotional art. Aquaman TM & © DC Comics. Courtesy of Heritage.

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Andy Mangels’ Retro Saturday Morning

Manta (RIGHT) and Moray (LEFT) in action. (BELOW) Moray faces a possible threat on her own. Filmation characters © DreamWorks.

DC v. Filmation Round 2

Once the judge considered the Filmation JNOV motions and analyzed the facts and the jury verdict, DC Comics lost substantial ground. On March 21, 1980, the U.S. District Court in New York issued a written decision in the matter of DC COMICS, INC. v. FILMATION ASSOCIATES after considering Filmation’s JNOV motions, motions that could be granted if the judge determined that no reasonable jury could have reached the verdict that this jury had just reached. The judge rejected and upheld claims on both sides, agreeing that DC’s broad argument was too broad, but Filmation’s argument was too narrow. Filmation argued an insufficiency of evidence that any of DC’s confidential information or materials were used to create Manta and Moray, which resulted in the 7th claim, for Aquaman, being thrown out first. “Basically, the court said that DC didn’t prove that we had used any of their Aquaman materials to create Manta and Moray,” Scheimer said in his book interviews. As to damages, the judge found that despite the jury’s damages verdict regarding Aquaman versus Manta and Moray, DC Comics did not prove Filmation’s actions prevented any potential 42

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sales of Aquaman programming or caused decreases in the character’s licensing, nor was there sufficient evidence that Filmation had caused any actual confusion among licensors, viewers, or the general public. Let’s take a look at some of the specifics: Regarding the two charges of trademark infringement under § 43(a) of the Lanham act: The Lanham Act had been enacted by Congress in 1946, and protected trademarks from copying and imitation, and was also intended to stop false advertising and packaging similarities. The judge agreed with Filmation, and noted that DC’s claims more properly should have been filed under Copyright law claims instead of Trademark. The court explained that the Second Circuit recognized names, nicknames, physical appearances, and costumes as protectable “ingredients” of entertainment “products” under the Lanham Act, because those elements “can come to symbolize the plaintiff or its product in the public mind”; however, that list did not include physical abilities (i.e., super-powers) or personality traits since those are intangible elements that have “an infinite number of possible visible and audible manifestations.” Filmation contended that, as to the seven findings of liability and the two verdicts on damages, the evidence was so meager they were entitled to judgment, or at least to a new trial. The judge’s findings were mixed, but the end result was nevertheless ultimately favorable to Filmation. While finding that six of the seven liability verdicts were supported by sufficient evidence, the judge did grant Filmation’s motion challenging the seventh claim of liability, namely breach of a confidential relationship. DC had claimed that, due to their confidential relationship with Filmation on 1967’s Aquaman series, Filmation had improperly traded on “secret scripts and music” and that DC employee Allen “Duke” Ducovny had imparted special knowledge on how to maintain the integrity of DC’s characters in an animated show, and that all of that had led to the creation of Manta and Moray in 1977! The judge stated that “There was no evidence, however, that Ducovny imparted any secret know-how or expertise to defendant, or indeed that he had any expertise in the craft of animation.” He also noted that none of DC’s evidence, nor the testimony of their experts, including DC president Sol Harrison, were proof of wrongdoing. “In short, the evidence suggests only that defendant [Filmation] relied solely upon its own expertise and plaintiff’s [DC’s] comic books. Such copying, though actionable as unfair competition, does not amount to that abuse of a confidential relationship that is necessary to support the verdict of liability,” wrote the judge. As for damages, the judge found that the evidence did not support the jury’s findings. In short, although DC demonstrated the potential for consumer confusion, there was no evidence of any actual confusion of the viewing public, or among licensees of toys, games or animation, or among consumers of toys or games, or among buyers or readers of comic books. In a funny turn, he even noted that “it may well be that interested youngsters watch

Andy Mangels’ Retro Saturday Morning

cartoons with a more discriminating eye than their parents.” The judge also chided DC for having no evidence to support its assertion that Aquaman had no TV show because of Manta and Moray, noting that the character was appearing weekly on Super Friends. And he noted that Aquaman licensing had actually risen during the time Manta and Moray were on the air, and that declining comic sales had to do with other factors than the TV series. As a result, the judge found that DC failed to make out a case for suffering any actual damage from Filmation’s activities. The Plastic Man versus Superstretch portions of the case were a bit trickier. While the judge sustained the infringement verdicts as described previously, he wrote that “there was evidence to support a finding of damages, but that this amount [$817,765.50] is seriously excessive.” First, the judge found there was insufficient evidence to provide a basis for damages under claim 2 or claim 4 because DC failed to prove there was any actual public confusion of the characters for each other. The judge then focused on the remaining claims, actual damages in the form of lost profits suffered by DC. “Because we had licensed and tried to sell a Plastic Man show prior to creating Superstretch and Microwoman, and had not succeeded, our actions became suspect,” said Scheimer. “We had sold Superstretch to CBS during the time we had an option on Plastic Man, and then DC had sold—through Ruby-Spears— their own 1979 Plastic Man series to ABC. The jury and judge found that DC might have sold their show earlier had we not done Superstretch. This meant that we were found to owe damages in two claims: breach of contract and breach of confidential

relationship. Damages were based on lost television profits and potential negative effects on licensing revenue; no damages were incurred by the declining sales of the Plastic Man comic-book series, though.” In his findings, the judge chided the jury about the absence of any logical basis in how they could have reasonably attributed the amount of damages to lost television and licensing profits. For example, the jury could have considered what profits DC would have enjoyed with the potential one-year-earlier sale they might conceivably have made of Plastic Man to ABC (1978 instead of 1979), noting that DC had received about $188,000 for the 1979– 1980 season. “The jury thus could have concluded that absent defendant’s misconduct, plaintiff could have made a similar arrangement for 1978–1979. Though plaintiff failed to show its costs in obtaining this deal, the costs were probably negligible since plaintiff was merely procuring the sale of intangible rights.” Another alternative would have been to consider Filmation’s profits from its sale of Superstretch to CBS for 1978–1979, given there had been evidence presented that defendant’s revenues for two seasons of Superstretch were $1,087,000. “Half of this, or $543,500, is logically attributable to the 1978–1979 season.” The judge then chided the jury for not considering this evidence in calculating damages. However, the judge noted that DC would only be entitled to recover Filmation’s profits, and that defendant’s total revenue wasn’t an appropriate award, particularly as there would have been substantial costs incurred by Filmation to produce the show. The judge was quick to criticize DC for not introducing any evidence of Filmation’s costs: “Plaintiff

(CLOCKWISE, LEFT TO RIGHT) Who is the real stretchy hero? s from 1968. Superstretch, Micro Woman, Superstretch and Micro Woman's dog, and a screen capture of Superstretch's abilities which resemble (INSET) Plastic Man's first apperance (Police Comics #1, Aug. 1941). Plastic Man TM & © DC Comics. Filmation characters © DreamWorks.

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scoop and thick “stars and stripes” decals on the bonnet roof and boot. There were “77” racing numbers on each door. The base was blue plastic, with a black grille and chrome plastic bumpers at front and rear. The interior was blue with a red roll cage and window netting, black steering wheel, and a truncated Evel figure.

Rat Trap

Rat Trap appears to be based on a modified stock car, the type seen in oval dirt-track racing that used very heavily altered road cars. The Ideal version was accurate looking, but had very little diecast metal in it. Only the coupe body from the windscreen back was metal, and was painted red. The base and interior were blue plastic, with a half-figure of Evel behind the steering wheel. There was no bonnet, with only a sloping, riveted panel over the engine.

Café Racer

The Café Racer was the 13th and last model in the series, although it was not mentioned in any advertising. Originating in Britain in the Fifties, Café Racers were low-powered bikes, but highly tuned and dressed up like racers. The name came about because the riders congregated around highway diners. The model had a black diecast frame, with a chrome plastic engine and metal kickstand. The front forks were bare metal and included a front mudguard. The front fairing was actually made from three parts: a clear windscreen, a white center section, and a blue lower portion, which were glued together and decorated with a red stripe label. Café Racer is a very rare model, with many collectors unaware of its existence. Mint and boxed examples can fetch up to $400.

Packaging

The diecasts were packaged in colorful window boxes, with a picture of Evel on the header card. There were three sizes of boxes: the cars came in standard box, the motorbikes came in tall boxes, while the two long vehicles—the Dragster and the Skycycle—came in low, wide boxes. Affixed to the cellophane window was an oval-shaped red sticker with the name of the enclosed model. There were also two gift sets released: one containing the first six models, and another with four motorcycles.

End of the Road

Unfortunately, in late 1977, things began to go downhill for Evel Knievel. After he assaulted a promoter, he was arrested and sentenced to a prison term. At this point Knievel’s sponsors, including Ideal and Harley-Davidson, ended their associations

The diecast miniature packaging reflected the Evel Knievel's patriotiotic color scheme.

with him. The Ideal diecast line was discontinued, while the Knievel action figure and stunt bike lines were later reissued with new, generic characters. Knievel soon fell out of favor with the public, and without income from royalties, or sponsors for his stunts, subsequently went bankrupt. The Evel Knievel diecasts soon disappeared from toy shop shelves, but began to be seen as extremely collectible during the Nineties. The first series of diecasts is reasonably easy to find at affordable prices, but the second wave is hard to find. The Stratocycle and little-known Café Racer are particularly sought after by collectors. Product photos of vehicles are courtesy of Mike Pigott. Toy photos in the sidebar are courtesy of Hake’s Auctions. Evel Knievel comic book in the sidebar is courtesy of Heritage Comic Auctions. MIKE PIGOTT is an Australian writer based in London who specializes in diecast models and pop culture. His work appears in every issue of Diecast Collector Magazine, and he has also featured in Collector’s Gazette and Diecast Model World.

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retro toys H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H

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ERNEST FARINO’S RETRO FANTASMAGORIA

HOW THEY DID IT! Compiled and captioned by Ernest Farino

Continuing our collection of behind-the-scenes photos, we present a selection from movies of the Sixties. We hope we’ve included one or two of your favorites. Some feel that photos of this nature “spoil the fun,” but, partly because of my own interest in filmmaking and later involvement professionally, I’ve always enjoyed that glimpse “behind the curtain” that conveys… well, How They Did It! So… Roll camera… mark it… annnnd… Action!

On the Set… Movies in the Sixties This issue: War and Westerns RETROFAN

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ernest farino’s retro fantasmagoria

Director Sergio Leone (seated, legs crossed) awaits the final set-up for a shot in the Western town set for Fistful of Dollars.

Preparing to shoot the dramatic entrance of “Joe” (Clint Eastwood) as he steps out of the smoke from an explosion of dynamite.

Clint Eastwood seems to enjoy the moment as another shot is slated. Barely visible behind the slate is Gian Maria Volontè as the bad guy, Ramón Rojo (his name “Americanized” in the original main titles as “Johnny Wels”).

Clint Eastwood gets the drop on director Sergio Leone.

It’s all about the details… Director Leone shows Eastwood exactly how to light his stub of a cigar. In the background Guillermo Méndez (as the sheriff of the town of White Rocks) looks on.

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ernest farino’s retro fantasmagoria

Clint Eastwood takes a look through the Arriflex/Techniscope camera.

Eli Wallach as Tuco waits for the train to cut the chains of his handcuffs, freeing him from the dead Corporal Wallace (Mario Brega). That is, of course, a dummy of Wallace lying on the tracks.

Eastwood and Wallach agree to tell each other their half of the secret to the buried treasure as they plant explosives under the bridge.

(ABOVE) Sergio Leone (in white shirt) films a scene with Eastwood and Wallach just after the explosion of Branson Bridge. (LEFT) Preparing to film the shot of Tuco lifting up the coffin lid, mistakenly thinking that the grave of “Arch Stanton” holds the gold.

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THE ODDBALL WORLD OF SCOTT SHAW!

Hogs, Hippies, and Humor, Oh My!

Gilbert Shelton’s Wonder Wart-Hog and the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers by Scott Shaw!

“Gilbert Shelton is as near as comics have come to producing a natural comedic genius of the same stature as a Chaplin or a Tati.”

– Alan Moore

When I was in junior high school, my allowance, newspaper route, and commissioned artwork on my classmates’ paper-bag textbook covers added up to allow me to expand the amount of print media that I could afford. One that I was sneak-reading at the magazine rack in the supermarket my mom shopped at was CARtoons. Although I had no interest in automotive know-how, I’d been assembling a lot of plastic model kits of hot rods. I was also a huge fan of Ed “Big Daddy” Roth and Stanly “Mouse!” Miller (the man I stole my exclamation point from), both outrageous outlaw cartoonists who placed insanely cool advertisements in Car Craft magazine. Unlike that publication, CARtoons’ was aimed at boys my age who were yearning to drive rather than to become an automotive “gearhead,” so its humorous stories and gags didn’t worry about mechanics. I was particularly enthralled by its contributors, almost all West Coast cartoonists, many with long careers in animation. Tarzan and Magnus, Robot Fighter’s Russ Manning wrote and drew some stories, too! “Big Daddy” Roth even showed up once in awhile. CARtoons was so successful that Petersen Publishing— which produced dozens of automotive magazines—added the mags Hot Rod Cartoons, SURFtoons, and CYCLEtoons, each with a fad-related specialty theme. I dug ’em all. Pete Millar, one of the early editors of CARtoons, started publishing his own automotive humor magazine, Drag Cartoons, 66

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Gilbert Shelton’s far-out creations! (ABOVE LEFT) Detail from the cover of Rip Off Press’ Underground Classics #5 (1987), featuring Wonder Wart-Hog. (ABOVE RIGHT) The Freak Brothers Peace Sign limited edition print of 1983. © Gilbert Shelton.

also in black and white. It had an older readership and a significant presence in the drag-racing scene. Millar even owned a dragster, and often included caricatures of many racers and parts manufacturers in his stories, most of which were entirely over my head. But I was delighted to notice the return of a hilariously bizarre character I’d seen before, in Harvey Kurtzman’s Help! magazine, a porcine super-hero named “Wonder Wart-Hog,” written and drawn by a cartoonist that really got my attention, Gilbert Shelton. By this time, I was drawing comics for my junior high school’s newspaper and very serious about improving my cartooning skills, so Shelton’s strips were like textbooks to me. I taught myself to draw Wonder Wart-Hog and left his image on book covers, desktops, and party walls throughout high school. I even created a character named “Coltman,” a super-hero with a buff body and a horse’s head very much like Shelton’s WWH, that had his own comic strip in Crawford High’s Pacer newspaper. Between Drag Cartoons’ spin-off, Wonder Wart-Hog magazine, and Marvel’s Not Brand Echh, full of funny super-hero parodies by otherwise “straight” cartoonists like Jack Kirby and Ross Andru, I was exposed to the humor of two of my most inspirational cartoonists who were working at opposite ends of the professional spectrum—Jack Kirby and Gilbert Shelton. WWH’s humor was a weird blend of awful puns, shaggy dog plots, and sophisticated news references. The combination of that frenetic, crosshatched madness and pun-ridden, slapstick social commentary made a lasting impression on me.

The second and final issue of Wonder Wart-Hog magazine was cover-dated Spring 1967. The first printing of Feds ’n’ Heads Comics was published in 1968. So it didn’t take long for Gilbert to become one of the very first underground cartoonists. “Underground”? Yes, as in “underground comix.” Around 1966 or so, some Texas cartoonists started drawing comic-book stories that were a welcome alternative to mainstream, spinner-rack funnybooks. The themes of most of these newcomer comics dealt with relevant, comedic, and/or psychedelic approaches to themes of sex, drugs, and political resistance. These radical and risqué tales first appeared in college humor magazines and fanzines, then avant-garde magazines like Help! and Evergreen, and finally in their own relatively low-print-run (usually 10,000 copies per printing) titles. Along with Robert Crumb, Gilbert remains one of the earliest, most influential, most relatable, best known, and most popular underground cartoonists.

Fearless, Fighting, Foul-Mouthed Wonder Wart-Hog

Gilbert Shelton was born on May 31, 1940 in Bryan, Texas (where his dad owned a tire store), and raised in Houston. Like most of those in the business of creating-something-funny-withpencil-lines-on-paper, Gilbert’s cartoonist DNA was evident as a youngster. Funnybooks like Carl Barks’ Donald Duck and Uncle Scrooge, Bob Montana’s Archie, John Stanley’s Little Lulu, and comic strips like Bud Sagendorf’s Popeye, Chester Gould’s Dick Tracy, and Al Capp’s Li’l Abner were not only his favorites, they would heavily influence his approach to cartooning. He read and studied them to learn about storytelling, structure, gags, and character appeal. As he grew, Gilbert developed interest in other influential cartoonists, including Virgil “VIP” Partch, and Harvey Kurtzman’s and Jack Davis’ work on EC’S four-color MAD comic books. He graduated from Lamar High School and went on to attend Washington and Lee University in Virginia, Texas A&M University,

Then and now: (TOP) Artist Gilbert Shelton with original art from Freak Brothers #2. Photo by Clay Geerdes. Courtesy of Scott Shaw! (RIGHT)

Shelton holdoing a copy of Zap Comix #15, at the London Film and Comic Con in July 2013. Photo by BennyOnTheLoose.

and finally, the University of Texas at Austin, where he received a bachelor’s degree in the social sciences. In 1961, Gilbert moved to Ohio and then on to New York City, with his girlfriend Pat Brown, to work on automotive magazines. The concept of “fearless, fighting, foul-mouthed Wonder Wart-Hog,” a porcine parody of super-heroes, had the vibe of the most outlandish Jay Ward cartoon show never made. With a hairy pig as its star character, WWH was hip, silly, and satirical all at once. Shelton’s stories also had more than a touch of the subversive and taboo, an element that over time would increase enough to send WWH from mainstream publications to the “underground.” WWH has somewhat non-specific super-powers: he’s super-strong, can fly, and perform whatever add-on powers are called for by specific storylines. In different WWH stories, he’s a refugee alien from the planet Squootpeep. His alter ego is Philbert Desanex, a reporter working for The Muthalode Mungpie, an indifferent and corrupt daily newspaper. Unlike most superheroes, WWH would take any shortcut when saving the day, including pinching the bad guys’ heads like they were grapes. His gallery of villains included the Merciless Menacing Masked Meanie, Super-Patriot, Super-Hypnotist, Supercop, Super Fool, Super Granny, the pie-fighting Merangsters, the Comet Insurance Man, and the International Order of Bomb-Flinging Fiends, among other funny foes. He also once convinced an automobile corporation to name its latest car “The Cannabis,” and that was in Drag Cartoons’ January 1968 issue. In 1962, Shelton moved back to Texas to enroll in graduate school and get student a deferment from the draft. The first two Wonder Wart-Hog stories appeared in both issues of Bacchanal, a short-lived college humor magazine produced and published by Bill Killeen and other former University of Texas humor magazine staffers at the Texas Ranger in the winter/spring of 1962. (The University of Texas has an illustrious tradition of satirical magazines, as well as of producing noteworthy cartoonists including Shelton, Frank Stack, Berke Breathed, etc.) Gilbert Shelton quickly became the editor of the University of Texas Student’s Association’s Texas Ranger (where he had first published work in 1959) and published more Wonder Wart-Hog stories. The outrageous character attracted the attention of Mademoiselle, a slick women’s magazine that wrote about Wonder WartHog in its August 1962 “College” issue. WWH went on to regularly appear in the Texas Ranger later from 1962–1963. Bill Killeen wrote the three-part WWH story “Wonder Wart-Hog Meets the Mob” for the Texas Ranger. WWH went on to regularly appear in Charlatan magazine from 1963–1966. Harvey Kurtzman (1924–1993) was the genius behind MAD magazine and the long-running Playboy feature “Little Annie Fanny,” as well as several lesser-known magazines. Among those, Help! was the longest-lived, running from 1960 to 1965. Kurtzman was a mentor to developing RETROFAN

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RetroFan #15