The Giant: Orson Welles, the Artist and the Shadow

Orson Welles was a contradiction. He was unwavering as a film director; to the point of being so pioneering that he could be considered avant garde. Yet in order to fund his passion projects which he created away from the constraint of an art film despising Hollywood, the genius actor would whore himself out for desperately needed funding by appearing in some of the worst films ever made. Don't get me started on his formulaic sponsorship of second rate wines and computers for cash because his directorial vision was considered damaged goods. 

Also, don't get me started on his narration of the 1981 documentary about Nostradamus, The Man Who Saw Tomorrow. I saw it at my grandparents when I was about 7. It scared the absolute hell out of me. And I'm kinda glad this graphic novel overlooked that small blip on the movie legend's nearly 50 year long acting career 

The Giant is a 2025 graphic novel by Youssef Daoudi about the trials and troubles of Orson Welles. Declared a wunderkind at an extremely early age, Welles shocked the world with his Halloween, 1938 radio presentation of The War of the Worlds. The panic caused by the radio program made Welles a household name. It also opened the floodgates to Hollywood. Right off the bat, Welles crafted a work of art: Citizen Kane. Though it would be decades before critics, audiences and Hollywood would appreciate its ground breaking use of flashbacks and never before seen camera angles.

By the way, I think it is a brilliant movie. Yet, it's a film not without it's flaws. If the title character of Charles Foster Kane died alone, how did anyone know that his last word before dying was 'Rosebud'?

Confused audiences and a controversy involving a smear campaign by Welles' inspiration for Citizen Kane put the newcomer on notice. Going over budget and refusing the studio's requests for re-shoots and to be dumbed down caused Orson Welles the director to flee to Europe where he was appreciated by artsy audiences. But Orson Welles, the actor, was considered the ultimate casting by any studio, director or actor. Yet, he could still be difficult to work with; never afraid to express his displeasure with a horrible script. 

But with several divorces, child support and an appetite for excess, Welles needed money for his art. And that meant taking on roles in films the actor felt was below his genius.

Along with his ego and sense of importance, the title of this book could refer to Orson Welles imposing physical presence. He battled with food and drink. At times, he weighed over 300lbs. Though based on some segments of this book, I would not be surprised if he came closer to 400. Standing at 6 feet tall, add the weight and the personality, and Orson Welles could be the tallest person in a room full of Harlem Globetrotters.

Just like Welles, creator Youssef Daoudi gets artistic. He loves to utilize the lobby cards of Welles' films as scene framing devices. He time jumps all over the place like Citizen Kane on caffeine pills. But to go deep into the troubled artist's psyche by having Welles' shadow point out the man's faults and shortcomings. I think I would have preferred a more straightforward look at the life and career of the actor and groundbreaking filmmaker.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: out of 10 stars.

Playback (2025 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

In the mid-1940s, Raymond Chandler was a hot property in Hollywood. Film adaptations of several of his mystery novels starring hard-boiled detective Philip Marlowe had been massive hits, including 1946's The Big Sleep starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. Chandler was under contract with Warner Brothers to produce a number of films based on his works. He thought director Howard Hawks had done a masterful job and was happy with Bogie's portrayal of Marlowe. However, the author had become dissatisfied with the final cut of the film as script rewrites had seriously altered his version of the plot.

Chandler was determined that the next film based on one of his works would be true to his vision. The best way to achieve this was to write the next screenplay himself. And it wouldn't be with Warner; contract or no contact. Working out a trade, Chandler's agent was able negotiate the next film to be produced at Universal Studios. Only this film would based on a totally new story; one which would not feature Philip Marlowe. It wouldn't even be set in California!

Playback begins in rural North Carolina. A young woman is accused of murdering her husband, a war hero and son of the town's most influential citizen.  Fleeing from her past and changing her name to Betty Mayfield, the woman runs as far as she can, taking a train to Vancouver. There, she meets a young man named Larry Mitchell who at first seems to take her under his wing, to the point of helping her pass Canadian customs and obtaining a room in a swank hotel. Soon Larry's intentions become clear and during a cocktail party thrown by the hotel's most prominent guest in the penthouse suite, makes a drunken pass at Betty.

In the aftermath of the incident, Betty threatens Larry, promising serious repercussions should the sot assault her again. Turns out Betty won't have to worry about Larry Mitchell ever again as the man winds up dead on her balcony patio. As inspectors attempt to solve the mystery,  Betty's troubled past in North Carolina is revealed. She believes that she's being framed, possibly by her former father-in-law, who swore revenge for his son's death. As the investigation furthers, Inspector Killaine has a gut feeling that the girl is innocent. However the evidence is mounting up against Betty. Canadian authorities are ready to make an arrest. As time runs out, Betty and a date with the electric chair and almost certainty unless Killaine can find a break in case fast.

About halfway through writing the script, Raymond Chandler got bored. Some claim writer's block. Others suspect that the author realized he needed Philip Marlowe and the sunny skies of California to complete his story and that he stubbornly refused to rest on his laurels. Towards the end of his life, Chandler had stated in interviews that he felt that his most beloved character had come to their natural conclusion and the author had bemoaned that he never achieved his dream of writing a serious work that was important to literature. Regardless of what prolonged the completion of Playback, Chandler's delays doomed the film.

Chandler finally submitted the screenplay in the winter of 1948, after missing at least 2 deadlines. Universal called for several charges that the author felt were a step backwards for him. But it was too late. With film noir beginning to lose its luster and the British parliament imposing a major tax on American film productions, Universal cancelled many of its early development projects including Playback.

Never one to let a good idea die, Chandler retooled Playback into a novel. He willingly let Marlowe take the leading man role. Chandler's hometown of La Jolla, California was used as the inspiration for the fictional town of Esmeralda, USA. The roles of a couple of major characters were lessened and the plot centered more on the P.I. than the female lead. But otherwise, the main plot of the story remained the same. Released in 1958, first to British audiences, Playback was Chandler's final complete novel as the novelist died a year later. 

Sometime prior to 2004, archivists at Universal discovered the lost screenplay. Immediate efforts were made by the production company and Raymond Chandler's estate to get the original vision of Playback to the adoring public. In 2004, Editions Denoël commissioned French comic creator Ted Benoit to adapt the recovered screenplay into a graphic novel. It's a story full of the usual Raymond Chandler formula deadly dames, cretinous secondary characters, red herrings and unexpected plot twists. Plus, it's got a Hollywood movie code twist ending that rivals any E.C. Comics classic. François Ayroles illustrated the black and white heavy brush artwork. Arcade Publishing released a hardcover English version of the graphic novel in 2006.  

To this day, Playback remains the only Raymond Chandler work to have never been been adaptation into a live action film.

Completing this review completes Task #30 (A Mystery) of the 2025 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos #82

Reprinting the Nick Fury story from Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos #24, the Howlers earn some furlough time back in the States. While a couple of the team goes off to visit family, incognito Hollywood actor Dino arranges for a special USO style performance for the rest of his compatriots. Of course, it's not all glitz and glamour as Fury runs a foul of a secret Nazi cell operating in the United States. 

Lots of fisticuffs! Some really awesome cameos. Tinsel Town's most famous celebrities including Bob Hope appear. I really liked the reverse secret identity aspect of the story involving Dino Manelli. Enlisted under his birth name, none of the celebrities at the bash know that Dino is actually an Army grunt participating in top secret missions. Dino has used his connections as an actor to throw this private show from the Howlers. However, Dino is in disguise as his dashing leading man self, hosting the fete in a full tuxedo. None of his celebrity peers even suspect that Dino is one Fury's unit. In fact, I thought it rather hilarious when one actor wondered aloud why this handful of guys warranted such a celebration thrown by Dino.

A good story with a refreshing change of pace. I liked the downtime aspects better than the actual meat of the story. I'm just hoping that by going with some reprints in order to chronicle the complete World War II career of the Howling Commandos, I'm not missing anything like pages culled because of bronze age comic book page counts or a secondary feature starring a solo member of Fury's team. 

The things I do to save a buck ..

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars. 

Lugosi: The Rise and Fall of Hollywood's Dracula

Witness the rise and fall of a Hollywood movie icon in Lugosi. If you thought you knew the whole story from Tim Burton's Ed Wood bio-pic, guess again! Creator Shadmi Koren dives right into Lugosi's early life in Romania, disappointing his high-brow successful parents with wild dreams of becoming an actor to becoming one of Budapest's greatest actors, only to flee for his life for his failed support of the Communist party. 

An exiled Bela will take the stage in London as Dracula, gaining notoriety before immigrating to the United States in hopes of becoming a star. Unfortunately, his thick accent and lack of mastery of the English language makes roles on Broadway few and far between. But when Bela moves to California to try his hand at Hollywood, the actor will be reunited with Count Dracula, beginning a lifelong connection with the Lord of Vampires that will wrongly typecast Lugosi as just another schlock horror movie actor. 

Shadmi Koren's artwork was fantastic. I felt like both Lugosi and cinematic rival Boris Karloff were alive and well right in front of me. I learned so much about early Hollywood horror and my respect for Ed Wood, based on how above and beyond he would go for his friends and family, has increased exponentially. And I was already a fan of his! Though I felt at times that Koren's personal commentary took over for what was supposed to be a passive narrative voice, I want to read more of his works- especially his graphic novel account of the life of Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling!

Want to capture the Halloween spirit of things without being too scared? The life and times of Bela Lugosi is one way to capture the magic of the season without having to sleep with the lights on!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Giraffes on Horseback Salad

I love bizarre things. The weirder, the better. If it's surreal, it's my cup of tea. But I have to say that this graphic novel has got to be the most unusual thing I happen to have ever seen, no read, in my entire life!

Giraffes on Horseback Salad is a forgotten (and never used) Marx Brothers script written by Salvador Dali! One part movie. One part history exhibit. It's a forgotten part of Hollywood History. 

Created on the cusp of the Second World War, Dali was finding ways to understand the chaos that was engulfing his naive Spain and beloved ports of call along Eastern Europe. In this story, Harpo Marx plays Jimmy, a Spanish expat, whom is considered a business genius. Unhappy in love, Jimmy comes across the Surrealist Woman and finds a kindred spirit. Now in love, Jimmy wins the heart of the lady. But his old girlfriend sees the Surrealist Woman's presence as an act of war. Now the forces of order must duke it out with the devotees of the unusual and dreamlike with all of reality hanging in the balance.

This project was a true labor of love from a group of Marx Brothers fans. Those who love the antics of Chico, Harpo and Groucho might be the only ones who enjoy this book. Well and those that love Dali. I happen to be in both camps. But my God, I had some real issues with this book. 

For the most part, I tried to be impartial as best I could. Dali was no Hollywood screenwriter. Besides, history proves that Dali's attempts to bring his artistic visions to the silver screen were met with less than stellar results. Giraffes on Horseback Salad was based on a rough, and I mean ROUGH, draft. In 1937, Dali submitted his proposal to the Marx Brothers and MGM Studios. Only Harpo appreciated. So for over 80s years, this project languished in archives and legend. But there was one thing I just couldn't overlook...

Harpo speaks!!!

I sat in on a interview with G.I. Joe's Larry Hama. He recalled that when studios were working on the first Joe film, Hama had only one stipulation. Producers could do anything they wanted with Hama's creation of Snake-Eyes as long as he didn't talk. Well, I feel the same way about Harpo Marx.

Harpo has always been a sort of pantomime clown. In the numerous films, skits and other appearances, the only way Harpo would or could communicate was with a squeak horn. Yet, in this book/movie, Harpo's character of Jimmy extremely verbose and it just doesn't seem right. In Mel Brooks' Silent Movie the only character that speaks at the very end is the renowned French Marcel Marceau with a witty 'That's All Folks!' Giraffes on Horseback Salad being a surrealist comedy, if Dali had Harpo talk at the very end, I'd be okay with it. Alas, that does not happen.

Giraffes on Horseback Salad was full of informative back story. The artwork was straight out of a Salvador Dali sketchbook. And some of the jokes were vintage Marx Brothers. But as a complete read, this book was quiet uneven. If you feel lead to give this a read, be sure to keep in mind just what you are in store for- utter madness from two masters of the surreal.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars. 

Cinegeek (English Edition)

Cinegeek (English Edition)
Written and Illustrated by Pluttark.
Published by IDW.

Movie Trivia

• John Wayne’s real name was Marion.
• For the movie Babe, film makers used dozens of pigs because those suckers get big pretty quick.
• In Bollywood films, male and female actresses weren’t allowed to kiss on screen until the 90s.
• Adam West turned down the role of James Bond because he felt only British actors should play the part.
• There’s actually a movie called Nudist Camp Zombie Massacre about undead exhibitionists.

Get Your Cinegeek On

If any of these factoids caught your interest then Cinegeek is the book for you. This IDW publication is a fascinating combination of Sunday comics, Hollywood trivia, and fun & games. The book is written and illustrated by French cartoonist Pluttark.

Pluttark devotes a semi-regular cartoony column on movie history on the social media site Cinegeek. He covers everything from the earliest of silent films to recent motion pictures such as Michael Bay’s Battleship. Pluttark’s art and sense of humor go hand-in-hand. His tiny drawings border on caricature while many of his jokes are dripping with sarcasm. But there’s a real fanatic devotion to the material he documents in this book. There’s nothing remotely hostile to Cinegeek, no matter how terrible a film referenced within this book may be.

A Fan of Many Genres

Pluttark appears to be a huge fan of sci-fi and Japanese Kaiju. In those posts, the cartoonist really thrives. Being also French, Pluttark peppers about 10% of the book to the cinema of his native land. However, those references to the films of France are pretty darn obscure.
One thing I enjoyed the most in Cinegeek were the quizzes. Pluttark might draw 10 bad guys and you have to guess who they are. You may also be required to tell the name of the film in some cases. But those darn additions of French movies were what keep me from earning a perfect score every time! I want a retest!!!

Cinegeek is 90 plus pages of trivia fun and challenge. It’s not a bad deal for the cover price $14.99. However, there is a French language version of this book. So unless you can ‘lire francais’, stick to the IDW published edition that debuts in stores today.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 129

 

  
     For today's posting we focus on Joan Crawford. 40 years ago today, the legendary actress and notorious hater of wire hangers, passed away. 

     The actresses' career spanned 5 decades and is considered one of the greatest actresses of all-time, but she never won an Academy Award. 

     She made so many beloved films that it's hard to select what her best role was. But my favorite was the 1962 version of Whatever Happened to Baby Jane. Crawford starred as the tormented Blanche Hudson. Bedridden, Blanche is cared for by her sister Jane, a failed child actress who resents her sister. Jane was played by the equally great Betty Davis. In real life, the two stars hated each other and it showed in this super creepy psychological thriller.

     Of course, after death Joan Crawford's dirty laundry was aired. In 1977, her adopted daughter Christina published a tell all biography of life growing up in Hollywood. Later developed into a major motion picture starring Faye Dunaway, the personal life of Joan Crawford was forever tarnished as her chances at winning mother of the year were forfeited by her violent mood swings and battle with the bottle.

     Well, that's my look at 1977 for today. I know that I haven't been very good at these articles lately, but I am trying. Hopefully, I'll be back again real soon. 

    Until then...

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 72

      Before the VCR became a necessity in every home. Before the computer or iPhone became the dominant source for watching TV shows and movies, if a kid wanted to watch their favorite shows anytime the wanted, they had to use the only thing at their disposal- the View-Master!
   
     Don't know what a View-Master is? 

     Essentially it was a personal slide projector. You would have these discs with images of your favorite subjects. You put the discs into the View-Master, held it up to the light and with the flipper, when you were ready, you went on to the next slide. It was great for minutes and minutes of fun- unless you had a big collection of slides, then you really could kill an hour or two.

     Before I go, let's look at some of the reels you could view in 1977:

ElectraWoman and DynaGirl:
     Sid and Marty Krofft were puppeteers who dominated kids TV in the 70s. ElectraWoman was their answer to Wonder Woman, the live-action DC heroine who was a pop culture hit on ABC. ElectraWoman was played by Deidre Hall, who would go on to fame on Days of Our Lives and a short-lived family drama called Our House. In this reel, Electrawoman battles some sort of Spider-Lady villain. 

 Land of the Lost:
         Another Krofft Brothers show. This is perhaps their most popular show. A dad and his two kids get sent to a land full of cavemen, dinosaurs, and aliens. Here, the lead characters seem to encounter a Yeti-like creature.

   Captain America:
           This reel is titled "Where Walks the Sleeper." It's based on the first few issues of Captain America's 1960s series. Here a Nazi robot called a Sleeper is activated by the Sentinel of Liberty's arch-enemy the Red Skull.

     The Harlem Globetrotters:

      Fresh off of an adventure with the Scooby-Doo gang and Gilligan's Island, this entertaining basketball troupe was everywhere. Back then, the Globetrotters were also a regular feature on ABC's Wide World of Sports. The Globetrotters were funny and quite thrilling. Somehow, they just don't seem to transfer well to still images.
   

For the Love of Benji

   

      For the Love of Benji was one of a series of TV specials and films starring the lovable scamp Benji. I wasn't a big fan of the Benji films, or any sort of live action films starring animals. Not because I didn't like Benji but more often than not the main character or another animal pal would get lost from their owners or die in the climatic ending OR both, and I'd cry and cry. 

      Hollywood:

       Lastly, View-Masters also has an educational slant to them. This set of slides showed real-life images of Tinseltown and often came with a small fact sheet to education viewers young and old. Not the most popular in the View-Master series, these things could be very valuable or a dime-a-dozen depending on the set.

      Well, that's my look at 1977 for today. Who knows where I'll go next. Until Tomorrow...

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 70

   On this date, Polish director Roman Polanski was charged with the rape of a 13-year old actress/ model named Samantha Gailey. The events, which included the distribution of drugs to a minor with intent to cause harm, happened just hours earlier at the home of actor Jack Nicholson. Nicholson was not home at the time and neither was Gailey's parents. 

   I don't care if the reason the two were together was for a photo shoot in French Vogue. They shouldn't have been alone together in the first place. Where was Gailey's mother or father? Why weren't they ever charged with neglect?

   Anyways, the events of March 10th would continue to follow Polanski around for the next 40 years. In 1978, the director would accept a plea that required him to undergo psychiatric evaluation for 90 days. But when he heard that the judge was going to overthrow the plea and sentence Polanski to 50 years, the Pole fled the country. 

     Polanski would fight extradition charges for over 4 decades. Currently, he's being held in his native Poland, where the US has been trying to extradite the fallen director back to California where all of his charges are still active against him. Poland officials are stymied as public opinion wants to see him tried for his crimes but feel that the sentence that awaits him in the States is too harsh. For now, Polanski is unable to travel freely, least he be arrested and sent back to California for sentencing. All of his film projects are on hold until further notice. Yet- despite this, his films are held in high regard and they're studied in depth in film classes nationwide.

    Before I go, I'm going to make a controversial statement: this is all Charles Manson's fault.

     In 1969, Manson order several of his followers to start a race war by killing some prominent white families and make it look like blacks had started the whole thing. One of the victims was Polanski's wife, Sharon Tate, who was with child when she was brutally murdered.
     
    I argue that Polanski needed proper grief treatment for this tragedy and as a result went on a downward spiral of depression. This, along with how the media handled the Tate-Bianca murders, framing the victims as the aggressors in the killings, was just too much for the director to handle. I'm not saying it's an excuse for what he did on that terrible night 40 years ago. But had he received therapy for the death of wife and unborn child, this event (along with better parenting decisions on the part of this victim) could have been avoided.

    Until tomorrow, I leave you with the only images that I thought was dignified for this post: the phone numbers and web address to RAINN- the Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network and Lifeline. I hope that through it, you might be able to receive the care that the players in today's post didn't.

    

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 58

 

Such an Iconic Poster.

 40 years ago today, the 50 Foot Woman died. actress Allison Hayes, whose claim to pop culture and film fame will forever be her portrayal as Nancy Fowler Archer, a troubled socialite, who after an encounter with some strange orbs, grows to a stature of 50-feet tall!

    The movie actually isn't as bad as it sounds. Yes, it's a B-movie but not all B-movies are terrible. Sometimes, a film just can't get a good budget and get's relegated to a studio's B-status. 

     Attack of the 50 Foot Woman is one of my favorite B-movies, though the Incredible Shrinking Man is probably my all-time fav in this genre. Sadly, the Shrinking Man and the Giant Woman never teamed-up in a film together... That would've been awesome.

     Allison Hayes was a former beauty contestant and model whose reign as Miss District of Columbia in the 1949 Miss American pageant, garnished the attention of local TV stations and eventually Universal Pictures.

Attack of the 50 Foot Socks!

      The reason of death for Ms. Hayes is rather tragic yet important to American consumers. In 1976, the former actress was diagnosed with leukemia. She actually was responding fairly well to treatment. However, her increased use of calcium supplements were found to have stricken her with lead poisoning. Hayes was then motivated to persuade the FDA to remove the 'drug' from the market and perform better regulations of supplements. 

Miss Hayes has even been immortalized as a diorama kit.

     Unfortunately, after a blood transfusion, Haye's condition suddenly turned for the worse. Experiencing flu-like symptoms, she was transferred to a medical center in San Diego where she died just one week shy of her 47th birthday. Even more unfortunate, she never saw the letter from the FDA informing her that amendments to the laws governing supplement importation due to her condition.

     Until tomorrow, a moment of silence for a fallen 50 Foot Woman...

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 43

 
     Researching for A Madman Turns 40, I come across some very interesting stories. The one for today is a true crime that's never been solved- or has it? So my loyal readers, put on your deerstalker caps, grab a magnifying glass, and let's go over the aspects of this case...

     On this date in 1977, aspiring actress Christa Helm was found stabbed to death under an automobile in front of her agent's Los Angeles home. Prior to her death, Helm had starred in a couple of b-movie horror flicks and had guest stints on TV's Starsky & Hutch and Wonder Woman. The actress was known to have had numerous liaisons in her attempt to reach the pinnacle of stardom and the LAPD speculate that her use of video tape to record the affairs were the motivation behind her death.

To this day, Helm's journals and sex tapes have never been recovered.

    Now, it's 40 years later and the murder of starlet Christa Helm has never been solved. 

    WELLLLL...

     Here's where things get weird. Exactly 1 year prior to the day of Helm's death, actor Sal Mineo was stabbed to death in nearly the exact same spot. The Rebel Without A Cause star was killed by a pizza delivery man named Lionel Ray Williams. It wasn't until 1979 that Williams was caught. Prior and after Mineo's death, Williams had robbed others in the same area. So did he also commit a second murder- that of Christa Helm, as well?

Sal Mineo, 1973.

       Lionel Ray Williams has both confessed and denied killing Mineo. Sentenced to 57-years in prison, Williams was temporarily released on a but soon brought back in 1990 to carry out more of his sentence for parole violations . His has since been denied parole regularly despite his continued claim of innocence. (Lionel Ray Williams has never denied his role in the 10 robberies he was also imprisoned for.)

     Some speculate that Williams was falsely imprisoned and did not carry out Mineo's murder. Could the former delivery boy have killed Christa Helm instead and got falsely blamed for a stabbing he didn't commit? Or is both Mineo and Helm's murderer still on the streets, thanking a man who taking the wrap for him? This is an strange mystery that while mostly lost to time could make a very interesting mini-series on Netflix or Hulu.
     

Helm in a scene from Wonder Woman.
Lynda Carter is in the background.

      That's all the time I have for today. my fellow armchair Sherlocks, I trust that if I've inspired anyone to reopen these cases, that this Madman is given due credit. Until tomorrow- the game is afoot!

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 29

   Today is a tragic day in 1977 history. January 29th marks the sad death of comedic actor Freddie Prinze. 

    Prinze had risen to fame as a noted young comedian. In 1974, Prinze was cast as the lead role of Chico in the NBC series Chico and the Man. An immediate hit, Chico and the Man was the first series to be set in a Mexican-American neighborhood and one of the first to star a Chicano actor. 

    Sadly, fame was an enemy to Freddie Prinze. With popularity in Hollywood comes increased exposure, extra-long hours, folks coming out of the wood-work to latch on to your fame, parties, and the inevitable drugs and alcohol. 
  

Jack Albertson (Right) played Ed AKA The Man.
His character was apprehensive to the ethnic change of his East LA neighborhood.

      In 1976, Freddie and his wife welcomed a baby boy, Freddie Jr. (Fred of Scooby-Doo live-action film fame.) But as Freddie Sr's addiction got worse, his wife took their child and filed for divorce. A DUI while under the influence of Quaaludes was the last straw.

     Prinze did try to clean himself up. He took up karate as an outlet for his addiction. However, depression over his failing marriage, along with an intense daily  schedule that took him from the Hollywood set of Chico to Las Vegas for a nightly stand-up routine was too much for the comedian.

    On the night of January 28, after talking with his estranged wife over the telephone, Prinze in front of his business manager put a gun to his head... 

   The next day, at UCLA Medical Center, his family removed life support.

Prinze was good friends with singer Tony Orlando, singing background on several songs.
Orlando repaid the favor by appearing on Chico and the Man.

    According to friends, Prinze had a history of faking out friends with a Russian Roulette routine and believe that the incident was accidental. However, investigator's found a suicide note nearby. The star was also found to have drugs in his system and after several years of litigation, a judge ruled his death accidental, freeing up some insurance policies.

      Prinze's legacy lives on in many ways. His son is an accomplished actor and currently is the voice of Kanan on Star Wars Rebels. Prinze is also used as an example of dangers of fast fame amongst the Hollywood elite and his ground breaking series is seen as a cultural benchmark in Mexican-American Civil Rights and culture.

Freddie Prinze Jr, circa 2015.

      Freddie Prinze's death hits me hard for another reason. My wife is my best friend but my best guy friend decided about 6 years ago to end his life by a self-inflicted gun shot wound. I don't remember very many things completely, but I remember every minute of the day I got the phone call from his wife.

      Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. We all reach lows and there have been times I wish I could take a permanent nap. I wish I had better sign of troubles with my friend or was more aware of problems...

    If you are reading this post and you feel like giving up and you need help or you have a friend that needs help, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-8255. It's completely confidential. But more importantly, it just might save your life.

Silverblade #12

 

  The maxiseries comes to an end in a very confusing chapter. Whenever DC does some big finish, it always has to be some cosmic metaphysical finish. Now, I love DC- I love Marvel too: but my heart belongs to DC. And I don't mind the huge cosmic crescendos that always have to occur in order to set the timeline straight or reset the universe. But sometimes, if it's not done right I either have to reread the story again or ask a friend or go on Wiki to finally understand just what happened. This was one of those times...

    That being said, I don't feel like I could really explain in this review what happened fully and correctly. I will say that I was very happy with the last 3-4 pages. But it's a typical DC final chapter that messes up an otherwise outstanding series.

    But please, if the previous reviews I have made over this series has in any way peaked your interest, please read this series! It's a lost classic in the annals of not only DC but comicdom in general. Plus, you might understand the ending a little better that I can.

   Worth Consuming.

   Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Silverblade #11

  Everything you knew about Silverblade, just scoop it in a bag and toss it out the window. With the death of Jonathan Lord, the curtain falls, the lights go on, and the actors and producers pat themselves on the back! It turns out that the entire Silverblade adventures of Jonathan Lord, Blackfeather, Milestone, Brian Vane, and the rest was a blockbuster film. But when a quiet film premiere blends quickly into Oscar Night, the Silverblade Players get the strangest feeling that something just isn't right. 

   I said to throw everything about Silverblade outside like such refuse. That doesn't mean I hated this book. Nor does it mean that I think that the latest plot twist was a cop out! Far from it! I've said it before: this maxiseries does NOT play by the rules and issue #11 is just the latest example of this.

   The 'reality isn't what we think it is' plotline has been done to death. But that's been recently. This book was published in the late 80s and I'd like to think that it inspired some of those books, films, and TV series of today that use this plot device twist. Examples I can think of off the top of my head is the ABC series LOST and Doctor Who. 

   Another great chapter in a forgotten series that deserves another chance- if you can find it!

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Silverblade #10

Take a good look at this cover!

It's not a hoax!

It's not a dream!

Jonathan Lord is dead!

But you will not believe what happens next in this exciting DC maxi-series that doesn't follow the rules!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars!

Silverblade #9

Who puts price stickers on comic books???

   At long last, the Silverblade film is complete. Monsters, ghosts, assassins, and serial killers dressed as redneck ducks have done everything in their power to prevent this remake from getting made. But the time for the debut is finally here. But it couldn't come at a worse time as Jonathan Lord's spirit guide, the Falcon has been obliterated by the Executioner! 

    Now Jonathan, Blackfeather, and the rest of the Falcon's allies are vulnerable... 

   This was a great issue. The origin of the Falcon, Silverblade and Blackfeather is finally revealed and many of the most confusing parts of this maxi-series become clear- like pieces of a puzzle finally giving the observer a clear look at what image they are constructing.

   But this issue is full of surprises. If you think the destruction of the Falcon spirit was a shock, wait until the final panel. You will not believe it- but what happens is real- not a hoax- not imaginary!

XXXXXXXXXX is dead!

Worth Consuming

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Silverblade #8

  Capping off another thrilling cliffhanger from the last issue, Jonathan Lord is no longer the Lord of the Undead. But he can never return to that persona least he suffer the ultimate fate of a vampire permanently: undead and thirsty for human blood.

   Meanwhile thanks to progress made between former enemy Blackfeather, Milestone, and the ghost of former TV star, Brian Vane, the ever growing group of allies to Jonathan and the Falcon spirit have discovered a way to track the Executioner, now posing in the form of the Winged Avenger, a character from a beloved 1960s superhero program.

   But the Executioner has other plans for Lord as he's forcibly convinced the producers of the Silverblade remake to hire Jonathan Lord, Jr. as the new Silverblade. Now, in devious fashion, the Executioner hopes that a workplace accident will be able to bring about Jonathan's demise and make the Falcon vulnerable to attack without his champion to fight in its stead.

     This chapter wasn't quite up to par with the previous two issues. However, some threads left dangling since issue 4 were returned to by having the Executioner kill off the murderous director whose assassination attempt on an elderly Lord turned him into the Silverblade. With the director's assistant now under the Executioner's power, the ultimate force of evil has another ally in his arsenal to destroy his polar opposite- the Falcon.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 our of 10 stars.

Silverblade #6

  

 Seeking to end the reign of terror of the Executioner in the form of the Winged Avenger, Jonathan Lord has used his powers to assume his toughest role yet- the Lord of the Undead, Dracula. But the bloodlust is too much for Lord to control and as a result, one of the former actor's allies is killed in a most gruesome Hollywood fashion. 

   An interesting twist in a very interesting series that never ceases to amaze. With a cliffhanger that I didn't see coming (but I should), this is perhaps the best issue in the series thus far.

    The plot- flawless.
    The art- stunning.
    The book itself- Worth Consuming

    Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Silverblade #3

   For the past two issues, a demented filmmaker has been trying to kill Jonathan Lord and his 'son', who is actually Jonathan blessed with some mysterious powers to made him decades younger. Well, for someone near and bear to him, the third time will be the charm as yet another group of hired assassins attacks Lord's compound of Shangri-la. Yet another twist in a series that I haven't got a clue as to where's it's headed, I'm really enjoying this series. 

    The book starts with a whole family being murdered during a seance, then Lord and his new girlfriend are called in to investigate, and then when you think this is going to become a supernatural thriller, the movie turns into Lethal Weapon with hire goons reaping major carnage on the shores of Malibu.

 One other interesting turn has Lord's manservant, Milestone, being harassed by a group of spirits. First is the mystical entity that was inside the Maltese Falcon statue that gave Lord his magic powers. The second is that of Brian Vane, a fellow actor on the original Silver Blade with Lord and Milestone. Vane witnessed the seance attack as it took place in the very house in which he committed suicide. This ghost knows who killed the family and now armed with the Falcon Spirit and a former colleague, Silverblade is on the hunt for the two pairs of killers- one human and one otherworldly. 

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars
   

Silverblade #2

   Jonathan Lord just received a slew of new super powers. He's got the ability to become any of the characters he played in his lengthy acting career. He also gains their abilities, too! And he just got younger by about 40 years. But instead of becoming a superhero, Jonathan does what most of us would do- he uses his powers for himself.

    First on his list is to arrive at a high-profile movie premiere and announce to the world that Jonthan Lord, Jr is gunning for the lead role in the Silver Blade remake! Along with becoming the envy of the Hollywood elite and scoring with a hot babe reporter, J Lord, Jr. has also become a target of the same villain who tried to kill him in the first issue. And he's using a man dressed as the sam duck-faced killer in the movie premiere to do they job left unfinished at Lord's Shangri-la compound.

   Having Lord be more selfish than trying to help his fellow man was kinda refreshing. Instead of the typical superhero fodder, the act of having the main character be more interested in reviving his career and sow some oats means that I, the reader, am in for an unexpected wild ride.

   I can't wait for what happens next. But I do hope it gets somewhere understandable quick.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.