Gil's All Fright Diner by A. Lee Martinez

Duke is a werewolf. Earl is a vampire. They're friends but they act like they hate each other. Since Earl is in a vulnerable state during daylight hours, Duke is his pal's protector. Imagine Lennie and George from Of Mice and Men. I picture Duke and Earl as the main characters from Tremors: rude, crude and a little dumb. But what they lack in book smarts, they make up for with rugged ingenuity and supernatural powers. While those characters were played by Fred Ward and Kevin Bacon, I don't really envision those actors as Duke and Earl. In terms of Duke, I picture Tyler Labine from Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil. But hairier. I couldn't picture anyone famous for Earl.

Okay, back to the story...

The two drifters wind up at an all-night greasy spoon looking for gas and grub. Instead, they wind up having to take on a legion of zombies. So begins a tale that I could see being a Netflix series or even a SyFy movie that takes the two characters and puts them against a young adult aspiring pagan priestess who wants to usher in the apocalypse. Turns out that the truck stop is situated on the nexus point that will open up the gates of the underworld and introduce ancient deities to the 21st century.

If you can get past the clunky first two chapters, you're in for a treat. It was almost like the author had a little trouble getting out of the starting gate. (This 2005 work from TOR Books was his first novel.) I find as a rule of thumb that anytime a character is described as wearing a T-shirt with a funny but also inappropriate saying on it, there's just something off about the storytelling. Heck, Stephen King and Douglas Adams were both guilty of this at times. But I am very glad that I pressed on with the book.

Gil's All Fright Diner does some really clever work re-adjusting the established rules behind traditional folk characters such as the Wolfman, vampires, zombies and especially ghosts. There's a whole dichotomy that makes ghosts more believable in this world than here in reality. And they're smartly written too.

I liked the universe that writer A. Lee Martinez created and I was actually disappointed to see this book end. It's not a world that I would want to live in. But it's definitely a place that I would like to visit again. Sadly, though Martinez has written other similar type works of horror/comedy/fantasy, it doesn't appear that Duke nor Earl return in any of them. That being said, I wouldn't mind giving another one of the author's works a try and he's got a couple that do look interesting.

We'll see...

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars

Hee Haw #1(2025 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

It's a common misconception that the variety TV series Hee Haw was created as a 60-minute commercial for The Grand Ole Opry based in Nashville, TN. While the series, which ran for 26 seasons from 1969-1993, did incorporate a large number of cast and crew that performed at the Opry, the series was originally developed to complete against Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In, which was dominating the ratings over at NBC. Canadian TV producers Frank Peppiatt and John Aylesworth were tasked by CBS to present a variety series that catered to rural audiences with backwoods comedy sketches and country music. 

The series debuted as a summer replacement series after CBS executives tired with feuding with the Smothers Brothers over their controversial topical humor and choice of guest stars, cancelled The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. Quickly picked up for the 1969-70 television season, Hee Haw was a top 20 hit. However, as part of CBS's rural purge of popular small-town set series such as Green Acres, the thriving country variety series was terminated in the Summer of 1971.

All was not lost for Hee Haw. Thanks to the new Prime Time Access Rule (PTAR), the FCC declared that the major networks had too much control of their affiliates programming time. This opened up more free hours in need of programming, in particularly, on the weekends. PTAR resulted in a golden opportunity for Hee Haw to go into syndication.

While still airing on CBS, a number of licensed products were produced bearing the logo for Hee Haw nailed together as wooden planks as well as the show's animated mascot, an overalls wearing donkey, including T-shirts, patches and shot glasses. Images of Hee Haw's breakout stars, hosts Roy Clark and Buck Owens soon graced products such as lunch boxes and of course country music albums. 

In 1970, Charlton Comics signed a licensing deal with CBS entertainment to produce a comic book series based on popular characters from the show. Along with Owens and Clark, performers Grandpa Jones, Lulu Roman, Gordie Tapp and Junior Samples were featured. They were joined by the show's second most popular mascot, the sad-eyed hound dog, Kingfish. 

All 7 issues of the series were written and drawn by Frank Roberge. His facial likenesses of the stars were spot on. However, their bodies as well as the full image of the supporting characters who were not based on real persons were cartoony to the likes of Mort Walker's Beetle Bailey, a comic strip Roberge assisted on in the 1950s.

With exception of a 2-page spread at the center of the comic, based on the Cornfield segment where cast members told jokes and one-liners, none of the stories followed the format of the show. Adventures in the first issue include Roy and Kingfish starting a music group together, Gordie trying to learn the secret of Grandpa's success at fishing and Junior entering Kingfish in a dog show. There's a couple of one-page gags, along with an article about the career of Buck Owens as well as a coloring page of the co-host. 

While the comic book didn't last a full year, Charlton also produced a quarterly magazine devoted to the series. It featured full color photos, interviews, a joke page and sheet music to popular songs performed on the air. The magazine ran from 1970-74 for 14 issues.

Going back to the opening statement about Hee Haw not being affiliated originally with The Grand Ole Opry. In 1981, Gaylord Entertainment, the production company of The Opry, acquired Yongestreet Productions, officially absorbing Hee Haw into The Grand Ole Opry family. Gaylord Entertainment quickly created a Hee Haw themed variety show that ran in Branson, Missouri and eventually moved taping of Hee Haw to the home of The Opry, Ryman Auditorium. In 1992, Hee Haw stopped production of new episodes. For the 25th anniversary of the show, classic clips were repackaged with segments hosted by Clark as Hee Haw Silver. Despite a slight uptick in ratings with the clip shows, popularity in variety series were at an all-time low and Hee Haw was eventually cancelled altogether in June 1993. 

Completing this review completes Task #5 (A Comic Book Based on a Live Action TV Show) of the 2025 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

When Tim Burton's Beetlejuice came out in 1988, I didn't really understand it. I liked the concept of a newly deceased couple navigating the afterlife as well as trying to extricate an annoying living family from their home. However, the movie was called Beetlejuice and the title character is only in the movie for 17 minutes! My 11 year old brain couldn't understand why Beetlejuice was so rarely in his own movie. So I ended up becoming a fan of the cartoon series as well as the action figures.  They were amazing sculpts! As I got older and became a fan of Tim Burton movies, I understood the reason behind the character's absence and it eventually became one of those movies I can't pass up if I see it while flipping channels.

We jump ahead to 36 years later and Beetlejuice returns to the screen after several decades of rumors of a sequel. While the main character still isn't in every scene, Beetlejuice is in enough of the movie that my younger self would have been satisfied. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice debuted last month, breaking records for films that opened in September. I kept wanting to go to the theaters but I was either too busy or not wanting to fight the crowds. At least my wait wasn't too long as it finally showed up on Amazon Prime and Youtube Premium for my bride and I do give it a Halloween time viewing from the comfort of home. 

In the time since the first film, Lydia Deetz has cashed in on her ability to see ghosts. After helping the Maitlands successfully cross over to the afterlife, Lydia could still see ghosts and became a psychic arbitrator between the living and the dead. Despite starring her own reality TV show, her teenage encounter with Beetlejuice has left Lydia a pill-popping neurotic wreck who has PTSD fears of being reunited with her one-time fiance poltergeist. A widow, Lydia is estranged from her daughter Astrid, who thinks Lydia is a fraud because she never can communicate with her dead husband. Living in New York City, Lydia and her daughter must return to Winter River after the tragic death of her father. However, as Lydia begins to clear the house of her father's possessions, the single mom begins to have horrifying visions of a ghost dressed in a black and white striped suit. With every passing moment, it becomes clear: Beetlejuice is nigh!

Almost the entire original cast returns for this film. Michael Keaton is a treasure! The only major exception is Jeffrey Jones, who played Lydia's father in the original film. However, his criminal past of possessing child pornography meant that his involvement in the film was not to be. Despite this, you do see photos of Jones as Lydia's father at the funeral and his voice is used in at least 1 scene.

There's a few new players to the Beetlejuice universe. Justin Theroux plays Lydia's manager and human fiance. I thought it was interesting having Theroux in this film as it was produced by Brad Pitt's Plan B Entertainment. Both Pitt and Theroux were married to Jennifer Aniston! Imagine the conversations between these two! Monica Bellucci plays Beetlejuice's vengeful wife, thus shedding some light on the main character's origins. Willem Dafoe is an afterlife detective trying to find Beetlejuice's former lover before she can send him to his final reward!

I liked being able to know when and where Beetlejuice came from. But I felt that Monica Bellucci's character was unnecessary. True, without her, that would make Dafoe's character also unneeded and he was some great comic relief. Still, I felt that her parts in this movie didn't really move the plot along other than telling us about the main characters life before the afterlife.

This has got to be one of the most Tim Burton movies filled with the most un-Burton like scenes and music. Thankfully, we get the great Danny Elfman doing the main score. There's stop motion. There's a slew of oddball dead characters. There's another dance scene. But it's no 'Banana Boat' scene. I'm guessing the Harry Belafonte estate wasn't willing to license out other songs of his. 

One thing that I just adored about this film is that it takes place during Halloween. It was seasonal to get to watch it here during the middle of October. Hopefully, it will become an annual favorite. I'd watch it again. It was a nostalgic sequel without being too repetitive of the original. If anything it felt more like a continuation of the Saturday morning cartoon series in which Beetlejuice and Lydia were good friends. Having a 600 year old plus ghost with the hots for a teenage girl is kinda icky. But as friends from differ sides of the doorway to the great beyond felt more comfortable for those of us who got up freakin' early every Saturday to watch a cartoon classic!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 of 10 stars.

The Adventures of Jerry Lewis #107 (2024 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

In the early 1950s, one of the hottest comedic duos in Hollywood was the team of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. Having met a couple of years prior, Martin and Lewis became a team in 1946 on the recommendation of Lewis after another singer bailed from performing at the 500 Club in Atlantic City. Martin played the straight man, suave with the ladies and good in voice. Lewis was the comedic foil, doing slapstick and skits which hilariously interrupted Martin while singing. 

The two went on to co-star in 16 movies for Paramount. However, tensions started coming to the surface as Martin felt that the plots were becoming ever so focused on Lewis instead of a duo. 10 years to the day Martin and Lewis had first become a partnership, the pair broke up, never to speak with each other for another 20 years. 

Starting in 1949, National Periodicals/DC Comics began to license rights from some of Hollywood's top entertainment as characters in comic books. Matinee star Alan Ladd was first, followed by comedian Bob Hope. Ladd's book was more adventure focused and only ran for 9 issues. However, with the popularity of Hope's humor book, DC decided to continue with their experiment by nabbing Martin and Lewis in 1952, right at the apex of their comedy careers together. 

The Adventures of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis ran for 40 issues from 1952-57. Though the pair split a year earlier, DC had a small backlog of stories starring both Martin and Lewis that needed publishing. As the inventory ran low, editor Larry Nadle renegotiated terms with Jerry Lewis to restructure the comic book to focus solely on his comedic exploits. With issue #41, the series was retitled The Adventures of Jerry Lewis. 

As just a solo act, Lewis would occasionally pair up with some of DC's biggest and brightest stars including Superman and the Flash. Even the villains would get into the act as Lex Luthor and the Joker were notable guests in the re-branded series. In the 1960s, the cast would grow to include a rapscallion nephew named Renfrew, a bewitching housekeeper named Witch Kraft and a straight man foil named Uncle Hal. No relation to Jerry, Uncle Hal was actually the headmaster at the Genghis Khan School for Boys where Renfrew and the other rowdy youths of Jerry's hometown were enrolled. 

In this issue, Jerry plans on taking his nephew on a cross-country road trip during Spring Break. Renfrew tricks his uncle into letting him take his entire class on the trip which prompts Jerry needing to borrow one of the buses from Renfrew's school. Meanwhile, Uncle Hal's deadbeat brother has come to town along with his bookies. Owning thousands of dollars, Hal is forced to pay down his brother's debt. This results in Hal having to make deliveries of counterfeit cash all across America while acting as chauffeur for Jerry's bus full of rowdies. However, not wanting to be caught with the phony money on his persons, Hal feigns injury, tricking gullible Jerry into make a series of madcap deliveries all the while being trailed by Treasury agents and that pair of bookies.

Included at the end of this issue is a letter from Jerry to his fans. It's doubtful that Lewis actually wrote this article himself. It is more than likely that an assist to the comedian wrote down a number of Lewis' jokes which were relevant to this issue's theme of travel and vacation. 

Though there are no credits to this issue, the DC wiki credits Arnold Drake with writing the script. Artist Bob Oksner penciled and inks both the cover and interiors.

The Adventures of Jerry Lewis would continue until June, 1971 with issue #124 being the finale. The cancellation of the series had less to do with the popularity of the title and more with DC rebranding. By the following year, DC's entire line of humor books would be cancelled in favor of more superhero and horror themed books.

Completing this review completes Task #32 (A Fictional Story About a Real Person) of the 2024 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Surprisingly funny and well plotted.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars

The Beverly Hillbillies #18

Getting a comic book adaptation of The Beverly Hillbillies has been on my wish list for a while. Finally over the winter break I was able to get a decent copy for a reasonable price. Yet somehow, this comic ended up in my REVIEW pile . It wasn't until yesterday that I realized I hadn't read this yet.

There are 4 stories in this issue. 3 star the Beverly Hillbillies. Story #1 has Granny feeling like she's got to get a job despite living in a mansion with all expenses paid. She takes a job as an ice cream man, thinking the work will be a piece of cake. However in true sitcom fashion, everything goes wrong on her first day.

Tale #2 has Jed hiring a pop art house decorator on the recommendation of Mrs. Drysdale. Of course, Granny hates the artist's aesthetic and will do everything in her power to keep her house the way it is.

The last Clampett story has Jethro head over heels in love with a department store sales clerk when he mistakes her salesmanship as romance.

The fourth and final story is about a character called 'The Shutterbug'. I've never heard of him. But I've found listings for this guy in a couple other Dell books. He's apparently this cub reporter who is sent on photo assignments, only to muck them up. In this story, Shutterbug is allowed to cover his first pro baseball game to disastrous effect.

The one page prose story, required for certain postage requirements, is about a truck driver that has a mishap while transporting a shipment of live chickens. I've read this story before. I wouldn't be surprised if Dell had a standard prose yarn that would be inserted into their entire line of books for the month. 

Unlike the Car 54, Where Are You? books that had great renderings of the stars of the show - but were swiped over and over, there's no sort of repetition in this book. None of the faces look like they were taken from promotional stills. But the characters look like who they are supposed to represent. Maybe that's because all 4 of the Clampetts wore costumes that never really changed. When Granny is acting as the ice cream seller in this book, you can tell it's her, not because she looks like Irene Ryan, but because the artist has Granny still wearing her patchwork dress underneath her uniform.

Mrs. Drysdale looks like a generic person. Not Harriet MacGibbon. I don't know who's escorting her to the Clampetts big unveiling of their newly redecorated mansion. But it sure isn't investment banker Mr. Drysdale. The guy on her arm doesn't even have a mustache! 

And where's Ms. Hathaway, Drysdale s ever faithful assistant? Surely, she would have been invited to that fete! If only to occupy the yokels when they got on Drydale's nerves.

The stories were entertaining. While formulaic, they're not rocket science. I've wanted an issue of the series for a long time and this was worth the wait. A great addition for a fan of classic TV like myself. I just don't see the average fan of comics seeking books like this anymore and that might be why I got a good deal on it.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Parks and Recreation

I want to take some time and talk about the TV show Parks and Recreation or Parks and Rec as it's more commonly known. In the past month, I've kinda discovered the show. When it first aired from 2009-2015 I didn't watch it because A) my wife wasn't interested and B) it was supposed to be like The Office and I didn't like The Office. Maybe it was all part of God's timing to not watch the show then as currently I've most certainly needed it now. In fact, I think I can truly say that Parks and Rec saved my life. 

The return to school after Winter Break has certainly been grueling. I'm starting to think it's criminal to expect students to pick up after 2 weeks of being off from school and expect them to finish off the 2nd quarter and first semester. Both Q2 and S1 should end before taking time off for Christmas! Adding to the stress of trying to get students to 'finish hard', it's Cold-Flu-COVID-and-RSV season. Some days, I only see half of my class-load as they are either out sick or can't come to school because we don't have enough bus drivers. 

We also don't have enough teachers. Every day since after Thanksgiving we've had 10-15 teachers out sick. Our district can't get enough subs. So the teachers are expected to fill in. I'm trying to run a department and doing my very best to hold boundaries to saying no. Because if I don't, I'll never get my lesson planning and other class needs meet. But it makes me feel guilty. Budget concerns, threats of violence daily and everyone being angry has taken its toll. Yesterday, I started having chest pains.

I really think if I hadn't been watching Parks and Rec, I would have had a stress related heart attack or a stroke. The NBC series starring Amy Poehler (SNL), Nick Offerman (the voice of Axe Cop) and Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy) has helped me laugh for one thing. It's also kept me out of a funk. There's been days I've gotten home, just wishing to crawl into bed and sleep. Instead, I flip on my Chromecast and I watch a mini marathon of episodes. Having my wonderful and warm gatos crawl up in my lap has been the icing on the cake. 

Parks and Rec is about the government in a bizarre, small town called Pawnee, Indiana. Everything and everyone in Pawnee is completely insane. Bureaucracy is literally a mishmash of bad ideas, outdated laws and the uneducated, superstitious and OBESE townsfolk allow this craziness to continue. There's a major employer, a candy company called Sweetums, that is polluting and poisoning the town with its delicious but poorly made confections. Add in the oddball town traditions, unusual businesses and attacking throngs of raccoons and possums. Everything makes Pawnee feel like a live action version of the town of Springfield from The Simpsons. 

I hear that the current ABC TV show Abbott Elementary is rather good. But being a teacher, I think if I watched that show it would feel too much like work and make me angry. Parks and Rec touches the public educational system just enough that the stupefying and unfair aspects of local government don't upset me. I can escape and laugh while watching this show. I can also relate, as my hands are tied with some rather silly sounding guidelines that basically prevent me from conducting a role as an instructor and instead place me in a position of an overpaid babysitter. In those regards, I feel like main character Leslie Knope, who for 6 years (so far!) still can't turn an abandoned lot into a community park.

I wish I was more like Ron Swanson. Played by Nick Offerman, Swanson is the Libertarian head of the Parks and Rec department. His laisse-faire and don't care attitude about things is something I need to do with my work. I'm putting too much into it and getting no return. (Okay- that might not be 100% true. But I sure feel this way a lot!) Plus, Ron Swanson steals the show!

I typically don't talk much about my work life on this blog as we've been warned that doing so can be a fireable offence. But I've not disclosed the name of the school system in which I work, I haven't lied or bad-mouthed it either. So I think this small thank you to a TV show that has helped me through a very tough time recently is okay therapy. Plus, I'm saving all the juicy stuff for my book that I write when I retire!

Oh. The chest pains! Saw a doctor today. EKG and other tests were rather promising. It's all stress related. Hopefully, a new, small dose of medication will help me out on that.

Episodes of Parks and Rec air regularly on IFC and can be accessed through YoutubeTV.

Movie Classic: Who's Minding The Mint?

This is a new addition to my collection that I've been looking forward to for quite some time. Who's Minding The Mint? was arguably my mom's favorite comedy film. I was introduced to the movie sometime around age 7 or 8 because I remember watching it the night I met who was to become my Aunt Cheryl and a couple of new cousins. Anyways, this became a movie that we'd watch whenever it came on TV, usually WGN from Chicago or TBS from Atlanta back when both were considered luxury channels on cable and not your standard editions on streaming these days.

The plot of the 1967 film is of a caper that was pretty much unheard 50 plus years ago- to print several million dollars in new bills overnight in the US mint in Washington. Today, with computers and other tech, such a caper isn't uncommon in film or even TV. 

Jim Hutton (Ellery Queen) plays Harry Lucas, a treasury department employee who lives beyond his means. To keep up appearances as a hip young bachelor, Harry furnishes his apartment and wardrobe on a trial basis. This includes chauffeured cars! Because of this, Harry's boss thinks he's embezzling funds from the mint. Plus, he's jealous that a very demure treasury employee has a crush on Harry, though the young man thinks only of her as a friend. One day, Harry accidentally takes $50,000 with him and destroys it in his garbage disposal. With his boss already suspecting Harry of being crooked, Harry has got to come up with something to replace the money and fast!

Harry has a friend nicknamed Pop, who was forced to retire just before he was about to become a printer for the mint. Pop is more than happy to finally get his hands on those presses. But he'll need a safe cracker to open the vault that holds the plates. Plus, they need a fence who can get supplies on the cheap, a tour guide of the underground sewer system leading to the mint, someone to build a boat small enough to fit through a manhole cover, and a lookout! Now Harry's $50K caper has ballooned into a $10 million dollar heist!

Along with Hutton, Who's Minding The Mint? had an all-star cast! My Darling Clementine's Walter Brennan played Pop. (To this day, I am a huge fan of Walter Brennan and will watch anything he's in!) The Rat Pack's Joey Bishop, TV legend Milton Berle, Victor Buono (Batman's King Tut), Bob Denver (Gilligan's Island) and Dorothy Provine (That Darn Cat) rounded out everyone involved in the crime of the century. M*A*S*H*'s Jamie Farr plays an important part as cousin Mario.

I've been wanting this book since I found out it existed pre-pandemic. Then I just couldn't find it anywhere. But then one day recently on a whim, I decided to go searching for it, finding a very good condition copy on Amazon of all places. I made sure the first night I added this bad boy to my collection that I read it cover-to-cover!

The renderings of the characters were really good. It wasn't SOP to list the artist credits just yet though DC and Marvel were taking big strides to do this by 1967. Thus I can't give credit to who the artist was. But I will surely offer the team praise. 

The anonymous writer of this adaptation did a great job too. I've noticed that with some comic book versions of films from this era, Dell had a bad habit of running out of book and basically shoving in a very abrupt and hasty ending; sometimes to the point, the end of the story split out to the back cover! (See my review of the John Wayne vehicle The Horse Riders as proof!) But with Who's Minding The Mint?, this 4-color version of the movie had good pacing and felt very faithful to the source material. 

Not every joke and character makes it to the screen. Corrine Miller's character of Harry's sexpot love interest Doris was probably cut because her presence probably violated Dell's wholesome promise of comics parents will approve of. The lengthy joke about sex rituals recorded in a recent issue of Playboy was definitely edited out. I'm not really sure why I thought that scene would be in this comic. But I did! Still, I was extremely happy with my purchase.

Now if only I could find this on TV. I'm really wanting to see it on celluloid of all a sudden.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

5 Very Good Reasons to Punch a Dolphin in the Mouth (and Other Useful Guides)

Last November, I read and reviewed How to Tell if Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You. It was the second collection of off-the-wall web comics by cartoonist Matt Inman based on his website: The Oatmeal. I thought that book was the most brilliant thing since Gary Larson's The Far Side. It had zany, unexpected panels of comedy. There were listicles of how to's about unusual circumstances like you might see in a MAD Magazine. And it was thought provoking and entertaining while using pop culture in an irreverent way similar to Adult Swim's Robot Chicken.

Thus, in early May, when I found another collection from The Oatmeal for only a dollar, I immediately put it in my to buy pile of books. 5 Very Good Reasons is Inman's first collection of bits. I would have to say that the humorist is still trying to polish things in this volume. Compared to Plotting to Kill You, this batch of material was much more crude, with tons of penis and testicle jokes. The F-word was used to near Tarantino levels at times. And quite a few of the strips ended with someone being mauled by a bear. Often for no reason except to end the skit.

As unrefined as I found this book, I still got some laughs and enjoyment. Inman's essays on how to use apostrophes and the correct usage of words were both educational and wacky. His primers on the correct way to use English when writing should be the model for how we teach grammar in school. I felt that Inman's ability to help readers learn by the use of absurd statements was the type of learning that anyone could relate too. In fact, I've actually been able to reflect on some of those tricky grammar rules thanks to what I learned from The Oatmeal as opposed to years of schooling. 

I'm going to chalk the flaws in this book up to inexperience. I think Inman had some great ideas about where he wanted The Oatmeal to go. But at this early stage of things, he hadn't quite perfected his recipe. It's like the first season of NBC's Night Court. The light of the sets was too dim. Some of the actors hired weren't the right fit. Plus Dan Fielding was too much of a gentleman and Bull the Bailiff wasn't enough of a mutant. But once the show added Mac and Christine to the line-up and switched from video to film (or vice versa), the show really gelled in a comedy that is beloved by generations. 

I think that is what is happening with this book. While I don't plan on keeping this one, I will be on the look out for the other 7 editions of material from The Oatmeal. I just hope that those future volumes have an easier way of reading the included bonus posters without having to tear them out of the book!

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars

Ghostbusters: Afterlife

I waited like 2 years plus almost a whole week after it dropped in theaters to see this movie!

Ghostbusters: Afterlife completes the trilogy for the original Ghostbusters while opening the door for a new generation of Ghostbusters films. 

Egon Spangler has died in seclusion on his small dirt farm in Oklahoma. Inheriting the family plot is Egon's estranged daughter and two grandchildren. While rummaging around the house, granddaughter Phoebe uncovers one of Egon's old ghost traps. Not knowing what it was, Phoebe brings the trap to school in which her new science teacher accidentally unleashes something menacing.

Now after nearly 30 years without a ghost sighting, strange things are afoot in the small Midwestern town. It's up to Phoebe, her brother and their new friends to take up the mantle of Ghostbusters and save not only their new hometown but the entire world from a threat long forgotten- Gozer the Gozerian!

I loved this movie. Jason Reitman, son of original Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman, co-wrote and directed what could only be the perfect Ghostbusters film without the late Harold Ramis. Afterlife did a fantastic job addressing the loss of Egon with just a fair bit of movie magic. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough of the original surviving Ghostbusters for my taste. But mark my words- despite the lack of Ray, Winston and Peter being on screen, this is a Ghostbusters movie!

Aside from getting to see the actors who we all wanted to see from the first two films,  Ghostbusters: Afterlife is a great balance of classic and modern franchise.  (And yes- I realize that this is really 'Ghostbusters 4', but the all-girl team is not even a blip on the radar in this movie.)

I'm not sure how the movie is doing in theaters. Basically, with  COVID, it's a crap shoot based on spikes and mandates. But I feel like if things worked out how they should, a 4th original franchise based film should be on the horizon. Which if we're talking Ghostbusters movies could be anywhere from another 5-30 years away. If Columbia Pictures and the powers that be were smart, they'd make a new animated series to continue the narrative because I really think there's a ton more of story left wanting to be told.

Oh and be sure to stay through the entire run of credits. There's an extra scene that only my wife and I got to see because everyone else left wayyyyyyy too soon!

Worth Consuming! 

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars. 

Welcome Back, Kotter #2

Epstein's practical jokes are getting out of hand. We're not talking about his famous excuse notes signed by his 'mother'. This time, the Sweathog managed to move Mr. Woodman's car from the staff parking lot into his office. And if Buchanan High's vice principal can prove he did it, Epstein will find himself expelled.

Mr. Kotter and the rest of the Sweathogs decide enough is enough. But their timing couldn't be worse as a family emergency has Juan Epstein in a panic unlike ever before. With his kid brother in the hospital, can Mr. Kotter and his students be there when Epstein needs them most?

This issue from January, 1977 felt like I was reading a lost episode from the iconic 1970s sitcom. From the lyrics of John Sebastian's catchy theme to one of Mr. Kotter's stories about his assortment of odd relatives to some pretty impressive artwork of the cast by Jack Sparling (Strange Adventures), I was in heaven. ( If you count how many times I inhaled that fabled aroma of 43-year old comic, I really was in nirvana!)

The neat thing about this issue was despite feeling like an episode, it didn't feel stale. That's saying something for a show that relied on the same old catch phrases and jokes every 30 minutes. All of the characters seemed unrestricted by the bounds of their regular series writers. So did the plot.

I think that with the story not being bound by the show's limited amount of set pieces helped keep this story fresh. Epstein never would have been able to fit Woodman's car into his office on broadcast television. The flashback scene and the hospital scene probably would have been scraped for budget reasons. But thanks to the affordability of ink and paper, the Sweathogs had free reign over the entire borough of Brooklyn! I wish I could say that this classic issue was perfect. There were a few flaws. Mainly with Kotter and his wife. Julie Kotter looked nothing like actress Marsha Straussman. And the banter between the husband and wife seemed like it wasn't a reflection of the characters from the TV, but more like the introductory page of a MAD Magazine send up of the show.

Okay, so Welcome Back Kotter wasn't a comic masterpiece on the same level of anything written by Lee and Kirby. But I loved watching the show as a kid and an occasional episode now is a special treat. This series was on my top 10 list of comic book TV adaptations to watch. And I was really blessed to find an issue right before the lock-down hit. Finding this book in a dollar bin recently, was just gravy and a fun diversion during a rough time physically for me.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 of of 10 stars.

Car 54 Where Are You? #6

Almost exactly one year ago I wrote up a top 10 list. It was of the 10 comic book series based on TV shows that I wished to own at least 1 book of. It took about 3 months from crafting that wish list that I finally found a copy of this comic I am reviewing today.

I'm in my early 40s. But I can say with certainty that Car 54, Where Are You? is one of my all-time favorite sitcoms. It used to come on Nick at Night back in the 80s or way early 90s and I thought it was such a hoot. It starred New Yorker Joe E. Morris as Officer Gunther Toody and Fred Gwynne (The Munsters) as his partner Muldoon. 

Together, they patrolled the mean streets of New York taking down bad guys, helping old ladies cross the street and more often than not getting the two confused. 

One of my all-time favorite episodes is when the old couple move into a building under the guise of opening a legit business. But in reality, they are thieves who hope to access the vault of the jewelry store on the other side of the wall to their property. But thanks to the help of Toody, Muldoon and the rest of their precinct, the crooks end up going straight thanks to all the business that they're getting. The great end gag was that on the other side of the jewelers, another pair of crooks have 'opened shop' and you know that the process will start all over again.

In this issue, Toody and Muldoon are assigned to fill in for the local truant officer. Meanwhile, a baby-faced bank robber has arrived in New York looking for his next score. But the patrolmen of car 54 mistake the baddie as a kid and they end up chasing the lad back to school!

This book read so very much like an episode of that classic early 60s show. I laughed so many times. And the artwork was very, very good. Quite impressive for the time period when the work was done so fast (and without much research) that you often couldn't tell the difference between Lassie and Timmy. 

The ad on the back cover for a Car 54 board game and a pair of hand puppets was so cool. It was worth a couple of the extra dollars I spent on this book. 

I would have liked more Car 54. No. I am not being ungrateful for owning the one issue. There was a back-up story in this comic but it had nothing to do with the TV show. Instead, it's about this moppet name Marisa and all the mischief she gets her dad into after a recent snowfall. 

Car 54 had an amazing cast of characters. Al Lewis, who would go play Grandpa on The Munsters along with Fred Gwynne. Charlotte Rae who would become Mrs. Garrett on Diff'rent Strokes and The Facts of Life. Plus Nipsy Russell, Ossie Davis and Paul Reed. I had rather that 6 pages of Marisa be changed to a short about one or more of the impressive ensemble.

Man, this was a great read. Brought back a ton of memories. But above all, it provided some laughter and joy during a time in world history where there's very little job to be found.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Laurel and Hardy Meet The Three Stooges #1 (Family Comic Friday)

It's a crossover that only could have happened thanks to the magic of comic books. Join Family Comic Friday as we review the first ever meeting between Laurel and Hardy and the Three Stooges!

Laurel and Hardy Meet The Three Stooges #1

Written by James Kuhoric and S.A. Check
Art by Diego Tapie
Published by American Mythology
Retail: $3.99, variant covers are more slightly expensive

Laurel and Hardy- this duo were stars of stage and film from the 1920s until their last movie in 1950. They are a beloved pair of comedians who saw resurgence in fame in the 60s and 70s thanks to film festivals, appearances in comic books, even a cartoon show!

The Three Stooges- Larry, Moe and Curly. This trio got their start on the Vaudeville stage in the 1920s. Their slapstick hi-jinks made them movie stars from the 1930s-60s. With new members like Shemp and Curly Joe filling in for Curly, the Stooges took over comic books and TV with a long running kid shows that combined live action and animation.

In honor of looming the 100th anniversaries of The Three Stooges and Laurel and Hardy, American Mythology has done the unthinkable- paired the two iconic comedy teams together for the very first time! EVER! 

For fans of these zany characters, this is a dream come true! Writers James Kuhoric and S.A. Check along with artist Diego Tapie pit the two comedy teams together in the ultimate comedy comic! Laurel and Hardy had a series of films in which the two were bumbling furniture movers who ended up breaking everything they touched. A very heavy piano or safe was always a gigantic obstacle to move. The Three Stooges had a running gag in which they were house repairmen who would wind up destroying the house rather than fixing it! In this one-shot crossover, a couple make the ultimate mistake hiring all 5 goof balls to help them move into a run-down home!

I laughed so much at this book. The writing duo of Kuhoric and Check were  masters at crafting Laurel and Hardy's very deft dialogue. S.A. Check captured the Stooges in their cartoon forms perfectly and illustrated some hilarious sight gags. Laurel and Hardy and the Stooges were known for being the kings of physical comedy. You'd think that a comic book couldn't capture their fluidity and yet this book does! I was extremely pleased!

Laurel and Hardy Meet The Three Stooges is rated for all ages. I agree that this is an appropriate book for kids of any age level. But it may be mom and dad or the grandparents who enjoy this book the most. The Stooges have had a minor resurgence in the past decade or so with a 2012 reboot that included a comic book series and a live action film that starred Sean Hayes. As for Laurel and Hardy, they are a big unknown to youngsters. It doesn't mean that today's young readers won't enjoy this comic book. They just might need an adult to help make  some of these figures of early Hollywood relevant. 

I'm a big fan of American Mythology. They've been bringing back a ton of classic franchises from my youth and that of my parents. They did an awesome job with this team-up and I am eager to see what comes next! Could we possibly see the Marx Brothers getting into mischief with Larry, Moe and company? That would be epic if they did! And I'd be first in line for my copy of it!

The Thrilling Adventure Hour #1

I read this issue a couple of months ago. I could have sworn that I had reviewed it back then as well. Yes after an exhaustive search, I cannot find evidence of ever have given my opinion on this first issue from Boom! Studios. So forgive me if I repeat myself. But hey,  just in time for Halloween, right?

The Thrilling Adventure Hour is about a married couple of semi-professional mediums/ghost hunters. Frank and Sadie Doyle seem better suited as mixologists than ghost busters. In fact, they don't even seem to fit this more modern time period.

Most modern comic book readers are not familiar with The Thin Man series of comedy mystery films. The Thin Man movies focused on Nick and Nora Charles; a wealthy couple who were amateur sleuths. They had this rapid fire dialogue thing going on that was absolutely brilliant. Plus with their smarmy attitude towards everyone and everything, you weren't quite sure if Nick and Nora thought that the world was their own private little sandbox.

When it comes to the Doyles, I have a theory. In this issue, Frank and Sadie agree to help an interracial couple whose new new home is supposedly haunted. Now you might be thinking as to why must I point out that the couple of different races. It's 2018, I should be agreeable to this sort of thing in American society. Well, I am. But the Doyles don't seem to be. In fact when Frank and Sadie first meet their new clients, they are taken aback by the mixed race couple. Thus I think the Doyles are ghosts!

Think about it. They can see and communicate with spirits. They appear more suited for the 1930s. And the Doyles don't understand social norms. It's just a crazy idea, but I think there's a Sixth Sense twist going on here.

A darling opening chapter in which I am eager to read the rest of the story. A comic/horror triumph by the writing/illustrating team of Ben Acker and Ben Blacker!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Vinegar Teeth #3

Vinegar Teeth's origin is finally revealed! After having to kill one of the citizen's he has sworn to protect, Vinegar Teeth is greatly troubled and seeks out solace in the form of his old partner, Detective Buckle. And that is when things get weird...

Vinegar Teeth has been a fun slapstick buddy cop entry by Troy Nixey and Damon Gentry. I love Gentry's Paul Pope art-style. I'm almost sad to see this series go as this is the next to last issue. 

There's still plenty of mystery to be solved, such as why do we see Officer Buckle acting like a big gurgling blob in front of a court room at the beginning of each chapter. Issue #4 is going to be one not to miss!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Scooby-Doo & Batman: The Brave and the Bold

Way back in the 1970s, the detectives of Mystery Inc. teamed up with Batman and Robin: The Boy Wonder. Not once but twice, the combined teams would defeat Batman's most fiercest foes The Joker and The Penguin. 

Those team-ups became the thing of legend. It was such an important moment in my life that I paid ridiculous amounts of money for those episodes on VHS. It also influenced my purchasing of comic books as team-ups and crossovers are one of my favorite genres of comics to buy.

Unfortunately, except for a very brief cameo in the final episode of Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Scooby and the gang would not re-team with the Dark Knight until now!!!

Before I go into the review of this made-for-DVD movie, let's back up a second. I mentioned Batman: The Brave and the Bold a second ago. For those of you not familiar, this animated series ran on cartoon network from 2008-2011. It was based on the 70s comic book of the same name in which the Caped Crusader would team with some of the more popular as well as extremely obscure residents of the DC Universe. The show was a massive hit but it was cancelled because DC wanted to do a Batman cartoon that was more serious in tone. 

Needless to say, that experiment- Beware The Batman was a massive flop. 

Scooby-Coo & Batman: The Brave and the Bold brings back Diedrich Bader as the voice of Batman, along with most of the original voice talents from the late 2000s series. Voice-over legend Frank Welker once again provides the voices of Fred and Scooby; whereas live-action version of Shaggy, Matthew Lillard takes over the role made famous by Casey Kasem. 

The film involves Batman inducting the Mystery Inc. gang into the Gotham Society of Detectives. When Batman's lone unsolved case comes back to haunt him in the form of a ghost called The Crimson Cloak, Scooby and friends agree to help the superhero close the book on the mystery. However, it also results in the detectives getting framed for the theft of a rare isotope.

This movie was pretty funny. It was great to see Batman done as a Scooby cartoon (again!) and the Mystery Inc. crew playing superhero as in the Brave and the Bold episodes. There's tons of cameos from some of the best characters of the defunct Batman series as well appearances from just about every Batman villain ever created.

The Scooby-Doo franchise isn't in danger of evaporating if this crossover film is a bomb. But in terms of getting more Batman: The Brave and the Bold adventures, this movie is going to need all of it's fans to check this film out. I for one was thrilled when this movie was announced and I hope to see more B&B soon! Reboot! Reboot!

A thrilling mystery with a lot of twists, turns and laughs, Scooby-Doo & Batman: The Brave and the Bold is available on DVD and digitally now!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Vinegar Teeth #2

Things seem to be going from bad to worst for Artie Buckle. His squad car has been painted with a perp's entrails. His apartment has been destroyed by a rouge tuba player. His favorite hat is trashed and his partner, the inter-dimensional being, Vinegar Teeth, has been made the senior lead on all future cases.

There's only 2 issues of this miniseries left and I have absolutely zero idea where it's going. But it's a funny buddy cop comedy that isn't afraid to pull any punches. 

Dark Horse has literally struck gold with the duo of Damon Gentry and Troy Nixey!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

A Classic TV Christmas- Advent 2017 Day 23

Are you sick of the commercialization of Christmas?  Have you ever wanted to take off your shirt and just wrestle? Are you sick and tired of people and want a chance to tell them off? Do you wish that there was a special day just for you?

Then have I got the holiday episode you've been asking for!!!

It's December 23rd! That means it's Festivus- the holiday for the rest of us. 

To celebrate, we have to travel back to the Big Apple to learn of it's mystical, okay made-up, origins. From the hit television show Seinfeld, we first learn of Festivus from the December 18, 1997 episode titled The Strike. 

A lot of things happen in this episode. But it's the Festivus related stuff that has captured the attention of the nation. See, George's father hates Christmas. So, a long time back, he invented a holiday called Festivus. During this event, people must perform feats of strength (wrassle), air their grievances, and put up a bare aluminum pole (no trees here...)

When George makes up a phony charity so he can get out of giving holiday presents to his co-workers, his boss catches him in the lie. In order to not get fired, George has to take his boss to his parents house to witness the Festivus festivities. Friends Kramer, Elaine, and Jerry join along and it's complete insanity. 

Actually, I don't know which is crazier... this episode or the fact that it has caught on among fans and Christmas haters alike. A few years ago, the ice cream maker Ben & Jerry's created a Festivus flavor that was so freakin' amazing. I hope every year that it will return but alas, I think it was a one and done deal. And I keep telling my wife that one year I am gonig to put up a spotlight in front of the bare metal pole in our yard where out satellite dish once set and invite folks to air their grievances. 

Well, as my Advent gift to you, I present to you 2 gifts. First is the classic Seinfeld episode (sorry about the odd format) that debuted the concept of Festivus. Then a little primer on how to accurately celebrate the day. Who knows, maybe it'll score you an extra day off from work. 

Enjoy and until next time- Mer- uh HAPPY FESTIVUS!

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 61

 
   Today is the 40th anniversary of Jay Leno's first appearance on the Tonight Show. If you weren't familiar with the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, if a comedian came on the show, the goal was to get invited to sit on the couch next to Carson. It meant that you had potential. You had arrived. 
  
    For Jay Leno, it meant much, much more. The jokester would reappear on the show dozens of times to do stand-up. He'd eventually do fill-ins for Johnny when he'd go on vacation. In 1987, he became a regular substitute, hosting every Monday, as Carson wanted to take 3-day weekends.

    In 1992, Leno replaced Carson when he retired in 1991. It was a big deal because everyone thought that original Carson disciple, David Letterman would be next in line to take the throne. But Letterman was considered too much of a loose canon and the more straight-laced team player, Leno was chosen. 

The two claimants to the Tonight Throne, 1979.

    I remember watching the first episode of Leno's Tonight Show. I'd watch it a lot but mostly because I was a huge fan of the music of Branford Marsalis, the leader of Leno's house band. For the next 20-odd years, Leno would host, retire, and return to the show as leader. But, now he's permanent retired as head of the Tonight Show.

     Nowadays, I watch the Tonight Show regularly. But It's for Leno's replacement, Jimmy Fallon. He's more hip, more zany, and just much more personable. 

Promotional photo for Fallon's replacement of Leno
as Tonight Show host.

    Well, that's my look at my favorite year for today. But before I go, I thought I would share with you a video of the stand-up routine that won Johnny Carson's favor and turned Leno into a star.
Until tomorrow...  

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 56

  On this date, Johnny Carson was named Harvard's Hasty Pudding Man of the Year. 

Carson accepting his award for a
"lasting and impressive contribution to the world of entertainment."

   For those of you not old enough, Johnny Carson was an institution. He made people laugh night after night on the Tonight Show for over 30 years. 

    If you ever get a chance to see an old episode of Carson's Comedy Classics, you really should. He was quite brilliant. 

Johnny, behind his trademark desk.

   My favorite sketches of his were when he played Carnac the Magnificent; a bumbling physic who was also a little bit naughty. 

    I remember watching Carson's last show. It was about as big of a deal as when Walter Cronkite signed off from hosting the CBS News. (Yes, I saw that too!) I even think my mom cried that night. By the time he left the air in the mid-90s he had become a part of the family for millions of households. We don't see that type of reverence anymore...

    Before I leave you, here's a clip of Carson as Carnac. I hope you get as many laughs out of it as I.

   Until Tomorrow...