1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 47

    Now that I'm Type II, there's a lot of things I either eat in moderation or not at all. One of the things that I miss most (and makes me feel awful when I do) is cereal. So for today's look at my favorite year, I thought I'd try to whet my appetite by looking at the world of breakfast cereals...

  Of course, you can't start off a balance breakfast without Mikey from the Life Cereal Commercials. The Cinnamon variety is my all-time fav! The first airing of that classic commercial began in 1972 but through 1977 all the way until the mid-80s, the following ad ran regularly. 

  
   1977 saw the introduction of a handful of new cereals. Most are long gone to either the parent company going out of business or just being plain awful. The one cereal that debuted in my birth year that still thrives to this day is Cookie Crisp. Essentially, the cereal is made up of tiny chocolate chip cookies  Because hey, that what all kids want to for breakfast. Honestly, how is it okay to give your child a heaping bowl of tiny cookies but wrong to give them 3 Mrs. Field's and a glass of milk? It must be the added riboflavin.
   (There was a Vanilla Sugar Cookie variety too, that flopped pretty quickly.)

  Two cereals that have spawned legendary status but is no longer made were called Crazy Cow- Strawberry and Crazy Cow- Chocolate. The neat thing about these cereals is that they were so concentrated with flavored sugar that they turned your milk either chocolate or strawberry. Lots of cereals do the same thing now all thanks in part to this pioneering brand by General Mills. It's even been parodied on South Park, the Simpsons, and Friends- it's that iconic. Sadly, both were discontinued sometime after 1980.

Just add milk, the Type II will come later...

    Another forgotten cereal comes from Kellogg's. It's Frosted Rice Cereal. Featuring Tony Jr., it was a spin-off of Frosted Flakes cereal. I vaguely remember this brand in stores for a while. But since it was so similar to Rice Crispies it just couldn't compete. So in 1982, the cereal was renamed Frosted Crispies and those mischievous elves Snap, Crackle, Pop became it's new pitchmen.

Where did Tony Jr. go? Was he kidnapped and taken to the Bronx Zoo??
Why hasn't his face appeared on the side of milk cartons???

      Cereal is great for getting you regular. As long as it has no added sugar, premium toy giveaways or flavor inside the box. In fact, some are so awful, you'd probably have more enjoyment eating the box instead. One such cereal that hit store shelves in '77 was Cracklin' Bran. This stuff was touted as '"the sweetened high-fiber cereal with a nut-like taste." I've tried this stuff- they lied. Cracklin' Bran was repackaged as Cracklin' Oat Bran in the mid-80s when doctors touted oat bran as the cure all for high cholesterol (another lie!) and can still be found on store shelves nationwide. Though I have no idea why... 

     

Contents: 1 tasty box. 1 semi-edible waxpaper bag, and some disgusting bran cereal.

So that's a look at breakfast cereals of 1977. Man, all this talk of a nutritious breakfast has made me hungry. I wonder if I has some of my favorite breakfast food on hand some where- good ol' American cold pizza! Until tomorrow, past the milk!
       

Scooby-Doo Team-Up, Volume 1

   I gave up on trying to find the individual issues of this series. I'm a bargain hunter and I couldn't find anything cheaper than cover price. So I went to Amazon where with the price of shipping included, I only spent $4 on a used but very good copy of Scooby-Doo Team-Up Volume 1. 
    The first several issues of this volume are Batman heavy. But that's okay as you always go with your heaviest hitters when doing a team-up series. If this was a Marvel title, the Mystery Gang would be having adventures either with Spider-Man or Deadpool. Plus, the 2 iconic team-up episodes from the 70s Scooby-Doo show with the Dynamic Duo were the inspiration for this series in the first place.
     I know that you, my dear readers, are probably sick to death with my praising SCTU. But I really love this series. I look forward to a new adventure every month thanks to the deft pen of Sholly Fisch and the awesome art talents of Dario Brizuela. 
       This is such a great series and there are lots of very good condition used copies of this volume that you can get for literal pennies on the dollar on Amazon.

     Worth Consuming

     Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 46

   Even a Madman deserves a day off...

   Until tomorrow, enjoy this video of photos and the song 'Boss Man' from Elvis' February 15th, 1977 concert in Orlando, FL.

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 45

     It's February 14th! That means it's time for love, romance, and being with the one you love. Unless you're single and then you hate all that crap... I understand, I was in that boat myself for a very long time.

     Even if you don't like Valentine's Day, I thought it would be fun to look at the cards people were giving to one another in my favorite year. Enjoy...

Ziggy- It wasn't love or the 70s without this creation of cartoonist Tom Wilson. The bald little guy was everywhere and if you found yourself in a pinch having forgot to give your sweetie a card, Ziggy was in every drug store in America to help save the day.

Holly Hobby- Little girls loved Holly Hobby. She was like a poor girl's Barbie or her country cousin. Little House on the Prairie was big in the late 70s and Holly Hobby's Go West look cashed in on the Michael Landon hit show set in the 1880s.

Puppy Love- Animals were all the rage in the 70s. This little card was a pun as many Valentine's Day cards for children often are.

 Valentine's Fun- I don't recall every getting a Valentine's Day card like this from my mom or anyone else. But I do remember the activity card fondly. The best cards were one's where you could do fun and games and other stuff. But it was always best if the card had cold hard cash inside. This activity card allowed you to create paper dolls you could play with alone or share with friends.

McDonald's- The Home of Over a Billion (hamburgers) Served had the market on kids dining choices throughout the 70s and 80s. Though this card is from 1974, I remember these, as for several year's each Valentine's Day, you could get a set of cards from Mickey D's with purchase of a happy meal. (I seem to also remember these came with a coupon for a free ice cream sundae, but don't hold me to that.)

Reissues- For a very long time, companies would reissue the same Valentine's Day cards year after year. That's clearly not the case any more as it is faux pas to give your friends the same Pokemon Valentine two years in a row! The biggest offender was Disney. They had created numerous cards from around 1938 until the late 60s and reissue the same lot over and over and over. Here's an example of a 1960s created card for teacher that came in a 1977 Disney pack of cards:

DC Comics- Did you think I was going to pass over the super heroes? Come on now! This set of cards is highly sought after by collectors. The beautiful artwork of Dick Giordano and Jim Aparo is just stunning.
    With the first card- I'm not sure what's up with the weird and very random dots...

 I had to include this image as it features one of my all-time favorite superheroes- Supergirl. I'm not ashamed to admit it, I love Supergirl! I love the whole Superman family but I am huge fan of the Maid of Might. Poor Flash, however, stuck in the friends zone...

Oh Deer-  Now this card is interesting. I remember finding in when packing up things after my mom died. She had given this card to my dad sometime probably from 1976-78. It's another animal pun Valentine...

So that's my look at Valentines of 1977. I want to point out that yes, being a November baby and being told that I was several weeks late, I was more than likely conceived during some Valentine's shenanigans. So to commemorate that possibility, I have a little Valentine's Day card for you my dear readers. Yes, it's crude and a little irreverent but that's me to a T... Happy Cupid Day, Everyone!!!

The Secret Society of Super-Villains, Volume 1 (1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 44)

    
For today's A Madman Turns 40, I'm reviewing a collection of comics from my favorite year.

   The series in question is DC Comics' The Secret Society of Super-Villains. The series ran from 1976-78 and the volume I read contained a majority of it's issues published in 1977.

    So just what is the Secret Society of Super-Villains?

    A mysterious benefactor summons a group of villains to San Francisco in order to finally rid the world of the Justice League. Soon the bonds of teamwork begin to crumble as power struggles and egos arise as the group is directed to steal a myriad of mystical devices and items. Added to the mix is that one of the teammates is secretly a good guy- but who is the traitor?

Series Creator, Gerry Conway. 

    Then around about issue 5, the focus of the comic shifts dramatically. Writer, Gerry Conway suddenly left the title. Replacement writers added Jack Kirby creation Funky Flashman to the mix having him attempt trying to market the team to high bidders. But there is a major fly in his ointment. Earlier, the Secret Society manipulated a time-displaced mutant hero called Captain Atom. When the Society restructures, Atom vows to bring in the villains whom he once called friends to justice. While a host of awesome superheroes assist Captain Comet in his quest, none of them could ever save this series from an imminent demise.

     I knew from the get-go reading issue #1 that this series was doomed. When the SSOSV is first introduced, Catwoman is listed as a member. NOT ONCE DOES SHE MAKE AN APPEARANCE IN THIS BOOK!  Obviously, you can tell with flaws such as that, this series was rushed out. A special feature at the end of this volume shows writer and creator Gerry Conway's original vision for the series. But then-publisher Carmine Infantino had a different idea and ordered his revision expedited to print. 

Then DC Comics publisher, Carmine Infantino.

   A quick rush through publishing caused massive story problems and sloppy artwork. Along with continuity errors, this series also lacks vision. That's in very large part to the revolving door of writers and artists desperately attached to and dropped from the series. With so many different cooks placed in the DC Kitchen, there were so many different versions of this team changing ranks quicker that the Justice League during a recruitment drive. It's nearly impossible for the reader to form any sort of lasting bond with the characters. 

    Oddly enough, despite my displeasure with this series, I actually want to read volume 2 to see how things unfold. Yet, I doubt I'll ever get my hands on the complete story as it was spread out over several other unrelated series and the current editors of DC didn't think to include those stories in this volume! That made me so mad that I was almost willing to forgive the other oversights I found in throughout the editing of these late 70s stories. ALMOST...

     A few weeks ago, I discussed the great blizzard of New England. I mentioned how blizzards in both 77 and 78 caused massive production delays in publications such as comic books. This was one such series that suffered from the crippling snow storms. Rushed stories, a lack of being able to keep a definite creative staff attached to the project, mixed with oft delayed distribution lead to the Secret Society becoming a victim of 1978's DC Implosion. 

Cover to SSOSV Volume 2.

    Again, I doubt that if I get my hands on volume 2, I'll never get the full story. Issues #16 and 17 never saw mass print. But facsimiles of those issues are included in the second volume of SSOSV. However, the planned final issue that was supposed to wrap everything up (issue #18) never saw print in any form. 
   
     Man, was the winter of my favorite year brutal to DC Comics...

     Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.
    

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 42

Secretary Alexander's official government photo, 1977.

   
Today's date in A Madman Turns 40 history commemorates the historic appointment of Clifford Alexander Jr. On this day, Alexander was appointed as the first black Secretary of the United States Army. Nominated by newly elected Jimmy Carter, he served until January of 1981 when he was replaced by Reagan appointee, John Otho Marsh Jr. 

    Since this is Black History Month, I thought it was appropriate to highlight this moment in American military history. So just who is Clifford Alexander Jr.

Former Secretary Alexander, circa 2015.

    A former member of the New York National Guard, Clifford Alexander spent his term trying to revitalize the now 'all-volunteer' Army. The draft was halted in 1973, but recruitment efforts were at an all-time low in the late 70s due to the painful legacy of the Vietnam War. Alexander also lead President Carter's new mandate to encourage diversity by awarding minority owned businesses a fair share of government contracts.

     After Alexander's term as Secretary ended, he returned back to the private sector where he served in numerous functions as well as a member of the American Stock Exchange's board of governors; a position he still holds. In the 90s, Mr. Alexander spoke before Congress against President Clinton's 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy which barred openly gay Americans from serving in any military function. In 2011, Alexander and other opponents of the government's approach towards homosexuals in the military, celebrated in 2010 when President Obama signed an official appeal of DADT into law.

President Obama signing the
Don't Ask, Don't Tell repeal into law, 2010

     Well, that's all this Madman has time for today. Check in again tomorrow- who knows where I'll go next in 1977 history...