Hello

When Gods Get It On

Uranus and Gaea making bedroom eyes at each other. From D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths. This is a highly-recommended (and highly-influential!) book on the subject.

Yvonne Craig

I have not written many of these in the last couple of years, even though a number of notable and influential people in my fannish development have passed away. I dunno, it just seemed enough to post on Facebook and Twitter. Yvonne Craig is the exception that brought me back to write a remembrance.

Yvonne Craig passed away Monday at the age of 78. I am pretty sure I first saw her on BATMAN, and to me, she will always be "the" Batgirl. From what I've read, she was a wonderful person in real life as well. That's always good to hear about someone who brought you so much joy from afar.

RIP Yvonne Craig. You were one of a kind and I'll always treasure memories watching you fight crime as the titian-haired Batgirl.

OWARI, Elsewhere: The Blogs

I've been fiddling with the blog sidebar again, and I think I have it the way I want it (for now). As I audited my links, it occurred to me that I have a number of sites in the old repertoire that I don't link anymore. Many of them are defunct but still online. In this series, I'll give you links to other places you could once find me on the internet.

Part I: The Blogs

Still Active

* Continued Next Week! (2012-    )

Retired

* Captain Satellite's Fun Fun Central (2003-2010)
* Earth B (2006)
* Not Christopher Elam's OWARI (2012)¹
* Pictures of Naomi Morinaga (2012-2014)²

Deleted

* OWARI Tumblr Annex (christopherelam.tumblr.com) was my original personal Tumblr founded in January 2012, but it fell early victim to my issues with that site. It was finally deleted later that year. I re-registered the url as a placeholder but deleted it for good a couple of months ago.

* At various points, I have had blogs on the following services before deleting them: Journalfen, Myspace, GreatestJournal (site closed), Yahoo 360 (site closed), and possibly others. Additionally, I had an RP account on GreatestJournal, an alternate parody account on LiveJournal and a couple of "secret" blogs on LJ. All of that is scattered to the four winds now. Except for El Beardo.

* There was at one time a "returnofjetman" community on LiveJournal, too. I am fuzzy on both when it was founded (2004?) and when it was deleted (no idea anymore).

Other

* Begun in 2009 and then largely forgotten, there is a syndicated LiveJournal feed for this blog. It is still dutifully picking up posts even though I don't think anyone follows it except my old account.




Endnotes

¹(Placeholder blog to prevent spammers from claiming the celamowari.blogspot.com url again.)

²An earlier version of this blog existed at the same url from 2011-2012 but was deleted.

There Are Infinite Universes

http://inkskinned.tumblr.com/post/101110163058/there-are-infinite-universes-you-tell-me

My favorite poem from the lovely and talented inkskinned. Thank you for your words, r.i.d., because they mean a lot to me.

Easter Island ca. 1880

(via Wikimedia Commons)

Captain Satellite and the Island of Broken Links

I wrote about Bob March, the ORIGINAL "Captain Satellite" as a TV host, back in 2012. This great picture of March was recently shared by KTVU Channel 2's Facebook page. I thought it might be of interest to those of you out there searching for more info on him. I know you're out there, because I see your searches.

You might notice that two of the three external links in that entry no longer work properly. Such is the way of the internet. I discovered this while updating the Captain Satellite FAQ not long ago. I have replaced those links with the following:

'Captain Satellite' was a TV space pioneer / Bob March's show gave children insider's view of NASA missions

Mike Humbert's Idiosyncratic Guide to San Francisco: Captain Satellite

This reminds me that I have been whittling away entries on my primary Tumblr again, and once more, there are probably more dead links on this blog. I don't expect it's a huge deal to anyone, but I thought I should acknowledge it. Nothing has been permanently discarded, but as the Captain Satellite blog gets going a bit more, there is less need for a lot of older, redundant posts. If you absolutely can't find something, let me know and I'll try to point you in the right direction.

King Kong vs. Frankenstein - Concept Art 2

Back with more "King Kong vs. Frankenstein" concept art. Here we have Willis O'Brien's idea of a scene from the battle of the two monsters.

King Kong vs. Frankenstein - Concept Art

I get a fair amount of views to this day for people searching for KING KONG VS. FRANKENSTEIN. Since I recently posted these on Facebook, I thought I'd share them here as well. These are concept pieces by Willis O'Brien for King Kong and the Frankenstein monster (aka "the Ginko") created for that ill-fated project.

IT'S ALIVE THIS CHRISTMAS!

HAVE A COOL YULE FROM YOUR HOLIDAY GHOUL!

"Not sold in NYC"

I scanned this for Kirk Demarais on Twitter a couple of weeks ago, and it seemed like the sort of thing that needed to go here, too. It's an ad from the June 1974 issue of the men's magazine BACHELOR that demonstrates that Honor House Products also sold guns through the mail. Pellet guns maybe, but still, yeah. And do note the disclaimer that gives this entry its title.

For the record, I was reading this magazine for the, uh, articles.

Random Access Memory

There are days like today when you are doing your best to live in the moment when suddenly...


It's 1982. I'm in the town of Eunice for some reason, and we stop at a drug store. There I find a copy of Justice League of America #207. I feel like I've uncovered pirate's treasure, since I had earlier that year purchased All-Star Squadron #14. The Justice League book is Part 1 of a 5 part story, and the All Star book is Part 2. I resolve that I will need to return to this drug store in the future if such finds are to be made there. I never do. It's probably a bit late to think about making the trip.

It's 2012. I've been chosen for jury duty the week of my 40th birthday. This feels like I've been sentenced to hard time for the crime of having my name randomly selected. I sit in a jury room arguing with total strangers on that birthday, ruminating silently that this may turn out to be the worst in my litany of disappointing birthdays. Only time will tell if that's true.

Now it's 1991. A different birthday. For some reason, ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT runs a feature on GODZILLA VS. KING GHIDORAH on their program. This despite the fact that the film will never play theatrically in the United States, and will only receive a video release years later. I am uncommonly excited by this, and even tape the show when it airs on a different station that night. I watch the show so much over the years that I can still tell you the forgotten Emilio Estevez/Mick Jagger co-starring effort also previewed therein (it's FREEJACK).

I don't even remember the year. I know I'm on a payphone when I call her. I don't even recall why, but I could hear her smile over the lines as we talked. Neither of us know that in the not-too-distant future, she will grow to hate me. For that moment, at least, we are just happy to hear the other's voice.

It's 2007, and I am hopelessly lost in Houston. A friendly older gentleman in a cowboy hat is getting coffee, and I ask him for directions. He sets me on the right track, and I make it to the airport with plenty of time to spare. It turns out to be one of the greatest days of my life. None of the heartaches in the ensuing years will ever change that fact, or that weekend.

Back to 1986. It's a crazy hot summer day. I am sitting in the parking lot of Bookworm's Apple with my copy of Crisis on Infinite Earths #12, the conclusion of DC Comics' giant maxi-series. I am ready for it to be finished, for a lot of different reasons. I have no way of knowing that it is the beginning of my long, strange trip to disillusionment with comics. I further have no way of knowing that in a few years, Bookworm's Apple will be gone forever.

It's 1994. I am walking across the bridge on my college campus. I am talking to the girl I've silently had a crush on for the last two years. Every part of me is screaming to tell her, at least to have the peace of mind that I got it off my chest. I don't. I let her walk away, all the while thinking that I will never see her again. I never have.

This is 1996. This is the day I found out I would lose my job when a secretary asked me when I was returning my contract and I had to tell her I hadn't received one. I'm not sure how I held that humiliation in without breaking down right there, but I did. Later, I excused myself to the restroom and cried. I don't think I've ever gotten over the betrayal I felt right then.

Forward to 1998. I am trudging through the mud for a job interview in a temporary trailer. I am desperate and at the end of my rope. I could never guess I would be spending the better part of the next 16 years in the half-finished building occupying the same lot.


...And with that, I am back to today, feeling a lot like I did on that day in 1998. It's more of a quiet desperation still, but it's lurking there. I wonder sometimes if the past is really as happy as we make it seem in our memories, or if we just long for the innocence and not knowing unhappy truths and the way things turn out.

My memory is random. I cannot retain most of what happened yesterday, but something from junior high is as vivid as if it did happen yesterday. Sometimes it's as obviously important as high school graduation, and sometimes it's something seemingly trivial like helping someone air up their tire. I have long ago stopped trying to figure out how my brain operates. I am who I am.

I don't seek answers from these slivers of memory, because I am not sure they even contain any. I try not live inside of them, although the temptation is great at times. I tend to think of them as markers signifying where I have been and how far I have traveled. And the thing about any trip is, you can't spend too much time looking at where you've been or you'll never get where you're going.

Things My Dad Would Never Believe About Me, Part 27

My dad loved him some Westerns. Me? Eh. I enjoy the iconography of cowboys (especially in strange contexts, like sci-fi settings or Japan), but the Western genre isn't one that has ever appealed to me. There's nothing wrong with it, but it's just not my thing.

In recent months, I've been delving into quotes on Facebook and Twitter, for reasons that may eventually become clear enough. Some of them really hit home for me personally. One in particular got my attention so much that I made a cover photo for it to put on my Facebook. I identify very strongly with this sentiment, and have actually experienced it. I may even be experiencing it right now.

The irony is that this quote is from Louis L'Amour, best known as an author of Westerns. Somewhere, Dad is laughing his ass off at me.

Happy Birthday Bridgette Monet (aka Dana Cannon)!

Today is a special day, though you are forgiven for not realizing it. June 28th is the birthday of former adult film star and one-time PLAYBOY model Bridgette Monet, aka Dana Cannon! And for the record, neither of those are her real name.

Bridgette Monet made a big impact on me when I saw her in the pages of PLAYBOY back in 1984. She was so wholesome and obviously intelligent (the pictorial promoted her as a "college girl" after all), and yet she made sex films. It was eye-opening to me, especially coupled with the accompanying article. It was one of several that de-mystified the porn business for me at a very early age. Bridgette made no apologies about what she did, but she also made it clear it was on HER terms.

I have a lot of respect and admiration for Bridgette. She was really ahead of her time in a lot of ways. She disappeared from the scene in the mid-80s and has returned to a life away from the spotlight of her former career. I am reasonably certain the woman who was once "Bridgette Monet" is happy with the life she has built since those days, and I wish her all the best in it. Maybe I could say more, but that's for the lady to share if she ever decides to go public with some of her details.

It's Bridgette Monet's 55th birthday, and considering how people view her former field, you have to call that a success right there. But Bridgette hasn't just survived - she's thrived. Happy Birthday, Bridgette!

Sorry Lexi

The other night, Lexi and I were discussing the fact that she finds dolls frightening. I offered that ventriloquist dummies are way worse. I can say this because I own one. In searching for pictures of good ol' Charlie McCarthy, I discovered this terrifying image.

Yes, that is Charlie McCarthy in bed with Mae West. Gives a whole new meaning to "morning wood," eh?

Image sourced from Spectacular Attractions, where you can learn the full traumatic details of this meeting of the titans.

William Shatner Album Cover Art

If you remember this, you will be delighted to know I am featuring a nice, large copy of the album jacket to send you into the weekend. You're welcome!

...You did want it, right?

Legends of Mid-South Wrestling

I grew up watching Mid-South Wrestling. I don't remember when that started - I want to say I was maybe 8 or 9 years old. All I know is what is now widely-regarded as one of the best regional wrestling territories captured my imagination as a child.

I guess you could say that's not surprising. As deeply in love with comic books and superheroes as I was, Mid-South Wrestling offered the same sort of colorful characters and compelling action in a "real" setting. I'm not sure when I decided/figured out the action was staged (not fake), but it didn't really affect my enjoyment.

If anyone asks, I will freely admit that the Junkyard Dog was my boyhood hero. That might be hard to grasp for people who didn't see him in Mid-South, but trust me, that guy was electric when he was right. JYD isn't the only one who made fond memories back in those days - my mind's eye can still conjure up visions of Mr. Olympia, Butch Reed, Ted DiBiase, Hacksaw Duggan, Jake "The Snake" Roberts and a cavalcade of others.

WWE recently acquired the Mid-South Wrestling/UWF tape library, and issued LEGENDS OF MID-SOUTH WRESTLING on DVD and Blu-Ray. I happily purchased it, even though my interest in grappling has waned over the years. As I sat and watched it, and re-experienced the old days, I could remember what it was like to be a kid in the early 1980s when all of this was very important to me.

Below is a trailer for this release on the WWE's UK division Youtube channel.

Friday Night

This cat understands me.

The Rialto Report: A Recommendation

I wrote about The Rialto Report back in October, but having followed the site since that time, I wanted to pen a more general recommendation. Why? Because it's an outstanding piece of film history in the making.

The Rialto Report chronicles stories that probably would not otherwise be told. Generally, film scholarship focuses on the most popular or the most artistic. The Rialto Report goes against that grain by focusing on adult films and their corresponding subculture. However, it's all done with a seriousness and scholarship that puts to shame lesser sites that focus on "real" movies.

I have often told this story, but I am more interested in the people who work in adult films than the actual films. I'm fascinated by that sort of life, which from the outside seems impossibly glamorous and hedonistic. In some respects, it can be, but the reality is that so-called "porn stars" are a lot closer to just regular folks doing a job than famous superstars. That doesn't mean they can't be glamorous people or serious actors (I know, this might surprise you, but it's actually true); it's simply that they are not rich and famous in the way we'd imagine.

The Rialto Report shines in telling their stories, the men and women both in front of and behind the cameras. Some are sad tales indeed, and there are those who have chosen to focus entirely on this and paint a dire and grim picture. Yet there are also plenty of stories on the Rialto Report filled with hope and optimism and love. I'm not sure how anyone could listen to the interview with Richard Pacheco/Howie Gordon and not come away absolutely enthralled.

It's life. There's happiness and sadness, triumph and tragedy. It's the human experience, not exclusive to pornography.

The Rialto Report takes its subjects seriously, but also is a lot of fun. In dragging explicit movies from "The Golden Age of Porn" out of the ghetto and into the limelight, Ashley West, April Hall and company are enriching all of us. Take some time, give them a listen, and explore the site. Don't be surprised if you find yourself hooked.

Your New Favorite Sports Mascot

This is an old logo for the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons, the forerunner of the Detroit Pistons. Who was the mad genius responsible for this character?