Tuesday, July 30, 2013

"Godzilla appears courtesy of AA Wonderland Records"

Record albums sometimes list credits that can leave you scratching your head. Take the one in this entry's title. It is an acknowledgment printed in the Blue Oyster Cult LPs Spectres (1977) and Some Enchanted Evening (1978) and dutifully reproduced ever since. Both of those albums, as you might have guessed, feature the BOC signature tune "Godzilla".

Notice it says nothing about Toho there? My understanding is that Toho and BOC have some sort of deal (possibly brokered by Henry Saperstein back in the day?), but I don't know any specifics at all. However, it's interesting that BOC continues to perform "Godzilla" to this day, and Toho is never listed in the legal niceties.

Back to the credit for "AA Wonderland Records." Why? Well, this is why.


(via Wikizilla)

This gives a capsule history of Wonderland Records, and the reason for the designation "AA Wonderland Records" in the liner notes. Wonderland had a deal to put out a children's record with Godzilla (in 1977, no less, with Marvel's Godzilla #1 cover) and I would guess CBS/Columbia paid them a fee for usage to smooth over possible legal difficulties. Or maybe there were legal difficulties, and the fee came about as a result. I don't know - I've never read anything about it as far as I can remember.

I do like the wording of the credit, which makes it sound as if Godzilla is a guest artist on the records. And hey, who's to say he isn't?!?

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Why We Can't Have Nice Things

On July 26th, 2013, a movie titled THE TO DO LIST opened. It stars Aubrey Plaza, and I happen to be a fan of her. I decided I wanted to check this movie out, especially since I have an easy window to do so on Sunday.

Well, the joke is on me, because THE TO DO LIST isn't playing locally. There are twenty-four screens in this town, but not one of them can be spared for even a single showing of the movie I want to see. Oh, but there's plenty of room for both regular and 3-D showings of many of the SAME films. Did I mention that I hate 3-D?

The closest theater exhibiting THE TO DO LIST is in Baton Rouge, as near as I can tell. I'm sorry, but I'm not driving two hours to see any movie unless it's a special, change-my-life experience. So I guess I will miss out on THE TO DO LIST until it comes out on disc, even though I was willing and able to see it in a theater. GOOD JOB!

The official site for the movie is here.

Monday, July 22, 2013

Blue Oyster Cult - Take Me Away



I've got nuthin' but BOC on my mind now that I (finally!) got my box set. So tonight, you get this music video. Because really, you always did wonder what would happen if you combined Blue Oyster Cult with Aldo Nova.

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Muscle Woman by Nickyflamingo


So Nicky Flamingo is officially a sweetheart (as if you didn't know!) by springing this early birthday gift art on me! It's that lovely powerhouse Muscle Woman in her true identity as Beth Gordon. Is she great? Don't you want to go leave a comment on Nicky's page for this piece? Of course she is and of course you do!

Thank you Nicky! ALL THE HUGS!

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Found Treasures: Bat Clips


Sometimes, I buy things just so I can write about them.

I was at Walgreen's one day, trying to decide if I wanted another bag of those Thai BBQ corn chips. I decided to go look at their DVDs, because that's how I roll. There was ONE copy of this DVD and I knew as soon as I saw it that one dollar was not too much for this. The blog entry alone would be worth a dollar.

Yes, this DVD is actually called BAT CLIPS. And don't you love how the blurb at the bottom is a question. Is it really an inside look at a superhero phenomenon? No, it's actually a multi-gen bootleg tape transferred to DVD.

No, really. It opens with the Batgirl test pilot, then has the ERA psa from the 1970s. There are trailers for the 1966 Batman movie. There are home movies of an Adam West con appearance and behind the scenes at whatever TV show arranged a "reunion" of much of the surviving cast in the 1980s. It's much of the same stuff I saw on bootleg tape waaaaaay back in the early 1990s.

Unreal. I knew some of these discount companies dealt in weird stuff that was grey area or outright illegal, but...man, this is mind-bending. I'm told this might be derived from a videotape marketed by Simitar at one time. Wouldn't surprise me. I also like the cover, using as it does the stock art DC provided back in the 1970s.

To sum it up, here's the summary from the back of the cardboard sleeve.

Batman has been on top of the Superhero world for 50 years. Movies, TV Shows, Comic Books, Fan Conventions, and much more! Batclips shows you rare footage of commercials, outtakes, promotional reels, posters, public appearances, and more Batmania than has ever been assembled in on DVD before. Batclips is a must for Batman fans of all ages.

RUNTIME APPROX : 60 MIN.


If we're counting all the errors in that copy, I'm pretty sure the DVD isn't even 60 minutes.

Monday, July 15, 2013

Jetman Micro Heroes

Aaaaaand we're back (finally) with that promised "Return of Jetman" update.

We all love micro heroes, amirite? Today we've got some courtesy of Stephen Shuey. Be sure to click on that pic to see the full-size version!

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Been This Way, Ten Years To The Day

This didn't seem that important at the time. It was just me signing up for an account on a site so I could comment on things that my pal Lewis Smith was posting. Little did I realize how that decision would alter my life and how I approached both the Internet and my own work.

It was ten years ago today that I began blogging. Well, that's mostly true. I had previously made a halfhearted effort to write a "weekly column" on my old GeoCities site, but it was hand coded and died after only two weeks as a result. I don't think that quite counts. But a full decade ago, I sat down in front of my computer and posted the first entry on my LiveJournal. That really was, as I termed it, the beginning of "the end."

Most of my entries on the old LJ are hidden now, which is something I'll discuss in more detail another day. And it took me awhile to actually start posting regularly even after I started my own blog. In fact, it wasn't until the waning days of 2003 that it became an everyday thing. By this date in 2004, there was pretty much no turning back for me.

I guess there's a lot I could write here, but the simplest thing is - Thank You. I never expected anyone to care that much about what I had to say. The fact that people have cared over these last 10 years still amazes me. The fact that I can have an idea, sit down and write it, and get immediate feedback, all within a matter of hours, absolutely floors me. My fanzine was a lot of fun in its day, but it also felt like shouting into a void a lot of the time. Now, every entry I post gets seen by more eyes than an entire issue of a 'zine I'd spend months putting together.

Blogging has also led me to make many new friends - friends I might have otherwise never met. I won't even try to name them all. I've lost touch with some over the years, but that doesn't make me any less grateful for them. All of them touched me in some fashion, and shaped who I am today. Again, thank you.

I'm not feeling especially clever or philosophical at this moment, so I'll leave it more or less at that. It's been a fun ride, these last ten years, full of ups and downs. There have been all sorts of blogs along the way. I'm glad I do this, and I'm glad you decided it was worth your time to read it.

Friday, July 12, 2013

Two Tumblrs, No Waiting


I don't think I ever uploaded this promotional graphic here after I made it in October, so here it is as I promote these two side projects of mine. Details? Oh sure!


Pictures of Naomi Morinaga is an image blog dedicated to the Japanese actress and stuntwoman best known for appearing as “Annie" in the SF superhero TV series Space Sheriff Shaider. However, Morinaga’s career was far more than just Annie, and this blog attempts to cover the full range of her résumé. It even ventures into her forays in nude modeling, and thus is NSFW (though tastefully so).

This blog is one that I would recommend to people interested in Japanese superheroes of any type, super heroines of any nationality, and/or fans of beautiful women.


Continued Next Week! is an image blog run by yours truly dedicated to movie serials. There is a slightly greater emphasis placed on science-fiction and superheroes, as that is the primary direction of my interests. However, I have tried to spotlight all kinds of serials - including silents and non-U.S. chapter plays. I also focus on those performers who appeared in the cliffhangers of yore.

I would recommend this blog to anyone interested in the above subjects or to anyone who would like to see posts on vintage film. Heck, just the aesthetics of these photos might be worth a glance!

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

The Donald Simpson Blog Coalition

As I continue to struggle with content for both this blog and elsewhere, I am gifted with an amazing turn of events. Understand, I would have written about this anyway. In fact, this entry is just as much a reminder to myself to take the time to read all of these closely.

I've written about Don Simpson previously here and here. Now, Don has returned to the world of blogging with a vengeance. He has not just a new blog (reviving his old one from a few years ago), but FIVE (!) new blogs exploring his rich and varied roster of creations.

"The Donald Simpson Blog Coalition" is as follows:

This is going to be good!

Friday, July 5, 2013

Return of Jetman - Not Dead Yet

Honest.

I just posted this over there. I've let this one get away from me, especially since it's so close to being finished and I have to put more than a little work into what I'm doing. But I will finish those story notes before the end of the year! I WILL!

Interestingly, the domain name comes up for renewal next year. I am not sure if I will re-up, or simply switch it over entirely to Blogger. It will mean a lot of tinkering with links, but it will also mean never having to pay for ROJ again. So I don't know. We'll see.

Thursday, July 4, 2013

America



On the day we celebrate the founding of the United States, I thought it fitting to post this song from Waylon Jennings. Written by Sammy Johns (who I just learned passed away earlier this year), it's not just about waving the flag, but what that means.

Happy Independence Day.

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Ink From The Octopus

I don't usually promote individual Tumblrs here, leaving you to find them for yourself if you mosey over to my account. Tonight, I am making an exception for Ink From The Octopus, a rather extraordinary blog I discovered last week. I told the young lady who maintains it I found it "legitimately fascinating" in a message posted over there, and I stand by this assessment. It's very unique, and includes a lot of things you probably wouldn't expect to see on Tumblr. I mean this in the best possible way.

Please be advised that "Ink From The Octopus" can be NSFW - I mean, c'mon, it's Tumblr. I urge you not to let this dissuade you from checking it out. I promise, it's different, and it's worth your time. After looking it over, I couldn't get it out of my head. I had to follow it. Maybe you'll agree.

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Xenorama #15


Oh hello, what's this? Why yes indeed, David McRobie's XENORAMA #15 is ready for ordering! And just peep out that list of contents! I'm sure you are already sufficiently intrigued to order it, but yeah...I'm in there, too! What am I covering? Oh, comic books, sentai, music...the usual!

Ordering can be done from David's blog page, but if clicking too many links is hard work, I've also included one here. Who loves ya, baby? OWARI does, that's who.

(If you're wondering why I tagged the always-wonderful Kabuki in this entry, this entry should supply the answer.)

Monday, July 1, 2013

"The Black Superman" Jim Kelly

(Photo via August Ragone)

As someone who loves martial arts movies, it was a given that I have known about Jim Kelly for years. No, not the former NFL quarterback; this Jim Kelly was famous first. Jim Kelly was "Williams" in ENTER THE DRAGON, and almost - almost - steals the movie from Bruce Lee. He parlayed that role into a string of starring vehicles like BLACK BELT JONES and TATTOO CONNECTION. They're weren't always very good, but Jim Kelly's star always shone in them. He was something special - able to talk the talk and walk the walk.

Jim Kelly died on Saturday at the too-young age of 67, reportedly from cancer. Not even the "Black Superman of the Martial Arts" could cheat death forever. I will always smile when I think of him smarting off to the bad guys before kicking some ass. Thanks for the memories, Mr. Kelly. May you rest in peace.