NEW PODCAST WITH GUEST HOST

This is a trial run for a new format for the Desdinova Super Villain of the Ozarks podcast. I've turned the hosting duties over to some friends, Jeff & Jamie. They ad libbed a stream of consciousness podcast at the last minute. They will be working out the bugs for next time. Right now give a quick listen (less than 20 minutes) as they discuss cartoonist Syd Hoff, fast food restaurants Mr. Swiss and Del Rancho, the Ripley's Believe It or Not TV shows, the Playskool McDonalds playset, Andy Warhol illustrations in a children's book and a mention of the resent blog post about Laredo. Enjoy!

WHY THE VELVETEEN RABBIT SCARED ME AS A CHILD?

I realize I have poked fun of some of the nonsense on the Internet where people talk about fears of clowns, department store Santa Clauses and department store Easter Bunnies. Now, I am going to confess to having been frightened by something that is frequently referred to a "beloved children's favorite." It is the children's book, The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams and first published in 1922.

I never read the book or had it read to me, but I saw an animated TV version. I tried to look for the one I watched on YouTube and couldn't find it. I had a hard time looking up information on this story or looking for the video because I get shaky and nauseated just think about the story (Go ahead, you jerks, and call me "snowflake").

So what scared me about this story that it STILL bothers me in my 40s?  Near the end of story, the little boy contracts a serious illness and a doctor tells the parents that they have to burn his toys because they are contaminated.

This probably wouldn't frighten any other kid, but since I was two years old, I have had multiple illnesses. I nearly spent several months of my early childhood in a oxygen tent at the hospital in Lebanon, Missouri, because of severe asthma. I was never able to really play outside like other kids, because what triggered my asthma was pollen and other allergens, which include trees and grass. I was confined to the indoors, so toys, books and records were my only source of fun. Imagine the terror if that was taken away and burned.

Maybe this didn't frighten other kids, because they didn't have illness in there lives or they had different circumstances in their lives. As for me, it created an anxiety that still won't go away.

At least I didn't say I'm afraid of clowns.

   

‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ author R.A. Montgomery dies

‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ author R.A. Montgomery dies | Books | Entertainment

THE BOOK THAT MADE ME WHAT I AM TODAY

I've been working on a post on movie adaptation of female comic strip characters (Blonde, Little Orphan Annie, Brenda Star, Friday Foster, Wonder Woman, etc). I recently discovered a film based on Valentina, an erotic, psychedelic Italian comic strip illustrated by Guido Crepax (which I plan to mention in my post). I remember seeing sample of Valentina in a book my parents bought me when I was nine years old entitled The World Encyclopedia of Comics by Maurice Horn (I notice in this photo that the biography of Guido Crepax is on the front of the dust jacket, to the left of Yellow Kid).

I tried to look for some updated information of Maurice Horn, but found little on the Internet. I have a video with an interview with him on it and he speaks in French, however, the bio of him in the book indicates he is an American. He was very well-known as an expert on comic art. Milton Canniff even drew Maurice Horn into a Steve Canyon strip. 

The more I thought about this book, the more I realized how much of an influence this book had on my life. It really triggered not only my creative instincts but my need for more knowledge and the realization that somewhere in the world there were people taking the things I was interested in seriously. It also pointed that there were movies and TVs about these comic strip characters, so that made me interested in film and media history. There was a timeline in the front which sparked my interest in modern history. The foreign entries sparked my interest in other countries. This book told me that the was life beyond Laclede County and Lebanon, Missouri. For that I am ever thankful.

   

Junie B. Jones Author Barbara Park Dead

Author Barbara Park Obit from New York Times

DOCTOR GRAVES MAGIC BOOK

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I'm not sure how old I was when I got this book through a book club at school. Dr. Graves was the narrator of a horror comic anthology entitled The Many Ghost of Dr. Graves. It was published by Charlton Comics from 1967 - 1982. Many great comic book artist worked on this book over the years including Steve Ditko, Jim Aparo, John Byrne and Pat Boyette. Looking at the artwork, I'm guessing this is Jim Aparo's work. The text and magic tricks are by D.J. Arneson.

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When I was younger, I wanted to be a magician, which explains why I ordered this book. Each story revolves around a story and magic trick to go with it. I decided to post one involving Halloween.

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‘Encyclopedia Brown’ author Donald J. Sobol dies at 87

‘Encyclopedia Brown’ author Donald J. Sobol dies at 87

You might say Encyclopedia Brown was my generation's Harry Potter.

Rocket man: Remembering science-fiction author Ray Bradbury

Rocket man: Remembering science-fiction author Ray Bradbury

I have many favorite Ray Bradbury stories, but my favorite thing Bradbury did was this 60s Sunsweet Prune commercial with Stan Freburg.

'Where the Wild Things Are' author Maurice Sendak dies

'Where the Wild Things Are' author Maurice Sendak dies | recordonline.com

PEANUTS GREAT PUMPKIN CAROLS

My sister, Villanova, gave me this when I was in Kindergarten. I loved the It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown TV special when I was small. I thought this card was wonderful. I'm sure there will be some nitwit here in Springfield and the Ozarks that will be offended by this because this is a take-off on Christmas carols, but I don't care.I prefer Halloween to Christmas.

I STILL DON'T LIKE THE WALTONS

I've tried to stay away from the anything on this new blog that could cause me to receive the hate and bile slung at me by Ozarkers on my previous blog. However, this post will do it.

Since I was a child, there has been one TV show that I have passionately disliked. It is the Waltons. Recently this show has reared its ugly head again on the Hallmark Channel (Does the Hallmark Channel have ANY GOOD SHOWS ON?) . I recently caught both my sister and nephew watching the reruns of The Waltons one afternoon. The bad part they were enjoying them! I suffered through them, but realized that even now, at age 41, I cannot stomach this show. UGH!

Here are some of the factors that make the Waltons more enjoyable for me:

1. The female cast members are not sexy. They also don't dress sexy. 
2. The dialog is rather dry. No double entendres, sexual induiondo or even snappy comebacks. It is just lame.
3. I hate people in overalls. Nuff said!
4. There was no cool vehicle. No Batmobile, Black Beauty, General Lee, KITT, UNCLE car, TARDIS or Woody(from the Mod Squad). All the Waltons had was that old truck.
5. Would it have killed them to have had a funny or killer robot in the show? How about a gay character? Or better yet a gay robot? How about "very special episode" where a killer robot ripped off Jim Bob's arm?
6. This show was in desperate need of a guest appearance by Morgan Fairchild.
7. The music on the show is dull. At the sake of being anachonistic, they could have put in some heavy metal, prog rock or funk in the background.
8. The thing that really bothers me is how everyone on Waltons Mountain seems to think it is so great that John Boy likes to write. I have been writing stories since I was eight years old and nobody in Lebanon, MO every gave me any encouragement.

Part of my problem with this TV show from the 70s (and Little House on the Prairie) is that adults always threw it up to me that this was  "better" than the TV shows I liked. It wasn't just Ozarkers saying silly stuff like this. President George H. W Bush said The Waltons was better than The Simpsons. What did he know! The Simpsons have lasted longer than The Waltons. Nya-nya-nya-nya-nya!
This same thing goes on today with some of the stupider people here in the Ozarks. They get mad at me when I say I prefer MTV to Fox News or would rather spend an evening with Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian than Sarah Palin and Sarah Steelman.
The funny thing is The Waltons creator, Earl Hamner Jr., wrote several episodes of one of my favorite shows, the Twilight Zone.
Best way to end this is with Mad Magazines obituary for John Boy. It would have made a fitting end to The Waltons, unfortunatly they didn't use it in the final episode.

Of course, opinions, like this one, is why I'm considered the Super Villain of the Ozarks!!! Mwu-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

HOLY HOT ROD, BATMAN!!! BATMOBILE SPOTTED IN LEBANON SATURDAY!

I finally had a childhood dream of mine come true. I saw the Batmobile from the Batman TV series up close. Some of you may remember that my love of the Batman TV show upset some little dork, who preferred the Dark Knight, on the other blog,

VINTAGE CHILDREN'S BOOKS

I found these children's books in an antique store, here in Springfield, Mike's Unique. I bought them for my nephew's one year old son. He loves books with colorful pages and I like retro cartoon-related merchandise. The book based on Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's Fireball XL5 is part of the Little Golden Book series. Random House reprints many of the titles. Here is their website (and you can download an animated Poky Little Puppy for your computer). They obviously new the audience for a Fireball XL5 book might be kind of nerdy, so on the back there is a promotion for a series of Little Golden Science books.

The other book is by Whitman Publishing and is about King Leonardo. I should point out that even though Tudor the Turtle is on the back cover, he appears no where in the book.

Yes, you greatest fear has come true folks. Desdinova has become an old softy. As much as I hate to quote former President George H. Bush, you are seeing a "kinder, gentler" Desdinova.