Frankenburger and Fries

Elsa Lanchester as Mary Shelley in the prelude

to Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

Free Frankenburgers all around to celebrate today the birthday of Mary Shelley, who came into this world in 1787. Shelley is famed for her classic novel Frankenstein, which has been adapted to film many times over, rarely faithfully, but sometimes effectively. And there were the parodies, too, including of course, the loving cinematic homage to that timeless horror story, Young Frankenstein. One hump or two?

Universal Studios did a masterful job of reinterpreting the eerie tale in the 1931 version, and then to varying degrees of success in the four sequels. These films began as artistically impressive pieces, some evoking German Expressionistic styles, though as the series progressed, the flicks became a bit more B-movie-ish, still fun for fans of that Golden Age of horror. 

It wasn't until 1957 that Britain's Hammer Studios brought another successful, if more lurid, version to the masses,Curse of Frankenstein. Hammer eschewed the creaky, stagy theatrics of Universal and stamped its own brand of Technicolor gore and sexuality on the famed monster's story. This film, along with Hammer's Dracula of '58, launched a Gothic horror revival, which saw a string of Frank, Dracula, Mummy and other creature features right up until 1974. Hammer was known for productions that dripped with atmosphere, replete with lush sets and scenery, and a sturdy recurring cast of colourful notable actors who carved their way into horror history.

Once Hammer packed up house, at least in the monster department, in the 70's, there simply weren't any more Frankenstein re-imaginings that found much of an audience. Interest petered out and whatever did hit the big screen was a disappointment. 

But I see no need for further film remakes... nothing will ever rival or eclipse those legendary classics of cinema. There is, of course, the original novel by Shelley, if anyone cares to read a book any more. I read Frankenstein as a young teen and just might revisit it again someday. 

Fred Gwynne as Herman on the 60's sit-com The Munsters.

Notice a resemblance to a certain someone else?

More Jedi Junk From the Vault

I was a complete idiot when I clipped articles from my

70's Starlog and Future magazines... and chucked most

of my collection during a move. What was I thinking?

But these few survived fairly intact....

The folks who were young nerds in the 70's might relate to this little story. I was recently digging through a box of old magazines that I kept from that lost decade, and found some treasures that reminded me of my geekier side back then. My love of all things science fiction went way beyond movies and TV shows. At the time, I owned several of the Star Trek books by James Blish and the Star Wars novelizations of the movies (plus one original novel with no relation to the Lucas universe - see the book Splinter of the Mind's Eye here). Some of that stuff is long gone, but I had the foresight to hang onto at least some of those collectibles. I had a healthy-sized bunch of Starlog magazines, which I really regret having chopped up and tossed away. A few remain, but the rest is gone. Sigh.... I even had the first several issues of Starlog magazine, not to mention Starlog's first special issue dedicated to Star Wars: A New Hope. All gone. What the.... ?

Phantom Menace fandom... crap I collected when I

thought that it might matter. Maybe Watto will take 'em?

I was excited when news of The Phantom Menace reached the general public way back in the 90's. Who knew that movie would taint my opinion of Star Wars so much? Pretty much a travesty. At least I have plenty of souvenirs to remind my of my foolishness. 

As for the old Star Wars comic pictured below, I have no certain recollection of where that came from. Either I bought it way back when OR there is a chance I picked it up at a comic show in the 90's. Memory does not serve me well here. Anyway, it's in very good condition for its age. It's only issue number four, and I have none of the other issues, so it's a weird thing to hang onto. Still....

I found this Star Wars issue #4 comic lingering

in a box recently.... t'was based on A New Hope

Hero Hero

Something just about everyone had in common as children were heroes - which were in most cases, and unbeknownst to them - role models. And isn't it a funny thing how once we become fully- or partially-functioning adults in the real world, we forget about "heroes" or role models. Not long ago, I recalled how my role models were few but provided powerful influence on me as I was growing up.

I don't know if Superman and Batman would count as role models to little kids.... but maybe they do. I mean, as a youngster I used to run around in a Batman cape, emulating the 60's TV version of the character. But was that a true role-model? Maybe, if you consider that Batman and his alter ego Bruce Wayne displayed compassion, conviction, and valour. And I seemed to have picked up and carried those same virtues with me the rest of my life. I may not be leaping across rooftops saving the city from villains, but my belief system seems pretty well aligned with that of Batman. 

And Superman represents honestly, patriotism and chivalry... not to mention "truth, justice, and the American way". I guess I feel strongly to varying degrees about each of those virtues, though since I'm Canadian, I would substitute my nation's way for the American one. The goodness in Superman appealed to me a lot when I was young, and despite the weak films of the superhero in recent years, I am still drawn to that sort of ideal. And now that I give it a little thought, I'd have to admit that I'm a bit of an idealist. 

So these fictional role-models played a role in my early development of a sense right and wrong, as well as who I would be, both then and in the future. I suppose when I hit about age twelve or so, when I avidly poured over the Sherlock Holmes stories, I became more and more aware that I was at least a little different from my peers, and that my attention to details became a very real part of who I was. Then, and now for that matter, I'd rather view the world -  it's fascinating minutia - under a magnifying glass than look at the dreary big picture. 

In my early teens, I found some "heroes" after whom I tried very deliberately to model myself. Even if I didn't achieve full results, at least I stamped some indelible new traits into my rapidly developing personality. Traits in others that attracted me were strength, toughness, fairness, conviction, integrity, and cleverness. My biggest role models were: the rock band Rush, Bruce Lee, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sly Stallone's "Rocky" movie character, and Muhammad Ali. 

Rush, if it isn't already obvious from my many posts about them, was a constant for most of my life. The band's philosophy drew me into their world just as much as their music. Their lyrics, which were thoughtful, intelligent, and creative, spoke to me. Rush influenced and inspired me not just in music (for I never aspired to be any more than a casual half-decent rhythm guitarist) but in all areas of my life. They helped me understand myself better and to pursue my goals. Rush has always been known as a hard-working band with integrity, both qualities that I admired. 

In my early teens, feeling very self-conscious and unsure of myself, I found a role model in Stallone's movie character Rocky Balboa. The film Rocky totally blew me away and put me on a path that I never conceived would be so enduring. The title song inspired me so much that I bought it on record (this was in '76 of course) and that became the soundtrack to my workouts, which included calisthenics and I even followed Rocky's lead in jogging through the cold weather, bundled up in layers of sweatsuits... the style at the time. Though boxing wasn't a dream of mine, becoming fit and healthy was important to me, and Rocky showed me how both mental and physical toughness could get me there. And I got a shot of self-confidence from all of this along the way.

Then along came this massive bodybuilder named Arnold Schwarzenegger, who I first saw on a televised competition, probably Mr. Olympia, which he won four years running in the 70's. I'm sure Arnold prompted guys the world over to heft weights for huge pectoral muscles, but in my case, since my body type simply didn't respond much to lifting, I at least developed a healthy attitude toward life-long fitness. I got myself a set of weights for the basement and I lifted on a regular basis for much of my life (at first following Arnie's early book Education of a Bodybuilder, shown below), nowadays infrequently, but I still exercise in other ways.... like long-distance running and calisthenics. So even if Arnold is now pumping out awful movies, I still credit him with motivating me to become active and fit.

Bruce Lee was the whole package: philosophy, intelligence, honour, integrity, and amazingly fit and skilled in martial arts. I wanted so badly to study kung fu... or any martial art.... but that just wasn't going to happen during my youth. Not until I was an adult with my own money to pursue it. Even then, I couldn't pursue it for very long. Still, the interest is there and I occasionally drift back into a bit of Tai Chi (a close cousin to Kung Fu, which I also studied) at home. Now I just appreciate good martial arts films, my favourites being the Ip Man movies starring Donnie Yen. In my opinion, it doesn't get any better than that. Though I can enjoy the campy aspects of Bruce Lee's movies, the fight scenes alone don't easily make up for the silliness. But kung fu legend Lee did make a big impression on me as a young man. And I mustn't forget David Carradine in his role on the TV show Kung Fu... that program acted as an extension to Lee's influence, but here adding in the "soft" aspects of the martial art as well as modesty and humbleness. 

Muhammad Ali was also inspirational to me, not so much with his fists but his words and character. Ali blasted his way onto my TV screen during Wide World of Sports broadcasts back in the 70's, leaving me reeling from his barrage of stream-of-consciousness wisdom poetry. And his magnificent skill and flair in the ring certainly made him stand out among the crowd. Ali impressed me with his fearlessness, colourful personality, charisma, and definitely how he affected change in the world through his personal values, which were religious freedom, racial justice, and the triumph of principle over expedience. It's hard not to look up to such a man.

Humour has always been a part of me, though that was less forced, and more subtly embedded in my being. From an early age, I loved and emulated comedy stars like Abbott and Costello and especially Jerry Lewis. Maturing a bit (just a bit) in my teens, it was more imaginative and clever comics like the Monty Python troupe, Bill Cosby, Steve Martin, Robin Williams. and George Carlin. I've never even dreamed of being a stand-up comic, but I do admire the craft of these people, and how they stretch their imaginations as they analyze the mundane and the awful things in life in order to make us laugh. And sometimes even prompt us to think more deeply about this crazy world of ours, to help us put things into perspective.

But as I said earlier, isn't it odd how as adults we often forget about the idea of role models? Do we still need them later in life? Those who inspired and influenced us in our childhood and our youth made their mark, but if we lose sight of those positive principles along the way, might it be necessary to look up to someone like Batman or Rocky again?

What's Up, Duck?

For generations, kids have spent Saturday mornings with a bowl of cereal in front of the television watching cartoons. My earliest memories are of waking up Saturdays in the late 60's, and waiting impatiently for the TV test pattern (I remember both the Indian and the colour bars test patterns) to switch off and for my precious animated programming to begin. A bowl of Cheerios in my lap. I must have been four years old in those earliest memories.

I loved shows like Mighty Mouse, Beanie and Cecil, Archie, Top Cat, Tom and Jerry, Pink Panther, H.R. Pufnstuf, Spiderman, and Scooby Doo. But none of those shows have been as enduring and world famous as The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Hour. Happily, the rest of my life has revolved around this pop culture phenomenon. 

Originally known best as Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies, these cartoon shorts were developed between 1930 and 1969 during the golden age of American animation. The very first 'toons were a little crude by today's standards, but in them we see the seeds of the now-classic characters. Eventually, as we all know, the cast of mostly animals took the world by storm with big names like Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Sylvester and Tweety, and Wile E. Coyote ("Super Genius"), and Road Runner. Some Looney humans like Granny, Yosamite Sam, and Elmer Fudd also leaped to superstardom. 

The colourful and over-the-top Looney Tunes exceeded even Disney in popularity (take that, Mickey!), while competition like Hanna-Barbara, Walter Lantz, Screen Gems, and Terrytoons each found their own respectable rung a little lower on the ladder. 

It is staggering to review the names of the many now-famous creative people who worked on those Loonies: Tex Avery, Bob Clampett, Friz Freleng, Chuck Jones, Robert McKimson, Mel Blanc and Frank Tashlin, just to name a few. I'll bet that even the average Joe on the street would recognize at least one or two of those names just from his (or her) sheer repetition of viewing the cartoons. 

A few of my Looney books: a sticker collecting book (full!) at 

left, the middle one a fun history of the studio, and at right, a

fantastic compendium detailing every single Looney Tune

From my youngest years, through my teens, and into my 20's, I always got hooked on a Looney Tunes show if I tripped upon it while channel surfing. When I was in my early 20's, in the mid-80's, I landed a job in the animation industry... not quite as glamorous as most of us think it is..... but it was fun in its own twisted way. I drew background artwork at first (for The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin), then I learned more about the business by moving from department to department, wherever there was a need. I also did animation quality control check (for Meerkats), storyboard coordination (for Dennis the Menace), and some other less creative tasks. Still, a memorable time of my life. 

That experience in the 80's further fueled my love of animation. I again became a Saturday morning TV fan, both for enjoyment and as "homework". I wasn't as impressed by modern animation as the oldies, but I did enjoy Inspector Gadget, Droids, DuckTales, My Pet Monster, and the odd other thing (like the shows that I worked on). Not high art, but there were some good and fun ideas in there). 

And of course, good ol' Bugs and Daffy and gang were top of my list. The classic Looney Tunes prevail. Growing up, I was also exposed to Hanna-Barbara  cartoons like Yogi Bear, Jetsons, Scooby Doo and Flintstones. Some of these, like Flintstones, were less of a childhood weekend show and more of a weekday staple once the show went into syndication. So as I grew up, I managed to see every freaking episode dozens of times over thanks to daily reruns. Hey, I loved it! 

In the early 90's, I loaded several videotapes with Looney Tunes and enjoyed those repeatedly over the years. But those tapes took a lot of wear and tear and it wasn't long before I knew I needed to upgrade. Ever so gradually, I picked up some DVD collections of Bugs and Company, and within the past year I took the plunge and invested in a couple of very comprehensive sets on Blu-Ray video.... beautiful! And I eagerly await volume three of the Looney Tunes Platinum Collection. 

My wardrobe from the 80's through the 90's was made up of many T-shirts emblazoned with the images of Bugs, Sylvester, and Daffy. My other cartoon interests at the time prompted me to hand paint my own tees of Ren & Stimpy and Calvin & Hobbes for myself, family and friends. 

I am positive that I will be watching Looney Tunes long into the future, however long I last. Life just wouldn't be the same without the clever and absurd humour that we find in these top-notch, frantically funny short films.

".... Hello my ragtime girl.... "

Bond-abilia

I've talked in previous posts about my hobby of acquiring James Bond memorabilia, from the music to the movies to the books. My collection of 007 stuff goes beyond that, though. I have several Bond things on my walls, including four full-size posters, a few mini-posters, and movie soundtrack records (from the very first four films of the 60's) framed for display. 

I don't really have space to show absolutely everything at once, so I rotate the large posters from time to time. I do have to allow for other favourite, non-Bond posters, too, you know (Casablanca, Star Wars Ep. IV, and Apocalypse Now at the moment). 

One of my favourites is a Danish Goldfinger poster (shown above), with a neat design and bold graphics. The others, a more common Goldfinger ("Everything he touches turns to excitement!"), the impressively illustrated Thunderball ("Look Up, Look Down, Look Out!), and one featuring posters from the entire Bond movie series right up to Casino Royale. The two smaller ones on my wall are From Russia With Love and Live and Let Die (a fun design showing tarot cards and a crocodile spewing a motorboat from its maw). 

The vinyl records (Dr. No, From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball) are all in really good condition and look nice and sharp on display, as you can see here. I own another one, A View to a Kill on LP, which I've tucked away.... I bought that years ago, when it was a bit of a rarity, though it later became available on a Japanese import CD (but maybe it can be found more easily now). 

Earlier in the 2000's, Bond wall calendars were easy to track down, but I haven't been able to locate anything at all for a year or two. I guess that in between new Bond films, calendars can become a bit repetitive in photographic content, so companies must not think it's worth releasing yet another. Unless it was possible to print images of the many foreign art posters, which are usually stunning - and superior to the North American ones. 

And then there is the Bond-related MI6 "training camp" t-shirt and the snappy-looking black MI6 cap that I found online. I wore those a lot for a few years, then I realized these things weren't going to last forever, and it became difficult to locate replacements, so now I only wear them occasionally... almost never, really.... I'll save them for a special event - like the next Bond movie premiere.

Reelin' in the Years

Dio's music with Sabbath will always give me chills....

I just read an interesting article on the web about the phenomenon of our vivid and fond memories of the music from our teenage years. Apparently, there are scientific theories that explain the factors involved. This new information makes me think about how our teenage years are more than a blueprint for our developing selves... these are the times when everything we do becomes a part of us, for better or for worse, and remains a part of us for the rest of our lives, even if we seem to forget that along the way. Because that stuff - let's say the good stuff - will resurface now and then anyway, and we'll be pleasantly reminded of those great carefree years. 

I got into music before I even hit my teens, so I began my conditioning a little early. Oldies like the Beatles and Monkees became ingrained in my psyche long before Rush and Cheap Trick moved into that department. But there was plenty of space for all of those guys, so I just kept the door open and let any music that I fancied wander right on in. 

The huge amount of time we have as teens to devote to music.... listening to it, learning song lyrics, dancing to it, learning to play it on instruments, and generally obsess over it.... is one key component of this phenomenon. The sheer repetition of listening to the same songs over and over plays a role, as we now understand when we can still recite lyrics from songs we may not have heard for decades. And yet we can't remember what was on that grocery list we forgot at home. 

We always say nostalgia, fond memories of our youth, explains our still-strong attachment to the music of those formative years. But nostalgia - the word - doesn't fully explain why this occurs. Like why can I still air-drum in synch to the complex time signatures of an early Rush song like La Villa Strangiato? 

There is certainly a cultural component to this, since we often get into certain songs or types of music because of our friends, or even people who aren't our friends yet. The sense of developing ties to others and belonging comes about by the shared interest in certain music. So back in late public/primary school, when I began listening to Kiss, that was part of a wish to belong to the group of guys who already liked that music. Kiss's music was new to me but when I discovered I really liked it, hey, I was in the gang! That social need was satisfied. And so it goes in the teens, when peer acceptance is even more crucial. Oops, I can't (say I) like the BeeGees, but AC/DC will keep me in good stead. Get the idea?

Studies say our reaction to the music is also a key.... songs that we really loved would activate certain parts of the brain, and our physical response dictated just how many parts of the brain would become stimulated. Nodding your head, tapping your fingers or foot.... might only kick one portion of the brain into activity. But add in humming or singing along, and you've got another chunk of brain "waking up"; then if you dance or even play along on an instrument, you are engaging even more bits of grey matter. So this is more than social or cultural programming, but also neurological.... a brain command that embeds that all-important music in there, to be activated whenever one of those favourite songs plays... with just the same amount of emotion as back then. Cool, huh?

So when I listen to a song that triggers personal memories, say Tom Sawyer by Rush, something called the prefrontal cortex in the brain, which maintains information about my personal life and relationships, jumps into action. And I remember that sunny winter morning of 1981 when I walked downtown to the record store to buy the "limited edition" cassette version of the album Moving Pictures (which featured the song Tom Sawyer). The strong feelings of anticipation and pleasure I felt that day flood back every time I hear that song. 

And the strength of the emotions associated with our favourite songs stimulate the brain's pleasure circuit, releasing neurochemicals (like dopamine) that send us to the moon. An all-natural high. When I'm a Believer by the Monkees plays, it's like a warm wave washes over me and I am left smiling and energized.

During our teens, the brain undergoes rapid neurological development, and just about every experience is ranked as equally important as it's stored away, including songs associated with good times (and bad times), so they are all fixed permanently into our wiring. The heightened emotion we feel when recalling a favourite song is due to the puberty growth hormones that stamped that memory in there in the first place. 

The teen years and early 20's are the most memorable for us because this is the time when we are generally the happiest, at least based on the stored musical moments associated with those wonderful days. It is from ages 12 to 22 that "you become you", as one theory states. This is when all of the chaos of puberty gradually gets sorted out... we experience and grow through education and socialization and jobs. These things establish who we are - and will be - for life. And all of that music gets slapped in there, linked with its associated life events.

And even if we move on in our adult years to prefer different music than we grew up with, those strong emotional ties to the songs of the past will remain. I know of guys who still crank up Iron Maiden on a regular basis, decades after their heavy metal-infused adolescence. And they are perfectly happy listening to that same sort of music their whole lives. That energized "high" can be relived over and over again. 

I, on the other hand, have always been curious to seek out new music. Sure, I was deeply into metal and progressive rock in my teens and 20's, but I'd retained my love of artists as diverse as The Monkees, Beethoven, and Fleetwood Mac. By my mid-30's, going through a bit of a life crisis, I realized I needed some positive, though not too drastic, changes. And that was when I sought out challenging stimulation in electronic music, jazz, and even opera (don't judge me!). Some of that stuff was a phase that insisted I obsess over it for a few years, then it became less important to me. I am still fascinated by electronic music (of which EDM is one branch to today's dance music), though, and have taken some logical - and illogical - leaps from that into electro-dance and dance-pop. 

So even though I now enjoy the music of Deadmau5 and Kylie Minogue, I still get a huge rush from hearing Heaven and Hell by Black Sabbath. Same goes for Roll Over Beethoven by the Beatles. And all because of those musical links implanted in my brain during adolescence.

A trip at the brain..... 

.... even if Kylie is more my speed these days

Gettin' the Led Out

Gotta make this look good... David Coverdale is watching.

I remember in days gone by... nay, decades gone by, when rock radio stations would whip out a few old heavies for a set of Led Zeppelin. And the DJs would invariably holler over the airwaves "Time to get the Led out!" Yeah.

I was a big Zeppelin fan for many years. It all began in my early teens, when I bought Led Zeppelin IV. That thundering heap of sludgy vinyl (for I owned it on record originally) was medicinal every time the needle hit the groove. From JP's booming bass meanderings to Plant's vocal caterwauling... and from Page's genre-defining guitar riffs to Bonham's powerhouse rhythms.... these four young men tripped and jammed to entertain generations of fans. It was awe-inspiring and mystical; it was mythical and sometimes it strayed off into rootsy directions. 

Though many rock fans, even major Zep-heads, might be a tad bored of hearing the song Rock and Roll for the millionth time, I for one still consider it as vital and fun as the first time I heard it. There's a bit of Chuck Berry guitar influence in there, you know, imbuing the song with a 50's sensibility that will simply never die. That Jerry Lee Lewis-style manic piano accompanying the guitars and drums throws a neat bone into the stew, too. Love it.

On the other hand, I can't listen to Stairway to Heaven anymore. Wayne's World had it right. We've had enough. Zep IV aside, I never got into very much of their catalogue. I did at one point own all of their albums, but some of it just never grabbed me, so I stuck to the albums I enjoyed most. Makes sense, right? Like Houses of the Holy or Physical Graffiti.... while there are moments I like a lot on both albums, each one as a whole just never impressed me the way I thought it would have. I mean, everyone said those were the best Zeppelin records, right? Hm. 

I did, however, live on a steady diet of Zep's music during high school and college, and to a lesser extent after that. My friends and I rented the video of The Song Remains the Same at least a few times, rocking out to Page's extended solos and joking relentlessly about Plant's pants situation. During my school days I showed my band loyalty by wearing a slick-looking patch on my denim jacket... have a look here: Led Zeppelin patch

I remember that flippy moment back in 1979 when I accidentally spilled some water on the inner sleeve of my brand new In Through the Out Door album. The black and white image suddenly sprouted colours! But instead of dousing the sleeve in water to reveal the full effect, I chose to just leave that little splotch of colour and let it dry. A neat little gimmick by the band or their marketing department, but I didn't feel like potentially ruining the sleeve. 

Years later, once I'd achieved a certain level of ability on guitar, I included a couple of Zep songs on my setlist, The Immigrant Song and Rock and Roll, which I loved to pull out when I jammed with a drummer. Good times.... yes, just good times.

My prehistoric cassette copy of Led Zeppelin III.

Even though my tape deck has been in storage for ages,

I still have an issue with just throwing away all my old tapes

R is for Read

Propaganda? Bull!

I have been a reader ever since I can remember. I still own early childhood books, battered as they are, of nursery rhymes, fables, and stories of curious little monkeys. The stuff I latched onto earliest, which I still recall, were Freddy the Pig books. Freddy was a take-charge yet good-natured swine, coralling fellow barnyard animals to join him whenever an adventure arose. He was introduced as "the smallest and cleverest of the pigs on the Bean farm". Throughout the series of twenty-six books, Freddy went  on to become a politician, a detective, a magician, a pilot, and a newspaper editor, among other things. Sort of an Indiana Jones character, only more of a Renaissance man.... er, pig. 

One standalone book I absolutely loved, and checked out of the local library over and over, was The Story of Ferdinand. This told the tale of a bull who would rather smell flowers than fight in bullfights. Silly and hilarious, Ferdinand, released in 1936 just before the Spanish Civil War, was actually banned in several countries where they believed the children's book was a pacifist document! But India's Mahatma Ghandi cited Ferdinand as his favourite book. Good for him.

Oh, and there was that impish little "monkey", Curious George, who wasn't even a monkey really - for chimpanzees are apes! No tail.... that's how you tell. Anyway, I owned Curious George Rides a Bike, my one and only George book, though I did check out several of his other adventures from the library, where everybody knew my name.... I was such a regular there. That Rides a Bike book was my favourite, though: George quickly learns to ride a bicycle, then helps deliver newspapers... until he decides to make paper boats out of them and float them down a stream. Then he busts the bike and.... well, I won't give it all away. Let's just say things get wackier and wackier as the story progresses. Young or old, try it out - fun never goes out of style.

A bit of a jump in years and then I was reading Encyclopia Brown, Boy Detective. As a younger lad, I first became enamored with detectives via Freddy the Pig, who dressed a bit like Sherlock Holmes with a plaid deerstalker hat and a big magnifying glass. When a slightly more sophisticated private eye, in the form of a 12-year-old boy, came along, I was primed for more crime detection. It was around this time - when I was getting close to age 12, too - that I also discovered the world of Sherlock Holmes. I dove into all of those Conan Doyle stories with zest and still own every Holmes story. But I am getting off track here. I collected a few more Encyclopedia Brown books, but tore through many more from the library. 

All that detective stuff really got my juices flowing, so I got myself a kid's detective kit, which included an ink pad for taking fingerprints, some talcum powder and brush for dusting for prints, clear adhesive strips for lifting the prints, and a magnifying glass for studying those prints. And a few other little gadgets that I can't remember. I upgraded to a "grown-up" magnifier and then I was really ready to roll. Sadly, there was no crime in the neighbourhood, so I didn't get much business. 

At the school library, I discovered fantastic literature like Dracula, Frankenstein, and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I went bananas for those stories, and hunted down more books about similar topics, like "real life" werewolf, vampire, and ghost folklore. All that European mythology, and Gothic and Victorian stuff really sparked my imagination.

It wasn't until a garage sale in the town where my grandparents lived - while I visited one summer as a kid - that I found a science-fiction book that would kick me off on a lifetime appreciation of that genre. That book was Have Spacesuit - Will Travel, by Robert A. Heinlein. I read and re-read that story many times, enjoying its fun and light-SF tone. Though that book went missing somewhere during my life, I did buy a replacement copy... same edition with the same cover art... just for old time's sake. Wonderful stuff. It wasn't long until I read and loved Starship Troopers (not to be confused with the very different sort of movie of the same name) and other, more weighty Heinlein works. 

By my mid-teens, I was hooked into the J.R.R. Tolkien world of fantasy. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings kept me up late at night and even early on school mornings before classes began. I'm not sure if I'll ever tackle those hefty Rings volumes again, though, especially now that I can just pop on the movie versions in a fraction of the time (though still lengthy enough). 

Then I was charging full-tilt into genre fiction for several years, gobbling up horror, SF, and fantasy novels like they were going out of style. Heinlein, Piers Anthony, and Ray Bradbury were among my favourites then. Though I don't read as much in the fantastical fiction genre nowadays, I can still enjoy a Bradbury story occasionally. You know quality when it holds up so well over the decades. Timeless.

I've very fond memories of finding

this - my very first sci-fi book

Little Known Beatles Facts

Rock and roooolllll!

I read this week some interesting little known facts about that 60's rock group called The Beatles. Ever heard of them? Apparently, they were the first band to ever play a stadium concert, way back in August of 1965. And I guess since the amplification systems back then were still pretty primitive, that would explain why the Beatles gave up on outdoor shows after their August 1966 San Francisco gig at Candlestick Park.... they just couldn't crank up the volume enough to hear themselves over their insanely loud audiences. The lads did, however, make that famous off-the-cuff appearance on the chilly rooftop of London's Apple Records in '69. No crowds in their faces for that one. 

Second up: The Beatles were the first musical artists to include lyrics with a recording. That disc was the legendary Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Now stow that nugget away for trivia night at the pub.

And.... the very first appearance of the "devil horns" hand signal in rock music was made by the cartoon version of John Lennon on the cover of the Yellow Submarine album (see the image above). So both Gene Simmons and Ronnie James Dio (R.I.P.) were just wannabe's, each claiming they were the originators.... at least within the rock music world. Of course, Dio made it look the coolest. But Lennon takes the honour. By the way, that devil horns hand sign dates back centuries in several cultures, but I do know that in Italy and India it was used to ward off bad luck, evil omens, and to protect one's home and land from anything unfavourable. The "devil horns" is not to be confused with the international sign language signal for "love", where the thumb in extended. 

Some old Beatles books I dug up out of my collection:

some bios and a songbook - the one from which I learned

some of my first tunes on guitar

Drive-In Double-Feature

Were there steamy car windows during

The Ten Commandments?

Remember the drive-in? Just about every town had one by the late 1950's and early 60's, when the drive-in peaked in popularity. Big pictures played as the main feature... the early one, I guess you'd say, then often the weirder, more adult-oriented stuff came on for the late feature. The kids were usually asleep in the backseat of the car by this time. Then there were the wacky B-movie nights, when lurid horror and science fiction flicks entertained the teen crowd. By the way, this was all before my time. 

A tiny history lesson: The drive-in blossomed out of some backyard tests in Camden, New Jersey by one Richard Hollingshead Jr. in the early 1930's, and by '32, he had patented his invention. Hollingshead opened the very first drive-in in June of 1933. His screen operated for only three years, but the idea began to spread across America. I believe the drive-in was considered an American institution by the time the 60's rolled around. Or at least it should have been. 

My first outdoor, giant-screen experience was in 1977, when at the age of 13, I joined some school friends on an outing. My buddy Eddie's mom took us to see The Deep, an adventure movie based on the book by Peter Benchley (author of earlier massive hit Jaws).. She drove the carload of us to a spot, then she left us to our own devices and joined her husband in another car. I have no recollection of what else played that night, what the cartoon shorts were, or what snacks I ate. I just remember being fascinated by Jacqueline Bisset's curves. Ah, those early days of adolescence.

I think it was with the same gang of friends that I saw Jaws 2 at that same drive-in in '78. We all just horsed around this time, throwing popcorn and spilling soft drinks,not really paying much attention to the movie. This picture didn't seem nearly as thrilling as the first Jaws movie (which I saw in its first round in a proper theatre). 

Then there was a chilly late fall evening viewing of Alien in '79. I am pretty sure that was our second time watching Alien, the first time being in the cozy confines of a movie theatre. I am pretty sure I saw Excalibur and Porky's within the next few years, again viewed with my high school peeps. And I think there were some beers involved during Porky's. If not, then there should have been. Good times.... I think.

I'm not positive, but I think I saw the James Bond movie Octopussy at the drive-in in '83. After that I went nowhere near a drive-in for years, until I re-located to a new city where I went to see Ghost with my girlfriend. I never knew pottery could be so sad! I don't think I saw more than one or two more flicks at the drive-in since then, but it was a bit depressing when I heard our multi-screen facility had shut down. 

The decline of drive-ins began in the 70's and really went south during the 80's, with the advent of home video... not to mention skyrocketing land values, which made it nearly impossible for drive-ins to survive. And here in Canada, the outdoor venues only operated spring through fall, shutting down for the cold winter months. We all nested in our igloos until the snow melted. 

Apparently, some drive-ins still exist, but in much smaller numbers than in decades past. Though the big outdoor screens don't hold much fascination for me nowadays, they certainly played a role in my youth and early adulthood. Some fun nostalgia springs up when I think about those days. Maybe someday we'll bring 'em back.

Fascinating marine life in these parts....

Air on the G String

It goes something like this...

It was for a high school talent show  in the early 80's that a few friends and I suited up and performed the Ozzy song "Crazy Train" on the school stage before the whole staff and student population. Except we left our instruments at home. And we still pulled it off.

You might be scratching your head over that fact, but the explanation is that we were doing our rendition of that popular (at the time) Ozzy tune as an air band - a group of air musicians playing air instruments, all of this nonsense derived first from the originally dubbed air guitar. We mimed singing and playing to the recorded song that boomed from the PA system. 

I first learned of air guitar on Toronto's City-TV show The New Music back in the early 80's, where they showed clips of UK and European metalheads at concerts doing some serious headbanging and "playing" what would eventually be universally known as air guitar. This TV music news magazine was always right on top of the latest thing in music, whether it was an interview with Weird Al Yankovic or some footage from the latest Rush concert in Toronto. The show was excellent, with great hosts asking seriously good questions of their guests. 

It was host J.D. Roberts (now a Fox News Channel journalist) who brought us up to speed on the phenomenon which was newly dubbed "air guitar". We got a visual taste of it via concert footage from shows by bands from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, I believe. I do know this stuff seemed to have been brought to a new level of popularity in the vicinity of Europe and definitely within the metal music genre. Long-haired, leather-jacketed metal fans displayed their impressive chops on imaginary guitars, Some of them even built their own fake guitars out of cardboard or a wooden plank.... with no actual strings or operable knobs... just a prop for them to play with... claiming this, too, was an air guitar. Whatever. 

A tiny bit of research uncovered the fact that the first recorded demonstration of anything resembling air guitar took place in 1951 when one Bill Reed, of The Diamonds, sang while strumming an imaginary guitar on TV. Joe Cocker at 1969's Woodstock made more of an impression with his antics, earning him the title of Father of Air Guitar. And ever since the early 80's, there have been air guitar competitions the world over. Weird, huh?

But back to my little story: we four dopey high school kids took our air band project very seriously. We spent evenings learning the words to the song... first deciphering them, of course, since there was no lyric sheet in the album and no internet lyrics websites way back then. We practised together and independently on our respective air instruments. That was always a blast since it usually involved some drinking and always ended with some shenanigans which no grown-up would approve of. You know.

Our air drummer did a magnificent job since he really could play drums. The rest of us had at least a bit of experience on actual guitar, so bringing our real instrument skills to this new form was a snap. It looked pretty convincing, or so we thought at the time. 

I brought the showmanship influences of Eddie Van Halen and The Who's Pete Townshend, among others, to my own performance. After all, theatrics count for a lot in this air guitar business.

Our little combo also took pains to develop some outlandish stage costumes. Now we didn't want to look like fools without hiding our identities, so we all wore get-ups that covered our faces. I wore an old army gas mask with the hose dangling loosely before me. I can't remember what the other guys wore, but there may have been ski masks and Halloween masks in the mix. And I seem to recall one of our air guitarists wearing shorts and a bath robe onstage. Some of us wore scarves and ball caps, too, I think. Yes, we were a motley bunch. 

When showtime came - partway through the school's Winter Carnival events, we were a bit nervous but reminded ourselves that nobody would recognize us. Boy, were we wrong. Everyone teased us for days after our silly display. Our feelings were hurt, since we poured our souls into that song, emoting like we were the next KISS.... or Ozzy. Anyway, it was all good fun at the time, and I suppose we can pretend we became a part of air guitar history on that fateful afternoon.