Monday, October 26, 2009

Joe Sez

Joe Brancatelli, who knows more about the travel biz than anyone else I know, tells us the best way to get low rates at hotels. And I was also interested in this old article by Joe that says hotels are moving away from those clumsy tub-shower combos which I've never liked and are moving to just having stall showers. Good.

• Posted at 9:57 PM · LINK

Today's Bonus Video Link

Many things make Keith Olbermann happy lately but nothing makes him happier than Rush Limbaugh making a total ass of himself...

• Posted at 6:45 PM · LINK

Bowling Green

My buddy Bill Morrison is the head honcho over at Bongo Comics, makers of fine Simpsons funnybooks — but that's not important now. What is important is that he's bowling tomorrow night...and for a good cause.

The event is called Bowling for Boobies and it's a fund-raising event to help provide monetary assistance to local women who are facing financial challenges as the result of fighting and living with breast cancer. His team, the Speed Demons, includes Thomas Lennon from Reno 911 and the fabulous Ms. Jane Wiedlin of the Go-Go's. They compete tomorrow night at Jillian's up at the Universal City Walk, and all the info on that is at the link at the beginning of this paragraph.

You can support this fine effort in two ways. One is to be there tomorrow night and pay admission to watch the celebs bowl. Another, which I have done, is to donate bucks to cheer on your fave player. You can donate to sponsor Bill Morrison or you can support Jane Wiedlin or you can back Thomas Lennon...and it really doesn't matter which one gets your money. It all goes to a good cause.

• Posted at 6:41 PM · LINK

Deja View

Let's try this again, shall we? Cartoon Network is now saying that The Garfield Show will debut on its Monday-Friday schedule on Monday, November 2. In most markets, each episode will run at 10:30 AM with a repeat at 3 PM. Your cable company or satellite dish may give it to you at another hour. I'm told that promos are supposed to start airing some time today but haven't seen one.

A number of folks wrote to tell me The Garfield Show aired on CN in the last two weeks. No, it didn't. What you folks saw was one of the "direct-to-DVD" CGI Garfield movies, which the channel sometimes runs. They're very good but they're not the series we're talking about here.

Anyway, I hope you like the show and I hope it really airs when I'm being told it will air.

• Posted at 6:34 PM · LINK

Recommended Reading

Josh Marshall explains about what the "opt-out" public option will involve. I find it hard to believe that with the health care crisis we have in this country, even the reddest of states will say, "No, let's protect the business interests of Aetna in our state and turn down lower-cost medical insurance." Some probably will at first because, after all, it's important in some quarters to oppose any Democratic program. But in the long run?

• Posted at 4:57 PM · LINK

Geneaology

Photo by Jim McPherson

Last Saturday evening, the Comic Art Professional Society had its annual banquet at a swanky country club out in Northridge. The honoree was the great comic book illustrator, Gene Colan.

The room was lovely. The food was excellent. There was an exhibit of Gene Colan artwork. There were guest speakers (including myself, Gerry Conway and Marv Wolfman). There were videos recounting Gene's life and featuring tributes from dozens of his colleagues, including Stan Lee, Joe Quesada, Jim Lee and Mike Carlin. There was a turnout of CAPS members eager to applaud Gene, and there were past CAPS honorees present, including June Foray and Stan Freberg. Nothing was missing.

Well, almost nothing. Gene and his lovely wife Adrienne weren't there. They were — I just Mapquested this — 2,812.67 miles away in Brooklyn, New York. CAPS wanted to fly them out but Gene's doctor felt it would not be a peachy idea for him to travel at the moment.

But Gene and Adrienne were there...via Skype. CAPS President Pat McGreal and a batch of other folks figured out how to pipe the Guest of Honor in via a video hookup. There were occasional audio problems but for most of the event, we had the Colans on a video screen, participating from afar. In the above pic, you see me talking and there's Gene coming to us live from his studio in Brooklyn.

A particularly lovely moment occurred when it came time to bestow the actual trophy. Co-presenter Sergio Aragonés held one up here in California and Gene thought he'd have to wait for a FedEx delivery to actually hold it in his mitts. But unbeknownst to him, Adrienne had the inscribed statuette and she handed it to him at just the right moment. Gene was overwhelmed by that and by the entire evening.

As I said, Gerry, Marv and I spoke. Gerry talked of how much he'd learned from having Gene draw his stories. Marv discussed the wonderful working relationship they enjoyed on Tomb of Dracula. I mumbled something about how Gene, who we were all watching on that screen, now had twice the viewership of Jay Leno.

Bill Morrison was an ideal Master of Ceremonies. Everyone had a great time. The only way it could have been better is if we'd actually had Gene and Adrienne there...but I have to tell you. I've been to some events of this kind that would have been a lot better if the Guest of Honor hadn't been present.

• Posted at 12:00 PM · LINK

The Mystery Continues!

So far, no one has come up with any convincing explanation of the phrase, "It's genius! Genius, I tells ya!" But half the Internet has written to tell me the same theories I found when I Googled the phrase before asking here.

Yes, yes. There are people out there who theorize it was uttered by Jackie (Ralph Kramden) Gleason on The Honeymooners. Has anyone ever pointed to an actual episode where he said it? It sounds more like Ed Norton, anyway...

• Posted at 11:27 AM · LINK

Coming Soon (Still...)

The report on Saturday night's CAPS Banquet honoring Gene Colan will have to wait until later today. But it will be along. Good night, Internet! Sleep tight.

• Posted at 4:23 AM · LINK

Go Read It!

A letter from John F. Kennedy. Really.

• Posted at 3:09 AM · LINK

You Should Know Dick

I was going to embed this but L.A. Times video embeds are a little screwy and the last one made this page difficult for some to load. So instead I'm going to send you to this page to watch a little 12-minute interview with Dick Jones. Dick had a nice career in movies but everything is kinda anti-climactic after you've furnished the voice for the title role in Walt Disney's Pinocchio. I've enjoyed talking with Dick at various parties and animation fests, and this little chat will show you why.

• Posted at 12:38 AM · LINK

Today's Video Link

Big deal. I did this the first time I ever played pool...

• Posted at 12:27 AM · LINK