Category Archives: To Be Filed

This will only be of interest to certain friends of mine. Hey, Certain Friends of Mine! Remember that great little restaurant I took you to over on Pico Boulevard a block west of Beverly Glen? The little hole-in-the-wall place called The Main Course? You were skeptical at first but one bite of their food — especially if you took my advice and ordered the turkey meatloaf — prompted you to thank me for introducing you to a great, albeit tiny place to eat.

They've closed and they posted this message on their webpage…

Dear Customers! The Main Course restaurant is out of business due to changing circumstances surrounding our lease. We want to thank you for your continued support over the last 37 years! We will miss you!

We'll miss you too, Main Course. I assume "changing circumstances surrounding our lease" means a landlord raising the rent sky-high, which seems to be happening more and more these days. It won't be long before every little, independent merchant will be displaced by a big chain. I wouldn't mind that as much if Applebee's or Outback could make a turkey meatloaf a tenth as good as the one served at the Main Course.

Their statement makes no mention of looking for a new building in which to reopen. In the past, every time a favorite restaurant of mine has shuttered, they've said they will find a place to again flourish…or sometimes, they say they already have a location and are just dickering to nail down the fine points of the contract. I can't recall one that ever actually reappeared, at least in anywhere near its previous form. Sad…but that's just how it is.

• As of August 5th, Donald Trump's 928th day in office, he had made 12,019 false or misleading claims. As I recall, Republicans began describing Al Gore as a "congenital liar" when by their count, he had passed the total of three.

For years here, I've plugged Stu's Show, which was an audio-only podcast from my pal Stu Shostak but you can now take your pick: Audio podcast or video podcast. Stu's last show of the season (meaning he takes a few weeks off, then returns) is today. Usually, he does his show on Wednesdays but for reasons he'll explain on the program I'm sure, this week's is a rare Tuesday Stu's Show.

His guest is Stan Taffel, who is the guy behind Cinecon, a convention for lovers of old and often obscure movies that will be held August 29 thru September 2 in the heart of Hollywood. In addition to talking about that big event, they'll be showing some of the kind of rare, you-never-see-these-anywhere-else film clips that you do see at Cinecon. The show is done LIVE! at 4 PM Pacific Time (7 PM Eastern) and to find out how to watch it or at least listen to it, go to this page here. There, you will also hear about Stu's new channel…

Stu has a new TV channel that runs old episodes of Stu's Show pretty continuously so you can tune in anytime and — who knows? — you might even catch one with me on it. You can watch it at this link or you can click below and see whatever's on it at this moment…

A tip: If you put your cursor over the lower left corner of the screen, you can see a timer which will tell you how long you've been watching the episode currently rerunning and how much longer this episode has to run before the next one starts. There are currently seven episodes on in rotation and they're also viewable on the Stu's Show app on Roku. Enjoy.

Also! A few weeks ago here, I did a post here linking you to a podcast I appeared on. I just found out that something hiccuped and the post disappeared so here it is again…

My pal Scott Edelman and I recently had a three-hour lunch at Canter's Delicatessen…at a table with a view of the table where in February of 1970, Jack Kirby told Steve Sherman and me that he was leaving Marvel for DC and wanted us to be his assistants. Scott and I talked about that and other topics, mostly but not exclusively about comic books, while I ate a brisket sandwich and he had pastrami.

If that sounds like something you'd like to have eavesdropped on…well, you still can. Scott recorded the whole conversation for what turned out to be the hundredth episode of his podcast, Eating the Fantastic. It's Scott sitting down for a meal and a chat with someone in the world of comics or science-fiction or fantasy or other allied arts.

You can find out more about Scott's show and this episode here or you can just listen to it below. CAUTION: It's two hours and forty-three minutes but it's kinda interesting. Scott, who's worked a lot in comics, mostly at Marvel, is a good and well-prepped interrogator and we got deep into a lot of topics, as you can hear for yourself…

Here's what's going on with the probable (?) merger of CBS and Viacom.

As you may have heard, it was recently announced that Viacom has acquired Garfield the Cat from Jim Davis, with whom I have worked since 1987.  I have received a ridiculous number of e-mails and phone calls asking me about this and here are the answers to the most-asked questions:  No, I am not surprised…and no, there is nothing more I can tell you at this time.

I haven't posted one of these in many months because, quite frankly, I've lost count. Sixteen feels like the right number but some are arguable. Not counted in there are two friendships that ended and have since resumed because these folks felt Trump has gone too far. There are also one or two where I've decided I don't want to talk to this person anymore and he may well have decided he doesn't want to associate with me any longer…but we haven't told each other yet.  I'm not counting these in the sixteen either.

I actually have a number of friends who support Trump, though none of them seem to have unconditional love for the guy nor do they believe everything he says. They just like the alternatives less. I have to admit that my vote has often gone to one person because I liked the alternative less.

It's usually possible to have a civil conversation with these people. Their support for Donald doesn't kill that. Hysteria and demagoguery are the problem just as hysteria and demagoguery about almost anything are bad for friendships. That especially true when you're not both hysterical and demagoguing in the same direction.

One ex-friend is apparently going around telling people, "Evanier let political differences come between us." No, I'm fine with political differences. I even have some with myself of a few years ago.  My friendship with this guy broke up because I felt he was being rude to me and that too much racism, homophobia and misogyny were leaking out of him, poorly disguised as political principles.  Also, there was some antisemitism sprinkled in there and being half-Jewish, I'm half-offended by that kind of thing.

You might say, "Well, maybe it's for the good that all that's come out instead of remaining suppressed." I might have agreed with that in theory. In the real world though, it's hard to see how all the negative emotions swirling about can lead to anything good.

Lastly, about the "R" word: Some time back here, I tried to make the case that Trump wasn't necessarily a racist; that it seemed to me he was better described as someone who had no problem appealing to racists. A number of my colleagues jumped on me to argue it was a distinction without a difference and I gave in. I couldn't say what I was trying to say as well as Kevin Drum did in this post.

Thank you. I'm hoping that writing this post will get him out of my head for a while so I can work on the really important stuff…like this just-announced project I have coming out next year. (No, it's not my big book on Jack Kirby but I'm working away on that, too.)

One of the most-read articles on this site is a piece I wrote in 1999 about the late Rod Hull, a very funny and brave man I worked with long ago. Most of the article is about an appearance he made with Johnny Carson which I got to observe live from about ten feet away. If you read that article, you might want to see this excerpt from that time he was on with Mr. Carson. If you didn't read that article, you might want to read it and then watch this excerpt from that time he was on with Mr. Carson. And I would suggest you do those things in that order — and either way, take note of how pleased Johnny obviously was with the segment. Johnny knew when his show was as funny as he always wanted it to be…

This ran here on November 18, 2010. I thought it was worth another look…

I keep having these odd conversations with people behind counters in stores. The other day, I took my mother to an oral surgeon for an extraction. I don't know why but this woman has now had 47 teeth taken out. Don't tell me human beings don't have that many. I've been keeping count.

Anyway, I had to kill 45 minutes and as I hadn't eaten, I walked a few blocks to where I knew of three sandwich shops, all selling subs and all next to one another. One is actually a Subway. The other two are smaller proprietorships which may or may not have other outlets but certainly don't have many. I went into the first one, which was not a Subway, and scanned the menu, taking note of a meatball sandwich which was described as containing meatballs, marinara sauce, mozzarella and green peppers, all served up on a french roll. I told him I'd like one of them but without the green peppers. I do not like green peppers and what's worse is that they do not like me.

The counterman huddled with his sandwich-maker and then informed me…

HIM: The chef says he will not make it without the green peppers.

ME: Are these sandwiches pre-made? Can't he leave the peppers off?

HIM: No, they are all made to order. He says he will not make the sandwich without the peppers. They are necessary for the full taste. You could just pick the peppers off.

ME: I don't want to pick the peppers off. I want a sandwich without the peppers in the first place. And why wouldn't he give me that if he realizes that I can just pick the peppers off?

HIM: He has pride in his work. He is a very good chef. He wants to serve you the best sandwich possible. What you do with it is your business. So do you still want a meatball sandwich?

ME: Yes but I think I'd like it from the place next door. Thanks.

I went to the adjacent sandwich shop (which was also not a Subway) and asked if they put peppers on their meatball sandwich. The man behind the counter there said, "I see you've been next door."

Audio Links from the first "demo" recording that Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick made for the show they were writing, Fiddler on the Roof. Thanks to all eleven of you who suggested I add this here.

Sixteen interesting things you probably didn't know about Fiddler on the Roof.

Here's a clip from a 1988 episode of Saturday Night Live hosted by Tom Hanks. A number of the bit players in it were writers on the show, including Conan O'Brien…

I keep telling people (and myself) that so much of what's going on in politics today will be irrelevant by the time we all have to vote for who'll be President of the United States for the next four-year term. Everything out there is too volatile to stay the same, starting with Trump's behavior. Perfect example? This morning's news that the alleged wealthy/alleged pedophile Jeffrey Epstein allegedly killed his alleged self.

No matter what the autopsy shows, a lot of folks will never believe this guy who was in so much trouble actually killed himself. That's not useful to anyone's cause. It's too tempting to decide he was murdered to protect the secret that [Insert name of person you hate] was deeply mixed-up in with all that rape and debauchery. It could be Bill Clinton, it could be Trump, it could be anyone you wish everyone would believe was evil and horrible and belongs in the cell next to Epstein's. Feel free to stick their name in the accusation and refuse to accept any of that silly "proof" stuff that may come up. Anyone can play.

Well, I have something to write about here but sadly, it's an obit for a dear, talented man named Ernie Colón. Ernie passed away yesterday in his home at the age of 88. He had been battling cancer for some time and whoever posted the death announcement on his Facebook page emphasized the "battling" part. Knowing Ernie, I absolutely believe that. He went down swinging…and probably also trying to top the last drawing he did.

I never knew an artist in comics who tried harder. You may not have liked everything he drew — and Ernie, who was deeply self-critical certainly didn't — but no one ever cared more.

Puerto Rican by birth, Ernie was an actor and a sculptor before turning to comics. He assisted for a time on the Joe Palooka newspaper strip and in 1964 began working for Harvey Comics, first as a letterer and before long as one of the main artists for Richie Rich, Casper the Friendly Ghost and various allied comics. He loved the work but felt confined by the style, and a few years later began drawing for Warren (Creepy, Eerie) busting out in unexpected ways. His work there was wonderful and energetic and in practically every story, he was experimenting with a new style or a new approach or some new way of designing a page.

This article will tell you more of the biographical stuff. Basically, he worked for every company that would have him — for DC, he did Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld and Arak, Son of Thunder; for Marvel, he did Damage Control — and he also illustrated a line of documentary comics in partnership with his friend and former editor Sid Jacobson. Ernie was also my former editor. For a time, he was an editor at DC and mine on Blackhawk. I do not compliment editors lightly but Ernie was an absolute joy to work with. A very good man.

In the 18 years, 7 months and 22 days I've been doing this blog, I have rarely had the problem that I couldn't think of anything to write about. I do not have that problem now but I'm having trouble coming up with anything that isn't about Donald Trump and/or Guns and/or White Supremacists. One of the many things I don't like about Trump — and it's a long, long list starting with the time he called my dear friend Jan Hooks a misogynistic
term because she was in sketches they did about him on Saturday Night Live — is the way he often seems to panic that all America is not talking about him. So what does he do at those moments? He does something stupid or vulgar to get that dialogue going again. There seems to be an overwhelming fear there that if we aren't talking about him, even if it's just to say we loathe him, he will somehow cease to exist.

I don't like this blog too much when it's mainly about one thing, no matter what that one thing is. That's because I don't like my life as much when my brain is working overtime on one topic, no matter what that one topic is. I've started a half-dozen posts this week that are either about D.J.T. or the N.R.A. or wind up inexplicably segueing into being about them. Then I stop and say, "No, I'm spending too much of my life writing/thinking about this stuff."

You can help. If you'd like to see more new content on this blog, send me some questions that aren't about Trump or guns or White Supremacists or how people like Tucker Carlson will say anything (anything!) if it keeps the old bank account bulging. The e-mail address to use is askme@newsfromme.com. It can be about comics, TV, animation, old comedians, tomato soup, the evils of cole slaw or any of the other vital topics on which this blog obsesses. Just stay away from politics because I have too many thoughts already along those lines. Thank you.

Are you concerned that Alexa, Siri or Google Assistant might be spying on you? Then you'll want to read this.

William Saletan makes an interesting point about White Supremacists — you know…those guys Tucker Carlson says barely exist. Saletan notes that White Supremacists used to argue that non-white races were inferior…ergo, the name "White Supremacists." Nowadays, a lot of them seem to be arguing non-whites are superior and therefore must be stopped. I don't completely buy into this but there's something to it.