Jon Stewart this evening. It's all about Donald Trump's concept of the First Amendment: Free speech for me but not for thee…

Every year about this time, we solicit nominations for the annual Bill Finger Award for Excellence in Comic Book Writing. This is an award that's presented every year at Comic-Con International in San Diego and it's for — and let me be very clear and boldface about this — someone who has a body of work as a comic book writer by someone who is or was unrecognized and/or unrewarded for it.

For some reason each year, we hear from folks who don't grasp the concept. One guy doggedly each year nominates his favorite artist on the premise (he explained) that any award relating to comic books is a joke if his favorite artist, who has never written anything for the medium, has not received it. A few folks each year nominate a favorite writer who, though perhaps brilliant, has only written a few funnybooks. Invariably, someone who doesn't understand what the word "posthumous" means nominates a favorite writer who is still breathing. And there are actually people in this world who think Stan Lee, the highest-paid, most famous person ever in comics, was unrecognized and/or unrewarded.

Oh, and speaking of getting things wrong…

The Blue Ribbon Committee — who, in all honesty, neither has nor bestows ribbons of any color — will select two people to receive this honor — one who is alive and one who isn't. ("Isn't," in this case, is the definition of "posthumous." And if you have a good candidate for that award, please try and suggest someone who would be an appropriate person to come pick it up — a relative, a co-worker, someone.)

All past nominations will be considered so if you nominated someone in the past, you need not submit them again. Basically, we're asking if any new names have occurred to you.

Those who have already received this honor are ineligible to receive it again. The full list of such people can be read over on this page. This will not stand in the way of the guy who writes in every year to suggest that we give it to Jack Kirby every year.

Here's the address for nominations. They will be accepted until April 15 at which time all reasonable suggestions will be placed before the committee and we'll make our decisions. They'll be announced before this year's Comic-Con International in San Diego and the awards will be presented then and there.

Senator Bernie Sanders and Congressperson Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have been on what they call a "Fighting Oligarchy" tour, making their case in various towns about Income Inequality and what they believe are efforts by the White House and Republicans in Congress to make a bad situation worse. The diligent folks over at Politifact took a look at what Sanders and A.O.C. are saying and found that while some of it required a bit of context, most of what they claimed as facts were, indeed, facts.

In the early fifties, NEA (The Newspaper Enterprise Association) syndicated a comic strip called Chris Welkin, Planeteer. It was done by Art Sansom and Russ Winterbotham and it was drawn in a so-so Milton Caniff style. It only lasted a few years but in 1954, someone tried selling it as a TV series with the kind of extremely-limited animation that was the norm for animated programs produced for early television. As far as we know, only two episodes were made.

The voices were done by Marvin Miller and Virginia Gregg. Mr. Miller was one of the most-heard voice actors and announcers of his day and he did a lot of on-camera roles, one of which was starring in the TV series, The Millionaire. Ms. Gregg was an actress seen all over the place, especially in everything produced by Jack Webb.

I know about this because my good buddy Will Meugniot stumbled across it and now I share the two episodes…

Daniel Dale of CNN fact-checks some of the not-true things Trump has said lately. Honda has not announced they're building a new plant in Indiana. Our trade deficit with China is under $300 billion (not $1.2 trillion), just as our trade deficit with Canada is nowhere near $200 billion. "21 million" migrants were not allowed into the country by the Biden administration. And so on and so on and so on…

I've always liked this song. It's the title tune from a musical I don't particularly care for but the song is, to me, just wonderful. I also like the vocal group Voctave and here they are singing it. The soloist is Tituss Burgess…

As you probably know, a bunch of us have put together a "Celebration of Life," that life belonging to our friend, the late Michael Schlesinger. To that end, we are accepting RSVPs at celebrateschlesinger@gmail.com. At that address, we recently received the following e-mail…

Dear celebrateschlesinger,

I am Barrister William Douglas, I contacted you over the claim of deposit made by my deceased client who shares the same last name with you as enshrined in his deposit agreement, I want you to assist me in receiving this amount of US$12.5 million in your designated bank account as beneficiary to my deceased client who died in a ghastly accident with his wife and only child, I have been searching for his close relative's over the years but all my attempts proved futile, Presently the bank has issued urgent notice to me as the deceased Attorney to present a beneficiary with the same last name, or they will go ahead in confiscating his account as unclaimed assets, I will provide all the relevant documents and information relating to the deposit that will enable the bank to release and transfer the funds to you without lapses, I will offer you 50% of the total amount, confidential and 100% risk-free. reply immediately.

Yours Sincerely,
Barrister William Douglas.

Sounds legit to me. I mean, the guy's a barrister, right?

The diligent folks at FactCheck.org have two debunkings for us today! Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues to say all sorts of misleading and unsupported things about the measles. And the fact-checkers tear into the claim by Donald Trump that pardons signed by Joe Biden are invalid if they were signed via autopen. This is the same guy named Trump who tried claiming that the president can declassify any classified document without committing that declassification to paper; that all he has to do is think about it.

In both cases, I think you have men who are just saying whatever they think their supporters want to hear, regardless of the reality. Lovely.

I've never liked boxing or even the premise behind boxing — people hitting each other and the one who does a better job hitting wins. But I liked one boxer. George Foreman and I had the same attorney and through him, I met George and he sure didn't seem like the kind of guy who'd hit or harm a flea. He was genial, friendly and even funny.

I can still make myself laugh recalling one time he was on with Johnny Carson because George was about to get into the ring for the first time in quite a while. They were talking about the guy George was about to battle and Johnny asked, "Is he a good fighter?" George replied…

No, I think I'll let you hear him say it himself. It's near the end of this conversation. Watch the whole thing. It's only six minutes…

That was what George was like when I was around him. And the fact that I was around him a few times led to him asking to do a voice in an episode of Garfield and Friends. We had him in — he played a boxer who couldn't stop eating — and he was real good, though a couple of people saw his name in the credits and didn't believe it.

But it was him and he was a joy to work with, a joy to be around…and full disclosure: It was the only time in my career as a Voice Director for cartoons that I took a bribe from someone I'd hired. He sent me a grill. Autographed.

WonderCon Anaheim convenes one week from today at the Animation Convention Center, located just a few blocks from Disneyland — which is the same distance as the line to get into the Indiana Jones ride. Badges are still available and you can find out how to get one or more here. But the best reason to go is to attend one or more of these breathtaking presentations…

WRITING FOR ANIMATION
Friday, March 28 from 3:30PM to 4:30PM in Room 213AB
Did you ever want to write cartoons? Or just want to know how it's done? Well, here's a panel for you! Some folks who've written some of your favorite shows will fill you in on what they do, how they do it, and how they got to do it -— plus they'll answer your questions about the art of creating scripts for animation. Brynne Chandler (Disney's Gargoyles), Paul Dini (Batman: The Animated Series), and John Semper (Spider-Man: The Animated Series) are hosted by moderator Mark Evanier (The Garfield Show).

HANNA-BARBERA HISTORY
Friday, March 28 from 4:30PM to 5:30PM in Room 213AB
Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera were the kings of TV animation for decades, especially on Saturday mornings. Their studio produced countless childhood favorites, including The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Scooby Doo, Yogi Bear, Space Ghost, Top Cat, Quick Draw McGraw, Jonny Quest, The Smurfs, Superfriends, and dozens of others. Come hear all about what went on in the hallowed halls of Hanna-Barbera from writers Mark Evanier and John Semper (who worked at that studio) and animation historians Jerry Beck and Greg Ehrbar.

TALES FROM MY SPINNER RACK (LIVE!)
Saturday, March 29 from 3:00PM to 4:00PM in Room 209
With the new Fantastic Four: First Steps movie coming out in just a few short months, Gary Sassaman (former director of programming and publications, Comic-Con and WonderCon) takes a nostalgic look back at “The World's Greatest Comic Magazine!” in this graphics-filled presentation featuring the “first steps” of the Fantastic Four comic book series by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Joining Sassaman to discuss growing up with the F.F. and Kirby's boundless creativity is WonderCon special guest Mark Evanier (Kirby: King of Comics, Groo the Wanderer), friend and former assistant of the artist.

CARTOON VOICES
Saturday, March 29 from 4:00PM to 5:00PM in Room 207
It wouldn t be WonderCon without one of Mark Evanier's famous panels of folks who supply the voices for your favorite cartoon characters and TV shows. This time, Mark has assembled Kimberly Woods (Archer, X-Men '97), Wally Wingert (Invader Zim, The Garfield Show), Candi Milo (Looney Tunes, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends), Daniel Ross (Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures) and a surprise or two!

STAN AND JACK
Saturday, March 29 from 5:00PM to 6:00PM in Room 210
Daniel Fingeroth is the author of A Marvelous Life: The Amazing Story of Stan Lee. Mark Evanier is the author of Kirby, King of Comics. So the authors of the most-read books about Stan Lee and Jack Kirby will discuss both men and what they meant to the comic book industry, the Marvel Age of Comics, and the childhoods of an awful lot of people.

TWO MARKS ANSWER QUESTIONS
Sunday, March 30 from 11:00am to 12:00PM in Room 207
If there's anything (a-n-y-t-h-i-n-g) you 've ever wanted to know about comic books, the characters, the people who created them, the business…anything, this is the panel for you! If writers Mark Waid and Mark Evanier don't know it, no one does. Come armed with questions!

JACK KIRBY TRIBUTE
Sunday, March 30 from 12:00PM to 1:00PM in Room 207
At every WonderCon, we make time to remember the man they call The King of Comics, Jack Kirby. Former Kirby assistant Mark Evanier heads up a dais of folks who knew the man or at least his amazing career. This time out, Mark is joined by two members of Jack's family — Tracy Kirby and Jeremy Kirby — as well as John Morrow (publisher of The Jack Kirby Collector), Rand Hoppe (founding trustee/director of the Jack Kirby Museum & Research Center), Kirby family friend Dave Schwartz, and attorney Henry W. Holmes (better known as the Kirby-drawn character Destroyer Lawyer).

As always, everything — panels, the rooms they're in, the times they occur, the people who are on them — is subject to change. Usually, they don't but sometimes, they do so don't be shocked. The entire programming schedule can be found here just in case you're one of those odd people who might go to panels that don't have me on them.

So Trump is claiming that Canadians would be happier if their country became one of the United States because they'd pay less in taxes.  As Glenn Kessler points out, that's not really true, what a surprise.

And among the many other reasons this ain't gonna happen is that Canada is unlikely to become our 51st state is that Canadians are not likely to want to swap their universal health care for what the U.S. offers.  Ours was much worse than theirs even before Trump and his minions began dismantling it.

Here's a musical I've never seen on a stage: George M, the story of George M. Cohan, told (reportedly) a bit more accurately than the movie Yankee Doodle Dandy and featuring songs written by the man himself.  It opened in New York in April of 1968 to mixed reviews, ran almost exactly one year (433 performances) and won a Tony nomination for its star, Joel Grey.

In 1970, it was adapted for a star-filled television special with Grey repeating the title role and Bernadette Peters (who played Cohan's sister on Broadway) with Nanette Fabray, Jack Cassidy, Blythe Danner, Lewis J. Stadlen, Anita Gillette, Jesse White and Red Buttons. This version, unlike what played at the Palace Theater in New York, opens with those actors playing themselves preparing to do a run-through of the play. At least, I don't think the Broadway version was framed that way. This is that TV version and you may enjoy it, especially if you like seeing Jack Cassidy steal every scene he's in…

We could make this a daily feature here: Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. saying something really stupid, claiming it's backed-up by numerous studies and then being unable to name any of those studies…or at least, any studies that sound authoritative.  This time, he's extolling the benefits of catching the measles.  Any day now, he'll be telling us that "some doctors" say that getting run over by a truck can be beneficial to your well-being.

I erred horribly in this post when I said the potato crisp known as Munchos didn't last long. They not only lasted a long time but they're still made. Many of you wrote to tell me, as one of you put it, "They may not be available where you live but they're available where I live." So I checked the websites of some local (to me) markets and found out that they are available in a few stores — including some at which I've shopped — in Los Angeles. I just somehow never noticed them.

Compounding my error about their continued existence, I also guessed wrong about what was in them. I ventured they were — and I quote myself — "reconstituted dehydrated potatoes mixed with corn starch, monosodium glutamate and maltodextrin." Perhaps they were when they were first introduced but here is the current ingredient list for at least one flavor of Munchos…

All of this made me curious about what Munchos are like.  I was thinking of whipping up a batch of them in my kitchen but I seem to be low on Ferrous Sulfate and completely out of Thiamin Mononitrate.  Given this lack of ingredients, I decided it might be easier to just order a bag of Munchos from one of the markets that bring me my groceries.

So I will soon try them and report back to you.  I hope I don't like Munchos because I wouldn't want to eat something like that on a regular basis.  If they're good, I could easily see myself acting like the Cookie Monster prototype in those commercials.

In 1969, Jim Henson produced several commercials for a new potato crisp called Munchos. Munchos didn't last long, but a furry creature in those ads named "Arnold" soon got a different voice, found a great street to live on and discovered cookies were much tastier than reconstituted dehydrated potatoes mixed with corn starch, monosodium glutamate and maltodextrin…