WFMU's Beware of the Blog

Auctions? We Got Auctions! (Kaz, Hank Williams and Isaac Hayes)

Last week's auctions reinforced my relatively good opinion of humankind in general.  People stepped up to the auction block.  Not so we could auction them - although that could be an interesting marathon stunt - but so they could shell out dollars in exchange for exciting merchandise.  I don't know if there was any altruism in their actions - did they realize they were helping support free-form radio? 

I dunno.

Here's what I do know: this week I closed my eyes and thrust my fist into the "Wendy" to-be-auctioned box and pulled forth three more treasures. 

You wanna see what I turned up?  Go here.  Or keep reading.  Or both.

First, we have something to read while you are listening to the radio, even if you listen to the radio on the internet.  But please do not read this while you are driving.  Wait 'til you get home, or to the rest area.

Underworld: Cruel & Unusual Comics, the very first volume, by WFMU alum Kaz (Anyone remember The Nightmare Lounge?  I credit it with partially ruining my teenaged mind.  Thank you, guys, and I mean that in all sincerity.)  You may also recognize Kaz's work from such places as the Nickelodeon and Cartoon Networks, or from The Arizona Republic newspaper.   

Underworld gives me nostalgia for the NYC of my yout'.  Both are/were filled with rotund animals, knives, broken stuff, and cigarettes.  Well, maybe I'm imagining the rotund animals on NYC's streets of yore.

This week we got another fiiiine 78 rpm rekkid, on the MGM label, with the original protective sleeve.  It's Mister Hank Williams performing "Calling You" b/w "When God Comes And Gathers His Jewels."

Dang!

I must say, the vinyl wax is in bee-yoo-tee-ful condition.  Check out the pic, taken by the multi-talented Megan Murphy.  And if you ever wanted to know what my hands look like, there ya go. 

This is a good time of year to listen to Mister Hank Williams.  You can open the doors on your Victrola to really crank it up, and open your windows so all your neighbors can hear you yodeling along.  Sexy!

If you're on the prowl for a different type of sexy, have we got just the thing for you.  Aww yeahhh, it's Isaac Hayes.  And not just any Isaac Hayes, but a shirtless Isaac Hayes. 

No, not in person.  Sorry.  But the next best thing.  Shirtless Isaac Hayes peeking out from behind the  Advent-calendar-style doors on the front of this great live double-LP, Shirtless Isaac Hayes Live At The Sahara Tahoe.

Isaac Hayes, shirtless, performs some of his own compositions, as well as a few Motown covers, and some choice Bacharach/David songs.  And he does this all without the aid of a shirt.  Unbelievable!

 

The Return of Weekly WFMU Auctions!

I bet you thought our supply of splendid stuff to auction on eBay had dried up.  How else to explain the prolonged absence of recorded rarities, autographed artifacts and other useless items offered up by us to separate you from your ill-earned cash?

No, there are still plenty of treasures in the box that sits on top of the filing cabinet that rests in the penthouse of WFMU's luxuriously appointed headquarters.  The box that has a label that says "Wendy" on it.  Yup, lots of stuff in that box.

But for the better part of the year, there was no Wendy.

Well, yes there was.  I didn't cease to exist; I just lived too far away from Jersey City to coax those items onto eBay.

Now I'm back.

Let the bidding begin.

1. So are you all excited about the free concert coming up on July 4th?  You know, the one that's part of WFMU's Free Concert Music Series?  The one with Sonic Youth and The Feelies?  (If you have no idea what I'm talking writing about, go here.)

If you need a little extra encouragement on the excitement-o-meter, may I suggest this. 

Yes, it's "Crazy Rhythms" by The Feelies.  On glorious vinyl.  With the original inner sleeve.  And it's in beautiful condition. 

If you are the highest bidder, and you don't lollygag on paying us, you'll get the LP with plenty of time to play it over and over and over while practicing all your dance moves in the privacy of your own home so you will only look slightly like a dork at the show on July 4th.

2. Speaking of dorks, if you were one of those comic book dorks back in the 80s...
But wait, they call them "Graphic Novels" now, and only the very cool kids are into the ones not starring superheroes.

Right.

If you were one of those ahead-of-your-time Graphic Novel readers back in the 80s, Love & Rockets does not equal that poppy, glammish result of when Bauhaus met the wrecking ball.

No, Love & Rockets equals Los Bros Hernandez.

And we've got the very first issue.  Yes, Issue #1.
Holy crap!

This isn't one of those collections.  This is the actual first issue, with a business card from some guy at Fantagraphics stapled to the front cover.  There's only one staple holding the card there so you can easily remove it.

3. From the Arcane Audiophile Department, we offer an actual 78 rpm record, this one by the Mr. King of the Swingers, Louis Prima.

Side A is "Marguerita" and the other side is "Bridget O'Brien."

Both the wax and the labels are in lovely condition, perfect for playing, framing, or just nailing right into the wall.

Crank up those old Victrolas and let the dance party begin.  Hey, if the oil crisis really becomes a crisis on these shores, you might be the only one in your block, building or neighborhood to have some semblance of a stereo.

The smart bidder will snatch it up before the Ol' Codger figures out how to turn on a computer and beats you to it.

So that's it for this week's eBay offerings.  Support freeform radio!  Support WFMU!   

 

   

I Believe That (Stoned) Children Are Our Future

While Dr. Seuss may have quietly but most assuredly extolled the virtues of LSD, some kids' authors are being a little less subtle when it comes to the Sweet Leaf. Follow the pictoral excerpts from the new publication It's Just A Plant and get involved in your kids' choices. Bryce thinks maybe this kid has already made her choice. However, I think what really should be outlawed is taking your kid bike riding wearing Sgt. Pepper garb, but who am I to judge. (Thanks for link, Tom Lax.)

Fumetti Terror Blu on Groovy Age of Horror

(NSFW) The Groovy Age of Horror is a blog devoted to bizarre horror paperbacks, comics and movies. For the past year the curators have been posting scans of Italian Fumetti (comics), starting with the wild and weird series Terror Blu. The stories are a sick and hilarious mix of gynecological and genital terror told within ludicrous sci-fi storylines The stuff is not for the faint of heart but I'm sure your ghoulish curiosity will get the better of you as you scratch your head wondering how anyone concocted such a carnival of carnage.

Joe Belock Graffiti Extends to Comic World

Garfield As a Real Cat / Garfield Removed

As if the daily Marmaduke Explained wasn't enough postmodernism for your morning coffee, now another cartoon animal icon seems to be getting tamper treatment with unusual frequency these days. First I saw this take on Garfield which actually casts him as a real cat (top, via Cynical C Blog). Then, Magpie offered Exhibit B (bottom) in which he is wiped from the strip completely. In full disclosure though, this is just another excuse to post a link to Meatus Murder's  "El Garfield" (MP3), possibly the only time you'll ever hear Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds song altered to cast a spotlight on an overweight lasagna-eating feline. Though with Blixa Bargeld's culinary talents, there may indeed be many more of those kinds of songs in their catalogue.

My Favorite Mandrake the Magician Strip

Mandrake the Magician not only gestured hypnotically, he also dreamt hypnotically.

Mandrake creator Lee Falk spent his early World War Two years dispensing disinformation as Propaganda Director for radio station KMOX in Illinois. Aside from creating The Phantom and Mandrake, he was apparently nuts about theatre--he owned five of them. Falk wrote a couple of plays, produced more than three hundred and even filled the directing chair when he felt like it. His dedicated ensemble included Basil Rathbone, Shelly Winters, Victor Jory, Marlon Brando, Ethel Waters, Chico Marx, James Mason, Paul Robeson, Paul Newman, and Eva Gabor.

Falk wrote the script for Mandrake from 1934 until his last days hospital-bound in New York City in the spring of 1999. Tearing off his oxygen mask, Lee would dictate Mandrake's latest adventures to an attentive assistant.

One time Falk remarked:

"Each artist, out of his own interests and imagination, creates his own world in his strip - this is true of Peanuts, Beetle Bailey, Popeye, all good strips. And you accomplish this not by imitating others - you come up with your own idea. To me, The Phantom and Mandrake are very real - much more than the people walking around whom I don't see very much. You have to believe in your own characters."

This is my favorite Mandrake strip. It was one of the last strips that Falk wrote. I remember the rest of the week as being pretty stellar as well.

Here I Come To Save The Dazed

Bruce Wayne...owner of a private technology firm, philanthropist, Episcopalian, halfwit millionaire, uppity faux playboy, Caped Crusader, Dark Kni...

Episcopalian?

Hey, fictional average Joes with secret alter-egos--or, in Batman's case, fictional secret alter-egos with secret average Joes--have the right to worthily magnify, too.  Superheroes can make negligibly impetuous decisions from time to time ("Bruce Wayne, Dick...pleased to make your acquaintance") or might need a little hand to revive a dead guy (The Thing evoking the Godhead in Yiddish to attempt saving the life of Yancy Street's resident pawnbroker, Mr. Sheckenberg).  Nothing's ever dictated they can't summon the lean, mean Lamb and the Heavenly Host Posse when confronted with an ethical or spiritual quandary they can't seem to lick on their own. 

Let's face it; batarangs, lassoes or forms of a methyl trichloride-soaked towel or 5th Avenue bar laced with a gentle laxative don't lend much credence if, in some of the more heavily devout cases, they're not backed up by the messianic seal of approval courtesy of--dare I say--The Backhand.  The Big Black Bat, Zatanna (eclectic Pentecostal Dianic Wiccan--hoooo), The Man of Steel (Kryptonian religion AND Methodist) and many more are humbly belting out rousing flourishes of "Kumbaya" around the ecumenical campfire in this canonical compendium of superpower sectarianism.  Don't ask me how these creeps found their way into the circle.  Yeah...not warmly invited.

Anyway, praise the Lord--and pass the Holy Bat-Drinking Water Dispenser!!

Any Book Depicting Don Henley Being Savaged By Crazed Birds = Perfect Post-Xmas Gift

Thanks to the artist just known as "Mark" (perhaps wisely forgetting to put his last name to avoid having Glenn Danzig and Jerry Only show up at his front door) for sending his Slade Vs the Monkeys comic book, as well as allowing us to put some of his artistic executions up on the blog. The Goner store should have 'em ready for your shopping cart. In the meantime, enjoy such scenes captured as:

 

Sad Archie Club News #1

President and co-publisher of Archie Comics, Richard Goldwater, passed away last week at the age of old. He was the son of John Goldwater, one of the heads of MLJ, the comic book company that created Archie. MLJ gave birth to Archie in a 1941 issue of Pep Comics. If you're like me, you remember thinking the day that issue came out, "He's no Cubby Bear." It was the elder John who arranged the deal with Spire Christian Comics to allow Al Hartley use of the Riverdale characters for a line of "Christian Archies." Anyway, his son Richard started working for the company in the fifties and remained there until his death. Archie Comics made the official announcement concerning Goldwater's passing over the weekend and you can read it here. Funny enough, most of the obits I've read so far did the same thing I just did and spoke primarily of his father's achievements. Sorry about that Rich. (In the photo L-R: managing editor Victor Gorelick, co-owner and publishers Michael Silberkleit and Richard Goldwater. Click to enlarge.)

Archie Club News #15

Throughout the nineteen sixties, seventies and eighties, most issues of Archie Comics featured a two-page spread titled Archie Club News. The banner at the top of the page announced, "ARCHIE CLUB MEMBERS send in your reports and be eligible to win cash prizes in the Archie Series Magazines." The results of this venture were generally irrelevant notes sent in like, "Dear Archie, I want to tell you about Citizen Band Radios..." Often what was sent in appeared to be part of a class project. Elementary school children were in the process of learning how to write letters and encouraged by a teacher to send something Riverdale way. Sometimes the letters were weird or even profound and other times prophetic or just silly. The following letter originally appeared in Laugh #236, November 1970:

Dear Archie,

How would you like to start out on a peaceful trip to Europe, and end up in a Russian invasion?

Holy Batman, Batman!

The internet, as we all know, is good for nerds of all types. Whether you're obsessed with Doo Wop from 1954 only, the life and times of Conrad Janis, the adventures of Dick Tracy in outer space, or simply a greasy twerp who has never seen a naked woman - the internet is for you.

Personally, I'm a Batman nerd. Specifically a devotee of the Batman television show starring Adam West and Burt Ward. The internet has been very good to us.

Robin and a Hooker in Kansas - I don't even know what to make of this footage. Here we have an interviewer determined to get the dirt on Batman and Robin's homosexuality and Robin producing a floozy to thwart off all suspicion. It's just too much -  Burt Ward was obviously trying desperately to retain his fame and popularity as we find him in the early seventies appearing at the Joyland Amusement Park in Wichita, Kansas. It also starts off with the song Boy Wonder, I Love You.

The Burt Ward Sessions -  When I heard about this project - I couldn't believe I had not heard of this project. In 1968, Burt Ward as Robin collaborated with Frank Zappa - creating one of the great novelty songs of all time Boy Wonder, I Love You. It was based on actual fan mail addressed to the young Dick Grayson. Listen to that track and its equally perverse flipside, Orange Colored Sky, composed by the eccentric Milton DeLugg (the subject of a soon to be released article in this very spot) over here. You can also hear the alternate tracks, the instrumentals, the un-used tracks and everything else from this incredible session on the same page. Read what Burt Ward had to say about his Frank Zappa record making experience in his autobiography My Life in Tights at the bottom of this page.

More fun after Les Jumps...

Archie Club News #14

Throughout the nineteen sixties, seventies and eighties, most issues of Archie Comics featured a two-page spread titled Archie Club News. The banner at the top of the page announced, "ARCHIE CLUB MEMBERS send in your reports and be eligible to win cash prizes in the Archie Series Magazines." The results of this venture were generally irrelevant notes sent in like, "Dear Archie, I want to tell you about my infection..." Often what was sent in appeared to be part of a class project. Elementary school children were in the process of learning how to write letters and encouraged by a teacher to send something Riverdale way. Sometimes the letters were weird or even profound and other times prophetic or just silly.

The following letter originally appeared in Reggie & Me #42, July 1970:

Dear Archie,

I would like to tell you about my project for the year 1970. The project is raising money for my mother's and father's anniversary gift. My goal is $8.00. I am going to raise this money by doing odd jobs around the house and not spending any money on candy. These are some tips if someone else is trying to raise money.

Deborah Lofthouse
5905 Electric Avenue
Berkely, Calif. 60163

Deborah was two dollars closer to her goal when she won the third prize for her letter this issue. Any punctuation or spelling errors are recreated here just as they appear in the actual comic book.

Archie Club News #11, #12 and #13

Throughout the nineteen sixties, seventies and eighties, most issues of Archie Comics featured a two-page spread titled Archie Club News. The banner at the top of the page announced, "ARCHIE CLUB MEMBERS send in your reports and be eligible to win cash prizes in the Archie Series Magazines." The results of this venture were generally irrelevant notes sent in like, "Dear Archie, the lion is known as King of the Jungle..." Often what was sent in appeared to be part of a class project. Elementary school children were in the process of learning how to write letters and encouraged by a teacher to send something Riverdale way. Sometimes the letters were weird or even profound and other times prophetic or just silly.

The following letter originally appeared in Life with Archie #105, January 1971:

Dear Archie,

These days more and more people seem to be finding themselves. They seem to have found their "bags" as a hip person might put it. But I suppose that I have known what my bag has been for the longest time. My bag is reading. It might sound weird and dull to you, but that is what it is. And although it may be weird it is far from dull ... Young persons today tend to experiment with drugs and other things, so why don't they try reading? You can certainly become addicted to it, but it's not a harmful addiction. You have nothing to lose and as a matter of fact you actually gain a lot ...

Archie Club News #9 and #10

Throughout the nineteen sixties, seventies and eighties, most issues of Archie Comics featured a two-page spread titled Archie Club News. The banner at the top of the page announced, "ARCHIE CLUB MEMBERS send in your news reports and be eligible to win cash prizes in the Archie Series Magazines." The results of this venture were generally irrelevant notes sent in like "Dear Archie, Let me tell you about composting." Often what was sent in appeared to be part of a class project. Elementary school children were in the process of learning how to write letters and encouraged by a teacher to send something Riverdale way. Sometimes the letters were weird or even profound and other times prophetic or just silly.

The following letter originally appeared in Life with Archie #224, July 1981:

Dear Archie,

First of all, I don't think we should be assigned homework, because this is what our everyday schedule turns out to be: go to school for six and a half hours, get home and have about two hours to play, eat and do homework, then have about an hour to watch television or read, then go to bed!!!

Also, if the town decides to put a new road in, what have kids got to say about it? Nothing! We just watch all the nature and animals get torn away! Then everyone says we can do our part to help, but our part is a tiny speck ...

Also, I do think there should be some more DECENT movies. It's been at least four months since I've gone to the show.

Janise Orton
167 East Main Street
Springville, N.Y. 14141

The furious Janise Orton won the first prize of six dollars for this issue. Another child with strong opinions after the jump...

Archie Club News #8

Throughout the nineteen sixties, seventies and eighties, most issues of Archie Comics featured a two-page spread titled Archie Club News. The banner at the top of the page announced, "ARCHIE CLUB MEMBERS send in your news reports and be eligible to win cash prizes in the Archie Series Magazines." The results of this venture were generally irrelevant notes sent in like "Dear Archie, Have you ever seen a giraffe?" Often what was sent in appeared to be part of a class project. Elementary school children were in the process of learning how to write letters and encouraged by a teacher to send something Riverdale way. Sometimes the letters were weird or even profound and other times prophetic or just silly.

The following letter originally appeared in Jughead #190, April 1971:

Dear Archie,

I love listening to synthetic music with my stereo. That is, music from a moog computer. Sometimes I can get the sound completely balanced, and it is hard to tell where the sound is coming from. It sounds real neat! It's easy to read while I listen, because certain, well-synthesized tempered music isn't very distracting, and it is easy to understand what you are reading. However, I wouldn't recommend doing homework and listening to it at the same time.

Keith MacNevins
528 S. Edgewood Avenue
Lombard, Ill. 60148

Kevin's letter won the fourth prize of one dollar for this issue.

EXTRA ADDED SUPER SECRET SPECIAL BONUS: I'm sure Kevin would have loved this. It's Claude Denjean and his moog synthesizer performing The Archies' number one hit Sugar, Sugar.

Archie Club News #7

Throughout the nineteen sixties, seventies and eighties, most issues of Archie Comics featured a two-page spread titled Archie Club News. The banner at the top of the page announced, "ARCHIE CLUB MEMBERS send in your news reports and be eligible to win cash prizes in the Archie Series Magazines." The results of this venture were generally irrelevant notes sent in like "Dear Archie, I love your records and cartoon show - they are the most!" Often what was sent in appeared to be part of a class project. Elementary school children were in the process of learning how to write letters and encouraged by a teacher to send something Riverdale way. Sometimes the letters were weird or even profound and other times prophetic or just silly.

This letter originally appeared in Laugh #186, September 1966:

Dear Archie,

I took a trip to Disneyland last summer. I had the most fun ... in the motel. At night when we were looking out of the motel there were beautiful sights. Everything was so colorful and bright. The scenery is very nice at night. In the motel we had two bedrooms and a kitchen. I was very sorry when we came back home. But I still love the place. I hope that everybody gets to go to Disneyland.

Nanette Szabo
1601 Spring Road
Cleveland, Ohio

This letter won the fifth prize of one dollar. Sort of reminds you of that old cliché about the kid who receives an expensive toy as a gift but ends up being more interested in the empty box. A google search informs us that Ms. Szabo is now a customer service rep for a chemical company in Avon, Ohio. The small town of Avon is home to the annual Avon Heritage Duct Tape Festival!

Archie Club News #6

Previously I have stated that "most issues of Archie Comics featured a two-page spread titled Archie Club News." Most, but not all. In titles like That Wilkin' Boy or Betty and Me, the spot usually reserved for Archie Club News featured readers sending their letters and questions to advice columns manned by their favorite comic book characters. The following is from the feature "Dear Betty and Veronica."

This letter originally appeared in Archie Giant Series Magazine: Betty and Veronica Spectacular  #210, July 1973.

I'm kind of fat, but all in the middle -- sort of what you'd call a "spare tire" ! The boy I like keeps complimenting me! He says I have a cute face and nice legs and if I lost weight I'd be beautiful! Should I take this as a joke or that maybe he really likes me?

J.C., B'KLYN, N.Y.

The reply came from either Betty or Veronica - it is not specified which. I'm going to guess it was Veronica who devised this answer:

A "spare tire" is never a joke! I think he really likes you and I wouldn't "spare" anytime getting rid of the "spare tire"!

Archie Club News #5

Throughout the nineteen sixties, seventies and eighties, most issues of Archie Comics featured a two-page spread titled Archie Club News. The banner at the top of the page announced, "ARCHIE CLUB MEMBERS send in your news reports and be eligible to win cash prizes in the Archie Series Magazines." The results of this venture were generally irrelevant notes sent in like "Dear Archie, Let me tell you the day I got a tape worm..." Often what was sent in appeared to be part of a class project. Elementary school children were in the process of learning how to write letters and encouraged by a teacher to send something Riverdale way. Sometimes the letters were weird or even profound and other times prophetic or just silly.

This letter originally appeared in The New Archies #14 May 1989:

Dear Archie:

My report is on computers ... In the future, computers will become an even more important part of our lives than they are today. Computers will also be different and more powerful. While some people say that computers will never replace humans because computers can't think, that's not necessarily true. Scientists are already experimenting with computers that can actually think for themselves! Who knows, maybe when you grow up, computers will have the right to vote!

Stephen Perkins
Cordele, GA

I think Stephen accurately predicts the problems we'd experience eleven years later with computerized voting machines. Although computers do not legally possess the right to vote, they are more than willing to change a vote for a democrat to that of a republican. Good call Stephen. By the way, I'm fairly certain that this Stephen Perkins is not the drummer from Jane's Addiction.

If you've read the other letters in our Archie Club News series you may also notice a difference here. Archie Comics decided by the late eighties to no longer print the child's full street address. Previously the full name, city, street address and zip code were provided for all to read. Initially, the concept behind giving out a letter writer's address was to encourage the worldwide Archie Comics pen pal program. By signing up to be a card carrying member of the exclusive Archie Club you also allowed yourself to be put on the roster of lonely children desperate to find somebody else who read Archie comics. Did it instead encourage molesters to lure kids with promises of free Archie Comics instead of candy? Probably not, but one imagines that was the reasoning behind the change.

For Those Missing the Dysfunctional Family Circus

Looks like Wayne Butane has taken to scrambling the visual medium with the same vigor as his famed audio cut-ups (and he's offering a lot of that too, not to mention some of his collected MP3s in case you really feel the need to hear a Mick Jagger/Sam Kinison duet on "Under My Thumb").

Wayne Butane on WFMU
A Very Special Wayne Butane Xmas (Excerpt) (MP3)