Sven- Destroy All Monsters

 

The year is 1999.  All of earth's monsters are now contained on an island chain.  It is called Monsterland.  The monsters don't seem to be that happy to be there, as several of them keep trying to escape. Most of them must be relatively content, though.  There is a lot of food for them to eat and space for the monsters to roam.  The science center is underground and is studying them for science.  Everything is going well.  Then the Kilaak happen.  They let all the monsters out so they can try to take over the world!

Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur 05- Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

 

IN which Lunella  wants good hair after getting made fun of for her "afro poofs".  She invents a new elixir to remove her curls without damaging her hair.  This works... for about 14 seconds.  Then her hair falls off.  Lu freaks out, and doesn't notice her hair has crawled off under it's own power.  She calls Kasey, who offers Lu one of the many wigs in her collection.  Mane decides to torment Lu for rejecting her.  Finally they both realize they need each other, and Mane returns to her origins.

DESTROY ALL MONSTERS- A FLAMING MONSTER

                     

KISS Destroyer cover

 

I love this album cover.  I love the LP as well, but the cover is amazing.  I bought this record right around the same time that the first Marvel comic book starring KISS was released.  I didn't really have any idea what to expect from it.  The opening song, "Detroit Rock City" sure wasn't quite what I thought it would be, what with a car crash at the end of the song.  The rest of the album was amazing as well. I of course had no idea about the making of the LP at that time, nor what went into the production.  I naively assumed that the band went into the studio, plugged in and recorded the songs.  Ha!   I was also only vaguely aware of how many songs were about sex.  I laugh at young me now, but I also kinda miss him.

HOTW- Blue Beetle

 Dan Garret(t) was a policeman that fought crime as the Blue Beetle.  His partner was sure the Beetle was a criminal, but was clueless as to his real identity.  Dan later got a bulletproof costume and also use Vitamin 2X to enhance his strength and stamina temporarily.  During the war he gained the powers of flight and other bizarre powers.  These faded after the war, but he continued on in his quest against crime.  He had the requisite kid sidekick for a while as well.

Square Pegs - The Waitresses

          

Xenorama #53!

 

Xenorama #53 is in the process of being approved as I type this out.  The Space Giants will walk the Earth once more in order to stop the evil mastermind Rodak!  This issue will feature both the live-action television show and the thirteen episode OVA from 1993.  The show was pretty rare in the US until the 90s when VHS tapes started showing up with traders.  I watched it once, and even with the redubbed audio over cleaner copies from laser disc it didn't grab my attention back then.  It was a different type of show than, say, Ultraman.

Speed Racer and more

 

I have covered the black and white Japanese cartoons that got imported over here pretty well now, so I think the color ones should get an issue or two.  Right now I have Kimba, the White Lion, Speed Racer and Gigantor all in the same issue, but I may split them up.  I also want to do an issue about Astro Boy, but there have been so many incarnations with that character he will get his own book.  That just might happen with all of them.  Speed already has a great book published some twenty years ago, though it is probably out of print by now.  Their 60th anniversaries are all coming up soon, so we will plan accordingly.

Sven- The Mole People (1955)

 

Three archeologists venture to the Himalayas in search of lost people.  They find a tunnel down to the lower depths (can't be more than 11 miles, ask Jules Verne) and lo and behold, they find a race of albino Sumerians.  They use mutant mole people as slaves, as well as most of their women.  The Sumerians think the doctors are gods sent from Ishtar, and the docs let them believe that.  The flashlight helps.  Eventually, the lie is found out, and the docs have to leave as the Mole People have had enough and revolt.  Ishtar herself must have had enough, as earthquakes destroy the city and the tunnel down to it.  Our heroes escape, but the woman Adelle suddenly changes her mind and heads back.  Then she gets killed by collapsing debris.  The end.

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur 04- Check Yourself

 

In which Lunella's compulsion to win at all games brings her to battle a super computer with AI.  The game is chess, and they draw.  LOS-307 just wants a friend, but Luna can't comprehend that.  Having to be a winner is not always a good thing.  LOS overheats, and they bring all the electronics to life to battle Lu.  Devil finally arrives to help.  Eventually, things are patched up and LOS gets a job at Lu's school.  Lu says she has learned how to play games properly.

The Mole People (1956) - Clip: Mole Labor (HD)

            

Super Friends- G.E.E.C.

 

The title is "Professor Goodfellow's G.E.E.C."  The good professor develops a super computer which will relieve people of all the work in the world.  They can rest and learn and do whatever they want to do.  It is full of safeguards and will never fail.  He names it Goodfellow's Effort Eliminating Computer, and for a time, it works perfectly.  However, the prof leaves his cheese sandwich in the computer control room, which leads a mouse to get in.  After it has its feast, it runs all over the buttons and switches, making the entire world go crazy.  Good thing Plastic Man is there to help out.

HOTW- Astro Boy

 

Astro Boy was a robot made as a replacement for a deceased son of a brilliant scientist.  This is the same story in all the adaptions of the manga, no matter what language.  Astro is an extremely powerful robot (or android, take your pick).  He battles villains, other robots and even aliens.  During the course of the series he even manages to strike a blow for the rights of robots to exist.  And then at the very end of the series Astro proves he is far more human than anyone would believe, what with the sacrifice he makes for humankind.

The Tubes - Talk To Ya Later

   

Super Friends 1973

 

I finally caved and bought this first set of eight episodes from the first season of Super Friends.  I have not seen most of these episodes for probably fifty years or so.  I watched some of the other seasons intermittently, since I felt so betrayed by the portrayal of this Justice League.  I was quite salty about this show for many years.  The show ran for fifteen years on ABC, and changed nearly every season.  It got better in the 80s, but by then, I had jobs and things that took me away from Saturday morning cartoons.  I let my thoughts of this season taint all the rest of them.  Ah, to be young and ever so foolish!

Sven- This Island Earth (1955)

He still never met a luna mutant he didn't like!

Several nuclear scientists are brought together by a mysterious man known as Exeter.  He wants their help, but is vague about why.  Smart people realize something is up.  Three of them try to leave, and a strange ray kills one of them.  The other two are taken to Metaluna.  Exeter explains things to them.  The enemy breaks through the energy barrier.  Exeter takes the two Earthlings back, along with the aforementioned mutant.  It wounds Exeter, who lets the Earthlings go.  The spaceship explodes.  The end.

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur 03- Run the Rink

In which Lunella wants to prove she is old enough to run the rink on a "typically slow Tuesday" night.  The rest of her family is going to Roller Jam in Jersey that evening.  They agree, and Lunella pops too much popcorn.  This leads to her having Devil eat all the popcorn, but he also wrecks her mother's classic turntables.  Casey is called in for help, and has the brilliant idea for a Skate with a Superhero night.  This brings in three "super" villains to challenge Moon Girl.  Two are easily dealt with, but Gravitas provides more of a challenge.  Lunella finally takes MImi's message to heart and works it out.

This Island Earth (1955) - Official Trailer

                    

One Armed Boxer Blu-Ray review

 

Arrow has done it again!  They consistently bring unusual movies back to life.  And they do an amazing job of it as well.  This movie was made in 1971.  It was released in the US as "The Chinese Professionals", a title that really makes no sense at all.  There was some kind of release in Europe, and it has a decent transfer.  I saw a print with a new English due on Amazon several years.  Somehow, I found out that this Blu-Ray had been released a while ago, and got it the other day as a present.  I knew it was going to be great, but dang.

HOTW- Miss America (Timely)

From WIki-

Socially aware teenaged heiress Madeline Joyce was born in Washington, D.C., and was the niece and ward of radio mogul James Bennet, who was sponsoring a Professor Lawson, a scientist claiming to have gotten superpowers through a device that had been struck by lightning. Joyce, secretly tampering with the contraption during a thunderstorm that night, herself gained the ability to fly and great strength after lightning similarly struck, knocking her unconscious (she originally had x-ray vision, as well as other powers, but after her few early appearances they were retconned). The panicky scientist, seeing the apparently dead young woman, destroyed the device and then killed himself. Joyce survived to fight crime as the patriotically garbed Miss America, appearing regularly in Marvel Mystery Comics and All Winners Comics.

Ramones - I Don't Want To Grow Up

          

Godzilla 1980

 

I remember seeing this poster- and it was gigantic- at San Diego Comic Con sometime in the 90s.  I had never seen it before.  This was before the internet, so I had know idea what this movie actually was.  I figured it wasn't a heretofore unknown Godzilla movie, but back then, you just didn't know for sure.  I wish I had taken a picture of that poster back then, but alas, digital cameras were not a thing back then.  I think the price was about $80, and that was far too much money for this fan.  I kind of wish there had been a new Godzilla movie made in 1980.  There had been several attempt made, but none of them came to fruition.

Sven- The Old Dark House (1932)

"There's a light over at the Frankenstein place..."

On a dark and stormy night, five people end up in a dilapidated mansion.  The family that lives there is weird and rather eccentric, and there are a lot of odd noises emanating from various places in the house.  The butler is also a hulking mute.  The electricity goes out (how on earth do they have electricity) and everything is lit by candles.  Strange things happen for no reason, and finally the sun comes out in the next morning.  Only one person is dead, the pyromaniac son.

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur 02- The Burough Bully

Lunella and Devil discover the perils of social media.  A troll is trolling her as Moon Girl (I mean, who doesn't know how to deal with trolls by now, though?) and even gets under Devil's thick hide.  Turns out it was some dumb kid who got possessed by a symbiote (boy, do I hate those things now) called #SYPHØN8TR, which feeds off jealousy and bad emotions or some dumb stuff like that.  Lunella uses her brains to figure it out, and hopefully all ends well, though the symbiote slimes off into the water and gets away.  The Moon Girl social media sites are saved!

King Kong and Godzilla vs. The Italians?

In doing research for the upcoming King Kong vs. Godzilla issue. I came across this interesting poster.  I wonder what goes on in the marketing heads when they do things like this.  I mean, it has to be about name brand recognition, at least for some of it.  I wonder how many people were disappointed when they went to this movie and got Destroy All Planets?  I mean, I would have loved it, but dang, not one of the monsters shown is in the movie itself.

THE OLD DARK HOUSE (4K Restoration) New Theatrical Trailer

             

Samurai Jack season 3

I am now halfway through Season 3 of this great show- yes, my opinion has changed,  Ten years ago I liked the show, and now I think it is one of the best cartoons of the last twenty years. 

This season has Jack still searching for time tunnels, portals or magical gems to get him back to his past.  He has many challenges, including non-helpful friends and tons of bounty hunters on his trail.  Aku has put a lot of money on getting Jack killed,  He has run into cranky wizards, cowboys, greasers, zombies and more.  Still he battles on.

HOTW- The Flash (Jay Garrick)

 

Jay Garrick inhales the fumes of hard water and gains super speed and reflexes.  This has been changed a bit several times sine 1940, but these days, that is to be expected.  He first used his speed to play football, but realized he needed to use his new powers for the greater good.  His girlfriend, and later wife, Joan, knows he is the Flash.  The Flash was a founding member of the Justice Society of America, and would later meet the Flash of Earth-1, Barry Allen.  This would prove to be rather monumental in the world of comic books. He would later marry Joan, but they never had children.  This Flash would later be "aided" by the Three Stooges Dimwits for a lot of his career.

Icehouse - Sister

                       

Cosmic Encounter original version, 1977

 

This game originally came out in 1977.  I saw it in the back of what almost certainly was Starlog, but I am not 100% sure now.  It looked and sounded cool, so I asked for it for some kind of holiday present.  I got it, and it was cool, but the rules were kind of hard to understand, and it was not a game like Monopoly.  There were no cool pieces of aliens, nor ships to use.  That was kind of a bummer.  I did get to play the game a few times, but it was not easy to do.  Also, finding fellow players wasn't easy, and the game needed at least three players, which is one more than my brother and I had most of the time.

Sven- Abbott and Costello meet the Mummy (1955)

 

Bud and Lou are stranded in Cairo, Egypt.  Naturally they run afoul of both treasure hunters and followers of the Cult of Klaris.  The treasure hunters want the treasure of Klaris, and of course, the Klaris Cult just wants it to stay put.  The boys want the treasure so they can sell it and go home.  Eventually, Klaris revives, Bud and a henchman dress up as mummies and an explosion ensues.  For once, the mummy really isn't the bad guy.

The first April Fools Day by The Simpsons

                 

The New Adventures of Jonny Quest

In 1986 The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera syndication package debuted these thirteen new episodes of Jonny Quest.  Since my area never had cool syndicated packages, I never saw these episodes until long after I read about them.  When I did see an episode or two, I was not impressed.  The animation wasn't as good (no surprise there) and there was a sci-fi bent to them.  I also figured the violence would toned down as well, like most Hanna-Barbera shows at the time.  So I have mostly ignored the show.