Xenorama #62

 

This is the last issue of 2023.  I quite enjoyed all the "research" I had to do for it  All the original appearances of PATB are in here, plus the episodes from the sequel series of Animaniacs as well.  It is in full color and we are quite happy about the way it came out.  It is a good sized issue, almost 80 pages.  It also features the very first ever letter to the editor.  From what I can tell, it came all the way from Japan!  I can hardly believe it took this long- well over 30 years, to actually get a fan letter to the zine itself.

Jonny Quest vs. the Cyber Insects (1995)

 

    The Earth is going through climate manipulation, with all kinds of calamities happening all across the globe. The Quest team is assigned to find out what is going on. This leads them to discover that Dr. Zin is planning to conquer the world with his cyber insects.
    This is now called the “last classic Quest movie” since the next iteration changed things up a bit. It was the last time Don Messick voiced Dr. Quest and Bandit. Tim Matheson, the original voice of Jonny, also is present, bringing 4-Dac to life.

Jonny Quest vs. The Cyber Insects TNT Promo

                 

Gigantor part One- 1-26

I can hardly believe I have owned both of these sets for over twenty years.  I got them over Yule back in 2002, I believe.  I remember because it was cold.  I mean, really cold.  Of course, I had just moved back to Colorado from San Diego, so that might also have been part of it.  I have watched both sets through at least once, and several episodes on Amazon a time or two.  Since there will be an issue dedicated to Gigantor published next year, I have been rewatching these original sets, which are truly great.  There are two sets, so all 52 episodes are present.  They look great as well, almost too good for the clarity of DVD.

HOTW- Spy Smasher

 From Wiki- Similar to Batman and the Blue Beetle (Ted Kord), Spy Smasher (secretly the "wealthy Virginia sportsman"^[1] Alan Armstrong) is a master detective, equipped with a number of gadgets and a specialized vehicle, the "Gyrosub", which was a combination of an airplane, an automobile, and a submarine. Created by Bill Parker and C. C. Beck, Spy Smasher was introduced in Whiz Comics #2 (February 1940).^[2] Alongside Captain Marvel, Spy Smasher became one of the magazine's most popular characters.  After the war he renamed himself Crime Smasher, but that isn't nearly as cool as his original name. 

THE WAITRESSES - CHRISTMAS WRAPPING (1982, FULL VERSION)

           

Calvin Monday 12-24-1987

 

Find me one kid at that age that did not go through this on Yuletide Eve.  Usually after getting yelled at by our parents for going bananas due to all the stress of waiting.  I don't ever recall Santa using such colorful metaphors at all, though.  Of course, we went to bed at 7 PM at that age, is it any wonder we were up at 5 AM Christmas Day?  And we were good kids!

Sven- The Black Cat (1941)

 

From Wiki- The Black Cat is a 1941 American comedy horror and mystery film directed by Albert S. Rogell and starring Basil Rathbone. The film was a hybrid of style: being inspired by comedy "Old Dark House" films of the era as well as the 1843 short story "The Black Cat" by Edgar Allan Poe. It stars Basil Rathbone as Montague Hartley, the head of a greedy family who await the death of Henrietta Winslow (played by Cecilia Loftus) so that they can inherit her fortune. When she is found murdered, an investigation begins into who might be the culprit. Alongside Rathbone and Loftus, the film's cast includes Hugh Herbert, Broderick Crawford, and Bela Lugosi.

The Moon Tower

This is one amazing set of toys.  Had I been old enough to see it, I sure would have wanted it.  I had the Little Big Book featuring Matt Mason, so I knew the character, but by the early seventies the Major had been retired.  Trying to find them from friends with older kids was not that easy, as the toys tended to break during play.  Which is what they were supposed to do.  Be played with.  My mother did find my the alien friend of Matt Mason, but being a dumb kid, I was rather disappointed and did not play with him as much as I should have.  Dumb kid!  Scorpio was quite cool, too, and I could have used him in the 8mm movies I was making.

The Black Cat (1941) - Official Trailer