Those Fake Crocs are Real!

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Remember the stunt in Live and Let Die when James Bond [Roger Moore] ran across the backs of crocodiles?  

I had always thought that they were mechanical crocs.  

They weren’t.  Those crocs were the real thing.  

The stuntman, Ross Kananga, had to attempt the stunt several times to get it right.  As you can see here, he had a few close calls.  

The video makes the stunt, which I had always thought a bit corny, more impressive.

A tip o’ Oddjob’s steel rimmed derby to BoingBoing for the original post. 

 

Geronimo aka “He Who Yawns”

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That’s the famous Apache renegade, Geronimo.  He’s probably one of the few Indians  – or Native Americans – if you prefer the more politically correct term, that modern people know by name.  Did you know that…

  • Geronimo’s birth name was Goyahkla — He Who Yawns which was given to him because of his “sleepy” nature  
  •  It would be said that after one of his victims screamed for mercy in the name of Saint Jerome — Jeronimo in Spanish — the Apaches had a new name for Goyahkla.  
  • …white settlers in the American West were known to frighten their misbehaving children with the threat that Geronimo would come for them.  

Alexis Ziritt Takes on Carter

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Alexis Ziritt makes his third [and hopefully not last] appearance in my Stallone Theme Sketch Collection. Alexis is the co-founder of Fistful Apparel and the indie comics co-op Calavera Comics. When I saw that Alexis was taking sketch card commissions, I decided to get on board for a couple. I asked Alexis to pick two from Jack Carter, John Rambo and Cobra. Alexis liked the theme and decided to do all three.

The Black Beetle: Action! Thrills! Suspense!

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Remember back in August when it was announced that the first mini-series to feature Franco Francavilla’s Black Beetle was going to debut in January?  

Good.

Now is the time to pre-order issues one and two.  If you click over to Franco’s site, you can get a look at the covers for the first two issues as well as plot summaries.

If the Black Beetle looks/sounds like something you’d like, please consider pre-ordering.  Franco is a great guy and his Black Beetle stories are a lot of fun!

 

Mars Attacks Cards Get the Treatment They Deserve

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When I was a kid nearly everyone my age went through a phase where we collected bubble gum cards.  I can remember collecting baseball, football, monster, Beatles, Monkees, and Batman cards.  I wasn’t quite old enough to have collected Mars Attacks cards, but all of us knew their reputation.  

Mars Attacks trading cards were released in 1962, but were quickly pulled because they were considered too gory for kids.  Norman Saunders created paintings of the Martians blasting, burning and impaling humans in their quest to take over planet Earth.  So most of us knew of the cards, but had never actually seen them.  No matter, for our imaginations made the Mars Attacks cards much worse than the actual art ever could.   

Now, for the first time ever…

  • In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Mars Attacks, this comprehensive book is the first-ever compilation of the infamous science-fiction trading card series produced by Topps in 1962. Edgy, subversive, and darkly comedic, this over-the-top series depicting a Martian invasion of Earth has a loyal following and continues to win new generations of fans. For the first time, this book brings together high-quality reproductions of the entire original series, as well as the hard-to-find sequel from 1994, rare and never-before-seen sketches, concept art, and test market materials. Also included are an introduction by series co-creator Len Brown and an afterword by Zina Saunders, daughter of the original artist, providing an insider’s behind-the-scenes view of the bizarre and compelling world of Mars Attacks.
  • Includes four Mars Attacks trading cards.
  • Includes preliminary sketches and artwork, including a facsimile of the original trading card mechanical on the inside back cover, with reproduction of the 1962 handwriting from the original Topps production department.

The Mars Attacks book is a bargain and my guess is that many who buy it will be getting their first look at the cards they were never supposed to see.

 

4 Men & 4 Hats = 1 Life or Death Puzzle

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Here’s a pretty cool little brain teaser from MyCoted.com.  

I wish I could say that I figured it out before checking the answer.  Well, I could say it, but it wouldn’t be true.

  • Shown above are four men buried up to their necks in the ground. They cannot move, so they can only look forward. 
  • Between A and B is a brick wall which cannot be seen through. They all know that between them they are wearing four hats–two black and two white–but they do not know what color they are wearing.
  • Each of them know where the other three men are buried.In order to avoid being shot, one of them must call out to the executioner the color of their hat. If they get it wrong, everyone will be shot. They are not allowed to talk to each other and have 10 minutes to fathom it out.  
  • After one minute, one of them calls out. 
  • Question: Which one of them calls out? Why is he 100% certain of the color of his hat? This is not a trick question. There are no outside influences nor other ways of communicating. They cannot move and are buried in a straight line; A & B can only see their respective sides of the wall, C can see B, and D can see B & C.

Click here for the answer.

WWMAD? What Would Muhammad Ali Do?

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Have you ever had the discussion with friends about whether or not you (or they) would give up years of your life to be famous actor/singer, world class athlete, or to have some super-human powers?  Discussions I’ve had and articles I’ve read seem to indicate that most would.  

Recently Dick Cavett wrote How the Mighty Are Fallen (Or, Where’s My Friend?) for the New York Post.  The article is about Muhammad Ali.  

Cavett asserts, and rightly so, that it was Ali…

  • “not Elvis, not J.F.K., not Mickey Mouse, not Jackie, not Honest Abe, Mick or Marilyn“

…who had the most recognized face in the world.  Further, Ali was perhaps the greatest athlete who ever lived.  

Muhammad Ali was a boxer… the only three time World Heavyweight Champion.  Boxing brought Ali both his fame and his fortune.  Yet, as Dick Cavett writes,

  • “Few doubt that Ali’s sad state was caused by head blows, akin to N.F.L. cranium-smashing.”  

The sad state that Cavett refers to, is the Parkinson’s Disease which many feel was caused or at the very least accelerated by many wars Ali fought in the ring.

Would Ali, given the chance to go back in time, trade away all of his fame and accomplishments for a healthy life?  

Would you?

Like Cavett, “I don’t suggest the answer is an obvious one.”  

Thanks and another round [non-alcoholic and non-boxing to Mark Evanier for the original link.] 

Alexis Ziritt Knows The Cure

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Alexis Ziritt makes his second appearance in my Stallone Theme Sketch Collection. Alexis is the co-founder of Fistful Apparel and the indie comics co-op Calavera Comics. When I saw that Alexis was taking sketch card commissions, I decided to get on board for a couple. I asked Alexis to pick two from Jack Carter, John Rambo and Cobra. Alexis liked the theme and decided to do all three.

Alien: The Illustrated Story

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One of my all-time favorite graphic novels is Alien: The Illustrated Story by Archie Goodwin [writer] and Walt Simonson [artist].  Released at the same time as the Ridley Scott movie, Alien: The Illustrated Story not only adapts the movie, but also includes scenes which never made it into the film.  

If you like Alien or comics, my guess is you’ll love Alien: The Illustrated Story.