“Sons of Anarchy”
The “Sons of Anarchy” is one of my favorite shows on tv. If you’re not watching, you should give it a try.
Really.
Category: TV
A “24” Hour Addiction
Seeing this trailer for “24: Season 8” reminds me of just how much I miss my weekly Jack Bauer fix.
Top 50 Cartoon Characters
Recently About.com posted a piece about the TOP 50 Cartoon Characters. Like all lists, this one is sure to create some controversy. I definitely think that several characters that somehow didn’t make the cut, should have been on it.
Still, I enjoy playing around with lists, so, using just the characters on their TOP 50, here is my TOP 10 [in alphabetical order] with comments:
Batman: has always been a favorite comic character and I’ve enjoyed all of the different cartoon versions as well.
Bugs Bunny: was always best in small doses. I also enjoyed the supporting cast [Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, etc.]
Charlie Brown: If you were a kid growing up in the 60’s, you have to be a fan of Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the rest of the gang. Holidays still aren’t complete without at least knowing that Charlie Brown is playing somewhere.
Fred Flintstone: is a simple concept – transport “The Honeymooners” to the stone age!
Mighty Mouse: I’ll admit it. I used to put on a cape and play Mighty Mouse. Yeah, laugh now, but if you needed me to save the day, you’d be singing a different tune.
Pink Panther: A great theme song and a fun cartoon.
Popeye: I probably watched more hours of Popeye than any other cartoon. I especially loved the oldest version with Bluto, Wimpy, the Sea Witch…
Space Ghost: When it first ran, I thought Space Ghost was pretty cool. I watched some episodes years later and thought “not so much”.
Tom and Jerry: Who doesn’t love the old Tom and Jerry cartoons. They were so much fun.
Wile E. Coyote: I was a huge fan of The Road Runner cartoons. My wife doesn’t like ‘em since they’re all the same. But that’s the beauty of it. How many different ways can ole Wile E. screw up?
Okay, now that that’s done… how could Jonny Quest not make the list?
Best of The Twilight Zone
It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of The Original Twilight Zone. Regular ZONErs know that I also enjoy playing around with lists. So, when I saw that Time and CNN had put together a list of the Top Ten All Time Favorite Twilight Zone Episodes, I decided to play along. Using just the selections in their Top Ten, I came up with My Top Five.
“V”
Although I was never a fan of the original series, ABC’s reboot of “V” has my attention. This trailer could be an indication of good things to come. [Thanks and a wink of a lizard’s eye to Chris Mills for the original link.]
Al Hirschfeld’s “The Honeymooners”
While digging through the ZONE vault yesterday I came across a folder containing clippings of Al Hirschfeld art. Hopefully, you’re familiar with Mr. Hirschfeld’s genius. [If not, click here, and then come back after you’ve looked around. We’ll meet back here in, oh, say about 2 hours — you’re going to want to spend some time enjoying Mr. Hirschfeld’s talent.]
Al Hirschfeld was born in 1903. By the time he was 17, he was the art director at Selznick Pictures. In 1924 he moved to Paris to “lead the Bohemian life.” In 1943, he married Dolly Haas, a famous European actress and together they produced a daughter, Nina. After her birth Mr. Hirschfeld would hide Nina’s name in his drawings and a number by his signature indicated how many were hidden. Mr. Hirschfeld passed away in 2003 just a few months shy of his 100th birthday.
That’s Mr. Hirschfeld’s take on Jackie Gleason and cast of the tv classic “The Honeymooners.” You can see much more of Al Hirschfeld’s art here.
Walking Dead Strolls to AMC
If you’re a fan of The Walking Dead [and if you’re not, you should be], you’ll want to check out this brief talk with the creator of the series, Robert Kirkman as he discusses the transition of the comic to tv series.
Mini MegaCon
This Saturday and Sunday, Orlando, Florida will be the place to be if you plan to atend Mini MegaCon. And why wouldn’t you? Look at all the movie, tv celebrities and great comic artists who’ll be there. Plus hours there will be lots of panels, costume contests and more. It promises to be a lot of fun. Hope to see you there!
“Next time I see you, I’m gonna – “
This trailer for “Lawman” looks interesting enough to make me tune in.
“Mad Men” Yourself
Although I’ve never watched an episode of AMC’s “Mad Men” I felt compelled to see how my buddy, Jim Ivey and I would look drawn as “Mad Men” cartoon characters. All things considered, I guess we came out okay. If you want to see what you or your friends would look like, then click here.
Remembering Walter Cronkite
Earlier this evening, Walter Cronkite died after a long illness. Mr. Cronkite was 92. From April 16, 1962 to March 6, 1981, Walter Cronkite was the anchor of the CBS Evening News. Although it may be hard to imagine in this age of cable news where anchors are “entertainers” who consider their opinions to be more important than the facts, Walter Cronkite was, for most of America, the voice of reason.
Often called “The Most Trusted Man in America”, it was Walter Cronkite that we turned to when we needed the news. During his tenure Mr. Cronkite covered the assassinations of President Kennedy, Martin Luter King, Jr. and Bobby Kennedy, the Vietnam war, the triumphs and tragedies of our space program, Three Mile Island, elections of Presidents, Watergate and so much more.
The year that he retired, Mr. Cronkite received our contry’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The tributes to Mr. Cronkite are coming in from around the world. The world! Twentyeight years after he left the nightly broadcast booth, Walter Cronkite’s positive impact is still felt!
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Mr. Cronkite’s family, freinds, and fans.
“Day One” Over “District 9”
Have you seen this trailer for the new NBC series, “Day One”, which premieres this fall? It makes me want to check out the show.
Alexis Arguello & Karl Malden – R.I.P.
Alexis Arguello and Karl Malden passed on today.
Alexis Arguello, who was a champion in three weight divisions, died at the age of 57 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Arguello, was a charismatic champion who compiled an amazing 82 – 8 record before finally retiring in 1995. Although Arguello never lost a fight 130 pounds he is best known for his first brutal and controversial war against Aaron Pryor in 1982. Arguello moved up in weight with the hope of being the first champion in four weight divisions. Pryor won the fight by knocking out Arguello in the 14th round of the epic fight which had seen both fighters taking and giving as good as they were getting. Arguello seemed to be gaining the advantage, but in the respite before the 14th round, Pryor’s trainer, Panama Lewis, called for a specific water bottle — “the one I mixed” — the mysterious drink seemed to revive Pryor who went on to win. The fight against Pryor was voted Fight of the Year and Fight of the Decade by Ring magazine. Arguello fought for 13 more years and remained a popular figure after leaving the squared circle. He appeared in commercials, carried his country’s flag in the Olympics and was currently the mayor of Managua, the capital of Nicaragua.
Karl Malden, 97, died today from natural causes. An Oscar winner for Best Supporting Actor in 1951 for his role in “A Streetcar Named Desire” which starred Marlon Brando. Malden also appeared with Brando in “On the Waterfront” and “One-Eyed Jacks” as well as several dozen movies without him. Malden had a five year run with Michael Douglas in the popular “Streets of San Francisco” tv series which ran from 1972 – 1977.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families, friends and fans of Alexis Arguello and Karl Malden.
Farrah Fawcett – R.I.P.
Farrah Fawcett passed away today at the age of 62 after a long battle with cancer.
Although best known as a 70’s sex symbol, Farrah actually started working in commercials and bit parts in television in the late 60’s. Anyone besides me old enough to remember her 1973 commercial with Joe Namath? Then in September of 1976, and the premiere of Charlie’s Angels, Farrah shot to superstardom. The show was a hit and Farrah was the fan favorite angel. Her poster sold millions of copies and became a 70’s icon. Farrah stayed with the series for just one year before leaving to try her hand at movies. Although her theatrical movies didn’t do well [I do remember liking “Saturn 3” with Kirk Douglas], she continued to be a fan favorite.
In 1984, Farrah earned an Emmy nomination for “The Burning Bed”. She would earn two more before her career was over [“Small Sacrifices” and “The Guardian”]. In 1995, at the age of 48, Farrah posed nude for Playboy. It became the best selling issue of the decade.
The last few years had been tough ones for Farrah as she struggled to beat the cancer that ultimately took her life. Farrah has passed on, but her icon status will be outlive most of us. Growing up in the late 60’s and 70’s, Farrah Fawcett was our Marilyn Monroe.
Our thoughts go out to her family, friends and fans.
Mills’ SpyFi Channel
Hey, if you’ve got some time to kill [and you must or you wouldn’t be here], then you might want to check out Chris Mills‘ latest blog, which he calls the SpyFi Channel. I don’t know which I like best, the name or the header that Chris created.
At the SpyFi Channel, Chris will cover the world of spies — movies, books, tv — the whole enchalada. Be advised that Chris won’t update regularly, but when he does, it will definitely be worth a view. He’s started off with a look at Robert Conrad’s spy series [no, not The Wild, Wild West – one of my all-time favorite shows] A Man Called Sloane.
It’s cool that Chris has another blog going… as long as it doesn’t take away from getting the next Gravedigger story out. And I still think a Gravedigger novel could really work! Until then, you’ll find me at the SpyFi Channel!
