Rememberance Day 2016

A Century Ago...

Hard to believe its been over one hundred years since Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae wrote "In Flanders Fields" (3 May 1915).  And how it still seems to resonate with people on Remembrance Day.

Please take a few minutes to remember all the men and women who have died while serving their country and all who came home in body if not spirit. Not all wounds are visible. Thank you for everything. We will never forget.

Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae

Remembrance Day 2014

Spent a great deal of time today thinking. Thinking about the men and women serving our country, both past and present. My great uncle who fought in "The Great War" before we had the misfortune to start numbering them. To my wife, a twenty year vet with three tours to Afghanistan, and my son who has been a service member for about a year and a half, as well as the many friends of our family both retired and still active. Thank you.

A sad thought also. One hundred years ago today, November 11, 1914, many of the family's of the young men who went overseas to fight were expecting their fathers, sons and brothers home soon. At the outbreak of the war just 3 and a half months earlier, the thought was this would be over in a couple of months and the men would be home in time for Christmas. The true horror of what was to come had not really hit home yet.

One of the more thought provoking things this year was this artistic display outside the Tower of London. A ceramic poppy for every British and Commonwealth soldier killed during World War I.

"Never Forget"

Super Sundays!

When I was a kid, this was Superman. This is what he really looked like...in real life. George Reeves.
Until "Superman the Movie" in 1978, this is the face I thought of when I pictured Superman. As an adult, it is still 50/50 between George Reeves and Christopher Reeve on who I think of as Superman.

When I was a kid we lived on an acreage just outside of town. Subsequently we had CBC as our only TV channel with CTV sometimes on a good day if the weather was clear and the planets aligned with the antenna properly. So, one of the highlights of the week as a kid, was on Saturday. My mom would go shopping in town, and drop my brother and I off at our Grandparents place in town. They had cable, so...Saturday morning cartoons! Around 11am, the cartoons would end. Some channels would turn to sports, some to news, but one would run old episodes of TV shows from the 50's including "The Adventures of Superman". As a boy, this was my favorite part of the day, even better than the cartoons and everything else. Also, as a bonus, the local theater would run a kids matinee on Saturday afternoon, So my brother and I would often spend part of our money from mowing the lawn on the movies. Because they were for kids, they often ran cartoons at the beginning like back in the day, but on occasion they would run a old Flash Gordon or Buck Rodgers serial, or a episode of The Adventures of Superman.

The show itself was ahead of its time. The first two seasons where shot in black and white, but they switched to colour in year three till the end of the series (1954-1958). A bold move, as it drove up the costs to produce the show, and it was never aired during its original run in colour. The fact that so many episodes are in colour is one of the reasons it held up well and found a home in syndication in the 1960's and 1970's.

George Reeves himself was a fantastic actor that brought a great deal to the character of Superman/Clark Kent. While at times feeling a little type cast because of the fame that came with the show being such a hit, George Reeves always took his responsibilities as a "role-model" very seriously. He was always careful of never letting his fans (the kids) see him do anything "un-Superman" like. Sadly, His death in 1959 by apparent suicide, is still one of Hollywood's great mysteries 

Still after all these years, along with the 1940's Max Fleischer cartoons, still some of the best Superman stories you will ever find.

George Reeves as Superman and Noel Neill as Lois Lane

Ben Affleck as George Reeves in the movie "Hollywoodland" in 2006.

"Truth, Justice and the American Way"

A very cool custom Superman figure based on the show.

Up, up and away!

The Opening of the show during Season 1.

Super Sunday!

Welcome to another weekly installment of "Super Sunday"! Hope you enjoy!

These hoodies are just one-offs done by some very talented artists. Too bad because I would so buy a few of these.

Kingdom Come Superman by Alex Ross

Mego Superman

Out of all the toys you had as a kid, some really stick with you. This 8" Mego Superman is one of mine. I packed him everywhere. Of course he was no where near as mint as the figure in the photo above (except when he was new). Mine was banged up, missing his boots, cape a little frayed and even had a replacement "S" shield cut out of a older cover of a Superman comic. I know, sacrilegious, but who knew back then that collecting them was going to be a thing. All my comic books where kept in a box under the bed, or the pile on my dresser. I don't know the fate of my old Superman. He may have been tossed when my old room was cleaned out after I left home, but there is a good chance he might be in a box stored someplace. My mom doesn't throw anything away. Maybe he will turn up someday.

Kneel before Zod

A cool bit of advertising

Mom and Dad

Man of Steel 6 part mini series, 1986.
The comic that told the new re-booted origin story of our favorite Kryptonian.

Superman by Joel DeSouza

Happy Birthday Star Trek!

On this date, the 8th of September 1966, the first episode of Star Trek aired. Though not the first episode shot (the shows pilot "Where No Man Has Gone Before" and a number of other episodes before it). The episode "The Man Trap" introduced the world to Star Trek and Gene Roddenberry's vision of the future. 

The crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise

The world has been a better place ever since.

Disney's "The Sounds of Outer Space"

I used to have this album when I was a kid. Judging buy the "Black Hole" robot on the slipcover it came out in the late 70's, around 1979 or so.

No music on it, just sound effects. I had totally forgot about this. Wonder if it is still at my parents house? My mom throws nothing away so odds are good.

front cover

back cover

You Know How To Whistle Don't Ya...Lauren Bacall R.I.P

The passing of an icon. With all the news coverage of the death of Robin Williams, I almost missed this. Ms. Bacall passed away August 12 at the age of 89. One of the last of the stars that brought the glamour and grandeur that was Hollywood in its golden days. Her relationship with Humphrey Bogart is the stuff of legend. She will be missed.

Bogart and Bacall in "Key Largo"

Carpe diem...R.I.P. Robin Williams

I was sad and just a little shocked to hear of the death of Robin Williams. Mr. Williams was found in his home in northern California. He was 63 years of age.

I'm old enough to remember Happy Days, and his very first appearance as Mork form Ork. This was the role that catapulted him to stardom. He totally stole the show from the two big stars of the show (Ron Howard and Henry Winkler). And that was the performance that ended up getting him his own spin off series, Mork and Mindy.

After that he moved to the big screen, making people laugh and impressing them with how good an actor he was in memorable more "serious" roles. So many good movies. The ones that stick out in my head are "Good Morning Vietnam", "The Dead Poets Society" and "Good Will Hunting", for which he won an Oscar,  just to name a few.

The Roles I think I remember and enjoy the most are the ones that make me think of my kids. His role in "Jumanji" of course, where his manic comedic style blended so well with Bonnie Hunt. My daughters favorite movie of his is "The Birdcage" with Gene Hackman and Nathan Lane. If you have never seen this movie, I highly recommend it. And, of course the one that I watched a million times when my kids where young, over and over again..."Aladdin".

This was the part made for him. With out his mostly improvised performance, which was fantastic, the move would never been half as good. And it was one that established the role of star power in voice work. I have seen this movie more times than I could count and still enjoy watching it again and again, in large part thanks to his role. 

He also had a busy stand up career and was a staple on TV during those early days of cable with HBO and Super Channel. As well as all his charity work with Billy Crystal and Whoopi Goldberg for Comic Relief USA in the late 80's and early 90's. And don't forget his appearance in the video for Bobby McFerrin's "Don't Worry, Be Happy".

The world was a little more fun to be in for his being here, and a little less without him. R.I.P. Robin Williams.