True Crime, the Ripper and me

What is there about such grime and ghastly things which simply fascinate me? I wasn't one of those kids who pulled the wings off of flies or other things, in fact, I even recall crying once because I accidentally crushed a robin's egg which I discovered fallen from a nest. Also, there is the fact that in 'real life' I'm pretty squeamish about the slightest cut or appearance of blood.

Still I've enjoyed reading about murder and mayhem, both real and fictional, since at least my junior high school days. That was about when my mother & father began to allow me to read those issues of True Detective, etc. that my Mom loved. The National Enquirer, which my mother also picked up each week, back in the early 1960s was much different from the entertainment industry gossip sheet it is today, being much closer in appearance to the Weekly World News and glorifying in the retelling of the most horrible crimes from police departments around the world. Back then we subscribed to two daily newspapers (the Norwich Bulletin, a local paper and the New York Daily News) and had a third (the Boston Herald) delivered on Sunday. Perhaps it's not a coincidence that the papers at the time seemed to revel in the then current crimes of the Boston Strangler.

Anyway, since then I've loved reading about this type of thing. I don't know when I first learned of Jack the Ripper, but I'm sure during the period when the Strangler was making his mark in the Boston area more than a few articles I read mentioned the earlier killer of women.

If you have any interest in Jack you might want to check out www.casebook.org . They have loads of material covering the crimes and people involved in the investigation. There are as many theories as there are suspects and this site will cover most of them. You can even spend time putting in dates and finding what happened in "Ripper History" on any particular day.

As I mentioned a few months ago in my review of DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY, it seems amazing that America's own first serial killer (H.H. Holmes) never became the household word as his British contemporary. Probably Holmes wasn't flashy enough and did his business in private. Had the two ever met in some serial killer's afterlife I'm sure the conversation would have been pretty interesting. I think Alan Moore or Neil Gaiman could do something with that premise.

Talking a little baseball

Sadly, when the Damned Yankees were in a slump the Sox weren't doing a heck of a lot better. While still ahead of their New York rivals in the AL Eastern division, there are only three games seperating them at this point.

It would have been nice of Boston to put a bit more distance between them this early in the season, as the Sox are notorious for fading come Fall. Last year being the exception, of course.

It still seems that the Chicago White Sox will be the AL champs, unless they do a serious tailspin. Both Boston and New York may be competing for the 'wild card' spot unless one of the other starts playing better.

The poor Mets find themselves in the celler once more, even after the millions of dollars spent & deals made. Surprisingly it's the newest team in baseball, the Washington Nationals who are leading the NL Eastern division at this point. No rookie year curse for the former Expos.

The 4400

If you are going through summer withdrawal from LOST you might want to check out THE 4400 over on USA Network. A tad more sci-fi then the ABC show, but each has enough mystery and suspense to keep you guessing.

Also, both shows have wonderful ensemble casts without 'superstars' trying to catch the spotlight each and every week. While there are primary characters in both programs they seem willing to step back and let other cast members have their time.

Where LOST deals with the survivors of a plane crash on a mysterious island, which doesn't seem to appear on any charts, the 4400 are survivors of a different type. Each of them was abducted by a mysterious force, which we initially assume was extraterrestrial but learn in the last episode of the first season were elements from our own future trying to prevent (we believe at this point) some terrible event. It also seems that many, if not all, of the returnees have been granted some power (mental, physical, or both) which will allow them to bring about the necessary changes.

Donna and I recommend both shows.

Jason Todd!! What the...!!!

So I get home last night and find the latest issue of CBG (#1607) in the mail. I glance at the painting of Batman and see that that is going to be the focus of this issue. Not a big surprise considering the release of the new film later this month. What does catch my eye though is a mention of Jason Todd, the second Robin, who I had supposed had been killed (sort of off panel) by the Joker. Now this, like the death of Barry Allen, had major repercussions in the DCU so it figured that this was a permanent situation.

Is Jason now back, as it appears, or should I read the article to see if I'm jumping to conclusions? If he is it sure will send ripples through the Batman Family titles, if not the entire DCU. Of course, since I'm not currently reading any DC books I suppose I shouldn't even care but those old fanboy habits die hard. (Kind of like sidekicks, huh?)

BATMAN Comic freebie in New York Post

Yesterday, the New York Post (at least in newstand editions) had copies BATMAN #608. This had a new cover listing it as a "Special Edition" and "New York Post Exclusive." You'll probably spot this coming up on eBay pretty soon, I'm sure.

Since I haven't picked up a copy of a Batman title for about a year now I can't say much about the continuity. I assume that DC is trying to promote the new BATMAN BEGINS film with this, but wonder if it is the right choice. It has nothing to do with that film and is in fact the first issue of a multi-part story arc. Wouldn't a stand-alone book have been a better choice for this? DC does have books which retell his origin and it would seem to me that might have been a better choice. This issue features Killer Croc and Catwoman, plus another 'surprise villain' on the last page. None of these appear in the new film, as far as I know and they certainly don't look like the characters as they appear in the various animated Batman shows. Doesn't it just confuse things.

Jeph Loeb does a good job setting things up and actually allowing Batman to save a child. He also sets up the beginnings of a plot featuring several Batman villains, who appear to be manipulated by the 'surprise villain.' I guess endangering children is okay for this character in current DCU continuity, but what do I know.

The art by Jim Lee and S. Williams (who also provide the cover) is good, but some panels are a bit confusing and not helped by the murky coloring of Alex Sinclair. Try to follow the Batman's fight with Killer Croc and his dispatching of several non-powered bad guys. I've been reading comics for over forty years and had to stop to decipher what was going on.

The ads in the book generally are tie-ins to the new movie and related products, with a subscription card for interested folks. I wonder how successful that will be?

MADAGASCAR: a brief review

We had seen trailers for this film for a month or so and felt that it was something we'd enjoy.
While Donna isn't a big fan of cartoons in general she does like computer animated films (i.e. TOY STORY, SHREK, etc.) and some of the Disney studio's more classical material.
Since we had some time to ourselves last week, since Kristina works during the day, we caught an early matinee in the same theatre where we had seen STAR WARS a few nights before.

The basic plot deals with Marty the Zebra (voiced by Chris Rock) deciding that he'd like a change from the everyday existence in the Central Park Zoo. His friend Alex the Lion (Ben Stiller) is more than happy with being "King of New York", but finds himself pushed into a rescue mission with Gloria the Hippo (Jadda Pickett Smith) and a very reluctant Melman, a giraffe suffering from hypochondria, (wonderfully performed by former FRIEND, David Schwimmer). When the four are captured, along with a group of more adventurous penguins, they are all shipped off to a wild animal preserve in Africa. When the penguins attempt to hijack the ship the four friends find themselves overboard, only to come ashore on a "deserted desert isle." We all know that things will go even further down hill.

The film is surprisingly funny and has enough 'in jokes' and references that parents will have just as much fun as the kids. This will probably be Dreamworks best received animated film and easily stands up against the Disney/Pixar stuff. After the rather lack luster box-office of ROBOTS & SHARK TALE I'm sure it was time for another hit. This actually knocked the latest Lucas film out of first place this past weekend, so they must be doing something right!

We also caught trailers for the upcoming new WALLACE & GROMIT film and CHICKEN LITTLE, the later looks like something Donna would enjoy.

STAR WAR: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

I'm in total agreement with the majority on the latest (and possibly last) installment in the SW series. George Lucas & Co. pulled out all the stops and finally hit the nail on the head, after two rather dismal failures that had even the most devote fans a bit disappointed. It's also apparent pretty early on why this entry got a more mature rating than the others. Of the last three films in this trilogy REVENGE OF THE SITH is the only one that I would gladly watch again.

Sadly, Hayden Christopher doesn't really convey the inner turmoil that Anakin must be feeling as things appear to fall apart around him. He seems merely petulant, especially when Padme announces that she is with child. Guess he'll have to put off college for a couple of semesters. Fortunately, the other characters (including those created solely in CGI) are better actors and are able to carry the story.

Given Lucas' occasional ham-fisted dialogue it is sometimes surprising that the audience can feel much of anything, unless they are bringing their own memories of past films. Face it, anyone familiar with the three original films already knows what will transpire for the most part. There are some secondary characters who don't make it, but we already know the fates of the Skywalker family, Yoda and Obi-wan.

Now, Kristina (a total SW fan, if ever there was one) feels that Lucas spent too much time in the search for General Grievous and not nearly enough on Anakin moving to the 'dark side.' I enjoyed Obi-wan's adventure and personally would love to see Ewan McGregor's Kenobi in a solo adventure. There is enough time before and after this film in which Obi-wan's story could be expanded. Don't know that McGregor would be interested in a television series, but I've read that Lucas might be interested in allowing further SW adventures on the small screen.

I'm sure that anyone interested in seeing the movie already has, but I don't want to throw in any spoilers. Needless to say the battle between Anakin and Obi-wan is amazing, as well as far more brutal than I had imagined. Whew!

Two thumbs and a light saber way up!

California, Here I come!

Historically, as everyone knows, when a blogger or other site owner plans on going on hiatus she or he would post a photo of a can of Campbell's Mushroom Soup. Sadly, this blogger hasn't figured out how to post pics yet so you will have to make do with a link to my destination.

If you click on the headline above, or go over to http://www.myoc.com/ you can at least see how the weather & traffic is out in the Laguna Niguel vicinity.

Donna and I are heading out to spend some time with The Child (as she is known here at Chez Chaput). Kristina, and her father Michael, have a party planned for our arrival so if you happen to catch an episode of COPS in the near future, you may just see us enjoying ourselves.

Have a great Memorial Day Weekend and a Happy Fleet Week to my fellow New Yorkers!

I don't know if I'll have a chance to post out there so I'll probably catch you in a week or so.

Review: BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL

Manji is a samurai, a skilled warrior who carries and uses dozens of bladed weapons. He is also immortal, "condemned to a life of combat until he spills the blood of a thousand evil men." Cursed by an ancient nun and with his body enfused with magical worms which will repair almost any wound (save decapitation), Manji must forefill his destiny of wander the earth forever knowing no peace.

Dark Horse Comics publishes the creation of writer/artist Hiroaki samurai, one of the best known (if mysterious) manga artists in Japan. Rarely making public appearances and never photographed, Hiroaki brings to mind the American comics artists Steve Ditko. Like Hiroaki, Ditko says that he prefers for his work to speak for itself. The work he produces for his best known creation certainly speaks very well.

First published in Japan in the mid-1990s, BLADE tells the tale of Manji as he wonders the country as 'bodyguard' for Rin, who seeks revenge for the death of her parents. The art is the books is deceptively simply in some panels, but Hiroaki demonstrates a masters pen in the full page (and sometimes double page) scenes of Manji in battle. The writing, translated by Dana Lewis and Toren Smith, may strike some folks as odd as it switches from the formal speech of some characters to the street lingo (very contemporary in some aspects) of others. This reflects what Hiroaki intends in his original, so the translators do their best to respect and follow his lead. Once you get used to it it makes sense as the language easily shows the emotions and attitudes of the speakers.

Over a dozen issues of BLADE are already in print and readily available in many bookstores and better comic shops. Here in Queens the popularity of not only this title but manga in general has moved the library system to carry this and other manga translations.

This is different from something along the lines of LONEWOLF & CUB, but if you enjoy manga, especially of the samurai/adventure variety I think you'd be doing yourself a favor by at least checking out an issue. You should start with the first, but their is editorial material in each book which explains the basic plot and things about the style and era in which the story takes place.

Review: FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST

Fullmetal Alchemist (VIZ Graphic Novel) - You may have seen the animated version of this on [adult swim] over on the Cartoon Network. The Elric brothers, Edward & Alphonse lost their mother at an early age, and dedicated themselves to learning the secrets of alchemy (a sort of scientific magic in this book) in order to bring her back from the dead. Even in magic, we discover, there are rules which must be obeyed. Tragically the two siblings learn (or rather ignore) this rule and both suffer accordingly. Alphonse is killed and his older brother Edward loses his leg. To save his brother, Edward willingly sacrifices one of his arms, but only Alphonse's spirit returns and is now imprisoned in a large suit of armor. Together the brother wander the land, working for the military government which rules this world.

Writer/artist Hiromu Arakawa works in typical manga style, bringing a light touch to the more humorous sequences, but still able convey the action and sometimes horror which the brothers must deal with in their journey.

Vol. 1 of FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST brings together the first three stories from the Japanese manga Shonen Gangan. Here we learn how the brothers became as they are and also meet some of the other members of the alchemist fraternity with which they work. Recommended for Teens and adult fans of this type of material.

Howard Morris: RIP

I feel badly that I missed hearing of the passing of comedian and character actor Howard Morris. I read of it for the first time just a few moments ago over at Mark Evanier's site.

I actually had the opportunity to see the man in action at one of those wonderful voice actor panels that Mark puts together at many San Diego Comic Conventions. He was just as funny and antic as you would imagine.

My condolences to his family, friends and millions of fans.

"Uncle Goopy!!!!

PREVIEWS: a look at what's ahead

Holy crap! (to quote one of my role models, Frank Barone)

I haven't had a chance to look at an issue of PREVIEWS for about a year or so, back when I was still regularly buying comics in Connecticut. I can't believe that I actually used to get through this each and every month, plus fill out the order form. The amount of comics material is incredible, and that doesn't even include the trading cards, models, animation and other stuff. You'd have to be in the Bill Gates category to even begin to afford just the regular titles from the major and alternative publishers. Hard to believe that the industry was bordering on self-destruct only a decade ago.

Some things remain the same, while there are evident changes in what is hitting the shops these days. We seem to have weathered the "Bad Girl" influx of the mid-90s, with only a few titles like LADY DEATH and a few Verotic titles still around. VAMPIRELLA and RED SONJA, both early entries in the barely dressed heroine sub-genre, remain favorites with both male & female fans of that type of thing.

Of course, the latest issue of PREVIEWS is filled with the usual hundreds of titles from DC, Marvel and Image, with Dark Horse producing their own wide range of material. The Big Two continue to focus on the super-hero books which made them into the driving forces in the industry, surviving after dozens of other publishers fell by the wayside. Only the books produced by Archie Comics have been around as long as those from the the former National and Atlas stables. Now it seems that the super-hero books are being kept around more for the abililty to be marketed to non-print media. Hollywood is once again making a number of films based on characters and stories from the four-color world. (SIN CITY is more black & white, but you know what I mean!)

There are two real bright spots reflected in this issue. First, the amazing popularity of manga (Japanese comics & graphic novels) which seem to have brought a new audience into shops and book stores. Perhaps some of those kids (and their parents) might just find some American made books which would also appeal to them. Secondly, a number of publishers (chiefly small companies and self-publishers) have begun to produce titles which will appeal to an "all-ages" audience. It seems that some wiser heads have taken a look at what is available in Europe & Asia and realized that the industry should try to broaden its appeal. The fanboys will always bee there to see Uber-man and Thumb Twister battling each and every month, but these guys are not going to keep the market viable and they are not getting any younger.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I bought PREVIEWS, but it ended up giving me a positive feeling about my hobby and its ability to change and remain relevant. It may even get me back into the shops when I have a few extra bucks.

Comic Review: Countdown To Infinite Crisis

This short review is filled with spoilers, or rather one big spoiler about a DC character. If you haven't already read this book, and would rather not have a major plot revealed you should stop at this point.

BLUE BEETLE is not one of the major DCU heroes, in fact it seems that he has always been treated as little more than a third-rate BATMAN imitator. He wasn't always like that, in fact the original BLUE BEETLE was a well-known comics character back in the Golden Age. His name was Dan Garrett and he was killed. Ted Kord blamed himself for that death and so became the second hero to take the name. Unlike Garrett however, Ted Kord did not have superpowers, he used his scientific ability and some gymnastic skills to do what had to be done.

This second Blue Beetle was created over at Charlton comics, during the 1960s and brought over to the DCU during the original Crisis on Infinite Earth. He had his own short-lived title at DC for a while, and then became (along with fellow second stringer, Booster Gold) part of the Justice League when it was more about Bwa Ha Ha than grim & gritty dramatics. At both Charlton and at DC I always liked Ted Kord and his light-hearted alter ego.

DC is gearing up for another 'this changes everything' multi-issue event. This is going to be called INFINITE CRISIS and like every other 'event' will change the status quo for about six months to a year and than be retconned away, by the next hot writer to come along. Of course, in this era of comics you can't shake things up without killing a few characters. This is apparently to show the fans that this time we're serious. ***Yawn***

So now Ted Kord is dead. Shot in the head by his former "friend" and fellow minor-league entity Max Lord. Apparently, Max was planning some major double crosses all along, but we (the reader) didn't know this. How stupid of us!!

The only positive thing that I can say about this 80-page comic is that it only cost $1.99 and that investment will keep me from buying any other DC comics for the next year. Thanks, fellas!

Playing catch up on comics!

I'm beginning to feel like Rip van Fanboy here. Ever since hitting Jim Hanley's Universe on Free Comics Day I have been trying to figure out what has been going on in comics for the past year. In some ways I appear to have missed a lot, but on the other hand it seems like more of the same.

Both DC and Marvel have company wide 'events' planned for this summer (more of the same, as I said), which seem to be more and more senseless and meaningless each time. Unless you are really going to make permanent changes why bother going through the motions. I suppose I can see the marketing department's getting excited about this, but I wonder why fandom circles continue to buy into them?

I guess as long as it keeps writers & artists working it's a good thing, huh?

I just got the first issue of my new CBG subscription so I may have a few comments about that coming up. Much of it ties-in with the release of the new STAR WARS movie, with a look back at comic adaptations and new stories involving the series characters. I'm also skimming the latest issue of PREVIEWS and will probably have some outrageous & damning things to say about that as well. :-)

Doulgas Preston & Lincold Child: Monsters & more

I first enoucntered these authors when i tracked down the novel upon which the horror film, RELIC was based. While I enjoyed the film I discovered that there was more to the story and the characters than had been adapted to the screen. I also found that Preston & Child were in the midst of creating an interconnected world in which characters from one novel appeared and reappeared in others. Not exactly a series, but a small world where events were not always what they appeared.

One of the most fascinating characters, and a favorite of the authors as well as their fans,is the rather mysterious FBI Special Agent Pendergast. The heir to a family fortune as well as the descendent of a rather odd family heritage. The Pendergast family has not always been a beacon of civility and has some dark secrets not so well buried. As events reveal themselves in subsequent novels is appears that this particular FBI agent may have similarities to Fox Mulder, as well as Sherlock Holmes. Brilliant and carrying some inner-demons which might be best left unreleased.

The site offers information about what the authors are currently doing, individually and together, as well as samples of previous and upcoming novels. Included is an unpublished novel which the authors invited fans to complete. The original manuscript as well as the contest winners' additions can all be read on line. A great introduction to the work of the writers, plus a nice place to discuss it with other fans.

P.N.Elrod: "Mistress of the bloodthirsty whodunnit!"

P.N. Elrod, creator of both the Jack Fleming & Jonathan Barrett series has her official site over at www.vampwriter.com. I have always been a fan of horror fiction, generally of the H. P. Lovecraft variety. Elrod doesn't write in that style (at least in her series), but rather uses a hard-boiled style in the Jack Fleming and a more romantic/historical fiction one for the Jonathan Barrett novels. Both deal with the lives and adventures of a couple of vampires. Fleming was killed in Prohibition era Chicago and uses his supernatural abilities to solve mysteries and bring justice to wronged individials. Barrett, on the other hand, is involved in the American Revolutionary War, often caught between the fighting where both sides are not above less then gentlemanly tactics. It is revealed in one of the later Fleming books that there is a connection between Barrett & Fleming, but I won't spoil it here. Elrod has also revealed the 'true' fate of Quincey Morris, whom we believed killed in Bram Stoker's DRACULA. It turns out that the Texan had a bit more in common with the Count than we had thought. I recommend both series and the first book in the Quincey Morris series (the only one I've read). If you enjoy vampire fiction I think that Elrod will show you the undead in a different light than Anne Rice, but still fascinating.

Comics review: TWO BITS from Image Comics

TWO BITS #1 (Image Comics) This twenty-five cent special gives us brief samples from the first two issues of forthcoming Image titles.

A Bit of Lullaby – Created and illustrated by Hector Sevilla, written by Mike S. Miller & Ben Avery. Alice of “Wonderland” fame never did return from that world of the Chesire cat and the Mad Hatter. Instead she grew up and became a warrior in the Queen of Hearts’ army, leading them to conquer all of Wonderland. She is now the Queens right-hand, although her staying has more to do with her own fear of loosing her head should she fall from favor. The art is absolutely amazing, with Sevilla bring a touch of manga to a very realistic/classical style. Though this preview was shot from pencils it is obvious that the finished work is going to be even more stunning. Sadly, the brief sequence prompts more questions than it answers and it isn’t really clear where Sevilla & Miller are going with the story. If you’re a fan of the work that Eric Shanower did on the Oz series you might want to take a look at this, since Sevilla’s style does have a touch of the magic that Shanower brought to his. I think that parents might want to read the series before they offer it to younger children, but I don’t believe that teens would be put off by the non-graphic violence.

A Bit of The Imaginaries- Created by Mark S. Miller, written by Ben Avery with art by Miller and Greg Titus. Superhero G was a comic book character created by young Tanner. When the teenage artist discovers his parents are about to divorce he decides that it’s time to put childhood fantasies behind and grow up. What happens to all those imaginary friends and playmates when they are no longer needed? This theme has been touched upon in numerous books, films and other comics, but Miller has his own take on it. It seems that all these creations go to another world where they must make a new life for themselves. What, for instance, would Barbie have to offer that dozens of other fashionable gals couldn’t? Is there really a place for somebody who can leap tall buildings and run faster than a bullet train in such a place? The preview introduces us to some of the main characters and sets up the premise nicely. As with LULLABY, I think that teens and adults won’t have a problem with this title. To be honest this seems more my cup of tea than the previous work, but I might check out the first issues of both to see if they hold my interest.

While neither book strikes me as completely original concepts, they seem to be from folks who want to bring something a bit different to the comics shop shelves. That in itself is a welcome change from more of the same old super-hero nonsense. Recommended with the caveats I mentioned above.

World Famous Comics

If you click on the headline above or over on the link at the right you can head over to the World Famous Comics site. There are a great number of comics related pages on the 'net, but personally I enjoy WFC. One of the reasons is that it's the online home of THE Tony Isabella, known far and wide as "America's Most Beloved Comic-Book Writer & Columnist". I've known Tony for over a decade, being fellow veterans of Capa-Alpha (the oldest comics related apa) and have actually had the chance to hang with him and fellow WFC columnist Bob Ingersoll (another Capa-Alpha alum).

Prior to getting a new subscription to the Comic Buyer's Guide, Tony and WFC were my primary source of comics information and reviews. The nice thing (one of many really) about Tony is that you can actually tell how he feels about a comic by his review, unlike some reviewers who appear to be trying to curry favor with certain publishers or creators. Tony has burned all those bridges years ago. :-)

Take an hour or so to check out the various message boards, reviews, comics and other assorted stuff at WFC. I think you'll make it one of your regular stops a few times a week, just like I do.

Comics Review from Free Comic Book Day

BUZZBOY/ROBOY RED/MAJOR DAMAGE TRIPLE-FROSTED FUN COMICS! From Sky-Dog Press. (This was another Free Comics Day promotional item.) This is a nice introduction to three distinct all-ages books which would appeal to a wide range of comics’ fans.

BUZZBOY by John Gallagher has been around for a while and I have several issues in my collection. Once a side-kick Buzzboy is now grown and aided by one-time villain & mad scientist Doc Cyber. Using his buzzbelt to give him super-human powers BB fights an odd assortment of wacky villains in light hearted spoofs of the usual superhero fare. In this stand-along story deals with a bit of time displacement and Buzzboy meeting his younger counterpart from another dimension. Recommended.

MAJOR DAMAGE was created by Chris Baily for a short-lived Image imprint. This is a kid’s fantasy gone wrong. Melvin Grimes dreamed of growing up to be his favorite comic book hero. Unfortunately, when he is abducted by aliens (and don’t you hate when that happens?) they use their advanced technology to grant his with. He’s now an 8-yr old kid trapped in a super-powered adult body, trying to convince his Mom that he really is her son, while fighting an assortment of villains who think that this is Major Damage. This whole thing is certainly not as much fun as Melvin thought it would be!

Finally, ROBOY RED, works with a boy robot created by a corporation (with a nod to Walt Disney and the Disney company) to make children’s film. When it becomes apparent that some folks in the corporation have more sinister ideas in mind the robot’s creator, Tuck and the mysterious Dara Dare (aka Jet Girl) make off with Roboy to protect him. This seven page story vies us the history and background of the Roboy Red character and then a few pages of Halloween mischief. Rich Faber and John Gallagher give the reader enough information and a sense of where they want to go with their creations.

Overall this freebie allows fans a taste of three books they may have not discovered previously. You should know enough when you’ve finished to decide whether or not you want more. The creators also present pages on how to draw the characters and other fun stuff. A very nice job by all involved.

Comics review: RUNNERS #1

RUNNERS #1 {Remastered} from Serve Man Press: Created, written and drawn by Sean Wang, RUNNERS is a six issue series which will be collected in TPB this coming June. This issue (part of the Free Comics Day promotion) is a redrawn & relettered version of the original first issue. Apparently, the issue as originally presented will be included in the up-coming TPB.

The series deals with the voyagers and adventures of the merchant space ship, Khoruysa Brimia. The crew is a mixed group of aliens from different planets and with different backgrounds, but they have formed a friendship which serves them well. You get the usual banter, although you don’t get a lot of heavy back-story, at least not in this issue. Other than an inside cover blurb and a ‘cast of character’ list a reader goes into the story with very little information. Frankly, I’m glad that Wang didn’t spend half the issue telling us the backgrounds of each character in detail. Enough is revealed in some comments and exchanges to show that there is a history between the crew and possibly the space pirates they encounter later.

While on a routine mission to rendezvous with another vessel the crew picks up a distress message from that ship. They soon discover that the other ship had been attacked and bordered by pirates. They also find that the pirates may have left behind the cargo for which they came. Namely an unconscious female discovered covered in some kind of liquid. The first issue ends at that point, but the book includes several pages of previews from the next four issues, which was enough to interest this reader.

Creator Wang’s art is cartoony, but also detailed enough and able to convey the emotions of the various characters even in silent panels. I think that his style and humor would appeal to those STAR WARS fans and others who enjoy a bit of SF fun. Not complete satire as in FUTURAMA, but with the feel of some segments of the original SW film, especially those scenes which took place on the Millennium Falcon. Wang gives each of his characters a personality which comes through even in this action filled first issue. The reader will want to learn more about each and the preview pages promise some interesting things involving the past of several of the crew.

Personally, I think there is a lot of potential here and certainly RUNNERS would make a great animated series or film in the right hands. Recommended for teens & adults.

My Free Comics!

I just got back from Manhattan, where I stopped off at Jim Hanley's Universe over on 33rd St. In my opinion Hanley runs the best comic shop in the city, but then again I haven't been to all of them so your opinion may very well differ.

Anyway, Hanley's was giving you the choice of four 'free comics' or three comics and some small Batman figurine. I went for the four comics, since I'm not a big one on action figures, to be honest. I have a few but don't go out of my way to collect them.

Some shops will lay out all the comics on a table and you can pick from what you want, with a limit to only four (frankly what are they going to do with the rest? they had boxes of the things behind the desk!) I went with some things I thought might be a bit different. I skipped the Marvel and DC books, as well as the Gladstone & Archie titles. It's not that I might not have enjoyed them, but I was more interested in checking out some books I'd heard of on line.

The four I have are: BUZZBOY from Sky Dog; RUNNERS #1: REMASTERED from Serve Man Press; RONIN HOOD AND THE 47 SAMURAI from Beckett Comics {How could I possibly resist that title?}; and BONE SHARPS, COWBOYS AND THUNDER LIZARDS from General Tektronics Labs (Jim Ottavianni and the fine folks who brought us TWO-FISTED SCIENCE)

I'll have reviews of all of these at some point, along with comments on the comics for which I actually paid. Among those are the lead in for DC's INFINITE CRISIS, FLAMING CARROT, THE ESCAPIST and a couple of others.

Hanley was also giving out copies of HOUSE OF M Sketchbook promoting Marvel's big cross-over event and the latest issue of CSN (Comic Shop News) which promotes "Free Comics Days" on the cover.

It's been a few years since I regularly picked up any mainstream Marvel titles, so I know I'm not the audience for this. Then again the same can be said for INFINITE CRISIS, even though I am much more familiar with the DCU since I was buying a half dozen of so regular titles from DC up to about a year ago. I probably would have passed on IC, but Tony Isabella reviewed this and I just had to see for myself.

Hope that you made it to your local shop or can get to one this week. Many places will probably be giving away the Free Comics titles while they have some in stock. That is the point isn't it?

Remember Free Comic Book Day!

Once again I want to remind folks that tomorrow is Free Comic Book Day around the country. If you get a chance you should swing by your friendly neighborhood comics shop and see what they might have. Even a non-comics readers just might find something that would be of interest. It's not all super-heroes, you know!

Speaking of comics, I just finished the Warhammer 40,000 compilation of the BLOODQUEST trilogy. Outstanding! Tony Isabella gave the Warhammer series (a British comic based on a role-playing game, or is it the other way around?) about a galaxy far away which seems to exist only for warfare. Lots of stuff getting blowed up real good, but also some very good art & storytelling on a grand scale. I hope to have more to say about the series next week, as I plan on picking up a couple of more Warhammer related items at Jim Hanley's Universe.

Have a good weekend & see you in the funny pages!

An animated Sunday

Donna wanted to watch a movie on television Sunday night, so after watching COLD CASE (see Parting Shots for more on that) I went into the bedroom and caught some animation.

I'm really glad to see FAMILY GUY given a chance once again. The opening even jokes about how the show won't get on the air until dozens of other Fox shows fail. The gag being that, in fact, they all did! The rest of the episode is even better including take offs on NORTH BY NORTHWEST and an escape from Mel Gibson. The show pushes the envelope and really deserves another shot.

It was followed by the first episode (at least the first I've seen) of AMERICAN DAD. The show features the homelife of a mid-level CIA operative and his family. Over the top, which is what you'd expect from the same folks (Seth MacFarlane & Co.) who bring you FAMILY GUY. It will take more than one episode to win me over, but they seem to be off to a good start.

I love the fact that there is an alien living in the house, with no explanation, along with a gold fish who speaks (everyone can hear him) in a German accent. The family just accepts all this, which adds to the silliness of the whole thing.

After this, I switched over to Comedy Central and caught a couple of episodes of SOUTH PARK from the past season. I'm not addicted to the show as I once was, but love to check it out now and then. It continues to be as cutting edge as ever.

Free Comic Book Day!

This coming May 7 will be the fourth annual Free Comic Book Day. Many participating retailers have announced events around the country with special sales, signings, and other activities designed to appeal to comics fans and attract new readers to stores. This reminder brought to you from the fine folks at the Comics Buyer's Guide.

The headline above will link you to the Free Comic Book Day site, where you'll find more information including some of the comics being made available. I didn't have a chance to visit any of the shops last year, but I'm going to try this time.

The first year of the event the shop I was going to really did a great job and I walked away with a nice haul. By 2003 the same shop barely acknowledged the event and less then a half dozen titles to hand out. I'm not sure what I'll be doing that Saturday, but there are a few shops in the area I might check out.

If you are a comic fan or just want to see some of what is available you should check the website for a list of nearby shops.

Weekend wrapup!

I had to work this past Saturday at the Library, but it wasn't a total loss. We had a program on "Urban & Traditional Georgian Music" which I was fortunate enough to monitor. The group was absolutely amazing and I found myself enjoying it a lot more than I would have thought.

Both the Red Sox and the Mets are doing very well so far this season. Also the Yankees are appearing a bit shaky, so I couldn't be happier.

Speaking of happy, I think that I and other Xena fans were delighted to see Lucy Lawless last evening in the CBS made-for-TV feature LOCUSTS. Personally, my favorite part was probably in the first fifteen minutes when we saw the ex-Warrior Princess drop her robe to reveal bra and panties. Yeah, I know it's wrong of me to say that, but I'm trying for honesty here! :-)

Seriously, LOCUSTS was a combination the "nature goes wild" and "man perverts nature" type of thing which fills the weekends over on SCI-FI. Personally, I love that type of thing and can happily sit through the absolute worst garbage. Poor Mike Farrel had barely fifteen minutes of screen time, playing Lawless' father, with Dylan Neal (of DAWSON'S CREEK fame) playing her romantic interest.

The bad guys in this one turn out to be a group in the Defense Dept. and Homeland Security actually saves the day. I was wondering what they were doing with the billions they've been budgeted.

I'm really curious what the budget for this thing was and why CBS decided to put it up. As I say the folks over at SCI-FI run hours of this type of thing, but generally don't have name actors. Then again are either Lawless or Farrell really 'names' any longer?

Sunday at Shea Stadium

Thanks to the Queens Library, my friend Pete & I were able to attend yesterday's Mets game. Last week was National Library Week and as part of "Library Workers Appreciation Day" the system supplied a pair of tickets to a weekend game to all employees. Since Donna didn't want to go I asked Pete and we headed out to Queens from Brooklyn.

Since it was opening day weekend at Shea the place was jumping. Hundreds of fans had gotten there early on a beautiful, sunny day and were all over the parking lot tailgaiting up a storm. The smell of grilling hamburgs & hotdogs was everywhere.

We had seats in the Mezzanine, between First & the foul pole, which were far better then the last few times I attended a game. Sadly, I think I must jinx the team, since they lost 5-2 to the Marlins, whom they had been ready to sweep. This stopped a nice six game winning streak. Tom Glavine just didn't have the right stuff on the mound with a 0-2 record this season) and only the Mets' Victor Diaz getting a homerun.

Over on the Bronx side of things Boss George is none too happy with the highest paid team in the majors. The Bombers are in last place and their owner was letting everyone know that things had better change and fast! To which we say, "hee hee!"

My Red Sox are 7-5 so far and only a game out behind Baltimore (who just happened to be the team that swept the Yanks in a three game series). The Yankees are back in town tonight to meet the Devil Rays, while the Sox are in Fenway hosting Toronto (who have a half game lead on Boston).

LONESOME DOVE: kind of a review

LONESOME DOVE by Larry McMurtry

I remember watching the mini-series based on this novel a number of years ago, but except that it starred Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones I don’t recall much else. I really should try to rent it again one of these days, now that I’ve been reading McMurtry’s series of novels. The thing about having seen that series is that I can picture Duvall and Jones as the characters. It is their voices I hear as Call and Gus speak, argue and make their way over the deserts and mountains.

It’s easy to see why this book was so popular and why McMurtry received the Pulitzer Prize. He has created a fascinating cast of characters, both male and female, whom he brings to full life. Not only are the main heroes, former Texas Rangers Gus and Call, vividly portrayed but secondary characters who are only briefly introduced become ‘real’ enough that we care about their fates. Even if you had not read the earlier books (Dead Man’s Walk & Comanche Moon, which show us the early lives of the Rangers) McMurtry gives us enough back story here to make the reader sympathize with them.

We travel with the Hat Creek outfit from their livery stable in the Texas town of Lonesome Dove through their journey of several thousand miles to Montana, driving over a thousand head of cattle and horses. They encounter natural hazards and the human kind, both of which can be fatal. Along the way we meet new characters whose lives cross those of the main cast, the meetings do not always end pleasantly.

Since I started reading this series with DEAD MAN’S WALK, I was sometimes surprised to see that certain events mentioned in passing in LD did not exactly match the events in the earlier novels. We don’t find characters returning from the dead, but McMurtry seemed to feel it okay to make some changes in how and where certain characters met. Of course, the author went back years later to these characters, but it some cases it seems that he didn't bother checking his own book rather making small changes to events as he pleased. Guess you can do that when you created the characters to begin with. As a long time reader of comics, a continuity glitch or two can't be me too worked up.

It is good to see characters like Deets, Clara, Pea Eye and others who we got to know in the ‘earlier’ books. We learn their fates and see how they have grown from young adults to middle-age. I’m hoping to pick up the last book in the series, which is STREETS OF LAREDO, where we take up the story of an older Captain Call. So far none of McMurtry’s books have disappointed me.

I'm looking forward to reading some of his other western novels, once I take a break with several books of mystery short-stories. I've picked up a few old issues of Alfred Hitchcock anthologies recently and they are next on the agenda.

Oh well!

Last night wasn't meant to be I guess. Curt Schilling wasn't meant to get his first win on his first day back and Mariano Rivera was able to thumb his nose at the Red Sox fans.

As we Sox fans always say, "It's early in the season yet!"

To be honest, I felt I should post just to prove that I'm not only to be here when we win. Although, I hope that the wins will greatly outnumber the loses as the season progresses. :-)

It also looks like Jason Giambi may be able to hit a ball minus the juice after all!

Curt Schilling back on the mound

It will be interesting to see how Curt Schilling performs tonight at Fenway. This will be his first appearance on the mound before the home crowd since he helped the Sox win the World Series. He had a rough time the other day in a Triple-A start, but being a bit shaky first time out shouldn't really worry the fans. The guy is a trooper!

Papers report that tonight may be the last time that Roger (The Rocket) Clemens will pitch his last game in New York. He'll go up against the Mets tonight with the Astros sitting at the top of the NL Central Division.

A good night for baseball fans here in the city!

National Library Workers Day!

I generally don't duplicate posts here and over on PARTING SHOTS, but I wanted to make an exception today.

This is from an e-mail sent to all staff at the Queens Library:

Tuesday, April 12, is NATIONAL LIBRARY WORKERS DAY, as designated by the American Library Association, and timed to occur during National Library Week. It is intended to recognize nearly 400,000 special people whose efforts in libraries across the U.S. serve the public’s need for information and literacy.

Hats off the my fellow Librarians, the clerical staff, pages and volunteers who work to provide service to millions of Americans each day. We don't earn nearly enough money, but we continue to do our jobs to keep the Libraries open for the public.

This weekend in sports & the Sox get their rings!

Hard to believe that even this early in the season we find both the Sox and the Yankees a game and a half out of first place. The Blue Jays of all teams find themselves on top of the AL East. Be interesting to see how long that lasts!

Tiger Woods finally beat his own jinx and won his fourth Masters tournament. I believe this is his first major victory on at least two years. Folks have been blaming his fiance, but I think part of it is that the other players don't freeze up when Tiger is around as they formerly did. They've discovered he can be beat and are doing just that.

Arena football lost a player during a game this past weekend. Al Lucas, a former NFL player was injured and went into a coma from which he did not recover. Lucas was transported to the hospital but emergency procedures could not save him. I'm certain that there will be an investigation into the event and NBC may be wondering about their continued partnership with the sport.

The BoSox picked up their World Series rings today, prior to trouncing the Damned Yankees. Man, is that icing on the cake, or what?

Domino's Pizza

I've love pizza since I was first introduced to it as a kid. Now this was back in Taftville, CT in the early 1960s, so I don't know what you would expect. The local place was called M&M's and was operated by a Greek family. I guess I probably thought they were Italian, until my mother told me different.

Growing up I had the opportunity to have pizza in dozens of cities around the U.S. and even in other countries, including Italy and Israel. Hard to believe, but I think the best pizza I've had is from right here in Brooklyn. There's a place on 18th Ave. in Bensonhurst who continue to make the best pizza I've had since moving here. J & V PIZZERIA on 63rd Street is amazing!

Anyway, the library had a 'going away' party for me today, since I'm being transferred to another branch. The staff decided to order Domino's, which doesn't make any sense to me since there are two "real" pizza places with a few blocks from here.

Can anyone tell me why anyone within delivery distance of a pizza restaurant would EVER order the doughy thing which this franchise passes off as pizza? Bland and tasteless, even with toppings, doesn't go far enough to express my disappointment.

I guess some folks much love it since the stores seem to be making a fortune. Still give me a slice from any of the hundreds of neighborhood places here in New York!

best and have a good weekend if I don't get around to posting later!

Finally we win one!

The final score (which I heard while at dinner) Boston Red Sox 7, New York Yankees 3 at Yankee Stadium. The Sox now have one in the Win column, for which we are grateful

Winning pitcher Mike Timlin actually had support both from the bullpen and some hot bats. I do hope that Derek Jeter wasn't hurt badly by a bad pitch by Timlin which struck the Yankee captain in the shoulder, bouncing and hitting Jeter in the head. He was taken out in the eighth after the hit.

Even though he is a Damned Yankee, Jeter does seem like a nice guy and I'd hate to think he got injured.

The next time the two teams meet, in Fenway, the Sox will be getting their World Series rings at the home opener. I hope I'm home to catch that!

Not so good start!

I can't blame starting-pitcher Matt Clement of the Red Sox for yesterday's loss to the New York Yankees. He held the Yankees off fairly well, as did Pedro in the first game. Unfortunately, as in the season opener, the relief pitching didn't come through. It's also the old story of the Yankees coming up in the final inning with the winning run or two to end the game. This time it was Yankee captain Derek Jeter getting Keith Foulke's 3-2 pitch and sending it over the right field wall.

I'm hoping that this isn't going to be typical of what we'll be seeing from Boston this year. Naturally, it's only the first few games and guys have to get into the groove, but let's hope that it doesn't take too long for the bullpen to get it together.

When I go to dinner later the third game of the series may already be over. I'm working tonight so can only listen to the highlights on WFAN or ESPN-radio later. Finger's crossed that Alan Embree has a better time today than Matt & Pedro. It would be nice to duck a sweep this early on.

Off to another start

Well, I suppose it was in the cards, that the Sox would lose the first game against the Yankees. Randy Johnson had his usual great stuff and David Wells had nothing! It was probably some cosmic payback for the end of last season, but let's hope that Boston will come back and demonstrate that last year was not a fluke.

Despite the loss Sunday night, it was a kick seeing Johnny Damon on the TODAY SHOW yesterday morning. He was plugging his book and joking around with Jimmy Fallon, who is in the new movie FEVER PITCH. The film is about a Red Sox fan who tries to balance his new romance and his love of the game. Looks like a fun movie, with plenty of scenes shot at Fenway, including the final game of last year's WS. What a perfect end for the movie, huh?

Red Sox at Fenway Park

Red Sox president/CEO Larry Lucchino announced late last week that the Sox will be remaining at their traditional homepark. There has been speculation for several years, especially when the new owners took over. Lucchino said that some renovations and improvements are planned. He said that the Red Sox will be able to celebrate their 100th anniversary at Fenway in style when 2012.

I feel bad admitting that I've never actually been to Fenway Park myself. I've seen the outside of the stadium a few times while in Boston, but have never had the opportunity to attend a Sox there. One of these days....

TV Party and other stuff

I've added a link to TV Party over on the right (the headline above should also bring you there) which I discovered while doing a 'net search for some kid's shows I used to watch. It's a nice site with plenty of links to pages dedicated to various old television programs and personalities. As with the cartoon sites you may find yourself going from place to place wasting valuable work hours.

My parents didn't own a set until around 1956 (according to my Mom), so I don't really have memories of anything prior to that. It's likely that I may have been allowed to watch something downstairs at my grandparents, but I can't be sure. Most likely I was probably six or seven years old before I really began sitting in front of the set letting the hypnotic b&w screen work its wonders.

Growing up in southeastern Connecticut my most vivid memories are of the four TV stations we got most clearly. This, of course, was back in the primitive days of TV antennas and the four networks (I believe that Dumont was still broadcasting at that point). I know we received two CBS stations, one NBC and an ABC affiliate. I have a memory of one of the stations switching affiliation at some point. We only picked up one station from Connecticut, that being WTIC (now WFSB) Channel 3 out of Hartford. The other stations were located in Boston & Providence, at least their IDs indicated that.

When I have a chance I'm going to talk about some of the kiddie shows I most vividly recall, but I want to point out the page at TV Party which talks about the Boston kid's shows. Most of those are the hosts I remember, especially Rex Trailer and "Big Brother" Bob Emory both on WBZ.

Review: Devil in the White City by Eric Larson

Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America
By Erik Larson; published by Random House

There is something about the “Gilded Age” (the name coined by Mark Twain & Charles Dudley Warner for their novel of the period), that period ending the 19th century in America which totally fascinates me. It seems to do the same for many others, since there have been countless books, movies and television shows which take place in that period. The fact that it coincides with Britain’s Victorian Age is probably one reason for that interest, since the events of that era literally changed the political, social and cultural makeup of much the world.

The U.S. was rapidly changing in that period, with a great shift taking place as millions of native born Americans, as well as immigrants, began moving into the larger cities and making their livings by working for industries, rather than farming. It is also the era which saw a change in how the U.S. saw itself as a player in world affairs.

I think one of the most amazing things about the period, here in the U.S., was that life in the ‘civilized’ eastern portion of the nation was so vastly different from that of the still growing frontier west of the Mississippi. In fact, Larson makes note of that very thing in his section talking about “Buffalo” Bill Cody’s troop of ‘cowboys & Indians’ who were neighbors to the fair for all of its existence.

One way in which America could prove itself was to host the World’s Fair of 1893. The previous one held in Paris, including as it did the unveiling of Eiffel’s tower, was considered unsurpassable. Larson’s book takes a look at the social, political and economic pressures which were brought to bear on the men and women who set about to bring the Fair into being. He also introduces many of his readers, for most for the first time, to a most remarkable individual, who also had his own impact on hundreds of people. In his case, the effect was often deadly.

Larson’s book centers on the careers and fortunes of two very different men. One is Daniel Burnham, architect and overall planner of what was known as the Columbian Exposition. The second was named Dr. H.H. Holmes, although it became known only later, that this was only one name by which this gentleman went. It was in fact, not his name at all, but the one by which he became identified as the first American serial killer (although this term would not come into fashion until several generations after Holmes left us).

Unlike his better known British contemporary, Jack the Ripper, Holmes did not publicly flaunt his murders, but quietly went about his crimes while maintaining an air of respectability. Holmes was in fact, even after his conviction, the object of sympathy and respect. Called a ‘monster’ by the press of the day, many of those who had known Holmes personally still spoke of him highly.

It is not known exactly how many people, mostly women, Holmes killed in his ‘castle’ in Chicago. The newspapers of the period said as many as two hundred, although it was probably less then half that. Still dozens of men and women checked into Holmes’ hotel and never were seen or heard from again.

While Burnham and Holmes (born Herman Webster Mudgett) both were born hundreds of miles from Chicago; it was there they earned their fame. Burnham’s father operated a wholesale drug business, while Mudgett’s parents were farmers; from early in their lives they took very different courses. Burnham, rejected by both Harvard & Yale, yet became one of the most highly respected architects of the era. Holmes, a mediocre student at best, earned a degree in medicine and also took up the pharmaceutical trade, but on the retail level.

Larson, writer of the bestseller Isaac’s Storm, has done an incredible job of research, which brings both men and their contemporaries to life. His examination of the cultural and economic tides which effected the fair make it all the more remarkable that Burnham and his partners were able to pull it off. On the other hand, many of these same things helped Holmes do what he did so well also, by allowing him to go undetected until dozens of people had already met their fate at his hands. Four Stars.

Tracking the elusive toon!

Back when I was a kid, during the mid-1950s to late 1960s, I loved cartoons. In my mind, of course, this was the ‘Golden Age’ of television animation. Hanna-Barbara, Ruby-Spears & Warner Bros. seemed to rule the roost, with some Terrytoons and other studios taking up the rest of the time. Early on it was the older cartoons, originally made for theatrical release, getting a second chance in weekday afternoon slots and the taking over on Saturday mornings. If you liked animation you could certainly get your fill, although you had to wait for certain times of the day.

Back then I don’t think any of us could have imagined entire television channels featuring animation almost 24/7. You get not only shorts, but entire ‘feature length’ movies, some made in other countries. Wow!!!

For me, BOOMERANG is probably the channel I most watch, when I have the chance. The channel shows most of the old H-B shows I used to love, as well as some Jay Ward and other programs. The blocks dedicated the various super-hero/adventure shows (Herculoids, Galaxy Trio, Birdman, etc.) are really the ones which I still find entertaining. Part of me never quite grew up and still loves the things which thrilled me as a kid.

The link over on the right will take you to www.toontracker.com an absolutely amazing site filled with page after page of illustrations, theme songs, information and even some actual cartoons. I’ve spent hours going from one section to another and think that you’re likely to do the same.

Mr. Selig goes to Washington

The headline above will link to a NY Daily News article on yesterday's hearings. I was home yesterday but actually had other things to do besides watching Congress. I'm sorry to have missed Mike McGwire crying and saying he didn't "want to talk about the past." Of course, why else would he have been called up there? They guy may be doing some wonderful things for abused children (and more power to him for that), but that wasn't why he was asked to appear.

Sammy Solsa's ability to speak English appears to be a problem at times, since his lawyer (and don't you love it when folks appear with one beside them?) had to tell the committee that his client never broke the lawyers of the U.S. or the Dominican Republic. Who knew that D.R. had laws on the books about rich athletes taking drugs? Pretty progressive!

On the much more pleasant front, Donna and I got confirmation that we got the seats we wanted for the Brooklyn Cyclone season. We'll be over behind the visitor's dug out in Section 15, on the aisle. Make it a bit easier to hit the concession stands between innings, as well as the bathroom when the beer takes effect.

Jason gets a pass

Looks like Jason Giambi won't have to go up to Capital Hill after all. Apparently he's going to be called before the Grand Jury again, or to testify in the upcoming Blasco trial on steroids. With Bonds and Giambi both out of the picture it will be interesting to see just who will be showing up. Lawyers for the MLB are still trying to limit the questions being asked, so the whole thing seems even more of a waste of time than it has before.

Only another couple of weeks before the actual baseball season commences, and then all this will really fade away. Unless, of course, the Blasco trial comes out and names Barry Bonds which will put a major damper on any celebration of his record later this season. There are already indications that MLB and the networks will underplay the thing. Not ignore it, since they can't do that, but they'll not be the hoopla we saw whey first McGwire and then Solsa broke the homerun records.

Mike & Mike, on ESPN, were talking about the new MLB steroid policy this morning. One thing not widely know (at least by me) was that the League has the option of NOT naming players caught during the drug testing and suspending them. The draft of the 'policy' seems to allow the League to fine the player instead, in which case his name will not be made public. I agree with them that it dilutes the strength of the policy and will let some of the big name players possibly slide, while other players will get outed. It's going to be a long interesting season, both on and off the field.

Say it ain't so, Mark!

Headline above links to yesterday's New York Daily News exclusive on Mark McGwire's use of steroids.

Even when McGwire was playing there were rumors about him using steroids. A look back at pictures of him in his rookie year you'll see a much different guy from that one who broke the home run record. Ditto, of course, for Barry Bonds and a few other players currently under suspicion.

It is still unclear if any of the MLB players called before Congress this week will show up. I know that Curt Schilling has said he has no problems talking to the Senators, but then the stories really haven't been about pitchers, have they?

Steroids, Congress and baseball

I tried to post earlier today, but either my network or Blogger was acting up.

I don't want to get political here, but aren't there more important issues both domestically and internationally that Congress should be concerned about? Apparently they've gotten tired worrying about what we see and hear, so now Senators need something else to get their names in the paper.

Like most folks, the absence of Barry Bonds in these hearings seems rather odd. The excuse that it has to do with the Grand Jury procedure may be true, but you have to wonder.

It may be of passing interest to see what sort of deal MLB can make. They find themselves in a no-win situation as I see it. If they fight this thing it will look like they have something to hide, than on the other hand they can't know exactly what the players called may say. Will they all take the Fifth or start "naming names?"

I'm going to follow this somewhat, but I really just want to enjoy the season.

Grand Comic Book Database

For several reasons I'm not reading comics as much as I once did. Formerly, I picked up about dozen books each week and followed several dozen titles on a regular basis. Now I hardly ever go into a comic shop and have no clue as to what is going on in the industry. I sort of feel bad about that, and hope to eventually start in again.

I've added a link to the Grand Comic Book Database over to the side. The folks there are going a remarkable job of trying to index all over the comics published in the United States. It has an amazing amount of information and like the Internet Movie Database, I find myself using the site quite often. Also, like the IMDB the GCD is just a fun place to waste some time and discovering titles you'd never known existed.

Jason Giambi

Well, it was probably smart for Joe Torre & his staff to send Jason Giambi out to face Red Sox Nation. In a split squad game in Florida the NY Yankees went up against the Red Sox and beat them. Jason hit a home run, despite some booing, shouts of "Steroids!" and a few signs mentioning the whole thing. Naturally, the New York media is making this out to be the end of the situation, but playing in an exhibition game in front of a mixed crowd of fans is not the same thing as being at Fenway Park. Nor is the situation going to go away at any of the MLB parks around the country, at least not for a few months. Each time Giambi and the Yankees go out on 'enemy' turf they are going to hear it.

I almost feel bad for Giambi, even though he brought this on himself. It will be far more interesting to see how Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa and some other players mentioned in Canseco's book deal with similar situations. I think the first major event will be when one of the players (and it's only a matter of time even with the half-hearted drug policy) gets caught using.

The Red Sox win their pre-season opener

The Boston Red Sox won their first pre-season game yesterday, beating the Minnesota Twins by one run. The final score of the “Grapefruit League” game was 4-3, with new pitcher Matt Clement allowing one of the Twin’s runs during his two innings of work.
Today the team will have a couple of split squad games against some college teams.

I don’t expect to be doing this day-by-day, but will try to get in a few times a week with Sox news, good or bad. Like most Boston fans, I’m moderately confident that the Red Sox can prove themselves not to be one-time wonders.

The Yankees tied their opening game with the Pirates, with a final score of 2-2. Randy Johnson was originally slated to pitch, but given a minor problem with his left leg Joe Torre wisely replaced him. Why push it this early? I'm sure that the Big Unit will have more than enough chances to prove he's worth the money George S. shelled out.

The other New York team got rained out, so the Mets will have their first game today against the Cardinals with new acquisition Pedro Martinez on the mound. I understand Pedro played for some other team last season.

I haven't been this excited about the baseball season since I was a kid. Fingers crossed that my enthusiasm is rewarded!

Animation and other fun stuff

Since I was a kid I've been a fan of cartoons (or animation, since that is probably more accurate). I have fond memories of sitting in the living room of my parents house watching hours of POPEYE, FARMER ALFALFA and other b&w cartoons originally made for theatres. Eventually, these were pushed aside by material made for the emerging TV market. Stuff like RUFF & READY, CRUSADER RABBIT and the numerous creations of Hanna & Babara (like HUCKLEBERRY HOUND & YOGI BEAR).

Even as I grew older I never lost my love of the art form, but found that it actually expanded to include material found only in animation festivals or at conventions. I've added two links over on the right to sites which cover some of this stuff, both of them by folks known and respected for the knowledge. I actually had the opportunity to meet both of these gentleman, back in another life.

Leonard Maltin, long before he began popping up on ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT, was teaching courses on the history of animation at the New School in Manhattan. The very first time I ever met Elayne Riggs (then Wechsler) we attended one of these classes. The class was interesting, although I don't remember now which cartoons he showed. It was on St. Patrick's Day, I believe, and I think we went out for Chinese later, but that's another story.

I also know that it was Elayne who introduced me to Jerry Beck. This was at an animation festival held at the old Thalia uptown. I believe that Jerry and his partner Will Friedwald were both in attendance.

Jerry's site, CARTOON RESEARCH is of course dedicated to animation and the history of the art form. Leonard's is much more diverse, but still has links to animation history (including Jerry's site), as well as film history in general. I probably check out the Maltin site on a more regular basis, but both have aided me in looking up references I'd never have found on my own.

Jose Canseco's book

Jose Canseco' book, JUICED, came into the library yesterday and I skimmed it briefly. I don't know that I'm interested enough to read the whole thing, but will probably read some sections to see what he has to say about certain players, teams and league officials.

He appears to have some nice things to say about Joe Torre, although he wasn't too happy with his brief stint with the Yankees. The team picked him up basically to prevent him from playing with some other teams and hitting against the Yankee pitching staff. He ended up spending most of his time sitting on the bench and actually felt guilty about taking part in the World Series celebration that year.

Regarding Sammy Sosa, I didn't read what he had to say about any steroid use by Sammy, but Canseco did feel that Sosa was singled out during the 'corking' incidend. He felt that the umpire made a big deal out ot the situation, while many other times such things are swept under the rug when discovered with different players. Who knows if this is true or not? I wouldn't be surprised if it was.

Thrilling Detective

The headline above will link you to the Thrilling Detective website. Thrilling Detective isn't connected to the well known pulp magazine by that name. The title, apparently entering public domain, just seemed an apt one for the folks who set up this site and expresses perfectly what the site promotes. I'm also adding a link to the page over on the right, which should be up shortly.

I would have to guess that my love of detectives and the mystery genre probably occurred shortly after my love of cowboys. There was certainly never a shortage of those old b&w movies on television, featuring Dick Powell, Alan Ladd, or Lloyd Nolan among others. Hard-boiled guys, usually with a cigarette dangling from the lips as they wised off to some cop or gangster. Like the cowboy heroes I loved these guys were tough, but generally decent despite their rough edges. Maybe that's why both genres have such an overlapping readership and many writers find easy to move from style one to the other.

I've just discovered this site so will be checking it out in the next few days. I'll probably have more to say about both it and the types of films & books it honors.

Minor League Baseball

The headline above will link you to the MLB site which covers the various minor league teams around the country. It also has coverage of some the major prospects who just might make the move up this coming season.

I've had the opportunity to catch over a dozen games at major league stadiums over the years. There is nothing quite like going to a major league park and watching the biggest names in the game do what they do best for a couple of hours. I love watching games on television and even listening to them on radio, but seeing a game in person can be amazing (apologies to the New York Mets).

The very first MLB game I attended was back in the 1975, in San Diego. I was stationed there at the time and the team had special discounts for active duty military personnel. A few times I'd drive over with shipmates and we'd take in a game for only a few dollars (if you were in uniform that is). Anyway, this initial experience couldn't have been better. The Padres were hosting the New York Mets that week. The game featured Randy Jones on the mound for the Padres (he went on to win the Cy Young the next year) and Tom Seaver pitching for the Mets (the year he won that award). The usually dismal San Diego team was actually in first place in the National League west at that point (thanks in part to the brilliant work of Jones), and the game itself couldn't have been more exciting. Sadly, I don't remember who won, although I believe it was the Mets (sending the Padres back into 2nd place).

If you've attended any major league games the past few years, I'm sure you'll agree that prices for tickets and for snacks have become pretty expensive. On the other hand, in the minor league parks you can still get a nice seat for around ten bucks or less.

I've added a link to the Brooklyn Cyclones homepage over to the right. Donna and I took in several games last season and decided to spring for a package of weekend games. The Cyclones are part of the Mets organization and play a short season. Still the games are fun and the team always has trivia games and other stuff for adults and kids during breaks between innings. I'll probably have more to say about the Cyclones and baseball in general as the season commences.

It's Spring Training time

Articles (like the one from the AP, which you can link to via the headline above) say that Jason Giambi was warmly greeted by fans as he took the field in the Yankee training camp yesterday. I don't think the fans that head down to Florida for this stuff are the ones that Giambi and the Yankee front office have to worry about. These folks are there to get as close to big name players as they are likely to get and to bring their kids along to meet them. Hardly the guys who will be screaming steroid comments at Jason when they take the field in the Bronx in a month or so.

Mike & Mike on ESPN this morning were talking about Sammy Solsa pulling the super-star thing when he got to camp. Seems that Solsa refused to get into the vehicle sent to pick him up at the airport and demanded a limo for his personal use. Way to make fans in your new home, Sammy! Your ex Chicago teammates apparently smashed your boom box when you left and your new coach has already stated that your pre-game ritual of playing DJ for those in the locker room will not be permitted in Baltimore.

Rumor has it that at least one player may bring a law suit for libel against Jose Canseco. I don't think we've heard the last about the book either.

Some personal pleasures

Over on the right I've added some links to sites dealing with some of my favorite things.

The Internet Cigar Group and Beer Advocate are pretty self-explanatory. The sites include FAQs about each subject along with listenings of stores, bars, etc where you might enjoy or be able to purchase such items. You'll also find information on contacting like-minded folks who share your pleasures.

The Cocoa Pete is maintained by the Cocoa Pete company. Created by my high school classmate, Pete Slosberg, who was also the brains behind Pete's Best Ale. Pete is a great guy and the products he puts out are top of the line.

Enjoy the sites and have a great weekend!

Happy Trails!

Jim Rome Show

The headline above will link you to the Jim Rome Show website. I discovered Romie back when I was working in Connecticut and would listen to him at lunch time. Sadly the NY ESPN station doesn't put him on until 7:00pm, so I only catch a little of the show during my commute back home. Still the best radio sports/talk show, in my opinion.

Once again, I'm really sorry for those hocky fans who have been shafted out of their favorite sport. Also, as some other folks have pointed out it may be the those people who work in the stadiums (ticket takers, ushers, venders, etc.) who will be the hardest hit by all this. It is a shame that they are stuck in the middle of selfish owners and million dollar players.

Bad mouthing A-Rod

Click on the headline above and you'll find Trot Nixon getting the Red Sox/Yankee season off to a grand start (courtesy of the NY Daily News). Apparently in Trot's eyes, Rodriguez doesn't measure up to either former Yankee greats or even his current team mates.

Man, the pitchers & catchers are just showing up and already the slings & arrows are flying between the two camps. Add to that the crap that Jason Giambi will be getting from all the fans (pretty much where ever he goes early in the season) and things are shaping up for an interesting season. That's not even including what happens on the field. :-)

We can also look forward to hearing the "Who's your Daddy?" jibes that Pedro will hear when the Mets first show up to play their crosstown foes.

As for hockey and a possible cancellation of the season, I can't say that I really care. I don't think I've ever watched a professional hockey game all the way through on television. In fact, the only hockey game *period* that I recall sitting through was back in 1980. That was in a bar with some college friends and we were watching the U.S. Olympic team play the Russians. Now THAT was a game!!

I do feel for the true hockey fan though, like my wife's 11-yr old nephew, who genuinely enjoy the game. Fingers crossed for them that both parties can work something out by the scheduled news conference this afternoon.

Canseco on 60 Minutes

The saddest part about all this is that I really don't have much trouble believing Canseco. I'm not saying that everything in his book is 100% accurate, but I think that he is telling us what many sports fans have known for years. A lot of the biggest names in the game are not playing on the 'level field' we'd like them to be. As some of the sports radio show hosts point out the only new things that Canseco is giving us are the names.

Check out what folks like Mike Lupica, Jim Rome and others have to say. Canseco has his detractors, but they are not dismissing everything.

Even when McGwire & Sosa were playing "can you top this" with the homerun record, there were rumors that one or the other (possibly both) were doing steroids or using other things to boost their energy. It also doesn't take a genius to look at the Barry Bonds of his rookie years and see that the guy is doing something more than munching energy bars and hitting the Nautilis equipment. I doubt that MLB really wants to know the truth behind all of this. If they did they would take the suggestion of some folks and have a major investigation.

It will be interesting to watch the coming year and see if this is a flash in the pan, or if it will have any lasting effect. Canseco's book may not have a long shelf life, but this story is not going to go away when copies are sitting on the bargain table.

If you click on today's headline you'll link to the USAToday/Baseball Weekly site. I'll probably be adding that link over on the right any day now.

Book review: Comanche Moon by Larry McMurtry

Comanche Moon by Larry McMurtry – The second prequel to McMurtry’s LONESOME DOVE, this novel takes place a few years after the first book DEAD MAN’S WALK. This is supposed to be the fourth and last book in the LD series, which is unfortunate since McMurtry has created so many fascinating characters. There are several whose stories would certainly make for further novels.

We get to see Woodrow Call and August McCrae when they are a few years older, and still members of the Texas Rangers. The story starts at a time when rumors of a coming war between the North and South are still just that, continuing through the conflict and showing us Texas trying to recover as the era of Reconstruction begins. While Call and Gus themselves never take part in the conflict, some of those they know do and even in Texas the ramifications of the war are felt.

Even though our two rangers, soon to become captains, are central to the story, McMurtry takes time to introduce a number of other characters and the book jumps from chapter to chapter as a wide range of these characters have their own adventures. We get to see Gus’s old flame Clara once again, along with fellow ranger Long Bill, plus learn the fate of some of the others who we met in the first book. McMurtry once again has Buffalo Hump, the Comanche war chief going forth to raid and kill over thousands of miles, building a large war party of hundreds of warriors. We also get to meet Captain Scull, sent to lead the Rangers, but who goes off on an adventure of his own. This book also shows us the boy’s first trip to Lonesome Dove, the town featured in the best known novel.

Scull, leading the Rangers in a search for the Comanches led by Buffalo Hump, finds himself the target of the warriors he seeks. When his horse is stolen by Kicking Wolf, he travels with Famous Shoes, the Kickapoo scout into Mexico. His fate once he finds his horse is central to the rest of the novel. McMurtry, unlike in the first sequel actually brings some depth to the tribal members and we begin to understand why they do some of the things they have done. Buffalo Hump, who we originally see as a savage killer actually gains our sympathy as the story progresses.

I have to admit that initially I wasn’t as taken with this novel as I was with DEAD MAN’S WALK, but after the troop return to Austin the story begins to pick up pace and I was caught up from that point on. If you don’t mind a bit of a slow start and some confusion as to who all these characters are and how they relate, I think you’ll enjoy this as much as the previous book.

Talking sports

Apparently it wasn't poor clock management or bad planning on the part of the Eagles. Poor Donovan McNabb wasn't feeling well and almost threw up in the last huddle. Ahh!

Maybe it was too much of that Chunky Soup his mom was forcing down his throat during bus trips.

I also see that Pedro Martinez showed up early for Spring Training at the Mets camp. Pedro was famous for showing up late for the Red Sox camps, so it looks like he's either turned over a new leaf or thinks it might be a good idea to get off on the right foot with the team and the New York press. Probably a little of both, but it will be interesting to see how long the honeymoon will last. Of course, both Pedro and Randy Johnson are going to be the focus of a lot of attention, with Johnson already getting slammed for snubbing a reporter early on.

Those guys will the getting almost as much ink as Jason Giambi and his steroid problems.

Jose Canseco book

I'm shocked and appalled! Well, perhaps not so much shocked, but it is troublesome to believe that many of the baseball (and other sports to be sure) records we've seen broken over the past couple of decades were done so with artificial assistance. I'm not talking chalked bats here!

The naming of names by Canseco, in his forthcoming book probably won't surprise many folks. We have the usual suspects, of course, but some names wouldn't immediately come to mind. We all suspected McGwire and Giambi admitted to doing them, still if we take what Canseco says as gospel a good portion of the Texas Rangers and a number of others in the '90s were shooting up. It seems obvious, if this is true, that the managers and coaches could not have been oblivious to what was going on right under their noses.

With the newly drafted 'get tough' policy that MLB is pushing it will be interesting to see if other names come out and if this information will have any effect on the Hall of Fame voting. I'm sure not the only fan who will start seeing an invisible asterisk after a few records, even if they down appear in black & white on the pages.

Am I old fashioned in this? Should I just be happy to watch the game and hope my favorite hits on over the wall, even if his head is the size of a basketball?

Just my two cents, I guess.

Baseball Almanac website

The great thing about Baseball Almanac.com is that they view the game in a historic perspective. It doesn't matter if you're a fan of the Yankees, Red Sox, Braves or any other American or National League team, you'll discover an incredible amount of information. Even if you don't root for a 'favorite' team and are just a fan of the game you can find links to pages of facts that you have probably never known before.

Want to know about baseball movies, World Series or All-star games of the past? How about overviews of past seasons? BA has all that and more. Whether you are really into the stats or just want to know a little about a player you followed as a kid the BA writers & researchers will probably have what you are looking for.

This is the first baseball link I'm going to be adding and probably one of the most inclusive.

Happy Trails!

Super Bowl Sunday

I'm not a football fan by any means. For me there is baseball season and then 'other games with balls which I neither understand nor care for'. I played the usual pick up games as a kid, plus the ones you're forced to play in gym class (my "brilliant" soccer career cut short by getting kicked in the ankle by another player as we both went for the ball. At least once a week my ankle will still give out on me.), but I never could get into basketball or football.

I barely watch more than a handfull of NFL games a season and don't think I've ever sat down and seen a basketball game, since my father passed away. I'd sometimes keep him company watching the Celtics. Still there has always been something more than just a football game about the Super Bowl and I try to catch it every year.

This year was no different, except that there were no buffalo wings, since we most of the evening was spent at my sister-in-laws for her b-day party. The game was on, but since dinner didn't start until just after kickoff.... *sigh*

Caught some of the commercials and I'm sure I'll get to see them, plus the ones I missed ad nausea for the next few months. Unless of course, the Brad Pitt beer ad was a one time thing. Oh, and as much as I like Paul McCartney, I think that Fox and the NFL were trying to play it too safe after the Janet Jackson hoopla. Didn't you get the idea that many of the young 'fans' around the stage had probably never heard a McCartney song unless forced to sit in the car with their parents?

Being a New Englander born, I was naturally cheering for the Patriots to repeat and they didn't let me down. Although there were a few minutes there in the third & fourth quarters where I thought they had blown it. Thankfully, the Eagles didn't seem to be paying attention to the clock, nor the fact that that they might want to stay two TDs ahead just to be on the safe side. Neither team really should feel badly about how they played, since many sport show types were predicting NE to walk all over the Philadelphia players.

Anyway, I enjoyed myself and the game, but will be adding some baseball links over the next couple of weeks and will be talking baseball here on this blog all season. Be warned!

Happy Trails!

Gene Autry Square

Just read (link in the title above) that Hollywood Chamber of Commerce will dedicate the intersection of Hollywood and Highland as Gene Autry Square. As the article states, and fans of his know, Gene loved Hollywood and he would have been thrilled to have this honor. The singing cowboy already has stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, but this is a great tribute to a gentleman who still has millions of fans around the world. Congratulations to his family, some of whom were present at the dedication of the first street sign yesterday.

Happy Trails!

Movie review: HOMBRE

Hombre (1967) – It’s hard to believe that this film was made three years after Fistful of Dollars. While few of the main characters here are without a rough edge, there is still an obvious Hollywood sensibility throughout. I suppose we should be grateful that the film ends in the fashion in which it does and we don’t see the Newman & Celino riding off into the sunset together.

The film was adapted by screen writer, Irving Ravtech, from the novel of the same name, written by Elmore Leonard. Four years previously, Newman, Ravtech and director Martin Ritt had all worked together on Hud, a more contemporary western. That one based on Larry McMurtry’s Horseman Pass By.

John Russell (played by Paul Newman) is the son of a white family, kidnapped and raised by the Apache Indians for years until he was adopted, by the Russell family. Finding life among the white settlers unsuitable he returned to the reservation to work as an Indian policeman. When his adopted father passes away he comes to town to sell his father’s rooming house, run by Jessie (Diane Celino). Deciding to leave the area after the sale he finds himself sharing a stagecoach, driven by an old acquaintance Henry Mendez (Martin Balsam), with a number of questionable characters, including Grimes (a great villain role for Richard Boone), Dr. Favor (Frederick March) and his wife Audra (Barbara Rush), along with Jessie, and several other folks. When bandits stop the coach the travelers must fend for themselves and fight off the bandits to protect the money that Dr. Favor had swindled. Mendez and Russell are the only two of the passengers who really have a chance of getting out of the situation alive, but stay with the others for reasons of their own.

Not a great film, but certainly an enjoyable movie for western fans. Boone especially seems to be having a good time in his role, with most of the other members of the cast doing professional if unspectacular jobs. Frank Silvera, as the Mexican bandit, seems to have been studying Alfonso Beldoya in Treasure of the Sierra Madre, in preparing for the role. Two and a half stars.

American Western Magazine

I've added a link to the American Western Magazine feed over on the right. You'll be able to check out articles appearing at that website on the Old West, plus link to the homepage as well. AMW is an incredible resource for those folks interested not only in western fiction, but in the history and legacy of the American frontier. You'll find fiction, poetry, articles and interviews by and about contemporary writers and entertainers.

For those of you interested in Western style fashion, recipes or information on rodeos it is all available at this one site. Like most places of interest on the web, I discovered AMW while doing a search on Larry McMurtry. If you have any interest in some of the things that I post on here, I'm sure you'll find yourself spending a good hour just looking around.

Happy trails!

Review: Dead Man's Walk by Larry McMurtry

DEAD MAN’S WALK by Larry McMurtry – For those folk already familiar with the characters of Gus McCrae and Woodrow Call, from McMurtry’s LONESOME DOVE, all you need to know is that this book is a prequel. Here we meet Gus & Call as young men, just having met but already forming the bond which will last them all their lives. We also meet the Comanche war chief, Buffalo Hump, the horse thief Killing Wolf and the love of Gus’ life Clara.

McMurtry shows us just how it was that Gus & Call first became Texas Rangers. We see them on their very first adventure where Buffalo Hump almost kills both of them. Here Call earns the hatred of the Comanche chief, barely escaping with his life and discovering just how much he himself can hate. McMurtry introduces us to a large cast of characters in this novel, some of whom we will meet again in the series, and others who will quickly meet their individual fates.

I first became familiar with McMurtry via his novel THE LAST PICTURE SHOW, which was adapted into film by Peter Bogdanovich. Other folks might know him better for the novel TERMS OF ENDEARMENT which was also adapted for the screen. Besides these contemporary novels, McMurtry is considered by many as one the great writers of American westerns. The four novels in the LONESOME DOVE series, his “Berrybender Narratives” (that tells the story of the Berrybender family in the Old West) and a number of stand-alone novels are all prime examples of western adventure.

Young Gus & Call, bored with life in town, hear about an upcoming expedition into Mexico to ‘liberate’ Santa Fe. Under the leadership of Caleb Cobb, a former pirate already well-known to the Spanish/Mexican military, close to two hundred former Rangers and others begin a doomed journey across the desert and into the homeland of Buffalo Hump. It soon becomes apparent that Cobb is incapable of carrying out this adventure as the elements and the Comanches begin taking their toll. Ill-equipped and ill-trained the members of the expedition fall prey to all manner of misfortune. Along with Gus & Call are their comrades Shadrach, Bigfoot and Long Bill, men who have seen their share of folly and lived to tell the tale. McMurtry also gives us the wonderful Matilda Jane Roberts, the whore known as Great Western, who goes along with the expedition in hopes of finally making enough money to buy her own whorehouse in California.

Once I started the book it was difficult to put it down and twice I actually missed my subway stop, so engrossed was I in the story. If that isn’t praise, I don’t know what is?

To be honest, I’ve never read LONESOME DOVE, being familiar with the story only from the television mini-series. I decided it was time to finally read it, but felt that since two novels act as prequels, I would start with those. Having finished DEAD MAN’S WALK, I’m going to start on COMANCHE MOON as soon as I can.

As you can tell, I can’t recommend this book enough. Four stars.

MostlyFiction.com

I've added a link to the MostlyFiction.com website over to the right. The link actually goes directly to their "Wild Western" page, since that ties in with my main interest in this blog. However, the site also links to pages related to thrillers, mysteries, current fiction and humorous fiction, among other genres. They also have a 'bookshelf' for current non-fiction books which may be of interest.

The great thing about the site is that not only do they review a wide range of books, but they also have bibliographies and brief bios for some authors. In addition, you can find excerpts of some novels which will give you a taste of a particular author's work. You won't find just bestsellers and you won't have the range of a Barnes & Noble, but you can easily spend a few hours checking out the work of writers you might not normally choose to read.

Happy trails & Happy Reading!

Roger Ebert

While I don't always agree with Roger Ebert's reviews I do appreciate the thought and wit he puts into each one. Even some films which you'd think he could simply ignore, he will spend time telling you just what it is that went wrong or those small things which actually went right in an otherwise forgettable film. That's one thing that I've always liked about Ebert, and equally his late former collegue, Gene Siskle.

Their movie review show was necessary viewing for years at Chez Chaput, especially in those times when I was trying to put together semi-literate commentary in the movie apa, CAPRA. They would quite often make me re-evaluate my own opinions on a particular film, or decide to take a chance on a director or project which I normally would have ignored.

I've put a link to Ebert's website over on the left and recommend you give it a try. Not only will you find Roger's comments on new releases, but also an archive of material on older films. Add to those his "Little Movie Glossary" and "The Answer Man" columns, plus essays & interviews, you'll discover yourself easily spending an hour or more clicking here or there.

In my opinion, Roger is harsher on some genre films than he should be, but he's rarely seen a foreign film that he didn't absolutely love. Still he's probably one of the best reviewers you find on line or in print.

Owlhoots of the Old West

While surfing the net to find information on the 'owlhoot' term I discovered this fun page (link over on the right). There are some stories of several notorious figures from the west, along with a couple of games to waste your time.

Happy Trails!

Desperadoes: a book review

DESPERADOES (Berkley paperback) – Just finished another anthology of western stories. Like the previous one (TIN STAR) this book has a theme with the editors utilizing new stories and reprints to focus on those on the opposite side of the law.

The first item is a reprint of a Louis L’Amour tale, which gets things off to a nice start. Also included are works by Loren Estleman, Bill Prozini, Frank Gruber and Ed Gorman, among others. I’m more familiar with the mystery/detective fiction of Prozini and Estlemen, but both prove themselves more than adept at the western tale. Estleman, of course has garnered a few awards for his stories of the old west. I’m really becoming a fan of both Frank Gruber and Ed Gorman, so I’ll be trying to pick up a few of their western novels when I get the chance.

The individual writers each put their own spin on the idea of the men and women who find them selves riding the ‘owlhoot trail’, as they say in these books. I remember first encountering that term back when I was reading western comics as a kid, but didn’t really understand the concept until I began reading actual western fiction. I’ve tried to discover the origin of the term, but can’t seem to find it listed in any of the dictionaries or encyclopedias I check. I’m going to make it a project to actually try and hunt down the origin. If I do, I’ll let you know.

Like most anthologies of this type there are some weaker stories, but for the most part the editors have chosen some fine examples that cover several decades of western fiction. Maybe I’m just easy to please, but I recommend the book for those who enjoy short story writing, no matter the genre.