Category: Cartooning

KHAAANNNNN!!!!!

Two Sci-Fi movie favorites and a silent Max Fleischer cartoon, with its own Sci-Fi elements, have made it into the National Film Registry this year.

https://newsroom.loc.gov/news/25-films-named-to-national-film-registry-for-preservation/s/55d5285d-916f-4105-b7d4-7fc3ba8664e3

I am especially pleased with the addition of Invaders from Mars.

Original Martian Mutant Costume from Invaders From Mars

Also getting the nod this year is Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, the feature that put Trek on a different track from Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

Speaking of Trek, William Shatner is scheduled to appear once again at the Star Trek Original Series Set Tour in Ticonderoga, New York. I’m semi-seriously considering being there. A lot this coming year will depend on my medical status.

https://startrektour.com/product-category/2025-06-shatner/

Kudos to animation historian Jerry Beck for helping to make the restoration of “Koko’s Earth Control” happen.

Rerun Rudolph Rerun

Who’d a thunk that sixty years after it first aired, the stop-motion Christmas special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer would continue to be shown on network TV? After being on CBS for decades, this year it returned to NBC, where it premiered in 1964.

This time it ran for 75 minutes, with the extra 15 minutes used for more commercials, rather than an introduction to note the anniversary. On the plus side, Rudolph looked brand-new, even better than on my Blu-ray copy.

Fifteen years ago here, I answered the question “Hermey or Herbie?” As heard in this video clip, there’s no confusion why there’s always been some confusion about the wannabe dentist elf’s name.

December 7, 1941, 1979, 1999

Three anniversaries today. 1941 you know about. 1979 one of you remembers. 1999 was the day when the retina in my left eye spontaneously detached, beginning one of the most difficult periods of my life.

Twenty-five years! Just like Pa Kent, it don’t hardly seem that long. Uh, oh. Looks like Pa had the afib real bad!

Wait. What 25th anniversary did the neighbors think the Kents were celebrating? Pulling baby Clark out of a burning rocket from outer space?

Words of Discouragement

The first time I met Joe Sinnott was at the 1972 New York Comic Art Convention that I attended with, and thanks to, mih.

That was the first time Joe met Jack Kirby, as well as my only time meeting Kirby. It was made extra memorable when, with me an earnest 16-year-old fanboy, Kirby actually pushed me out of his way to speak with someone! Joe never pushed me out of his way, but I used to push him around when he found a wheelchair useful. 🙂

Another interesting New York ’72 encounter was with the comic book professional named Kane who wasn’t Bob. When I mentioned my hope of drawing comic books, he replied, “Kid, we don’t need the competition.”

Using a thinly disguised name, this is another less than flattering memory of the pro in question, from the highly respected comic book writer/editor, Archie Goodwin. Keep in mind that Goodwin had previously written numerous projects for him to illustrate.