A very popular online Christmas card is an animated version of the song White Christmas, from a 1954 (or perhaps ’53) recording by the original lineup of the Drifters. The animation was done by Joshua Held in 2002. This is the video he posted on YouTube.
The YouTube video has better sound than in Held’s original Shockwave Flash file, which has the advantage of better image quality. Here’s the SWF for comparison. Note: Once it starts playing there’s no pause option.
Montgomery Burns explains the fiscal cliff to the common folk.
Joltin’ Joe Sinnott’s granddaughter Erin has been posting a very enjoyable weekly series of video Q&A’s with Joe on his Facebook page. Joe’s fans and friends know that he’s a big fan of Bing Crosby, and this week’s question comes from a fellow Der Bingle fan, who’s none other than my co-conspirator in fanboy endeavors, Dennis F. Rogers.
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Joe’s praise for Bing singing the plaintive Hang Me, Oh Hang Me makes it deserving of a listen, so here it is.
[audio:https://s3.amazonaws.com/dogratcom/Audio/2012/12/BingCrosby.mp3|titles=Bing Crosby – Hang Me Oh Hang Me]I’m pleased no end that Joe Sinnott also has a connection to the Beatles, because when they came to America in 1964, Joe had the distinction of being picked to illustrate the authorized comic book of their story…
… and here’s Joe talking about drawing the Beatles. A couple of years later he would be in the thick of his legendary run with Jack Kirby on The Fantastic Four.
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Yesterday, Charles M. Schulz would have turned 90 years old…
… and next month Stan Lee turns 90.
Being the loyal Peanuts fan that I am, last night I watched A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, and today I’m pleased to see that the ratings are looking good.
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving delivered its biggest audience in four years — 8.1 million viewers and a 2.2 rating in the adult demo, up 22 percent from last year. Pretty spry for a 39-year-old repeat, huh?
This is Sunday’s Ziggy from a week ago.
My father got a kick out of this, because Paris, Illinois is his hometown. Paris is a small town and he knew a kid his age named Carl Switzer, who was more commonly called Alfalfa. Carl was a real hell-raiser when he was older. My father said when they were hanging out as teenagers every other word out of Carl’s mouth was f–k, but he always had girls around him, so he was worth having as a friend. Later, my dad went in the Navy and he was sent to Japan as part of the occupation forces. Carl kept trying for parts in movies, and he had a notable bit in It’s a Wonderful Life. My dad says Carl’s death in 1959 was stupid and tragic, but not necessarily a surprise to anybody who knew him.
