At Hollywood and Highland

Northwest corner of Hollywood and Highland

Hollywood isn't my normal stomping grounds.

Being from the beach cities of the South Bay, I find the trip up to Hollywood to be a frustrating navigational exercise, ending with the ever annoying search for affordable parking. Moreover, the presence of tourists and those who thrive off of tourists is a definite turn off for me.

However, I was in the neighborhood. So, I took a few photos. ;-)

Ripley's Believe It or Not museum on the southeast corner of Hollywood and Highland

Enjoy!!!

The Miracle of Lasagna

Image from Garfield bookmark "Some Call It Laziness. . ." (1978) by Jim Davis

On June 19, 1978, Jim Davis' comic strip, Garfield, was first published. Featuring a lazy, lasagna-loving cat, this comic strip was a childhood favorite of mine. The jokes were really simple, the gags repetitive, and the smug attitude of the rotund Garfield appealed to my youthful sense of humor.

Eventually, I lost my enthusiasm. Perhaps it was the continuing anthropomorphizing of Garfield, who looked less cat-like over the years, walking upright and possessing obvious human-like hands. Maybe it was just the development of mature tastes in comedy. Or it could have been that the lasagna jokes were getting stale. Whatever the case, this comic strip fell out of my favor.

Nevertheless, there is a warm spot in my heart for Garfield, despite the awful unoriginality to which the comic strips have fallen. And the movies were heinous, especially A Tale of Two Kitties. Yikes!!! That was extremely bad!!!

Image from Garfield bookmark "That's Right. . . 100 Pizzas to Go" (1978) by Jim Davis


Occasionally, when looking through my old book collection, searching for something to donate to the local library, I'll find a ratty old bookmark from my childhood, from the time when Garfield comics were the light of my day. Silly and banal though they may be, they nevertheless fill me with nostalgia and return me to a simpler time when a fictional overweight lazy cat could brighten my life.

And One for Your Dreams

Nancy Sinatra's recording of These Boots Are Made for Walkin' hit the top of the Billboard chart in February, 1966

Nancy Sinatra was born on June 8, 1940.

Well, go go boots never looked so good. ;-)

You all know that I adore the songbirds on the 1950s. Well, Nancy Sinatra may have been singing in the 1960s, but her classiness and sophisticated style of singing kept the tradition alive. She delivered her songs smooth and swingin'. Some people credit her fame to her father; there is some truth to that. However, her personal mark on the music leaves a sexy playfulness that Frankie could never match. ;-)

Nancy Sinatra was born on June 8, 1940.

And so we wish Nancy Sinatra a Happy Birthday. And keep on walkin'!!!

Days of High Adventure!

Promotional image for Conan the Barbarian (1982) featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger

Lately, I've been doing the "Thirty years ago" celebrations in regards to music. But tonight we'll consider one of my favorite movies of the era, Conan the Barbarian. It's not high art; it has no profound message. It isn't even a good adaptation of the original source material, short stories written by Robert E. Howard.

Nevertheless, for a teenage boy enthralled by "Sword & Sorcery" fiction, it was adventure and excitement. With awesome fight scenes, sexy ladies, dark magics, and an epic soundtrack, it set my imagination on fire. An age undreamed of. . .

I never got around to seeing the 2011 remake. The '82 Conan might be dated in terms of production and effects, but the spirit still holds strong. And, always, there remained the discipline of steel. ;-)

Conan the Barbarian (1982) promotional poster by Renato Casaro

So, what is best in life?

The Meanest, Roughest, Toughest Hombre

Bugs Bunny tricks Yosemite Sam in Bugs Bunny Rides Again (1947)

In 1945, on May 5th, the cartoon, Hare Trigger, was released, introducing my favorite Bugs Bunny antagonist, Yosemite Sam.

Sam's blustery anger and gun-happy personality were always good for a laugh. Unlike Elmer Fudd, he was a villain, not a bumbling huntsman. Whether holding up a train or terrorizing a town, Yosemite Sam was always looking to cause trouble. And I found it satisfying to see the tables turned.

Sam might say "Why I'll blast the varmint wide open!" but he'd usually end up on the receiving end of the blast. ;-)

Sharks with Friggin' Laser Beams

Mike Myers as Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)

It's been a while since I've done a "cinema" post, but, with Blockbuster season starting off this weekend, I figured we could celebrate the fifteen year anniversary since the release of Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery on this date in 1997.

It's weird to think about how various phrases from this movie have become pop culture fixtures. From "Yeah, baby!" to "One million dollars!!!", the presence of this movie was hard to ignore in the late '90s. Two sequels later and another in the works, it's certainly become a cult classic.

"100 Billion Dollars!!!" Mike Myers as Dr. Evil

So, lets take the way back machine a couple decades back to the groovy days of the 1990s. ;-)

Bunny Hop

Detail of the cover for Ray Anthony's Bunny Hop record (1952)

Here's to a Happy Easter!!!

To celebrate, we've got a brief whimsy post for you all. ;-)

Alternatively, you can think about this guy:

Detail of Resurrection (1455) by Dieric Bouts, on view at the Norton Simon Museum

And that would be totally cool, but I'd rather hop, hop, hop!!!

Straighten Up and Fly Right

Nat King Cole was born on March 17, 1919

Who's the smoothest, coolest cat to ever croon a classy tune?

Let's put down the Guinness for a moment and spend a few moments remembering one of the most distinctive voices of the Great American Songbook, Nat King Cole. With his rich baritone sound, Cole become an icon of the cool mid-century style, pre-Rock and post-Swing. Moreover, he trail blazed a path to stardom for the many African-American performers that were soon to follow in the Pop/R&B scene.

As regards most male vocalists of the era, such as Frank Sinatra or Dean Martin, I'm not much of a fan. The music simply doesn't appeal to me and neither do the performance stylings of the period. However, Nat King Cole stands out with a subtle jazziness that gives depth to his songs. The typical "Rat Pack" performance was mostly style and little substance, but Cole had both.

Nat King Cole

So let's listen to a few classic pieces. ;-)

Save Versus Enchantment/Charm

"Vantastic Voyage" featuring new works by "Dirty" Donny Gillies, on view at CoproGallery

Unfortunately, while I've been away, many excellent shows have opened and/or closed. One of my favorites is closing tomorrow, March 17, "Dirty" Donny Gillies' "Vantastic Voyage" at CoproGallery.

Being a long-time gamer, I can't help but love this show. These works capture that late '70s fantasty feel of wizards and spaceships and giant d20s. And the frames feature "old school" lettering alongside silhouettes of classic spaceships, like the Millennium Falcon or Imperial tie fighters from Star Wars.

In short, Dirty Donny captures everything awesome from the genre. It's a critical hit!!! ;-)

A giant blue d20 in front of Stargasm by "Dirty" Donny Gillies

With only one day left, if you have even a drop of gamer geekitude in your soul, this is a "must see" exhibit.

If That's Your Best, Your Best Won't Do

Peter Finch as Howard Beale in Network (1976) delivering the "Mad as Hell" speech


Today is "I'm Not Going to Take It Anymore" Day.

I find it odd how popular culture has such fondness for this scene from Network. In the "Mad as Hell" speech, Howard Beale isn't imparting information or advice to the viewers, but, rather, he is engaged in a pointless rant of enraged demagoguery; he is angry and wishes to vent it in pointless yelling. Whereas he ought to be delivering the News, Beale instead provides fury-laced "info-tainment" of no value.

Yet, many people consider this scene to be inspirational?!! Heck, JG Wentworth financial services even references this scene as a positive model in an especially annoying commercial.

It is as if the cultivation of loud-mouthed discontentment is a civic virtue. It is as if perceived victimization allows one to wear a mantle of self-righteousness. It is the elevation of aggressive self-entitlement over cooperative rationality and the civil resolution of complaints.

Now, I'm not saying that there aren't problems in the world that inspire anger. Rather, I'm saying that rage in and of itself is not an answer to these problems. In fact, blind fury is often an impediment to one's ability to find a lasting resolution to such problems.

Dee Snider of metal band Twisted Sister, noted for the song "We're Not Gonna Take It" (1984)

My point is that happiness is more reliably derived from taking positive actions to make the world into a better place, while anger-fueled self-aggrandizement leads only to failure and further frustration. Moreover, it is best to remember the old saying, "Don't get angry. Get even." ;-)

Time Can't Touch Us

Christy Turlington (1993); photo by Jonathan Exley

I miss the days when "super models" dominated fashion magazine covers, when the queens of the catwalk defined that which was chic, from haute couture to commercial merchandising. It was a time when popular culture looked to the "glamour girls" as the ideal beauties, the leading look of emerging style.

I don't know who is my favorite super model, but Christy Turlington is certainly near the top of my list. It isn't because I find her to be the most gorgeous or sexy, but because there is an accessibility, a sense of invitation, to her posturing, a vulnerability intrinsic to her poise. With a broad chin and pinched nose, Christy is far from being a "perfect" beauty; her irresistible allure comes the intangible persona that her material features so strongly convey.

Today marks Christy Turlington's 43rd Birthday, born in 1969. Yet, I find her every bit as lovely as I did back in the late '80s.

Christy Turlington on the cover of Paris Vogue (August 1987); photo by Bill King

So, let's wish Christy a Happy Birthday!

Strong to the Finich

Popeye and Olive Oyl in A Date to Skate (1938)

My love for classic cartoons is well established on this blog. But one of my favorites is Popeye the Sailor, originally created by E. C. Segar in 1929 for his comic strip, Thimble Theatre.

Yeah, the plots are nonsensical, mere vehicles for absurd fisticuffs and overt brutishness, but I can't help enjoying the simple-minded mayhem. The creativity with which Popeye and Bluto assault each other, ever escalating to new heights of fantastic brutality, captivates me. I often enjoy seeing just how much of a pummelling that Popeye will receive before he pops open a can of spinach.

Crazy stuff!!! Yet, as a child, I spent countless Sunday mid-mornings watching these cartoons on Tom Hatten's Popeye Show, featured on KTLA. Obviously, this was well before the "Shelter the children from violent images" trend that came into prominence during the 1980s.

Popeye and Bluto in Popeye the Sailor Meets Sinbad the Sailor (1936)

In any case, let's spend a few moments to enjoy some purposeless animated mayhem. ;-)

Whenever He Gets in a Fix

Felix the Cat debuted on November 9, 1919 in Feline Follies


We can't let the day pass without celebrating Felix the Cat.

As a child, I would wake up bright and early on weekday mornings to watch old Felix cartoons, specifically the television series from the late 1950s to early '60s. The Professor and Poindexter brought me a great deal of amusement. It wasn't until I was significantly older that I found out about the early silent shorts featuring Felix.

Cool stuff!!! ;-)

"You'll laugh so much your sides will ache."


Let's look at some vids.

Such an Adorable Little Cat

Happy Birthday, Hello Kitty!


On this date in 1974, Hello Kitty was created!!!

It's hard for me to imagine a world without the famous feline, a beast that attained popularity just as I was entering elementary school. The girls at school were of the target age for this new fad out of Japan, resulting in Hello Kitty stickers, pencils, folders, clothes, toys, and just about anything upon which Sanrio could stick a mouthless visage. The Cat even put my sister under its spell, extending its influence into my house, into my very bedroom!!!

Yeah, I have issues with Hello Kitty. ;-)

Age has mellowed me out in regards to the Sanrio Scourge, but I still can't understand the appeal. Hello Kitty didn't peak and fade, but attained an enduring popularity, becoming a worldwide pop culture icon. How?!! It's not that there is something innately bad about the Kitty, but I can't see exactly what has enabled it to attain iconic status.

Hurry, Hello Kitty, your gifts are waiting!!!

Well, life is full of mysteries and cult of Hello Kitty is one of them.

Gigantopithicus Sasquansis

Image of Bigfoot from the Patterson-Gimlin film

Cryptozoology is a field of many strange creatures, but one of the most pervasive in popular culture is the Sasquatch, Bigfoot, a large hairy hominid that resides deep in the wilds.

Cryptid researchers have put vasts amounts of time and resources into finding the elusive creature, but have come up with little more than blurry photographs, suspicious footprints, and diverse animal droppings. As a person who loves a good story, I enjoy hearing the reports of "sightings" and the subsequent investigations. Even when it turns out to be an overt hoax, as in the Dyer-Whitton case of 2008, it still makes for an enjoyable tale.

The belief in "giants" has been a part of human mythology since ancient times, across numerous cultures. There seems to be a psychological yearning for such creatures, which some might ascribe to a racial memory of the times when our brethren hominids still existed, such as the neanderthal.

Sasquatch from the Jack Links Messin' with Sasquatch ads

Today marks 44 years since the Patterson-Gimlin film took our folkloric furry friend into the collective unconscious of popular culture.

Fashionable Frost

Nancy Kerrigan won the 1992 US Silver Medal in a Vera Wang outfit. (Photo: Mike Powell)


Much has been written about Nancy Kerrigan.

The history of figure skating provides high drama and extreme personalities in every generation. Arrogance, anger, despair, and kindness, the Passions rule the Ice. And the skater's blade has no sharpness when compared to their competitive spirits. Don't let the fancy outfits fool you.

But Nancy Kerrigan and her tumultuous times took it to the limit. In 1991, if a writer were to plot out the events that were to occur in the figure skating world over the next three years, their story would have been rejected as an absurd parody. The outrageous characters, the overblown antagonism, the breathless sensationalism, these would have been considered pure hack work of a puerile imagination.

Truth is stranger than fiction.

Kerrigan won the '94 Olympic Silver in another Vera Wang outfit (Photo: Clive Brunskill)

So let's celebrate Nancy's birthday today and remember those days of drama. ;-)

To Those Who Wait

Vintage ad for Heinz Ketchup


The cooling fries mocked me, lying bare upon the plate, as I shook the Heinz ketchup bottle to no effect. Like a ignorant ape, I had been waving and jerking this bottle about for a length of time that seemed to stretch on to eternity. The crimson sludge moved at a glacial pace. But this gave my youthful mind a moment to consider.

I hate ketchup!!!

Well, that's not quite true. I hate working and waiting for a mere condiment. They are extravagances, unnecessary additions to a meal. With no positive nutritional value, they offer only empty calories. It would be best if condiments were not eaten at all. So why engage in a foolish struggle for it?!!

But even more loathsome than the Heinz ketchup bottle were the detestable packets! Oh, how I despised tearing their corners and kneading the plastic to force out a pittance of flavor. Such a mess. Such a waste!

And so I stopped using ketchup as a regular addition to my meals. Mustard, mayo, salsa, Tabasco, plentiful choices were available to bring my meals added flavor. It wasn't until Heinz came out with a squeeze bottle that I started using ketchup again. ;-)

The Heinz company was founded in 1869 by H. J. Heinz

That's enough ranting. Let's look at some ads.

Here Comes Ol' Charlie Brown!

Lucy and Snoopy share an apple for Halloween.



On this day in 1950, the first Peanuts comic strip appeared. This began a fifty year run that had a readership of over 300 million. It earned its author, Charles Schulz, a billion dollars over the course of his life. The Peanuts gang has been merchandised as just about anything imaginable and have "endorsed" countless properties.

Personally, I wasn't a fan as a child. Sure, I liked Snoopy and seeing Charlie Brown attempt to kick the football. But, as a daily read, the strip felt old-fashioned. That's because it was. The characters already had over two decades of development before I started giving it a read. The creative energy wasn't tapped, but it wasn't in full flow either.

Now, I can look back on the entire body of the series and appreciate it in full. Of course there are lag points, but the overarching vision of the comic carries you through. Peanuts is still not my favorite comic, but I can see why it was for so many people.

Don't do it, Charlie Brown!!! It's a trick!!!


And the football trick still amuses me. ;-)

Bad Reputation

Joan Jett was born on September 22, 1958.


Let's wish a Happy 53rd Birthday to Joan Jett, one of my favorite ladies from the 1980s. ;-)

In the Los Angeles area of the early '80s, Joan Jett was the image of post-punk/pre-metal hard rock. Her music had insistent guitars and a hard-edged rhythm. And her style was the paradigm of rebellious, anti-authoritarian youth. In short, she was the essence of how an early '80s Rock musician should be.

Even now, her iconic look from back in the day is still the "quintessential rocker babe" in the nostalgic memory of popular culture.

Joan Jett performing in 2009

So let's send appreciative vibs to Joan for a Happy Birthday.

Picking Up Where We Left Off

Breaking the Girl by Yoskay Yamamoto

I always enjoy art shows that involve the blending of multicultural influences. LaBasse Projects in Culver City has been the "go to" place for me to enjoy such exhibits. Currently, LaBasse is exhibiting a solo show of Yoskay Yamamoto's work, entitled "Picking Up Where We left Off." Blending themes and images from both traditional Japanese art and contemporary Los Angeles pop culture, Yamamoto creates a rich "dream space" that makes the mundane take on otherworldly qualities.

The textured quality of the paintings create a strong sense of space in which the mental or spiritual states of the subject manifests as perceptible force, form or color. Be it the wind in ripping though the hair or a haze of snow, the psychological state dominates the space in which the subject figure resides. It's a very powerful presentation.

Snow by Yoskay Yamamoto

And there is a refreshing sense of humor, a lightness of mood, that pervades Yamamoto's work. I especially enjoyed the image above. The title and white hair bring to my mind the legendary Yuki-onna. It's delightfully ironic that she seems entranced by music. ;-)