Sunday Funnies

Today, in a bit of a switch, I'm going to focus on a strip that I did not read in the Sunday papers when I was a kid, because it had been discontinued (in that format) some years before I was born. However, upon discovering Will Eisner's The Spirit as reprinted by Warren magazines in the seventies, I was immediately hooked.

The Spirit was produced by Eisner starting in 1940 as part of a supplement syndicated to newspapers as either a replacement for or addition to the normal Sunday color funnies. In addition to The Spirit, other features were also included in the package, making for a weekly comic book anthology.

Eisner was one of the brilliant stylists of early comic books, and his work on The Spirit was his most enduring. Much later, he essentially invented the graphic novel format, which was a natural evolution of the serialized nature of much of his earlier work.

The Spirit was a former cop named Denny Colt, who realized he could more effectively fight crime outside the constraints of the established criminal justice system (though he remained on friendly terms with Commissioner Dolan and the rest of the police force).

He battled an array of archfiends, most notably the mysterious Octopus (in the strip, you only ever saw the Octopus' gloved hands), and had amorous encounters with a wide array of femmes fatales (most of whom straddled the line between good and bad), though it seemed his true love was Ellen Dolan, daughter of the police commissioner.

While The Spirit could be pretty violent, as the hero suffered any number of pummelings at the hands of the bad guys he pursued, one of the most attractive features of The Spirit was the tongue-in-cheek humor of the strip, often turning into a parody of the adventure and super-hero genres. Although original strips were produced over fifty years ago, The Spirit has enjoyed being in print (either as reprints or in new adventures) more or less continuously since the being revived in the 1970s in the aforementioned Warren magazines. A year or so ago there was finally a film version (which I haven't seen yet) and apparently there's a new series being put out by DC Comics.

It's hard to imagine the new versions can live up to the classic originals, mainly because Eisner was such a singularly brilliant creator. But the continuing popularity of the character certainly speaks to how great the concept and character were to begin with, and I'm glad they continue to appeal to a contemporary audience.

P.S. You can read a complete Spirit Section (with Lady Luck and Mr. Mystic strips as well) at this site.

New Hal Crowther Column

Hal Crowther is my favorite contemporary essayist on the American scene. His work is always thoughtful, provocative, and, in an odd way (given the topics he often addresses) even heartening. I guess that last quality emerges from my sense that his work demonstrates that fruitful contemplation has not entirely disappeared from our public discourse. You can see what I mean in the new column he has posted at the Durham Independent web-site, on race and related matters. Check it out.

Sunday's Quote

Here's a quote from the most prominent public intellectual in America of the mid-nineteenth century, Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882):

"Our life is an apprenticeship to the truth
that around every circle another can be
drawn; that there is no end in nature,
but every end is a beginning, and under
every deep a lower deep opens."

Saturday Morning "Car"toon-- Posted in the Evening

Back when I was a kid, NASCAR was virtually unknown, at least where I grew up. But toy slot cars and Hot Wheels were extremely popular. There were even clubs where you could go and race the former on really big tracks against other members. Of course, there was also the annual Pinewood Derby for those of us in the Cub Scouts. I guess all those signaled enough interest among the younger set to justify a cartoon on the subject of auto racing. One of the best things about Wacky Races, something that really made an impression on me at any rate, was that you really never knew who was going to win: it wasn't always the heroic Peter Perfect. I vaguely remember pulling for the Anthill Gang, but also had a soft spot for Muttley, Dick Dastardly's henchman. Here's the very first episode (in two parts-- with really cool soundtrack music too!):

Soup Diary 090829

About twenty-five years ago, I was in Washington DC for a conference. On the day I left, I stopped for a quick lunch at a place called Schlotzski's Deli because it was on the way to the airport (it might've even been in the subway station where I was catching a train to make my flight). The sandwich I had was so good, that I made a point of stopping there again the next time I was in the capital, a couple years later. I thought I had stumbled across a fantastic local institution, but it turned out to be a chain, which eventually opened a store in Buffalo a few years later. I was thrilled, but after a half-dozen truly mediocre meals at the new spot, I stopped going and pretty much forgot about the place (in fact that Buffalo restaurant closed soon after, no doubt when everyone else reached the same conclusion as me). You can probably see where this is going... I haven't been in a Schlotzski's in about twenty years, until today. I was down in Idaho Falls, and was trying to think of a place where I might get a nice cup of soup. Driving by the mall there, I spotted a Schlotzski's, which I had seen before but avoided. It dawned on me that it had been there at least as long as I have been visiting (12 years), so must be at least better than the last franchise I had patronized; besides, what deli can claim that name without offering soup? So I went in. The first bad sign: the place was empty at about quarter to twelve. But I ordered a pastrami sandwich and a cup of creamy chicken and wild rice soup. The soup came first, with a second bad sign: the modest cup was surrounded by four packets of crackers, instead of the usual one or two. Now I don't complain when someone brings me extra food, even crackers. But I had to wonder if this was a signal that the soup needed help, or that I needed some kind of compensation for choosing it. I guess I just have a penchant for reading too much into things (big surprise, huh?), because the soup truned out to be pretty good. Not great, but a fine complement to the sandwich, which was also quite satisfactory (the crackers, on the other hand, were kind of on the non-crispy side-- the only real flaw in the whole meal). Plus the place was filling up by the time I finished, so maybe Idaho Fallsians are just late lunchers. So, in conclusion, I doubt it'll be twenty years before I visit Schlotzski's again.

Today's Quotation

English poet John Keats (1795-1821) didn't live very long, but I think this statement betrays a wisdom that belies his youth:

"I am certain of nothing but the holiness of
the Heart's affection, the truth of Imagination.
What the Imagination seizes as Beauty must
be truth-- whether it existed before or not--
for I have the same idea of all our passions
as of Love: they are all, in their sublime,
creative of essential Beauty."

Golden Age of Television

Below is a clip from Caesar's Hour in the 1950s, featuring Sid Caesar and Nanette Fabray. It's practically a comic ballet, and keep in mind it was originally done live with no cuts or breaks in the performance. It's hard to think of anyone today who would even attempt such a bit; which doesn't mean nobody has the talent, but I think there was a different entertainment tradition back in those days that has been replaced by more technologically oriented material. Anyway, here's a look into the first generation of television comedy:

Friday Family Blogging Quiz

Most of you will recognize Natalie and Nicky in the above photo. Here's your question: who do those feet in between them belong to? Put your guesses in the comments section.

Last week, I asked you to tell me where the shot of my Dad shooting some video was taken. There were several good guesses, but no one got the right answer, so I'm going to leave that one open a while longer. Go back and take another crack at it, even if you already posted a response (hint: Mom was the closest on the first go-around).

More Friday Family Blogging

So as not to appear to be playing favorites, here's a recent shot of Gerik's sister Marenka too. I don't recall what she was so excited about (probably not having her picture taken), but then again she generally seems to be a pretty happy-go-lucky kid.

Friday Family Blogging

I thought those of you back east might appreciate a look at cousin Gerik, taken a couple weeks ago when I was out in Washington. The G-Man is doing well, and no doubt looking forward to the imminent start of school (he can dispute that in comments if he wishes).

Friday Philosophy

I'm guessing Dwight Eisenhower requires no introduction. He probably isn't widely thought of as a particularly philosophical kind of guy, but the following statement is pretty profound:

"A democracy smugly disdainful of new ideas
would be a sick democracy. A democracy
chronologically fearful of new ideas
would be a dying democracy."

The Bobby Fuller Four!

Once again, I'm amazed at a Youtube find. The Bobby Fuller Four is one of the great underrated sixties rock groups. They are usually consigned to the one-hit-wonder category for the awesome single "I Fought the Law." But Fuller was practically a reincarnation of Buddy Holly, updating that west Texas sound for a new generation through a fairly prodigious recording output (though much of it only released after his own tragic way-too-soon death). Here's the band performing what might be my favorite cut of theirs, "Never to Be Forgotten" (which has probably been played on my radio show more often than any other song):

A Favorite Author

Back around my freshman year in high school, I discovered the detective fiction of Dashiell Hammett-- which led me in turn to Raymond Chandler and the other writers of the Black Mask hardboiled school. Unfortunately, aside from Hammett and Chandler, it was hard to find much more from that period outside of a few anthologies that occasionally popped up at Sattler's Bookstore (where I sought my paperback fix). Most of the more contemporary mystery writers I checked out, like the various MacDonalds (Ross, John and Gregory) of various spellings, just didn't quite reach the heights I expected after reading Hammett and Chandler. But then I stumbled across a book called Ask the Right Question by Michael Z. Lewin, which for some reason really hit the spot.

Make no mistake: I'm not arguing that Lewin's series of Albert Samson novels were really in the same literary ballpark as Hammett or Chandler. What I liked about them is that they adopted the broad framework of those classics-- starting with the somewhat seedy but good-hearted P.I. as the hero-- and transplanted it to the heartland city of Indianapolis, where Samson's work often took on an aura of the mundane. In other words, I discovered that I really didn't so much want more of the same, but was ready to see somebody turn the conventions of the genre upside down. Actually, Lewin didn't really take it too far-- his stories were hardly post-modern deconstructions. But they were totally entertaining.

The reason why I'm bringing this up here and now is that I just discovered that a new Albert Samson mystery came out about five years ago and I somehow missed it (I stopped looking for Lewin's stuff when he moved to England and started writing what, to my eyes, were just old style drawing room mysteries). As far as I knew, Called by a Panther from 1991 was the end of the line. But an idle Amazon search uncovered Eye Opener and I ordered it immediately (heck, it was only 75 cents plus shipping used). I'm looking forward to revisiting the world of Albert Samson after close to twenty years, and I'll be sure to write up a review. In the meantime, let me recommend the other novels in the series: Ask the Right Question, The Way We Die Now, The Silent Salesman, The Enemies Within, Missing Woman, Out of Season, and Called By a Panther. Good stuff all.

Thursday's Quote

Ludwig Boerne (1786-1837) was a German journalist who raised his voice against the all-too-common anti-Semitism evident in central Europe. Here's a sentiment from his book The Eternal Jew with which I wholeheartedly agree:

"If you must hate, if hatred is the leaven
of your life, which alone can give flavor,
then hate that which should be hated:
falsehood, violence, selfishness."

Wonderful Scene From A Classic Movie

John Sayles may be my favorite filmmaker-- I think I've seen all the movies he's directed, and they're all good, most great. He has a knack for managing ensembles, and tends to get fantastic performances out of his actors. The stories, which he also writes, always unfold on a human scale with an absence of artifice or melodrama. My favorite is probably Lone Star (1996), but the first was Return of the Secaucus Seven (1980). Here's a scene from the latter, which involves a weekend reunion of a bunch of old college friends, in which we learn the source of the film's title:

Political Comment

As should be clear from previous posts, I'm in favor of health care reform in this country. Because of that, I appreciate the temptation to use the death of Ted Kennedy to generate support for the version of the bill that includes a public option, which the late Senator advocated. There's an eerily similar precedent for this, as Lyndon Johnson invoked the recently assassinated John F. Kennedy's name to help pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964. While I have to admit uneasiness that anyone involved in the legislative process might be subject to such emotional appeals while rejecting the more valid substantive arguments for passage, it would represent some kind of poetic justice after all the ridiculous lies about death panels and such that have been used by opponents to bash the plan. So in the end, I won't complain if that's the way this plays out.

Quote of the Day

As a historian, I'm pretty sensitive to the responsibility reflected in this comment from the Roman historian Cornelius Tacitus (c55-117):

"The chief duty of the historian is to judge
the actions of men, so that the good may meet
with the reward due to virtue, and pernicious
citizens may be deterred by the condemnation
that awaits evil deeds at the tribunal of posterity."

Heroes of the Small Screen

Phil Silvers was a comic genius, and his greatest creation was definitely Sgt. Ernie Bilko. Here's a clip from The Phil Silvers Show, where Ernie makes like a beatnik as he tries to recruit a jazz combo:

Geography Quiz

I haven't done one of these in awhile (though I guess last week's Family Blogging Quiz is sort of in the same category). The question is, can you identify where the above picture was taken? Put your guesses in the comments, and the one that comes closest will earn my everlasting admiration.

Classic Power Pop

I'm experiencing a bit of blog-writers block tonight, so I'll just fall back to posting a couple of videos. First up: possibly the greatest power pop song of all-time, courtesy of the Flamin' Groovies, who really should be better known (well, I'm doing my part):