The Marvel Of Modern Media Collections

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In the past few years, we’ve seen collections of popular serial media collected all in one place at one time — and it is a treasure trove for the consumer (fan).

For example, I bought a multi-CD-Rom set of every MAD magazine published from the very first issue up to about the year 2000.  It not only included all the pages from the magazines, but all the extras that came in those mags over the years — sound files from the flexi records and other great stuff.

I also bought the collection of the entire history of National Lampoon.

In both cases, I bought or subscribed to these magazines at one time, and of course I read them.  However, the originals are long gone.

I’m not a collector.  I don’t care if I have the physical specimen in mint condition.  I’m just that kid who enjoyed funny magazines — all growed up — and I’m able to look at, cross rerference and enjoy them all in so many ways.

Movies are also terrific — all the sequals and originals (Godfather, Star Wars, whatever) and TV series are great to watch a whole season at one time.  I’m several years behind on some of them, but I’m catching up (now on season 3 of “House, MD” and just starting “Weeds.”)

As I often tell my wife, “Ain’t it wonderful to live in the future?”

Wade

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Tin Pan Alley – Home to New York’s Music Publishers

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Starting in the late 19th century, the major product sold by the music industry was the piano roll.  There were no radios, TV, record players or movies.

singer with sheet music and victrolaBut most homes had a piano, and even though a great number of people learned to play the piano in those days, the piano roll gave them the opportunity to hear many styles of music and virtuosos.

As popular music gained strength in the entertainment world — eclipsing classic and religious music — music publishers flourished and cultivated songwriters.  The area of New York where most held offices was called Tin Pan Alley.

Here is a brief article about this magical place and its role in popular music — after the jump.

WADE

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Golden Age Santa Claus Funnies – Ho, Ho, Ho!!!

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Cover for Dell Comics 1952 issue of Santa Claus FunniesThe next best thing to a visit from St Nick has to be comics featuring the Jolly Old Elf.

And in my opinion — the best comics are from the Golden Age… take a look at some of the covers that I gleaned from Dell’s Christmas series  after the holiday season.
Golden Age of Comic Books

WADE

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Manilow and Mercer

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Love him or hate him, you have to admire the tune Barry Manilow wrote for Johnny Mercer’s “When October Goes.”

Written toward the end of his life when he was fighting a losing struggle against brain cancer, Mercer expressed a fondness for Manilow.  The first hit for Barry was “Mandy” — the name of Johnny’s daughter.

After Mercer’s death, his widow gave Manilow some of Johnny’s unfinished lyrics to work with.  “October” was published in 1984 and was not only a big hit that year, but is an evergreen that surfaces every year on television, movies and in recordings.

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John Pizzarelli — Jazz In The Present Tense

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Notice that Pizzarelli plays the 7-string guitar. Jazz legend George Van Epps is probably best known for utilizing this configuration. He had Epiphone build him a custom guitar in the 1930s and Gretch made a special edition for him in the 60s and 70s.

The rockers decided to experiment with 7 strings in the 80s. The added string was a high A, so the highest two and the lowest two strings were the same pitch two octaves apart.

Alex Gregory had Fender make a prototype 7-string Stratocaster for him and a couple of them were shown at the NAMM show in 1987, but Fender never put them into general production.

The Ibanez UV7 was adopted by Steve Vai while he was with Whitesnake. Since the High A tended to break too easily, the guitar featured a low B. He featured the instrument on his 1990 album Passion And Warfare.

Korn, Rush and Metallica are other bands who featured 7-string guitars.

Legendary 12-string player Roger McGuinn of the Byrds developed a 7-string folk guitar which is now in production by Martin. It features a double G string — same as a 12-string guitar — but all the rest are single strings.

Russian and Brazillian musicians and luthiers have developed and utilized the 7 string guitar for about 100 years.

WADE

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Schwartz in Fashion: The Tippy Teen Years

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I never really related to teen comics when I was a teen.  It seems most of them were rooted in the 50s — if not the 40s.
I had a serious comic book habit.  I carried The Norton Daily Telegram route every day after school, starting in about 2nd grade (my older brother had the route and I inherited it a few years later when he got involved in Jr. High sports after school).
Likewise, my younger brother started going around the route with me when he was pretty young and took it over when I reached Jr. High.  It was a real family tradition.
After I picked up the papers and tucked them in my bag, Iwould stop by Compaan’s Rexall drug store and pick up my comic of the day.  They were a dime when I started, then went to 12 cents and then 15 cents over the next few years.  Whew — I was given a lesson in inflation at an early age.  But I was earning paper route money, so I could afford it.
I walked my route, throwing or dropping off papers while reading a comic (or MAD magazine, but that’s another post).
Among those was Archie — as I’ve mentioned, not exactly my favorite book.
I wasn’t aware of Tippy Teen until just recently and found myself admiring the art.
So now I’m gonna share with you …. this ought to blast you back to the Malt Shoppe days. (After the Jump)
WADE

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