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Winter 2020 No. 7 $9.95

World’s Largest CHARLIE’S ANGELS Collection

THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW

An interview with the heavenly

Jaclyn Smith

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…plus we reopen the Charlie’s Angels casebook

Captain Action • Larry Storch Interview • Rare Marvel World Playset & more!

Relive The Pop Culture You Grew Up With In RetroFan! If you love Pop Culture of the Sixties, Seventies, and Eighties, editor MICHAEL EURY’s latest magazine is just for you!

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NOW BI-MONTHLY! Interviews with the ’60s grooviest family band THE COWSILLS, and TV’s coolest mom JUNE LOCKHART! Mars Attacks!, MAD Magazine in the ’70s, Flintstones turn 60, Electra Woman & Dyna Girl, Honey West, Max Headroom, Popeye Picnic, the Smiley Face fad, & more! With MICHAEL EURY, ERNEST FARINO, ANDY MANGELS, WILL MURRAY, SCOTT SAAVEDRA, and SCOTT SHAW! (84-page FULLCOLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95 Ships March 2020!

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Interviews with MeTV’s crazy creepster SVENGOOLIE and Eddie Munster himself, BUTCH PATRICK! Call on the original Saturday Morning GHOST BUSTERS, with BOB BURNS! Uncover the nutty NAUGAS! Plus: “My Life in the Twilight Zone,” “I Was a Teenage James Bond,” “My Letters to Famous People,” the ARCHIE-DOBIE GILLIS connection, Pinball Hall of Fame, Alien action figures, Rubik’s Cube & more!

NOW BI-MONTHLY! Interviews with ’70s’ Captain America REB BROWN, and Captain Nice (and Knight Rider’s KITT) WILLIAM DANIELS with wife BONNIE BARTLETT! Plus: Coloring Books, Fall Previews for Saturday morning cartoons, The Cyclops movie, actors behind your favorite TV COMMERCIAL CHARACTERS, BENNY HILL, the Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention, 8-track tapes, and more!

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THE CRAZY, COOL CULTURE WE GREW UP WITH! LOU FERRIGNO interview, The Phantom in Hollywood, Filmation’s Star Trek cartoon, “How I Met Lon Chaney, Jr.”, goofy comic Zody the Mod Rob, Mego’s rare Elastic Hulk toy, RetroTravel to Mount Airy, NC (the real-life Mayberry), interview with BETTY LYNN (“Thelma Lou” of The Andy Griffith Show), TOM STEWART’s eclectic House of Collectibles, and Mr. Microphone!

HALLOWEEN! Horror-hosts ZACHERLEY, VAMPIRA, SEYMOUR, MARVIN, and an interview with our cover-featured ELVIRA! THE GROOVIE GOOLIES, BEWITCHED, THE ADDAMS FAMILY, and THE MUNSTERS! The long-buried Dinosaur Land amusement park! History of BEN COOPER HALLOWEEN COSTUMES, character lunchboxes, superhero VIEW-MASTERS, SINDY (the British Barbie), and more!

40th Anniversary interview with SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE director RICHARD DONNER, IRWIN ALLEN’s sci-fi universe, Saturday morning’s undersea adventures of Aquaman, horror and sci-fi zines of the Sixties and Seventies, Spider-Man and Hulk toilet paper, RetroTravel to METROPOLIS, IL (home of the Superman Celebration), SEA-MONKEYS®, FUNNY FACE beverages, Superman and Batman memorabilia, & more!

Interviews with the SHAZAM! TV show’s JOHN (Captain Marvel) DAVEY and MICHAEL (Billy Batson) Gray, the GREEN HORNET in Hollywood, remembering monster maker RAY HARRYHAUSEN, the way-out Santa Monica Pacific Ocean Amusement Park, a Star Trek Set Tour, SAM J. JONES on the Spirit movie pilot, British sci-fi TV classic THUNDERBIRDS, Casper & Richie Rich museum, the KING TUT fad, and more!

Interviews with MARK HAMILL & Greatest American Hero’s WILLIAM KATT! Blast off with JASON OF STAR COMMAND! Stop by the MUSEUM OF POPULAR CULTURE! Plus: “The First Time I Met Tarzan,” MAJOR MATT MASON, MOON LANDING MANIA, SNUFFY SMITH AT 100 with cartoonist JOHN ROSE, TV Dinners, Celebrity Crushes, and more fun, fab features!

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The crazy cool culture we

grew up with

CONTENTS Issue #7 Winter 2020

Columns and Special Features

Retrotorial

Too Much TV Quiz

Retro Super-Heroes Captain Action

Will Murray’s 20th Century Panopticon Jonny Quest creator Doug Wildey

Retro Interview Larry Storch

Scott Saavedra’s Secret Sanctum The Not-So-Super Collector

Ernest Farino’s Retro Fantasmagoria The Dick Van Dyke Show

Oddball World of Scott Shaw! Batman #183 (1966)

Retro Television Charlie’s Angels Retro Interview Jaclyn Smith

Departments

20 23 37

Super Collector Charlie’s Angels Collectibles by Jack Condon

RetroFad Streaking

Retro Toys Marvel World

Celebrity Crushes

Retro Travel The Land of Oz – Beech Mountain, North Carolina

RetroFanmail

ReJECTED RetroFan fantasy cover by Scott Saavedra

RetroFan™ #7, Winter 2020. Published quarterly by TwoMorrows Publishing, 10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614. Michael Eury, Editor-in-Chief. John Morrow, Publisher. Editorial Office: RetroFan, c/o Michael Eury, Editor-in-Chief, 112 Fairmount Way, New Bern, NC 28562. Email: euryman@gmail.com. Six-issue subscriptions: $67 Economy US, $101 International, $27 Digital. Please send subscription orders and funds to TwoMorrows, NOT to the editorial office. Jaclyn Smith photograph by Charles Bush. Charlie’s Angels © Sony Pictures Television, Inc. Jonny Quest © Hanna-Barbera Productions. Batman TM & © DC Comics. All Rights Reserved. All characters are © their respective companies. All material © their creators unless otherwise noted. All editorial matter © 2019 Michael Eury and TwoMorrows. Printed in China. FIRST PRINTING. ISSN 2576-7224

by Michael Eury

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It was easy for critics back in the fall of 1976 to dismiss TV’s newest sensation, Charlie’s Angels, as “jiggle TV.” I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that the sex appeal of its stars didn’t lure me, then a college student in my late teens, to the tube each Wednesday night for a weekly Charlie’s Angels guys’ gathering around the big color TV in my dorm’s rec room, as the portable black-and-white set in my room just wouldn’t do! But I soon became enthralled with Charlie’s Angels’ other attributes, particularly the charisma of each of its stars and the appeal of a crime show featuring women as the heroes instead of damsels in distress (although the Angels certainly found themselves imperiled each week). While a few ambitious characters including Emma Peel had earlier dipped a cautious toe into the waters of femaleempowering television, Charlie’s Angels’ Sabrina Duncan, Jill Munroe, and Kelly Garrett made a splash-dive into the deep end of the pool. Soon, many other wonder women would follow. This issue of RetroFan includes articles celebrating Charlie’s Angels, and features a trio of important guests with intimate insights into this classic Seventies TV series. Jack Condon, co-author of The Charlie’s Angels Casebook, writes our lead article, a Charlie’s Angels history, as well as our Super Collector spotlight on his Angels merchandise, certified as the Guinness World Records’ largest such collection. Chris Mann, a Hollywood writer/interviewer covering popular culture and health and fitness, brings us a delightful wellbeing-focused Q&A with our cover star, the wonderfully accommodating Jaclyn Smith, known and loved by many of you as Angel Kelly Garrett. (Special thanks must go out to our own Andy Mangels for putting Jack and his Angels collection on my radar. From my initial invite to Jack about a Super Collector column grew our lead article and his recommendation of Chris for the interview with Jaclyn. Thank you, all!) But wait, there’s more! Our Celebrity Crushes fan column is a love letter to the late Farrah Fawcett. Why, you’ll learn so much about Charlie’s Angels this issue that you’ll be eligible to become an honorary Bosley! Yet there’s much more in this issue outside of what’s squawking from Charles Townsend’s speaker box. Funnyman Larry Storch has been mentioned in our pages on several occasions (and we haven’t even covered F Troop!), and this issue we’ve managed to catch up with the multi-talented 96-year-old for an interview. Pop-culture author Tim Hollis, a super collector himself (as you’ll see in a future issue), time-travels to the Seventies’ to visit the Land of Oz amusement park in its early days (and has shared one of the earliest photos you’ll ever see of Carrie Fisher, who was at the park on opening day with her famous mom). Toy expert John Cimino, who scored a hit with his Elastic Hulk article in our first issue, is back with a look at the incredibly rare Marvel World playset. And our regular columnists are in fine form, as you’d expect. Scott Shaw! revisits a campy Batman comic book published during the peak of Batmania, Will Murray introduces us to Jonny Quest creator Doug Wildey, Ernest Farino steps away from matters macabre to tune in to The Dick Van Dyke Show, and our designer Scott Saavedra pokes fun at some not-so-super items from his collection, including the Martha Kent (mother of Clark Kent) 7-Eleven Slurpee cup that no kid could possibly want. (Andy Mangels is off this issue but returns in #8 with a look at Electra Woman and Dyna Girl.) And then there’s a history of the original super-hero action figure, Captain Action, written by yours truly, the author of TwoMorrows’ book on that imaginative Sixties toy. This article was originally slated for RetroFan #10 but bumped into action earlier to fill in for Martin Pasko’s “My Life in the Twilight Zone” article announced last time for this issue. Currently Marty’s schedule won’t allow his participation in our mag on a regular basis, but his Pesky Perspective columns will appear whenever possible… and we’ll welcome him back as soon as we can! All that and more is waiting for you, making RetroFan #7 yet another groovy grab bag of the crazy, cool culture we grew up with.

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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Due to overwhelming demand, starting next issue, RetroFan goes bi-monthly! Look for #8 in March 2020, then every two months thereaf ter!

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michael Eury PUBLISHER John Morrow CONTRIBUTORS Lyn Anderson John Cimino Jack Condon Michael Eury Ernest Farino Tim Hollis Chris Mann Will Murray Rose Rummel-Eury Scott Saavedra Scott Shaw! DESIGNER Scott Saavedra PROOFREADER Rob Smentek SPECIAL THANKS Marina Coates June Cross Ernest Farino Hake’s Auctions Heritage Auctions Rena Jacobs Andy Mangels Joe Zastawny VERY SPECIAL THANKS Jaclyn Smith Larry Storch

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RETRO TELEVISION

by Jack Condon

season, the networks featured Robert Blake in Baretta, William Conrad in Cannon, Buddy Ebsen in Barnaby Jones, and duo-cops Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul in Starsky & Hutch. NBC did venture out of the maledominated mindset in 1974 by featuring Angie Dickinson as the lead in Police Woman; however, her character was usually dominated or rescued by her male counterparts. In a series that would feature three female leads, there would be no man to save these women!

For those who lived through the unexplainable Seventies, it was a time when shag rugs, bellbottoms, and the disco craze epitomized a time of self-discovery and independence. In 1976, America was cerebrating the 200th anniversary of its independence. It was also the year of the Apple Computer launch by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak; the first space shuttle, introduced by NASA; and Democratic candidate Jimmy Carter being elected the 39th president, defeating Republican incumbent Gerald Ford. From Alley Cats to Angels Throughout the course of these events, another milestone The concept for Charlie’s Angels did not come immediately, nor emerged. It was March 21, 1976, and a new television movie aired easily. Power producers Aaron Spelling and longtime partner on ABC, which placed #6 for the week. This program caused Leonard Goldberg toyed with the idea of creating a female an unexpected sensation that launched the pilot for a new detective series for some time. Spelling, who originally produced series that would soon change the face of hit television shows with Danny Thomas, television, Charlie’s Angels. including The Mod Squad (1968–1973), (ABOVE) The Charlie’s Angels logo Before there were streaming channels previously attempted to launch a female and iconic “praying hands” publicity such as Netflix or Hulu, and before there detective series, Honey West (1965–1966), photo of the original Charlie’s Angels was cable, there were three networks: ABC, starring Anne Francis. The series lasted stars, Farrah Fawcett, Kate Jackson, CBS, and NBC. These were the only choices only for one season [but will be explored and Jaclyn Smith. Unless otherwise for original programming, and all three by columnist Will Murray in the next issue noted, all photos accompanying this article are courtesy of Ernest Farino. offered up an array of successful crimeof RetroFan—ed.]. Goldberg, a former vice Charlie’s Angels © Sony Pictures Television, drama shows, mostly featuring gritty male president of daytime programming, was a Inc./CPT Holdings, Inc. leads. During the 1976–1977 television fan of the British espionage television series,

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The Avengers (1961–1969), and he envisioned a concept of three women similar to The Avengers’ Emma Peel character, played by Diana Rigg. The idea to produce a series with female leads was first developed by Spelling and Goldberg at the Beverly Hills Hotel’s famous Polo Lounge. The idea of three tough, leather-clad, crimefighting women enticed both men. They titled their first concept The Alley Cats, featuring the characters of Allie, Lee, and Catherine (Al-Lee-Cat) as the three gorgeous detectives. Poised with confidence, the partners pitched their idea in 1975 to ABC’s then-Senior Vice President Michael Eisner and his mentor, Barry Diller, who did not share the same enthusiasm as the two producers. Dubbed by Eisner as “the worst idea he ever heard for a series,” Diller weighed in by adding, “Three beautiful girls running around and chasing criminals… it’s not believable… it’s terrible!” Spelling and Goldberg were disappointed, but determined to make this proposal a reality. Goldberg contacted Academy Award winner Ernest Tidyman to write the pilot. Known for acclaimed films including The French Connection (1971), Shaft (1971), and High Plains Drifter (1973), Tidyman had the talent, but was unable to draft a script that was suitable for the producers. Undaunted, the two men sought out another team of executive producers and writers, Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts, who had ended their eightyear stint on another CBS detective series, Mannix (1967–1975), starring Mike Connors. Goff and Roberts were a prolific writing team, penning Broadway plays, films, and television dating back to the Thirties. Their screen credits included White Heat (1949), Man of a Thousand Faces (1957), and Portrait in Black (1960). One of their early television entries they created was a short-lived series The Rogues (1964), for ABC. The show starred David Niven, Charles Boyer, and Gig Young as former con artists who each week would set up an unsuspecting mark for the right cause. Although the series produced only 30 episodes, it was the same style of writing that the two men used to create the pilot movie for the then-titled Harry’s Angels. In 1975, Fred Silverman was named president of ABC Entertainment, after heading the entire program department at CBS. He seemingly had the extraordinary ability to greenlight hit series such as All in the Family and The Waltons. ABC was hoping Silverman could do the same for its sluggish network, which he ultimately did, catapulting it from third to first place. Charlie’s Angels was one of the savior series. Silverman was as hopeful for the pilot as Spelling and Goldberg were initially; however, the concept as to how the characters became detectives was still muddled. In an impromptu move, Spelling explained that they began their careers as policewomen who under the doldrums of routine police work, left their jobs to work at the detective agency. That pitch sold Silverman on the series, but not the (RIGHT & OPPOSITE PAGE) Before they were Angels: Kate Jackson wooed audiences as Nurse Jill Danko on ABC’s The Rookies, while Farrah Fawcett and Jaclyn Smith were popular faces in advertising. The Rookies © Sony Pictures Television, Inc. Image courtesy of Heritage. Fawcett ad © 1973 Schick. Smith ad © 1972 Breck, Inc.

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Producer Aaron Spelling.

title. He thought the name Harry’s Angels would be confusing since it was similar to another series airing at the time, Harry O (1973–1976), starring David Janssen. Hence, the title was changed for a third and final time and with a blessing from the new ABC president, Charlie’s Angels were about to spread their wings.

The Former Rookie

Charlie’s Angels was not the first television series Spelling and Goldberg developed; however, it is the most remembered. Spelling, father of former Beverly Hills, 90201 co-star Tori Spelling, once quipped, “My tombstone, my epitaph will be: ‘Tori’s father, Candy’s husband, producer of Charlie’s Angels!” Prior to launching

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what would soon become a phenomenon, Spelling worked for the television company Four Star Productions, formed in 1952 by some of Hollywood’s elite stars: Dick Powell, David Niven, Ida Lupino, and Charles Boyer. The company was known for many famous series of the Sixties including The Rifleman, The Big Valley, and The Rogues, which inspired the Charlie’s Angels pilot-movie concept. It was Spelling’s first venture into producing television originals. By 1966, Spelling was ready to branch out and joined forces with Make Room for Daddy star Danny Thomas to form Thomas-Spelling Productions. One of the first programs they launched was the popular ABC series, The Mod Squad. It was his future partner Leonard Goldberg that purchased The Mod Squad for ABC. Goldberg, who began his career at the network as director of development, worked his way up to Vice President of Daytime Programming. He helped to establish popular morning programs including The Dating Game and Newlywed Game. Within a year, Goldberg became head of all programming for the network, where alongside The Mod Squad he originated the idea of producing made-for-television movies. Soon after, he left ABC, to become Vice President of Production for Screen Gems, the television division of Columbia Pictures, which at the time was producing hit series such as Gidget, I Dream of Jeannie, and The Partridge Family. Dismayed with his position at the studio, Goldberg decided to team up with Spelling and form Spelling-Goldberg Productions. The first series that they sold to ABC was an hour-long crime drama, The Rookies (1972–1976). The Rookies, similar to The Mod Squad, featured three young, attractive leads. It followed the exploits of rookie police officers working for the fictitious Southern California Police Department (SCPD). It was primarily an all-male cast consisting of series

stars Gerald S. O’Loughlin, Georg Stanford Brown, Sam Melville, Michael Ontkean, and eventually Bruce Fairbairn, who later replaced Ontkean. The only female cast member of the series was a relatively new actress who would ultimately dominate primetime television, Kate Jackson. In Spelling and Goldberg’s eyes, Kate was a star. It seemed evident from the moment she came to Hollywood. Born Lucy Kate Jackson, she was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. Growing up, Kate always knew that she wanted to act, ever since she performed in plays at Brooke Hill High School. After graduation, she attended the University of Mississippi for two years and performed a season of summer stock at the Stowe Playhouse in Vermont. Kate was fulfilling her dream, which eventually led her to New York, where she enrolled in the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She appeared in several plays while taking odd jobs to support herself by selling skis, modeling, and working as a tour guide at the NBC studios at Rockefeller Center. Not long after, she received her first big break. She was cast as Daphne Harridge, the ghost of a 19th century governess, in the popular ABC daytime drama Dark Shadows (1966–1971). Her stint on the gothic soap opera lead to a co-starring role in the film adaption of the series, Night of Dark Shadows (1971), which eventually led her to Hollywood and a new chapter in her life. Upon arriving in Hollywood, Kate immediately found work, guest-starring in popular series such as Bonanza and The Jimmy Stewart Show. In 1972 she was cast in two failed pilot series, The New Healers and Movin’ On, before co-starring in the series that would eventually catapult her career, The Rookies. During the four seasons playing The Rookies’ Nurse Jill Danko, Kate received

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Charlie finds his Angels. © Sony Pictures Television, Inc.

more fan mail than any of the male leads, establishing her star-power. She did double duty during this time by filming the Universal Studios Vietnam POW wives’ film Limbo (1972) and starred in many Spelling-Goldberg movies-of-the week including Satan’s School for Girls (1974), Death Cruise (1975), and Death at Love House (1976). It was her popularity and consistent work with the producers that led Spelling and Goldberg to develop a new series with her in mind. With the Charlie’s Angels pilot ordered by Fred Silverman at ABC, Spelling and Goldberg approached Kate with the idea to star as one of the leads. It has been noted since the conception of the series that Kate’s input changed the dynamics of the series, including the show’s second name, Harry’s Angels. Originally, Kate did not like the Alley Cats title, so she arranged a meeting with the two producers in Spelling’s office to make recommendations. While sitting in front of Spelling’s desk, she made observations, which she offered up as suggestions. According to Kate Jackson, “…at the initial meeting, I saw a squawk box on Aaron’s desk and suggested that the women work for a mysterious man whom they never meet named Harry. He calls them on a squawk box for their assignments.” She continued, “I then noticed a picture of three angels on Aaron’s wall and suggested that the women be called, ‘angels’.” From there, the project began formulating.

The Six Million Dollar Wife

With plans underway for the pilot, casting began for Kate’s two female co-stars. Spelling and Goldberg did not have to look far for a vivacious blonde to offset Kate’s brunette appeal. Farrah Fawcett was one of the most well known, yet unknown, actresses in Hollywood. Her face was widely recognizable from the dozens of commercials and print ads she was featured in. She had an extensive list of episodic television credits including The Flying Nun, Marcus Welby, MD, and The Partridge Family, and she was married to one of television’s biggest stars at the time, Lee Majors from The Six Million Dollar Man (1974–1978). Her name was not well known, but she always seemed to be under Spelling and Goldberg’s radar. Spelling was familiar with Farrah when 6

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he and his wife double-dated with her and Lee. At the time, Lee had finished starring in The Big Valley (1965–1969), produced by Spelling’s former company, Four Star Productions. Both producers were also familiar with her work due to casting her, as they did with Kate, in SpellingGoldberg Movies of the Week, including The Great American Beauty Contest (1973), The Girl Who Came Giftwrapped (1974), and Murder on Flight 502 (1975). If there was ever an actress who never dreamed of stardom, it was Farrah. Born in Corpus Christie, Texas, she was named after a family friend and was raised in a close-knit Catholic family. Farrah always tried her best to please her parents, teachers, and those around her. She attended W. B. Ray High School, where she began to get noticed for her looks. Every year she was voted “Most Beautiful Girl in School.” Although she was popular and outgoing, education was a strong factor in Farrah’s life and she developed an interest in biology. She pursued this interest by majoring in microbiology, but eventually switched her major from science to art at the University of Texas at Austin. She pledged the Delta Delta Delta sorority, and continued to be voted one of the ten most beautiful students during her freshman year. The attention she received literally made it to Hollywood, when her photograph was noticed by publicist David Mirisch. He encouraged Farrah to come to Hollywood for a modeling career, but she was focused on her academics. It was not until the summer of her sophomore year that her family finally persuaded Farrah to travel to California and try her luck in Hollywood. She vowed to only stay for the summer then return to school in the fall to finish her education. However, within two weeks of her arrival, she was signed to a $350-a-week contract with Screen Gems for guest appearances, modeling, and commercials. Farrah’s looks that dubbed her “most beautiful” in school also caught the attention of Lee Majors. He arranged for a meeting with the would-be starlet, and before long they were dating exclusively until they married in 1973. Farrah’s time in Hollywood was a whirlwind experience, but her duties as a wife were her priority. Although she was making $100,000 a year for episodic work and commercials, she was more content by being “Mrs. Lee Majors.” By 1975, Lee was working 12-hour days on The Six Million Dollar Man, and when the opportunity arose for Farrah to be working at the same time, it seemed as if it would be the perfect balance for the super-couple. Soon after, Farrah accepted the position as the second Angel.

The Breck Girl

The balance to cast the final angel blended itself seamlessly, or so it would appear. Jaclyn Smith appeared to be heaven sent. She had the perfect elegance to complement her co-stars; however, her initial audition could have resulted into a different set of circumstances for the show. Like her fellow castmate Farrah, Jaclyn began her career in Hollywood by appearing in a slew of commercials and gueststarring roles in episodic television shows including Get Christie

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Love, McCloud, and The Rookies. It was on the set of The Rookies where she met producer Rick Husky, with whom she developed a friendship, and both socialized with Leonard Goldberg and his wife. During this time, Jaclyn also became acquainted with actor Robert Wagner, while working on his CBS television series Switch (1975–1978) as a recurring character. When the opportunity for Jaclyn to read for the role of Charlie’s Angels was offered, Wagner encouraged his friend Aaron Spelling to consider Jaclyn for the part. Her initial reading did not go as well as expected. Jaclyn did not receive the script in advance and felt as if she was not prepared to read for the role successfully. Both Husky and Wagner championed to both Spelling and Goldberg to allow her another audition. The producers adhered to the request, and after her next reading, they agreed it was well worth the second chance. The trio of angels was now complete! Jaclyn has always appeared to have the face and mind of an angel. Her gracious approach to life and those around her she credits to her upbringing. Born Ellen Jaclyn Smith, she was raised by loving parents in a quiet, affluent area of Houston, Texas. Growing up, her grandfather, Gaston, a minister of the Methodist Church, was her greatest influence; she considers him to be her source of strength and security. This strength enabled Jaclyn to overcome her shyness at a young age when she fell in love with ballet. A self-proclaimed “wallflower,” Jaclyn’s love of dance allowed her to come out of her shell by performing in high school productions. From there, she joined the Houston Community Playhouse and found a passion in performing. Jaclyn continued her education at Trinity University in San Antonio, where she majored in psychology while studying drama, but internally was not academically charged. Her desire was dancing. Within a year she decided to leave school and try her luck in New York. Her parents supported this decision and helped move her into the famed Barbizon Hotel for Women, while she enrolled in the Balanchine’s School of American Ballet. After several opportunities performing in chorus lines, Jaclyn answered an ad for a Listerine commercial. It was her first national success. Soon after, Harry Abrams, an agent for actors in television commercials, signed her for a Camay commercial. Before long, Jaclyn became a recognizable face in several print and television ads, including Woolite, English Leather, and as the “Breck Girl” for a major shampoo ad campaign. This attention paved the way for Jaclyn to begin guest starring on popular programs, earning her recognition as a television actress and the opportunity to read for a new series. Little did she know at the time, what was about to happen.

while Stiers found a more suitable role for himself by joining the cast of the CBS comedy series M*A*S*H (1972–1983), in its sixth season. The man behind the mystery voice of Charles Townsend was John Forsythe. Although Forsythe’s suave voice seemed to have made him the perfect choice, he was not initially asked. Actor Gig Young, Academy Award® winner for the film They Shoot Horses Don’t They? (1969), was Spelling’s first choice. Young worked with Spelling as one of the leads in The Rogues; however, when the time came for Young to record his lines as Charlie, he was too intoxicated that evening to deliver a performance. Young, who was married to Bewitched star Elizabeth Montgomery, battled alcoholism for years. In a desperate last-minute move, Spelling asked Forsythe to step in as a favor, and the favor paid off. Forsythe continued his duties as Charlie for the remainder of the series and continued his relationship with Spelling by starring as Blake Carrington in the widely successful ABC Spelling-produced nighttime sudser, Dynasty (1981–1989). The pilot film script followed the pattern of creators Goff and Roberts’ earlier work from The Rogues, with the three women using their guile to go undercover to discover the disappearance of a wealthy vineyard owner at a Northern California winery. The women would be given their assignment by their millionaire boss, who, as an unseen character, would only give instructions to the angels via a speakerphone. After an initial audience testing, the results concluded that the series needed more action, mystery, and suspense. Another recommendation was to develop stronger characterizations of the three female leads. Producers Spelling and Goldberg listened to the suggestions; however, after the modest test reaction, ABC felt as if the concept would not generate any interest with viewers and unceremoniously aired the pilot as part of a double feature Movie of the Week on March 21, 1976. Despite ABC’s less-than-enthusiastic approach to the project, Charlie’s Angels drew a phenomenal 54 share

The Pilot Movie

With production set to begin filming in fall 1975, the producers brought in veteran actors David Doyle and David Ogden Stiers to round out the cast. After the initial pilot, Doyle continued his role as John Bosley, the go-between for Charlie and his angels,

(LEFT) Actor Gig Young was originally intended to be the voice of the unseen Charlie, but the role went to the golden-throated (RIGHT) John Forsythe instead. Young

photo by Talbot Photography. Both, courtesy of Heritage,

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of the audience that night. The movie ranked as the third highestrated television movie for 1976, and aired again on September 14, 1976, finishing fourth in the same ranking, paving the way for series success!

Angels Soar

Check your local listings: Charlie’s Angels debuts on ABC! © Sony Pictures Television, Inc.

& Lacey (1981–1988), which ran for seven seasons. Rosenzweig came into Charlie’s Angels with distinct ideas; instead of Charlie instructing the Angels as to what to do, he felt as if the Angels should meet with their clients before the assignment. It would allow them to make solid decisions on how to handle a case. Instead of Charlie presenting the case, he thought it more viable for the Angels to take the initiative. While Rosenzweig felt a sense of accomplishment for the direction in which he wanted the series to proceed, the ratings for the series continued to climb. Spelling and Goldberg decided that there was no need to retool the format, and essentially Rosenzweig was told to “stop improving the show.” Devastated, Rosenzweig tried to appeal to the executive producers, but the show became a phenomenon, and no one wanted to tamper with success. Within weeks of its debut, Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, and Jaclyn Smith graced the covers of TV Guide, People, and Time magazines. A poll conducted by ABC confirmed that 92 percent of those surveyed had seen Charlie’s Angels within a month after it debuted. Nearly 59 percent of television sets were tuned into ABC on Wednesday nights at 10:00 p.m., making it a bona fide hit. As a counter argument, NBC executive Paul Klein criticized ABC’s television production and marketing strategy under Fred Silverman by asserting that Charlie’s

Charlie’s Angels debuted as a weekly series on September 22, 1976. It was the bright spot for an otherwise bleak season of new television entries. The first episode, “Hellride,” involving the death of a female stock car racer, immediately placed in the top 10 and remained there throughout the season. Despite its success, including the infamous “Angels in Chains” episode, where the Angels were sent to prison to expose a prostitution ring, the series went through several segment producers, trying to find its footing. Original segment producer Rick Husky tried to develop the Angels’ characters so that they would seem less interchangeable. He also emphasized situations in each script where the Angels would find themselves in jeopardy, creating action. Spelling loved the idea of action, and his input was to make the show more of a suspenseful fantasy, rather than focusing on acting and story content; however, the reviews were not as complimentary as the audience, and unsure of which direction to go, Spelling and Goldberg brought in veteran segment producer Barney Rosenzweig to add substance to the formulaic farce. Rosenzweig was determined to work on Charlie’s Angels. He previously worked for Spelling and Goldberg on a television Movie of the Week One of My Wives is Missing (1976). When he heard Rick Husky was leaving the series, he hoped he would be next in line. Rosenzweig was familiar with Husky. They both worked together on the successful NBC Western series Daniel Boone (1964–1970), and Rosenzweig wanted his name attached to Charlie’s Angels. During this time, Rosenzweig was working on his own script about two female police officers working together (TOP) Shortly after the series’ premiere, the in New York City, and thought if Angels began to appear on magazine covers a show with female leads would including the November 22, 1976 edition of be successful, it would help the Time. (RIGHT) An alternate pose of Farrah, chances of him selling his own Kate, and Jaclyn from the Time photo shoot. Photos by Douglas Kirkland. Time © Time USA, LLC. script. His instinct paid off. His teleplay ultimately became Cagney 8

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Angels was nothing more than “jiggle TV.” This assessment was an attempt to reach out to the morality of Americans by suggesting that the sexuality of young women was being exploited in an attempt to appeal to ratings. Charlie’s Angels then became misconstrued as nothing more than three women running around in bikinis, yet during the first season, Kate never wore a swimsuit and Farrah wore a one-piece swimsuit in only one episode. These attempted disparaging remarks only created more attention for the show. Throughout the 1976–1977 season, Charlie’s Angels was the most talked-about series, and the actresses were lauded. They were featured on countless magazine covers, appearing on a slew of talk shows, and followed around by paparazzi. The series became a merchandising bonanza with products including fashion dolls, board games, and trading cards [see the Super

own. Before long there were Farrah T-shirts, pillows, mugs, and beanbag chairs immortalizing the famous Farrah poster. Her pop-culture status was omnipresent, listing her in the December 27, 1976 issue of People magazine as one of the “25 Most Intriguing People of 1976,” while the June 10, 1977 issue of New Times magazine took a tongue-and-cheek approach by running her image on the cover with the caption, “Absolutely Nothing in this Issue about Farrah Fawcett-Majors.” Not since Marilyn Monroe did a blonde actress receive cult status in such a short amount of time… but that was all about to change. The third Annual People’s Choice Awards honoring the best in popular culture for 1976 was held on February 10, 1977. Charlie’s Angels was awarded “Favorite Overall New TV Program,” while Farrah took home the award for “Favorite Female Performer in a New TV Program.” It was at this event that producer Aaron Spelling was to discover Farrah would not be returning to the series for a second season. According to Farrah’s longtime agent, Jay Bernstein, it was her husband Lee Majors, not Farrah, who was unhappy of the long work hours. At the time, Farrah was Angels mania quickly spread into numerous merchandising venues— and if you don’t believe us, check out this author’s guest Super Collector column, later in this issue! Charlie’s

Angels © Sony Pictures Television, Inc. MAD © E.C. Publications.

Collector article elsewhere in this issue—ed.]. The women were constantly working 14 hours a day and had little time to bask in their success, but one actress rose beyond the success and into a phenomenon that helped catapult the series into a national obsession. Coincidentally, prior to the premiere of Charlie’s Angels, in mid-1976, Farrah was approached by a small Ohio company, Pro-Arts, to pose for a poster. Although her name was not yet well known, her likeness was, from the dozens of commercial endorsements that were already attached to her resume. Farrah was photographed in a clinging one-piece red swimsuit, with her head tilted back while projecting a fetching smile that radiated with her cascading blonde, feathered hair. The poster was released in fall 1976. That image soon became an iconic symbol of the embodiment to the all-American girl. The poster ultimately sold over 12 million copies. Throughout the first year of the series, Farrah’s image became synonymous with the show and with the hearts of millions of adoring fans. Every woman in America wanted to have the now-famous Farrah hairdo. Her blonde mane took on a life of its

making $5,000 per episode by comparison to Lee’s $50,000 weekly salary. He felt as if the 14-hour-a-day work schedule was not worth the compensation, so he decided Farrah would not return. It was officially announced on March 7, 1977 that due to the fact there was not an official contract signed, Farrah Fawcett would not return for a second season of Charlie’s Angels. During the next few months, emotions were tense and the future of Charlie’s Angels was in limbo. The series was a certifiable hit, ranking #5 in the Nielsen ratings. Negotiations for Farrah’s return continued throughout the second quarter of 1977 when Spelling, Goldberg, and ABC hoped for her to resume her obligation. When shooting began on June 1, 1977, Farrah was out of the country, and production ultimately halted on June 11th. Farrah was sued for a whopping $7 million for breach of contract, but the producers had an imminent concern on how to move forward with the series and replace her.

The Kid Sister Angel

The term “overnight success” could not be more true for Cheryl Ladd; however, it took seven years for the actress to reach it. RetroFan

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Cheryl Jean Stopplemoor was born and raised in Huron, South State University, Northridge (CSUN), in the San Fernando Valley. Dakota. Growing up, Cheryl dreamed of stardom. Her parents The script that was originally written for Farrah’s character was encouraged her by allowing her to take music and dancing later replaced with Cheryl’s, with only a few minor line changes. lessons. In high school during her senior year, she began singing The episode, “Circus of Terror,” brought in hordes of press and with a local band, “The Music Shop.” She toured with the band paparazzi to catch a glimpse of the “new angel,” and to heavily after graduation, which led her to Hollywood. Upon arrival, she publicize the upcoming season during the summer of 1977. It also changed her name to Cherie Moore and gave Kate Jackson and Jaclyn Smith an opportunity to found her first professional break as bond with Cheryl in Los Angeles before the cast and one of the singing voices for the Hannacrew traveled for the more complex shooting in Hawaii Barbera CBS animated series Josie and the for the filming of the two-hour premiere, “Angels in Pussycats (1970), which led to her recording Paradise,” which would introduce Kris, as the Angels an LP. attempt to rescue a kidnapped Charlie. Everything rode In 1971, Cheryl had the opportunity to work on a low-budget film shot on location in the Caribbean. The film, Jamaica Reef, was never released commercially; however, she met actor David Ladd, son of famed actor Alan Ladd, and they eventually married, in 1973. Two years later, in 1975, Cheryl and David welcomed their daughter, Jordan. Throughout this time Cheryl continued to work as an actress in commercials and guest-starring roles including The Partridge Family, Ironside, and Police Woman. Cheryl’s first opportunity for stardom came in 1976 during the first season of Charlie’s Angels, when she read for another Spelling-Goldberg series, Family (1976– 1980). She tested for the role that eventually went to Meredith Baxter-Birney. Cheryl was crushed, and ready to give up on show business. However, within a year of that disappointment, Cheryl was on the mind of producer Aaron Spelling. He had convinced ABC not to permanently shut down production Pre-Angel Cheryl Ladd voiced of Charlie’s Angels and to resume filming FAST FACTS Melody (the blonde drummer) in upon finding a suitable replacement for 1970’s animated Josie and Pussycats Charlie’s Angels Farrah. Spelling thought Cheryl would be series and (INSET) was the cover model for the May 1972 issue of Teen the perfect candidate. At first, she turned `` No. of seasons: Five (cover appears here in a slightly down his offer, not wanting to go through `` No. of episodes: 115 altered form). Josie and the Pussycats © another audition after losing the part on `` Original run: September 22, Archie Comic Publications, Inc. Cel courteFamily, plus the fanfare that came with 1976–June 24, 1981 sy of Heritage. Teen magazine © Hearst Charlie’s Angels was overwhelming to her Corporation. `` Cast: Kate Jackson, Farrah at the time. After further persistence, Fawcett, Jaclyn Smith, David Spelling and Cheryl sat down to discuss Doyle, John Forsythe (voice), on the success of the premiere, which the possibilities at length for taking on this Cheryl Ladd, Shelley Hack, aired on September 14, 1977. The episode imposing duty. It was during the second Tanya Roberts was well received and ranked #1 for the meeting when Spelling suggested Cheryl `` Network: ABC week, earning an impressive 32.6 rating, could play Kris, the kid sister to Farrah’s Spin-offs thus being seen in 23.8 million homes. character, Jill Munroe. She would come `` Charlie’s Angels (movie, It was one of the series’ highest ratings in as a rookie, who would not be perfect, 2000) ever. Moreover, Cheryl began to shine and the audience could root for her as the `` Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle independently. She was appearing on underdog. By not being a stylized character (movie, 2003) the covers of magazines including People, or a carbon copy of Farrah, Cheryl accepted `` Charlie’s Angels: Animated Us, and Ladies Home Journal. She warmed the role, and her life would never be the Adventures (web series, 2003, up to the audience by showcasing her same. Full Throttle spin-off) persona on talk shows with Merv Griffin, ` ` Charlie’s Angels (TV reboot, Hello and Goodbye Mike Douglas, and Johnny Carson. She 2011) The first episode filmed for the second showcased her singing and dancing `` Charlie’s Angels (movie, 2019) season was shot on location at California talents on Donny & Marie, The Muppet Show, 10

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and The Ben Vereen Special. She was also rivaling her predecessor in People magazine that same year, “Kate is being dropped from the poster department; Cheryl’s posters were selling successfully Charlie’s Angels for the good of the show… we feel it is best for like Farrah’s a year earlier. By the end of the second season, the Kate to bring in a new angel.” With the series now placing 12th series had also moved from fifth overall to fourth in the Nielsen from fourth place in the year-end Nielsen ratings, the producers ratings, proving that the series was still flying high! hoped that a casting call would stimulate continuing attention Prior to the third season, Charlie’s Angels and the actresses for the show. continued to captivate the public’s attention. The high point of this season was the premiere filmed in Las Vegas and the return From Charlie Girl to Charlie’s Angels of former Angel Farrah, who reached an agreement with Spelling- When Farrah Fawcett departed Charlie’s Angels in 1977, the idea of Goldberg in their breach-of-contract dispute. Although Farrah replacing a phenomenon seemed to be a far reach. When Cheryl claimed that she never signed a contract, the courts ruled that Ladd joined the series for the second season, she possessed a the fact that she accepted payment for her work during the first similar bright smile, blonde tresses, and outgoing personality season constituted it to be a binding contract. Because of the that her predecessor had. ruling, the compromise stipulated that Farrah would appear in a When the search for the next new Angel was underway, total of six episodes over the next two seasons of the series. the producers wanted to find an actress who could define Before Farrah’s return appearance, the intellectual status left by Kate the two-hour season opener, “Angels in Jackson. After numerous auditions Vegas,” with guest-star Dean Martin, including one from future Academy premiered at #2 and a 54-share, missing Award® winner, Michelle Pfeiffer, out on the top spot due to the title the producers opted for the original fight between Muhammad Ali and Charlie perfume girl to become the Leon Spinks. This special event kept next Charlie’s Angel. the show from being #1 for the week. In 1973, Revlon, Inc., a New Farrah’s first of six returns, “Angel Come York-based American multinational Home,” placed third for the week with cosmetic and fragrance company, a 44-share. The return of Farrah also launched one of its most successful allowed the series’ continuous publicity perfumes, Charlie. In 1976, model from gossip columns to news reporters Shelley Hack appeared in one of her determined to find out about discord on first commercials for the popular brand. In the ad, the “Charlie girl” the set. pulls up to an exclusive jazz nightclub Off set, the actresses were going in a Rolls Royce, and confidently through personal changes. Farrah strides through the room to meet separated from Lee Majors after five her date for the evening. Sales for years of marriage. Both Kate Jackson the fragrance surged after that ad and Jaclyn Smith were newlyweds, played consistently on television, and Kate marrying actor Andrew Stevens, Aaron Spelling and Leonard Goldberg and Jaclyn wedding actor Dennis Cole, thought that the tie-in with the Charlie whom she met on the set in 1977. Cheryl Viewers were in paradise when Cheryl name and the confidence shown in the was enjoying the launch of her self-titled Ladd as Kris Munroe (CENTER) joined the commercial would make Shelley the album on Capitol Records, and all of Charlie’s Angels Season Two cast. © Sony Pictures Television, Inc. perfect replacement. the actresses were beginning to look Born in Greenwich, Connecticut, forward to life beyond Charlie’s Angels. Shelley is the oldest of six children. At Kate was especially feeling restless. the age of 14, she was introduced to the world of modeling when As the original star of the series, she earned two Emmy Award a photographer encouraged her to try her luck in the business. nominations in 1977 and 1978 for her portrayal of Sabrina Soon after, Shelley was appearing in magazines such as Look, Duncan. Kate had hoped to branch out from the series into more Mademoiselle, Glamour, Seventeen, and Vogue. While modeling, substantial acting roles, and an opportunity to do so landed in her lap. Prior to filming the third season of Charlie’s Angels, she was Shelley continued her studies at the University of Sydney, studying archaeology, and eventually graduated from Smith offered the role of Dustin Hoffman’s estranged wife in Kramer vs. College with a degree in history. Upon graduation, she returned Kramer (1979). It was a role that Kate was hoping to fit in around her series schedule; however, Spelling and Goldberg informed her to New York to pursue an acting career. One of her first major feats was appearing in a small role in the Woody Allen classic that they could not accommodate the filming between California film, Annie Hall (1977), followed by top billing in the follow-up to and New York. The part eventually went to Meryl Streep. It was Joe Brooks’ successful first feature, You Light Up My Life (1977), a defining moment for Kate and the series. She did not return playing the romantic female lead in If Ever I See You Again (1978). to Charlie’s Angels for the fourth season. It came to a point where Shelley, who admittedly did not watch television at the Kate stated in 1979, “I got tired of them, and they got tired of me… time, was not familiar with the immense popularity of Charlie’s it was a mutually amicable parting of the ways.” Spelling told RetroFan

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Angels. She auditioned for the role solely due to her agent’s persistence. Once she was cast, her character, Tiffany Welles, was developed based on some of Shelley’s New England traits. She would come into the series as the collegiate daughter and recent police-academy graduate of an old friend of Charlie, who also happened to be the police lieutenant of Boston. Spelling wanted to emphasize the glamour of Shelley’s appeal in the Charlie commercial, and have it transcend into the new season with an emphasis on chic elegance, exquisite costumes, and exotic destinations. This mindset began with the season opener filmed on location in the Caribbean on the island of St. Vincent. The first episode featuring Jaclyn Smith, Cheryl Ladd, and Shelley Hack began like previous seasons with a splashy twohour kick-off (INSET). The cast of The Love Boat, another Aaron Spelling-produced series, made cameos as part of the storyline involving the investigation of stolen art, which the Angels set sail on the Pacific Princess cruise ship to investigate the crime. The episode aired on September 12, 1979 and was the #1-rated show for the week, earning a 28.0 rating. It would be the last time Charlie’s Angels would reach the preeminent top spot for the remainder of the series.

Falling from Grace

The fourth season of Charlie’s Angels began to see a downslide as ratings dropped. It appeared that Shelley or her character did not warm up to the general public. Originally, it was reported that because an actress had not been cast immediately, the new

Kate Jackson’s departure led to (RIGHT) Shelley Hack joining the cast as Tiffany Welles. © Sony Pictures Television, Inc.

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MEET THE TEEN ANGELS Remember sexy cartoon sleuths Brenda, Dee Dee, and Taffy? Spoofing Charlie’s Angels (and drawing inspiration from Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! and Josie and the Pussycats), animation giants Joe Ruby and Ken Spears developed for Hanna-Barbera Productions the animated series Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels. It ran on Charlie’s Angels’ own network, ABC, on Saturday mornings for three seasons, from September 10, 1977 through June 21, 1980. The comedy-adventure show starred the trio of young female mystery-busters and their dim-witted, super-powered pal “Cavey,” better known as Captain Caveman. Forty episodes were produced.

character would be marginal in the beginning episodes. Tiffany was not prominent until the tenth episode, thus not making her immediately relatable. Unlike Cheryl’s showcase premiere episode, Shelley was nothing more than a backdrop in her first episode. She also did not do the talk-show route like Cheryl did to gain audience reception. The only prominent interview she gave was for People magazine, which featured her on the cover. It was the poorest-selling issue of 1979. Aside from the casting of another new Angel, there was also a shift in the writing. Jaclyn and Cheryl wanted more time off to pursue other projects, so each episode focused primarily on one Angel, to give the actresses more time off. This changed the dynamics of watching the Angels work together as a team, losing the camaraderie that was evident in the previous seasons. One is hard pressed to say if the lack of interest in the fourth season had to do with Shelley, the scripts, or that the novelty of the series was simply beginning to wane. NBC moved the popular comedy series Diff’rent Strokes to compete with the show. Even original Angel Farrah Fawcett’s last guest-star episode did nothing to fuel interest with viewers. It placed #34 and was the lowest-rated show for that season. The series was losing its audience, placing year-end at #20 in the Nielsen ratings. Knowing the importance

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of having a successful run in television syndication meant 100 episodes were needed, Aaron Spelling and Leonard Goldberg were not quite ready to see the series fold. Regardless of the show having lower ratings, Charlie’s Angels always garnered perpetual interest throughout its run in the media. There was still enough fanfare focused on the actresses and the series to once again create hype by holding another widespread audition to find another replacement for the exiting Shelley Hack. With the assumption that New England sophistication did not fare well with viewers, Spelling and Goldberg decided to take a different approach toward the sixth and ultimately last Angel of the series and find an actress who was more streetwise and down to earth.

The Final Angel

Tanya Roberts seemed to fit the bill for what the producers were looking for. Born Tanya Leigh in the Bronx, New York, Tanya was determined to find fame and success. She first set her sights on New York City, establishing herself in commercials and offBroadway productions. It was during that time when she met her future husband Barry, a budding screenwriter, in line at a movie theater. The two decided to move to Los Angeles, and Tanya found her first big break being cast in The Betsy (1978). Her part was edited out of the final print, but

of Tanya Roberts was suddenly put on hold. In July 1980, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), the union for television and radio artists, walked out on strike. Many union members picketed Hollywood for weeks, including Cheryl Ladd and David Doyle. It was an attempt to increase minimum salaries and additional profits. After months of negotiations, an agreement was reached, ending the strike on October 25, 1980. This pushed the fall season of new programing toward the end of November, which generated an overall lack of enthusiasm for television premieres. The last season of Charlie’s Angels began in a new time slot, Sundays at 8:00 p.m., and was showcased as a three-hour event, “Street Models and Hawaiian Angels.” The episode found the Angels investigating a murder within the harsh realities of the modeling industry. It is by chance that they become acquainted with Julie, who unlike the previous Angels was not a graduate of the police academy. Her streetwise nature and common sense ultimately convinces Charlie to add her to the agency; however, viewers may not have been convinced. For the first time in history, Charlie’s Angels did not rank in the top 10, nor top 20 for its debut. (FAR LEFT) Hack’s Tiffany was out and Tanya Roberts’ Julie Rogers was in, in the final season of ABC’s Charlie’s Angels. (LEFT) Angels Assemble! New Angel Roberts was cover-spotlighted on the September 2, 1980 edition of Us, along with all of the other Angels. Charlie’s Angels © Sony Television Pictures, Inc. Us © American Media, Inc.

it gave her an opportunity to work with Hollywood A-list stars, Laurence Olivier and Robert Duvall. She then began filming lowbudget films including Tourist Trap (1978) and California Dreamin’ (1979) while working in television, most notably in two Aaron Spelling vehicles, Waikiki (1979) and a proposed television series spin-off of Vega$ (1979) titled Ladies in Blue. It was that episode that captured the interest of Spelling and Goldberg to cast Tanya as newcomer Julie Rogers. As in previous seasons, the show would once again debut the new Angel in an on-location shoot. Since production was previously established in Hawaii, the series would once again film there, not only for its opening, but also, for subsequent episodes on the islands, featuring more well-known guest stars, including Sonny Bono, Barbi Benton, Dan Haggerty, and Joanna Cassidy. There was hope that the change in scenery and the newest replacement would energize the show; however, the introduction

Despite the allure of new Angel Tanya Roberts, critics assessed that Charlie’s Angels had run its course. Being moved from its once-popular Wednesday evening time slot to the less-desirable Sunday evening pitted it against CBS’ All in the Family spin-off Archie Bunker’s Place and NBC’s CHiPS. The show would not crack the top 30 programs for the rest of its run.

Angels Are All Around Us

Although the series lost steam in its final season, the legacy of Charlie’s Angels lives on. It has become the embodiment of television for the Seventies. It is one of the few shows that immediately became a top-five series, but it is also a show that has never been more critiqued, scrutinized, and evaluated. Looking back, some of its harshest critics now regard the series as the introduction of female empowerment for television. The show created substantial careers for all of the actresses beyond the scope of the series. Throughout the Eighties and RetroFan

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Nineties, each actress enjoyed television film careers dealing with storylines ranging from domestic abuse and drug addiction to murder mysteries and biographical roles. Each of their films were generally rating successes and for over two decades, all six actresses combined starred in a total of 128 film roles since the series ended in 1981. The popular cable network Lifetime created “Angel Marathon” weekends beginning in 1999, playing some of the actresses’ popular telefilms. There have been other successes for the actresses. Kate Jackson returned to weekly television in the CBS action-spy series, Scarecrow & Mrs. King (1983–1987). Farrah Fawcett received her first Emmy nomination for portraying Francine Hughes in the shocking NBC television film, The Burning Bed (1984). Jaclyn Smith launched her celebrity brand for the retail department store Kmart (1985), and eventually Sears; she has since parlayed her success to include a skincare beauty line, wigs, and fabrics (JaclynSmith. com). Replacement Angel Cheryl Ladd added “author” to her credits, penning a children’s book and one on her favorite pastimes, golf. The series itself became a brand, thanks to the beauty, charm, and talent of the actresses that created this legacy. It catapulted the series into becoming a worldwide success, airing in over 90 countries. Since 1983, it began showing five days a week in syndication, and throughout the years it continues to air on cable channels such as TV Land, Cozi, and MeTV. The entire series has been released and is available on Blu-ray DVD through Mill Creek Entertainment, and the concept has taken on several dubious and successful incarnations. Back in 1987, Aaron Spelling had gone from a successful run at producing many of ABC’s top shows—Hart to Hart, Starsky & Hutch, and The Love Boat—to holding on with only Dynasty and Hotel on its schedule. The newly developed FOX network had launched, and Spelling hoped to launch the idea of a Charlie’s Angels remake of sorts to the rookie network. Angels ’88 cast Tea Leoni (Madame Secretary), Sandra Canning, Karen Kopins, and Claire Yarlett as television actresses who open a detective agency. Like the former series, a nationwide casting call went out to generate interest, but the series never got beyond a pilot script. In 2000, Sony Pictures Studios rejuvenated the franchise by releasing a Charlie’s Angels action film starring Drew Barrymore,

(ABOVE) Angels, the next generation: promo poster for the 2000 Charlie’s Angels movie. Courtesy of Heritage. (INSET) Charlie’s Angels: The Complete Series, now available on Blu-ray from Mill Creek Entertainment. Charlie’s Angels © Sony Pictures

Television, Inc./CPT Holdings, Inc.

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Cameron Diaz, and Lucy Liu. The studio had modest hope for the film to be successful, but in the end, it generated an impressive $264,105,545 in global ticket sales. This prompted the 2003 sequel, Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, which grossed $259,175,788 worldwide. ABC had hoped lightning would strike again and in 2011 ordered 13 episodes for a revamped Charlie’s Angels series starring Annie Ilonzeh, Minka Kelly, and Rachael Taylor. The series premiered 35 years to the day of the original; however, it was cancelled by the fourth episode due to low ratings. Despite the lack of public interest in another series, in 2019 Sony commissioned Elizabeth Banks (Pitch Perfect) to take over as Bosley and direct a new version of the trademark venture, starring Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, and Ella Balinska as Charlie’s latest operatives. Despite all of its resurgences, Charlie’s Angels will invariably be associated with the original series that once coined the phrase “jiggle TV.” Praised by fans and lambasted by critics, it is a show that might have been taken too seriously, or had been enjoyed far too much. It is cemented in society as the first show that featured strong female leads and a dynamic cast that exuded chemistry. Sadly, one of the actresses, Farrah Fawcett, passed away on June 25, 2009, due to anal cancer; however, her legacy, which inspired a hairdo trend and a poster sensation, will be forever immortalized through that famous image. The series itself, having reached pop-culture status, will continue to entertain new audiences through some form of media for years to come. And in the end, like all classics, the show will live on eternally in the heavens above, because after all, that is where true angels genuinely belong. JACK CONDON is the author (with David Hofstede) of the 2000 book, The Charlie’s Angels Casebook, and was a creative consultant for the 2004 telefilm, Behind the Camera: The Story of Charlie’s Angels. His massive Charlie’s Angels memorabilia collection has been certified by Guinness World Records as the largest such collection on the subject. Contact Jack Condon at: charliesangelsfan.com

From TV Angel to Real-life Superwoman

Photo by Charles Bush. Courtesy of Jaclyn Smith.

by Chris Mann She began inspiring generations as one of ABC’s karate-chopping Charlie’s Angels in the Seventies, became a trusted lifestyle brand in the Eighties, and empowered women as a breast cancer survivor in the 2000s. But now, actress, entrepreneur, and wellness advocate Jaclyn Smith strikes a healthy balance in part by chasing after her cherubic, three-year-old granddaughter and embracing fond memories. Among those: her life-changing primetime gig opposite Kate Jackson and Farrah Fawcett (and later Cheryl Ladd, Shelley Hack, and Tanya Roberts) as Charlie Townsend’s longestrunning private eye, Kelly Garrett. And while she has elegantly upheld her status as one of TV’s superwomen, the age-dyfing Smith, who turned 74 in October 2019, is quick to reveal that even the most multitasking of gals should regularly take a breather and practice self-care. “It’s about balance and being good to yourself,” she says. “I think a lot of women think they’ve gotta prove everything and do everything, and they really don’t. If they’re not being good to themselves, they can’t be good to anybody else.” Since 1985, Smith has helped women fashion a sense of wellbeing by offering affordable lines of ladies clothes and, more recently, home linens and furnishings at Kmart and Sears. Her eponymous lines of skincare and fashion wigs, available via JaclynSmith.com, offer the same brand of wholesome glamour that Smith has embodied since her days as a Breck and Wella Balsam hair-care modelturned-Aaron Spelling-blessed TV Angel-turned Max Factor spokeswoman. And her Spencer line of baby clothes—named after her daughter, Spencer Margaret Richmond, and inspired by Spencer’s own daughter, three-year-old Bea—is extending Smith’s multigenerational brand appeal in Sears and RetroFan

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RETRO INTERVIEW: JACLYN SMITH

life and it helped define where my life was going. I think it’s a rare gift to be on a hit show like that, that we are talking about 40 years later. To get anything on television today is like a tsunami. You can have the best writers, director, actors— and it doesn’t always work. There’s a magic

(ABOVE) This headshot from the Charlie’s Angels intro earned Jaclyn Smith many a fan. Charlie’s Angels © Sony Television Pictures, Inc. (RIGHT) Jaclyn has appeared on several Harper’s Bazaar covers over the years, including the September 1978 edition, published at the height of her Charlie’s Angels stardom. © Heart Magazine Media, Inc. Images courtesy of Ernest Farino.

Kmart stores nationwide. (With a strong social media presence, Smith also shares snapshots of her life with her son, Gaston Richmond’s, infant daughter, Olivia Rose, who turns one in April 2020, and Smith’s husband of 22 years, pediatric heart surgeon Bradley Allen.) So how does this enterprising grandma, who beat stage-1 breast cancer with radiation and a lumpectomy in 2002, maintain the same timeless glow that Kelly Garrett radiated during Smith’s cameo in Charlie’s Angels’ big-screen reboot sequel in 2003? Healthy “me time”—in part spent exercising—might just be the trick. “I think that’s part of wellness, to take a little bit of time for yourself,” she says. “And to say, this is my turn and I’m gonna work out for an hour and then we can start the calls again. I think that not only for your body but your brain you need to work out at least three times a week as you get older. Younger, too, because then it becomes part of you. I think when you stop working out it’s harder to get back into it. I like to work out in the morning. I’m better and stronger at the beginning of the day. By the end of the day it’s family, it’s dinner, 16

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it’s collecting your thoughts, writing, reading.” Smith shared many of her fitness, health, and beauty secrets in her 1985 book The American Look: How It Can Be Yours. And she revisited some fun memories of her 1976–1981 stint as an alluring super-sleuth while penning the foreword to The Charlie’s Angels Casebook by Jack Condon and David Hofstede. Two decades later, she continues to call Condon, who owns the world’s largest Angels collection, a friend. And as the latest feature-film reimagining of her iconic detective TV hit prepped for its November 2019 release, Smith— who, once dubbed the Eighties Queen of TV Movies and Miniseries, starred as Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy in a telefilm by the same name and headlined author Sidney Sheldon’s two-part miniseries Rage of Angels—remained proud of her continuing legacy on camera and off. RetroFan: Charlie’s Angels was a game changer. What does it mean to you to still have women—and men—looking to you for inspiration more than 40 years later? Jaclyn Smith: I am grateful, for one, because Charlie’s Angels did change my

to what works, and when it works… oh, wow. If you look at Friends or Sex and the City… I didn’t like Sex and the City when it was on because it gave my daughter as a young girl their role models, which were kind of wild. But now I see the value in the show and I see how good they were and are. Friends, it holds up. Dick Van Dyke holds up. When that works, it works. And it’s lasting. And that is a gift. So I feel honored and happy and grateful. Listen, I turned down some movies, as everybody else did. But I find in life that that was meant to be. And I think sometimes we overanalyze: Well, if I hadn’t done that, then… It’s silly. I’m happy where my life is. I remember the first interview and there was a quote in People magazine: “I was happy before Charlie’s, I’m happy now, and I’ll be happy after.” And that is the truth, because I don’t think my day begins and ends with the success of the series. But to have one as talked about and as popular as Charlie’s was is something I’m happy

RETRO INTERVIEW: JACLYN SMITH

about and proud about. And there’s a lot of good memories to it.

“No matter what description they put in the script, the actress dictates what the character becomes.” – Jaclyn Smith

RF: Many of those good memories were chronicled in Jack Condon’s Charlie’s Angels Casebook. JS: Jack really knows more about [the series] than probably I do!

Charlie’s Angels © Sony Television Pictures, Inc. Courtesy of Hake’s Auctions.

RF: What do you think of his Guinness World Records-certified Charlie’s Angels collection, which really speaks to the whole phenomenon of Angels fandom? JS: It’s bigger than life in a way, because obviously I was too busy working to collect everything. So when I see Jack’s collection, I’m sort of like, Oh, I didn’t know… Wow, this is interesting. And I must say that Jack is just an incredible person, too. He wasn’t in it just to be a fan. He knew the show, he knew us. In fact, he gave me the pinball machine, which is a very special thing to have. And he’s a friend. I’m so happy that he’s in The Guinness Book of World Records. He truly deserves it. RF: When viewing his collection, it must be amazing to see the many ways the Angels were merchandised: Oh, I didn’t realize they put us on a walkie-talkie! JS: Or a rug. Or a hairbrush. Or a toothbrush. I knew about the lunch kit. You know about it, but seeing it in masses is kind of daunting and overwhelming

and fun. It’s fun to see all of that come together, and for somebody to have that kind of care in collecting. It takes time to do that and to preserve it and to present it in the right way. And I can’t think of a better person to have done it than Jack. He’s a true friend. And I’ve called him and different times through the years, and he couldn’t have

The Charlie’s Angels Casebook by Jack Condon and David Hofstede

been nicer, more helpful. He’s a person that you want to spend time with. RF: You’ve spent lots of time with your two young grandkids. How has keeping up with now three-year-old Bea brought you balance amidst all your work? JS: That’s the joy. That’s sort of the departure that keeps me really in the moment. And I have so much fun. I have realized with a two-year-old and now three-year-old that you need to be in good shape—your knees, your back, your everything—because they’re everywhere. And there’s something exciting about that makes me better, and say, Hey, I better work out because I’ve got to run after her. [laughs] I’ve got to be a good shape if I want to keep up and have fun, and I do. So she’s a plus. RF: Kelly Garrett would be proud. Let’s talk about your workout. I understand that being a grandma has in part motivated you to take on circuit training? JS: I do circuit training. I do Pilates. I do weights. I’m a breast cancer survivor for 18 years. They have said that when a person does aerobic exercise at least three times a week you cut down the incidents of breast cancer. Two years after [my diagnosis] I went on Arimadex, so that caused some bone loss, so weightbearing exercise is very important. As you get older, you must do weight-bearing. So I do that, I do circuit, and I do Pilates, which I love. Pilates really centers on your core, and I think that protects your back.

THE SABRINA SWITCH When [Charlie’s Angels] was conceived, Kate Jackson was supposed to play Kelly Garrett. “Kelly was written for Kate, Jill was definitely Farrah, and there was only one character left, so I figured I was going to be Sabrina,” Smith recalled. “But Kate changed it [when] we got a description of each girl in the pilot script: Sabrina was described as the girl who had everything—beautiful, a fashion plate, educated, refined, and elegant. Kate thought that would be more of a stretch for her at the time,” Smith said. Instead of the more down-to-earth characters she usually played, she wanted to be the girl that walked across a room and everybody faints.” Excerpted with permission from The Charlie’s Angels Casebook by Jack Condon and David Hofstede

RetroFan

Winter 2020

RETRO INTERVIEW: JACLYN SMITH

I’ve had a microdisectomy in my back, and I’m fine. I realize the important of a strong core, [even] with planks, which are so boring and tedious. I incorporate those in with the Pilates machine in a different way. I work

out with a trainer and she’s very creative with how she puts in planks. She sort of incorporates them so that I might lift one arm, and then the other arm. So your mind is occupied and it isn’t like, Okay, we’re just in this one position. I think I’m much better because of my trainer. Because you tend to [say], Okay, I’m gonna do five instead of ten. Uh-oh, phone’s ringing. But when she comes the phones are turned off and it’s devoted attention to her. Which you don’t take for yourself. RF: What other steps have you taken to stay cancer-free? JS: I eat lots of raw fruits and vegetables, and organic meats. Just getting older with each passing decade, your chances of getting breast cancer go up. But we know so much about it today that with early detection you’re usually cancer-free [after treatment]. I traveled for about three years with a foundation called Strength in Knowing, speaking to women about the risk factors. And they’re in denial or they’re not proactive. Or at a certain point they go, You don’t need a mammogram. Well, that’s silly. My mother got breast cancer at 90.

A colorful solo pose of Jaclyn Smith from the same 1979 shoot that promoted Shelley Hack’s joining the Charlie’s Angels cast (see previous article). © Sony Television Pictures, Inc. Courtesy of Ernest Farino.

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Winter 2020

She was thriving at 90. We [both] did a lumpectomy. She didn’t do radiation. She was fine. She didn’t pass away from cancer. So I think that women should get their mammogram. I also believe in pap smears. Being proactive is key. And trying to balance your life and take a lot of the stress away. RF: You’ve designed your fashion brands for 34 years strong. How does staying creative and focused on solutions contribute to your wellbeing? JS: I think anytime you are creative, it’s rejuvenating. Sears-Kmart gave me the freedom to be creative, to have a strong point of view that was respected. So that takes all the burnout away. You feel good. You feel you’re contributing. You feel, Oh, wow, this is making other people’s lives better, not just my own. So I think certainly my work is an integral part of feeling good about myself. I think speaking up is important in a nice way. There’s balance to life and I think that’s hard to come by. There’s so much around you and so many things that are stimulating to you, but you’ve got to do

From the Seventies’ Angels mania, a Jaclyn Smith doll, Charlie’s Angels’ Kelly Garrett paper doll set, and spotlighting sticker card. Charlie’s Angels © Sony

Television Pictures, Inc. Courtesy of Ernest Farino.

RETRO INTERVIEW: JACLYN SMITH

AN ANGELS SECRET REVEALED On working on [Charlie’s Angels] in the beginning, Kate Jackson soon tired of the cosmetic demands of the role. “She didn’t like fittings,” said Smith. “Farrah and I would gladly shop all day for our wardrobe, but Kate wanted to wear the same turtleneck all the time and would stand behind the bar in the Townsend office so she wouldn’t have to change her pants.” Excerpted with permission from The Charlie’s Angels Casebook by Jack Condon and David Hofstede

little place in my bedroom that I call a sentimental area. And I go up there and I read and I write. I’m surrounded by all things that are a memory. Whether it be from my parents, my grandfather, my children. And it’s the place I’m calm. It has a great window and I look out on trees and flowers. I love it. I have my mother’s desk up there and Bea’s picture hanging above it. It is a place of calm.

October 27, 1981 Us magazine cover promoting Smith’s headlining role in the 1981 ABC telemovie, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. James Franciscus co-starred as JFK. Us © American Media, Inc.

them one at a time sometimes. Focus is very important. I think when you’re multitasking, which women do today, sometimes things fall short, you make the wrong decisions and you don’t see something through. That’s when you get into trouble. RF: Your home is also your studio. Where do you go for some “me time”? JS: My bedroom is my sanctuary. Everybody needs their own little place where people maybe knock. I have this

RF: What keeps you young at heart? JS: My family is my rhyme and reason of everything. Without them, nothing really means too much. I grew up with incredible parents, an incredible grandfather. So I think that sense of family is life’s true blessing. It makes you work harder. It makes you appreciate everything better. You’re sharing. And I find my family interesting, and I like to be with them. And I find our home my favorite place. It’s family. But, again, balance also keeps me young at heart. I have this incredible family that makes it possible for me to do these other things. It’s not only for me, but for them. It defines me as an individual. Which I think when you find that and you are who you are it makes you more interesting to your family, to your friends, because you are your own person. So my work is something that’s really mine. And I think it fulfills me and makes me a whole human being. Certainly doing the Spencer line with my daughter, who designed it, with three generations coming together— I’m about all of that. My thing with Kmart was, it is a family store. And now I’m in Sears, a family store. It makes everything

come together when you think of three generations. RF: You recently celebrated your 22nd wedding anniversary. What are some of the secrets to your successful union? JS: Twenty-eight [years together] total. We commuted for a while, because my husband is a pediatric heart surgeon. He was in Chicago and then Houston. He’s from Houston, so that worked out because my mother was there and I could travel there. We were together on weekends at the beginning. When you’re home together at the weekend, you don’t fight. [laughs] You make every minute count. We made it work. Because he was busy and I was busy. I had two children. It wasn’t that I was sitting here twiddling my thumbs. And he wasn’t either. Again, down to balance and people filling their time. I think when you get into trouble is when you’re sitting and not getting out there and exercising whatever you want to—your mind, your body, whatever. You’ve just got to push ahead. RF: Almost 40 years after Angels ended, you’re still manifesting health and happiness. That said, is there one wellness routine you’d still like to tackle? JS: I would like to take up meditation. I don’t have a handle on that. My daughter is certified in yoga and she believes in Ayurvedic medicine. It’s a love and passion for her. It all makes sense. It’s just about taking that on and really taking that on, because it has to become a part of you and be very organic. RetroFan

Winter 2020

Too Much TV

If your old man used to gripe that you’d never learn anything with your nose glued to the boob tube, here’s your chance to prove him wrong. (Father doesn’t always know best.) Each of the unflattering nicknames in Column One corresponds to a character in Column Two. Match ’em up, then see how you rate!

1) (Ya) Big Dummy 2) Hot Lips 3) Sweathog 4) Dingbat 5) Lumpy 6) Boy Blunder 7) Jangling Junkheap 8) Meathead 9) Buffalo Butt 10) Durwood, Darwin, Dobbin, etc. 20

RetroFan

Winter 2020

“Holy Hum

iliation!”

POW!

SOCK!

RetroFan Ratings 10 correct: Fine-Tuned RetroFan Sock it to me, baby! I bet you know theme song lyrics too!

7–9 correct: Rabbit-Eared RetroFan Dy-no-mite! You wasted your childhood with the rest of us! 4–6 correct: Fuzzy-Receptioned RetroFan Up your nose with a rubber hose ’til you spend more tube time! 0–3 correct: Tuned-Out RetroFan Ya big dummy! Put down that book and go watch some classic TV! ANSWERS: 1–E, 2–I, 3–A, 4–G, 5–B, 6–J, 7–F, 8–D, 9–C, 10–H.

A) Juan Epstein (and classmates) – Welcome Back, Kotter B) Clarence Rutherford – Leave It to Beaver C) Nathan Bookman – Good Times D) Mike Stivic – All in the Family E) Lamont Sanford – Sanford and Son F) Robot – Lost in Space G) Edith Bunker – All in the Family H) Darrin Stevens – Bewitched I) Major Margaret Houlihan – M*A*S*H J) Robin – Batman

All in the Family © Columbia Pictures Television. Batman © DC Comics/Warner Bros. Bewitched and Good Times © Sony Pictures Television, Inc. Leave It to Beaver © Studios USA Television. Lost in Space © Legend Pictures, LLC. M*A*S*H © 20th Century Fox Television. Sanford and Son © Tandem Productions. Welcome Back, Kotter © Warner Bros. Television. All rights reserved.

RetroFan

Winter 2020

COMICS MAGAZINES FROM TWOMORROWS BACK ISSUE

BACK ISSUE celebrates comic books of the 1970s, 1980s, and today through a variety of recurring (and rotating) departments, including Pro2Pro interviews (between two top creators), “Greatest Stories Never Told”, retrospective articles, and more. Edited by MICHAEL EURY.

BACK ISSUE #113

ALTER EGO

ALTER EGO, the greatest ‘zine of the ‘60s, is all-new, focusing on Golden and Silver Age comics and creators with articles, interviews and unseen art. Each issue includes an FCA (Fawcett Collectors of America) section, Mr. Monster & more. Edited by ROY THOMAS.

ALTER EGO #160

COMIC BOOK CREATOR

COMIC BOOK CREATOR is the new voice of the comics medium, devoted to the work and careers of the men and women who draw, write, edit, and publish comics, focusing always on the artists and not the artifacts, the creators and not the characters. Edited by JON B. COOKE.

COMIC BOOK CREATOR #19

DRAW!

DRAW! is the professional “How-To” magazine on cartooning and animation. Each issue features in-depth interviews and step-by-step demonstrations from top comics professionals. Some issues contain figure-drawing instruction nudity; Mature Readers Only. Edited by MIKE MANLEY.

DRAW #36

JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR

JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR celebrates the life and career of the “King” of comics through interviews with Kirby and his contemporaries, feature articles, and rare & unseen Kirby artwork, showcased in dynamic full-color! Edited by JOHN MORROW.

KIRBY COLLECTOR #77

REMEMBERING STEVE DITKO! Sturdy Steve at Marvel, DC, Warren, Charlton, and elsewhere! A rare late-1960s Ditko interview by RICHARD HOWELL— biographical notes by NICK CAPUTO— tributes by MICHAEL T. GILBERT, PAUL LEVITZ, BERNIE BUBNIS, BARRY PEARL, ROY THOMAS, et al. Plus FCA, JOHN BROOME, BILL SCHELLY, and more! Spider-Man cover by DITKO!

Celebrating the greatest fantasy artist of all time, FRANK FRAZETTA! From THUN’DA and EC COMICS to CREEPY, EERIE, and VAMPIRELLA, STEVE RINGGENBERG and CBC’s editor present an historical retrospective, including insights by current creators and associates, and memories of the man himself. PLUS: Frazetta-inspired artists JOE JUSKO, and TOM GRINDBERG, who contributes our Death Dealer cover painting!

MIKE HAWTHORNE (Deadpool, Infinity Countdown) interview, YANICK PAQUETTE (Wonder Woman: Earth One, Batman Inc., Swamp Thing) how-to demo, JERRY ORDWAY’s “Ord-Way” of creating comics, JAMAR NICHOLAS reviews the latest art supplies, plus Comic Art Bootcamp by BRET BLEVINS and MIKE MANLEY! May contain nudity for figure-drawing instruction; for Mature Readers Only.

MONSTERS & BUGS! Jack’s monster-movie influences in The Demon, Forever People, Black Magic, Fantastic Four, Jimmy Olsen, and Atlas monster stories; Kirby’s work with “B” horror film producer CHARLES BAND; interview with “The Goon” creator ERIC POWELL; Kirby’s use of insect characters (especially as villains); MARK EVANIER and our other regular columnists, Golden Age Kirby story, and a Kirby pencil art gallery!

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2019-2020

BATMAN MOVIE 30th ANNIVERSARY! Producer MICHAEL USLAN and screenwriter SAM HAMM interviewed, a chat with BILLY DEE WILLIAMS (who was almost Two-Face), plus DENNY O’NEIL and JERRY ORDWAY’s Batman movie adaptation, MINDY NEWELL’s Catwoman, GRANT MORRISON and DAVE McKEAN’s Arkham Asylum, MAX ALLAN COLLINS’ Batman newspaper strip, and JOEY CAVALIERI & JOE STATON’s Huntress!

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THE MAGAZINE FOR LEGO ENTHUSIASTS OF ALL AGES! ®

BRICKJOURNAL magazine spotlights all aspects of the LEGO® Community! It showcases events, people, and models every issue, with contributions and how-to articles by top builders worldwide, new product intros, and more. Available in FULL-COLOR print and digital editions.

BRICKJOURNAL #59

STAR WARSTM THEMED BUILDERS! Travel to a galaxy far, far away with JACOB NEIL CARPENTER’S DEATH STAR, the work of MIRI DUDAS, and the LEGO® photography of JAMES PHILIPPART! Plus “AFOLs” by GREG HYLAND, “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd’s DIY Fan Art with TOMMY WILLIAMSON, Minifigure Customization with JARED K. BURKS, and more! (84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95 • Now shipping!

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RETRO SUPER-HEROES

Captain Action The Original Super-Hero Action Figure by Michael Eury

Captain Action original artwork produced for a 1966 model kit from Aurora. Artist unknown. Captain Action

TM & © Captain Action Enterprises. Courtesy of Heritage.

I cried like a baby that Christmas morning. Now, before you RetroFans rechristen ye ed as this mag’s “Crybaby-in-Chief,” let me explain. I was a baby. Or close to it. A grade-school boy, in fact. And the Christmas I’m referencing was in 1966. That’s the year I experienced The Big Disappointment. For much of 1966, I had been whipped into a Pavlovian slobber-state by advertisements. Television commercials and the ad pages of my beloved Batman comic books tag-teamed to pound it into my consumer conscience that I must own what would become my favorite childhood toy, Ideal Toys’ Captain Action. I could not escape Captain Action’s siren call. Once the leaves fell and the air chilled, that tome of dreams, the Sears Christmas Wishbook, also summoned me, its slick, color-packed pages possessing my thoughts with their dynamic poses of the good captain garbed as some of my favorite super-heroes. Wow, a super-hero who could become another super-hero? Including my (as-seen-on-TV) fave, Batman? My dad, always eager to please, shrugged off my constant badgering for a Captain Action and costumes with this response: “Add it to your Christmas list, son.” And what a list it was, with my cursively penned pleas for the Captain Action figure plus uniforms for Batman, Superman, and Aquaman (not to mention Ideal’s 23-piece Batman and Robin playset and Mattel’s Batman Switch ’n Go Batmobile Set). Come the morning of December 25th, I received proof that Santa Claus did indeed read my scribbled entreaty as each of my requested Captain Action items, all neatly giftwrapped, waited for me under the tree. After the fevered exhilaration of shredding apart the colorful wrap to uncover my bounty, my heart sank. My mint-in-box Captain Action action figure, anchored rigidly at attention, gripped into position by upperand lower-body cardboard support pieces, his awesome lightning sword and ray gun safely secured inside a plastic pouch, had… two left hands. Let the bawling begin. I learned two important life lessons that day. First, be prepared for disappointments—not everything is always going to go your way. And second, I was reminded that I

RetroFan

Winter 2020

RETRO super-heroes

had the coolest, sweetest mother in the world, as the day after Christmas she whisked me to the nearest W. T. Grant department store and marched to the toy department to buy me a replacement Captain Action… and yes, she opened the box first to inspect his hands. (Somewhere out there is another Baby Boomer who has a similar childhood story about how his Christmas was ruined by receiving a Captain Action with two right hands. If you’re out there, brother, I’d like to hear your story…)

The Super-Hero G.I. Joe

Some of you may be wondering, who is this Captain Action? Captain Action started as a 12-inch poseable action figure (don’t you dare call him a doll!) for boys, introduced by the Ideal Toy Company at the 1966 Toy Fair. Two years earlier, Hasbro rolled out G.I. Joe, an articulated action figure billed as “America’s movable fighting man.” G.I. Joe’s creators, licensing impresario Stan Weston and toy exec Don Levine, appropriated from Mattel’s popular Barbie line the “razor/ razor blade” marketing approach: sell a kid the “razor” (the primary figure) and she/he will be compelled to buy the “razor blades” (clothing and accessories). Through an expanding array of uniforms, G.I. Joe could become a sailor, a Marine, a frogman—even an astronaut!—and Hasbro dropped a decisive salvo onto war-toy competitors. Weston, a fan of comics and pulps, was convinced that lightning could strike twice with this “razor/ razor blade” concept for boys. He conceived a generic superhero that could “become” different commercially popular champions with the mere change of a uniform. “It was a logical move for me, since comic books were my left arm,” Weston told me in 1998 in an interview for my TwoMorrows Publishing book, Captain Action: The Original Super-Hero Action Figure (First Printing, 2002; Revised Second Printing, 2009). From Weston’s thinking, magic would trigger the hero’s transformations— hence the original name of his action figure: Captain Magic. “I had a sample of a basic figure and a foldout of comic-book characters that would allow me to show which heroes Captain Magic could become,” Weston said. Weston proposed the idea to Ideal Toys’ Larry Reiner in 1965. Reiner, who had previously been involved with the development of G.I. Joe, was reluctant, fearing that Captain Magic’s own identity would be lost behind the rubber masks of the better-known characters’ faces—“I hated the product 24

RetroFan

Winter 2020

(ABOVE) Captain Action products from the 1966 Sears Christmas Wishbook catalog. (LEFT) A beautifully drawn (by Kurt Schaffenberger) ad that appeared in many DC Comics titles in 1966. (BELOW) The magical man who brought us Captain Action, Stan Weston (1933– 2017), at his Leisure Concepts office in New York City in 1990. Weston was also fundamental in the development of G.I. Joe, the Mego World’s Greatest Super-Heroes, and ThunderCats. Photo by C. J. Zumwatt, New York Daily News. Captain Action TM & © Captain Action Enterprises. Characters © their respective copyright holders.

when I first saw it,” Reiner told me in 1998—but he conceded to Weston’s enthusiasm. Ideal designed the hero with subtle military implications including the rank of “Captain” so as not to stray too far from G.I. Joe, but rebranded him with a name more reflective of a super-hero: Captain Action. Ideal’s development team, led by artist Dan Windsor, one of the original designers of Smokey the Bear, began refining Weston’s toy concept. Working with Windsor were staff artist Norman

RETRO super-heroes

(TOP LEFT) Captain Action in his thirdissue box (Ideal released four different issues of the figure during its original run), with its free inclusion of a parachute. (TOP RIGHT) Action Boy in his first-issue box. (RIGHT) Costumes for Captain Action were sold separately in these colorful window boxes. This is the second-issue Captain America, mainly distinguished by its inclusion of a flasher (flicker) ring. Courtesy of Heritage. Captain America TM & © Marvel. Captain Action TM & © Captain Action Enterprises.

Cohen, sculptor John O’Shaughnessy, and designer Walter Moe, under the executive watch of Abe Kent, the head of Ideal’s art department. After an evolving series of prototypes they honed a barrel-chested, grim-faced champion (“He looks like my dentist,” joked one Ideal employee) whose points of articulation were an improvement upon his “ancestor,” G.I. Joe. Meanwhile, Stan Weston recruited multiple licensors’ properties to the initial line. Ideal’s next move was to create the packaging for the Captain Action franchise. The company, located in the Jamaica, Queens, district of New York City, intended to feature painted artwork on its packages. Here’s where Murphy Anderson, the illustrator whose crisp delineations epitomized DC Comics’ house style of the Sixties, entered Captain Action’s Headquarters. In 2006, Murph recounted to me, “I had been… quite friendly with Jay Emmett. … He was Jack Liebowitz’s nephew, and he had started the Licensing Corporation of America (LCA). … But Jay, sometimes through [DC executive] Sol Harrison, would recommend me to his LCA clients. As a result, I did a lot of stuf f. When a licensee would have to use a qualified artist, they would send me directly to a client or to his ad agency… that’s how Captain Action came about.” At first, Anderson was only informed that an agency was looking for painted portraits of super-heroes, and he submitted a painting of one of his signature DC characters. “I did a painting of Hawkman and wasn’t satisfied with it,” Anderson told me in 1998.

After four months of sweating it out, Murphy Anderson finally got a call back, commissioning him to produce artwork for Ideal’s Captain Action. To Murph’s satisfaction, Ideal had axed the painted art premise for line art, to mirror the traditional style of comic books and comic strips. A painted portrait of Captain Action brandishing his lightning sword and ray gun did appear, however, on the box for the Captain Action figure itself; this image, by an unknown artist (believe me, I’ve asked, and haven’t found anyone who knows for sure, although at one time there was speculation that Norman Saunders did the painting), was reused on other Captain Action merchandise. Similarly styled paintings by the same artist appeared on the boxes for Captain Action’s sidekick, Action Boy; Cap’s vehicle, the Silver Streak; and the line’s almost-impossible-to-find Dr. Evil’s Sanctuary vinyl headquarters. For the initial product line, Anderson illustrated the art for the box fronts of the majority of the super-hero costumes sold alongside the Captain Action figure. And thus, in early 1966, the American public met Captain Action, “the Amazing 9-in-1 Super Hero” who could become Superman, Batman, Aquaman, Captain America, Sgt. Fury, the Phantom, Flash Gordon, Lone Ranger, and Steve Canyon. (Murphy Anderson drew the box art for each super-hero’s costume with the exceptions of Marvel’s Captain America and Sgt. Fury, which used Jack Kirby pick-up art, and the Chicago News Syndicate’s Steve Canyon, which used an image by the strip’s creator, Milton Caniff.) The first Captain Action artist in the minds of many DC Comics readers, however, was Lois Lane’s Kurt Schaffenberger, who drew a onepage Captain Action house ad appearing in DC titles.

Is He a Super-Hero or a Stand-In?

The debut of Captain Action could not have been more fortuitously timed, on the heels of the overnight success of TV’s Batman. Ideal’s Captain Action enjoyed a modestly successful first year, and product expansion briskly followed: major department stores offered exclusive Captain Action playsets, and in 1967 Ideal unleashed more costumes (SpiderMan, Green Hornet, and Tonto), a kid sidekick (Action Boy, with his boomerang and pet panther, Khem), Action Boy uniforms (Robin, Superboy, and Aqualad), and a Barbie-like line of “Super Queens” (Supergirl, Batgirl, Wonder Woman, and Mera) marketed to girls. Murphy Anderson returned to Ideal to illustrate package art for all of these additions to the line, with the exception of the Spider-Man costume box, which used Steve Ditko pick-up art. The first Captain RetroFan

Winter 2020

RETRO super-heroes

Action comic book, a 32-page illustrated catalog/mini-comic drawn by Chic Stone, was also released in 1967, inserted into Captain Action figures and accessories. Other Captain Action products were considered by Ideal but not produced: a talking Captain Action, a Davy Crockett costume, and an Ultraman costume for the Japanese market (the latter of which was finally produced in 2016 in the U.S. as a celebration of Captain Action’s 50th birthday). While Ideal aggressively pushed Captain Action’s and Action Boy’s more famous alter egos, they also exploited Captain Action as a hero in his own right, releasing a vehicle (the Silver Streak) and accessory packs (including the Directional Communicator and the 4-foot Working Parachute). Ideal licensed Captain Action to other vendors for products including an Aurora model kit, a Ben Cooper Halloween costume, and a card game promotion with General Mills’ Kool-Pops. During the product’s third year, 1968, no new licensed super-hero costumes were produced. Instead Ideal continued to push Captain Action as their super-hero by introducing his nemesis, Dr. Evil, a blue-skinned “sinister invader of Earth” with an exposed brain—and groovy threads (a Nehru jacket, sandals, and a medallion). Also released that year was a second-issue Action Boy, clad in a spacesuit. By this

(ABOVE) This mini-comic was inserted into Captain Action products beginning in 1967. Art by Chic Stone. (INSET) First issue (Oct.-Nov. 1968) of DC Comics’ licensed Captain Action series. Cover art by Irv Novick. Captain Action TM & © Captain Action Enterprises. Superman TM & © DC Comics.

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time, the Batman-inspired super-hero fad was stalling, and so were Captain Action’s sales. Revitalization attempts had fizzled, including a giveaway parachute with Captain Action figures and the addition of “Video-Matic” flasher rings to costumes. Ideal discontinued the line at the end of 1968, with remaindered product trickling into stores for the next few years. It’s unlikely that a single factor can be blamed for the toy’s demise, but former Ideal salesman Larry O’Daly believed that the figure’s dual function as a super-hero and a super-hero masquerader tended to “fragment the imagery of the basic character.”

Captain Action’s Backstory Revealed

While American boys were playing with Captain Action, Jim Shooter, a teenager just a few years older than Ideal’s target audience, was writing Superman and Legion of Super-Heroes stories for DC’s editor, Mort Weisinger. In 1968, Shooter was thrilled when he landed the assignment to produce a “new” super-hero book for Weisinger… until Mort rattled off the feature’s prerequisites: “His name is Captain Action. He has a sidekick named Action Boy, a three-wheeled car, a secret cave,” Shooter recalled to me in 1998. Nonetheless, Shooter jumped at the assignment, a DC comic book starring Captain Action. The original concept of Ideal’s Captain Action presented a super-hero that could take on the guises—and powers—of other super-heroes. That’s great for playtime, but improbable for comic-book storytelling. Shooter concocted a backstory: DC’s Captain Action was actually archaeologist Clive Arno, who, along with his duplicitous colleague Krellik, unearthed ancient coins imbued with the abilities of the gods of myth. The altruistic Arno wields the tokens as the super-hero Captain Action, while Krellik, empowered by the coin of the god of evil, Chernobog (Loki), unleashes a crime spree, usurping Arno’s Captain Action identity as well as many of the coins. Legendary illustrator Wally Wood was tapped by Weisinger to launch the series. DC had contracted with Ideal for a five-issue run, the company’s first toy tie-in. (Technically, Captain Action was DC’s second toy tie-in, as in 1964 the publisher devoted two issues of its tryout title Showcase, issues #53 and 54, to the then-new toy sensation G.I. Joe. However, Showcase’s G.I. Joe issues were actually reprinted tales from DC’s war comics archives.) Longtime Green Lantern artist Gil Kane stepped in as penciler with issue #2, with Shooter scripting and Wood remaining on as inker. This issue concluded the Krellik storyline. By the time the third issue of the bimonthly series went into production in late 1968, Weisinger passed off Captain Action to editor Julius Schwartz. Schwartz offered Gil Kane the opportunity to write as well as draw Captain Action, which

RETRO super-heroes

(LEFT) Captain Action garbed as all of his 13 original superhero uniforms as produced by Ideal Toys. Photo by Craig Hedges. (INSET) Artist Murphy Anderson, responsible for much of Ideal’s original Captain Action package art, returned to illustrate this retailer-exclusive cover of a 2008 Captain Action comic book, replicating the iconic pose of a 1966 Batman and Robin poster he inked over Carmine Infantino’s pencils. TM & © Captain Action Enterprises.

Gil relished. Kane brought Ideal Toys’ Dr. Evil into comics with issues #3 and 4. Issue #5 pitted Captain Action and Action Boy against a persuasive demagogue. Despite dynamic storytelling and gorgeous artwork, DC’s Captain Action premiered too late to capitalize upon the toy line’s momentum and was not renewed. Kane confessed to me in 1998, “It broke my heart when it ended cold.”

Let Justice Be Done!

From time to time, the good captain unsheathed his lightning sword and was primed for a comeback from small-press comic houses, including A.C.T.I.O.N. Force #1 in 1987 and Captain Action #0 ashcan edition in 1995. Finally, in 1998, Joe Ahearn, who 30 years earlier had been one of those kids playing with Ideal’s Captain Action, convinced retro toy manufacturer Playing Mantis to release a new line of Captain Action super-hero figures, including additions to original line such as the Green Hornet’s ally Kato and villain costumes for Dr. Evil, which were marketed through major toy retailers. Artist Carmine Infantino was tapped to illustrate the package art, and the figures were sold in hinged window boxes, fully costumed as their spotlighted character (and marketed as “Captain Action as Tonto,” etc.). Longtime Captain Action fans and toy collectors were excited by the relaunch, but the general public, unfamiliar with the captain or his licensed alter egos such as yesteryear’s Flash Gordon and the Lone Ranger, overlooked the line. A reboot was attempted the next year, supported by comic circulation giant Diamond Distribution, with a push to collectors via the comic-shop network. Captain Action and Dr. Evil were now sold separately in boxes that replicated Ideal’s originals, and Action Boy, rebranded Kid Action to sidestep Hasbro’s trademark of Action Man, was released. Joining them were the aforementioned costume reissues plus some new additions, all in new packaging replicating Ideal’s original open-faced window boxes, the costumes lightly sewn onto

a vivid display card. Captain Action’s legion of fans applauded, but retailers burned by Playing Mantis’ previous rollout resisted and the line soon died—which is unfortunate, as lineexpansion plans included Speed Racer and Jonny Quest costume ensembles for Kid Action, Captain Action, and Dr. Evil. In the years since, Captain Action’s fate has been charted by Ahearn and his business partners Ed Catto and Michael Polis. Their Captain Action Enterprises (www. captainaction.com) venture has kept the hero in the public eye through additional figure and costume releases (including an impressive array of Marvel uniforms), action figures of various sizes, statuettes, comic books, novels, T-shirts, and other merchandise. A female counterpart, Lady Action, has joined the product line in a variety of media, and cartoonists Art Baltazar and Franco’s Captain Action Cat comic-book series adapted the hero for the all-ages market. At press time, forthcoming Captain Action product includes four-inch action figures from Zica Toys (available December 2019), IDW’s reprint of the DC Comics Captain Action series, plus a Captain Action animated series featuring the hero as the leader of an international team of crusaders. Of the many super-heroes introduced during the Sixties’ super-hero boom, the plucky Captain Action is one of the few who has proved durable. Looks like his boast on the cover of his first DC Comics issue was right: This really is a job for Captain Action! Portions of this article appeared in the book Hero-A-Go-Go: Campy Comics, Crimefighters, and Culture of the Swinging Sixties (TwoMorrows, 2017) by Michael Eury and appear here in edited form. RetroFan

Winter 2020

WILL MURRAY’S 20TH CENTURY PANOPTICON

Doug Creator Wildey of Jonny Quest by Will Murray Over the course of nearly 30 years of interviewing celebrities and other artistic talent with the Starlog group of magazines, I have probably talked to several hundred people. Much of it was routine, but every once in a while I had the rare opportunity to interview someone who resonated with me. As often as not, this category included people who influenced me during my childhood. One of my favorite interview subjects was Doug Wildey, with whom I spoke back in 1987 during a revival of a childhood favorite, Jonny Quest.

Wildey’s Wild Adventures

The Jonny Quest cast: (FRONT) Hadji, Jonny, and Bandit; (MIDDLE) Race and Dr. Quest; and (BACK) occasional cast member Jezebel Jade. Jonny Quest creator Doug Wildey produced this illustration in 1986 when the property, originally launched in 1964, was enjoying a comeback in comic books and on syndicated television. TM & ©

Hanna-Barbera Productions. Art courtesy of Heritage.

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The Adventures of Jonny Quest was an animated TV show produced by HannaBarbera Studios back in 1964–1965. It had the distinction of being shown in primetime, something that was pioneered by Hanna-Barbera’s Flintstones four years prior. But The Flintstones was typical TV animation––a cartoony takeoff of The Honeymooners. Jonny Quest was something vastly different. The animation and storytelling were realistic, atmospheric, and illustrative. And the person chiefly responsible for this was the legendary artist Doug Wildey, who created the series and designed most of the characters. Jonny was an 11-year-old boy. His father was Dr. Benton Quest, one of the top three scientists in the world, who lived and worked on Florida’s Palm Key. Because of his importance to U.S. interests, the Quest family was guarded by Race Bannon, who worked for a government agency called Intelligence One. This was during the Cold War. Jonny Quest came about when Hanna-Barbera toyed with reviving the classic radio show, Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy, about a 17-year-old who travels the world with his uncle, having exotic adventures. Wildey assembled test animation footage for an episode set in Africa. Partners Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera loved it. But rights issues compelled Hanna-Barbera to abandon the property and turn their ambitions toward an original character. And so was born Jonny Quest. I spoke with Doug by telephone, and he couldn’t have been more gracious or generous with his time. His career had begun with drawing Buf falo Bill comics for Street & Smith back in 1948. He soon branched out to other publishers, specializing

in Westerns. For Marvel’s Stan Lee, he drew The Outlaw Kid between 1954 and 1957. Wildey drifted into TV animation in 1962, when Cambria Studios hired him on Space Angel, a science-fiction cartoon whose “animation” was limited to superimposing real lips onto faces drawn by another fugitive from comic books, character designer Alex Toth. “The animation was nonexistent,” Wildey recalled. “It was simply well-drawn still figures. Alex Toth carried about 80 percent of the show with his style.” After Space Angel, the artist applied to Hanna-Barbera, where they were taken by his realistic painterly art and decided to build Jack Armstrong around it. When that project crashed, Wildey was asked to salvage the idea. “Joe Barbera strolled in and said, ‘Create another show for us, then,’” he recounted. “I went home and wrote another one, which was actually a parallel to Jack Armstrong. I subsequently came up with Jonny Quest. The working title was ‘The Saga of Chip Balloo.’ Later, I got ‘Quest’ out of the LA phonebook.” Joe Barbera came up with ‘Jonny’––short for Jonathan. Wildey was made supervising art producer, but was denied a “Created by” credit. “I was not in charge of the animation because I’m not an animator,” he explained. “I would write the story and set the mood, the backgrounds, the characters. I would work mostly on the action part.” His first task was to design the cast. Blond Jonny was inspired by two kid actors, Jackie Cooper and Frankie Darrow. Redbearded Dr. Quest came from a character in a Wildey episode of The Saint newspaper strip. Bodyguard Roger T. “Race” Bannon was based on white-haired actor Jeff Chandler. “He wasn’t the greatest actor in the world, but he had this rather striking screen presence,” Wildey told me. With an eye toward future syndication, Hanna-Barbera directed that the show look as if was set ten years ahead, with futuristic airplanes and advanced technology. They also wanted Jonny to have a pet dog, designed for toy licensors. “I fought against Bandit quite a while,” Wildey said. “He was a cartoon dog. It was a little bit too unrealistic for the characters.” Flintstones animator Dick Bickenbach designed Bandit, the white bulldog. Wildey had pitched a pet monkey and a small white cheetah, and hated Bandit’s cartoony, raccoon-masked look. But he was stuck with him. “As soon as they put in Bandit,” he noted, “I immediately created Hadji. I felt very strongly that we needed someone besides a dog. It’s simply not natural for a kid to talk to grown-ups on the same level.”

(TOP LEFT) Doug Wildey. (TOP CENTER & RIGHT) Which Jonny Quest monster gave you nightmares? In addition to creepsters the Invisible Monster and the Robot Spy, the mummy Anubis, shown here in Wildey design illustrations, had a lot of Sixties kids leaving their lights on at bedtime! (ABOVE) Wildey’s 1964 original art showing the size comparison of the Quest cast. TM & © Hanna-Barbera Productions. Courtesy of Heritage.

Hadji joined up in the second episode, but his origin was not told until Episode Seven, “Calcutta Adventure.” Wildey wanted a minority companion for Jonny, and reached into his movie-going memories for inspiration: Sabu Dastagir, star of Elephant Boy and Thief of Baghdad. In the JQ series, street urchin Hadji saves Dr. Quest from an assassin’s knife and is adopted as a companion for Jonny. “Later on,” Wildey told me, “when we were auditioning for voices on the series, Sabu’s son, Paul Sabu, showed up to audition.” But he didn’t get the part. Wildey put careful thought into making each character separate and distinct, giving every major personality a different hairstyle and color. “I still feel that the most important thing in character design is the hairstyle and the color because these are the two things in long-shots, or close-ups, or silhouettes, that identify the characters. If you get two people with black hair and they’re the same size, you’re in trouble.” Next came casting the voice actors. Wildey did that as well. Future Animal House star Tim Matheson landed the plumb part of Jonny. Race Bannon was voiced by Mike Road, who also played Mr. Fantastic in The Fantastic Four. Paul Subu lost the part of Hadji RetroFan

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will murray’s 20th century panopticon A 1988 commissioned illustration by Wildey featuring an encounter between his globetrotters and… dinosaurs! What could be cooler than that?

TM & © Hanna-Barbera Productions. Courtesy of Heritage.

to Danny Bravo. Dr. Quest was voiced by John Stephenson for six episodes and then Don Messick, who not only barked as Bandit, but later became Scooby-Doo!

Globetrotters

Wildey wrote the debut episode, “The Mystery of the Lizard Men,” which was set in the Sargasso Sea. It established the premise of Dr. Quest being called in by the U.S. government to solve problems as a scientific troubleshooter. Every episode, Dr. Quest popped up in different trouble spot to confront another threat to global security. But there was no doubt that Jonny was the real star. One of Doug Wildey’s production challenges was that HannaBarbera’s stable of artists and designers were geared to producing cartoons like The Flintstones and Huckleberry Hound. When tasked to bring Wildey’s semi-realistic ideas to primetime TV, they didn’t 30

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have the chops. So he brought in his former boss, Alex Toth, as well as Warren Tufts, who originated the Casey Ruggles newspaper strip, and others. Together, they struggled to produced 26 quality episodes. And largely succeeded. When I interviewed Wildey, I wondered about the origins of the series’ only recurring villain, Dr. Zin. Was he inspired by Dr. Fu Manchu? “Fu Manchu,” he mused. “Yes, there might of been something there. Way in the back of my mind. Was Fu Manchu written by Sax Rohmer? That was one of the guys that wrote pulp magazines that I didn’t care for. I didn’t like the style at all. Therefore, I think I read one and gave it up. He might have been in the back somewhere there, but he wasn’t a major thing. I simply wanted a guy who looked like he might be evil enough and yet still have some kind of a personality about him. Not totally evil, in other words. That’s what I was trying for. And I came up with that.”

will murray’s 20th century panopticon

I was unaware at the time that Joe Barbera specifically asked for a Dr. No-style villain, the first James Bond film having broken a year or so before. But I did wonder about the resemblance between Zin and 007 nemesis Dr. No, both of whom appeared Eurasian. “Yeah,” Wildey confirmed. “The Yellow Peril thing. I think he would be a mixed-ancestry type of guy. Eurasian is a good example, yeah. The big factor in it was there was too much of a temptation to continually use the Zin character. That was the big thing. Once you establish that you have a running heavy, then every writer that is assigned to any show will put him in there. Because it’s a great device to use. And then you can bring them back next week. And next week. This is the danger of the thing. I tried to balance out how many shows he would be in.” As the series progressed, Wildey felt as if the show needed some spooky monsters, and he and his team of artists and scriptwriters created several memorable ones. The creepy Invisible Monster and the spidery Robot Spy were the standouts. They gave impressionable kids nightmares… and their adult selves told Wildey about it decades later. “I didn’t really like to scare kids,” he confessed. “I wanted to give them a little chill. I’ve been hit by hundreds of kids who said that they were really scared. I don’t feel too good about that.” Wildey was a sticker for realism and technical accuracy. He gave me an example, citing the episode, “Werewolf of the Timberland.” “They had a sequence of hovercraft which I had designed for Jack Armstrong. We carried those over. In this sequence, we had them out in the Canadian Northwoods getting into their

hovercraft. About the only place where you can’t use a hovercraft is in the deep woods! They just threw it in there. They didn’t belong in the story, no reason for it at all, but there it was.” Wildey’s favorite episode was “Shadow of the Condor,” which involved a Nazi villain and an aerial duel with World War I biplanes. “…If you can call any of them favorites,” he said candidly. “I was never all that thrilled with Jonny Quest. It had more story, more depth. It stayed pretty much on line with what I wanted to do all the way through. It was a relief from the rest of them. They got a little heavy, the fate of the world was in balance or all of these mysterious things happened to our people. In this case, there was an accident and they were forced to land and then they got into it. I felt it worked best of any of the shows.” That story he did with Warren Tufts: Wildey preferred to collaborate with his fellow illustrators, finding professional animators a difficult group to manage. “Animation is basically a lonely job,” he explained. “They’re very good at making things move. What they do is they sit there and try to get a rumor started and see if anybody takes the bait. Long about show number 3, some guy rushed up and told me, ‘This is the episode they kill Race. What are you going to do without the character, Doug? You got all these other shows to do.’ I said, ‘What do you mean, kill Race?’ Somebody was putting the guy on and he took it seriously.” Wildey got along much better with the show’s musical director. “On all my shows,” he said, “any show that I had anything to do with as a driving force—or whatever you wanna call it—I always

HANNA AND BARBERA ON JONNY QUEST Two years of research went into making the original Adventures of Jonny Quest, according to producers Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera. In the publicity tour surrounding the show’s September 18, 1964 debut, they revealed what made their new venture––a primetime animated series aimed at kids and adults alike––so unique. “I hate the word educational used in connection with one of our shows,” said Barbera, “but truly Quest has many educational aspects for youngsters. First of all, there is the magnificent artwork which we use as backgrounds. It would be impossible for a live or filmed TV show to show such authentic and thoroughly beautiful surroundings as backgrounds for their shows. It would be far too expensive. In Quest, we take viewers to all parts of the world with our unique backgrounds.” Hanna added, “The idea actually stems from the beautiful colored background drawings for Quest, which Joe and I thought were so stimulating. We somehow wanted to breathe life into those drawings. So we developed the idea of animating the characters in a lifelike manner and at the same time making the stories adventuresome and contemporary.” Citing Tom Swift books and the adventure authors they had read as kids, the duo spoke of reviving that faded genre for Baby Boomers. “We’re glad we can introduce today’s youngster to the pure type of adventure stories we grew up on,” stated Hanna. “After all,” continued Barbera, “adventure has a universal appeal. Its appeal is worldwide and knows no age barrier. Until now, our kids have not been exposed to this particular type of pure, clean adventure. We are glad to be the first to introduce them to it on television. It’s a thrill for us to work on the series, and it’s bound to be a thrill for children and adults to watch.” Yet the pair never once mentioned the legendary artist who inspired it all––Doug Wildey. (ABOVE) Publicity photo for the Eighties Jonny Quest TV revival, with Joe Barbera (LEFT) in the recording studio with 15-year-old Scott Melville, the new voice of Jonny, and Tim Matheson, the original Jonny. © Hanna-Barbera Productions

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will murray’s 20th century panopticon

try to work with the musical director if I can. The musical director for that studio was Hoyt Curtin. On Jonny Quest, the only thing I wanted was this. At the time, you could turn on television, and leave the room, and then when you heard the song that announced the show––I mean, it was so clear and so defined, Maverick, 77 Sunset Strip, and on and on–– whereby the music was so distinctive that if you were inside shaving and you heard the music, then you knew it was time for that particular show. And this is what I wanted. So I did mention what I thought would be a great idea, to have a sort of Gene Krupa/ Buddy Rich-type drum thing come on right at the go. This signals, like a bugle blowing, ‘This is the Jonny Quest show.’ And that was carried on. That was my era of music, of course. They made a record of it. ‘The Jazz Theme from Jonny Quest.’” Rumor had it that Curtin based the melody on a 1950s instrumental, “Calcutta.” Wildey couldn’t confirm this. “I wouldn’t know,” he admitted. “I didn’t get that far. When you’re dealing with a musical director, once you indicate a certain desire, he may or may not follow through. It’s up to him in the end. In this case, the drum solo came in and we had sort of a jazz theme to it. It was not too smooth. In other words, I wanted something that would indicate adventure and excitement and a chase. Somehow, it worked out.”

No Zest for Quest

I was surprised to learn that Wildey did not share my enthusiasm for Jonny Quest. Not that he wasn’t proud of the show, or his contributions to it. “I hate to blow anybody’s personal illusions out of the water,” he said frankly, “but I didn’t think that Jonny Quest was a very good show. I thought it was going to be the start of something. I thought that this would be more or less the first pioneer crude attempt at doing a show of this type, which would later be solidified and smoothed––and it just never worked that way. The quality of stuff seemed to go downhill after that, for reasons unknown to me.” Time has a way of sandpapering old disappointments, however. With the character undergoing a revival, Wildey took the time to review several original episodes, and commented, “In retrospect, Jonny Quest looks great compared to other shows now on the air.” After Jonny Quest was cancelled in 1965 and was rerun on Saturday mornings, Wildey moved on to other projects, ranging from the Sub-Mariner segments of Marvel Super-Heroes to his favorite program, Return to the Planet of the Apes. Wildey’s plans for a JQ revival titled Young Doctor Quest, focusing on professional archaeologist Jonny Quest, “sank without a trace,” he explained. 32

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Wildey returned to Quest with Comico’s comic-book revival in the Eighties. TM & © Hanna-Barbera Produc-

tions.

But the premise sounded great to this lifelong Jonny Quest fan. “Jonny Quest grows up, Hadji grows up, Race gets older, etc., but basically we continue about young Dr. Quest, who’s 22 years old and who has graduated from M.I.T. or whatever, and we’d carry on from there.” Jonny Quest seemed to become a dead property. Then reruns resurfaced on The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera in 1987, leading to new episodes, and then a comicbook company came knocking. “Comico asked me if I would like to do it,” Wildey related. “I hadn’t done any comics in four or five years. It seemed to me important to kick the thing off right, so it wouldn’t get too far away from the characters’ original designs. I figured I’d have some fun.” Twenty-plus years after the original run of Jonny Quest, Wildey found it unnecessary to update his 1964 character designs for the Eighties. “They managed somehow to still look contemporary,” he noted. “I kept the characters and updated the story. The stories I’m doing are more direct in the sense of adventure and trying to keep the flavor of the original show.” Wildey wrote and drew a new adventure, “The Sands of Khasda Tahid,” which brought back Race’s mysterious love interest, Jezebel Jade. This led to the artist adapting three of his favorite episodes for Comico’s Jonny Quest Classics series. “They’re not particularly favorites,” he admitted. “I selected three stories, one of which was my actual favorite, ‘Shadow of the Condor,’ ‘Calcutta Adventure,’ the one that introduces Hadji, which takes place in India, and ‘Werewolf of the Timberland’–– only because of the palettes used on three different locales.”

will murray’s 20th century panopticon

Here, Wildey wasn’t allowed to update anything. “I can’t take it out of the period that it was done in. I hadn’t looked at the shows in over 20 years and I had to look at them again to adapt them to comic books––an almost impossible task.” When the first new episodes of the TV series were commissioned, Wildey did take a peek. “I’ve seen one half of one of the new shows. It wasn’t a world-beater, by any means. It was just another product to be licensed out of a huge studio.” Over the ensuing years, Doug Wildey grew disenchanted with animation trends––especially with the increasing demands of toy companies. “The toy thing is simply a matter of designing pictures to make the toy look advantageous so they can sell more toys,” he complained. “I’m not in the business at the moment because I’m basically a storyteller.” When offered the opportunity to work on a Rambo cartoon, Wildey told me, “I ran as fast as I could get away from it.” A Tom Swift update foundered when Wildey walked away after the producers wanted him to update the Twenties boy’s book character. The same happened with Doc Savage. “I hired a young guy named Dave Stevens,” he recalled. “Dave and I are still fast friends. At the time, he was a Doc Savage freak. I had never personally read Doc Savage. Dave explained who the characters were and what they did. As Dave explained it to me, the guy had an office the top of the Empire State building with his own private elevator which went down below to his own private subway, which went over to the East River where he had a warehouse with speed boats and airplanes. I felt that it had enough strength and I went ahead and did it in my off hours. I brought it into Joe Barbera and said, ‘What do you think? Do we take a hack at this thing?’ But he wanted to update it. The charm of the thing was gone.” Stevens was so impressed with Wildey that he made him a character in his classic Rocketeer series, basing the irascible mechanic Peevy on him.

(ABOVE) Wildey’s hard-hitting Western series character “Rio,” which he introduced in 1983, starred in several comic-book anthologies and graphic novels. (LEFT) Hanna-Barbera’s Tony Benedict spoofed the curmudgeonly but likeable Wildey in this 1964 cartoon. Rio © Doug Wildey

estate. Courtesy of Heritage.

I found Doug Wildey to be irascible as well, but in a refreshingly honest way. But he was a great guy to talk to–– even if he didn’t share my high opinion of Jonny Quest. But he did come to appreciate the character’s enduring popularity, which promised to outlive him. “I don’t believe since Jonny Quest aired in 1964 a year has gone by without somebody talking about making a movie or another series,” he revealed. “Other than a movie, if I’m lucky enough to get consulted, this will probably be the end of my participation in Jonny Quest.” And it was. Douglas Wildey died on October 5, 1994, an unfinished page from a Rio graphic novel on his drawing board. He was 72. There will never be another artist like him. WILL MURRAY is the writer of the Wild Adventures (www.adventuresinbronze. com) series of novels, which stars Doc Savage, the Shadow, King Kong, the Spider, and Tarzan of the Apes. He also created the Unbeatable Squirrel Girl with legendary artist Steve Ditko. RetroFan

Winter 2020

An Interview with

Larry Storch by Rose Rummel-Eury Who would have thought that Facebook would provide me with a magical reunion with my past? Was it those photos of my friends’ grandchildren? “They’re really cute”… but no. Reuniting with my high school and college alumni? “You haven’t changed a bit”… but no. Highly charged political debates? Don’t even go there. It turns out the “magic” was a chance posting about a page dedicated to Larry Storch. Really? I can now be “friends” with the object of my prepubescent desire, as I confessed in issue #5’s “Celebrity Crushes” article, Corporal Randolph Agarn of F Troop fame?! Sign me up! Readers of RetroFan will certainly remember Mr. Storch from F Troop, and read in previous issues about his co-starring with F Troop’s Forrest Tucker in Filmation’s Saturday morning show The Ghost Busters and his voice work on The Groovie Goolies. But you may not know he started in stand-up comedy; was a guest star on numerous TV sitcoms and variety shows; recorded comedy LPs; appeared in more than 25 movies; and, beyond Groovie Goolies, provided cartoon voices for shows such as Cool Cat and Garfield and Friends, plus the animated film Journey Back to Oz. After a couple of enjoyable months on Facebook “getting to know” the now-96-yearold Mr. Storch as he attended parties, hung out with his celebrity friends, and continued to give his fans the hilarity he is well known for, I contacted his daughter, June Cross, to see if she could persuade her father to participate in an interview. She confirmed that Larry would be happy to answer a few questions and served as my intermediary. So here we go, RetroFans! RetroFan: How did you come up with your various cartoon voices? LARRY STORCH: Cartoons always bring to mind a high-pitched character. I don’t remember where I got it from, but a highpitched voice is easy to do. Cartoon voices were mostly screamers. So I just used a very high falsetto. RF: What kind of training did you have for your cartoon voice work? LS: I learned how to do voices going to the movies and listening to cartoons. The movies used to be 25 cents when I was a kid, and I lived on 77th Street [in New York City], so I went whenever we could scrounge the money together. Also, my mother owned a three-story rooming house, and a lot of out-of-work actors lived there. I would 34

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Wearing a facsimile of his famous Cpl. Agarn hat, Larry Storch in 2007 with the then-newly released DVD set of his Seventies’ The Ghost Busters series. The Ghost Busters © Filmation. Photo courtesy of Andy Mangels.

voices? Did you record solo, or with a group? LS: I would be in a room with other actors. We just had scripts and we read them. They made me reread hundreds of times, it felt like, to get the intonation right!

RF: For Tennessee Tuxedo, you were the voice for one of your more famous cartoon characters, Phineas J. Whoopee. How did his voice originate? LS: I have no idea, even after re-watching the video. But then again, I still don’t understand how television works! I’m a high school dropout! [laughs]

RF: On F Troop, the hat you wore as Corporal Agarn was almost as famous as you. Did you choose that prop, or did wardrobe? What happened to the hat? LS: They gave me the uniform. I remember it was hot as hell, because the long johns were red wool and the uniforms were made of wool, too… It was over a hundred degrees most of the time when we taped those shows, and I just remember being hot! I have a replica of the original hat, which fell apart years ago.

RF: What was the process of recording your animation

RF: F Troop’s set was one of the more impressive sets of its day. Where was it located? Was it dismantled after the show ended, or did it get reused? LS: It was shot on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank. That was over 50 years ago!

listen to them practicing their lines, and copy them. That’s how I learned to do voices.

F Troop © Warner Bros. Television.

Screen captures of two of Storch’s Sixties’ toon voices: Phineas J. Whoopee, from TV’s Tennessee Tuxedo and Friends, and Cool Cat, whose 1967-launched theatrical shorts were among the last Looney Tunes produced for the big screen. Phineas J. Whoopee © Classic Media,

LLC. Cool Cat © Warner Bros.

They had a special department that took care of all of the sets and props and things. It was all fake fronts. Who knows what happened to it? Probably got reused on another show. RF: You did lots of slapstick in many of your TV shows. Did you ever get hurt? LS: Well, once my horse stepped on my foot in F Troop. I never felt the same friendliness about horses after that… RF: Many of our readers might not know about the hilarious 1979 telemovie When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion, which featured you and a posse of TV Western actors, with you hearing music from your props. Do you still hear Western TV themes in booze bottles and glasses? LS: Today I’m lucky to hear my daughter asking me these questions! [laughs] RF: When was the last time someone yelled “Agarn!!” at you, and where? LS: It happens all the time… all the time… when I’m on the streets of New York. Knocks me out every time. RF: We all love you, Larry! Do you have any

words of wisdom for the “youngsters” reading this magazine? LS: Keep laughing and keep watching! You can keep watching Larry Storch, including information about upcoming nostalgia events where fans can meet him, on his Facebook page: www.facebook.com/pg/ LARRYSTORCHSPAGE/events/ ROSE RUMMELEURY has worked in the corporate textbook and self-publishing fields for almost 30 years and transcribes many of the celebrity interviews you read in RetroFan and our sister publication, BACK ISSUE.

The kind and helpful June Cross and her famous and funny father at an event held February 26, 2019, at the Friars Club in New York City, celebrating Larry’s 80th year in show business.

Download this certificate from Larry’s Facebook page, sign it, and impress your friends!

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Winter 2020

MONSTER MASH The Creepy, Kooky Monster Craze In America, 1957-1972 Time-trip back to the frightening era of 1957-1972, when monsters stomped into the American mainstream! Once Frankenstein and fiends infiltrated TV in 1957, an avalanche of monster magazines, toys, games, trading cards, and comic books crashed upon an unsuspecting public. This profusely illustrated full-color hardcover covers that creepy, kooky Monster Craze through features on FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND magazine, the #1 hit “Monster Mash,” Aurora’s model kits, TV shows (SHOCK THEATRE, THE ADDAMS FAMILY, THE MUNSTERS, and DARK SHADOWS), “MARS ATTACKS” trading cards, EERIE PUBLICATIONS, PLANET OF THE APES, and more! It features interviews with JAMES WARREN (Creepy, Eerie, and Vampirella magazines), FORREST J ACKERMAN (Famous Monsters of Filmland), JOHN ASTIN (The Addams Family), AL LEWIS (The Munsters), JONATHAN FRID (Dark Shadows), GEORGE BARRIS (monster car customizer), ED “BIG DADDY” ROTH (Rat Fink), BOBBY (BORIS) PICKETT (Monster Mash singer/songwriter) and others, with a Foreword by TV horror host ZACHERLEY, the “Cool Ghoul.” Written by MARK VOGER (author of “The Dark Age”). (192-page FULL-COLOR HARDCOVER) $39.95 • (Digital Edition) $11.95 • ISBN: 9781605490649 Diamond Order Code: MAR151564

TwoMorrows. The Future of Pop History. TwoMorrows Publishing • 10407 Bedfordtown Drive • Raleigh, NC 27614 USA

Phone: 919-449-0344 E-mail: store@twomorrows.com Web: www.twomorrows.com

KIRBY & LEE: STUF’ SAID (Expanded Second Edition)

After achieving the quickest sell-out in TwoMorrows’ history, we’re going back to press for an EXPANDED SECOND EDITION, including minor corrections, and 16 NEW PAGES of “Stuf’ Said” by the creators of the Marvel Universe! This first-of-its-kind examination, completed just days before STAN LEE’s recent passing, looks back at KIRBY & LEE’s own words, in chronological order, from fanzine, magazine, radio, and television interviews, to paint the most comprehensive and enlightening picture of their relationship ever done—why it succeeded, where it deteriorated, and when it eventually failed. Also here are recollections from STEVE DITKO, WALLACE WOOD, JOHN ROMITA SR., and more Marvel Bullpen stalwarts who worked with them both. Compiled, researched, and edited by publisher JOHN MORROW. SECOND EDITION NOW SHIPPING! (176-page FULL-COLOR trade paperback) $26.95 • (Digital Edition) $12.95 ISBN: 978-1-60549-094-6 • Order at www.twomorrows.com

SUPER COLLECTOR

Collecting Angels by Jack Condon Once upon a time, there were three little girls who went to the police academy… and they were each assigned very hazardous duties. But Charlie took them away from all that, and I began collecting. My name is Jack Condon. The three girls who grew tired of their policewomen duties— parking tickets, clerical work, and crossing guard detail—became Charlie’s Angels, television’s biggest stars of the Seventies. Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, and Jaclyn Smith (plus later replacements Cheryl Ladd, Shelley Hack, and Tanya Roberts) created a sensation when Charlie’s Angels debuted on ABC on Sept. 22, 1976. The series, produced by Aaron Spelling and Leonard Goldberg, was characterized as a crime-drama; however, it was more escapism and fantasy. Being an impressionable child, I was primed for the series. It was unique from the traditional detective and police dramas, shot stylistically throughout Los Angeles, and featured a relatively unknown cast of actresses. For me, the women came off as larger than life, yet approachable. I was not alone. The chemistry of the three leads was an instant success, landing the action series in the top five of the Nielsen ratings right from the beginning. My interest in the show was incited by another SpellingGoldberg series, The Rookies (1972–1974), which featured Kate. As the only female of an all-male cast, she stood out to me. There were episodes that featured Kate’s character, Jill Danko, being (ABOVE) Charlie’s Angels Super Collector Jack Condon stands with a promotional standee featuring the original Angels in their iconic pose. © Sony Pictures Television, Inc./CPT Holdings, Inc. Photos by Joe Zastawny.

kidnapped or stalked. Those were the episodes that impressed me because of her character’s vulnerability and strength. As an avid television watcher, I would look forward every week to the new issue of the TV Guide to be delivered by mail. I would scan through each page to see what was airing for the week ahead. When the March 20–26, 1976 edition announced the pilot movie for Charlie’s Angels airing on March 21, I was enthusiastic about it after seeing a small image of Kate in the ad. I also recognized Farrah from TV guest appearances she did previously. Billing the movie as an ABC Special Sunday Double Feature, the advertisement stated, “Money, Mystery, Murder… They’re in it Up to Their Gorgeous Private Eyes.” The premise reminded me of another series I enjoyed, Get Christie Love (1974–1975), starring Teresa Graves as a sexy undercover cop. In my mind, I thought, with the concept similar to Christie Love and Kate attached to the movie, how could I go wrong? After watching the 90-minute film, I was more enthralled than before and hoped that it would become a weekly series. Little did I know at the time, the pilot movie would be one of the highest-rated telefilms of the year, and the series was already in the works. I first learned that Charlie’s Angels would be part of the 1976 fall television lineup when my mother read to me a blurb about it in the local newspaper in June. The anticipation to watch it weekly grew for me during the summer months. Once it aired regularly at 10:00 p.m., I was allowed to stay up for each episode as a special occasion, even though it was a school night. I did not set out to collect initially; however, collecting ran in my family. I had a grandmother and aunt who loved to shop and pick up mementos along their travels. Subconsciously, they might have instilled the RetroFan

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collecting mentality within me at an early age. One week after the series premiered, all three actresses graced the cover of the Sept. 25, 1976 issue of TV Guide. It was an alluring cover that TV Guide attempted to recreate in 1990 with the cast of David Lynch’s cult classic, Twin Peaks (1990–1991). The issue also had a behind-thescenes article on what it was like working on the series. Back then, my mind would race with thoughts of flying out to Hollywood to be on the set and what it would be like to meet the actresses who I had an instantaneous liking for. As I continued watching the show, so did the rest of America. According to the Nielsen rating figures, 59% of all television sets were tuned in to watch Charlie’s Angels on Wednesday nights. This did not go unnoticed by the then-prestigious Time magazine, which featured the actresses on their Nov. 22, 1976 cover, dubbing them “TV’s Super Women.” Two weeks later, the actresses once again gained national attention by appearing on the cover of the Dec. 6, 1976 issue of People magazine. The magazine was 50 cents at the time and I used my lunch money to purchase that issue, bringing my collection to three items total. December 1976 was my introduction to the merchandising blitz that was about to hit. During my winter vacation, a local music store, Discland, featured a Charlie’s Angels poster in its window. I froze for a moment, thinking, “Oh, my gosh, I have to have it!” I ran into the store feverishly to make my $2 purchase. While inside, the clerk offered me the now-famous Farrah swimsuit poster. It was the first time for me to see it. As excited as I was, my next question was if there was a Kate and Jaclyn poster as well. Since there was not, I passed on the Farrah poster, feeling that I could not buy one of her and not of the others. That was my first realization that I could not play favorites when it came to collecting. During its first season, Charlie’s Angels was an undeniable hit amongst children and adolescents. I was among the target market for the series, and finding things on the show not only thrilled me but also became a passioned hobby. I was all business when it came to collecting. Before long, friends and family helped with my pursuit of acquiring new products. I believe this satisfied their desire to collect without them having to spend any money, except for the classmates who would spend ten cents a pack for the Topps Charlie’s Angels bubble gum cards and later give them to me when they tired of them. Currently, I have over 50 complete sets. Presently, there are primarily two department stores that carry toys: Target and Walmart. However, when I grew up in Boston there were a vast array of department and toy stores which all carried various items on Charlie’s Angels. It was a matter of searching through each store for the payoff. Some of my favorite stores at the time were Caldor, King’s, Zayre, Turn-Style, Child World, and Play World. I can still remember the exact store that I first discovered each item and how much every item was. Zayre was the store where I purchased my three jigsaw puzzles for 99 cents each. King’s offered the board game for $3.99, and Child World introduced me to the wrist radio for $8.99. I was constantly hitting these stores along with local variety and momand-pop shops on a regular basis. Television merchandising was prominent during the late Seventies. If a series was featured in the top 10, there was bound to be lines based on that program. Throughout my quest, I would see items on The Six Million Dollar Man; Welcome Back, Kotter; 38

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(ABOVE) The number of beauty-related Charlie’s Angels products certainly seemed endless. (BELOW) Two of four series of trading cards released by Topps.

Super collector

Space: 1999; The Bionic Woman; Happy Days; and The Donny & Marie Show. I recall seeing products based on these shows that I wished were produced for Charlie’s Angels such as record players, trash cans, and View-Master® reels, none of which ever materialized. Another Spelling-Goldberg-produced series, Starsky & Hutch, also featured a slew of toys based upon it. These tie-ins focused on young boys, so when Charlie’s Angels merchandise hit the shelves, it was counter-marketing: products that catered to younger females. There were a few exceptions. The popular model kit company Revell produced a Charlie’s Angels Mobil Unit Van. Placo Toys issued a Target Set with plastic guns and knock-down targets. The Toy Factory manufactured a die-cut Play Set, which stipulated on the box, “hours of fun for boys and girls.” In my initial stage of collecting, anything that was “girl-related,” I passed on. H-G Toys, one of the leading companies that produced Angels toys, offered up two items: a safe Cosmetic Beauty Kit with faux toiletries and a Beauty Hair Care Set consisting of rollers, brushes, and a working play hair dryer. I initially passed on these, which were harder to find when I became a purist. Aside from

An animated sign advertising Hasbro’s Charlie’s Angels dolls fronts a wall of posters and toys (you can brush Farrah’s hair!).

not collecting girl-related products, I also would purchase items depicting Farrah only if they made similar products on Kate and Jaclyn as well. I acquired notebooks on each individual Angel, but I passed on the Farrah towels, rugs, and beanbag chairs because they were not manufactured on her cohorts as well. One of the leading toy manufacturers of all time, Hasbro Industries, famous for popular brands such as Mr. Potato Head, G.I. Joe, My Little Pony, and Transformers, produced a full line of Charlie’s Angels dolls and accessories in early 1977. Hasbro spent over $2.5 million to advertise its line, which featured 8-1/2-inch dolls dressed in jumpsuits, scarfs, and boots. There was also a line of six fashion assortments and three larger boxed outfits, which came with action gear including a blow-up raft, ski equipment, and scuba gear. One of the more expensive products was a large Hideaway House doll playset, but one of the more unique items was “Jill’s Flying Skateboard Adventure.” This was a costume that featured a real miniature skateboard. What made this item interesting was that it was derived from a scene in an

actual episode (“Consenting Adults,” Episode 10), where Farrah’s character escapes a culprit on a skateboard. Although I did not buy any of these products early on, I was drawn to the artwork that was used on all of the packaging for the products. The same artist who rendered the art for the G.I. Joe toy line in the early Seventies was also commissioned for the Charlie’s Angels doll line. Each depiction of the actresses had vivid colorful detail. I recall being enthusiastic after seeing the first doll commercial during an afternoon viewing of Bozo the Clown in March 1977. That was when I learned of the product line.

Collecting Quest

Throughout the years, I have constantly been asked what my favorite item is. When I think about everything that I have acquired for my collection, I can answer without hesitation. It is my most prized possession that originally got away, and it is an item that I did not see again for 23 years. During the height of Charlie’s Angels’ popularity in 1977, I frequently made my way throughout all of the shopping centers and malls within my area. One particular department store chain, Bradlees, was not too far from my home. In October, when I happened to stop in, I saw what I thought would be the pinnacle of my collection: a large cardboard motion display at the end of a toy aisle to promote the Charlie’s Angels dolls by Hasbro. It had a colorful artist’s rendering of the Angels that I was fond of, and below them it had the caption “Beautiful Girls Who Live Dangerously!” The back simply stated, “Charlie’s Angels are Here!” It ran on batteries, and a large circle behind the actresses’ image moved back and forth with florescent colors to capture shoppers’ attention. Affixed to the display, there were tear-of f rebate slips to save 50 cents on a purchase. Because of the effectual artwork it was impressive and I knew it would stand out in my room, so I approached the department manager of the toy department and inquired about purchasing it. Dubious of my intentions for being so young, he impassively snapped at me, “25 dollars!” It was a lot of money for me to save back then, but I felt destined to own it. Fortunately, my birthday was in November, so instead of gifts, my family helped me to acquire the money that I needed for the transaction. When I arrived at the store with a plastic sandwich bag containing coins and small bills, the manager sadistically commanded that I count it out to him. I laid the money out on a white metal shelf, then he slyly looked at me and after a beat he unemotionally stated, “Come back after Christmas, I need this to promote the dolls.” I resigned myself to having to wait almost two months to add this item to my collection. For a small child to wait that long for something that I undeniably wanted seemed as if it was an eternity. Alas, I had no choice. During the 53 days that I had to wait, I would frequent the store to view the piece, relishing the fact that the display would soon be mine. Other stores in my area also promoted the dolls with the same display item, including RetroFan

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One of Condon’s prized possessions is the original 1978 Chevrolet Charlie’s Angels custom van. Based on the 1977 Revell model kit and commissioned by Spelling-Goldberg Productions, it was featured in popular auto magazines and car shows throughout the Seventies and it is the only van of its kind in the world!

Child World and other Bradlees stores, but I was told this particular display would be mine, so I impatiently waited. The day after Christmas was a momentous occasion for me to finally acquire this new piece for my collection. Seeing that I was charged with anticipation, my brother, who had recently received his license and wanted any excuse to drive, took me early morning on December 26 to the store to claim what would be mine. When I arrived, the display was no longer featured on the end-cap, so I assumed that they had it packed and ready for me. I hunted for the toy department manager and when I saw him round one of the aisles, I anxiously asked, “Do you have that display? I am ready for it.” He measured me for a quick moment then callously laughed and said, “We threw that out on Christmas Eve!” He continued to laugh as he did an about-face and walked away. I stood alone in the department store aisle, despondent. Knowing I was devastated but not defeated, my brother took me to the other stores that featured the display, but they were no longer in any of the stores. Being a precocious child, in March 1978 I took a chance and called Hasbro directly in Rhode Island to inquire about purchasing the display. A woman took my name and address and said she would see if she could send me one. Although she did send me a display to promote the dolls, it was not the one I remembered fondly. By 1978, Hasbro was adding to their line of Charlie’s Angels products and was focusing on new Angel Cheryl Ladd. I received their latest display that boldly stated “Introducing Kris.” The display was less flamboyant than the earlier version. Nevertheless, I was thrilled to have this item. It is also a display that I had never seen in any department store, which makes the item even more special to me. It took 23 years for me to finally obtain the elusive display that I eagerly wanted from Bradlees back in 1977. I was on a business trip in Chicago, in 2000. When I returned home after midnight from a late flight, there was a message for me that someone had the display that I was interested in. The small-child syndrome 40

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rose within me again, and I was rushed with excitement. I wanted to contact the seller immediately, but it was too late. The jet lag and anticipation did not allow me to sleep that night. I tried not to get too hopeful, only to be disappointed again; however, the next morning I reached out early to the seller and the long-soughtafter display soon became mine. It happened to be a display that was never used and was still in the original shipping carton. I almost did not want to take it out of its packaging, to keep it as mint as possible, but I knew I needed to enjoy it for years to come. It has been proudly displayed in my collection room ever since I received it. Farrah’s decision not to return to Charlie’s Angels in 1977 sent shockwaves through ABC. Many wondered how the show would survive without her. Fortunately, when Cheryl took over the coveted spot, not only did the ratings increase, but so did the merchandising boom. Products that once featured the original Charlie’s Angels cast were being reproduced with new images, which gave me the opportunity to find more items. Hasbro added to their line of products featuring the new Angel, including paint-by-number sets, gold coast clothing lines, fashion totes, and an adventure van to transport the dolls. Aside from remarketing products (such as luggage sets, poster art kits, and jewelry sets) with the new Angels, additional companies stepped in to create items that were not available before, such as magic slates, backpacks, and finally a lunch box featuring unique art. I eventually acquired the original artwork from Aladdin Industries. Toward the end of the second season after Cheryl was firmly entrenched in the series, a colleague of my mother’s stopped by our home. I recall showing him the items that I had accumulated thus far, and he mentioned to me that I should keep everything in original condition because, as he surmised, “It will be worth money someday.” I cannot recollect if he also mentioned to me that I needed to collect everything; however, it was around that time that I decided I needed to acquire at least two of every item available, including all of the girl-related products. I also began

Super collector

obtaining all of the Farrah Fawcett items, regardless of whether they produced the same items on each of the other Angels. For the next few years, I continued to locate items I did not know about or previously passed on. Some items became elusive to me because I waited too long. In 1977, Zodiac Designs produced three different Farrah pillows, based on three of her poster images. One in particular, “Super Farrah,” depicts a bust shot image of her in a white tank top. I passed on this pillow numerous times when I spotted it in various stores including Kmart and Spencer Gifts. A convenience store in my hometown, Store 24, had it in their window for over a year. We drove by it constantly, and I always enjoyed seeing it, but when I was ready to make the purchase, it was gone and I had a hard time locating it in person again. The fun of collecting for me has always been ongoing. Throughout the series’ run I continued to look for items, even as the popularity of the show began to dwindle. I would still continue the search; however, it became more of the proverbial needle in a haystack. Regardless, I can recall favorable successes. There was a time in 1982 that I took two buses into a less-thandesirable part of Boston because a discount store, Value Village, still had in stock traditional children’s boxed Halloween costumes; I obtained one of Charlie’s Angels with a Kate Jackson mask, and two Farrah Fawcett costumes. Another time I came across a Charlie’s Angels Colorforms kit by chance at the Boston Children’s Hospital gift shop when I was visiting a family member in 1983. After moving to Southern California in the Nineties, my pursuit of collecting consisted through the help of want ads, secondhand stores, and collector’s shows. It was not as personal nor sentimental as seeing the items on the shelf for the first time when I was a young boy. It does make me realize that I am fortunate to have had all of the vast memories that I experienced during the series’ heyday. It was then that I reflected on how much time and passion I did put into this hobby, which had given me the utmost enjoyment. What also made the enjoyment unique for me was that I collected not only on the series, but also on the actresses’ subsequent careers including their promotional and advertising work before, during, and after Charlie’s Angels. With so much to obtain, the collection took on a life of its own, and I amassed thousands of items. I realized that over the past 20 years, I had accumulated enough information that it might be the right time to put together a book depicting the history of the series and its stars, since nothing extensive had been published previously. The idea of taking the knowledge that I had gained over the years and parlaying it into a book seemed to be an illusion for me. However, I wanted to see it come to fruition. In 1995, I took my first step into turning it into a reality. I visited the local Borders book store, and wrote down publishers that produced books similar to this genre. I then researched editors from each company and contacted them. I had a few rejections and some hopefuls; but there were obstacles still in the way. Some of the editors did not see the vision I had in the book, while others were concerned about photo rights or the lack of photos, in order to save money. It was not until 1996 that I saw my way forward, when I spoke to another writer, David Hofstede from Las Vegas, about getting this project off the ground.

(ABOVE) Hasbro’s Charlie’s Angels Hide-A-Way House for your Angels to relax in after a tough case. (BELOW) Farrah Fawcett’s departure from the show created an opportunity to reissue merchandise to feature new cast member Cheryl Ladd.

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Hofstede, a veteran author of pop-culture and television articles and books, has a strong interest in Sixties and Seventies entertainment. Prior to our discussion on the book, he had penned an article on the cult ABC gothic soap opera Dark Shadows. Through that article, he met one of the series’ stars, Kathryn Leigh Scott, who owned the publishing company Pomegranate Press. Hofstede suggested that we collaborate on the book together and pitch the idea to Kathryn. After several meetings, and with Kathryn’s discernment, support, and approval, the Charlie’s Angels Casebook, the first-ever comprehensive book based on the history of the series, was released in 2000. Jaclyn Smith graciously wrote the forward for the book and it was well received by critics. According to Bruce Fretts of Entertainment Weekly, “The Charlie’s Angels Casebook offers mother lodes of tasty info-nuggets.” Working on the book gave me firsthand knowledge about the show, thanks in part to all of the production people who granted interviews, including series producer Edward Lakso and his wife, Lee, who guest-starred on five episodes. They provided many of the compelling backstories and anecdotes. Prior to the book, I fulfilled a childhood dream of meeting the actresses, except for one, over the years. Conducting the interviews for the book allowed me to become reacquainted with the actresses and to finally meet the last Angel on my list. Kate Jackson was my first Angel encounter. It was in 1979, and she was in Boston filming a movie, Dirty Tricks. I was on summer vacation and spending time with my cousin at my grandmother’s. We stayed up late one evening and in the early hours of 4:15 a.m., Kate’s co-star, Elliott Gould, was on a talk show discussing the film. He mentioned the hotel they were staying at, so I bolted out of my grandmother’s house and first headed home to grab a poster of Kate off of my wall, then proceeded to take two buses and a subway to the Copley Square Hotel where she was staying. At 7:20 a.m., Kate appeared in the lobby and I was starstruck. I can still recall thinking how much more attractive she appeared to me in person than on television. She graciously signed my poster and I was on cloud nine for the rest of my summer vacation. Meeting the other actresses did not come until I was an adult, but the only Angel I did not meet until the interview for the book was Tanya Roberts. Not only was she giving with her time and information, but also, she was funny, laidback, and charming. I am fortunate to have had memorable experiences with all six ladies, but none has been more significant for me than my time with Jaclyn Smith. I first met Jaclyn at Macy’s in New York, when she was promoting her fragrance, California. I brought unique items from my collection that I thought her children would enjoy. When I moved to Los Angeles, our paths crossed again, and throughout the years, her constant support of me, not only for my collection, but also for all of my accomplishments, has been one of the greatest rewards for me in regard to beginning this collection. I have been blessed to share special moments with her, and I could not have asked for a stronger support system from a true angel! In 2002, two years after the success of the Charlie’s Angels Casebook, I was speaking with my mother discussing an idea that was on my mind: turning the publication into a television movie. I noticed that other popular series became made-for-television behind-the-scenes movies. Popular shows including Gilligan’s Island, Batman, and The Brady Bunch each had films depicting what went on during the show’s run. I knew Charlie’s Angels would be 42

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Just a portion of over 5,500 items devoted to Charlie’s Angels and the actresses from the popular show.

Super collector

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Super collector

an optimal choice, but my next question would be, how do I get it produced? I did not have to wait long to discover the answer. Within weeks of my discussion with my mother, I was approached by a Santa Monica production company with an offer to turn the Charlie’s Angels Casebook into the 2004 NBC movie Behind the Camera: The Story of Charlie’s Angels. At first, the offer seemed inconceivable. I was in the brainstorming phase of how to pursue this goal and a producer contacted me! Ultimately, everything worked out seamlessly. It is ironic, because the book about the original television show soon became the TV movie about the book that was about the original television show. Working on this film for me was the culmination of my years of collecting, as I not only sold the rights to the book but also served as a creative consultant for the film. It was important for me to make sure that this film would represent the series, actresses, and timeline perfectly. My first task was to create the story bible, which is a complete outline with photos, suggestions, and notes for the concept of the film. It was used by the screenwriter to assist with character development settings and other visual elements to recreate specific details for the film. Working closely with the screenwriter, Matt Dorf f, allowed me to enhance storyline content. I also assisted with the casting of the actresses who starred in the film. Providing input on the casting of the actresses and working with each of the women to achieve their character development was my favorite part of the project. I worked diligently with each of the actresses chosen for the roles: Lauren Stamile as Kate Jackson (Sabrina), Tricia Helfer as Farrah Fawcett (Jill), and Christina Chambers as Jaclyn Smith (Kelly). In the beginning, we recited line readings in my Charlie’s Angels collection room so they could understand the phenomenon of the series. I also provided them with old videos of the early episodes and reminded them that they were playing the real actresses at the time when the women were still novices. Lauren, Tricia, and Christina successfully portrayed Kate, Farrah, and Jaclyn visually as well as in their voice inflections and mannerisms. Another twist for me was the filming of the movie. As a child reading the first TV Guide mention of Charlie’s Angels, I fantasized about flying out to Hollywood to be on the show’s set. Flashforward, I am now living in the Hollywood area, but I had to travel to Canada to be on the recreated (INSET) Behind the Camera: Charlie’s Angels DVD. (TOP) Jack Condon’s Guinness World Records certificate for his amazing collection. (RIGHT) Charlie’s Angels Casebook by Jack Condon and David Hofstede led to an NBC movie about the show in 2004. 44

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set because it was cheaper to film in Canada. Being on the set of the movie in the Charles Townsend office was a definitive throwback to my childhood. One of the proudest moments for me on the set was during a break between takes. A crew member approached me to thank me for writing the book. He mentioned that he had a hard time finding production work in Canada. Because of the Charlie’s Angels Casebook becoming a film, he was employed again. It was a surreal moment for me to realize that a collection I began years earlier had a significant impact on someone’s life in a powerful way. The fact that not only this man but also an entire cast and crew found employment due to my effort was a moment that is still paramount for me. The successes of both the Charlie’s Angels Casebook as well as the NBC television movie were two triumphs that I would never have anticipated happening if someone had mentioned it to me as a young boy in Boston. I did not think there could be any further feats for me with collecting, until 2011, when I was inducted into the Guinness World Records. It became another unexpected accomplishment for me. Moreover, my collection was chosen as the “#3 Most Interesting Record for 2012!” To become a Guinness World Records holder is an esteemed distinction for me because I grew up reading about all of the greatest records from around the world. I am proud to be part of the Guinness World Records family, which I wear as a badge of honor. Charlie’s Angels has been a focused and positive influence on my life for decades. What began as a childhood fascination became an ongoing experience! As the only collector who has parlayed my enthusiasm into an in-depth book and television movie and has become a Guinness World Records holder, I have been fortunate with all of my endeavors in the world of collecting. While I continue to search for items that are listed on my charliesangelsfan.com website such as a Radio Communications Center or Toy Fashion Watch, I simultaneously pursue present-day aspirations. One ambition in particular: educating as a college and university professor. After earning my MBA, I now thrive in a more cerebral life, teaching business. Perhaps it was destiny, since it is a subject that I know all too well. After all, merchandising, marketing, and trading first began for me when I was that small child growing up in Boston, when my hobby always meant business! It is a natural progression for me, and another extension of who I became thanks in part through my ongoing quest of collecting everything imaginable on Charlie’s Angels!

SCOTT SAAVEDRA’S SECRET SANCTUM

by Scott Saavedra

(ABOVE) ’Tis but a portion of the Secret Sanctum collection of collections. Proper storage and thoughtful display efforts are always recommended for the serious collector. (INSET ABOVE) Is there anything worse than a collector who goes on and on about their collection? Panels from Key Comics #3 (Winter 1945). Art by Fred Ball. Except for the comic panels all photos by the author.

The idea of having a specialized collection of a particular focus is alien to me. I collected coins, some stamps, comic books, and MAD magazines as a kid. My specialty was not having a specialty. My other specialty was not having much of anything. Except for my unexceptional collection of comic books and MAD magazines, when I first moved away from home (as a lad of but 18 summers) I managed to fit most of what I owned into a backpack. The summers piled up quickly, so too did the stuff that I, and eventually, I and my wife accumulated. We both have a tendency to hang on to things. But this is not the same thing as being a collector. Before we were married a church counselor advised us—not against marrying, exactly—to be aware that we’d likely encourage each other’s worst traits. Spot on, my good man. He was absolutely right. And yet, we’re still together 31 years later. I suppose that says something about how hard it is for us to get rid of old things once they’ve been gotten.

We’re both driven to keep and/or acquire objects based on whether it attracts or touches us in some way. These days, if we have large ongoing, specific collections of anything, it would be wife Ruth’s heaping masses of wool for spinning and my multiple boxes of blank paper going back to before World War II (much of it inherited from my late father-in-law, an amateur printer) intended for… oh, I’m sure I’ll think of something someday. Neither are the stuff of legendary RetroFan Super Collector articles (like this issue’s Super Collector on page 37). However, despite our unfocused and meandering ways we do have a few items which fall into the areas covered by this fine, fine publication and may be of interest. For today’s episode of Secret Sanctum they’ve been organized into (very) small, related groups. Collections, if you will, that are anything but super. Let’s talk about these not-so-super collections, shall we? We shall.

The Mistakes Were Made Collection The Martha Kent Slurpee Comic Cup is now one of my favorite objects. But it was once one of my most loathed. It was something I saved only because it was like other things that I was already saving. That is the madness of collecting right there. Around 1973–1974, 7-Eleven convenience

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I have in my possession a single Dr. Strange sticker. It comes from Topps’ Marvel Super Heroes Stickers set from 1976. Each package cost a dime and contained some stickers and a checklist. On the back of the checklist was one-ninth of the cover to Conan the Barbarian #1. I’m really not a fan of these “funny-speech-balloon”-added-toexisting-photos-and-art sorts of things. Here, Dr. Strange complains of house calls. He was a surgeon. No house calls for him. Some of the “gags” on the cards I don’t have are just painfully… well, strange. Luke Cage, Hero for Hire screams on one, “Like my denture work?” So, yeah. Funny stickers. The Annette Cut-Outs (Authorized Walt Disney Edition) is full of random paper clothes from other cutout dolls (this is not how it was sold but rather how it ended up decades later). The Mouseketeer T-shirt is obviously for Annette. Is it a little skeevy that I have a cut-out doll package featuring a young teenage girl? It is, right? Sigh. My late mother-in-law gave this to me. (We miss you, Ma.)

The Outer Space Collection In RetroFan #2 I mentioned my failed attempt to send one of my brothers into low Earth orbit. In RetroFan #6 I shared my account of contacting Apollo 11 commander Neil Armstrong in the hope of getting some Moon rocks (it was my dad’s idea and, spoiler alert, no rocks). My interest in all things space extends to the real and imaginary and has been life-long. The Gemini 9 space-mission sticker is another relic of my youth and was one of 20 designs included free inside boxes of various Kellogg’s cereals in 1969. That was not the extent of Kellogg’s’ participation in the run up to the Apollo 11 Moon mission. The groundbreaking company produced breakfast cereal cubes in frosted and fruity corn-flake (ick) versions for the history-making voyage. To be honest, I’m baffled that I only have one of these stickers. It’s the only one I remember. We ate lots of boxed cereal. Maybe we were just a General Mills family. The Giant Book of Amazing Stories (Children’s Press, 1960) is a British collection of illustrated stories and 46

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Giant Book of Amazing Stories © The Children’s Press. Gemini 9 sticker © Kelllogg’s.

stores gave out DC and then Marvel comic-book character cups with every 25-cent Slurpee, a hyper-sweet, brainfreezing treat. These were cheap plastic cups decorated with each company’s most noted characters, colored with a limited palette—the main physical difference being that the Marvel cups were squatter than the DC versions. At my 7-Eleven location—a place run by a sour old couple—cups were given out randomly, and one day, instead of Superman, Batman, or even Hourman, I got a Martha Kent cup. Martha Flippin’ Kent. Mother of Clark. One has to assume that DC either didn’t care to put any effort into this promotion or simply hated kids. I think they hated kids. Marvel, on the other hand, used some very spiffy artwork. I say that as someone who was a giant DC fan at the time. The DC cups featured support characters while Marvel’s did not, though there was a “Super-Stan” cup. Another oddity from the DC batch were the Marvel Family heroes, Captain Marvel, Captain Marvel, Jr., and Mary Marvel, who were listed as Shazam, Shazam, Jr., and Ms. Shazam, respectively. What is most amazing about this collection is that it exists at all. Very few things besides comic books and MAD magazines survived my tender youth, and these cups are delicate. I have 18 DC and Marvel Slurpee cups out of 120 designs produced. Lost is a duplicate cup that I covered over using correction fluid with the un-realized intention of creating a custom cup. Of what? Pfft! Who knows? I was a stupid kid.

Dr. Strange TM & © Marvel. Mickey Mouse TM & © Disney.

SCOTT SAAVEDRA’S SECRET SANCTUM

brief comic strips printed on thick newsprint. It’s beautiful and jolly good fun to read: “Ztl donned his space suit and went out to investigate. There were two dead men in the lifeboat. One had obviously been killed instantaneously by the atomic blast from SW859. The other died more slowly. There was a dreadful wound across the top of his scalp. Ztl looked at him for a long time.” You can’t talk about space without mentioning the “final frontier.” Star Trek, that is. Merchandising gold. The year 1975 seemed like an odd time for a plastic Star Trek mug to be released. A bowl was produced to go with the mug. I don’t have that one. The mug’s shields must have been down last time it was exposed to heat, that would account for the melted edge. © CBS.

Great Battles of the Civil War © Time Warner USA, LLC. Greetings Dearie! © Hallmark. Barrel of Chuckles © Scholastic.

The Not-MAD Collection I can’t overstate how important MAD magazine was to me as an artist and as a person, but it’s a story for another time. (Meet me back here in the next RetroFan and we’ll talk all about it.) The early “Usual Gang of Idiots” are some of my all-time favorite cartoonists, so it was always a treat for me when I came upon the work of one of them outside of MAD. Great Battles of the Civil War (Time Incorporated, 1961) features illustrations by George Woodbridge, as well as paintings by Louis Glanzman (his name is misspelled in the credits), who was an early comic-book artist, and Noel Sickles, a hugely significant comic-strip artist. Barrel of Chuckles (Scholastic, 1969) is abundantly illustrated by Allan “You can call me Al” Jaffee. He draws in a simplified style here, and since this book is for kids there are no depictions of fish bonefilled puke. Greetings, Dearie! is a very odd fish, and I’ve never encountered anything like

it before. Simply, it is a 1962 trade-paperback collection of greeting-card output from Hallmark’s Contemporary Cards line. One card to a page. Contemporary Cards aren’t full of the usual Hallmark treacle and sweetness. Instead they featured a groovy assortment of cheeky (for the early Sixties) humor. There are beatniks and one Hitler reference. Numerous cards are illustrated by the great Paul Coker, Jr., who is consistently great. (BELOW, LEFT TO RIGHT) Time’s Great Battles of the Civil War features this half page of George Woodbridge-illustrated Civil War uniforms. Greeting card art by Paul Coker, Jr. populates Greetings, Dearie! A painted cover by Al Jaffee for Barrel of Chuckles.

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SCOTT SAAVEDRA’S SECRET SANCTUM

The Shell Oil Token Collection Pile

We often use the vintage items we have in our day-to-day life. After all, these wonderful things were created to be purposeful. We used a Forties-era Electrolux vacuum until it stopped sucking and was sent to the garage with the other two ancient Electroluxes that ceased to function. It was a beautiful old thing, and doing housework with it was a bit like dragging the Rocketeer’s backpack around the apartment.

I blame my mother-in-law, Virginia, for this collection. She loved to shop at thrift stores, buy stuff, and then place that stuff with other people. Blankets, clothes, kitchenware, toys, and so on were given to people who needed them like homeless families, given as gifts to loved ones, and sometimes the things purchased were so unnecessary that I was the only logical person to give it to. I accumulated quite a few “collections” that way, and it’s how I came to have this pile of Shell Oil tokens. Largely, these aluminum coins represent four different Shell Oil game promotions of the Sixties. The gameplay was similar to—and possibly the inspiration for—the Monopoly promotional games now run by supermarket chains. You get random pieces and try to collect all of the necessary ones to win a prize. The nature of the game meant that certain pieces were harder to get your hands on than others. So I now have incomplete sets of Mr. President, States of the Union, Man in Space, and Famous Facts and Faces game pieces. This is one of those occasions where my fondness for the gift-giver overrides my desire to get rid of a gift I kind of like but don’t really need. I did, however, manage to send to a thrift store the ugly (and not in a good way, you know?) glass bowl the tokens came in.

The Huckleberry Hound cup and Yogi Bear mug were used by our kids for years. Before that, Yogi was used by wife Ruth’s older siblings when they were kids. Huckleberry’s cup is a Melmac Dinnerware product from the Sixties and really takes abuse well. Yogi’s mug was produced in 1961 by F&F Mold Die Works and, eh, he’s looked better. They’ve earned their rest and are no longer in active use. “Auggie Doggie” is the side B to Quick Draw McGraw Presents Snuffles and is from 1962. The 1960 “El Kabong!” is side A to Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera’s TV Cowboy Star, Quick Draw McDraw. These two 45 RPM records are sans sleeves, unfortunately. They are, however, yellow, and that’s nice. Discogs.com lists the music genre for El Kabong! as “Children’s Stage and Screen,” with Auggie Doggie listed as—and I don’t have a record player to confirm this—“funk/soul.”

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Tokens © Shell Oil.

The Theme Park Collection My mom reminds me every once and awhile that I was enchanted by the talking birds in Adventureland’s Tiki Room at Disneyland when I was but a tiny baby. It was, I’m told, a precious, precious moment. Everything your first child does is amazing, but, really, who wouldn’t be enchanted by talking birds? So that puts my first visit to the Happiest Place on Earth at 1960 about five years after the park opened. That’s a pretty good start in life. The copy of Your Guide to Disneyland is from Fall/ Winter 1967, which was my second visit to the Magic Kingdom. My brother Mark and I each wore lovely gold corduroy sports coats with

The Animated Character Collection

SCOTT SAAVEDRA’S SECRET SANCTUM

The Presidential Collection Thirty years ago, I was rummaging around the Archie McPhee store in Seattle when I came across the strangest little presidential commemorative item I’ve ever done seen. It’s only 2.25 inches tall, made of plastic, and in the likeness of a tiny John F. Kennedy standing on a detailed pedestal. Sadly, my photo will not do justice to this minute memorial, but it’s really a pretty good likeness. Small as it is, you can see that it’s JFK. It’s also a pencil sharpener, so it’s respectful and functional. Jack would have wanted it that way. The spoon shown is also of JFK. It’s part of a set of silver-plated Presidential spoons produced by International Silver. All of the spoons in the set show the years of each president’s Spoon © International Silver.

brass buttons that our mother made just for us. We looked awesome but we were also cold so we complained about it. And that’s what I remember about that trip. The nearly empty ticket book is from my first visit to Knott’s Berry Farm. Knott’s grew from modest beginnings as a source of berries (Anaheim, home to Knott’s and, of course, Disneyland was still pretty agricultural until the mid-Fifties) to the regional theme park it is today. Admission was free until 1968. I first visited in 1969. Knott’s and Disneyland both used ticket books at the time. Disneyland was famous for its E tickets, a term that is still occasionally used to designate an activity of quality. The best Knott’s ticket book maxed out at the letter D. The ticket book shown here is for a child and comes to a screeching halt at the letter B (a B ticket would put you on the Merry Go Round). Cost for this Knott’s ticket book: $2.00. It is my only memento from that visit.

time in office. Kennedy’s term, of course, was cruelly cut short, so his dates are 1961–1963. Interestingly, there is a version of the Kennedy spoon which shows his dates as 1961–19—. Fun Fact: A retailer of replacement silverware sells this spoon for $12. In contrast, a Gerald R. Ford spoon will set you back $80 (on sale from $150!) and a Herbert Hoover will cost you a five-cent apple (ha, Depression humor). We have some of the other presidential spoons in this series, which sit in a chipped Thomas Jefferson-adorned coffee mug that once belonged to my late father-inlaw and is too expensive to replace. We use the spoons daily. Behold: the Richard M. Nixon showerhead. I believe that this is absolutely the only piece of bathroom plumbing to feature a disgraced former president. No, I have never used it and it is absolutely one of the few “collectibles” that I have “mint in box.” It is from 1988 and made by Banning Enterprises. © Banning Enterprises.

The Letter Opener Collection The Fuller Brush letter openers are just two of the many that mother-in-law Virginia passed on to me over the years. Amazingly, Fuller Brush still exists. Though it’s had many different owners over the years, it began as a door-to-door sales company by Alfred Fuller in 1906. The Fuller Brush Man is a cultural icon, though the company aggressively hired women in the mid-Sixties apparently due to a tight labor market and the success of Avon. The letter opener with the saleswoman is probably from the Sixties. A salesman is on the reverse. I’m not sure about the age of the other one. Funny story about the Arlington House letter opener (circa mid-Seventies). My parents went to Virginia for a wedding, leaving me—I was around 15—in charge of the rest of us kids during the day. A neighbor’s adult sister would watch us at night. She was from Chile and spoke no English (as in zero). My folks were gone around a week, and one of our two bathrooms wasn’t working. A single bathroom for seven kids. One of my youngest brothers got the flu and needed to throw up. My sister was in the only functioning bathroom and Would Not Come Out. Soon, what needed to come out of my little brother did, sister finally exited the bathroom (Valley Girl voice: “Gross”), and I felt very put-upon. Our parents returned after a few days and I was gifted the letter opener. To be fair, I really like it and still use it all the time. RetroFan

Winter 2020

SCOTT SAAVEDRA’S SECRET SANCTUM

The Groovy Collection Hey, man. The Partridge Family book, Marked for Terror (Keith sure doesn’t look too worried), is my absolute latest purchase, a real gas. The Monkees and various Beatles paperbacks are from my wife, who bought them new and was better in tune to this stuff than I was in the Sixties. I certainly enjoyed the music; however, the sex appeal of the performers escaped me (but Mrs. Partridge was a very attractive lady, now that the topic comes up). One title here, The Beatle Book, bugs me. The cover promises a triple-sized AUTOGRAPHED picture and it’s only a double-sized print of an image of an autographed photo. Very not bitchin’. Partridge Family © Sony. Monkees © Rhino Entertainment. Beatles © Apple Corps.

a drawing of it made by my father. Sort of. The toy The Toys from My Youth Collection dowashave a soft cloth clown doll with little jingle bells at the end G.I. Joe © Hasbro.

This is the saddest of all my collections. As the firstborn of seven kids, my toys often got handed down, lost, or destroyed. The G.I. Joe Action Soldier Army Manual is all that is left of my wonderful Joes. I used to have the Space Capsule and Space Suit, but one summer we neighborhood kids played “Splash Down” with it in a friend’s doughboy pool. The paper control panels peeled off afterward, and eventually everything Joe was gone… except, for years, a boot and the Army Manual. Today only the manual remains. For forgotten reasons, the kid version of me added beards to almost all of the faces. On the first page I listed my name, rank, and serial number. My rank was General. Fun fact: I would use sticky green florist’s clay and a toothpick to turn my G.I. Joe’s face into a generic green Planet of the Apes character, green Frankenstein’s monster, or green Wolf Man. My Joe was a regular green Lon Chaney, he was. Another remnant of my tiny tyke era is a 5.5-inch tall bald, yelling plastic spaceman by MPC (a.k.a. Multiple Toymakers). He used to have a helmet and some kind of oxygen pack or something that attached to the hole in his abdomen. I think I had two or three different ones originally. MPC made ten figures. All had accessories. This last item I no longer have— it was one of my first toys—but I

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of its appendages. My great-grandma gave me the doll and it was like one sold at Bullock’s Wilshire in Los Angeles, where my father worked as an elevator operator and later as an illustrator for the store’s newspaper ads. He also met my mom there. The illustration here was used for a Bullock’s ad circa 1965. One of my brothers made a small print of the art after my dad died, and it’s been on display in my office ever since. So… some non-super collections for you to mock, feel sorry for, or, less likely, envy. Why do people collect things? Why? Why? I asked the internet that question and the answers made my eyes glaze over. We collect because we must. Or it’s a mental issue. Maybe collecting is just really, really sexy (no). I don’t care. I don’t know. I love it. You probably do too. SCOTT SAAVEDRA is a graphic designer, writer, and artist who used to have some cool toys. He is perhaps best known as the creator of the long-ago comic-book series, It’s Science with Dr. Radium (SLG), and he wrote for the short-lived Disney Comics line, where he scripted stories featuring Chip ’n’ Dale Rescue Rangers, Mickey Mouse, Goofy, and others. His fanzine, Comic Book Heaven, about crazy, vintage comics, had a devoted but, sadly, tiny following. Check out his Instagram thing, won’t you? (instagram.com/scottsaav/)

ERNEST FARINO’S RETRO FANTASMAGORIA

Walnuts and Wenches and The Guns of Navarone …or, Don’t Trip Over That Ottoman! by Ernest Farino

The Dick Van Dyke Show premiered in 1961, the brainchild of one of comedy’s true geniuses, Carl Reiner. Actually, Carl Reiner might not be regarded as such now had the original plans fallen in line. Reiner had conceived and written the pilot for a comedy series called Head of the Family and cast himself in the lead role of Robert Petrie, a writer for a famous TV comedian. His wife, Laura, was played by Barbara Britton, who previously co-starred with Richard Denning on the TV series Mr. & Mrs. North (1952); she was Revlon’s pitchwoman for 12 years, and appeared in “B” films as Arch Oboler’s infamous foray into 3D, Bwana Devil, in 1952. However, the pilot tripped over its own ottoman and fell flat on its face. But producer Sheldon Leonard had faith in the project and decided to give it another go. Reiner didn’t want to do it again at first, saying that he didn’t want to fail a second time with the same material. Sheldon Leonard replied, in his Brooklyn-ese, gangster-ish way of speaking, “You won’t fail because we’ll get a better actor than you!” So they started anew. Sheldon Leonard had been dazzled by Dick Van Dyke’s performance in the Broadway production of Bye, Bye Birdie, so Dick became the reinvented Rob Petrie

(LEFT) Sheldon Leonard. (RIGHT) TV Guide listing/ad for Head of the Family, the original pilot for The Dick Van Dyke Show. © TV Guide

Magazine. Head of the Family/Dick Van Dyke Show © CBS.

(LEFT) Carl Reiner. (TOP RIGHT) The Dick Van Dyke Show opening title. (ABOVE LEFT AND RIGHT) The Dick Van Dyke Show’s stars, Dick Van Dyke as Rob Petrie and Mary Tyler Moore as Laura Petrie. © CBS. (INSET BELOW) Meet “the girl with three names.” Mary Tyler Moore as an uncredited model on the LP record album for Latin Rhythms with Miguelito Valdez (Sutton, SSU 288), pre-Dick Van Dyke Show (exact year unknown). Mary appeared on at least ten such album covers during this time.

(beating of Johnny Carson, who was also considered). Later, Dick commented, “It’s quite hard to act yourself all the time. My first wife, Margie, used to say she could see no difference between Rob Petrie and me. She said, ‘You’re not acting. You are exactly the same on screen as you are at home.’” Rob’s wife Laura was a bit more difficult to cast. According to Reiner, he had auditioned 26 actresses but hadn’t found the right one and was getting frustrated. Sheldon Leonard said, “You’ll know her when you see her.” Producing partner Danny Thomas then remembered “the girl with three names” whom he had turned down previously on another project, so a lengthy search began through photos and records. They finally found “the girl with three names” and in came Mary Tyler Moore, looking, as Reiner put it, “like Mary Tyler Moore.” She delivered her first line with a “ping” of an inflection and Reiner said, “That’s it!” And he clamped his hand down onto the top of her head and marched her into Sheldon Leonard’s office and said, “I found her.” Ironically, Mary later wrote that she almost skipped the audition. Although she had appeared in guest spots on numerous TV series such as Thriller; Hawaiian Eye; Surfside 6; The Deputy; Bachelor Father; Riverboat; Wanted: Dead or Alive; Richard Diamond, Private Detective (on which, famously, only her legs were seen under her desk), and a few movies like Operation Mad Ball and X-15 (opposite Charles Bronson and directed by Richard Donner), she had become unhappy with what she felt was a stalled career RetroFan

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ernest farino’s retro fantasmagoria

(LEFT) Mary posing for a group of photographers. Seated at far right (in white suit) is famous celebrity photographer Gene Trindl (1924– 2004). Trindl was the most prolific creator of covers for TV Guide, shooting more than 200 covers, as well as having photographs published in LIFE, The Saturday Evening Post, and Collier’s. This author owns a 16x20 original B&W print of Mary from this photo session, purchased directly from Mr. Trindl in the late Nineties and signed by him. (CENTER) TV Guide cover. © TV Guide Magazine. Dick Van Dyke Show © CBS. (RIGHT) “My Blonde Haired Brunette,” Moore’s breakout performance.

and had initially brushed off the audition. However, a friend (or episode, “My Blonde-Haired Brunette” (Season One/Episode 2, her agent, depending on what you read) convinced her to go at original airdate 10/3/61). the last minute. And the rest, they say, is history. She became an Laura believes that Rob has grown complacent in their indelible part of the American TV landscape, and blossomed into relationship and temporarily dyes her hair blonde. This was a deft comedienne whose career thereafter skyrocketed. actually the ninth episode filmed during the first season, but Mary was 25 when cast in The Dick Van Dyke Show; Dick was it was the second episode to air because Carl Reiner was so 36. Reportedly, Mary lied about her age a little to make herself impressed with Mary’s performance that he wanted to feature “older” in order to get cast. The 11-year age dif ference was a her as soon as possible. Laura’s “meltdown” when she tries concern to others as well. Dick told Entertainment Tonight that to explain her half-a-head of blonde hair remains one of the he didn’t think Moore would be a good fit for the role, saying enduring highlights of television sitcom history, and became at the time, “She’s a little young, isn’t she?” Reiner argued, Moore’s own personal favorite episode. Many years later Mary “Nobody’s going to know.” And nobody ever would catch the old shows on TV and even mentioned it. Dick added, “The first said, “Without any trouble at all, I’ll lose time [Rob and Laura] kissed on the pilot, that was it. They were together.” Dick says he and Mary were so in sync, sometimes they didn’t need a script to film a scene. “We became like improv,” he said. “You could just tell us a scene and we could make it up.” He did admit that he had a real crush on Mary, though, although nothing happened between them because they were both in relationships. Dick was married to Margie Willitt, while Moore would marry television executive Grant Tinker (who was 11 years her senior) in 1962. Originally, the focus of the show was the workplace, the “Writer’s Room,” which Reiner based on his experiences as a writer on Sid Caesar’s Your Show of Shows (the character of Alan Brady was based on Sid Caesar himself, for example, while Buddy Sorrell, as played by Morey Amsterdam, was based on Mel Brooks, (LEFT) “A Good Cast is Worth Repeating.” LEFT TO RIGHT: Morey Amsterdam, with whom Reiner would later partner for the longRichard Deacon, Moore, Van Dyke, and Rose Marie. (RIGHT) One happy family: running comedy improv duo The 2000 Year Old Man). Moore as Laura, Larry Mathews as Richie, and Van Dyke as Rob. The Dick Van Dyke However, the focus of the show shifted to favor Show © CBS. TV Guide © TV Guide Magazine. Rob and Laura, especially after the bonafide classic 52

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ernest farino’s retro fantasmagoria

myself in the episodes. It’s been so long I can hardly remember what the plots were, so it’s almost fresh to me. They’re always so wise. They have a lesson, small ones and happy ones. They give you hope that there’s a better future.” When Mary passed away on January 25, 2017 at age 80, Dick said, “There are no words. She was the best! We always said that we changed each other’s lives for the better.” There’s a saying in show business that casting is 80% of the success. Well, I think Sheldon Leonard, Carl Reiner, and Danny Thomas hit a much higher average than that with The Dick Van Dyke Show. The supporting cast was made up of veterans who fit their roles to a “T” to the extent that we cannot even think of anyone else in those roles. Other sitcoms are equally solid— Frazier, Everybody Loves Raymond, and The King of Queens come to mind—but The Dick Van Dyke Show set the pattern. Morey Amsterdam as Buddy “The Human Joke Machine” Sorrel, Rose Marie as the ever-lonely-hearts Sally Rogers, Richard Deacon as the hapless Mel Cooley, and Larry Mathews as one of the few “kid” actors to avoid sickly über-cute. Notable guest stars included a roster of top talent: Jamie Farr (M*A*S*H), Jerry Van Dyke (Dick’s banjo-playing, sleepwalking brother), Dabbs Greer, Doris Singleton (I Love Lucy’s neighbor “Caroline Appleby”), Jackie Joseph (as the delightfully flakey showgirl “Alberta Schweitzer”), Marty Ingels, Greg Morris and Barbara Bain (both of whom who later star as regulars on the original Mission: Impossible series), Bob Crane (Hogan’s Heroes), Ken Berry (F Troop), Alvy Moore (Green Acres), Lee Philips (The Outer Limits), John McGiver, Arte Johnson, Joan Staley (former Playboy Playmate and co-star of The Ghost and Mr. Chicken with Don Knotts), Godfrey Cambridge, and the wonderfully “animated” character actor Vito Scotti.

It’s All in the Name…

Mary Tyler Moore’s (and others’) nickname for Dick Van Dyke was “Penis Von Lesbian,” a play on his real name. Laura was addressed as “Laurie” in a few of the earliest episodes (a variation of the name I, and others, disliked intensely), and Laura’s maiden name was changed from Meeker to Meehan following Mary Tyler Moore’s divorce from her first husband, Richard Meeker. Moore’s own son was named Richie, as was the Petries’ son (played by Larry Mathews). And recently, producer/creator Chuck Lorre named two of his main characters in his long-running comedy series The Big Bang Theory “Sheldon Cooper” and “Leonard

“Somebody Has to Play Cleopatra”

(LEFT) Rob and Laura dance the night away as part of their planned annual neighborhood variety show. More Capri pants (so, what was all the fuss about…?). (RIGHT) Rob’s jealousy starts to bubble over as Laura briefly takes the part of Cleopatra, wooed by guest star Bob Crane (of Hogan’s Heroes fame). After Jerry and Rob both get jealous of Millie and Laura being kissed by Crane, “Cynthia Harding,” the demure script girl taking notes, lets her hair down, doffs her glasses, and transforms into the lovely Cleopatra. She was played by Valerie Yerke, who later appeared in two additional episodes as different characters (“My Husband is the Best One,” S3/Ep15, 1.8.64, and “Three Letters from One Wife,” S4/Ep9, 11/18/64). Miss Yerke has no other known credits. © CBS.

Hofstadter” in honor of producer Sheldon Leonard. The company formed to produce The Dick Van Dyke Show, Calvada Productions, was named for the key partners: Carl Reiner, Sheldon Leonard, Dick Van Dyke, and Danny Thomas. In the episode “Big Max Calvada” (1963), co-producer Sheldon Leonard played a gangstertype character, Big Max Calvada. In “Coast-to-Coast Big Mouth,” (S5/ Ep1, 9/15/65), Laura accidentally reveals on national television that Rob’s boss, the egotistical comedy star Alan Brady (Carl Reiner), is actually bald and wears a toupée. © CBS.

One of my all-time favorite movies is The Guns of Navarone (1961) starring Gregory Peck, Anthony Quinn, David Niven, Irene Papas, Gia Scala, and others. A great World War II adventure that— well, more on that later…

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In the flashback story “That’s My Boy??” (S3/Ep1, 9/25/63), due to crazy mix-ups during a frantic day at the hospital, Rob becomes convinced that their new baby is not theirs. The surprise reveal comes at the end when the other parents show up and turn out to be African-American (played by future Mission: Impossible star Greg Morris and Mimi Dillard). Their entrance prompted the longest sustained laugh and applause from the studio audience—some accounts estimate up to a full five minutes—which had to be edited shorter for the final broadcast. © CBS.

wedding has been called off by then and everyone has left. He painfully limps to the front pew and lies down. Unknown to Rob, Laura enters from the back and quietly sits in the second pew, just behind him. After a moment, she sighs, “Oh, Rob…” And Rob’s head lifts up by the neck as he wonders where that voice is coming from. All things considered, the best “Oh, Rob…” of the series. But the misfires are pretty much few and far between, and are mostly the result of the law of averages. You’re fighting those odds any time you have 158 half-hour episodes spanning five seasons (1961–1966). The supremely funny British series Fawlty Towers (1975 and 1979), by comparison, only yielded 12 episodes before John Cleese decided to quit while they were ahead. But dedicated viewing of The Dick Van Dyke Show will be rewarding, as well as presenting a benign time capsule of the early Sixties in the U.S. Long after enjoying the series during its original run as a kid (although some of the relationship stories didn’t register so much then), I’ve continued to watch the show on the various retro channels as well as DVD, and as I became involved in film production myself, came to appreciate the show all the more. Long ago I came to realize that The Dick Van Dyke Show is a Master Class for comedy (and I’m sure I’m not the only one to say that). Literally every concept and technique of comedy is evident on a regular basis throughout the series: double-takes, pratfalls,

In the Beginning Was the Word…

Back in the Forties, director Frank Capra was touted as bringing “The Capra Touch” to his films. A screenwriter, frustrated at Capra’s basking in this accolade, went up to Capra one day and thrust a handful of blank pages at him. The writer said, “Here— direct this!” The writing for most of The Dick Van Dyke Show holds up to day as some of the sharpest, cleverest, and, of course, funniest writing—ever. Yes, there were a few episodes that have to be described as clunkers: “The Twizzle” (S1/Ep23, 2/28/62), in which Sally drags the entire gang to a bowling alley when she discovers a new dance sensation that’s sure to sweep the nation. And for me, the flashbacks to Rob’s Army days mostly seem strained (although Rob’s meeting and marrying Laura are highlights). Having said that, I must admit my favorite “Oh, Rob…” occurs in one of the Army episodes. “Oh, Rob…” evolved into the default catchphrase of the series, and Mary Tyler Moore became famous for that from then on. “The Attempted Marriage” (S2/Ep3, 10/10/62) is a flashback to Rob’s disastrous attempt to make it to the church for their wedding. His jeep breaks down, he sprains his ankle, and has to walk several miles to the church. Naturally, the 54

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(INSET) “Ready for my close-up!” (TOP) On the set. The show was filmed (35mm film, not videotape) by three cameras, a technique that Desi Arnaz had pioneered previously for I Love Lucy. (BOTTOM) LEFT TO RIGHT: Reiner, Moore, and “neighbor” Jerry Paris during a table read of the latest script. Paris also directed 84 episodes, the most of any of the 16 directors on the series. © CBS.

ernest farino’s retro fantasmagoria

mistaken identities, triples, wordplay, satire, musicality, romantic comedy, exceptional timing across the board, pantomime—you name it. At one time or another, and sometimes combined into one episode, you’ll find those comedy disciplines performed with precision and ease. Like Fred Astaire dancing. Telephone calls: Many movie-goers and TV watchers don’t realize that when an actor is “on the phone,” nine times out of ten there’s no one else on the other end. It’s all timing, reactions, pauses, “listening,” and expressions made to an inert telephone

Note Mary’s form-fitting Capri pants, which Laura frequently wore, originally shaking up television. In 1995 Mary told NPR that “the sponsors were worried that my pants fit a little too snug around my rear end. They used the term ‘cupping under’ to describe it.” Gradually the Capri pants became her character’s signature look and eventually such concerns relaxed. © CBS.

“Never Bathe on Saturday”

(LEFT) Rob adds a mustache with permanent eyebrow pencil as veteran character actress Kathleen Freeman looks on. (RIGHT) Laura will never play with that water drip again… (BELOW) Today’s arithmetic lesson: A faucet + a stuck toe = a comedy classic. © CBS.

prop. In addition to his extraordinary physical skills—aptly and literally demonstrated when Rob performs comedy to son Richie’s grade school class in “Father of the Week” (S1/Ep22, 2/21/62)—Dick Van Dyke was a master of the “phone call.” Bringing reactions, pantomime, double-takes, and razor-sharp timing to bear, all aspiring actors (comedic or otherwise) should study some of the great phone-call scenes throughout the series.

Don’t Try This at Home, Kids…

Cigarette smoking was commonplace in the Sixties, and those who scoff at the constant smoking on shows like Mad Men were obviously born too late. Dick Van Dyke was a heavy smoker during the series, and there are several episodes where Rob is smoking. Mary Tyler Moore was also a heavy smoker, and later remarked, “I

I was able to acquire a few original scripts from The Dick Van Dyke Show off eBay some years back. One was a favorite, for an obvious reason: “You’re Under Arrest” (S5/Ep13, 12/15/65). The police think that Rob’s car may have been involved in a crime, and he claims he had no part in it. He says he went to a drivein movie but fell asleep. In an effort to confirm his alibi, the police lieutenant asks him the name of the movie that was playing. All Rob can remember is the title: The Guns of Navarone. The detective is astonished, and exclaims, “You slept through The Guns of Navarone…?!”

smoked three packs a day. There was hardly time to do anything else.” Kent cigarettes sponsored the show (at least initially), and Dick and Mary did on-the-set commercials, lighting up for their sponsor. Free cartons of Kent cigarettes were handed out to the cast and crew. Mary did not like Kents, so she would trade in her cartons for her own brand at the local store. (My grandmother smoked Kents; I tried one once as a kid, “behind the barn,” so to speak, and hated it. Put me off smoking for life. So I can relate to Mary’s dislike for that brand, at least.) In the fourth season, Carl Reiner wrote one of the seminal episodes, “Never Bathe on Saturday” (S4/Ep27, 3/31/65), one of the top five episodes of the entire series by most fans’ accounts, and one of Dick Van Dyke’s top favorites, too. This is the one where Rob and Laura are enjoying their second honeymoon at a fancy hotel, Laura gets her toe stuck in a bathtub faucet “playing with the drip,” and Rob can’t get through the locked bathroom door to RetroFan

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ernest farino’s retro fantasmagoria

Rare, original color photos from the set, including a shot of Rob talking on the telephone. (INSET) Ad for the premiere episode. © CBS

free her. As it turned out, Mary was trying to quit smoking at that time and she discovered that she was going to be off-screen for the majority of the episode. The tension from cigarette/nicotine withdrawal exasperated her feeling that she was been shunted off-camera for most of the show, and reportedly she stormed off the set, refusing to do the episode. Carl Reiner eventually “talked her in off the ledge” by calmly explaining not only the comedic potential of the situation but by adding that viewers at home (especially the male viewers) would be spending about 20 minutes visualizing her naked. Vanity won out and Mary did the episode, and it turned out to be one of the best. This episode contains my all-time favorite single line from the entire series: Rob, doing his suave “Don Juan” persona complete with satin dinner jacket and penciled-on mustache, goes to the bathroom door when Laura first calls for help only to discover that she had automatically locked the door behind her out of habit. Rob can’t open the locked door. Thinking this is part of their “honeymoon games,” he raises an eyebrow, leans in close to the door, and, with an exaggerated man-about-town smoothness, exclaims, “Don’t toy with me, you saucy wench…”

For One Brief Shining Moment There Was Camelot…

Publicity photo with Rob and Laura. © CBS. 56

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John and Jacqueline Kennedy, Rob and Laura Petrie. Some observers, then and since, have made the comparison. The fresh, new, young president, his beautiful wife with the seemingly perfect marriage (though now we know otherwise), fashionable clothes, and hairstyles (Mary once said that they used so much hairspray on Laura’s hair that she felt like she was wearing a football helmet). But youth was the key, and despite the Bay of

ernest farino’s retro fantasmagoria

Pigs and the Cuban Missile Crisis, those were, indeed, simpler times. The race to the Moon… drive-in movie theaters… rock and roll. The first episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show, “The Sick Boy and the Sitter” (S1/Ep1, 10/3/61) started filming on Friday, January 20, 1961, the same day that John F. Kennedy was sworn in as the 35th President of the United States, replacing Dwight D. Eisenhower and ushering in a new, optimistic outlook for the country. All that changed, of course, a short two years later in 1963 in Texas. Dick Van Dyke was scheduled to record an LP record album, Songs I Like by Dick Van Dyke, on that Friday, November 22. Early in the day the artists, orchestra, and technicians were informed of the assassination of President Kennedy in Dallas. But Command Records had set a deadline and the recording session had to continue, despite being such an emotionally charged day. Dick later said that he scarcely remembered the session because he was in such a state of shock.

alternate the openings and according to Dick, viewers used to make bets on whether or not Rob would fall on any given week.

Check Your Thumbs!

One of the great half-hours of classic situation comedy is the episode “It May Look Like a Walnut” (S2/Ep20, 2/6/63). Rated a whopping 9.3 on the IMDb, their synopsis by David Stevens says it all: “A terrifying science-fiction TV program grips Rob while Laura cowers under her bed covers, trying in vain to ignore the show and its blood-chilling music. When the show ends, Rob further tortures Laura by acting out the tale of Kolak, a visitor from the planet Twilo who resembles Danny Thomas and deploys walnuts to destroy

“It May Look Like a Walnut”

Laura: “My name is not Laura. It’s Lolak. Lolak of Twilo. I SEE yooooou…!”

Publicity photo with Rob and Laura. © CBS.

Dick Van Dyke and the Ottoman

The original opening to the series in Season One was a file folder spilling out pictures of the cast. Mmmm… okay, but not great. So, after filming the sixth episode, Carl Reiner approached director John Rich and proclaimed that they needed “an opening— something clever.” Not an easy task since most of the main cast had to be on screen. Then Reiner hit on it: “Rob comes home… and he falls!” So Rich said, “Okay, he’ll fall over the ottoman.” He set it up as a “one-er” (a stand alone all-in-one shot) and got it in the can, capitalizing on Dick Van Dyke’s prowess as a physical comedian. A lifelong fan of silent comedies, Dick always credited the “drop and roll” technique to “the best physical comedian of them all—Buster Keaton.” But then Reiner wanted a variation, so Rich set it up again and said, “Okay, let’s do it again, but this time, Dick, miss the stool.” They got that one in the can straight away so in about four minutes they had the two versions. Carl Reiner decided to

The climactic shot in which Laura slides out of the closet on a cascade of walnuts was never rehearsed with the walnuts because it would take too long to reset. Cast and crew got the shot correctly—the first and only time. © CBS.

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Earth’s technological capacity by excising all Earthlings’ thumbs and imaginations. Rob awakes in the morning to a living room strewn with walnuts and an eerily calm Laura preparing scrambled walnuts for Rob’s breakfast. Is Rob dreaming, is Laura having her revenge, or is the valiant comedy writer the only one who can save the planet from descending into the pit of man’s fears?”

course, are having great fun with the genre, they’re not making fun of the genre. The tone is never sniping or cynical. Interestingly, producer Sheldon Leonard originally thought the script was not funny and was too strange, but gave the goahead (a “thumbs up”…?), later acknowledging that he had been wrong. Some years ago I was delighted to see an episode of the game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, hosted by Meredith Vieira (who hosted from the show’s origin in 2002 to 2013), in which the four multiple -choice answers to an astronomy question included “The Planet Twilo.” Whoever wrote that question for the show gets a big Thumbs Up from me! (Okay, no more thumbs puns.)

A Visit from Dick Van Dyke (and no tripping over the ottoman)

And the winner is… LEFT TO RIGHT: Jerry Paris, Mary Tyler Moore, Dick Van Dyke, Carl Reiner, and Richard Deacon. The series won a total of 15 Emmy Awards®. In 1997 “Coast-to-Coast Big Mouth” and “It May Look Like a Walnut” were ranked at #8 and 15 respectively on TV Guide’s 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time. In 2002, the series was ranked at 13 on TV Guide’s 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time, and in 2013 it was ranked 20 on their list of the 60 Best Series. © CBS.

Back in 1963 I was all over Famous Monsters magazine, Aurora model kits, Mars Attacks! gum cards, and the wave of all the great horror and sci-fi-related TV shows: The Outer Limits, The Twilight Zone, Thriller, One Step Beyond, and even the comedy versions: The Munsters, The Addams Family, Bewitched, My Favorite Martian, and more. So the “Walnut” episode was right up my alley, although as a kid I most likely enjoyed it less as a comedy than as an acknowledgement by a “straight” show of the genre programs I loved so much. Later, as I became involved in the animation and visual-effects industry for film and TV, I came to appreciate this particular episode more and more. What makes it endure, I think, is that while Carl Reiner (who wrote it) and the actors, of

The rare Dick Van Dyke Show board game. Dick Van Dyke Show © CBS. 58

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Winter 2020

In 2003 I was the Visual Effects Supervisor for the SyFy Channel’s three-part miniseries Children of Dune. We were set up at the primary VFX company, Area 51, in Burbank (“the only top secret special effects facility listed in the phone book”). The head of Area 51, Tim McHugh, is also a big fan of The Dick Van Dyke Show and we enjoyed sharing many favorite moments from the different episodes over the year-long post-production work on the miniseries. About midway through the project I finally located one of the Dick Van Dyke Show board games on eBay. I had lost out twice before over the previous decade, so this was quite a coup for me. (In the early Nineties, I called a dealer in New York who specialized in board games and he said that although board games were his specialty, The Dick Van Dyke Show board game was so rare that he had never even seen one…). So I brought it in to Area 51 the day after it arrived in the mail and excitedly went to Tim’s office and said, “Guess what I got?!” And without missing a beat he said, “Dick Van Dyke?” I was a bit deflated, my surprise taken down a notch, but couldn’t help but being stunned that his psychic radar was so finely tuned. We got a big laugh over it, and spent an hour or so enjoying looking at the board game. Both Tim and I knew that Dick Van Dyke had dabbled in computer animation since the Eighties. He had a home setup of Newtek’s Lightwave 3D software, a green screen in his garage, and had apparently animated dinosaurs chasing his grandchildren down the street. In 2004 Dick created and animated a CG version of himself that he danced with on The Dick Van Dyke Show Revisited. He once said, “I think it’s such a shame that [Walt Disney] didn’t live to see computer animation, because he would have had a good time with it. In those days [1964] they used what was called the yellowscreen sodium light traveling matte process [which Ray Harryhausen also used on films in the early Sixties, such as Jason and the Argonauts]. We worked with that all day, and by the time the day was over you couldn’t see anything—it was just an empty soundstage. And sometimes we didn’t even have the music—we would just dance to a click track. But I think technically [Mary Poppins] holds up today just as well as anything.” (I agree.) In any case, Dick called up Newtek in 2003 with some technical questions related to Lightwave, and they referred him to Area 51. So it was arranged for him to come by. We had just finished the Children of Dune project so everybody was gone, but, boy, word got around and, tripping

ernest farino’s retro fantasmagoria Based on the show’s original set designs by Ken Swartz, Marina Coates created a 3D visualization of the Petrie home, viewable in sections and greater detail on her website Mockingbird Lane (www.mockingbirdlane.design/). Marina has “built” similar 3D recreations of the homes featured on The Andy Griffith Show, The Brady Bunch, I Love Lucy, Leave It to Beaver, Bewitched, and more. Image courtesy of Marina Coates.

over their own ottomans, everybody was back before you could say, “Oh, Rob…” I lived just a short distance away in Los Feliz, so I got back to the facility early. I was waiting around for a bit in my office but wandered out into the hall just in time to see Dick coming straight for me. He smiled. I smiled more. He was introduced to everyone and then sat at a workstation with Area 51’s lead compositor, Glenn Campbell, going over some of the technical matters. “So if I place the transparent layer on top of the Alpha channel and then flatten the two adjustment layers, I can export the file as…” —I couldn’t believe I was hearing these words come out of the mouth of Rob Petrie! Anyway, he seemed to resolve his problem, and then spent a good two hours sitting for photos, signing DVDs and posters and

When all of the signing was over and Dick and the rest of us were just sitting back chatting, mostly about his show as well as Mary Poppins and other films, I said, “I have but one question, if you don’t mind.” He said, “Of course. What is it?” I said, “You slept through The Guns of Navarone…?!” And I must say it was a thrill for me to get a big laugh from Dick Van Dyke!

stills, thoroughly charming, engaged, and just as interested in us as we were with him. I am happy to say that he was just the way you think he’s going to be. And, considering some uncomfortable experiences I’ve had with celebrities who are reluctant to sign things, I was pleased and impressed to overhear him mutter to himself while trying to sign a heavily illustrated DVD slipcase, “Don’t they know we need to be able to sign these things…?” Unfortunately, when I got the call that he was coming by, it was “right now” and I didn’t have time to think it through—I neglected to bring the board game, the Songs I Like LP album (which has a white background, perfect for signing), or any number of other things. I grabbed only an 8x10 of Rob and Laura in the kitchen set, but I’m glad to have that photo signed. The experience was the important thing, though. All pictorial material reproduced herein derives from the voluntary, noncompensated contributions of pictorial or other memorabilia from the private collections of the author, and from the select private archives of individual contributors. ERNEST FARINO recently directed an episode of the SyFy/Netflix series Superstition starring Mario Van Peebles, as well as serving as Visual Ef fects Consultant. Previously Farino directed Steel and Lace starring Bruce Davison, episodes of Monsters starring Lydia Cornell and Marc McClure, ABC’s Land of the Lost starring Timothy Bottoms, and extensive 2nd Unit for the miniseries Dune starring William Hurt, Noah’s Ark starring Jon Voight, and Supernova starring Luke Perry. A two-time Emmy®winning Visual Ef fects Supervisor for SyFy’s Dune and Children of Dune miniseries, Farino supervised the Emmy-nominated visual ef fects for the Tom Hanks/HBO miniseries From the Earth to the Moon; James Cameron’s The Terminator, The Abyss, and T2; as well as Starship Troopers, Snow White–A Tale of Terror, Creepshow, and many others. His publishing enterprise, Archive Editions, has published Mike Hankin’s elaborate three-volume book set Ray Harryhausen – Master of the Majicks, The FXRH Collection, and more.

RetroFan

Winter 2020

RETRO FAD

STREAKING

David Niven witnessed a moon shot on April 2nd, 1974, but NASA was nowhere to be seen. Clearly visible, however, was Robert Opel, a photographer/activist who entered the annals of infamy by flashing the peace sign—and everything else, for that matter—while running in the nude before a live television audience as Niven co-hosted the Academy Awards® broadcast. The suave actor, momentarily flummoxed, upstaged Opel by wisecracking, “Isn’t it fascinating to think that probably the only laugh that man will ever get is by stripping off and showing his shortcomings?” That wasn’t the last we’d see of Opel, despite Niven’s dismissive quip. After giving the fad tagged “streaking” its widest exposure imaginable, Opel was purportedly invited to streak at a celebrity party. As have many others prone to publicly showing their backsides, he made a U.S. presidential bid in 1976, campaigning with slogans like “Nothing to Hide.” Opel’s story ended in tragedy, however, as in July 1979 he was murdered during an attempted robbery at his studio. The craze he personified started as a ballsy college prank. Streaking, as a contagious fad, began on college campuses during fall semester 1973, with scores of totally bare students, either solo or in groups, sprinting past public gatherings. The fun was often augmented by out-of-shape 60

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by Michael Eury

(TOP) Students at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, participate in the wildest campus craze of 1974. © The Jambalaya Yearbook. (ABOVE) Oscar® wasn’t the only naked male figure on view at the 1974 Academy Awards®. (BELOW) Tricky Dick Nixon, starring on the Streaking Watch. Did you have one? © 1974 Trying Times

campus cops huffing and puffing after them in hot pursuit. Long before the term “flash mob” was coined, over 1,500 University of Georgia students let it all hang out with a “mass streak”—and if you think that couldn’t be topped, some students of that same college parachute-streaked onto campus. Even brave high school students caught the fever, wearing little more than a pair of sneakers (and sometimes a ski mask) as they gave students and families attending graduation ceremonies something to look at other than tassels and diplomas. Streaking, the confluence of two other fads—the sexual revolution and running—became an inescapable sensation in

LLC, OBO Ahab Music Company, Inc.

(BELOW LEFT) Ironic how one of Marvel Comics’ least-known publications spotlights exhibitionists. © Marvel. (BELOW RIGHT) If anyone actually wore this while streaking, we don’t want to know where you pinned it.

1974. Unflappable television news reporters giggled like school kids while covering the phenomenon, with one famous Atlanta news report sharing the story of a streaking witness who couldn’t identify the offenders’ genders because “they were wearing masks.” Major news magazines and hometown newspapers raised a few eyebrows (and probably some circulation figures) by publishing images of streakers, some photos showing it all, others tastefully concealing naughty parts with black “censored” bands. And as is the American Way, the commercial bandwagon was quickly crowded with impresarios eager to make a buck off of buck-nakedness. Novelty songs about streaking hustled to the airwaves and record stores, as did Rudy Ray Moore’s XX-rated comedy LP, The Streak. No song about the fad was more famous than “The Streak” by hitmaker Ray Stevens, which was released on Barnaby Records on March 27, 1974. With its catchy country twang, Stevens’ clever wordplay (“Oh, yes, they call him the Streak / He likes to show off his physique / If there’s an audience to be found, He’ll be streakin’ around, Invitin’ public critique”), and a hilarious “Don’t look, Ethel!” repeated warning to an unwitting observer, the song streaked its way to Billboard’s Number One spot in May 1974 and spawned a music video and a “Don’t look, Ethel!” baseball cap. Demure streaking fans preferring to keep their clothes on could enjoy the mania by sporting “Too Shy to Streak” flesh-hued underwear, a “Keep on Streakin’” T-shirt, and a variety of pinback buttons with mottos such as “I’m a Streak Freak” and “U.S. Olympic Streaking Team.”

Those wanting a closer peek at streaking found several publications available. Bantam Books released Gerald Gardner’s The Streaking Book, while nudie magazine Penthouse cranked out The Wonderful World of Streaking, 128 pages of photos of fearless folks with names like “Streakwalker,” “Black Power Streak,” and “Wall Streak.” Perhaps the most obscure title in the Marvel Comics firmament was released under its Curtis-distributed black-and-white magazine division as the “lavishly illustrated” one-shot The Sensuous Streaker was issued by the same House of Ideas that brought you the Incredible Hulk and the Invincible Iron Man. If Robert Opel was the poster child for streaking, President Richard M. Nixon became the butt of its jokes. After Tricky Dick jested to a reporter that his graying temples were a form of “streaking,” political cartoonists and stand-ups wasted no time lampooning Nixon as a streaker… nor did the company Trying Times, which in 1974 marketed the “original” Streaking Nixon wristwatch, and Rear End Posters (yes, that’s the real name, and not just one of my puns), which sold a “Streak with Honor” poster of a Nixon-masked streaker wearing pinkish shorts (to conceal the Commander-in-Chief’s cheeks). Once the fall of 1974 came around, the streaking fad had, well, petered out (no, that’s not my last bad pun), a true flash in the pan (that one, either). After the arduous Watergate hearings and President Nixon’s embarrassing resignation in August 1974, not too many Americans felt like frolicking in the nude anymore. By the time Paul Kiener’s movie The Streak Car Company, about frat boys working as streakers-for-hire, arrived in theaters in 1975, this low-budget comedy, with its promotional tagline “Come See the Bare Facts,” fell flat on its… well, you know what. Sure, there were some hangers-on who kept streaking through sporting events, shopping malls, and graduations for a few years after the fad had peaked. And believe it or not, sports-streaking still continues today, as every now and then some brazen (and often drunk) fan will doff-dash his way onto a field and into YouTube perpetuity. But luckily for those of us who cannot unsee that which should not be seen, streaking as a rage is now the stuff of That ’70s Show reruns and RetroFan columns. RetroFan

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ER EISN RD AWA ER!! N WIN ER EISN RD AWAINEE! M NO

ER EISN RD AWAINEE! NOM

BACK ISSUE #118

BACK ISSUE #119

GREATEST STORIES NEVER TOLD! ALEX ROSS’ unrealized Fantastic Four reboot, DC: The Lost 1970s, FRANK THORNE’s unpublished Red Sonja, Fury Force, VON EEDEN’s Batman, GRELL’s Batman/Jon Sable, CLAREMONT and SIM’s X-Men/Cerebus, SWAN and HANNIGAN’s Skull and Bones, AUGUSTYN and PAROBECK’s Target, PAUL KUPPERBERG’s Impact reboot, abandoned Swamp Thing storylines, & more! ROSS cover.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY ISSUE! A galaxy of comics stars discuss Marvel’s whitehot space team in the Guardians Interviews, including TOM DeFALCO, KEITH GIFFEN, ROB LIEFELD, AL MILGROM, MARY SKRENES, ROGER STERN, JIM VALENTINO, and more. Plus: Star-Lord and Rocket Raccoon before the Guardians, with CHRIS CLAREMONT and MIKE MIGNOLA. Cover by JIM VALENTINO with inks by CHRIS IVY.

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ALTER EGO #162

ALTER EGO #163

MIKE GRELL

LIFE IS DRAWING WITHOUT AN ERASER

Career-spanning tribute covering Legion of Super-Heroes, Warlord, & Green Arrow at DC Comics, and Grell’s own properties Jon Sable, Starslayer, and Shaman’s Tears. Told in Grell’s own words, with PAUL LEVITZ, DAN JURGENS, DENNY O’NEIL, MARK RYAN, & MIKE GOLD. Heavily illustrated! (160-page FULL-COLOR TPB) $27.95 (176-page LTD. ED. HARDCOVER) $37.95 (Digital Edition) $12.95 • Now shipping!

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AN ORAL HISTORY OF DC COMICS CIRCA 1978! Marking the 40th anniversary of the “DC Implosion”, one of the most notorious events in comics (which left stacks of completed comic book stories unpublished and spawned Cancelled Comics Cavalcade). Featuring JENETTE KAHN, PAUL LEVITZ, LEN WEIN, MIKE GOLD, and others, plus detailed analysis of how it changed the landscape of comics!

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WILL MURRAY presents an amazing array of possible prototypes of Batman (by artist FRANK FOSTER—in 1932!)—Wonder Woman (by Star-Spangled Kid artist HAL SHERMAN)—Tarantula (by Air Wave artist LEE HARRIS), and others! Plus a rare Hal Sherman interview—MICHAEL T. GILBERT with more on artist PETE MORISI—FCA— BILL SCHELLY—JOHN BROOME—and more! Cover homage by SHANE FOLEY!

The early days of DAVE COCKRUM— Legion of Super-Heroes artist and co-developer of the revived mid-1970s X-Men—as revealed in art-filled letters to PAUL ALLEN and rare, previously unseen illustrations provided by wife PATY COCKRUM (including 1960s-70s drawings of Edgar Rice Burroughs heroes)! Plus FCA—MICHAEL T. GILBERT on PETE MORISI—JOHN BROOME—BILL SCHELLY, and more!

EXPANDED SECOND EDITION—16 EXTRA PAGES! Looks back at the creators of the Marvel Universe’s own words, in chronological order, from fanzine, magazine, radio, and television interviews, to paint a picture of JACK KIRBY and STAN LEE’s complicated relationship! Includes recollections from STEVE DITKO, ROY THOMAS, WALLACE WOOD, JOHN ROMITA SR., and other Marvel Bullpenners!

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SILVER ANNIVERSARY ISSUE! How Kirby kickstarted the Silver Age and revamped Golden Age characters for the 1960s, the Silver Surfer’s influence, pivotal decisions (good and bad) Jack made throughout his comics career, Kirby pencil art gallery, MARK EVANIER and our regular columnists, a classic 1950s story, KIRBY/STEVE RUDE cover (and deluxe silver sleeve) and more! (84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (DELUXE EDITION w/ silver sleeve) $12.95 (Digital Edition) $5.95 • Ships Winter 2020

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RETRO TOYS

The 1975 AMSCO Marvel World Adventure Playset The magical toy that put the entire Marvel Universe in every child’s hand!

by John “THE MEGO STRETCH HULK” Cimino

If I were to tell you that one of the most legendary Marvel super-hero toys ever made came from a company that specialized in reality-based toys such as kids’ kitchen sets, plastic food products, and baby dolls that pooped themselves, you might say I’m crazy (hey, I’ve been called worse). But it’s true, it’s damn true. In 1975, American Metals Specialties Corporation, a.k.a. AMSCO (a division of board-game manufacturer Milton Bradley), put out four remarkable adventure playsets: Space: 1999, Planet of the Apes, The Waltons (the wording of “adventure” was removed from the title on that set), and the standout star of the bunch—Marvel World. Before we get into the meat and potatoes of this article, let’s all pause for a moment, bow our heads, and say that name again in its entirety—THE AMSCO MARVEL WORLD ADVENTURE PLAYSET! That’s a name that Marvel Comics lovers’ dreams are made of, and a name that implies exactly what kids got if they were lucky enough to hold this magnificent piece of toy heaven in the palms of their hands. The entire playset is made from heavyweight cardboard (called fiberboard) with full-color graphics printed on both sides. All of the pieces are die-cut and easy to punch out. You simply assemble the buildings and create your own Marvel Universe. Yes, you read that correctly. By building this playset, the entire Marvel Universe actually came alive in your home! Think I’m joking? Included was the Fantastic Four’s Baxter Building and Air Car, the Daily Bugle Offices, the Avengers Town House, Dr. Strange’s Mansion (a.k.a. the Sanctum Sanctorum), Peter Parker’s Apartment, the Negative Zone, a working elevator, a secret trap door, and even a wall for the Hulk to rampage through! And make no mistake about it, these weren’t simple

cardboard cutouts—the buildings and landscapes were detailed and completely accurate to what kids were familiar with in the funnybooks. Not only did the structures look great from the outside, but you could turn them around and have your heroes “step inside” for authentic comic action at its finest. And speaking of heroes, they’re all included here, along with those malevolent masters of malice that would constantly give them pause. Marvel World really was a “world” in every sense and came with an extraordinary 34 character cardboard standup pieces to use, a who’s who of all the super-heavyweights of the Marvel Universe: Spider-Man, Captain America, the Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, Dr. Strange, Sub-Mariner, Silver Surfer, Valkyrie, Scarlet Witch, the Vision, the Thing, Mr. Fantastic, Human Torch, Invisible Woman, Daredevil, Hawkeye, Luke Cage, Shang-Chi, Captain Marvel (dubbed Captain Mar-Vell), Falcon, Redwing (Falcon’s sidekick bird), Lady Sif, Dr. Doom, Loki, Dr. Octopus, the Red Skull, the Green Goblin, Kraven the Hunter, the Lizard, J. Jonah Jameson, Aunt May, Mary Jane, and the devourer of

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RETRO TOYS

worlds—the mighty Galactus himself! Most of the characters had the same mirror image on either side, but a few had their alter ego or even another character entirely on the back, including: Peter Parker (Spider-Man), Steve Rogers (Captain America), Bruce Banner (Hulk), Tony Stark (Iron Man), Dr. Donald Blake (Thor), Matt Murdock (Daredevil), Rick Jones (he transformed into Captain Marvel at this time), Jane Foster (she was on the other side of Lady Sif, both ladies had an intimate relationship with that frisky Thunder God—think of all the drama you could put him through…), and Harry Osborn (on the other side of the Green Goblin). With 43 superstars in all, your adventures could take you all the way to subspace and back! To be honest, even before AMSCO brought Marvel World to the table in 1975, throughout the years there were various types of super-hero playsets (or play sets) with gimmicks, made from cardboard or vinyl, that had folded or built-up dioramas that came with cut-out or punch-out cardboard figure stand-ups. This toy idea was nothing new (it was also very common with board games): Whitman produced a Batman Activity Box in 1966, where kids punched out stand-ups of Batman and Robin, along with their cast of characters, while also being able to color the mat that they played on with crayons. That same year, Remco made the highly sought-after playset Batman Magic Magnetic Gotham City, where kids moved cardboard standup pieces around the city with magnetic action. In 1973, Ideal made Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, and Dick Tracy Playcase Play Sets; each set opened up to reveal a backdrop (that had three scenes akin to each character’s world) and came with about 20 cardboard stand-up pieces. Made from sturdy vinyl and compact, kids could easily tote it around, assemble it wherever it tickled their fancy, and quickly pack it up to be home in time for supper. But AMSCO took all those ideas and injected it with a little Super-Soldier Serum that expanded Marvel World into more of a “universal” experience and developed a toy that comic fans from that era have never forgotten. Marvel World was first introduced in the 1975 AMSCO Toy Catalog. Heroes World (then known as Super-Hero Enterprises), the major distributor of super-hero merchandise of the day, first advertised the playset on the cover (as well as inside) of The Superhero Catalog of Games, Books, Toys, Puzzles #1 (1976), then had an ad showcasing it in all Marvel Comics cover-dated October of 1976 (cover date: Jan. 1977), and was last advertised in The Superhero Book of Goodies #2 (1977) before the playset disappeared from toy shelves and the company’s catalogs and ads forever. Within the next few years, there were more super-hero licensed products than ever before (hitting its glorious peak in 64

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(INSET) This 1976 edition of The Superhero Catalog (illustrated by young artists at the Joe Kubert School) had many fans salivating for the Marvel World playset (as well as other cool super-hero toys). (ABOVE & OPPOSITE) Various unassembled pieces of the playset, showing various locales and characters. Characters © Marvel or DC Comics, respectively.

1979). Other build-up diorama playsets would come out from various toy companies that mimicked each other and carried on the cardboard figure stand-up tradition. A few examples were: Spider-Man American Bricks from Playskool (1977), the Incredible Hulk and the Amazing Spider-Man Carry and Play Adventure City from Tara Toys (1978), and the Incredible Hulk and the Amazing Spider-Man Mini Car City vinyl playset from Tara Toys (1979). No matter what new gimmicks were brought to the table, they all still paled in comparison to what AMSCO did with Marvel World years prior when it came to actual playability, quality, and sheer magnitude. In 2013, collectibles manufacturer Round 2 had plans to remake the Marvel World playset as a facsimile of the original for a new generation of comic fans. And they wanted to go even further with another project that was inspired by the playset, the Mighty World of Marvel. It had cardboard landmarks, vehicles, and buildings that you would build. Each came in its own individual assortment box to be sold separately, and the cardboard figure stand-ups would be individually packaged in boxed sets and random booster packs. So the consumer would have to buy a bunch of stuff if they wanted to complete the entire “world.” While that could be a real pain in the web-shooter, the upside was that the size of the buildings and stand-ups were large enough to be compatible

RETRO TOYS

with Hasbro’s 3.75″ Marvel Universe figures. Now, that’s a whole lotta “Supa Dupa,” if you ask me! Round 2 displayed examples of these projects at the New York Toy Fair in 2014, but sadly, they were unable to generate retailer support and both projects were scrapped. Today, collectors still see pictures of the Marvel World playset with the same awestruck look that kids did back in the day and come out of the woodwork to get it on the secondary market. Selling for about seven bucks in the Seventies, today, a sealed set could cost you anywhere from $500 to a whopping $3,000 dollars (FYI, some came shrink-wrapped, while others didn’t). Character pieces range from 20 to 50 bucks each, and buildings can fetch upwards of $100 each. Part of the reason this set is so valuable is because they are extremely hard to find, especially in Mint condition. Most sets are in rough shape due to the playset’s nature—you punch out the pieces, build the city, and then play with it. Kids most likely played the crap out of it until it was in poor shape (I know I would’ve), and then simply threw it away or lost pieces altogether. Not to mention that the playset was only available for a short time before AMSCO stopped producing it. Super-hero fans of today might not fully understand why I’m ranting on and on about the glory and grandeur of this playset. They constantly see toys, statues, video games, movies, and even amusement park rides with every comic character imaginable bursting from the seams in bright lights and highdefinition surround sound. But back in those “primitive” days of 1975, Marvel World was all the “CGI” imaginative kids ever needed, because it was a true anomaly. To see something with such an incredible scope of comic cornucopia for the first time at the local toy or department store was quite an experience, especially for Marvel comic-book fans because it was usually

Batman, Superman, and the DC characters that dominated the super-hero toy market. For me, the AMSCO Marvel World Adventure playset (I bet you can tell I love writing and saying that) will always be more than just a toy or collectible. It represents the ability to actually play with the magic and dreams that comic-book luminaries Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Roy Thomas, Steve Ditko, Gil Kane, Joe Sinnott, Jim Steranko, Herb Trimpe, Johnny Romita, John Buscema, and Sal Buscema had all brought into my life. And for that, I’ll always consider it one of the supreme “Holy Grails” of any super-hero toy to come out of the Bronze Age of Comics. BANG!!! Unless otherwise noted, all images accompanying this article are courtesy of John Cimino. JOHN CIMINO (shown here with Rascally Roy Thomas, LEFT) is a Silver and Bronze Age comic, cartoon, and memorabilia expert who runs “Saturday Morning Collectibles.” He buys, sells, appraises, and gives seminars on everything pop culture. He contributes articles to Alter Ego, The Jack Kirby Collector, and BACK ISSUE from TwoMorrows Publishing. He likes to pal around with comic legend Roy Thomas, bringing him to comic-cons near you. John also owns three AMSCO Marvel World playsets and plays with one of them with his daughter Bryn (her favorite character to use is Redwing). Check out his blog at Hero-Envy.blogspot.com, listen to him on The Power Cosmic Podcast, contact him at johnstretch@ live.com, or follow him on Instagram at megostretchhulk, because he likes attention. RetroFan

Winter 2020

THE ODDBALL WORLD OF SCOTT SHAW!

Oddball Comics Holy BATMAN #183! by Scott Shaw! This cover, which was designed and penciled by Carmine Infantino, inked by Joe Giella, and lettered Gaspar Saladino (the colorist remains undetermined), was quite a big deal when it hit the spinner racks. ABC’s Batman series, airing twice weekly on Wednesdays and Thursdays, had premiered on January 12, 1966, and every comic-book fan in America had been buzzing about the series for six months. The younger you were, the better you liked it. I was in high school and I loved the show, but most of my comics fan buddies felt otherwise. They disliked its “campy” approach, while I primarily dug the overall art direction’s attempt to replicate the look of comic books’ staging, design, and coloring. But whichever way our opinions fell, we were all watching it, despite the fact that Batman’s twice-a-week schedule caused the series’ unique appeal to wear out twice as fast as usual. We probably would have appreciated the television show even more if we’d known that the comic books that it was based on were almost cancelled just a few years before! During the Fifties and early Sixties, a man named Jack Schiff edited Batman and Detective Comics for DC Comics. He wasn’t particularly a risk-taker, though. He patterned the Batman stories he oversaw on editor Mort Weisinger’s line of Superman comics, adding derivative characters like Batwoman, Ace the Bat-Hound, and Bat-Mite to the world of Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson. For a while, the books were very successful, but by the early Sixties, the books’ art style and overly familiar gimmicks were beginning to falter noticeably. Sales were down and plummeting faster. National Periodical Publications, Inc.’s (DC Comics) brass took notice. At first, they considered cancelling both Bat-titles but immediately relented, since DC needed Batman to flesh out their 66

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Title: Batman Issue Number: 183 Cover Date: August 1966 (actual on-sale date: June 2, 1966) Publisher: National Periodical Publications, Inc. (DC Comics) Cover Artists: Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella

trifecta that included Superman and Wonder Woman. Suddenly, Jack Schiff was out and editor Julius “Julie” Schwartz and artist Carmine Infantino were brought in to visually remodel the Batman character and the feature itself. (I’m sure that Batman co-creator Bob Kane’s “ghost artist” Shelly Moldoff was just very happy to still be working.) Editor Schwartz dubbed their impressive effort as “The New Look,” the first examples of which appeared in the pages of Detective Comics #327 (May 1964) and Batman #164 (June 1964) And miracle of miracles, “The New Look” did improve sales. Infantino was a terrific designer and storyteller; he gave the character a sleek and dynamic look that was far different from Dick Tracy, the comic strip that influenced Kane and Batman co-creator Bill Finger from the beginning. While a lot of us loved the classic Batman work by ghost artists like Jerry Robinson and Dick Sprang, the world of super-hero comics was rapidly changing. Marvel Comics cartoonists like Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko—both with extremely “cartoony” drawing styles—were swiftly overtaking DC’s sales figures at the time, although Sol Harrison and the other big shots at DC refused to acknowledge any of that. Then ABC’s Batman primetime action series came along. The details of how that came to pass have been amply documented elsewhere… but one fact is unquestionably true: 1966’s Batman irreversibly changed Pop Art, pop culture, and comic books forever. And Batman #183 absolutely confirms that. Although the Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen comic book was directly inspired by the Adventures of Superman live-action TV series, this era in

Batman’s comic-book history definitely represented the first time that a television show was controlling the goings-on in a comic book! So let’s all camp out! But before we wade into the contents of Batman #183, let’s take a quick look at the creators behind this classic Oddball Comic: A onetime science-fiction fan and literary agent, editor Julius Schwartz (1915–2004) worked only for DC Comics his entire career. Schwartz edited the comics starring his publisher’s most famous super-heroes, but his most Oddball editing assignments include the DC titles Rex the Wonder Dog, Charlie Chan, Strange Sports Stories, Captain Action, and Superman versus Muhammad Ali. Writer/editor Robert “Bob” Kanigher (1915–2002) wrote short stories, poems, and radio show scripts before working for Archie Publications on their Golden Age super-heroes Steel Sterling and the Web. At DC, Kanigher primarily wrote war and romance comics, but he also wrote super-heroes like Wonder Woman and the Flash. Some of his most Oddball creations include the Metal Men and their menace Chemo, G.I. Robot, the Bouncer, and the War That Time Forgot. Writer Gardner Fox (1911–1986) began creating comic-book scripts very early in the Golden Age and continued to do so until his death. In addition to thousands of scripts for super-hero and science-fiction comics, he worked in every genre on the racks. Some of the Oddball characters he created stories for include Crom the Barbarian, Cave Girl, Dogface Dooley, Thun’da, Red Wolf, Super-Chief, and those Three Stooges clones Winky, Blinky, and Noddy. He also wrote hundreds of paperback novels of many genres under many names. From the early Forties onward, cartoonist/art director/ publisher Carmine Infantino (1925–2013) worked in nearly every genre of funnybooks for dozens of publishers. His sense of cover design, especially during his stint as DC’s Creative Director, was outstanding. He will always be remembered for his co-creation of one of comicdom’s most beloved Oddball Comic character, DC’s “Detective Chimp,” as well as its most ignored, “Mopee” (the blundering imp behind the Flash’s origin). Cartoonist Sheldon “Shelly” Moldoff (1920–2012) had a very diverse career in comic books, animation, and advertising, but his most significant work went unacknowledged for decades: he “ghosted” the artwork for hundreds of Batman stories signed by Bob Kane. He also worked for Kane to create the animated TV

series Cool McCool and Courageous Cat. On an Oddball note, Shelly drew hundreds of promotional giveaway comics, including a few years’ worth of Adventures of the Big Boy. Cartoonist Joe Giella (born in 1928 and still around, I’m happy to report) has been working on comic books and comic strips since the mid-Forties. Primarily known as an inker, Joe occasionally penciled stories for a variety of publishers as well as penciling and inking the Mary Worth comic strip for a decade. Joe’s also worked on the Oddball-Comic-with-a-record, Holo-Man, as well as inking many stories for Archie Comics’ decidedly Oddball line of “Mighty Comics” in the Sixties. Letterer Gaspar Saladino (1927–2016) put words in the mouths of DC characters for nearly half a century. Gaspar also did a lot of lettering for Marvel Comics, Western Publishing, and MAD magazine. His Oddball assignments included Stan Lee and Frank Springer’s syndicated comic strip The Virtue of Vera Valiant and the promotional giveaway comic book The Adventures of Kool-Aid Man. Bob Kane (1916–1998) and Bill Finger (1914–1974) were the co-creators of Batman in 1939. The controversial Kane could barely draw yet for decades took sole credit for the character and his supporting cast. Most of the art in the early Batman stories consists of Kane’s “swipes” from other sources. Kane’s parents presented DC Comics with his doctored birth certificate; the situation of signing a contract with a supposed minor is how Kane was able to sign any Batman story with his signature. He engineered a brilliant deal, one that was incredibly cruel to his partner, writer Bill Finger. Not only did Bill do the heavy lifting in Batman’s creation, he wrote super-hero stories for Marvel Comics in the Forties and hundreds of stories for DC during the Golden and Silver Ages of Comics. Finger also wrote scripts for radio dramas as well as television series including 77 Sunset Strip, The Roaring Twenties, Hawaiian Eye, Surfside 6, and, ironically, ABC’s Batman (the shows featuring the villain the Clock King.) Facing the inside-front-cover “Treasure Chest of Fun” advertisement, this classic Oddball Comic opens with “A Touch of Poison Ivy!” This story was written by Robert Kanigher, penciled by Sheldon Moldoff (as Bob Kane), inked by Joe Giella, and lettered by Gaspar Saladino. It opens as Bruce Wayne RetroFan

Winter 2020

The oddball world of scott shaw!

experiences bizarre hallucinations while dating a string of three “luscious beauties”—in his perception, each of them transforms into Poison Ivy, calling him “Batman” and mocking the millionaire playboy, saying that although the Caped Crusader has jailed her, he will also help her escape from capture— against his own will! This incites “the millionaire sportsman” to recall his last encounter with “the contagious villainess” and her gang of thugs. We’re treated to a large panel depicting the Dynamic Duo trouncing their foes in an image that intentionally mirrors the sound effects on ABC’s Batman series with a huge—though exclamation point-less—“POW.” (Actually, the TV show was intentionally mirroring the sound effects in DC’s Batman funnybooks, so this is about as “circular meta” as you hipsters are ever gonna get.) Batman apprehends Poison Ivy, but before the police take her away she insists on giving the World’s Greatest Detective a lingering goodbye kiss, one that leaves him “reeling as if he just sniffed laughing gas.” Robin, the

Grayson worrying about the fact that his mentor is still staring into space—with a raging fever that melts an ice cube held four inches from Bruce Wayne’s face. (Man, that’s one helluva fever!) With the sound of nearby gunfire suddenly snapping out of his stupor, Bruce and Dick change into their masked identities and prepare investigate what’s happening outside their penthouse. That lipstick must have a nasty side effect, though. ROBIN: I smell “gas,” BATMAN! Keep cookin.’”

POISON IVY: You’ll come back, BATMAN! Once you’ve had a TOUCH OF POISON IVY—you can never get rid of it! You’ll come back—to get me out of here! Yes—you, BATMAN—will free me! HA, HA, HA! As this flashback ends (either that, or the person inking the panel borders suddenly had a seizure), the story jumps a week later to find a very mature-looking Dick 68

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BATMAN: What a gal! I send her to prison! And she sends me a gift, asking for my forgiveness! ROBIN—POISON IVY’s changing! Mmmm, let’s hope so! But, unknown to Robin, it turns out that the “mirror”

Ewww. Firing their “suctioncap climbing ropes” from sophisticated-looking dart-guns, the Dynamic Duo swing across the gap, surrounded with a half-dozen sound effects. Crashing through a window, they surprise a swarm of gloating gangsters: GANGSTER 1: Look who’s tryin’ t’ stop us from stuffin’ slugs in these squares’ kissers—so they won’t testify against Joe th’ Undertaker—! GANGSTER 2: I’m sure Joe th’ Undertaker will give us a bonus if we bring him BATMAN’s and ROBIN’s feathers! After Batman releases teargas squibs from his utility belt, he and Robin get some exercise:

Boy Wonder deduces that Ivy’s lipstick has “a chloroform base” and apparently prevents an unforeseen turnabout because on the next page, they’re leaving the Floral Fury behind bars while she mockingly threatens:

“A Touch of Poison Ivy—Part 2” picks things up in the Batcave, where Batman is proudly showing Robin what looks like a tiny mirror that Poison Ivy has sent him.

ROBIN: There’s nothing like a little danger to make you forget a dame, right, BATMAN! BATMAN: I couldn’t feel righter, ROBIN! (Yes, most DC editors at the time had made it a law that letterers should always delineate their heroes’ names in BOLD LETTERING.) Meanwhile, in jail, Poison Ivy gives two items to her female guard, one that a lot is riding upon: POISON IVY: BATMAN doesn’t know it yet! But—that little gift is going to send him flying here to free me!

is actually a device that allows Poison Ivy to send 1966’s version of FaceTime messages to the Caped Crusader to keep him in her thrall and ultimately, spring her from prison. Noticing that his partner in crimefighting is acting loopy again, Robin suggests that they get out for some fresh air. Soon, we see them taking deep breaths on a ferry to the Statue of Liberty (uhh, in Gotham City?!? Which of the myriad alternative Earths are we on here?). But once again, Bats becomes discombobulated while staring into that !?!#%&!?! make-up mirror. Fortunately, when Robin sees gangsters conveniently hijacking the ferry, he uses the situation to distract the Darkknight Detective: ROBIN: BATMAN—how about us running up and down these hoods’ spines! Sure enough, fists and oversized sound effects start to fly—unfortunately, Batman’s taking more punches than he’s serving, still on a contact high with Poison Ivy. (Hey, she can control any species of plant life, right?) Dazed and confused and sprawled on the ferry’s deck, Batman “hears” Poison Ivy mock him from her televised cameo within the clamshell device: POISON IVY: C’mon, BATMAN, baby! I’m waiting for you to take me out of prison

The oddball world of scott shaw!

like I promised you would! YOU CAN’T RESIST ME—ONCE YOU’VE HAD A TOUCH OF POISON IVY!

by recapturing her and her gang as you promised! Looks like you’re still in a fever over her!

When the bad guys get Robin at a disadvantage—and you know things are getting grim when the sound effects finally get exclamation points—Batman shrugs off her “suffocating embrace” and immediately punches out the three gangsters who were threatening Robin:

POISON IVY: And how, Smartie Pants! And to prove how delirious BATMAN is about me—he’s going to clip his wings! Won’t you—

BATMAN: That mirror from POISON IVY—it was a poisonous gift! It almost hypnotized me into folding my wings! I’m going to send POISON IVY’s gift back to her—in pieces! And apparently, he does exactly that, and when the “contagious beauty” receives the remnants of her mirror-device, she throws herself on her cell cot and sobs to her guard: POISON IVY: L-l-look! BATMAN hates me so—he smashed the m-m-mirror I sent him! Wh-what’s the good of trying to—to reform? I—I’m b-b-better off—DEAD! A few days later, Batman is summoned to the prison hospital, where Poison Ivy is supposedly dying of a broken heart. Her last wish is a chance to beg his forgiveness and receive one final kiss. >Choke!< But it turns out she’s been faking and has hidden explosives in her hair (!) that she’ll detonate unless the Gotham good guy gets her instantly discharged from the hospital. After Batman carries her to her getaway car, the woman changes back into her Poison Ivy work clothes, and gives him a kiss on his cowl. POISON IVY: Confess, handsome! You know you’re BATS over me! As a Gotham City police chase ensues, Poison Ivy uses her “hair-explosives” to blow her pursuers off the road. Worse, when Batman tries to run the getaway car off the road, he gets involuntarily dosed by a tranquilizer needle full of “byebye syrup” sticking out of the steering wheel. (I can’t help but wonder if editor Julie Schwartz ever mentioned to writer Bob Kanigher that Poison Ivy’s shtick was plants, not hair, bombs, or dope.) As he passes out, our man Bruce receives

another smooch for his troubles. And when he comes to, he finds himself in Poison Ivy’s secret hideout—on a leash! POISON IVY: Have pleasant dreams about me, pet? BATMAN: PET is right! That’s what she’s made of me—A PET ON A LEASH! Batman goes on a hunger strike for days, then fakes a grim downturn in his health. This leads to a funnybook situation that only the mind of Robert Kanigher could possibly consider logical: POISON IVY: BATMAN isn’t faking! He would have moved when I tested him by having my pet panther paw him over! C’mon, men! Bring the I.V. tube and free him! We’ve got to force-feed my stubborn lover boy! BATMAN: My trick of using POISON IVY’s trick of playing a “death-bed” scene boomeranged! That animal thinks he’s going to be beaten by that rubber tube— and is running wild! It’s the BREAK I’ve been hoping for! Then, while Batman is trying to calm down her pet panther, Poison Ivy tries to put the make on him! POISON IVY: BATMAN—you’re risking your life for me! I told you once you’ve caught POISON IVY it’ll never let you go! Stop wasting precious time, BATMAN! We’ll be King and Queen of Crime from now on! MR. AND MRS. NO. 1! Suddenly—because it’s the last page of a 14-page story—Robin arrives to pummel her minions amid a flurry of wacky sound effects while Poison Ivy kisses Batman. ROBIN: After I trailed you, BATMAN, I waited long enough for you to prove you’d gotten POISON IVY out of your system—

But Batman’s hands were occupied elsewhere while he was kissing Poison Ivy: POISON IVY: You—you tied my wrists with the rubber tube while you were kissing me—? You—traitor! Later, the grinning Dynamic Duo watch television, where cameras are on Poison Ivy behind bars and wearing her civilian clothes, still taunting Batman, who’s unfazed: BATMAN: Has SHE got the wrong number! ROBIN: Maybe! But if she “dials” for you, Big Daddy—don’t be surprised if I “answer”!

Y’know, it strikes me that Bob Kanigher very probably originally wrote “A Touch of Poison Ivy!” with Catwoman as the villain. Almost no horticultural hijinks, just goofy gimmicks. I kept expecting to learn that Poison Ivy’s kisses were narcotic, or whether her clamshell mirror was a hightech device that was spoofing Batman, or if he was hallucinating, or what?!? Next, we move onto this historic issue’s cover story, “Batman’s Baffling Turnabout!”, written by Gardner Fox, penciled by Sheldon Moldoff, inked by Joe Giella, lettered by Gaspar Saladino, and signed by Bob Kane. The story’s splash page depicts Batman trapped in a warehouse basement, stuck to a net that looks like it’s covered with honey. Fox’s accompanying melodramatic narration is easy to imagine as spoken by ABC’s RetroFan

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The oddball world of scott shaw!

Batman TV series’ producer/narrator William Dozier:

your own! Think about THAT—as the water rises!

NARRATIVE CAPTION: The hates of men are strange and varied! BATMAN and ROBIN are no strangers to the warped, twisted enmity of men they have sent away to prison! This they accept as calculated risks of their chosen roles as crime-fighters! But now and then a criminal develops a master plan so clever, so deadly in design, that the very lives of the DYNAMIC DUO hang by a frayed thread!

And with that, Batman’s mysterious assailant locks the trap door shut… and we see that he’s also dressed in a Batman costume! But the real Batman got a look at his imposter and although he’s still trapped, he’s already got an advantage:

When Batman and Robin crash a criminal gathering in an import/export warehouse near Gotham City’s docks, cartoony sound effects fill the air. But when the Darkknight Detective dashes after an escaping thug, he falls through a trap door. The Cowled Crusader’s caught in a net covered with “some gooey substance” that keeps him stuck fast. Even if he gets free, there’s nothing below the net but the flowing Gotham River. Before he can devise a plan, Batman is forced to endure the gloating voice of the man who’s trapped him:

BATMAN (thought): He thinks he’s got everything figured out—but like ALL criminals he’s made ONE MISTAKE! ROBIN will spot that slip-up and save himself! Meantime I’d better do some escapethinking for the spot I’M in… Meanwhile, the imposter joins Robin, who’s defeated the other crooks. Robin notices that “Batman” is walking with a limp—claiming that he twisted his ankle in the skirmish—and when he asks Robin to drive him “back to the Batcave,” it confirms the Boy Wonder’s suspicions: ROBIN (thought): This isn’t the REAL BATMAN—even though he talks like him! If he thinks I’m driving HIM to the BATCAVE—he’s flipped his cape! Instead—I’ll drive him to our AUXILIARY BATCAVE on the other side of GOTHAM CITY! “Auxiliary Batcave”?!? Man, Bruce Wayne really is loaded—and prepared for any eventuality! And after Robin takes the wheel and heads across town, he’s genuinely impressed by the ruse:

VILLAIN IN SHADOWS: HA! HA! I set a whole series of traps for you, BATMAN! With my good luck—and your bad luck— you fell into the very first one! My five years of planning paid off—right off the bat! HA! HA! You sent me up the river five years ago! I spent my time dreaming up ways of paying you back! Now that same river at which I stared for so long—is going to finish you! The tide is rising! Not even you with all your cleverness will be able to turn it back! With no way of escape—you’ll drown! So sweat out these last few minutes of life… knowing that I’m also going to get rid of ROBIN—in a fate that’s worse even than 70

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ROBIN (thought): Who IS this guy? What’s his game? I’ll play along—and await developments! He sure LOOKS like BATMAN, all right! Somebody did an expert PLASTIC SURGERY job on his face! What bothers me is—where’s the REAL BATMAN? In trouble, I bet—or THIS one wouldn’t risk my partner showing up to ruin his scheme! I’ll simply have to ad lib my way through what’s ahead! When they arrive at the “auxiliary Batcave,” the Boy Wonder tries to get his mentor’s imposter to remove his mask without removing his own. When that doesn’t work, Robin fakes an incoming call on the red “Hot-line phone,” but Fake Bats begs out with his “sore ankle” and tells his young partner to handle things while:

FAKE BATMAN: I’ll stay behind and watch myself on television. I’ll give you a full report— That’s the single sentence that makes this such an important Oddball Comic. It suggests that DC’s “New Look” Batman stories took place in an alternate reality, one that we should label either “Earth-66” or “Earth-ABC”! Once Robin leaves in the Batmobile, he secretly keeps on eye on the faux Batman with the aid of a new Bat-device, “the BatSnooperscope”! Using it, he learns that the imposter has planted a bomb that will turn the Batcave into “a blast cave,” as well as one hidden under the hood of the Batmobile. After defusing the device, the Boy Wonder uses his “Bat-noculars” to track “Batman,” then races to the Batcave and resets the bomb to explode near the cavern. This fools Fake Batman, who assumes that Robin is now dead.

He steals a car and heads for the dockside warehouse, unaware that Robin—following at a distance in the Batmobile—has an instrumental fix on his car. Meanwhile, Fake Batman arrives at his warehouse and pries open the trap door to gloat at his foe’s drowned corpse. Instead, the real Batman pops out of the hatch, and another heavily sound-effected fight scene ensues. It’s a Bat-battle to the end, which occurs when the Guardian of Gotham City hurls his doppleganger into display of suits of armor, knocking him unconscious. Conveniently, that’s when Robin arrives, so his Bat-mentor can sum things up for the reader: ROBIN: BATMAN! Yes—you’re the RIGHT one! What happened to you? Who’s that masked masquerader?

The oddball world of scott shaw!

This issue also features these advertisements and other features: `` A 1/3-page DC house ad, “Draggin’?? Complainin’?? You Need Entertaining’!” `` A half-page Cap’s Hobby Hints comic vignette, written and drawn by Henry Boltinoff, demonstrating how to improvise a “bench vise.” `` A half-page Direct Currents promo column. `` The Policeman is Your Friend!, a one-page public service announcement by editor/writer Jack Schiff, with artwork by Shelly Moldoff and lettering by Ira Schnapp. `` A half-page ad for Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #95. `` A half-page ad for the Matchbox Collectors Club. `` A 1/3-page house ad for Swing with Scooter #2. `` A “Letters to the Batcave” letters column, which includes letters from future writer/publisher/agent Mike Friedrich, BatFan #1 Biljo White, and prominent early female fan Irene Vartanoff. `` Now! Your Very Own Ant Farm advertisement, drawn by Ross Andru and Mike Esposito.

`` A 1/2-page AMT Makes the Party advertisement for plastic model kids of cars, drawn by Chic Stone. `` A 1/2-page advertisement for Palisades Amusement Park, including a Superman drawing by Wayne Boring. `` A 1/3-page “Statement of Ownership” from DC Comics revealing that in 1965, Batman sold a total of 453,745 copies. `` Tank Trap game advertisement. `` Home Science Lab and Course correspondence course advertisement. `` An inside-back-cover advertisement for Adventures in the G.I. Joe Club with Andy & George: A Front Line in the Back Yard!, drawn by Irv Novick. `` A back cover “Command your Own Missile-Firing Tank in Battle” advertisement for Mattel’s Switch ’N Go Battle Set.

(How disappointing…I was expecting a “Bat-laser.”) Next, Batman (and Gardner Fox) saves his big secret for the last panel, one that directly mentions editor Julie Schwartz’s and Carmine Infantino’s “New Look” makeover for the Dynamic Duo:

BATMAN: A crook I put in jail five years ago! He set a death-trap for me—caught like a fish in a sticky netting underneath a trap door… The tide was rising. I could do no more than wriggle. But I put my own helplessness to work… I did the BATUSI on that netting—until a certain cap of my utility belt opened and the LASER-TORCH fell out… I spent a couple of cold, anxious moments— watching that torch bobble up and down… My timing was right!

ODDBALL FACTOID When their advertisers needed cameraready artwork, DC Comics would offer their services to create it, farming out the lucrative gigs to their favorite freelancers, paying double their rates while still pocketing the majority of the amount they charged the advertiser for the artwork!

BATMAN: I knew you’d spot that oldtype BAT INSIGNIA on his uniform! Having spent the last five years in the BIG HOUSE—he didn’t know about my “New Look”!

ROBIN: Whoever this guy is, I’m going to remember him as—the “COWED” CRUSADER! For 48 years (and counting), SCOTT SHAW! has written and drawn underground comix, mainstream comic books, comic strips, graphic novels, TV cartoons, toys, advertising, and video games. He has worked on such characters as Captain Carrot and his Amazing Zoo Crew (which he co-created with Roy Thomas), Sonic the Hedgehog, the Flintstones, the Jetsons, the Simpsons, the Futurama gang, the Muppet Babies, Garfield, the Garbage Pail Kids, and yes, even Annoying Orange. His career has garnered him four Emmy Awards, an Eisner Award, and a Humanities Award. Scott is also known for his “Oddball Comics Live!” visual presentation of “the craziest comic books ever published” and for his regular participation in “Quick Draw!” with Mark Evanier and Sergio Aragonés. He was also one of the teenagers who co-created what is currently known as Comic-Con International: San Diego, America’s biggest annual fan event. He can be reached at shawcartoons.com. RetroFan

Winter 2020

CELEBRITY CRUSHES

Farrah, the Fairest

This issue of RetroFan features an article about Charlie’s Angels, which brings back memories of my teenage crush on Farrah Fawcett. In 1969, she began appearing in TV ads with Joe Namath for Noxzema Shaving Cream. This was a time way before the internet, social media, or any computer-related information. We only had three channels to watch on TV, but I loved watching TV. I was also a big sports fan, and that’s where Farrah’s Noxema ads would appear. To an 11-year-old boy just starting to be interested in girls, seeing her beautiful hair and perfect smile made Farrah really stand out to me. I thought, How could there be a more attractive woman? She then began popping up on many TV shows and commercials. In 1973, she married the Six Million Dollar Man, Lee Majors, and changed her name to Farrah FawcettMajors. For me, Lee Majors always seemed too stoic to be married to Farrah, but maybe that was just jealousy on my part. Next, in 1974, she was a semi-regular on Harry O, where she played star David Janssen’s girlfriend. Harry O was a private-detective show in the vein of Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe. Janssen was a big TV star at the time due to the hugely popular show, The Fugitive. So here was Janssen, playing this great character, and he gets to have Farrah as a girlfriend! How lucky can a guy get? Her big break came in 1976 when she played Jill Munroe on Charlie’s Angels. In the Seventies, this show was a departure from the male-dominated private-detective shows of the day and gave ladies the chance to be in the spotlight. Also in 1976, Farrah came out with the bestselling pin-up poster of all time when she posed in her iconic red swimsuit. The next year,

I was a freshman at NC State. I had this poster and several others of Farrah on my dorm room wall. My roommate had a poster on his wall of a Native American smoking a joint. You could tell we had different priorities! Farrah began to appear in some less-thanmemorable movies, but I still tried to see them. In 1978, she appeared on the cover of Playboy, which remains one of the magazine’s classic covers. She must have tired of the roles she had been getting and began to seek out better parts to change her image. She was in TV movies like The Burning Bed and Murder in Texas (the latter featuring Andy Griffith), which were definite departures from her previous roles. She was a nominee for four Emmy and six Golden Globe awards. She began a relationship with Ryan O’Neal in 1979, and even though this seemed a better fit, he reportedly had a bad temper and it was not ideal for her. Sometimes she would do things that seemed out of character, like her rambling interview on David Letterman and appearing nude in Playboy. In 2009, her life was cut short by cancer. It’s funny how when a famous person dies, we feel a loss, like we almost knew them. Famous people will always be with us in pictures or video that we can look at and enjoy. They can even transport me back to a time when I was a young man.

by Lyn Anderson

P.S.: I still have my original copy of the red swimsuit poster, as well as several other posters and magazines with Farrah. LYN ANDERSON started collecting comic books in 1973, graduated from NC State University in 1981, began hosting the Raleigh Comic Book Show [convention] in 1987, and has been married to his own Farrah (Anna) for 38 years.

Hey, lovelorn, quit sobbing into your pillow and writing diary entries—instead, share your Sixties/Seventies/ Eighties Celebrity Crushes with RetroFan readers! (Celebrity stalkers, please do not apply.) You can become famous, get three free copies of the magazine, and earn a whopping $10 as well. Submit your 600-word-maximum Celebrity Crushes column to the editor for consideration at euryman@gmail.com. 72

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RETRO TRAVEL

The Land of Oz by Tim Hollis

The story of how a theme park based on L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz came to exist on a mountaintop in northwestern North Carolina actually begins with another innovative aspect of tourism for that region of the country. In 1966, the three Robbins brothers (Grover, Harry, and Spencer), who were already well known in North Carolina’s tourist industry, announced plans to build an entertainment complex on top of Beech Mountain, a 5,506-foot summit near Banner Elk. The main feature of their new project would be a ski resort; the idea was a novel one for the southeastern part of the U.S., where obviously the ski season was much shorter than in Colorado or New England. For that reason, the Robbins family also wanted to do something that would make use of the ski facilities during the long off-season. The Robbinses turned to their valued associate, Charlottebased designer Jack Pentes, to come up with an idea for their summer attraction on Beech Mountain’s summit. In recounting the story, Pentes often related how he was first shown the

property for the proposed development, and it was the indigenous trees, twisted and gnarled by centuries of exposure to the harsh mountain climate, that reminded him of the crabby apple trees in MGM’s 1939 movie version of The Wizard of Oz. As it turns out, though, Pentes had long wanted to create a theme park based on the story. In the early Sixties, he had been responsible for a walk-through Oz display that served as a Christmas feature for the Charlottetown Mall, and ever since he had dreamed of doing basically the same thing on a full-scale basis. When he (ABOVE) Most theme park souvenir maps were designed to help people navigate their way around the property—but the Land of Oz map was more graphically attractive than functional. It was by no means drawn to scale, and showed things that were not usually part of the experience, omitting other things that were. (Unless otherwise noted, all images in this article are courtesy of Tim Hollis.)

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suggested to the Robbinses that they build the Land of Oz atop Beech Mountain, the brothers heartily agreed. Considering that Baum’s book had been published in 1900, it is somewhat surprising that it took nearly 70 years for it to become the basis for a theme park. Way back in 1906, Baum himself had announced plans to build an Oz park on a small island off the coast of California; had he done so, it might have qualified as the first “theme park” in American history, beating an entrepreneur named Walt by a half century. From approximately the same period, fading newspaper clippings mention some Oz attractions in a Chicago amusement park without being specific enough to identify just what they were. The 1933 Chicago World’s Fair incorporated Oz characters into its children’s area known as the Enchanted Island, and Cincinnati’s Coney Island Park also had a Land of Oz section at one time. Nothing on the scale of what Pentes and the Robbins brothers had in mind had ever been attempted, however. Their timing was nothing if not fortuitous. In the Sixties, most people’s familiarity with the Oz tale was probably about equally divided between Baum’s book and the 1939 movie, which was shown on network television once each year. In those days before home video, that single annual exposure was the extent of its reputation, and fans did not have the opportunity to memorize every line of dialogue and sound effect, as many seem to have done today. Baum’s story and characters had gone into public domain in 1956, so after that point, anyone could do whatever they wanted with the underlying property as long as it did not resemble the appearance of the movie. Using elements created by MGM, including the music, required a separate licensing agreement. (It should be noted that Baum went on to pen 13 more Oz novels before his death in 1919. His publisher subsequently assigned other authors to continue the series, which officially ended at 40 books in 1963.) The MGM film was thrust to the forefront of the public’s Oz consciousness at precisely the same time the North Carolina park was being built. In June 1969, Judy Garland died, inspiring an outpouring of emotion that has not ended to this day. Also, in May 1970, MGM announced an enormous auction of its warehouses of props and costumes, which seemed to many to signal the end of “old Hollywood,” if such a thing had ever really existed. Both of these events would have a great influence on what people would see at Oz, Beech Mountain-style. Spencer Robbins was sent to the MGM auction with a $25,000 budget to purchase as many costumes and props from The Wizard of Oz as possible. Such an amount seems pitifully small today, but he managed to pick up some real bargains. His main competition was former MGM star Debbie Reynolds, who was a passionate collector of movie memorabilia and intended to start a museum to display her accumulated relics. Spencer Robbins made an agreement with Reynolds that if she would refrain from bidding on any Oz artifacts, they would be loaned to her during the fall and winter months when the park would be closed. She agreed, and even signed on to be the guest at the grand opening of Oz a year later (in company with her teenaged daughter Carrie Fisher). As it turned out, the expense and trouble of shipping such unique items from North Carolina 74

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to California and back proved impractical, so once they were installed on Beech Mountain, they never lef t. North Carolina’s Land of Oz opened on schedule in June 1970, and soon became one of the state’s top attractions. Accessing the park property was done by one of two methods: a bus ride up the twisting mountain road, or by using the gondolas that serviced the ski resort during the winter season. Either way, upon arrival, one could visit the Oz Museum, displaying many of the costumes and props secured from the MGM auction, plus copies of the Baum books and some beautiful examples of the park’s concept art. The next sight visitors encountered was also one of the only direct references to the movie to be found in the park’s original 1970 format. This was the Judy Garland Memorial Overlook, a gazebo with a breathtaking view of the surrounding mountains and a bust of Garland in character as Dorothy, clutching Toto in her arms. It was then onward to Uncle Henry’s farm, with a petting zoo in the barn. Whereas Baum had described Dorothy’s house as a one-room shack, and the movie made it look like a setting out of a contemporary Depression-era WPA photograph, the park’s farmhouse was modeled after the one in the background of Grant

At the Land of Oz grand opening in June 1970, park designer Jack Pentes (CENTER) was flanked by special guest star Debbie Reynolds (RIGHT) and her not-yet-famous teenaged daughter Carrie Fisher (LEFT).

Wood’s famous American Gothic painting. Groups were admitted inside at periodic intervals, and could wander through the rooms and marvel at the authentic antiques and other furnishings that gave the home a suitable circa-1900 look. The tour would be interrupted by a frantic announcement that a cyclone was imminent and that everyone should head for the storm cellar. As one might expect, this is where things began to get weird, as the storm cellar was actually a dark maze with many zig-zagging turns, all the while accompanied by ominous music and the sound of wind. The end of the maze sloped gradually upstairs again, and everyone emerged into the light in what appeared to be the same farmhouse—only now the floor was tilted several degrees and the furniture was a wreck. Often a park worker would have to be stationed at the exit from the storm

celebrity crushes

Yes, that is your author posing with an incredibly cute Dorothy during his own visit to the Land of Oz. As if his groovy attire did not give it away, baby, this was in 1975.

cellar, to assist those who were prone to pitch headfirst onto the slanting floor. Outdoors waited the beginning of the Yellow Brick Road, which then snaked its way through all the familiar sights—or maybe not so familiar, as from this point nothing resembled either the movie or the illustrations in the Oz books, but something out of Pentes’ own imagination. Pentes had an undeniable affinity for mushrooms, as the colorful Styrofoam fungi appeared everywhere throughout the park. Munchkinland was represented by a grouping of houses that would have been a suitable size for inhabitants of about six inches tall, although no live Munchkins were usually in evidence. (There exist photos of some preliminary statues representing Munchkins; they look more like Dr. Seuss’ Whos of Whoville, and were not used in the final park layout. During busy times of the year, occasionally the park employees would be encouraged to bring their kids or younger siblings to work with them, and these youngsters would greet guests while wearing some of the original movie Munchkin outfits obtained from the MGM auction. Obviously the value of such one-of-a-kind artifacts was considered much differently in the early Seventies.) In rapid succession, those traveling the Yellow Brick Road would meet the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Cowardly Lion, each of whom would perform a lengthy song and dance in front of his respective domicile. The Scarecrow had a head that looked like it was fashioned from a hay bale rather than a burlap sack; his shtick to demonstrate his lack of a brain was to get his words confused (“I must go clean my louse, er, house”). The Tin Woodman incorrectly identified himself as a woodsman, then did a tap dance interspersed with humorous couplets (“Of every sport I am a fan / Except the game called ‘Kick the Can!’”). The Lion, of course, boasted of his ferociousness before being frightened into submission by a tiny spider. All of the music and dialogue was prerecorded, and the performers mimed to it while wearing masks with moveable mouths so they could synchronize their motions to the soundtrack. Okay, so far things have progressed pretty much as anyone familiar with the story could have predicted. But now we come to the Wicked Witch of the West, whose creepy castle sat on a looping path separate from the Yellow Brick Road and was

heralded by eerie music and sound effects. If you are familiar with your circa-1970 pop-culture history, you will recall that one of the hottest Saturday morning TV shows at the time the Oz park was being created was that potpourri of psychedelia, Sid and Marty Krofft’s immortal H. R. Pufnstuf. And one of the true highlights of that show was Billie Hayes’ performance as the evil-but-inept villain, Witchiepoo. Well, for the Land of Oz’s early seasons, the Wicked Witch of the West was quite obviously modeled after Witchiepoo; if not in voice, at least in her costume and her bumbling nature. Her routine also proved conclusively what a dangerous tool comedy could be when wielded by the untrained. Like the previous costumed characters, the witch performed to a prerecorded soundtrack, in this case a musical number called “How Do I Brew This Stew?” The lyrics contained such theoretically laff-producing gags as, “Mama used a recipe / That called for dirty socks / But then it never smelled so sweet / So I used hollyhocks.” Okay, now that you have picked yourself up off the floor, we can continue our journey. After the witch’s unfunny stew blew up in her face (literally), it was back to the Yellow Brick Road and on to the gates of the Emerald City. This was the area that most closely resembled a traditional theme park of the Six Flags type, with numerous gift shops selling everything from park souvenirs to imported cheese to toys. This was also the location for the park’s only ride, a modified ski lift with the vehicles representing colorful hot air balloons. The fact that riders traveled standing, rather than seated, in the small metal buckets made it quite different from most theme parks’ skyrides. The main feature of the Emerald City, however, was the “Magic Moment” stage show, which was performed several times throughout the day. This was the climax of the story, when Dorothy and her three incomplete companions finally all got together to see the Wizard. Again deviating from the source material, the Wizard’s majordomo was a green mouse named

The Oz Museum contained the movie props that had been purchased by Spencer Robbins during the auction of the MGM archives in May 1970. Clearly seen in this angle are one of Judy Garland’s gingham dresses, and the cape worn by Frank Morgan as the guard outside the Wizard’s throne room. Next to the cape is the decorated shovel with which the Scarecrow of Oz, Ray Bolger, presided during groundbreaking ceremonies for the park.

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celebrity crushes

Greenie (what else?) and the stage was flanked by two giant humanized mushrooms (Pentes doing the Krofft bit once more, it would seem). Apparently some important action had taken place while we weren’t looking, because Dorothy reported that they had just melted the Wicked Witch (maybe they just couldn’t stand her lame attempts at humor) and had come for their promised rewards. Somewhat missing the main point of the whole original story, the Wizard was not revealed to be a humbug during this version

(ABOVE) Unlike the green-skinned terror portrayed by Margaret Hamilton in the movie, the Oz park’s witch was played for laughs (notice the old-fashioned auto horn mounted on her broomstick). Her makeup and general look were based on (INSET) Billie Hayes’ portrayal of Witchiepoo on the H. R. Pufnstuf TV series. This being 1970 and all, the Dorothys who appeared at various spots throughout the park wore blue-andwhite checkered miniskirts that sometimes rose to dizzying heights—largely dependent on the length of the wearers’ legs, to judge from these vintage photos.

of the stage show. He did, however, follow his predecessors’ lead by giving the Scarecrow a diploma, the Tin Woodman a heartshaped watch, and the Lion a badge of courage. He then sang a semi-operatic song, “The Wisdom of Your Heart,” which seemed interminable even to the longer attention spans of early-Seventies kids. That over, he gave Dorothy instructions to click her heels together three times, failing to mention anything at all about her shoes having magic powers. After singing the second half of “Over the Rainbow,” Dorothy would disappear from the stage in a puff 76

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Winter 2020

of smoke and reappear in one of the balloon gondolas passing overhead, waving and calling goodbye to the crowd below. (This special effect called for some intricate timing on the part of the performers involved. The Dorothy stationed in the gondola would remain concealed in a large raincoat, so as not to clue in any riders in the balloons before or after her, until the moment the Dorothy on stage disappeared. Balloon Dorothy would then throw off her disguise, not unlike Clark Kent changing into Superman, in the split second before her cue to get the audience’s attention.) Although early park publicity stated that visitors could ride a balloon back to Uncle Henry’s farm, that was not the case, as the balloon ride simply traveled in a circle. It required a short hike along a trail to reach the farm once more, a somewhat mundane ending to a fantastic story. The ten-year run of the Land of Oz park can easily be divided into two evenly split halves. Things went as described above from 1970 to 1975. In December 1975, while the park was closed for the winter, a fire devastated the Emerald City, requiring the stage and many of the adjoining gift shops to be completely rebuilt. At the same time, there was a theft—widely considered to be related to the fire—of most of the movie props and costumes, which were in storage for the off-season. Most of that material was eventually recovered, but the park itself would never be quite the same again. Beginning with the Spring 1976 season, there was more resemblance to the movie than there had ever been before. The old character costumes had also been destroyed in the fire, and new ones were devised that used face makeup rather than the oversized heads/ masks. This also made the performers look more like Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, and their cinema cronies. The stage show was also revamped at least two different times, at one point adding a humorous prologue involving a cast of puppets, and finally revealing the Wizard to be the fake everyone had always expected. Unfortunately, throughout the Sevenites, the entire tourism industry had been suffering a series of setbacks, beginning with the 1973 oil embargo in the Middle East that set off a stateside panic that the U.S.A. was running out of energy. Gas prices soared, speed limits were lowered, and attractions such as Oz that sat somewhat off the beaten path—i.e., not alongside an interstate highway—felt the pinch the most. But it was at the end of that decade, with the hostage crisis in Iran causing true gas shortages and a general recession that put a damper on everything, when even venerable and long-established attractions such as Chattanooga’s famed Rock City Gardens began fearing their own mortality. Unlike Rock City, the Land of Oz was not one of the

celebrity crushes

(TOP LEFT) For this often-used publicity photo, the cast of the Emerald City “Magic Moment” show posed together on stage, including the Wizard’s new majordomo, Greenie the Mouse, and Jack Pentes’ beloved singing, dancing mushrooms. (TOP RIGHT) The simulated hot air balloons were the only ride in the entire Oz park. Built by a North Carolina company, they were modeled on a standard ski-lift mechanism and took visitors on a scenic ride over the rooftops and trees. (RIGHT) The “new look” of Oz after the devastating fire is best represented by the 1976 brochure, which gives ample space to the new character costumes. Unlike Jack Pentes’ original park design, the post-fire renovations were based more heavily on the movie.

fortunate survivors, and at the end of the 1980 operating season, the gates were locked. For the next ten years, the former park sat unloved and unwashed, its infrastructure a victim of weather and vandalism. Eventually an upscale housing development grew up around it, resulting in the complete bulldozing of the Emerald City. Around 1990, in an attempt to preserve what was left, the Emerald Mountain Realty company became the caretaker of the property and set about to prevent any further destruction. Considering the amount of abuse the park had endured while abandoned, it was somewhat surprising that as much of it survived as it did. The two farmhouses—the “normal” one and the tilted one—were still intact, though ransacked. The character houses were gone, but the Yellow Brick Road still followed its winding, though pot-holed, path through the woods. The only

VISIT THE LAND OF OZ 1007 Beech Mountain Parkway, Beech Mountain, NC 28604

Month during various times each June through early July Admission: $27.50 (children 2 and under free)

AUTUMN AT OZ 3-day weekend event held on the first two weekends of Private tours and special September events can be arranged by Admission: tickets start at $45 special appointment. (children 2 and under free) 800-514-3849 JOURNEYS WITH DOROTHY www.landofoznc.com Held during Beech support@etix.com Mountain’s Family Fun

remnants of the Emerald City were some concrete slabs that had once supported the gift shops and restaurants; nothing of the “Magic Moment” stage existed at all. Once some cleaning up was done, Emerald Mountain Realty began an annual “Autumn at Oz” celebration, where a limited number of visitors were permitted to recreate the original tour as closely as possible. Today, the Autumn at Oz event attracts such overflow crowds that the property’s current management has instituted additional events, known as “Journeys with Dorothy,” on June weekends. Thanks to the internet, their biggest battle is combating the many online articles and videos that claim the Land of Oz is abandoned, simply because it no longer operates as a theme park. Such is not the case, and anyone who attempts to access the highly secured property without permission will quickly learn so. For a more complete, full-color photographic history of the park, we direct you to Arcadia Publishing’s The Land of Oz (by Yours Truly, coincidentally enough), published in 2016 and available through arcadiapublishing.com and amazon.com. A YouTube search will turn up scores of videos ranging from vintage Seventies home movies to footage of the most recent Autumn at Oz and Journeys with Dorothy events. But when you encounter such pieces that refer to Oz as a “creepy, abandoned theme park,” just keep in mind the slogan that turned up repeatedly in MGM’s short subjects: “Don’t you belieeeeeeve it!” TIM HOLLIS has written 32 books on pop culture history, ranging from tourism to cartoon merchandise to television and beyond. He also operates his own museum of such memorabilia near Birmingham, Alabama. He may be contacted at hollis1963@aol.com. RetroFan

Winter 2020

Been enjoying each issue of RetroFan… along with most of TwoMorrows’ publications. I noticed that in your next issue [#4] is an article about one of the greatest action figure lines: Major Matt Mason. I have been a collector of MMM since 1983, having played with him in the late Sixties through the early Seventies. It might be too late, but I would be happy to offer photos of my collection. MIKE BLANCHARD Mike, while your message arrived too late for inclusion in issue #4, the photos of your Matt Mason collection must be shared! And here they are…

I was surprised how much I enjoyed the two Shazam! articles as, other than the old Fawcett [Golden Age comic] reprints and Jerry Ordway’s [Power of Shazam! DC Comics] run, I wasn’t a particularly big fan. But, pleasant surprise, both connected. I only saw the Shazam! live-action show a couple times. Not a must-watch for me. But the background information on the show, its hectic 78

RetroFan

Winter 2020

production schedule, and why there were two Captains made for an interesting read. I had no idea how brutal the pace was there. Fire a guy and have his replacement in costume the next day? Also, I didn’t recall Adam West as the narrator. Usually, I’m good with that and recognize a familiar voice. Here, looked it up on

YouTube and still didn’t. The voice is enhanced such that it’s not distinctively him. Liked the Shazam! merchandising article, as well, especially when the art utilized was that of C. C. Beck or emulated his distinctive style. A childlike fun to it. That was what I enjoyed about the reprints and first ten Beck issues of DC Comics’ Shazam!: the art was a wild contrast to what was widely available.

Some additional amusement: kids’ sneakers for a character who wears boots and a car for a character who’s not old enough to drive and can fly in super-hero form. I’m not a great fan of the Too Much TV Quiz but have to admit cracking up to open a magazine and see LaWanda Page, Paul Lynde, and Cousin Itt. (Same with the King Tut shot of Victor Buono.) The Spirit article was interesting in this regard: It didn’t lead to a series, but so what? It was just a supplement to Will Eisner’s earlier body of work. That still stands intact, regardless of other media adaptations and their reception. Appreciated that you, unintentionally, solved a mystery. Never had Famous Monsters of Filmland #20 but remember the cover reading, “The Man Who Saw King Kong 90 Times!” Now, half a century later, I finally know who they meant (Ray Harryhausen). Suggestions for future articles: `` Impressionist David Frye `` Jonny Quest `` Space Ghost `` Big Boy Comics `` Proposed cartoons that didn’t make it `` James Warren and the Captain Company `` Space Food Sticks `` Shake-a-Pudding (and Shake-a-Pudd’n) `` Cereal prizes and promotions/TV cartoon character tie-ins `` 1964 World’s Fair `` Super-hero Aurora models `` Super-hero paperbacks `` Howard Johnson’s `` Jacques Urbont (composer of the ’66 Marvel Super Heroes TV theme songs) `` Peter Marshall and The Hollywood Squares `` Celebrities born in the Fifties and Sixties and what they collected as kids JOE FRANK That’s a great to-do list for ye ed, Joe. You’ve got Jonny Quest this issue, and we’ll see what we can do about the others.

Hi! Just discovered RetroFan… loved it! Issue #4, great! Ray Harryhausen… fascinating. Star Trek Set Tour? I’m now planning a trip to Ticonderoga! (I’m a big fan of the original series and just saw my favorite episode, “The Trouble with Tribbles,” and heard my favorite line from any episode: “Who put the Tribbles in the quadrotriticale?” I had that line printed onto a T-shirt to wear to sci-fi conventions in the Seventies to great smiles and compliments. “Thunderbirds Are STILL Go”… loved it. HUGE fan of the original series. Biggest pleasant surprise: [Scott Shaw!’s] article on P.O.P., Pacific Ocean Park. I grew up in nearby Culver City and have memories of visiting there as a kid in the early Sixties. My best memories are not of the rides but of

the Ports of Call. For some reason that area captivated me as a kid. I have family photos dated 1964 labeled as “Ports of Call” by my mom. One is attached [below] of me as a fiveyear-old with my mom there. Great magazine. Keep up the good work. ROGAN McALLISTER

Wanted to let Rose [Rummel-Eury] and you know I enjoyed the “TV Crushes” article [issue #5] and tribute to several people I grew up loving too. However, and I’m not sure why this is such a sticking point with me (I guess giving credit where credit is due, because I’ve pointed it out to several people), but it seems to be erroneously reported in many circles that Larry Storch did the Joker’s voice [on Filmation’s Batman cartoon of the late Sixties] when in fact it was Ted Knight, along with many other voices he did for Batman. I believe I read that in the book on Filmation studios published by TwoMorrows. It always seemed very clearly to be Ted Knight to me. Also, I believe Larry Storch confirmed it as well on a Gilbert Gottfried podcast a few years ago. At 96, the dude is still going! From what I understand he goes to a little park near his apartment in New York and plays his saxophone most days. Thanks for putting out a fun publication. ANDY PATTERSON

action, co-starring role in The Ghost Busters, which you read about last issue. But we appreciate your providing us this opportunity to set the record straight.

I’m a subscriber to RetroFan, BACK ISSUE, and Alter Ego (through my local comic shop). Anyway, I was searching through Amazon Prime Video, and came across Naked City [a New York City-set cop show from 1958–1963— ed.]. I picked an episode because it featured Burgess Meredith AND Alan Alda, and near the beginning, Burgess visits a newsstand and… well, see the attached picture. Who knew at the time? Anyway, my local friends are not impressed with this find, so I’m reaching to someone I hope is! MIKE CARNIELLO

Mike, I think you’ve found Spider-Man’s first TV appearance! Tell your friends about us, and share your comments about this issue by writing me at euryman@gmail.com. MICHAEL EURY Editor-in-Chief Next issue:

Well, the joke’s on us! And the internet is wrong about Larry Storch voicing the Joker. Andy, after consulting the exceptional book, Lou Scheimer: Creating the Filmation Generation by Lou Scheimer with Andy Mangels, on page 62, Mr. Scheimer wrote of Batman, “Ted Knight was the narrator, plus he played Alfred the Butler, Commissioner Gordon, and the villains.” However, as noted in this issue’s interview with Mr. Storch, Larry did do a lot of cartoon voices, including on Filmation’s Groovie Goolies, as Andy Mangels reported in RetroFan #2. At Filmation he also had a live-

RetroFan

Winter 2020

by Scott Saavedra

Angels. was a

! T S A L T A D E L A REVE Charlie’s Angels’ own Charles Townsend was actually Watergate’s (MARK FELT)

DEEP THROAT! Fan With Stupid Collection Forced to Leave Fandom

RetroFan

Winter 2020

PLUS: Those John Bosley gigolo rumors addressed!

Dick Van Dyke, Batman, est walk into Captain Action and JonnyTheQutruth will alarm you. a bar. Emotional Masks

FIRST LOOK!

From WOODSTOCK to THE BANANA SPLITS, from SGT. PEPPER to H.R. PUFNSTUF, from ALTAMONT to THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY, GROOVY is a far-out trip to the era of lava lamps and love beads. This profusely illustrated HARDCOVER BOOK, in PSYCHEDELIC COLOR, features interviews with icons of grooviness such as PETER MAX, BRIAN WILSON, PETER FONDA, MELANIE, DAVID CASSIDY, members of the JEFFERSON AIRPLANE, CREAM, THE DOORS, THE COWSILLS and VANILLA FUDGE; and cast members of groovy TV shows like THE MONKEES, LAUGH-IN and THE BRADY BUNCH. GROOVY revisits the era’s ROCK FESTIVALS, MOVIES, ART—even COMICS and CARTOONS, from the 1968 ‘mod’ WONDER WOMAN to R. CRUMB. A color-saturated pop-culture history written and designed by MARK VOGER (author of the acclaimed book MONSTER MASH), GROOVY is one trip that doesn’t require dangerous chemicals! (192-page FULL-COLOR HARDCOVER) $39.95 • Digital Edition: $13.95 • ISBN: 9781605490809 Diamond Comic Distributors Order Code: JUL172227

LOU SCHEIMER

CREATING THE FILMATION GENERATION Hailed as one of the fathers of Saturday morning television, LOU SCHEIMER was the co-founder of FILMATION STUDIOS, which for over 25 years provided animated excitement for TV and film. Always at the forefront, Scheimer’s company created the first DC cartoons with SUPERMAN, BATMAN, and AQUAMAN, ruled the song charts with THE ARCHIES, kept Trekkie hope alive with the Emmy-winning STAR TREK: THE ANIMATED SERIES, taught morals with FAT ALBERT AND THE COSBY KIDS, and swung into high adventure with TARZAN, THE LONE RANGER, ZORRO, HE-MAN, MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE, live-action shows SHAZAM!, THE SECRETS OF ISIS, JASON OF STAR COMMAND and others. Now, LOU SCHEIMER tells the entire story to best-selling author (and RETROFAN columnist) ANDY MANGELS, including how his father decked ADOLF HITLER, memories of the comics of the Golden Age, schooling with ANDY WARHOL, and what it meant to lead the last all-American animation company through nearly thirty years of innovation and fun! Profusely illustrated with PHOTOS, MODEL SHEETS, STORYBOARDS, PRESENTATION ART, looks at RARE AND UNPRODUCED SERIES, and more—plus stories from TOP ANIMATION INSIDERS about Scheimer and the story behind Filmation’s stories!

By RetroFan’s ANDY MANGELS!

(288-page trade paperback with COLOR) $29.95 • (Digital Edition) $14.95 • ISBN: 9781605490441 Diamond Comic Distributors Order Code: JUL121245

HERO-A-GO-GO!

Welcome to the CAMP AGE, when spies liked their wars cold and their women warm, good guys beat bad guys with a pun and a punch, and Batman shook a mean cape. HERO-A-GO-GO celebrates the camp craze of the Swinging Sixties, when just about everyone—the teens of Riverdale, an ant and a squirrel, even the President of the United States—was a super-hero or a secret agent. BACK ISSUE magazine and former DC Comics editor MICHAEL EURY takes you through that coolest cultural phenomenon with this all-new collection of nostalgic essays, histories, and theme song lyrics of classic 1960s characters like CAPTAIN ACTION, HERBIE THE FAT FURY, CAPTAIN NICE, ATOM ANT, SCOOTER, ACG’s NEMESIS, DELL’S SUPER-FRANKENSTEIN and DRACULA, the “Split!” CAPTAIN MARVEL, and others! Featuring interviews with BILL MUMY (Lost in Space), BOB HOLIDAY (It’s a Bird … It’s a Plane … It’s Superman), RALPH BAKSHI (The Mighty Heroes, Spider-Man), DEAN TORRENCE (Jan and Dean Meet Batman), RAMONA FRADON (Metamorpho), DICK DeBARTOLO (Captain Klutz), TONY TALLARICO (The Great Society Comic Book), VINCE GARGIULO (Palisades Park historian), JOE SINNOTT (The Beatles comic book), JOSE DELBO (The Monkees comic book), & more! (272-page FULL-COLOR TRADE PAPERBACK) $36.95 • (Digital Edition) $13.95 • ISBN: 978-1-60549-073-1 Diamond Comic Distributors Order Code: JAN172100

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