Friday, April 13, 2007

Roscoe Lee Browne, R.I.P.

LOS ANGELES: Actor Roscoe Lee Browne, whose rich voice and dignified bearing brought him an Emmy Award and a Tony nomination, has died. He was 81.

Browne died early Wednesday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles following a long battle with cancer, said Alan Nierob, a spokesman for the family.

Browne had a decades-long career that ranged from classic theater to TV cartoons. He also was a poet and a former world-class athlete.

His deep, cultured voice was heard narrating the 1995 hit movie "Babe." On screen, his character often was smart, cynical and well-educated, whether a congressman, a judge or a butler.

Born May 2, 1925, to a Baptist minister in Woodbury, New Jersey, Browne graduated from historically black Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, where he later returned to teach comparative literature and French.

He also was a track star, winning a 1951 world championship in the 800-yard (731-meters) dash.

He was selling wine for an import company when he decided to become a full-time actor in 1956 and had roles that year in the inaugural season of the New York Shakespeare Festival in a production of "Julius Caesar."

In 1961, he starred in an English-language version of Jean Genet's play "The Blacks." Two years later, he was The Narrator in a Broadway production of "The Ballad of the Sad Cafe," a play by Edward Albee from a novella by Carson McCullers. In a front page article on the advances made by blacks in the theater, the New York Times noted that Browne's understudy was white.

He won an Obie Award in 1965 for his role as a rebellious slave in the off-Broadway "Benito Cereno."

In movies, he was a spy in the 1969 Alfred Hitchcock feature "Topaz" and a camp cook in 1972's "The Cowboys," which starred John Wayne.

"Some critics complained that I spoke too well to be believable" in the cook's role, Browne told The Washington Post in 1972. "When a critic makes that remark, I think, if I had said, 'Yassuh, boss' to John Wayne, then the critic would have taken a shine to me."

He also said he liked Wayne, "a genuine wit, capable of a splendid bon mot," despite having little use for his conservative politics.

On television, he had several memorable guest roles. He was a snobbish black lawyer trapped in an elevator with bigot Archie Bunker in an episode of the 1970s TV comedy "All in the Family" and the butler Saunders in the comedy "Soap." He won an Emmy in 1986 for a guest role as Professor Foster on "The Cosby Show."

In 1992, Browne returned to Broadway in "Two Trains Running," one of August Wilson's acclaimed series of plays on the black experience. It won the Tony for best play and brought Browne a Tony nomination for best featured (supporting) actor.

Browne "brings an infectious good humor to the role of Holloway, the resident philosopher who dispenses most of Wilson's common sense," wrote Michael Kuchwara, The Associated Press drama critic.

The New York Times said he portrayed "the wry perspective of one who believes that human folly knows few bounds and certainly no racial bounds. The performance is wise and slyly life-affirming."

Browne also wrote poetry and included some of it along with works by masters such as Lawrence Ferlinghetti and William Butler Yeats in "Behind the Broken Words," a poetry anthology stage piece that he and Anthony Zerbe performed annually for three decades.

Some of his other credits include--
Spider-Man (30 episodes, 1995-1998) - Kingpin/Wilson Fisk (voice)
Logan's Run (1976) - Box
Planet Of The Apes (Tomorrow's Tide episode, 1974) - Hurton

He also narrated "The Story Of Star Wars" album from 1977. I listened to this LP over and over when I was a kid. We didn't have VHS or DVD's, so this was the only way to relive the greatest movie of all time!

This file is not my rip. Thanks to the original uploader. Click the link below to download.

-->The Story Of Star Wars<--

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Joe Lentine, R.I.P.


Anyone living is Northeast Ohio knew the jingle for Lentine's Music -- "When you think of music, think of Lentine's". I worked at the main store in Akron for 10 years, until they went out of business this past February. Joe Lentine worked at the store until the day it closed. He will be missed. Here is his obituary.

Joe Lentine, owner of five music shops
A talented musician, he taught in Akron before opening stores


By Linda Golz
Beacon Journal staff writer

Joe Lentine was known as a musician, a businessman, an outdoorsman and a family man, but to those who knew him best, Joe was a people-person.

Joseph P. Lentine, 85, died Monday of a heart attack.

``There's not enough adjectives to describe this man,'' said James Stahl, owner of Central Instrument Co. in Cuyahoga Falls and Mr. Lentine's longtime friend and business competitor. ``Even though we were rivals, he was an inspiration. I just followed him. If he did it, I knew it was the right thing to do.''

Stahl said area musicians were coming to his store to express sorrow and surprise over Mr Lentine's death.

For 32 years, Mr. Lentine was a band teacher for the Akron Public Schools, where he touched the lives of not only the music students, but other students as well, Stahl said.

When he retired in 1977, he opened Lentine's Music on North Main Street with his son, Michael, and continued to work there until the five stories closed earlier this year.

Mr. Lentine could play most instruments, though his wife, Vilma, said he mostly played the piano at home and the bass violin with bands.

Vilma Lentine said her husband had been ill on and off the past couple of years, but he had always rebounded.

``He was always able to bounce back. We have five acres of land he mowed,'' she said.

``He loved to go gambling.''

She said they often took gambling excursions to West Virginia and Erie, Pa.

He also liked to garden, go fishing, boating and golfing, and spending time with his family, his wife said.

Mr. Lentine was born in South Fork, Pa., on May 31, 1921.

Survivors include his wife; sons Martin, Michael and Matthew; and six grandchildren.

Calling hours will be 4 to 8 p.m. today at the Dunn-Quigley Ciriello & Carr Funeral Home, 39 S. Miller Road, Fairlawn.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 10 a.m. Friday at Guardian Angels in Copley Township. Burial will be at Holy Cross Cemetery.

The family suggests memorials to Copley Fire & Rescue, 1540 S. Cleveland-Massillon Road, Copley, OH 44321.

Sunday, April 08, 2007

Ex-KISS Guitarist Mark St. John, R.I.P.


By Greg Prato
Reuters
Sunday, April 8, 2007; 3:16 AM

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Former Kiss guitarist Mark St. John died Thursday from an apparent brain hemorrhage. He was 51.

Born Mark Norton in Hollywood, St. John was Kiss' third official guitarist, having replaced Vinnie Vincent -- the substitute for Ace Frehley -- in 1984.

By this point, Kiss had done away with its trademark makeup and costumes, but the group was enjoying a career renaissance. The lone Kiss album on which St. John appeared, "Animalize," re-established the group as one of the world's top arena metal bands. The album spawned the popular MTV video, "Heaven's on Fire" (the only Kiss video to feature St. John).

St. John's flashy playing reflected the era's Van Halen-influenced rock guitarists, but it certainly helped spark the material on "Animalize," which many fans consider one of Kiss' strongest non-makeup releases. However, right around the time Kiss was to launch a worldwide tour in support of the album, St. John was diagnosed with a form of arthritis called Reiter's Syndrome, which caused his hands and arms to swell, and prevented him from playing guitar.

Guitarist Bruce Kulick filled in (St. John did manage to play one full show with the group, and portions of a few others) and eventually replaced St. John as Kiss' permanent guitarist.

His medical condition improved after leaving Kiss, and St. John launched a pop/metal outfit, White Tiger, with ex-Black Sabbath singer David Donato. St. John briefly teamed up with original Kiss drummer Peter Criss in a group that didn't release any recordings, and appeared as a guest speaker at Kiss conventions. In 2001, he released an all-instrumental album, "Magic Bullet Theory."

"I wish to express my sympathy to Mark St. John's family and friends," Kulick said in a statement. "Though Mark was the guitarist I replaced, I respected his talent and contribution to Kiss. May he rest in peace."

Click here --> Heaven's On Fire <-- to download.

"B.C." Cartoonist Johnny, R.I.P.


Endicott, N.Y. (AP) -- Cartoonist Johnny Hart, whose award-winning "B.C." comic strip appeared in more than 1,300 newspapers worldwide, died at his home on Saturday, April 7. He was 76.

"He had a stroke," Hart's wife, Bobby, said on Sunday. "He died at his storyboard."

"B.C.," populated by prehistoric cavemen and dinosaurs, was launched in 1958 and eventually appeared in more than 1,300 newspapers with an audience of 100 million, according to Creators Syndicate, Inc., which distributes it.

After he graduated from Union-Endicott High School, Hart met Brant Parker, a young cartoonist who became a prime influence and co-creator with Hart of the "Wizard of Id" comic strip.

Hart enlisted in the Air Force and began producing cartoons for Pacific Stars and Stripes. He sold his first freelance cartoon to the Saturday Evening Post after his discharge from the military in 1954.

Later in his career, some of Hart's cartoons had religious themes, a reflection of his own Christian faith. That sometimes led to controversy.

A strip published on Easter Sunday in 2001 drew protests from Jewish groups and led several newspapers to drop the strip. The cartoon depicted a menorah transforming into a cross, with accompanying text quoting some of Jesus Christ's dying words. Critics said it implied that Christianity supersedes Judaism.

Hart said he intended as a tribute to both faiths.

Besides his wife, Hart is survived by two daughters, Patti and Perri. He was a native of Endicott, about 135 miles northwest of New York City, and drew his comic strip at a studio in his home there until the day he died.

Easter Mix

Me and my son coloring Easter eggs (2002)


Here's a compilation of Easter tunes I put together. I think it turned out pretty good, considering I put it together in less than a week. There's not a lot of Easter songs to choose from, that's why there are five versions of Easter Parade on here. You can download the Easter songs from the other blogs I posted about to fill a CD, if you're so inclined. I hope you enjoy it.

Track Listing

1. Another Easter Day - Veggie Tales
2. Another Easter Day (Reprise) - Veggie Tales
3. Easter Parade - Judy Garland, Fred Astaire & Chorus
4. Easter - Bob Hope
5. Easter Parade - Bing Crosby
6. Easter Monday On The White House Lawn - United States Marine Band
7. Egbert The Easter Egg - Betty Clooney & The Sandpipers w/ Mitch Miller & Orch.
8. Easter Parade - Gene Autry
9. Happy Easter - Fred Astaire & Chorus
10. (Here Comes) Peter Cottontail - Gene Autry
11. Easter Parade - Guy Lombardo
12. It's Easter Time - Mouseketeer Ensemble
13. My Easter Rubber Duck - Roberts & Katz
14. Easter Parade - Andy Russell

Easter Mix (38.50 MB)

I'm not sure if the other link is working, so here's a Rapidshare link.

Easter Sunday at MY(P)WHAE!

Lee at MY(P)WHAE has posted some great Easter music at his blog. Check it out.

Friday, April 06, 2007

Hippity-Hoppity


fudgeland has posted a couple of Easter songs by Roy Rogers.

Either late tonight or tomorrow, I'll have my Easter mix posted. Stay tuned.

Thursday, April 05, 2007

Monster Jigglers For Easter

I was looking through some old photo albums from the 70's for old Easter pictures, when I came across this one. My brother got a Frankenstein Jiggler and I got a Mummy Jiggler. We had the coolest parents in the world, and we had really bad hair cuts.

Click here to read the history of The Easter Bunny and The Australian Easter Bilby.

Here Comes Peter Cotton Claus


Music You (Possibly) Won't Hear Anyplace Else has posted a song called "Here Comes Peter Cotton Claus". It's a cute song that you can listen to at Easter or Christmas.

Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Here Comes Peter Cottontail


Go to Dartman's World Of Wonder to download this children's Easter album from 1975. Be sure to come back here in the next couple of days, I'm going to post my own Easter compilation.

Saturday, March 31, 2007

HAPPY HALLOWEEN IN MARCH!!! Update 05/20/07

These pictures feature friends and family from the 1970's. Top row: Tom as skull bum, me as hobo, my brother Scott as Steve Austin, Joyce as her mom, Kelly as the cat. Second row: Scott as Superman, me as Batman, my parents clowning around and me as Gene Simmons.

Here's almost 80 minutes of "Random Songs Of Horror". These tracks come from many different sources. Some were in my collection, some from the library or I downloaded them from someones blog. Please visit the "Nifty Links" section to the right, these are blogs or websites that I visit frequently. Some of these songs may have originally came from one of them.

Track Listing

1. The Haunted Mansion Welcome - Disney
2. Addams Family Movie Main Theme - Marc Shaiman
3. Ben - Crispin Glover
4. Edward Scissorhands Introduction (Titles) - Danny Elfman
5. Fay Wray Come Out and Play - Type O Negative
6. Frightening Frankie, Dangerous Drac & Weirdo Wolfie - Groovie Goolies
7. Ghosts In White Linen - Bob Rivers
8. Halloween - Bob Hope
9. The Haunted Strangler (commercial) - Boris Karloff
10. The Halloween Song - Bing Crosby, Boris Karloff & Victor Moore
11. Hallowe'en, Hallowe'en - Oscar Brand & His Young Friends
12. Heartbeat - Van Helsing
13. Hilarious House Of Frightenstein - Vincent Price
14. House Of Horrors - Merv Griffin
15. "I Got A Rock" - The Peanuts
16. I'm No Scaredy Cat - Lou Rawls
17. In The Beginning - Motley Crue
18. Jaws 2 (commercial)
19."Innnnnteresting Monster" - Bugs Bunny & Gossimer
20. (It's A) Monsters' Holiday - Buck Owens
21. "It's Alive!" - Colin Clive
22. The Legend Of Wooley Swamp - The Charlie Daniels Band
23. The Monster Mash - Vincent Price
24. Mysterious Mose - Ted Weems & His Orch.
25. Overture to The Phantom of the Opera - Erich Kunzel/Cincinnati Pops Orch.
26. Please Mr. Gravedigger - David Bowie
27. KISS Your Face Make-up (commercial)
28. The Pumpkin Tells - Wade Denning & Kay Lande
29. "Pure of Heart" - Power Records
30. Riders In The Sky (A Cowboy Legend) - Vaughn Monroe
31. Skin And Bones - Dean Gitter
32. Spider-Man On Halloween Night - Spider-Man & Friends
33. Spooky Movies - Roy Clark
34. That Annoying Hanging Spider Sound
35. That Little Old Graverobber Me - Don Hinson & The Rigamorticians
36. Monster Cereals - Count Chocula, Frankenberry & Boo Berry
37. This Is Halloween - Danny Elfman
38. Toccata And Fugues In D-Minor - Hallmark
39. Transylvania Polka - The Count (from Sesame Street)
40. Trick Or Treat - Karen & Cubby
41. Twilight Zone - Neil Norman & His Cosmic Orch.
42. Witch Laugh - Sounds To Make You Shiver!
43. Spooktacular Finale - Spike Jones

Note: Fixed expired link on May 20, 2007

Click below to download--

--> Random Songs Of Horror <--

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Herman Stein RIP

Herman Stein, a little-known craftsman who, unseen but very much heard, helped terrify the audiences of a spate of classic horror and science-fiction films, died on March 15 at his home in Los Angeles. Mr. Stein, a former staff composer at the Universal studio in Hollywood, was 91. Read the full story here.




Here's a file with six themes that were written or co-written by Mr. Stein --


1. Creature From The Black Lagoon
2. The Incredible Shrinking Man
3. It Came From Outer Space
4. The Mole People
5. Tarantula
6. This Island Earth

Herman Stein (13.41 MB)

Saturday, March 24, 2007

FLiP


After you're done looking through my blog, head on over to the Secret Fun Blog and watch his short film FLiP. It's about a monster kid in the 1960's. I highly recommend it.

Halloween In March!!!


Harvey's Midnight Hour suggested that we should have a 'Halloween In March' over at Scar Stuff's blog. I think it's a good idea. Some people celebrate Christmas 1/2 on June 25 or Christmas in July, so why not Halloween In March?

Mostly Ghostly Music Sharing Blaaahhhggg, Distinctly Jamaican Sounds and The Drunken Severed Head are also participating. Check out these blogs for some great Halloween music.


To start things off, click here to download a CD called Halloween Stomp. It has 27 tracks of great old spooky tunes from the 1930's and 1940's.



You can also go through the archives from last October to find more Halloweenie goodness. I'm working on a new compilation of Halloween songs to post on March 31.

HAPPY HAUNTING!!!

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

RIP Calvert DeForest

Calvert DeForest, better known as Larry "Bud" Melman, has died. He was 85. Read about it here.







Here is a clip from The very first Late Night With David Letterman Show (1982) featuring a very familiar introduction by Mr. DeForest.

Autographs

I collect autographs, among many other things. Some of them I get at comic book or monster conventions and I occasionally write to a star and ask them for an autograph. My favorite way to get them is to send an email. Not all celebrities respond to an email, but some do. One of the best places to get addresses for 'through the mail' or 'email' autographs is Star Collector.


I got these two autographs (Judge Judy and Doris Day) in less than a week after emailing them. Check out Star Collector and have fun.

Friday, March 16, 2007

Oh Danny Boy...


Everybody sing along.

Oh Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling
From glen to glen, and down the mountain side
The summer's gone, and all the flowers are dying
'Tis you, 'tis you must go and I must bide.
But come ye back when summer's in the meadow
Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow
'Tis I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow
Oh Danny boy, oh Danny boy, I love you so.

And if you come, when all the flowers are dying
And I am dead, as dead I well may be
You'll come and find the place where I am lying
And kneel and say an "Ave" there for me.

And I shall hear, tho' soft you tread above me
And all my dreams will warm and sweeter be
If you'll not fail to tell me that you love me
I'll simply sleep in peace until you come to me.

I'll simply sleep in peace until you come to me.


Track Listing

1. Danny Boy - Johnny Cash
2. Danny Boy - Celtic Woman
3. Danny Boy - The Chieftains w/ Diana Krall
4. Danny Boy (outtake from 'Little Nellie Kelly' 1940) - Judy Garland
5. Danny Boy - Glenn Hughes (Village People)
6. Danny Boy (1999) - The Irish Tenors
7. Danny Boy (reprise)(1999) - The Irish Tenors
8. Danny Boy (2001) - The Irish Tenors
9. Danny Boy - Erich Kunzel-Cincinnati Pops Orch. w/ John McDermott
10. Danny Boy - John McDermott
11. Danny Boy - Frank Parker
12. Danny Boy - Daniel Rodriguez

Click on the link below to download.

Danny Boy (56.06 MB)

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Music For St. Patrick's Day



Need some music for St. Patrick's Day? Check out The Brobdingnagian Bards. The Bards are Andrew McKee and Marc Gunn. Click here to buy their music or get some great FREE MP3's. Or here for Marc's solo stuff.

From their website--

"Scottish and Irish folk songs combined with the Lord of the Rings music and a wee bit o'Celtic fun. The Brobdingnagian Bards (pronounced brob-din-nahg-EE-en) are The Original Celtic Renaissance music duo from Austin, Texas. Their unique brand of folk music on the autoharp, recorder, and mandolin has made them one of the most-popular Celtic music groups online where they give away thousands of free Celtic MP3 downloads daily.

The Brobdingnagian Bards perform coast-to-coast, and in a given month might be at a Lord of the Rings Oscar Party, a Celtic festival, or a Science Fiction Convention. However, they are an absolute favorite at Renaissance Faires where they add high-energy and wit to make every show a memorable experience."

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

RIP Betty Hutton


Actress and singer Betty Hutton has died, she was 86. Here are three tracks from the Irving Berlin musical Annie Get Your Gun starring Betty Hutton and Howard Keel.

1. Doin' What Comes Natur'lly (2:40)
2. There's No Business Like Show Business (Reprise) (1:03)
3. Anything You Can Do (3:08)


Betty Hutton zip (9.35 MB)

Monday, March 12, 2007

And The Rondo Goes To...

PAN'S LABYRINTH, GODZILLA TAKE TOP HONORS IN FIFTH RONDO AWARDS

Basil Gogos retrospective is named Best Book; Dracula picked as Best Restoration;

Sci-Fi Boys takes Indie crown; Ray Castile is Monster Kid of the Year

March 11, 2007

ARLINGTON, VA -- The wartime fantasy of PAN'S LABYRINTH took top honors Sunday in the Fifth Annual Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards, voted best film in a year dominated by nostalgia for monsters past.

The online survey of nearly 1,500 classic horror enthusiasts named GOJIRA, the original 1954 Japanese version of Godzilla, as the Best DVD of 2006, and Universal's brightening of the 1931 DRACULA with Bela Lugosi as the Best Restoration of the year.

In a showdown of TV monster comedies, the first season of THE ADDAMS FAMILY beat out THE MUNSTERS as Best Classic TV DVD of 2006. An episode of the British revival of DR. WHO was named Best TV Presentation, besting favorites such as HEROES and LOST.

Book of the Year went to FAMOUS MONSTER ART OF BASIL GOGOS by Kerry Gammill and J. David Spurlock, a color-splashed celebration of the artist who illustrated the covers of Famous Monsters of Filmland during the "horror boom" of the 1960s.

And toy collector Ray Castile was named "Monster Kid of the Year" for helping to create a museum-quality monster toy exhibit which toured horror conventions in the summer of 2006.

The Rondo award program, named after 1940s character actor Rondo Hatton, is an email survey of the classic horror fan community sponsored by the Classic Horror Film Board. Now in its fifth year, it is the biggest survey of its kind. By the final weekend, 1,480 classic horror fans and pros had emailed choices in 25 categories.

"The strength of this year's vote shows the classic horror community remains alive and well, and quite discerning when it comes to deciding which projects best capture the spirit of the black-and-white and Technicolor thrills we all grew up with,'' said David Colton, organizer of the event.

Click here for the full results.

Sunday, March 11, 2007

Best Movies Based On Comic Books

Last week Moviefone did a story on the 20 best movies based on comics. Here's their list --
20. Dick Tracy (1990)
19. Mystery Men (1999)
18. American Splendor (2003)
17. Hulk (2003)
16. V For Vendetta (2005)
15. 300 (2007)
14. Road To Perdition (2002)
13. Blade II (2002)
12. Ghost World (2001)
11. Hellboy (2004)
10. Batman (1989)
9. Tie: Superman II (1980) & Superman Returns (2006)
8. X-Men (2000)7. Spider-Man (2002)
6. A History Of Violence (2005)
5. Superman: The Movie (1978)
4. X2: X-Men United (2003)
3. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
2. Batman Begins (2005)1. Sin City (2005)

What, no Howard The Duck?

I think this would make a great music compilation, using the theme from each movie. I know I have a bunch of them, I'll have to search through my CD collection. The ones I know I DON'T have are -- 300, Hellboy, Superman II, X-Men, A History Of Violence and X2. If I ever find them all, I will post the comp on my blog.

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

VOTE TODAY!

Remember, voting ends March 10 for the 5th Annual Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards. Tell all of your friends to vote NOW!

Saturday, March 03, 2007

HEROES

Heroes is one of my favorite shows.
Here's the original trailer for the show--

Here's the theme music-- Heroes Intro (191.47 kB)

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

The Eye Of Hugo

Recently, my brother and I cleaned out our childhood home. We found many long lost toys that we haven't seen since we were young. There was a box of Mego parts, Micronauts, Big Jim stuff, Six Million Dollar Man, GI Joes and tons of other stuff. Much of it is now stored in my garage, whenever it warms up here in Ohio, I will sort it all out.
One thing I found was "The Eye Of Hugo." Hugo, Man Of A Thousand Faces was manufactured by Kenner in the mid 70's. My parents aquired one for me for Christmas back then (even though I had never asked for him). The story behind why I got it is - my folks were going back to their car after doing some Christmas shopping, they saw another car pulling out and Hugo fell off the top. They picked him up and gave him to me at Christmas. I guess, technically, my parents are thieves. :)
I grew very fond of Hugo, even though he was kind of creepy. He had several 'disguises' you could glue on his face, such as eyes, nose, scars, moustache, etc. I don't know what happened to Hugo. All I have left is his eye.

Friday, February 23, 2007

Walker Edmiston RIP

I just found out that Walker Edmiston passed away on Feb. 15, 2007. Who is Walker Edmiston you ask? He was a voice actor and character actor from 1952 until 2006 (one of his last voice-overs was on Ben 10). Some of his memorable roles from my childhood are - Dr. Blinkey from HR Pufnstuf,
Enik on Land Of The Lost and
the (uncredited) voice of the Zuni Fetish Doll from Trilogy Of Terror.

Thursday, February 01, 2007

The Rondo Awards


What are The Rondo Awards?

The official name is -- The 5th Annual Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards.

If you're a fan of classic horror, you need to vote for these awards. These awards are by fans, for fans. Every Rondo nominee is being recognized for a significant achievement to keep our monstrous hobby alive and thriving. So take a look at the ballot and let the nominees know how much we all appreciate their work by voting.

You can vote in the following catagories --

1. BEST MOVIE OF 2006
2. BEST TELEVISION PRESENTATION
3. BEST CLASSIC DVD
4. BEST CLASSIC TV DVD
5. BEST RESTORATION
6. BEST DVD EXTRA
7. BEST COMMENTARY
8. BEST INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
9. BEST BOOK
10. BEST MAGAZINE
11. BEST ARTICLE
12. BEST COVER
13. BEST WEBSITE
14. BEST CONVENTION OF 2006
15. BEST FAN EVENT OF 2006
16. BEST CD
17. BEST HORROR COMIC BOOK
18. BEST MODEL OR COLLECTIBLE
19. COUNT ALUCARD'S CONTROVERSY OF THE YEAR
20. DVD COMPANY OF THE YEAR
21. CLASSIC MOST IN NEED OF DVD RELEASE
22. WRITER OF THE YEAR
23. ARTIST OF THE YEAR
24. MONSTER KID OF THE YEAR
25. MONSTER KID HALL OF FAME

Wednesday, January 31, 2007

New KISS Comic Book








You wanted the best,
You got the best,
The hottest band in the world...
KISS

KISS has a new comic book coming out called KISS 4K. Check out the website for more details.


KISS Comics Group

Sunday, January 14, 2007

Lily Munster DID NOT Die


This was posted by Prof. Anton Griffin at The Universal Monster Army a few days ago. I couldn't agree more.

"So…everyone keeps saying that Lily Munster passed away.

Wait a minute, strike that. She was already dead, a vampire in fact…
with lots of powers and life eternal. She lived hundreds of years.

She epitomizes the Vampire Bride look, and oh, she looks oh so
wonderful in her flowing gossamer gown. She is Iconic, with white
streaks in her hair, her pale green complexion…and who can forget
that BAT-MEDALLION?

And everyone keeps saying she died.
No…she's undead. She can't die, unlike her mortal soul-mate,
Morticia Addams, Lily is a creature of the night. When Carolyn
Jones passed away I felt very sad, as Morticia Addams had died…but
with Lily…well. As Prof. Lampini, (Uncle Forry himself would say) Lily lives eternal.

Yvonne De Carlo was born in Vancouver, British Columbia on September
1, 1922 as Peggy (or Margaret- depending on who you ask)
Middleton. She was a natural talent and spent the early part of
her career singing and dancing in chorus lines. She struggled
through countless bit-parts, in numerous minor roles and as many
breathtaking bathing beauties. Her break-out role was the title
role in Universal's Salome Where She Danced and she continued her
rise to the Hollywood elite playing many major westerns and even
crossed the desert with Moses (Charlton Heston) in The Ten
Commandments. She took the role of Lily Munster in 1964 and never imagined
it would be her signature role, her legacy.

Lily Munster became a cultural icon and along with the great
ensemble cast of Herman, Grandpa, Eddie and Marilyn, they will live
forever, remain ageless…never changing and never leaving our group
consciousness.

Lily: Herman tried to build a ship inside a bottle. We had to break
the bottle to get him out.

Yes, Yvonne De Carlo died…but we still have Lily. We'll always have
Lily, and thankfully there's a whole lot of that Peggy Yvonne
Middleton left on the screen…

Rest in Peace Peggy.

And Long Un-Life to Lily Munster."

Tuesday, January 09, 2007

Iwao Takamoto - Creator Of Scooby-Doo R.I.P.

Iwao Takamoto began his career as an Assistant Animator for Disney from 1947 until 1960, where he worked on Cinderella, Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp and Sleeping Beauty as an assistant to Milt Kahl.

In 1962 Iwao went to work for Hanna-Barbera. He began as a Layout Artist and Layout Designer on shows that include: The Flintstones, Quick Draw McGraw, Loopy de Loop, Frankenstein Jr. and the Impossibles, Secret Squirrel, Moby Dick and The Mighty Mightor. He was the Art Director for Hey There, It's Yogi Bear! and The Snorks.

He was the Production Designer on The New Adventures of Huck Finn, Wacky Races, Dastardly and Muttley and Their Flying Machines, Scooby-Doo Where Are You?, The Cattanooga Cats, Where's Huddles?, Josie and the Pussycats, The Harlem Globetrotters, The New Scooby-Doo Movies, and Yogi's Space Race. He was Producer on Goober and the Ghost Chasers, Devlin, The Partridge Family: 2000 A.D., Hong Kong Phooey and Clue Club. He was Creative Producer on Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kids, Inch High Private Eye, Super Friends, Jeannie, Yogi's Gang, The Addams Family, Wheelie and the Chopper Bunch, The New Tom and Jerry/Grape Ape Show, The Scooby-Doo/Dynomutt Hour, A Flintstone Christmas, Fred Flintstone and Friends, The Great Grape Ape Show, The All-New Super Friends Hour, Dynomutt Dog Wonder, Challenge of the Super Friends, Dinky Dog, The All-New Popeye Hour, The Kwicky Koala Show and The Scooby and Scrappy-Doo/Puppy Hour.

He was the Director on Charlotte's Web.

He was Creative Designer on The New Fred and Barney Show, The Smurfs, GoBots: War of the Rock Lords, Yogi's Great Escape, Yogi and the Invasion of the Space Bears, A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, Hägar the Horrible and Jetsons: The Movie.


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