Review of "The Lost World: Collected Works From the Pages of Planet Comics, November 1942 to Spring 1950"

 Review of

The Lost World: Collected Works From the Pages of Planet Comics, November 1942 to Spring 1950, ISBN 9781786360755

Five out of five stars

How comics were before the Comics Code Authority

 Reading this book is a look back at how much of the comic book form of science fiction was in the 1940’s. The basic premise is that Earth has been invaded and devastated by a space alien race called the Volta and most of the advances of science and technology have been lost. Few humans remain, yet they are determined to defeat the Volta and regain control of Earth. Led by Hunt Bowman, an extraordinary archer, and his female sidekick Lyssa, the humans face a very uphill fight.

 It is a battle against an enemy that has the technology to travel through space, command great stores of energy, fire various ray guns, fly through the skies and utilize remote sensing equipment. Hunt has his dog Lobo, trained to sniff out the Voltamen. It is a classic exercise in guerilla warfare where there is an extreme difference in the technological capabilities of the two sides.

 The scenarios that play out over the nearly eight year span of issues grows repetitive rather quickly and the dialog is not of the highest quality. It is also strange that some of the devices such as trains still work, even more that the people know how to run them. Generally, it is the case that when the humans need an ancient device to work, it just does.

 The comic adventures in this book are a history lesson in the type of story development that was ever present in the science fiction pulp publications. Absurd premises, weak character development, scantily clad women and bizarre aliens of various types. One positive note is that Lyssa is a fighter alongside Hunt, she is no fainting wimp. Which was not all that common in that time frame. I enjoyed it because it is a demonstration of how it was in the comic medium back then.

Review of "Real Grass, Real Heroes," by Dom DiMagio and Bill Gilbert

 Review of

Real Grass, Real Heroes, by Dom DiMagio and Bill Gilbert

Five out of five stars

A magical season written by one who knows

 The major league baseball season was memorable for two primary reasons. The first is that there were two outstanding performances that may never be equaled. They are the 56 game hitting streak by Joe DiMaggio and the 0.406 batting average by Ted Williams. The second is that it was the last season before the United States entered World War II. Major league baseball was changed after the war, much of which reflected changes in the country.

Dom DiMaggio is uniquely qualified to tell this story, he is the brother of Joe DiMaggio and played in the Boston Red Sox outfield alongside Ted Williams. Joe played for the New York Yankees, so they often played against each other during the course of the season.

 Dom provides a brief background on the DiMaggio family, including his brother Vince that also played in the major leagues. His portrayal of the often volatile Ted Williams is very soft, he defends Williams in pointing out that he was such a natural athlete and his stride was so smooth that it did not seem that he was running at full speed. Dom also defends Williams’ skill as a fielder, noting that his bad rap was often slanted because he was such a natural hitter.

 Dom also is honest about how the owners treated players back then, specifically in the area of pay. It was incredibly low and sometimes players faced a pay cut even after a very good year. From that, one can see how there was a pent-up bitterness among the players about the extent of their exploitation.

 This is a look back at what was a golden time for baseball and the country. In 1941, America understood the stakes of the war in Europe, yet the population simply didn’t want to be bothered. Baseball was a national obsession and in 1941, there was a lot to be obsessed about.

Review of "Junior Classics Illustrated: The Wishing Well," comic number 563

 Review of

Junior Classics Illustrated: The Wishing Well, comic number 563

Five out of five stars

Delightful tale of the least talented child winning

 A poor old man has three sons, Peter, Paul and Boots. A bit slower mentally that his brothers, Boots is often looked down on when there is a challenge. Yet, Boots has one thing that his brothers lack, curiosity about the world.

The family lives in a kingdom where the King and his daughter are frustrated with the presence of a very large tree. They want it removed and are offering a large reward for the person that can chop it down. The princess also want a well dug so they will have water for a wishing well. Many men try, but both the tree and the dirt where they want the well dug are magic and replenish themselves as fast as they are chopped and dug. Extremely frustrated, the king offers a fortune to the person that can accomplish both tasks.  The penalty for failure is banishment from the kingdom.

 Peter, Paul and Boots set out to try to accomplish the tasks. When they hear chopping, only Boots has the innate curiosity to investigate, and he discovers a magic axe. Later they hear digging and when Boots investigates, he discovers a magic shovel. They encounter a small stream and Peter and Paul dismiss Boots when he expresses an interest in where the water comes from. When he follows the stream, he discovers that the water emanates from a magic walnut. When they arrive at the palace, armed with the three magic objects, Boots has no trouble accomplishing the tasks and winning the fortune and the hand of the Princess in marriage.

The moral of this story is about the magic of curiosity and the value it has in assisting a person in achieving their goals. That is a valuable lesson, too often people suppress their curiosity in order to avoid the potential for ridicule.

Review of "Hans Christian Andersen Animated Classics: The Golden Treasure," DVD

 Review of

Hans Christian Andersen Animated Classics: The Golden Treasure, DVD

Five out of five stars

A fairy tale with many aspects of a moral

 This is one of my favorite fairy tales because it does not involve magic in any way, just the inherent talent of a boy and his desire to use it. Peter is a young boy with flame red hair, yet his mother calls him the Golden Treasure. Almost from birth, he demonstrates incredible skills as a child prodigy in music and is capable of playing almost any instrument. However, his father is determined that Peter stick to the drum so that he can be a drummer in the military.

 When war comes as always seems inevitable, Peter dons his drum and does his duty, marching off with the other men. During that war, he continues to beat his drum and leads a charge that captures a major artillery position of the enemy. Labelled as a hero, he returns to his village to become a musician.

 When he is given the opportunity to tutor the burgomaster’s daughter Charlotte in music, Peter and Charlotte fall in love. However, she is betrothed to another and overcome with sadness, Peter leaves the town to seek his fortune as a musician. Extremely successful, Peter returns to his town wealthy and famous. Eventually, he discovers that Charlotte has not married so there is a very happy reunion. At the end, Peter’s mother tells everyone that she did not call him the Golden Treasure because of his hair but because of the golden treasure of music within him.

 With only human talent and feelings to sustain it, this fairy tale is a joy to watch. I strongly recommend this video to all people that need to entertain and educate children. For it is a plausibly true story.

Review of "The Wackiest Wagon Train in the West," starring Bob Denver and Forrest Tucker, DVD version

 Review of

The Wackiest Wagon Train in the West, starring Bob Denver and Forrest Tucker, DVD version

One out of five stars

An attempt to out Gilligan Gilligan

This is a really bad movie. Bob Denver plays Dusty, a bumbling incompetent that is based on the Gilligan character of the sixties sitcom “Gilligan’s Island.” Unfortunately, the mishaps are even worse than what took place at the hands of Gilligan. Furthermore, they simply don’t have the spark to generate a laugh as they are generally predictable.

 Forrest Tucker plays Wagonmaster Callahan that is a combination of the skipper in “Gilligan’s Island” as well as his role as Sergeant O'Rourke of “F-troop.” He even wears his hat in the same manner as the Sergeant. Again, the role is old and tired.

 Other characters are the very rich man and his elegant wife, (Thurston Howell and lovey from “Gilligan’s Island,”) the beautiful dance hall girl (Ginger), the plain girl, Mary Ann, and the smart man, (the professor.) Using recycled characters can work, but they clearly do not in this case.

 The movie is boring, often plodding and predictable, it is hard to watch in one sitting.

Review of "Candid Cowboys," by Neil Summers

Review of

Candid Cowboys, by Neil Summers

Four out of five stars

Not as candid as the title and introduction indicates

 There was a time when the western was the principal form of action entertainment, both on the big screen and on television. The people that starred in them were all household names and their faces were easily recognized. Summers was often on the sets of western productions and he took many photos of the stars as they either prepped for a scene or relaxed on the set.

 Nearly all of the photos were clearly posed and staged, few of them would fit the ordinary definition of being candid. Yet, they are fun to look at, for while the action is staged, it is not at the level of publicity stills. The players, including the appearance of stagehands, directors and makeup people all seem quite relaxed.

 If you are a fan of western entertainment and the people who played the characters, this is a book you will enjoy looking through. Each image has an explanatory caption, so you will know the location and the people in the picture.

Review of "More Than Winning," by Tom Osborne

 Review of

More Than Winning, by Tom Osborne, ISBN 9780803226630

Five out of five stars

Winning the right way

 The most impressive statement in this book is when Osborne states that Nebraska led the nation in Academic All-Americans, and by a two-to-one margin. This was during a period when Nebraska was a football powerhouse, in contention every year for the national championship and winning three in the nineties. Osborne instituted several major changes, including year-round weight training, nutrition and other conditioning.

 While Osborne openly states his religion, he does not flaunt it, stating that all he prayed for was safety, health and a game that was cleanly played and properly officiated. He also points out some of the absurd aspects of the NCAA rules, when Nebraska was cited for violating an obscure rule, he took the blame. Openly admitting that he didn’t know the rule existed, he accepted it saying that he should have known.

 Osborne was also a master at growing players into starring roles. Allowing men to walk on and letting them take as much as years before they developed into a quality player was a trait of the program. He also showed courage and his winning resolve when he went for two points and the win against Miami in the 1984 Orange Bowl.

 A coach that did things right and was rewarded for it, Osborne demonstrated that you could follow the rules, avoid being the ruthless taskmaster, be gracious towards others and still be one of the most successful coaches of all time.