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And that means it's the return of the feature the internet has learned to fear!
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Posts
40 comments:
Which, now forgotten, TV show deserves remembering?
I nominate the 1970s tv show, 'Lucan', starring Kevin Brophy. For Marvel, animal men were a staple - the Beast, Wolverine, the Black Panther, etc. Well, 'Lucan' was in that vein, with a boy raised by wolves, having lupine powers.
In one memorable scene, a PT coach asked Lucan how fast he could climb a rope. Lucan replied that it would depend on what he was being chased by. Then, imagining a bear chasing his wolf pack, Lucan immediately broke the world rope-climbing record, totally stunning the coach & assembled high school jocks.
There was also a lot about the human spirit, with Lucan saying he survived being abandoned in the wild, because his will to live was very strong. It was a great show!
Which forgotten TV show do you remember?
Phillip
Until someone comes up with a better topic:
Excellent inkers who are mostly known for their pencilling.
For example:
John Romita — superb inks over Gene Colan pencils on several stories, plus all those issues of Spidey over Gil Kane pencils
Wally Wood — made a great combo with Ditko, Kane, Estrada, etc
Johnny Craig — crisp ink style worked well over pencils by Marie Severin, George Tuska, John Buscema, etc
Kevin Nowlan — actually probably better known for his inks these days, come to think of it
P. Craig Russell — slick, clean, quirky inks over Ditko (ROM), Kane (Jungle Book) etc — did one killer issue of JUNGLE ACTION over Billy Graham’s pencils
Tom Sutton — one of my favorite artists, period, also one of my fave inkers on Gil Kane (WARLOCK, KA-ZAR, CONAN)
This may be too limited a topic — I’ll gladly defer to a more interesting or wide-ranging one.
b.t.
Oops, Phillip beat me to it :)
I don’t remember ‘Lucan’ very well, only watched it once or twice. I think I was disappointed that he wasn’t a werewolf, for some reason.
b.t.
b.t. - That being said, Lucan's eyes did change colour, when his blood was up!
Phillip
b.t. - As regards inkers/pencillers, I've never really considered it. Alan Weiss, maybe? He inked Starlin's Warlock excellently? Or were Starlin & Weiss joint artists, on Warlock? I forget...
Phillip
Years ago Phillip, I once met a long-haired beardy geezer in Goa who it was strongly rumoured was Lord Lucan (although years later I read in the paper that he wasn't).
Not sure how to deal with your topic though - I mean, if you remember a tv show it isn't forgotten, right? Thats just logical...
b.t. - Yeah, those are good examples, but come on - no Filipinos?
The mighty Alex Nino's inks on that black & white Hulk story pencilled by Jim Starlin springs to mind.
And Alfredo Alcala on John Buscema's Conan, thats obviously a no-brainer, right?
Rudy Nebres - Gil Kane's John Carter, and he made Jim Starlin look a great on an issue of his Dr Strange run.
Bill Sienkiewicz - remixed too many other artists too mention (so much so I'm er... hard pressed to think of an example just now. Duh.)
Garry Leach - with Chris Weston on the Twelve (and I guess this is also the place for the inevitable Marvel/Miracleman mention in the comments, even though he didn't really do much with Alan Davis).
Thats off the top of my head for the moment.
Maybe if you want to open things out on inking a bit, how about artists and their own work? Is it better if they do it all themelves?
I've seen a lot of online complaints about John Byrne doing his own inks...
-sean
Sean - I thought the Lord Lucan gags were so obvious...
Most people today wouldn't know the show. In that sense, it's largely forgotten.
The point is, it was a show that meant something to me - as a kid. Clearly, being older at the time, to you, the show didn't mean anything/strike a chord.
The topic is asking you for a tv show which meant something to you, personally, which other members of SDC might have forgotten (perhaps until reminded), but which might interest them, as it's one of your favourites, Sean.
Phillip
I wasn't being serious Phillip - I am thinking about it.
Although you might have to wait a bit, as I've been somewhat sidetracked by a live feed of tonight's Liz Truss/Rishi Sunak debate.
I know, I know, I shouldn't... but theres something about it being in Scotland that makes it compulsive car crash viewing.
Crom knows what the one in Belfast will be like in a couple of days...
-sean
I think Sean has noted some of my favourites, Alfredo Alcala of course on anything and Ruby Nebres were both amazing pencil and ink artists. I would also add Dick Giordano and Murphy Anderson to that list amazing pencil and inked artists both. I also enjoy seeing Sal Buscema ink pages, his early work on some of his brothers pencils as well as on those first few Barry (Windsor) Smiths comics were great.
For TV, I liked the UK series Primevil and the 1970s Randall Hopkirk deceased shows. Both deserve some love.
Sean, the TV debate from Perth ,Scotland is going to be fun the pre comments already by both must have added at least 10% to the SNP's already large majority.
For pencillers that made great inkers, I'll throw in Sal Buscema (Silver Surfer #4!) and Bill Everett (Black Widow in Amazing Adventures #5!).
As for long forgotten TV programs, that's a bit harder as so many are starting to get repeated but I'm going to throw in H.R.Pufnstuff. One of those programs you have vague memories of but where they're so weird you wonder whether those memories are real or imagined. Only full episode I can find on YouTube is at https://youtu.be/emXSVnIC4Ag Unfortunately the Birthday Party episode has been taken down. This is the one where Witchypoo and her cronies turn up at the kid's birthday party smoking weed and blowing it in everybody's faces. Everybody gets stoned and the witch steals the presents.
For Phillip’s Co-topic:
There are a ton of semi-obscure shows that I liked as a kid, that i worry would probably not hold up at all if I were to watch now. ‘Search’ , With Hugh O’Brian, Doug McClure and Tony Franciosa as rotating series leads, is at the top of my list. The short-lived ‘Invisible Man’ series with David McCallum is another. ‘Barbary Coast’ with McClure and William Shatner, ‘The Bearcats’ with Rod Taylor, William Castle’s horror anthology ‘Ghost Story’, etc. I even have fond memories of several super-cheesy 70s and 80s sci-fi series like ‘Automan’, ‘The Fantastic Journey’ (Roddy McDowall!) and ‘Otherworld’. Unfortunately, I’ve found that most series that I liked as a young’un are tough to enjoy now that I’m all old and wrinkly.
As for my youthful disappointment that Lucan had ‘wolf powers’ but wasn’t actually a full-on werewolf, it’s worth nothing that years later there WERE several tv shows featuring genuine lycanthropes, ‘Werewolf’ on the Fox Network, and ‘Teen Wolf’ on MTV — and neither one was all that wonderful.
Pencilled/inkers:
Alcala and Nebres are both obvious choices indeed. Alcala may be equally as famous for inking Buscema’s SAVAGE SWORD as he is for being an excellent penciller/inker. I think Nebres is MOSTLY known for his inks over other pencillers, rather than as a penciller/inker.
Alex Nino is a GREAT example. For someone who had such a distinctly idiosyncratic style in his own work, his work meshed really well with other artists on the rare occasions when he was inking someone else’s pencils. Yes, that Starlin / Nino HULK story looks fab, as does that one Ploog/ Nino ‘Weirdworld’ story in MARVEL PREMIERE. He inked Infantino several times in the Warren mags and on two issues of THE COMET for Archie’s Red Circle line. The 2 Comet comics are beautiful to look at, but the stories are SO boring, it’s a wasted effort.
The Mighty Nestor Redondo inked John Buscema on one issue of SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN and it looked really pretty. But honestly, I preferred having him ink his own pencils.
Sal Buscema is another great example. Definitely spent the majority of his comics career as one of the fastest pencillers in the business, but he had a really appealing ink style in the late 60s/early 70s. Inking his big brother John on SILVER SURFER : (chef’s kiss). C’est magnifique! His inks over Barry Smith’s pencils sometimes looked a bit mushy on CONAN THE BARBARIAN, but issues #3 and #9 are really nice. Random one-offs that looked good : inking Bob Brown on DAREDVIL, Frank Brunner on DOCTOR STRANGE, Ross Andru on THE DEFENDERS.
b.t.
Charlie says…
First, he does not know his anchors well enough to comment. Sorry about that.
Second, after the great divorce and having much free time, I did started watching the “decades “channel which is broadcast over the air. And I very much enjoyed watching shows I had actually never seen before, notably The Dick Cavett show which ran from the late 60s to perhaps the early 80s. Really really enjoyable interviews like with John Lennon and Yoko Ono in the early 70s.
Forgotten TV shows that come to mind:
The Galloping Gourmet
Paint Along With Nancy Kominsky
Sky
The Boy Dominic
The Georgian House
King Of The Castle
And Mother Makes Three
And Mother Makes Five
Yanks Go Home
Banacek
Billy Liar
Star Maidens
Hector's House
Crystal Tipps & Alistair
Mary, Mungo & Midge
Vision On
Crown Court
The Cedar Tree
Hadleigh
Why Don't You
The Tomorrow People
The first inker I thought of was Sal Buscema, already mentioned by bt and Paul McScotty. I loved Sal's inking on the early Barry Smith Conan stories.
Having had a leave of absence from comics in the mid 90s I returned a few years later and was horrified that Garry Leach was then inking John McCrea on Hitman. They worked together for quite a few years and so were both, presumably, quite happy with the arrangement but it did seem a bit like Kylie Minogue employing Bowie just to play trumpet.
I remember Search in the early 70s, which was renamed Search Control by the BBC (in the same way Top Cat was called Boss Cat). I recall young DW being vaguely disappointed if an episode focused on Doug McClure, for some reason.
More ignored than forgotten, however, I really like the Netflix zombie series Black Summer but don't know anyone else that has watched it. Its a prequel to the comedic (half arsed) Z Nation, but played absolutely straight. It also uses multiple time lines really effectively and is slowly reveals how various story threads are connected. Brilliantly brutal and the naffness of Z nation should put anyone off.
DW
Colin, I had totally forgotten about most of these sbows until you mentioned them - some like Star Maidens and Yanks go home I don't recall. I used to enjoy Crown Court as a kid\teenager.
*shouldn't put anyone off
DW
A few more forgotten TV shows I've dredged from my memory:
Don't Ask Me
The Krypton Factor
Screen Test
HOW!
Blockbusters
Mr & Mrs
Bless This House
Macmillan & Wife
Roald Dahl's Tales Of The Unexpected
Noggin The Nog
Noah & Nelly
The Basil Brush Show
Black Beauty
Angels
General Hospital
Shoestring
Sink Or Swim
Only When I Laugh
When The Boat Comes In
The Onedin Line
The Water Margin
Monkey
And on the subject of old TV shows - last Sunday's episode of 'The Reunion' on Radio 4 reunited several cast members from 'Grange Hill' and it was a really interesting look back at that classic kids TV show!
Oh, another ‘obvious’ example of a good inker better known for his pencilling: Neal Adams. Did most of his inking on others’ pencils with his pal the Crusty Bunkers, but he usually dominated those jobs, often inking most of the faces and main figures. There are a few super- nice Conan stories pencilled by Buscema and Kane with ‘Mostly Adams’ inks, and several exçellent Dr. strange stories pencilled by Frank Brunner.
Speaking of Neal Adams reminds me that Berni Wrightson inked one Green Lantern story by Adams and it looks great. Amazingly, neither artist cancels out the other — it’s clearly Adams pencils and clearly Wrightson inks and it’s a perfect blend. Wrightson also inked one of Mike Kaluta’s best issues of THE SHADOW, one Ditko story for Atlas (MORLOCK 2001 #3) and a few Infantino shorts for the Warren mags.
b.t.
A few mostly forgotten shows I watched 'back then':
"The Evil Touch"- it was an anthology series, syndicated, early 70s. Kind of like "Night Gallery ". Only thing I remember about it was it's cool theme music. Ok, now I'll have to check YouTube.
"Quark". Very short lived science fiction satire, hilarious.
"My World and Welcome to it"- a sitcom from...maybe 1971? Starred William Windom as a cartoonist. Used James Thurber drawings.
"Journey to the Center of the Earth " do cartoons count? Ran I season, 1967-68 on ABC here in the States. Loved it almost as much as Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four.
As for inking pencillers- most I'd name have been named above. But a couple particular favorites: loved Wally Wood inking over Kirby. The cover of Avengers 20 is gorgeous.
Must echo b.t. on John Romita- his inks on Gil Kane sent that art into the stratosphere.
Speaking of Gil Kane, how about Neal Adams' fabulous inks on that Conan story from "Savage Tales "?
Ahhhhhh b.t.! You just beat me with your Kane comments! Oh well, great minds and all that...
Red:
Yeah, I loved ‘My World and Welcome To It’ too, way back when.
Sean:
Pencillers who are their own best inkers? John Buscema for sure. Alex Toth, absolutely.
b.t.
Red, b.t. Crusty Bunkers/Neal Adams is a good call. Adams did some great inking on Russ Heath and John Buscema pencils on Ka-Zar in the black and white a Savage Tales mag in the 1970s. That Kane Adams Conan tale is one of my all time favourites .
"My world and your welcome to it", rings a bell but can't quite place it. I remember a similar comic artist type show Caroline in the City that was fun.
The Golden Shot
Play Your Cards Right ("Higher! Higher!")
Get Some In
The Cuckoo Waltz
Mixed Blessings
Yus My Dear
Going Straight (sequel to Porridge)
Solo (starring Felicity Kendal)
Mind Your Language
Ripping Yarns (starring Michael Palin)
Love For Lydia
Flambards
BJ & The Bear
Juliet Bravo
The Gentle Touch
The Chinese Detective
Banana Splits Club, Monkees…
Phillip and Bt, thanks for the twin topics.
I'm struggling to think of any great inker/pencillers who've not already been mentioned but I do remember Steve Ditko doing an amazing job of inking Jack Kirby in Incredible Hulk #2.
When it comes to forgotten TV shows, it's a bit hard to know just which shows are and are not forgotten.
But I do know this one's forgotten, it was a children's TV show from the late 1960s/very early 1970s. It was on British TV on Sunday evenings and its central character was called Jamie Dodger who'd, somehow, gone back in time and was now a crew member on a pirate ship. I don't have a clue what the show was called and have never encountered anyone who has the slightest memory of it.
I remember that, in the late 1970s, one Sunday night, ITV broadcast a version of Frankenstein that concentrated solely on the closing chapter of the book, in which the scientist is charging around in the Arctic, chasing after his monster. In this version, the monster can change appearance to look like anyone and has boarded the ship but no one knows which crew member he's adopted the appearance of. It was, thus, a mash-up of Frankenstein and Who Goes There?
Steve - According to the internet, the show you remember is accounted for!
https://televisionheaven.co.uk/reviews/jamie
https://nostalgiacentral.com/television/tv-by-decade/tv-shows-1970s/jamie/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0198160/
Phillip
Steve, I tend to think that in these days of clip shows, whole channels dedicated to repeats, Youtube etc tv programmes that are still actually forgotten probably deserve to be.
People don't remember them if they're really bad, even ones broadcast well into the video age. Case in point: early 90s Channel 4 show 'Stab in the Dark' featuring (then) new comedians David Baddiel and er... Michael Gove.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hLHyLC2DqI
You'd think after that rubbish the presenters would have vanished from public life...
-sean
Charlie:
https://nostalgiacentral.com/television/tv-by-decade/tv-shows-1960s/dick-cavett-show/
Phillip
Redartz:
https://nostalgiacentral.com/television/tv-by-decade/tv-shows-1970s/evil-touch-the/
This website's quite a discovery!
Phillip
Dangermash:
https://nostalgiacentral.com/television/tv-by-decade/tv-shows-1960s/h-r-pufnstuf/
Phillip
It's even got Hawkmoor - the show about a medieval Welsh superhero!
https://nostalgiacentral.com/television/tv-by-decade/tv-shows-1970s/hawkmoor/
Phillip
b.t.
https://nostalgiacentral.com/television/tv-by-decade/tv-shows-1970s/invisible-man-the/
Phillip
Colin:
https://nostalgiacentral.com/television/tv-by-decade/tv-shows-1960s/mary-mungo-midge/
Phillip
Alright - enough of this! It's obviously a good resource!
Phillip, thanks for those links. It's nice to know I wasn't totally imagining the existence of Jamie. :)
Now to see if that site's got an article dedicated to Primus.
While I'm here, I suppose I should also mention Phoenix Five, the Australian Star Trek.
'Phoenix Five' is a new one on me. I'm just watching a bit on Youtube now...
OMG, it looks cheaper than 70s Dr Who.
And worse than Blake's 7!
Thanks Steve.
-sean
PHILLIP and ET Al.
It occurred to me that part of the enjoyment I get from watching Dick Cavett reruns on the “decades “channel is not knowing the evenings Contant until I tune in the television. While I could go to the Internet, and thank you for the link by the way, I’m not sure I would enjoy nearly as much seeing it occur spontaneously, Even though it is 50 years old, lol.
For sure, interviews with people like John Lennon, or sly and the family Stone, or Mohammed Ally are worth viewing regardless of the setting. But he has so many spontaneous subjects that I would never ever think to look for on the Internet, like the guy who found Dracula‘s castle in Romania 50 years ago.
So it falls under my philosophy of having information pushed at oneself versus pulling in information.
Phillip- many thanks for the links! Now there's another pop culture site to bookmark...
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