Besides all I was hoping for is Sam to get out of that trunk, and cannot wait to here his side of what happened that he let Boris Karloff get the drop on him.
Morning, Tracyville!The reintroduction of the Nitrates is a clear indication that the Gruesome story is winding down. It won’t be long before things come to a head at the theater. I think this week promises a great ride!
Just when you finally noticed Sam’s “struggle” alongside the Authors to step up the PACE, they’ve turned - instead, it’s a ’ delightful ’ change of PLACE ?
Out of a stuffy Theatre and it’s body Boxes, on to a refreshing early Winter breeze, even with toes out there about freezeSo, they’re ALIVE ! One can make out Silver’s profile in mid panel even before the confirmations in panel 3
So the Nitrates’ story begins anew.Aren’t the torn trousers new for Sprocket?They don’t strike me as the festive type for a Christmas tree.And tomorrow – we’ll be back to the theatre after this brief intermission.
I like the overlapping of stories. There is more going on in Tracy Town than rising tensions at the Patterson Playhouse. The complex world is part of the appeal of the strip. Note that Silver says they will load the tree in their van. Wise move to keep the notorious Wonder Car out of sight. If it is still road-worthy after the icy submersion, it may well end up in another chase.
My eyes might be deceiving me . . . ?So I compared again . . .And there, as one character Struggles to get Free, another Hustles to sell a Christmas Tree ?
Today’s sudden change of place, combined with that surprise return of the Nitrates - likely captured the focus of every ones attention ?Affording little more, than a cursory glance at an incidental “ear-muffed” salesman, until you take a second look, and note what seems familiar facial features. Like I’ve seen that guy before (?)And with a new look, seems he’d comes with a subtle - CLUE, one saying the tree’s a balSAM, and it doesn’t drop needles (or Guns?). Like Mike’s there, playing with our minds ? ;-)
It’s a new era in the strip too, where babies are born, characters reborn and new brothers and sisters of characters suddenly ‘appear’ (‘rize’ - like out of thin air?) So take another Look. Seems to appears so much like Sam, our man, with the cigarette ban ? A family resemblance ?.Coincidence ? Or my active imagination ?
regarding the Nitrates……actually, to me her “calmness” at the time; the way the whole last panel was written way back then, makes me wonder if originally the plan WAS for the Nitrates to die, and an audible was called and they were brought back by popular demand instead….
So, Sprocket saved her brother’s sorry behind? Well, maybe he’s useful as a front man, since she is not really “people-people,” so to speak. I suspect we will never know how they survived [that’s convenient for the writer, too], but let it suffice that they did and are back for a ho-ho-horrible Christmas time!
Yesterday’s discussion brought up the 50th anniversary of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. YouTube has a clip of the original closing credits, which were only broadcast once.Rudolph original closing credits
It is a pleasure to be reminded of such fond childhood memories as How The Grinch Stole Christmas and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. I recall The 500 Hats of Batholomew Cubbins as being my first exposure to the wonderful world of Dr. Suess. Years later, I was in New Orleans for a conference and was delighted to find that the local museum had an exhibit of many original drawings by Suess. .Burl Ives made a strong impression as the narrator of Rudolph. He was a very talented singer and actor of both stage and screen. “The Foggy, Foggy Dew” is one of his many hit songs. He owned the role of his lifetime, playing Big Daddy, both on the stage and screen, in Tennessee Williams’, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. .@Night-Gaunt49: Yes, Hill Street Blues was ground breaking in many regards. It was a forerunner to shows like Homicide: Life on the Street, The Wire, and more. While the city was never named, there were many Chicago elements used. The writers trusted the audience to be able to follow a big cast and multiple story-lines, much to my delight.
One more leftover from yesterday’s discussion of How the Grinch Stole Christmas:
Dr. Seuss (Ted Geisel) was very apologetic to Thurl Ravenscroft when he found out that Ravenscroft was not listed in the credits for the solo song which made a big impression in the production. Some people assumed that Boris Karloff had done the singing, but Karloff was not a singer. Geisel sent a left to columnists all over the country asking them to give credit to Ravenscroft.
Ravenscroft is perhaps best known for doing the voice of Tony the Tiger in Kellogg’s Corn Flakes commercials for over 50 years, but Tony was actually first voiced by Dallas McKennon for a year or two before Ravenscroft took it over. I was thrilled to be able to meet McKennon at a video dealer’s show in 1995. Here is a picture I took of him and the autograph I got:
McKennon actually recorded another un-credited role in How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the poor dog, Max, whom the Grinch dressed up to look (sort of) like a reindeer. He only had two lines: “Yipe!” and “Raaaahhh!”
McKennon is famous for Gumby (as you can see in the picture above and which I used to watch all the time when I was little) but he also did many, many other voices (Archie Andrews and the narration for the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad ride at Disneyland, for example). There are picture here of over 100 characters that he voiced before his death in 2009: http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Dallas-McKennon/
Lastly, there is a very long interview with him on YouTube, concentrating on his Disney work, and it’s worth listening to the first couple of minutes for samples of his many voices. If you have an hour to watch the whole thing, there are alternate takes of some of his stories, so it’s a little repetitive in parts, but he’s quite engaging to listen to.
And finally, for those still reading this far down, here is one more comment on Frosty the Snowman. Aside from the well-known Rankin-Bass production, there was another animated film, a black and white short from UPA, done similar to the style of Gerald McBoing-Boing, which you can see here:
http://www.wjactv.com/entertainment/features/xmas-cartoons/stories/frosty-snowman-2.shtmlThe comment system is not letting me embed it for some reason.
cpalmeresq over 9 years ago
The Nitrates are back!
guiowen over 9 years ago
Well, I guess they didn’t drown after all. That car must really have been well equipped for underwater navigation.
blunebottle over 9 years ago
Aww….isn’t that sweet? The Nitrates are gonna celebrate Christmas!
Vista Bill Raley and Comet™ over 9 years ago
Good morning guys!
My dsl connection failed earlier and I attempted to read DT on my iPhone. Too small to be sure of what I was seeing… yep! I did see the Nitrates!
phinnmam over 9 years ago
Well, I wonder if the Nitrate’s will end up in jail, the morgue, or hook up with the Apparatus or the Blackhearts for more criminal deviltry?
Mark Jeffrey Premium Member over 9 years ago
Told you! BTW, I completely forgot what happened to their dear little feliform? Must have been a couple of years ago I guess.
johnrussco over 9 years ago
I knew they’d be back, only the last time I made a comment about her and was banned for quite awhile, so no further comment.
johnrussco over 9 years ago
Besides all I was hoping for is Sam to get out of that trunk, and cannot wait to here his side of what happened that he let Boris Karloff get the drop on him.
davidf42 over 9 years ago
Morning, Tracyville!The reintroduction of the Nitrates is a clear indication that the Gruesome story is winding down. It won’t be long before things come to a head at the theater. I think this week promises a great ride!
sydney over 9 years ago
Just when you finally noticed Sam’s “struggle” alongside the Authors to step up the PACE, they’ve turned - instead, it’s a ’ delightful ’ change of PLACE ?
Out of a stuffy Theatre and it’s body Boxes, on to a refreshing early Winter breeze, even with toes out there about freezeSo, they’re ALIVE ! One can make out Silver’s profile in mid panel even before the confirmations in panel 3
One assumes *Lena’s
also alive, she’s an essential part of the team.Can't Sleep over 9 years ago
So the Nitrates’ story begins anew.Aren’t the torn trousers new for Sprocket?They don’t strike me as the festive type for a Christmas tree.And tomorrow – we’ll be back to the theatre after this brief intermission.
Starman1948 over 9 years ago
Good morning to all my friends. A little glimpse of the next storyline. We will have a Nitrate Christmas? Be well my friends. Have a blessed day.
tsull2121 over 9 years ago
YAY!!! The nitrate’s are back! “Nah she’s got nothing to worry about, frostbite is nothing, she spent the last few months at the bottom of a lake”
abdullahbaba999 over 9 years ago
Ah, yes, anything can happen…and usually does…Mike & Joe just keepin us on our toes..It’ll be a great Christmas…
Pequod over 9 years ago
I like the overlapping of stories. There is more going on in Tracy Town than rising tensions at the Patterson Playhouse. The complex world is part of the appeal of the strip. Note that Silver says they will load the tree in their van. Wise move to keep the notorious Wonder Car out of sight. If it is still road-worthy after the icy submersion, it may well end up in another chase.
Morrow Cummings over 9 years ago
I’m waiting on Stilldamatt’s take on Sprocket’s return. Timmy, where is Stilldamatt this morning?
seanyj over 9 years ago
Ok, how did they get from the bottom of the lake? Did he learn his lesson not to hit his sister ever again? And where’s Lena the Hyena?
sydney over 9 years ago
My eyes might be deceiving me . . . ?So I compared again . . .And there, as one character Struggles to get Free, another Hustles to sell a Christmas Tree ?
Today’s sudden change of place, combined with that surprise return of the Nitrates - likely captured the focus of every ones attention ?Affording little more, than a cursory glance at an incidental “ear-muffed” salesman, until you take a second look, and note what seems familiar facial features. Like I’ve seen that guy before (?)And with a new look, seems he’d comes with a subtle - CLUE, one saying the tree’s a balSAM, and it doesn’t drop needles (or Guns?). Like Mike’s there, playing with our minds ? ;-)
It’s a new era in the strip too, where babies are born, characters reborn and new brothers and sisters of characters suddenly ‘appear’ (‘rize’ - like out of thin air?) So take another Look. Seems to appears so much like Sam, our man, with the cigarette ban ? A family resemblance ?.Coincidence ? Or my active imagination ?
fredville over 9 years ago
regarding the Nitrates……actually, to me her “calmness” at the time; the way the whole last panel was written way back then, makes me wonder if originally the plan WAS for the Nitrates to die, and an audible was called and they were brought back by popular demand instead….
davidf42 over 9 years ago
Check the strips for January 7, January 24, March 8, and March 14 and you’ll see that the hems of her pants are ragged.
Sisyphos over 9 years ago
So, Sprocket saved her brother’s sorry behind? Well, maybe he’s useful as a front man, since she is not really “people-people,” so to speak. I suspect we will never know how they survived [that’s convenient for the writer, too], but let it suffice that they did and are back for a ho-ho-horrible Christmas time!
Jonathan K. and the Elusive Dream Girl over 9 years ago
Yesterday’s discussion brought up the 50th anniversary of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. YouTube has a clip of the original closing credits, which were only broadcast once.Rudolph original closing credits
jssheppard3 over 9 years ago
Wait—isn’t it spelled “WHOA?”
Pequod over 9 years ago
It is a pleasure to be reminded of such fond childhood memories as How The Grinch Stole Christmas and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. I recall The 500 Hats of Batholomew Cubbins as being my first exposure to the wonderful world of Dr. Suess. Years later, I was in New Orleans for a conference and was delighted to find that the local museum had an exhibit of many original drawings by Suess. .Burl Ives made a strong impression as the narrator of Rudolph. He was a very talented singer and actor of both stage and screen. “The Foggy, Foggy Dew” is one of his many hit songs. He owned the role of his lifetime, playing Big Daddy, both on the stage and screen, in Tennessee Williams’, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. .@Night-Gaunt49: Yes, Hill Street Blues was ground breaking in many regards. It was a forerunner to shows like Homicide: Life on the Street, The Wire, and more. While the city was never named, there were many Chicago elements used. The writers trusted the audience to be able to follow a big cast and multiple story-lines, much to my delight.
Neil Wick over 9 years ago
One more leftover from yesterday’s discussion of How the Grinch Stole Christmas:
Dr. Seuss (Ted Geisel) was very apologetic to Thurl Ravenscroft when he found out that Ravenscroft was not listed in the credits for the solo song which made a big impression in the production. Some people assumed that Boris Karloff had done the singing, but Karloff was not a singer. Geisel sent a left to columnists all over the country asking them to give credit to Ravenscroft.
Ravenscroft is perhaps best known for doing the voice of Tony the Tiger in Kellogg’s Corn Flakes commercials for over 50 years, but Tony was actually first voiced by Dallas McKennon for a year or two before Ravenscroft took it over. I was thrilled to be able to meet McKennon at a video dealer’s show in 1995. Here is a picture I took of him and the autograph I got:
McKennon actually recorded another un-credited role in How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the poor dog, Max, whom the Grinch dressed up to look (sort of) like a reindeer. He only had two lines: “Yipe!” and “Raaaahhh!”
McKennon is famous for Gumby (as you can see in the picture above and which I used to watch all the time when I was little) but he also did many, many other voices (Archie Andrews and the narration for the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad ride at Disneyland, for example). There are picture here of over 100 characters that he voiced before his death in 2009: http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Dallas-McKennon/
Lastly, there is a very long interview with him on YouTube, concentrating on his Disney work, and it’s worth listening to the first couple of minutes for samples of his many voices. If you have an hour to watch the whole thing, there are alternate takes of some of his stories, so it’s a little repetitive in parts, but he’s quite engaging to listen to.
Neil Wick over 9 years ago
And finally, for those still reading this far down, here is one more comment on Frosty the Snowman. Aside from the well-known Rankin-Bass production, there was another animated film, a black and white short from UPA, done similar to the style of Gerald McBoing-Boing, which you can see here:
http://www.wjactv.com/entertainment/features/xmas-cartoons/stories/frosty-snowman-2.shtmlThe comment system is not letting me embed it for some reason.