Betty & Veronica Original Artwork Page

I got my first original comic book artwork page at a recent comic con. I have always wanted to purchase actual original comic book art, but the starting price is usually in the hundreds, so is out of my price range. To my delight, I was able to pick up this page from Betty & Veronica Summer Special #244 for just $35. I also managed to get the comic book that it appeared in which was an added bonus. I can't wait to have it framed so I can hang it in my office.

2016 Fall Returning Series

Ok, so lets have a look at what returning TV shows are worth watching, and which of my favorite shows didn't make it to the new season.

Here is the list of returning shows that I will be tuning into this fall (I'll give each show a rating out of 5 for how much I am looking forward to it - 5 being the ones I am most excited about):

• 2 Broke Girls (3) - I really liked this show at first, but last season it was not must see TV for me.

• Big Bang Theory (5) - This show is always fun. I am really surprised that all my co-workers who are not into anything nerdy, all seem to love this show. I did already see the first episode of this season, and was a little let down. Hopefully next episode the show will be back to form.

• Blackish (3) - Another show that I did really like, but that I had lost interest in. But they have me very interested in the first episode this season as they are going to Walt Disney World.

• Brooklyn Nine-Nine (5) - I believe this is my current favorite show. Great cast, and always funny!

• Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (4) - A great show when you can fast forward through the cheesy song and dance numbers.

• Elementary (4) - A very solid detective show, with just enough humor to keep me coming back.

• The Goldbergs (5) - Another favorite of mine. I'm so glad it caught on and has become as popular as it has become. I assumed that because I liked it, it would be canceled, but here it is back for season 4.

• The Flash (4) - I am a huge comic book fan and have always loved the Flash so this is a great treat. I love that I can share this show with my son, who also loves watching.

The Last Man on Earth (2) - Another show I really liked at first, but last season I was not really enjoying it too much. This may be a show that I stop watching after the first couple of episodes this season unless it does something amazing to hook me back in.

• Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (3) This show is a bit of a mixed bag in quality of episodes. Last season, for every great episode there was a real dud. Hopefully there will be more great episodes to duds this season.

• Modern Family (3) - A good show, that I mostly keep watching because it is sandwhiched between other shows I like.

• Saturday Night Live (3) - I usually watch the show, and there is almost always something worth watching in the show. The news segment is usually the best part.

• Supernatural (4) - After more than 10 years, I have faded in and out from watching, but found myself looking forward to the episodes last season. I'll be back watching on a regular basis for this coming 12th season.

• Superstore (5) - A very funny new show. Hopefully season two will be just as good as the first. I am a little disappointed that this show made it to season two and TeleNova (which debuted at the same mid season as Superstore) did not, as I liked the later just a bit more that Superstore.

• The Walking Dead (5) - The only show that I always watch live. And I always watch the following Talking Dead, as I don't have friends to talk to the show about, so this is my version of the work water cooler talk - although I don't think the people on TV ever listen to me when I give my opinions.

Here are the cancelled shows that I am sad to see go:

• Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris. - Not sure why I liked this show so much as I didn't really like the Karaoke segments, and some of the other segments seemed a little forced, but still it was a fun show in the style of those shows my mom used to watch when I was a youngster.

• Galavant - I was really disappointed to see this one cancelled, when Crazy Ex-Girlfriend received so much praise. Galavant was by far the funny show and had much better song and dance numbers.

• The Grinder - I thought this show was supper funny, but my friends told me it was awful. Apparently they knew more than I did.

• The Muppets - Although I kept watching this show, I didn't think it was all that great. I was just thrilled to see the Muppets back on TV.

• TeleNova - I thought this was the funniest show on TV last season. It seems no one else agreed with me.

• You, Me and the Apocalypse - I enjoyed this show and the fact that it has been cancelled, mean I will never get to see how it ends?

• Undateable - This was by far my most looked forward to show each week. I enjoyed the show during the first season, and when they went to 'live' episodes last season, I was totally hooked. I watched both the East coast and West coast version, as it was fun to see how they changed it up for the second version 3 hours later. I wonder who many others were watching both episodes each week? If they were to release a DVD set of last with both the East coast and West coast versions, I would plunk my cash down to own this, but my guess is this show will never make it to DVD. Too bad.

2016 Fall TV Preview

It's fall, and that means many things, but most importantly, it means the new fall TV season is upon us! Each fall I look forward to picking up the fall preview issues of TV Guide, or in more recent years, TV Week, as TV Guide ceased releasing print editions 10 years ago. As long as TV Week continues to put our their print editions, I will be happily plunking my money down for the Fall Preview issue and Returning Series issues each new season.
As you can see from the cover of the Fall Preview issue, there are 53 new shows this season. Here is a list of the seven shows (including two midseason shows) I will be tuning in to and checking out this fall (I'll give each show a rating out of 5 for how much I am looking forward to it - 5 being the ones I am most excited about):

• Son of Zorn (2) - This one looks pretty lame, but the premise of putting an animated character into the real world is at least worth a look.

• Kevin Can Wait (4) - TV Week says, "Do you miss King of Queens so much that you'd watch the exact same show, but with other actors in pace of that show's great supporting cast? Then boy oh boy does CBS have a sitcom for you!" King of Queens rip off... ok, I'm in.

• Man with a Plan (4) - New sitcom with Matt Leblanc. I loved Friends and Episodes, so will try this one out as well.

• The Great Outdoors (3) - I liked Joel McHale in Community, so will give this one a whirl. I'm guessing this one won't make it through the first season though.

• Macgyver (3) - I never watched the original, but this new one is gonna have a tough time living up to McGruber!

• Imaginary Mary (5) - A show with Jenna Elfman and an imaginary (Muppet style) friend. If its any good, it could be my new favourite show.

• Riverdale (1) - Based on the Archie comics, this one is being billed as a bizarre 're-imagining' of the Archie world. I have just started to appreciate the old cartoony Archie comics, but have not been interested in the new updated realistic/gritty style comics. This new show seems more like the newer Archie, so probably one episode will be enough.

All in all, a pretty disappointing fall season. At least we have next weeks Returning Series issue of TV Week to see which of the shows I liked from last season made the leap to this new season. I already know my favourite show didn't make the cut.

Caroline's Wonderful Journey

Here is another Caroline book by Pierre Probst. This one is Caroline's Wonderful Journey from 1966. This copy is printed and mad ein Great Britain by Wm. Collins & Sons & Co. Ltd, 1972.
I love these oversized 9 x 12 inch books with their wonderful full page artwork. Its so much fun to flip through and take in all the amazingly fun artwork. I Spent some time and scanned the cover along with 4 of my favorite images from inside the book. Enjoy. And be sure to click on them to see them at full size.

Irwin the Disco Duck

Here is a super awesome looking album I picked up the thrift shop recently. It has spent a few weeks in their glass case with a bunch of other kids records, all way over priced at $10 each, then on my most recent visit, I found this album had been moved to the regular floor records with a new price of just $1.99. I happily bought it and brought it home. I really like the artwork on the cover, and decided to Google George Peed. It turns hes done a ton of really great cover artwork for kids records, some of which I already own!

Happy 10th Birthday Big Pile of Stuff!

Hollywod Tower Hotel Evicted from DCA

The Awesome Hollywood Tower Hotel at Disney's DCA

Like something from a schlocky Saturday afternoon horror movie, Disney announced at the San Diego Comic Con that they were removing the best ride in Disney's California Adventure to replace it with a ride based on that Guardians of the Galaxy movie from a few years ago.
At DCA many of their attractions are close to off the shelve rides with little to no real theming. But there is the Radiator Springs Racers and the Hollywood Tower of Terror attractions which have some of the best immersive theming Disney has ever done. The theming, the build up and the actual ride for the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is spot on perfect. How you could decide to give it an unnecessary make over which most likely will not live up to what we currently have makes no sense. Whats next, change the Radiator Springs Racers into the Marvel Iron Man Road Rally once the next Iron Man movie does really well?
I don't mind if they want to add Guardians into the park, but removing something amazing just to shoehorn in some recent IP you hope to shove down peoples throats is not the way to do it.
Could they not just add this new attraction to Star Wars land and say they are expanding the world of Star Wars to include the Guardians of the Galaxy. Or, once Star Wars land opens, why not stuff the Guardians into the space (haha, that's funny) where Star Tours is now.
A HUGE BOO to Disney for this one!

The very silly looking, out of place thing to replace Tower of Terror

Head on over to Save the Tower! and sign the petition against the removal of the Tower of Terror. Not that Disney will change their mind, but as of writing this post they have 29,717 supporters.

Stuck on Gilligan's Island!

Below are scans of the membership form I received in the mail when I first wrote to The Original Gilligan's Island Fan Club back in the 90's. As you can see from the form they sent me, for just $15 you received a subscription to the quarterly newsletter "Island News" a membership card and a "Stuck on Gilligan's Island" t-shirt. I wore my shirt until just recently when it finally started falling apart beyond repair. I decided to take a few photos before I shoved it into a bottle and sent it out to sea (OK, I actually folded it up and put it into a box with a bunch of my other Gilligan's Island collection).
My actual shirt is in pretty rough shape, with a few holes, a really worn out collar and lots of fading, but with a little Photoshop magic, I was able to take the logo that I photographed from my ratty old shirt and add it to a brand new shirt that looks just like it did when it showed up in my mailbox over 20 years ago.

At some point this summer I might finally get around to scanning in a few of the Island News newsletters to post here on my blog.

Fun at the San Diego Comic Con

Its almost time for San Diego Comic-Con again and as every other year, I won't be there. But at least I can comb the internet looking for great Comic-Con photos. Here are two of my favorites from previous years.

Space Ghost makes a landline call to his pal Zorak for a ride home

Peter Parker runs outta web fluid and must resort to alternative travel methods

Disneyland Atlantean Encounter Sub Voyage

Back in 2008 I posted a faux poster I created in photoshop for Atlantis Expedition an attraction I dearly wanted to see at Disneyland in the submarine lagoon where the original sub attraction had been closed since 1998. Some time later I came across a blog Disneyland Nomenclature where they posted a great story about Atlantean Encounter, a proposed attraction that some Imagineers at Disney were working on. If you have any interest in seeing what we could have gotten instead of the Finding Nemo Submarine Ride, check out their post. In that post they showed an proposed attraction poster for the Atlantean Encounter. My head still spins thinking about how incredible a sub attraction themed to Atlantis could have been. Sadly the movie sank at the box office and the Atlantean Encounter never came to be.

RUM... Make America Great Again

Here is a sign I saw today while down in the US. It took me a few seconds to figure out what I was looking at, but when I got it, I giggled so much we had to do a U Turn and drive by again real slow so I could take a photo out the window as we drove by.

New Denny's Location Is Open for Business

I've been wanting a Denny's to open in my neighbourhood for years. Apparently all my wishing has made it happen, as the old Pantry location on King George Boulevard which has been vacant for some time, has now become a Denny's. They opened on May 2nd, 2016, and I was there to enjoy a Super Bird sandwich with seasoned fries and a Cherry Coke. I've been back a few time since and even stopped by last night at midnight for a Grand Slam breakfast (with one modification, mine came with chocolate chip pancakes). I wasn't sure how busy they would be at midnight, but turns out I'm not the only one who was hungry at midnight last night.
Sadly, one of the evenings recently when we stopped by for dinner, they were closed, with a sign saying they were 'closed for filming'. I initially assumed they were filming a Denny's ad, but after thinking about it, I realize that I don't remember seeing ads for Denny's on TV in the last few years. With all the movie productions in the area, it could as easily be filming for a TV show or movie. It's possible I will be seeing Sam and Dean eating at a greasy spoon that looks really familiar on an upcoming episode of Supernatural.
As thrilled as I am with a new Denny's in my neighbourhood, I do wish that this one had the retro look of their older restaurants. Even the sign out front is still in the shape of the old Pantry sign. I guess i will have to go with the old saying that "whats important is whats on the inside", and so far I have been more than happy with what I have had "inside" this Denny's location.

New Adventures of Gilligan on DVD

Advertising works on me. I finished reading Detective Comics #52 and was putting it away when I noticed the ad on the back page. I believe I may have made some sort of "Ooh" sound as I saw the Warner Archive ad advertiging The New Adventures of Gilligan, the complete series Now on DVD!
I am a huge fan of Gilligan's Island, and remember watching the Groovie Goolies show before school every morning in the 70's and 80's hoping to see an episode of The New Adventures of Gilligan. It may not have been the best cartoon on TV, but I have been waiting for this to come out as an official release for years. Back in the 90's while I was a member of the Gilligan's Island Fan Club, I managed to purchase a few episodes of this animated series that had been transferred from 16 mm film. Then some time around 2000 I purchased a DVD off the Internet that had 16 (of the 24 total) episodes in watchable, but not great condition. It took all of 20 minutes after seeing this ad to have my copy ordered and on its way to my mailbox.
Now I just need them to release the three Gilligan's Island TV movies, and a CD with the music from the TV show (and cartoons) would be great, as the music still fills my head all these years later.

DC Comics & Carbon Copy Cloner Logos

Is it just me, or do these two logos look kinda similar?

The logo on the left is the current DC Comics logo which was unveiled on March 2012. The logo on the right is the Macintosh backup program Carbon Copy Cloner. I had a look as some old reviews for the software and I found this logo used as far back as October 2010, which predates the DC logo by about 2 years.
I showed the two logos to some of my coworkers and asked them if they thought they looked similar, and strangely they said no. This may not be as similar as these two logos, but they sure seem similar to me. What do you think?

From Comics to Film! on TCM

I know what I'll be doing this coming Wednesday. While reading my floppy copy of Batman & Robin Eternal #24, I came across an ad for TCM's March 23rd "From Comics to Film!" night. Among the offering this night will be Batman's first screen appearance in the 1943 Batman serial. Other offerings include episodes of Tunnel of Terror,  The Green Hornet, Buck Rodgers, Purple Death, Ace Drummond, Dick Tracy, the first entry in the Saint movie series "The Saint in New York", and the thing I am most interested in seeing, two episodes of the 1943 Phantom serial. I love the character of The Phantom, and I have always wanted to see this old Phantom serial. I can't wait to sit in the dark in front of my big screen TV watching the campy fun and munching my hot buttered popcorn.

Disney on TCM Time Again

March 9, 2016 Turner Classic Movies is once again hosting an evening of Disney material from the Disney vaults, hosted by Leonard Maltin. Be sure to set your DVR for all 7 hours of Disney fun.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Ronn's Big Pile of Stuff blog. Our family spent Christmas at the Happiest Place on Earth. I found this super cool retro Christmas living room at the Disneyland Hotel. Wish I could have brought the whole thing home with us. Monkey and Penguin helped themselves to some of Santa's goodies while we were taking photos.