When The Simpsons first began airing, I was so taken by the show that I decided to record each episode on VHS (yeah, it was that long ago!), and each Christmas I would make copies of these tapes and give them to my family. They were a big hit - we were binge watching the show long before that became a regular thing to do with popular series. Little did I know that the series would never go off the air! I think I kept up the practice for the first six seasons.
I think the TV Guide had a gag involving a tv listing for Futurama's time period describing a 20,000+ episode of The Simpsons. XD
ReplyDeleteAh! Fred Hembeck. How I miss his little gag strips in DC comics B.C.O.I.E. If you ever do another tribute to his artwork, could you depict a philosophical discussion between Silver Age Bizarro...and Yoda?
ReplyDeleteMe would be so unhappy! :-)
Yes, indeed! Fred Hembeck. I always got a kick out of his comic strips in the Daily Planet at the back of those DC issues. I especially liked the one that talked about the Man-Bat taking on the butler named Fred-Al. Another showed Flash and Adam Strange with Adam asking Flash how he got to Adam's planet so fast. Flash replied, "I Rann." There are a number of others, but I believe those to be my favorites. Hembeck also did much of the art in What If? #34, the all humor issue. He did the panel, for example, of the FF being bananas rather than people, and the look on Reed Richard's face when he peeled his banana is priceless!
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of long ago- when I saw "Bartman" in the heading, my mind immediately went to Chicago Cubs fan Steve Bartman, who in 2003 foiled his team's postseason chances by an untimely encounter with the ball. Perhaps Bartman inadvertently catches Batman's grappling hook, causing him to fall from the side of a building.
ReplyDeleteI was a Marvel Zombie in my early collecting days so my Hembeck nostalgia is tied to Fred Hembeck's Page in Marvel Age and his universe shattering Fred Hembeck Destroys the Marvel Universe.
ReplyDeleteEven splurged for a signed copy of House of Hem.
And with the Fox/Disney merger, I'm hoping to see Bartman or his hero Radioactive Man team up with any of the Marvel Heroes some day.
Fred is still doing artwork today, though i believe mostly commissions. You should see if there's a way to send this to him. I think he'd get a kick out of it.
ReplyDeleteFred is on Facebook. For fellow fans of fearless Fred's funnies, most or all of his DC Daily Planet strips are archived at http://www.proudrobot.com/hembeck/ (Click on the icon of Zoot Sputnik for an index by character.)
ReplyDeleteD'oh!
ReplyDeleteBart-maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!
ReplyDeleteNana-nana-nana-nana-nana-nana-nana-nana!
Bart-maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!
you sir are a bonafide genius at your craft of choice....
ReplyDeletepure genius, as much as the great Fred Hembeck....
we, who are unworthy, salute you....
I don't think that's the real Batman. I think it's Hush...working for Spyral!
ReplyDeleteLook at the knees if you don't believe me.
@Los Thunderlads: I remember ESPN doing a documentary about that catch. The host concluded the special by commenting (re: his virtual disappearance from the Windy City in the wake of all that rabid resentment the poor guy was hit with): "Chicago has long since forgiven Steve Bartman. Isn't it time he forgave Chicago?"
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, that rather naively assumes every Chicagoan who was at that game _has_ forgiven him! Which, given the loyalty-bordering-on religious fanaticism that Chicagoans have for their baseball teams, might not be the case. :-(
@Carycomic: I saw that show. I agree the last line was unfair to Bartman.
ReplyDeleteOn a lighter note? I love the title, Ross! :-)
ReplyDelete