Holidaze 12/25/19

Grumpy Cat wishes you a very merry...wait...who are we kidding here? This is Grumpy Cat. She doesn't wish anything of the sort. She wishes you a hairball, if nothing else.

Suck it up and deal, kids.

(No, seriously: Merry Christmas, one and all.)

Holidaze 12/24/19

Holidaze 12/23/19

Holidaze 12/20/19

The Beach Boys released their original Christmas album the year I was born--1964, for those who care--and, like every other album they'd recorded to that point, it was a hit, rising to number 6 on the Billboard music chart. The album itself was schizophrenic, though, split evenly between original songs ("Little Saint Nick," "The Man with All the Toys," "Merry Christmas Baby") and more traditional holiday fare ("Frosty the Snowman," "White Christmas"). Throughout, though, the harmonizing the Boys had become famous for.

In 1977, in an effort to satisfy their contract to Warner Bros., the Beach Boys recorded a second Christmas album, only to have it rejected (and shelved) by the studio. It sat in the vault for a couple of decades, until The Beach Boys Ultimate Christmas was released in 1997, with some of the tracks from the aborted 1977 effort included.

I lost my copy of Ultimate Christmas--along with every other CD I owned--when I had to abandon La Casa del Terror back in 2016. However, through the magic of Amazon.com, I landed a copy of the CD last year.

And? I love it to pieces.

Holidaze 12/19/19

Speaking of odd combo platters, you wouldn't expect a Christmas album by the surf rockers behind "Walk, Don't Run" to be as much fun as it is, yet The Ventures' Christmas Album is just that--fun.

From the up-tempo rendition of "Frosty the Snowman" to the delicate turn on "Silver Bells," the Ventures clearly enjoyed making this record. They even followed up with a couple more holiday-themed discs, but I haven't listened to those...yet.

Holidaze 12/18/19

You may think that the holiday combo platter of Art Garfunkel (of "Simon and..." fame) and Christian singer Amy Grant would be an odd pairing for a Christmas album--especially one as "high concept" as The Animals' Christmas by Jimmy Webb. And you'd be right. It is an odd combination.

But you know what? It works. Beautifully.

The concept of the album is simple: It's the story of Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem and the birth of their son, Jesus, but it's told from the perspective of the animals they encounter along the way. Mary is shocked at her pregnancy ("How can this be/I've known no man," Mary sings), but Joseph is tender, warm and determined to find lodging for his wife and child-to-be. All the while, they are pursued by Herod's centurions, who are determined to end the life of "the newborn king"--at all costs.

The animals, though--donkeys and doves and frogs alike--are just as determined to find the family lodging and, ultimately, the way to safety.

Holidaze 12/17/19

Yvonne Craig played Batgirl in the third (and last) season of the Batman TV series in the 1960s. She added extra flair and camp to a series already overflowing with camp. There was even talk of spinning Batgirl off into her own series (a pilot was apparently even shot). Unfortunately, that wasn't enough to save Batman, which was cancelled in 1968.

Fans have never forgotten Craig's Batgirl, though, and obviously somebody at Hallmark had a sweet spot for her: This year, they issued the ornament pictured above, which is a dead ringer for Craig.

Holidaze 12/16/19

Holiday Bear is brightening up my cube at work.

Holidaze 12/13/19

And now, ROBOSANTA! Raining death and ter...um...I mean, joy and happiness on all the world.

Holidaze 12/12/19

I don't just put out vintage Holidaze decorations--this reindeer was bought at Target this past weekend. He'll hang on a tree one day. When I have someplace to put a tree. Yes.

Holidaze 12/11/19

Found this old snowman at Village Discount Outlet a couple of weeks ago. He lights up, too.

Holidaze 12/10/19

A festive porcelain Santa Claus ornament--still in its original box!--that I found recently at Village Discount Outlet.

Holidaze 12/9/19

Holidaze 12/6/19

One more Santa to round out the week--this one in a neighbor's front yard.

Holidaze 12/5/29

A third Santa standing at the work station.

Holidaze 12/4/19

A Victorian-style Santa (or so the label on his base claims) inhabiting the workplace for the season.

Holidaze 12/3/19

An old friend: Santa, hand-painted by me back in the '80s, standing at my work station today.

Holidaze 12/2/19

A wreath around a lamp post in Lincoln Square.

Holidaze 11/29/19

Saw this tree up in early November. In past years, I would have cried "TOO SOON!" and denounced the (in this case) restaurant owner for jumping the gun.

This year? Eh. Let your freak flag fly, food consuming venue. You had plenty of company.

Gobble Gobble 11/28/19

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody.

Gobble, Gobble 11/27/19

This larger turkey--a recent acquisition from Village Discount Outlet--fits in with the others in the workspace. The tag around his neck says that his name is Tobias. As good a name as any.

Gobble, Gobble 11/26/19

Another li'l turkey at work. This one? Is named Giblets. (Actually, he has no name at all, but I'd rather call him "Giblets" than "that turkey in the pilgrim hat on my desk.")

Gobble, Gobble 11/25/19

Gobbles (yes, that's really his name) guards the work computer.

Every Picture Tells a Story 11/22/19

Every Picture Tells a Story 11/21/19

This Jack O'Lantern apparently doesn't know that Shocktober is over.

Every Picture Tells a Story 11/20/19

Usually, I'd say this decoration in Lincoln Square is "too soon"--and if I'd seen this a month ago (which I likely would have), I'd have said that very thing. But you know what? With so few days between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, I say what the hell--go for it, Lincoln Square.

Shocktober's End

Even Michael Myers knows we've reached the end of another Shocktober season. Many thanks to all those who've visited here the past month. Expect Thanksgiving and Holidaze photos soon.

Shoctober 10/31/19

Three more festive figures found at Village Discount Outlet.

Shocktober 10/30/19

Another find from Village Discount Outlet.

Shocktober 10/29/19

Shocktober 10/28/19

Shocktober 10/27/19

A Halloween-themed cupcake at work.

Shocktober 10/26/19

Shocktober 10/25/19

This week's Chicago Reader features a nice cover article on Rich Koz--better known to millions of horror-movie viewers ghost-to-gh...er, coast-to-coast as Svengoolie.

Astonishingly, he's been at this horror-hosting gig for 40 years--more than 10 times longer than his predecessor, the late, great Jerry G. Bishop. And longer, I'd wager, than nearly all of his contemporaries. Even Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, started after Son of Sven.

And may he go for many, many more.

Shocktober 10/24/19

After Dracula and the Wolf Man...er, I mean Werewolf by Night...got their own comic books at Marvel Comics in the early 1970s, it was almost a given that Mary Shelley's famous creation would get his turn. And so he did, in a bimonthly effort originally entitled The Monster of Frankenstein and later retitled The Frankenstein Monster. The title changed made no difference in sales--whatever Marvel chose to call it, they called in "cancelled" after 18 issues (though stories did continue to appear in various Marvel black-and-white horror magazines for a few months more).

That's a shame, because it started with such promise, with writer Gary Freidrich and artist Michael Ploog basically adapting Shelley's novel for the first few issues, then continuing the story as the monster roamed the world, looking at first for revenge on his creator, and then just for some damn peace and quiet. No such luck, though--the Monster not only couldn't rest, he had to face off against Dracula (Marvel's take on the Count, anyway). Then? He got frozen and thawed out in modern times, where he fought/teamed up with the aforementioned Werewolf, as well as Spider-Man and Marvel's other resident lycanthrope, Man-Wolf.

The early issues drawn by Ploog were the best, though. He made the Monster more sympathetic and soulful than subsequent artists could.

This Week's Travel Reading (Shocktober Edition)

Shocktober 10/23/19

Godzilla 1962! (As in King Kong vs....)

Shocktober 10/22/19

I found this figure at Village Discount Outlet Sunday morning. She reminds me of the Halloween drawings of Ellen Clapsaddle, an artist who worked one side or the other of the turn of the 20th Century. I've long admired her whimsical takes on my favorite holiday, but this is the first time I've seen one of her drawings rendered in three dimensions.

Shocktober 10/21/19

And now, one of my oldest and most treasured toys: The mighty Mego Wolf Man!

Shocktober 10/20/19

A Shocktober party I was not invited to.

Shocktober 10/19/19

Shocktober 10/18/19

He's not a man...not a wolf...but a MAN-WOLF!

Introduced in the pages of Amazing Spider-Man way back in the early 1970s, Man-Wolf soon graduated to his own series and carried on howling and fighting bad guys until his inevitable cancellation. But wasn't it odd that Marvel had TWO werewolf-themed comics (including the previously mentioned Werewolf by Night)?

Shocktober 10/17/19

The AHI Frankenstein waits for you...

Shocktober 10/16/19

Shocktober 10/15/19

"Listen to them...children of the night...what music they make!"

Shocktober 10/14/19

As seen on a CTA platform.

Shocktober 10/11/19

And now, one of the rarest of the rare: The AHI Creature from the Black Lagoon!

Shocktober 10/10/19

This morning--the fearsome Tomland Fly!