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Saturday, September 15, 2012

Zoobilee Zoo


Welcome to another Saturday on the Pop Culture Addict’s Guide To Life.  Today we’re going to be featuring a television series that I used to be addicted to when I was a small child, aged only five.

I’m serious about this as well.  When I was that age, I was completely obsessed with this show.  Ever since I saw my first episode of this show on PBS during a break from school, I had to watch it every day.  This proved to be a bit problematic when I was younger, as the program often aired during the 10:00am time slot, when I was still stuck in school.  But on days in which I was home sick from school, or had a P.A. Day, or was off on Christmas vacation, it was there waiting for me.  I think I must have watched at least every episode of the series at least five times in my childhood.

Sadly, the program didn’t last too long on the air.  After about three years, the show was taken off the air and replaced with some other show that I cared nothing about.  How could I love a show that kicked my favourite television show off the schedule?

Luckily, other cable channels picked up the television show for a few years, and on a rare occasion, I watched a few episodes of the program again years after it aired.  I’ll admit that watching the program through adult eyes was a lot different than watching it as a five year old boy.  But you know something?  I make no apologies in admitting that I still love this show.  And, you know what?  If I ever have a child, they WILL watch this show.  I will force them.  J

So, what is the topic of today’s blog?  Well, why don’t I let my seven best friends (well, at least when I was five anyway) introduce themselves in these opening credits.


Are all of you ready to take a trip to the wonderful, magical place known as “Zoobilee Zoo”?  I hope so.


“Zoobilee Zoo” was a creation of the popular greeting card company “Hallmark”, and the show aired on the Hallmark Channel for many years.  Debuting in September 1986, the show depicted the lives of seven animals living in a zoo.  These animals were known as “Zoobles”, and each episode usually centered around one or two of these characters.

What made the show such a success was partly due to the different backgrounds of each of the characters.  Not only were they all different animals, but each one had their own individual hobbies and likes which sometimes worked to their advantage when trying to solve their problems.

We’ll talk a little bit about what sorts of problems that the Zoobles ended up getting themselves into a little bit later in this blog entry.  But for now, I think we should talk about the characters of Zoobilee Zoo...who the actors were, what characters they played, and some of the situations that the characters found themselves in during the program’s 65-episode run.


Mayor Ben – portrayed by Ben Vereen

Mayor Ben is a leopard who lives just outside of the zoo (or at the very least, out of sight of the rest of the Zoobles).  As his name suggests, he is perhaps the most important Zooble, and the one who holds the most power in the whole zoo.  Luckily, he’s not one of those corrupt politicians at all.  He really does care for all the Zoobles, and he is often filled with great advice.  He often acts as the narrator of sorts for each episode of the series, as he opens and closes each episode with a story about one of the six other Zoobles in the zoo.  He very rarely interacts with the other Zoobles inside the zoo, but is known to make a few rare appearances.


Bill Der Beaver – portrayed by Sandey Grinn

Bill Der Beaver is one busy beaver.  Quite literally too.  Judging by the fact that his home looks like one gigantic tool box, it becomes quite clear that Bill Der Beaver’s gimmick is building various things around the zoo.  I would like to believe that Bill was responsible for building not only his own house, but the houses of all the Zoobles in the zoo.  Bill even managed to build a time travel machine that allowed the Zoobles to travel back through different eras.  Talk about a crafty beaver!  Some of the story arcs that Bill was a part of included getting into a sticky situation after testing a new glue he invented, temporarily sharing a living space with Bravo Fox, and trying to learn how to play the piano.



Lookout Bear – portrayed by Michael B. Moynahan

Living up to his name, Lookout Bear is always on the lookout for adventures, fun, and mystery.  Of course, some of the adventures that Lookout got himself into had the other Zoobles crying out “Look Out!!!”

Anyway, Lookout Bear is often the one who likes to venture outside of Zoobilee Zoo the most, and some of the adventures that Lookout happened to get involved in during the show included a desire to become a detective after receiving a crime kit for a gift, trying to find a job, and trying to break a world record...with help from his friends, of course.


Whazzat Kangaroo – portrayed by Stevie Louise Vallance

These days, the actress that played Whazzat Kangaroo goes by the name Stevie Vallance, but back in 1986, she went by Louise.  Hence the reason why I included both of her names up above.  Would you like to know how this pink kangaroo got her name?  Simple.  Her inquisitive personality and natural curiosity always lead her to ask the question “Whazzat?” about ten thousand times.  It made sense, given that Whazzat was the youngest Zooble of the group (and if memory serves me, Stevie was the youngest cast member of the show as well...I could be wrong though).  But Whazzat’s inquisitive nature wasn’t the only thing she was known for.  Having a huge love of music and dance, she lived in a house that resembled a giant song book filled with dozens of musical instruments.  And some of the stories that Whazzat was involved in included her losing her first tooth, making impulsive wishes on a magic ring, and learning how to make someone else laugh from a clown who visited the zoo.

MINI-ADMISSION:  Whazzat was my favourite Zoobilee Zoo character.


Van Go Lion – portrayed by Forrest Gardner

While Whazzat was my favourite Zoobilee Zoo character, I thought Van Go had the coolest house.  And if one were to look at the paint splotches and paint brushes all over the place, you would quickly discover that his hobby is visual art.  I mean, come on, his name is loosely based on famous artist Vincent Van Gogh!  Van Go is known for more than just his artwork and his loud roar.  He ended up having some rather interesting storylines.  He went through Bill’s time machine to visit the Louvre in Paris, he has to deal with the fact that he might have to wear eyeglasses, and he even wins an art contest...while at the same time learning a valuable lesson on friendship.


Bravo Fox – portrayed by Gary Schwartz

I will admit that when I started watching Zoobilee Zoo, I didn’t initially care for Bravo at first.  I thought that Bravo was sort of a mean character.  He was always complaining about something that was going on at his home...a gigantic stage with his name in big, bold letters on top.  He seemed to have an ego the size of Greenland, and I suppose as a five year old boy, I didn’t feel as though he was as nice as the other Zoobles.  But watching the show now as an adult, I think that Bravo was quite misunderstood.  Looking back on it now, he was so desperate to be a star that he didn’t realize that he already was a star in the eyes of the other Zoobles.  He let the Zoobles perform plays and talents on his stage whenever they wanted, and when the opportunity came for Bravo to leave the zoo to seek stardom, he chose to stay with his friends, because that was where his home was.  I think that episode helped me start to warm up to the fox a little more.


Talkatoo Cockatoo – portrayed by Karen Hartman

Talkatoo was a cockatoo after my own heart, and I think that had I not already declared Whazzat to be my favourite Zooble, Talkatoo would also rank highly on my list.  After all, she loved everything to do with books, reading, language, and writing.  She lived in a giant dictionary, after all!  And, naturally, all of Talkatoo’s storylines revolved around reading and writing.  She creates her own newscast at Zoobilee Zoo, imagines herself as Cinderella after reading the classic tale in a book, and even enters a dance contest to try and prove something to herself. 


It’s hard to believe that it has been 26 years since Zoobilee Zoo debuted on television.  That fact alone makes me feel very old.  Despite this, Zoobilee Zoo is still fresh on some people’s minds.  Did you know that in 2000, fourteen additional direct-to-video episodes were released on VHS, and a stage show entitled “Zoobilee Zoo Live” was launched featuring most of the original cast members?  I thought that was the coolest thing ever because it showed me that what I believed was a long-forgotten show wasn’t quite so forgotten.  And if a new generation was being introduced to one of my favourite shows, then I think that’s always a good thing.

Friday, September 14, 2012

Doogie Howser M.D.


Every classroom in elementary school had that one kid in there who seemed to know all of the answers. They were always the first ones who had their hands up in class, they were always the ones who turned in perfect homework papers, and they were always the ones who managed to master the multiplication tables faster than anyone else in the class...especially the “sevens” section.

I should know from experience. I was that kid. Or, so a lot of people seemed to believe.

I was the kid who always brought their homework in on time. I was the kid who always managed to score a perfect hundred on spelling tests (I'm actually ashamed to admit that I pitched a fit when I received a 95 one particular week). And, yes, I knew my times tables...especially the sevens.

And yes, I let kids copy off of my work. I think I told this story before...oh yes...here it is, in case you want a little extra reading.

But I am also the first to admit that I didn't have an ego about my intelligence either...well, except for spelling tests. Oh, heck, I'll admit it. In my thirties, I STILL cringe over words that are spelled incorrectly. I suppose that's part of the reason why I enjoy writing so much.

Because as far as one would like to think that they are the most intelligent person that has ever existed, there is always someone whose IQ is just a point or two higher.

(That is, if you consider IQ to be a fair assessment for intelligence. I don't.)

Besides, I'm about to introduce you to someone who as far as intelligence goes blows myself and about 90% of the global population out of the water. Although he is a fictional character, it's not that hard of a stretch to believe that there can be people who are just like him in the real world.

I never had to take the SAT's in high school, as Canada doesn't currently have a program like that for entrance into college or university. But our case study for today's blog ended up getting a perfect score...at age SIX! Most people can get through high school in four years. Our blog subject breezed through it in a little over two months...at age NINE! Most people graduate from medical school in their mid-to-late twenties. This person graduated from medical school at fourteen...the same age most kids graduate from junior high!

And by the age of sixteen, our blog subject is a full-fledged doctor in a hospital. Too young to buy beer, but able to prescribe drugs to patients who need them.

Yes, we're going to take a look at the life of Dr. Douglas Howser M.D. (but to most people, he's just known as “Doogie”).



The name of the show is ABC's “Doogie Howser, M.D.”, which ran from September 19, 1989 until March 24, 1993 for 97 episodes. The actor who played the title role was, of course, Neil Patrick Harris, who was just sixteen when he was cast.



The show was co-created by Steven Bochco and David E. Kelley (who were also responsible for the ratings juggernaut L.A. Law which had debuted three years earlier). Initially, Bochco was the only showrunner involved with the program, coming up with the concept himself. But he needed someone to help him write the pilot episode. So, David E. Kelley was recruited for the job, and as a result, he earned a co-creator credit.

When it came time to pitch the show, Bochco ended up locking horns with the executives of ABC. The executives were apprehensive about the program, but were more opposed to the idea of Neil Patrick Harris playing the title role. Bochco explained to the executives that Harris was the only actor that they felt could step into the role of a teenage doctor convincingly, but ABC still didn't like him, and wanted the role recast.

Luckily for Neil Patrick Harris, Steven Bochco had a little ace up his sleeve. You see, there was a teensy clause that was written into Bochco's contract, and that contract stated that if ABC canceled the Doggie Howser M.D. Project before it made it to air (which ABC was considering doing at that time), then the network would be responsible for paying Bochco a penalty fee which would end up costing the network thousands...potentially millions of dollars. So, rather than lose a large chunk of their profits and having nothing to show for it, ABC was forced to greenlight the filming of the pilot, despite their dislike of the pilot, and the show's star.

Luckily, test audiences responded positively to the project, and it went to air during the 1989/1990 season.



When the show aired its pilot episode, we're introduced to Doogie as he is taking his driving test. He has just turned sixteen and wants his license more than anything. And at first, the viewer is lead to believe that we're witnessing a standard rite of passage for any teen boy to experience.

That is until they happen to pass by an accident scene in the middle of a street, and Doogie actually stops the car and jumps out to tend to the injured victim of the crash. That's when the viewer picks up on the fact that Doogie Howser is no ordinary teenager.

Sure enough, we soon discover what his real job is. He works as a resident surgeon at Los Angeles' Eastman Medical Center where he prescribes medicine to patients, performs surgery on them, and other medical related things.



Unlike most doctors though, Doogie Howser still lives at home with his parents David and Katherine Howser (James B. Sikking and Belinda Montgomery), or at least he does in the first couple of seasons. Doogie's decision to go into the field of medicine after an incident that happened when he was a baby. Doogie's father discovered suspicious bruises on his son, and as a family physician, he was concerned about his son's health. It was a good thing that Doogie's father was so diligent about checking the bruises. As a result of this, he ended up surviving pediatric leukemia...twice.

And, by all accounts, Doogie makes a fantastic doctor, and he saved quite a few lives during the show's four year run. But, life was not all roses and sunshine for the sixteen year old physician. With Doogie trying to gain acceptance from co-workers and patients and being under pressure to perform potentially life-threatening medical procedures...it's hard enough to cope with that stress as an adult. Imagine doing that as a teenager!

And, on top of that, he also had to deal with typical teenage angst. How much more could a kid go through?



Luckily, Doogie had his best friend, Vinnie Delphino (Max Casella) to keep him connected to his teenage side, and kept Doogie grounded. After all, Vinnie was the only friend that he let climb in through his bedroom window. And Doogie also had to deal with the stresses that came from dating, having two girlfriends during the series run. One was Wanda Plenn (Lisa Dean Ryan) and the other was Michele Faber (Robyn Lively).

The show was also a bit of a social commentary of sorts, where certain episodes dealt with the biggest social issues of the early 1990s. These included AIDS awareness, racism, homophobia, sexism, gang violence, and access to quality medical care. I think that the show took a lot of risks talking about such sensitive subjects, but did it in such a way that it was sensitive and compassionate towards those who might have experienced these issues themselves.

Unfortunately, all good shows come to an end, and for Doogie Howser M.D., it came in the spring of 1993, when Doogie resigned from Eastman, and moved to Europe. But if Steven Bochco had his way, the last episode would have lasted a whole season, as his plan was for Doogie Howser to rethink his whole career in medicine. But before Bochco could plan the whole season out, the show was canceled. I wonder if it would have worked had it been allowed to proceed.

I suppose we'll never know. But it would be fun to speculate. But one thing that Doogie Howser and I have in common was that we would write our thoughts down at the end of each day on a computer.



Wow...who would have thought that Doogie Howser would have had one of the very first blogs? You learn something new every day.



Coming up next week, we're looking at a character from another show that Neil Patrick Harris stars in...but not the character that he plays.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Fromage-Fest - The Cheesiest Music Videos Ever


Since I made the decision to give up the Thursday Confessional, I have been trying to come up with a new theme for this and every Thursday from now on. And, it's been a bit of a challenge. So, for right now, Thursdays are sort of one of those “hodge podge” categories, where I'm talking about whatever happens to be in my mind at the time.

And what is going through my mind right now is music videos that used to air on MTV and MuchMusic before Snooki and her Jersey Shore pals took over the network.

When MTV premiered on August 1, 1981 (and when MuchMusic debuted in Canada on September 1, 1984), it marked the beginning of a brand new era in the world of music. Prior to 1981, music videos did exist, but they were more or less concert performances, or appearances filmed on television programs such as “The Ed Sullivan Show”, “American Bandstand”, “Solid Gold”, “The Midnight Special”, or “Soul Train”.


The very first video played on MTV was The Buggles' “Video Killed The Radio Star" (not this version though), and since then, thousands of music videos have been created.  Almost overnight, it became the number one method of promotion for a new single by an artist or a band.  Many musical acts took advantage of the medium known as music videos, and many were considered works of art.  Madonna and Michael Jackson were among some of the biggest stars of music video, as were Janet Jackson, Peter Gabriel, U2, and the Beastie Boys.

But for every "Take On Me", "Like A Prayer", and "Thriller" that was released, there were also videos that we wondered why they were even made in the first place.  Some music videos were so terrible that many of them stood out from the rest...and not in a good way.

So, for today's post, I thought that I would take a look back at some of the cheesiest music videos that I have come across in my thirty-one years on this earth in a blog post I like to call "Fromage-Fest".

Now, I suppose you might be wondering why I have entitled this piece "Fromage-Fest".  Well, I'll tell you.



In Canada, our version of MTV was called MuchMusic.  It was almost similar to MTV in that it played music videos non-stop (well, at least it did until approximately 2003), and it contained original programming that was music themed.  There were some differences between the two stations.  MTV had Total Request Live, MuchMusic had RSVP. (later changed to Much On Demand".  MTV had "Remote Control", MuchMusic had "Test Pattern" (ironically enough, the hosts of both shows are now deceased).  MTV had Martha Quinn and Mark Goodman, MuchMusic had Erica Ehm and J.D. Roberts (shown above).

And, yes, J.D. Roberts did grow up to become FOX News correspondent John Roberts.

At the beginning of the year, shortly after Christmas, MuchMusic used to have two annual traditions.  One was the annual tree toss, where they would take the Christmas tree that they had inside the main studios and throw it off the roof of the building into a dumpster.  The other was a retrospective look at some of the worst music videos of all time in a special entitled "Fromage" (which is French for cheese, in case you were wondering).



Oh, one more thing.  The Fromage specials were hosted by Ed the Sock.

Anyway, Ed the Sock was, to put it lightly, a dirty old sockpuppet.  He told it like it was, often with salty language.  If he hated a music video, he would make merciless fun of it, and explain why he was doing it.  These days, the Fromage specials have taken a back seat to a series of shows entitled "Video On Trial".  They're not bad, but I miss Ed the Sock's perspective because it was snarky...and deservedly so.

In fact, I'm going to try and take a page out of Mr. Sock's playbook (did I really just call him Mr. Sock?!?) and try to be just as snarky with some of these music videos.  Believe me, they need it. 

So, let's begin our look back at some of the cheesiest music videos of all time.  We'll start with one that got a lot of buzz last year.



VIDEO #1:  "Friday" by Rebecca Black (2011)

I'll just make one thing clear.  This isn't so much because of Rebecca Black that the video stinks.  Certainly the song isn't exactly Adele or Joss Stone here...but I'm cutting her some slack, as she is only a teenager, and I don't believe in bullying teenagers at all.  But the people who produced this video are fair game as far as I'm concerned.  Yes, I am well aware that the music video only cost $4,000 to make.  But I have a feeling that a better video would have been produced using a Smart Phone.  There was no need for the lame special effects, cardboard bus stop sign, constant auto-tune (I still would like to hear an unedited version of "Friday" so I can really listen to her vocal ability) and other oddities within this video.  I suppose I'm not surprised that so many people disliked the video, but in my case, it was less about the singing ability of Rebecca Black and more about the video production...or lack there of.

VIDEO #2:  "I'd Rather Jack" by the Reynolds Girls (1989)

Have you ever heard of the Reynolds Girls?  Me either, until about a few years ago.  Apparently they were sisters who scored a one-hit wonder in the United Kingdom in 1989 with this track produced by Stock, Aitken & Waterman.  I'm not entirely sure what "Jack" means as far as an adjective goes.  It could be something innocent.  It could be something obscene.  But what IS obscene is the accompanying video.  Go ahead and watch it.  It's like a bad train wreck, believe me.



So, where should I start with this one?  Apparently the message of the song is "screw your Rolling Stones and Dire Straits, I'd rather listen to something from last week".  And, in theory, the song does make a firm point about every generation having their own likes and dislikes of music.  Apparently the Reynolds Girls would rather "jack" than "Fleetwood Mac"...whatever that means.  It's just a shame that the horrible choreography distracts from that message.  I mean, seriously, in one scene it looks like they're trying to pick each other up using only their back muscles!  And in another scene, they actually give each other piggyback rides!  Who choreographed this mess, then three-year old twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen? 

Oh, and if you thought this video was the only dead horse people kept poking with a stick from the crew known as Stock, Aitken & Waterman, think again.

VIDEO #3:  "I Want You Back" by Bananarama (1988)

I was prepared to give the band a pass because this was the first video that the group shot after the departure of Siobhan Fahey, who was replaced by Jacquie O'Sullivan.  To re-record the song to replace Siobhan's vocals with Jacquie's was no easy task.  But then it was complicated further with a rather...interesting video.



You know, Bananarama had some rather awesome videos during their career.  "Venus" was fantastic.  "I Heard A Rumour" was probably one of their best songs with a video to match.  "I Want You Back" was just...no.  It felt like I was watching three different videos at once, none of which were related to each other.  Bananarama as the Supremes would have been a fine concept on its own.  Instead, we have the Bananas dancing in front of a boring blue background, random 60s garbed dancers, and some guy in a go-go cage doused in neon body paint.  I really could have done without that last one, thanks.

This next video is again, a Stock, Aitken, Waterman production, and this one pains me to add in, but I have to do it.

VIDEO #4:  "Hand On Your Heart" by Kylie Minogue (1989)

You know, contrary to what you might think, I do like quite a few Stock, Aitken & Waterman acts.  Bananarama (prior to "I Want You Back") were quite good.  I think that Rick Astley (aside from the Rickroll phenomenon) had a great set of pipes, and even disco diva Donna Summer recorded with the famous trio.  Of course I have a soft spot for Kylie Minogue (who also happens to be a celebrity crush that I have), and most of her songs are fantastic.  But then I watched this video, and I was like, HUH?



Now, I will give Kylie a few allowances.  This was filmed in the period after her cutesy-poo "I Should Be So Lucky" phase and before her "Better The Devil You Know" sex kitten phase.  Consider 1989 Kylie's "puberty" phase in regards to her music.  Not a girl, not yet a woman.

Oh, wait.  That's Britney Spears, never mind.

Really, there's nothing wrong with the song itself.  The video is a bit weird.  Is it just me, or does the whole video set look like it was stolen from Legoland?  Even the colour scheme of the video makes me think that it belongs in a Lego kit.  Though, I must admit, the matching dresses that Kylie periodically changes out of are a nice touch.

And, really, what is up with that annoying CGI heart that flies around Kylie like an annoying tsetse fly?  Whose bright idea was that one anyway?  That's one heart that I would gladly break myself if I could.

You know, I seem to be unfairly picking on the female artists (and Stock, Aitken & Waterman).  Let's shift gears a bit by choosing a bad video by a male rock band.  Oh, here's one.

VIDEO #5:  "Rock Star" by Nickelback (2007)

I'm well aware of the fact that Nickelback is probably one of the most hated rock bands in the entire world for reasons that I still have yet to fully understand.  Believe it or not, I don't really have that much hate for the band.  I'll even admit that there are a couple of Nickelback songs that I can admit I like.  This is NOT one of them.


Well, I hope some of you can see the video, because apparently it is blocked in Canada (imagine that, a video by a CANADIAN band blocked in Canada).  Just one more reason to hate this video, I suppose.  Here's a LINK to a "hopefully" unblocked video.  The main problem I have with this video is simple.  Getting a bunch of people to lipsynch your song instead of performing it yourself.  Bad idea.  Getting celebrity guests such as John Rich, Kid Rock, Nelly Furtado, Wayne Gretzky, Gene Simmons, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Ted Nugent, and the Naked Cowboy to sell out to appear as themselves lipsynching a Nickelback video?  Worst idea ever.

VIDEO #6:  "Short Skirt Long Jacket" by Cake (2001)



Though I'd rather have people lipsynching to a popular song than TALKING THROUGH IT!!!  It's really unfortunate as well, because the song is fantastic, had a great beat, and I could easily listen to the whole thing on a road trip a bunch of times.  But I would keep my opinion to myself until AFTER THE SONG STOPPED PLAYING SO I COULD REALLY ENJOY IT!

VIDEO #7:  "Saturday Night" by Whigfield (1994)



I imagine that not a lot of you know this song, but those of you in Canada who picked up a copy of the MuchMusic compilation "Dance Mix '95" will know that this song was the first song listed.  I admit that as a fourteen year old boy who was really into techno and Hi-NRG music, I listened to this one a lot...but the video was disappointing.  It was just Whigfield singing in front of a mirror and styling her hair and getting dressed.  By the end, I didn't know whether I had watched a music video or a commercial for Avon.

VIDEO #8:  "Viva Forever" by the Spice Girls (1998)



I'll admit that I was never really a huge Spice Girls fan to begin with.  The only song that I ever liked of theirs was "Too Much".  And, yes, I am aware that the band had to scramble to make a video for this single because it was the first one after Geri Halliwell decided to quit the band.  This does not excuse the terrible video.  First, it seems contrived for two boys to go running after what looks like a possessed Corn Flakes mascot.  Then there's the fact that the Spice Girl fairies look like evil witches (Claymation is not flattering on them at all).  And, oh yeah, they abduct one of the boys by trapping him inside a giant Rubix Cube, and then having his friend sacrificing him to the great gumball machine in the sky.  Yeah, like that happens every day in England.  Does it?

VIDEO #9:  "Use It Up Wear It Out" by Pat & Mick (1990)



I have no words.  I really don't.

So, that's my list...and I tried to mix it up a bit so people of quite a few nationalities could be represented.

Now, I open the floor to you.

What are some of the cheesiest music videos that YOU have seen?





Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Heathcliff


This is a blog entry that is about cats.

Cartoon cats, that is.

There are a lot of examples of cats being drawn into comic strips.  Obviously the most famous example of a cat starring in a comic strip is Garfield, who has been delighting audiences all over the world since 1978.  But Garfield is hardly the only feline to make people laugh all over the funny pages in the newspaper.  Arlene and Nermal are also a huge part of the Garfield strip as well.  We also have Bill the Cat from “Bloom County”, Bucky from “Get Fuzzy”, Caramel from “Archie”, and Hobbes from “Calvin & Hobbes”.

And then there’s this comic strip cat.


This was the first edition of this strip, dated September 3, 1973.  Do you recognize that fat cat in the comic?  I’ll give you a hint.  He also happens to share the same first name as the main character on the Cosby Show, as well as a character from the book “Wuthering Heights”.



Yes, we’re taking a look at the classic comic, “Heathcliff”, a George Gately creation.  And as you will see, Heathcliff is far from being your typical cat.  If you want my honest assessment of the kind of cat Heathcliff is, I would best describe him as a lovable rogue.  While he does come across to many as being nothing more than a bully to several people, in a lot of cases, it’s not really done in a malicious way...


...ah, who am I kidding?  Of course his actions are malicious.  But for whatever reason, I always seemed to laugh at the antics that Heathcliff got himself into, and the supporting characters of the cartoon added just as much humour to the ongoing saga of Heathcliff as Heathcliff himself displayed.

To begin our look back at “Heathcliff”, we should pay homage to the creator of the classic comic strip.


George Gately was born George Gately Gallagher on December 21, 1928 in Queens Village, Queens, New York.  It was no surprise that George was keen on comics from an early age...he was born into a family of comic lovers, and was always exposed to them.  His father liked to draw, and his brother John was a cartoonist.  It almost seemed like it was written in the stars that Gately would end up following in his brother’s footsteps.

Sure enough, after graduating from the Pratt Institute where he studied art, he ended up pursuing his dream...though it did take him eleven years to do just that.  He passed the time in between working at an advertising agency in New Jersey.  In 1957, George ended up selling his first cartoon, and it was right around this time that he began to be known as George Gately, dropping the “Gallagher” from his name to avoid confusion with his successful older brother.

Gately’s first taste of success in the funny pages came in 1964 when he created the comic strip “Hapless Harry”.  That strip ran for at least a few years, establishing him as a serious cartoonist. 

And around 1971, Gately created a cartoon sketch of a fat, orange cat which would become his most famous creation.  But, it wouldn’t be until 1973 before comic syndicates became interested in publishing it.  Within the first ten years of the “Heathcliff” strip, it became syndicated in hundreds of newspapers.  Each weekday strip was one panel (similar in format to “The Far Side” or “Herman”), and the Sunday cartoon was several panels illustrated in full colour.  The demand for a seven-day-a-week comic strip proved to be a bit difficult for Gately to keep up with, and in later years, he ended up getting assistance from his brother and Bob Laughlin, who helped him draw the strip.


“Heathcliff” was published by McNaught Syndicate for its first fifteen years.  In 1988, Creators Syndicate took over the publishing rights from McNaught, and continues to syndicate the comic in over one thousand newspapers.  George Gately continued working on the strip until 1998, when he retired.  His nephew, Peter Gallagher, took over the artwork for Heathcliff that same year, and as of 2012 still illustrates the comic strip.  George Gately passed away in September 2001 at the age of 72.

Now, who exactly is Heathcliff anyway?


Heathcliff is the pet of Iggy Nutmeg, a young boy who lives in the town of Westfinster with his grandparents, Grandpa and Grandma Nutmeg.  Iggy loves Heathcliff very much, and often sees him as one of his best friends.  Sadly, it appears he may be one of the only humans who will befriend Heathcliff.

Grandma Nutmeg loves Heathcliff as well, but she does spoil him...an awful lot...sometimes even worse than Iggy!  But, I suppose that’s something that can be considered true to life, as my mother often used to spoil any cat that ever lived in our family home over the years.

As for Grandpa Nutmeg...I think he and Heathcliff ended up having a sort of a love-hate relationship with each other.  On one hand, I don’t think that Grandpa Nutmeg could ever imagine life without Heathcliff in it...but I think that he also believed that if Heathcliff wasn’t living with him, his life would be made so much easier.

As far as other characters in the series went, Heathcliff usually got along with Iggy’s classmates.  He liked Iggy’s bespectacled friend, Willy, and I think he also had a soft spot for Iggy’s friend, Marcy.  I mean, not everyone would willingly climb into a baby carriage wearing a baby bonnet sucking a pacifier, but Heathcliff did so willingly.  And, he also was the object of affection of an obsessed female cat known as “Crazy Shirley”...which would have been all right, except for the fact that Heathcliff’s affections were directed towards the lovely young kitten known as Sonja.


Oh, and Heathcliff also had a long-term friendship with the various dogcatchers all over town...the reason being that he would be the one to often tip them off to the locations of stray dogs, and he would end up being a part of the capturing of said dogs.

In case you haven’t figured out yet, Heathcliff hates dogs.


And perhaps the dog that Heathcliff tangles with the most is the bulldog with the name Spike.  Spike and his owner Muggsy Faber (who used to bully Iggy and his friends) would often try to play tricks on Heathcliff, or bully Heathcliff as well.  And, in about 99.9% of all attempts, Heathcliff would always outwit them and get them before they struck first.

(On the other extreme, there is a dog that lives in Iggy Nutmeg’s neighbourhood known as Chauncey who loves Heathcliff to the point where he is constantly licking him.  From one extreme to the other.)

Dogs weren’t the only enemies that Heathcliff had in his life.  He also tangled with the owner of Elite Fish Market...

...the garbagemen who would often have to clean up the messes that Heathcliff caused by knocking over the garbage cans on the street...


...the milkman who often ended up giving the Nutmeg family extra milk thanks to Heathcliff’s scheming...


...not even the mice that lived inside the Nutmeg house were safe!


But despite his mischievous behaviour which was brought upon by Heathcliff’s own selfish needs, he really is a good cat at heart.  He is incredibly devoted to his girlfriend, Sonja, and despite the grief he caused Grandpa Nutmeg, he really did love where he lived, and wouldn’t trade a moment of it for a second.

And lest you think that Heathcliff only existed in comic strip format, think again.  There were Heathcliff comic books that were printed during the 1980s, as well as two animated cartoon series that aired in two separate periods produced by two different companies.  The first series ran between 1980 and 1982, and was produced by Ruby-Spears, while the second series aired between 1984 and 1988 and was produced by DIC Entertainment.  Here’s a clip of the opening intro from the 1984 series.


TRIVIA:  The voice of Heathcliff in both incarnations of the television cartoon was performed by legendary voice artist, Mel Blanc.  It would end up being his last regular role in a cartoon series before his death in 1989.

So, that’s our look back on Heathcliff...a cartoon cat that may not have been as popular as Garfield, but was just as funny...if not more.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

September 11, 1962


I think we can all agree that September 11 is one of those days that has major significance in recent history. And, yes, I will be bringing up the reason why that is the case a little bit later on in this particular blog. One reason being that I talked about this event last year in my blog in full detail. Somewhere in the blog will be a link to that entry. You'll know it when you see it.

At the same time though, I wanted to also use this Tuesday Timeline entry for this week to try and talk about another event in the world of pop culture. Not because I want to downplay the horrible tragedy of the eleventh of September, but because I wanted to point out that there were so many other interesting events that have taken place on September 11, and I really wanted to focus on those events as well. It doesn't mean that we'll ever forget what happened in history eleven years ago, but rather, it will help us remember a time in which September 11 was also a date of great discovery and milestone events in addition to it being a time of mourning.

So, if you're living in America, I hope that you take this Patriot Day to reflect on what happened and to continue living your lives...and to the rest of you, a very happy Tuesday to all of you!

To begin this look back on September 11, we have some celebrity birthdays to list here. Celebrating a birthday today are Oliver Jones, Ian Abercrombie, Brian De Palma, Lola Falana, Mickey Hart, Felton Perry, Dennis Tufano, Amy Madigan, Jani Allan, Tony Gilroy, Brad Bird, Jon Moss, Brad Lesley, Scott Patterson, Roxann Dawson, Virginia Madsen, Elizabeth “E.G.” Daily, Kristy McNichol, Colin Wells, Victor Wooten, Moby, Maria Bartiromo, Harry Connick Jr, Kay Hanley, Laura Wright, Mark Klepaski, Elephant Man, Ludacris, Ben Lee, Frank Francisco, Steve Hofstetter, Mike Comrie, Charles Kelley, and Shaun Livingston.

And, here are a few of the historical events that have taken place on September 11 in history, including the event that I alluded to in the opening paragraph.

1541 – The city of Santiago, Chile is destroyed by indigenous warriors, lead by Michimalonko

1609 – Manhattan Island is discovered by explorer Henry Hudson

1649 – The Siege of Drogheda ends

1709 – The Battle of Malplaquet heats up as Great Britain, the Netherlands, and Austria wage war against France

1775 – Benedict Arnold's expedition to Quebec leaves Cambridge, Massachusetts

1776 – A peace conference held on Staten Island between Britain and the United States fails to stop nascent American Revolutionary War

1786 – The beginning of the Annapolis Convention

1789 – Alexander Hamilton is appointed the first United States Secretary of Treasury

1792 – Six men break into the place where French crown jewels are stored and steal the Hope Diamond

1847 – “Oh! Suzanna”, a song written by Stephen Foster, is first performed in a Pennsylvania saloon

1857 – 120 pioneers are killed in Utah on what would be known as the Mountain Meadows Massacre

1903 – The first race at the Milwaukee Mile is held, making it the oldest speedway in the world

1916 – The central span of the Quebec Bridge collapses, killing eleven

1922 – The Sun-News Pictoral, an Australian newspaper is founded, running until 1990

1939 – Canada declares war on Germany in the early stages of World War II, the first time that Canada made an independent declaration of war

1941 – On the same day that the ground is broken for the construction of The Pentagon, Charles Lindbergh makes his Des Moines speech which accused Britain, the Jews, and the Roosevelt administration for pressing for war against Germany

1954 – Hurricane Edna batters New England, killing 29 people

1961 – Seven years after Edna, Hurricane Carla strikes Texas, the second-strongest storm to strike the state

1970 – The Dawson's Field hijackers release 88 hostages

1972 – The opening day of the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit system

1985 – Pete Rose breaks Ty Cobb's record for most career hits when he makes his 4,192nd hit

1988 – St. Jean Bosco massacre occurs in Port-au-Prince, Haiti

1992 – Hurricane Iniki slams into Hawaiian Islands, devastating the islands of Oahu and Kauai

1997 – NASA's Mars Global Surveyor reaches Mars




(To read my account of the attacks that I wrote last year on the 10th anniversary of the attacks, click on the paragraph above.)

2003 – Actor John Ritter falls ill on the set of “8 Simple Rules” and dies hours later from an aortic dissection just days before his fifty-fifth birthday. Also on this date, Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs Anna Lindh dies at 47, just a day after a horrific knife attack launched on her.

You want to know what I found eerie about the list of events? Just how many of them were based in New York City and Washington D.C.

But for today's trip back through time, we're going to jolly old England. For the date we are going back to is exactly five decades ago.



September 11, 1962.

So, what happened on this date fifty years ago today? Quite a bit, actually. On this date in 1962, a famous rock band was in the recording studio recording the song that would eventually become their debut single. But as you'll soon discover, the process in the song recording was actually a long-drawn out process. It was right around the time that the band was experiencing a personnel change within its members, and it was a period in which the band was still trying to find their groove, and what worked. In fact, September 11, 1962 was the THIRD attempt at recording this song, as the previous two didn't work out so well.

So, what song are we featuring in this particular entry? It's this one.



ARTIST: The Beatles
SONG: Love Me Do
ALBUM: Please Please Me
DATE RELEASED: October 5, 1962
PEAK POSITION ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS: #1 for 1 week

That's right. We're taking a look back at the song “Love Me Do”. Although it didn't chart in North America until the spring of 1964, it was the debut single for The Beatles in the UK. And, the song was recorded exactly fifty years ago today on September 11, 1962.



Or was it September 4, 1962? Or, possibly June 6, 1962?

Well, actually, it was all three. And, yes, I will explain why this was the case.

The song “Love Me Do” was actually written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon. Most of the song was written by McCartney back in 1958 on a day in which he played hookey from school (as I'm sure most sixteen year olds did at least once in their lives). Lennon ended up writing the “middle eight”.



The song was originally recorded in the studios on June 6, 1962 under the band's original line-up, which as most Beatles fans will tell you comprised of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Pete Best. The song was actually a part of their audition at EMI Studios, located at 3 Abbey Road in London.

But then something happened later that summer that would force the song to be re-recorded. In August 1962, Pete Best was let go from The Beatles by the other three members, having been informed of the decision by The Beatles' then-manager Brian Epstein. Though much speculation was made as to why this was the case, that would take a whole blog entry to get into the reasons why. With Best gone, The Beatles welcomed Ringo Starr into the line-up on August 16, 1962.



Just a couple of weeks later, on September 4, The Beatles (now with Ringo Starr) went back to the recording studios to rehearse and re-record “Love Me Do”, “Please Please Me”, and several other songs. Brian Epstein footed the bill for the band to fly down to London, and the band set up in studio three. Producer George Martin was also at the recording session, but wasn't exactly wowed by the songwriting talents of Lennon and McCartney. When the band arrived at the recording studios, Martin was insistent on having the band record a song written by Mitch Murray called “How Do You Do It?”. The song was written originally for Adam Faith, and Murray believed that the song would be a perfect debut single for the band.

One problem. The Beatles were insistent on recording their OWN material. Luckily for them, Martin was willing to let them try. He still was apprehensive about it, but he gave them the benefit of the doubt.

Initially, Martin was still dead-set on releasing “How Do You Do It?” as The Beatles' first single, and almost went through with it. But upon hearing the finished copy of “Love Me Do”, he changed his mind.

But Martin wasn't completely satisfied with the final cut. In particular, he wasn't too keen on the drumming part, which Ringo Starr performed on the September 4 recordings, believing that Starr was having trouble keeping with the beat of the song (something that McCartney reportedly agreed with). As a result, he made the decision to schedule a third recording session on September 11 to try recording the song a third time...without Ringo on drums.



At that time, a number of record producers were using professional show band drummers during recording sessions to try and keep up with the sound that dominated the charts. And in this case, professional drummer Andy White was brought into the third session for “Love Me Do”. The reason he was chosen was largely due to Ron Richards. At the time of the September 11 sessions, George Martin was unavailable to sit in on the recording, so Richards was brought in. And since Richards had worked with White before, it made perfect sense to use him for the session.

But with Andy White being brought into the recording session to re-record “Love Me Do”, it left a rather nasty taste in the mouth of Ringo Starr, who was under the false assumption that his time with The Beatles was ending after not even less than a month. It was bad enough that many of Pete Best's fans were already making him out to be a sort of pariah for taking his place, but this was a lot for Ringo to deal with. Ron Richards even revealed that when the recording was happening, Ringo sat down next to him in the control booth and sat there in complete silence before he asked him to play the maracas on another single, “P.S. I Love You”. It was a bit tension-filled during that September 11 recording session, but eventually Ringo accepted the apologies that both Richards and Martin offered him since the session. Of course, this didn't stop Ringo from never letting Richards forget what happened.

Eventually, the problem of the “Love Me Do” controversy was solved by having both Starr and White play on the record. White played the drums, while Starr played the tambourine, and the third version of “Love Me Do” was completed later that day.

So, that's the story of “Love Me Do”. It was one of the few songs that was recorded three different times by three different drummers! And, believe it or not, despite the fact that the original master tapes from the September 4 session were erased (due to the common practice of erasing the tapes once the singles were mixed down to create the “new” master tapes which would be used to print the records), all three versions can be found in various Beatles compilations. You just have to know where to look.



If you want to hear the June 6, 1962 version of the song “Love Me Do”, with Pete Best on drums, you just need to locate a copy of “Anthology 1”, released in 1995.



If you're interested in listening to the September 4, 1962 version of the song, with Ringo Starr on drums, you can find it on the Beatles compilation album “Rarities”, released in 1980.



And, of course, the September 11, 1962 version with Andy White on drums is the one that is most commonly heard, and is the version located on the “Please Please Me” album...which is partly the reason why I opted to choose today as the date to spotlight what would be the first of dozens of hit singles for The Beatles.

And, that is our look back on September 11, 1962. And with that, I end this note off with a bit of trivia.

TRIVIA: There is one distinct difference between the September 4 version and the September 11 version. The September 4 version doesn't contain a tambourine.

Now you know.