Firearms Friday with Diana Rigg

This is Dame Diana Rigg's second appearance on Firearms Friday... because who doesn't love Diana Rigg? It was originally planned for November 6, 2020, but she sadly passed away last week, on September 10, at the age of 82. In saddened observance of her death, we're posting it early (with some obvious revisions).

Dame Diana, whose busy stage, film, and television career spanned eight decades, worked up until the very end of her life. Her final screen appearances are in the film "Last Night in Soho" and the television mini-series "Black Narcissus", both tentatively slated for release in 2021.

If current plans hold, we'll be watching and reviewing the first half of Rigg's famous turn as Emma Peel on the "The Avengers" during the first half of 2021. Be sure to stop by!

'Happy Hoboes' will bring you joy

Happy Hoboes (1933)

Starring: Unknown Voice Actor (delivering a single spoken line)

Directors: George Stallings and George Rufle

Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

They've tried their hands at plumbing and instrument repair, and they've even been partners in their own law firm. They've owned and operated a bakery and a diner. They've even been test pilots. But now Tom & Jerry have fallen on hard times, and are living in homeless camps and riding the rails when the locals chase them out. Despite it all, they are as full of mischief and music as ever....

"Happy Hoboes" has a bit more plot than most Tom & Jerry, but ultimately it also counts among the most nonsensical and surreal ones with visual gags coming at the viewer non-stop and many impossible and weird. My favorites include the explanation of what causes snowstorms, Tom & Jerry's luxurious lifestyle while they ride the rails, and the lumberjack who is so strong that he wanders through the forest chopping down trees with a single swing of s scythe. (I also appreciated a cooking gag that did not go where I was expecting it to; it's always nice to be surprised!)

Out of all the Tom & Jerry cartoons I've watched so far, this might also be the one that will feel most relevant to modern viewers, so long as those above the age of 7 can look past some of the more juvenile gags. That said, some modern viewers might also feel put out by the appearance of the Chinese cook at a lumber camp in the second half of the film, but it makes sense within a pop cultural context of the 1930s and the basic genre being spoofed here... and I suppose it wouldn't be a Tom & Jerry cartoon without some sort of racial stereotype to pull modern-day triggers.

As always with these posts, I invite you to take a few minutes and check out "Happy Hoboes" for yourself. It's embedded below, via YouTube. I think you'll have fun.

Before her marriage to a mortal...

... Samantha was an up-and-coming model.

She sat for many sessions. Literally. She was a chair model. 

Just before marrying Darrin Stephens, Samantha landed the biggest gig of her career: She was central to the roll-out campaign for the line of matching leisure-wear and upholstery, Chairmoflage by Arthur.

Few mortals ever saw the results of Samantha's modeling career, but it was one of the reasons many of the Witchkind were unhappy that she decided to live among the mortals--and even build a family with one. They thought it was foolish of her to not only put her promising future as a Witch on hold, but to also walk away from her fame and fortune as a chair model.

(If you enjoyed Bewitched [which this post featuring photos of actress Elizabeth Montgomery riffs off], and you also enjoy roleplaying games, you might find "Secrets of the Witchkind" a source of inspiration for a different kind of campaign. It was written by yours truly.)

'Fangs' is a must-read

Fangs (Andrews McMeel. 2020)

Story and Art: Sarah Andersen

Rating: Nine of Ten Stars

With "Fangs", Sarah Andersen solidifies her place among the modern masters of the comic strip format. She tells the tale of a unusual romance between Jimmy and Elsie, who just happen to be a werewolf and a vampire, through 96 pages of stand-alone strips and illustrations, some of which add up to multi-page arcs, but all of which stand perfectly fine on their own.

Andersen is known to most for her long-running "Sarah's Scribbles" strip, and those readers may be surprised by the very different art- and storytelling style in "Fangs". Instead of the scratchy, bug-eyed, squat cartoon characters from Andersen's other series, this strip features smooth lines and handsomely drawn people and animals; and instead of cutting, self-deprecating observational humor, we instead get situational- and relationship-based jokes and comic situations arising from characters that conform to the pop-culture concepts of werewolves and vampires falling in love and making a life together.

In addition to the attractive art, "Fangs" succeeds because Jimmy and Elsie are both very likable characters. They are so charming and cute that after the opening series of strips showing how they met, you will spend the rest of the book enjoying their sweet and sometimes awkward romance and rooting for them to overcome obstacles and be happy together.

But this is still a book about "monsters" in love, so some of the humor gets dark and there's an occasional dangerous edge  visible in  how the lovers are portrayed. This is especially true of Elsie-- although she is now "vegan" and relies on bloodbanks instead of hunting humans for her sustenance, there are several episodes where you have the sense that she could easily "fall of the wagon". Meanwhile, there's a sense that Jimmy is something of a hippy among werewolves...

Not all the gags in fangs come off effectively, among these are a few that would be perfect if animated but fall flat in the comic strip format, but each strip is cute, funny, touching, and always entertaining. The single page illustrations scattered throughout the book are also very well crafted and add value instead of feeling like filler by moments scenes that either shed light on some aspect of Elsie or Jimmy's personality or on their relationship. The drawing of Jimmy meditating and the one of Elsie getting 

Another bit of "added value" is the physical quality of the book. It's a pretty little hardcover that's deep deep red in color with a simple drawing of Elsie on the cover. It looks more like a collection of poetry or a diary than a collection of comic strips. This means you can get get away with reading it almost anywhere, and you won't have to worry about people looking down their noses at you. And you should read it. Order your copy now!

Musical Monday with Eartha Kitt

On September 14, 1967, the third and final season of the ABC "Batman" television series debuted. In the season's 14th episode (which aired on December 14 of that year), Eartha Kitt made her debut as Catwoman, taking over the role from Julie Newmar.

It's a little known fact, however, that Kitt established herself as the perfect Catwoman in 1954... when she performed "I Want to Be Evil".

Take a look, and I'm sure you'll agree that it looks like a young Selina Kyle who's deciding what direction she wants her life to take.



aaa

'The Genii of Fire' is hot stuff

The Genii of Fire (1908)
Starring: Anonymous Actors
Director: Georges Méliès
Rating: Nine of Ten Stars

In ancient Persia, a wealthy couple trespasses in a temple for the worship of fire genies... and are punished for it. 

"The Genii of Fire" is another great fantasy film from Georges Méliès, a guy who was making better movies before they'd even been fully invented than most filmmakers working today. He had been making these short films for over a decade at this point, and it shows. 

In this film, Méliès stages complex scenes involving a dozen actors interacting with each other as well as facilitating the film's effects which are a mix of the now-expected appearing and disappearing creatures and items, with some very nice pyrotechnics thrown in. It's rare that I am impressed with performances from actors in a Méliès film, but here we have an exception. While there are a few moments of what I assume is unintentional comedy, we are also treated to a bit where the cultists arrive in the temple, find the couple checking it out, and have an absolutely hilarious "what the hell are these two idiots doing here?" reaction. What makes the reaction funny is that it is subtle--there's none of the over--emoting or mugging or any of the typical early silent movie "acting techniques" but just good, solid acting. 

"The Genii of Fire" would be a solid Ten if Méliès had come up with a better way to end it. On the one hand, it's nice to see some honest-to-God story structure since so many of his films are, at best, vignettes, but on the other hand... well, I don't want to spoil anything for those who rightly take a few minutes to watch this great little film.

Happy Birthday. Milo Manara!

Milo Manara is an Italian comic book artist who is perhaps best known for writing and drawing "mature" comics that are equal parts sexy, surreal, and silly. Among his most famous works are "The Ape", the "Adventures of Giuseppe Bergman" series, and the "Click" trilogy (which formed the basis of a movie starring Jacqueline Lovell). He has also illustrated a number of historically based comics, such as "El Gaucho" and "Indian Summer" (written by Hugo Pratt), dabbled in sci-fi and fantasy... and sent a host of people running for the fainting couch over a "Spider-Woman" cover and other art for Marvel Comics a couple years back.

Manara turns 75 years old today. Shades of Gray hopes he has a happy birthday, and that he enjoys many more. We also thank him for the decades of beautiful art and interesting reading material.

In celebration and honor of Manara and his creative works over the past several decades, here's a small gallery of his drawings.

Saturday Serial: Jenna of the Jungle

Continuing Don Hudson's "Jenna of the Jungle" (and including a random bonus jungle girl afterwards). Click on any panel for a larger version, and come back next Saturday for Part Eighteen.


JENNA OF THE JUNGLE: PART SEVENTEEN
By Don Hudson

To Be Continued...

Girls of the Jungle

By Frank Frazetta

The argument in favor of cutting police funding

There are politicians and activists all across the United States who are pushing to have police department budges cut by 50 percent or more. Today, Anita Page is here to demonstrate why it's a good idea:

With only half the budget, police departments will only be able to afford half the uniforms.

And here's Chad, showing what a 90 percent budget cut at police departments would look like...

Grampy requests your presence

Betty Boop and Grampy (1935)

Starring: Mae Questal (Voice of Betty Boop)

Director: Dave Fleischer & Dave Tendlar

Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

Betty and the Gang are invited to party at Grampy's house... and, BOY!, do they party!

"Betty Boop and Grampy" stars a Betty in the process of transitioning from her wild flapper days to a homemaker. Betty still favors the short skirts, but they aren't as short as they used to be... and instead of visiting Crazy Town with her boyfriend, or going to see the Old Man of the Mountain against everyone's advice, she's happily doing domestic chores around her happy home. Still, there's more than just a little spunk and wildness left in Betty, so when she gets in invitation to come to Grampy's house for a party, she picks up four total strangers while crossing town (including a fireman and a police officer) and invites them along.

Grampy, a bald, white-bearded inventor of weird gadgets with a talent for jury-rigging devices on the spot that puts MacGyver to shame, joins Betty Boop's supporting cast with this installment. With Fleischer having to tone down the more mature aspects of their popular "Betty Boop" cartoons, they were trying different things and wacky Grampy was one of them. 

"Betty Boop and Grampy" is an entertaining bit of nonsense. It's got excellent music (starting with the "Betty Boop Theme", which Betty hums while tending to household chores; continuing through "Over at Grampy's House", which is sung by Betty and the guys she picks up while heading to the party; and "The Tiger Rag", which the characters sing and dance to, as it is played by a makeshift mechanical orchestra that Grampy constructs out of his kitchen appliances. The animation is up to the usual high standards to the Fleischer studio, and the gags are all well timed. It's not a high point in Betty's catalogue, but it's well worth your time.

The only real complaint I have is that Betty shouldn't have been picking up random strangers in response to Grampy's invitation. It would have been nice to see Koko and Bimbo at the party, since they're actually "the gang" mentioned in the letter. I know that Fleischer had removed the anthropomorphic elements of Betty's world by now, but it still would have made the Continuity Geek in me happy.

As is my habit with most of the short films I review, I invite you to take few minutes to brighten your day by watching the subject I've discussed. 

Trivia: In addition to working in animation, Dave Tendlar also illustrated comic books. I edited and wrote some material for a collection of his "Ginger and Snap" stories from NUELOW Games.