Amber Dubois Remains Found

Fox News is reporting that skeletal remains of Amber Dubois has been found:

ESCONDIDO, Calif. — Skeletal remains discovered in a rural area of California were identified Sunday as those of Amber DuBois, a 14-year-old San Diego girl who had been missing for more than a year.

Fox News Radio reported the body was identified following a brief press conference.

San Diego County Sheriff Michael Gore said the remains were found in the area of Pala, in East County, Calif.

Dubois was last seen walking alone to school on Feb. 13, 2009.

There has been renewed interest in her disappearance following the murder of another San Diego teen, 17-year-old Chelsea King, of Poway.

Police aren't saying if John Gardner, who is charged with the murder of King, is connected with the Dubois case or the body's discovery. But, it does not seem to be a coincidence that Amber Dubois should be found so soon after Chelsea King was found and her accused killer was arrested.

To read the full Fox News article, go here.

The Photo-Shoot

Above, Yuu Asakura at Lake Balboa with "The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan."

The photo-shoot was completed. Although, it didn't go exactly the way I planned.

I had planned on using The Japanese Garden in Van Nuys, but due to the rains over the past 24 hours, the Garden was essentially turned into a "mudhole," according to the guards there. They said this happens all the time when it rains.

So, since my model, Yuu Asakura, was en route, I had to come up with an alternate site. Luckily, Lake Balboa was nearby.

As soon as Yuu arrived, I explained the situation to her and we headed over to Lake Balboa for the shoot.

It turned out pretty well. It was nice and clear out and the storm was a cold one causing the snow level to be lower than usual on the nearby mountains. It made for a nice background.

I would have preferred using The Japanese Garden instead, but one must adapt to changing situations.

Chuck Harter and The Illiad

The Los Angeles Times has an article today on the Illiad Bookshop, a North Hollywood used bookstore which appears to be bucking against the trend of failing bookstores. Famed used book dealers Dutton's and Bodhi Tree permanently closed their doors recently.

Adventures of Superman/George Reeves historian Chuck Harter is featured in the Times' article:

It's that homey feeling and personal attention that has drawn Chuck Harter to the bookstore several times a week for 10 years. The store has four employees and is open seven days a week.

"It's a bit like visiting with friends," said Harter, 56, a writer, actor and musician. "They're all so knowledgeable about the books, and they know their customers."

Employee Bob Johnson recently steered Harter to a book called "Too Young to Die," which includes two pages on the mysterious death of actor George Reeves, best known for his role in the 1950s television series "Adventures of Superman." Johnson knew that Harter was writing a book on the subject.

"It's all about service," Harter said. "There's really not that personal attention at the big bookstores."

Chuck Harter is writing a book on the timeline (about a year or two prior) of the events leading to George Reeves's alleged suicide.

One can get lost (time-wise) in any bookstore, new or used. Chuck said that when he went to the bookstore today, it was crowded. Apparently, a lot of people saw the article.

To read the full article, go here.

Photo-Shoot For "The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan"

Today has been spent working on getting a model for some advertising photos for The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan. I also attempted to scout the location for the shoot, but it was closed today. At least the guard gave me a nice 2010 calendar to take with me for ideas.

I plan to do the photo-shoot at The Japanese Garden in Van Nuys, California (Kyoto and Tokyo are just too far and it is only a couple of miles from home). (This picture was taken at home.) I am somewhat limited to when I can use The Japanese Garden as it has certain days and hours when it's open to the public. But it is a nice place with guided and self-guided tours. And it has a gift shop where visitors may buy Japanese gifts.

From The Japanese Garden's website:

Hours and Admission Fees:

We offer docent-led walking tours, by advance reservation only, on Monday through Thursday mornings. Each tour lasts approximately 1-¼ hours and includes an overview of the water reclamation process. (Evening tours are offered during the Summer.)

The Garden is also available for self-guided tours Monday through Thursday from 12:00PM until 4:00PM, and Sunday from 10:00AM until 4:00PM (the last gate entry each day is at 3:15PM). Please call on the day you wish to visit to make sure the Garden is open.

Admission to the Garden for docent-led or self-guided tours is $3.00 per person, $2.00 for Seniors 62+ and Children under 10. (Special Event admission fees are generally higher.)

On the model, I have a couple of "feelers" out. She'll be Asian, naturally! This all should be finalized by tonight, I expect.

UPDATE: Got the model! Here's a clue, she was in Don Glut's The Mummy's Kiss: Second Dynasty.

If Rejected By A Publisher...

Above, Pearl S. Buck.

A Facebook friend with the same last name as mine (we may be related, but I don't know for sure) submitted a novel to a publisher who sent her a really nice rejection letter. It was quite flattering!

Although disappointed, she took the rejection with a good sense of humor by saying, "I'm going in the other room to scream so as not to scare the cats."

I replied with this little gem (source: The Writer's Handbook):

Remember, Pearl S. Buck's next novel after "The Good Earth" became a best-seller was also rejected. It happens to the best of us. Just keep plugging!

I know I've told this to several people over the years who sought a book deal.

Elizabeth M. Shayne - 1921 - 2010

Above, Stephanie Shayne Parkin and her mom Betty with a group of us at the Superman Week ceremony in July 2001. Photo courtesy of Lou Koza.

It is with much sadness to report that Elizabeth "Betty" Shayne passed away early today from complications of lung cancer. She was the widow of Robert "Inspector Henderson" Shayne of the Adventures of Superman television show.

It was my pleasure to meet Betty in July 2001 when we held the 50th Anniversary Ceremony for the Adventures of Superman at the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration in downtown Los Angeles. She was a very sweet lady with a great sense of humor. I remarked that she looked 20 years younger than her eighty years. This prompted a laugh from daughter Stephanie who said, "That means she had me when she was ten!"

Top photo, Betty Shayne with Superman historian Chuck Harter. Bottom photo, Betty Shayne and Stephanie Shayne Parkin with Superman historian Jan Alan Henderson at Cafe Pinot.

Betty and her daughter Stephanie Shayne Parkin rode with me after the ceremony to Cafe Pinot for the luncheon that followed.

Betty fought a valiant fight against her illness. Her fighting spirit is an inspiration to all of us.

My condolences to Stephanie and her family.

"Monster Attack Team" No. 8: Kaiju With Flair

Above, the cover of "Monster Attack Team" #8.

by Armand Vaquer

There's a "new" magazine that's just been announced: Monster Attack Team (issue #8). The folks behind MAT describe it as "the seminal magazine devoted to Japanese monsters and super-heros." It is an old 'zine with a fresh perspective.

From the photos at the magazine's website, the graphics and layouts in the magazine shows an exciting flair. There's nothing stodgy-looking about it from what I can see.

Also, the list of articles indicates that the magazine is presenting a variety of topics by different contributors from Godzilla to Ultraman, instead of being dominated by one or a few. Many Japanese science-fiction and fantasy film historians of note are contributors to this issue.

The list of articles (from their website) include:

Go Go Godzilla
Patricia Rodriguez parties kaiju-style in Dallas, Texas.

Monster Toy Madness
Japanese style toys are the big thing for sculptors.

The Last Showakan Picture Show
August Ragone looks back with fondness of the end of a cinematic era.

Big Man Japan
Mini review by Steve Norwood.

Kikaida 01
David McRobie provides an overview and episode guide to the classic Toei tokusatsu series.

Kamen Knowledge
Who was that masked cricket motorcycle man? August Ragone knows!

Godman and Greenman
Mike Bianco explains how Toho kept school children occupied for five minutes at a time in the 1970’s.

Working Among the Monsters
Would you like to have Ultraman as your boss? Brad Warner did, and made it happen.

The Fantastic Cinema of Kinji Fukasaku
M.G. Keller gives an overview of the director’s sci-fi and fantasy films.

The Ultraman That Almost Was
M.G. Keller, Don Glut and Alex Wald provide insight into a fascinating project that never saw the light of day.

The Selling of Japanese Science Fiction
Ed Godziszewski shares knowledge and visuals of fantastic Japanese film posters and advertising.

The Last Dinosaur
Stuart Galbraith IV talks about the latest DVD release of the 1970’s Tsuburaya telefilm.

Tik Tak Talk
Lock up your daughters and brush up on your boxing. Tak Sakaguchi is in town, and M.G. Keller has an exclusive interview with him.

Putting Faces To Names
We enjoy their movies, but could we pick them out in a crowd? David Milner could, and gives us a visual reference to do so.

Wataru Mimura and Hiroshi Kashiwabara
MJ Simpson provides an interview with these two Godzilla screenwriters.

Jail Time
Jail O’Hashi is the guitarist for rock band Seikima-II. Edward Holland has a chat with Demon’s right hand axe-man.

Shut Your Venus Flytrap!
Think you’ve seen it all? How about a Japanese monster movie made by the US military and written by Ed Wood? Dr. Robert Kiss fills us in.

Not Just A Burnt Lizard
Nikkatsu’s Daikaiju Gappa was a monster never seen before and not seen since. Bob Johnson has the lowdown.

Ten Questions With Damon Foster
Edward Holland interviews the enfant terrible of Asian film fandom.

The Taste of Tea
Mini review by Crystal Decker-Norwood.

Monsters, Minatures & Magic
Steve Ryfle gives us an insider’s look at the recent documentary.

Ultraman, Path Towards Resurrection
Edward Holland has a few words about the show that gave MAT its name.

The Green Behemoth
Edward Holland gets some words of illumination and wisdom from August Ragone.

The creators are offering the book (well, it is 132 pages thick) in two versions: full color interior ($23.00 plus shipping & handling) and black & white interior ($9.00 plus shipping & handling). Both versions will have the full color cover. This may seem pricey, but the editors say that the money would be well-spent.

As I mentioned, MAT is an old name, stretching back to the original issues of the 1990s. According to the MAT website:

It started as a small newsletter and blossomed into a full-blown Japanese monster funbag - joining the ranks of similar themed zines such as G-FAN, KAIJU REVIEW and ORIENTAL CINEMA. During its time, Ed Holland was assisted in his editorial role by David May and then Michael Keller, and ran articles by genre luminaries such as August Ragone, Kip Doto, Damon Foster and Ed Godziszewski.

Like The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan, Monster Attack Team is also being published through ComiXpress.

For more information, ordering, and to get a peek at the issue, go here.

"The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan" Arrived!

The shipment finally arrived from ComiXpress and I am pleased with the way The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan turned out.

Archie Waugh's cover came out fantastic!

J. D. Lees's layouts look great in printed form.

NOTE: I will be getting a large shipment of The Guide from ComiXpress in about two weeks. They are expected to be shipped to me on March 18. I will make them available here and, upon request, I will gladly sign them at no extra charge.

First Shipment of Monster Travel Guide

Word has been received that my first shipment of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan had been received by my local post office and is now out in my letter carrier's truck.

So, I will now be able to hold my "baby" in my hands.

One other thing in regards to The Guide, Blogspot has a new feature in which bloggers can set up stand-alone pages on whatever subjects they wish. I set up one for The Guide. The link is just below the Armand's Rancho del Cielo photo at the top of the page (the one of a Zion National Park mountain with "Darth Vader's Helmet" on the mountain wall). Nice little feature!

Things are progressing on my plans for promoting The Guide, including publicity photographs. More to come as things fall into place!

UPDATE: My shipment just arrived! I am very pleased with the results.

Amber Dubois and Chelsea King: Possible Link?

Above, Amber Dubois, missing since February 13, 2009.

The body of missing 17-year-old Chelsea King of Escondido, California was found near a lake not far from the teen's home.

A known sex-offender, John Gardner, had already been arrested based on physical evidence found with him.

According to San Diego television station KGTV:

The man suspected of in the death of Chelsea King was being watched more than a year ago by the family of missing teenager Amber Dubois.

On Tuesday, 10News spoke with Amber's mother, Carrie McGonigle. She said her family asked investigators with the Escondido Police Department to check out 174 registered sex offenders living within the area of Escondido High School where Amber, who was 14 years old at the time, was last seen February 13, 2009.

Family friend Linda Walkup said Chelsea King could have been saved if investigators checked in on people like Gardner.

"Had he been looked at from the beginning maybe, possibly, we could have stopped what's going on with Chelsea right now," said Walkup.

Instead, Amber's family and friends began their own investigation. They located the homes of 147 known registered sex offenders in Escondido, San Marcos, Poway and Rancho Bernardo. They drove by their homes and even staked out some of those homes. One of the stakeouts was almost a year ago, outside an Escondido apartment belonging to Gardner at the time.

Amber Dubois disappeared February 13, 2009 while walking to her school. She hasn't been seen since.

A pick-up truck seen in a video taken near Dubois's school that morning aroused police attention. Could Gardner have owned a similar pick-up? The King and Dubois cases could be linked. The authorities should check the area around the lake and what vehicles Gardner owned or had access to.

Productive Day For The Travel Guide

Today ended up being productive as far as promoting The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

I concentrated on bookstores, Japanese and non-Japanese. The new email address I set up for The Guide will be useful so that any messages that come in won't be buried under the usual & ordinary glop that comes in all the time.

Speaking of The Guide, I received word that my order has shipped. That will help in doing further promotions. I expect it to arrive by the end of this week (at least I hope so).

I have some promotional ideas that are now being formulated. I plan to make this fun. If something isn't fun to do, why bother? I am anxious to get to work on those ideas.

I recently ordered a large batch of copies from ComiXpress so that I can do my own direct sales and for shows. They should arrive about mid-March. The Guide sold enough for me to plow some of the earnings into copies (ComiXpress agreed to my request for payment in copies instead of cash). There's plenty of cash left over in my account with them. I am just going to let the totals build a little more before requesting payment. It is nice not to be cash-strapped for once!

At present, I am considering a trip to Japan around October. But if something should come up that is beneficial, I may go sooner. I'm going to "play it by ear" for now.

Again, here's how to order The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan for your store or for yourself:

Dealers, all you have to do is to go to ComiXpress.com and set up a retailer account. It's fast and easy!

Individuals, to order, go here.

Happy Birthday Shinichi Wakasa!

Above, Shinichi Wakasa (background, third from right with the shades) at work at the Walk of Fame Ceremony in Hollywood in November 2004. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Today is March 2, 2010 in Japan (Japan is a day ahead of us).

The significance of today is that it is Shinichi Wakasa's birthday.

Wakasa is the suit-maker of such creatures as Godzilla, Megaguirus, Mechagodzilla (Kiryu), Mothra Anguirus, Gigan, King Seesar, Rodan and many others during the past decade.

Here's a toast for a Happy Birthday to Shinichi Wakasa!

"The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan" Emails

As one might imagine, I get a lot of emails (including spam) on my main email address.

I needed to separate those emails from ones pertaining to The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan. Accordingly, I've set up a separate email address for just the travel guide.

It is: MnsterMovFnGdJP[at]aol.com

To order The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan, go here.

S.W.A.T. Is At The Next Street Over

It's been an interesting morning here in Tarzana.

The next street over from me, the police S.W.A.T. team has a barricated man situation. It started last night when police were called over a fight between a woman and her boyfriend.

A woman was found shot and the suspect barricaded himself and fired on the police. The streets near my block have been blocked by the L.A.P.D. and I hear the constant noise from the police helicopter.

For more, go here.

Tokyo Sky Tree Under Construction

Above, an artist's conception of what the finished Tokyo Sky Tree Tower will look like.

by Armand Vaquer

A new tourist attraction is rising up in Tokyo, Japan.

The new Tokyo tower, dubbed recently as the Tokyo Sky Tree, is currently under construction in the Sumida Ward of Tokyo (below).



The new tower was made necessary due to the needs of digital broadcasting. The current Tokyo Tower just is too short to be sufficient for digital broadcasting.

The Sky Tree will be double the size of Tokyo Tower. Below, is a comparison of the sizes of the Sky Tree and Tokyo Tower. The Sky Tree will stand at 610 meters (2,013 feet) (some sources say 634 meters).



Over the past 49 years, starting with Mothra (1961), Tokyo Tower has been a favorite battleground for Japanese giant monsters. King Kong battled his mechanical counterpart atop it in King Kong Escapes, Gamera blasted it in Gamera, Guardian of the Universe (Gyaos built a nest on the Tower's ruins in the same movie) and Godzilla blasted it in Godzilla x Mothra x Mechagodzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.

The Tokyo Sky Tree Tower is due to be completed in 2012, just in time for the expected return of Godzilla in 2014 (Toho put Godzilla on a ten-year hiatus in 2004 due to slumping boxoffice receipts). We can probably expect Toho Co., Ltd. to make good use of the new tower in their next new Godzilla epic.

I visited Tokyo Tower in 2004 and the views from its observation deck were spectacular. I can just imagine the views from this even taller tower!

The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan has a feature article on the current Tokyo Tower.

Earthquakes: 2012 Starting Already?

First, we have the 6.9 (or 7.0) earthquake near Okinawa, Japan. Now we have (can you believe it?) an 8.8 shaker, with tsunamis threatening Hawaii and California coastlines, originating from Chile.

Seven-pointers are rare, but they do happen. But an eight-point-eight is unheard of! Estimates of the death toll in Chile are around 300.

Could 2012 be happening earlier than we thought?

You Can't Win Them All

Today was a rainy day in Los Angeles, so I spent much of it promoting online The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

I also was checking around for upcoming vacation and travel shows to possibly get a booth or table to sell The Guide. Unfortunately, most travel shows are held in the autumn months. There's slim pickings after that. We're now in the "slim pickings" season.

I found one in the not-so-distant future (and not too far, either) that looked promising. I completed their website's query form on getting a booth at the show and submitted it.

There must've been a reason the organizers didn't provide the booth prices on their website, I thought. Soon, I received a nice email response from the organizer and it contained a PDF file attachment.

After downloading the attachment, I looked through it and, lo and behold, the price for the smallest booth at the show was over $1,600 for the weekend! Ouch!

It would be nice if I could afford $1,600, but I'd have to sell over 100 books just to make up the booth expense. They claim they get over 30,000 attendees to their show. With an attendance like that, it may be conceivable that I could possibly sell over 100 books there. But with $1,600 to pay right out of the gate, it is not something I can afford to risk. And, that doesn't even count getting a room in the city where it's being held and the gasoline to get there. Oh, well.

Looks like I'll have to keep on looking.

To order The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan, go here.

Dealers! Make "The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan" A Big Seller For Your Store!

Dealers! If you want The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan a big-seller for your store, I am available for in-person book signings.

All I require is just the cost of lodging and transportation (airfare, etc.). I would be available for an entire weekend. If you wish, I can put on seminars on Japan travel.

Just order a batch of The Guide (make sure it's enough to more than make up for expenses) and we can arrange the dates.

Dealers/retailers, go to ComiXpress.com and set up a retailer account. It's fast and easy!

Just contact me via my profile on this blog.

Japan Earthquake: 7.0

The U.S. Geological Survey is reporting a major earthquake in Japan:

Magnitude 7.0 - RYUKYU ISLANDS, JAPAN
2010 February 26 20:31:27 UTC

The BBC News reports:

A tsunami alert has been issued in Japan after a powerful earthquake struck near the Okinawan coast.

The Japan Meteorological Agency gave the strength as 6.9 while the US Geological Survey put it at 7.3.

It struck at 0531 (2031 GMT), 84km (52 miles) east of Naha, on the island of Okinawa, 29km (18 miles) below the seabed, Reuters news agency reports.

Gran Torino (2008)

From Yahoo! Movies:

Walt Kowalski is a widower, grumpy, tough-minded, borderline-hateful, unhappy old man who can't get along with either his kids or his neighbors, a Korean War veteran whose prize possession is a 1973 Gran Torino he keeps in cherry condition. When his neighbor Tao, a young Hmong teenager, tries to steal his Gran Torino, Kowalski sets out to reform the youth. Drawn against his will into the life of Tao's family, Kowalski is soon taking steps to protect them form the gangs that foul their neighborhood.

There's very few actors I'd bother to walk across the street to see nowadays, and Clint Eastwood is one of them. I met him in 1980 at Ronald Reagan's presidential victory party and had him sign my ticket (gonna have to get that framed one of these days).

Gran Torino (2008) is supposedly Clint Eastwood's swan song as an actor. At least, that's what he says. But if a script should come along to spark his acting bug, he'd probably jump back in again. At 78, he manages to carry off with credibility being an "action star" despite his age.

I first saw this movie about a year ago and I was in a mood to watch it again last night. So, I shuffled off to the local CD/DVD store and picked it up (along with the DVD, Jimi Plays Berkeley).

After a year in-beteen viewings, I found myself enjoying Gran Torino all over again. I found it interesting to see the ex-DC Comics publisher Jenette Kahn's name listed as an executive producer during the end credits.

This movie was a bit of a family affair as two of Eastwood's sons were also involved. Eastwood, besides acting in the lead role, also directed.

There's a couple of nice featurettes on the American car culture. The Ford Gran Torino used in the move was a 1972 model. My family once had a 1975 Gran Torino (fire engine red with a black vinyl roof). That was a great car to drive and I was disappointed when my dad traded it in for a new 1980 Mercury Bobcat station wagon.

If you haven't seen Gran Torino, I highly recommend it. My grade: A.

Starring: Clint Eastwood, Christopher Carley, Bee Vang, Ahney Her, Geraldine Hughes, Dreama Walker, Brian Howe, John Carroll Lynch, Scott Reeves

Director: Clint Eastwood

UPDATE (2/27//10): My daughter Amber (age 23) said this about Gran Torino and Clint Eastwood:

I really liked Gran Torino. Clint Eastwood may be ancient, but he's still awesome.

Things Picking Up?

Things may be picking up. I've already had two new claim assignments this past week. Things have been virtually dead since about October.

Maybe insurers feel more confident now to start having independent adjusters do the legwork in investigating their claims. We'll see.

I'm not complaining, not by a stretch. The more work the better for me financially!

Andrew Koenig May Be Dead

Fox News is reporting that actor Andrew Koenig may be dead:

A body was discovered in Stanley Park by police in Vancouver, believed to be that of missing “Growing Pains” star Andrew Koenig who hasn't been seen since Feb. 14.

A news conference is scheduled to be held in minutes from now with Koenig's parents in attendance.

UPDATE: The body found was Andrew Koenig's. According to his father, actor Walter Koenig, he took his own life.

Getting Things Done

Yesterday, February 24 marked the 40th day since my mom's passing. How is that significant, you may ask? Well, in California, if a person doesn't name a beneficiary in their bank accounts, they are put on a 40-day hold. For some reason, my mom didn't name a beneficiary.

At 40 days, the executor or beneficiary (via the will) can to come in with a copy of the death certificate and file a notarized affidavit stating that the estate is under $100,000. Some banks may require a copy of the will, this one didn't.

It took a little time to get the paperwork processed and the bank management to approve everything, but it went smoother than I expected. In opening a new account, I made sure my daughter was named beneficiary. Besides her name and date of birth, they needed her social security number. I tried calling her but she was probably in class. Fortunately, she is on file with the bank for a student loan and they obtained the social security number from that. A lucky break!

I was able to draw out enough to pay off several of my mom's bills, including her credit cards, phone, newspaper and cable (it turns out I overpaid by $120, but they'll refund it). I think the only outstanding bill is probably the electric bill.

That out of the way, I did receive in the mail yesterday a breakdown of the Tarzana Medical Center hospital charges from Blue Shield and they exceeded $140,000. But, the notice indicated that at the time of the charges, my mom wasn't a member of Blue Shield. Huh?

Alarmed, I called them and they said not to worry, everything's been paid (Whew!) and I will expect to be billed or the co-pays for the hospitalization ($50/day) and paramedics ($100). That was a big relief!

Now, all I have to do is concentrate on getting the taxes done. I am concerned that I may not have all the documents to do a complete tax return for my mom. I guess if something turns up, I can always file an amended return. From the beginning, when we cleaned out her apartment, I kept all the important papers in one place.

I'll sure be glad when all this business stuff is settled and this emotional roller-coaster ends.

I am still having a hassle in getting my mom's rent deposit returned. But we're making progress there. The building management is worried that if they pay it, some bozo would come out of the woodwork making a claim. They are acting as if this involves thousands of dollars.

Today, I have to obtain the funds to reimburse my aunt for the loan for my mom's funeral and burial expenses.

It is a good feeling when things are actually getting done!

June Fairchild

Above, June Fairchild in Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1975).

 

Back in th 1970s, there was an actress who had bit roles in several movies including Pretty Maids All In A Row (with Rock Hudson), Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (with Clint Eastwood) and Cheech and Chong's Up In Smoke. 

Her name is June Fairchild. Born in 1946 in Manhattan Beach, she had small roles in prominent features, but ended up in Los Angeles' skid row due to alcohol abuse. She surfaced in 2001 in a L.A. 

Times article about her plight. Right after the article appeared, she was arrested for a parole violation.  

Right, Fairchild during her skid row days. 

She is reportedly the person who came up with the name "Three Dog Night" for the early 1970s rock band. 

She surfaced at a theatrical screening of Pretty Maids All in a Row at the 2007 LA Grindhouse Fest and spoke about the movie before it was shown. 

Recent reports say that Fairchild is doing better and has her own apartment. 

An article in Starpulse in August 2007 said that Clint Eastwood heard about Fairchild's plight and wanted to get in touch with his former co-star to give her a helping hand. 

Although she had a few roles before alcohol got in the way, Fairchild seems to have a devoted fan following. Perhaps if she sees this, she can check in and let her fans know how she's doing. 

UPDATE (9/21/10): 

It is rumored that Pretty Maids All In A Row (1971) is to be released on DVD. I checked around and found no confirmation of this. If the movie is ever to be released on DVD, June would be great to do a commentary extra.

Action Comics No. 1 Sold For $1 Million

The news media is abuzz over the recent sale of the first issue of Action Comics (No. 1) for one million dollars. It was sold at auction at Comic Connect. The reason the comic book sold for that amount is due to the fact it contains first appearance of Superman and it was graded as "very fine" condition.

According to the New York Times:

Stephen Fishler, the founder of Comic Connect, said that this copy of Action No. 1 was in very fine condition. Only 100 copies of this issue of Action No. 1 are believed to be in existence. Of that batch, only two of them are in very fine condition or better. The sale breaks the previous record of $317,200 from last March when Comic Connect sold another copy of Action No. 1, but in a lower-grade condition.

It must be nice to have a million dollars to spend. But in this case, I'd say it is a good investment. The buyer is reportedly anonymous.

Original Music From Dark Shadows Volume 2

Above, Jonathan Frid as Barnabas Collins.

One of the great things about the old spook opera Dark Shadows was its music. Composer Robert (Bob) Cobert put together some great tracks for the show during its run on ABC-TV. I've spent some of this evening listening to this album (the first time in years) and it is enjoyable.

The music was also used in the two feature films, House of Dark Shadows (1970) and Night of Dark Shadows (1971).

The show starred veteran actress Joan Bennett as family matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, Jonathan Frid as vampire Barnabas Collins, Lara Parker as witch Angelique and David Selby, as Quentin Collins.



Three volumes of music has been released, but I am concentrating on Original Music From Dark Shadows Volume 2. Like Volume 1, Volume 2 starts with the opening theme of the show and then it takes the listener through the music from the early years (1966-1967) to the later years (1970-71) with some favorites during its peak years. The album can be found at Amazon.com.

The tracks include:

Dark Shadows (main theme)
Victoria Winters
Laura: The Phoenix
Quentin's Theme
Curse of the Full Moon
Josette's Room
Dr. Julia Hoffman
Roxanne Drew
The Dream Curse
Ode To Angelique
Elizabeth Collins Stoddard
Willie Loomis
Gerard's Carousel
Head of Judah Zachery
Barnabas & Angelique
I Wanna Dance With You (Pansy's Theme)
Hand of Count Petofi
Joanna
I Ching Trance
Goodbye, Collinwood

The show lives on today in DVD sets and occasional syndication as well as the annual Dark Shadows Festival. In fact, I picked up my copy at the Dark Shadows Festival in 1989.

Actor Andrew Koenig Missing In Vancouver

(Vancouver police handout.)

Actor Andrew Koenig, who played "Boner" on the television show Growing Pains, has been reported missing in Vancouver, British Columbia.

According to USA Today:

Koenig, 41, known for his role on the television series Growing Pains, was scheduled to return to his home in Venice, Calif., Feb. 16. But police Constable Tim Fanning said Koenig never boarded the airplane at Vancouver International Airport.

Investigators believe Koenig still is in the Vancouver area where he once lived and "doesn't want to be found," Fanning says.

Fanning said friends and relatives said Koenig was feeling "despondent" before he went missing while visiting friends. Fanning said the actor's trip to Vancouver was not related to the Olympics.

Koenig is the son of actor Walter Koenig, who played Chekov in the Star Trek television series.

Rondo Ballot Is Up!

The ballot for the 2009 Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards is now up and ready for your votes!

I noted that The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan received a nomination in the "Best Book" category. Unfortunately, while I am honored to have it nominated, it did not come out in 2009 and was only made available on January 13. The Guide is only now hitting mailboxes everywhere (I've yet to receive my orders).

While it is nice to be nominated (and the nominating committee wanted to give it some publicity), I've asked David Colton (head honcho for the Rondo Awards) to remove it so that votes can properly go to those deserving books that did actually come out in 2009.

If it is deemed worthy for a nomination for this year (the voting will take place next year), I would gladly accept a nomination then. At least by then, people will have been able to read it and make a sound judgement.

I can make one recommendation, Peter H. Brothers's Mushroom Clouds and Mushroom Men: The Fantastic Cinema of Ishiro Honda was also nominated.

To go to the ballot, go here: THE BALLOT IS HERE!