Retro Fan #35 November 2024 (magazine review).
Writer Scott Shaw!’s article on Space Ghost neglects explaining just what exactly his and his team’s powers are other than him being ‘Batman in space.’. I can’t recall the show being shown in the UK, although he appeared in the adverts in the American comic books at the time. It’s rather interesting seeing how he evolved and his eventual costume, by Alex Toth.
I’m not a coffee drinker, but writer Scott Saavedra’s look at its advertising stateside reveals that ‘Maxwell House’ was actually a hotel, and a particular brand they use is being named after it. I’m passionate about understanding the origins of brand names. It does illustrate how advertising promotion governs which brand you go for.
Writer Robert Greenberger has a look at the late 1960s TV series ‘The Name Of The Game’ and its rotating cast. I’m currently working my way through the series, having seen only a few episodes when it first came out. I think part of its uniqueness at the time was running at 90 minutes. Only the TV western ‘Cimarron Strip’ (1967-68) series, as I’ve found, had a similar length and didn’t last as long as this show. With such a lengthy time, it’s hardly surprising that it had rotating leads. The series also fired one of its leading men, Tony Franciosa, for unreasonable behaviour and then had guest-star leads.
Writer Mark Arnold looks at animated musical shows and numbers. We all know the Archies famous ‘Sugar, Sugar,’ but there is a lot more. Again, I have to confess to not seeing them because I can’t recall them being shown in the UK, including the Beatles show. With the likes of the Jackson Five and the Osmonds, you do have to wonder why live shows were never done, but I put that down to them touring so much.
Writer Ed Lute visits the Smithsonian Institute’s free-admission pop culture museum, which shows a lot of original media artefacts. I only wish there were more photos available.
For me, the main piece of his issue is writer Mark Voger bringing together various interviews he’s conducted with actor John Astin about his career and especially ‘The Adams Family’ with a lot of insight into how he contributed to the character. I only wish he had included some information about his yoga practice, given that he outlasted the rest of the cast. Astin’s career went from TV to film and was very productive.
Writer Will Murray recounts his time on the ‘Evil Dead 2’ set as his career as a visitor to film sets grew.
There is a wealth of information here that can evoke memories, provide fresh insights, and even inspire a desire to explore further.
GF Willmetts
(pub: TwoMorrows Publishing. 82 page magazine. Price: $10.95. (US). ISSN: 2576-7224. Direct from them, you can get it for $ (US))
check out website: www.TwoMorrows.com and https://twomorrows.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=98_152&products_id=1774
