Popular Science-ing

I just found out that Google has digital copies of old magazines available for free view. Maybe I'm behind the times. Anyway, while I may not be interested in their issues of New York magazine, I am ecstatic about their offering many, many, many issues of Popular Science. It's a step back in time. Now I can read the February 1981 article about new import cars getting 40 mpg! I can read intelligent articles about the Chevrolet Corvair (not just sensationalized garbage). I can see the September 1951 issue about the new Sports Cars (looks like a Jaguar XK120 on the cover).

And it's not just the articles, either. You get the almost-as-fascinating advertisements, too. Seagrams. Camel. The Atari 600. A solar watch. The gang is all here. And that's just the January 1980 issue.

I'm a geek. Not a geek in the I have a family room full of servers kind of way. No, I'm the guy the wants to take things apart. Sometimes, I even put them back together. I buy into Make Magazine's mantra of "If you can't open it, you don't own it". So, for me, this find is like...it's like...Christmas morning.

This also might be just the thing to force my internet service hand. Maybe it's time to look at something other than [gulp] dial-up. It's a big step.

Where was I...

Doc Savage: Brand of the Werewolf/Fear Cay

Brand of the Werewolf / Fear Cay (Doc Savage, Vol. 13)
by Lester Dent as Kenneth Robeson
Nostalgia Ventures
ISBN 1932806865

Man, what a find! Have I mentioned that I love libraries? I don't normally keep up on newly released books but I did wander through the new arrivals section of the other day. Much to my surprise, the library had purchased a large collection of reprinted pulp novels of the 1930s! Rows and rows of The Shadow! Volumes of Doc Savage! Superheroes before tights were all the rage! I was familiar with some of the character's histories but I hadn't read any of the actual stories. I limited myself to just one volume containing two Doc Savage stories, Brand of the Werewolf and Fear Cay.

While I found the book in New Arrivals, it should be noted that the stories date back to the 1930s. The first Doc Savage novel was published in March of 1933. For comparison, Superman was created in 1932 and first published in 1938. I believe I have those dates right. Now, if you're familiar with the earliest versions of Superman, you know he was a lot different than his current incarnation. He and the writing behind him were reflections of the times. Doc Savage is no different.

Savage is a renaissance man. He's incredibly strong. Through various exercises, he's heightened his senses to near superhuman levels. He's an engineer, a chemist, and an electrician. He's wealthy so cash isn't a problem. He even has a Fortress of Solitude before Superman had a refuge of the same name. He travels with a team of guys, all of which are the tops in their particular field. It's like Captain America meets the A-Team. They're a bunch of guys seeking adventure simply for the sake of adventure. They help others where there's no profit for themselves. I guess that's just a mentality I don't see much of these days. Sure, we still have superheroes but it just doesn't seem the same. Savage is more real. There's no element of fantasy involving radioactive spiders, gamma ray mutations, or alien power rings. He really is just a normal dude that's worked hard to be the best. This feels more attainable.

As for the writing, I'd say it was decent. The characterizations and some of the dialog amongst the main characters is a little repetitive. Ok, there were actually two consecutive paragraphs that were nearly identical so maybe is would be more accurate to say it was very repetitive. Then again, these were pulps. I don't know that they were ever expected to be more than disposable escapism. Anyway, the actual stories/mysteries are actually pretty good. I didn't find them to be predictable and that was good. There were enough twists and turns to keep it going.

The books were reasonably family friendly as they're clearly intended to appeal to adolescent boys. Keep in mind, though, that the 1930s was a lot different than the 2000s. This was before political correctness. Before society began sheltering children from, well, just about everything. So, while Savage and his team have a vow to never take another's life, people do get hurt and/or killed. People and they're dialog are often stereotyped. Something to keep in mind.

Anyday, in a world where basketball players get more praise than nearly everyone, Savage is a refreshing change.

From the Vault: Guess the Year

Here's another gem from my school scrapbook. Before you do any math based on this blog's tag line and the age printed on this scanned sheet, try to guess the year.

1. In what year could someone have listed Ghostbusters as their favorite movie, their favorite record or tape, and their favorite song? And, yes, I know there are several of my friends that would list these even today...please don't say 2008.

2. In what year could Michael Jackson have been listed as a kid's favorite person without prompting several sessions with a counselor.

3. In what year should Diff'rent Strokes have been listed as anyone's favorite anything? Again, no 2008.



My favorite number was 999,999,999,999,999,999,999? Pretty clever, Brett.

And my favorite thing to wear? Clothes. Nowadays, I thinking pants might be funnier. But I still like that actor, James Bond.

Shock to the System!

I happened to be checking out Woot.com the other day and there was semi-random mention of Billy Idol Fighting Zombies. It was a link and, because it mentioned both Billy Idol AND Zombies, I clicked on it as fast as possible. Anyway, it linked to Idol's Dancing with Myself video on YouTube.

First off, I strongly recommend you take a minute to listen and watch the video yourself. If you do nothing else today, this will make getting out of bed worth the effort. Face it, there's nothin' to lose and there's nothin' to prove.

Second, keep and eye on the chair that appears with Idol on the top of the building. It looks awfully similar to the chair my wife and I have in our living room. Merely a strange coincidence? I'm not convinced. I'd like to think this chair from Goodwill has seen from zombie action.

At the risk of being too racy, I'm officially naming that chair the Cradle of Love.

All things Retro

I happened upon what it is maybe my new favorite site for all things retro. If you're into things like old toys, cars and/or bikes, Max Headroom, or, heck, almost anytyhing, check out Retro Thing.

There's an especially interesting story about how, in 1987, someone hijacked a local Chicago television signal and broadcast their own version Max Headroom. There's some good video of the hacking but, be warned, it does involve some mooning.

There's no way for me to summarize the site without continuing, as I've already done, to post way too many links. It's a good time and I plan visit Retro Thing on a regular basis.