theinferior4+1

Today I bid good-bye to my paper-thin pal, Flat Stephen, after two weeks of nonstop fun!  From New York City, to Saratoga Springs, to Middlesex Beach, Flat made friends wherever he went -- especially among the fairer sex.  I'm gonna miss the little guy.  Here's a shot of him buried in the sand . . .



I'm heading back to New York this afternoon.  I've got tickets to see Spiritualized at the Apollo Theatre tonight, doing a show called "Acoustic Mainlines" -- featuring the music of Spiritualized and Spaceman 3.  Strings, choir -- it could really suck, but it could also be very cool.  So many of the most recent Spiritualized tracks have such a heavy, well, spiritual element (I mean musically) that I think it could work.  And maybe for once it'll actually be possible to hear Jason's mordantly witty lyrics!

"The only time I'm drink and drug free is when I get my drugs and drink for free . . ."

[Click once, then again, to interpret]

This cartoon is by J. B. Handelsman, from THE SATURDAY EVENING POST for March 13, 1965.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._B._Handelsman

Now, the BATMAN TV series, which sparked tremendous awareness of superheroes among non-fans, did not debut till 1966. But Marvel's remaking of the superhero mythology had of course been building tremendous popularity since 1961.

Still, for a conservative mainstream Middle America mag like the SEP to reference so many comics characters feels like a milestone of sorts.

To the best of my eyesight, we have Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Hawkman, Flash, Human Torch, Spider-Man, and Captain America. The other figures seem generic.

Posted by Paul DiFi.

[Click to invigorate]


[Click to exhilarate]


[Click to interrogate]

From IF SCIENCE FICTION MAGAZINE, for September 1960.

Legend has it that Fred Pohl was running IF and GALAXY at this point, although H. L. Gold's name as editor was still on the masthead. Well, Fred must've turned a sympathetic ear to doomed and probably broke-at-the-time genius Wally Wood, since WW got three out of the five spots in this issue.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wally_Wood

Posted by Paul DiFi.