Didn't Have a Clue, Pretty Much Like You

Dantharr answered my question about "Captain Hero": It came from a short-lived comedy/variety show called "Hot Hero Sandwich."

A YouTube check didn't turn up any of the "Captain Hero" sketches, but somebody has posted the opening credits/theme (lovingly transferred from a very old, poor-quality tape):



Some surprising guest stars there, huh? I was also startled to see some people I recognize in the ensemble...namely, Denny Dillon, Frankie Faison (though Frankie's screen credit gets devoured by a glitch on this clip) and Matt McCoy. I think Matt McCoy must've been the paper-bag-wearing kid (and by "kid," I mean "adult playing a teenager") in the Captain Hero sketch I remembered.

Thanks, Dantharr!

What I Sang 1-28

After a long period of karaoke deprivation (due to CB South closing in December), last night I finally had a chance to try out the scene at Tin Roof Cantina. So, here at last, the return of "What I Sang":

"Hello Hello I'm Back Again" by Gary Glitter (and what better song to start out with?).
"Wait" by The Beatles.
"A Message to You Rudi" by The Specials.
"88 Lines About 44 Women" by The Nails.

Strolling Down Memory Lane Without a Ding-Dong Thing on My Mind

After I read Adam's post about Kaptain Kool & the Kongs (and the rest of the Krofft Supershow), and Kalinara's reminiscences about Siegfried & Roy: Masters of the Impossible and BraveStarr, a halfway-forgotten memory of a show from my own youth came bubbling to the surface...but only partially so.

"Captain Hero" was a recurring sketch on some kids' show (though I can't remember which one), about a young boy who would don a mask and cape and go into action whenever trouble reared its ugly head (though he had no powers). I remember that one of his friends always wore a paper bag over his head (this character may have been part of the other sketches as well). The only specific episode I can recall had Captain Hero facing off against a bully who was trying to steal bag-head-boy's bicycle; he scared the bully off by claiming that the bike was radioactive (and bag-head-boy backed up the bluff by hinting that he wore the bag because he'd been mutated by it). Yes, it was that kind of show.

The one thing I do remember vividly was the theme song:

Captain Hero!
Captain Hero!
Faster than a rock!
Stronger than a frog!
Smarter...
Than a piece of pie!
What a guy!

So, does anybody else recall this, and can you tell me what show it was part of?

YOU! Cake or Death?

Haven't had much time to post (or much to say, for that matter)...just thought I'd make a quick post to share this combination of two of the coolest things in the world: Eddie Izzard and Lego's.

I Am Sorely Disappointed

As previously stated.

Oh, You're Amazing, We Think You Are Really Cool

With the Oscar nominations being announced tomorrow, I'd just like to take this opportunity to say one thing.

I will be sorely disappointed if Kate Bush doesn't get a Best Original Song nomination for "The Golden Compass."

Because, y'know, she's Kate Bush.

Crisis on Faith-2

Adam Barnett's recent "Theological Wednesday" post has spurred me on to post about a topic I've been kicking around in my head for a while now...just how does the afterlife work in the Marvel and DC Universes?

It's been firmly established in both universes that there IS life after death, and that there is a Heaven and Hell...but there's little consistency as to what each place is like, or who gets to go where. As Adam pointed out, in one book Zauriel (who would have some expertise in such matters) states that suicide is an instant ticket to Hell (no matter the circumstances), while another book shows Adrian "Vigilante" Chase doing penance in purgatory, suggesting that it's not as harsh as all that. (And since "Quiver" showed that Oliver Queen made it into Heaven, it's apparent that the DC Universe operates under a very forgiving God.)

One of the goofier metaphysical aspects of the DC Afterlife is the idea (established by Doug Wheeler in Swamp Thing before it went over to Vertigo) that one's afterlife is tied to the physical location of one's death...Wheeler's concept was that Heaven and Hell had developed "pockets" of alien philosophies of the afterlife, due to the influx of alien souls who had died on Earth during the Invasion! crossover. Wheeler's story also showed that Abin Sur had been stranded in Earth's Heaven since his crash, separated from his own people...as I recall, he set off for his own world's Heaven at the end of the story, reasoning that he had all eternity to make the journey. Thankfully, this concept has been ignored since then. (After all, what kind of Paradise is it if you're separated from everyone you knew back home?)

But how do DC's parallel Earths (both pre-Crisis and post-52 versions) jibe with the hereafter? Does each world get a separate afterlife? Did Kal-L go to Heaven-2? Would Earth-3's Heaven and Hell be "reverse" realms where the ruthless are rewarded for their ambition and the innocent are punished for their weakness?

Or is there just one all-encompassing realm containing all the souls of all the worlds (even the ones that were wiped out of existence)? This theory would seem to be supported by the Hawk & Dove Annual where the Icicle, an Earth-2 villain who died before the new Earth was "rebooted," appears in Purgatory alongside several deceased Earth-1 villains before being allowed to move on to Heaven. Of course, that could just be part of the editorial dictate that there was only one world and the Icicle was always part of it.

The Marvel Universe's afterlife seems even more ill-defined...as amusing as the Milligan/Dragotta/Allred Dead Girl mini-series was, I just can't regard it as canon.

One thing's for sure...the residents of these worlds' after-realms have got to have some interesting "Can You Top This?" conversations about how they got there.

A Random GL Thought

Something that just occurred to me, with the revelation of the 7 Corps of the "Emotional Spectrum"...how does Rot Lop Fan perceive the different Corps? Which tone corresponds to which emotion for him? If a member of Rot Lop Fan's race were selected for each corps, what would they call themselves?

This Week's Highlight in Seven Words

Haney. Stephens. Allred. Cardy.

Heaven. On. Earth.

One More Criticism

So much has been written about the sheer stupidity of "One More Day," I don't think I can add anything substantial...so I'll add something shallow.

No. Uh-uh. Joe and Joe...you do NOT have the right to use the "jackpot" line in this story. Especially not at THAT POINT in the story. No. Just...no.

Face it, tigers...you just crapped out.

(Awaiting the inevitable "What If" issue where Peter and MJ turn down Mephisto's offer, and the Powers That Be proceed to show us why that would have been the wrong choice Because We Say So!)

I'm Still Here...

Sorry I haven't been posting lately...been busy with assorted "real-life" stuff (on the plus side: I got my car back, woo-hoo!), and haven't really had much to say.

However, all it took was a good meme (courtesy of Mike Sterling's Progressive Ruin) to pull me back into posting!

(Yes, I'm still bitter about that.)