Joseph Baneth Allen's Blog, page 2
October 19, 2025
And A Woodstock In A Birch Tree
Just finished reading "And A Woodstock In A Birch Tree" by Charles M. Schulz, published by Titan Comics in 2022.
"And A Woodstock In A Birch Tree" collects the daily and Sunday Peanuts comic strips that ran in newspapers from 1978 and 1979. What makes this collection significant is that for the first time we get to see Sally instead of her brother going to camp and we get our first introduction to Sally's friend Eudora, who manages to cause some unexpected drama by causing Linus to give her his security blanket. We also get to see the introduction to Crybaby Boobie - Molly Volley's arch nemesis!
GREAT CLASSIC PEANUTS FUN!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
TEN STARS!
https://www.amazon.com/Peanuts-Woodst...
"And A Woodstock In A Birch Tree" collects the daily and Sunday Peanuts comic strips that ran in newspapers from 1978 and 1979. What makes this collection significant is that for the first time we get to see Sally instead of her brother going to camp and we get our first introduction to Sally's friend Eudora, who manages to cause some unexpected drama by causing Linus to give her his security blanket. We also get to see the introduction to Crybaby Boobie - Molly Volley's arch nemesis!
GREAT CLASSIC PEANUTS FUN!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
TEN STARS!
https://www.amazon.com/Peanuts-Woodst...
Shadows
Just finished reading "Shadows" by Robin McKinley, published by Penguin Books back in 2013.
Yes, "Shadows" has been quietly gathering shelf dust in my ever growing tsundoku - antilibrary of unread books - for a little over 12-years now.
I discovered Robin McKinley fist novel, a paperback version of "Beauty" that was released as part of Ballentine Books Adult Fantasy line that was edited by Lin Carter back in the late 1978 on the New Arrivals shelves of the Science Fiction and Fantasy section of Michelle's Bookstore in Jacksonville, North Carolina and I've been a fan of her writing every since.
Of note, McKinley did dedicate this book to the late and great Diana Wynne Jones, and "Shadows" does have a similar style to some of Jones' fantasy novels.
Maggie knows something’s off about Val, her mom’s new husband. Val is from Oldworld, where they still use magic, and he won’t have any tech in his office-shed behind the house. But—more importantly—what are the huge, horrible, jagged, jumpy shadows following him around? Magic is illegal in Newworld, which is all about science. The magic-carrying gene was disabled two generations ago, back when Maggie’s great-grandmother was a notable magician. But that was a long time ago.
Then Maggie meets Casimir, the most beautiful boy she has ever seen. He’s from Oldworld too—and he’s heard of Maggie’s stepfather, and has a guess about Val’s shadows. Maggie doesn’t want to know . . . until earth-shattering events force her to depend on Val and his shadows. And perhaps on her own heritage.
In this dangerously unstable world, neither science nor magic has the necessary answers, but a truce between them is impossible. And although the two are supposed to be incompatible, Maggie’s discovering the world will need both to survive.
A great novel of coming to terms with who you are and your place in the universe.
Strongly Reccomended!
Five Stars!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BPDN2SI/...
Yes, "Shadows" has been quietly gathering shelf dust in my ever growing tsundoku - antilibrary of unread books - for a little over 12-years now.
I discovered Robin McKinley fist novel, a paperback version of "Beauty" that was released as part of Ballentine Books Adult Fantasy line that was edited by Lin Carter back in the late 1978 on the New Arrivals shelves of the Science Fiction and Fantasy section of Michelle's Bookstore in Jacksonville, North Carolina and I've been a fan of her writing every since.
Of note, McKinley did dedicate this book to the late and great Diana Wynne Jones, and "Shadows" does have a similar style to some of Jones' fantasy novels.
Maggie knows something’s off about Val, her mom’s new husband. Val is from Oldworld, where they still use magic, and he won’t have any tech in his office-shed behind the house. But—more importantly—what are the huge, horrible, jagged, jumpy shadows following him around? Magic is illegal in Newworld, which is all about science. The magic-carrying gene was disabled two generations ago, back when Maggie’s great-grandmother was a notable magician. But that was a long time ago.
Then Maggie meets Casimir, the most beautiful boy she has ever seen. He’s from Oldworld too—and he’s heard of Maggie’s stepfather, and has a guess about Val’s shadows. Maggie doesn’t want to know . . . until earth-shattering events force her to depend on Val and his shadows. And perhaps on her own heritage.
In this dangerously unstable world, neither science nor magic has the necessary answers, but a truce between them is impossible. And although the two are supposed to be incompatible, Maggie’s discovering the world will need both to survive.
A great novel of coming to terms with who you are and your place in the universe.
Strongly Reccomended!
Five Stars!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BPDN2SI/...
The Mysterious Traveler
Just finished listening to "The Mysterious Traveler" released by Radio Spirits back in 2007.
The Mysterious Traveler ran on Mutual from December 1943 until about September of 1952. This tremendously popular radio show was truly an all around favorite for any mystery lover of the time. It was the brainchild and magnum opus of golden age writing greats Robert Arthur and David Kogan.
During its magnificent run, it was nominated for the coveted Edgar award for "Best Radio Drama" in 1949, 1951 and finally garnered a hands down win in 1953. The only show to have more nominations was CBS powerhouse Suspense. The Mysterious Traveler scripts totaled nearly 400 with only about 70 recorded shows surviving today.
The popularity of the series spawned other supernatural radio shows, such as The Sealed Book. "The Mysterious Traveler" was an anthology radio series debuted in 1943 and ran until 1952, featuring a narrator-host known as "the Mysterious Traveler". The concept was later adapted to magazine in 1952-53, and the comic book format in 1948, 1956–59, and in 1985.
Maurice Tarplin gave voice to the Mysterious Traveler.
Mom, Dad, and I enjoyed listening to the previous Mysterious Traveler collections released by Radio Spirits, and I ordered this one back in October 2013 - a month before Mom and Dad passed away. Now I did mention a few weeks ago when I asked Selma which collection I should listen to next, she didn't want me to listen to "The Mysterious Traveler" - I think because it is essentially a radio show focusing on horror. And in keeping with the morality codes of the era, all criminals got punished. There is one notable exception in Radio's Golden Age where one episode of Suspense actually let a murderer have the happy ending he so desperately craved with the woman he loved - popular with the audience, heavily frowned on by the morality codes of the era.
This collection of "The Mysterious Traveler" is notable because it contains two versions of a highly popular show that featured the fate of Adolf Hitler - "Death Comes To Adolf Hitler" and "Death At 50 Fathoms" - both versions are creepy ghost stories of revenge.
My favorite episodes in this collection are: "Death At 50 Fathoms," "Woman In Black," "Death Writes A Letter," "The Man Who Knew Everything," "Hide Out," "Strange New World," and "The Man Who Vanished."
Strongly Recommended!
Five Stars!
https://www.amazon.com/Mysterious-Tra...
The Mysterious Traveler ran on Mutual from December 1943 until about September of 1952. This tremendously popular radio show was truly an all around favorite for any mystery lover of the time. It was the brainchild and magnum opus of golden age writing greats Robert Arthur and David Kogan.
During its magnificent run, it was nominated for the coveted Edgar award for "Best Radio Drama" in 1949, 1951 and finally garnered a hands down win in 1953. The only show to have more nominations was CBS powerhouse Suspense. The Mysterious Traveler scripts totaled nearly 400 with only about 70 recorded shows surviving today.
The popularity of the series spawned other supernatural radio shows, such as The Sealed Book. "The Mysterious Traveler" was an anthology radio series debuted in 1943 and ran until 1952, featuring a narrator-host known as "the Mysterious Traveler". The concept was later adapted to magazine in 1952-53, and the comic book format in 1948, 1956–59, and in 1985.
Maurice Tarplin gave voice to the Mysterious Traveler.
Mom, Dad, and I enjoyed listening to the previous Mysterious Traveler collections released by Radio Spirits, and I ordered this one back in October 2013 - a month before Mom and Dad passed away. Now I did mention a few weeks ago when I asked Selma which collection I should listen to next, she didn't want me to listen to "The Mysterious Traveler" - I think because it is essentially a radio show focusing on horror. And in keeping with the morality codes of the era, all criminals got punished. There is one notable exception in Radio's Golden Age where one episode of Suspense actually let a murderer have the happy ending he so desperately craved with the woman he loved - popular with the audience, heavily frowned on by the morality codes of the era.
This collection of "The Mysterious Traveler" is notable because it contains two versions of a highly popular show that featured the fate of Adolf Hitler - "Death Comes To Adolf Hitler" and "Death At 50 Fathoms" - both versions are creepy ghost stories of revenge.
My favorite episodes in this collection are: "Death At 50 Fathoms," "Woman In Black," "Death Writes A Letter," "The Man Who Knew Everything," "Hide Out," "Strange New World," and "The Man Who Vanished."
Strongly Recommended!
Five Stars!
https://www.amazon.com/Mysterious-Tra...
Bob The Vampire Snail
Just finished reading "Bob The Vampire Snail" by Andrea Zuill, published by Random House.
Perhaps one of the forgotten points of trivia about "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" is that there is an printing that was run with an "adult" cover over in England to let "older readers" hide the fact that they were reading a "Children's Book."
Why am I mentioning this? While there is no stigma against an adult writing for children - I have written hundreds of non-fiction articles for children magazines - there is a stigma against older readers buying and enjoying children's books. Once a woman actually called the police on me at the Barnes & Noble near my house because she saw me buying children's books. [Yes if it's weird and it can happen, it will eventually happen to me - weirdness magnet here.]
Andrea Zuill has created a whimsical gothic tale about an ordinary snail, named Bob, who is suddenly turned into a vampire and how he adapts to his new found situation. Zuill has created a new sardonic take on traditional vampire troupes while mixing in fun facts about snails.
Great Fun!
Strongly Recommended!
Hide Your Tomatoes!
Five Stars!
https://www.amazon.com/Bob-Vampire-Sn...
Perhaps one of the forgotten points of trivia about "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" is that there is an printing that was run with an "adult" cover over in England to let "older readers" hide the fact that they were reading a "Children's Book."
Why am I mentioning this? While there is no stigma against an adult writing for children - I have written hundreds of non-fiction articles for children magazines - there is a stigma against older readers buying and enjoying children's books. Once a woman actually called the police on me at the Barnes & Noble near my house because she saw me buying children's books. [Yes if it's weird and it can happen, it will eventually happen to me - weirdness magnet here.]
Andrea Zuill has created a whimsical gothic tale about an ordinary snail, named Bob, who is suddenly turned into a vampire and how he adapts to his new found situation. Zuill has created a new sardonic take on traditional vampire troupes while mixing in fun facts about snails.
Great Fun!
Strongly Recommended!
Hide Your Tomatoes!
Five Stars!
https://www.amazon.com/Bob-Vampire-Sn...
The Bad Guys 2
Just finished watching "The Bad Guys 2" released by Dreamworks Animation.
Oh, it's not easy going straight.
Following the defeat of Professor Marmalade and their recent release from prison, the Bad Guys have since reformed but struggle to fit into society. Wolf, Shark, Piranha, and Tarantula unsuccessfully apply for jobs while Snake is frequently away from home. Wolf spends his time with Diane and they grow closer, but they cannot start a relationship due to him being an ex-criminal and her being governor. Inspired by Diane to give people a reason to accept them, Wolf helps Commissioner Luggins track down the Phantom Bandit, a new criminal known for being untraceable. They soon find evidence leading to the bandit being Snake, only to later realize he was with his new girlfriend, Susan. In an attempt to expose the Phantom Bandit at a lucha libre wrestling tournament, the Bad Guys are framed by a pig for the Phantom Bandit's work. After escaping from the scene, Wolf calls Diane to maintain their innocence and she agrees to help them.
What follows is a grand caper of twists and more twists as the Bad Guys fight to redeem their reputation in smooth criminal style.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
TEN STARS!
https://www.amazon.com/Bad-Guys-Blu-r...
Oh, it's not easy going straight.
Following the defeat of Professor Marmalade and their recent release from prison, the Bad Guys have since reformed but struggle to fit into society. Wolf, Shark, Piranha, and Tarantula unsuccessfully apply for jobs while Snake is frequently away from home. Wolf spends his time with Diane and they grow closer, but they cannot start a relationship due to him being an ex-criminal and her being governor. Inspired by Diane to give people a reason to accept them, Wolf helps Commissioner Luggins track down the Phantom Bandit, a new criminal known for being untraceable. They soon find evidence leading to the bandit being Snake, only to later realize he was with his new girlfriend, Susan. In an attempt to expose the Phantom Bandit at a lucha libre wrestling tournament, the Bad Guys are framed by a pig for the Phantom Bandit's work. After escaping from the scene, Wolf calls Diane to maintain their innocence and she agrees to help them.
What follows is a grand caper of twists and more twists as the Bad Guys fight to redeem their reputation in smooth criminal style.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
TEN STARS!
https://www.amazon.com/Bad-Guys-Blu-r...
Where Have All The People Gone?
Just finished watching "Where Have All The People Gone?" which aired as an NBC Movie Of The Week back on October 8th, 2024.
I remember watching "Where Have All The People Gone?" when it first aired on broadcast television when it aired back in 1974. We didn't get a color television until our old back and white television set kicked the bucket back in 1980, and I can still recall the visual shock it was to actually watch a television show or movie in as what they used to say, "in living color."
"Where Have All The People Gone?" always remained in my memory because it is a simple and compelling story of survival set against a mystery of what caused the disappearance of nearly all of humanity. I always wanted to find a copy of the DVD release, yet I could never find a copy of it until I saw it listed on eBay for a reasonable price - under $20 - so I snapped it up.
Now I did mention to Selma that I found "Where Have All The People Gone?" and that I was going to buy it. She had once asked me about DVDs that I have been trying to find and buy and we did discuss "Where Have All The People Gone?" It did arrive the day before she passed away, so I didn't have the opportunity to let her know that I had finally gotten a copy.
"Where Have All The People Gone?" may have been a backdoor pilot for a proposed televisions in the vein of the BBC science fiction survival show "Survivors" created by famed Doctor Who writer Terry Nation. While it did have solid ratings and strong critical reviews, it was never picked up as a series.
On a camping trip in the Sierra Nevada mountains in central California, Steven Anders and his two teenage children, Deborah and David, are exploring a cave when they experience an earthquake. After emerging, they hear from a ranch-hand who was outside that there was a bright solar flash prior to the earthquake. He soon falls ill and dies, whereupon his body turns to a powdery substance. As the family comes down from the mountain to the nearest town, they discover that everyone has turned to the powdery substance inside their clothing, and there are few survivors.
Owing to fear and anxiety, most people they find are focused only on their own survival, but as the family tries to make their way home 300 miles to Malibu (where the mother had returned earlier from the camping trip), they find two people that need their help, as well as a man who invites them to be neighbors.
They face dangers ranging from wild dogs, who seem to have been driven mad from the solar flare, to a gunman who steals their car. They rescue a woman, Jenny, and later a young boy whose family was killed by two men who stole their car. Apart from the physical journey, they struggle to overcome the emotional trauma of the events.
They find their way home and discover a note left for them by the mother, who has also died and turned to powder. They are informed that a virus outbreak that began after the solar flare is responsible for most of the deaths, and that some people have a genetic resistance. Despairing, Jenny tries to commit suicide by drowning herself in the ocean, but she is rescued. At the conclusion, they exude a hopeful outlook by embarking on a trek to northern California.
"Where Have All The People Gone?" is a riveting survival story that still holds up very well.
HIGHLY RECOMMEDED!
TEN STARS!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/336183410701
I remember watching "Where Have All The People Gone?" when it first aired on broadcast television when it aired back in 1974. We didn't get a color television until our old back and white television set kicked the bucket back in 1980, and I can still recall the visual shock it was to actually watch a television show or movie in as what they used to say, "in living color."
"Where Have All The People Gone?" always remained in my memory because it is a simple and compelling story of survival set against a mystery of what caused the disappearance of nearly all of humanity. I always wanted to find a copy of the DVD release, yet I could never find a copy of it until I saw it listed on eBay for a reasonable price - under $20 - so I snapped it up.
Now I did mention to Selma that I found "Where Have All The People Gone?" and that I was going to buy it. She had once asked me about DVDs that I have been trying to find and buy and we did discuss "Where Have All The People Gone?" It did arrive the day before she passed away, so I didn't have the opportunity to let her know that I had finally gotten a copy.
"Where Have All The People Gone?" may have been a backdoor pilot for a proposed televisions in the vein of the BBC science fiction survival show "Survivors" created by famed Doctor Who writer Terry Nation. While it did have solid ratings and strong critical reviews, it was never picked up as a series.
On a camping trip in the Sierra Nevada mountains in central California, Steven Anders and his two teenage children, Deborah and David, are exploring a cave when they experience an earthquake. After emerging, they hear from a ranch-hand who was outside that there was a bright solar flash prior to the earthquake. He soon falls ill and dies, whereupon his body turns to a powdery substance. As the family comes down from the mountain to the nearest town, they discover that everyone has turned to the powdery substance inside their clothing, and there are few survivors.
Owing to fear and anxiety, most people they find are focused only on their own survival, but as the family tries to make their way home 300 miles to Malibu (where the mother had returned earlier from the camping trip), they find two people that need their help, as well as a man who invites them to be neighbors.
They face dangers ranging from wild dogs, who seem to have been driven mad from the solar flare, to a gunman who steals their car. They rescue a woman, Jenny, and later a young boy whose family was killed by two men who stole their car. Apart from the physical journey, they struggle to overcome the emotional trauma of the events.
They find their way home and discover a note left for them by the mother, who has also died and turned to powder. They are informed that a virus outbreak that began after the solar flare is responsible for most of the deaths, and that some people have a genetic resistance. Despairing, Jenny tries to commit suicide by drowning herself in the ocean, but she is rescued. At the conclusion, they exude a hopeful outlook by embarking on a trek to northern California.
"Where Have All The People Gone?" is a riveting survival story that still holds up very well.
HIGHLY RECOMMEDED!
TEN STARS!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/336183410701
October 16, 2025
The Green Man
Just finished listening to "The Green Man," an original audio production written by Zoltan Dery as part of the Audio Adventures In Time & Space series released by the BBV back in 2002.
BBV Productions is an independent British media production company headed by Bill Baggs, specializing in Doctor Who spin-offs of various kinds. Despite the similarity in name, it had no direct affiliation with the BBC or any of its subsidiaries, with the initials instead standing in for Bill & Ben Video, "Ben" having been the nickname of founder Bill Baggs's then-wife when the company was founded in 1991. I believe BBV Productions is still around in some form or another and that there is some controversy of some sort of another associated with it.
By the time I had stumbled across BBV Productions they had stopped producing original, but unlicensed and unauthorized Doctor Who audios and spin offs - they got around the BBC by calling their version of the Doctor "the Professor." So I had to scurry to get as many BBV audios I could, but I couldn't find a copy of "The Green Man," which was BBV's second audio drama in their Krynoid saga. It was only about three weeks ago when I went online to order the second series of Big Finish Productions "V - Occupation London," that I happened to discover that the Doctor Who Online Store had copies of "The Green Man" for sale, so I added it to my order. I was on the phone with Selma when I was placing the order and she was intrigued by the fact that BBV was able to get away with producing original stories in unlicensed media.
In 12th Century England, medicine man Osbert is accompanied by man-at-arms Alfred through the forest as he looks for the herbs he needs to create a cure for the Lady Maud. They bicker, with Osbert unhappy to be saddled with a bodyguard as though he is some defenceless child. However, they soon realise something really is amiss and they are being stalked by a wolf, which surprises both of them, as it is daytime. When the creature shows itself, it is a monstrous hybrid of a wolf and a plant, but no less ferocious than a regular wolf; while Alfred flees, Osbert trips on a root and is left at the mercy of the creature.
Back at the castle, the Earl Godfrey goes to meet a new arrival, wondering if it is Osbert and Alfred returned at last from their expedition into the forest, but it is instead his old friend, the Frenchman D'Arrée. D'Arrée explains that he has come from the hospice because he heard about Lady Maud's illness, and has brought with him Moses of Tyre, a scholar of the Knights Templar. Although he does have the servant-girl Rose escort Moses to his wife's chambers, he is openly suspicious of the newcomer due to him being a Jew. D'Arrée tries to talk him out of his prejudices. Their conversation is interrupted by the return of a harried Sergeant Alfred, who tells the two noblemen about the mysterious attack and Osbert's disappearance. The Earl orders Alfred to go back into the forest with backup and find Osbert again. D'Arrée joins the expedition which sets off a frantic life and death struggle between the castle and the Krynoid.
Strongly Recommended.
Five Stars!
https://tardis.fandom.com/wiki/The_Gr...
BBV Productions is an independent British media production company headed by Bill Baggs, specializing in Doctor Who spin-offs of various kinds. Despite the similarity in name, it had no direct affiliation with the BBC or any of its subsidiaries, with the initials instead standing in for Bill & Ben Video, "Ben" having been the nickname of founder Bill Baggs's then-wife when the company was founded in 1991. I believe BBV Productions is still around in some form or another and that there is some controversy of some sort of another associated with it.
By the time I had stumbled across BBV Productions they had stopped producing original, but unlicensed and unauthorized Doctor Who audios and spin offs - they got around the BBC by calling their version of the Doctor "the Professor." So I had to scurry to get as many BBV audios I could, but I couldn't find a copy of "The Green Man," which was BBV's second audio drama in their Krynoid saga. It was only about three weeks ago when I went online to order the second series of Big Finish Productions "V - Occupation London," that I happened to discover that the Doctor Who Online Store had copies of "The Green Man" for sale, so I added it to my order. I was on the phone with Selma when I was placing the order and she was intrigued by the fact that BBV was able to get away with producing original stories in unlicensed media.
In 12th Century England, medicine man Osbert is accompanied by man-at-arms Alfred through the forest as he looks for the herbs he needs to create a cure for the Lady Maud. They bicker, with Osbert unhappy to be saddled with a bodyguard as though he is some defenceless child. However, they soon realise something really is amiss and they are being stalked by a wolf, which surprises both of them, as it is daytime. When the creature shows itself, it is a monstrous hybrid of a wolf and a plant, but no less ferocious than a regular wolf; while Alfred flees, Osbert trips on a root and is left at the mercy of the creature.
Back at the castle, the Earl Godfrey goes to meet a new arrival, wondering if it is Osbert and Alfred returned at last from their expedition into the forest, but it is instead his old friend, the Frenchman D'Arrée. D'Arrée explains that he has come from the hospice because he heard about Lady Maud's illness, and has brought with him Moses of Tyre, a scholar of the Knights Templar. Although he does have the servant-girl Rose escort Moses to his wife's chambers, he is openly suspicious of the newcomer due to him being a Jew. D'Arrée tries to talk him out of his prejudices. Their conversation is interrupted by the return of a harried Sergeant Alfred, who tells the two noblemen about the mysterious attack and Osbert's disappearance. The Earl orders Alfred to go back into the forest with backup and find Osbert again. D'Arrée joins the expedition which sets off a frantic life and death struggle between the castle and the Krynoid.
Strongly Recommended.
Five Stars!
https://tardis.fandom.com/wiki/The_Gr...
October 11, 2025
NEO Ultra Q
Just finished watching "NEO Ultra Q" released by Ultraman Studios.
"NEO Ultra Q" is a 2013 mini-series sequel to the popular and fan favorite "Ultra Q" a 1966 Japanese tokusatsu kaiju - a live action giant monster show that is quirky and odd which has endeared it as a cult favorite over the decades. Think of it as a mash up of Godzilla, The Twilight Zone, and Scooby Doo all wrapped up into one show.
I do remember watching dubbed episodes of the original "Ultra Q" series in the late 1960s since it was syndicated.
"NEO Ultra Q" centers around the adventures of Jin Haibara, Emiko Watarase, and Shohei Shiroyama in a world where Ogres, kaiju and aliens intermingle with everyday humans and in a world where Ogres have to struggle for basic rights. The episodes pack a lot within each 24-minute run and surprisingly explore themes of hope and morality that most Western television shows would shy away from.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
TEN STARS!
https://www.amazon.com/Neo-Ultra-Blu-...
"NEO Ultra Q" is a 2013 mini-series sequel to the popular and fan favorite "Ultra Q" a 1966 Japanese tokusatsu kaiju - a live action giant monster show that is quirky and odd which has endeared it as a cult favorite over the decades. Think of it as a mash up of Godzilla, The Twilight Zone, and Scooby Doo all wrapped up into one show.
I do remember watching dubbed episodes of the original "Ultra Q" series in the late 1960s since it was syndicated.
"NEO Ultra Q" centers around the adventures of Jin Haibara, Emiko Watarase, and Shohei Shiroyama in a world where Ogres, kaiju and aliens intermingle with everyday humans and in a world where Ogres have to struggle for basic rights. The episodes pack a lot within each 24-minute run and surprisingly explore themes of hope and morality that most Western television shows would shy away from.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
TEN STARS!
https://www.amazon.com/Neo-Ultra-Blu-...
October 10, 2025
A Witch Shall Be Born
Just finished listening to "A Witch Shall Be Born" by Robert E. Howard, performed by Jim Roberts and released by Brilliance Audio back in 2013.
Dad was a huge fan of Howard's Conan stories, and I believe that I picked up this audio CD several years back at the Racetrack Truck Stop in Kingsland, Georgia when they were eliminating their audio book section and had a bunch of audio books on sale. So I snatched it up, along with a few others.
"A Witch Shall Be Born" is a sword and sorcery novella by Howard, featuring his character Conan the Cimmerian. It was written in only a few days in spring of 1934 and first published in Weird Tales in December 1934.
The story concerns a witch replacing her twin sister as queen of a city-state, which brings her into conflict with Conan who had been the captain of the queen's guard. Themes of paranoia, and the duality of the twin sisters, are paramount in this story but it also includes elements of the conflict between barbarism and civilization that is common to the entire Conan series. While the novella as a whole is considered an average example of the series, but one scene stands out. Conan's crucifixion early in the story during the second chapter - "The Tree of Death" - is considered one of the most memorable scenes in the entire series. A variation of this scene was included in the 1982 film Conan the Barbarian with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Yet, while a typical Conan tale, Howard only features Conan briefly in this tale and "A Witch Shall Be Born" is a stylistic shift away from traditional pulp tales of the era.
"A Witch Shall Be Born" is a great sword and sorcery tale and marks Howard's growth a a writer who was willing to experiment.
Strongly Recommended!
Five Stars!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/335040304099...
Dad was a huge fan of Howard's Conan stories, and I believe that I picked up this audio CD several years back at the Racetrack Truck Stop in Kingsland, Georgia when they were eliminating their audio book section and had a bunch of audio books on sale. So I snatched it up, along with a few others.
"A Witch Shall Be Born" is a sword and sorcery novella by Howard, featuring his character Conan the Cimmerian. It was written in only a few days in spring of 1934 and first published in Weird Tales in December 1934.
The story concerns a witch replacing her twin sister as queen of a city-state, which brings her into conflict with Conan who had been the captain of the queen's guard. Themes of paranoia, and the duality of the twin sisters, are paramount in this story but it also includes elements of the conflict between barbarism and civilization that is common to the entire Conan series. While the novella as a whole is considered an average example of the series, but one scene stands out. Conan's crucifixion early in the story during the second chapter - "The Tree of Death" - is considered one of the most memorable scenes in the entire series. A variation of this scene was included in the 1982 film Conan the Barbarian with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Yet, while a typical Conan tale, Howard only features Conan briefly in this tale and "A Witch Shall Be Born" is a stylistic shift away from traditional pulp tales of the era.
"A Witch Shall Be Born" is a great sword and sorcery tale and marks Howard's growth a a writer who was willing to experiment.
Strongly Recommended!
Five Stars!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/335040304099...
October 6, 2025
Zagor - The Northwest Passage
Just finished reading "Zagor - The Northwest Passage" by Mauro Boselli and Raphel Carlo Marcello published by Epicenter Comics in 2025.
Zagor is an Italian comic book created by editor and writer Sergio Bonelli - the pseudonym of Guido Nolitta - and artist Gallieno Ferri. Zagor was first published In Italy by Sergio Bonelli Editore in 1961. Since 2015, Epicenter Comics released in the United States the English-language edition of Zagor comics.
"Zagor - The Northwest Passage" originally was published between April - July 1994 and chronicles the adventures of Zagor and Chico as Chico unexpectedly receives a psychic call from help from their friend Ramath - who is taking part of an expedition to find the fabled Northwest Passage that has been trapped in the Artic ice for nearly two years.
Zagor and Chico reunite with the crew of the Golden Baby and they set off on a rescue mission, but there is an unexpected betrayal by an ally who sets off a chain of events that leads to an unexpected discovery of the fate of a tragic artic explorer.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
TEN STARS!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/167609937512...
Zagor is an Italian comic book created by editor and writer Sergio Bonelli - the pseudonym of Guido Nolitta - and artist Gallieno Ferri. Zagor was first published In Italy by Sergio Bonelli Editore in 1961. Since 2015, Epicenter Comics released in the United States the English-language edition of Zagor comics.
"Zagor - The Northwest Passage" originally was published between April - July 1994 and chronicles the adventures of Zagor and Chico as Chico unexpectedly receives a psychic call from help from their friend Ramath - who is taking part of an expedition to find the fabled Northwest Passage that has been trapped in the Artic ice for nearly two years.
Zagor and Chico reunite with the crew of the Golden Baby and they set off on a rescue mission, but there is an unexpected betrayal by an ally who sets off a chain of events that leads to an unexpected discovery of the fate of a tragic artic explorer.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
TEN STARS!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/167609937512...
