Mark Evanier's Blog, page 36

Today's Video Link

And now, here's Sam Robson singing solo-four-part-harmony on Billy Joel's "For the Longest Time." Or maybe this is eight-part harmony. Or nine.  Or ten…

FACT CHECK: More Not True Stuff

The second the shooting of those legislators in Minnesota was reported, we had people all over the news and the Internet trying to blame it on whoever they considered the opposition party and its leaders. You'd think they'd wait until at least a little was known about the alleged shooter but I guess they never figure there's time for that. FactCheck.org looks into some of the wilder leaps to false conclusions.

Daniel Dale of CNN lists some of the not-true things Donald Trump said at G7.

And Steve Benen looks at some of Trump's claims to be able to "end all wars" and bring peace to the entire world. Those claims aren't aging well.

Today's Bonus Video Link

Back here, we were talking about the various specials and programs featured on an anthology series called ABC's Wide World of Entertainment. I said, with regard to the concept of rotating shows, "I suppose that worked somewhere at some point on one of the three networks we had then but no example springs to mind." A lot of you wrote in to remind me of The NBC Sunday Mystery Movie, a series which featured in rotation, McCloud, McMillan and Wife, and Columbo…and then in its last season, Hec Ramsey.

I suppose that series was a hit but what I was thinking of what ABC's Wide World of Entertainment was two out of four weeks — a series which featured all sorts of different programs, many of them one-shots, in no predictable pattern.

Some of you also reminded me of one of the one-shot specials on ABC's Wide World of Entertainment. It was this special on the history of the game show — which was never on ABC — What's My Line? It's mostly made up of Mystery Guest segments…

Victory Lapse

Not that anyone needs any further proof that Mike "MyPillow Guy" Lindell is a few feathers short in the head-stuffing department but…

Late Monday, a Colorado-based federal jury ruled that he defamed Eric Coomer, a former employee of Denver-based Dominion Voting Systems and ordered Lindell to pay $2.3 million bucks in damages. Mr. Lindell immediately sent a text message to Rolling Stone that said, "Awesome win! MyPillow 100% innocent!!!!"

He learned this at the feet of The Master, D.J.T.: When you lose, just insist that you won!

Thirty-Six Days…

So it's like 36 days until this year's Comic-Con International in San Diego…time for my way-overused joke about how if you're going and you'll need a parking space, leave now.  To answer the two most-asked questions I'm getting right now about this stellar annual event: No, my best friend Sergio Aragonés will not be at the con and no, I can't help you find a hotel room.

Well, let me elaborate: Sergio is in good health.  He's just choosing to not attend.  As for hotel rooms, I'm not an expert on this stuff as it's been a long time — thirty years at least — since I've booked my own room for one of these. I will suggest that if you can't find lodging close to the San Diego Convention Center (or can't afford what you can find), you may need to widen your search area and then figure out how to get to the con each day. A friend of mine reported that it was cheaper for to him to book far, far away and figure on paying for Lyft each day than to pay for the only room he could locate within walking distance of the festivities.

My schedule currently has me moderating or appearing on seventeen panels…and yes, I know that's crazy. Fine. It's crazy. I sometimes do crazy things. It comes from reading too many comic books. Stop trying to bring me to my senses. I abandoned them a long time ago and haven't missed them a whole lot since then.

Photo by Bruce Guthrie

The convention prefers I not post my schedule until they post the whole schedule…which they'll do two weeks before each day of the con. That is to say the schedule for Thursday of the convention will be online two weeks before Thursday of the convention, the schedule for Friday of the convention will be online two weeks before Friday of the convention and so on. If you are attending, I urge you to study it carefully and jot down what you want to attend…and what you'll attend if you can't get into your first choices.

I also suggest you just forget about attending anything in Hall H. Just get that kind of nonsense out of your head right this minute. If you're even thinking of trying that, read this about what that involves. And yes, I know that a guy who's doing seventeen panels has no friggin' business telling anyone they're doing something foolish.

It's probably safe though to tell you that I'll be doing all of my usual panels — in the same time slots they're always in and in the same rooms they were in last year. This includes two Cartoon Voices panels and the famous/infamous Quick Draw! game.

Are you perhaps interested in some stats? This will be the fifty-fourth of these conventions I've attended. If you'd like the whole list, let me refer you to this list I compiled last year.

Counting both Comic-Con Internationals and WonderCons, this year will be our 29th Quick Draw! game. I recently made up this list of all of them and who was on each one.

And counting Comic-Con Internationals, WonderCons and the ones I did online during the worst of COVID, the two Cartoon Voices panels we do this year will be #61 and #62 for me. I also recently made up this list of all of them and who was on each one. (I am still doing research and making changes on this list. If you have anything to offer, please let me know…but I think it's pretty complete and accurate now.)

Lastly, someone's going to ask this if I don't address it now. In 2018, I hosted sixteen panels and appeared on one other. That's my record to date. This year, I'm hosting thirteen panels and appearing on four others. So you can decide for yourself if that's tying my old record or not. Either way, it's crazy. Like I said, I sometimes do crazy things.  Later today, I may even read some news and try to understand what's happening in this country.

Today's Video Link

And now, here's Dan Wright singing solo-four-part-harmony on Billy Joel's "For the Longest Time"…

Another Video Link

Jon Stewart tonight on The Daily Show…

Today's Bonus Video Link

Here's a little over an hour of the anchors of The Daily Show talking about their program at a recent event at the TV Academy. They do these to perhaps impress Emmy voters and to maybe — just maybe — beat out John Oliver…

Today's Video Link

Yesterday, I linked you to Billy Joel's music video for his big hit, "For the Longest Time." It's inspired a lot of cover recordings and many of them are…well, I don't know quite what you call them. They're videos where one or two guys sing four-part harmony with themselves. Here's one I featured here before in 2014. It's a gent named Julien Neel, who has dozens of these online featuring just himself, teaming up with Sgt. Sonny, who also has dozens of these online of just him vocalizing with himself… The song is Billy Joel's "For the Longest Time"…

Today's Video Link

Sorry to hear that Billy Joel is having medical issues and has had to cancel all future live appearances. I've always liked his music and also what I've seen of him when he was just talking, not performing. He's widely loved and I'm sure not the only person hoping he has a full recovery, safe and soon.

I don't know if I have a favorite Billy Joel song but in the Top Ten, I'd surely place "For the Longest Time," which he first recorded back in 1983. Here's the official music video he made of it…