Mark Evanier's Blog, page 50

Today's Video Link

From The Jack Paar Show for December 18th, 1964 — a big break for a new act…

What I Did Last Night

John Morrow and me. Click to enlarge the pic.
Photo by Gabriella Muttone

Despite just being released from the hospital, I knew I couldn't miss the gala event this evening at the Skirball Cultural Center here in Los Angeles. It was the opening of two new exhibitions — Jack Kirby: Heroes and Humanities and Away in the Catskills: Summers, Sour Cream, and Dirty Dancing. Guess which one I was there to see.

John Morrow — who publishes The Jack Kirby Collector and the other fine publications from TwoMorrows Publishing — flew in from North Carolina just for the event. He was nice enough to pick me up along with my lovely friend Gabrielle Muttone and drive us to the Skirball Center. I was using my Rollator because my balance is not great, my legs get tired when I stand too long and a Rollator gives you the opportunity to sit whenever you like, regardless if there's an empty chair nearby. Actually, there were quite a few folks there on Rollators.

It's a terrific exhibit and I need to go back at least once to enjoy all its terrificness and yes, I know that's not a word. Call DOGE and have me fired for not doing my job properly.

me, Gabriella and Mike Royer. I dunno who took the photo.

The halls at the Skirball have many original pages and covers from Jack's long, amazing career and there are photos and a running next in the captions and…well, it will not disappoint anyone interested in the man's work. The exhibit will be there for another year and you can find out everything about visiting it on this page.

The place was mobbed and, interestingly, a lot of folks there came not knowing much or anything about Jack Kirby. They were loyal Skirball members who attend everything there and seek to broaden their knowledge by exposing themselves to whatever the Skirball thinks is worth hanging on its walls. I found myself in a fascinating conversation with a couple who didn't really know who Jack was when they walked in. They were mightily impressed with what they saw and had become on-the-spot Kirby fans. They also seemed unable to grasp the concept that I or anyone could have possibly known someone who created such mind-boggling artwork.

Tom Kenny and me. Photo by Gabriella Muttone.

But of course there were people there who knew Jack — or knew of him — or knew each other. Among the many I encountered were Mike Royer, Rand Hoppe, Tom Kraft, Lisa Kirby, Jeremy Kirby, Tracy Kirby, Tom Kenny, Jerry Beck, Scott Shaw!, Paul S. Levine, Dave Schwartz, Paul Power, Frank Balkin and many more. It was really a lovely evening and if you can get yourself to the Skirball in the next year, you'll have a very good time. You may even see me there again having another very good time.

Today's Video Link

I think Seth Meyers is doing some of the best political comedy ever done on television. Some of you might say, "Well, that's because you're Liberal and so is he" and the answer to that is that non-Liberal political comedy isn't even in the game. No one has ever done it that well and it's doubtful anyone ever will because, to use the analogy I made up for this years ago, it's like doing a Marx Brothers movie and trying to make Margaret Dumont the funny one. Right-wing media is good at a lot of things — I think it's a lot better than left-wing media at attracting loyal followers — but humor? Nope.

Here's Mr. Meyers the other night explaining why the Biden economy was so much better than the early stages of the Trump economy…and I'm not saying Donald can't turn it around but the way he tries to invert history and take credit for his predecessor's successes does not make me optimistic that he and his mob know what they're doing…

FACT CHECK: An Awful Lot of Them

Glenn Kessler of The Washington Post points out how Trump keeps spinning the news of the stock market to claim the good news is his doing and the bad news is Biden's.

He also finds 32 false or misleading claims in Trump's recent interview with Time magazine.

Daniel Dale of CNN finds another whole bunch of not-true statements in Trump's interview with ABC News.

Politifact takes on the issue of whether Kilmar Armando Abrego García has "MS-13" tattooed on his knuckles. Photo experts say no. Trump will go to his grave insisting the photos are real. Snopes agrees Trump is wrong.

The New York Times, FactCheck.org and The Associated Press all list accomplishments Trump is claiming for his first 100 days in office that are not true.

While you're at it, I recommend reading Fred Kaplan on how Trump's attempts to make America more of a world power are backfiring big time.

Groo Guest Stars

© 2025 Bob Weber Jr. Distributed by King Features

Everyone's favorite mindless warrior, Groo the Wanderer, makes a tidy cameo in today's episode of the always-clever comic strip, Slylock the Fox by Bob Weber Jr. That's one of two panels and you can see the other one and maybe find the differences between them over at www.slylockfox.com. Always a fun site to visit.

For those who've asked: Yes, there's another mini-series of Groo the Wanderer presently in work…but it may take a while before you see it. Sergio and I are both busy with a great many things. If I can just stop going to the hospital, it might hasten things along.

Today's Video Link

Quite a few years ago, the great Broadway songwriters John Kander and Fred Ebb did this show. It's 52 minutes of them performing some of their most popular songs and a few you probably never heard. There are moments in it when Mr. Ebb looks like Albert Brooks in Broadcast News perspiring heavily but the whole thing is pretty entertaining…

FACT CHECK: 100 in 100

CNN lists and debunks 100 lies that Trump has told in the first 100 days of his second presidency. And those are probably not the only ones.

Mark is Home…

I'm not blogging on my iPhone while lying on a gurney getting an Ultrasound like I was this morning. I'm at my computer in my house and writing this makes me really feel like I'm back. There will be a post here in the next day or two about Hospital Food and it will not be pretty.

If you wanna know what happened: I had my gallbladder removed last Friday and they sent me home around 6 PM. I was feeling fine…a little tired but fine. Scroll back and see how much I posted here that evening. Saturday, however, I was in agony for a condition in my legs. Was it a result of the gallbladder surgery? I didn't think so and the doctors I talked to via phone on Saturday didn't see how it could be. One of them was the surgeon who did the surgery.

Sunday, the pains were so great that I had to do something. Around 6 AM, the lady staying with me said, "Call 911, have them take you in" and she was, of course, right. There were no other options short of honorable death or ritualistic suicide by disembowelment…but you have to be a full-fledged samurai to do those things and I never finished the course. So I had my second ride this month in an ambulance and when I finally got to see a doctor, it turned out to be a very wise lady who decided it was a series of muscle spasms…and DO NOT WRITE TO TELL ME ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCES WITH MUSCLE SPASMS. I DO NOT WANT TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR MUSCLE SPASMS AND I DON'T NEED ANY MORE ADVICE IN THIS AREA. Thank you very much.

The proper medication was prescribed and taken and soon the pain was going away. They kept me over until it was gone and I was up and walking…and that, pretty much, was that. I wouldn't wish those couple of days but I have to say: Every single person I encountered– every doctor, every nurse, every administrative person, everyone holding a mop or pushing me in my bed from one examination room to another…even, maybe especially, the firemen who came when I called 911…was friendly, patient, understanding and good at what they did. It made the experience a lot less painful.

I'll write more about those days in the coming days. Thank you for your patience.

While I’m At It…

Seth Meyers last night was real good too…

I’m Still Away…

As most of you have correctly deduced, I’m dealing with some more medical issues. They’re minor and already solved and I should be back to full presence in a day or so. I’m feeling pretty good and one of the things that made me feel pretty good waa watching this. It’s Jon Stewart firing up America to save America…

Please forgive any typos in this post. I’m doing it on my iphone while in a hospital bed while a man is doing an Ultrasound on my abdomen to verify that my liver is as sound as the last Ultrasound on my liver said it was. If only this nation’s economy was functioning as well as my liver…