Brian Dreger wrote to ask…

When you worked for Jack Kirby, it seems like you knew that he was this great artist (in terms of the legacy of comic books). But when you (and Steve Sherman) showed up to work on a day-to-day basis, and maybe you saw that he was creating some brand new character…was that really stunning? I guess what I'm asking is, did you realize that you were seeing something being created from scratch by someone important? Was it amazing? Or was it just, "Well, this is who I work for, this is what he does."

You have said that you had something to do with the colors of Miracle Man's costume. So at the time, was it thrilling that you might have been contributing to the next Captain America? I'm just curious because, I can't imagine being around a genius you know is a genius, and yet see him as just a nice, talented guy…and then go about your day-to-day job. It seems like it would be a constant "Pinch me, I'm dreaming" moment!

This is worded kind of stupid, but maybe you see my curiosity here.

The following is worded kind of stupid, Brian, but maybe you'll find my answer here. I met Jack Kirby when I was about seventeen years and four months old. He asked us (Steve and me) to become his assistants when I was just shy of eighteen. During that period — and I think this is true of most humans when they hit that age, everything in my life was changing…and when your life changes, you have a lot of "Pinch me, I'm dreaming" moments, especially if you recognize that dreaming can include the occasional nightmare.

I was well aware of what a unique, special ability it was to be around someone as gifted as Jack Kirby and if I hadn't been, I would have known because so many people told me so. In 1970, Steve and I took a trip back to New York where we visited the DC Comics offices, the Marvel Comics offices, the MAD magazine offices, Steve Ditko in his studio and a few other places before attending our first comic book convention. I met a staggering number of the people whose work I'd known and loved in comic books and with only a few exceptions (DC editorial folks), every one told us what a genius Jack was, how he'd created more wonderment than anyone else ever in comics, how fortunate we were to be around him, etc.

So I knew. And as I've gotten older and learned more about…well, about everything in the world, I'd like to think…my admiration for Jack has only grown. So I guess my answer to your question is that, yes, I knew I was around a man of great brilliance and accomplishment and with hindsight, that appreciation has only intensified.

Regarding "Miracle Man" — you're talking about Mister Miracle, actually — one of the many clashes Jack had with the DC staff was with the coloring folks who really weren't that fond of him or his work. The feeling was mutual. They fought him on every aspect of coloring on every character.

The only time he got his way was when he insisted on dumping the color scheme they came up with for Mister Miracle. I wrote about what Steve and I did back here.

No, neither of us thought we were contributing to the next Captain America or anything like that. We just thought we were being useful to Jack. We both would have done anything to please that wonderful man.

More of The Muppets on The Ed Sullivan Show. I remember this one vividly from this performance and a few other places they did it. This was on Ed's show on November 27, 1966…

In the few hours since I reported that sales on the Comics For Ukraine benefit book had hit $13,222, sales have more than doubled to $28,761. And why not? What person who cares about humanity — or even, almost as important, good comics — would pass up a book with the following lineup of contributors?

Alex Ross, Arthur Adams, Dave Johnson, Bill Sienkiewicz, Brent Anderson, Sergio Aragonés, June Brigman, Kurt Busiek, Howard Chaykin, Joshua Dysart, Emil Ferris, Dave Gibbons, Pia Guerra, Rob Guillory, Peter Kuper, John Layman, Gabriel Rodriguez, Stan Sakai, Louise Simonson, Walter Simonson, Chris Sprouse, Jill Thompson, Matt Wagner, Mark Waid, Yours Truly and more.

You can order your copy or some affiliated merchandise over on this page.

One of the many reasons I'm excited about the project is that every cent of profit is being placed in the capable hands of my favorite charity, Operation USA, to direct to the points where it'll do the most good. You may have seen me write about Operation USA on this site and a little ad for it has always been in my right-hand margin here. It's the main place I send my money when I want to see it help people in need and I would remind you that you don't have to just buy the book to get funds to them. You can send them whatever you can spare right this minute. Here — I'll even give you a nice, clickable banner…

The only silver lining I can come up with regarding the passing of Gilbert Gottfried is that the Internet is suddenly full of Gilbert clips. And if you're wondering what that man was really like, it is evident in the documentary about him, Gilbert. It's also in a podcast interview that Leonard and Jessie Maltin did with him back in 2017. Plus, you get to hear Gilbert and Leonard duet on the theme song from Car 54, Where Are You?

Announced this morning was Comics for Ukraine, a comic book anthology to help those whose lives have been devastated by the ongoing war in Ukraine. My buddy Scott Dunbier is assembling it and I'll let him tell you about it…

Among the many writers and artists contributing to this effort are Sergio Aragonés and myself. We're doing a new Groo story that will be included. You can see the whole list of contributors here and you can get your order in for a copy of this historic volume on this page. As I post this, orders have already been placed totaling $13,222 and we aren't even halfway through the first of thirty days when people can order.

But don't wait. Get your order in now. This is a book you'll be proud to own supporting a cause you'll be proud to support.

Two of my favorites — Bob and Ray visit David Letterman…

Next weekend is the 2022 San Diego Comic Fest, a low-key convention quite unlike the city-sprawling monster that is Comic-Con International.  In fact, Comic Fest was founded — and in many ways, has succeeded — in recapturing the wonderment of the early comic conventions in San Diego that grew and grew and grew into Comic-Con International. Small attendance, small dealers room, small panel rooms…focus mainly on comic books, especially older ones.

I've been to several Comic Fests and always had a good time so I agreed to be at this one but now, before it convenes next Thursday, I have to announce my non-appearance. It's not COVID keeping me away. It's knee problems and a few other things and…well, I'm sure it'll be just great with the fine lineup of guests who will be there. My apologies for the no-show. I still plan to be at Comic-Con International this July.

Millions of years ago when I started this website, I had a whole section of it devoted to tips about Las Vegas — where to go, what to see, where to eat, where not to go, what not to see, what not to eat, etc. At the time, I was spending about an eighth of every month in that city owing to an interest in Blackjack, an interest in the history of "Old" Vegas and an interest in a showgirl there. The interest in Blackjack soon abated, the last remnants of "Old" Vegas disappeared and the showgirl now has a husband and kids, plus the huge hotel where she did her showgirling was imploded and replaced, of course, by a huger hotel.

So my recommendations all went outta-date and I removed them. If you might he headed to that town now, I suggest you check out the website for The Las Vegas Advisor, a newsletter I've subscribed to since it came in the mail printed on paper. A gent named Anthony Curtis runs it and what he doesn't know about that city ain't worth knowing. More important is that LVA is one of the few places where hotels, restaurants and shows get reviewed in a venue not supported by advertising bucks from the casinos. There's plenty of good, unbribed information on their site even if you don't spring for a subscription.

Also, among the thriving industries in Vegas is making YouTube videos wherein the host — usually, a local — takes you around the city and shows you where to go, what to see, where to eat, where not to go, what not to see, what not to eat, etc. There are a lot of people making these but my favorite is Norma Geli.

I do not know Ms. Geli but I find her a delightful and adventurous guide to the city in which she dwells. It still amazes me that in this era of cameraphones and computers and video editing software, someone can produce something as professional as she does.

She seems to post every week and she has close to a hundred videos on her channel. Below, I've embedded her most recent report for which she actually steels her courage and jumps off the top of the tallest hotel in the city just for us, her loyal viewers. At least, I'm a loyal viewer. Watch and you may become one too…

Not that the world needs another podcast but I find myself enjoying The Adam Ragusea Podcast, which has just been a "thing" for a couple of weeks. I have previously linked to some of Mr. Ragusea's twice-weekly videos which are either about food science or they're cooking videos. I find the former interesting and the latter — even though I will probably never attempt any of them — fun to watch. A few of you (just a few) have written to say you find Adam pedantic or haughty but I don't. I find him to be a smart guy and I like watching the way his mind works.

His podcast is mostly about food and the one that dropped this morning leads off with a discussion of GMO food that gives a different view on a subject about which I've heard plenty. I don't know quite what to believe but I'm glad I heard what he believes. And I was even gladder at what he said when he changed subjects and answered some questions not about food but about life and dealing with its problems. Not all of you will find this valuable but those who do may find it very valuable. Here's the link…and you might want to find your way to earlier ones and later.

Don Rickles appearing with David Letterman…

Sorry for the sparseness of posts the last few days. I've had more important things to do. "More important than blogging?" "Yes, amazingly, some things are." The sparseness may continue through the weekend.

I'm wondering aloud if Comedy Central or someone is considering staging a big, two-hour (or longer) memorial/tribute to Gilbert Gottfried, inviting all his comedian friends to come in and roast the deceased, vying to outdo one another for tastelessness. It would have to be long because dozens of comics would demand to be part of it…and we'd repeatedly hear the phrase, "Gilbert would have loved it." Which he would have, assuming his family wasn't discomforted by the enterprise. I saw a little of the actual funeral online but this would be different. This would be for the mass audience and not done in a place of worship with a rabbi present. Someone's gotta be considering that.

Just because I don't mention Ukraine on this blog doesn't mean I'm not continually horrified at what's going on there.

If you haven't caught last Sunday night's Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, do so while HBO is still rerunning it. The main segment about Data Mining was extraordinary, what Oliver and his staff did to try and help the situation was brilliant…and it wouldn't surprise me if it actually had an impact. If you don't get HBO, you can watch that main segment here.

Be back later…maybe.

A couple of people have sent me this link to a musical spot from an episode of Charlie's Angels back in the eighties. It's not photographed well and it's not supposed to be a good number…but there's something oddly appealing about it. Most of those who sent it wanted to know if I could identify the ladies in it and, sorry to say, I can only identify two…

One is the lead performer — the one in the middle — Eileen Barnett, who was in a whole lot of musicals I saw in L.A. back then and since. Just a wonderful talent. One show that I recall as especially terrific was a revue called Movie Star that ran for a while at the Westwood Playhouse back in 1982. It was the creation of Billy Barnes, Ray Aghayan and Bob Mackie.

Aghayan and Mackie were, of course, the most celebrated costume designers in variety shows of the day and the many outfits created for Movie Star were stunning. I believe Mackie did most of them because Aghayan was busy directing the show…and it was the kind of show which, if the songs hadn't been as good as they were, you'd say that the audience left humming the wardrobe.

But the songs, which were by Billy Barnes, were all gems. Billy, who I once had the pleasure of working with, was the foremost writer of what they called Special Musical Material back then. He composed clever songs for revues, TV shows and other presentations. He did all the songs on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, for instance. Earlier, he had done a number of revues that played in local theaters and in New York.

The cast of Movie Star — at least when I saw it — consisted of Gale Baker, Eileen Barnett, Christopher Callan, Larry Cedar, Daniel Fortis, Katie Labourdette, Brad Maule, Henry Polic II, Leigh Scarritt, Kathryn Skatula and Barry Williams. Yes, that's the Barry Williams from The Brady Bunch.

Sadly, Movie Star did not have much of a life after the Westwood Playhouse. I believe there were one or two productions elsewhere, including one in La Mirada. Like the several revues created by Howard Crabtree (another designer of outrageous, colorful costuming) or like Beach Blanket Babylon, it was very expensive to duplicate what the performers wore on stage. And you might even have to cast the performers to fit the costumes…and worry about those costumes wearing out.

There was no real cast album of Movie Star but a record was released many years later of Billy singing its songs at the piano. Ms. Barnett accompanied him on a few but the album did not, in my opinion, do justice to the fine score he wrote. It used to be downloadable on iTunes but it doesn't seem to be now. Billy, when I ran into him, used to promise me a tape of the original production but I somehow never got it. I hope one exists somewhere…and my, I have gotten way off the subject, haven't I?

Apart from Ms. Barnett, the other performer I can identify in the Charlie's Angels number is my old friend, Nancy Fox. I haven't seen her in many years but I'm pretty sure that's her. Some of you may remember Nancy from a short-lived sitcom, Temperature's Rising, but she was all over television for a while, including several other episodes of Charlie's Angels.

In this video, Eileen Barnett is the lead singer in the middle and Nancy Fox is the blonde on the far left in a blue top and white boots. I believe in this episode, she got killed soon after this scene. If anyone can identify anyone else, let me know…

Twelve cellists from the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra play the theme from The Pink Panther…