Scoop – Where the Magic of Collecting Comes Alive! – The Lone Ranger

I always enjoyed watching the black and white TV show in reruns with my Dad when I was growing up, and now I enjoy sharing the comics from Dynamite now. This was Dad’s hero when he was a kid and he even got to meet Clayton Moore once

Scoop – Where the Magic of Collecting Comes Alive! – The Lone Ranger

The Lone Ranger

The legend of the Lone Ranger was born on Detroit radio station WXYZ in January 1933, the product of station owner George W. Trendle and writer Fran Striker. The program was a success from the start, and within a year was also being heard on WGN in Chicago and WOR in New York–in effect forming the nucleus of the new Mutual network.

By 1937, “Hi-Yo Silver!” was echoing nationwide. Initially sustained by the station, the program was sponsored by Silver Cup bread starting in November 1933. Bond bread took over as sponsor in 1939 except in the Southeast states, where Merita bread retained its franchise.

General Mills became the sponsor in 1941, tying the masked rider to such cereals as Kix and Wheaties until the radio series went off the air in 1955. Cheerios sponsored rebroadcasts until 1956, ending some 23 years and over 3,000 episodes of Western radio thrills and adventure.

Jack Deeds was the first actor to play the Lone Ranger, but only for the first six broadcasts. George Stenius, later a movie producer under the name George Seaton, assumed the role for the next three months. When Stenius quit, WXYZ station manager Brace Beemer took over the role for a few months, but then he left to open an advertising agency.

Finally, in May 1933, Earl Graser became the Lone Ranger voice and he continued the role until his death in 1941. At this point, Brace Beemer was recruited to return to the role. He played the part from 1941 to 1955 and became the voice most closely associated with the character.

On television, the Lone Ranger rode for more than 30 years on the networks and in syndication. The series, sponsored by General Mills (and Merita bread), premiered on ABC in 1949 and aired in prime time until 1957. Reruns were shown on all three networks: CBS (1953-1960 and 1966-1969), ABC (1957-1961 and 1965), and NBC (1960-1961). Syndication began in 1961. Clayton Moore (1914-1999) played the lead for most of the series (John Hart covered the years 1952-1954) and Jay Silverheels (1919-1980), a Mohawk Indian, was Tonto, his faithful companion.

Republic Pictures released two 15-episode chapter plays, The Lone Ranger (1938), with Lee Powell as the lead, and The Lone Ranger Rides Again (1939), with Robert Livingston. Wrather Productions made three full-length films, The Lone Ranger (1955) and The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold (1958), both with Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels, and The Legend of the Lone Ranger (1981), with Klinton Spilsbury and Michael Horse.

A Saturday morning animated Lone Ranger series aired on CBS from 1966 to 1969, with the Ranger and Tonto battling mad scientists as well as conventional Western villains. The animated defenders of law and order surfaced again on CBS in 1980-1981 as part of The Tarzan/Lone Ranger Adventure Hour.

A Sunday comic strip distributed by King Features appeared from 1938 to 1971 and was revived from 1981 to 1984, one of the longest running of the Western strips. Charles Flanders took over the strip from Ed Kresse in 1939 and continued as the main daily and Sunday artist until the mid-1960s. Comic books, including giveaways, novels, coloring books, photo albums, and scrapbooks appeared in great numbers from the 1940s on. Artist Tom Gill did most of the interior story art for the comic books in the 1950s-60s; Don Spaulding painted some of the classic 1950s covers.

Younger incarnations of the Lone Ranger and Tonto failed to make a go of it in a WB television pilot aired in 2002. A new comic book incarnation of the masked man started in 2006 from Dynamite Entertainment.

It would be hard to overestimate the number of items licensed and merchandised in the name of the Lone Ranger, especially during the years the program ruled the air on radio and television. Items may be copyrighted by Lone Ranger Inc., Lone Ranger Television Inc., or, starting in 1954, Wrather Corp.

I have to say I am shocked…

I just found out that the former owner of the very first comic book shop I ever went to, and continued to frequent for close to 15 years; is a “person of interest” in an investigation of at least 12 deaths in the area of Albuquerque, NM

Ron Erwin described as “person of interest” in Albuquerque deaths

According to the main article:

Ron Erwin described as “person of interest” in Albuquerque deaths

Staff Writer From staff reports

JOPLIN, Mo. — Four police officers with the 118th St. Task Force out of Albuquerque, N.M., are in Joplin today as part of an investigation into the discovery of the remains of at least 12 people found in that area of Albuquerque, which also has been called the West Mesa Murders. It is characterized as one of the largest crime scene investigations in that city’s history.

Detective Tod Babcock, with the task force, described Ron Erwin, of Joplin, as a “person of interest,” but added that he is “one of many.”

Erwin is the owner of building at 411 S. Main St. and also a house at 414 W. 26th St., in Joplin, which were searched earlier today.

Babcock said the Task Force is spending 95 percent of its time on the West Mesa murders.

Nadine Hamby, spokesperson for the Albuquerque Police Department, said the investigation is in an evidence-gathering phase and that no one is custody.

She also said that none of the victims appeared to have any ties to the Joplin area.

Now I wouldn’t be the first person to say that this guy was a little “odd” to say the least, but I really don’t want to believe that he did something like this.  I started going to his shop the Book Barn, now bought out and a shell of its former self, before I could even drive.  My Dad would take me up there once a month.

When I could drive I would go when I could until I figured out when new comics would come out and then I went every week, moving with them when he got the new store, all the way up until I moved from my home town in my mid 20s.

I so hope they are wrong about this, because if they aren’t its going to be a hard one to take.

UPDATE: Looks like this has made national news.  No real new info, but it sums up everything so far:

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20012658-504083.html

UPDATE2:

Looks like the search concluded and they made no arrests

http://www.koat.com/r/24516234/detail.html

http://www.newswest9.com/Global/story.asp?S=12927356

[Press] Comics Fighting Cancer!

As some of you might know, I lost my brother Brian to cancer in 2002, so this is a cause close to my heart.  I have been asked to do a review of this when it comes out, and I will be honored to do so.

Comics Fighting Cancer is a new way to donate to fight cancer! All Profits will go towards The National Foundation for Cancer Research. What makes this project unique is the fact that our comic is completely donor funded. Every page of this comic was paid for by people wanting to create a change and find a cure for cancer. We hope you will join us in the fight against cancer.

How can you help?

You can help by buying our Comics Fighting Cancer products and spreading the word about this project. The number one thing is that we need people to get involved in this project. With more people talking about this project, we increase our chances of success.

Where can I purchase Comics Fighting Cancer products?

These products will be available in multiple retail outlets across the United States. These locations will be announced on our website. You may also purchase these products on our website and various outlets online. We will have both physical and digital copies available for sell of RIP #1.
Brief Summary Of RIP No.01

Two years ago he lost everything that he had ever loved. The vampires took her from him and he wants her back. It is their unusual appetite and uncontrollable cravings that set them apart from the ones that they hunt, but to the humans, they look somewhat normal. He knows better. With the help of high tech friend Chet and the curiously flawless and sexy Anaya, RIP will not stop until he gets his wife back, along with all of the missing. However, after RIP finds out that local doctors and scientists have become a few of the many that were taken, he begins to fear for the purity of the entire human race. With the motivation and power to kill any vampire that stands in his way, and the knowledge of exactly how to do it, RIP becomes an unstoppable force that not even the many faces of immortality can match.

More Information is available on our website

www.BlackSnakeStudios.com

Chicago Comic-Con 2009 Day 3 and Wrap up

I slept in very late for me on Sunday, and didn’t make it to the con until about 1pm.  That game me about an hour to shop until the DC Sunday Conversation panel at 2

On the way to the panel, I ment “Pants” from the Comic Geek Speak podcast, my favorite Comic Book podcast; in line for the same panel.  It was really great to meet him, since I was able to let him know what I great enjoyment I get from their show.

After the panel, it was back for some last second shopping before the con closed.

In wrap up, I was asked on the Comic Geek Speak forums if it was worth the trip out to the con.  This is what I had to say

I would say yes and no. Yes in the fact that I really needed a little time away (long story), and the fact that I got to see Perez again and let him know he is still my favorite. As well as meeting the other creators that I got to meet.

No in the fact that I was more dissapointed on the lack of the DC and Marvel (Boom, Dark Horse, etc…) booths than I thought. Having all those tv, movie, and wrestling people kind of brought things down for me, since most of them were charging so much for autographs, photos, etc…

Overall it was a great time for me. I don’t have a local shop, but when I do get to go to one its always rushed and I don’t really get to spend the time that I want too. Being able to take all the time that I wanted to look at whatever I wanted too was really great and has really energized my enthusiasm for comics more than it has in a long time.

From a comics industry standpoint, it also gave me first hand knowledge on how we have heard on some of the podcasts on how Marvel is flooding the market with stuff. I can’t tell you how many $5 trade boxes i went through that were full of scores and scores of Marvel stuff, I would say 95% of it. Some of it was only a few months old. Today I was even able to pick up the first three Brand New day hardcovers for $5 a piece. I haven’t read Marvel for years, and I was able to get a lot of stuff that I have wondered about this weekend.

That is it for this con.  Coming soon, COMIC BOOK REVIEWS!

Chicago Comic-Con 2009 Day 2

I had a great day yesterday, things were packed by the time I got down to the con.  I started out the day in Artist Alley to see what I could see.  Weaving through the crowd, I come across Phil Hester and bought a page from Green Arrow #31, page 7 specifically, and got it signed by him and Ande Parks for a really great price of $25!

I also got two great prints by Jason Metcalf for $5 each

The Robin: Search for a Hero Trade (for half price) signed by the artist Freddie Williams II

and last, but certainly not least, got a copy of Legion of Three Worlds #4 signed by George Perez, and also got a picture of him.  I showed him that picture of him 13 years ago, and he really got a kick out of it!

Over all a great day!  Enjoy the rest of my pics from yesterday:

Chicago Comic-Con 2009 Day 0

Long lay over at the airport wore me out and I ended up getting into town right at the time preview night started.

By the time I got to the hotel and got ready, it was about 5:30, so I high tailed it to the convention center.

It is about a mile (through skyways and the parking garage) to get there from my hotel, so the old out of shape feet were already hurting by the time I got there.

When I got there, I just pretty much walked around aimlessly in a daze just taking in the amount of dealers that were there already.  Several dealers were already selling things pretty cheap.  $5 trades!!!  I ended up with $87 dollars with stuff for just $20!  Well anyway, I need to start getting around, the con has already started and I need to get ready.  Enjoy some pics

The most pivotal Legion of Super-Heroes issue EVER!!

Well at least it was to me.

I give you Legion of Super-Heroes V2 #312

Now why is this such a pivotal issue to me??  Because my name is printed on the last page of the letters column!  Check out the middle section.

My hometown is misspelled, but that is still pretty cool!!

Now here comes the freaky part, if you read the text:

Chris Mosby of Neosha, Mo suggests that we use our second text page for a separate case history of each Legionnaire. We’re considering that, Chris, but we may also simply compile them all into a special issue next summer!

Now this issue was published in 1984, but Who’s Who didn’t come out till 1985, and Who’s Who of the LSH didn’t come out till 1988.

So the question is, was Who’s Who my idea??

Back from vacation..

and I found myself locked out of my own blog.  Not sure what happened, but had to reinstall everything and restore the database to get things working again.

I know that bluehost had an complete outage while I was gone, so it makes we wonder if they had somekind of hack that was the cause of it.

I should be writing reviews…

but instead I’m waiting around to see how much trouble I am in for doing my job at work.

Don’t get me wrong, I am glad I have a job.? However, when you get in trouble for doing your job so well it makes others look bad, it kind of takes the fun out of it.

Look for more news and reviews when the shitstorm blows over.

The word for today is: meh

Internet back up?

Looks like my earlier post got some attention from Comcast. ? I actually got a call at work (they must have googled my number)? from them offering help on the situation.? I had just checked one of my servers at home and it was now up and accessible.

I wasn’t sure about the cable, so the comcast lady gave me her direct line in case its not up later.

That was very odd, but at least i have Internet again.

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