TERRIFIC TEAM-UP IMAGE: SPIDEY VS IRON FIST

 

SO LONG, JAMES LEW

You were swift, sinister and debonair, a martial-arts dynamo beyond compare. 

Your film appearances, whether big or small, always proved a satisfying draw and include Time Cop, Big Trouble in Little China, Showdown, Showdown in Little Tokyo, Best of the Best, Rush Hour 2, Lethal Weapon 4, Red Sun Rising, The Shadow, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Robo Warriors, Raven: Return of the Black Dragons, Star Raiders: The Adventures of Saber Raine, Frankenstein (2015), Get Smart (2008), Under Siege 2: Dark Territory, Excessive Force II: Force on Force, The Martial Arts Kid, Killers, The Replacement Killers, Bialy Ninja, Ninja Turf, American Ninja 5, Mortal Kombat Rebirth, Tropic Thunder, Escape Plan 2, Martial Law, Martial Law II: Undercover, Entourage, Hot Shots! Part Deux, The Girl from the Naked Eye, The Girl Gets Moe, Angel of Death, Beyond the Game, Bad Country, Elwood, Ballistica, Superhero Movie, Ring of Steel, Cage II, The Circuit III: The Street Monk, Sin, Safe, Today You Die, Outside the Law, High Voltage, Boogie Boy, Gedo, Deep Core (aka Destruction Totale), Night Hunters, The Immortals (1995), Rapid Fire, After Shock, Ulterior Motives, Night of the Warrior and Warlord 3000. 

You also energized several television shows with your stealthy guest appearances, including Kung Fu, Werewolf, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Numb3rs and Walker, Texas Ranger. 

On the imposing whole, you were penetraating and impactful, Mr. Lew, the embodiment of what an action star should be. Your visage will, therefore, proceed, to be enjoyed by all who revere strength for the sheer, shameless thrill of it. 

FOR THE FUN OF IT:

 

GOODBYE, SHELLEY FABARES

You made your legendary mark on the Donna Reed Show, as well gaining regular runs on Coach, Forever Fernwood, One Day at a Time, The Brian Keith Show (aka The Little People), The Practice (1976) and Heathcliffe Manor.

On the drive-in circuit, you hit it gold with Ride the Wild Surf and had the special distinction of being in three Elvis Presley Movies: Clambake, Girl Happy and Spinout. 

There were other feature-length sojourns, as well: Sky Heist; Pleasure Cove; Memorial Day; Hot Pursuit; Suburban Beat; Love or Money; Donovan's Kid; The Great Mom Swap; Friendships; Secrets and Lies; Deadly Relations; A Nightmare Come True; The Bad Seed; A Time to Sing!; Hold On!; Summer Love; Marjorie Morningstar; The Girl Rush; Jeanne Eagles; and The Canterville Ghost (1985). 

And on television, you seized a slew of great, guest spots, including The Incredible Hulk, Lucan, Marcus Welby M.D., Barnaby Jones, Ironside, Matt Helm, The Rockford Files, The Rookies, Police Story, Medical Story, Spencer's Pilots, Vega$ and Fantasy Island. You also supplied the voice of Martha Kent on Superman: The Animated Series and Justice League and reprised your favorable vocalization for the popular, direct-to-video movie, Superman: Brainiac Attacks (appearing with your husband, Mike Farrell, who played Jonathan Kent). 

Of course, your lovely voice had already reached esteemed heights, thanks to your hit single, "Johnny Angel."

You were part of our lives, part of our hopes and dreams, and in no small way, a part of our families. Bless you for being there, Ms. Fabares. Truly, you will be missed. 

FOR THE FUN OF IT:

 

ROCK BAKER'S SHE'S THE TOPS!

Rock Baker has outdone himself again, with an adorable adventure that mixes aspects of his popular Cartoon Cuties with interstellar romance in C.B. International Publication's latest release, She's the Tops!

Baker's concept (accompanied by Bert Delcoate's lettering and Michael Jensen's production design) centers on a presumed lost-in-space astronaut named Cliff Agar who lands on a planet called Arren, populated by anthropomorphic dinosaurs. Arren has been influenced by America's old radio and television transmissions, so that its saurian population speaks English and mimics identifiable, suburban routines. (Think along the lines of Joe Dante's Explorers, Star Trek's "A Piece of the Action" and Tales from the Darkside's "Distant Signals," where alien inhabitants are more in sync with American popular culture than not.) 

After having consumed an inebriating beverage, the intrepid Cliff awakens to find himself married to Flora, a beautiful, pink "triceratops," who loves him with all her heart, and it doesn't take him long to reciprocate the affection. However, there are obstacles to overcome, such as Flora's sharp horns, and then there's the matter of taking her to Earth. Will she be accepted on our big, blue world? Ah, the answer is all part of the poignant fun, but for the sake of a hardy hint, it does lead to a blastoff of curvaceous, galactic intrigue. 

The coupling of Cliff and Flora may strike some as peculiar, but for me, it references those passionate moments when James T. Kirk and William Riker had trysts with extraterrestrial females. Baker enhances the concept, giving it an endearing, sitcom charm, which references Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie, where regular guys and supernatural gals engage in veritable relationships, though good ol' Cliff seems much more in sync with his situation than Darrin Stephens or Tony Nelson ever were with theirs.

Baker's artwork makes the ebullience jive, and his images are as enchanting here as they are in Cartoon Cuties. In this respect, he establishes a smooth stream of classic, Dell stylings with unmistakable, pinup panache. The result is new-fangled yet nostalgic, innocent yet provocative. 

If you appreciate starry-eyed, throwback storytelling, as well as romantic, interplanetary exploits, She's the Tops! can't be beat. Give it a try. The odds favor it'll rocket you into utter, orbital bliss.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HFYLH9WD?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title 

WISE WORDS: