FLY HIGH, REGGIE BANNISTER

You made Phantasm's Reggie, the ice-cream man, iconic in the annals of horror-fantasy, having starred in all five chapters of Don Coscarelli's famed franchise, along with co-authoring the novel, Phantasm: SurVIval with your talented and supportive wife, Gigi. 

Some don't realize that you were also a remarkable musician/singer, a member of the noted, 1960s folk group, The Greenwood County Singers, with your catchy tunes featured in three of the Phantasm films. 

You figured even further into Coscarelli's early queue with Jim the World's Greatest and Kenny & Company (two of the best coming-of-age movies ever to emerge), and later with the director's Bubba Ho-Tep (based on a Joe R. Lansdale's tale, where Elvis Presley and "JFK" combat a cowboy-garbed mummy), and we should also keep in mind Coscarelli's ambitious, communal pilot, Survival Quest, which you were more than happy to enliven. 

In addition, you made the rounds in The Ghastly Love of Johnny X; Wishmaster; The Demolitionist; Primitive; The Rage; Last Rites; Cemetery Gates; The Obsidian Curse; Metal Man; Not Another B Movie; Satan Hates You; Sawblade, Carnies; Walking Distance; Up Against Amanda; Little Monster; The Quiet Ones (aka Hush); Small Town Saturday Night; Bloody Bloody Bible Camp; One for the Road (an epilogue to Salem's Lot); Silent Night, Deadly Night IV: Initiation; The Mangler Reborn; The Final Curtain; Fallen Angels; Seasons; Text; and Journeyman. 

I fondly remember meeting you at a Fangoria convention in the early 1990s, where you strolled over and chatted with my friend, Ken, and me. You were down to earth, just the way one would expect you to be, and I might add, a welcome breath of fresh air compared to certain other celebrities who thought it fine to be aloof. 

You meant a lot to me, Mr. Bannister, and I believe that everyone in the horror community would claim the same. Your passing is heartbreaking. After all, gents like you are so few and far between. Indeed, you had a tough time of it during the last few years, but you endured it with courage (no doubt tapped from your Vietnam days). You've now left your pain behind to find your place in Paradise. God bless you, my fearless, fiend-fighting, ice-cream man. Your warmth and incomparable talent shall never fade. In fact, it's destined to fly high forever and a day!

TERRIFIC TEAM-UP COVER: SPIDEY & BOOMERANG

 

I SAW BATMAN: THE CAPED CRUSADER, SEASON 2

The second season of Amazon's Batman: The Caped Crusader (coproduced by Matt Reeves, Bruce Timm and J.J. Abrams) abides by a neo-noir, thematic thread, where crime boss Rupert Thorne goes missing, and the Richard Widmark-inspired Riddler rules the destructive roost, but within the brooding, coddling confines are other characters to keep Batman (and the vigilant Alfred Pennyworth and diligent James Gordon) on expectant edge.

In addition to the Riddler, the chemical-contaminating (Nazi-implied) Joker manifests. Harley Quinn, the Scarecrow, Hugo Strange and the artistic Mr. Freeze (reverting to his original, DC moniker, Mr. Zero, and in this case, reminiscent of Logan's Run's Box) are also there. Jervis Tech says hello in the guise of Hattie Tech, a cross between Hedda Hopper and James Jonah Jameson, in addition to the playing-both-sides Detective Arnold Flass and the rough but good-hearted Officer Harvey Bullock. Blockbuster smashes things up as a Hulk/Bane-ish Solomon Grundy sort, while the Mad Monk becomes a prominent scene-stealer (giving Ra's al Ghul and the Court of Owls a run for their money). Roxy Rocket, a Rocketman/Rocketeer/Phantasm-esque lady, and the wee but diligent Crime Smasher channel much the same fervor, with the latter acting as a budding Robin and the former seeking revenge on the corporate peers who betrayed her, summoning the Green Goblin vindictiveness of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man (2002). They're complemented by the heartbroken Thorn, who lost her former-cop father, thanks to the Riddler's bullets, and is dead set on settling the score. 

Criminal defense attorney Barbara Gordon and Detective Renee Montoya are quite effective in the season's segues. I detected a lesbian subtext there, but perhaps I'm saw something that isn't really there. (Motonya's comfy relationship with Harley Quinn may be the cause.) Nevertheless, the duo's investigative prowess more than held its own with Batman's, and a spinoff series of these two delving into mysteries might be nice, particularly if such was given a Kolchak/X-Files format. 

The top, horror-oriented part of the season arrives with Jim Corrigan, aka the Spectre, where he tracks down those who killed him, doing his Anton Phibes thing on Christmas Eve, no less, as Gotham's citizenry listens to Dicken's A Christmas Carol on their radios. The contrast is cozy yet eerie, nostalgic yet new-fangled, offering the best of both worlds, and by golly, it sure as heck blends in a way that maybe it shouldn't. 

There's also a curious moment when Bruce Wayne goes undercover in prison as "Matches," in hopes of landing a big scoop. The setup seems a bit rash, considering that Wayne could have enlisted a proxy for the job, but at the same time, the occurrence made me recall those fun times when the Lone Ranger would alter his appearance with comparable intent. I liked those Ranger moments a lot when I was a kid (and still do), so to see Wayne pull the same tactic was (at least in my eyes) a swell salute. 

On the whole, Season 2's ten episodes flowed quite well, though a better separation among the early subplots would have been preferred. In other words, some portions just dangle, only to be resumed later and as such, the connective cohesiveness does lose some of its melodramatic pizzazz.  

Nevertheless, it would be great to see a Season 3. There's so much more than this revisionist version could tackle and why not? Any Batman incarnation (as long as it's respectful) is welcome in keeping the Caped Crusader's legend thriving. 

PINUP TIME: LINDA HARRISON IS NOVA

 

LITTLE SHOPPE OF HORRORS #53: THE ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN & F(R)IENDS

Little Shoppe of Horrors #53 supplies a chilling, 148-page (high-stock) sojourn with keen emphasis on Val Guest/Nigel Kneale's Hammer breakout, The Abominable Snowman (of the Himalayas), based on Neale's television play, The Creature. As such, fans get a striking, front-cover portrait of The Abominable Snowman's scholarly protagonist, Peter Cushing's Dr. John Rollason, rendered by Steve Karchin; and to offset it, Paul Watt's sentimental back cover salutes the publication's diligent hosts, Richard Klemensen and Nancy Emdia (with guest-starring appearances from Cushing's Baron and Christopher Lee's Count), as Little Shoppe issues encircle them. 

Also on the artwork end, fans are treated to Mark Maddox's hair-raising, inside-front cover of Oliver Reed's Leon Corledo from Curse of the Werewolf, and Lee Copeland's stunning, inside-back cover of Paul Douglas, Leslie Phillips and Walter Rilla from John Gilling's satirical The Gamma People. (Also, additional artwork graces this issue, which comprises nothing less than a virtual feast for the senses.) 

In swinging back to Hammer's snow-beast classic, there's an interview with Cushing's versatile costar, Forrest (The Crawling Eye/F Troop) Tucker, and author/screenwriter Clive Dawson shares a glimpse into the unmade, yeti endeavor. 

There are archival interviews, as well, with Cushing, Lee and scribe Anthony Hinds (aka John Elder); a revealing piece on monster-music maestro Paul Martell; a fond reflection on Hammer House of Horrors' Roy Skeggs; an essay on the irreverent reboot, The Horror of Frankenstein (with nice nods to Ralph Bates, Kate O'Mara and David Prowse); a queue of Hammer's 1970s productions; a visit with the mesmerizing Martine Beswick; an analysis of the making (and "unmaking") of the referenced Gamma People; a respectful glimpse at horror fanzines; plus "The Keith Dudley Report," Hammer updates and book reviews.

For the record, this is Richard and Nancy's final Little Shoppe, as they embark on retirement. Their bittersweet sendoff makes Issue #53 evermore endearing; so be sure to find a sentimental spot for it in your libraries, but more so, in your appreciative hearts. 

https://littleshoppeofhorrors.com/index.html

FOR THE FUN OF IT:

 

COLLECTIBLE TIME: MILES MORALES SPIDEY GLITCH T-SHIRT

I nailed another T-Shirt for my wardrobe: a crewneck that caught my eye due to its basic yet striking format.

It's from the Marvel Store and represents Miles Morales' Spider-Man, in what's referenced as a "Glitch Big Face" design. I guess that relegates the image to the Spider-Verse movies, since they insert a lot of that psychedelic, computer glitching for the sake of the backdrop. At any rate, it does have a distinct, high-tech look about it. 

But again, that look is basic, with Morales' Spidey portrait nice and centered, which is more than enough for me. I also chose to get the shirt in black, since I favor the color for my apparel, and in this case, I do believe it accentuates the spiffy, red trim and white eyes. 

🕸

I've already worn this one at the gym and received a collective compliment from four, young ladies who said the shirt complemented my physique. Hmmm ... I do believe I'll be sporting this one more often than not.😉