Another freaking awesome piece by God-Awful. This one may be going on my arm (the other one).
I swore I was going to try and do something productive, but apparently that’s not happening….er…..yet.
Whilst at Half Price Books the other day, there was an unauthorized book about The Simpsons that I got for $3.00. While at points in time I was a super-fan (we’ll get to that), I had always wondered how the whole transition to prime-time actually occurred. The book is actually explaining all that, so I’l tell my personal story about how I started watching.
Back in the 80′s, mid way or so, I lived in New Zealand, and one of the TV shows that showed there was The Tracey Ullman show. It wasn’t too odd seeing Tracey Ullman as she was pretty big in NZ around that time if I recall, due to one of her other shows, Three of a Kind. However, that was my first experience with The Simpsons. Crude, and really funny. After those shorts had aired, my mother brought me a book called “School is Hell”, which after I think started picking up the other LIfe in Hell series books.
Very shortly after, we moved back to the US. While this was a time where I would still go hang out with my parents, we caught the 2nd Animation Celebration which had some of the Simpson clips in it.
Then, even more shortly thereafter, I was a sophomore in High School and I found out that The Simpsons was coming to prime time. I couldn’t believe it! I was telling the guy that sat next to me (or behind me) in homeroom, and he said, “That’s so dumb, that will never last”. (This being possibly the only reason that I will ever go to a high school reunion. To give a Nelson-esque “Ha-Ha!” as an I-told-you-so)
The Christmas special was a hit (as we all know), and history was made. The marketing frenzy was pretty outrageous. I didn’t ever own a Bart Simpson T-shirt, but I thoroughly remember the furor over the attitudes presented in the show. Meanwhile I was finding that the local Houston Public News was running Life in Hell, which I still love.
In fact, I had gotten a “School in Hell” T-shirt that I was made to wear inside out at school when I was unceremoniously busted by the High School Band teacher. I didn’t think anything of it, it wasn’t a statement, it was a matter of fact.
One of the things that I did unearth in my brain as a result of the book was an old (treasure?) that I haven’t ever seen anywhere else. I was part of the “Life in Hell” fanclub, I think, and had ordered it waaaaayyyyy back when. Sorry, I threw away the old newsletters (one of which i remember had a lesson on how to draw Bart).
Much like Mark Hamill in Amazing Stories, here is a piece of glassware that managed to survive some 25-odd years…..wonder what it’s worth now? (Not for Sale)
18
May
13
“Cooper would always kid me about my hats. He’d tell me I should get a bigger hat.” Clint Walker
Wow, was digging through some old stuff and found an old catalog that brought back some memories. I first ran into an ad for the Nicholas James Group in an issue of Juxtapoz I think. *Edit* Actually, I know it wasn’t Juxtapoz, it had to have been Hypno Magazine, which doesn’t exist any more. *End Edit* The image that caught my eye was the rather (now) iconic devil/wrenches that Chris Cooper (Coop) is known for.
I ordered my first hat (which I still have, although it’s awfully beat up now) for $26.00. $26.00? Was I a millionaire?
The catalog is label 1994, which must be a little after I already had the hat. I think I had planned on getting another ballcap, but the company folded soon thereafter.
To me this is notable because it possibly was the genesis of my descent into hot rods, twangy guitars, devil girls and rockabilly. I still have a Butthole Surfers T-Shirt that I bought solely because it had the COOP “Ground Control to Major Hard-On” image on it. This was in the early 90′s when devilish imagery (or large breasted alien girls) was hard to find – especially in Texas.
It’s been a while. Thanks NJG and Coop for sullying my soul!
To break of the monotony of not posting anything, here’s a freaking great piece I just got done by God-Awful -
It’s gonna take a while for me to get back into blogging-gear. I turned on two-step authentication which delays blogging by just one more step.
Although I do have some pretty exciting news that I’m sure I’m going to blog about in the next month or so. So there’s that….
Have been unbelievably busy lately. Since my last entry, I had the back fence replaced which temporarily turned by backyard into a cat haven. I had no less than five stray cats all asking me for food. I quit feeding even the one cool cat and they’ve all more or less disappeared.
Since my backyard has somehow become the focus for 2013 (again), I’m in the middle of trying to build my bat house (finally). I posted the plans [HERE], still trying to figure out if I need vents or not. Because I’ve become a blogger without a blog (relatively speaking) I didn’t take any pictures, but it took about five hours to score all the boards and my body is about ready to give up on me.
Bartender! Bartender? Yes, an Old Fashioned please?
Lastly in other backyard related news, I think I’m about to put a beehive in my yard. Make my own honey, candles, and bee stings.
Pictures to follow….maybe?
Extremely derelict in blogging duty. No matter. I finally got that tree chopped down that I have been bitching about for years. All that’s left is a pile of wood chips. In other news, there’s a huge hole in my rear fence that the dogs back there pushed through. The cats have scattered (in fear, rightly so) and now I find myself at the rather discomforting quandry that I must contact the actual owners of the house behind me and propose that we go half on the fence. Otherwise the damn dogs are going to push through every day (like they have for the last two).
Hooooommmmeeee ownership. Yeah.
