tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61239272024-03-08T09:21:29.039+10:3020th Century Danny BoyControversial! Fun And Also Games! First Comic Book related blog to be featured in the Australian National Library's Pandora archive.
<br><br>
Film, music and comic book history expert. Available to hire for public speaking, lectures, writing and almost anything else. Four time Rondo Award nominee. Author of several books and hundreds of articles.<br><br>
Proudly annoying people for twenty one years now.<br><br>
Logo and banner designed by Michael Netzer.
Daniel Besthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709668308904142615noreply@blogger.comBlogger1267125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6123927.post-37092080301838654022024-02-24T09:35:00.000+10:302024-02-24T09:35:05.186+10:30Book Excerpt - 'From Superman to Spawn: How Hollywood Got Rich While Creators Got Poor'The following is a work in progress. It is a chapter from my forthcoming book, From Superman to Spawn: How Hollywood Got Rich While Creators Got Poor.The book will be released later this year. This excerpt is not to be reprinted, anywhere in any format, without the express permission of the author.In the meantime, enjoy this chapter on the 1990 Captain America movie!------------'I've Never Daniel Besthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709668308904142615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6123927.post-68113930273240603602024-02-04T11:36:00.001+10:302024-02-04T11:36:58.140+10:30Did Stan Lee Steal Jack Kirby's Movie Credit?"Those bastards at Marvel, and that bloody Stan Lee! They never once gave Jack Kirby credit for anything. Ever! EVER!!!"I've been hearing that for a long, long time now. Longer than I really want to count. As with all things, the truth, once you did down into it, is somewhat different to the narrative that continues to be spread. The blame for Stan Lee stealing Jack Kirby's movie credits isn't asDaniel Besthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709668308904142615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6123927.post-46216242242311409712022-05-02T10:40:00.001+09:302022-05-02T10:40:04.447+09:30COMING IN OCTOBER: Terror Down Under A History of Horror Film in Australia, 1897–1973 Coming in October, from McFarland Publishing. Terror Down Under: A History of Horror Film in Australia, 1897 - 1973 is available for pre-order right now directly from McFarland Publishing, or via your local bookstore. In 1948, the Australian government banned the production, importation and exhibition of horror films in a move to appease religious communities and entertainment Daniel Besthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709668308904142615noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6123927.post-30791895162648883712022-02-28T11:32:00.003+10:302022-11-09T10:15:46.968+10:30The Australian Midnight Horror Show Riots (Another article submitted to a few magazines in 2021. Again, not a single reply. Not even a polite (or a non-polite for that matter) rejection email)Midnight Horror Show RiotsA new gimmick was uncovered in Australia in the second decade
of the 20th century: midnight movie screenings. By the 1950s a new
aspect to midnight screenings was uncovered – riots!
The first such screening (that canDaniel Besthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709668308904142615noreply@blogger.com0Adelaide SA, Australia-34.9284989 138.6007456-63.238732736178846 103.44449560000001 -6.6182650638211555 173.7569956tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6123927.post-64273204701856742062022-02-24T13:50:00.000+10:302022-02-24T13:50:00.993+10:30Charles Higham and the Fate of the 1965 Bulletin Ban List(I submitted this one to a few magazines last year. Not a single reply. So, I'll start throwing this stuff up here, on my blog, for all to read. Why did they say no? Beats me. Ask them.)---------------------------------------Charles Higham and the Fate of the 1965 Bulletin Ban ListHorror movies were formally banned in Australia in mid-1948.
This ban wasn’t announced with any great fanfare, ratherDaniel Besthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709668308904142615noreply@blogger.com1Adelaide SA, Australia-34.9284989 138.6007456-63.238732736178846 103.44449560000001 -6.6182650638211555 173.7569956tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6123927.post-42110566431825450502021-10-22T15:41:00.001+10:302021-10-23T09:45:15.997+10:30Louise Lovely and Lon Chaney: The Australian Connection Lon
Chaney is a true legend of the Silent Era, making an estimated 155 films over
17 years, of which 109 are lost, and of the 46 remaining films, some are
incomplete or mere fragments of footage. The bulk, if not all, of Chaney’s
pre-1920 films were released in Australia. Advertisements exist for early films
such as Damon and Pythias, The Grip of Jealousy and The Gilded Spider.
It was not Daniel Besthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709668308904142615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6123927.post-41727482843759521752021-10-12T15:16:00.003+10:302021-10-12T15:16:54.853+10:30Elizabeth Bryant - Rondo Hatton’s Australian ConnectionIn the history of
cinema there has rarely, if ever, been a man more suited to horror films than
Rondo Hatton. Hatton’s impact came not from his acting ability, which was
dubious at best, but rather his looks. Hatton suffered from a rare physical
disorder called acromegaly, a disorder that distorted and disfigured Hatton’s
head and face, turning him from a young man once described as the Daniel Besthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709668308904142615noreply@blogger.com0Adelaide SA, Australia-34.9284989 138.6007456-63.238732736178846 103.44449560000001 -6.6182650638211555 173.7569956tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6123927.post-62684752651952383932021-09-29T11:04:00.001+09:302021-09-29T11:04:14.191+09:30Disney & Marvel vs Ditko, Heck, Colan, Rico and LieberNone of this should have come as any surprise to anybody really. It was always going to happen once Disney acquired Marvel Comics, lawsuits would be flying all over the place. Disney is one of the most litigious publishers in existence. It protects it's characters, trademarks and copyrights with a zeal that is rarely seen with any other company. And once it Marvel, those same rules of litigation Daniel Besthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709668308904142615noreply@blogger.com2Adelaide SA, Australia-34.9284989 138.6007456-63.238732736178846 103.44449560000001 -6.6182650638211555 173.7569956tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6123927.post-13429996989253611802021-09-27T11:37:00.037+09:302021-09-27T18:16:51.171+09:30Steve Ditko Vs Marvel. Toberoff Strikes AgainOver the past two decades and change, our old mate Marc Toberoff has been at the forefront of trying to get characters out of both Marvel and DC. I have no doubt that his heart is in the right place, but, as the Superman case showed us, part of his reasoning is to gain control the characters - he was trying to enter into a joint venture with the Siegel and Shuster heirs in order to make a Daniel Besthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709668308904142615noreply@blogger.com2Adelaide SA, Australia-34.9284989 138.6007456-63.238732736178846 103.44449560000001 -6.6182650638211555 173.7569956tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6123927.post-12677253341333611892021-07-07T14:59:00.000+09:302021-07-07T14:59:14.657+09:30Prime Minister's Signatures - A Neat DozenFollowing on from previous posts that showcase some of the signatures I have in my collection, I was asked if I have any Australian Prime Ministers.The answer is, of course! Not all of them, but quite a few. A dozen in fact. Out of the 30 Prime Ministers that this country has had, I have 12 of them, some on more than one item. Most are in books - autobiographies and the like - some are cuts from Daniel Besthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709668308904142615noreply@blogger.com0Adelaide SA, Australia-34.9284989 138.6007456-63.238732736178846 103.44449560000001 -6.6182650638211555 173.7569956tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6123927.post-60827338939468650842021-05-05T12:52:00.000+09:302021-05-05T12:52:02.212+09:30You Don't Get Deals Like That AnymoreMay 7, 1942. Billboard Magazine (USA)Read this and weep. In 1942 you could buy 100 Golden Age comics for $1.95. If you wanted 1000 of them, you'd get change from $20. Complete with covers mind you! Now where did I leave that time machine? Daniel Besthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709668308904142615noreply@blogger.com0Adelaide SA, Australia-34.9284989 138.6007456-76.190803258349462 68.28824560000001 6.3338054583494525 -151.08675440000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6123927.post-76055609202378121482021-04-17T10:24:00.002+09:302021-04-17T10:24:25.903+09:30Saturday Musings: Signatures In Books #1HAW HAW HAW!!!One of my main hobbies is collecting signatures. Signed books, signed photos, magazines, index cards, letters - you name it, if it's signed, I'll collect it. I've been told it's a hobby, it's hoarding, it's healthy, it's an illness, it's a coping mechanism. Call it what you will, for me it's fun.If you should see me in a second hand bookstore you'll notice that I'm picking certain Daniel Besthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709668308904142615noreply@blogger.com1Adelaide SA, Australia-34.9284989 138.6007456-63.238732736178846 103.44449560000001 -6.6182650638211555 173.7569956tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6123927.post-19467162031640968812021-03-29T08:40:00.025+10:302021-03-31T12:24:46.842+10:30Jack Kirby and The Art Of TheftFor years I've been covering the very sensitive and thorny issue of the theft of Jack Kirby's artwork on my blog. I say sensitive and thorny because when the issue is brought up, quite a few collectors and dealers will do their best to shut it down. Why?Because bringing this to light also brings to light both the underground and overground selling, trading and dealing in stolen art that hasDaniel Besthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709668308904142615noreply@blogger.com10Adelaide SA, Australia-34.9284989 138.6007456-63.238732736178846 103.44449560000001 -6.6182650638211555 173.7569956tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6123927.post-29168301802353656072020-09-08T13:39:00.001+09:302020-09-08T13:42:57.959+09:30Mystery, Myth & Misdirection: Hunting The Guyra Ghost - NOW AVAILABLE The Guyra Ghost remains one of the most famous paranormal events to happen in Australia.In early April 1921, a series of strange, unexplained events began to happen in the small town of Guyra, New South Wales. Stones were thrown at a house, seemingly from nowhere, the walls rocked with bangs and thuds and a young woman claimed to speak to her dead sister. But was it a ghost? What did Daniel Besthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709668308904142615noreply@blogger.com1Adelaide SA, Australia-34.9284989 138.6007456-35.153283716478285 138.326087396875 -34.703714083521717 138.875403803125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6123927.post-3369490807606135092020-07-10T14:34:00.001+09:302020-07-10T15:41:31.041+09:30Who Killed Peter Mitris? A Lurid, True-Life Tale Of Drugs, Murder, Criminals, and Comic BooksWho
Killed Peter Mitris?
On April 17
1991, Peter Mitris, comic store retailer, comic book collector and dealer, and
drug importer, armed robber, and drug dealer, vanished into thin air. Despite
an extensive search, he was never seen again.
The great Jack
Kirby once famously said to a fan, “Comics books will break your heart.” If he
had said that comic books would eventually kill you, he’d Daniel Besthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709668308904142615noreply@blogger.com7Adelaide SA, Australia-34.9284989 138.6007456-35.041088617978268 138.46341649843751 -34.815909182021734 138.73807470156251tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6123927.post-69770914135127744742020-07-07T14:57:00.003+09:302024-02-04T19:54:57.443+10:30Detective Lloyd and the Short Life and Sad Death of Universal’s First Australian Leading Man
Detective Lloyd and the Short Life and Sad Death of Universal’s First Australian
Leading Man
Universal Studios saw the benefit of
serials almost from their formation. With a total of 137 serials, they were the
most prolific of all the Hollywood studios in this regard, from the first, Lucille Love, Girl of Mystery (1914, dir Francis Ford), to their final effort, The Mysterious Mr M (1946, Daniel Besthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709668308904142615noreply@blogger.com0Adelaide SA, Australia-34.9284989 138.6007456-35.7609274 137.3098521 -34.0960704 139.89163910000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6123927.post-1149628820971868142020-06-23T15:21:00.000+09:302020-06-23T15:30:30.519+09:30"One Little Grope," 14 Years LaterThe Taki Soma situation has reared his head once more, with people questioning the suitability of Charles Brownstein to be heading up the Comic Book Legal Defence Fund. I wrote the words below back in 2006, and I feel that they're still valid now. Nothing of note happened back in 2006, but the world has changed in the fourteen years since, some for the better and some for the worse. Daniel Besthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709668308904142615noreply@blogger.com0Adelaide SA, Australia-34.9284989 138.6007456-35.7609274 137.3098521 -34.0960704 139.89163910000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6123927.post-55587196230511331382020-06-01T12:25:00.000+09:302020-06-01T12:25:04.865+09:30Miller vs Varley - Case (Almost) ClosedFor those following the Frank Miller/Lynn Varley court case, be aware that it's pretty much done and dusted now. While the exact details haven't been released, and they might well never be released, a recent letter that was filed in the case gives hope that Frank and Lynn have managed to sit down with their respective legal teams and hashed out a solution.
Would that all court cases of this kindDaniel Besthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709668308904142615noreply@blogger.com0Adelaide SA, Australia-34.9284989 138.6007456-35.7609274 137.3098521 -34.0960704 139.89163910000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6123927.post-51713520861602535122020-05-14T11:29:00.001+09:302020-05-14T11:29:41.833+09:30Kiss vs Kiss II: The Unknown Story of Kiss II
The Unknown Story of Kiss II
“We just wanted to play somewhere.” – Tim Reynolds
In 1978, how would you have known that the rock band Kiss
was on stage before you? Sure, the bombastic stage show was in place, with
flashpots, explosions, flames, loud music and four guys in over the top
costumes with make-up on. But would you have known it was really Kiss under all
of that make-up and Daniel Besthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709668308904142615noreply@blogger.com0Adelaide SA, Australia-34.9284989 138.6007456-35.7609274 137.3098521 -34.0960704 139.89163910000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6123927.post-68632554203673933502020-04-29T15:24:00.000+09:302020-05-04T09:08:04.423+09:30John Richard Flanagan: The Australian Born American Comic Book Pioneer
John Richard Flanagan, November 1947
The Australian Born America Comic Book Pioneer
Ask almost anyone in Australia who was the
first Australian to work in the American comic book industry and they will invariably
answer, “Stan Pitt”. It has been that way since Pitt did his first job for
an American publisher, DC Comics The Witching Hour (issue 5), which was
published in October 1969Daniel Besthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709668308904142615noreply@blogger.com0Adelaide SA, Australia-34.9284989 138.6007456-35.7609274 137.3098521 -34.0960704 139.89163910000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6123927.post-83001968226548000832020-04-03T09:23:00.001+10:302020-04-03T09:23:30.849+10:30Original Art Stories: Miller vs Varley - Frank Miller's Art Collection
More documents have landed in the what's rapidly becoming a nasty battle between Frank Miller and his ex-wife, colourist Lynn Varley (read here for a recap). Without getting into the nastier details of the dispute, it can be broken down to the following;
1] Miller and Varley agreed to separate and split their art collection. As part of the settlement ($1,320,000 to Varley Daniel Besthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709668308904142615noreply@blogger.com4Adelaide SA, Australia-34.9284989 138.6007456-35.7609274 137.3098521 -34.0960704 139.89163910000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6123927.post-40069815201912359772019-12-18T11:50:00.001+10:302019-12-18T11:50:49.809+10:301980: Warren vs Harris - Buying & Selling Warren Publishing
What happened to Warren Publishing is a
sad, and cautionary, tale. The company was founded by James Warren in the late 1950s
and in it’s heyday, was responsible for some of the best comic book magazines
ever published. Titles such as Creepy, Eerie, Vampirella and Blazing
Combat are still looked upon today as being before their time, and feature
some of the best, and most imaginative, work by Daniel Besthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709668308904142615noreply@blogger.com0Adelaide SA, Australia-34.9284989 138.60074559999998-35.7609274 137.30985209999997 -34.0960704 139.8916391tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6123927.post-79165578741923751372019-11-20T08:10:00.004+10:302020-04-03T09:25:01.521+10:30Original Art Stories: Miller v Varley: Stolen Art Allegations
The most recent court case involving comic book creators landed on Monday, 18 November 2019, and it's a doozy! I have to admit that when I saw the name 'Frank Miller' pop up in my feed, I instantly thought that Miller had finally grown a pair and was suing Marvel for ownership of Elektra. Alas, that's not to be. Instead he's suing his ex-wife, the colourist Lynn Varley, alleging that she Daniel Besthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709668308904142615noreply@blogger.com1Adelaide SA, Australia-34.9284989 138.60074559999998-35.7609274 137.30985209999997 -34.0960704 139.8916391tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6123927.post-73198752633367309942019-11-03T08:17:00.001+10:302019-11-03T08:17:36.485+10:30Supanova Adelaide, 2 November 2019Observations on Supanova Adelaide.
Recently the organisers of Supanova posted on Facebook about the Adelaide event and how falling attendance levels have forced them to rethink their long term commitment to the city of Adelaide and placing the onus on the future of the show squarely on the public. As usual, I went yesterday and, frankly, I was a bit taken aback. Here's what I've noted, for Daniel Besthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709668308904142615noreply@blogger.com2Adelaide SA, Australia-34.9284989 138.60074559999998-35.7609274 137.30985209999997 -34.0960704 139.8916391tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6123927.post-19984893882581146082019-10-15T08:04:00.002+10:302019-10-15T08:04:17.718+10:305AD Official Top 40! October 14, 1961
Fifty eight years ago, in Adelaide, you would have been listening to these songs. And you'd have been enjoying them. The charts, in 1961, were dominated by American acts, not a sign of what was to come in two sort years time.
More charts to follow.
Daniel Besthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709668308904142615noreply@blogger.com0Adelaide SA, Australia-34.9284989 138.60074559999998-35.7609274 137.30985209999997 -34.0960704 139.8916391