Wednesday, March 31st, 1976

Definitely on the good side. I got an A on the Physics test. Finally! On my report card, though, I got grade for grade exactly what I got last time. I also found out that Cheri moved away last month.

More new books out over the river after school and I saw where SUNSHINE BOYS got held over after George Burns won the Oscar. Only problem is if I go back to NKBS I'll end up in the same problem I had last weekend. Add to that the fact that there's other good flicks opening this week.

I'm thinking about sending away for a catalog of old radio shows on cassette.

NOTES: That last sentence was actually rather important. Not sure which catalog I sent for first but the two I most enjoyed over the next few years were those of Radio Showcase and Jim Harmon. I ended up ordering more and more cassettes on a regular basis than I did comics stuff. Ultimately I ended up with more than 1500 cassettes of OTR shows. For years I would listen to them over and over in the car on the way to and from work. At one point I had a 40 minute trip each way for several years so that worked out great! My interest in old-time radio grew and grew and led to my performing in re-creations of the old radio shows and actually becoming friends with some of the surviving actors. In the new century, I replaced most of those cassettes with space-saving MP3 discs. Last year, I boxed up about 200 of the tapes and shipped them to a friend who was only just discovering the joys of OTR.

Tuesday, March 30th, 1976

Well, today was still filled with an atmosphere of anticipation but I'm sure I didn't do all that well on the two tests I had. Well...tests aren't everything...I keep telling myself.

With Mystery over, we started Creative Writing today. Seems like it's going to be hard but I instinctively took that as a challenge. But we're going to have to keep a journal! I already do! Now I'll have to keep two! On the one hand, I feel ready to write my whole life down but I know I can't do that.

ONE DAY AT A TIME seems to have settled into a seriocomic plotline mode sort of like a cross between M*A*S*H and a Gerber story. Not sure if I like it better this way or not.

I saw a cameo by Ringo on MONTY PYTHON'S FLYING CIRCUS!

NOTES: As you might imagine, Creative Writing would quickly become my favorite class. More on that as it develops.

It actually bothered me quite a bit that I was no longer getting straight "A's" in school after doing so effortlessly for most of my school years. In a case of history repeating itself, my son's most recent report card had him sick over an A minus!

Monday, March 29th, 1976

The day we should have been off school. Last day for Mystery Class but with nothing left to do, we watched TV. Two big tests tomorrow. Mom was home when I got in today. She got off at noon.

TBG was back to Mondays after two Wednesday arrivals in a row. Lots of comics items in my life lately--Steve's new store, his con next month, Omnicon and maybe even the Cleveland Con again like last year. It's a good thing I didn't write Don Rosa again yesterday because today I finally heard from him in response to the last time I wrote. The only bad part is that the Con is not IN Louisville but "15 minutes" from town. I hope I can talk them into us going down a day early and maybe even driving down. I really doubt that last part, though.

Been thinking about Debbie again and I don't know why. Thought I'd finally gotten past that. As I write this, a song on the radio just said, " the past is gone." Is it? We would be strangers who had never really met and yet I would know that we had in another lifetime. Only thing is I might not even like her and she might not like me. No one else seems to.

The Academy Awards were on tonight. For a change they picked some winners I liked. George Burns was presented his award by Ben Johnson and LINDA BLAIR! I had been kind of cool on her lately but I'm still crazy about her. So pretty! Marlo Thomas was also in evidence. We stayed up until 12:30 watching it and I still don't feel like I can get to sleep right away.

NOTES: Things were progressing nicely toward getting us to Don Rosa's Omnicon. We would NOT return to Cleveland that year or since. The whole weekend we were there the previous August, Cleveland had had torrential rains and storms. If you looked out the window of our hotel room all you could see was the wall of the hotel next door. If you leaned out (there were no safety screens at all) and looked to your left, you could see a black river (or lake?) covered by black smoke. A week after we came home, they had an outbreak of malaria! I'm told Cleveland is much, much better these days.

Debbie, Debbie, Debbie! It's a little embarrassing even now that I just couldn't quit thinking about her. Still a few months until she turns up one last time in a most unexpected place. The song I mention was probably Aerosmith's DREAM ON.

Seen above is a frame grab from George Burns' Oscar win as I watched it that evening in '76. In the original journal, though, I said that the award was presented by Linda Blair with Roy Schieder! Imagine my surprise when I looked up the clip and saw that it was clearly Ben Johnson instead! So I corrected that. Having admired both actors for many years now, I find it hard to imagine a time when I would confuse them for any reason but I suppose that's what happened here.

Sunday, March 28th, 1976

Things seem to kind of be falling into place. We went to church and spent most of the rest of the day watching the telethon and I just felt very good for some reason. I gave a dollar to the National Guard guys collecting for the telethon. Finally had some official Double White Castles. Tasted exactly the same as the ones I made myself from two singles a couple of months ago!

Several good films start this next week and Lily Tomlin's in town, too. I may write to her. I've also got to write Yoshiko and Don Rosa. I cleared off my desk today and plan on cleaning up the rest of my "office" area.

I've gone Steve Gerber crazy this week as the Beatles fade out for awhile. I finally took the time to read a long-neglected Man-Thing text story by him in MONSTERS UNLEASHED. Gerber's stories may be a little depressing but I haven't felt this "up" in weeks.

Dad seems to be serious about retiring. I almost hope he doesn't for I fear lack of work may end up hurting him.

NOTES: My dad kept putting off the concept of retiring. He had been almost 50 when I was born as his only child. While I was going up he was often mistaken for my grandfather. In 1976, he was 66 years old and at that time 65 was considered retirement age. After being hit by a car in 1978, he was sort of forced into it finally. It wasn't as bad as I thought. After his recovery, my mother died and he and I lived together for another 12 years until he had a massive stroke after rarely having been sick a day in his life.

Yoshiko was my first Japanese pen-pal. I think it was in 10th grade when we got them through school. I ended up with three ultimately and we wrote back and forth in our letter red, blue and white air mail envelopes for years afterwards.

Comedian Lily Tomlin was and is another favorite. I had developed the concept of writing to celebs coming to town in care of the venue they were going to appear at. More often than not, when they arrived someone simply gave them the letter and I would sometimes hear back from them in a rather obviously non form-letter way. Not sure if I ever got around to writing Lily but if I did, I never heard back.

As far as the going to church, it wasn't happening very much by this point and would happen less and less over the next few years. When I did go, it was more a of a family bonding thing and my mind was often on comic books while the Preacher was preaching.

Saturday, March 27th, 1976

Those crazy kids have started already. A perfect example of what's wrong with the world. Kids running loose destroying property because their parents don't have enough sense to teach them right from wrong.

Anyway, after one minor setback Terry and I found the Northern Kentucky Bookstore, my latest favorite store. We missed it by two blocks and got off the bus at the wrong stop. Perfect successor to the Yellow Kid even though they aren't fully set up yet. I sold some comics and then bought some Man-Thing and Deathlok issues I needed as well as some new stuff. Really new stuff like the YK got! Last month I got two Captain America's though and this time when I got home I realized I'd accidentally missed Cap altogether. Steve Gerber is my favorite comics writer. If there was any doubt before, I'm sure of it now. Steve Conner says there is a bus that goes right past the Con site but he didn't know which one.

Sadly we had to pass up THE SUNSHINE BOYS but there was just no way to get it in. Coulda used it. Been feeling depression creeping in again. Maybe the movie will be held over and I can see it next week.

The Easter Seal Telethon started tonight. Isabelle Adjani, whom I first saw in that English movie whose title I forget, was interviewed by Rona tonight on her Oscar preview. She is gorgeous!

NOTES: No idea what brought on my grumpy old man rant at the beginning there. Just proves my theory that I was never really a typical teenager. Those $%#@@ kids had just better stay out of my yard!

Isabelle Adjani is a French actress then Oscar-nominated for the Truffaut film, THE STORY OF ADELE H. She was--and still is--one of the most physically beautiful women I had ever seen. As you can tell, she was yet another celebrity crush of mine that year.

Friday, March 26th, 1976

All day seemed like Monday. Guess because I was off yesterday.

There was a big ad in tonight's paper for Steve Conner's new Northern Kentucky Bookstore! I found out also that his Con will be more than 15 miles away but I'll try my best to figure out how to get there anyway. I'm pretty sure I can catch a bus for most of the way and then maybe get a cab for the rest of the way. It's gonna be tough to get out to Northern Kentucky Bookstore tomorrow in Erlanger and then all the way back in the other direction to catch SUNSHINE BOYS in Newport but I'm going to do it!

Got involved in that Spanish traffic game for a whole period today. In fact, I came close to winning.

Bing and Liza hosted a TV special this evening! Liza's spots on the special were the best. She really does something to me. So cute and so talented. He voice, her face, her movements...I really can't pinpoint it but she just generally makes me feel good!

Also I sorta watched Rona with the Fonz.

NOTES: The Northern Kentucky Bookstore was about to become my favorite place in the world. For those of you new to this blog, I didn't learn to drive until I was 32 due to a major problem with motion sickness. This didn't stop me from getting around. Just meant that I often had to plan my whole day around what would, with a car, be about a twenty minute round-trip. In this case, the NKBS was about a 40 minute bus ride away. It was a bright, shiny, good-sized comic book store right on the major highway out of town. A good location, friendly, knowledgable employees...needless to say, it didn't last long. One of the folks I met there was a fellow customer who drove a vending machine truck. A few years later, he would open a comic book store about two blocks down the street that would become the biggest and most successful comic shop in the whole Greater Cincinnati area. That one--now known as COMIC BOOK WORLD-- is still there three decades later!

No idea what the "Spanish traffic game" was at this late date, nor do I have a clue why I only "sorta" watched Rona Barrett's interview with Henry Winkler.

The special that Bing Crosby and Liza Minnelli hosted was, in fact, a history of the telephone! The all-star cast was largely made up of clips from previous episodes of THE BELL TELEPHONE HOUR.

I was, as previously stated, perhaps the only straight male of my age to be a huge Liza fan. I bought her albums, loved her films and TV specials and, three years later, Terry and I actually went to see her in concert. Thirty years on, one of my employees who was gay told me HE was at that concert, too!

Thursday, March 25th, 1976

Some really great things today and then some real downers to balance 'em out. First off, since it's the reason we're off today...we LOST the game. There go the chances for another holiday soon. Dad stayed home to listen to the game even.

Got a sick stomach from coneys dad brought home this morning and that kind of lasted the rest of the day.

Since I was off, though, I went to see DOG DAY AFTERNOON at the Skywalk, easily the best flick I've seen so far this year. I wore my new jacket and it worked out okay. Afterwards, I picked up all the new comics and HUSTLER at Book Market. Doesn't even seem that interesting this month. I think this time maybe I will be able to convince myself to quit buying it.

They stayed late next door tonight so we got a late start. Got home in time to catch Stefanie Powers on STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO though. Always fun to see her.

Talked to Terry, too, and he told me he DID get to see Elvis!

Damn. From very good to very bad. Still glad I had the day off.

NOTES: I rarely have gastrointestinal issues from Cincinnati-style chili. In fact, as odd as it seems, it sometimes actually settles my stomach. This day was apparently an exception.

The Book Market was the largest book and magazine store in downtown Cincinnati. It was on the back side of Fountain Square. Eventually, it closed but quickly re-opened as the very first B. Dalton bookstore I ever saw. The man who ran the Book Market (owned it?) resurfaced as the Manager of Queen City Books, a more intimate bookstore that opened a block away. Years later, one of MY ex-employees at Waldenbooks would become the Assistant Manager of Queen City Books.

DOG DAY AFTERNOON had just moved downtown from the outlying theaters where it had opened late in 1975. This was the tense and amazing Al Pacino bank robber tale. I had been a Pacino fan since SCARECROW, a now more-or-less forgotten film with Gene Hackman of a couple of years earlier.

Downtown's Skywalk Cinema where I saw it was my favorite theater. At a time when most theaters were still single screen, it had a double screen. For a while, I went almost every weekend, mostly on Sunday afternoons. Their ticket prices were only two dollars a flick.

The Skywalk, still there but now more-or-less abandoned, was a fun series of overhead walkways that stretched all across the downtown Cincinnati area and had its own businesses, restaurants and stores.

Wednesday, March 24th, 1976

The whole day was basically a washout but part of that was probably due to anger on my part. Didn't help that we also had a fire drill parade.

Hey, I saw a Charlton educational POPEYE comic book with a King Comics logo. Weird!

At home I got TBG which told me two things--one that the next comic book convention here in town is on the same day as the concert so that leaves little doubt I'll miss it. It's the next day, too, but it's so far out. I've already started looking into possible ways to get there, though. I called Terry but he seemed disinterested. If he doesn't mention it, maybe I won't either and just go myself. Not like I'm keeping it a secret because I did tell him once. Since the ad says the upcoming con is sponsored by the Northern Kentucky Bookstore, there must BE a Northern Kentucky Bookstore so I may go there tomorrow or Saturday and check it out. No school tomorrow! Also, THE SUNSHINE BOYS is at Newport. I am definitely going there!

THE BIONIC WOMAN exhibited a noticeable scar on her upper lip tonight and in the previews. I never noticed it before. Wonder if that's from that bad accident she had a few months back?

Reminded me of Tonya in seventh grade only Tonya's similar scar was bigger. Wonder what ever happened to her? We both liked each other in very different ways, I guess but she and I were the total antithesis of each other. I'll never forget her, though.

NOTES: when it comes to those POPEYE comics, what can I say? I was easily amused. Oddly enough, I recently found a website where you can download PDF's of many of those Charlton/King POPEYE comics.

I was correct. Actress Lindsay Wagner had been in a pretty bad car accident a few months earlier and her lip had been split completely open. Since her character on the TV series had also been recovering from an accident--in that case a sky-diving one--it didn't look out of character and certainly made her no less a hottie to teenage boys everywhere.

Tonya had been a new girl in my seventh grade class a few years earlier. As stated, she also had a similar lip scar. In her case, I believe it was a birthmark. Still, what could have been a tragic disfigurement for a girl of her age went unnoticed by most as she was a popular cheerleader and dating several football players. She was smiley and chatty but not really a very good student. Thus she would sit with me in Study Hall and have me "tutor" her (read: do her Spanish and Math homework for her). She was also the youngest girl I ever knew then who genuinely appreciated the art of the dirty joke and, in fact, was the first person I ever heard use the word "lesbian." When she told me what it meant, I didn't believe her! Tonya moved away either after seventh grade or early in the next year but she was one of the very few kids to ever give me a photo and sign my yearbook. She wrote, "To Steve--a nice boy in school." Yeah. She was crazy about me.

By the way, you'll note that THE SUNSHINE BOYS was opening at Newport. They had decided not to close after all and, in fact, would remain open for another year or two. In spite of my insistence, I never did see THE SUNSHINE BOYS on the big screen, though.

***Donations***

Everyone has their horror stories of the current economy so I won't go into mine. Suffice it to say that between unexpected health issues and continued unemployment, we may NOT be able to pay for our Internet service at the end of this month and this blog--as well as all of my others--will have to be suspended for an indefinite period of time. If you're a fan or regular reader of A GEEK'S JOURNAL-1976, please consider making a donation using the PayPal button on the top right to make sure the Bicentennial year posts keep coming!

Thanks in advance and thanks for all of your support.

Oh, by the way...seen above is Sidney Australia, a giant stuffed rabbit who sat in that living room chair for eight solid years beginning in 1975! As you can see, Sid was a big baseball fan. My father called him Cedric. He was rescued from an abandoned apartment in our building and just became part of the family. In fact, I have no recollection what happened to him except that he was no longer there by the mid-eighties. Perhaps he went walkabout. He never wrote, never called. Sigh.

Tuesday March 23rd, 1976

I can't wait 'til next week when I've left most of those third grade fools in Mystery class far behind! Even Danny isn't totally exempt--he just takes whatever this losers dish out at him and ignores their jibes but you know it has to affect him! I know because that's what I did for so long. By this point they're just indifferent to me. With him I really think they feel like they're somehow better than him. Man!

Mr. Dupin copied the Dean's error of a few months ago, mistaking me for that stupid Steve Thomas! Even Mark admitted today that he doesn't even know my name. I know him pretty well but he doesn't even know my name! I haven't told him yet either!

Lots of work at SS tonight.

I think I'm somehow getting good feelings about girls again. No one in particular. Just in general. Just a new feeling about the female sex that seems unlike any I've ever felt before. I really can't explain it. It really hasn't hit too strongly but been feeling it more and more so I bet it will.

I just realized I haven't seen Cheri in school for quite a while now. Wonder what happened to her?

Back in October when I did my SLAUGHTERHOUSE-5 book report, I said that the movie was due to be on TV soon. Took it a while but I see it's finally in the TV GUIDE for next week. I may have been five months off but now it's their Pick of the Week!

NOTES: Don't ask me what was going on here. On the one hand I was fired up a lot more than normal over the other kids (and that's what we still were) picking on Danny, a boy in my Mystery class. It was also bothering me that Mark, for whom I had become a de facto guardian angel, didn't even really know who I was! Add to that the fact that the school officials themselves couldn't correctly identify me and I was really feeling invisible!

On the other hand, when it came to girls, I appeared to be hitting the combination of hormones and Spring Fever even if I didn't realize it!

One of the true joys of the elective classes was getting introduced to new authors, In the previous year's Sci-Fi class, it was Kurt Vonnegut for me. While Kurt himself never quite attained a position as an absolute favorite of mine, SLAUGHTERHOUSE-5 remains even now in my Top Ten favorite books of all time...even though I somehow apparently do NOT have a copy to share with my son. The copy seen above is the original 1969 trade paperback edition. This was the edition I had at one time.

Monday, March 22nd, 1976

Finally turned in my mystery story and it was one of only very few that she actually read aloud in class! Reactions were varied but not really bad. I gave Amy a card for my self-imposed "B.N.T.A.D." We had a Rep assembly for the so-called "Super-dogs." I guess I'm glad they're winning but I just can't generate any enthusiasm for sports.

Lots of Elvis talk all day at school today. Some people went. We got out a little earlier and I ran all the way so I could catch the 3:15 bus but I missed it anyway.

Time seems to fly by lately. Mom always said this would happen as I get older. My main obstruction sometimes seems to be Sheldon March. Being in a sane moment, I actually believe I turned toward insanity when I was thinking that evil might only be able to be eliminated by evil and if it can be it should be. Heavy. Hope I can steer away from that insanity part, though.

So sad. Lovely Claudine Longet, forever identified in my mind with Sherry Parkinson, has been arrested for murder! Boy.

Watched a Paul Williams-hosted MERV with guests Seals and Crofts.

NOTES: Amy was a girl in several of my classes--quiet and smart, very classy--but I never looked twice at her. No idea what this B.N.T.A.D. stuff was here with her.

Sheldon March (not his real name) had been in various classes with me since seventh grade. He was self-righteous, conceited and sycophantic but if he was such a big thorn in my side in 1976 why have I forgotten all about that now? Once again, the lesson here is that today's major issues really do become tomorrow's trivia questions.

French singer Claudine Longet had been the wife of popular singer Andy Williams and had often appeared on his TV specials with their children before they separated a few years before this. I loved her accent and her breathy singing but she was also good at comedy as in the Peter Sellers movie, THE PARTY and memorably on TV's McHALE'S NAVY and its feature film version. In 1976, she was arrested for murdering her then boyfriend, skier Spider Sabbich. Endless SNL jokes later, it remains a controversial situation and she has maintained a low profile ever since.

Sherry Parkinson was a girl who had been in my grade school classes up through 7th grade who, in my mind, reminded me of Claudine (even though in retrospect there was no reason to think so). We were sort of an item for about twenty minutes in the sixth grade but her temper killed that quickly!

EXTRA--***Night Cruise To Hell Notes and Sketches***

2011--I decided not to publish here the entire NIGHT CRUISE TO HELL, my short story that was read aloud in my Mystery class this week in 1976. The main reason for this is that since I turned in the typed version all I have now are two very different handwritten versions that are virtually indecipherable. That said, here is a page of notes and art from the concept.

Basically, Agatha Christie's CURTAIN had just been released--her long-finished but held back final Poirot adventure in which (SPOILER) the detective himself turns out to be the killer. Taking my inspiration, NIGHT CRUISE TO HELL featured a veteran detective on a cruise after his enforced retirement. A body is found on board ship and a young sailor is assigned to assist the great detective as he attempts to solve one last murder. LIttle by little, though, the sailor, whose eyes we follow the plot, pieces together the clues to reveal that, in fact, the bitter detective himself was the murderer!

Sunday March 21st, 1976

A weird feeling all day knowing that Elvis was literally just a river away. Wow. So strange.

I spent most of the day typing up NIGHT CRUISE TO HELL (its new title!) from my handwritten version. I rewrote it a bit as I went and I think it turned out really well!

I also started rearranging my room and almost played out my newBeatles tape while doing that.

Later on television, oddly enough, I watched THE GOOD OLD DAYS OF RADIO!

NOTES: I remain confused why I would turn down a chance to see Elvis just a year later when I was obviously quite reverential at this point. Terry's no help as he swears I actually DID see Elvis with him in 1977. Nope. I'd remember if I saw Elvis.

I still have NIGHT CRUISE TO HELL and even some of my original notes. I'll see if I can dig them up and post them.

THE GOOD OLD DAYS OF RADIO was a PBS broadcast of a dinner that had been given back in February for hundreds of old-time radio stars. Steve Allen hosted the event and dozens of familiar-voiced actors such as Hal Peary (The Great Gildersleeve) and Eddie (Rochester) Anderson spoke or did a little schtick. Intended as nostalgia for older folks, it served to fuel my growing interest in the medium. Eventually, a little more than ten years later, I would start more than two decades of appearing onstage alongside some of those same old stars, performing in re-creations of their old scripts annually at the Cincinnati Old-Time Radio and Nostalgia Convention.

Saturday, March 20th 1976

The day started out pretty good. Terry, his friend Dwight, and I were going to go to Cincinnati, then to Newport to see BLAZING SADDLES again. Terry and I ended up going into town alone but I didn't buy anything. Then we walked from the Stadium to the new Coliseum and got the Dawn tickets. He paid but I wasn't happy when he childishly wouldn't even let me keep my own ticket. He insisted on hanging onto both for some reason. I hate it when he does things like that.

Eventually, we did get to BLAZING SADDLES and, if anything, it seemed even funnier than before! While we were at the Newport Shopping Center, I picked up the Beatles YESTERDAY AND TODAY on 8 track tape rather than as an album. I even got some Wendy's to take home for mom and dad when Terry showed me the Wendy's over there.

It had threatened rain all day and I found out later that there was a tornado watch the whole time we were out! Mom was out shopping though, too. She bought me the ingredients for my own leisure suit! Neat! It finally did storm after we all got home, harder than I have ever seen it before! It was like in that Ray Bradbury story, THE LONG RAIN.

NOTES: I had mentioned Dwight before and that I couldn't quite recall what happened to him. I asked Terry recently and he reminded me that he had accidentally drowned.

BLAZING SADDLES--represented here with a rarely seen poster--was Mel Brooks' outrageous western farce mixed with parody and more than a little satire. I became a big Brooks fan but I still think this was his best feature. Cleavon Little is amazingly charismatic as the new sheriff who just happens to be black. Although co-written by Richard Pryor and perhaps intended asa vehicle for himself, I can't imagine the more sedate Pryor of this period being anywhere near as good. There is no attempt at a true linear plot and anachronistic gags crowd the screen every moment. Harvey Korman, Madeline Kahn, Alex Karras and particularly Gene Wilder all received career boosts from this BLAZING SADDLES. If you haven't seen it, do so...now.

Friday, March 19th, 1976

Terry says we'll definitely be able to go to the Tony Orlando and Dawn concert next month. He's picking up the tickets tomorrow. He also tells me that Nicholas Meyer has written a second Sherlock Holmes novel that's being serialized in PLAYBOY. I'll keep my eyes out for the paperback.

IT happened and for once I just let myself enjoy it without guilt. Not sure if that's progress or just the opposite.

TV schedule was very awkward tonight but I just got around it the best I could.

NOTES: No idea what that last line meant. As far as IT, as I said earlier there were times when I just gave in to my own hormonal urges but the guilt would always come back next time.

Nicholas Meyer was the bestselling author who wrote the Sherlock Holmes novel, THE SEVEN PERCENT SOLUTION. His second one was entitled THE WEST END HORROR. Soon enough he moved on to films where he became associated with the best of the various STAR TREK movies of the eighties as writer and sometimes director.

Tony Orlando and Dawn were a popular recording trio who surprised many with an amazingly popular TV variety series showcasing the charismatic lead singer and his lovely African-American backup singers (who had previously done the female vocals on Isaac Hayes' "Theme From SHAFT."). They would be appearing at Cincinnati's brand new Riverfront Coliseum. Wanting to see the newly built arena, Terry and I looked at the initially announced concerts coming to the venue and decided we would see either Dawn or Sammy Davis Jr with Freddie Prinze. We decided on the former. It would be the very first concert of any kind I had ever attended.

Thursday, March 18th, 1976

We got out early today for PTA. Last period, I had a long, fun talk with Marie McClosky about TV shows. I wish her boyfriend wasn't so jealous. All of the teachers seemed grumpy today. Don't know what that's all about.

Mark and I walked home together, stopping along the way at five different places so I could look for a Beatles album I never found. On the last leg of the walk, after Mark went his own way, I ran into Dad in town and the two of us walked home from there. He had picked up some White Castles and I discovered the existence of a White Castle Double!

Had to go in to work late tonight but got most of my stuff done and still had time to finish Greatheart Silver in WEIRD HEROES.

NOTES: Mark was a young man a grade or two below me who was...odd. He was friendly, chatty, nerdy and perhaps a tad mentally challenged. We often would ride the same bus and I would see the other kids picking on him. Eventually I had had enough and I stood up for him. Not like I was the toughest guy in the world but I could be loud and threatening and his bulliers were also younger than me. So I sort of became his unofficial protector and for a while I would wait for him so we could walk to the bus stop together. I don't recall where he lived and I never really saw him outside of a school context. No one stood up for me when I had been bullied over the years and it just seemed like if I COULD stand up for him, I should...so I did.

White Castles had been the first hamburgers I had ever had. My dad would buy a sack after church when I was young and we'd munch on them off and on all day. At one point I was eating eight to ten at a time. Nowadays they don't like me vey well and I'm lucky if I can eat 4 without incapacitating myself for the rest of the day. Sad.

****EXTRA**** Journal Artwork

There was a divider in the Journal at this point and my natural inclination was to fill that blank space. I did so with this silly STAR TREK cartoon simply aiming at the next day's entry.

Wednesday, March 17th, 1976

What a day! I passed that Physics test but only with a high C.

Didn't get much over the river after school but I came home to find...WHA!!!??, HOT STUF' 1, The SPIRIT tabloid, GAMUT and finally the new TBG! Wow! I'll still be reading it all tomorrow.

On TV48, I saw a Laurel and Hardy silent spectacular but I had to skip THE BIONIC WOMAN because of it.

Finally got hold of Terry. We might see BLAZING SADDLES again this weekend. It's playing over at the Newport Cinemas. Looks like they might close so that would give us one last chance to go there.

NOTES: I have no recollection as to why Terry had been so hard to get hold of for so long during this period. When I did finally re-connect then it seems it was business as usual.

You KNOW I enjoyed Laurel and Hardy when I willingly passed up Lindsay Wagner for the boys!

Mel Brooks' BLAZING SADDLES remains a favorite comedy with more laughs per minute than just about any film ever...including AIRPLANE in my opinion. Well...cleverer gags anyway.

GAMUT seen here was a comics fanzine I had completely and totally forgotten until I re-read this entry. A nice cover by Mike Ploog but I suppose the insides were less than interesting since I neither recall them nor do I still have that one. NOt sure what happened to it.

Note that this was St Patrick's Day...not a day I particularly considered any different than any other.

Tuesday, March 16th, 1976

Lots of hard work at school today. Hope I slid by. A little baby was brought into Mr Shoemaker's class today. Not sure whose it was. In history class we were shown twenties and thirties films. Because Holmes is in the basketball championships, we'll get next Thursday off but we'll have to go next Monday and make it up on June 2nd. Oh, well.

Still no TBG and I still haven't been able to get hold of Terry.

Mom suggested that maybe we could take a Greyhound up to Dayton to see the Kenley Players this summer. Haven't heard back from Omnicon yet but we're still planning to go to Louisville for that this summer, also.

Winter was back with a vengeance today! Tons of snow this morning and still more tonight.

Tonight on TV the highlight was an Arbor Day Charlie Brown special.

NOTES: The Kenley Players was actually a circuit of theaters throughout Ohio that rotated a slate of traveling theatrical productions each summer, usually with one to three well-known TV or movie stars backed up by both Broadway and regional talent. Since my dad refused for some reason to drive outside of the Greater Cincinnati area, we rarely went and when we did, we had to take the Greyhound bus the 50 miles to Dayton, Ohio. Over the years, though, I did see Karen Valentine, James Naughton, Rose Marie, Lucie Arnaz, Terrance Monk and Dick Gautier. My dad later went on his own to see Tim Conway and I've always regretted not going.

Monday, March 15th, 1976

The day passed fast because so much of it was spent on the big achievement test. I finished them all. I spent lunch down in the lobby with Marie McClosky who's still trying to get her boyfriend jealous. Also found out that I was on the A Honor Roll and could have had Reds tickets if I'd wanted them. I took ILLUMINATUS to school and got a lot read in between tests since I generally finished mine so quickly.

No TBG in today's mail but I did get Bob G.'s latest list and picked out eleven dollars worth of stuff to order. I'll try to lower that amount first. That's a lot.

Saw "The Naked Time" on STAR TREK tonight and GOOD HEAVENS was at least as good as last week's episode. Also watched what has to be my very favorite episode of ALL IN THE FAMILY--Gloria's baby announcement. I really do have quite a crush on Sally Struthers.

NOTES: Marie McClosky (not her real name) was, I suppose, the first of many women I would meet whose general sanity I would truly begin to question over time. Over the next year we would talk a lot at school. We were never a couple, never dated, never saw each other away from school...but later on my parents would come quite close to reporting her to the police for harassment. At this point, however, she was fun to talk with and I enjoyed that day in the lobby.

There was no actual lunch there, by the way. In fact, I never once ate lunch during high school because of my previously mentioned gastrointestinal issues. The funny part came toward the end of my senior year when we were all told to report to the cafeteria at our leisure for cap and gown fittings and I had to ask someone where to find the cafeteria!

The Sally Struthers thing was a passing fancy. By the time she resurfaced on her own spin-off series, GLORIA, after leaving ALL IN THE FAMILY, I was pretty lukewarm to her.

Sunday, March 14th, 1976

I finally finished my plastic shirt! It looked just great until it tore up as soon as I tried to put it on. Oh well, back to the old drawing board.

Saw Mel Blanc on WONDERAMA this morning! Neat!

I don't really care for parades but Mom and I went to see the local St Patrick's Day Parade this afternoon.

Tonight was movie rerun night on TV. Saw THE WIZARD OF OZ and HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER again.

I really got going on NIGHT CRUISE finally and got more than halfway through writing it.

NOTES: I barely remember the plastic shirt idea. It was inspired by the plastic "sleeves" that newspapers had started coming in (which were fairly recent at that point). I took a couple, clipped open the other ends, took a few more and cut them completely open and folded them out, then taped it all together with clear tape. It DID look good but the plastic stuck to my skin when I attempted to don it and the sleeves ripped right off. Hey. You try.

Mel Blanc was, of course, the great cartoon voice actor and former JACK BENNY SHOW co-star. Once a TV mainstay, by 1976 his appearance anywhere on air was a rare treat. Already, I was at least subconsciously wanting to do cartoon voices.

Saturday, March 13th, 1976

Well, we thought Spring had come a bit early this year but snow began this morning and more than once evolved into a near blizzard! Once while I was out in it!

Went over the river and got some good stuff including a special issue of CREEM that gave me my first look at the Beatles' "butcher cover." Also got OH WICKED WANDA and finally picked up WEIRD HEROES vol 1. Wanda perhaps inevitably led to IT but I'm still glad I got it. It's satirical, titillating, exciting and hilarious, too.

I spent most of the rest of the day curled up in bed reading all the mags and comics and books I got while I was out in the snowstorm.

NOTES: I still have that issue of CREEM that featured on its cover the still-jarring "butcher cover" that famously showed the Fab Four in a rare moment of true tastelessness.

Likewise I still have OH! WICKED WANDA. It was more a book than a magazine. OH! WICKED WANDA was a painted comic strip by UK creators that appeared in PENTHOUSE and was essentially the dark side version of Kurtzman and Elder's LITTLE ANNIE FANNY in PLAYBOY. It wasn't really hilarious...or even all that funny...or dirty. But then neither was LITTLE ANNIE FANNY in spite of its pedigree. Mostly it was topical political and social satire and was drawn by Ron Embleton who I later learned was one of the greats of British comics.

As I write this in 2011, we have once again just had a fair amount of snow overnight.

****EXTRA: Photography****

I'm not sure I ever mention it in my Journal but one thing that I really wanted to do back then--starting from around the age of 13--was to find a girl who would model for me. My fantasy was that we would travel around town to different locations by bus and take photos. Of course there were several drawbacks to this goal:

1) It would involve somehow finding a young lady who liked being photographed and then actually speaking with her.

2) All we had in the early seventies were Polaroid cameras which frankly, even though we tried to convince ourselves otherwise at the time, took lousy pictures.

3) 35mm cameras were expensive--as was 35mm film. Also, even if you did have the camera and the film, there were only 20-30 exposures. Then you had to send them off or take them to the drugstore to be developed and that took a week or more.

Luckily, in recent years all this changed and with the advent of digital cameras, I was finally able to fulfill my original dream of finding a young lady to model for me all over town. The problem was that I had to wait for Brittany Rose to be born and grow up. Maybe I'm not a great photographer and maybe she's not a professional model but between the two of us we sometimes turn out some pretty darn good pictures--more than a thousand in the past three years. Today we spent the day in Cincinnati's Eden Park. We took 159 photos including the two seen here, a number of which will soon be going up on our photography site, BRITTANY ROSE AND ME. Please check it out and let me know what you think.

Friday, March 12th, 1976

The cold still getting better.

Seeing Brenda Nooman so often going to school brings back memories both good and bad. More than anything else lately, in fact. Good memories and yet lost memories. Lately I've been unconsciously beginning to think of the past as a place and not a time.

I got to play Cary Grant's part in ARSENIC & OLD LACE read aloud in class! Even with my cold, I thought I did a better job of acting than most everyone else but I had some critics!

Other than that, I had a hard time making ends meet at school today workwise. Got it all done but gave none of it my best effort.

At work tonight, we accidentally ended up with Holmes' big game playing on the radio and I listened. Holmes won.

There was a tornado watch on all evening. That's the type of watch I really hate.

NOTES: ARSENIC & OLD LACE is the classic comedy where Cary Grant just lets himself go as Mortimer Brewster whose Aunts are quietly murdering boarders. I had only recently seen the movie and it was all I could do to avoid doing a Cary Grant accent in my role. This was one of many films that led to Grant becoming one of my favorite actors.

Brenda Nooman (not her real name) was this girl who lived across the street from me years earlier. When I was in 6th grade, she started 1st grade and her mom paid me $5.00 a week to walk her to school and back safely every day. We got along great but after a few months, her mother got upset about something that she never really explained and fired me, hiring a girl from down the block to walk her instead. By this point in 1976, Brenda was in the 6th grade at the Holmes Junior Building and often was on my bus. She never seemed to remember me but I always wished her a good morning when I saw her.

Thursday, March 11th, 1976

Little trouble getting back into things back at school today. It all went so fast it almost seemed like I was never out. Had sinus trouble since this morning, though.

I turned in the poems and I hope I won't end up with embarrassing results.

Over in Ohio after school I got only one comic book and dinner. Saw a couple copies of WEIRD HEROES Vol 1 but didn't pick it up just yet. Back home I had RBCC # 125. I think my sub has run out now, though. I spent a very enjoyable evening reading the little bits of trivia therein such as the fact that THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW was actually a spinoff of THE DANNY THOMAS SHOW! Wow!

Next door they all left early tonight so we got the cleaning done before too late.

Looks like I'll have to spend this weekend writing NIGHT CRUISE.

Turns out I was right about DR SYN, ALIAS THE SCARECROW. The theatrical version I saw at the Madison was edited down from the 3 part TV version. Boy! Shafted again!

NOTES: Don Rosa's RBCC column was loaded with TV trivia like that. Originally Andy, whose comedy records had been very popular, appeared as a comedic, folksy sheriff in an episode of Thomas's MAKE ROOM FOR DADDY sitcom. Danny's character gets caught in a speed trap in the rural South. With just a few touches including the master stroke addition of Don Knotts as Barney Fife, THE ANDY GRIFFITH show would go on to be much more popular in the long run than the series that pawned it.

****EXTRA**** Horizons

If you've been following the daily blog entries, you'll know that I had been asked by My English teacher, Mr. Spurlock--in 2011 a recent Facebook friend--to submit a few poems to HORIZONS, the school literary and arts magazine. In spite of my aversion to participating in anything to do with the school, this was a chance to be published! So i did. I don't recall how many I submitted but I copied them from various notes and papers stuffed in drawers on this date in 1976.

The two that ended up being published follow.

ALONE IN THE SHADOWS

...And when Amber times have flown,

The drifter will be all alone.

Forsaken in sunlight, joyous and bright,

Regretted by the tunnel-like darkness of night.

And all the young swallows,

Will be on their way.

Maybe they'll come back on Memorial Day,

To remember the drifter,

and good times now past, or perhaps they'll stay away,

And let graven silence last.

END

LINDA

Linda is a star and she doesn't know me.

Walking past the newsstands I see her smile,

As she stares blankly at me,

From all the magazine covers.

I buy her faces and take them home to treasure.

I paste them in scrapbooks to look at every day.

Her long auburn hair gives her a gracious look,

Known to very few.

Linda, oh if dreams were real...

But I awaken to the reality of pulp paper photographs,

And a single, silent tear.

For I am just a man,

And Linda is a star.

END

When read today, HORIZONS is a hotbed of teenage angst. Some good writing, though. My own first poem above is one of my typical WTF? ones of the period. The second is a bit more personal, being about my teenage obsession with EXORCIST star Linda Blair. It was a bit embarrassing as is but more so when many of my peers interpreted it as an ode to DEEP THROAT star Linda Lovelace.

The whole experience--in the vernacular--didn't suck. Thus, when asked, I agreed to join the staff of the following year's HORIZONS. When it came out, I had even more poems, an esay and even some artwork published! Unfortunately, due to various glitches, MY issue never came out until the year AFTER I graduated. I, of course, went back to pick up a copy. I doubt many other students bothered.

Wednesday, March 10th, 1976

Home sick again. Dad was, too, this time. I didn't feel as guilty about it today, though, even if I did start to feel better later in the afternoon. THAT GIRL today was about Ann's cold making her deaf. Mine seems to have done that, too. At least in one ear.

I copied my poems to turn in to HORIZONS. Found and gathered together all my notes on NIGHT CRUISE and nearly finished reading WEIRD HEROES.

I got a letter in the mail about Westcon but it's too far away.

I saw a new edition of BOZO'S BIG TOP on TV today. I really used to love that show when I was little. Was still pretty fun even now.

Also saw and taped Sergio Mendez and Brazil '77 on THE MIKE DOUGLAS SHOW singing THE WATERS OF MARCH. DesiArnaz Jr and Sr were also on along with the guy who played little Ricky on I LOVE LUCY. Since I had the tape recorder all set up, later I also taped Ray Bolger on THE MERV GRIFFIN SHOW doing a crazy version of ONCE IN LOVE WITH AMY.

The original pilots of STARSKY & HUTCH and good ol' Six Million resurfaced on TV tonight. Fun.

NOTES: Years later when we got cable TV, I was able to enjoy BOZO THE CLOWN all over again on WGN's long-running version of the great, classic kids program.

I still have that tape I made that day with Brazil 77 and Ray Bolger. I taped a bunch of stuff off the radio, too. Some years later, for reasons we won't get into here, the song ONCE IN LOVE WITH AMY became an issue when it was played in the restaurant where my wife and I were having our anniversary dinner. Let's just say it proved that the universe had a sense of humor and irony and also very, very bad timing.

Tuesday, March 9th, 1976

I stayed home from school today. I was a little guilty about it at first but, as usual, it turned out to be the right decision as my cold worsened in the afternoon. Watched two good movies on TV and read SPV-166, so far the best story in WEIRD HEROES 2.

I saw part of an episode of THE DAWN OF LAUREL & HARDY on 16 but couldn't get it in good enough to actually see much. Saw Kebrina Kincaide on Merv. She's kind of cute. Not too much else on TV tonight.

Also had my second Rancher. Probably my last, too.

NOTES:The Rancher was a more grown-up oriented platter meal from Burger Chef. It featured a 1/3rd pound beefsteak served with Texas Toast (although I doubt we called it that back then), fries and a salad (which I no doubt threw away. I don't do salads). As the Burger Chef was just down at the other end of the alley next to our house, we ate from there often. After this, though, I stuck with their burgers.

Kebrina Kincaide was and is "the original psychic to the stars." According to her MySpace page, she's just now 61 which means she would have only been 26 at the time I saw her here on THE MERV GRIFFIN SHOW! Ahem.

THE DAWN OF LAUREL AND HARDY was, as it sounds, a TV series showcasing early and pre-team appearances of Stan and Ollie. In this case, though, I was trying to pick it up on Channel 16, a PBS station from Dayton, Ohio, 50 miles North of us. If one fiddled with the rabbit ears antenna just right and the weather was co-operating, sometimes we could watch Channel 16. Most of the time, not.

Finally SPV-166, my favorite WEIRD HEROES story up to that point, was written by Elliot S! (sic) Maggin and illustrated by Ralph Reese. Maggin was a DC comics writer who would go on to do some impressive work on SUPERMAN including two wonderful novels around the time the Christopher Reeve movie was released. Reese had been a sometime collaborator with Wallace Wood and has occasionally been featured on my Wallace Wood blog.

Monday, March 8th, 1976

I was sick on the inside today but seemed okay on the outside so I went to school, mainly so I could take my Mystery test but i forgot to skip lines! Aaargh! Those Junior tests started today also. I'm not sure but I think mine's going to be next Monday. I know it isn't tomorrow which is good because if I feel this bad tomorrow, I'm staying home.

No paper again! We might as well cancel our subscription since we have to keep picking them up from the corner rack anyhow.

I still can't get Terry's phone number to work. Struck out twice this evening. Don't know what's going on there.

There were two ads in this week's TBG where I could order FF Annual # 2 for only 3 bucks!

Tonight I watched Rob Reiner and his wife Penny Marshall on Carl Reiner's GOOD HEAVENS. After that I watched Rob in his usual home on ALL IN THE FAMILY with Carroll O'Conner and then finally watched Penny Marshall on Merv Griffin's talk show with...Carroll O' Conner!

NOTES: Although now long gone their separate ways, Rob Reiner and Penny Marshall were actually quite the hot couple during this period--as evidenced by the PEOPLE cover seen above from only a couple of weeks later. Obviously, they were all over the TV both together and separately then. These days most of the time they work behind the scenes as directors.

The number one song on the US charts this week was DECEMBER 1963 (OH, WHAT A NIGHT) by the 4 Seasons. This was one of the last hits by the group once called America's answer to the Beatles. It was also one of the few that featured lead vocals by anyone other than Frankie Valli (who does get a solo though).

Sunday, March 7th, 1976

I went back over the river this morning to pick up the books I missed yesterday. Also grabbed WEIRD HEROES vol 2 finally.

I think I'm reaching a new level of acceptance. I did IT again and didn't really let it bother me this time. Just a part of being human I think.

Well, I finally started on NIGHT CRUISE or whatever I decide to call it once it's finished. Didn't get very far with it really but I still have time. Need to make sure I plant the clues for the twist ending.

Tonight on TV along with ELLERY QUEEN (of course) I watched the ALMOST ANYTHING GOES championships!

NOTES: WEIRD HEROES was a valiant attempt by author and book packager Byron Preiss to create new pulp heroes for the seventies. The first two volumes featured short stories and novellas by some of the best comics and sci-fi authors of the day. Illustrations were also by some of the best. Most of the later volumes concentrated on single stories and characters which immediately made them more niche items for those who thought that individual book looked good. Thus the series didn't last long. Preiss had also just begun the digest graphic novel series FICTION ILLUSTRATED that I wrote about recently. It ran into the same problem. Later he would have more success with fantasy projects and teen books before his untimely death.

ALMOST ANYTHING GOES was a fun early reality show that emphasized exaggerated semi-sporting events of the type one might see at a family picnic...mixed with the Olympics.

Saturday, March 6th, 1976

Everything I set out to do today, I did. I saw both European films and they were great fun. All the new comics were out, too. That was a surprise. The only bigger surprise was when I did something I've always been afraid I'd do--I got home with two copies of the same book! Oh well, that's one quarter I'll never get back!

Got HUSTLER, too. This issue actually has a good article on underground comix.

I couldn't help notice this evening that certain feelings are no longer as puzzling and indifferent but seem to be leading me towards definite beliefs and philosophies. As they say, "The times they are a'changin'."

NOTES: I don't know why I kept just referring to them as "the european films" in my Journal. Here's what they were--SHADOWMAN was, in fact, a French (I believe. May have been German) TV serial edited into feature form and starred the former GOLDFINGER, Gert Froebe, as the hero! THE STRANGER'S GUNDOWN was a fairly generic spaghetti western, a genre I had come to enjoy through Clint Eastwood and Terrence Hill. Very few of the hundreds of Italian westerns made in the sixties and seventies were released in the US and even fewer of those made it to Cincinnati but I have caught scores in recent years through the magic of DVD's and the Web.

Friday, March 5th, 1976

Was on the radio that Larry Flynt offered Sally Struthers, Cher, Raquel and a few others one million each to pose for his explicit style centerfolds. I doubt any of them will take him up on it. Apparently Flynt works out of Cincinnati.

I volunteered my services as director if needed in a scene for Mystery class that Dave Purdon and three others are doing.

Watched Bob Hope's all-star JOYS on TV tonight with Groucho and almost everybody else! Marvelous!

In other news, Mom got home early today, I saw STAR TREK and I think I will go to see those two European flicks tomorrow or Sunday.

NOTES: In 1989 I actually did direct a stage production--a re-creation of an old-time radio script complete with sound effects. I decided I'd rather be a character actor.

Dave Purdon from my Mystery class still works near here and I see him at his store on a fairly regular basis.

None of the ladies in the HUSTLER publisher's publicity-grabbing offer ever took him up on it. He actually had worked out of Cincinnati originally with his HUSTLER nightclub downtown where the Aronoff Center is now. By 1976, however, I believe he was working on the magazine out of Columbus instead.

JOYS was "marvelous?" Wow. I must have been star-struck. It has to have been one of THE worst TV specials ever. Ostensibly a parody of JAWS in which scores of celebs gather at Bob Hope's house only to be killed off mysteriously, most of the guest stars have little to do other than be there. Groucho appears with Billy Barty as a prototype Mini-me. It was one of his final TV appearances and he probably should have skipped it. Still, where else is one likely to find Marty Allen, Jack Carter, Jan Murray and Harry Ritz together as seen above. If you really must see how bad it was for yourself, go here:

http://classicshowbiz.blogspot.com/2010/12/joys-bob-hope-special-with-guests-don.html

Thursday, March 4th, 1976

Not much can be said for today. One of those in-between days.

Two new European films are opening at the International '70 tomorrow. Might see them this weekend.

Dinner hurt my stomach this evening.

That's about it, I guess. Oh, did also see the SUPERSTAR pilot on TV tonight.

NOTES: Apparently that last line refers to BERT D'ANGELO, SUPERSTAR, a short-lived TV police drama starring Mira Sorvino's dad, Paul Sorvino. On this date, Sorvino played the character on an episode of THE STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO. Not sure how that was the pilot, however, though, as the series itself had premiered in January.

I've always had gastrointestinal issues. Surprised it hasn't come up until now in the Journal. Never had the problem specifically identified but I had to miss a number of days of school due to these issues over the years. Nowadays, they are largely under control with over the counter meds but I still tend to not eat out...just in case. Until recently I would often go with friends to restaurants but rarely eat. I can literally say I've been to quite a few restaurants where I've never actually eaten!

Wednesday, March 3rd, 1976

I had a hard time getting to sleep again last night.

While I was over the river I managed to avoid getting THOSE magazines but if they're still there by Saturday I'm liable to get them anyway. I miscalculated somewhere, too. Only DOC SAVAGE and PLANET OF THE APES were out.

We didn't get a paper again! What's wrong with these people? Or is somebody stealing it from the porch?

Unseasonably high temps all day.

NOTES: By this point, rather than fight my hormonal urges, I was willing to accept the inevitable and just postpone them as much as possible.

Seen above are the two magazines I actually DID get on this date. These were both black and white comics magazines based on licensed properties and put out by Marvel Comics.

Tuesday, March 2nd, 1976

Things are looking up! 91 on a Physics test I was sure I'd flunk. That's the highest grade I've ever gotten on a test in Physics. My confidence is coming back!

I got Will Eisner's ODD FACTS and SWEET HOSTAGE at school today. Only disappointment being the cover photo didn't feature Linda Blair.

Looking forward to a movie this week and lots of new comics tomorrow.

NOTES: Okay, I do vaguely remember getting this book but I have to wonder what happened to it as I don't have it now. Come to think of it, I don't have the SWEET HOSTAGE book any longer either but at least I do remember selling all of the books I had that tied in with Linda Blair TV movies.

Monday, March 1st, 1976

I didn't get to sleep for hours last night and yet I didn't really feel too tired at all for most of today either. I got a 68 on a tough Physics test. Hope I do as well on part two.

Got the new TBG and I discovered that Steve Gerber lives! At Marvel even! He wasn't fired after all. I'm really glad to hear that. Maybe this good news is another sign that things are finally starting to look up.

I have to write my NIGHT CRUISE story soon.

I saw Bernadette on Rich Little's show this evening!

NOTES: With Howard the Duck riding high, Steve Gerber was without a doubt the hottest comic book writer in 1976 and my favorite. His angsty plots, text sections, absurdist villains and out of left field plots have been endlessly copied since but were all fresh and new innovations at the time. Sadly, Steve Gerber no longer lives as I so excitedly indicated above. He passed in 2008.

NIGHT CRUISE was a short story I was planning to write for school--Mystery Class I suppose as it was a mystery vaguely inspired by Agatha Christie (which is rather odd as I don't particularly care for her works). It did get finished soon enough so I won't give away the twist here.