Heaven Just Got Funnier

With the passing of Dick Martin the other day and now Harvey Korman, I feel compelled to acknowledge these two great funny men.

"Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In" was a huge show back in my youth. I was probably too young at the time to get some of the wink,wink, nudge, nudge humour, but there was still plenty of things I enjoyed, including Arte Johnson's "Verry Interestink" nazi peeking out from behind the fern, the poems "By Henry Gibson", and of course, the introduction of soon-to-be-famous Goldie Hawn, go-go dancing with mod graffiti painted all over her bikini clad body. And then there were the hosts: straight man Dan Rowan with his ever present pipe, and the sly comic playboy, Dick Martin. The show was often topical, with Dan and Dick commenting satirically on recent news events in their monologue, but mostly there was a real scattergun, non sequitur approach to the comedy, with lots of verbal puns and crazy visuals. Definitely a product of the swinging sixties!

Harvey Korman was part of one of the funniest comedy ensembles on TV, as a cast member on "The Carol Burnett Show". I think many would agree that the show hit its stride when Tim Conway joined the cast several years later, acting as a great comic foil for the suave Korman. It was always great fun to see how the poker faced Conway would, through brilliant comic timing and physical comedy, cause Korman to have to stifle the urge to break out laughing. With Harvey Korman being so tall and sophisticated, next to short, dumpy little Tim Conway, the two comedians made for a great study in contrasts. This is something that I try to stress in my teaching of character design to the Sheridan animation students too, as physical contrast can immediately help to communicate personality types to your audience, as well as add visual variety. By the way, speaking of animation, Harvey Korman also had a second career as a cartoon voiceover actor, supplying many voices on such shows as "The Flintstones", including the little green alien with the big head, The Great Gazoo.

Anyway, rather than mourn their loss this week, I would like to celebrate the legacy they left us. Here's to two of TV's great funny men:

I'm Sorry

I am so sorry about the delay in changing my name I WILL CHANGE IT THIS FRIDAY AT 7:00am. Once again SORRY!!!!!!! It will be tvgp.blogspot.com

Happy Birthday Vincent Price!

Today I'd like to celebrate that master of camp horror, Vincent Price, on the 97th anniversary of his birthday. He's long been a favourite of mine, though ironically my first introduction to him as a kid was seeing him on the TV game show, "Hollywood Squares"! However, I soon thereafter started catching his movies on TV, particularly all of his Edgar Allan Poe adaptations for director Roger Corman. While most of these films were played fairly straight, it was the more comic film, "The Raven" that I liked the best, especially since it costarred veterans, Peter Lorre and Boris Karloff. I also like the black humoured, "Theatre of Blood", which I understand was a favourite of Price himself.

Back in 1976 I decided to write a fan letter to Vincent Price, along with sending him a caricature I had drawn of him at that time. I took a chance and sent it care of "Hollywood Squares", as I didn't know where else to send it. Happily it found him, and sometime later I received this postcard back from him thanking me for the sketch. As you can imagine, this 16 year old kid was overjoyed!

A couple years later I was doing cartoons for "The Ottawa Citizen" newspaper, including the occasional celebrity caricature for the entertainment section. One of the writers on staff, Tony Lofaro, was keen to use my work and one day he called me to ask if I was aware that Vincent Price was coming to Ottawa's National Arts Centre to appear in "Diversions and Delights", his one man show portraying Oscar Wilde. I'd actually already purchased a ticket to go see the show, but Tony was offering something better. He knew I was a huge fan of Price and told me that there was a small press gathering to be held at the NAC prior to his performance and that, since Tony himself couldn't make it, would I like to use his press pass and attend myself? Wow! Obviously I took him up on the offer.

The press gathering was indeed a rather intimate affair with not more than about 10 or 12 people in attendance, including Gord Atkinson, a local radio personality who had a syndicated show that celebrated the Golden Age of entertainment. It was held in a large conference room at the National Arts Centre with a big rectangular table that we all sat at. Without much delay, Vincent Price arrived and greeted us all very warmly. After doing an interview for Gord Atkinson, he proceeded to take questions from us all regarding his career. During the whole interview I had been busily sketching a caricature of him as he spoke, which I will scan in later today and add here tomorrow. Afterward, we all got to chat very informally with Price and I presented him with a caricature that I'd painted and framed up beforehand. Also, to my thrill, somebody took a photo of us together and promised to send me a print. Though the quality of the photo is not great, it is still a very treasured momento of a very wonderful day. As you can see, I was a pretty scruffy looking 18 year old teen!

I'll always recall that Vincent Price was a very warm and kind gentleman who took the time to chat with a young fan about his films and made everybody feel very welcome that day. He was a class act and I miss him very much.



PS: Sorry I haven't posted much lately. I even missed my post count hitting the 100,000 mark! Thanks for coming back despite my tardiness - I'll try to post more often! :)

Welcome!

You may Know me as portapotty23 from youtube, or you might not): ,but ether way welcome!!!!!! Don't get too used to the page name I'm going to change it soon and I will anounce it a few days befor I change it.

Kakashi's Sharingon

Kakashi got his sharingon from Obito, who was trained by the fourth hokage with Rin and Kakashi. Kakashi got his sharingon on an ambu mission when an enemy ninja sliced his eye out. Then Obito was hit by an enemy ninja's earth style jutsu and crushed by a bulder. He then gave Kakashi his left eye. Obito was thought to have died there but he didn't. He actualy joined the akatsuki and changed his name to Tobi.

Roxas Returns

In Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep Roxas returns which means Sora turned ito a heartless. The other two Knights are unknown exept for the fact that they are all nobodies.

Ansems Back!

In Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep the bad guy infact is Ansem. In Kingdom Hearts 1 it may have looked like Ansem was gonE for good but he actualy was traped like Riku and King Micky beond the door in the Realm of Darkness.

Naruto's Dark Future

As everyone knows, Naruto is the son of the fourth hokage who then later became the akatsuki leader. However if the fourth hokage dies while leading the akatsuki Naruto would become the new Akatsuki leader,

Madara Uchiha

Madara Uchiha, the founder of the Uchiha clan! He is one of the statues at the Vally of The End and was defeated there by the first hokage. He was expected to be dead but now it is thought that he is the one who sent the Nine-Tailed Fox to the Hidden Leaf Village to destroy it however it ended up being sealed inside Naruto, and he may still be alive.

The Akatsuki Leader Is The Fourth Hokage

The Akatsuki leader is the fourth hokage! After sealing the Nine-Tailed Fox in his own son(Naruto) he used a jutsu to form his body into Pein(akatsuki leader).

Kingdom Hearts 3 is FAKE!

Kingdom Hearts 3 is FAKE. The actual third Kingdom Hearts is Birth By Sleep.

The Sixth Hokage

The actual sixth hokage is Naruto Uzumaki. Who will then marry Sakura Haruno.

The Last Laugh/ Los Angeles

UPPER PLAYGROUND TEAMS UP WITH LOS ANGELES ICONS
MISTER CARTOON & ESTEVAN ORIOL TO OPEN FOUR RETAIL EXPERIENCES IN THE HEART
OF DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES

Grand Opening Celebration Features an Open House of the New Storefronts

WHO/WHAT: San Francisco-based apparel and art company Upper Playground,
photographer and director Estevan Oriol and artist Mister Cartoon are
excited to announce the unveiling of a series of four one-of-a-kind retail
establishments in the Skid Row area of downtown Los Angeles. Each storefront
will offer customers a unique fashion and fine art experience. In
celebration of the new properties, the three entities will host an open
house on Saturday, May 31, 2008 that will feature a special art exhibit and
appearances from some of the world's leading designers involved in the
project. Details about the four businesses are included below.


Upper Playground
Upper Playground includes apparel for men and women including their popular
line of hoodies, t-shirts, jackets, shoes, luggage, an innovative line of
home furnishings and more. An exclusive line of Los Angeles-inspired apparel
designs will also be available. The Upper Playground store will have a
separate space for an art gallery similar to many of Upper Playground's
other retail locations. Upper Playground L.A. marks the seventh city in the
world to feature an Upper Playground retail establishment since its
inception in 1999. The company recently opened two other California stores
in Sacramento and Berkeley.



"Upper Playground has a large following in the L.A. market and we're excited
to offer our Southern California friends an outlet to experience rare art
and fashion from some of the world¹s leading designers," said Matt Revelli,
founder and owner of Upper Playground. "As a West Coast brand, Los Angeles
is a natural progression for Upper Playground to have a retail presence and
it's nice to be located in a developing area of the city. Upper Playground
thrives in unique and emerging neighborhoods like Skid Row, and we're
honored to be working with the talented Estevan Oriol and Mister Cartoon on
such an innovative retail experience."


Upper Playground is the pioneer of combining fashion and fine art. In
celebration of the new store opening, there will be a special art exhibit
featuring the works of Usugrow, Sam Flores, Jeremy Fish, David Choe, Herbert
Baglione, San, Retna, Saber, Alex Pardee, Ron English, Doze Green, Slick,
Armsrock and David Ellis. Many of the featured artists on display also
contribute designs to Upper Playground's apparel line.


In addition to Upper Playground, the new venture includes "The Last Laugh,"
which will house the Mister Cartoon and Estevan Oriol retail experiences.


Mister Cartoon Popular L.A. tattoo and graffiti artist Mister Cartoon's new
store will house signature Mister Cartoon items and artifacts from his
passions and hobbies. "I wanted to create a space that was open to the
public that is an extension of my lifestyle and culture," said Mister
Cartoon. The Mister Cartoon experience will include a special tattoo station
for a select group of tattoo artists to make guest appearances.

Estevan Oriol In 2006, photography legend Estevan Oriol selected Upper
Playground as his official apparel partner. This new retail space will house
Oriol's apparel line with Upper Playground and his iconic photography prints
will also be available for sale to the public. "Upper Playground understands
what I want to convey with my art and they have given me the freedom to
transcend my imagery with my apparel line in the way that I want," comments
Oriol on his experience working with Upper Playground. Oriol is a longtime
resident of L.A. "I wanted to open a store in downtown L.A. because it's
where we've spent a lot of our time for the past thirteen years," said
Oriol.

Bonus Space
The fourth location involved in the new retail project will be a rotating
concept that will house unique fashion and art concepts for short periods of
time. During the open house, it will feature a display of custom motorcycles
from 1998 AMA 250cc Champion-turned motorcycle designer Roland Sands and
limited-edition fashion pieces from designer and model Tony Ward's line, Six
in the Face. From August through September the site will be transformed into
a truly unique promotional experience for the upcoming feature film from
Overture Films called "Righteous Kill" starring Robert De Niro and Al
Pacino. SA Studios Global, the agency of Estevan Oriol and Mister Cartoon,
was selected to produce the iconic poster for the film. The space will
become the exclusive promotional headquarters for the film and will feature
a shrine to the film's stars.


WHEN: Grand Opening: Saturday, May 31, 2008 from 1 ­ 8 p.m.


WHERE: Upper Playground & The Last Laugh
125 E. 6th Street (between S. Main St. and S. Los Angeles St.), Los Angeles,
CA 90014

ABOUT UPPER PLAYGROUND:

Based in San Francisco, California, Upper Playground was founded in 1999 and
has become a leader in today¹s progressive fine art movement with its
innovative apparel line and art gallery, FIFTY24SF. Recognized as a catalyst
for the fusion of fashion with art, Upper Playground produces apparel lines
bi-annually and features designs from notable local and international
artists. Upper Playground apparel is sold nationally and internationally in
over 300 boutiques and online. Please visit www.upperplayground.com
for more information.


MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES:
· Interview opportunities with Matt Revelli, founder and owner of Upper
Playground, and artists attending the opening including Mister Cartoon,
Estevan Oriol, Sam Flores, premier Japanese painter Usugrow, and others
· Photos of the new store
· Images of Upper Playground¹s Los Angeles-specific apparel designs

-SAL

RIGHTEOUS KILL/SA STUDIOS

LA Legends.... Hollywood Legends....


Robert De Niro and Al Pacino... Mister Cartoon and Estevan Oriol... A
collaboration for the History books.

This is it! The iconic "Righteous Kill" movie poster created by Mister
Cartoon and Estevan Oriol before it hits the streets.

Keep an eye out for an SA Studios / Righteous Kill Downtown LA Experience.
Word is out, this is going to be a historical tribute to SA Studios two
favorite actors, De Niro and Pacino. The "Righteous Kill" experience is set
to open up in August 2008 right next door to the "The Last Laugh" Mister
Cartoon's & Estevan Oriol's retail spaces along side the Upper Playground
retail space located on 6th and Los Angeles Streets in Downtown Los Angeles

Also in August 2008, SA Studios and Righteous Kill in collaboration with
Upper Playground will release "Righteous Kill" limited edition merchandise
and lithographs signed by the designers of the "Righteous Kill" iconic
artwork, Mister Cartoon & Estevan Oriol.

The upcoming feature film from Overture Films, "Righteous Kill" starring
Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, will be in theaters 09-12-08
To learn more on the film, check out details and a trailer of Righteous Kill at www.righteouskill-themovie.com.
-Sal

Remembering Frank

This Wednesday, May 14th 2008 will mark the 10th anniversary of the passing of Frank Sinatra. It's hard to believe that it's already been ten years, as I remember well the morning I heard it on the radio news. Though I knew it was coming due to Frank having been quite ill for some time, there was still a shock in hearing it and it filled me with great sadness to know that Frank was now gone.

Just a couple weeks prior, I'd gotten a call from a local showplace where I'd had tickets to see Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme in concert. I'd been looking forward to seeing them on their scheduled play date of May 15th, but now the theatre was calling to say that they'd had to cancel their appearance. Hearing the news of Frank's passing, I realized then why they'd cancelled - they knew it was coming and wanted to be close to Frank and his family for when the inevitable tragic day arrived. Sure enough, in the days that followed, there were Steve and Eydie seen arriving for the funeral. Having opened for Sinatra in concert for a few years and being close friends of his, I imagine they were devastated.

For all of my lifetime, there had always been Sinatra, and his music had appealed to me even as a young kid. To this day, I have a singular memory of being at the drive-in in the late 60's and hearing Frank Sinatra singing "That's Life" on the car speaker before the movie commenced. I was probably only about 7 or 8 at the time, yet his music was already an influence on me. By the time I was in my teens, I would look forward more to Frank singing "New York, New York" on the radio than anything my peers were into at the time. I reckon I was a strange kid, but I'd always enjoyed the music that my Dad played around the house more than what was popular with kids of the day. Dad was big fan of Bing, though, and never had any of Frank's records, so I guess I sought them out on my own.

In my mid-twenties I got into Sinatra's music big time, especially since I had started taking ballroom dancing lessons and found myself dancing the foxtrot to a lot of Frank's big hits. To this day I'm still an avid social ballroom dancer and there is nobody I like dancing to better than the swinging sounds of Sinatra. "Fly Me to the Moon" with its Quincy Jones arrangements and with Frank backed up by The Count Basie Orchestra, just can't be beat!

This month in honour of the 10th anniversary of Frank Sinatra's passing, Turner Classic Movies is running many of his films every Sunday and Wednesday nights, as well as several of his TV music specials from the 60's. I've got my DVD recorder working overtime to get as many of these films as I can, some of which I've never seen before. Of course I already have many of his films on DVD that have been available thus far, but it's great to see some titles that Turner is running are also going to start being released on DVD in the next little while. Just like Frank's music, I also tend to prefer his movies from the early 50's onward, especially as he was hitting his stride in both media during the late 50's/ 60's era. My favourite films are not necessarily all out musicals, but still those with a musical bent, like "Pal Joey", "The Joker is Wild", and a guilty pleasure, "Robin and the 7 Hoods", despite what the critics said about it!

Anyway, I hope some of you fellow Sinatra fans are also enjoying the films on TCM, as well as continuing to listen to the great legacy of popular music that he has left us. Yes, Frank Sinatra will be a subject often discussed in The Cartoon Cave...

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Estevan Oriol, Retna and Mac Collabo

Here is a Collaborative effort of Estevan Oriol, Retna and Mac. Estevan shot the image that inspired the piece. Stay posted on the Blog and look out for any Collabos in the works......
-Sal"The Apprentice"

Jack Kirby Iron Man

From Tales to Astonish no. 82, 1966. Gene Colan, the regular artist on the Sub-Mariner section of TTA caught the flu after two pages and Kirby filled in with 10 pages of balls to the wall action. This is some of my favorite Kirby ever.

Mr Cartoon/ Roland Sands Collaboration

Check out the Latest Collab from Mr Cartoon. This is a Bike that Roland Sands (rolandsands.com) Built, Cartoon (mistercartoon.com) Airbrushed the Murals and the DeAlbas (mariosautoworks.com) Layed the Paint. These pictures really dont do this Piece Justice but I had to bring it to you anyway. Keep your eyes open at the next carshow and you just might catch an eye full... -Sal "The Apprentice"

Naruto and Uchiha Pirika anime wallpaper collection

My name is Uzumaki Naruto, I am a 14 year old ninja from the land of Konoha!
I believe I’m going to be Hokage someday, wish me luck!

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My name Uchiha Pirika, people know me as a medical-ninja in training,
I am 14 years old, I came from Konoha.

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