Boronia Now and Then Part 8

 Boronia Now and Then Part 8

More of the on going series of time lapse videos of the place I like to write its history.

THE BORONIA MALL

   

Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids

 

Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids

Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (often referred to simply as Fat Albert) is an educational American animated television series created, produced, and hosted (in live action bookends) by comedian Bill Cosby, who also lent his voice to a number of characters, including Fat Albert himself. Filmation was the production company for the series. The show premiered in 1972 and aired until 1985 (with new episodes being produced sporadically during that time frame). The show, based on Cosby's remembrances of his childhood gang, focused on Fat Albert (known for his catchphrase "Hey hey hey!"), and his friends.

 

The show features an educational lesson in each episode, emphasized by Cosby's live-action segments. In addition, at the end of the early episodes, the gang typically joins in their North Philadelphia junkyard to play a song on their cobbled-together instruments, summarizing the show's lesson.

Origins and history

The character Fat Albert first appeared in Bill Cosby's stand-up comedy routine "Buck Buck," as recorded on his 1967 album Revenge. The stories were based upon Cosby's tales about growing up in inner city North Philadelphia. In 1969, Cosby and veteran animator Ken Mundie brought Fat Albert to animation in a prime-time special entitled Hey, Hey, Hey, It's Fat Albert.

 

The special, which aired on NBC, was a hybrid of live action and animation. The music for the special was written and performed by jazz pianist/keyboardist Herbie Hancock in 1969 and was released on the Warner Bros. album Fat Albert Rotunda. For the animated portion of the special, it was necessary to develop the actual appearance of each of the Fat Albert Gang's characters. For this, Ken Mundie relied on animator Amby Paliwoda, a former Disney artist. Paliwoda not only created all the Gang's characters, but painted a "group portrait" which was eventually shown on the front page of TV Guide magazine shortly before the showing of the special.

Retitled Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, the series premiered on September 9, 1972, on CBS. Production lasted for 12 years, though production of the series was not continuous. It also spent another season in first-run syndication (1984–85). Three prime-time holiday specials (Halloween, Christmas, and Easter) featuring the characters were also produced.[10] Like most Saturday morning cartoons of the era, Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids contained an adult laugh track, which was eliminated during the final season. The series was rerun on NBC Saturday mornings and on the USA Network in 1989.

 

The theme song, "Gonna Have a Good Time", was composed by Ricky Sheldon and Edward Fournier, and performed by Michael Gray (vocals), Kim Carnes (background vocals) and Edward Fournier (background vocals).

 

A cover of the show's theme song, performed by Dig, is included on the 1995 tribute album Saturday Morning: Cartoons' Greatest Hits, produced by Ralph Sall and released on MCA Records. The song's chorus ("Na-na-na, gonna have a good time!") was also sampled in Fatboy Slim's 1998 hit single "Praise You".

Reference: Wikipedia Youtube

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kids

 

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kids is a 30-minute Saturday morning animated series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and broadcast on NBC from September 8, 1973, to December 1, 1973. The series title is a play on the name of the unrelated 1969 film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The character's music group is called the Sun Dance Kids.

Plot

Similar to both Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! and Josie and the Pussycats on CBS, the show depicts the adventures of the titular teen pop group. The band consists of 4 heartthrobs: Butch Cassidy (lead vocals and lead guitar); mini-skirted blonde beauty Merilee (tambourine); sensible Stephanie, nicknamed Steffy (bass guitar); and curly-haired Wally (drums) voiced by real life superstar and Monkees drummer/singer Micky Dolenz . Accompanied by Wally's dog Elvis, these popular rock stars lead double lives as government-backed crime-fighters.

The teens are advised by a supercomputer named Mr. Socrates, who is (somehow) violently allergic to dogs. When the group meets with Mr. Socrates in his lair for their latest assignment, Elvis is always told to stay outside. Yet Elvis always ends up inside the lair, by his own ingenuity and/or by Wally's forgetfulness. Elvis's mere presence causes Mr. Socrates to sneeze and go haywire; Mr. Socrates then sends the group out of the lair, and off to their assignment. Butch, designated as "Sundance 1", wears a special communicator-ring which keeps him in contact with Mr. Socrates.

Cast

·         Lloyd "Chip" Hand II as Butch Cassidy

·         Micky Dolenz as Wally

·         Kristina Holland as Stephanie

·         John Stephenson as Mr. Socrates

·         Judy Strangis as Merilee

·         Frank Welker as Elvis, Wally's dog

 

Four songs from the show were released as singles on Romar Records. A full LP was mentioned on the labels as forthcoming, but was never released.

 

 

Source: wikipedia-  youtube

Merry Christmas 2024 A free Gift.

To celebrate this Christmas I am proud to offer this wonderful Aussie Indie Comic Scene 'Zine that has just been released for Christmas. And to make it an even better celebration, it is available as a free download.

JUST CLICK ON THE IMAGE. (pdf 35MB in size)

The brainchild of Reverie Founder Gary Dellar, this 'zine is packed with information and articles on comic collections, historical articles, pieces on creative process and some current happenings in the Indie comic scene. I was very proud to be a part of this project and Issue Two is all ready to come out in the new year. A great read and a must have for those interested in Aussie comic history, looking to get into comic creating or just love a good informative read.

The limited edition  physical copies has nearly sold out. If your keen for one CLICK HERE.

 Here's the blurb of the projects success from Reverie founder Gary Dellar.

Exciting Success for Comics & Cartoonist Australia #1!

We’re thrilled to announce that Comics & Cartoonist Australia #1 has been a tremendous success! To date, over 540 digital PDF editions have been sent out, and the limited print run is nearly sold out.

It’s amazing to see how much interest this first issue has generated, far beyond what I ever imagined. Is it simply the magic of a debut issue? They do say the first issue always sell well, but the real question is: will the momentum carry forward? We’ll soon find out with the second issue!

Thank you all for your incredible support. This journey is just beginning, and we’re excited to see where it leads!

Christmas Songs You Didn't Ask For.

 Christmas Songs You Didn't Ask For.

Merry Christmas

My Cabinet of Curiosities.

 

My Cabinet of Curiosities.

If you are a collector these days, regardless of your occupation, hobby, or obsession, there are many resources and avenues for you to pursue your passion to add, enhance, or complete items for it. The popularity of Antique Malls, Collector Fairs, and of course, the Internet & eBay have made access to hard-to-find items of collectors a lot easier than ever before.

Now think back to an earlier time when collecting meant not remembering but revealing things never seen before. A trophy case of a different kind.

Imagine a world without mobile phones, computers, or smart TVs. Nary a book to be found either, unless you were wealthy. How would you entertain your guests after dinner without the aid of any of these devices? Cabinets of Curiosity were the aristocrat’s answer for those who sought to make more exciting the opulent but dimly lit parties of pre-Industrial ages.

The guests would be shown and told fascinating stories about items such as occult manuscripts, skulls of strange animals from parts unknown, pieces from some ancient ruin, death masks of criminals, and ancient bones from creatures only whispered about in fairy tales.

Cabinets of Curiosities or Curios started in the sixteenth century but gained immense popularity in the 18^th Century all over  Europe and was still popular up until Victorian times. Travelers and explorers brought back oddities from their journeys, many that had never been seen before. Some were small and literally kept in ornate cabinets and shelves. Others had large pieces that filled rooms and halls. These could include elephant skulls and whale ribs.

To be clear, these collections were a status symbol, a testament to their intellectual curiosity and knowledge.

It was also a safe bet to say that some of the cabinets weren’t always built on truth. For example, some items, like the famous Fiji mermaids were made by stitching together the torso of a monkey to the tail of a fish. But a spectacle just the same. Our very own platypus was considered a hoax when it was first brought back to England as a newly discovered animal.

In time some of these collections were considered vulgar and were often disposed of on the death of the collector, while others were absorbed into established institutions that remain today such as the London Museum, Saint Petersburg Museum, Russia, the Louvre in Paris, and Smithsonian Institute.

I’ve been fascinated with these collections for years and about a decade ago decided to make my own. Not with found objects from my many travels abroad or weird scientific oddities I discovered (mainly because neither of those things have ever happened) I just wanted a shelf with an eclectic collection of weird things that looked cool and would catch people's attention when they walked passed it. I wanted to base it on one of the paintings that has always inspired me. The 1690 painting by Domenico Remps, Cabinet of Curiosities

Over the years I collected old maps and ephemera- mainly from chemist and hardware shops, little bottles, odd keychains, small weathered mechanical instruments, statues, ancient little books, barber’s tools, and spectacles. Anything that looked like it was found in a dark dingy shop owned by an old Gypsy selling potions.

To house this collection, I found an old medicine cabinet at a flea market which I wethered and stained to age it appropriately and then added some extra nooks and brass ornaments.

I was happy with the end result and continued to add when on the occasion I picked up something fitting.

Is it all real? No. But everything needs to have a story.

Are the stories real? Does it matter? No. Like all true Cabinets of Curiosity, never let the truth get in the way of a good story.

As a writer, I find it a great inspiration to build a story.

This was often the basis of the original collections. Guests would gather after dinner whilst their host regaled them with the compelling tale behind each object, Usually enhanced, and most probably about an item they got from some merchant or traveler and had no idea of its true providence.

One thing about the Curiosity Cabinet, not just mine but all, is that they have no labels. This is to ensure the knowledge, that the keeper of the curios is the owner of the story. This is one of the reasons why museums became popular, replacing many privately owned Curiosity Cabinets and having detailed descriptions so that the mystery was shared.

The need for some to collect and show off inspired Curiosity Cabinets, which in turn established the modern museum as we know it today. Everyone who collects has their own potential museum. Something they enjoy personally or are willing to share their gained knowledge with. Either way that can never be a bad thing.

We all collect Yellow Submarine Stuff.

 

We all live in a collect Yellow Submarine Stuff.

I think we all at some time have collected things.

From the physical like stamps, records, and books to ethereal things like memories.

The reasons for collecting are many; things we once had, that were broken, lost, or that we or our parents couldn’t afford when we were younger. Its sphere is all-encompassing.

Collecting can be exciting and challenging, with a physical goal to achieve, the dopamine hit of finding that treasure. It is also something that can vary greatly in scope and size. From something you may keep in a box in the wardrobe to a curated collection, with documented histories and records. To have accounts of one’s legacy with hopes to pass on.

Collecting isn’t just something that carries on from your childhood. It develops over time.

I have amassed several collections over the years, some intentional, some just accumulating without me realizing.

My unique collection would have to be my compilation of all things  Yellow Submarine-related. This fits into the ”…accumulating without realizing” category.

When I was a pre-teen, during the school holidays my brothers and I would be put on a bus and sent for a week or so to various Aunty & Uncles in the Yea/Murrindindi area, where my mum originally came from and most of her large family still resided. On one of these trips, I had a comic to read, who or what I have no recollection but at the back was an advert for the Beatles' new Movie and the comic that was part of the marketing campaign. The comic was in colour, so it must have been an import. But the art, the characters, and the style of the few pictures featured on the two-page spread had me spellbound. I had never seen this kind of creative style and I wanted to know more about it. I had an exercise book and colouring pencils with me and began to copy the magical pictures, and during the course of my stay, started making up my own story with the characters. Of course, without any new material feeding this obsession, it quickly faded. I had to wait a few years when the original Yellow Submarine movie was shown on TV. This time I was a teenager, Colour TV was a thing, and I was a bit more into music. I was anticipating something great and I was rewarded many times over. Wishing with all my heart, that there was some kind of device to record it on so I could watch it repeatedly. Even though through the ages I did rent it on VHS many times, as time went on, I had other interests that far exceeded obsessing about an old 1960s band cartoon movie. Then at about the turn of the new century, I stumbled across some figures in a toy store sale bin. John and George, I think it was, dressed in the Sgt. Peppers gear from the movie. I thought they would look good on the shelf. From that point on, my radar seemed more attuned to this kind of item. This led to some old VHS tapes, then I managed to get an actual model of the Yellow Submarine itself.

Time rolls on and now I have seven, as well as posters, books, comics, trading cards, and DVDs. Along the way, I also managed to pick up an appreciation of Sgt. Pepper and Magical Mystery Tour period pieces. Once again because the theme and art appealed.

It must be noted, that I am not a real big fan of the Beatles’ music. though as a musician. I wholeheartedly accept their role and influence on music to this day. I have never been one to let the music of my youth dictate my musical taste, I am always on the lookout for something new and exciting, however, my artistic preferences and influences seem to work in the opposite directions if you take in what I have just written here.

 I  have watched other collectors show off their collections on YouTube and was amazed at the amount of merchandise that was released over the years, making my effort seem tiny. I however was disappointed that most of these collectors hadn’t even removed the plastic on the boxes of their figures, kits, cards, and models. I don’t understand how they couldn’t fight the urge to hold them and enjoy them.  

I haven’t added to the collection for some time now, but when I do stumble across something Yellow Submarine related, that old feeling of yesteryear surfaces once again and I automatically think  “I wouldn’t mind holding that”.

Originally published in BBCN Issue 336 Sept 2024