Saturday, March 26, 2011

Retro: Kimmer

Retro: Kimmer

Link to Retro: Kimmer

DETROIT WEEKEND RETRO: KIMMER AND THE MOTOR CITY BAD BOYS...

Posted: 28 Feb 2011 07:21 PM PST


Rikki St James Kimmer Glenn and Sheila Dean in the "D"

This past Saturday I decided that I wanted to go to downtown Detroit and shoot Autorama. It occurred to me that Glenn Dean and Rikki St James (of the Motor City Bad Boys band) might like to trip along with Kimmer as they are both gear heads too...

Just love going to shows with happy cohorts. These guys were on Cloud 9. The cars were fantastic, made us so proud to be in Detroit where all the BEST muscle cars were created.


Motor City Bad Boys Glenn Dean and Rikki st James

Turns out the Bad Boys were definitely up for this gig. Rikki was our group supervisor... RSJ came up with a plan for us to meet up with Glenn and Sheila Dean at the Greek Town Casino, then ride the People Mover over to Cobo Exhibition Center for the show.

The traffic on Saturday afternoon was monstrous. It was snowing and bumper to bumper. Took us forever to get to the parking structure. But we finally made it to the 8th floor and parked the Jeep. The casino was so busy and full of bustling happy people about to go drop their money in the nearest machines....


Shot this out the Casino window (behind the building)

So we get to the 8th floor of the parking lot, then make our way into the casino to meet the Deans. RSJ and I are making our way through the crowded Casino and of course, I was walking at a pretty good clip and messing with my cameras when... you guessed it... I ran right into a stanchion pole! You know the velvet ropes with poles... Ran right over it and wiped out in the middle of the Casino! OMG

Sorry no photos of that fiasco. (YES) RSJ was in freaking out for a bit then he and a really nice lady grabbed me. I was popped back up on my feet really quickly. Shades of me falling all over The Masonic Temple! A whole bunch of people and RSJ were making sure I was ok, which I was... and off we went again. Sheesh!


Greek Town Detroit Michigan

We look all over for Glenn and Sheila on the 3rd and 4th floors but... they were not there. The RSJ cell phone starts blowing up and it turns out that Glenn had to jump out of their cool Cadillac car in a hurry and poor Sheila was left driving around the blocks (in that traffic) trying to find him!

Rikki spotted Sheila's car across the street from us and we ran over and jumped in her car. Then we headed BACK to the parking structure AGAIN... LOL

This time we went back into the Casino and found Glenn Dean sitting on a bench. Now we were a four some so went ran off to the People Mover for the ride across town to Cobo Show.


Kimmer shooting out the People Mover Window

Nervous riding on the People Mover as I was working in Detroit while they were constructing it. To say the PM had issues is an understatement. Just like the Zilwaukee Bridge fiasco. I waited almost 30 years before boarding that elevated train.


People having fun at Greektown (ropes are on the far right)


Sheila Dean and Kimmer at Cobo Hall

Finally we get to Cobo for the Autorama Car Show. It has been a long time since I have been in this venue. I produced a ton of public shows here years ago so it was sweet to be back "home". Cobo was always my favorite convention center in the United States. Of course I am biased toward Detroit as you all know... Cobo is just the best... Love the way they removed the recessed ceiling tiles. It looks so much better with the black ceiling and just the original lamps.


Kimmer with her favorite Little Red Corvette

This was my favorite car in the show. Just like on the tv show Route 66. I really would dig sporting around town in this little red Corvette. My style of retro for sure.



Such a hot car... There were so many really fine rides at this show. In the past there were so many hot rods and celebrity cars and stuff. This time Cobo was packed with just a ton of beautiful classic cars and not just cars from television. They did have the Monkee's car, Andy Griffith's squad car, the Ghostbuster's station wagon, Starksy and Hutch's Gran Torino and of course the General Lee.


Rikki Kimmer and Glenn at the Cobo Bar

We took a little break at the bar which has been in the same spot at Cobo forever. I was really in need of a relaxing moment after the ordeal of just arriving at Autorama! RSJ bought me a soft pretzel with jalapeno cheese and it was so GOOD! Wish I had brought some home!


Sheila Dean channeling Vanna White :)

There was this fabulous Black Charger at the show. It had the roof lowered and was just gorgeous. I am not a big Mopar fan but this Charger was just to die for...



I have always loved the Chevrolet Chevelle models... all except 1968 (bad taillights). I used to have a medium blue 1969 with a little donut steering wheel in 1974. Sweet car sold it for a decent profit.


This blue I think it's a 1972 is so hot! Love that blue...

I shot a little funny video of Rikki and Glenn Dean.... I began shooting video when my batteries went dead on the the still camera.



Here is my photo slide show of most of my shots...



Thank you RSJ, Glenn and Sheila! xxooK
Thanks to the nice guy who took our group photos with my camera.
Special Thanks for the laughter from "Jack and Jill" on the People Mover!

[New post] The most important man in UK comics, Dez Skinn- publisher of Doctor Who Weekly

The most important man in UK comics, Dez Skinn- publisher of Doctor Who Weekly

dailypop | March 26, 2011 at 3:48 pm | Categories: Uncategorized | URL: http://wp.me/p4kUt-2rG

My talk with publisher Dez Skinn

As the longest running science fiction television series, Doctor Who is currently viewed as national institution. Created as a family program that served to educate as well as entertain, it went on to become a massive hit program garnering 10 million viewers weekly, spawning a franchise of home videos and collectibles.

One key part of the fandom was Doctor Who Weekly, a magazine published in 1979 by Dez Skinn. Composed of interviews, articles on past adventures and original comic strips by some of the most talented creators in the business. Doctor Who Weekly also has the honored recognition of being the longest running TV tie-in, a rank awarded by the Guinness Book of World Records.

I had the good fortune to conduct a short interview with Dez Skinn, a man viewed as the UK's answer to Stan Lee. Throughout his long career, he has served as editor on over 70 titles as varied as Warrior Magazine and MAD in the UK. Dez Skinn has received several awards for his work in the field as both publisher and creator. As an integral part of the comic book world, he is a wealth of knowledge and offered up many startling insights on the medium.

Recognized by icons of the comic book world and more recent pundits of the medium, his praise is seemingly without end:

"Dez, in my opinion, is the UK Comic Book market. In faithfully publishing Comics International for many years, he has made it possible for guys like me to be able to interact with my many friends in the United Kingdom and played a significant role in getting Diamond UK accepted as a trusted supplier when we first purchased Titan Distributors back in 1993 and retailers didn't quite know what to expect from us.. I'll bet he didn't even know that. With Dez, what you see is what you get, and that is a good thing." -Steve Geppi- owner, Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc.

"Dez is the closest thing Britain had to Stan Lee. His contributions to the British comics industry are legion and legendary, and both the artform and business would have been poorer without his intervention. Whether transforming Marvel UK into a creative powerhouse, single handedly challenging all preconceptions as to what British comics could be with Warrior and V For Vendetta, or creating Comics International, the long running trade magazine for the British industry that gave it a voice and a public presence for so many years. Dez Skinn, a legend in his own lunchtime." -Rich Johnston, BleedingCool.com

Enjoy…

Daily P.O.P.: Back in 1979, Tom Baker was the ambassador of Doctor Who Weekly, what was it like to work so closely with him?

Dez Skinn: Wonderful, He was a consummate professional. People expected him to be whacky and eccentric and he never failed to live up to their expectations. But then, that's what being an actor is about — giving your audience what they expect. Too many people forget this and seem to think the mask is the man though.

DP: What was your background as a fan of Doctor Who, had you been a regular viewer? Do you have a favorite era or Doctor?

DS: As a 12-yr old I was a tad disappointed with the original serial with its grunting cavemen, two school teachers, a girl (ugh!) and a dotty old professor, so I switched channels to watch The Buccaneers with Robert Shaw on ITV. Far more dashing!

But then they introduced some serious SF into the mix, with Skaro and its inhabitants, so it was bye-bye Robert Shaw!

So yes, I became a huge fan. I remember getting my parents to drive us out to an air show one year when WIlliam Hartnell was being driven around on the back of an open topped Land Rover, waving to us all. Finningley possibly, as it wasn't far from home.

As for a favourite, much as I appreciated Patrick Troughton's need to do something almost surreal to break the mould as the second Doctor, and much as I loved the dashing Jon Pertwee despite the Earth-bound nature of the stories, I guess I was always a Tom-boy!

DP: The comic strip feature in Doctor Who Weekly was simply amazing and had a big impact on the legacy of 'Who. Despite being the longest running comic of its kind previous to 1979, the new Doctor Who Weekly version defined the series in the most dynamic way. It also attracted some amazing talent from Alan Moore to Grant Morrison and Dave Gibbons.

Did you know that it was going to take off in such a big way?

DS: With a quarter of a million print run for each of its first four issues, a TV advertising campaign and newspaper ads in top-selling tabloids, and all the editorial we got from taking Tom on the road, yes. I had a clue it was going to be massive! We'd a potential audience of up to nine millions weekly viewers, we didn't need to sell them on anything!

I'd been Dave Gibbons' best man at his wedding a few years earlier, and prior to that we'd ventured forth to New York together in search of fame and fortune in our young 20s, so he was my first choice as artist. Getting 2000 AD mainstays Pat Mills and John Grant to write such wonderful serials as The Iron Legion, City of the Damned and Star Beast didn't hurt either. Everybody else was either part of my team I'd gathered on prior projects or basically wanted to jump on board the bandwagon, and why wouldn't they?

DP: Do you have a favorite comic strip from Doctor Who Weekly?

DS: You mean other than my own? (Timeslip, DWW 17-18, apparently the most often reprinted Doctor Who comic strip). I'd come up with the idea for it at my girlfriend's apartment in Tudor Mansions, opposite the UN building in New York on one of my regular visits over there to fly the flag and make sure they didn't forget about us at Marvel HQ. I knew artist Dave Gibbons was sure to feel the strain of producing the entire lead strip solo every week, so I thought I'd come up with a little breather that somebody else could draw.

The fanboy in me wanted a storyline to involve the previous incarnations of The Doctor, so as a vehicle for such I dreamed up the idea of a space amoeba that sucked time out of anything it encountered. So when the TARDIS passed through it, The Doctor began devolving.

I was a bit miffed when I got back to London, having told the story to my art editor Paul Neary over the phone, to discover he'd jumped in and dialogued it all up to suit his own breakdowns though. But I still thought it was a pretty neat little story.

DP: Based on the success of TV21, Beano and Dan Dare, the comic strip seems much more successful in the UK than it is in the 'States. This seems to be the case in Italy as well. What's your opinion of the US comic book market?

DS: They lost the plot, basically. We all started the same, with variety act-style anthology titles, across Europe, the UK and the States. Then they became enamoured with the idea of characters getting their own titles and it slowly got to the ridiculous situation where their modern day legends, superheroes, totally dominated and stilted true creativity and diversity in favour of the quick buck. No wonder newsstands gave up on them with their constantly changing short run titles trying to replicate their big hits. Nobody knew what to order or what would sell outside of Superman, Batman X-Men and the other majors. And even those were flooded to overkill with so many spin-offs and companion titles they glutted the market.

The beauty of the European or even Japanese model is that you can test launch a new character in an anthology without harming the total, rather than a risky stadalone cold launch with no evidence it will work.

Now the US industry seems to be run by fans for fans and nobody else cares (except the corporate owners, who basically see it as an inexpensive self-financing R&D side for potential movies). Everywhere else in the world anthologies still rule and can weather the storm and reflect trends simply by changing their cover features. Far safer for the trade to order such known and established sellers and far easier to maintain your audience.

DP: In 1979, without the advent of usenet groups or the Internet in general, the articles in Doctor Who Weekly gave readers a rare insight behind the scenes of the popular program. There were similar magazines published previous to this, but nothing so geared toward a single program.

DS: True, I always was a sucker for behind-the-scenes features on TV and film. Plus we had a 16 year back catalogue of characters and plotlines we could cover, for nostalgic dads and inquisitive newcomers. One major difference between then and now though was that we never felt a need to include any news in DWW, all the features were historical. Now of course, news seems to dominate.

DP: After your departure, have you had a look at Doctor Who Monthly? I miss the transfers and other extras.

DS: I was somewhat amazed by some of the well-meaning but naive changes made. Cartoon covers on a live action TV tie-in? I'd done exactly the opposite when I took over Star Wars Weekly, dropping those awful drawings in favour of actual scenes from the film, resulting in an obvious sales boost. What is it they say about those who don't learn from history being fated to make the same mistakes? Somebody obviously wasn't paying attention!

It had also been a very carefully balanced trick of not talking down to your readers but keeping both the young and the not so young on board. I don't think the next generation of editors had had the formal training of places like world-leader IPC Magazines, where you learn to identify your audience and aim squarely at them. As others discovered to their cost, it's not as easy as it looks!

DP: Just this past year, Marvelman has finally returned to comics (no longer Miracleman). I'm a proud owner of the rare original material, but I know that new printings are on their way as well as the character possibly being included in the Marvel Universe proper. This has to be an exciting time for you. Can you share any of what's to come for this character?

DS: For me more royalties hopefully, especially now that the V for Vendetta ones are starting to dry up! But there's an awful lot of work to be done before Marvel can start on reprinting our 1980s stuff so hang on to your old Warriors!

Dez visits Abu Dhabi, January 2011

DP: How do you think that the comic book market has changed in the last ten years or so? Has the advent of digital comics and with big budget movies based on comic book properties changed things?

DS: Digital comics are great samplers for the real thing and a fabulous sales boost, because I doubt if anybody prefers to read stuff only online, they like something more tactile. Movies? Well, a proven property is always a safer bet, whether it be adapted from book or comicbook, so it makes sense that Hollywood is snapping up every new idea out there. How many of them get made, and how many of those made will be worth watching is another matter. But it fuels both Hollywood and the creators bank accounts so that's got to be a good thing.

DP: I have been reading your regular articles on comics history. It's such a joy to read about the industry history and it is plain from reading your editorials that you could go on forever. How do you approach these articles? Do you have a list of material that you'd like to write about or do you write them on the fly?

DS: Very much on the fly. If they're for somebody else… well, I've been trained to write to fit and believe that just like a story a column should have a format, a beginning middle and end with a logical denouement which ties in with the original premise. It's all about structure, whatever you're writing. Structure, knowledge and some imagination of course. Also, for feature writing, you've got to have an impeachable reference source (as in something other than the internet) and/or a damn fine memory and library. Being a Yorkshireman who never throws owt away and never fried his braincells, I guess I'm pretty lucky!

There's something else though. If you ever expect to make money as a writer, you MUST learn to think clearly. You have to be able to think and speak in paragraphs if you're going to write in such. You don't have time for multiple drafts and rewrites. If you can't think and talk in paragraphs, you can't write in paragraphs. I'm often appalled to read or hear muddy sentence structure from people who really should know better.

And of course, editors want a quiet easy life… they expect articles to be written to length and need minimal editing AND arrive on time. To do that you need to know how to write professionally. Anybody can write a postcard, but that doesn't make them a writer. There's a little more to it to write engaging features or fiction.

DP: Thanks so much for your time, Mr. Skinn.

DS: My pleasure. The industry and the audience has been very good to me, so I'm always more than happy to put something back in!

 

A scene from Dez Skinn's 60th birthday party

Regular readers of this blog should bookmark http://dezskinn.com/publications/ to read his nostalgic, analytical and anecdotal reminisces on a lifetime in comics. He's currently uploaded words and pictures on everything he's been involved with over the years, fromBuster to MAD Magazine, Monster Mag and Tarzan to House of Hammer and Starburst, The Hulk and Conan to Star Wars Weeklyand Spider-Man. Plus, of course, his creating and launching Doctor Who Weekly (he's written over 90,000 words so far and he's hardly made it out of the 1970s yet!)

His latest online interview is a video of his chairing a New York University panel on Comics and Literacy in the Middle East at http://nyuad.nyu.edu/news.event/video.ad.10-11.html?012511

Many of his books and back issues, including Warrior (featuring Marvelman and V for Vendetta), House of Hammer, Starburst, Comix: The Underground Revolution and his 1990s comics trade magazine Comics International can still be purchased through his company's eBay shop at: http://tinyurl.com/Dezmags

Tell his people we sent you and they'll even get him to sign them for you!

 

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Latest articles from Retro To Go

Latest articles from Retro To Go


eBay watch: Midcentury Danish rocking chair

Posted: 25 Mar 2011 01:36 PM PDT

Danish

I love this design - and the midcentury Danish rocking chair isn't too expensive as I write.

It's a refurbished design, with what looks like a good job on it too. The cushions have new foam adhering to current fire regulations, with new upholstery in a textured green fabric plus a restored solid teak frame. It's even got brand new webbing.

The design is still intact though, with those lovely curves and sloping back. £79.99 is the current bid price.

Find out more at the eBay website

Sixties Shift dress by Karen Millen

Posted: 25 Mar 2011 12:58 PM PDT

Karen_millen

The title pretty much sums up what this is - a Sixties Shift dress by Karen Millen.

Very much inspired by 'swinging London' not least with the black and white finish, this is a colourblock shift dress with bib front detail and a length that sits just above the knee, the whole thing finished off with branded Karen Millen metalwork and a contrast buttoned waist.

Not the cheapest dress on the high street though, with a price tag of £175.

Find out more at the Karen Millen website

1960s-style cord a-line shift dress by M&Co

Posted: 25 Mar 2011 12:29 PM PDT

Cord

An affordable slice of 1960s-inspired style, courtesy of the cord a-line shift dress by M&Co.

As the name suggests, this is a cord shift dress with an A-line shape, available in two colour options and with some pocket-like detailing just above the hem.

We did say affordable and in its discounted form, it certainly is. Just £14, with most sizes available.

Find out more at the M&Co website

CM 1980s Legends football manager game hits the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch

Posted: 25 Mar 2011 11:52 AM PDT

Footie

Remember we featured Championship Manager 70s Legends for the iPhone a while back? Well, a new version has just landed, taking things on a decade with CM 1980s Legends.

It's much the same, with a few key changes for the era, which means an authentic database of players from the 80s, loads of genuine news stores and images to give a flavour of the era, different start dates in the decade, an 80s retro interface, the option to tie in the game with Facebook and Twitter plus all the detail you crave - formations, commentary, match day build-up etc. If you start in 1986, there's no European football either, just like the real thing.

Sadly there's no 4th division, so no option to recreate Phil Neal's mighty Bolton team of that decade, although presumably John McGovern's crocks are there from earlier in the decade. if you can live with that (and I'm sure you can), £1.79 is the price at the Apple app store.

Find out more at the iTunes website

Leather Modernist Deck Chair by Terence Williams

Posted: 25 Mar 2011 11:34 AM PDT

Modernist

Want to bring some 1930s modernist style to our garden? You can with the Leather Modernist Deck Chair by Terence Williams. But we warned, it's not cheap.

A new design, but inspired by the modernist era, this particular deck chair follows the same style as your average beach seat, but replaces the canvas and wood for leather and aluminium, coming with a wall bracket should you wish to hang it up. Not sure why, but there you go. The handmade seat is also individually signed and date.

Love that head cushion, you'll probably need it to help you relax after realising how much you have paid for this. £2,050. Yes, you read that right. Also, we've just noticed you can only use the deck chair indoors - so scrap that comment about it being perfect for a modernist garden. You'll have to make do with it in your modernist conservatory instead.

Find out more at the Panik Design website

Mario accessories from Year Retro

Posted: 25 Mar 2011 06:56 AM PDT

YearRetroMarioP

Straight out of the game and ready to wear, show your gamer loyalty with these Mario accessories from Year Retro (how could we resist a company with a name like that?).

Their range features some of your favourite characters - Mario, Luigi, Yoshi and even the mushrooms - carefully rendered in fuse beads which mimic the pixellated effect of the computer image, and then hung on long silver chains. Year Zero also make brooches and key charms, though with much less choice available than in the chain range. And, if you really want to test your brand loyalty, there's also a Sonic chain available. 

Prices for the chains start at £14.99

See them online

Vintage Furniture Flea returns this Sunday 27 March

Posted: 25 Mar 2011 06:12 AM PDT

Furniture flea

We featured this event on its inaugural outing last November, now the Vintage Furniture Flea is returning to London's York Hall in Bethnal Green this Sunday 27 March.

It's based on the same principal as before: plenty affordable homewares and collectibles available for your browsing pleasure. To add to the experience, there will also be cakes for sale and musical entertainment provided in a suitably retro style. Meanwhile, Brighton residents should mark 15 May in their diaries, as that's when the flea is going to hit their town. 

Sunday's event is open from 11am for early birds until 6.30pm. Early bird entrance is priced at £3, with £2 for regular entrance. 

Find out more online

Vintage leather armchair from Rose & Grey

Posted: 25 Mar 2011 04:58 AM PDT

Normal_Stylish_Living_Catalogue_2010_147Vintage and lovely are two words that sum up this vintage leather armchair from Rose & Grey.

As soon as you sit down you'll be instantly comforted and it adds a subtle hint of vintage class to your home. The aged-distressed leathergives a soft rustic feel and the duckdown cushions give it a lovely worn-in look.

It's not cheap, at £995 plus £60 delivery, but this chair will last you a lifetime and it's well worth the purchase for the comfort it will give back to you. Get yours from Rose & Grey at Not On The High Street online

World Scratch Map from Urban Outfitters

Posted: 25 Mar 2011 03:10 AM PDT

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If you needed any other reason to get excited about travelling the world or to reminisce about your holidays, this scratch map from Urban Outfitters is it.

You can easily keep track of your travels as the continents are topped with a scratch-off foil surface, so you can show off the places you've visited while livening up your walls.  It's a good present to send to your jet setting friends but better yet, buy one yourself for a fun and quirky way to decorate your house.

Get your own from Urban Outfitters online for the bargain price of £20.

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