Adam West, star of the 1960s TV Batman and later a voice actor playing a lunatic version of himself as Mayor Adam West on Family Guy, has died at age 88.
Though far from my favorite version of the character, the TV Batman was silly fun.
Mainly this post is just an excuse to throw up a few random videos:
Been a while since we did some Asian Shoegaze, so here’s Thailand’s Yellow Fang with “Selfish.”
Our long wait is now over: Sharknado 5 now has it’s official subtitle: Global Swarming.
Tagline: Make America Bait Again.
More:
Alongside the announcement of the movie’s official title, the network revealed Sharknado 5’s list of cameos, which include Tony Hawk, Olivia Newton-John, Chloe Lattanzi, Fabio, Clay Aiken, Bret Michaels, Charo, Gilbert Gottfried, Margaret Cho, Al Roker, Kathie Lee Gifford, Hoda Kotb, Greg Louganis, Tom Daley, Gus Kenworthy, Jeff Rossen, Porsha Williams, Tiffany “New York” Pollard, Chris Kattan, Cat Greenleaf, Ross Mullan and Dan Fogler.
Finally, something to bring our divided nation together!
(Hat tip: Bill Crider.)
A limited edition SF art book I picked up relatively cheap:
Freas, Frank Kelly. The Art of Science Fiction. Donning, 1977. First edition hardback, #234 of 1,000 copies with a signature plate signed by Freas pasted inside the front cover, a Fine copy in decorated boards, sans dust jacket, as issued. Bought for $50 off eBay.
This appears to be the very first SF book published by either Donning or Donning/Starblaze, the latter of which was quite an active imprint until tapering off in the late 1980s.
I’ve been on a Slowdive kick since I heard the new album has coming out, and it way exceeded my expectations for it.
Here’s a live performance for Pitchfork that features both new and old songs, including “Slomo,” “Catch the Breeze” “Slowdive,” “Star Roving” and “Avalyn.” For some reason the music doesn’t actually start until 7:15 into the video.
Another odd Jack-Vance related item:
Fabian, Stephen. Crystal of a Hundred Dreams: A Portfolio by Stephen E. Fabian. Underwood/Miller, 1979. First edition oversized softbound art portfolio, one of 550 sets produced, a Fine copy, still in shrinkwrap. Illustrations from the U/M Jack Vance books The Eyes of the Overworld, The Seventeen Virgins and The Bagful of Dreams. Chalker/Owings (1991), page 431 (where they note it’s “Uncommon,” most sets having been broken up and framed). Bought for $55 from a fellow Jack Vance collector.
Hard to get a good pick, since it’s too big for the scanner and I kept getting light bounce from the shrinkwrap….
Another reference work to file right next to the same author’s Encyclopedia of Fantastic Victoriana:
Nevins, Jess. The Encyclopedia of Fantastic Pulp heroes. Lulu Press, 2017. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in decorated boards, sans dust jacket, as issued. Non-fiction reference work covering fantastic pulp heroes from 1902—1945. Bought for $22.49 the first week of publication.
Lulu Press is a POD outfit, and this work will evidently be incorporated into a larger, electronic-only encyclopedia of pulp heroes (fantastic and otherwise) forthcoming from Amazon.
I actually bought this last year, at the same time I bought Coffin Nails, but Charnel House didn’t send me my copies until I prodded them in April.
Powers, Tim. Poems. Charnel House, 2016. First edition hardback, #54 of 200 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued.
I’ll have an additional copy for sale in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.
Been a while since I featured something from The Asteroid Shop, so here’s “On the Rise”:
Previously I think they were an Austin band. but they now seem to be based out of LA.