Hello!

Some marvelous graphics sent in this week! Open them in a new window to see full size, and to read the text.

In response to my comments about ‘Dalt Wizzy’ jokes in an old Mad magazine, faithful correspondent ‘B’ dug up the entire cartoon article I was (mis-) remembering. In ‘B’s’ own words:

“Glenn: Fer the record, here’s the article from Mad #30 about Unca Walt’s television show. Note that Wallace Wood and company do not refer to Unca Walt as “Dalt Wizzy,” but I do like your nickname. As for funny alternatives to ‘Walt Disney,’ A “Li’l Bad Wolf” story in a ’50s issue of Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories involved The Big Bad Wolf posing as a movie producer named “Dalt Wisney.” While no writer is credited on the Dizzyland article, it is possible that the piece was originally planned and outlined by Harvey Kurtzman before he left Mad; at any rate, sources tend to suggest that Al Feldstein wrote the text. Then again, Wood was so talented, it’s also possible that he wrote and illustrated this on his own. Best, Always — B.”

Then, the reliable Gary Teetzel has found yet another notification in an old review, indicating a connection between two far-flung exponents of film fantasy:

“Glenn — This is the Variety review of the 1941 radio serial Latitude Zero, written by future Them! scribe Ted Sherdeman and adapted as a feature 28 years later by Japan’s Toho Studios. The review mentions among its cast members a familiar name: Jack Arnold!  The Jack Arnold who became a movie director?  It’s very possibly the one-and-the-same man. Arnold was acting in New York at the time, and did appear on some radio programs. So there you have it: a wildly indirect, oddball link between the Creature from the Black Lagoon and Godzilla. Or at least the flyin’ lion from Latitude Zero. Apologies if this is old news; I just don’t recall seeing Arnold’s name being mentioned in connection to the radio serial before.”

Neat! — there are so many uncollated facts out there, and so many horror & fantasy boards we can’t keep up with, that maybe somebody will say we’re re-canvassing old territory. A Time review, for example, says that the radio show originated from NBC Hollywood, not New York. I just wish that a female cast member was mentioned, so we could find out if Mr. Arnold behaved himself at the microphone.

Thanks for reading! — Glenn Erickson