Hughie Hogg a hottie? New "Dukes" film might be shakin' it up

We're all eagerly awaiting the straight-to-DVD release of the next "Dukes of Hazzard" movie, which is a prequel to the TV series and which fans hope will leave the 2005 film in the dust. Well, one interesting element to "The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning," which hits store shelves next month, is the remaking of our beloved characters as younger -- and sometimes hotter -- versions of what we saw on the TV series.

Case in point: Step on over to Daisy Duke's blog on MySpace and you'll see a ton of great screen shots from the upcoming film. Daisy blathers on in her blog about "the most gorgeous man in Hazzard," Hughie Hogg! Yes, that's the guy that Jeff Altman played (padded like crazy) in the TV series! And let's not even talk about Lulu Hogg ... sigh ... BRBTV loved Peggy Rea in the role, and BRBTV loves the stunning Sherilyn Fenn in just about anything she does (particularly "Twin Peaks"!), but ... let's just say it's going to take some convincing!

Our own blather aside, you can read more of the "setup" for us fans at not only Daisy's blog, but also Luke Duke's blog on MySpace. And visit the official home page of the film and Daisy's official MySpace page for a little more info.

(And hey -- who woulda thought that our little Daisy was the one who painted that "01" on the General Lee?)

Archie Comics heads to New York Comic Con

If you catch the New York Comic Con this month, you can catch the Archie Comics gang, who will have a booth all about Archie. And on Sunday, February 25, there'll be a special presentation, "65 Years of Growing up with Archie," at 2 p.m. in Room 1E04 at the con.

The creative staff will share inside perspectives on the creation of Archie, how it has evolved, why it dominates the newsstands and the supermarkets in comic sales. Panelists include Michael Silberkleit, chairman / co-publisher; Victor Gorelick, VP managing editor (for more than 40 years); Fred Mausser, VP of sales; Mike Pellerito, editor of the Sonic, Katy Keene and Sabrina the Teenage Witch titles; Nelson Ribeiro, editor of the digest line; Rik Offenberger, public relations coordinator; Dan Parent, artist and writer; Fernando Ruiz, artist and writer, and Tanya Del Rio, atist and writer.

The New York Comic Con will take place February 23-25 in New York City at the Jacob Javits Center. Go to http://www.nycomiccon.com/ for more details.

Elsewhere in Archie Comics ...

ARCHIE DIGEST #232
The adventures of America's favorite teen continue with new stories and classic tales. SCRIPT AND ART: Various talents. BONUS: Puzzles, games and your chance to "Find Your Name in Print!"
On sale newsstand February 13, 2007
Full-color digest format
$2.49

JUGHEAD #179
"Picture Perfect": When a local magazine does a photo feature on Pop Tate's burgers, Pop hires a "food stylist" to make sure the pictures look good enough to eat! "Word-Play": Jughead comes up with the sound effect to end all sound effects; now he just needs to figure out what makes that sound! "Sweets to the Sweet": Jughead figures out a new way to get eats: remind all the girls he knows how tough it is to keep their figures so they give their food to him! SCRIPTS: Craig Boldman. ART: Rex Lindsey.
On sale newsstand February 13, 2007
32-page, full-color comic
$2.25

JUGHEAD & FRIENDS DIGEST #18
"Cousin Calamity!": Look out guys, Reggie's cousin Regina is in town, and she's a knockout. Every guy in town is looking to get a date with her, but being as devious and mischievous as Reggie, she soon makes fools of them with one practical joke after another! All except one: Jughead. Can Regina fool Jughead with one of her patented gags? Can their respect for each other’s skills lead to a possible romance for the crowned one?!
SCRIPT, ART & COVER: Fernando Ruiz
On sale newsstand March 13, 2007
Full-color digest format
$2.49

SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH #83
"Batty Bartholomew": Sabrina decides to return to magic, and just to make sure she does, her aunts find an ancient wizard to tutor her. The only problem is, he's beyond rusty and seems more than a little wacky. Or is he? Meanwhile, Llandra has no interest in reconciling with Sabrina, but Shinji is hoping he and Sabrina can put their differences aside so Sabrina will rejoin the Four Blades. On the human side of things, Sabrina laments the fact that her new relationship with Harvey can't be as "normal" as she hoped - once again, she has to hide her magic abilities!
SCRIPT, ART & COVER: Tania del Rio.
On sale newsstand March 20, 2007
32-page, full-color comic
$2.25

BETTY & VERONICA SPECTACULAR #77
“The Great Outdoors: Betty Style!”: Camping in the wilderness has its disadvantages for Veronica – namely, no malls, no electricity and no plumbing. But before she can bail, Veronica spots hunky Donald on the trail… and suddenly, the lack of luxuries become irrelevant! “The Great Outdoors: Veronica Style”: In a flip of the previous story, Veronica hosts a camping trip – and no convenience is left behind! But even high energy power lines aren’t infallible, so Betty may get her wish of “roughing it” yet! SCRIPTS AND ART: Dan Parent.
On sale newsstand February 27, 2007
32-page, full-color comic
$2.25

VERONICA #178
“It’s a Small World”: When Ginger is assigned an article on the “best place in the world” for Glitz Magazine, she immediately turns to famous world-traveler Veronica for help! You know what that means – Ginger and Veronica are about to travel the world in 30 days! Their whirlwind tour covers all the most exciting and exotic spots, but will they be able to narrow it down to one in time to meet Ginger’s deadline… and will their final selection surprise even themselves?! SCRIPT AND ART: Dan Parent.
On sale newsstand March 6, 2007
32-page, full-color comic
$2.25

More on Nicolas Coster -- and Stephanie Beacham!

What do our own Lionel Lockridge of "Santa Barbara" and the saucy Sable Colby of "Dynasty" and "The Colbys" have in common? They both are starring a new horror / sci-fi movie, scheduled for release this spring.

"Plot 7" is written and directed by Farnaz Samiinia and also stars Gabrielle Carteris and Linden Ashby. Coster plays the character Mr. Stewart in the supernatural flick.

"A family comes and buys this country house, and it has a graveyard with it," Coster told BRBTV via phone over the weekend. "It gradually develops that the graveyard and house have a terrible curse on them."

"Plot 7" was filmed early last fall. "I’ll tell you why it was early fall," Coster noted, "because it was 116 degrees on that ranch where we were shooting." The filming location was in California, near Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia.

And our lovely Ms. Beacham? "She played a dead person coming back and wandering through this graveyard," Coster said. "I didn’t actually get to talk to her very much."

Coster said he spent a week there filming. And .... MAJOR SPOILER WARNING! ... "I ended up with a hatchet in my chest."

(And lived to tell about it, BRBTV happily notes!)

Nicolas Coster's latest work is "Super"!

You can't call his life idle -- you can even find him on "American Idol"! (Sorta!) One of Nicolas Coster's many current projects is a Coca-Cola commercial airing during ABC's "American Idol" -- and during yesterday's Super Bowl!

BRBTV caught up with Coster, our own enigmatic Lionel Lockridge of "Santa Barbara," by phone on Saturday to learn more about the commercial, and the other stuff he's got going on right now.

"It’s a guy in an old folks’ home sitting there just staring at the wall," he told BRB about the ad, which is also posted on Coke's website. "A young woman comes up and offers me a coke. I say I’ve never had one. I drink it, and I say, ‘I wonder what else I’ve never done.’ I call the woman I’ve been in love with for 40 years, and she hangs up on me." Coster goes on to describe the montage of high-speed, dangerous stuff his character gets into, like high-diving into a pool, racing a motorcycle and getting a tattoo. But it gets even more interesting ...

"In the European version, the racy version, I go and kiss the Mona Lisa in the Louvre and get chased out by security, then I go to a nudist colony, then I end up in bed with two 60-year-old twins, two beautiful women who happen to be twins. ... I’ve gotten calls from all over the world saying, ‘My god, that’s the best commercial I’ve ever seen!’ Even my agent said, 'That’s the best commercial I’ve ever seen.’ It’s like a whole story of what can be. Just because you got gray hair, don’t pack it up, you know?"

Coster said the Coke commercial took six days to shoot and will also go into Coca-Cola's museum at its headquarters in Atlanta.

Just this past Friday night, Coster finished shooting another commercial, this time for American Century Investments. "I was filming 12 hours a day for two days straight," he said. "It was all me. The whole thing was about this really nasty head of a law film. Then he gets into an elevator and changes into a rabbit costume. ... He ends up in a children’s ward of challenged children, entertaining them. The entire commercial was improvised. I didn’t have a line of text. I made up the whole thing. It was wild."

He went on, "We shot that here in L.A., in a building downtown. Then we shot at a hospital, which, only in a developed country would we have a deserted hospital. It probably didn’t fit the new earthquake standards; they probably had to close it. I can’t think of any other reason for a hospital to be deserted in L.A."

Coster noted that his work through the years with challenged children certainly helped for the commercial.. "They couldn’t believe how smoothly it went with the children. I’ve worked with children through Special Olympics."

Coster also works with the disabled through his diving program, which you can check out at ChallengesFoundation.org. You can tell this work is close to his heart. Coster has been teaching scuba-diving for more than 25 years and even taught his "SB" costar John Allen Nelson (the original Warren Lockridge) to dive. He said he currently has just three divers in the Challenges program and works on an 18-foot boat. This worthwhile organization is waiting for some money to come in. "We’ve been doing it for 20 years now. When I had money, I used to put a lot of money into it. I used to put about fifty grand a year into it."

BRBTV salutes Coster and his good work. Tune in tomorrow for news on another one of Coster's current projects ... which also just happens to involve another one of our BRBTV stars ...

Saluting Lee Bergere

Thanks to the UltimateDynasty site for the info on this one ... The Associated Press and other news agencies have reported the death of actor Lee Bergere, our own Joseph Aynders of "Dynasty," at the age of 88. Bergere died Wednesday at the Colonial Poplin Nursing and Rehabilitation Facility in Fremont, according to his daughter.

After his time on "Dynasty," Bergere played Justin Nash on CBS's "Falcon Crest." But his acting career spanned all the way back to the 1950s, with roles on such classics as "The Dick Van Dyke Show," "Bonanza," "The Munsters," "My Favorite Martian," "Get Smart" and "Death Valley Days." His memorable turn as the eloquent statesman Abraham Lincoln on a classic "Star Trek" episode brought him notoriety in the sci-fi world.

Daughter Mimi Bergere said her father was one of the those kind of popular actors for whom "everybody knew his face, but nobody really knew his name."

We, of course, know him for his cultivated, calm, sometimes calculating, always well-spoken demeanor as the faithful butler in the Carrington household. BRBTV salues Lee Bergere and his acting legacy.

Blog and talk show let you indulge your love of "Santa Barbara"

We should've gotten this to you sooner, really, because it's been talked about among "Santa Barbara" fans for several weeks now, but better late than never ...

If you love "SB" and want to talk about it, there's a great new forum for you. It's the "Talkin Santa Barbara" show on BlogTalkRadio. And just like the Internet has made so many things easier in our lives, and has brought the world in so much closer, now having your own call-in "radio" talk show is as easy as some clicks of the mouse! The Talkin Santa Barbara show invites your chatter on not just our beloved '80s soap, for which there's a continual push to get episodes back on the air, but also administrator Greg's "Return to Santa Barbara" blog, which explores what might have happened to the "SB" characters if the show had remained on the air.

The radio show has had four episodes so far, so if you haven't caught 'em, you can listen to them in the archive at the BlogTalkRadio page. The next scheduled show is February 7 at 11 p.m. Be sure, also, to check out the chatroom.

BRBTV birthdays this month

Our February birthday boys and girls ...

- Kim Zimmer, who shone as Jodie Walker on "Santa Barbara," turns 52 on Groundhog's Day, February 2.
- Bo Hopkins, hotter than hot (in our opinion!) as Matthew Blaisdel on "Dynasty," turns 65 on February 2.
- Morgan Fairchild, one of the Jenna Wades on "Dallas" and so many other things in our soap-opera lexicon, turns 57 on February 3.
- Bruce W. Timm, writer and artist for "Batman: The Animated Series," turns 46 on February 8.
- Dame Judith Anderson, the grand gal who originated the Minx Lockridge role on "SB," was born on February 10, 1897, and died on January 3, 1992.
- Tina Louise, the unforgettable Julie Grey on "Dallas," and an unforgettable redhead anyway (!), turns 73 on Saturday, February 11.
- Richard Eden, who was Brick Wallace on "Santa Barbara," turns 48 on February 13.
- Frank Welker, the voice of Isis the cat on "Batman: The Animated Series," as well as the General Lee and Uncle Jesse's pet raccoon on "The Dukes" cartooon, turns 62 on
February 16.
- George Kennedy, so fun as Carter McKay on "Dallas," turns 82 on February 18.
- Michael Nader, the hottie Dex Dexter on "Dynasty," turns 62 on February 19.
- Kathleen Beller, who was Kirby Aynders on "Dynasty," turns 51 on February 19.
- Two "Santa Barbara" stars share a birthday on February 20: Marj Dusay (second Pamela Capwell), who turns 71 and Peter Love (Ric Castillo), who turns 44.
- Henry Polic II, who voiced the Scarecrow on "Batman: The Animated Series," turns 62 on February 20.
- Jack Coleman, the second Steven Carrington on "Dynasty," who's got a great new show in NBC's "Heroes," turns 49 on February 21.
- Two "Dynasty" stars share a birthday on February 24: James Farentino (Dr. Nick Toscanni) turns 69 and Susan Scannell (Nicole Simpson DeVilbus) turns 49.
- John Vernon, the voice of Rupert Thorne in "Batman: The Animated Series," was born on February 24, 1932 and died on February 1, 2005.
- Leann Hunley, Dana Waring on "Dynasty," turns 52 on February 25.
- Bert Remsen, a double BRBTV star as Dandy Dandridge on "Dallas" and Jack Crager on "Dynasty," was born on February 25, 1925 and died on April 22, 1999.
- Margarita Cordova, who was Rosa Andrade on "SB," turns 68 on February 26.
- Barbara Babcock, Pam's steady boss Liz Craig on "Dallas," turns 70 on February 27.
- Stephanie Beacham, the spicy Sable Colby of "Dynasty" and "The Colbys," turns 60 on February 28.

Happy birthday to all ...

Cast your vote for Stella Parton

Attic Entertainment is asking fans to show their support for country-music songstress Stella Parton, who starred in the "Dukes of Hazzard" episode "Deputy Dukes," and who has been known to perform at DukesFest. Parton has been nominated for "Female Pioneer" in the upcoming 2007 Fan Appreciation Awards at Agape Fest '07.

The festival happens May 31 and June 1-3 in Hughes Springs, Texas. It will be an all-day event, with lotsa music, food, fun, fellowship and workshops about the recording biz.

Find out more, and cast your vote, at www.kingcountry.org/ or www.kingcountryagapefest.com. follow the Agape Fest links. Enter your email to register, and you will receive an email with a link that takes you to the ballot. King Country is opening the full ballot this Friday, February 2. Attic Entertainment is asking for your votes for Stella Parton as a write-in candidate for entertainer of the year.

Robin Mattson, Terri Garber come to "As the World Turns"

From CBS' daytime casting notes ...

Robin Mattson, our own second Gina DeMott Capwell of "Santa Barbara," is returning (again!) to daytime TV. She will appear as Cheri, a woman who gives Emily a run for her money, beginning Monday, February 12 on "As the World Turns." Mattson hasn't exactly been a stranger since her "SB" days -- she reprised her juicy Heather Webber role on ABC's "General Hospital" in 2004. She also did some time on CBS' "The Bold and the Beautiful" in 2003.

And speaking of "ATWT," Terri Garber, our Leslie Carrington of "Dynasty," returned to Oakdale in the role she originated, Gwen's conniving mother, Iris Dumbrowski, on November 20. Garber is a "GH" vet, as well, and she played the memorable Suzanne Collier on "SB," taunting Cruz in his search for Eden.

Welcome ... "Batman: The Animated Series"!

BRBTV began back in 1998 as a celebration of great, classic '80s TV shows. Well now, years later, the BRBTV family is branching out once again ... Last year, we introducted a new product, the BRBTV Report, which is a shorter, snappier e-file of great BRBTV reference content at a dirt-cheap price. The BRBTV Report is published first as Amazon Short, then as a full-color, graphics-intense PDF version from BRBTV.com.

We followed up the "Archie's Weird Mysteries" debut Report with "The (animated) Dukes" later in 2006. Now, we've added two more Reports 'n' Shorts to the mix: "Batman: The Animated Series" and the show it evolved into, "The New Batman Adventures."

Because of this, the BRBTV News Blog will now include any news and information pertaining to this fabulous Warner Bros. Animation offering, which originally aired beginning in September 1992. You can learn more about the BRBTV Reports (and accompanying Amazon Shorts) on the BRBTV Reports home page. Happy reading ...

Newspaper profiles avid "Dukes" fan, Part 3!

OK, more fun from "Dukes" fans ... Today we're delivering the third installment of our popular "Newspaper profiles avid 'Dukes' fan" series. Dustin Edsall of Muskegon, Michigan, is no stranger to newsprint -- in fact, he seems to spark a feature story wherever he goes! From John Schneider's boots to Cooter at a car show, here's another set of clips from Dustin, chronicling his love of "The Dukes of Hazzard" ...

And here's our guy Dustin with some other folks at the Sunday mechanics' tour of the Hazzard County Car Club's "Roads Back to Hazzard" event of Georgia "Dukes" filming sites in March 2006.

Thanks, again, Dustin, for sharing the love and sharing the clips!

Dan Parent answers your "Archie" questions

As part of ArchieComics.com's PodCast program, longtime artist Dan Parent takes his turn with questions sent in by the fans. Check out the interview at http://www.archiecomics.com/interviews/interviews.html.

Elsewhere in Archie Comics ...

BETTY #162
“Tearjerker”: Deeply affected by a sad video she watched, Betty can’t help but reminded of it - especially every time Archie says something to her! Now Archie can only wonder, “what have I done wrong?” SCRIPT: Bill Golliher. ART: Stan Goldberg. “Really Special”: In this poignant tale, a pair of glamorous gloves from Betty’s grandmother makes Mr. Cooper realize what a special young lady his daughter has grown to be. SCRIPT: Kathleen Webb. ART: Stan Goldberg. “Hot & Cold”: Betty gives the first big chill an icy reception! SCRIPT: Mike Pellowski. ART: Stan Goldberg.
On sale newsstand January 30, 2007
32-page, full-color comic
$2.25

JUGHEAD & FRIENDS DIGEST #17
“New Super Kid in Town”: When a new reality show seeking real-life “superheroes” hits Riverdale, Chuck and Jughead rise to the challenge, creating superheroic secret identities for themselves! Along the way, we meet a plethora of hero-obsessed contestants … and one new kid who wants nothing to do with any of it. Could it be the mild-mannered newcomer secretly IS a real-life hero? You won’t want to miss the high-flying answer! SCRIPT AND ART: Fernando Ruiz. PLUS: Other new and classic tales by various talents. BONUS: Puzzles, games and your chance to “Find Your Name in Print!”
On sale newsstand January 30, 2007
Full-color digest format
$2.49

John Schneider makes the rounds for "Collier & Co."

Coming soon to a theater near you ... Not just the independent movie "Collier & Co.," but its creator, too -- John Schneider, our own Bo Duke of "The Dukes of Hazzard"!

Schneider has really been pounding the pavement for his pet project, a film he wrote years ago and brought to screen in 2006, an indy flick with a heckuva lot of fun-lovin' "Dukes" touches in it. Tomorrow, he's coming back to the old stomping grounds of Bo and Luke, Metro Atlanta, to promote the film at the Carmike Cinemas in Conyers (where, incidentally, he showed the film back on the weekend of November 11 as part of his appearance with the unveiling of Lee 1 -- see our November 13 post). Tomorrow, he'll be signing autographs at the theater at 6 p.m. Thanks to Chad for the heads-up on that one.

Schneider was at the Carmike 16 theater in Jacksonville, N.C., yesterday. And on Saturday, he's going to be at the Carmike 14 in Tyler, Texas. Keep an eye on the "Collier & Co." MySpace page and home page for his next appearances.

Stephanie Beacham hits the stage in 2007

Stephanie Beacham, who captured "The Colbys" and "Dynasty" with each scene she was in as Sable, will be keeping plenty busy in 2007 on the stage. The SimplyStephanieBeacham website has got her scheduled covered ...

Beacham plays Judith Bliss in Noel Coward's "Hay Fever," in a U.K. tour that kicks off February 8. The show runs through the first week of June at sites that include Windsor, Oxford, Newcastle, Cambridge and Glasgow. In the play, Beacham's Judith is a retired stage actress and wife and mom in a rather interesting family. The family's weekend guests get to find out just how interesting they are. Check out the full schedule and info at http://www.simplystephaniebeacham.com/Theatre/HayFever/hayfever.html

And while you're at the site, be sure to check out the filmography, biography and gallery, among other things. (The color section of the gallery shows just how darling Ms. Beacham was as a girl!) Thanks to Maggie at SimplyStephanieBeacham for the info! And stay tuned for another tidbit on Beacham's 2007 activities in the coming days ...

Christopher Atkins has got it goin' on

He was well-known for that whole "Blue Lagoon" spin with Brooke Shields back in the '80s, but he also was our Peter Richards, the young camp counselor who tempted Sue Ellen, on "Dallas." Now, Christopher Atkins has several projects going on this year.

In Chinaman's Chance he plays Jacob, sharing the screen with Theresa Russell, Timothy Bottoms, Coolio, Ernest Borgnine, Olivia Hussey, Lorenzo Lamas and Jason Connery (son of Sean). The plotline, from the IMDb: "A Chinese immigrant railroad worker is falsely accused of murdering a white woman, in the violent 1870s. Can he survive with his East/West humanity as America struggles with expansion, greed, immigration, racial intolerance and Christian bigotry?" The film, listed as completed, is written and directed by Aki Aleong. Visit the MySpace page for the film to learn more, including some art of Atkins in his role.

Also classified as completed is Payback, where Atkins stars with Angie Everhart and hunky Costas Mandylor (remember him on "Picket Fences" in the '90s?). The film, from director Winston W. Champ, is about an escaped convict who tracks down the cop who put him away. The movie was filmed in and around Las Vegas..

Atkins plays George Custer in The Hard Ride, a western written and directed by Thadd Turner. The plotline from the IMDb: "Action and death follow a legendary gunfighter and his close friends to 1876 Deadwood, Dakota Territory." It's a Talmarc / Universal Pictures Deadwood movie.

The Unlikely's, written and directed by Nick G. Miller, is in post-production. Atkins plays Daniel Jacobsen in the comedy about a down-on-his-luck director.

Finally, there's Blind Ambition, directed by Bala Rajasekharuni. The comedy / drama is in production. See a movie poster for it here.

Newspaper profiles avid "Dukes" fan, Part 2!

Back in a November post, we told you about Dustin Edsall of Muskegon, Michigan, and the nice write-up a local newspaper gave him on his love of "The Dukes of Hazzard." Well, Dustin has sent BRBTV some more fun clippings to read. (Call this a "Day in the Life of a 'Dukes' Fan" recurring feature, because we've got Part 3 coming up at a later date! And if you have any fun clips like this on the love of "The Dukes," send 'em in!)

The Norton-Lakeshore Examiner featured Dustin in this story, with photos, in July 2005, just before the release of the first "Dukes" movie.

And here's Dustin with a couple "Dukes" mechanics at their shop in Metro Atlanta, on the second day of the Hazzard County Car Club's "Roads Back to Hazzard" tour in March 2006! Thanks, Dustin, for sharing the love!

Photo courtesy of Dustin Edsall

Harley Jane Kozak, making appearances

That Harley Jane Kozak! We just can't get enough of her! Especially since we know she's as nice in real life as her character Mary the nun, was on "Santa Barbara." Beyond a movie career that included "Arachnophobia" and "Parenthood," Kozak has settled into a nice, pleasant life of noveling these days. And as part of that, she's got quite a few appearances lined up for 2007.

Tomorrow, January 19, she'll be with the Friends of the Library in Orange County, California. A couple days later, on January 21, she'll be part of the Romance Writers Talk in Los Angeles. On February 1-4, she goes to the Left Coast Crime event in Seattle, Washington. On the 10th, she'll be at the UCLA writer’s class and lunch, as the featured author, in Los Angeles.

Then, on March 24, Harley Jane participates in the Malibu Library panel in Malibu, California. On April 20-21, she's at the Fresno Raisin Conference in Fresno, California. On July 12-15, she does the ThrillerFest in New York City.

Kozak's specialty is crime. Her novels center around the character of Wollie Shelley, greeting card designer and small business owner in L.A. She gets herself into all kinds of precarious, criminal situations, as you can imagine. Check her titles out at Amazon and other retailers: "Dating is Murder," "Dating Dead Men" and "Dead Ex."

NASCAR Illustrated features Archie Comics' Betty Cooper

From Archie Comics

MAMARONECK, NY – Racecar diver Betty Cooper is featured in this month's NASCAR Illustrated! It's the first time in Archie history that one of the Riverdale kids have been featured in a NASCAR-related publication.

Motorsports are a natural for Archie Comics. Both NASCAR and Archie Comics are entertainment suitable for the entire family. The real-life success of female drivers Janet Guthrie, Lyn St. James, Sarah Fisher and Danica Patrick encouraged Hiram Lodge to sponsor Betty as a his motorsports driver.

When reached for comment Mr. Lodge said "We are pleased that Betty has been featured in such a fine publication as NASCAR Illustrated. Of course, I knew all along that Betty was an excellent choice to represent Team Lodge."

Her daring new motorsport adventure ships next week in Archie Comics #572. Read about her in the January issue of NASCAR Illustrated, in stores now. And read on ...

ARCHIE #572
“The Fast Track to Success”: Move over, Danica Patrick – you’ve got nothing on Betty Cooper and Indianapolis has nothing on the Riverdale 500! Mr. Lodge is the proud sponsor of one of the swiftest motor sports teams around, but his pride runs out of gas when one of his rivals lures away his top driver and pit crew! Not to worry though – Betty Cooper has offered to get behind the wheel, with Archie and the gang as her makeshift pit crew! Does Betty have what it takes to out-race the overconfident male drivers? Rev up your engines for action and excitement in this fast-paced tale! SCRIPT: Mike Pellowski. ART: Stan Goldberg.
On sale newsstand January 23, 2007
32-page, full-color comic, $2.25


Tales From Riverdale Digest #17
"Monster-piece Theatre": It's a "comedy of terrors" for Chuck when he accidentally mixes up a monster drawing done for art school with the flattering portrait he intended to give Nancy for Valentine's Day! SCRIPT AND ART: Fernando Ruiz. PLUS: Other new and classic tales! SCRIPT AND ART: Various talents. BONUS: Puzzles, games and your chance to “Find Your Name in Print!”
On sale newsstand January 16, 2007
Full-color digest format, $2.49

Veronica #177
“The Secret of Veronica’s Diary”: When Veronica’s diary accidentally ends up in Reggie’s hands, Veronica has a lot of explaining… and apologizing to do! SCRIPT AND ART: Dan Parent. “The Art of Doing Nothing”: Tired of being overscheduled, Veronica will do everything she can to do nothing! SCRIPT: George Gladir. ART: Dan Parent. “Payback Time”: The status quo of Veronica and Jughead’s tense relationship is upended, as Jughead rescues Veronica from a boorish boy, and Veronica feels obligated to return the favor! SCRIPT: Kathleen Webb. ART: Dan Parent.
On sale Newsstand January 16, 2007
32-page, full-color comic, $2.25

Check out new fan site for John Forsythe

If you know anything about the brainchild behind the "Ultimate Dynasty" website, Goran, you know he's a big fan of John Forsythe, who played Blake Carrington. Now, Goran has launched a new site dedicated to the well-regarded "Dynasty" patriarch.

www.johnforsythe.info is the locale, and you'll find lots of goodies there. "The site has not been completed yet (multimedia), but it is ready for the efficient functioning," Goran says, and it "includes the data bases for the news, fanbook, multimedia pages, press archive, and I shall keep upgrading it with new materials.

Goran and his team invite any suggestions you might have about the site.

Catch these "Dallas" stars in Hallmark movies

Last week, we told you about Ken Howard's spin on the Hallmark Channel movie "Sacrifices of the Heart." Well, we gotta love how those classic TV stars just keep poppin' up on Hallmark or Lifetime cable movies. Now, a couple "Dallas" stars are taking their turns ...

John Larroquette, known to us as Phillip Colton on "Dallas," has been starring in a whole new breed of the popular "McBride" movies. This Saturday, you can catch him in "Semper Fi." Hallmark describes the film: "When a marine is accused of killing his wife, Jim McBride takes the case, only to find that nothing is what it seems." "Semper Fi" has its world premiere on the Hallmark Channel on Saturday, January 20 at 9 p.m. EST.

Then, in a couple months, Larroquette returns with the McBride movie "Dogged." The plotline from Hallmark: "His newest client is a woman accused of killing her married lover at the annual L.A. Kennel Club Dog Show, where her golden retriever took Best in Show. Is it an open-and-shut case, or an elaborate frame job?" "McBride: Dogged" premieres Saturday, March 17 at 9 p.m. EST.

Do you remember Joanna Miles as Martha Randolph on "Dallas"? She'll be appearing in one of Hallmark's "Jane Doe" movies in March "Though CEO Everett Myers (Robert Carradine, 'Lizzie McGuire') is accused of murdering his partner, CSA puzzle solver Cathy Davis (Lea Thompson) is certain he’s innocent, despite witnesses, surveillance cameras and a surefire motive. Why? Witnesses and surveillance cameras also place Everett at a public restaurant with the mayor at the time of the murder." Miles plays Emily Myers in the film. "Jane Doe: Shaken & Stirred," a Hallmark original mystery movie, premieres Saturday, March 24 at 9 p.m.

Photos courtesy of the Hallmark Channel

What it means to be a "Dukes" fan

OK, BRB has been looking forward to this one all week ... It's a special story, designed to illustrate just what it means to be a fan of "The Dukes of Hazzard." Herein you'll find the qualities that Bo, Luke and Daisy represented on the show, the qualities that Jesse encouraged. And this one's all true, folks; it's not a script.

The storyteller here is Mr. Chad Fullerton of North Georgia, an avid fan of "The Dukes" who's been featured on the BRBTV News Blog before (see the November 17 post). Chad emailed BRBTV a week or two ago with this story, and the bottom line is, we felt compelled to pass it along ...

"When I arrived back up here in North Georgia on Tuesday night, I stopped by the post office to gather my mail. When I opened my box, I discovered another key with details of a "larger" box waiting for me in another bin.

"Well, as soon as I made my way over the larger bin, I immediately opened the box and found a rather large package waiting there for me. The first thing that I noticed was the cost of the postage for the item. It was just under $8.00. The second thing that I noticed was that the package had the word 'fragile' written all over it.

"I was going to wait until I got home to open the box, but my curiosity got the better of me and I decided that I had to open the box right then and there. Once I opened the box and pulled all of the packing out, I saw the item. Let me rephrase that. I saw the item secured in foam wrapped by many strips of duct tape. I then proceeded to tear away the duct tape. It took me nearly five minutes to get all of the tape off! That was one heck of a 'hillbilly' wrapping job! (lol)

"Anyways, when I finally got all of the tape off, I discovered that I had been sent a 'custom' 1:18th scale General Lee renamed as the 'GA-Duke.'

"I literally had tears fill my eyes as I read the brief letter that accompanied the car. My friend, Jason Bagwell, had taken the time to build the car and apply custom decals that he had made specifically for me. 'GA-Duke' came from the screen name that I use on the message boards. It also references my Charger's actual state license plate which reads 'GADUKE01.' Jason also had a custom license plate made that reads 'Chad's' on the back.

"I first met Jason back in '99 at a 'Dukes' convention in Covington. To this date, I consider him to be one of the best folks in our great hobby. He had a General Lee replica that had a neat history. His old LEE was actually owned by Warner Bros. back in 1984. The car sat, with a few other Chargers, on a Warner Bros. backlot waiting to be 'General-ized.' However, it was never officially given a General Lee uniform, as the show was cancelled, and the car, along with the other few Chargers, were sold off.

"Anyway, Jason's old LEE was used and featured on an episode of 'Good Day, Atlanta' in 2000 as well as the Travel Channel's 'TV Road Trip' in 2001, that featured none other than 'ol Cooter himself, Ben Jones, wheeling the car around the backroads of Covington and Conyers.

"Fast-forward to 2004: Jason was working in a lab and was exposed to some harmful chemicals. To say the least, his health became an issue. Then, a few months later, he was laid off. That of course, led to the sale of his LEE. He was so bummed, but he said that there was "no other way." He did, however, keep his car's trunklid, which had many autographs on, including Denver Pyle and Waylon Jennings.

"Throughout all the guy has been through, he has remained pretty upbeat. He has replaced his full-sized LEE with models now and has hopes of building another car one of these days.

"I was really touched that he took the time and the money to build me a car. He certainly didn't have to do it."

Thanks to Chad for sending us this story. If you know of another true-life "Dukes" fan story like this one, by the way, email us, and we'll be delighted to post it ...

Ken Howard makes "Sacrifices of the Heart"

Ken Howard, whom we know as Garrett Boydston of "Dynasty" and "The Colbys," will star in a new Hallmark Channel movie in early March.

Howard shares the small screen with Melissa Gilbert of "Little House on the Prairie" fame in the film, "Sacrifices of the Heart," airing on Saturday, March 3 at 9 p.m. EST. He plays a character named Thane Weston, who begins having memory lapses, and his son, Ryan (played by Cyril O’Reilly, at right in the photo below), asks his estranged sister, Kate (Gilbert), to return home as they try to find the cause. In the process, old wounds are reopened for the family, giving them a last chance at healing, the Hallmark press info also says.

Photo: Hallmark Channel / Aaron Rapaport

Howard has a couple other 2007 movie projects coming up: "Michael Clayton," starring George Clooney and Sydney Pollack, and "Still Waters."

By the way ... did you know Howard was married in the 1970s to one of our "Santa Barbara" bright-lights, Louise Sorel (Augusta Lockridge)? Fun!

Coming up tomorrow ... "What it Means to Be a 'Dukes' Fan." You won't want to miss it.

Coming up in Archie Comics: Veronica travels the world, and Cheryl Blossom taunts (as always)

ARCHIE #573
“Later Than You Think”: Archie learns life is about trade-offs: the good news is he’ll save money if he rents a DVD for his date with Veronica … the bad news is he’ll pay another way, by suffering through a gooey-sappy-syrupy chick flick! SCRIPT: Craig Boldman. ART: Stan Goldberg. “Career Daze”: As part of “career week,” the Riverdale High students get to spend a week participating in the career of their choice, so Archie decides to be Veronica’s new butler! SCRIPT: Bill Golliher. ART: Stan Goldberg. “Right on the Kisser”: Betty and Veronica argue over who is the better kisser … and of course, to determine the answer they’ll have to demonstrate on Archie! SCRIPT: Kathleen Webb. ART: Stan Goldberg.
On sale newsstand March 6, 2007
32-page, full-color comic
$2.25 U.S.

ARCHIE & FRIENDS #107
THE WEB RETURNS … ALONG WITH A NEW SIDEKICK, KATY KEENE! “The Web Returns”: It’s the return of that “Mighty Hero,” the Web … sort of! It’s the filming of the latest super-heroic multiplex mega hit starring everyone’s OTHER favorite arachnid-inspired hero, the Web. Katy has the plum role of the hero’s spunky girlfriend, but when things get seriously deadly on the set, Katy may have to put on her detective hat. Who is sabotaging the stunts, and why? SCRIPT AND ART: Andrew Pepoy. “Riverdale’s Got Talent”: The latest TV talent show sensation comes to Riverdale in a benefit to fund the high school’s education programs … and the first thing the judges will learn is that not all of the faculty and students have the “talent” they claim to have! SCRIPT AND ART: Dan Parent.
On sale newsstand February 27, 2007
32-page, full-color comic
$2.25 U.S.

ARCHIE’S DOUBLE DIGEST #177
Double your pages, double your Archie and double your fun in this double digest full of new stories and classic tales! SCRIPT AND ART: Various talents. BONUS: Puzzles, games and your chance to “Find Your Name in Print!”
On sale newsstand March 6, 2007
Full-color digest format
$3.69 U.S.

BETTY #163
“A Study in Studying”: Betty’s dreams of high marks on her midterms are foiled by dreams of another sort – daydreams of Archie! SCRIPT: George Gladir. ART: Stan Goldberg. “Everything is Beautiful”: Did you ever have one of those times where everything went so wrong that something was bound to go right?! SCRIPT: Kathleen Webb. ART: Stan Goldberg. “Sales Help!”: Betty’s new job helping customers at a department store has its obstacles … the biggest being that the customers all want to help themselves! SCRIPT: Mike Pellowski. ART: Stan Goldberg.
On sale newsstand March 13, 2007
32-page, full-color comic
$2.25 U.S.

BETTY & VERONICA #225
“Poor Little Rich Girl”: Veronica decides to help Betty by donating her time to charity in this poignant tale. SCRIPT: Craig Boldman. ART: Jeff Shultz. “Now for a Really Super Story”: When Cheryl Blossom threatens to steal Archie away, Betty and Veronica become super-heroic protectors of their man in this costumed-crusader fable! SCRIPT: Kathleen Webb. ART: Jeff Shultz. “The Pampered Pet Set”: High society is going to the dogs … literally … when Veronica hosts a masquerade party for country club pets! SCRIPT: George Gladir. ART: Jeff Shultz.
On sale newsstand March 20, 2007
32-page, full-color comic
$2.25 U.S.

BETTY & VERONICA SPECTACULAR #77
“The Great Outdoors: Betty Style!”: Camping in the wilderness has its disadvantages for Veronica – namely, no malls, no electricity and no plumbing. But before she can bail, Veronica spots hunky Donald on the trail … and suddenly, the lack of luxuries become irrelevant! “The Great Outdoors: Veronica Style”: In a flip of the previous story, Veronica hosts a camping trip – and no convenience is left behind! But even high energy power lines aren’t infallible, so Betty may get her wish of “roughing it” yet! SCRIPTS AND ART: Dan Parent.
On sale newsstand February 27, 2007
32-page, full0color comic
$2.25 U.S.

BETTY & VERONICA DIGEST #173
Bright and brassy, bold and beautiful, blonde and brunette -- teen dream queens Betty & Veronica romp through this collection of new stories and classic tales! SCRIPT AND ART: Various talents. BONUS: Puzzles, games and your chance to “Find Your Name in Print!”
On sale newsstand March 20, 2007
Full-color digest format
$2.49 U.S.

JUGHEAD & FRIENDS DIGEST #18
"Cousin Calamity!": Look out guys, Reggie's cousin Regina is in town, and she's a knockout. She's also as devious and mischievous as Reggie, which the guys soon learn as she makes fools out of them with one practical joke after another! All except one: Jughead. Can Regina fool Jughead with one of her patented gags … and is there a possibility of romance with the crowned one?! SCRIPT AND ART: Fernando Ruiz. PLUS: Other new and classic tales by various talents. BONUS: Puzzles, games and your chance to “Find Your Name in Print!”
On sale newsstand March 13, 2007
Full-color digest format
$2.49 U.S.

JUGHEAD’S DOUBLE DIGEST #129
Its double-decker sandwiches and double-trouble as the irrepressible Jughead tilts the laugh-o-meter in this uproarious collection of new stories and classic tales! SCRIPT AND ART: Various talents. BONUS: Puzzles, games and your chance to “Find Your Name in Print!”
On sale newsstand March 20, 2007
Full-color digest format
$3.69 U.S.


PALS-N-GAL’S DOUBLE DIGEST #110
The spotlight is on the wonderful cast of Archie supporting characters, in this double digest featuring new stories and classic tales. SCRIPT & ART: Various talents. BONUS: Puzzles, games and your chance to “Find Your Name in Print!”
On sale newsstand March 13, 2007
Full-color digest format
$3.69 U.S.

SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH #83
"Batty Bartholomew": Sabrina decides to return to magic, and just to make sure she does, her aunts find an ancient wizard to tutor her. The only problem is, he's beyond rusty and seems more than a little wacky. Or is he? Meanwhile, Llandra has no interest in reconciling with Sabrina, but Shinji is hoping he and Sabrina can put their differences aside so Sabrina will rejoin the Four Blades. On the human side of things, Sabrina laments the fact that her new relationship with Harvey can't be as "normal" as she hoped -- once again, she has to hide her magic abilities! SCRIPT AND ART: Tania del Rio .
On sale newsstand March 20, 2007
32-page, full-color comic
$2.25 U.S.

TALES FROM RIVERDALE DIGEST #18
"The Class of 2027": A sideshow seer gives Mr. Weatherbee a peek into the future, and not only is Riverdale High still standing, amazingly, it's standing under the leadership of Principal Archie! As the Bee peeks deeper, he learns that it's because Archie has become a great disciplinarian due to his great role model, Mr. Weatherbee! Will Archie's future success soften the Bee's wrath when it comes to Archie's present failures? SCRIPT AND ART: Fernando Ruiz. PLUS: Other new and classic tales! SCRIPT AND ART: Various talents. BONUS: Puzzles, games and your chance to “Find Your Name in Print!”
On sale newsstand February 27, 2007
Full-color digest format
$2.49 U.S.

VERONICA #178
“It’s a Small World”: When Ginger is assigned an article on the “best place in the world” for Glitz Magazine, she immediately turns to famous world-traveler Veronica for help! You know what that means – Ginger and Veronica are about to travel the world in 30 days! Their whirlwind tour covers all the most exciting and exotic spots, but will they be able to narrow it down to one in time to meet Ginger’s deadline … and will their final selection surprise even themselves?! SCRIPT AND ART: Dan Parent.
On sale newsstand March 6, 2007
32-page, full-color comic
$2.25 U.S.

Stella Parton checks in with 2007 projects

Stella Parton, the lovely country-music songstress who starred in the "Dukes of Hazzard" episode "Deputy Dukes" and took the stage at last year's DukesFest in Nashville, has some neat stuff planned for 2007.

One project is "A Dance for Bethany," scheduled for release this year. The film uses recordings by Parton, she says in her e-update. It's directed by Brian Gurley and written by Yvonne G. Williams. (The movie also stars lovely redhead Robyn Lively, whose family was very active in the "Dukes" world -- father Ernie Lively played Longstreet B. Davenport and Dobro Doolan, while brother Jason Lively played Rod Moffet in the episode "The Boar's Nest Bears" and Rudy in the pilot.)

Parton appears in another film scheduled for release in 2007: "Ghost Town," filmed in Maggie Valley, North Carolina. "They will be using some of my music as well," Parton says. She shares the screen with Terence Knox and Charles Matthau, son of Walter Matthau. That one's a western directed by Jeff Kennedy and Dean West and written by D.J. Perry.

Parton has a new CD coming out, called "Testimony." "We are very excited about these new all-original songs and hope to have it available by early spring," she says.

On top of all that ... "You should be seeing me in 2007 on the QVC network promoting my third cookbook, 'State Fairs and Church Bazaars.' Please call everyone and order as many copies as you can for friends and family. A portion of the proceeds will go to battered women and children's shelters across the country."

Keep an eye on her website, www.stellaparton.com, for details on these and other projects, and be sure to check out her "Dukes" page.

"God has blessed us and I hope you've been blessed, as well," Parton says as a parting note on her update for fans. "Let's pray for a prosperous, healthy and safe 2007."

Coming up later this week: Another "Dukes" post, and this one is a wonderful story we're gonna call ... "What It Means to Be a 'Dukes' Fan."

The Celebrity Meet and Greet's got it covered!

Holy-heckin'-cow ... If you're a fan of classic television, you'll be as happy as a pig in slop at the Celebrity Meet and Greet this weekend in Buena Park, California!

Bo Hopkins, the hunky Matthew Blaisdel from "Dynasty." Ed Marinaro, the equally hunky Cray Boyd of "Dynasty." Charlene Tilton, our own little Lucy Ewing of "Dallas. Michele Scarabelli, who terrorized Ray Krebbs as Connie Hall on "Dallas." Christopher Atkins, the enticing Peter Richards to Sue Ellen on "Dallas." Richard Herd, who played Jim Ellison on "Dynasty" and John Mackey on "Dallas." And from "The Dukes of Hazzard" ... not only the lovely Catherine Bach, our original and finest Daisy Duke, and Byron Cherry, our own Coy Duke, but even Lydia Cornell, who was the mobster daughter in the two-part episode "Undercover Dukes"! Meow! Now, that's rockin'!

It's this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Grand Ballroom and the Marguis Ballroom at 7000 Beach Blvd. in Buena Park. Advance tickets are $15, and at the door they're $20, with free parking. There'll be a raffle and silent auction. To learn more, check out the website at http://www.celebritymeetandgreet.com.