An indulgence of great classic television by journalist and author Billie Rae Bates.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
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On-Stage
Coming up in Archie Comics ...
ARCHIE #578
"Zero Hero": Inspired by extreme skateboard star Tony Eagle and looking to help Pop Tate increase business, Archie persuades Pop Tate to open a "skateboard wing" of the Choklit Shoppe! SCRIPT: George Gladir. ART: Stan Goldberg.
"A ‘Tax’-ing Situation": Cast your vote for hilarity: Mr. Andrews and Mr. Cooper sit on different sides of the fence when a new property tax to fund parks is proposed, so both of them run for town council! SCRIPT: Bill Golliher. ART: Stan Goldberg.
"A Trust Thing": Claiming it’s trust that keeps him and Veronica together, Archie can’t help but be "helpful" to the new girl in school. But can he "trust" the new girl’s boyfriend with Veronica? SCRIPT: Craig Boldman. ART: Stan Goldberg.
On sale newsstand September 18, 2007
32-page, full-color comic
$2.25
ARCHIE & FRIENDS #112
THE FULL-THROTTLE SEQUEL TO BETTY COOPER’S RACE TRACK DEBUT!
"Crash Course": The wheel screeching action never stops as the saga of radical teen racer Betty Cooper and the Lodge Racing Team pit crew continues! Fresh from her thrilling victory lap in the pages of ARCHIE #572, Betty once again dons her racing duds and puts the pedal to the metal Danica Patrick style! This is one full-throttle sequel that is sure to rev your engine! SCRIPT: Mike Pellowski. ART: Stan Goldberg.
On sale newsstand August 28, 2007
32-page, full-color comic
$2.25
ARCHIE DIGEST #237
"The Big Rescue": A day at the beach is anything but for Archie as he plays pack mule for the girls while they entertain surfers and lifeguards! Will Archie get his day in the sun with the girls, or will the tide wash all his hopes away? SCRIPT: George Gladir. ART: Pat Kennedy.
PLUS: Other new and classic tales! SCRIPT AND ART: Various talents. BONUS: Puzzles, games and pin-ups!
On sale newsstand August 28, 2007
Full-color digest format
$2.49
ARCHIE’S DOUBLE DIGEST #182
"Ghost of the Coast": When Mr. Lodge flies the gang to a small beach community he vacationed at as a child, the teens get lost and soon find themselves in an abandoned part of town. Could it be a literal "ghost town," or is it just the kids’ imaginations that are haunted? SCRIPT: Angelo DeCesare. ART: Fernando Ruiz.
PLUS: Other new and classic tales! SCRIPT AND ART: Various talents. BONUS: Puzzles, games and pin-ups!
On sale newsstand September 18, 2007
Full-color digest format
$3.69
BETTY & VERONICA SPECTACULAR #79
"High School Switcheroo!": To offer a taste of variety, foster new interests and develop hidden talents, Riverdale High switches each student’s elective courses. We’re sure savvy Betty will do fine studying corporate business, but can pampered Veronica possibly handle "domestic living?" SCRIPT AND ART: Dan Parent.
On sale newsstand September 4, 2007
32-page, full-color comic
$2.25
BETTY & VERONICA DIGEST #177
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 pin-ups!
On sale newsstand August 21, 2007
Full-color digest format
$2.49
BETTY & VERONICA DOUBLE DIGEST #154
THE EXPLOSIVE CONCLUSION OF A SPECIAL FOUR-ISSUE SAGA FEATURING RIVERDALE’S FAVORITE TEENS IN A WHOLE NEW LOOK!
"Bad Boy Trouble Part 4": It all comes down to this: the months and months of debate over and media coverage surrounding Betty and Veronica’s new looks culminate in a climactic conclusion as the "Bad Boy Trouble" saga draws to a close! The world will finally learn whether rough-and-tumble Nick St. Clair is a true "wild hog" on a souped-up cycle, or merely a misunderstood Romeo worthy of Veronica’s affections. You won’t want to miss the heart-thumping answer, so be sure to reserve your copy of this much-anticipated issue, drawn in an all-new realistic style that has everyone talking! SCRIPT: Melanie J. Morgan. ART: Steven Butler.
PLUS: Other new and classic tales! SCRIPT AND ART: Various talents. BONUS: Puzzles, games and pin-ups!
On sale newsstand September 4, 2007
Full-color digest format
$3.69
JUGHEAD #184
"The Right Moves": After breaking one of Mr. Lodge’s prized crystal chess pieces, Jughead goes on a quest to find a replacement, and ends up being used as a "pawn" himself!
"The Expert": When a virus knocks out the school’s top competitors, Jughead is called upon to fill in – with the promise of food, he can accomplish anything!
"The Chip Whisperer": Jughead convinces Reggie that corn chips talk to him… after all, a free burger is at stake!
SCRIPTS: Craig Boldman. ART: Rex Lindsey.
On sale newsstand September 11, 2007
32-page, full-color comic
$2.25
JUGHEAD’S DOUBLE DIGEST #133
It’s 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 pin-ups!
On sale newsstand August 21, 2007
Full-color digest format
$3.69
SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH #87
"A New Leaf": To complete her Four Blades mission, Sabrina must get some dead leaves from the dying Mana tree… and that means a trip to the mysterious floating island of Sylphanari! Not wanting to go this perilous journey alone, Sabrina takes Harvey along. Getting alone time together does wonders for their relationship… until they run into Shinji’s girlfriend Hemlock, that is! On top of that, there are no fallen Mana leaves in sight… and the eerie fox-man Vosblanc is on hand as well! It’s more thrilling romantic intrigue as only Sabrina can deliver it! SCRIPT & ART: Tania Del Rio.
On sale newsstand August 21, 2007
32-page, full-color comic
$2.25
TALES FROM RIVERDALE DIGEST #23
GUEST-STARRING NEARLY EVERY TEEN IN THE ARCHIE UNIVERSE!
"Civil Chores Part Two": Last issue, the world of Riverdale was rocked when Archie decided to go on strike claiming there was no equity between his chores and his allowance. Before too long, the other teens in town chose sides… but when the other side is headed by Veronica and Reggie, watch out! They only want to maintain their status as Riverdale’s richest teens, but when Jughead joins their side for his own ulterior motives, it turns everything upside down! As the story continues, the rest of Riverdale’s fabled teens will choose sides… and you’ll be surprised at not only who turns up but which side they choose! What will be the outcome? Whatever it is, we wouldn’t be surprised if the crowned-one has the last laugh! Who are the guest-stars? Reserve your copy today to find out! SCRIPT AND ART: Fernando Ruiz. PLUS: Other new and classic tales! SCRIPT AND ART: Various talents. BONUS: Puzzles, games and your pin-ups!
On sale newsstand September 11, 2007
Full-color digest format
$2.49
VERONICA #183
"Madame President": Cast your vote for hilarity when Veronica decides to run for class president! SCRIPT AND ART: Dan Parent.
"Camera Shy": When the Lodge mansion is profiled on TV’s "Rich Folks’ Cribs," Mr. Lodge insists that Archie stay off the premises – never realizing he’s there all the while! SCRIPT: Mike Pellowski. ART: Dan Parent.
On sale newsstand September 18, 2007
32-page, full-color comic
$2.25
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Batman animated fans, will our hero go anime?
A new Batman animated movie in the anime style? A new straight-to-DVD animated movie focusing on Wonder Woman, too? Those are the rumors swirling the Internet:
http://www.comics2film.com/index.php?a=story&b=28419
And, just in case you didn't have enough Joan Collins yesterday, here's another dose, this time taking a look at her relationship with her sis, novelist Jackie Collins:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=476896&in_page_id=1879
AND ... here's another bit of ink, so to speak, about Collins' possible future roles in the Malaysia Sun:
http://story.malaysiasun.com/index.php/ct/9/cid/f825b92e19df636a/id/275659/cs/1/
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Joan Collins gets some more newsprint, along with Linda Gray
The Daily Mail in the U.K. explores Collins' Hollywood career:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=476107&in_page_id=1773
The Daily Mail then follows it up with a highlight of a new biography of Collins, focusing on her love life and hubby Peter Holm in particular:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=476617&in_page_id=1879
The (York) Press of the U.K. discusses the new role of Linda Gray of "Dallas" fame in Dan Gordon's stage version of the flick "Terms Of Endearment":
http://www.thisisyork.co.uk/whatson/theatre/display.var.1627004.0.preview_terms_of_endearment_york_theatre_royal_august_24_to_september_15.php
The Northern Echo in the U.K. does basically the same thing for Gray:
http://www.thisisthenortheast.co.uk/features/leader/display.var.1611813.0.grays_anatomy.php
And if you've been living in a (Bat)cave and haven't heard that Sen. Patrick Leahy, who did a voice in "Batman: The Animated Series," has nailed a role in the upcoming Batman big-screen movie, you can read about it here, among many other places on the Web:
http://tomztoyz.blogspot.com/2007/08/batman-movie-news-us-senator-patrick.html
Also in the "B: TAS" realm, Adrienne Barbeau, whom we know as the voice of Catwoman, is in the news for her scheduled appearance at the Erie Horror Film Festival in October:
http://movie.moldova.org/stiri/eng/66374/
If you're curious, catch this blogger's analysis of the ninth season of "Dynasty":
http://atthelighthouse.wordpress.com/2007/08/14/death-decay-and-the-carringtons-an-alternative-reading-of-soap-opera-dynastys-season-9/
And, because we just love trying to keep up with the myriad recent film roles of John Schneider of "The Dukes of Hazzard," we'll pass along this addendum to a post a couple weeks ago, regarding John-John's new role in the film "Sydney White"; thanks to Renee of the All-John blog for the link to this trailer that shows Schneider, if only for a moment ... (sigh) ... :
http://www.movie-list.net/exclusive5107/sydney-white.mov
Monday, August 20, 2007
Hair Dare Dukes Days: One last note!
How can you see something as cute as this and not post it? This was a quick "chase" on the event grounds over the weekend, just like old times, as if Rosco P. Coltrane and Bo and Luke Duke were behind the wheels ...
BRB was roaming the grounds, snapping a few shots of the various cars in attendance, when she saw the General that was giving rides all weekend suddenly take off, followed by you-know-who. In a flash of gravel dust and police lights, they were gone ... And that was Cousin Don in the police car, chasing Derrick in the Lee ... if you're a-wonderin' ...
What a great weekend! Special thanks again to Paul Harrington and his wife, Cheryl, and diligent work crew Jason, Mike, Kevin, Glenn and Lance, and anyone else who helped along the way. They did a great job. See y'all next year!
Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV
(You know the drill!)
Friday, August 17, 2007
Hair Dare Dukes Days: The cars, the cars, the cars ...
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Hair Dare Dukes Days: See My Lee, the Chick Edition!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Everybody knows that for a lot of "Dukes" fans, it's all about the car. And collecting that blazin'-orange beauty known as the General Lee is a largely "male" sport. But once in a while, you might accidentally encounter a female who loves and appreciates this 1969 Dodge Charger just as much.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Hair Dare Dukes Days: Don Pedro Colley
Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Hair Dare Dukes Days: Byron Cherry
At the Hair Dare Dukes Days, Byron Cherry could be counted on for injecting a big laugh into virtually any moment, all weekend long, from the second his plane landed to when he was taken back to the airport on Monday! He stuck with the fans, not just on the Colasanti's grounds, but at the hotel, at the Applebee's on Sunday night, everywhere! This is just a great guy, and because of that, and because every time BRBTV travels to a show like this we like to bestow an honorary "Most Congenial in Show" award to a celebrity, that goll-darn Coy gets the award this time around.
So ... when you're a celebrity, how do you take a role on a wildly popular show, a role where you step into some very hard shoes to fill, where you were essentially cast as a "bad" guy, and make it a good thing? With grace, if you're Byron Cherry -- even years later. He speaks well of those days, and of John Schneider, the guy whose blond hair and fun-loving demeanor he "replaced" for a time on the show. Cherry tells BRBTV that he actually auditioned for the role of Bo Duke at the same time that Schneider did, right there in Atlanta. Cherry is from Atlanta originally, and his family still lives there. He says that at the time, he and Schneider had the same agent in Atlanta. Schneider joked to him, at the time, that he, not Cherry, was going to get the role of Bo! And indeed, he did, and Cherry took it in stride.
Do you remember that episode "Comrade Duke," where Coy and Vance meet the defecting Russian gymnast Natasha? Coy flips for the girl, literally and figuratively, performing an aerial flip during the episode. Cherry tells BRBTV that he was into gymnastics, among other sports, in his younger years. When the producers considered hiring a stunt guy to do the flip, to the tune of $1,200, Cherry stepped up and offered to do it. That flip took 28 takes, he says, and one of those takes was right on his head! (He wouldn't do the flip again at the Hair Dare event -- we asked! And take note: This guy is a very nice-looking age 52 -- his IMDb year of birth is wrong.)
While BRBTV was chatting with fellow fans at the Hair Dare Dukes Days, the topic of the Mean Green Machine came up. The tanklike vehicle only appeared in two "Dukes" episodes, during the Coy and Vance season. Whatever happened to that? one fan wonders. And what exactly was it, anyway? At a show like this, where everything from the General Lee to Daisy's Jeep Dixie to the "00" Mustang, the "Carnival of Thrills" car and everything else shows up, you sure don't see a Mean Green Machine pull into position on the lawn, now do ya? Well, BRBTV posed the question to Cherry, who laughs that the Mean Green Machine was essentially "some plywood over a chassis." It was a car engine with a steering wheel sticking up, he says, and just a plywood casing that was painted the green color. Where did this contraption ever disappear to? Cherry has no idea. Hmmm ....
(That Zealand -- he was just outta control! And it was our own Coy who penned that nickname, by the way!)
Here, Coy Duke, aka Byron Cherry, drives the one and only "Chick" General Lee in attendance, owned by Andrea of Kalamazoo, Michigan. You'll learn more about Andrea in the special chick version of our occasional "See My Lee!" feature on Thursday ...
Nowadays, Cherry lives on the West Coast, near Ventura, California, about an hour away from the home of his fellow Duke boy Mayer (who was scheduled for this show but couldn't make it). The two, bonded by a single "Dukes" season and "The Dukes" cartoon, still keep in touch.
It's been said, in the "Dukes" world, that Coy and Vance never really got their due. And we'd have to agree, especially after meeting the lively and extremely fun and kind Byron Cherry.
Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV
Email if you want higher-resolution copies!
Monday, August 13, 2007
Hair Dare Dukes Days: What a weekend!
We had 'em comin' in from all over the place for this celebration of all things orange 'n' "01" -- Ohio, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Kentucky, Michigan, Georgia, even New Zealand! We had the boisterous Byron (Coy Duke) Cherry, the still-lumbering Don Pedro (Sheriff Little) Colley, the entertaining and highly personable Paul Casey, and silly little BRB herself. And amid the sea of beautiful, classic cars from the "Dukes of Hazzard" realm, from other corners of the pop-culture world, and from the just-plain-classic-car-world in general, we had all kinds of fun. We had Will Rodgers (yes, that's his name) doing fabbo imitations of all the "Dukes" characters, joined by Billy on stage, we had Sheriff Little outta control riding a kids' scooter around the grounds (look for that photo later this week!), we had an-attendee-who-will-remain-nameless grabbing our own Coy Duke's nicely preserved behind numerous times, and we had Lees, Lees and more Lees. What more can you ask for?!
But this event wasn't just a time to get together and get all crazy about the "Dukes." Paul Harrington of the Canadian Dukes of Hazzard Fan Club raised some good solid cash for the Canadian Cancer Society, shaving his head for the cause -- and even inspiring his little girl Sarah to cut her hair short for the very first time! She raised $2,100 just on her own. Check out the first two photos below, of Sarah getting her very long braid nipped off! She's joined by her dad Paul on the right, and mom Cheryl is on the left.
Very special thanks go out to Paul for all he does on the show. This is the fifth annual event, and he pays for a great deal of it out of his own pocket so that the Cancer Society can get as much as possible. He demonstrates what it means to be a Duke (and hey, just ask him about the criminal he caught in downtown Leamington on Saturday night!).
We're dishin' out the photos all week from the Hair Dare Dukes Days, so stay tuned! (Tomorrow: Byron Cherry, life of the party!)
It certainly was enough that Paul Casey, two-time entertainer of the year in Vegas, wore this cool black Johnny Cash shirt on Sunday, but then he went and sang "Folsom Prison Blues"!!! Meow!
Jason, the "Duke of Duke," as BRBTV likes to call him, checks under the hood of his Lee at the Comfort Inn in Leamington before the show on Saturday morning.
He was big and strong, that military man who took this shot of BRB in one of the several vehicles on display. (Good thing she jumped up there herself and didn't get his help, though, like when the kindly Derrick helped her through the window of his General Lee later that day -- yikes, that was embarrassing! Lots more slip showing than just the tiny sliver here! She'll leave that famous window hop to Bo and Luke!)
Colasanti's Tropical Gardens, the site of the Hair Dare Dukes Days, also featured some fun face painting for the kids.