The Archies rock the house in first comic book retrospective

From Archie Comics

Back in the 1960s, renowned record producer Don Kirschner was one of the driving forces behind the band The Monkees. The Monkees were put together as a response to the popularity of The Beatles, and were given a TV show whose style was a combination of Beatles' movies like "A Hard Day's Night" and "Help," with the madcap lunacy of such Marx Brothers' classics as "Duck Soup" and "A Night at the Opera." The Monkees' TV show was a big hit, and they naturally spun off a successful recording career as well, placing many songs into the Top 10.

Originally, Kirschner presented The Monkees with songs written by other writers to record. However, little by little, they started to write and record their own songs, and eventually wanted to do original material altogether. When Kirschner asked them to record a song from one of his stable of writers called "Sugar Sugar," The Monkees refused, and parted ways with Kirschner.

Meanwhile, inspired by the runaway success of guitar-and-vocal groups like the Beatles, Byrds, Beach Boys and yes, The Monkees, The Archies band made their comic book debut in a 1967 issue of “Life with Archie.” But that was only the beginning.

As Kirschner's search for a band to replace The Monkees continued, he noticed his child reading a comic book featuring "The Archies" band. It struck Kirschner that comic book characters couldn't give him a hard time by refusing to record the songs of others, so he made a deal with the publishers of Archie Comics and put together a band of studio musicians and dubbed them "The Archies."

Simultaneously, Archie Comics was in negotiations with the Filmation animation studio to start a series of Saturday morning Archie cartoons. It was decided to have The Archies band in the cartoons as well. THE ARCHIE SHOW premiered on the CBS network on September 14, 1968. An ARCHIES album followed shortly thereafter and the hit single, "Sugar Sugar," became the top-selling single of 1969. The rest, as they say, is musical history!

Now fans can relive that history with some of The Archies' most tuneful tales with THE ARCHIES: GREATEST HITS, VOLUME ONE. This handsome edition features painstaking restoration from original publishing elements, and a special foreword by Ron Dante, the famed singing voice of Archie and a successful singer-songwriter, musician and producer of such multi-platinum acts as Barry Manilow, Cher and Pat Benatar. It's music to any Archie fan's ears!

THE ARCHIES: GREATEST HITS VOLUME ONE
On sale at comic specialty shops: December 10, 2008
On sale on newsstands: December 23, 2008
96-page, full-color squarebound paperback
ISBN #: 978-1-879794-37-5
Old ISBN #: 1-879-794-37-3
$9.95 U.S.

Kate Mulgrew heads to the Big Apple later this month

Kate Mulgrew had a career before she boarded Voyager in the "Star Trek" universe, ya know. For one thing, she was on our beloved "Dallas," playing Garnet McGee, the country music star who caused Ray Krebbs to go ga-ga and spurred yet another one of J.R. Ewing's schemes.

On Friday, November 14, Mulgrew will be meeting and greeting at the Big Apple Con in New York City. She'll be at the event from 3 to 6 p.m. that day.

The con, which will also feature George Lazenby, Jamie Luner and several other pop-culture stars, runs all weekend. Read more at BigAppleCon.com.

"Dallas" fans -- can you stand it????

It's a very special week for us fans of "Dallas." It's the week when we're hanging on the edge of our seats -- whether it's plane seats, car seats, or even just our living room seats at home, barely able to stand the waning seconds until this Saturday's 30th anniversary reunion event at Southfork Ranch in Texas. With the cast biggies in attendance, this first-ever "Dallas"-fest promises to be a monumental pop-culture event.

The Ultimate Dallas site has a few ways to get your Ewing geek on as the event approaches. At the site's shop, you can choose from a special commemorative "Dallas" button, tote bag and all manner of T-shirt.

The site is also hosting the launch of Bryan J. Kinnaird's new online graphic novel "Dallas: The Gathering."

For more information about the reunion, visit dr30.com.

Frank Runyeon heads back to daytime, and Jon Lindstrom gets a new gig

It's election day, and if you haven't voted yet, you better get your little behind out there.

Here at the BRBTV News Blog, we would probably vote Frank Runyeon as one of the most handsome of the "Santa Barbara" cast. We might vote him best of character, as well, for his moral standing as Father Michael Donnelly, later police officer Michael Donnelly. Heck, maybe he'd even make a good president.

But all that political stuff aside, we've reported on this news blog about Runyeon's evangelistic activities in recent years, performing his Biblical one-man show at churches and other venues around the country. Now, it seems, Runyeon is going back to the daytime soaps world. The We Love Soaps blog reports that he's reporting for duty on ABC's "All My Children." He'll play the father of the Reese character (just filled on Friday by Tamara Braun, a former Carly of "General Hospital"), beginning next month.

Runyeon knows a thing or two about soaps. Besides "SB," he's done stints on "Another World," "Melrose Place" and "Falcon Crest," as well as his classic turn with Meg Ryan on CBS' "As the World Turns" in the early '80s.

Runyeon's "SB" castmate, meanwhile, has a new daytime gig, himself. Jon Lindstrom, whom we know as the creepazoid Mark McCormack, has been cast as the new Craig Montgomery on the aforementioned "As the World Turns." He begins that role on December 3. Lindstrom previously had a longtime role on "GH" in the evil-twin vein as Ryan Chamberlain / Kevin Collins.

BRBTV News Blog Blip: Batfans are waiting with Bat-ted breath for this month's premiere of the new animated series "Batman: The Brave and the Bold." In anticipation of that, Animation World Magazine offers a look at the different Batman interpretations over the decades.

BRBTV birthdays for November

- Timothy Patrick Murphy, who was Mickey Trotter on "Dallas," was born on November 3, 1959 and died December 6, 1988.
- Kate Reid, who was Mickey's mom Lil on "Dallas," was born on November 4, 1930 and died March 27, 1993.
- Deborah Rennard, our own Sly Lovegren on "Dallas," turns 49 on November 4.
- Todd McKee, our own original Ted Capwell on "Santa Barbara," turns 45 on November 7.
- Russell Johnson, who is a BRBTV triple-shot for playing Sheriff Wyatt Mansfield on "Dallas," Earl Thompson on "Dynasty" and the third Roger Wainwright (Julia's dad) on "SB," turns 84 on November 10.
- Jack Scalia, the mysterious Nicholas Pearce / Joey Lombardi on "Dallas," has a birthday on November 10, as well, turning 58.
- Vincent Irizarry, a bigtime soaper who was Scott Clark on "SB," turns 49 on November 12.
- Dack Rambo, the hunky Jack Ewing of "Dallas," was born on November 13, 1941 and died of AIDS on March 21, 1994.
- Tracy Scoggins, our Monica Colby of "Dynasty" and "The Colbys," as well as Anita Smithfield on "Dallas: War of the Ewings," turns 55 on November 13.
- Edward Asner, the voice of Roland Daggett in "Batman: The Animated Series," turns 79 on November 15.
- Tricia Cast, who was Christy Duvall on "Santa Barbara," turns 40 on November 16.
- George O. Petrie, who played Harv Smithfield on "Dallas," was born on November 16, 1912 and died November 16, 1997.
- Brandon Call, the third Brandon DeMott Capwell on "SB," who was also notable as J.T. Lambert on ABC's sitcom "Step By Step" (side-by-side with Sasha Mitchell and Patrick Duffy of "Dallas"), as well as Hobie Buchanon in the syndicated "Baywatch," turns a so-young 32 on November 17.
- Rock Hudson, who played Daniel Reece on "Dynasty," was born on November 17, 1925 and, like Dack Rambo, died of AIDS, on October 2, 1985.
- Linda Evans, Hudson's on-screen love interest for a time, as Krystle on "Dynasty," turns 66 on November 18.
- Jocelyn Brando, who was John Ross' nanny Mrs. Reeves on "Dallas," was born on November 18, 1919 and died November 27, 2005.
- Joseph Campanella, a true classic actor who is a BRBTV triple-shot for his roles as mobster Joseph Lombardi Sr. on "Dallas" and Hutch Corrigan on "The Colbys," as well as Dr. Matthew Thorne on "Batman: TAS," turns 81 on November 21.
- Deborah Shelton, the stunning Mandy Winger on "Dallas," turns 60 on November 21.
- Maxwell Caulfield, our own Miles Colby of "Dynasty" and "The Colbys," turns 49 on November 23.
- Michael Brainard, our final Ted Capwell on "Santa Barbara," turns 43 on November 23.
- Roscoe Born, our "SB" evil-twin actor as Robert Barr and Quinn Armitage, turns 58 on November 24.
- Howard Duff, who was Sen. Henry Harrison O'Dell on "Dallas," then Paul Galveston on the spinoff, "Knots Landing," was born on November 24, 1913 and died July 8, 1990.
- And ... sigh ... one of BRBTV's very favorite actors ... the wonderful, the great, the accomplished, the amazing (!) Ricardo Montalban, who was Zach Powers on "The Colbys" among so many other things, will turn 88 on November 25.
- Marcy Walker, our own Eden Capwell of "SB" who since has settled into work for God's Kingdom, turns 47 on November 26.
- Joshua Harris, our darling little Christopher Ewing of "Dallas," is a big boy now, turning 30 on November 27.
- Stephen Elliott, who was Scotty Demarest on "Dallas," was born on November 27, 1918 and died May 21, 2005.
- Sherilyn Wolter, the evil Elena Nikolas / Capwell on "SB," has a birthday on November 30, turning 57.
- Efrem Zimbalist Jr., who voiced Alfred the butler in "Batman: The Animated Series," turns 90 on November 30.
- Kevin Conroy, who voiced Batman in "Batman: The Animated Series" and all the other series that spun off from it, as well as playing Bart Fallmont on "Dynasty," turns 53 on November 30.


Happy birthday to all!

In honor of Halloween, the "Archie's Weird Mysteries" team reunites

Our beloved "Archie's Weird Mysteries" animated TV series was once accompanied by a great comic. Now, in a special Halloween event, the creative team behind that title is doing a signing this afternoon in New Jersey.

Visit the Comic Book Market for reunion of Archie's Weird Mysteries writer Paul Castiglia and artist Fernando Ruiz, who will appear from 4 to 6 p.m.

The Comic Book Market
28 Washington St.
Bloomfield, NJ 07003
(973) 680-0006
www.thecomicbookmarket.com

The Comic Book Market also will be announcing the winners of their drawing contest:
$250 grand prize
$100 second grand prize
$50 third grand prize

Two runners-up will be given $20 in store credit. There will be special discounts as well as Halloween candy! Plus, the special Archie comics "The Mystery of the Museum Sleep-In" will be given free to customers, while supplies last.

In "The Mystery of the Museum Sleep-in," the museum is a scream for Archie and Jughead! Inspired by a favorite film, the pals decide to spend a night at the museum to experience maximum spookage. And experience it they do, as statues suddenly come toward them! Are these artifacts coming to life for real, or is somebody playing the ultimate Halloween "trick" on our unsuspecting teens? The answer will leave you scared silly!

BRBTV News Blog Blip: It's a rumor at the moment, but Entertainment Weekly has John Schneider pegged to do a three-episode arc of ABC's primetime soap "Dirty Sexy Money." Between that and all the comparisons being made to our beloved "Dynasty," it's enough to make a body want to actually watch the show!

Coming up in Archie Comics

ARCHIE #591
THE SCHOOL YEAR WINDS DOWN AND SO DOES THE "FRESHMAN YEAR SAGA" IN THIS THRILLING CONCLUSION! "Freshman Year: Spring Term": As the first year of high school winds down, the teens anticipate the summer break… but not before having a "Spring Formal" to send off the school year. But a few uninvited guests have crashed the dance – an unwelcome band of bikers who have an axe to grind with the school, especially a freshman named Archie! Who are they and what is their problem? Plus, the spy in Riverdale is finally revealed. Will Mr. Weatherbee prevail? It's a thrilling way to end the school year, courtesy of fan-favorite writer Batton Lash of "Wolff & Byrd" and "Archie Meets the Punisher" fame, along with "Scrapyard Detectives" creator and popular Archie artist/writer Bill Galvan.
SCRIPT: Batton Lash.
ART: Bill Galvan.
On sale at comic specialty shops: November 26, 2008
On sale on newsstands: December 9, 2008
32-recycled pages, full-color comic
$2.25 U.S.


ARCHIE & FRIENDS #125
THE SECOND PART OF A TWO-PART TALE BY POPULAR "WJHC" WRITER JANE SMITH FISHER!
"Battle of the Bands, Part Two": In the aftermath of their rockin' contest performance, the Archies face a new challenge: a sponsor who will only cover half their prize travel expenses! Now the group must get jobs quickly to raise the money… except Reggie and Veronica of course, who are riding on their parents' dimes. But will that free ride last? The rockers learn a valuable lesson about earning their own "fun money"… and the value of good work ethics in the process! Not to mention how important it is to help those in need. A longtime advocate for kids' comics, writer Jane Smith Fisher has devoted her career to telling age-appropriate stories in series such as "Cybernauts" and the highly popular "WJHC," about a group of teens who start their own high school radio station. Jane has been embraced by librarians and schools across the nation. Now she brings her special voice for both young and female characters to Archie Comics in this rock ‘n' rollin' storyline.
SCRIPT: Jane Smith Fisher.
ART: Stan Goldberg.
On sale at comic specialty shops: November 12, 2008
On sale on newsstands: November 25, 2008
32-page, full-color comic
$2.25 U.S.

ARCHIE DIGEST #249
"Dream Scene": What's the perfect remedy to being stuck in class on a cold winter day? When you're Archie, it's daydreaming of beach balls and bikinis, of course!
SCRIPT: Mike Pellowski.
ART: Randy Elliott.
"Stop Watch": Mr. Weatherbee welcomes the inevitable first mishap of the semester – once Archie, Jughead and Reggie get in trouble, the school year can officially begin!
SCRIPT: Mike Pellowski.
ART: Tim Kennedy.
PLUS: Other new and classic tales!
SCRIPT AND ART: Various talents.
BONUS: Puzzles, games and pin-ups!
On sale at comic specialty shops: November 19, 2008
On sale on newsstands: December 2, 2008
88-page, full-color digest
$2.49 U.S.

ARCHIE'S DOUBLE DIGEST #194
"The Voting Game": It's a case of dueling campaign posters when Archie and Reggie run against one another for class president.
SCRIPT: George Gladir.
ART: Tim Kennedy.
"Fame Game": Archie learns that fame is fleeting when he fumbles a football.
SCRIPT: Mike Pellowski.
ART: Pat Kennedy.
ALSO: Little Archie and his friends are back in "The Riverdale Elementary School Musical": Little Archie and his friends prove that high schoolers aren't the only ones who can put on musicals in this tuneful tale!
SCRIPT AND ART: Dexter Taylor.
PLUS: Other new and classic tales!
SCRIPT AND ART: Various talents.
BONUS: Puzzles, games and pin-ups!
On sale at comic specialty shops: December 3, 2008
On sale on newsstands: December 16, 2008
176-page, full-color digest
$3.69 U.S.

BETTY #177
"The Big Battle": Betty and her friends compare their energy conserving dates… and how their boyfriends did or didn't comply!
SCRIPT: George Gladir.
ART: Stan Goldberg.
"Down Memory Lane": Thumbing through her diary takes Betty back to Christmas when she was 9 years old.
SCRIPT: George Gladir.
ART: Stan Goldberg.
"Secret Shopper": Tired of all the attention Veronica draws when they go shopping together, Betty decides to make a solo shopping trip… and has all the sales clerks competing to sell something to "Veronica's friend!"
SCRIPT: Mike Pellowski.
ART: Stan Goldberg.
"The Dilemma": Can Betty find a way to get her boyfriends Archie and Adam to see eye-to-eye? SCRIPT: George Gladir.
ART: Stan Goldberg.
On sale at comic specialty shops: December 3, 2008
On sale on newsstands: December 16, 2008
32-page, full-color comic
$2.25 U.S.

BETTY & VERONICA SPECTACULAR #86
SPECIAL HOLIDAY ISSUE!
"Jingles All the Way": The Sugar Plum fairy is convinced that Betty and Veronica are being manipulated by Archie; while Jingles the Elf thinks Archie would be better off without the girls. They each decide to take matters into their diminutive hands – by adopting human forms to distract the teens! Will their diversions dismantle the love triangle for good, or will there be a merry… and romantic… Christmas for everyone after all?
SCRIPT AND ART: Dan Parent.
On sale at comic specialty shops: November 19, 2008
On sale on newsstands: December 2, 2008
32-page, full-color comic
$2.25 U.S.

BETTY & VERONICA DIGEST #189
"The Present": Betty tries to live for the "here and now," but Veronica is only interested in it "every now and then!"
SCRIPT: Barbara Slate.
ART: Pat Kennedy.
"The Party": After accidentally gobbling up goodies meant for the Orphanage Christmas party, Jughead finds a way to redeem himself and keep the Christmas spirit alive.
SCRIPT: George Gladir.
ART: Jeff Shultz.
PLUS: Other new and classic tales!
SCRIPT AND ART: Various talents.
BONUS: Puzzles, games and pin-ups!
On sale at comic specialty shops: November 12, 2008
On sale on newsstands: November 25, 2008
88-page, full-color digest
$2.49 U.S.

BETTY & VERONICA DOUBLE DIGEST #166
"Back to Basics": Cheryl gets a surprise visit from her friends from Pembrooke Academy… and that's not all that's returning… by story's end, there just may be a "reversal of fortune" for the whole Blossom family, and perhaps a new beginning, too!
SCRIPT AND ART: Dan Parent.
"Girls' Night Out": With their boyfriends otherwise engaged, Betty, Veronica, Midge and Nancy plan a girls' night out… but plans are made to be broken! Will the gal pals get a chance to bond, or will the boys get back in the picture?
SCRIPT: Mike Pellowski.
ART: Stan Goldberg.
ALSO: Little Betty in "A Real Sport": Little Betty becomes a gridiron gal and helps the boys defeat the South Side Serpents in a football face-off!
SCRIPT AND ART: Dexter Taylor.
PLUS: Other new and classic tales!
SCRIPT AND ART: Various talents.
BONUS: Puzzles, games and pin-ups!
On sale at comic specialty shops: November 26, 2008
On sale on newsstands: December 9, 2008
176-page, full-color digest
$3.69 U.S.

JUGHEAD #192
"On Demand": For his mother's birthday, Jughead creates a coupon book filled with chores he'll do for her – but when it falls into the wrong hands (namely, Reggie's), Jughead finds himself toiling for everyone but his mother!
"Knees Freeze": Shorts in the winter? It could only be Jughead!
"The Hideaway": Jughead loves napping on sofas and sleeping on beds… wait until he discovers sofa beds!
SCRIPTS: Craig Boldman.
ART: Rex Lindsey.
On sale at comic specialty shops: December 3, 2008
On sale on newsstands: December 16, 2008
32-page, full-color comic
$2.25 U.S.

JUGHEAD'S DOUBLE DIGEST #145
"Pizza and Good Cheer!": Take Jughead, some pizza pies, a giving heart, mix it up with good cheer and what have you got? A yuletide tale that will warm your heart… and your belly!
SCRIPT: Mike Pellowski.
ART: Fernando Ruiz.
"Tree Fortified": Archie searches for the perfect Christmas tree, but the only problem is the perfect Christmas tree is also the perfect cover for woodland creatures!
SCRIPT: Mike Pellowski.
ART: Stan Goldberg.
PLUS: Other new and classic tales!
SCRIPT AND ART: Various talents.
BONUS: Puzzles, games and pin-ups!
On sale at comic specialty shops: November 12, 2008
On sale on newsstands: November 25, 2008
176-page, full-color digest
$3.69 U.S.

SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH #98
"The Final Battle, Part 1": The countdown to the 100th issue continues… and so do the preparations for battle, as enemies are revealed and new allies arise! With the Magic Realm dying and Hemlock revealed as a traitor, Sabrina takes her rightful place as one of the Four Blades. They band with Batty Bartholomew and all the ex-Blades, and even Hilda, Zelda and Salem join the cause. Sabrina, Shinji, Llandra and Narayan also seek out the Four Elementals and convince them to join up through a series of tests. Vosblanc, meanwhile, prepares his own army and gets members of the Magic Council to side with him. Battle lines are drawn, and tensions rise in this thrill-packed issue!
SCRIPT: Tania del Rio.
ART: Lindsey Cibos (pencils) and Jim Amash (inks).
On sale at comic specialty shops: November 26, 2008
On sale on newsstands: December 9, 2008
32-page, full-color comic
$2.25 U.S.

Backlist:
On sale at comic specialty shops: November 12, 2008
On sale on newsstands: November 25, 2008
Holidays are a time for good will and cheer, and this month's backlist titles are no exception!
In the pages of Archie's Christmas Stocking, fans can relive classic Christmas tales in these 48-page specials!

Archie's Christmas Stocking #7, $2.29 US.


















Archie's Christmas Stocking #6, $2.25 US.
















Archie's Christmas Stocking #4, $2.00 US.

Meanwhile, over in Archie's Holiday Fun Digest, carol with Archie and the gang with these 96-page yuletide bonanzas, which reprint Archie holiday stories from days of yore!









Archie's Holiday Fun Digest #12, $2.49 US.














Archie's Holiday Fun Digest #11, $2.49 US.













Archie's Holiday Fun Digest #10, $2.39 US.













Archie's Holiday Fun Digest #9,
$2.39 US.

BRBTV News Blog Blip: Robin Wright Penn, our own original Kelly Capwell of "Santa Barbara," was at the premiere of her hubby Sean Penn's new movie "Milk" the other night. See photos of our lovely lady here and here.

Ed Asner: At age 79 this month, no signs of slowing down

Did you catch Ed Asner in the Hallmark Channel's movie "Generation Gap" on Saturday? (If you didn't, read more about it, and him, at the Buffalo News and Hallmark's site.) You'd think at nearly 80, a guy'd want to rest a bit. But for Ed Asner, whose acting resume goes way beyond the role we know him for, as crude businessman Roland Daggett on "Batman: The Animated Series," there's no rest in sight.

"Up" is a film from Pixar Animation scheduled for release next year. Asner voices Carl Fredrickson and is joined in the cast by Christopher Plummer and John Ratzenberger in this story of "a 70-something hero, alongside his clueless wilderness ranger sidekick, travels the globe, fighting beasts and villains, and eating dinner at 3:30 in the afternoon." See the poster and trailer at UGO.

Asner is Charlie Arnesson in "Stride," sharing the screen with James Avery and Danny Glover. This one also is scheduled for next year. The drama tells the story of legendary "Stride" pianist James "Honeybear" Powell.

Also up for Asner is "Trim," classified as in postproduction and written and directed by Ryan Bottiglieri. Asner portrays Dream Sid, and is joined by M.C. Gainey, whom we know from "The Dukes of Hazzard" (both the original series and the 2005 movie). See Asner in the movie's trailer at Trimmovie.com (warning: lotso "f-word" packed into this small space).

"Thomas Kinkade's Home for Christmas," which also stars Asner's "B:TAS" castmate Richard Moll, whom we also know as one of those skanky Beaudry Brothers on "The Dukes of Hazzard," is evidently a go for this Christmas (it was pushed back from last year). It tells the story of the artist and the inspiration for his painting "The Christmas Cottage."

"Working Title," which evidently is not the working title, comes from writer and director John Wesley Norton. Asner plays an angry investor in the movie, which even brings Erin Moran of "Happy Days" fame out of the woodwork. Visit the production company's site to see the cast and poster, and you can also check out this Illinois filmmaker's MySpace page.

BRBTV News Blog Blip: It's all over the 'Net -- the buzz about the CW's resurrection of "Melrose Place," a la the "Beverly Hills 90210" redo launched this TV season. Will our own Heather Locklear of "Dynasty" take part if her other landmark TV show is redone? Who knows. But the Hollywood Reporter has the story.

Tricia Cast stars in "Old Habits Die Hard"

Here's a "Santa Barbara" castmate you don't hear too much about these days: Tricia Cast. Our onetime Christy Duvall, rape victim and false accuser of Ted Capwell, does have a pretty good resume but hasn't been heavy on the radar in the past few years.

Now, though, she's got a new project in the works. She'll star in the movie "Old Habits Die Hard," scheduled for a 2009 release. Currently shooting in Tennessee, it's written and directed by Ben Dixon, who specializes in the horror film genre.

Cast portrays Mama Agatha Hollis, whose "sanity ship has sailed years ago," the movie's promo materials say. She previously starred in another movie by the same production company, "Shudder."

Learn a little more at the movie's MySpace page or its official site, OldHabitsDieHard.org.

It may be silly, but Billy sure must be a dilly

OK, this is kinda weird. In covering the careers of the various stars of our BRBTV shows, a name keeps popping up. Billy Flynn.

Billy Flynn, you might know, is the name of a character in the Broadway production "Chicago." It's also a role that has been taken on by both Tom Wopat, our own Luke Duke of "The Dukes of Hazzard," Maxwell Caulfield, our own Miles Colby of "Dynasty" and "The Colbys," and even John Schneider of "The Dukes," as a reader reminded. Now there's another BRBTV star adopting the role: John O'Hurley, our second Stephen Slade of "Santa Barbara." What gives? Is this a particularly plum role? Is it just fun to do? Who knows? And who knows who next will be Billy Flynn!!!!

TheaterMania.com has more on O'Hurley and his new role, which runs its limited engagement at the Oriental Theater in the Ford Center for the Performing Arts in (ironically) Chicago, on February 24-March 8, 2009. "Chicago" itself kicks off on November 11. BroadwayinChicago.com has ticket info.

De Longis and Baker rough it up for a good cause

You put a fugitive criminal and a bartender together, and what do you get? Well, these days, a stunt show at a charity event, actually! A few weeks back on this very blog, we ran some excerpts from our interviews with "Santa Barbara" cast members Anthony De Longis, who portrayed Leo Mitchell, and David Baker, who was Dave the bartender at the Orient Express.

The two are friends and neighbors nowadays, so many years after their time on "SB," and a couple weekends ago, photographer John Leonetti snapped them at the Ride for a Cure event at Gibson Ranch in Sunland, California.

Whipmaster is just one of the many hats Anthony De Longis wears, as you can see here on the left, and David Baker doesn't seem too bad on a horse himself ...

(Maybe Leo wanted that martini shaken, not stirred, Dave?????)

You can see the whole collection of John Leonetti's photos from the event, as well as a lot of other whip-crackin' stuff, at his website: http://web.me.com/johnleonetti/cracktice

See our interview excerpts with these two talented "SB" stars in the September 5 and September 12 posts, and look for the full interviews in the next edition of the BRBTV reference guide "Send Me to Santa Barbara."

Photos by John Leonetti

Archie Americana Series continues on into the '90s

From Archie Comics

Since 1991, the Archie Americana Series has provided fans with not only a historical perspective of Archie Comics, but a hysterical one as well! Now, one of the comic industry's most enduring graphic novel series returns for a ninth volume full of nostalgic fun as Archie Comics proudly presents THE ARCHIE AMERICANA SERIES: BEST OF THE NINETIES!

By popular demand, we're serving up a heaping helping of the decade that led up to the millennium, one of the most interesting and hilarious decades ever for America 's favorite comic book teens: the 1990s. Whether getting tangled up in the eternal love triangle, incurring the wraths of their parents and teachers, or simply surfing the day away on the worldwide web, Archie and his friends scaled new heights of hilarity in the nifty Nineties! With ARCHIE AMERICANA SERIES: BEST OF THE NINETIES, you can revisit these timeless tales as Archie and his friends endure one outlandish mishap after another and enjoy the fads and fashions of the decade!

Painstakingly restored from original archival materials and faithfully recolored, this high-grade paperback edition features a computer-airbrushed cover rendered in 1990s style by Archie fan-favorite, Rex Lindsey. So rock out to the sensational sounds of boy bands, grunge and alternative music; chow down with the fat free dessert craze; laugh your head off at silly talk radio, and hook up your satellite dish so you can enjoy purple dinosaurs, funny home videos, teens from Beverly Hills and more! It’s all here and then some in this uproarious edition chock full of comedy classics!

ARCHIE AMERICANA SERIES: BEST OF THE NINETIES
SCRIPT AND ART: Various.
On sale at comic specialty shops: October 29, 2008
On sale on newsstands: November 11th, 2008
96-page, full-color graphic novel
$11.95 U.S.

Bits 'n' Pieces: Another "SB" author, a "resurrection" and more

- Harley Jane Kozak, Jed Allan and John O'Hurley aren't the only "Santa Barbara" cast members who can write. Now Eileen Davidson, our final Kelly Capwell, has thrown her novel into the ring. "I have been saying for years that what goes on behind the scenes (is more intriguing)," she says. Hmmm ... wonder if any plot elements were pulled from her time at the Capwell house? We Love Soaps has a little more about the book, called "Death in Daytime." Released earlier this month from Signet, it's the first in a new soaps novel series.

- Do-ya have the November 14 premiere of "Batman: The Brave and the Bold" on Cartoon Network set on your TiVo? "Rise of the Blue Beetle!" is the episode that's queued up, and the time is 7:30 p.m. EST. Andrea Romano, the woman behind the voices of "Batman: The Animated Series," makes the transition to "B&B." See the Cartoon Network site for videos and games.

- The reports of her demise were ... ummm, never mind! Janis Levy, who portrayed Dash Nichols' lawyer Belinda Bradley on "Santa Barbara," is not really dead, she tells the Sunday Mercury. Levy had been confused with another actress who died last week.

- Elsewhere in the Sunday Mercury, Patrick Duffy talks about the Italian TV show he's planning to shoot with his "Dallas" co-star Linda Gray. Duffy also talks a little about the "Dallas" big-screen movie we've been hearing about for years -- and how he and Larry Hagman actually pitched a spoof project to Warner Bros. a decade ago.

- John Schneider spoke this past weekend at the AIDS Walk in Los Angeles. The Out in Hollywood blog has more, including Schneider's remembrances of three friends who died of the disease.

DVD check-in: "Dallas" and "Dynasty"

The hits just keep gettin' better, or something like that. The DVD sets of our favorite primetime soaps "Dallas" and "Dynasty" keep rolling out, albeit not quite as quickly as we'd like.

"Dallas"releases its 10th season on January 13, 2009. The three-disc set will retail for $39.98, though a whole $10 less at Amazon.

"Dynasty" releases the second part of its third season today. (Happy DVD Release Day, by the way!) The season split has evoked some controversy among fans.

BRBTV News Blog Blip: You won't see Maxwell Caulfield popping up on those "Dynasty" DVDs just yet; that's later (hopefully). But you will see him on DVDTown.com, in a brand-new interview, where he talks about his various projects over the years.

Hillbilly Woodstick 3: Some highly nonillustrated highlights!

Weeeeeellllllllll .... we could've shown you Byron Cherry, our own Coy Duke of "The Dukes of Hazzard," up there on stage at Jenkins Park performing two Elvis Presley hits -- complete with gyrations. We could've shown you Don Pedro Colley, known to us as Sheriff Ed Little of "The Dukes," actually driving a Chickasaw County Sheriff's car for the very first time since the show's filming (yes, that's what he said). We could've even run a nice photo of Wayne Wooten's slightly mangled 2005 movie (screen-used) General Lee, there on display. And on top of that -- we might have even shown you the cool in-car simulation at the Hazzard County Stunt Team's display that makes you feel like you're really jumpin' that General.

Yea. We could have shown you all that and more -- if we would have had a working camera! Rats! But we can still tell you! And you can just picture it all in your mind, right? Right!

Anyway ... The Hillbilly Woodstick 3 Dukes of Hazzard Cruise kicked off in Trenton, Georgia, over the weekend with lots of fun moments. The cruise continues through parts of northern Georgia, some of South Carolina and North Carolina this week.

One thing we can show you, though, now that we're back home safe and sound (sigh ...) is a special item that we told you about in our August 28 post. Kevin Webb of Tennessee, the owner of that aforementioned Chickasaw County car that now has its own claim to fame in "Dukes" history, is the creator of the keepsake item you see below. He brought these pieces of art with him over the weekend. The photo we ran in August, of Kevin and Byron, was blurry and just didn't capture the quality and uniqueness of the piece.

If you're interested in nabbing one of these pieces of framed art -- all set for your favorite cast autographs -- email BRBTV.

BRBTV News Blog Blip: Hey, tattoos and vasectomies are reversible -- how about shortened hemlines? This week in BRB's yearlong My Mother's Clothing project, you'll see a little black dress that has come "Full Circle" to get fit for the Southern Baptist pew.

Photo by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV
Copying with credit is OK; a link would be grand.

Kabir Bedi flies "Kites"

The soaps industry has served Kabir Bedi well. Not only was he our own Farouk Ahmed, brother of Rashid Ahmed, on "Dynasty," but his role as Prince Omar Rashid of Morocco on CBS' "The Bold and the Beautiful" has brought him enormous fame.

Beyond that, Bedi is truly a man of the world. He talks about his acting career, which has taken him across continents and many foreign airwaves, in a new interview with The Times of India.

Right now he's involved with "Kites," a film scheduled for release next year. Shooting in New Mexico, Las Vegas and Los Angeles, the movie, described as a "dance-based romance thriller," is in both English and Hindi. Bedi portrays Bob in the movie, which comes from Anurag Basu. Read a little more about the film and the filmmaker at ScreenIndia.com.

Coming up in Archie Comics: Cheryl Blossom's new boyfriend is revealed!

ARCHIE #590
THE THRILLING "FRESHMAN YEAR SAGA" CONTINUES!
The first year of high school has been an eventful one for Archie and his friends, and it's all leading towards a whirlwind finale! But the teens still have some time to go yet. In this latest installment, they are evaluated by their teachers who report their progress to their folks on "parent-teacher" night. How will they fare once their parents learn how they're doing? Meanwhile, in social life, love triangles abound, and so do pranks – some playful, some nasty. But none nastier than the bikers who have been bedeviling the town. All this, plus a surprise or two! It's the greatest "first year" of high school ever, courtesy of fan-favorite writer Batton Lash of "Wolff & Byrd" and "Archie Meets the Punisher" fame, along with "Scrapyard Detectives" creator and popular Archie artist/writer Bill Galvan.
SCRIPT: Batton Lash.
ART: Bill Galvan.
On sale at comic specialty shops: October 29, 2008
On sale on newsstands: November 11, 2008
32-recycled pages, full-color comic
$2.25 U.S.

ARCHIE & FRIENDS #124
THE FIRST PART OF A TWO-PART TALE BY POPULAR "WJHC" WRITER JANE SMITH FISHER!
"Battle of the Bands, Part One": The greatest comic book band in the world is out to prove its supremacy in the most decisive fashion possible: by winning a "Battle of the Bands" competition. This isn't just any contest – at stake is a first prize Tropical Island vacation! But two sour notes threaten their presumed victory: Veronica's selfishness and Reggie's mysterious disappearances. Can the band recover and end on a high note? A longtime advocate for kid's comics, writer Jane Smith Fisher has devoted her career to telling age-appropriate stories in series such as "Cybernauts" and the highly popular "WJHC," about a group of teens who start their own high school radio station. Jane has been embraced by librarians and schools across the nation. Now she brings her special voice for both young and female characters to Archie Comics in this rock 'n' rollin' storyline.
SCRIPT: Jane Smith Fisher.
ART: Stan Goldberg.
On sale at comic specialty shops: October 8, 2008
On sale on newsstands: October 21, 2008
32-page, full-color comic
$2.25 U.S.

ARCHIE DIGEST #248
DECK THE HALLS WITH LOTS OF LAUGHTER IN THIS ALL-CHRISTMAS-THEMED ISSUE!
"The Surprise Present": When an enterprising elf conceives a website where Christmas lists can be automatically submitted, Santa decides to do a trial run in a little town called Riverdale.
SCRIPT: George Gladir.
ART: Jeff Shultz.
"Santa Claws": Not a creature was stirring – except for all the pets that came to the department store to get their photos taken with Santa Archie! SCRIPT: Bill Golliher.
ART: Pat Kennedy.
"Price Clubbed": Nothing can stop Fred Andrews' quest to find the perfect… and perfectly priced… Christmas tree!
SCRIPT: Mike Pellowski.
ART: Randy Elliott.
"The Gift Horse Laugh": In this poignant Christmas tale, Riverdale's resident prankster Reggie proves he's not a Scrooge, but has a generous heart after all!
SCRIPT: Mike Pellowski.
ART: Pat Kennedy.
PLUS: Classic yuletide tales!
SCRIPT AND ART: Various talents.
BONUS: Puzzles, games and pin-ups!
On sale at comic specialty shops: October 15, 2008
On sale on newsstands: October 28, 2008
88-page, full-color digest
$2.49 U.S.

ARCHIE'S DOUBLE DIGEST #193
"To Play or Not to Play": Feeling the stress of studies, extracurricular activities and college applications, the gang decides to put the Archies on hiatus – until Jughead convinces his band mates to appear in a high school musical he's written about a teen rock band stressed out by their studies, extracurricular activities and college applications!
SCRIPT AND ART: Bill Galvan.
"Toy Story": A short time ago, in a town called Riverdale not too far away… Jughead has dragged Archie to a toy store at midnight so he can be among the first to purchase the new "Star Lores" action figures!
SCRIPT: George Gladir.
ART: Bill Galvan.
"Pre-Exam Insurance": Archie's convinced that petting Betty's cat Carmel is good luck before an exam… but the only thing between Archie and a passing grade is the tree Carmel's stuck in!
SCRIPT: George Gladir.
ART: Henry Scarpelli.
PLUS: Other new and classic tales!
SCRIPT AND ART: Various talents.
BONUS: Puzzles, games and pin-ups!
On sale at comic specialty shops: October 29, 2008
On sale on newsstands: November 11, 2008
176-page, full-color digest
$3.69 U.S.

BETTY & VERONICA #238
"My Parrot is Gone": Veronica decides to train a parrot to do tricks so they can audition for the "People & Their Pets" TV competition… but it seems the parrot's best trick is a disappearing act! Can Betty, in her guise of "Nancy Clue, Girl Detective", track down the "fowl felon" who perpetrated the parrot purloining?!
SCRIPT: George Gladir.
ART: Jeff Shultz.
"Red Carpet Ready": The N-TV awards are the hottest ticket in town, so naturally the girls need to be at their stylish best when they attend the show!
SCRIPT: Barbara and Samantha Slate.
ART: Jeff Shultz.
"In on the Game?": Three cheers for girly-girls – in Veronica's world, all a cheerleader really needs to do is physically show up!
SCRIPT: Kathleen Webb.
ART: Jeff Shultz.
On sale at comic specialty shops: October 22, 2008
On sale on newsstands: November 4, 2008
32-page, full-color comic
$2.25 U.S.

BETTY & VERONICA DIGEST #188
"There's No Place Like Riverdale": After reading her favorite "Oz" books once again, a bump on the head sends Betty traveling down the "yellow brick road" for real… sort of. Before too long she's running into witches that look like Veronica, tin men that look like Jughead and scarecrows that look like Archie!
SCRIPT AND ART: Dan Parent.
"Window of Opportunity": Staring out the window during class sends Betty's imagination soaring… but will it send her grades sinking?
SCRIPT: Mike Pellowski.
ART: Tim Kennedy.
PLUS: Other new and classic tales!
SCRIPT AND ART: Various talents.
BONUS: Puzzles, games and pin-ups!
On sale at comic specialty shops: October 8, 2008
On sale on newsstands: October 21, 2008
88-page, full -color digest
$2.49 U.S.

BETTY & VERONICA DOUBLE DIGEST #165
THE THRILLING CONCLUSION TO THE 5-PART, INTERACTIVE STORY WHERE CHERYL BLOSSOM'S NEW BOYFRIEND – AS VOTED BY THE READERS OF ARCHIE COMICS – WILL FINALLY BE REVEALED!
"And the Winner Is… Part 5 of 5": Well, the election results are in and the United States is about to have its first… oh wait, that's that other election! This election is the one where you the readers pick Cheryl Blossom's new boyfriend… and the results are in! Four issues ago, Reggie and Cheryl broke up, and Cheryl wound up on the TV show "The Lonely Hearts Club" in search of a new beau. Three hot contestants stepped up for the challenge, and you the reader witnessed each of their dates with Cheryl and placed your votes for who you thought Cheryl should choose online at
Archiecomics.com! This issue, the new man in Cheryl's life is finally revealed… but not before the host of the show treats all the participants to a wacky recap of clips featuring all their foul-ups and blunders! Where will this latest shake-up in the Archie-verse lead? It's the craziest, kookiest conclusion that you simply can't miss!
SCRIPT AND ART: Dan Parent.
"The Pledge": Betty and Veronica vow to go through an entire day without thinking about, mentioning, or talking to Archie… yep, that'll work!
SCRIPT: George Gladir.
ART: Pat Kennedy.
"Movie Magic": In a modern-day twist on the classic 1940's story "Double Trouble," Archie once again finds himself entangled in the eternal love triangle while trying to enjoy a night at the movies!
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 at comic specialty shops: October 22, 2008
On sale on newsstands: November 4, 2008
176-page, full-color digest
$3.69 U.S.

JUGHEAD & FRIENDS DIGEST #30
"Pajama Tardy": To avoid being late, Jughead decides to wear his pajama pants to school! SCRIPT AND
ART: Fernando Ruiz. "In the Pink": Jughead conceives a robot to conserve energy… his own!
SCRIPT: George Gladir.
ART: Fernando Ruiz.
PLUS: Other new and classic tales!
SCRIPT AND ART: Various talents.
BONUS: Puzzles, games and pin-ups!
On sale at comic specialty shops: November 5, 2008
On sale on newsstands: November 18, 2008
88-page, full-color digest
$2.49 U.S.

JUGHEAD'S DOUBLE DIGEST #144
"Fool Pigeon": In an attempt to swing Veronica's attention away from Reggie's flashiness and back to him, Archie hopes to romance her with love notes from a homing pigeon. Of course, there's no guarantee the bird will deliver the message to the intended recipient!
SCRIPT AND ART: Fernando Ruiz.
"The Expert Supreme": In order to not be noticed making multiple trips to the food sample area of the discount warehouse store, Jughead does the unthinkable: he appears in public without his trademark crown cap!
SCRIPT: George Gladir.
ART: Fernando Ruiz.
"Too Much is Not Enough": Both Jughead and Archie plan to indulge themselves this weekend – Jughead with a smorgasbord of food, and Archie with a bevy of beauties to date!
SCRIPT: Kathleen Webb.
ART: Pat Kennedy.
PLUS: Other new and classic tales!
SCRIPT AND ART: Various talents.
BONUS: Puzzles, games and pin-ups!
On sale at comic specialty shops: October 8, 2008
On sale on newsstands: October 21, 2008
176-page, full-color digest
$3.69 U.S.

PALS-N-GALS DOUBLE DIGEST #126
THE SECOND PART OF A NEW FOUR-PART STORY IN THE "DYNAMIC NEW LOOK" – AND THIS TIME, MOOSE & MIDGE'S ROMANCE HANGS IN THE BALANCE!
"Break-up Blues Part 2": Last issue, Midge decided to take a break from her possessive boyfriend Moose… and Moose obliged! Now with Midge and Moose dating others, the once close-knit friends at Riverdale High are awash in turmoil! Even though he's taken Midge out on a few dates, Reggie is having second-thoughts as Midge is obviously missing Moose… and Reggie is missing the cat-and-mouse game he used to have so much fun playing with Moose! Does Reggie hold the key in getting Moose and Midge back together… or will his involvement only draw Midge closer to him? And what will Moose's new girlfriend Judy Johnson have to say about it? Its romantic intrigue served up in the "realistic" art style that made both Betty and Veronica's "Bad Boy Trouble" and Jughead's "Matchmakers" some of the most talked about Archie stories in recent years! Veteran penciler Tod Smith and journeyman inker Al Milgrom carry on that popular style in what is sure to be the most explosive Archie Comics story of the year!
SCRIPT: Melanie J. Morgan.
ART: Tod Smith (pencils) and Al Milgrom (inks).
PLUS: Other new and classic tales!
SCRIPT AND ART: Various talents.
BONUS: Puzzles, games and pin-ups!
On sale at comic specialty shops: November 5, 2008
On sale on newsstands: November 18, 2008
176-page, full-color digest
$3.69 U.S.

VERONICA #191
"She's So Gifted": Encouraged to give gifts that are truly from the heart this holiday season, Veronica realizes her special gift is wrapping gifts… and offers to do the wrapping for all her family and friends!
SCRIPT AND ART: Dan Parent.
"Tree Experts": To avoid the stress of arguments and clashing tastes, the Lodges decide to hire a team of "experts" to trim their Christmas tree. They soon learn precision can't beat the joy of family togetherness!
SCRIPT: Mike Pellowski.
ART: Dan Parent.
On sale at comic specialty shops: November 5, 2008
On sale on newsstands: November 18, 2008
32-page, full-color comic
$2.25 U.S.

Remember, we're in Trenton, Georgia, this weekend ...

... and you're invited, too! Billie Rae Bates will be signing copies of her "Dukes of Hazzard" reference guide "Them Dukes! Them Dukes!" at the Hillbilly Woodstick 3 Dukes of Hazzard Cruise in Trenton, known to some as the filming locale of the 1981 film "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia."

As in the past two years, the classic car cruise covers some good ground and some fun days, this time making the journey to Hickory, North Carolina, with some great stops along the way. BRB will be there on Saturday, as part of the three-day kickoff of the cruise in Trenton. The day, centered at this small town's Jenkins Park, will include live music, lots of "Dukes" cast and crew appearances, and a ton of classic muscle cars! The cruise runs from October 17 to 25.

Also scheduled to appear at various times during the nine-day stretch are Sonny Shroyer, Byron Cherry, Don Pedro Colley, Rick Hurst, original "Dukes" inspiration Jerry Rushing, original Georgia show mechanic Tony Kelley, original Georgia show transportation director Don Schisler, stuntman Al Wyatt Jr., Tom Sarmento of the Hazzard County Stunt Team, and more.

See the full details, including host hotel information, at the cruise's site: http://www.dohgltruth.com/cruise.htm

Keep up with BRB and her signings at the Events page at BillieRae.com, where some crazy photos have recently been added!

BRBTV News Blog Blip: He may be known as "Blake Lively's dad" these days, but to us, Ernie Brown / Lively will always be L.B. Davenport on "The Dukes of Hazzard," as well as Dobro Doolan in the show's pilot episode! Lively was in a car wreck on Monday, but he's doing OK, as reported here and here. See a nice photo of Lively with his daughter in the first link.

Bits 'n' Pieces: Let's play catch-up with a few "Dallas" femmes

- Linda Gray, our own Sue Ellen Ewing, has a video from her appearance on the WB's brand-new "90210" on her official website, in case you missed it:
http://www.lindagray.com/welcome.htm

- Get a glimpse of Kate Mulgrew, our own Garnet McGee of "Dallas," in the stage production of Equus" last month, co-starring with Daniel Radcliffe, the big screen's "Harry Potter":
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1815820495?bctid=1817750962
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1543292572?bctid=1830104513

- Susan Lucci, our own Hillary Taylor / Sheila Foley of "Dallas," has some minute-by-minute and behind-the-scenes coverage of her spin on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" on her official site:
http://www.susanlucci.com/shared/news.htm

- Switching gears from the "Dallas" femmes to a "Santa Barbara" darling, Robin Wright Penn is in the news again, but not for some fab red-carpet movie premiere. Our own original Kelly Capwell is joining some other "three-named stars" to promote a scholarship for a needy New York resident through the New York Times Company Foundation’s College Scholarship Program. Read the press release at PR-USA.net.

Writer / producer offers his take on the modern-day Ewings in "Dallas: The Gathering"

Ever wonder what the various folks of our beloved "Dallas" would be doing nowadays, 10 years after the last small-screen check-in with them, "Dallas: War of the Ewings"? One writer has decided to take on that vision. Bryan J. Kinnaird, writer / director / executive producer of "The Villikon Chronicles: Genesis of Evil" and author of "Hellbox," plans to release the e-novella "Dallas: The Gathering" this fall.

"First it will run on UD (Ultimate Dallas) exclusively in a page-turning program, and then it will be available for FREE download as a PDF," Kinnaird tells fans on the "Dallas" forum on SoapChat. "Gotta love that technology! Let's see what the fans think before we commit to how long the series will run, but this mini-shot will surprise all, and I think you'll be wildly surprised!"

If Kinnaird has his way, though, his ideas will go in some other key directions. "I've thrown 'Dallas: The Gathering' into the mix as a contender for a much-talked-about third television film, meant to relaunch the 'Dallas' brand as a next-generation TV series in the same vein as recent retrofits of '(Beverly Hills) 90210' and 'Knight Rider.' As part of the pitch, I’m also serving this mini-graphic opus, “Dallas: Gathering for the Departed,” as inspired by the feature-length script “Dallas: The Gathering.”

Read more about the "Gathering" e-novella here, and read more about Kinnaird's other projects here.

BRBTV News Blog Blip: The media have been all over next month's "Dallas" 30th anniversary reunion like a big-ole Persian rug on the Southfork parlor floor. When the reunion was first announced several weeks back, it spread like wildfire through every news agency imaginable. Now, the Associated Press has done a check-in with Larry Hagman and his wife Maj at Southfork, and that story is spreading all over the place again. The AP took some nice fresh photos, too; see it all here.

Archie Comics keeps shaking things up in 2008

From Archie Comics

The year 2008 will surely go down as the year Archie Comics pulled out all the stops with one intriguing storyline after another. From Alex Simmon’s thrilling mysteries in the pages of ARCHIE & FRIENDS, to Jughead’s and Moose & Midge’s forays into the “Dynamic New Look” in JUGHEAD’S DOUBLE DIGEST and PALS-N-GALS DOUBLE DIGEST respectively, to the readers voting for Cheryl’s new boyfriend in BETTY & VERONICA DOUBLE DIGEST, we’ve been keeping our readers busy with stories that play up the classic personalities and relationships of everyone’s favorite comic book teens!

This October, the excitement continues as fan-favorite writer Batton Lash delivers another installment of the popular “Freshman Year” saga in ARCHIE #590, and popular “WJHC” writer Jane Smith Fisher comes on board ARCHIE & FRIENDS for a two-part storyline that may well be the ultimate Archies band story! And speaking of the Archies, they’re about to trade the garage for the drama club over in the pages of ARCHIE’S DOUBLE DIGEST. Don’t miss these awesome issues!

ARCHIE #590
THE THRILLING "FRESHMAN YEAR SAGA" CONTINUES!
The first year of high school has been an eventful one for Archie and his friends, and it's all leading towards a whirlwind finale! But the teens still have some time to go yet. In this latest installment, they are evaluated by their teachers who report their progress to their folks on "parent-teacher" night. How will they fare once their parents learn how they're doing? Meanwhile, in social life, love triangles abound, and so do pranks – some playful, some nasty. But none nastier than the bikers who have been bedeviling the town. All this, plus a surprise or two! It's the greatest "first year" of high school ever, courtesy of fan-favorite writer Batton Lash of "Wolff & Byrd" and "Archie Meets the Punisher" fame, along with "Scrapyard Detectives" creator and popular Archie artist/writer Bill Galvan.
SCRIPT: Batton Lash.
ART: Bill Galvan.
On sale on newsstands: November 11, 2008
32-recycled page, full-color comic
$2.25 U.S.

ARCHIE & FRIENDS #124
THE FIRST PART OF A TWO-PART TALE BY POPULAR “WJHC” WRITER JANE SMITH FISHER!
“ Battle of the Bands, Part One”: The greatest comic book band in the world is out to prove its supremacy in the most decisive fashion possible: by winning a “ Battle of the Bands” competition. This isn’t just any contest – at stake is a first prize Tropical Island vacation! But two sour notes threaten their presumed victory: Veronica’s selfishness and Reggie’s mysterious disappearances. Can the band recover and end on a high note? A longtime advocate for kid’s comics, writer Jane Smith Fisher has devoted her career to telling age-appropriate stories in series such as “Cybernauts” and the highly popular “WJHC,” about a group of teens who start their own high school radio station. Jane has been embraced by librarians and schools across the nation. Now she brings her special voice for both young and female characters to Archie Comics in this rock ‘n’ rollin’ storyline.
SCRIPT: Jane Smith Fisher.
ART: Stan Goldberg.
On sale on newsstands: October 21, 2008
32-page, full-color comic
$2.25 U.S.

ARCHIE’S DOUBLE DIGEST #193
“To Play or Not to Play”: Feeling the stress of studies, extracurricular activities and college applications, the gang decides to put the Archies on hiatus – until Jughead convinces his band mates to appear in a high school musical he’s written about a teen rock band stressed out by their studies, extracurricular activities and college applications!
SCRIPT AND ART: Bill Galvan.
“Toy Story”: A short time ago, in a town called Riverdale not too far away … Jughead has dragged Archie to a toy store at midnight so he can be among the first to purchase the new “Star Lores” action figures!
SCRIPT: George Gladir.
ART: Bill Galvan.
“Pre-Exam Insurance”: Archie’s convinced that petting Betty’s cat Carmel is good luck before an exam… but the only thing between Archie and a passing grade is the tree Carmel’s stuck in!
SCRIPT: George Gladir.
ART: Henry Scarpelli.
PLUS: Other new and classic tales!
SCRIPT AND ART: Various talents.
BONUS: Puzzles, games and pin-ups!
On sale on newsstands: November 11, 2008
176-page, full-color digest
$3.69 U.S.

New book takes on the story of Joan Collins

Graham Lord certainly isn't the first person to write a book about Joan Collins. Most likely he won't be the last.

Lord, who's also written books on the lives of David Niven, Dick Francis and James Herriot, examines the longevity of Collins' career and life (she's in her 70s). The author is a former literary editor of the Sunday Express.

The 400-page book, "Joan Collins: The Biography of an Icon," releases on November 1 from Orion Publishing. Orion calls the biography "affectionate," quoting Lord as saying, "Men like her because she is beautiful, sexy, sassy, funny, naughty and intelligent. Women admire her because she is stylish, elegant, strong, positive and independent, a feisty old feminist who is nevertheless extremely feminine and even in old age she is able to attract handsome young men."

BRBTV News Blog Blip: While we're on the topic of books, John O’Hurley, Stephen Slade of "Santa Barbara," signs copies of his "Before Your Dog Can Eat Your Homework, You Have To Do It" on November 20 at 7 p.m. at Barnes & Noble in Exton, Pennsylvania.

IMDb: A BRBTV video sweep

We're always just tickled pink when we encounter someone out there who actually hasn't known about the IMDb. As if we don't go there pretty much every day. There is a reason BRB's bro Scott calls it "The Oracle," after all (and no, that's not a Batgirl reference). Now the IMDb is kicking it up a notch. A couple weeks ago, we took a look at Amazon's new downloadable video offerings -- both free and for sale -- and now we turn our attention to the Internet Movie Database, where, among the TV shows covered by BRBTV, "Dynasty" is certainly king ...

"Dynasty" -- a whopping 56 full episodes:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081856/videogallery

"Dallas" -- just trailers, right now:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077000/videogallery

"The Dukes of Hazzard" -- just a promo right now, but at least with this classic show, you now have all seasons released on DVD:
http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2040791321/

"Batman: The Animated Series" -- just a link that goes to a promo for daughter show "The Batman," plus the trailers for the "Mask of the Phantasm" and "Mystery of the Batwoman" features, but again, you've got all the DVDs out there:
http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2810773785/
http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi616104217/
http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi599327001/

"Batman Beyond" -- just a promo right now and the trailer for the movie "Return of the Joker"; see note above!
http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi783876377/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0233298/

No "Santa Barbara," "Archie's Weird Mysteries" or animated "The Dukes" yet, but we can only hope.

BRBTV News Blog Blip: What were the most fashionable Dawn Dolls of the early '70s wearing? Something a lot like what BRB's mom wore! This week's feature in the yearlong My Mother's Clothing photo project draws from memories of a beloved childhood toy that survives to this day, right along with the dress!

Get a free fun-filled Archie Comic on Halloween

From Archie Comics

Over the past several years, Archie Comics has delighted comic shop customers with exclusive giveaway comics produced in conjunction with Diamond Distribution. In addition to Archie’s involvement in Diamond’s annual Free Comic Book Day program, Archie has also served up thrills and chills come Halloween-time. These full-color, 16-page, Halloween-themed comics have all-new stories and art and make the perfect “treat” for the goody bags of costumed revelers.

This year, Archie Comics is back with another fun-filled giveaway issue. Archie and Jughead take center-stage in a spooky, kooky spoof of a certain box office smash about museum exhibits coming to life. With a script by veteran writer George Gladir, author of countless Archie classics; and art by famed Little Archie artist Bob Bolling, this is sure to have appeal not just to children but adult collectors as well.

In “The Mystery of the Museum Sleep-in,” the museum is a scream for Archie and Jughead. Inspired by a favorite film, the pals decide to spend a night at the museum to experience maximum spookage. And experience it they do, as statues suddenly come towards them! Are these artifacts coming to life for real, or is somebody playing the ultimate Halloween “trick” on our unsuspecting teens? The answer will leave you scared silly!

Participating Comic Book Shops give a copy of this comic to customers on Halloween. If you would like to give these mini-comics out at your home for Halloween, you need to contact your local comic retailer and order them today. The mini-comics are bundled in groups of 50 and have to be ordered in July.

You can find a comic shop near you at
http://csls.diamondcomics.com/
or by calling toll free 1-888-COMIC BOOK (1-888-266-4226).

BRBTV News Blog Blip: Her foray into the world of BRBTV was brief, merely a role in the 2005 "Dukes of Hazzard" movie, but we like to keep track of Lynda Carter just because she's Wonder Woman. And that's pretty amazing in our book. Carter will be appearing at Feinstein's at Loews Regency at the Regency Hotel in New York on October 21-25. Read more here.

Robin Wright Penn hits the red carpet for "What Just Happened?"

When you've got so many big-screen projects going on, you've got so many red-carpet premieres going on, too. Robin Wright Penn, our own original Kelly Capwell of "Santa Barbara," knows that pretty well. She was just all over the news for the "Hounddog" premiere, and now she's back in print (still in print) for the premiere of the Robert DeNiro film "What Just Happened?" (in which her character name is Kelly, as we've noted on this very blog).

Here's an AP video of her appearance with hubby Sean Penn and DeNiro last week in New York, including an interview with her and clips of her scenes:
http://thenewsvideos.blogspot.com/2008/10/robert-de-niro-sean-penn-and-robin.html

And here's an "Entertainment Tonight" clip, which also features Penn at the mic:
http://www.channel3000.com/entertainmenttonight/17606458/detail.html

And here's Women's Wear Daily's take (Penn is in beautiful black Dolce & Gabbana!):
http://www.wwd.com/lifestyle-news/eye/art-imitates-art-at-what-just-happened-premiere-1821965?justin=1821965

BRBTV News Blog Blip: Heather Locklear has been plastered all over the place, unfortunately. While The BRBTV News Blog doesn't make a practice of covering the troubles in our stars' personal lives, we did come across an interesting perspective on our own Sammy Jo Carrington of "Dynasty" at The New York Magazine. The mag pays appropriate (and hopeful) homage to the legacy that is Locklear.

BRBTV News Blog Blip: Playbill reports something kinder about the equally-unfortunately-arrested-and-press-plastered Tom Wopat, our own Luke Duke of "The Dukes of Hazzard." Wopat will join the Big Apple's WABC-TV news anchor Michelle Charlesworth in hosting "Broadway Backstage: Fall Preview," airing October 25.