"The Carter Fold" part 2 of 3

For part one of this planned trilogy of posts about The Carter Family, click here.

Alvin Pleasant "A.P." Carter was born this date in 1891. The Pater Familias of the "First Family of Country Music" would have been 118 years old today.

Below is the "Original Carter Family", Maybelle, Sara and A.P. himself:

A.P. was a "nervous" soul, by all accounts. A restless body with a restless mind that seemed unable to sit still or take on any one task long enough to stay put and do any good on the family farm.

His wandering feet took him up and down the railroad tracks of Virginia and his curious mind drew him to the music being sung by the people he met.

He collected scores of old hill and folk songs and hymnals from his rural surroundings, some that were 100's of years old and untouched by the centuries. Songs that had traveled from Ireland, England and other parts of Europe and settled into the back-woods and mountains of the America's. Parts of America which were cut-off from the rest of the country and world as the Industrial Revolution had happened.

These songs, the people who preserved them and their traditions would have been lost forever with the 20th Century's encroachment of their territory. They were like a time-capsule of 100's of years of, not just musical, but anthropological history.

Yes, it's true (and a little controversial) that A.P. copyrighted these songs he gathered under his own name and gained financially from them. But we would be without them altogether without him rounding them up. He exposed the value of what songs could tell, and in doing so, pioneered the work of Alan and John Lomax and others in preserving a people and lifestyle.

A.P. did write some of these songs himself however, though it's hard to be sure totally of which. Some are so autobiographical and modern, they had to come from his shaky hands.

I don't think it's possible to be exposed and as open to music as he was without glomming some ability at matching what it can do.

Allot of these songs had a religious undertone or ever an overtone. I am an atheist from waaaaay back, but I hold this type of song dear. While I have my doubts about a higher power or any value the organized church can bring to someone, there's a true beauty in one person singing something comforting to another person which transcends anything I can explain. There's something that's more than the sum of a simple melody and a few rhyming couplets that adds up here.

Here's me doing a Carter Family song which I believe was ALL A.P.:



I got the line at the end wrong. It's supposed to be "The diamonds will be shining" not "gathered". It must be something from the back of my mind, that I'm unsure of my shininess, but hope I'll still be included in the harvest.

Oh, and be sure to check in on this great project that I mentioned in the first post. A graphic storytelling of Our Favorite Family that seems to be a true labor of love.

Jack Cole, Plastic Man and Playboy

Today is the 95th anniversary of the birth of the great Jack Cole, born this date in 1914. Jack's life ended too short when he committed suicide in 1958.

Jack was one of the original comic book artists, beginning his career with the Lev Gleason and then the Eisner-Iger studio in the late 1930's. Drawing such features and ghosting on a few, he developed into a real quick draw and formed a style all his own from the influences around him.

After doing things like re-vamping Silver Streak and Dare Devil for Gleason and ghosting on The Spirit as well as answering Quality Comics' request for a Spirit-like feature and creating Mr. Midnight, Jack nailed his place in comic book history.

Creating one of the truly iconic characters, and doing it in a serio-comedic style and with an cartoony look all his own, Plastic Man was born.

Here's an early Plastic Man story from Police Comics #12

For more of this innovative comic-fare, here's a link to "Pappy's Golden Age Comics Blogzine" with another Plastic Man story praised by the likes of Ralph Bakshi and the ASIFA.

Jack then moved into magazine illustration and panel cartoons in the 1950's. He was one of the first ever feature players in the bullpen at Playboy magazine.

Here's just a few of the great cartoons he did there. He invented a style and tone much different from his Plastic Man days, and one that's still influential at Playboy today.

Like I said at the beginning, Jack took his own life in August of '58. He mailed suicide notes to his wife and to Hugh Hefner the morning it happened.

Reasons were given in the note to his wife, but never disclosed to the public.

Whatever the reason he felt he needed to end it, we suffered an incredible loss at the end of this talent. Only 44 years old he had a lot more to do.

We miss you Jack!

Todd Snider concert with Ashleigh Flynn and 6 knuckleheads

Last night myself and some friends and family ventured to Hollywood to catch Todd Snider at the El Rey Theatre, an original art deco little intimate place along The Miracle Mile. For more of my take on Todd, click my earlier post back in October here.

Todd's opening act was a surprise and delight whom I (the guy who knows every one that no one else ever heard of) had never heard of, Ashleigh Flynn. She was GREAT! More on her a little later.

The players in our little comedy are myself, my nephews Brian, and Scott Campbell.

And buddy's Frank Terando, Kelli King and Mark Crowley.

I have polluted their minds with Todd Snider for a long time and was excited for us all to get to go see him. I myself in 15 years of following him, had never seen him, and was extra excited.

I had hipped Kelli to him just in the last few months, Frank and Mark over the last 5 or 6 years and Scott and Brian at least 10 years ago. Scott even pointed out that last night was 10 years in the making.

From here on out, I'll let the videos we made tell the story.

First, the pre-show as I gauge the crowd's anticipation factor...Barbara Walters' got NOTHIN' on me!


We had a couple cocktails at Scott's apartment before heading out and had a pre-concert warm up. Brian is especially geared up:

Then after a quick dinner at Cantor's on Fairfax...

...Scott pitches the idea that we walk the short distance to the show. "It's only a 20 minute walk" he proclaimed, then subliminally spit out "20 minutes...after our first stop." We should have listened.

Our first stop at The Farmers Market. For more beer. AND to let the rain begin.

Yes. A 20 minute walk AFTER the first 20 minute walk. In the RAIN.

After arriving and before the show:



We then went inside and watched our new heroine Ashleigh Flynn (for whom Mark became more than a little enamored). Here's a YouTube video I found of her. Great voice, great guitar playing and solid songwriter. This one's for you Mark.

Then it happened. Somewhere between Ashleigh's set, our adjourning outside to smoke and Scottie's drunken schmoozing trying to get us into the VIP section (which were MUCH worse seats than the 4th row center ones we already had) it happened.

We returned to our seats to find Scotty had given away a couple, and by the time I asked what happened, the big giant bouncers came and escorted Scotty from the premises.

Ousted.

86ed.

Ejected, dejected and over all rejected.

A calm fell over the rest of us and an unspoken agreement that "We ain't missin' the show." and "Bye Scotty".

We were one man down, but it was still fun. Todd sang a bunch of our favorites and we all sang along.

After the show, we all expressed our opinions. Kelli and Frank of Todd Snider. Mark on his new crush of Ashleigh. And Brian on the management.

We got to see Todd finally. Or at least most of us did.

Scott has been wanting to see Todd for 10 years or better. He came within 10 minutes of doing so last night.

We'll get there Scotty. Todd still thinks you're an "Alright Guy".

Cliff Sterrett: One of Polly's Pals

Born on this date in 1883, it's the 126th anniversary of the birth of Cliff Sterrett.

Sterrett was one of the finest cartoonists to take up the mantle, and his primary strip "Polly and Her Pals" which he did from 1912-1958, stands as one of the most beautiful ever rendered.

I redirect you now to the ASIFA site to read more. Scholars much more qualified than I, they have a BUNCH of hi-res scans of this gorgeous strip already posted, and can do greater justice to the work than I.

While you're there, think about contributing to this great organization. They are researching and archiving the work of comic strip and comic book artists and animators for posterity. They may not be curing cancer, but it's important work none-the-less.

I have to go take a nap now, somebody tied me up and poured too much alcohol down my craw last night, then I'm going to go find the diseased cat that must have shat in my mouth while I was asleep. I have to rest up for tonight's Todd Snider show at the El Ray Theatre...be sure and check here tomorrow for Uncle Jeffy's concert review!

See ya then!

"Flying Spaghetti Monster Friday", 3 of 4

For the first 2 parts in this series click here and here.

Ah, the glory and beauty of FSM. Blessed be thy meatballs.

Glory be to your beer volcano and stripper factory in the sky!

As it is with all ideas great and small, big and little, starchy and lean...the onus falls to the believer to prove, not to the infidels to dis-prove.

Therefor I put it to science to prove IT'S theorems and concepts to me. As Bobby Henderson and other disciples of Pastafarianism put forth in "The Gospel", the great so-called "scientists" like Newton, Einstein, Galileo, Copernicus, Darwin and their ilk are very shy to defend themselves and their "theories" against the Word of FSM.

Mostly because they're all DEAD! HA! Cowards!

Take for example their idea of "gravity". An unseen force which draws masses together like some "magical magnet". Pshaw! As if!!

We holders of His Noodliness in our heart, all know that the real reason that we don't fly off the Earth into space is because He doesn't want it to be so.

He loves us soooooo much he spends much of his day reaching down and pushing us back to the ground with his noodily appendages, therefor preventing us from flailing off the Earth and into space where we'd certainly explode.

This is proven by the FACT that we as humans have gotten taller over the centuries. With an expanding population, there are more of us and a limited number of spaghettilly tentacles, so he doesn't push us down as often, so we've grown.

If Newton was correct and it is a "Mystical Binding Force" of all mass...wouldn't our greater numbers actually compress us all together and make us shorter and more compact?

The scientists are caught in a web of their own deceit.

TAKE THAT NEWTON! SUCK IT!!

And as for Darwin???

I won't even waste my time or your theory! Ridiculous.

More evidence is found of FSM's existence every day around us. Just check the Church's page here for regular updates from Pastafarians everywhere and their every day sightings of evidence of His divine presence all around us.

Hell! Just check YouTube!







That's like 3 times the evidence of Big Foot or the Loch Ness Monster right there! 33% more than both combined to you "scientists". Well, 50%...Aw dang..whatever you mathematitions with your absolutes and constants and junk say!!! Phfaw!

Anyway. It's not about frustration or hatred of those who believe something different than us (no matter HOW crazy!) it's about loving His Tastiness with all our hearts.

It's Friday. Celebrate as you will. Don Pirate regalia, eat some pasta, drink some beers and dream of the great stripper factory that awaits us all in His Heaven.

Oh...and Merry ChriFSMas!