We've had some rain over the last few days -- slow and steady. The air is much cleaner and everything is greener. Man! Those damn Deer don't seem to care that Woodland Drive is a thoroughfare -- no wonder it's posted at 25 MPH.

Remembering my friend Georgio at: Theater X-Net

Starring: Ida Rubinstein Belle Epoch Russian/Parisian beauty.
Ida's Places in Paris -- from my first jet-lagged day by the Seine.
Read more about Ida in Sisters of Salome by Toni Bentley

Visit: Michael's Montana Web Archive
Theater, Art, Flash Gordon, Funky Music and MORE!
Spitfires of the Spaceways
UPDATED! Wilma Deering & Dale Arden to the rescue; Bodacious Princess Aura I; Hapless Aura II; The fiery Emperor Ming; The Orson Welles Rumor Debunked; and BOTH incarnations of Jean Rogers!
Read my latest Spitfires in Context essay.

Thanks to Jim Keefe (Visit his Website) -- the LAST Flash Gordon illustrator of the 20th Century, and Flash's first illustrator of the 21st, for his recommendations -- HERE!

Charity Alert: Keep that resolution to click on The Hunger Site every day.

In The Community: Yes, me and our Executive Director ran that stuff between the Hockaday Museum of Art and Whitefish Theater Company early Monday morning -- they are very nice to loan us their props and staging. I wish it wasn't such a long haul though. Museums and Music will be better as a result -- thanks!

Media watch: Buzz be damned -- I took a look at the latest episode of the Sci-Fi Channel's Flash Gordon myself. I will continue to check them out, since this blog is so invested in that once-great franchise, but so far it looks like a loser. (Kingdom Hospital anyone? Me neither.)
First -- there were almost as many commercials as there was show. Thank goodness for videotape and the fast-forward button!
Flash & Dale had ONE somewhat-funny scene together. Baylin was OK -- not as scintillating as some fans said, but she dominated the whole episode for better or worse. Ming and Aura and the world of Mongo were a little more realized, but not that compelling. New villain Tyrus was boring. Zarkoff was more lame than funny -- I'm going to start calling him Zarkoff to differentiate this doofus from Frank Shannon, and the other pseudo-scientists who have bourne the name Zarkov. Flash's mom was absent. Dale's policeman/fiance was hardly present. Flash seems to pack a punch, but then again, action heroes are supposed to be able to fight -- a skill scrawny Marathon runners aren't normally noted for having. (They are usually underweight, with back and knee problems.) The producers are 'way too slow in dribbling out what little plot they have.


Al Williamson drew some guest panels during Jim Keefe's run on Flash Gordon -- published July 8, 2001. Check out this LINK for other guest artists!