RANDOM PIC OF THE WEEK
It’s not uncommon for a recording studio to reserve a parking space for talent who are coming in for a session. While I appreciated the parking space, they kind of missed the boat on the name.
In addition to being a great song, I love the story in “Misunderstanding” by Genesis. What a great sounding record!
Monday the 31st – R.I.PEE-WEE! – Before hitting the hay on Monday morning I found out that comic actor Paul Reubens passed away after a six year battle with cancer. Paul was the genius behind the Pee-wee Herman character, which I truly loved for his irreverent humor and satirical themes. I remember seeing “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” in the theatre with my young daughter when it was released in 1985. I knew she was smitten when she started giggling uncontrollably in the opening bicycle race scene. When Pee-wee looked back at all the other competitors who were left in his dust, he let his signature Pee-wee giggle rip. And my daughter was enamored. In fact, her uncontrollable giggling at Pee-wee’s uncontrollable giggling caused people in the theatre to giggle even more at her giggling. It was a magical moment I’ll never forget. After that we always tried to catch “Pee-wee’s Playhouse” on Saturday mornings. Shortly after I moved to L.A. in 1987 “Pee-wee Mania” had taken over, and in 1988, just before the release of “Big Top Pee-wee,” Paul Reubens (as Pee-wee Herman) received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I took the day off from work as the publicity director of 94.7 The Wave and I braved the Hollywood crowds and got in line for the reception. We got a great spot and I took some magnificent pictures off Pee-wee during his speech and ceremony. We were elated to even have met Paul Reuben’s sister! So it’s a bit of an understatement to say that I’m a huge fan (I know you are, but what am I?!). When Christmas rolled around I traveled all over the L.A. area to various Toys ‘R’ Us stores in search of a talking Pee-wee doll for my daughter’s present. It wasn’t easy, but I found one at last! I was lucky enough to meet Paul at one of the Hollywood autograph shows, as well as L.A. Comic Con. I even got great tickets to see “Pee-wee’s Playhouse” live at a theatre in L.A. (co-starring my Voice Actor buddies Lori Alan and Phil LaMarr!), and attend a special Q&A afterwards. So the passing of Paul Reubens was personally a very sad piece of news. The “Pee-wee’s Playhouse Christmas Special” remains a perennial feature at Planet Wallywood, and gets funnier every year I see it. My pal Brittney Powell was coming to L.A. for the week to do some photo shoots and I offered her the use of the Puppet Room for her base of operations. I checked on her flight and it would be arriving about 15 minutes early. While I waited I did all of my auditions, did a quick session for a regular client of mine, and headed to the airport to pick her up. We grabbed some dinner at the Coral Café and dined outside. It was a gorgeous night! We headed back to my house and lugged her two VERY heavy bags upstairs to get her settled. She brought several wardrobe options for the photo shoots so the extra baggage was necessary. But she was tired so she headed right to the Puppet Room to turn in. I wrote Wally’s Week and went outside to spend some time in the anti-grav chair to watch the sky, the stars, and the enormous full moon overhead. It was lovely, but the skies were somewhat cloudy.
Tuesday the 1st – “COOL” AUGUST NIGHT?! – Brittney’s photographer friend wanted to shoot her photos later in the day to capitalize on the cooler evening weather. So she just decided she’d stay overnight at the studio, instead of coming back here late. She said she’d come back to Planet Wallywood sometime on Wednesday. My friend Angi had the evening free, so she came over so we could get dinner on the patio at Paty’s. While the days are quite warm, the evenings cool off marvelously! Later I did my nightly auditions, took a WOG (a walk/jog) and spent some more time in the anti-grav chair looking at the gorgeous full moon again. That sure is relaxing out there in the middle of the night; quiet, cool, and meditative! But as more clouds moved in it got a little TOO cool, so I went inside just before dawn. I made a Tombstone pizza, did some writing, and prepped for a big Muppet replica shoot on Friday. I figured in the interest of staying organized, I had better create a specific shot list to follow.
Wednesday the 2nd – CLIP CONUNDRUM! – The day started with TONS of auditions to do. Brittney got back to the house, so we went over to Alex In Wonderland’s studio to pick up some stuff she had been working on. She did a head transplant on my Stan Laurel marionette, and it looked great! Now I just have to find the right gauge of string to restring he and Ollie for display. Alex dyed the fleece I had given her for the Count, but it turned out too dark, and there were visible white lines in the fabric. There was some fiber in the weave of the fabric that wasn’t taking to the dye very well. Alex said this is normal when the fabric is cut from either the beginning or the end of a roll. I’m going to contact the seller and see if I can get a replacement lot, as the fabric is totally useless to me like this. Alex suggested she might give it a couple of washes to see if that helps. Otherwise we’ll have to go to another type of fleece and try that. So that was disappointment number 1. The other issue was trying to find a way to attach the back of the knight’s helmet to my replica Grover’s head so it doesn’t slide back when I’m puppeteering him. It was a problem I discovered at Monsterpalooza on the first day, but by the second day I had placed a large safety pin pointing downward in the back of his foam head, and then duct taped the pin to the inside back of the helmet. That kept it from sliding back nicely, but I was hoping we could come up with a more suitable solution. Alex and I tried hook and eyes, and a hook and bar, but neither worked because they were too small. And Grover’s fur is very thick. I may try to seat some super strong magnets under Grover’s fur, and put metal pieces on the inside of the helmet; similar to how I attach his chest logo. But we’ll have to see. I still think a hook and bar would work, if I could just find one big enough. Brittney and I took off for Ernie’s Taco House and had a great dinner. Then it was home to relax. Later I did some work around the house, and took a nice, brisk WOG. I spent some cool-down time in the anti-grav chair but, again, it got much too chilly. Is this August?! I came inside to make a salad and watch an episode of “The Incredible Hulk” and two episodes of “Have Gun – Will Travel” on TV.Thursday the 3rd – PUPPET PREP! – Lots and lots of auditions came in, so once I handled those I walked over to my vet’s office to pick up a new case of cat fud. (Extra points if you get the reference and reason for why I spell it like that!) Brittney had spent the day at lunch with our pal Edi so she wasn’t hungry, but I was. So I drove to Jersey Mike’s and picked up a sandwich. I got back home and did some work, and then later ate the rest of my sandwich and did the rest of my auditions for the day. I assembled the puppets that would be getting photographed on Friday and did some tweaks. Then, I hit the hay to get some rest, as Friday would be a VERY big day at Planet Wallywood!
Friday the 4th – HEADSHOTS AND PUPPET PIX! – Shortly after noon I got up to wait for the maids to arrive, but they arrived closer to 3. I was worried this would put them in the way when our 4pm shoot time arrived. Scott and Vickie Sebring, and our friend Ben Bentley were due around that time to start shooting. While Brittney was prepping in the Puppet Room for her headshot shoot, I worked on the computer, did my auditions, and waited for the maids. Because Brittney had commandeered the Puppet Room the maids didn’t need to bother cleaning that room, as Brittney was busy inside getting ready. So the usual cleaning time was cut down because of that. It all worked out spectacularly! The maids finished up just in time for the crew’s arrival! While Scott and Ben got the equipment set up in the living room, Vickie helped Brittney with her outfits and make-up. I stayed out of the way and sat on my computer editing together a video that exhibited some fun moments from past video shout-outs I’ve done. I’m going to make video greetings exclusive to my website, as I’ve left all other platforms that offer the same thing. I’m calling them Wallygrams, and since there’s no middle-man, they will be cheaper than what they were going for on other platforms. The idea was to have Brittney do a round of shots, and while she was changing I would leap in to do some quick Muppet shots for my Muppet Replica Resource page. But her session was going so well, we decided to do the puppets at the end of the night. Since I had started the Muppet Replica Resource page, I had built two new puppets, and had made a new version of an older puppet. On Thursday, Alex was able to get Super Grover’s helmet to stay secured on his head with a hook and eye, but it was too difficult to put on and off on a regular basis, since the hook and eye were all the way up underneath the helmet towards the top of his head. However, once she got it attached, we left it for the shoot. Once we shot Super Grover, then I removed the helmet, and the hook and eye, and we just shot pics of regular Grover. Then we shot my original puppet Nate Atez (long A, long E) and got some great shots. Finally, we shot a few frames of my new Mahna Mahna replica. The shots that are currently on the page are of the puppet I had made several years ago by another builder, but I was never really happy with his look. I felt he was too “off-model” for my tastes. So the old Mahna Mahna will soon be going to live with my good pal (and fellow Muppet fan) Mark Evanier! Mark used to write and direct “The Garfield Show,” and it was at one of his Cartoon Voice Actor panels at WonderCon that I debuted that puppet! So it’s only right he should go live with Mark now. Our old pal Amanda arrived to see the gang, and it was kind of like an old “movie night” gathering. Just like the old days! I got showered up and we all headed to Miceli’s for a late dinner. And it was delicious. Brittney was elated with the quality of photos Scott and Ben took, and I was glad to finally get some good shots of the new puppets. I started the Muppet Replica Resource page to share information with other people who may be looking to make replicas. The information I find from other builders on-line is a valuable resource to me, and I’ve gotten some pretty good ideas from other builders. Back in the days when I was making Muppet replicas back in 1981, the only resources I had were some calendars, magazines, and what I could see on the TV show! So I LOVE the sharing of information on the internet! We got back to the house and they packed up all the gear, and we all visited for a while. What a fun, productive night! Brittney got her bags all packed up and got ready to head back home on Saturday.
Saturday the 5th – BUT THE PRODUCTIVITY CONTINUES!! – Bright and early we got Brittney loaded up in the Gray Ghost and we took off for the airport. Her flight was on time and everything looked good. After I dropped her off I got lunch at KFC, and then headed to get some groceries. I stopped by my box to pick up a package, and then I headed back home to put everything away. I had a few hours before my appointment at my stylist’s, so I napped on the couch for a bit. The flurry of activity over the past week had left me a bit tired. I walked over to see my stylist to get a touch-up on my color, and then came back home to do a little work, and then shower and take a REAL nap! Boy was I beat! But the rest of the evening was VERY productive as I put the house back in order. While rummaging through the Puppet Room closet I came across an aqua-colored backrest pillow I had bought years ago to give as a gift. For a while, I was turning these aqua-colored back-rest pillows into Chairry from “Pee-wee’s Playhouse!” I had given them as gifts to friends, and had also given one to Lynne Marie Stewart (she played Miss Yvonne). Lynne and I worked together on the two animated Batman films that starred Adam West and Burt Ward back in 2016 and 2017. I also sent one to Paul Reubens at his production office Herman World Productions. My personal Chairry is signed by Lynne and Paul, and it was my intention to get it also signed by Alison Mork, who was the puppeteer and voice of Chairry on the show. I was supposed to be introduced to her back in 2019, but then the plandemic shut everything down for a while. But now it looks like I might get another chance to have her add her signature to my Chairry! I dug out the backrest pillow, and found the eye pieces that I had created for it. For some reason I hadn’t attached them to the pillow back then, so I got busy and did just that! Measuring, taping, gluing, and waiting. And now…she looks great. And when I do meet Alison Mork, I’ll give her the final Chairry back-rest pillow as a gift (of course, in exchange for signing MINE!). I also started working with the idea of using magnets to attach Super Grover’s helmet. But the round magnets put an indentation in the foam material used for his helmet, so I abandoned that idea for now and removed them. I got out a blow dryer figuring that the hot air would restore the helmet back to its original shape. I went through my bank statements and reconciled receipts and purchases. Then I went outside for a late-night stroll through the complex and enjoy the clear sky and a nice cigar. There were lots of guards on the premises because of the movie studio next door. Something special was going on and they needed to post guards on our property too. Oh well, the more the merrier! After my stroll I spent some time in the anti-grav chair, and then came inside to prepare for this month’s “Laurel and Hardy Theatre,” a first-Saturday-of-every-month ritual I like to do. I make a traditional Chef Boyardee pizza, enjoy a banana Twinkie, pop some popcorn, and enjoy lots of icy cold Diet Pepsi in one of the Laurel and Hardy mugs my mom made me at her ceramics class back in 1973! But tonight’s event was going to be a sad one. I made it through all of their sound pictures, and tonight’s feature would be “Atoll K,” their final film together. But this one was an odd one. It was made by a foreign production company, and Stan and Ollie were two of the very few English-speakers in the film. All the other characters were dubbed, and dubbed quite badly at that. But I was most saddened by Stan’s appearance in the film. Apparently he had been sick before the filming began, and still wasn’t up to full health during the filming itself. He looked old, gaunt and sickly. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t shed at least a few tears. Stan’s appearance, and the fact that it was their final film, made for a bit of a sad evening. However, there were some very funny gags in the film. The film had some narrative and flow problems, and was their first attempt at ‘social commentary.’ After doing some research on the film in the book “The Films of Laurel and Hardy,” I realized why I had never seen this film on TV before. In the 50s, when the government was rooting out communists in Hollywood, “Atoll K’s” co-director was one of those blacklisted. And the film virtually disappeared from all theatrical and television showings. Somebody tried editing it down (cutting almost TWO REELS’ worth of stuff from the film) and releasing it as a film called “Utopia.” But luckily the film I saw was the longest and most complete version you can find anywhere. Although it was on Blu-ray it was a foreign release, so I’m glad I have a region-free player. It was a very odd film, and I felt a little bad for “The Boys” that this is how they went out, especially after such an illustrious career as the greatest comedy team of all time. But as a completionist, I’m glad I saw it. And now I can start all over again with a new Blu-ray release coming in early September called “Laurel and Hardy; Year One” which features all of the silent shorts they made in their first year together, all digitally remastered!
Sunday the 6th – HELMET HELL! – Still flummoxed by the Super Grover helmet thing, I decided to put some strips of metal inside the back of the helmet with the express intention of seating corresponding super strong magnets under the fur of his head. I cut the metal, sanded it, roughed it up, and glued it in the helmet. Later I tried it with the magnets, but it simply wasn’t strong enough. Oh well, back to the drawing board! I’m sure the answer is out there. I did some work around the house, reconciled some receipts from my personal bank account in my checkbook, and went outside to take a WOG. But by the time I had gotten outside for some anti-grav time it had gotten quite cool and foggy. I didn’t stay outside very long. I came back inside to make a salad and watch a few episodes of “Have Gun – Will Travel” on TV before bed.
And how was YOUR week?!?!
PIX FROM THE WEEK
With the passing of Paul Reubens this past week, I began reflecting on my decades-long fandom for the Pee-wee Herman character he created. Here are some shots I took in 1988 of Pee-wee receiving his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In 2010 I was lucky enough to see “Pee-wee’s Playhouse” live in L.A. It was an amazing show, and seeing the Playhouse in person was unbelievable! After the show Paul did a Q&A for VIP ticket-holders. It was an amazing night.
