October 16 – October 22 (2017)

RANDOM PIC OF THE WEEK

We all SMOKE down here! I love this candid shot of Tim Curry as Pennywise from the original “It!”

After seeing the Micky Dolenz concert last Friday night I realized that one of the Monkees songs he sings is a favorite of mine. “Sometime in the Morning” is an amazing piece! Enjoy!

Monday the 16th – MANIC MONDAY! – At 10:30 my contractor Electric Bob came over to try and match the paint on the ceiling in my kitchen. After repairing the damaged ceiling from an upstairs shower leak, we’re unable to find the paint used to coat the ceiling. So he’s probably going to have to repaint the entire thing, which means I have to move a lot of things on my display shelves during the process so they don’t get damaged. I sped off to Tally Rand to have lunch with my pal Collette Sunderman; one of the best-known Voice Directors in town. After lunch I stopped by my mailbox to get some packages. One of them was wrapped in plastic, as the contents had exploded during transit. I love Diet Grape Faygo, so I ordered a case on Amazon. But apparently it wasn’t packed very well and two of the 12 cans blew up and leaked all over the post office floor. I bet it sure smelled good in there for a while though! I got back home and put Roxy in the car so we could go visit the vet. I wanted to see if she had another bout with Colitis and a UTI. There’s a reason Collie and Colitis both start with the same letters, as they’re virtually synonymous. We were there from 3 to 5 and got sent home with some medication for the Colitis after some tests. I also had a few lumps tested while I was there, and the good news was…they’re just fatty cysts. Nothing else. A short while later I joined my pal Grigg for dinner. He’s visiting this week from Detroit, and he brought along his girlfriend Patty. My personal trainer Natalie Duran also joined us for dinner. After a light meal we headed to my house for a light workout. After she left I grabbed a nap, and then got up to feed Roxy and do my nightly auditions. Then I walked her on our late night stroll through the neighborhood. I sat down on the computer and started compiling a more detailed list for the upcoming Batman 1966 museum exhibit at the Hollywood Museum. I also logged and filed my business receipts, balanced my checkbooks for both my personal and corporate accounts, and got the house ready for my parents, who were coming to town on Wednesday. Before I knew it, the sun was coming up! I made some spaghetti and watched an episode of “The Outer Limits” from the second season DVD set.

Tuesday the 17th – AWESOME ASCOTS! – After only sleeping a few hours, I got up in the afternoon and walked to the hardware store to pick up a few things. I also went next door to my printer to approve the copies for the Souvenir Bat Maps that we’d be giving out at the upcoming private screening of “Batman Vs. Two-Face” on the Warner Brothers lot this Saturday. On the way home I stopped at Subway to get a sandwich and then headed home to feed the pets. I drove over to my mailbox to pick up some packages, and then drove to my seamstress Karyn’s studio to pick up two ascots she had been making for me. My buddies Mark, James and I (the three dudes hosting the screening) decided we’d put on our best “millionaire/philanthropist” outfits for the screening; which included blazers, dress shirts and ascots! I had some wild, silky vintage fabric that I used as the lining for my old Austin Powers costumes left over in storage. There was just enough left to make a few ascots. They turned out great! Karyn’s dog Jack always loves to see me coming, because he knows I’m good for a few rounds of “tennis ball fetch.” But as he was chasing the ball down the long length of her studio, he dropped to the ground and started licking his right front paw. He had injured it somehow and it was bleeding! OH NO! I was horrified! He seemed in good spirits (you know how dogs are) but he was leaving little spots of blood on the floor. Karyn quickly attended to his wound and got him settled. Poor Jack! We laughingly call him “Mr. Ribs” because his ribs are visible on his body. Oh he eats just fine. But he’s constantly active (and QUITE agile) and hyperactive, so it’s difficult to keep any fat on his body at all. This dog can jump up in the air and turn a complete circle before touching the ground! It’s amazing to watch! I drove back home and it was a gorgeous night! I took a short nap, but there was still lots to do before the folks get here tomorrow. When I got up I breezed through the house and cleaned, did dishes, did laundry, recorded my auditions, typed out Wally’s Week, assembled the ambient Bat music for the screening, and when all that was finished I made some chili and watched another episode of “The Outer Limits” before bed. It was one of the best episodes I had ever seen called “The Demon with the Glass Hand.” Amazing!

Wednesday the 18th – LAST MINUTE PARENT PREP! – Having just gotten to bed around noon (after my busy night), I got up at four to get some things done before the folks arrived. First, I went to my printer’s and picked up the Souvenir Bat Maps. These would guide our guests through the Warner Brothers lot to Screening Room 5; the locale of our screening. Then I got a sandwich at Subway to take with me to the car wash. The plan was I’d eat it while waiting for my car to get finished. But they were REEEEAAAALLLLY slow. It was almost 5pm, and I knew the car wash would close at 5. As I paid I looked down and saw a tip jar by the cash register. Then I had a thought. People gave them tips for good service. But if MY service was bad could I take money OUT? Hmmm… Perhaps if that was the policy service in that industry would improve a GREAT deal! Just as I was pulling into the car wash they were closing. Whew! Just in the nick of time! I got back home and put fresh sheets on the Puppet Room bed, where my folks would be staying during their visit. People ask me if my parents will get freaked out with all of the puppets staring at them. I tell them that my mom made a good share of the puppets in there, so most likely it won’t bother them. I did some last-minute vacuuming, listened to the finished ambient Bat music CD, and check the internet for my parents’ flight info. YIKES! The plane would be landing a full half hour EARLY!! I put the top down in the Mustang and sped to the airport to get them. They arrived safe and sound, and we hit the Denny’s next door to get some food. While we were there I saw my old pal David Miller, the make-up artist who made me up as Freddy Krueger TWICE for two TV commercials in the late 80’s. It was great seeing him and catching up! We had quite a few laughs talking about those days. I got the folks to my house and we relaxed and chatted. They hit the hay after a long day, and I grabbed a short nap on the couch. I got up later for some work around the house, I fed and walked Roxy, made a CD of Muppet music (compiled from some of my old record albums), and hit the hay so I could get up early and do stuff with the folks.

Thursday the 19th – CHAIRRY JR.! – Since I wanted to check my mail, I figured we’d have a nice lunch on the patio of Paty’s in Toluca Lake. We sat down and got our drinks, but after 10 minutes went by nobody came by to take our order. So, we got up and left. Bob’s Big Boy was our next stop. We were very well taken care of there, and had delicious burgers! Not sure what was up with Paty’s, as they’re normally very good, but it was like we were invisible! I picked up some packages at my mailbox and then went to Bed, Bath and Beyond. As we passed a tall shelving unit filled from floor to ceiling with plush backrests, I couldn’t believe my eyes! One of the backrests was the exact same color as Chairry from “Pee-Wee’s Playhouse!” I thought if I could add two eyes to it, it would look pretty much like Pee-Wee’s favorite comfy chair. And they were only 11 bucks! These are backrests used when you’re sitting up in bed watching TV. They are nicely padded with arms on the side, and even a small pocket to keep your TV remote or cell phone in! My creative mind made me aware that I could cut off the small pocket and use that material for Chairry’s eyelids! I bought one and headed home. I also got a new cap strap for my closet door. It’s a clever device that’s basically an elastic strap with clamps on either end that fit over the top and bottom of a standard door. All along the elastic strap are little plastic tabs that are sewn in. These tabs hold a standard snap-back baseball-style cap. And since I have a TON of caps, I needed an extra strap to accommodate my collection. I also picked up a cool headlamp set. It featured adjustable elastic straps that went over and around your head. And mounted on those straps was a high intensity LED light that you could adjust to any angle. Once you had the headlamp setup on your head, you could see where you were going in the dark. And the light was BRIGHT! This must be what I see when I’m watching the climbers jaunt up the mountainside in the middle of the night outside my hotel room in Palm Springs. It would also be good for riding bike at night, so you could see exactly what kind of obstacles are in front of you. The first setting is super bright, the second setting is medium bright, and the third setting is strobe. Pretty cool! When I got home I couldn’t wait to start working on Chairry Jr.! I went downstairs to my storage and pulled out some white vinyl and black felt. Then I downloaded several pictures of the real Chairry, and went to work cutting shapes for the eyes. I also gingerly removed the side pocket with a sharp Exact-o knife to use for the eyelids. While my parents watched an Elvis video I worked away at my desk with scissors and Barge glue. I traced a vintage plastic Batman chest emblem birthday cake topper for the eyes. For the pupils I traced an oval cap from a bottle of Method soap. I hand drew the patterns for the eyelids and eyelashes. Check out this GIF of how it was all put together.

A quick glimpse of the process of making a standard plush backrest pillow into Chairry Jr. (Thanks Mark Fullerton!)

I think it turned out pretty well, but the issue of how to attach the eyepieces to the backrest still remains. I need to first consult with my seamstress Karyn to see if they could be stitched somehow, or if I should just Barge glue them on. I’m a little concerned about the eyelashes getting damaged if people lean on the backrest and move around too much. The friction may tear them over time. I was pretty happy with progress. I took a short nap, and got up later to order a pizza with the folks. I had a ton of auditions to do, so after they went to bed I started at it. I did some work around the house all night and prepped for the upcoming Micky Dolenz concert that we’d be seeing Friday night! I ate some leftover pizza and hit the hay!

Friday the 20th – MAIDS, MICKY, MIKE & MAGNET! – My maids arrived at noon, and when they left I went to get the Mustang gassed up for our trip to the Canyon Club that night in Agoura Hills. I had often heard about this legendary venue, and they get GREAT acts there! My pal Dr. Cowen had given our movie night group about 10 free tickets to see Micky Dolenz. It was highly apropos because we’ve been watching an episode from the first season of “The Monkees” every week at our Saturday night movie nights. Even my “adopted grandma” Shirley was going with us! (Her favorite Monkee is Micky!) I picked up a few grocery items and then headed home to put them away. Grigg and Patty arrived around 4 so he could show her Planet Wallywood, and I got ready for the show. Sara and Shirley arrived and rode over to the club with Grigg and Patty. In my Mustang I only had room to fit myself and my parents comfortably for the long ride to Agoura Hills. I expected it to be an hour and a half ride with Friday afternoon traffic, so we left at 4:45 to get to the restaurant by 6:15. But a Monkee Miracle happened! We hit speeds of about 55 to 60 MPH all the way there! I don’t how that happened in afternoon L.A. traffic, but it was great! We got to Wood Ranch for dinner by 5:15 and met up with Dr. Cowen. There was a huge group of us! We ate and went into the Canyon Club to get our seats. Dr. Cowen knows the management there quite well so we got great seats! A band called The Malibooz took the stage and they were quite entertaining. But I got the shock of my life when one of the guys in the band said, “And now our very own Walter Egan will play acoustic guitar.” Walter Egan?! THE Walter Egan? The “Magnet and Steel” Walter Egan? The one-of-my-favorite-songs-of-all-time Walter Egan? Sure enough it was him! I ran over to my pal Scott Sebring (who was sitting in our row) and said, “I lost my virginity to that song! I’ve GOT to meet this guy!” Sure enough, after their set, I bought a Malibooz CD and chatted with Walter. We talked about music, our mutual friend Elliot Lurie from Looking Glass, and of course I just HAD to tell him my..ahem…coming-of-age story. Oddly enough, he didn’t seem shocked by it. I’m guessing he had probably heard that before lots of times. The Micky Dolenz concert was great, and he was on fire! One song right after the next. It didn’t stop for quite a while. He was a machine! He brought Mike Nesmith out for a few numbers which really made the night extra special! A few nights previous, I had purchased the Meet ‘N’ Greet package on-line so I could meet them both and get some stuff signed. I had met Micky a few times before, but had never met Mike. And since I have such a HUGE appreciation for Mike’s post-Monkees solo music (particularly his “Elephant Parts” video album from 1979) I just had to meet him! It was a really great night! A gal named Jodi was organizing it and she was very nice and accommodating! The drive home was great, but we were all pretty tired. I fed the pets and walked Roxy, and then grabbed a short nap on the couch. When I got up Mark had e-mailed over the photos from the night and I spent a few hours editing and cropping them. What a night! But the best was yet to come!

Saturday the 21st – BV2F! – We all slept pretty late into the afternoon, so when we got up we went over to DuPar’s to get some lunch. Then we headed back home to get ready for our private screening of “Batman Vs. Two-Face.” I received a last-minute call from Lynne Marie Stewart (she voices Aunt Harriet in the film) asking if she could still come to the screening. OF COURSE! I called her right away to confirm, and then called our Warner Brothers liaison to make sure her name was a late add to our guest list. She’s best known for playing Miss Yvonne in “Pee-Wee’s Playhouse” so I wanted to do everything I could to include “The Most Beautiful Woman in Puppet Land!” My folks and I drove over to Warner in the Gran Torino, but when we got there at 6:15 there was a line of cars spilling out on to Olive Avenue. Apparently there was a miscommunication and there was no guard there to open the gate at 6 like they promised! I immediately called James (who was already in the screening room setting things up) and had him make some calls. Lynne was already there and she was very excited about the event. My folks really enjoyed meeting her. While we waited, I showed her pictures of the Chairry Jr. I was working on, and she LOVED it! I think I’m going to get another one at Bed, Bath and Beyond and make one for her as a gift. The gate got opened up at 6:30 and we flooded in to park. Most all of my favorite people were there! We got inside and got settled, and I went through the program with Brandon the projectionist. I changed into my “millionaire/philanthropist” outfit and hit the party. Mark and James had a “Batdrop” created for photo ops outside the party. Everyone was having a blast. A mere screening turned into a full-blown event! It brought back the fun days when I used to rent The Silent Movie Theatre in Los Angeles for private movie parties. We opened the show with an Adam tribute from IMDB. Then I took the stage and welcomed everybody, and brought Lynne up on stage to say hi to everyone. As she took the stage I looked into the audience of 114 people and saw most everyone becoming 10 years old again as they gazed upon Miss Yvonne with absolute love and affection. We ran the film and the reaction was stupendous. I had seen the movie a week earlier so I knew what was coming, and I knew they’d all enjoy it. We had cookies and water after, and more photos on the Batdrop. But at 10pm we had to be off the lot, so we packed up our stuff and headed to the Coral Café for a late dinner. I got back home to relax and napped on the couch for a bit. Then I got up and edited the photos and did some postings on social media. What a night commemorating Adam West’s final appearance as Batman!

Sunday the 22nd – TOO HOT TO TROT! – My parents were here just in time to enjoy L.A.’s final heatwave of 2017. It was expected to hit triple digits for the next few days. It happens every year in October; one final week of summer before we settle into Fall with finality. It was too hot to walk Roxy to evening church, so my folks and I walked over by ourselves. After church Shirley and my friend Christine joined us in the Gran Torino for a drive over to Barone’s and some great Italian food! On the way home I dropped Shirley off at her apartment, and then I dropped Christine off at her car in the church parking lot. Then my folks and I got back home to decompress from a busy weekend. After a short nap I got up to do a few auditions, and worked all evening on stuff around the house. I fed and walked Roxy and hit the hay!

And how was YOUR week??!!

PIX FROM THE WEEK

James Braddock from Warner Brothers Post-Production Services is flanked by Valerie Perez and my assistant Sara Raftery in front of the nifty “Batdrop!”

The 3 hosts pose together in their best “millionaire/philanthropist” wardrobe…James, me and Mark Fullerton!

Dr. Alan Cowen shows off his hidden Bat accessories!

I’m joined by “The Most Beautiful Woman In Puppet Land,” aka Miss Yvonne from “Pee-Wee’s Playhouse,” aka Lynne Marie Stewart, aka Aunt Harriet in “BV2F!”