October 21 – October 27 (2013)

RANDOM PIC OF THE WEEK

I never get tired of this picture! It’s baseball legend Brooks Robinson and a 10 year old me in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1971. It was the first time I had met a hero in person! And this is the photo that will go in my new display piece!

I woke up Saturday afternoon from an awesome dream about an ex-girlfriend who came to visit me as I was in a room filled with record albums. And I woke up singing this song for some reason. It’s Gene Cotton singing “Before My Heart Finds Out.”

Monday the 21st – TANNED (?), RESTED AND READY! – I got up at noon-thirty and took my rental car back to Enterprise. First I cleaned out all the doggie hair in the back with my Shark mini-vacuum, then headed over to turn it back in. The Dodge Journey worked out VERY well for my trip. I hope it’s available the next time I head to P.S.! It was an absolutely stunning day! I walked back home and did a bit for “The Tonight Show” in my home studio and e-mailed it in. After a week off, it was good to be back at it. I got cleaned up and then took the Mustang over to my auxiliary garage to switch it out for my Gran Torino. I drove over to Paty’s and had a wonderful lunch on the patio. It’s fun to park within my range of eyesight so I can anonymously sit back and watch people walk by the Torino and check it out. Some look inside and talk about it, but many whip out their cellphones and snap a few photos. It’s fun! When I finished my salad I walked over to my mailbox and picked up a few packages. I headed over to NBC to check in for the show. The audience was terrific, and Jay was absolutely on fire! He really misses doing the show when we’re on a break. I chatted with the staff to compare stories about “what I did on my October hiatus.” Then I headed home and cleaned off my desk (it was VERY messy) and went through the receipts from my trip to Palm Springs. I also finished up Wally’s Week and sent it off to Scott Sebring, my pal and webmaster. I found out that my pal Lou Scheimer passed away the week I was on vacation. Lou co-founded Filmation animation studios, my absolute favorite animation studio when I was a kid. “Groovie Goolies,” “The Archies,” “Star Trek,” etc. were all my faves growing up as a kid. I had several wonderful occasions to work with Lou when I was producing various DVD bonus documentaries. I had dinner with him many times, and he was a good guy. I heard he had been stricken with Parkinson’s during the last few years of his life, and the last time I saw him for lunch, its dastardly effects were starting to become apparent. Sad, but he’s in a better place now. I still remember his wife Jay, who passed away in 2009, sitting across their table from me as we ate Chinese food. She had enjoyed several glasses of wine and said to me…”You look just like Jesus!” I didn’t know what to say, so I just chuckled. But since they’ve no doubt met the real deal by now, I wonder if she thinks I still look like Him. Rest in peace, Lou and Jay, and thanks for the fun memories. (Remind me to tell you someday about the time I thought I was going to die in the back of Lou’s car, with LOU DRIVING!)

Tuesday the 22nd – TRIFECTA! – It was up at 10:45, and I was awakened by a beautiful collie snuggling next to me. My dog Roxy is quite the cuddler and can never seem to get enough. But when she does, she unceremoniously stands up and moves to the far end of the bed. Everybody needs their space I guess. I got up and did a quick bit for “TTS” in my home studio and e-mailed it in. I also had time to record a quick audition and send that to my agents. I showered and rode my bike over to Voice Trax West in Studio City for a U.S. Airways session. It was good to be back on the bike again! And a beautiful day for riding! On the way home I picked up a 6″ tuna on white at Subway and headed home. I cleaned up again, hopped in the Torino and headed to another session for the new “Sonic Boom” cartoon. It’s a lot of fun, and it’s going to be an awesome show. The head animator from France was there, one of the Sega bigwigs from Japan was there, the producer from New York was there, and the voice director from San Francisco was there. It was truly an international day! Lots of fun! I finished up and headed home to change and head to “TTS.” When we wrapped the show I headed to the cleaners to pick up some freshly laundered blankets. I stopped by Fast Frame to take my framed Bo Derek back. It was framed with regular glass, and I had forgotten to tell the framer to use UV resistant plexiglass. I also took in my signed Brooks Robinson jersey to have it framed. Then I drove over to my agent Pat’s house to pick up a carved pumpkin she did for me. In the image of TONY CLIFTON! It’s amazing! By the time I got home I was bushed, so I grabbed a nap. When I got up I had a ton of auditions to do. I went through more receipts from my trip, I paid some bills, and then settled in for some TV time before bed with another “Kojak” episode from the Season 4 DVD set.

Wednesday the 23rd – BOWLED OVER BY A BOWLING SHIRT! – The hotline rang at 10:30. It was my agent informing me that copy for a “TS” bit was forthcoming. I told her to buzz me back when it was in my in-box, and I promptly fell back to sleep. I got up around noon-thirty and walked Roxy, then recorded the bit. I showered and headed over to Cypress Park to visit with my seamstress Karyn. She had finished a Tony Clifton bowling shirt I had designed. I scanned the famous orange damask pattern from my 1970’s-era Lord West tuxedo, similar to the one that Andy Kaufman first started using as Tony Clifton (which became his trademark). I uploaded the pattern to an on-line fabric printing company, and had several yards printed in a cotton sateen. Very nice shirt material! And now I have a bowling shirt that looks very close to Clifton’s famous tuxedo! The collar is black velvet too! The shirt turned out amazing! I can’t wait to see it finished once it gets all the embroidery done on it! Outstanding! I stopped by the Burger King drive-thru and picked up a chicken Parmesan sandwich. I figured out a way to order them so they’re fresh. Tell them you want one with extra marinara sauce, and they have to make one fresh! I love the sandwich, but the first few I bought when they were first introduced were chewy and tasted like they had been left under the heat lamps too long. I made my way back to NBC and opened the show. One of the guests was none other than the legendary Harrison Ford! It seems like he always comes on the show when it’s close to Halloween. The last time I remember him being on, one of the comedy features was doggie Halloween costumes. And I remember seeing Harrison in the hallways looking over the little doggie wearing the Indiana Jones costume. Fun! As I was about ready to leave the stage I saw a guy heading to his car with a large case. He looked really familiar. I asked Tony the security chief, “That guy looks like Kenny Myers, a make-up artist I know.” Tony said, “It IS Kenny Myers.” I ran outside to say hi. One of the first things I did when I got to L.A. was to work on the film “Return of the Living Dead Part 2,” which shot up in Valencia. I was working all day at the Westwood One Radio Network, then I drove up the 5 freeway to shoot all night as a zombie extra. Kenny was the make-up artist on the film. I introduced myself to him and he shook my hand and gave me a big hug. He’s come so far since then. He’s now Harrison Ford’s personal make-up artist! I told him I had fond memories of those few days working on “ROTLD2.” He did as well. He took my card and promised to get in touch after he’s done traveling with Harrison on the “Ender’s Game” publicity tour. (Hmmm…I wonder if he still has the zombie headpiece I wore in the film? I wonder if he’d like to…SELL it?) I dashed off to Mr. Stitch in Sherman Oaks with my new Tony Clifton bowling shirt. I needed to get some embroidery done on it. Over the front pocket I wanted the name TONY stitched on, and across the back I wanted the Tony Clifton logo embroidered on. I had downloaded the logo from a website, and turned it into an image file so they could digitize it. Dean, the owner, figured full embroidery would be too heavy on the fabric, so we agreed on having an applique made. Instead of embroidering black and blue threads on the shirt, he would embroider blue threads on a black vinyl background. Then after the logo is embroidered on to the vinyl, the vinyl would be trimmed to size and then stitched on to the shirt like a patch. I can’t wait to see it finished! The blue thread we chose is really going to POP against the orange damask pattern fabric! I dashed back home and fed Spook and walked Roxy. Then I drove over to Marie’s in Studio City to meet with Jeff, the son of Pastor Louise at my church. Jeff is about 19 and had expressed interest in voice-over, so he wanted to get the facts from me about how to get started. After a fun chat I headed back home to settle in for the night. I cranked on the fireplace, took a dip in the Jacuzzi, then grabbed a nap on the couch. When I got up I scanned a bunch of checks to prepare a deposit, did some work on my database inputting new DVDs and CDs, and then made some Buffalo Mac and watched another “Kojak” episode. (Incidentally, using Original Cheddar Kraft Deluxe Macaroni and Cheese makes for rather lackluster Buffalo Mac. I always preferred the Sharp Cheddar, but it’s impossible to find any more. Sad. But a quick trip to Buythecase.com settled that matter! GOD bless the internet!)

Thursday the 24th – A REAL PAIN IN THE NECK! – I got up at noon with a serious pain in the left side of my neck. I had slept wrong on it! YOWCH! I did a bit for “TTS” in my home studio and e-mailed it into NBC. Then I cleaned out and headed out to start the day. I stopped by the bank to make some deposits, then went over to It’s a Wrap to check out their 75% off Halloween sale. I got a great black velvet blazer that has a star pattern on it! And you know how much I love those celestial bodies! I also bought a surprise for my dad, and a pair of black leather women’s pants. Not sure why, but I figure they’ll come in handy someday, and I’m sure I know a woman who will fit them nicely! I made my way to NBC to tape the show, then I stopped by the cleaners to pick up some blankets I had dry cleaned. They are blankets I use in the Planet Wallywood home theatre on movie nights, and it looked like some soy sauce had gotten spilled on them. With as many people as I have over, and as much food as we consume, I’m surprised this sort of thing doesn’t happen more often! I stopped by my mailbox and picked up another four yards of the orange damask Tony Clifton fabric I had printed. But unlike the bowling shirt, this was printed on heavy cotton twill. This will be used to make tuxedo jackets that look very close to the original Tony Clifton tuxedo. I had gotten some recently and my seamstress Karyn was working on my new tux jacket. I don’t perform as Tony Clifton any longer, but the tux jacket is so cool I actually wear it out to events! But Tony’s handler Bob Zmuda had expressed interest in getting some fabric so he could get a tuxedo jacket made for Tony during his upcoming trip to Thailand. He said there are ten tailors on every block there! So this new shipment of fabric will be delivered to Bob just before he leaves for his trip. I got home and rested a bit before my contractor Terry came by to install some new cabinets he built in my newly remodeled bathroom upstairs in my room. While I napped on the couch, he installed the cabinetry. They looked fabulous! We also discussed some other new ideas for adding some displays to Planet Wallywood. A few years back, I constructed a Beetlejuice bust from a great latex mask and a mannequin bust. It had glass eyes and everything. But now that I have a full-size Beetlejuice figure in The Chaney Room, I felt that having that bust in the theatre was redundant. So since I first met Terry at Universal Studios in 1994 when I was doing Beetlejuice, I felt it was only fair to give it to Terry for his collection. He loved it! Terry and I went over to DuPar’s for a late dinner, and then we came back so he could pack up and take off. I did some more work around the house, and spent many hours in my bathroom populating the new cabinetry with supplies. I also spent a goodly amount of time hanging artwork on the bare bathroom walls. NOW it looks good!

Friday the 25th – PRODUCTIVE FRIDAY! – A script was waiting my inbox from “TTS,” and my agent called my hotline to wake me up to tell me about it. I leapt from the bed and recorded it quickly before the maids came to clean. Once the vacuum cleaners start, it’s impossible to find a quiet spot to record! The maids arrived, as did my assistant Sara. I showered and headed out to do errands while Sara stayed with the maids to finish up. I went to CVS and had a photo printed of me and Baltimore Orioles’ legend Brooks Robinson from 1971. The photo will be mounted in the framed piece with my autographed jersey. I also picked up a few supplies then headed to KFC to get some quick lunch. (LOVE those chicken littles!) I got to “TTS” and found my friend Liz, whom I first met in 1978 when I moved to Sioux Falls. We met in drama class and she told me that Cheryl Ladd was her cousin! Cheryl “Stopplemoor” was originally from Huron, South Dakota, so I had every reason to believe her! In fact, Liz called me one day in 1978 to tell me that Cheryl was in town and was at her house! I rushed over with my camera and got some photos for the school newspaper. What a nice lady! Liz was in town for a few days respite, so I got her tickets to the show. After the taping was done I gave her the backstage tour, and then arranged to meet later for dinner. I left the set and went to Fast Frame to deliver the Brooks Robinson photo that had been retouched and color corrected by my webmaster and pal Scott Sebring. I got home and fed Spook and walked Roxy, and got ready for dinner. Since Studio Café in Studio City has patio dining that allows our canine friends, Liz and I met there. Liz brought along her little doggie Finn, and he and Roxy had a great time getting pieces of grilled chicken while we ate. We talked about the old Sioux Falls days, and how we ended up where we’re at today. When dinner was over I walked Roxy home and then I hopped in the Jacuzzi. I grabbed a nap, and then got up to go get some groceries. When I returned I put all the groceries away, and continued working around the house. I switched out the movie posters and lobby cards in the Planet Wallywood home theatre, cleaned my light sabre display case, put my laundry away, and restocked the Planet Wallywood cupboards with popcorn, water bottles, soap and other supplies. I fed and walked Roxy, and we came back inside and baked a Tombstone Supreme pizza. YUM! And since it was Friday night, I watched another episode of “The Saint” from the Season One DVD set. LOVE that show!

Saturday the 26th – OH POOPY! – It was 2pm before I emerged from my crypt. I called Liz to see if she wanted to meet at a local park with the dogs, but she was in Hollywood doing tourist stuff. I threw on my duds and started walking Roxy toward a park that’s about a mile away. I figured the exercise would do us good! But on the way Roxy did a number two, which is fine. I had bags and I was ready for it. But just as she finished she saw another dog, got excited and made a beeline to meet him. RIGHT THROUGH THE POOPY! She had it on her right front paw and was tracking it all over the sidewalk! Aw crap! (Literally!) I had to take her all the way back home and hose off her paws. I texted Liz and had her meet us at a park that was a lot closer, since we now lost precious time. We met there and let Finn and Roxy play around for a while. Then we said our goodbyes, I wished her a safe trip home and Roxy and I took off for home. A text came in from Scott Sebring saying he had just finished up a photography job and he was in the area. Movie night on Saturdays doesn’t start until 7:30, and it was now about 5:00. But Scott and I had a lot of catching up to do about several projects, so I told him to head on over. We sat around and shot the breeze, and I took a quick dip in the Jacuzzi. VERY relaxing after walking around all day! The guests arrived and we had a lot of fun watching the original “Mummy” with Boris Karloff on Blu Ray. After my guests left I was going to settle on the couch for a quick nap, but my friend Sunni in Seattle called me, so we had a nice conversation. Then I did some work around the house. I totally cleaned out my shoe area in my bedroom closet. It needed it! It was really dusty. So I cleaned off my shoe caddy, as well as the shoes themselves. Then I reorganized them and headed downstairs to make one of my Wally Super Salads! After all, it was Super Salad and Saint Saturday Night! I enjoyed eating and watching another “Saint” episode, but the episode was one of the really bad ones. I watched a few hours of TV, darting between the network Sunday morning news programs, and then ended up hitting the hay for good around 9am!

Sunday the 27th – OH FOR DOG’S SAKE! – This is not one of Roxy’s better days. First off, after only a few hours of sleep, Roxy woke me up with a lot of barking downstairs. So I dragged my carcass out of bed and took her out for a pee pee. Then I went back to bed to sleep the rest of the afternoon. I woke up just in time for evening church. I fed Spook and prepared Roxy’s treats (some weiner coins) for church. If she’s good she gets treats after church, and she likes the little slices of hot dogs I carry in a small ziplock bag. But Roxy was being belligerent and stubborn. She wouldn’t sit or lay down on my command. She was being VERY naughty. So I only gave her a few wiener coins and we took off. No rewarding THAT kind of behavior! But generally it was a good service! Pastor Louise gave one of her best sermons yet. As I walked home with Roxy she STILL wasn’t behaving very well. It was like I was being totally ignored! We got home and I did some work around the house, and some work on the computer. But I was still feeling tired so I grabbed a short nap on the couch. When I woke up I did a lot of organizing around the house, more computer work, and I cleaned the place up. On my late night walk with Roxy, the chilly weather had me thinking about Campbell’s Bean with Bacon soup! Luckily I had a few cans in my pantry. So I made a sandwich and some BwB soup, and settled in to watch another “Kojak” episode before bed!

And how was YOUR week??!!

PIX FROM THE WEEK

Clifton approves! Here’s the pumpkin carved by my agent Pat Brady in Clifton’s image. NICE WORK!