Tag Archives: Balladeer’s Blog

BALLADEER’S BLOG: COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS FROM OCTOBER 21st

HEADLINES

Virginia U of Lynchburg Dragons GOODNCCAA OVER NCAA DIVISION TWO – This game pitted the NCCAA’s VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY OF LYNCHBURG DRAGONS against their hosts, D2’s LANE COLLEGE DRAGONS. VUL was chasing Lane College 28-21 at Halftime and 42-35 in the 3rd Quarter. The 4th saw VU-Lynchburg pull off a 45-42 come from behind Upset.

Monroe College Mustangs helmetNJCAA OVER USCAA – In another Upset, NJCAA team the MONROE COLLEGE MUSTANGS welcomed the NEWPORT NEWS APPRENTICE SCHOOL BUILDERS (Shipbuilders) from the USCAA. A 14-14 tie at the Half became 21-21 to end the 3rd Quarter and ultimately a 28-21 triumph for the Mustangs.

Augustana Vikings helmetDOWN GOES NUMBER FOUR – In NCAA Division Two action, the 21st ranked AUGUSTANA (SD) VIKINGS took on the visiting number 4 team in the nation – the MINNESOTA STATE MAVERICKS. After a scoreless opening Quarter, the Vikings led 7-3 at the midpoint and 14-3 in the 3rd Quarter. In the 4th, Augustana U. toppled the Mavericks 28-10. Continue reading

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THE SPOOK (1974-1975) – FROM ICONIC EERIE MAGAZINE

This weekend’s superhero blog post will go with the Halloween theme. The Spook was one of the recurring characters in Warren Publications’ iconic magazine Eerie.

eerie spookEERIE #57 (June 1974)

Title: Stridespider Sponge-Rot

Oh, what is the fungus that digests moist wood? 

STRIDESPIDER SPONGE-ROT!

The xylophagus fungus that eats what it should

STRIDESPIDER SPONGE-ROT!

Breaks down hemicellulose all well and good

STRIDESPIDER SPONGE-ROT!

Okay, I’ll stop right there. Had to be done, though. We were all thinking it.

vampirellaNOTE: Warren Publications are fondly remembered for their horror and sci-fi magazines like Creepy, Eerie, 1984 and Vampirella (at right). As magazines and not comic books, Warren’s output was not limited by the comics code and could therefore delve into adult themes and intense violence.

        Marvel Comics even imitated Warren for a while in the 1970s with their own magazine-sized publications with black & white interior art, like Vampire Tales, Haunt of Horror, etc.

        Which brings us back to Eerie #57, in which one of the stories introduced the magazine’s latest recurring character the Spook. Continue reading

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THE LIVING MUMMY (1910) HALLOWEEN READING

living mumy prattTHE LIVING MUMMY (1910) – Written by Australian author Ambrose Pratt. Dr. Pinsent, a two-fisted young archeologist, is running an expedition in the sands of Egypt. The beautiful May Ottley and her father, an accomplished archeologist himself, ask Pinsent to lend them some of his workmen for a few days.

Dr. Ottley has found the tomb of the priest Ptahmes from the 18th Dynasty. Pinsent lends Ottley some workers, but mostly so he can try courting May. At length the mummy of Ptahmes is found, but an examination of it reveals that it was not mummified in the traditional way – after death. Instead, it appears that Ptahmes was placed in suspended animation while still living. Continue reading

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BRIAN MAY, JUST FOR SOME LAUGHS

I saw this floating around the internet, so here it is. I’ll have another post later today. 

brian may

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COOL WEST COAST LEAGUE BASEBALL TEAMS

p pickles mascThe West Coast League is a baseball league consisting of American and Canadian teams. For the U.S. Washington and Oregon are represented, and for Canada British Columbia and Alberta are represented.

College athletes hoping to enhance their resumes for potential pro careers compete in the league’s schedule of games from June through August every year so as not to interfere with their college team’s slate of games.

Here are some of the WCL’s coolest team names and logos.

walla walla sweetsWALLA WALLA SWEETS

Location: Walla Walla, WA

Founded: 2009

Comment: The team name comes from Walla Walla Sweet Onions. Continue reading

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COFFIN JOE MOVIE POSTERS FOR HALLOWEEN SEASON

coffin joe picAs Halloween Month continues, Balladeer’s Blog presents another seasonal post. Over the years I’ve reviewed plenty of the horror films made by Brazil’s King of Horror since the 1960s – Coffin Joe (Ze do Caixao) aka Jose “Mojica” Marins. I’ve even reviewed his colleague “Ivan the Terrible’s” movie The Secret of the Mummy from 1982.

This blog post will look at some of the more memorable Coffin Joe movie posters over the decades.

at midnight iAT MIDNIGHT I’LL TAKE YOUR SOUL (1963)

“Filmed in glorious black and white” as they used to say, this was not only Brazil’s first ever home-grown horror film, but it also presented the debut of Marins’ iconic character Coffin Joe. I still believe that this master of menace deserves to be as well-known as the likes of Freddy Krueger, Pinhead, or even Coffin Joe’s fellow mortician the Tall Man. Continue reading

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JOHN CARPENTER’S “VAMPIRES” (1998)

vampiresJOHN CARPENTER’S VAMPIRES (1998) – Halloween Month rolls along with this look at John Carpenter directing James Woods as Vatican-sanctioned vampire hunter Jack Crow. As always, James Woods is like a force of nature. When he’s on the screen he virtually blows away most of the people with whom he shares that screen. 

Years before the movie Van Helsing came this flick about a team of vampire hunters secretly working with the Vatican to safeguard the world from a threat the public believes doesn’t exist. Carpenter made a perfect choice in casting volatile genius Woods as the leader of the vampire slayers. Jack Crow’s hatred of the bloodsuckers and the suffering they cause is like a thing alive.

Jack, his right-hand man Anthony Montoya (Daniel Baldwin) and the rest of their team wipe out a vampire coven in Mexico only to have its elusive leader Jan Valek (Thomas Ian Griffith) come after them for revenge. Continue reading

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BALLADEER’S BLOG’S OCTOBER 14th COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS

HEADLINES

Grand Valley StateKNOCKING OFF NUMBER ONE – In NCAA Division Two, the 4th ranked GRAND VALLEY STATE LAKERS welcomed the number 1 team in the nation – the FERRIS STATE BULLDOGS. The Lakers were on top 35-21 by Halftime, then the Bulldogs made it a 35-28 game to end the 3rd Quarter. In the 4th, Grand Valley State pulled away for a 49-28 trumph.

Whitewater Warhawks helmet newDOWN GOES NUMBER FOUR – Down in NCAA Division Three, the number 7 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN AT WHITEWATER WARHAWKS visited the country’s 4th ranked UW-RIVER FALLS FALCONS. A 6-0 1st Quarter lead for the Warhawks became 15-7 at the Half. After the break Whitewater held off the Falcons to win the game 21-14. 

Friends Falcons helmetAND NUMBER SIX COMES TUMBLING AFTER – Back up in the NAIA, the FRIENDS UNIVERSITY FALCONS took the field against the visiting number 6 SOUTHWESTERN COLLEGE MOUNDBUILDERS. The Falcons had the Moundbuilders faithful worried with a 12-0 Halftime advantage. Friends University pulled further and further away in the 2nd Half for a 35-20 Upset. Continue reading

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THE SPECTRE: SOME HALLOWEENISH COVERS

As Halloween Month continues, this week’s light-hearted and escapist superhero post from Balladeer’s Blog looks at DC’s character the Spectre.

adv c 431ADVENTURE COMICS Vol 1 #431 (February 1974)

Title: The Wrath of the Spectre

Villains: Armored Car Robbers

NOTE: For people unfamiliar with the Spectre, here’s the basics. His secret identity is Police Detective Jim Corrigan who was killed in the line of duty. Through a special dispensation from Heaven, Corrigan’s soul was permitted to reanimate his corpse and resume his detective duties, but he was really an undead avenger carrying out God’s justice.

spec over plane        When situations demanding greater than human intervention arose, Jim could become the Spectre, his ghostly form in which he wielded vast powers that he used against earthly villains as well as supernatural menaces.

Synopsis: An armed gang robs an armored car loaded with money. The criminals kill four guards while carrying out the robbery, so Homicide Detective Jim Corrigan is assigned the case. Continue reading

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AUTOLYCUS (420s B.C.) – ANCIENT GREEK COMEDY

eupolisAUTOLYCUS (420s B.C.) – Balladeer’s Blog examines the ancient Greek comedy Autolycus. This play was written by Eupolis who, along with Aristophanes and Cratinus, constituted the Big Three of Attic Old Comedy. As with so many comedies of the time period Autolycus has survived only in fragmentary form, unfortunately.

THE PLAY

The title character of Eupolis’ comedy Autolycus was an Athenian athlete who earned a high degree of fame for his performance at the Great Panathenaia in 422 B.C. To simplify the concept the Great Panathenaia was sort of a “local” version of the Olympic games and did not have participants from all over the known Western World. Continue reading

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