The latest attempt at cramming the X-Men’s lengthy, years-long Dark Phoenix storyline into one movie is now in theaters. With everybody reviewing that cram course Balladeer’s Blog will instead take a look at the female Phoenix character from the original 1966-1971 run of Dark Shadows.
Amazingly enough, I often encounter people who claim to have never heard of the Gothic Horror soap opera Dark Shadows. Not the original 5-day a week cult series (still available in reruns), not the movies, not the attempted reboot in 1991 and not the ongoing series of audio plays set in the 1970s onward. If anything they’ve heard of the incredibly lame Tim Burton comedy version of the show starring Johnny Depp.
Decades before Bella Swan was torn between a supposedly hunky vampire and a supposedly hunky werewolf in the Twilight novels, female readers of Tiger Beat magazine were torn between Dark Shadows‘ horror heart-throbs. Jonathan Frid’s vampire Barnabas Collins was one and David Selby’s werewolf/ warlock/ Dorian Gray-figure Quentin Collins was the other.
In terms of female horror heart-throbs from Dark Shadows, Lara Parker’s evil witch Angelique is the best known, but obviously this post will address the unusual supernatural menace the Phoenix, aka Laura Collins, played by Diana Millay (right) on the original Dark Shadows.
In Dark Shadows lore Laura Collins was sold to a Phoenix Cult in Egypt in the 1700s by her evil lover, for whom she had abandoned her husband back in America. The cult used Laura as an offering/ guinea pig, transforming her into a supernatural figure called the Phoenix. Continue reading
Anti-Trump CNBC’s recent survey results further verify the shift that has gone on in America. Because de facto Third Party President Donald Trump has successfully championed the working class and the poor, America’s bloated rich pigs and Robber Barons hate him. Joe Biden represents a return to “Business as usual, with America’s hopelessly corrupt government functioning EXCLUSIVELY for the wealthy,” so naturally the abusive rich, which Democrats used to at least PRETEND to oppose, prefer him to Trump, who actually fights the abusive rich on our behalf. 
Anti-Trump loons hate the president so much that they have been hyping this poll as if it’s a negative for Trump in the eyes of his supporters. Uh. No. It’s confirmation of whose side President Trump is on. If needlessly wealthy trash preferred him then it would prove he had sold out – like Bernie Sanders sold out long ago. 
Anti-Trump loons seem determined to make Donald Trump a martyr of JFK proportions. He has done an incredible job saving America’s economy for ALL social levels, not just the wealthy, like the Democrats and Republicans usually do. 
So far there’s been nothing remotely resembling evidence, just the sour grapes of privileged Democrats and Republicans who are reminded every day that they are nothing but bought and paid-for whores doing the bidding of the bloated rich pigs that they SHOULD have been fighting, like President Trump is doing. 
Not that our folk figure’s targets don’t deserve to be opposed. This Fool Killer battles the abomination of Child Labor, the profit-mongers who sponsor it AND the Judges who perpetuate it through their decisions striking down attempts to eliminate the ugly practice. 
Three of the last four CFP Championship playoffs have featured the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Clemson Tigers. Such has been their dominance of college football in recent times, most football pundits anticipate Alabama and Clemson being leading contenders to make it four playoff appearances in the last five seasons. Some people believe it’s simply a formality that all other college sides will fall be the wayside at some point doing the season, with several other bigtime programs failing to live up to expectations.
Given the Clown Car full of Democrat candidates trying to outdo each other at hate-filled and snobbish remarks about the working class and the poor the logistics for the upcoming Presidential Debates have been particularly challenging. 
KID RUSSELL (Cable Series) – “Before he made the art, he LIVED it!” would be the kind of eye-rolling advertising tagline that one could picture being used for a show like this. I’m not implying any disrespect to Kid Russell or his artistic legacy. Regular readers of Balladeer’s Blog are familiar with my regard for the man. (FOR MY LOOK AT THE KID RUSSELL LEGEND CLICK 
Balladeer’s Blog remains the only site on the web that equally criticizes both Democrats and Republicans. This week even Bill Maher reminded the nation that Hillary Clinton is a criminal who obstructed justice. Plus Democrats were loudly proclaiming that what Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama did by seeking foreign dirt on Donald Trump was disgusting. Seriously. All they talked about for half the week was how utterly rank it is to use overseas dirt-diggers against one’s domestic political opponents. Y’know? 
Balladeer’s Blog’s Science Editor Tamara is on top of this story which has put a smile on William Shatner’s face. Shatner tweaked rival Star WARS fans over this image on Mars that looks like the Starfleet logo from Star Trek. 
AMAZING ADVENTURES Vol 2 #19 (July 1973)
Balladeer's Blog 