This is important exposition. Unfortunately for us keeners, we figured all of this out long ago. The only thing that doesn’t seem right is the total number of episodes. I think there were far more than 500, but I could be wrong.
I collect Our Gang (The Little Rascals) films. There were more than 200 episodes produced and about a dozen or so are considered lost. Some of the surviving films are in such bad shape, up to a fourth of the film is missing. There is one film where the picture is so bad, you can hardly even see it.
Mary is telling the whole readership what we geeks already know and have discussed here, but Tracy also needs to hear this and is at least sympathetic toward Mary, And that is for the better for Vitamin Flintheart.
We all battle our personal obsessions in life. Vitamin loves to see himself on film, Sam loves to smoke, Mary loves the color green, fake Moon Maid loves to dress very provocatively and Dick loves to let criminals go free. Just a normal day in Tracyville.
avenger09: Well, if Richard lets the Nitrates go free, only to become Checkerboard Hyena Chow (as several have already speculated), it won’t be the first time!.Remember when he let Doctor Mordred escape….Quote Charlie Brown: RATS!
I really love this story with Mary Perkins in it. It’s great to see her again and not just as a one panel cameo. Thanks to the great writers of this strip.
I get a chuckle out of those monitors at MCU HQ. Apparently, all anyone has to do is say a few words about a subject, and the appropriate images pop up on the screens.
As I noticed in today’s Ripley’s Believe It Or Not the old celluloid film was so flammable that it would burn underwater. I don’t know how much it would have degraded before it would be worth the trouble to salvage it for a market for old films, about 15 years after the old films were dumped.
Gweedo – Your ad here – Murray: Saudi Aurora, here. As a rule, I don’t read profiles much, probably because I didn’t put much into mine..Midnight Special fan: From time to time, Rich Warren plays a song by Peter and Lou Berryman called, “Your State’s Name Here.” Kind of like your moniker!.(Midnight Special is a radio program on radio station WFMT in Chicago. Last time I tried to talk about Midnight Special, people asked what it was. Which wasn’t too bad until someone also wrote, “What’s a WFMT”?.I kid you not.
A lot of priceless music has been lost over the years also. Much of the early Beatles recordings were lost simply because the studio engineers recorded over them. It’s much easier now to save an artist’s work for future generations to enjoy. I mean, how neat is it to know that two hundred years from now your great, great, great, great, great grandkid will be able to read and enjoy Tracy battling Dr. Mordred to the bitten end! Classic!
Re-read Panel 3 and you’ll see Mary gave the number as “500 or so”.
Yes, I know she said, “or so” but the show was broadcast 6 days a week, then 5 days a week for almost 6 years. I think the total should be more like “over 1500 episodes” unless there’s really something I don’t know.
If the Dumont programs were dumped into the East River, has anyone tried to recover them? And if not, why?
Even if someone could find them, I don’t really suppose there would be anything left of the images. Although I don’t think they should have been destroyed, they do have very limited commercial value, so I doubt that they’d be worth expensive recovery efforts, assuming it were possible at all.
@cpalmeresq“There is also no way for anyone to have a complete collection of ‘Doctor Who’.”“One can try. I have seen DVD sets on sale. If your pocket is big enough and all the shows are available………”That’s the thing, if I buy one season of some show on DVD, I hunt down the rest, just to complete the set. So many episodes & even complete stories of Doctor Who have been lost over the years (50!) that I’m almost relieved that I CAN’T ever buy the whole collection & am content with continuing to purchase personal favorites & milestone episodes, instead.
Kind of the point, sadly – around 130 episodes were junked in the 1970s. On the other hand, around a quarter of those have since been rediscovered, the latest 9 released on itunes just last October, and rumours persist about many of the remaining 97…
Late in the day -.Gweedo: The only airplane noise around here is Buckley Air Base – and, surprisingly, that’s a lot!.Looks like we’re in for a good snow, though..GO BRONCOS!
“All the radios east of da big ribber all start with “Double -U”.”There is one exception to that rule I’m aware of. KDKA is located in Pittsburgh. It was licensed in 1920 and has the distinction of being one of the first commercial stations in the world.
Also, WOAI in San Antonio..While the general rule is W east and K west (don’t ask why), there are a number of exceptions..But the comment that Gweedo was commenting on was mine, earlier, when I noted that someone (either here or on Gasoline Alley) asked, and I quote: “What is a WFMT?”.Likely someone who lives west of the Mississississississ (click) issippi!
gouldstandard almost 11 years ago
Yep, it would take rarity, not a great acting job, to make one of Vitamin’s films special, I guess…
gouldstandard almost 11 years ago
wonder if a certain pet will be willing to eat it’s owner later in the story….I’m betting “yes”
Wiseking almost 11 years ago
Good morning everyone!
Neil Wick almost 11 years ago
This is important exposition. Unfortunately for us keeners, we figured all of this out long ago. The only thing that doesn’t seem right is the total number of episodes. I think there were far more than 500, but I could be wrong.
davidf42 almost 11 years ago
I collect Our Gang (The Little Rascals) films. There were more than 200 episodes produced and about a dozen or so are considered lost. Some of the surviving films are in such bad shape, up to a fourth of the film is missing. There is one film where the picture is so bad, you can hardly even see it.
Sisyphos almost 11 years ago
Mary is telling the whole readership what we geeks already know and have discussed here, but Tracy also needs to hear this and is at least sympathetic toward Mary, And that is for the better for Vitamin Flintheart.
Mikeyj almost 11 years ago
Maybe the one Vitamin was crying over, in that intro, a few months ago, was himself? hmmmm
Cheapskate0 almost 11 years ago
Mikeyj: My thought, as well…
avenger09 almost 11 years ago
We all battle our personal obsessions in life. Vitamin loves to see himself on film, Sam loves to smoke, Mary loves the color green, fake Moon Maid loves to dress very provocatively and Dick loves to let criminals go free. Just a normal day in Tracyville.
Cheapskate0 almost 11 years ago
avenger09: Well, if Richard lets the Nitrates go free, only to become Checkerboard Hyena Chow (as several have already speculated), it won’t be the first time!.Remember when he let Doctor Mordred escape….Quote Charlie Brown: RATS!
Richard Klinzman Premium Member almost 11 years ago
I really love this story with Mary Perkins in it. It’s great to see her again and not just as a one panel cameo. Thanks to the great writers of this strip.
Ken in Ohio almost 11 years ago
I get a chuckle out of those monitors at MCU HQ. Apparently, all anyone has to do is say a few words about a subject, and the appropriate images pop up on the screens.
abdullahbaba999 almost 11 years ago
O Mary, conceived with out sin, pray for us who turn to You, Amen
Vista Bill Raley and Comet™ almost 11 years ago
Good morning all…
Ah… memories of Dr. Mordred. How could anyone forget!
jmcenanly almost 11 years ago
As I noticed in today’s Ripley’s Believe It Or Not the old celluloid film was so flammable that it would burn underwater. I don’t know how much it would have degraded before it would be worth the trouble to salvage it for a market for old films, about 15 years after the old films were dumped.
cpalmeresq almost 11 years ago
There is also no way for anyone to have a complete collection of “Doctor Who”.
Cheapskate0 almost 11 years ago
Gweedo – Your ad here – Murray: Saudi Aurora, here. As a rule, I don’t read profiles much, probably because I didn’t put much into mine..Midnight Special fan: From time to time, Rich Warren plays a song by Peter and Lou Berryman called, “Your State’s Name Here.” Kind of like your moniker!.(Midnight Special is a radio program on radio station WFMT in Chicago. Last time I tried to talk about Midnight Special, people asked what it was. Which wasn’t too bad until someone also wrote, “What’s a WFMT”?.I kid you not.
Morrow Cummings almost 11 years ago
Face it, Gweedo! She don’t look right in a bunny suit, or halfway hanging outta one, either.
avenger09 almost 11 years ago
A lot of priceless music has been lost over the years also. Much of the early Beatles recordings were lost simply because the studio engineers recorded over them. It’s much easier now to save an artist’s work for future generations to enjoy. I mean, how neat is it to know that two hundred years from now your great, great, great, great, great grandkid will be able to read and enjoy Tracy battling Dr. Mordred to the bitten end! Classic!
Neil Wick almost 11 years ago
Yes, I know she said, “or so” but the show was broadcast 6 days a week, then 5 days a week for almost 6 years. I think the total should be more like “over 1500 episodes” unless there’s really something I don’t know.
Neil Wick almost 11 years ago
Even if someone could find them, I don’t really suppose there would be anything left of the images. Although I don’t think they should have been destroyed, they do have very limited commercial value, so I doubt that they’d be worth expensive recovery efforts, assuming it were possible at all.
cpalmeresq almost 11 years ago
@cpalmeresq“There is also no way for anyone to have a complete collection of ‘Doctor Who’.”“One can try. I have seen DVD sets on sale. If your pocket is big enough and all the shows are available………”That’s the thing, if I buy one season of some show on DVD, I hunt down the rest, just to complete the set. So many episodes & even complete stories of Doctor Who have been lost over the years (50!) that I’m almost relieved that I CAN’T ever buy the whole collection & am content with continuing to purchase personal favorites & milestone episodes, instead.
Tân Coul almost 11 years ago
Kind of the point, sadly – around 130 episodes were junked in the 1970s. On the other hand, around a quarter of those have since been rediscovered, the latest 9 released on itunes just last October, and rumours persist about many of the remaining 97…
Cheapskate0 almost 11 years ago
Late in the day -.Gweedo: The only airplane noise around here is Buckley Air Base – and, surprisingly, that’s a lot!.Looks like we’re in for a good snow, though..GO BRONCOS!
pnorman1 almost 11 years ago
“All the radios east of da big ribber all start with “Double -U”.”There is one exception to that rule I’m aware of. KDKA is located in Pittsburgh. It was licensed in 1920 and has the distinction of being one of the first commercial stations in the world.
Cheapskate0 almost 11 years ago
Also, WOAI in San Antonio..While the general rule is W east and K west (don’t ask why), there are a number of exceptions..But the comment that Gweedo was commenting on was mine, earlier, when I noted that someone (either here or on Gasoline Alley) asked, and I quote: “What is a WFMT?”.Likely someone who lives west of the Mississississississ (click) issippi!