Classic Console Magazine -- FREE DIGITAL PUBLICATION

There's a new publication called Classic Console Magazine, available to download for free.

You can check it out HERE.

Here's the info from the publisher:

Do you long for the days when the newsstand was flooded with fantastic video game publications?

Do you remember magazines such as GamePro and Nintendo Power? How about the Official Dreamcast Magazine or Electronic Gaming Monthly?

Classic Console Magazine is a monthly publication, and will always be FREE to our Subscribers.

How can we offer our content for free you ask? By providing the magazine through an all-digital format.

The magazine will be available embedded on this site for view, as well as downloadable as a PDF. Read it on your iPad, Kindle or Nook.

WHY SUBSCRIBE?

There are still costs associated with the creation of a publication even when delivered digitally. In order to cover the costs the magazine must be able to sell advertising from Retro Gaming Conventions, Game Publishers etc. Many of these advertisers ask for data on the number of subscribers to our publication. By subscribing you help us to sell advertising in the pages of Classic Console Magazine.

As a benefit to our subscribers you will receive the magazine in your inbox 15 days before it hits this website!

Other gaming magazines currently available:

Andy Warhol Still Popular: Napkin Sells for $15,000

This is one of my recent AntiqueWeek articles, reprinted for your perusal:

Andy Warhol Still Popular: Napkin Sells for $15,000

BEVERLY HILLS, CA.—On Dec. 7, an anonymous bidder paid $15,000 for a framed cloth dinner napkin featuring a drawing by Andy Warhol, capping off a year of record sales—$560 million—by the late, great, avant-garde artist.

The so-called “Warhol napkin,” which held a pre-auction estimate of $10,000, had ties to Farrah Fawcett, who gained fame during the late 1970s as beautiful private investigator Jill Munroe on Charlie’sAngels, and to her longtime lover Ryan O’Neal, who is best known for his starring role in 1970’s Love Story.

According to Julien’s Auctions, the house that sold the piece, O’Neal, back in 1980, described how the napkin came to be.

“Farrah and I were new lovers,” he said. “We were at a dinner celebrating Andy’s new book at the home of [oil magnates] Lynn and Oscar Wyatt in Houston, Texas. I had known the Wyatts and Andy Warhol for over a decade, and during the course of dinner, Andy observed Farrah and I. He saw the love between us and it inspired him to draw…right there on our napkin. Two hearts joining as one.”

The napkin, measuring 24” by 24”, features Warhol’s signature written in ink, the names of Fawcett and O’Neal, the words “Houston Texas” enclosed by a curved line, a phone number (presumably Warhol’s New York Number), and several split hearts.

In terms of sheer monetary value, the Warhol napkin is small potatoes—Warhol’s “Triple Elvis” brought a record-breaking $81.9 million when it was sold by Christie’s on Nov. 12—but the small piece was the subject of a lawsuit between O’Neal and the University of Texas at Austin, where Fawcett went to school before heading off for Hollywood.

Fawcett, who died of cancer in 2009, had donated all of her artwork to U.T., and the college recently sued O’Neal over a “missing” Warhol portrait of Fawcett. O’Neal countersued over the napkin, which was housed at the university’s Blanton Museum of Art. The jury ruled in O’Neal’s favor, awarding him the portrait and half-ownership of the napkin, which the two sides agreed to auction off and split the proceeds.

The pedigreed napkin sold for a ridiculously high sum, at least according to modern art expert Nadine Granoff of Washington. She laughingly told The Bellingham Herald that “Andy would be so happy. He’d be jumping up and down. It’s just a napkin. It’s this combination of high and low that makes him fascinating.”

Referring to the napkin as little more than an autograph, Granoff said, “I don’t think of it as art. It may have its artistic merit,” but the price paid for it is “just insane.”

Insane or not, the napkin sale reinforces the continued popularity of Warhol, who will be the subject of a new museum opening in New York City in approximately three years. In 2013, more than 125,000 people visited The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, which is the artist’s home town.

Clearly, Andy Warhol, who died in 1987, has had way more than his 15 minutes of fame.

Tony Isabella Interview -- Stan Lee

A couple of years ago, I spoke to veteran comic book writer Tony Isabella about Stan Lee turning 90. Here's that interview:

BRETT WEISS: When and how did you first become aware of Stan Lee?

TONY ISABELLA: Fantastic Four Annual #1, which is the greatest comic book of all time. I probably saw his name in the one earlier issue of FF I'd read, but it didn't stay with me. However, I was so bowled over by that annual that I became a fan for life.

 WEISS: When did you first meet Lee, and what was that like?

ISABELLA: The first time I met Stan in person was when I started working at Marvel in the fall of 1972. I was hired to put together Marvel's British weeklies and to assist Stan with projects like his photo-caption magazine, Monster Madness.

It was one of the most exciting moments of my life. Even before this, Stan was one of my inspirations and "teachers" in the creation and writing of comic books. Meeting him, learning first-hand that he was as friendly as he had always seemed, knowing I was getting the opportunity to learn from him directly. It was as heady a feeling as you can imagine.

 WEISS: Please describe your working relationship with Lee during your tenure at Marvel.

ISABELLA: It depended on the project. He would approve the cover layouts and copy on the British weekly covers, but generally okayed anything I had done. He showed me what he wanted from the covers/copy, and I had a knack for giving him what he wanted.

On other projects, I might help him arrange features in a magazine, be a sounding board for his gags, make sure what he wanted was done as he wanted it, things like that. I could turn a clever phrase as necessary, and that was a skill he appreciated.

Whenever I worked with Stan, I considered myself his assistant. He was the boss, I served at his pleasure and we got along very well. I wish circumstances had worked out so that I could've worked with him for a longer time [Isabella was on staff at Marvel for close to four years]. He's one of the few former bosses I'd still want to work with today.

WEISS: Why have Lee's characters and stories from the 1960s held up so well today? What is your favorite Lee character and story arc and why?

ISABELLA: Lee's characters and stories hold up because he was the best writer of his time and because he collaborated with the best artists and storytellers of his time. Some dialogue may be a little dated here and there, but the dramatic and emotional core of his writings is still powerful.

It's impossible for me to name a single favorite Lee story. Maybe that FF Annual is at the top of the list because it gave me a goal for my life, but there are so many others. Peter Parker's average-guy problems. The page where Sgt. Fury learns the woman he loves is dead. The wacky Rawhide Kid story where no one gets their facts straight in recounting a barroom brawl. The touches of comedy in so many of the super-hero books. The ability to take some of the most fantastic concepts and make them human.

WEISS: Describe your opinion of Marvel comics of the '60s compared with the output from DC.

ISABELLA: They were much better. They were cooler. They were more exciting. They had a better connection to reality. They were more fun than DC's often stuffy output. DC editors would lecture readers in their letter columns. Stan would make friends with us.

WEISS: Do you think Lee has taken the proper steps to acknowledge Ditko and Kirby as co-creators?

ISABELLA: Yes, I do, which is an unpopular point of view among some fanatical Kirby and Ditko fans.  Especially those who don't want to believe Stan had as much to do with the success of their collaborations as did those two industry legends.

Yes, he's always talked about his own contributions to those great comics, but he's also spoken of how important Kirby and Ditko were to those comics. If Stan is better known, it's because he's been a part of Marvel without interruption for a much longer time than either of them. In many ways, outside the comics community, Stan is the face of Marvel Comics.

It would be terrific if Kirby and Ditko were as well known and had done as well from their Marvel work.  But Stan Lee isn't the reason that hasn't happened.

WEISS: Do you keep in touch with Lee today?

ISABELLA: Yes. We exchange e-mails several times a year. Whenever I read one of Stan's e-mails, I can hear his voice. He's been a powerful influence on my work and a good friend. We were hoping to get together at a convention this year, which didn't happen, but I hope to see him in 2013.

WEISS: If you were to rank the top 10 most influential figures in the history of comics, where would you rank Lee and why?

ISABELLA: Just south of Max Gaines, Major Nicholson-Wheeler, Jerry Siegel, and Joe Shuster.  Working with Kirby and Ditko, Stan created the most vibrant shared universe in the history of comics. He didn't write down to his young audience. He brought excitement to the comics in a way that hadn't been equaled since the great heroes of the 1940s and the great EC comics of the 1950s. He set the new standard for comics quality in the 1960s, and everyone else had to play catch-up. Most of them never did.

WEISS: Any other thoughts you care to share on Stan "The Man" Lee?

ISABELLA: Stan is the best-known comics creator in the United States. When people find out I work in comics, he's the first person they'll ask me about. When they find out I worked with him, they think it's as awesome as I do. Stan will always be "The Man" to me. I treasure our friendship and all I learned from him.

For those of you who have read and enjoyed the "100 Greatest" book, please consider reviewing it for Amazon. Even a single paragraph is helpful. Apparently, 20 reviews is the magic number for the book listing to show up more often in searches. So far, the book has 15 reviews.

I don't ask for special favors, just your opinions. Thanks!

Check out the book on Amazon HERE.

Adam West Interview

I've got two cover articles in the new issue of , including a feature on the Batman television series, which features my interview with Adam West that I did a few months ago over the phone. Mr. West was funny and charming as always. I've reprinted the interview here:  

ADAM WEST: Hello, Batcave.

BRETT WEISS: I’m assuming this is ?

WEST: You’ve assumed correctly.

WEISS: Have you had a chance to watch the Simpsons/Family Guy crossover?

WEST: No, no I haven’t.

WEISS: It was very funny.

WEST: Oh, it had to be. Two shows with records like that. When you put in the mix so many crazy characters—it had to be funny.

WEISS: How did you get involved with ?

WEST: Seth MacFarlane had written a pilot for me a few years ago, and we had the same kind of comic sensibilities. So when it came to Family Guy, he just called me, and I said, “Let me look at it,” and I said, “Yeah, absolutely, I want to try to do this. There is nothing tougher than playing yourself. You really walk a tight wire, especially when you have to say lines that are that absurd.”

WEISS: Are there any special challenges to doing voice work in general, as opposed to live action?

WEST: Not really. On my end, the way I move, it’s all pretty much the same. Voiceover work doesn’t require as much getting ready, since you don’t have to do makeup and wardrobe and all of the people involved. As I get older, voice work is wonderful, and I do a great deal of it now.

WEISS: Do you enjoy appearing at comic book conventions?

WEST: I try to make it fun. I get a kick out of making people happy and interacting with them. These comic-cons give me a chance to do that in a large way. And it totally stimulates your fan base. I’ve had over 50 years of this. In order to have that kind of longevity, there has to be a kind of affection for people. I think much of that is stimulated by me not being afraid to get out and see people.

WEISS: Are you able to go out in public and just be yourself, or do you get called out pretty often, people calling you  and whatnot?

WEST: I’m able to do that where I live in the mountains in a small town in Idaho. We have a couple of homes. One in Palm Springs and one in Ketchum Idaho—Hemmingway country. People around there are used to me, and there’s no problem at all. I don’t even think of it as a problem. When I travel, there are a lot of people who know me, but it’s easy. You just say hello. What the hell, I don’t  know another way.

WEISS: Yeah, life is short, you might as well be pleasant to people, right?

WEST: Of course! You know, I’m a human being, and honest-to-god, there’s nothing special about me. I just happen to be in a job that’s highly visible.

WEISS: The Batman TV show DVD and Blu-ray set will soon arrive. Did they send you a copy

WEST: Not yet, but they will. I’ve done a lot of work with that. As a matter of fact, there’s something surprising coming out with me in that set, but I can’t talk about it yet. A lot of it is biographical—it’s just a tremendous salute.

WEISS: Was there ever a point in your career where you resented be associated with the Batman character?

WEST: Yes there was, to be honest with you. I was so terribly typecast immediately after Batman that I had to do a series of movies that I thought weren’t very good. But I had to keep working because I had a family to support. I felt the more you work, no matter what the material, if you could bring something fresh and try to elevate that material in your own way, then that’s a great exercise for an actor. I finally realized that people love , so why don’t I love Batman? And I discovered that I did, I really loved it.

WEISS: That’s a wonderful point to reach in your career. Most people are known for nothing, and you’re known for portraying a world famous character that everybody loves, so that’s definitely a wonderful thing.

WEST: You have no idea how grateful I am. Not many actors have become icons. You can count us on maybe four fingers (laughs). I’m one of the luckiest actors in the world.

WEISS: Let’s get a little more obscure for a minute. Can you tell me one or two memories of working on Robinson Crusoe on Mars?

WEST: Sure. You know I worked with a monkey named Mona (laughs), so that was a little bit of a challenge. But the important thing to me was realizing as we went along that this movie would become extremely well known because of its—at the time—high tech effects.

WEISS: Fans of ’50s and ’60s science fiction tend to be pretty rabid about their favorite films. Robinson Crusoe on Marshas definitely become a cult classic.

WEST: Exactly. And then I did a picture with The Three Stooges
called The Outlaws Is Coming—their last big color movie. I did that for several reasons, among them the fact that The Three Stooges were so incredibly popular in colleges and so on that it did nothing but expand my fan base. People make fun of me sometimes—critics and the like—for all of these things, but I pretty much know where I’ve been heading.

 WEISS: It sounds like you have an excellent perspective on your career, and that’s a wonderful, happy way to be.

WEST: My main perspective is that it’s just a matter of luck. There are so many wonderful, talented people out there that never get anywhere, so luck really enters into this. But you better be ready when the time is right.

WEISS: I grew up watching  on Saturday mornings. I was born in 1967, so the show hit me at the perfect age. And it played a big role in my career today, writing about popular culture. Can you tell me a little bit about working on that show?

WEST: It wasn’t to me the best project. I didn’t enjoy it too much, but I felt that I should or had to do it. If others, especially young people enjoyed it, that’s great. That was my reason for doing it. You mentioned video games. Those are terribly important now as far as income for studios and others. I just finished doing voice work for .

WEISS: Are there any projects coming up that you’d like to mention?

WEST: Thanks for the opportunity to plug! I have a series on the Travel Channel called What You Get for the Money, which I host. I did a recent pilot with . I'm hosting the Family Guy Online game, which is a lot of fun.

WEISS: One last thing. A friend of mine wanted me to ask you about the time you met the Pope.

WEST: I met the Pope one morning at the Vatican with a group of very famous Italian performers. People like . I was under a lot of pressure because my agent and I had to go out the night before and live it up. I mean so much good Italian wine and food—I wasn’t feeling too steady. And not being Catholic, I felt maybe I shouldn’t kiss his ring. And I also thought I’m a fairly tall guy, if I bend way down there and kiss his ring; oh my god, I may never get up (laughs). So I shook his hand, and I said “Howdy, Pope” (laughs).

Bonus Pic: My my with Adam West when he signed autographs at my comic book store, Fantastic Comics & Cards, during the early 1990s. 

Pac-Man Fever

For years and years, the novelty album, Pac-Man Fever, released in 1982, was out of print, meaning the original LP complete and in near mint condition became a highly sought after collectible, sometimes selling for as much as $100. Luckily for those of us who just wanted to listen Buckner and Garcia's record, it was put on CD in 2010. Prices on the album plummeted, much to the dismay of people who paid top dollar for the recording, but at least everyone could buy it on CD for just a buck or so per song. And now, thanks to YouTube, you can listen for free:

Buy the CD:


In 2014, the title track was re-recorded for the great video game documentary, King of the Arcades. Check out the music video here:

Buy The King of The Arcades:


Check out the latest news from Jerry Buckner HERE.

***
Sadly, in 2011, Gary Garcia, one half of the Buckner & Garcia duo, passed away. He was 63. Here's his obituary, reprinted from Kotaku:

Gary Garcia, who teamed with Jerry Buckner to perform the 1982 hit "Pac-Man Fever," a song synonymous with 1980s pop culture and America's early love affair with arcade gaming, died yesterday at his home in Englewood, Fla. He was 63.

"Pac-Man Fever" capitalized on the new national obsession with video games, especially thePac-Man phenomenon. The single soared to No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in March 1982 and anchored a gold album (one million copies sold) by the same name. That month, Buckner & Garcia performed "Pac-Man Fever" on American Bandstand.

Like many acts from a decade defined by one-hit wonders, Buckner & Garcia could not extend the success of "Pac-Man Fever" into successive works. A second song off the same album, "Do the Donkey Kong" barely missed Billboard's Hot 100 (peaking at No. 103 on a separate list). None of the six other songs, tributes ranging from Defender to Mouse Trap, went anywhere either. The duo did later write lyrics for an extended version of the theme to WKRP in Cincinnati.

"Pac-Man Fever" and all of the album's songs were released over the Rock Band Network this year, for play in the Rock Band series.

In a tribute posted on the duo's website, Buckner credited the writing of "Pac-Man Fever" to his friend, whom he had met in the 1960s when both were high schoolers in Akron, Ohio. "Gary and I wrote Pac Man Fever in my front room. He mostly handled the lyrics and I the music. He was a gifted writer.

"His opening line, 'I gotta pocket full of quarters and I'm headed to the arcade' is a classic," Buckner wrote, "and summed up the entire video game craze that was sweeping the country at that time."

Leonard Herman's Tribute to Ralph "The Father of Video Games" Baer

The latest issue of Game Informer has a wonderful tribute to the late, great Ralph Baer by video game historian Leonard Herman, who I'm proud to call a friend. Herman's ABC to the VCS: A Directory of Software for the Atari 2600 was an historical first and a big influence on my "Classic Home Video Games" series. And, of course, Ralph Baer is a legend of the industry, inventing the notion of playing video games on a television set. Great job, Lenny!

Click on the images for a closer look:

Get more Ralph Baer and Leonard Herman: