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Your Last updated: July 26, 2010 06:49 PM. Original material (excluding quoted material) © 1997-2004 Mark Simonson. Mark's Very Large National Lampoon Site is not affiliated with National Lampoon or National Lampoon Inc. Click here for the real thing. Powered by |
March 2004 Archive |
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March 23, 2004
92. Do you remember a story in one of the issues about a kid who thinks he is dreaming when a woman knocks at his window and takes him on a wild ride in her car ending with him firing missiles at his high school?
That would be "The Spy Who Wore Nothing" by John Hughes from the column "Big John's Couch-time Stories For Men" in the August 1980 (Anxiety) issue. (Thanks again to E. Nice for the answer.)
Posted March 23, 2004, 02:13 PM in Answers. | Comments (3)
NatLamp Audio Online. Reader Ed Bondurant informs me that two National Lampoon albums are available for download on Audible.com, the online spoken-word audio source. You can get That's Not Funny, That's Sick! or the National Lampoon White Album for $11.95 and listen to them on your computer or portable MP3 player (such as Apple's iPod).
In related news, National Lampoon Radio Hour, in its current re-packaged format, with host Richard Belzer, is also available on Audible.com, either in 12-month or 1-month subscriptions. Additionally, if you have Apple's iTunes (available for both Windows and Macs), you can also buy and download individual shows from the iTunes Music Store. (Tip: Fire up iTunes, select the iTunes Music Store, and type "lampoon" in the search box to quickly find them.)
Posted March 23, 2004, 11:50 AM in News.
March 22, 2004
Famous graphic designer Michael Bierut discusses the "forgotten design legacy" of National Lampoon on the Design Observer weblog. (I somehow missed this when it first appeared back in January.)
Posted March 22, 2004, 10:27 PM in News.
91. I am looking for an editorial that appeared in the True Facts section of the magazine. It was written by some guy in Canada, I think, and he goes on and on about public restrooms and their health risks and how people wouldn't need to use them if they were "regular," etc. Also, what is the name of the story about a geek who ends up as the last man on Earth because he isn't watching the Super Bowl, and has sex with Jaqueline Bisset and Farrah and one other chick?
Thanks to Steve and E. Nice for answering this one. The editorial appeared in the March 1977 (Science and Technology) issue and was reprinted from the Toronto Sun November 12, 1976 edition. The other story was "The Last Man on Earth" by Ted Mann and appeared in the June 1981 (Romance) issue. More details (including a complete transcription of the Toronto Sun editorial) in the Comments link below.
Posted March 22, 2004, 10:20 PM in Answers. | Comments (6)
90. Who did the song "Back In America" from National Lampoon's European Vacation?
According to the Internet Movie Database, it was a group called Network. More info here.
Posted March 22, 2004, 10:13 PM in Answers. | Comments (2)
89. I remember my days in college in the '70s, reading one issue of NL with a Bruce McCall-esque pictorial article on train racing. It was hysterical! Do you know which issue this was, and whether the pictures are available online?
It was "Grand Prix Railroad Racing" by Wayne McLoughlin and appeared in the March 1977 (Science and Technology) issue. It's not available online as far as I know.
Posted March 22, 2004, 10:00 PM in Answers. | Comments (0)
88. Who was "Oznog" who did the meat sculpture in the "Artists and Models" issue (Feb. 1976)?
I have no idea. It's "gonzo"" spelled backwards, I noticed, but I don't know what that means either. Maybe someone else knows about this.
Update: Someone who worked with former NatLamp art director Peter Kleinman recently sent me this explanation:
"'Oznog' was one of several pseudonyms used by Peter Kleinman. He was forever being hounded about not taking too many credits so he created illustrations, photos, and concepts under a variety of fake names. His fake photography credits were 'Lenn Skapp' and 'Paul Davis,' he created cartoons as 'Hamin X.O. Varese' and various other names. Because the magazine was always running so close to deadline, Kleinman had to sometimes knock stuff out overnight just to make it to press."
Posted March 22, 2004, 09:33 PM in Answers. | Comments (0)
March 11, 2004
87. I am trying to find a cartoon in which a man is lying in the street with this bizarre face. A man is standing over him waving people off, within the caption, "Stand back! This man has swallowed his nose! It's OK, I'm a sheet-metal worker. Bring me a bucket of water and a catchers' mitt!" It would have appeared between 1973 and 1975.
It ran in the February 1974 (Strange Sex) issue, page 62. (Thanks to Mike for finding this.)
Posted March 11, 2004, 03:53 PM in Answers. | Comments (13)
86. Was wondering which issue it was where the puppets were throwing up the peas and grease? I remember that the menu has something on it like, spam, spam, spam, peas, grease, and more spam?
Steve says: "It was from an article by Tony Hendra in the May 1976 (Foreigners) issue. The title was 'EEC!'" More info in the Comments link.
Posted March 11, 2004, 03:46 PM in Answers. | Comments (4)
March 3, 2004
85. Looking for a couple of items/references. One is the Timberland Tales Thanksgiving episode where Constable Tom prepares a rabbit for Thanksgiving , and someone a table proclaims the stuffing as "rabbit eggs." I'm also looking for a single frame cartoon showing two dowager ladies over tea, with the caption, "My God, Ethel! Then what did you do with your tea bag?"
The first one was in the December '82 issue. In the next-to-last panel, Maurice says, "Yeah, da rabbit laid dem jus' before Constable Tom made 'im go to 'eaven." A classic Timberland Tales, for sure. The other one is a Sam Gross cartoon from the August 1977 (Summer Sex) issue, part of a piece titled "A Tribute to the Lunar Cycle." (Thanks to Steve for answering the second part.)
Posted March 3, 2004, 08:13 PM in Answers. | Comments (1)
84. Back in the mid to late 70s there was a comic called "Sgt. Nick Penis and the Brass Ball Battalion" that I have never forgotten. I only had the issue for a couple of days when I lent it to a friend that was home sick from school. The jerk threw it out. Memorable line, "The poor boys still count in inches."
It appeared in the February 1978 (Spring Fascism) issue and was written by Ellis Weiner and illustrated by Neal Adams.
Posted March 3, 2004, 04:27 PM in Answers. | Comments (5)
83. Mark, (if that is your real name), while leafing through some foggy brain cells that are scattered on the basement floor of my parents house, I recalled an article about the origin of ice hockey. Something about how it was a favorite pastime of slaves in the hot days of summer in the master's icehouse. Any clue as to what issue this story is from?
Well, of course it's my real name. Why would you think otherwise? Anyway, several people chimed in on this one, but Carol nails it: "Soul on Ice:the Untold story of the Negro Hockey League" by Tony Kisch, in the December 1988 (Playboy Wars) issue.
Posted March 3, 2004, 04:17 PM in Answers. | Comments (7)
82. One of the funniest stories I ever read in the mag concerned a guy who was travelling to to the Far East and, as a joke, some items were planted in his briefcase, his passport was altered and he ended up in a Chinese prison. Eventually his wife and children's pet duck (!) were brought into the story to bring more misery upon the hapless fellow. Would you happen to know what the name of the story is? I have been trying to locate it for years.
It was "My Life of Practical Joking" by Tod Carroll from the October 1979 (Comedy) issue. (Thanks to Jim for providing the answer.)
Posted March 3, 2004, 04:04 PM in Answers. | Comments (4)
81. On the National Lampoon White Album there is a track called "Fartman." My question is this: The track opens with a exciting fanfare/march piece of music, and continues throughout the track. I have spent almost a year trying to find out where this short piece of music came from? Who composed it? Did it come from a "stock music" collection? There was one other time, on some old TV program, where I heard the music separate from the Rodger Bumpass dialogue. I have the album, and there isn't a hint of a "written by" credit on it. I have checked ASCAP and BMI. Of those two, there is only one single reference to a song called "Fartman," and it is written by Toni Visconti. It's possible that this is the one, but I don't think so. Mr. Visconti wasn't composing and arranging to that level. It's a great Superman-like piece of music. If you have any sources you (or I) could check (someone at National Lampoon would probably know, or could find out), I'd be very grateful. This has been a long time quest now. I know that Howard Stern used the theme (straight off the NL record itself) for his "Fartman" bits, but it's never been released by him, so there's nothing to check and look for a songwriting credit. Someone must know where this little piece of rousing music comes from. Any help or pointers you can provide would be great!
I have no idea, but I would be very surprised if it was written and recorded for the bit on the LP. Most likely it was stock music, especially if you heard the same music in some other context. Incidentally, the script is taken almost word for word from a Foto Funny that appeared in the magazine in the June 1979 (Kids) issue. (If anyone knows the answer to this, please use the Comments link below.)
Posted March 3, 2004, 04:00 PM in Answers. | Comments (2)