Bobby Sherman's autobiography, "Still Remembering You" (From Yahoo! Shopping) Today we note the 66th birthday of Bobby Sherman. For those of you who are not of a certain age, that name will mean little. But if you were a teenager (particularly a teenage girl) in the 1960s, that name will bring back a flood of memories, for Mr. Sherman was a teen idol, beloved by kids and parents for his "non-threatening good looks" (to quote Marge Simpson) and such hit records as "Julie, Do Ya Love Me?" and "Easy Come, Easy Go." Bobby was hardly the first teen idol. The fad goes back to at least the 1940s, when bobby-soxers went wild for Frank Sinatra. In the '50s, when rock and roll was getting started, it seemed like there was a new sensation every five minutes. (I'm lookin' at you, Fabian, Frankie, and Bobby ... ) But, with Sherman’s birthday in mind, I remembered how the teenage girls I knew in those days were gaga over him, and that got me to wondering who my fellow Yahoo!s were crushing on in their own formative years. (Myself, I was crazy for Diana Rigg, aka Mrs. Emma Peel of "The Avengers." There was something innovative and appealing about a beautiful woman in a cat suit who could hold her own in a fight -- and probably kick your behind.) With that little tidbit revealed, I'd like to turn matters over to my fellow Yahoo!s, as they bravely reveal just who it was who made their adolescent pulses beat a little faster. Jasmin: When I was a teenager, I was deeply, madly, in love with Dean Cain. He was starring as Clark Kent/Superman on "Lois and Clark," and man, could he rock a spandex unitard. My friends would all congregate to watch the show, and squeal and giggle. I bought the boxed set last year, and I still find myself giggling like I'm thirteen again. Helene: My teen idol had a mullet (he still does), would always get half-naked, and didn’t talk much, but he turned ice-skating from a succession of “Swan Lake” ice skaters in tight pants into real fun on the ice. I’m probably the only one who still remembers him, but he won two medals at the Olympics in 1994 and 1998. My husband always made fun of my crush for Philippe Candeloro, until I revealed to my laughing audience that my ice skater with his mullet was still better than his own teen idol with a wig -- Elton John. Heather: I had several teen crushes, but the one that I remember most distinctly was Jonathan Jackson in "Camp Nowhere." Those dreamy eyes had me captivated for hours, imagining ways I might accidentally bump into him one day, where he’d magically realize he was madly in love with me (and my geeky glasses). Sarah H.: I loved David Bowie in the 80's. I went to Berlin because of him (not completely stalkerish -- he and Lou Reed had already left). I wrote my senior thesis ("From Stardust to Moonlight" -- a masterpiece!) about him. I sent him birthday cards (January 8), and wrote him poetry (nope, not gonna share). Never did buy "Bowie Bonds," though ... Mahlon: Totally Ewan McGregor! I had a huge crush on him during his "Shallow Grave"/"Trainspotting" years. Suzi: Don Johnson was just the coolest. Those sockless outfits and deck shoes were the bomb. And his TV character had a pet alligator named Elvis. Who can beat that? Andrea: I was twelve at the height of my "romance" with Harrison Ford. I had this "Empire Strikes Back" poster (from Pringles!) that showed Han Solo and Princess Leia gazing at each other in that pivotal scene just before Solo got (sob!) frozen in carbonite. I’d stand before that poster and grieve over Solo's fate and relive that moment when Leia told him, "I love you" and he responded (rogue-like but with a hint of tenderness), "I know." I loved him, too! Such dreamy plans I had then for my future with Harrison Ford ... Jessica: I wanted Christian Slater's Hard Harry to Gleam my Cube, Kuff me, and call me "Heather." Also, I had a childhood crush on Derek from "Barbie and the Rockers." (Yes, he was a plastic doll.) Liz: Like thousands of other teenage girls in the '80's, I had a big poster on my wall of George Michael in his Wham! Days. But in the interest of truly embarrassing myself, I will confess that I had a mad crush on Bruce Willis, and actually went out and purchased his album. Ann: My teen crush was Keanu Reeves -- not much by way of acting chops, but he sure is nice to look at! Thanks to teen mags (this was pre-Internet ...), I found out he was into Shakespeare and liked to disappear on his motorcycle for lengths of time. Mike M.: I suppose my teen crush would have to be judged on the number of wall posters I purchased of my favorite lovely ladies: Christie Brinkley: 1; Samantha Fox: 1, Apollonia: 1 (yes, Apollonia); Kathy Smith: 2; Heather Thomas: 3. Yup, I'm going to have to go with Heather Thomas. She was one of the many rad reasons I watched "The Fall Guy." Cathleen: In high school, I was obsessed with Jason Priestley. Even though all my friends preferred the bad boy Luke Perry, my closet doors were covered with Brandon posters. I loved his serious, studious persona and over-styled hair. Richard: Patti LuPone. Dave T.: I had a real thing for Daisy Duke and Heather Thomas, but the mainstay for me was pop diva Kylie Minogue. (Please note this was not saucy-sophisticated 1999 Kylie, this was wholesome, frizzy-haired, straight-out-of-a-soap-opera 1985 Kylie.) Michelle: I thought at the time I was equally in love with Prince and Michael Jackson -- but Michael was the only star who made it onto my wall. I had a dreamy poster of him in a pale yellow sweater in my room for years! Mike W.: Mine would be Eddie Furlong. I think it was the way he was the general to lead the resistance against Skynet, and also that dreamy hair…. (P.S. I once wrote a 30 page fantasy short story about meeting him; what can I say, I was 15 ...) Sarah L.: My first teen idol was Mark-Paul Gosselaar, aka "Zack" from "Saved by the Bell." I don't know if it was the blond hair, the high-top shoes, the abnormally large cell phone (before it was cool or commonplace to have one), or the bad boy antics (like holding a belated surprise party for a friend in the principal's office or manipulating a teachers' strike to get out of school), but I had posters of him from "Tiger Beat" all over my room. Eugenia: Your teen idol might have had impeccable hair or adorable dimples, but can he make an airplane disappear? Can he walk through the Great Wall of China? Float over the Grand Canyon? I didn’t think so! My teen idol, David Copperfield, has yours beat in magical powers, which makes it that much more embarrassing for me to admit my adoration for the "illusionist." Knowing that there was no way I could save up enough money to attend one of his shows, I made my family and relatives watch his many television specials instead. Lydia: My teen crush is still my current crush -- Johnny Depp (much better to admit that then my second teen crush, Donny Walberg, of NKOTB fame). There’s really no need to explain why Johnny is anybody's crush. Brian: Tiffani Amber Thiessen! Kelly Kapowski on "Saved by the Bell" was "so fine" when I was 13. Donnalyn: I had a huge crush on Michael J. Fox in the movie "Back to the Future." I even wore a similar denim jacket and Chuck's All-Stars to show off my teen obsession. Ugh. Adrianna: My first crush was Leonardo DiCaprio. As all my summer camp friends were pouring over the latest issue of "Bop", I saw Leo there, who at the time was best known for his role in "What's Eating Gilbert Grape." My friends agreed to let me tear out his picture (since he was not a known cutie), and I hung it on my wall. In 1997, "Romeo + Juliet" came out and DiCaprio was catapulted into pre-teen sex symbol status, but I liked him before anyone else! Mitzi: OMG, I may have had a crush on Bobby Sherman! I loved "Here Come the Brides." Of course, I had crushes on all the Beatles and the Monkees, but my first teen crush with posters on the wall, would have to be ... drum roll ... Jack Wild, of "Oliver!" and "Pufnstuff" fame. I mean, how can you resist the Artful Dodger? This was probably hanging on my wall. Don't judge me! I won’t judge you, but I do dare you, the reader, to post your own teen idol -- or are you chicken? Suggested Sites... Bobby Sherman.com - official site for today's birthday boy and inspiration. Teen Idols 4 You - really? This is the best the 21st century can do? Wikipedia: Teen Idol - a nice little intro to the topic. Mortified - it's bad enough we confess this stuff here. These folks do it live on stage. Kid's Health: Crushes - how to deal with them.

Directory categories: Teenagers, Teenage Girls' Magazines, Actors, Musical Artists, Music in the 1960s

Archived under: 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, Actors, Athletes, Birthdays, Celebrities, Entertainment, Humor, Ice Skating, In Character, Keanu Reeves, Magic, Men, Michael Jackson, Movies, Music, Musicians, Olympics, Pin-Ups, Secrets, Superman, TV, Teens, The Beatles, Women, Yahoo!

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Headline of the New York Post, June 16, 1959 In the early hours of June, 16, 1959, actor George Reeves died from a gunshot wound to the head, creating one of Hollywood's biggest mysteries. After half a century, no one is quite sure if Reeves committed suicide or was murdered. At the time of his death, Reeves was (and still is) best known for his television role as Superman, though it's still uncertain whether he was thrilled or delighted with that fact. On the one hand, the role provided him with national fame, the chance to direct, and a handsome salary (that he planned on using to initiate his own projects). On the other hand, like many other actors who play superheroes, he was typecast, and found getting serious acting work difficult, leading to such false urban legends as the one that his role in "From Here to Eternity" was severely cut because audiences allegedly yelled, "Hey, it’s Superman!" when he came on the screen. But it's not like Reeves had been a huge success as an actor previous to his being cast as the Man of Steel. He had had some success in the 1930s and 40s with bit parts in such films as "The Strawberry Blonde" (with James Cagney and Rita Hayworth) and "Gone With the Wind" (as one of the red-haired Tarlton twins), but not much of note beyond that. In the decades since, while no firm case has been made for murder -- and Reeves's friends and fellow cast members Noel Neill and Jack Larson have gone on the record with their beliefs that it was indeed suicide -- the controversy continues because he apparently had so much to live for. "The Adventures of Superman" was due to begin production again after a year’s hiatus, with Reeves having a greater say in the creative realm, he was newly engaged, and saw career prospects beyond wearing his underwear on the outside of his clothes. And although he was found with a fatal gunshot to his head, not only was there no powder residue on his hands, a second bullet hole was found in the floor of his bedroom, something that usually doesn't occur in point-blank suicides. On top of that, he had been involved with Toni Mannix, wife of ruthless MGM executive Eddie Mannix, a man for whom the idea of taking out a hit on a romantic rival wouldn't have been unthinkable. Theories have been advanced for both murder and suicide, but Hollywood mysteries being what they are, no one will ever know. In one of those coincidences we so love, the Superman family suffered a second loss on June 16, as in 1996, longtime Superman artist Curt Swan died. Swan was an old-school craftsman, whose ability to tell a story and convey expressions was unparalleled. Equally at home on serious and humorous tales, he was the definitive Superman artist for nearly five decades. One critic described Swan's Superman as "the alien in our midst (who was) someone like us, who would think and feel as well as act, who was approachable, big-hearted, considerate, maybe physically superpowerful yet gentle, noble yet subtly tragic," a quote which also describes Reeves's portrayal of the Man of Tomorrow. A finer epitaph an actor or an artist couldn’t wish for. Suggested Sites... George Reeves.net - fansite dedicated to the actor. TruTV: The Mysterious Death of Superman - facts and legends surrounding Reeves's death. The Death of Superman - the unsolved death and mysterious afterlife of George Reeves. Who Drew Superman? Curt Swan - examines Swan's art style and how different inkers rendered his work. Superman Super Site: Curt Swan - biography of the dean of Super-artists.

Directory categories: Superman, George Reeves, The Adventures of Superman, Comic Book Artists, Superheroes

Archived under: 1950s, 1990s, Actors, Anniversaries, Artists, Cartoonists, Celebrities, Coincidence, Comic Books, Comics, Cover Ups, Dead Celebrities, Death, Entertainment, Murder, Mysteries, Scandals, Secrets, Suicide, Superheroes, Superman, TV, Unsolved Crimes, Urban Legends

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Jerry Siegel's old home in Cleveland (From City Planning Comm' of Cleveland) You'd think a guy who created one of the world’s most famous fictional characters would spend the rest of his life on Easy Street. In most cases, you'd be right. But in the case of Jerry Siegel, you'd be wrong. Siegel was born on October 17, 1914, and grew up loving comic strips and science fiction. His world was shattered, though, when his father died of a heart attack brought on by the armed robbery of his haberdashery. Perhaps inspired by the crime, Siegel created a bulletproof Man of Tomorrow -- a "Superman," to borrow Nietzsche's term -- who would help the powerless. Siegel's final version of Superman was created with artist Joe Shuster, although recent research has shown that he first approached other artists, but this earlier vision of the superhero differed from the one we've come to know over the ensuing 70 years. Siegel and Shuster tried to sell Superman to comic strip syndicates, but no one was interested until 1938, when DC Comics paid $130 for the rights to the character -- a move Siegel came to regret even before DC fired him in 1947. He was rehired in 1959, and wrote some of the greatest Superman stories of the 60s before being fired again in 1967. In the 70s, as Warner Bros. was publicizing the then-upcoming Superman movie, Siegel and Shuster launched a campaign of their own, telling how DC had mistreated them. Eventually, the publisher was shamed into granting the men lifetime pensions and a guarantee that all depictions of Superman would carry their credit. In recent years, the two men's families have sued to regain the copyright to the Man of Steel, and a court case is pending. In 2006, author Brad Meltzer launched a campaign to save the Cleveland house where Siegel created Superman. It's far from a Fortress of Solitude, but in its own way, it's as important to American pop culture as Broadway or Hollywood. Suggested Sites... Flixens: The Real Heroes of Superman - biographies of the most important creators in Superman's career. Saving Superman's House - NPR report on Brad Meltzer's efforts to save and refurbish the Siegel house. Ordinary People Change the World - official site for Meltzer's charity. News From Me - listen to a 1940 interview with Jerry Siegel and read the story of a Superman impostor. The Reign of the Super-Man - read Siegel's first Superman story -- but be warned, he's a villain, and he's bald. (Sound familiar?)

Directory categories: Jerry Siegel, Superman, Joe Shuster, Comic Book Writers, Comic Books

Archived under: 1930s, 1960s, American History, Authors, Biographies, Birthdays, Cleveland, Comic Books, Comics, Jerry Siegel, Legal Cases, Ohio, Philanthropy, Superheroes, Superman, Writers

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Superman: The Theatrical Serials Collection Who was first actor to play Superman in a live-action movie? You might say George Reeves or Christopher Reeve or -- if you've got a cultural memory of about 10 minutes -- Brandon Routh. But no, the first Earthling to portray the Man of Steel on screen was Kirk Alyn, whose birthday we note today. "Who?" we hear you ask. Well, Alyn had a career not unlike that of Reeves: He was a good-if-not-great character actor with a strong chin and an ability to sell ludicrous dialogue, and his career was basically over after he put on the cape and tights. In spite of the relative shortness of his career, Alyn remains one of the few actors to play more than one superhero: He appeared as Blackhawk in a 1952 serial. He shares that honor with Tom Tyler, who starred as The Phantom and also played the screen's first Captain Marvel -- ironically enough, Superman's greatest Golden Age rival. There may be some kind of curse in being the first to play a superhero. Louis Wilson, who was the screen's first Batman in 1943, didn't do much afterward. And does anyone remember Howard Murphy, who played Green Lantern, or Dick Purcell, the first Captain America -- or, god forbid, Ellie Wood Walker, who portrayed Wonder Woman? (Considering that last example came from the geniuses behind the "Batman" TV show, maybe she's best left forgotten.) The second actor to play a hero has usually fared better: Robert Lowery, the second Caped Crusader, had some longevity. John Wesley Shipp (TV's second Flash) has managed to find work. And even a guy named Sean Connery (who was, yes, the second James Bond (Barry Nelson was the first) hasn't done too badly. Does playing a superhero mean career suicide? Perhaps; perhaps not. Personally, we're just hoping that playing The Green Hornet does for Seth Rogen's career what it did for Van Williams’. Suggested Sites... Superhero Hype - the latest news and information about superhero movies -- good and bad. Superman TV: Kirk Alyn - information about Alyn's two Superman serials. Wikipedia: Kirk Alyn - a biography as brief as his career. Flixens: The Real Heroes of Superman - information about various creators and impersonators of Superman. Wikipedia: 1940s Superman Cartoons - lest we forget the first voice of Superman: Clayton "Bud" Collyer.

Directory categories: Superhero Movies, Comic Book-Based Movies, Superman, Superman Movies, Batman Movies

Archived under: Actors, Birthdays, Comic Books, Comics, Entertainment, Flops, Kirk Alyn, Movies, Superheroes, Superman, TV

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Our local comic book store, Hijinx Comics in San Jose, CA It's a beautiful Saturday afternoon. You've just gotten back from "Iron Man." You're burned out from playing "Grand Theft Auto IV" since Tuesday, so what to do next? Why not read some comic books? Comics? Do they still make those? Why, certainly! And today only -- they're free! Well, not every comic, but a lot of them. The first Saturday in May is Free Comic Book Day at your local funnybook emporium, and comics publishers have made over forty titles available for your reading pleasure -- yes, for free. We'll grant you that the idea of entering a store filled with fanboys may seem intimidating, but let us assure you that most comic retailers run bright and pleasant establishments that are clean, well-lighted, and downright hip. And there's something for everyone. For the kiddies, there are favorites like Owly, Jughead, Gumby, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Tiny Titans. Superhero fans will find Hellboy, the X-Men, and The Moth. Nostalgically-minded readers can get reacquainted with Gyro Gearloose and classic EC Comics stories. Those looking for more mature entertainment can turn to Drafted and I.G.N.A.T.Z. And best of all (in our opinion) is All-Star Superman, a book that takes everything that was great about the Man of Steel and reinvents him for the 21st century. At many stores, the creators will be present to sign their books and chat with fans. And did we mention they're free? Though if you feel like actually buying something, you can get a head start on the next round of blockbusters -- "The Dark Knight," "The Incredible Hulk," "The Spirit," and "Watchmen" -- and be the envy of all your friends. Suggested Sites... Free Comic Book Day - official site with information on titles, participating stores, and creators. Comic Shop Locator - not sure where to go to get your free comics? Find out here! Marvel Comics - home of Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain America, the Hulk, and the rest of the World's Mightiest Heroes. DC Comics - information on such characters as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, and Green Lantern. The Grand Comics Database - attempting to catalog and index every comic ever made, with an extensive cover gallery.

Directory categories: Comic Books, Comic Book Stores, Comics and Animations, Comic Book-Based Movies, Superhero Movies

Archived under: Artists, Batman, Collectibles, Comic Books, Comics, Disney, Entertainment, Events, Free Stuff, Superheroes, Superman

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