Each week the pop culture website Pop-A-Looza shares a post from my vast 'n' captivating Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do) archives. This week's shared post is my recent reminiscence of comics writer Dennis O'Neil, who passed away last week. Among O'Neil's many fine works over the years, it was his 1970s work on The Batman that meant the most to me.
Dennis O'Neil was one of the two writers who had the most direct effect on me when I was a teenage wannabe-writer in the '70s. The other was Harlan Ellison, whom we lost two years ago this month. O'Neil was my Elvis, and Ellison was my Beatles. There have been countless other writers, artists, performers, actors, comedians, and even (believe it or not!) editors who've influenced me, molded me, made me. But my uncertain path to being a writer of any kind started with me just aching to be like those two guys. I can't thank 'em enough.
Our carousel of mortality has given us no shortage of unwelcome opportunities to offer closing arguments, to speak in memory of departed artists who created work that touched our lives. We are sincere in our mourning, and in our gratitude. Among the many pop stars I've eulogized on this blog, I've written farewells to comics writer Martin Pasko, to Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee, to beloved novelist Sue Grafton, and to TV's Batman, Adam West. As the calendar pages continue to fly away into the abyss, we know we will have many, many more occasions to say goodbye before we're ready to say goodbye.
So: happier memories, and happier links. In this blog's inaugural year of 2016, I wrote something called "My Two Batmen," an appreciation of both the TV Batman and Dennis O'Neil's THE Batman. I also wrote a short Batman pulp fiction piece called "The Undersea World Of Mr. Freeze," my attempt to channel everything I love about The Batman into a short story. It's the sort of thing I wanted to write in 1974 or so, when my 14-year-old self determined that I was going to be a writer, like Dennis O'Neil. I wish I could have shown him the story. His influence is all over it.
But tonight, the Bat-signal will not shine in the ebony sky. Even the criminals will pause to mourn the man who brought them to life. My tribute to Dennis O'Neil is this week's Boppin' Pop-A-Looza.
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This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl airs Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, and on the web at http://sparksyracuse.org/ You can read about our history here.
This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl airs Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, and on the web at http://sparksyracuse.org/ You can read about our history here.
The many fine This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio compilation albums are still available, each full of that rockin' pop sound you crave. A portion of all sales benefit our perpetually cash-strapped community radio project:
Volume 1: download
Volume 1: download
Volume 3: download
Waterloo Sunset--Benefit For This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio: CD or download
Carl's writin' a book! The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) will contain 134 essays about 134 tracks, each one of 'em THE greatest record ever made. An infinite number of records can each be the greatest record ever made, as long as they take turns. Updated initial information can be seen here: THE GREATEST RECORD EVER MADE! (Volume 1).
Carl's writin' a book! The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) will contain 134 essays about 134 tracks, each one of 'em THE greatest record ever made. An infinite number of records can each be the greatest record ever made, as long as they take turns. Updated initial information can be seen here: THE GREATEST RECORD EVER MADE! (Volume 1).
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