When in Vegas I am one of those people least likely to be found sitting at a machine, continuously feeding money in waiting for a payoff… of course, give me a roll of quarters and sit me in front of a classic pinball machine or classic arcade game and I’ll go crazy!!!

And I did just that at the Las Vegas Pinball Hall of Fame. This is without a doubt my new favorite destination in Las Vegas.

It was an amazing walk back through time. Its basically a humble warehouse, away from the mess of the Vegas strip. Unlike other “museums” this place is truly hands on! You not only get to check out pinball machines, some even dating back to the 1940s, 50s and 60s, you get to play em!! That’s right, I was playing classic pinball machines from the 1950s! Kick Ass!

One of my favorites!

The place is a non-profit, so you don’t even have to feel guilty pumping your quarters in. And if, like me, you’re not that great at Pinball, you can still play some of the classic arcade games, shooting gallery games, or if you’re lucky you can make Peppy the Clown dance!

I highly recommend this place. I recommend going in the evening, bringing friends and truly enjoying the quick walk back in time the place gives you.

Pinball Hall of Fame
1610 E. Tropicana, Las Vegas NV 89119
Hours: 11-11 all week.

As all you ghouls, gals and greasers know… I love me some good classic radio drama.

And how did I not discover this little gem until now… Rocky Fortune. A young Frank Sinatra playing about the most hipster, smooth talking, lady killing crime mystery solver in the business.

The lingo that floats off Sinatra’s lips in these episodes is so clever, over-the-top and fast it’s almost hard to believe it was real. It took about an episode for me to get used to this series, his rough’n tough wise-cracking character takes a little getting used to. But quickly I found myself addicted and wanting more!

This is a fun glimpse into another era and a darker Frank Sinatra many of us these days didn’t know existed. I absolutely love the theme music at the beginning and end of the episode too! And for those of you who hold Gunsmoke as radio drama religion… there are some fun guest voices in these episodes of Rocky Fortune to pay attention to.

The complete series is available to listen to here for free on internet archive (best site ever!)

A great breakdown of the series is available here at thrillingdetective.com

And of course for more info the wiki on the series and Sinatra here.

(from wiki)

Frank Sinatra portrayed Rocco Fortunato, also known as Rocky Fortune, a young man of several talents constantly in need of employment and who accepts odd jobs from the fictitious Gridley Employment Agency.[2], often referred to simply as “the Agency.” During the course of the series, he would work as a process server, museum tour guide, cabbie, bodyguard, chauffeur, truck driver, social director for a Catskills resort and a carny, in addition to various musical jobs. These assignments typically led Rocky into situations where he would track down criminals, often rescuing people (especially women) in need of help, and ultimately needing to find yet more work. Rocky made many wise remarks, using “hep” slang of the times, and seemed to attract trouble wherever he went.

Hey Gearheads and Ghouls!!

I just got back from San Diego! It was 5 insane days of pure comic and cartoon crazitude! For a full report follow the link over to the blog at The Concrete World Site.

But just special for all you undead and ghastly fiends… how about my favorite genre tattoos spotted at this years convention…

Classic Frankie and the Bride!

And a gal with a Doctor Who theme… A Dalek

And… an Adipose

Finally. How could I walk through the very halls of the convention center and not bring you a picture of the zombie from the kick ass WALKING DEAD booth…

I know what you’re thinking… where they hell is my Motor City update?!

I’ve been super busy… Just competed a script for Iron Man: Armored Adventures. Been hard at work on The Concrete World, and am getting prepped for Comic Con 2010!

But just to show all you fine monster chasing members of the 133rd are always on my mind, I took a couple pics of a fantastic hotrod for you while in Long Beach a couple weeks ago.

I also just attended Anime Expo 2010, you can find coverage on that here.

I am sad to hear the news today of the passing of Dennis Hopper. A super talented renaissance man. From his acting, producing, writing, photography and participation as a patron in the world of art. He was an art rebel! He gave a proper voice to the outsider of multiple generations. He put a human face on the outsider. RIP Mr. Hopper.

Dennis Hopper with John Lurie for the fantastic TV Show Fishing With John

Dennis from his role in the legendary Rebel Without A Cause

And of course, Dennis on his bike in Easy Rider

More great pictures here

While everyone in the Los Angeles area vacated the city in favor of Cochella, I wandered the silent streets of Echo Park alone. Okay, it wasn’t that silent, and I wasn’t that alone, it was record store day yesterday and the shop in my neighborhood was well crowded having its own little Cochella… anyway, while I wandered in my neighborhood I found myself at Stories Books (and cafe) on Sunset Blvd.

While in the back getting my quaint little Chai Latte I made a fantastic discovery on their counter. An impulse item waiting to be sprung on me… ZOMBIE FINGER PUPPETS!

Quickly I dug through the box, looking for how many variations I could find. 1… 2… 3 different zombies to wear on my fingertips and attack all my other living toys with! Yes!

Needless to say 3 dollars later, and I was walking out the door, zombies on three of five fingers.

Speaking of awesome items I came across this on EBAY a few months ago, and continue to drool over it’s awesomeness! Yes… Boris Karloff had his own board-game! I don’t know much about it, other than its amazing and I must one day play it.

Maybe the world needs a Motor City board-game… build your hotrod, fight some monsters, and look good the whole way to victory!

My friend Tony and I were making our rounds, scurrying through the dealers room as fast as possible, looking for all the rare and awesome toys we never seemed to find elsewhere (this is pre-ebay and internet mind you…). And then I saw it. An action figure that actually turned into Freddy Krueger. A horror action figure of a modern day fiend. Not a Dracula, not a Mummy, but Freddy! I knew I wanted it!

I also knew I couldn’t afford it. It was out of my price range at the time… what wasn’t… I think I was 14. I looked at that thing forever. What a cool toy! A makeup effects guy, that can wear the costume and turn into Freddy or the Alien or a Wolfman or Frankenstein?! Wow, at the time the only Alien Toy that was rumored to exist was the original doll that got pulled from shelves after one airing of the commercial during Saturday morning cartoons.

This was a pre-McFarlane era as well. Horror related toys were rare in the 80s. There were some classic 3 3/4 Universal Monsters in the late 70s early 80s, but for items like Freddy or Aliens it was just too soon.

Now there is too much available. And figures that even offend me… ha ha, not easy to do.

But those were more simple times… and alas, Maxx Fx and his Freddy Krueger costume didn’t make it. It was the only toy in the line to ever make it out. All the gory glorious others lost to Child Activist groups and their protesting, etc…

Well… I’m writing this very post simply to brag. Thanks to Ebay I finally nabbed a Maxx FX Freddy Krueger!!! Yes!

For an awesome Maxx FX experience, and to truly understand how cool this toyline could have been you have to visit THE LIFE AND DEATH OF MAXX FX

You won’t regret it!

Also, for further “research” check out the awesome commercial. Love the jingle!

Anyone who’s followed this blog the past few years knows I love me some good old time radio shows. Love em! But what happens when you’ve exhausted your back catalog of golden oldies from yesteryear? What happens when you can’t listen to those classic serials a 4th and 5th time?

Well… the good people at Decoder Ring Theater are creating modern, new stories, told in that same classic format. All wrapped up in the guise of a podcast.

Check em out!

And as if that’s not enough… Now they want to help you get a super villain on the airwaves! They are doing this contest right now, where you can submit a super villain of your creation, and he will take on their hero! Sounds awesome right? That’s because it is.

Decoder Ring Theater:Super Villain Contest