Back To the Shadows Again!
_________ _____ _ _________ _
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/ /_____ / _ | | | ____ / /_____ ____ | |
/ ______/ / /_| | | | / _ | / ______/ / _ | | |
/ / / ___ | | | / __ | / / / __ | | |
/ / / / | | | | / / | | / / / / | | | |
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Four-Alarm FIRESIGNal
-- A newsletter of, about, and for
The Firesign Theatre...
...and their loyal fans
Spring of 94
******************************************************************
TABLE OF CONTENTS
******************************************************************
[[1]] RUMORS BEHIND THE NEWS: The latest on the 4 or 5 guys
[[2]] THIS IS WORKER SPEAKING: Words from Elayne, Our Founder
[[3]] REVIEW: "Down Under Danger," by John Scialli.
Australia missing! Aussies banned! Put down that pickle
-- mate. The new Nick Danger audio adventure, now
available.
[[4]] ARTICLE: "Hamburger All Over the Information Highway,
Part I," by Niles Ritter, UseNet FAQ editor,
alt.comedy.firesgn-thtre. A brief history of the
Internet -- for bozos, of course.
[[5]] CLASSIFIEDS: *Your* ad here! Sales, pleas, bargains --
but no plea-bargains!
[[6]] ENTERTAINMENT TRADING CO. ADVERTISEMENT: Cool *OFFICIAL*
Firesign Theatre goods -- tour jackets, t-shirts, hats,
pickles, etc.
** ETC IS THE OFFICIAL SPONSOR OF THE FALAFAL **
[[7]] POSTMARK: DEEP SPACE -- Letters to the Editor
[[8]] SEE YOU ON THE FUNWAY... -- It's a wrap; endnotes &
stuff from Your Electronic Editor.
*******************************************************************
Four-Alarm FIRESIGNal #23
*******************************************************************
FAlaFal is published thrice yearly in fire sign months (April,
August and December) as a public service for aficionados and dear
friends of The Firesign Theatre, henceforth "Fireheads" (what can
I say? the name stuck), by Elayne Wechsler-Chaput, "The Firehead
Head," from the East Coast Derisional Hindquarters of the Natural
Surrealist Party at 1747 65th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11204,
CompuServe ID 72672,2714, Prodigy ID PPCD02B.
FAlaFal is free of charge and freely reproducible, and all
letters, news clippings and articles, FT-related creativity,
requests for archives lists and back issues, and any other material
may be sent to me c/o the above addresses.
Thanks to Jim Henry, David Ossman, Michael Packer, Phil
Proctor, Niles Ritter, Jamie Schrumpf, John Scialli and Roger
Snyder for news, help and support.
Copyright 1994 Pen-Elayne Enterprises; printed by Roger Snyder at
The Print Shop in NY and distributed by Entertainment Trading
Company in Los Angeles.
Electronic version edited by Jamie Schrumpf.
Distribution by Monrovia Communications, Monrovia, MD.
No. 23 of ? *First Electronic Edition* APRIL, 1994
*******************************************************************
[[1]] Rumors Behind the News
*******************************************************************
The Firesign Theatre is currently planning their 1994 "Back
Fromthe Shadows" Tour, to cover the west coast in July that is
expected to, in Peter Bergman's words, "take us from San Diego to
Vancouver." So far we've been able to get the following tentative
dates from Jim Henry at ETC:
July 9 - Mountain Valley Winery - Saratoga, CA
July 10 - Humphrey's - San Diego, CA
July 21 - Pier 62/63 - Seattle, WA
July 27 - Cuthbert Ampitheatre - Eugene, OR
July 29 - Britt Festival - Jacksonville, OR
David Ossman mentions that most of the planned venues will be
outdoors, and that the program will be similar to last year's 25th
Anniversary Tour with the exception of the opening piece; instead
of the "Electrician" excerpt the group will probably substitute a
portion of "Anythynge You Want To," to take advantage of the open-
air surroundings.
As the dates approach, Fireheads can find out the latest
venues by calling 1-800-699-ROCK (that's 699-7625). In the
meantime, all you west coast folks, keep watching your local papers
(and don't forget to send me copies of their ads, reviews, etc., as
well as your reviews)!
The 4 (or 5) have also freed their calendars in September and
October in the hopes of covering the rest of the country
(obviously, FAlaFal #24 in August will detail this further).
* * *
There will be a "live" CD (probably a double) made from the
best performances from last year's 25th Anniversary tour, coming
from Mobile Fidelity in June - look for it! Also, according to our
sources, there is discussion about another CD on the lines of Dear
Friends of previously "unreleased" (at least commercially)
material. Mobile Fidelity (1-800-423-5759) currently has CD
releases of Waiting for the Electrician..., How Can You Be...,
Don't Crush that Dwarf..., Bozos, Dear Friends and Fighting Clowns
(Columbia/Legacy has released Shoes for Industry, the collection of
cuts from the first 6 or 7 albums).
* * *
Hope you all caught the 3-part "Back From The Shadows Again"
Firesign retrospective/interview hosted by Steve Allen which
recently aired on NPR stations. If not, bug your local NPR station
to rerun it - it's a must-listen! (Thanks to Michael Packer for
sending me a copy!)
* * *
Phil Austin tells Michael Packer he "is doing a lot of voice
work and completing his novel. He didn't give much detail about
the contents of that, just to say it was along the lines of Down
Under Danger (that is to say reality based and fantasy at the same
time)."
Speaking of Down Under Danger, John Scialli reviews same this
very issue. Michael reports: "I will take ADVANCE ORDERS for
cassette copies beginning April 15 and running through May 15.
Advance orders will run $7.50 p/h. After May 15 cost is $7.50 PLUS
$2.00 s/h (so essentially I'll ship advance orders free)."
* * *
Peter Bergman is teaching a course at UCLA Extension on political
comedy; the course description listed in the LA Weekly reads as
follows:
LIVE WIRE: An Introduction to Political Comedy
In this provocative program, you are invited to read, watch,
and listen to the best political comedy - past and present -
from books, films, records, radio, and television.
Contemporary political comedy is performed live by some of
America's premier social satirists... Mr. Bergman has created
and performed award-winning one-man shows across the country
and has written and performed several nationally syndicated
political-comedy radio programs. He also has taught political
history at Yale University.
GUEST SPEAKERS (subject to availability):
George Carlin
Bobcat Goldthwait
Harry Shearer
The Firesign Theatre
PROGRAM
Survey of Political Comedy, Part I: Ancient Jesters Through
the Renaissance
Survey of Political Comedy, Part II: Tudor England To the
Present
The Tradition of American Political Comedy: The Written Word
Live Performance: Readings of American Political Humor by
Professional Actors
The Tradition of American Political Comedy: Spoken Arts and
Film
Modern International Political Comedy: From Jacques Brel to
Monty Python
The Contemporary Political Comedy Scene: Laughing in the 90's
Performance of Class Comedy Pieces in a Pseudo "News Review"
Format
For more information call the UCLA Extension - Entertainment
Studies at (310) 825-9064.
----------
And since I can't go myself, do me a favor and save me your
term papers for the Archives, okay? (Thanks to Niles Ritter for
the Bergman news!)
(NOTE: As the EFAlaFal (the Electronic FAlaFal, that is) was going
to, um, "print," it was rumored on the Usenet Firesign group that
Peter's class had been canceled by UCLA. No further news was
available at deadline, so if you're in the LA area, start plaguing
the UCLA offices with polite phone calls demanding to know why the
class was indeed canceled, if for no other reason than to let them
know it was missed. -- Jamie Schrumpf)
* * *
David Ossman is working on his Radio Noir drama adaptation of
Raymond Chandler's GOLDFISH, a Black Mask short story w/ Phillip
Marlowe. Marlowe will be played by Harris Yulin, who played
Sarnoff in David's EMPIRE OF THE AIR production a few years back.
Richard Fish (of More Sugar) is co-producer (through his Lodestone
company). Guest star Harry Anderson plays a bad guy, and David
describes him as "just wonderful on the show. The cast is superb,
lots of folks from Seattle area whose credits will amaze people."
The program was recorded on Whidbey Island, Dave's home, last
year, and the release week is scheduled for July 23, Chandler's
birthday. Almost all of the show was shot on location rather than
in a studio, and "sounds unlike anything heard before." David and
Richard hope to release the show on CD (rather than satellite) to
various radio stations around the country.
John Weber elaborates on the project: "It was shot in Seattle
last year, using a microphone as movie camera technique, which we
here in Bloomington have been using for our show 'Hayward
Sanitarium' (airing this fall on NPR Playhouse - bug your local
station to carry it. plug plug plug). As used by DO, the
technique is the equivalent of good Black and White - grainy and
beautiful. It was recorded on DAT, and edited on a digital
workstation. The script is a gem, with that great '30's detective
hard bitten dialogue, and a whiskey glass and cigarette in every
shot... I had the privilege of doing some of the engineering and
foley work for a few of the background shots shot in Bloomington:
hotel backgrounds shot in the IU Memorial Union, and some footstep
and door opening shots (and a grab for the gun shot) done in a
local home built in the era... BTW, the show still isn't done, so
don't look for it anytime soon."
Mark Armantrout reports on David's appearance on Richard's
local [Indiana] radio theatre show on February 25: "He did some of
the PSAs, and he and Richard Fish discussed many many things for
about an hour. They discussed audio techniques like the new(?) one-
microphone technique and the use of the Kunstkop head (for faithful
binaural 3-D sound, or whatever.) They played a few minutes of the
vocal tracks of an upcoming detective work that they (David and
Richard) are working on. The other hour was consumed by a
performance that Ossman did about a year ago in Seattle. A live
sound collage, done in front of some kind of audience... He quoted
loads of songs about the radio; radio theatre; an odd piece by Tom
Lopez starring the Android Sisters of Ruby One; a very Herbert
Brun-esque (but Ossman-voiced) series of questions about music,
art, and composition; meta-radio theatre; and much else. It was a
pretty fantastic piece for people like me who like both sound
collage and radio!"
David's also on National Endowment for Arts radio panel for
the first time since 1980. His "Ossman's Audiola" radio show is no
more, as he stopped doing it at the end of '93 after 3 years. He
has 26 weeks of this 2-hour music and interview show (including a
half-dozen Firesign-related shows), and will keep us updated as to
whether (and how) the show will be packaged for audiophilic
consumption in the future.
David's wife Judith Walcutt is working on two half-hours of
her women writer's series for NPR playhouse, including a radio play
by and interview with Ursula LeGuin.
* * *
Phil Proctor and wife Melinda Peterson came through the recent
earthquake okay (he reports the same for the other Firesign members
with area residences), except for a lost prop from Everything You
Know Is Wrong - the bottle of "Don Brujaja's Inca Hell Oil Tonic"
was broken, and Phil had to reduce the 100+-year-old glass to
powder in order to get the label off.
Phil and Melinda are still engaged in "elective destruction"
of their house in 90210-land, shoring things up structurally and
doing extensive remodeling (Phil promises to get moving with his
CompuServe account once the mess is cleared)... They are also ADR
(Automated Dialogue Replacement) "stars" now, adding voices,
languages and comedy to movies in post-production (including
"Mighty Ducks 2" where Phil did some Icelandic dubbing, as well as
the upcoming "Flintstones," "Little Big League," "The Lion King"
and "Maverick"), and they are writing and performing comedy skits
for Mimi Donaldson's show on KIEV-AM, to represent the difficulty
of communication between men & women.
Phil has appeared on "Sinbad" playing a character named Danny
Brash; he's doing more commercials, of course; "Joe Frank's In The
Dark" has fed three shows so far, where he has had roles on each of
them; and he's been doing voice-overs for "The Mommies."
* * *
Speaking of "The Mommies," FAlaFal's print benefactor, ETC's
Jim Henry, has arranged and gone out on the stand-up tour (running
the "Mommies Mall" merchandising area) with the actresses who star
in the show, including sold-out stints in Westbury, NY and Valley
Forge, PA (covered by Entertainment Tonight!).
As of this writing, upcoming venues for the tour include the
Majestic Theatre in Dallas 4/26, the Center Stage in Atlanta 4/29,
the Lisner in Washington DC 5/10, the Centre East in Chicago 5/12,
the Guthrie in Minneapolis 5/14, the Folly in KC (MO) 5/24, the
Westport Playhouse in St. Louis 5/26, the Marin Civic Center in San
Fran 6/10, the Sacramento Community Center 6/20 and the Moore
Theatre in Seattle 6/25 - stop in and say hi to Jim! He's also
working on the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers tour - more
information to follow in FAlaFal #24 - and is producing a line of
clothing (and watches!) for Boeing Aircraft using artwork designed
by the same computers used to generate specs for the new 777 jumbo
jets - yow, your tax dollars at work!
*******************************************************************
[[2]] This Is Worker Speaking...
*******************************************************************
Well, our last issue only got sent out to the mailing list
which I have amassed from folks who'd received previous issues as
well as newer folks whose names and addresses I'd gotten from the
Beacon show, the Internet, CompuServe and word of mouth. Due to
earthquakes, sicknesses, and other acts of Grid, Entertainment
Trading Corp.'s 1000+ folks (garnered from the other venues of last
year's reunion tour) only got their one-page ad flyer. Well, as of
this issue, we've combined mailing lists and resources, so it looks
like this will be the way we go from here on in: I create the
newsletter, Roger Snyder continues to print it, and Jim's folks
mail it out from L.A. Therefore, with any luck, I still won't need
any donations, as this will all be paid for by ETC! In lieu of
said donations, please patronize ETC's Firesign-related
merchandise, as this is the money that goes toward putting out
FAlaFal; see their new ad elsewhere this issue!
* * *
In addition, FAlaFal has taken the first tentative steps
toward entering the electronic age. I will be sending an ASCII
version of FAlaFal (same text information but no fancy fonts or
other additional layouts) as best I can via E-Mail to Jamie
Schrumpf of Monrovia Communications, who will then put it together
from his end and distribute it for downloading from The Well and
other Internet sources. If you or your friends have any comments
about the Electronic FAlaFal, please contact Jamie for more info -
his E-Mail address on the Internet is moncomm@clark.net, and on
CompuServe it is 72002,3272.
* * *
Thanks to Bob Haxby, Paul Kazee and Doug Wakil for their
donations from last time, as well as Headly Westerfield (I can't
use Canadian money down here, Headly, but I'll keep the fiver as
it's great incentive to visit Toronto again!), Jackie "The Joke
Man" Martling for sending me his audio and video, and all the folks
who helped put this newsletter together, including our intrepid
newsgatherers! Let's do it all again in August!
*******************************************************************
[[3]] "DOWN UNDER DANGER"
Review by John Scialli
*******************************************************************
Not no one can ever have too much Danger. Phil Austin serves
us just the right amount in the new Nick Danger audio adventure,
"Down Under Danger." Produced by Sparks Media, it was first heard
on WGVU, Grand Rapids as part of the "Pulp Radio Series." Other
public broadcasting stations are expected to pick it up.
The story is set around the disappearance of the Australian
continent and the subsequent outlawing of all Aussies. And it's up
to Nick to both solve the mystery and cover it up at the same time
without disappearing himself. Well, two out of three ain't bad,
except for the one which is.
Yes, no one can ever have too much Danger, except maybe Lt.
Bradshaw. In this adventure you'll hear all your old friends, like
Danger, and Bradshaw and...well, Danger, except that Bradshaw is
not in this story. Instead we are introduced to Nick's former
classmate and present nemesis, Det. Lt. Hamilton Fish.
Phil Austin wrote the original script for "Down Under Danger"
and appears as himself to introduce the show with the Biography of
Nick Danger, Third Eye. This brief scholastic discourse is an
important gem for dangerologists everywhere.
Following this we are launched into a story of missing
continents, missing marsupials and a damsel in distress (and this
dress is a tight one). The supporting cast works well while
highlighting Nick. I like this because it makes the story a tight,
consistent context in which Austin can create that radio noir
trance-state. The mega-metaphorical dialogue is as rich as I've
come to expect from Danger.
What is new and quite a treat is the period jazz music which
highlights the action and serves as a bridge between scenes. This
was recorded in live sessions just for this production. Foley FX
(courtesy of Uncle Stan hisself, Jim Middleton) are grand, and
surprising at times (this time around Nick enjoys a dame's tongue,
rather than a punch in his mouth). There are also those familiar
effects which make you sit back and relax like you've been here
before. The whole production is so well done that I recommend that
you get it for your collection. Get two or three, in fact, for the
grandkids. They need to hear what you heard growing up when you
heard your parents talking about what the old days were like. In
all seriousity, this release is a MUST for all readers.
"Down Under Danger" was produced and directed by Sparks
Media's Michael Packer, a FAlaFal contributor, with assistance from
Phil Austin. The only question left unanswered by Austin and
Danger is: if he walks again by night in Los Angeles, does that
mean he walks again late the next afternoon in Perth? And what if
the entire continent of Australia suddenly docks off the amusement
pier in Santa Monica? Get down and get under Nick Danger for
answers.
*******************************************************************
[[4]] Hamburger All Over the Information Highway (Part I)
Being a *Brief* Introduction to the ways of the World
on the Internet, for the common Bozo.
*******************************************************************
By Niles Ritter, UseNet FAQ editor, alt.comedy.firesgn-thtre
(ndr@tazboy.jpl.nasa.gov)
----------
It wasn't more than a few days after I had first started up my
UseNet NewsWatcher program that I ran across the alt.fan.firesign-
theatre newsgroup, which had already by that time gone into full
swing. The discussion threads at that time were mostly one-liners
like
"That tarnished piece of tin is worthless"
"Worthless? Hah, Hah! (cough, cough) Not to Melanie Haber..."
"Melanie Haber?"
etc, etc...
So, of course, I felt obliged to toss in my own well-memorized
lines. After a few weeks of reading discussion threads about what
albums TFT produced, whether there was going to be a reunion, etc.,
I made the often-fatal mistake of posting an inquiry:
"For those of you not on the UseNet circuit, a F.A.Q. file is
a compiled list of Frequently-Asked Questions, and other
interesting information, which are periodically posted to a
newsgroup so that the 'newbies' (ie, those who have just started
poking around UseNet) will know what we're all about, and won't go
asking for the 500th time, 'Who are these Firesingers you keep
talking about?'"
So, guess who wound up becoming the editor of the world's
first "Firesign Theatre: Frequently Asked Questions" file, and its
associated files, the Intro, the Lyrics To Songs, and its now
"justly famous" Firesign Theatre Lexicon?
Yr. Obt. Svt.
It's now almost a year later, and the process of putting
together an ever-widening FAQ-file has led us to the far corners of
the Internet, GopherSpace, the World-Wide-Web, and even the Unix
Manual Pages to find that the Zeitgeist (and maybe even a few
actual members) of the Firesign Theatre is alive and well in
Cyberspace!
Think of Usenet as a Looooonnnnggg hallway with over 6000
bulletin boards on which people have posted little notes, and upon
which other people have posted a response, creating "threads" of
conversations. You can either just "lurk" about these groups
reading them or join in the fun. The "alt" groups tend to be a bit
more anarchistic and iconoclastic in spirit, while many of the
"sci" and "rec" and other hierarchies have Moderators; God-Like
people who filter out postings to their special groups which are
considered inappropriate. Your postings stay on the boards for a
few days or weeks, and then disappear.
Okay, then, lets start with the UseNet groups associated with
TFT. There are formally two groups: the first one is/was called
alt.fan.firesign-theatre, though its use is now discouraged, for
technical reasons having to do with the fact that "firesign-
theatre" is more than 14 characters and so it makes some old news-
reader software gag. So, most of us bozos hang out on
alt.comedy.firesgn-thtre
If you want to post an enquiry on OUR group, but don't have
anything more than e-mail (for example, some of you on CompuServe)
you can still get to us by sending you missive to the internet
address:
alt-comedy-firesgn-thtre@cs.utexas.edu
The "Internet Services List" contains dozens of other nifty
things you can do with just e-mail access, and may be obtained by
sending e-mail to
mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu
with the message:
send usenet/news.answers/internet-services/*
At any one time there are from 5 to 50 postings sitting on our
group, and from my archives I count close to 200 different people
posting to the group over this past year, discussing such things as
what albums are on CD, what books have been published, what
computer program was the model for Doctor Memory, James Joyce and
other influences, the I-Ching hexagrams in FT plays, and why *does*
the Porridge Bird lay its eggs in the air? So much material was
accumulated after some of these discussions that I began to take
over responsibility for organizing and archiving this wealth of
information into a FAQ. And so now, for those with any sort of e-
mail or ftp access to the net, the information is readily
available.
The first time we had news that the members of the Firesign
Theatre actually knew of our existence on the net was a modest
little posting (in telegraphic-style ALL CAPS) from Peter Bergman
regarding the fall 1993 tour dates. I have since gotten direct e-
mail from Peter, so I'd be willing to bet that Pete's lurking
around our newsgroups as we speak! Others of the FT, such as Phil
Proctor, are likely soon to follow (once Peter can convince him to
take his computer out of the box! ).
Not so many people are aware that there is a rather odd mutant
god on the Internet that is part computer, part human being: it is
called the UseNet Oracle, and its sole purpose in life is to answer
the questions of the lowly humans who pose them. You can find the
latest in the perpetual dialogue between the Oracle and us lowly
supplicants in the UseNet newsgroup
rec.humor.oracle.
Quite a number of people asking questions of the Oracle seem
to have been exposed to the Firesign Theatre (not to mention
numerous psychoactive substances)! To find out all about the
Usenet Oracle, including how to participate, send e-mail to
oracle@cs.indiana.edu
with the word "help" in the subject line. And have fun!
* * *
(Since Niles' original text was intended for a hard copy
audience, he included mondo info about telecommunications that you
already know, since you're reading this here; I unashamedly deleted
it from the EFAlaFal. If you'd like a copy of the unabridged
article, please feel free to E-Mail Niles with your politely worded
requests for a transcript! Thanks. -- Jamie
Next issue: Unix, Dr. Memory and IRC!)
*******************************************************************
[[5]] CLASSIFIED: TOP SECRET
*******************************************************************
Firesign Theatre collection for sale. 23 albums, mostly mint,
includes: 18 Firesign, 5 solo, plus one picture disc, one radio
show (Crawdaddy Radio Revue), two books of plays, one Papoon
button. $500.00.
For list or other information write to John Prevosk, Box
547666, Orlando, FL 32854.
* * *
Anyone in the NYC area wishing to start a Firesign Theatre
Appreciation Society, please contact Jed Jacobs at 2820 West 8th
Street, Brooklyn, NY 11224, phone 718/996-3907.
******************************************************************
[[6]] Ad from Entertainment Trading Co.
(7510 Sunset Boulevard, Suite 160
Los Angeles, CA 90046
Phone (213) 876-6535
Fax (213) 876-1697
******************************************************************
Get in STYLE for the 1994 "Back from the Shadows" Tour with this
nifty Firesign merchandise from ETC:
Item
Price (American $$)
-------------------
Nick Danger: Third Eye T-Shirts
Front: The (in)famous Nick Danger profile
Back: Office door glass w/ "REGNAD KCIN"
(spelled in backwards type, of course)
$23.00
NOTE: This item is only available to FAlaFal readers;
T-shirts sold at the tour will not feature the
design on back!
Mor(s)e Science High T-Shirt (Eat it raw! Rah rah rah!)
$15.00
Rocky Rococo's Pickle (w/ Brown Paper Bag)!
$5.00
Bozo Nose (squeeze the wheeze, many people like to!)
$5.00
25th Anniversary Tour Jackets (black, embroidered, 6/C)
$63.00
25th Anniversary Sweatshirts (white, embroidered, 6/C)
$32.00
25th Anniversary Tour T-Shirts
$15.00
Pictures available on above shirts: updated "Dwarf" cartoon or
25th Anniversary sketch
Sizes available for all shirts and jackets (please specify): L, XL,
XXL
Please add $5.25 postage and handling per order.
California residents please add 8.25% sales tax.
You can place a credit card order (VISA or MasterCard) by FAXing
your order (FAX number above), or calling 1-800-699-ROCK!
Please be aware that we are in the middle of reprinting several
popular items and your requested item may be back-ordered --
patience is advised and virtuous!
Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery, okay? You are thanking me,
even as I am thanking me!
Thank you!
*******************************************************************
[[7]] POSTMARK: DEEP SPACE
*******************************************************************
(FAlaFal welcomes E-Mail letters as well as "postmarked" ones -
please space twice between sentences...)
* * *
It was November 1968 and I was the last one awake and
extremely high. My friend's stereo speakers were covered with
burlap, making them indistinguishable from the wall. Waiting for
the Electrician, therefore, seemed to be emanating from the walls
the very first time I heard The Firesign Theatre. After later
ascertaining it was an album and not a hallucination, I ran out to
the nearest record store and bought it...
LAURIE CORZETT
Medford, MA
* * *
Elayne: 12/8/93
Hi, and thanks for putting me on the mailing list!!!! I also
sent your name & ID to a mutual friend, "Eh, Clem" (a/k/a Bill
Colwell) so he should be sending you an email requesting admission
to your mailinglist, etc. soon!
Bill, Greg Dunn, and I were once involved in a software
consulting group; you might find the name somewhat interesting:
"DogStar SoftWare". I also would occasionally publish software
under the name "Nick's Ready-to-Ware"... Nothing important, just
thought you might like that!
One more thing... Do any of the guys know if perchance the SQ
"Quadraphonic" master got used to make the Bozos CD??? I have
listened to the vinyl (L.P.) 4-channel version, and the quad
mixdown is SUPERB! It would REALLY be a gas if Mobile Fidelity
Sound just happened to use that master to make its digital master
from... If you can find out, let me know!
So long, until last time, again!!!
DOUG McINTOSH
Indianapolis, IN
* * *
Dear Elayne: December 2, 1993
I have enjoyed your zine for some time now. It's always a
nice surprise in my mailbox. My husband and I are long-time
Firesign Theatre fans. In fact, we first became close when I
invited him up to my college dorm room to listn to Forward Into the
Past. We've been happily married for 11 years now. See what can
happen?
We are also rabid MSTies and are not surprised that there is
a lot of TFT/ MST3K crossover fandom. We have all the MST3K
episodes from 2nd season onward on tape (they never show the 1st
season, for some frustrating reason), and we are going through them
show by show and keeping track of our favorite gags and references.
I have been writing down any FT references that I can find, and I
have enclosed a list covering the 2nd, 3rd and 4th seasons (we're
just getting started on the 5th). I don't claim the list to be
100% complete, but it's a start. I hope the MSTies among your
readers will find this interesting. I'm open to hearing about any
references I may have missed.
I have made a discovery about references - when you grew up
makes a difference in how many references you "get." Dave and I
grew up during the '60s, like most of the creators of MST3K, so we
get a lot of the references on that show pertaining to toys, TV
shows, commercials, etc. that may pass over the heads of people
from other age groups - we both remember Thingmakers, the "Mystery
Date" game commercial, all those '70s crime shows, the obscure
"Gilligan's Island" references, etc. Because I did not grow up in
the same time period as the FT creators, I've been doing some
personal research on some of their influences, especially old live
radio from the '30s and '40s. Radio Yesteryear puts out a sampler
tape of 88 opening bits from old radio shows, and listening to that
has caused many lightbulbs to burst in my head about where certain
FT bits came from. Also, I recently saw "The World of Tomorrow,"
a documentary about the 1939 New York World's Fair, which shed a
lot of light for me on Bozos. This research has enriched my
ability to appreciate TFT.
One question for your or the readers: Does anyone know of any
fan-produced zines for MSTies? We already get the Info Club
newsletter from Best Brains, but we have no idea if any fans are
publishing anything.
Hope you enjoy the list.
Shoes for Industry,
Christine Hennig
David Sindelar
(We do indeed have information on at least one fan-produced MST3K
newsletter, which comes to us from MSTie Christine Wilkerson:
"Thanks for your interest in Crow's Nest! It's the only fan
newsletter I know of, but I suppose there are others out there. If
you ever find any, let me know. CN is a monthly, with 10 pages per
issue. It has news, reviews, letters of comment, photos and
artwork, exclusive interviews with the Brains, and as much general
MSTie goofiness as they can come up with. Right now they're
running a serialized story, in fact. Submissions of all sorts are
more than welcome, including letters to the editor, so tell your
friend to feel free to write a letter about why she's a MSTie or
whatever. We tend to be Trace/Crow fans, but it's not at all
exclusively oriented toward them. The subscription rate is $12 for
twelve issues, to Crow's Nest, PO Box 3825, Evansville, IN
47736-3825." And thanks for your list, Christine [and David] - we
passed it on to MSTies on CompuServe for any additions [which we
hope to publish next issue, Grid and space willing] as well as E-
Mailing some of the Brains and, as a bonus, received the following
letter!)
Dear Elayne: 12/15/93
I'd be tickled if you sent along a copy of your newsletter. I
remember when I was about 14, listening to Not Insane with some of
my siblings and their friends in about, oh, '69 or so, and not
getting any of the jokes, while they laughed hysterically. I have
a feeling that Panama Red had a hand in it, but I made it my quest
to figure out what was so damn funny. Didn't take long, and soon
I was collecting Firesign albums, and listening to them, over and
over, late into the night, picking apart every nuance, every
inflection, every obscurity. It is a dubious achievement of my
high school days that I could probably still repeat most of Don't
Crush that Dwarf if sufficiently prompted. I don't, but I could.
KEVIN MURPHY
Hopkins, MI
* * *
Elayne:
Thanks for the FAlaFal and tapes of Dear Friends...I haven't
seen "The Ten of Us" TV show in any list - wasn't Proctor a priest
on it? (I have no idea; I've never heard of the show.) I have the
first Energizer bunny ad on tape with Phil in the lawn chair. The
Boys sure have changed; the KC concert was like a John Cage piece -
heavy, man! How close to the albums do the plots of the videos
Everything You Know Is Wrong and Eat Or Be Eaten get?...
KERRY WHITE
Topeka, KS
(Believe it or not, I still haven't seen Eat Or Be Eaten. The
EYKIW video is almost word for word from the album, with the
exception of the changing-into-crows scene which, according to what
I think David once told me, they were originally hoping to animate
before budget restrictions kicked in. That scene is now cut, and
the "Indian-made recording" stops abruptly, going straight to
Nino's call.)
* * *
Hi Elayne, January 1, 1994
I'm elated to make the acquaintance of the Firehead Head. I'd
love to swap electrons with you (or whatever it is we're doing) if
this actually works better than the post office. I see, you are, a
sailor... Trouble E-mailing to Canada? Your electro-words arrived
on Dec. 23rd, just as my daughter and I were leaving for L.A.
(where I lived in the '60s, quite close to the Magic Mushroom and
its influence). Returned to find the FAlaFal in the mail. I felt
like George when the ice cream vendor stopped.
On Dec. 22, received an E-o-gram from Michael Packer. He
sounded rather astonished that I communicated by paper. What are
all these Mexican stamps doing here? Wrote to him the same day as
you, after reading of you both in the Firesign Group FAQ, which had
just appeared on my server that week.
The last time I saw the Sign live was at the Ash Grove, on New
Year's Eve, 1969. They did "A Life in the Day" in a whirlwind of
tokes and jokes; Lighting Hopkins played a very quick set, and then
Taj Mahal with Jesse Ed Davis played some of the finest music I've
ever heard. Wondrous as it was to be there at the beginning of
Dwarf, the Crazee Guys were upstaged by a man named after a
monument.
I heard David Ossman interviewed on the Seattle NPR station
promoting a radio evening last spring. Was all set to bus down
there for his lecture, got my travelling shoes on and my pockets
filled with greasy Yankee greenbacks when I suddenly became
violently ill. Spent the rest of the day in bed, and then heard on
the radio that the power had been knocked out of most of Seattle by
a windstorm. Maybe the Electrician of the Reaper doesn't want me
to meet them, but I'd like to ask Dave and the other Crazees a
question through FAlaFal: David Ossman once said that the reason
the Firesign Theatre make albums is because there are things they
want to tell people. Do these things remain the same over time?
They seemed to be saying different things about their work in the
Oz days, in the Big Book of Plays, and in the liner notes to the
CDs. When they perform those old routines now, is it still an
attempt to communicate what they were trying to tell people over
the generator ago? Or is it like the Antelope Freeway, a
destination never to be reached, always to be dreamed anew?
E-Later,
CAT SIMRIL ISHIKAWA
N. Vancouver, B.C.
* * *
Elayne, 1/14/94
I just got the December issue of Four-Alarm FIRESIGNal and
really enjoyed it. It was great to read the words of all those fans
-- is it me, or are Firesign fans unusually articulate?
I have to admit my knowledge of Firesign is pretty rusty -- I
couldn't do the crossword puzzle. But I am happy to be back in
touch with what they are doing. You know, those guys were so far
ahead of their time, it is totally amazing that they had as much
success as they did in the 1970s. I think that now is their era,
actually. For some reason, listening to Firesign albums brings
that time back for me very intensely. More than listening to music
of the period. I am not into nostalgia in any way -- it is not
that. But those recordings are so alive . . . . they wake up brain
cells that had been snoozing.
Cheers,
LINDSAY E. EDMUNDS
Gaithersburg, MD
* * *
Hello, Dear Friends: January 14, 1994
Thank you for the quick turn-around on FAlaFal #22; I did not
know that a publication such as yours existed before reading your
message on alt.comedy.firesgn-theatre. Now I'm gratified to learn
that there may even be a way for me to obtain cassette versions of
my favorite FT recordings (I do not own a CD player, and am
resisting purchasing one).
I'd like to say something pithy and urbane at this time, but
words fail me. I first heard FT in 1970-1971 while a student in
Munich, Germany. I had many of their recordings on reel-to-reel
tape (wow, I'll bet that dates me!), and still own Giant Rat,
Lawyer's Hospital, and P&B's TV or Not TV on vinyl.
My reel-to-reel has long since gone the way of the dinosaur,
and I've only been able to find Dwarf and Electrician on cassette.
I'd LOVE to find Bozos and HCYB but I understand they are not
available on tape. Thanks to your newsletter, however, I find that
Shoes For Industry might be a worthwhile addition--and that IS
available on cassette.
Anyway, thanks for the newsletter; I'll attempt to contribute
something upon receipt of the next issue... ;-)
FRED PUHAN
Reston, VA
* * *
Dear Elayne:
It was time to send you a change of address... and some
revised SASEs... and I thought I'd include a note to let you know
how much I enjoy receiving the Firesignal.
I first encountered FT when some hippie-type friends of my
cousin played How Can You Be... for me back in the winter of '70-
'71, in the attic of an old house in Ypsilanti, Michigan. But with
only one listen of the lp, I didn't really get a chance to
appreciate all of the content of that album at the time.
I didn't really become a fan until '73, when I acquired a copy
of Don't Crush That Dwarf. By late '75 I had pretty much all of
their recordings, and have followed them ever since.
Oddly enough, I've always thought of FT as a fairly erotic
comedy group. Maybe this is because I sometimes played Don't Crush
That Dwarf while otherwise engaged with my college girlfriend. And
probably why Roller Maidens from Outer Space is my favorite album.
Another odd note: Dear Friends has been released on CD... and
not a word of advance notice in the Firesignal nor on any of the
computer bulletin boards. Did they just sneak this one past
everybody? I was pleased to note that, although this was
originally a two-record set, the CD is complete on one disk and
priced at the standard single-CD price.
Now if we could only get Roller Maidens on CD...
Best wishes,
HAROLD MAY
Memphis, TN
(As I don't own a CD player, I admit to being remiss on new
releases, and I appreciate Fireheads filling me in on this sort of
thing!)
* * *
Elayne,
I started listening to FT's records many years ago when my
brother Tom brought Waiting for the Electrician home from college.
This was probably sometime around '72-3, I guess. I was barely a
teenybopper mahself, but I was mesmerized. I can safely say my
life was changed forever. In the next year or two my brother, who
was quite the radical in his early '70s college days, but is now a
right-wing born-again Christian living in Orange County, brought
home other records: Dwarf, How Can You Be... and Everything You
Know Is Wrong, I think. That clinched it. I started buying my own
copies and before long had every record, and the subsequent new
releases, and listened to them probably a little too much. The
effect of all this was that my brain was permanently programmed
with the mental movies provided by FT. I still have mental
flashbacks whenever I hear a familiar two- or three-word
combination or a similar voice, or some other mental cue occurs
which reminds me that it's still a Firesign Theatre world we live
in. I swear that entire sections of the records, sound effects and
all, replay in my head. Spooky, and damn funny too. Few other
things in this life have had a similar effect.
As I lay in bed this morning, twisting my mind into corkscrew
shape as I tend to do, I conceived of a "comedy" issue of [his fine
publication] Eyewash, which would provide a perfect forum for the
FT piece. If this comes to pass, I imagine various additional
topics would be W.C. Fields, Jonathan Winters (a hometown boy, you
know), Bob & Ray, and other comedy pioneers who have the ability to
alter reality in such a way that everyday experiences are forever
changed. It occured to me that this was what was so important about
FT - they managed to perform this "reality alteration" more
extensively and more awarely than anyone else had, before or since.
Re-establishing communication with you and the vast community of FT
appreciators has caused all sorts of memories to flood back. I'd
completely forgotten how important those records were to me years
ago, in my young and confused years. They calmed me and taught me
about the many uses and abuses of "reality," they steered me in new
directions, they made me think. Hmmm. I guess there IS a hell of a
lot that can be written about them.
I've been reading the Cosmic Trigger books by Robert Anton
Wilson, as recommended by Greg Carden of Tsujigiri (I saw Greg's
name listed in FALaFal), and Wilson mentions this concept of
"metaprogramming" the nervous system for personal transformation
through the use of things like Tantric Yoga, certain psychoactive
chemicals, and assorted mental & spiritual disciplines. I like
this image of re-structuring the mind, from the ground up, by
attacking various key pre-conceptions about reality and forcing the
human organism to submit to conscious re-training. I guess the end
result is greater awareness, freedom, and insight. This is a
little wiggy sounding already, but I think that the effect of FT
can be compared to this idea of "metaprogramming." I know that
it's just comedy, but... humor is never innocent, it's a damn
effective tool for change. By creating such a complete and
transcendentally absurd world out of elements from the supposedly
"real" world, basically subverting reality itself, or at least our
concept of it, FT records can take us to new levels of insight into
the world around us. I think this really only happens for people
who are particularly open to what they're doing, and then only
after prolonged exposure, and then only to a certain extent. But
I'm sure that all true "fans" can never listen to the voice of
control - whether it comes from a sitcom, a fashion trend, an
advertisement, or the president of these here united snakes -
without seeing through the surface layers of "normalcy" to the true
strangeness of the world around us. Since things like tantra,
drugs, and spiritual disciplines are not my cup o' tea, I'm glad
that there are things like FT around to give me a taste of this
experience. I also think that something like this can be acheived
through the proper type(s) of investigation into unexplained
phenomena. There's probably many other examples, but I think you
get the point.
That's much too long-winded for what I wanted to say, but this
type of junk fascinates me. The impulse behind this fascination is
my pure and violent hatred for the world of meaningless jobs and
dead-end futures offered to me by conventional, unconscious
society. Anything that gives me a glimpse of possibility, like FT
at their best does, is what interests me most. FT steered me
toward a lot of things which changed my life, or at least jerked my
mind around a little. That's one of their best features, I think.
You can just listen to their records for references, then go check
them out, and voila! Instant education. Their references are
almost like they're coming right out and saying, "Go check out
Fields," or "Read some Chandler, you might be surprised." One of
the best things that FT accomplished (for me, me, glorious me!) was
raising my consciousness of W.C. Fields. I hear the seeds of much
of what they do in Fields' subtle, twisted comedy. A lot of the
power found in great comedy comes from the rhythms. All great
comedy has an internal rhythm that you come away with. When you
hear this rhythm underneath and within daily experience, then you
hook into the alternate, comedy-universe and things change. It's
weird. Another thing they steered me towards is Raymond Chandler's
books. I owe them a lot for this too. Ever read Farewell My
Lovely? The scene where Marlowe is drugged and wakes up with
hallucinations is pure Firesign Theatre to me.
Anyway... Did you watch the FT reference in Martin Scorsese's
version of Cape Fear? In the scene where badguy DeNiro/Cady is
seducing Nick Nolte's assistant, she uses the phrase "I think we're
all bozos on this bus," in reference to herself and the rest of the
people in the cafe-type place they're at. On a related note, there
are a couple scenes where a clown image and a group of clowns
appear. I have my own reasons, but it's all connected, somehow...
That's a lot of blah-blahing for one stranger to write to
another, but it does illustrate how FT can lower the walls between
people, at least one way, provided they share some personal
connection with FT...
PHIL SNYDER
Dayton, OH
* * *
Dear Elayne:
Great issue, as usual. Thanks are due, and you'll get your
big reward in Heaven, or at the very least time off in Purgatory.
Dammit, I was on the wrong continent when the tour took place.
So kudos for the excellent coverage and the reviews from various
cranks.
Surely someone can come up with a better moniker than
"Fireheads," though it won't be me. (Maybe I'll dig back through
the old Toilers from the '76 Papoon Campoon - my cadre was "Uh Clem
and the Clonetones;" somebody must have come up with a useful name
from those halcyon days...) I also received two fan letters
produced for us slavish devotees [yes, we're a cult!] of the late
SF genius Philip K. Dick. And yes, some people call us Dickheads;
in fact, one of the zines is caled "For Dickheads Only."
"Fireheads?" Keep thinking...
Best,
CHRIS WARD
American Center Kyoto
JAPAN
P.S. My goldang crosword had two darn-it-all-to-heck errors,
brought to my attention by your other penpans, John and Marcia
Scialli of Phoenix, AZ. 20 across should be id est (abbr.) and 3
down should be "Marceau character." However, this is so f**king
trivial that no one in his/her right mind would give a squat.
* * *
Elayne: January 28, 1994
Thanks. Received. Nice job. I'm glad to see you have the
design smarts to keep your publication neat, legible and packed
with info and data only possible with a reduced point size -- the
same trick I used to pull when I edited CASTLE OF FRANKENSTEIN 30
years ago. Little-known Proctor factoid: He had a letter in
PANIC around 1954. This was the sister publication to MAD Comics.
I'm pretty sure the letter was by him, given the MAD mentions in
the ROLLING STONE interview of the Seventies (and he's also
mentioned his interest in comic books elsewhere)...
BHOB STEWART
Queens, NY
* * *
Dear Elayne, February 18, 1994
I got #22 sometime ago and, as always, it was a blast!! The
way the issue was printed and presented was very appropriate to the
growth of the newsletter and the renewed popularity of "the guys."
I attended the Wiltern performance with Marc Tucker since he
had the wheels and I don't. I'm too lazy and too scared to drive
in LA. The concert was, on the whole, brilliant. It was great
seeing a "performance" concert for a change, a nice break from
losing my hearing on music, i.e., Ramones, Negativland, Pink Floyd
and Olivia Newton-John (AAAA!...got your attention before you dozed
off, eh?).
To put the concert content in a couple of brief sentences, it
was quite obvious that they can't do everything off the albums, yet
they nonetheless carried it off successfully, and David Ossman was
a standout. I only wish that a large number of the audience was
sedated (against their will, of course)...
Happy New-Age Year, and squeeze the weeze for meeze...
Can I say, "Good-Bye"?
DON FIELDS
Redondo Beach, CA
(Thanks for the wonderful "Papoon in '96" stationery, Don!)
* * *
To the Editor of the Bloomington Voice: 2 February 1994
I blinked, rubbed my eyes, and looked again. Yes, there it
was, on p. 19 of your Feb. 2 issue: Joe Nickell announced that
someone named "David Osmond" would soon be appearing on Channel 3's
J&B On The Rocks.
This "Mr. Osmond" was described as having some sort of
association with The Firesign Theater [sic], the surrealist audio
theatrical company that produced many hours of classic avant-garde
radio happenings in the '60s and '70s, made several films, and has
recently completed a national tour.
I was bewildered by this reference to a "David Osmond." Has
someone now joined the group without our knowledge? Can we be
certain that this fellow (obviously a renegade member of the
squeaky-clean Osmond family) is everything he appears to be? Or
could it be that once again we have been taken in by clever fakes?
It was suggested to me that someone at the Bloomington Voice
just happened to misspell the name of David Ossman. But that
couldn't possibly be true. An alternative newspaper just wouldn't
misspell the name of such an influential and beloved alternative
artist. Even a sort-of-alternative paper like the Voice wouldn't
make a mistake like that. Nope. Got to be a conspiracy.
MELANTHE ALEXIAN
Bloomington, IN
* * *
Hello, Dear Friends!
I recently had the good fortune to find the most recent issue
of Factsheet Five, and was delighted to learn of the existence of
your zine... a zine devoted to the greatest comedy team of the
latter half of the Twentieth Century - the Men Of The Modern Comedy
- The Firesign Theatre!
I am thirty-three years old, and purchased my first Firesign
Theatre album in 1969 - many, many years before I could understand
even a third of the jokes. Now, after hundreds of listenings, I am
still discovering a gag or two with each play of Don't Crush That
Dwarf or Everything You Know Is Wrong. I am proud to say that I
have managed to obtain copies of all their recordings, including
the hard-to-find "solo" projects from the prolific 1973-74 years,
and the "Station Break" single. I even have the entire Proctor and
Bergman "Power" program on cassette. And of course, like any true
blure convert, I try to turn on as many people as I can possibly
corner to the joys of Firesign comedy... sometimes it works,
sometimes - well, some people just weren't meant to know, I
suppose.
And Horray, Huzzah, and What Has Happened To Your Nose?...
Late last year I learned of the Great Reunion! Let's all hope and
pray that the reuniting of these four comic geniuses results in
more recordings. They were sorely missed during the Reagan/Bush
era... I hope they make up for lost time now.
I look forward to hearing from you. Shoes For Industry!
Your obt. svt.,
DENNIS STAHL
Indianapolis, IN
* * *
Dear Elayne: March 1,1994
I have now finished reading all 22 Four-Alarm FIRESIGNals.
WOW!!! I've finished novels in less time. Thank you very much for
sending them.
There have been times, through these vast years of loneliness,
when I thought I was surely the only one left on Earth keeping the
flame alive.
All I can say is I'm sorry I hadn't found your publication,
or the Firesign Internet newsgroup, earlier. Then I would have
known about the reunion tour early enough to have made arrangements
to see it. I'm truly sorry I missed it. I didn't even know it was
happening and it certainly never made it this far north. You can
tell the 4 or 5 crazee guys that Canada is that big pink thing
above the United States on the maps.
I come to TFT honestly: didn't steal any of their records.
When I was but a mere pratt of a boy I heard this craziness on
WABX-FM Detroit. Ah, yes, those were the days of free-form radio,
free love, and free condoms (no, wait, those came later). "What is
this weirdness?" I thought to myself (which, if you've ever tried
it, is the best way). The announced announced it was a group
called The Firesign Theatre, and I was hooked. It was quickly
added to my burgeoning record collection, where it occupied the Fs
all by itself. In fact, Waiting for the Electrician... may very
well be the oldest album still in my collection. When I moved to
Canada a couple of years later I brought that album with me and
started turning on others to TFT. The first listen was always
free.
Skip ahead a couple of years, and I find myself manager of my
college radio station, Radio Sheridan in Oakville, Ontario. On my
own show, "Radio Free Headly," I would often mix a little George
Tirebiter in with the music. It wasn't long before I had people
asking me who those crazy guys were between the music. I must have
generated at least 6 new fans for the group, maybe even 7. I even
dragged my Film Appreciation course to a showing of Zachariah. It
wasn't appreciated, except by me and my buddy Stephen... Well, I
stuck with the 4 or 5 crazy guys for a number of years and seemed
to lose interest about the same time as TFT did. I was unaware 3
(or 4) of the crazy guys had come back together and were recording
again... But, every once in a while, when I felt I needed a fix,
and I was sure nobody was around, I'd turn the lights down low,
plug in the headphones, put out the cat, drop the needle onto the
record, and remember when...
Recently, my 10-year-old son Zachary has shown an ever-
growing interest... one day, on a whim, I fished out How Can You
Be... and droped the needle. (It was fortunate I have the Big Book
of Plays for him to read along.) Well, I managed to hook another
one, but this one's my own kid! I'm planning on letting him hear
all of TFT I think he can safely handle. Now I have to begin
thinking about my 7-year-old daughter...
Well, that's about all the yabbering I intend to do. Again,
thanks for the back issues and good luck on future endeavours.
HEADLY WESTERFIELD
Toronto, Ont. CANADA
Internet Address:
headly@accesspt.north.net
* * *
Dear Elayne, March 16, 1994
I have been meaning to send this to you for a loong time.
Finally I get to it!
I've been listening to Firesign Theatre for at least 20
years. Over the past few years, I have made many new friends that
had never heard of Firesign and have gradually converted them into
FireHeads!
Last year, my partner needed to compose a chorale for his
Music Theory class. The piece he chose was "This Land Is Made of
Mountains." Others in the class chose such things as "Drink to Me
Only With Thine Eyes" and something from Dr. Seuss as well as other
somewhat cheezey pieces. Well, finals week arrived and the class
sat down with a grand piano and copies of everyone's compositions.
Imagine their dismay as they ended with a big chorus of "....and
pussycats to eat them when the sun goes dooooown!" It was a Great
Moment.
On another day, the instructor of a class handed out a
difficult assignment and Brent's reaction was, "Don't be for
torturing me!" We quote the Boys often and get curious looks just
as often. The other day, we were walking downtown and saw a hugely
obese person and both chorused, "They have such nice noses!" The
friend we were with was greatly confused, but we kinda like it that
way.
Last spring we were in Seattle for a Tibetan Buddhist
ceremony and driving downtown saw a huge billboard with a picture
of cheese and an ad for a deli that advertised, "Gorgonzola spoken
here" and at the same time, we shouted, "Gorgonzola, the Cheese
Monster!!!" Imagine our surprise a couple blocks later when we
read the marquis at a big, old theater that announced "Firesign
Theatre 25th Anniversary Reunion." Alas and alack, we blew every
penny we had on the trip we were on and couldn't go back two weeks
later. It was a sad day in Mudville, but got to stay at my
sister's apartment in the Paisley House on Capital Hill in Seattle,
though. I guess that was enough. It had to be...
BOB JACOBSON
Missoula, MT
* * *
Elayne - March 25, 1994
I just got my first copy of FalaFal a few days ago in the
mail, and I wanted to express the gratitude. Realizing that there
are so many bozos still out there gives me hope for the future (who
knows, I may already be there!) I've been turning my two sons (8
and 6) onto FST, and although 90% goes right over their heads,
there is a glimmer in their eyes that tells me they'll be listening
for a while. My 8-year old spends far too much time reading
reversed words in windows, and 6-year-old can disarm his father's
anger by looking at me with a straight face and shouting, "No..put
down that pickle."
Ah...the cycle of life.
Thanks again.
MICHAEL CIRIVELLO
Columbus, OH
* * *
Dear Elayne,
Candi Strecker gave me her latest copy of FAlaFal - I really
loved it!
Here's a copy of a review I wrote of the Berkeley show...for
a science fiction fanzine in Minneapolis... During the performance
of ...Dwarf, I realized that the framework of the story was very
similar to that of Ingmar Bergman's movie Wild Strawberries. In
the beginning a bitter, unhappy old man wakes up in the middle of
the night from a bad dream. He embarks on a journey during which
he revisits his past. He has dreams and visions that give him
insight into the mistakes he made with his life. In the end he
reaches his destination and is happy and light-hearted. Do you
know if anyone has mentioned this before? Someday I'd like to
expand on this theory, but it could be a long time from now and I'd
like to see what people's reactions to the basic idea are.
When I mentioned in the article that the evening was a
catharctic experience, I meant it. At one point I was in a Chinese
restaurant eating chow fun with a friend trying to explain the
feelings I was having, and I got, well, very emotional. It was a
surprising experience that can't be easily summed up or explained.
It had a lot to do with the fact that something that I thought was
really cool in high school, and then drifted away from, suddenly
re-entered my life. I realized that I had more insight and good
taste as a teenager than I thought I did!
I've read issue #22 over and over many times; it's a real
gem. It's good to know that The Firesign Theatre are still around
and that people still dig them. I sure do!
Viva Firesign!
JOHN C. SULAK
San Francisco, CA
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[[8]] See You On the Funway...
*******************************************************************
That wraps it up for the inaugural edition of EFAlaFal; we had
a great time putting it together, and we hope you enjoyed reading
it. If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to
Email the editors at:
Elayne Wechsler-Chaput CompuServe 72672,2714
Prodigy ID PPCD02B
Jamie Schrumpf CompuServe 72002,3272
Internet moncomm@clark.net
If you'd like to receive a hard copy of FAlaFal (with cool
graphics totally unreproduceable via ASCII), send a self-addressed
stamped envelope (hereafter known as a SASE) to Elayne at her snail
mail address in The Big Apple: 1747 65th Street, Brooklyn, NY
11204. She'd love to mail you one.
Till next time, then...
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jamie Schrumpf Internet: moncomm@clark.net
Monrovia Communications Phone/FAX 1-301-607-6604
11460 Archer Circle | Opinions ARE those of the company! |
Monrovia, MD USA 21770 | Mainly because I _AM_ the company. |