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Showing posts with label Regular Nick. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Regular Nick. Show all posts

The Origin Story Of DreamWorks' Spirit: Stallion Of The Cimarron

An inspiring story of survival, strength, friendship, and freedom, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron is an all-time favorite movie for horse lovers of all ages. It follows a wild mustang as he fights for his freedom and that of his herd. The artistry, story line, and killer soundtrack work together to make a horse movie worth watching over and over.

It’s been 18 years since the original animated movie made its debut. You might have every line memorized, but did you know there is a real-life Spirit that inspired the fictional character?

Unlike other animated movies, Spirit is based on reality as much as possible. The horses don’t talk, and generalized events including the expansion of the railroad are based on fact, not fiction. Producers thought it was important to deliver a film that inspired viewers while melding the worlds of animation and real life. Achieving that goal would take more than clever animation. They needed artistry that could tell a story without dialogue and evoke emotions with each movement.

To do that, artists needed a model. They needed a real-life horse that would serve as inspiration and example. After a search, they found a Kiger mustang with beautiful conformation, coloring, and strength. His name was Donner, but these days, that real-life mustang goes by a different name: Spirit.

DreamWorks selected the now-named Spirit when he was a colt. Born to a stallion and mare that had been captured by the BLM in Oregon, Spirit was (and still is) a beautiful example of the Kiger mustang breed. His wide-set eyes and thick, wavy, multi-colored tail and mane became the inspiration for the animated horse that is still stealing hearts all these years later.

Before the 2002 movie made it to the big screen, animators spent countless hours observing Spirit. They watched how his muscles moved when he ran and how his face changed with his mood. With Spirit’s help, animators created an accurate equine character that looks and moves just like their live model.

When the movie was finished, DreamWorks chose Return to Freedom’s American Wild Horse Sanctuary to be Spirit’s permanent home. It’s been almost two decades since Spirit posed for animators, but the beautiful mustang we all love still serves as an advocate for Kiger mustangs and all of America’s wild horses. In fact, he recently celebrated his 25th birthday!

Like his animated character, the real-life Spirit is part of the fight to help wild horses maintain their natural habitats and freedom. While he lives at the sanctuary and loves interacting with people, Spirit is a prominent ambassador for wild horses. He engages youth around the world to learn more about America’s mustangs and every horse’s need for freedom and protection.

He lives on Return to Freedom’s headquarter facility in Santa Barbara County on 300 acres of pristine California pasture. From a young age he learned to be comfortable around people, but those who know him best say he has spunk and spirit similar to that of his fictional character. He’s grown to be an important part of the wild horse sanctuary, and he’s helping educate the public about his breed and ways humans can protect all of America’s wild horses.

With Spirit’s claim to fame, he attracts crowds of fans to his sanctuary home. During these visits, the real-life Spirit helps the sanctuary spread an important message about what’s currently happening to the country’s wild horses and what the public can do to help.

Spirit’s work in inspiring others has been recognized not only by the countless people he has met, but also by the EQUUS Foundation and the United States Equestrian Foundation. The organizations inducted Spirit into the Horse Stars Hall of Fame in 2018, and he continues to influence the sanctuary’s mission even decades after Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron was released.

Now 25 years old, the real-life Spirit is busy enjoying life at the sanctuary. He spends his days interacting with a few of his equine friends and enjoying attention and care from his favorite humans. He was born in captivity, but the spirit of independence and the wild west lives in his veins. And thanks to Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, his image will continue to show others that freedom is always worth fighting for.

What Happened To Former Barbie Rival "Bratz"?

With the resurgence of Barbie dolls through Greta Gerwig's Barbie, the natural next pick would be a look into the world of the Bratz doll. After all, in many ways, Barbie and Bratz became opposing rivals in the toy world for years.

Girls on the playground would often debate the merits of their favorite dolls. Sometimes, though, they would mix the two together and use their imagination to bridge the gap. With a recent look into Barbie, it begs the question: What happened to Bratz?

What happened to Bratz dolls?
Bratz dolls were released long after Barbie, debuting in 2001. But, they were created by a former employee of Mattel, the company that owns Barbie, so the competition between the two was immediate. Over the years, they've faced public backlash and ridicule.

Bratz dolls are still somewhat available, although they've been discontinued a few times. Not shockingly, Mattel slammed them with a lawsuit due to some similarities and copyright issues. After Bratz's parent company, MGA Entertainment, won the case, they lifted a pause that had been put on the brand.

They even launched a 10 year anniversary line with some modifications. In 2014, the line of the time wasn't available in North America and, when the company came back in 2015, they only lasted for a year before being discontinued again.

Why do people hate Bratz dolls?
The issues in regards to Bratz dolls vary depending on the person. Staunch Barbie lovers weren't happy with the seemingly copy cat creation, but their anger was put to rest when the litigation settled.

A major issue that the Bratz dolls faced was red flags about unrealistic beauty standards. Bratz dolls were very glam in nature, often wearing full faces of makeup. Plus, many argued that the body proportions and facial features were pushing a certain type of standard on young girls.

In fact, the last line of Bratz dolls' main criticisms was that the dolls were marketed towards young girls rather than tween and teen markets which were believed to be better suited to the more 'sexy' look. The adult-like portrayal left parents uncertain about handing over the toy to their kids.

Of course, the body standard argument didn't only apply to Bratz dolls as Barbie has often received the same sort of feedback. However, Barbie supporters often argue that her design is typically more reserved in fashion and that her storyline includes aspirational jobs meant to inspire young women.

Issues with Bratz dolls stemmed beyond just the design. The manufacturer was slammed with allegations of paying its factory workers a very low rate, around $0.515 an hour, according to a report from China Labor Watch.

MGA denied the allegations. After that, the company became ensnared in a variety of legal issues. Lady Gaga even took the company to court at one point, alleging that the company purposefully delayed the release of a doll that was supposed to look like her.

Over all, Bratz dolls certainly had their moment in early 2000s culture, but they haven't stood the test of time as well as brands like Barbie. They're still an option for kids today, but not as widespread.

This was originally published by Distractify

Hi Hi Puffy Amiyumi | Pilot | Cartoon Network

After Sam Register (the creator) pitched the idea of Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi having their own cartoon series on Cartoon Network, the animation studio Renegade Animation created a pitch pilot, in the hopes of swaying Cartoon Network to green-light the show's production.

The pilot was sent to Cartoon Network and they accepted it and it was to air in late 2003, but for unknown reasons, the pilot was reworked and later premiered on November 19th, 2004. The series premiere was successful and was even at the time one of the highest-rated shows to premiere on Cartoon Network.

Batman: Knightfall (PDF)

The story takes place over approximately six months. Bruce Wayne (Batman) suffers burnout and is systematically assaulted and crippled by a "super steroid"-enhanced genius named Bane. Bruce is replaced as Batman by an apprentice named Jean-Paul Valley (a.k.a. Azrael), who becomes increasingly violent and unstable, tarnishing Batman's reputation. Eventually, Bruce is healed through paranormal means and reclaims his role as Batman.

Batman: Bruce Wayne - Fugitive Vol 1 (PDF)

In this story Bruce Wayne is indicted for killing Vesper Fairchild. He is sent to Blackgate Prison only to escape, launching a citywide manhunt. Now Batman has now gone to ground, renouncing his true identity and operating deeper in the shadows than ever before. It falls to his extended family, Nightwing, Robin, Oracle, Batgirl, Spoiler, and Alfred to figure out who really did commit the murder. While the clues point to a possible setup, no one can deny that those same clues might point to Batman's actual guilt.

Batman And Philosophy : The Dark Knight Of The Soul (PDF)

Riddle me this-- -- Does the Dark Knight always do right? -- Why doesn't Batman kill the joker? / Mark D. White -- Is it right to make a Robin? / James DiGiovanna -- Batman's virtuous hatred / Stephen Kershnar -- Law, justice, and the social order : where does Batman fit in? -- No man's land : social order in Gotham City and New Orleans / Brett Chandler Patterson -- Governing Gotham / Tony Spanakos -- The Joker's wild : can we hold the Clown Prince morally responsible? / Christopher Robichaud -- Origins and ethics : becoming the Caped Crusader -- Batman's promise / Randall M. Jensen -- Should Bruce Wayne have become Batman? / Mahesh Ananth and Ben Dixon -- What would Batman do? : Bruce Wayne as moral exemplar / Ryan Indy Rhodes and David Kyle Johnson -- Who is the Batman? (Is that a trick question?) -- Under the mask : how any person can become Batman / Sarah K. Donovan and Nicholas P. Richardson -- Could Batman have been the Joker? / Sam Cowling and Chris Ragg -- Batman's identity crisis and Wittgenstein's family resemblance / Jason Southworth -- What is it like to be a Batman? / Ron Novy -- Being the Bat : insights from existentialism and taoism -- Alfred, the Dark Knight of faith : Batman and Kierkegaard / Christopher M. Drohan -- Dark nights and the call of conscience / Jason J. Howard -- Batman's confrontation with death, angst, and freedom / David M. Hart -- Friend, father-- rival? : the many roles of the Bat -- Why Batman is better than Superman / Galen Foresman -- World's finest-- friends? : Batman, Superman, and the nature of friendship / Daniel P. Malloy -- Leaving the shadow of the Bat : Aristotle, Kant, and Dick Grayson on moral education / Carsten Fogh Nielsen -- The tao of the Bat / Bat-Tzu

"The Simpsons": Homer Was Originally Going To Krusty The Clown

There was originally supposed to be a twist on The Simpsons: Krusty the Clown was meant to be Homer Simpson in disguise, but that's not what happened in the end. All 30 seasons of TV's longest-running scripted primetime animated series will be available on Disney+ at launch. This means generations of Simpsons fans can experience one of the greatest TV shows ever from the very beginning - and they'll see just how much The Simpsons has changed since its awkward first season.

Of course, Krusty (voiced by Dan Castellaneta, who is also the voice of Homer) is one of The Simpsons' greatest characters and he's arguably the town of Springfield's biggest celebrity. Krusty hosts The Krusty the Clown Show, the favorite weekday program of Springfield's children. Krusty's show is the home of Itchy & Scratchy cartoons and, as Krusty once bragged, "It's the tightest three hours and ten minutes on TV". Krusty is also Bart Simpson's personal hero; Bart's pure-hearted worship of Krusty defies the realities and many failings of the narcissistic clown. Krusty never seems to remember all the things Bart has done for him like re-ignite his career with Krusty's Komeback Special, serving as his assistant, the "I Didn't Do It! Boy", and reuniting Krusty with his estranged father, Rabbi Krustofsky (Jackie Mason).

The Simpsons' Homer/Krusty Twist Explained

Krusty's first appearance was in The Simpsons short "The Krusty the Clown Show", which aired on The Tracy Ullman Show. Bart attends a taping of Krusty's show but he suspects the clown host isn't the real deal; Simpson yanks off his nose and it's revealed Krusty is an imposter - before a smash cut shows Homer and Marge watching the debacle on TV. But originally, Matt Groening planned for Bart to discover that Homer was Krusty before it was changed. As Groening told EW:

”The original idea behind Krusty the Clown was that he was Homer in disguise, but Homer still couldn’t get any respect from his son, who worshiped Krusty. If you look at Krusty, it’s just Homer with extended hair and a tuft on his head.

This explains the obvious physical resemblance between Homer and Krusty. Groening also said that it was too complicated a story to do during The Simpsons' tumultuous beginnings so they (wisely) dropped the idea and kept Homer and Krusty as separate characters. The Simpsons later did a hilarious spin on Homer being Krusty in season 6 episode, "Homie the Clown", where Homer enrolled in Krusty's Clown College but then the two identical harlequins ended up as targets of Springfield's Mafia because of Krusty's $48 debt to the mob.

The Simpsons Did Something Much Better With Krusty

Dropping the Homer-as-Krusty plot allowed Krusty to become a fan-favorite recurring character. The famous clown went on to become one of The Simpsons' best supporting cast members who has been featured in many great episodes. Moreso, Krusty fulfills an invaluable function in the series by encapsulating every negative stereotype about celebrities, thanks to Krusty's improbable 61 years in show business. This includes Krusty's penchant for slapping his image on any substandard product to support his lavish lifestyle of eating dodo eggs and lighting his cigars with $100 bills.

Krusty's venal nature has also been mined for laughs: In "Bart the Fink", the Clown once faked his death because of his IRS debts and posed as "Rory B. Bellows" until Bart and Lisa goaded him back to bring Krusty because he couldn't stand the idea of not being admired for being famous. When his outdated (and racist) comedy bombs in "The Last Temptation of Krust", Krusty stages a comeback by "telling it like it is", only to immediately sell out when he's offered the chance to be the spokes-clown for the Canyonero. While Homer secretly being Krusty would have been an interesting twist, it can't compare to the dividends reaped by Krusty's many hysterical adventures on The Simpsons over the decades.

Credits: Screenrants

Mikey's Murphy's Law/Milo Murphy's Law | Pitch Pilot | Disney Channel


Similar to the original pitch of Phineas and Ferb, the pilot of Mikey Murphy's Law (labeled "Mikey's Law") was a storyboard pitch of what would eventually become the first episode of Milo Murphy's Law, "Going the Extra Milo". It was leaked on April 26, 2024, alongside several other pilots from other Disney Television Animated shows.


The plot is relatively the same as that of "Going the Extra Milo" (barring a few lines that went unused, as well as Milo being named Mikey back then), but includes a couple of design changes. Most notably, Zack used to look completely different. Zack was initially of Caucasian ethnicity with a small, round nose, angular cheeks, and two wavy, angular plucks of hair from a widow's peak, as opposed to the spiky, slicked hairstyle he'd have in the actual series. Interestingly, this design appears to be later used for the final design of Kevin Grant-Gomez, one of the main characters for Dan Povenmire's later show, Hamster & Gretel. Bradley's design was also notably different, having a shorter, wider head, curly hair and big, half-round glasses, looking notably similar to Carl of Phineas and Ferb.

Interesting Fact: Boomerang Would Have Become A Preschool Channel By 2005 Or 2006

Tickle U was Cartoon Network's first attempt at a rival offering with Nick Jr. and Disney Jr. It debuted as a programming block on August 22, 2005 to January 13, 2006 with shows like Peppa Pig, Gerald McBoing Boing, Firehouse Tales and Little Robots.

Very little was known at the time at what led to inevitable demise of various theories did come to mind. One was the rival offering viewed on the as mentioned Nick Jr. and Disney Jr. brands with the other likely dealing with the content in general. 

Tickle U aired lesser known shows and the fact that Warner Bros. Discovery didn't browse their archives at the time. They had A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, Krypto The Superdog and Baby Looney Tunes all of which never made it to the preschool block.

However people familiar with the matter had outlined that Warner Bros. Discovery had considered making Boomerang a preschool channel. This would be through Tickle U trademark and with the channel likely to be revolvant on its content.

Despite it not materializing, Boomerang did however did start airing more modernized shows in the later years like Krypto The Superdog and Gerald McBoing Boing. It wasn't long till Warner Bros. Discovery's next attempt at the preschool market, Cartoonito.

Cartoonito was a household trademark in the UK before expanding to other parts of Europe. It formed part of Boomerang's family lineup with shows like Baby Looney Tunes, Interstellar Ella and Lu Lu And The Bally Bunch before taking up the rest of the channel. 

"Beating A Dead...": Why SpongeBob SquarePants Graveyard Channel Still Serves A Purpose In Africa?

Nicktoons is an international brand operated by Paramount Global and also serves as a sister station to both Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. It was basically a nickname given for the latter's animated productions as the linear channel exists to air archived material.

The channel launched in Africa by September 2014 after NBCUniversal and Corus Entertainment had shuttered KidsCo. It served as the most popular international adaptation of the channel airing animated shows from the 90s to early 00s.

But in recent years this had all changed as the channel was often functioning on autopilot as SpongeBob SquarePants and The Casagrandes takeover the channel. The magic had just vanished as the brand follows a similar pursuit as other international feeds.

As some readers are aware, similar to MTV both Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. are being streamlined at this point using a more unified feed in other countries. This has prevented/minimized the number of local variations to hit consumer's screens.

There are still a few of these feeds available some due to local quotas which expand further to include children's channels.

In Africa, these local investments had been splashed onto Paramount’s remaining set of channels. For instance, MTV Base it has been seen airing MTV's Shuga despite being positioned as a music channel while others like Have Faith air on BET.

Nicktoons was also a result of these endeavors as it currently offers the Nick Jr. block which would often air content that hasn't been seen on the Nick Jr. channel like Munki And Trunk. Same goes with local dubbings of animated shows and NickMusic.


Rescue Heroes: Billy Blazes (GBA)

A lightning bolt has struck the mountain top, and has ignited a fire that is out of control. Now you must lead Billy Blazes on a firefighting adventure through rocky mountains, the forest floor, and city streets to stop the fire before it destroys everything in sight. Rescue the citizens of Sky High Village by running, jumping, and swinging your way through 16 levels. You'll also have different gadgets and water-spraying vehicles to ensure that no one gets left behind. 

For a Gameboy Advance emulator check out Insidus Lite banner. 

The Tragic Life Story Of Former Disney Star Bobby Driscoll

In March of 1968, a pair of children playing in an abandoned, Greenwich Village tenement in New York City discovered a young man dead on a cot, surrounded by beer bottles and religious handouts. There were no obvious signs of foul play. He had no identification. The body was unknown and went unclaimed.

After failing to locate his next of kin, authorities declared the man dead from hardening of the arteries—a common side effect of longtime heroin abuse—and buried him in a mass, unmarked paupers' grave on the Bronx's Hart Island alongside other unidentified bodies and indigent souls who had fallen on hard times. And somewhere—although nobody is sure exactly where—on that island that once housed a woman's psychiatric asylum, a men's prison, and patients quarantined during an outbreak of yellow fever in the 1870s, is the final resting place of Peter Pan.

It's also the final resting place of Bobby Driscoll, who became a household name at the age of 9 with a starring role in Disney's controversial Song of the South. He won an Oscar at 12, and then, at 16, went on to voice the title role in Disney's classic animated film about a boy who never wants to grow up. In this case, that boy's twisted road to manhood ultimately detoured into (and out of) jail, through multiple marriages (and divorces) to the same woman, and finally winding through Andy Warhol's Factory to a tragic end.

So how to explain a former child star who worked alongside Tinseltown greats like Charles Boyer, Alan Ladd, Roy Rogers, and Joan Fontaine falling so far from a life of klieg lights and Academy awards to become just another indigent in an unmarked grave on Hart Island, where his body remains today? Fifty years after his death, it's a question that continues to trouble some of his oldest friends.

"He didn't really recover from being abandoned by Hollywood," reflects actor Billy Gray, who played Bud Anderson on the classic sitcom Father Knows Best and later befriended Driscoll. "It hit him hard. He was a heroin addict. It was tragic and there wasn't much you could do about it. He was strong, he had a good intellect and he should have known better. But that was a choice he made, and you couldn't talk him out of it."

It all started with a haircut.

The only son of an insulation salesman and former schoolteacher, Driscoll was discovered at the age of 5 while getting a trim. "A barber in Pasadena told me I should be in the movies, so one Sunday he invited us out to his home and his son was there," recalled Driscoll during a 1946 radio interview. "We found out his son was in the movies, and his son got me an appointment with his agent. His agent took me out to a part."

It was only a bit role opposite Margaret O'Brien in the 1943 film Lost Angel, but it led to a succession of movies that capitalized on Driscoll's pert nose and freckled face. Driscoll made nine films in a three-year span before his breakout role as Johnny, a 7-year-old boy who visits his grandfather's plantation in Song of the South.

Though the live-action/animated musical (which featured the Oscar-winning "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah") would ultimately represent an embarrassing chapter in Disney's storied history because of its offensive stereotypes and candy-coated depiction of slavery, it marked the start of a successful relationship between the studio and Driscoll, who became the first male actor to ever secure a Disney contract. "What Disney saw in Driscoll was the perfect, wholesome, all-American kid who dreams of being with pirates and all that," explains Hollywood biographer Marc Eliot, author of Walt Disney: Hollywood's Dark Prince. "Bobby was Disney's live-action Mickey Mouse."

The budding star made four movies for Disney, including Treasure Island, Peter Pan, and So Dear to My Heart—which, together with his role in The Window for RKO Pictures, earned Driscoll the Juvenile Academy Award in 1950. He also made friends with castmates along the way. "He was very lovely," adds Kathryn Beaumont, 82, who starred opposite Driscoll as the voice of Wendy in Peter Pan. "He went to his own public school when he was not working. He had normal experiences with his peer group—just as I did."

By the time Driscoll voiced Peter Pan at 16, however, he no longer had the impish face that kept him gainfully employed as a youth. He was just another teen boy with a bad case of acne. In today's world, it's a familiar and predictable narrative—a star who began his or her career on the Disney lot grows up and out of the squeaky-clean confines of the studio. But contemporary actors like Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez willingly left the Mouse House; Driscoll didn't have a choice when the studio unexpectedly dropped its golden child in 1953.

"When Howard Hughes bought RKO, he, in effect, became the owner of the Disney studio," explains Eliot. "He controlled the money and he hated Bobby Driscoll. He hated Hollywood kids. He thought they were precocious, weren't real, and were incredibly annoying. He didn't want Bobby Driscoll to be with Disney anymore."

The split was devastating. "The way I understand it, it was a rather rude dismissal," says Gray. "I heard that he was informed that he was no longer under contract through them by driving up to the entrance and being refused entrance into the studio. That was his notification that he was no longer needed there."

Trying to forge a new path, Driscoll left his parents' home at 16 and made trips to New York City to study acting. He reportedly enrolled in UCLA and Stanford but ended up dropping out of both because he couldn't find his way. "I wish I could say that my childhood was a happy one, but I wouldn't be honest," he said in a 1961 magazine article titled "The Nightmare Life of an Ex-Child Star." "I was lonely most of the time. A child actor's childhood is not a normal one. People continually saying 'What a cute little boy!' creates innate conceit. But the adulation is only one part of it.… Other kids prove themselves once, but I had to prove myself twice with everyone."

Though his big-screen career fizzled, Driscoll found fairly steady work in TV shows like Dragnet and Rawhide and attempted to settle into a life of domesticity with Marilyn Jean Rush, a 19-year-old he met in Manhattan Beach. After eloping to Mexico five months after they met, the young couple had one son and two daughters before splitting for good three years, two marriages, and two divorces later. "I became a beatnik and a bum," Driscoll said in the 1961 magazine article. "I had no residence. My clothes were at my parents' [house] but I didn't live anywhere. My personality had suffered during my marriage and I was trying to recoup it."

While hanging out on Los Angeles beaches, Driscoll befriended a group of young Hollywood turks like Gray, Robert Blake (Baretta), Dean Stockwell (Quantum Leap), and Russ Tamblyn (West Side Story). "We used to play pool together," remembers Tamblyn of their days living and carousing in Pacific Palisades. Driscoll also engaged in a more dangerous form of recreation—heroin. "It wasn't a secret," says Gray. "He liked heroin. That's just the way it was."

Driscoll then started to spend time in Topanga Canyon with Beat Generation artist/photographer Wallace Berman and began dabbling in verse. He even created collages and small works of art. "We loved him dearly," remembers Berman's wife Shirley, now 83. (Wallace Berman died in 1976). But trouble was never far away. Driscoll was arrested multiple times for drug possession, assault, burglary, and check kiting before he was finally committed for drug rehabilitation at Chino Men's Prison in 1961. "I had everything," he said in an interview after his sentence. "Was earning $50,000 a year…working steadily with good parts. Then I started putting all my spare time in my arm. I'm not really sure why I started using narcotics. I was 17 when I first experimented with the stuff. In no time at all, I was using whatever was available…mostly heroin, because I had the money to pay for it."

Prison sentences were the kiss of death for Hollywood actors in those days, so after briefly working as a carpenter, Driscoll left his young children behind and moved to New York City in 1965, where he forged an unlikely relationship with, of all people, Andy Warhol.

"Bobby was a curiosity. He wasn't really part of the crowd," says Eliot, who remembers seeing Driscoll in the '60s in a Greenwich Village club. "Warhol was so perverse, that he loved having Bobby Driscoll as part of his scene. That was Warhol's perversity in full play—you know, dissipated Hollywood."

No one seems to know how the then 31-year-old Driscoll spent his final days in New York City and why he ended up in an abandoned apartment where those kids found his body. Unlike the celebrity missteps that are chronicled hourly on news sites and social media today, Driscoll's demise happened in complete and total silence.

Driscoll's mother, Isabelle—who had not heard from her son in years—found out about Bobby's death nearly a year and a half later after placing advertisements about his disappearance in New York newspapers. It would take even longer for word to reach the public at large, as news of the Disney star's passing only surfaced four years after the fact, during the rerelease of Song of the South in 1972.

Family, friends, and fans were left to ponder how a boy who seemingly had it all could fall so far. (Even the Oscar—the ultimate sign of professional success in the industry—that Driscoll won was lost at some point in a house fire, while Song of the South has been practically disowned by the studio, having never been released in the U.S. on home video due to its racial content.) "Our minister had a theory," Driscoll's mother told Movie Digest in 1972 about what happened to her son. "He said later that Bobby just didn't want to be a 'good little boy' anymore. He'd been too good. He wanted to be just the reverse. Maybe that was it."

Eliot has a far more sobering rationale. "Obviously he was sick and an addict and broke. Nobody came to his rescue. That's the real story of Hollywood. It's a very sad story, but, you know, take a look at A Star Is Born. It's the exact same story."

It's the first Sunday after Thanksgiving and a family is busy setting up chairs on the 1500 block of Vine Street in Hollywood. In less than two hours, the annual Hollywood Christmas Parade will travel down the street, so the family positions itself right in front of Bobby Driscoll's Hollywood Walk of Fame star. No one takes notice beneath their feet, though a little girl pops a bubble that a street vendor just blew her way right on top of the star.

Does anyone here even know the name at the center of those five points? "He sounds like a baseball player to me," offers a patrolling police officer with a shrug. If it weren't for the fact that the Walk of Fame isn't known for honoring athletic achievement, it would be a good enough guess. Driscoll's name has long faded from mainstream recognition, but there have been attempts to keep his memory alive in the decades since his death.

A New Jersey woman who prefers to remain anonymous quietly maintains a website devoted to Driscoll's life and career. Russ Tamblyn flirted with the idea of doing a movie about his old pal before deciding he'll devote a chapter or two to Driscoll in his upcoming autobiography. "I thought it would be incredible," says Tamblyn, who is believed to have some of Driscoll's creations from his bohemian days. "I did study him for a long time. I talked to a priest at the prison that he was in, and I got Bobby's prison records."

The most promising tribute to Driscoll is Lost Boy: The Bobby Driscoll Story, a long-gestating documentary in the works by Jordan Allender, a 30-year-old film-school graduate who was raised on Disney lore. "If we weren't at Disneyland, we were at collectible stores looking for vintage antiques," says Allender of himself and his dad, who used to write for Tomart's Disneyana Update magazine. "When we got home, we watched old movies, and I became a big fan of So Dear to My Heart. I think that was Bobby's best role." Allender has interviewed Connie Stevens, Driscoll's costar in the 1958 film The Party Crashers, and secured the only known interview with Driscoll's eldest child, Don, a retired pediatrician, who has a replica of his dad's Oscar that was lost. "I don't have very many memories of my dad or my mom," says Don, now in his 60s, in Allender's raw video. "I do remember living in Pacific Palisades in a house that my dad owned and…seeing a bunch of pot on the table."

If there's one thing Allender hopes to achieve with his documentary (besides clearance from Disney to include old movie clips), it's a place for Driscoll in Disney Legends—the studio's version of a Hall of Fame. Chosen by a committee of Disney employees whose names are not disclosed, the program was launched in 1987 to "honor people who have made significant contributions to the Disney legacy," says Disney spokesman Jeff Epstein. Both living and deceased artists are eligible to be commemorated with a bronze plaque in the studio's Legends Plaza on the Burbank lot; honorees include Fred MacMurray, Regis Philbin, Betty White, and Oprah Winfrey. The cause of death has no bearing on someone's ability to be considered for Disney Legends. The famed Disney animator Mary Blair, for instance, reportedly died from complications related to alcoholism, but that did not stop her from being inducted in 1991. But unlike Driscoll, Blair never won an Academy Award. "That ought to settle the matter right there," argues his old friend Gray. (Epstein wouldn't comment on why Driscoll hasn't been considered.)

For his part, Allender just wants to see Driscoll remembered for his achievements, not his shortcomings. "What's the point of poking at it?" he says of Driscoll's drug use. "People make mistakes. Some people can't get out of it. I'm just saying, respect him."

That's what a New York City charity is trying to do for Driscoll and all the other people who were buried and forgotten on Hart Island. In 2011, the Hart Island Project was created to make it easier for people to find out whose remains ended up on the one-mile stretch of land. "Bobby is probably the most famous person buried there, along with novelist Dawn Powell," says president Melinda Hunt. "There are a number of interesting characters from New York City—the cool people."

Regrettably, Driscoll's children will never see the exact spot where their father was laid to rest: Burial records from 1961 through July 1977 that had been kept in the old hospital were destroyed by a fire. "He's somewhere on the northern part of the island," says Hunt. "We just don't know where." But that hasn't stopped her from encouraging Driscoll's children to visit the island, which for now is open only to next of kin. "My feeling is that it's not a shameful place to be buried," says Hunt, who hopes to someday see the cemetery accessible to the public. "It's a really, really beautiful location. There are herds of deer, these red raccoons, and a whole bird sanctuary. So for Bobby Driscoll, it's the perfect place to be buried. It's just like Never Never Land."

Credits: Entertainment Weekly 

Adventure Time | Pilot | Nickelodeon/Cartoon Network


The short focuses on a boy named Pen (later renamed Finn in the television series) and his best friend, a shapeshifting dog named Jake. One day, Lady Rainicorn, a unicorn-like creature, flies past them in tears; Pen and Jake follow her to an icy domain, where they discover that the Ice King has kidnapped Lady Rainicorn's owner, Princess Bubblegum, in the hope of marrying her. 

Shooting Star Milkshake Bar (Full Song) | Phineas And Ferb | Disney Channel


Phineas and Ferb is a 2007 television series created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh that tells the story of two boys who try to make their summer vacation fun in various ways. One of the episodes of this show, "Out To Launch", involves the character Lawrence naming a star after the titular duo and them setting off to find it in a rocket. During one part of the episode, the boys learn that the star they named is actually a place called the Shooting Star Milkshake Bar. This part uses a song with the same title as a montage of Phineas and Ferb enjoying their time there is shown.


A full version of the song was produced and was played at Disney's Hollywood Studios' former Phineas and Ferb meet and greet, but was never released in any form of physical media. The version is longer than the one heard on the show and has additional verses. Part of this version can be heard in a video by famous YouTube family Sen, Momo and Ai Channel when they visit the area.


On December 28th, 2020, a YouTube user by the name of "SuperSonicStyle" had uploaded the instrumental to the song. The instrumental was a secret unlockable track from the game "Phineas and Ferb in the Transport-inators of Doooom!".


On March 10th, 2024, a YouTube user by the name of "Charter School Girl" had uploaded the full version of the song.

Schneiderverse In Hot Water: Former Nickelodeon Star Drake Bell Details Sexual Abuse He Experienced As A Teen In New ID Documentary Quiet On The Set: The Dark Side Of Kids TV

Drake and Josh star Drake Bell is the biggest former child actor to allege having faced toxic workplaces at Nickelodeon while performing on Dan Schneider’s hit TV shows sets as part of Investigation Discovery’s docuseries Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV.

For the first time, Bell shares his story of alleged abuse at the hands of Brian Peck, his former dialogue coach, who was convicted of sexually assaulting a Nickelodeon child actor in 2004. Bell is not alone.

The ID four-parter probes the toxic environment claims on sets run by Schneider, who created Nickelodeon hit programs like The Amanda Show, Drake & Josh, Zoey 101, iCarly, Victorious and Sam & Cat and helped launch the careers of Kenan Thompson, Amanda Bynes, Victoria Justice, Miranda Cosgrove, Jennette McCurdy and others. 

Here are some of the revelations about allegations of abuse, sexism, racism and inappropriate behavior involving underage stars and crew and alleged predators at the network, as set to be revealed in Quiet on the Set, which premieres across two nights on ID on March 17 and 18.

Dan Schneider allegedly ran or tolerated toxic workplace conditions on his hit show sets at Nickelodeon.
Former creatives and crewmembers who worked with Schneider on or behind the camera claim they endured toxic workplaces. “Working for Dan was like being in an abusive relationship,” Christy Stratton, one of only two women writers on The Amanda Show, along with Jenny Kilgen, tells the docuseries. What’s more, Stratton and Kilgen had to split a normal staff-writer salary to get hired. And it wasn’t long before Stratton recalls being told by Schneider “he didn’t think women were funny.” Kilgen adds: “He challenged us to name a funny female writer, and he said this to the writers in the writers room.” Kilgen says Schneider allegedly had pornography up on his computer screen and told her he’d put one of her sketches in the show in return for a massage. “He always presented it like a joke, and he’d be laughing while he said it. But you always felt like disagreeing with Dan, or standing up for yourself, could get you fired,” Kilgen claims. She also recounted Schneider one day in the writers room asking Stratton to lean across her desk and simulate being sodomized. “I would not do that today, but I did it then,” a strikingly embarrassed Stratton says on camera.

And for onscreen talent, Schneider was a kingmaker, the one who decided who became a star, including Amanda Bynes, and who would have their lines or even character roles cut from a series. Raquel Lee Bolleau, who appeared on The Amanda Show during its first season when she was 12, adds: “You wanted Dan to like you, because otherwise he was mean to you.” Case in point: Schneider apparently flipped out when he decided a birthday cake on set for Bolleau was too big. Then the jocular Schneider was replaced by a screaming tyrant. “Dan yelled a lot. Dan was like a tornado. He’d show up and you’d say, ‘What just happened?’ Dan showed up. The set wouldn’t feel the same when he’d leave, because everyone was on their toes, scared,” Bolleau claims at one point.

Toxic workplaces in Hollywood are not new, but Nickelodeon sets stood out for being filled with vulnerable child actors.
Kid actors were made to wear suggestive costumes and take part in inappropriate sketches full of physical comedy and hinting at pornographic undertones, the series claims. An example is Leon Frierson, who was part of seasons 4 through 6 of All That, which also starred a young Amanda Bynes. In the doc, Frierson recalls playing the character of Captain Big Nose in a superhero costume of tights and underwear. Besides his prosthetic nose attached to his face, Frierson had matching noses on his shoulders. “You can’t help but notice that it looks like penises and testicles on my shoulders,” he recalled. And as part of the sketch comedy, Captain Big Nose unleashed a giant sneeze due to his allergy to asteroids. The result was a messy goo left on the face of a young woman in his path. “The joke in that sketch is effectively a cum shot joke. It’s a cum shot joke for children,” Schaachi Koul, culture writer, tells the doc in the first episode. Frierson adds: “Looking back, it’s very strange. Frankly, it was just uncomfortable. In the moment, I thought this is what we got to do to stay on the show, to stay in the cast and stay in the good graces of people that were higher up.” And that specifically meant doing right by Schneider. “Being close to Dan could mean an extra level of success. It was important to be on his good side, and he made it known who was on his good side,” he insists.

Former Nickelodeon star Drake Bell tells his story of alleged abuse at the hands of Brian Peck when he was only 14 and 15 years old.
The third episode of Quiet on Set centers on Drake Bell graphically recounting how he was allegedly groomed and suffered alleged sexual abuse at the hands of Nickelodeon dialogue coach Brian Peck. In 2003, Peck was accused of molesting a child. He was subsequently convicted of a lewd act against a child and oral copulation of a person under 16, and spent 16 months in prison. Only now do we learn Bell, then a minor at 15 years of age and the star of Nickelodeon shows like All That and The Amanda Show, was at the center of that criminal case and conviction. He recounted waking one morning while on Peck’s living room couch. “I woke up to him. … I woke up, opened my eyes, and he was sexually assaulting me. I froze and was in complete shock. I had no idea what to do or how to react,” Bell recounts. Peck is said to have manipulated Bell’s mother and others to allow himself free reign with a minor. “It just got worse and worse and worse and … worse, and I was just trapped and I had no way out,” Bell adds. It was only when the mother of Bell’s then girlfriend asked why Peck wouldn’t stop calling him that Bell sought therapy, but he was still not ready to share his secret. “Then I realized it was so calculated. You (Peck) moved all the pieces into place. The whole thing was mental manipulation,” Bell says of Peck’s behavior.

It’s a theme many now adult actors claim about their childhood selves on Nickelodeon shows during the Quiet on the Set series: If they spoke up for themselves, or had a parent do so on their behalf, they feared retribution and never being able to work again. But eventually in 2003, Bell talked to the police after finally telling his mother. “I’ve no idea what provoked it, what happened, but I just screamed into the phone everything that had happened to me,” Bell said. He recalled a “brutal” interview with two detectives and having to call Peck to get him to admit his guilt on a tapped phone. He did, with a full confession. Immediately after Peck’s arrest, Bell recalled a phone call from Schneider asking if the case had anything to do with him. “I was close enough with Dan that I was like, ‘Yeah, man, this is what he’s been doing.’ Dan just goes, ‘You don’t need to talk anymore about it. That’s all I needed to hear. Are you OK? Do you need anything from me. Anything you need,’” Bell tells the doc series. Then, when asked whether other Nickelodeon execs reached out to him personally, Bell made excuses: “I’m not really sure how many people knew who it was. It wasn’t really brought up to me a lot, maybe because it was a sensitive subject. But really the only person that I remember being there for me was Dan.” Bell would eventually headline his own series, Drake & Josh, on Nickelodeon.

In a statement, Nickelodeon said, “Now that Drake Bell has disclosed his identity as the plaintiff in the 2004 case, we are dismayed and saddened to learn of the trauma he has endured, and we commend and support the strength required to come forward.”

Dan Schneider allegedly tormented and humiliated the cast and crew on his TV sets.
As Schneider grew more powerful as a kids TV producer, his relationships with fellow creatives apparently worsened to the point of alleged abuse, the series claims. “He would come down and yell and scream. There were many times I had to say, ‘You’re creating an atmosphere on this set that is not healthy,’” All That director Virgil Fabian alleges in Quiet on the Set‘s second episode. That toxicity extended to the edit suite. Karyn Finley Thompson, an editor on All That, The Amanda Show and Drake & Josh, claims she and others in production had little life outside work when working with Schneider. “You didn’t eat. You didn’t go to the bathroom. Dan would be, ‘Wait! Wait a minute! Hold it. Can you wait a minute?’“ And she’d give in to the incessant demands. “We all did it, or you got fired,” Thompson adds. She recalls one day keeling over in the edit suite and having to go to the hospital. “As I’m leaving and curled over, I could hear someone saying, ‘How is this show going to get finished?’ And I remember just saying, ‘I’ll be right back!’”

The docuseries argues it took the #MeToo movement to stop Schneider in his tracks at Nickelodeon, not internal controls.
After the #MeToo movement, Schneider and Nickelodeon finally parted ways following years of whispers and rumors. Before that, the network in 2014 launched an internal investigation into workplace conditions on Sam & Kat, which starred Ariana Grande and Jennette McCurdy. The result was Schneider, ever the hands-on showrunner, having to stop interacting with the series cast and stay in his office. That eased any alleged toxicity on set, while also keeping Schneider, the moneymaker, in the Nickelodeon tent, where he created two more shows, Game Shakers and Henry Danger. Until 2017 and Hollywood’s reckoning with hostile workplaces and sexual harassment and assault accusations against Harvey Weinstein and others, “a lot of rumors were circulating around Dan Schneider, and these really exploded online,” Business Insider writer Kate Taylor tells the series in the fourth episode. And a second internal investigation by Nickelodeon, while clearing Schneider of any hint of sexual misconduct, led to his exit in 2018. “It did find evidence of being abusive to others in the workplace,” Taylor reports. And the network changed the locks at the Nickelodeon on Sunset facility, where Schneider ran his empire. “Let’s collectively please not let another Dan happen. He cannot happen again. This is not a joke,” Alexa Nikolas, a Zoey 101 castmember, tells the series.

Schneider shared the following statement with the docuseries, which airs at the end of the four-parter: “Everything that happened on the shows I ran was carefully scrutinized by dozens of involved adults. All stories, dialogue, costumes, and makeup were fully approved by network executives on two coasts. A standards and practices group read and ultimately approved every script, and programming executives reviewed and approved all episodes. In addition, every day on set, there were always parents and caregivers and their friends watching us rehearse and film.”

That’s followed at the end of the final episode with: “And in response to producers’ questions, Nickelodeon has stated it ‘investigates all formal complaints as part of our commitment to fostering a safe and professional workplace… We have adopted numerous safeguards over the years to help ensure we are living up to our own high standards and the expectations of our audience.'”

Separately, Nickelodeon released the following statement pertaining to the docuseries’ allegations: “Though we cannot corroborate or negate allegations of behaviors from productions decades ago, Nickelodeon as a matter of policy investigates all formal complaints as part of our commitment to fostering a safe and professional workplace environment free of harassment or other kinds of inappropriate conduct. Our highest priorities are the well-being and best interests not just of our employees, casts and crew, but of all children, and we have adopted numerous safeguards over the years to help ensure we are living up to our own high standards and the expectations of our audience.”

Credits: The Hollywood Reporter

Could Netflix Become The Exclusive/Future Home Of Nickelodeon?

During the year, it was reported that WWE would be exiting linear television by 2025 with Raw, SmackDown and NXT alongside premium live events like WrestleMania and SummerSlam would be streaming exclusively on Netflix with more countries to be added soon.

This has boosted the media's interest on the streamer with some curious about what other projects the brand has in the pipeline. One of the brands I wouldn't really be shocked to see get purged soon would be Nickelodeon.

Nickelodeon is an international children's brand operated by Paramount Global. Since it's inception had brought animated shows like SpongeBob SquarePants, The Loud House and Legend Of Korra alongside live-action shows like Drake & Josh, iCarly and The Thundermans.

As some readers are aware, Netflix and Nickelodeon have co-produced shows like Pinky Malinky, Glitch Techs and the upcoming live-action series for Avatar: The Last Airbender. On top of distributing films like Invader Zim: Enter The Flopus and Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling.

There was a point in time when Netflix was looking to acquire Paramount's studios before negotiations fell flat. Not long ago, Paramount announced that they'd be laying off 800 employees due to the effects of streamlining with fear lurking around their linear offering.

With WWE leaving linear television, the idea of more content being purged to streaming particularly Nickelodeon wouldn't seem far fetched a stretch. Disney had closed several channels across the world as most of their content gets integrated with Disney+.

Netflix has been doing a lot of quality control in recent months and looking to get decent content. They recently filmed a live-action series to popular anime One Piece and acquired exclusive rights to The Casagrandes Movie and The Fairly OddParents: Make A Wish.

Why eToonz Now Offers Shows Like MasterChef Junior?

eToonz is South Africa's first free-to-air children's channel operated by eMedia Investments. It broadcasts daily at 6am with preschool shows like Peppa Pig, Postman Pat and Bob The Builder alongside with other content like Trollstopia, All Hail King Julien and Ninjago.

Launched in 2013, eToonz initially served as a preschool filtered brand and to date remains as the only youth brand on Openview to feature animated and live-action shows. Despite the rise in competiton with MultiChoice ramping up a duplicate offering on Play Room.

There was a lot of commotion pertaining to its performance regardless eMedia Investments had continued to bolster the entertainment. The channel now offers its own slate of live-action something formerly offered on Craze on top getting more first run programs.

As seen in recent months, eMedia Investments opted to add MasterChef Junior from eReality to eToonz current line-up. The inclusion of MasterChef Junior would further expand its line-up.

Openview launched in 2013 and as mentioned eMedia Investments remains hush hush on eToonz performance. There's been rumours that not much consumption is being poured on the brand as sources site Openview's demographic for the low numbers.

If anything, the inclusion of MasterChef Junior helps draw in numbers as well as more mature content like The Thundermans, Hank Zipzer and Backstage. Such content is relatable with fiction cast aside viewers are able to envision themselves within these characters.

Popeye: The Origin Story Of Frank ‘Rocky’ Fiegel

‘Oh, I’m Popeye the Sailor Man!’ Most people know Popeye as a tough, spinach-eating sailor, a cartoon character created by American cartoonist E. C. Segar. But did you know who the real-life inspiration behind the strong sailor was? Culture.pl explores the sailor man’s Polish roots!

A scrappy little seaman

Popeye with a can of spinach – Popeye, the cartoon character created by E. C. Segar, photo: East News
Popeye with a can of spinach – Popeye, the cartoon character created by E. C. Segar, photo: East News

Popeye the spinach-chomping sailor was a childhood hero to millions and has made a name for himself all around the globe. Still, for those who have somehow managed not to encounter Popeye, let’s go over the basics. Here’s how Encyclopedia Britannica defines the fictitious sailor:

Popeye is a scrappy little seaman with bulging forearms, a squinty eye, and a screwed-up face, punctuated with an ever-present pipe in his mouth. He is always ready for a fight instead of a reasonable discussion, has a gravelly voice, and is constantly mumbling under his breath. His credo is ‘I yam what I yam, and that’s all what I yam.’ His girlfriend is the gangly, uncoordinated Olive Oyl, for whose attention Popeye vies constantly with Bluto, his bearded, hulking rival.

The character of Popeye was created by Elzie Crisler Segar, an American cartoonist from the town of Chester, Illinois. In 1919, the draughtsman created a comic strip in New York’s Evening Journal, called Thimble Theatre. In 1929, Popeye made his debut as a new character in the strip. Due to the newcomer’s high appeal, the strip was eventually renamed Thimble Theatre Starring Popeye. For decades to come, the character enjoyed immense popularity, appearing in dozens of iterations by various creators – in Fleischer Studios’ animated cartoons or in Robert Altman’s 1980 musical Popeye with Robin Williams in the lead role.

Interestingly, many claim the fictitious sailor was based on a real-life person, one of the citizens of E.C. Segar’s hometown. The man in question is believed to have been Frank ‘Rocky’ Fiegel, whose parents came from Poland.

A heart of gold

The 1979 article Chester Man Accepted as Real-Life Popeye was a Brawler, Loved Kids ran by the Southern Illinoisan newspaper mentions that some citizens of Chester considered Rocky ‘a bum.’ It goes on to explain how this came to be:

Fiegel, a bartender and general labourer around Chester, seldom had steady work and was often seen loafing around the town’s saloons. He lived with his mother until she died, then continued living in the house alone (…)

But it isn’t, of course, the lack of regular employment that’s said to have inspired E.C. Segar. Frank Fiegel was a local brawler, famous for his fist-fighting skills and this is where we really start seeing resemblance to the cartoon Popeye. In the article Rocky’s nephew, Clyde Feegie, recounts a story of his uncle visiting a saloon:

They had two big guys inside who said you had to buy drinks for the house or put on the gloves. They had a big bruiser waiting to fight, but he (Fiegel) put on the gloves and knocked their guy out.

According to Fred M. Grandinetti’s 2003 book Popeye: An Illustrated Cultural History, also Rocky’s facial features and pipe were reflected in the cartoon character:

Because of his hardened physique he was affectionately known as ‘Rocky’. His angular jaw and familiar corn-cob pipe apparently impressed the young Segar.

Indeed, such a figure like Rocky could’ve made a strong impression on Segar, especially since the prospective cartoonist was much younger than him. Fiegel was born in 1868 (it’s unclear whether that was in Poland or in America), whereas E. C. Segar was only born in 1894. Moreover, the Polish-American had ‘a heart of gold for children’ as the Chicago Tribune phrased it. He was known to have selflessly helped out Chester kids, giving them change or protecting them from bullies. That’s another similarity to Popeye who was always a ‘good guy.’

A joke or a prank

Frank’s parents, Anna and Bartłomiej, were Polish. According to the MyHeritage, a genealogy website, the family had ties to the town of Czarnków in today’s central Poland and their surname was originally spelled ‘Figiel’. It was most probably altered to better fit the English-speaking realities of America after the family emigrated there. Curiously, the Polish word ‘Figiel’ means ‘joke’ or ‘prank’, a rather fitting surname for the protoplast of a comic strip hero…

But whether Rocky himself knew that he became the inspiration for Popeye is uncertain. Some say that he learned of this only after Segar’s death of leukaemia in 1938, from a newspaper that printed the story of the comic strip creator and his inspirations. Others, like Popeye historian Michael Brooks, claim that Fiegel received checks from Segar on a regular basis, as a sort of thank-you for the success of the hero based on him. Then again others doubt that Fiegel ‘ever knew he was Popeye.’ Segar moved out of Chester in the early 1920s – years before the character debuted – and according to the 2003 book Comic Strip Artists in American Newspapers by Moira Reynolds, he never actually acknowledged anybody as a real-life inspiration for the famous sailor.

However, what seems to back the story of Rocky being the inspiration is that a number of early-20th-century Chester locals were awfully similar to other characters in Segar’s Thimble Theatre. Olive Oyl, is said to have been modelled after Dora Paskel, a store owner who was ‘unusually tall and thin and wore a bun at the nape of her neck,’ as the New York Times puts it. The chubby, hamburger-loving J. Wellington Wimpy was supposedly based on William Schuchert, the heavyset manager of the Chester Opera House (where Segar had worked for a while) and a known lover of burgers.

What’s beyond any doubt is that the gravestone of Frank Fiegel, who passed away in 1947, can be found at Chester’s Saint Mary’s Catholic Cemetery. The inscription on it says:

Above the inscription you can find an engraving showing the original, 1929 version of Popeye. Of all the hero’s various iterations, the first one, created by Segar, is said to be the one most reminiscent of Rocky.

A friendship between two wanderers

During both Rocky’s and Segar’s lifetimes, Popeye became so popular that the Thimble Theatre comic strips were printed in hundreds of newspapers, even overseas – for instance in Italy, the sailor was known as Braccio di Ferro which means ‘Iron Arm’. In Poland, Popeye’s adventures appeared under two titles: Marynarz Kubuś (Jacob the Sailor Man) and Ferdek i Merdek, Dzieje Przyjaźni Dwóch Łazików (Ferdek & Merdek: The Story of A Friendship Between Two Wanderers). The latter title looks like it may need a bit of explaining: its first part consists of the Polish names that were given to Popeye and Wimpy respectively, whereas the second part… Well, it looks like a free take on the task of presenting the comic strip to the local public. In post-war Poland, however, Popeye was known simply as Popeye.

Speaking of Poland, it doesn’t seem like the town of Czarnków has in any way recognized its ties to the real-life Popeye’s ancestors. A search of the town’s official website reveals no mention of Frank ‘Rocky’ Fiegel. But there is a town, other than Chester, which has made the claim of being the birth place of Popeye – Santa Monica, California, where E.C. Segar moved after having lived in places like Chicago and New York. Here’s an excerpt from a 2009 report titled The Bay Builders Exchange found on Santa Monica’s official website:

When Segar moved to Santa Monica in 1928, he often found inspiration for characters and storylines on the Santa Monica Pier. Although some believe Segar’s characters were inspired by his Midwest upbringing, according to oral history, the Popeye character was modelled on an expert Norwegian fisherman, ‘Santa Monica Olsen,’ who had exotic fishing tales, a heavy Norwegian accent, and rough language.

What appears to back this version of events is that the character of Popeye debuted only a year after Segar moved to Santa Monica. But, due to the lack of compelling evidence, there is no room for definitive declarations here. Perhaps, the character of Popeye was a mash-up, including some traits of Rocky and some of Olsen…

Since E.C. Segar apparently never singled anybody out as the inspiration for Popeye we’re left with speculation. And Frank ‘Rocky’ Fiegel is definitely a strong contestant for that role, due to his undeniable links both to the author and the fictitious hero. So whenever ‘you eats your spinach’ you should remember that it’ll make you not only as strong as Popeye, but (perhaps) also as strong as his real-life, Polish protoplast.

Credits: Culture.pl

Why Yu-Gi-Oh Is Getting A Lot Of Backlash On SABC 2?

SABC 2 is the public broadcaster's second free-to-air channel which boasts a variety of content ranging from news, music, reality shows, movies and drama series. It had also garnered popularity for its 5pm timeslot which featured anime like Dragonball, Bleach and One Piece.

As seen in the past year, Yu-Gi-Oh had taken over the channel so much so that viewers aren't tuning into SABC 2 in that timeslot. When Dragonball debuted it formed one of the top 10 most watched shows on the channel while Yu-Gi-Oh Is not even seen in the Top 20.

As some readers are aware, SABC has been dealing with financial constraints that it's taken much longer to acquire new content. This only drives away viewers from the channel which is what "was" currently seen with Yu-Gi-Oh as SABC 2 had been repeating old seasons for almost a year.

This comes as a problem because some viewers would tune into the channel or keep tabs. Anime has a smaller market on cable TV and aside from SABC 2 there's also Toonami and Cartoon Network.

Unlike the latter, SABC 2 offered more mature content that would depict violence, strong language and other adult scenes. Other broadcasters would equip more family focused or kid friendly shows which is where Yu-Gi-Oh currently resides unfortunately.

SABC 2 for years on end would bring these type of shows to their audience and filter out the demographic of Yu-Gi-Oh. Despite once owning rights to Pokémon and Doraemon, SABC should have tried retaining offering of a similar stature while deploying shows like Bleach.

Chicken From Outer Space | Courage The Cowardly Dog | Cartoon Network


The pilot episode begins with an elderly couple, the proto-Eustace and the proto-Muriel Bagge, who live on a farm and own a pink beagle dog named Courage. The family are spending an idyllic morning together, when the proto-Courage becomes frightened by a small mouse; this prompts Eustace to angrily scare him further by use of a voodoo mask. Courage moves outside to the porch, and watches as a UFO descends from the skies. An extraterrestrial species of fowl emerges from this UFO.

Courage runs back inside the farmhouse to alert his owners of the danger; however, when they follow Courage into the yard, the saucer has disappeared, along with the alien chicken. Eustace angrily proceeds to scare Courage once more, causing Muriel to angrily strike him with a rolling pin as punishment. Courage makes his way out to the hen house, where he discovers the Space Chicken dispatching the hens Eustace and Muriel tend to.

Courage quickly runs back to the house to alert Eustace and Muriel to the presence of the alien fowl, but when Muriel returns with Courage to the hen house, the remains of the hens have mysteriously disappeared, with only the Space Chicken in their place. While Courage attempts to deduce what happened to the other hens, Muriel unknowingly takes some of the Space Chicken's eggs. Courage is able to knock two of them onto the ground; this angers the Space Chicken, who proceeds to lock Courage in the hen house upon Muriel's departure.

While Courage is making his escape from the hen house, Muriel fries the alien eggs and serves them to herself and Eustace. Courage succeeds in escaping and begins searching for a buried object. At the house, Eustace eats the eggs and begins to sweat profusely, before his eyes seemingly change color. Courage recovers his old slingshot and rushes back to the house, while Eustace begins transforming into an alien fowl himself, laughing insanely all the while. Muriel realizes the eggs are the cause for Eustace's ailment and avoids eating them. Courage arrives back at the farmhouse and ambushes the alien, momentarily knocking him unconscious with the sling-shot. The bird quickly recuperates and a fight ensues.

Courage and the Space Chicken attempt to negotiate for Muriel's safety through numerous games, such as rock-paper-scissors and fencing, while Eustace slowly completes his transformation. A mindless Eustace slowly advances upon Muriel, while Courage succeeds in the games against the alien. After claiming victory, Courage orders him to leave Earth forever. However, the Space Chicken reveals a large beam gun and attempts to assassinate Courage with it; Courage is able to dodge the beam, leading to it bouncing back onto the chicken, seemingly destroying him. Courage then shoots the alien Eustace with the same gun, causing him to disintegrate into a pile of ash.

While Courage and Muriel are lounging peacefully in a rocking chair, a mouse is seen ingesting some of Eustace's ashes, before its eyes change color which causes Courage to scream in terror, ending the pilot with a cliffhanger. As the closing iris is shown, Courage turns to us and says one thing: "This shouldn't happen to a dog!"
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