Wrestling gets animated

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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Over the course of the last several weeks I've become a big fan of Camp WWE. I'll be honest, I was worried that I would not embrace the show. When the ads first came out for it, I was expecting another byproduct of the PG era of WWE programming, and I had no problem with that.

Then I heard it was going to be more Adult Swim in nature. I never really watched Adult Swim so I had no idea what to expect. I've been pleasantly surprised with the characters and stories coming from Camp WWE. I think part of the appeal for me is that viewers are in on the behind the scenes chatter we all read about, but they put a comedic twist on it.

John Cena and Vince McMahon are my two favorite characters. I picture Vince actually sitting there reading his script as he's voicing what his animated self is saying and wondering his thoughts. The scenarios are sometimes over the top ridiculous, while other times they're spot on. Eight year old John Cena is the kiss ass of the camp, much like how many fans view him today. Some of the jokes are clearly hitting close to home.

@Evanmichaellee on Twitter

I recently had the chance to interview Evan Michael Lee who does the voice of Mark Henry on Camp WWE. You can listen to the full conversation here. Lee shares some of his experience before finally being asked to join the cast. I'd like to see more of Henry in upcoming show. The series is a FAR cry from Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n Wrestling, but I like.

WWE is also releasing another Scooby-Doo film. This time Superstars like The Undertaker, Triple H and Kofi Kingston are part of Scooby-Doo! and WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon. It'll be released on BlueRay and DVD August 9 ahead of SummerSlam and is a followup to Scooby Doo! WrestleMania Mystery.  Another classic cartoon has teamed up in the past for The Flintstones & WWE: Stone Age SmackDown!

Partnerships like the ones established are serving the WWE well as the company strives to take things outside the ring and entertain new generations of fans. It's also getting an older generation attached to new stories and silly situations.

Rest in Peace: Saturday Morning Cartoons

Some of the classics
Courtesy: Bluebuddies.com

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

As a kid growing up in St. Louis, we had five TV channels.  ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, and an independent station; KPLR.  Eventually Fox was thrown into the mix, but before the days of cable, that was all we had.  And we had to get up and walk to the TV to change the channel.  Barbaric I know.

One of my fondest memories as a kid was waking up early on Saturday mornings (something that seemed so easy compared to getting up for school), pouring a big bowl of sugar coated cereal, and zoning out in front of the boob tube.  My brother and I would watch hours of cartoons in the early morning hours each week.

The Smurfs were always my favorite.  I remember very well when the tiny blue creatures debuted on NBC back in 1981.  I was in the third grade and embraced the characters like I'd never done before.  More than 30 years later,  I still love them.  

The competitors

There were countless other classic cartoons that we grew up watching.  Hanna-Barbera cartoons never failed to entertain.  I was hooked on Scooby Doo, so much so, that I told people I wanted to be him when I grew up.  The actual dog, not the guy who voiced him or the one who drew him, but the real Scooby Doo.  I was seven though, so give me a break.  Yogi Bear, Hong Kong Phooey, and the Laff-a-Lympics were just a few of the other memorable programming produced by this dynamic duo.  I would get lost in the talking bears, dogs, and even sharks that appeared on my screen every week.  Eventually my love of wrestling got animated with Hulk Hogan's Rock N Wrestling Cartoon too.  I was in heaven.

Other than a few syndicated Warner Brothers cartoons and Fat Albert in the afternoons, I don't remember there being a whole lot of other animated choices during the week.  That's what made Saturday mornings so special.  Then as cable and satellite got popular, all kids networks popped up and new cartoons were produced.  Cartoon Network was born, showing those classics from the 60's, 70's, and 80's.  Eventually new (less cool) shows came about, and those vintage shows ended up on another new network, Boomerang. 

The point is, no one has to wait for cartoons anymore.  You can watch Spongebob Square Pants, Adventure Time, or Phineas and Ferb anytime you want.  It seems at any given hour of the day or night you can flip through the hundreds of channels and find something animated on the TV.  The novelty wore off, and then the networks started replacing cartoons with news programming and live action content. 

I recently read that NBC and CBS stopped airing cartoons in the 90's.  ABC dropped the animation in 2004.  Most recently, the last broadcast network to air cartoons was the CW.  On October 4, 2014, they pulled the plug too.  Now for the first time in decades, none of the "regular" TV channels air cartoons on Saturday mornings.  It's the end of an era, one that I truly do miss. 

Remembering Casey Kasem

Casey Kasem
April 27, 1932 - June 15, 2014

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

A generation of radio listeners and cartoon watchers is in mourning today.  Legendary radio host and voice over actor Casey Kasem has died.  I say a generation, but there are surely several generations who listened to and loved Kasem.

My first memories of that golden voice came as a child when I was obsessed with Scooby-Doo.  Kasem provided the voice for Shaggy. It's just one of many cartoon characters Kasem brought to life.  He also provided the voice for Robin, Batman's Boy Wonder sidekick.

While Kasem was popular in those roles, I think he'll best be remembered for his radio gig.  I listened to at least part of his American Top 40 countdown every Sunday growing up.  Back in the day, I would record portions of the show when my favorite songs would come on.  I still have cassette tapes with Casey counting down the top songs of the week.  Before I got into television, I aspired to be a DJ, thanks in large part to Kasem.

Something unique about the show that Kasem created was the "Long Distance Dedication."  Each week listeners would get to hear a request for someone they'd been missing.  The segment usually tugged at our heartstrings as Casey would read the heartfelt message on the air.  There was something about his voice that was so calm and soothing.  He truly was an icon.

Screech, Kasem, & Lisa
Saved By The Bell!

He made appearances on TV too, including his Top 10 countdown show and who can forget his two cameo appearances on Saved By The Bell.  He also appeared on My Two Dads and in the film Ghostbusters.  

I'm glad that one of the radio stations in my town, Magic 95.1, plays vintage WT 40's with Casey Kasem every weekend.  I give them a listen every time I'm in the car.  Casey may be gone, but thanks to technology, his golden voice will go on forever.

Way Back WhensDay: Underoos

Yoda

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

"Underoos are fun to wear!"  That was the slogan of the popular child's underwear of the 1970's and 80's.  They were a pair of briefs and a tshirt with some sort of character printed on them.  They often came in different colors and made the Fruit of the Loom tighty whities pail in comparison.

Comic book characters, superheroes, even video game icons were printed on the briefs and shirts.  There were a handful of Underoos for girls too, which included Wonder Woman, Super Girl, and Daisy Duke.   DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Archie Comics, and Hanna-Barbera worked with the maker of Underoos,  Larry Weiss.  Eventually, the underwear giant, Fruit of the Loom bought the product and kept the momentum going and adding sets with Star Wars characters, The Transformers, and The Real Ghostbusters.

Superman

When I was a kid I had several different pairs of Underoos.  I remember becoming Aqua Man, Superman, and the all knowing Jedi, Yoda.  Back then (and now still) I wasn't much into the superhero genre, but there was something about Underoos that made me feel invincible.  I also had more traditional cartoon characters like Fred Flintstone and Scooby Doo.  Sorry, I do not have any pics of me dancing around in them...

I don't know exactly when Underoos stopped being produced, but obviously they were fun to wear before hitting the teen years.  Now as an adult, you can pick up briefs or boxers with just about any character on them.  I've owned my share of Smurfs, Mickey Mouse, and even WWE boxer shorts through the years.  Now fans of Duck Dynasty can even get underwear in honor of the show.  Again, no pics of me stylin' and profilin' in those either.

Underoos were indeed fun to wear.  What kind did you have?

When I Grow Up...

I once wanted to be the real Scooby Doo. LOL

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

When I was in second grade, I had my first revelation about what I wanted to be when I grew up.  I can still remember proudly announcing it on the playground that my goal in life was to be... Scooby Doo.  Yes, the animated Great Dane.  Not the guy who voiced the famous cartoon dog.  Not the person who drew Scooby or even the one wrote the scripts for the show.  I wanted to be a cartoon dog.

Proud owner of Kevin's Pets

It wasn't much later in that same year that I came to the realization that that simply wasn't going to happen.  I don't remember the exact moment when it hit me, but I decided to switch gears and focus my future on owning a pet shop.  My mom made an apron with "Kevin's Pets" on the front when we had career day at school.

By fourth grade, my focus shifted again.  I wanted to be a rock star.  However, I had no musical experience except for those fancy little recorders we had to play during music class.  I couldn't (and still can't sing) and I ended up dropping out of middle school band in seventh grade.  As elementary school was wrapping up, I declared my intentions to become a writer.  I wanted to write books and actually found a lot of enjoyment in writing short stories.  I still like writing, I just wish I was a better storyteller.

High school me, DJ wanna be

Finally in high school I got a bit more focused on what I wanted to do.  I still wish I would have worked more on writing and gotten involved with the school newspaper, but hindsight is 20/20.  My junior year I took a new class called Current Events.  In it, we learned about the stock market, resume writing, and even had a mock job interview.  This is where one of the most embarrassing moments in my high school career happened.

During my interview, which was in front of the entire class, I told the teacher playing the role of the employer that I wanted to be a disc jockey.  Things were going well up until the point he said, "Let me hear your radio voice.  What would you say on the air?" I froze.  I hadn't thought that far ahead.  I could feel a cold sweat starting.  My mouth got dry and my throat tightened.  In my best "DJ" sounding voice, I sputtered a bunch of nonsense as quickly as I could.  I created some goofy name like "Crazy Kevin" or something like that.  It was horrid.  I could hear chuckles from behind me as my classmates obviously were laughing at me and not with me.  The teacher looked at me and said, "You've got some work to do on that." but was not overly critical.

It really wasn't until I got into college that I actually took some initiative and started writing for the Capaha Arrow, the student newspaper at Southeast Missouri State University.  I also volunteered at the student radio station and helped run cameras for an upper level video class.

I think all these aspirations helped lead me to the path I finally ended up on.  I love my job as a journalist and I enjoy being a part of a fun and successful news team at WSIL.  I guess I didn't turn out too bad, considering I wanted to be a cartoon dog at one point in my life.

Way Back WhensDay: Colorforms

Smurf Colorforms
Photo from mentalfloss.com

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

Now days, kids have hand held video games, tablets, and iPods to keep them occupied.  The art of play and use of imagination is skipping a generation.  But this blog isn't about that, it's about one of my personal favorites from my childhood: Colorforms.

The toy dates back more than 60 years.  It surprised me to learn that Colorforms are actually still being made, and there's even a website for the toy.  Click here to learn more or how to order them.  Long story short, Colorforms were characters, shapes, and other objects made of vinyl.  They came in a box, that included a flat board with some sort of "scene" on it.  You could stick the vinyl pieces all over the board and come up with different scenarios, because the pieces didn't permanently stick.

Dress the Muppets
Photo from muppetwikia.com

I'd spend hours playing with Colorforms.  I remember having several different sets, including Scooby Doo, the Smurfs, and the Muppet Show.  My brother was more into the action hero sets and had things like the Incredible Hulk, the Super Adventure crew, and GI Joe.  It was always entertaining to have Hulk enter the Smurf village, or Scooby go toe to toe with Batman.

I'm glad to see the product is still going strong.  They're revamped and come in 3D form.  I wish now that I'd known these still existed, I think my kids would have loved them when they were younger too.

Miss Weather

You can find them in southern Illinois (or anywhere online) at My Favorite Toys.  Just click here to find their website.  They have sets in the $12 range that include Miss Weather Dress Up and Silly Faces.  There's also a retro version for sale at $29.95

Check out the video below for a complete history told in a fun and entertaining way.

Way Back WhensDay: School Lunch Boxes

My first lunchbox was Pete's Dragon
(This is not my actual lunchbox)

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

Back to school time is here, and that of course means shopping for school supplies. I can tell you something missing from the stores is the classic lunch box. Today's boxes are more like insulated bags, which are okay and serve the purpose, but for children of the 70's and 80's, nothing beats one of those old school metal lunchboxes.

My first lunch box in kindergarten was Pete's Dragon.  For those who don't know it was a cheesey Disney film from 1977.  It was a combination of animation and live action.  A year later when I started school, I did so with that metal box clutched in my hand.  Along with my sandwich and chips and Hostess snack, there would be juice or chocolate milk inside the Thermos.

Scooby Doo lunchbox

Each year meant a new batch of lunch boxes and each year it was based on more items from popular culture.  In second grade for example, I had a blue plastic Scooby Doo lunch box.  On one side was Scooby and Scrappy Doo at a haunted house, and on the other side was the Flintstones.  Third grade was when my love for the Smurfs started and I had the plastic lunch box to prove it.

Return of the Jedi lunchbox

By fifth grade, the last year of elementary school, Return of the Jedi was the big thing.  So I had a Jedi metal lunchbox.  The thing I loved about those metal lunch boxes was the fact that each side, top  to bottom had different artwork on it.  There were at least six different scenes from your favorite movie or TV show.  The other cool thing about these boxes is they reflected the times.  I remember my brother had a Dukes of Hazard lunch box one year.

As time went on, and we stopped carrying the metal lunch boxes, my dad made use of them.  He still has several of them holding different odds and ends from his tool chest in our basement.  Those old boxes took a lickin' too.  I remember throwing them around and banging the dents out of them.  Unfortunately, I wasn't as lucky with that plastic Scooby Doo box.  I remember the end of the school year I tossed it across the classroom to its usual spot in the back of the room and watching it bust into pieces.

Hulk Hogan lunchbox, brother!

So while I'll like the characters on my plastic lunch boxes, there's something to say about the durability of the old metal ones.  If it was socially acceptable, and they still made them, I'd carry a metal lunchbox to work today.  In fact, my wife bought me a Hulk Hogan plastic lunch box years ago at a yard sale and I did carry it to work for a while.  I guess you're never too old.

What did you carry your lunch in back in the day?

Jaws: The One That Got Away

Being attacked by Jaws

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents

I have visited Universal Studios in Florida three times in my life.  The first was back in 1991, right after I graduated high school.  One of the rides that stuck out to me was Jaws.  When I went back in 2008 and 2010, I rode it again and of course posed by the giant shark hanging outside the entrance.

This is by no means new news, but I wasn't really aware the ride had closed more than a year ago.  It was taken out to make way for the expanding Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  The waters where the guided boat tour once cruised have been paved over for Diagon Alley.  Like I said before, I've only been there three times in the last 20 + years, but it makes me a little sad to see the classics getting bumped.

My kids in Harry Potter World

Don't get me wrong, I love Harry Potter.  I love the books and the movies much more than Jaws.  The area of the park we visited in 2010 that's dedicated to the boy wizard is amazing.  I also thought it was sufficient.  But I understand as things in popular culture get old, they have to fade off into the sunset.

Yabba Dabba Don't close this ride

Something similar happened about a decade ago when my favorite ride at the park, The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera was replaced with Jimmy Neutron's Nick Toon Blast.  I'm sorry, but the likes of Fred Flintstone, Yogi Bear, Scooby Doo, and George Jetson have and will stand the test of time compared to Jimmy Neutron.  But I get it.  The park is appealing to a much younger demographic.  And so Despicable Me has replaced Neutron.  As they say at the other theme park in Orlando, "it's the circle of life."

D'oh!

I do sing a different tune when it comes to the Simpsons ride.  I've loved the show since it started off as short sketches on the Tracy Ullman Show in the 80's.  The ride replaced the Back to the Future Ride.  A great movie, a fun ride, but my love for Springfield wins this battle.  Moe's Tavern and Krusty Burger have also been added since I was last there in 2010.  I don't know (and couldn't find after a brief search) what, if anything the new features are replacing.

While it's hard for me (not really hard, but you know what I mean) to see these blasts from the past become extinct, I know that new memories will be made for generations to come, including my own kids who loved the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  It's a great experience, even for Muggles.