creig flessel

11 Things: Creig Flessel

Thursday, January 31, 2008

1. Feb. 2, 1912: Creig Flessel is born in Huntington, Long Island, New York.

2. 1920s: Attends the Grand Central Art School at the same time as Charles Addams (who later does the New Yorker comics that become the inspiration for "The Addams Family").

3. 1930s: Works on More Fun Comics and pre-Batman issues of Detective Comics. Later works on the original Sandman. Marries Marie Marino in 1937.

4. 1940s: Works on Adventure Comics and creates the Shining Knight. Also works on New York World's Fair Comics.

5. 1950s: Works for ad agency Johnstone and Cushing. Briefly works on Superboy comics.

6. 1960s: Works on a syndicated comic strip about a young minister, David Crane. (Balances this out in No. 8.)

7. 1970s: Works on Prez 4: Vampire in the White House in 1974.

8. 1980s: Works on the Tales of Baron von Furstinbed for Playboy. (Balanced this out in No. 6.)

9. 1990s: Receives the 1991 Comic-Con International Inkpot Award and the 1992 National Cartoonists Society Silver T-Square Extraordinary Service Award.

10. 2000s: Moves to Mill Valley. Gets mentioned in Michael Chabon's "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay," (albeit with his name misspelled). In 2007, he receives the Sparky Award and celebrates his 70th wedding anniversary.

11. Feb. 2, 2008: Flessel turns 96. He makes it a point to mention that he still draws, adding with a laugh, "at my age, what the hell else am I going to do?"

- Tim Sullivan, tsullivan@sfchronicle.com

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/30/NSR6UNP42.DTL

This article appeared on page G - 3 of the San Francisco Chronicle

john oliver

11 Things: John Oliver

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

On the eve of his maiden performances in San Francisco, 11 Things asked John Oliver to tell us 11 things we didn't already know about John Oliver. Here's what he said:

1. He has never been to San Francisco before - although that will only be true for a few more hours, so enjoy this fact before it becomes a barefaced lie.

2. He broke his nose while fighting the Confederate Army in a "Daily Show" field piece about the Civil War. And yet, shamefully, no medal is forthcoming from the Pentagon. Honor your heroes, America!

3. He will be playing a character called Dick Pants in the new Mike Myers movie.

4. As a British citizen he is - at worst - 67,000,000th in line to the throne.

5. He carries an autograph from Liverpool football player Ian Rush in his wallet - and has done so since he was 11 years old.

6. He once received a letter of complaint from Buckingham Palace.

7. He made his first ever purchase on eBay a month ago - an old poster of Lenny Bruce.

8. He won the "Daily Show" fantasy football tournament this year - to the disgust and embarrassment of the rest of the office.

9. He and John Hodgman were knocked out of a charity Scrabble tournament in the first round last weekend. Even though he was about to use all seven letters on the word "trellis."

10. He shares on office at work with Rob Riggle - which is like sharing an office with Captain America.

11. He'll be performing at 8 and 10:15 p.m. Fri. (with Roy Zimmerman) and 8 and 10:15 p.m. Sat. (with Johnny Steele) at Cobb's Comedy Club, 815 Columbus Ave., S.F. $23.50. 18+. (415) 928-4230. www.cobbscomedyclub.com.

- Tim Sullivan, tsullivan@sfchronicle.com

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/23/NSGSUJMOU.DTL

This article appeared on page G - 3 of the San Francisco Chronicle

one night stand

11 Things: One Night Stand

Thursday, January 17, 2008

11th Annual One Night Stand Local musicians play their favorite covers for charity. 9 p.m. Sat. $12. Slim's, 333 11th St., San Francisco. (415) 522-0333. www.slims-sf.com.

1. Bob Reed (Overwhelming Colorfast/Oranger): Favorite covers: This year my favorites will be the Minutemen songs I'm playing, but that might change when I hear some of the others. Loves: Al Franken, Leonard Maltin, Mach 5.

"Rock journalism is people who can't write interviewing people who can't talk for people who can't read." -Frank Zappa

2. Michele Kappel (a.k.a. Tippy Canoe): Favorite covers: "Call Me" (Blondie), "Telephone Line" (ELO), "Cruel to Be Kind" (Nick Lowe). Loves: Squeeze, the Ronettes, Duke Ellington Orchestra, Blondie, Queen.

"I intend to live forever or die trying." - Groucho Marx

3. Michael Shaw (formerly of The Aktion): Favorite covers: "Moonage Daydream" (David Bowie), "Ten Years Gone" (Led Zeppelin), "Big Balls" (AC/DC). Loves: Huey Lewis and the News, Sammy Hagar, Journey.

"Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?" - John Lydon

4. Andy Duvall (Browntown West): Favorite covers: Hands down, "One, Two, Three Lock Box" (Sammy Hagar). The tune and its title ... dumb and dumber ... yet catchy. Loves: Killdozer, the Frogs, the Ramones, Schoolly D, DJ Code Money.

"Don't quit your day job." - my dad (but I think someone else coined the phrase)

5. Chris Lehmann (formerly of Heavy Into Jeff and Magnified): Favorite covers: Anything from a John Hughes movie. Loves: Spoon, the Flaming Lips, Radiohead.

"The worst mistake a person can make is to whittle down his dreams to fit the size of his hometown." - Stephen Coonts

6. Andy Peregrin (Andy and the Dicks): Favorite covers: "A Quick One" (the Who), "Beat My Guest" (Adam and the Ants), anything by Journey. Loves: The Zombies (all-time), the Soledad Brothers (currently), the Magic Bullets (locally).

"I'm just sayin'..."

7. Greg Beshers (the Parker Brothers): Favorite covers: Anything by Dolly Parton, Juice Newton or Kenny Rogers. Also, "I Don't Feel Like Dancin' " (the Scissor Sisters), "Ah! Leah!" (Donnie Iris). Loves: Neil Diamond, Kenny Rogers, Slade.

"If you like music, you'll love us!"

8. Jeff Jewhurst (the Clarke Nova):

Favorite covers: "Southern Man" (Neil Young), "Champagne Supernova" (Oasis), "Hanging on the Telephone" (Blondie). Loves: Neil Young, MC5, Big Boys, the Sonics.

"Doesn't mean that much to me to mean that much to you ..." - Neil Young

9. Debra Knox (Debra Knox Power Trio/the B Cups): Favorite covers: "Mas Que Nada" (Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66), "Je ne regrette rien" (Edith Piaf), "A Thing Called Love" (Johnny Cash). Loves: The Beatles, Jefferson Airplane, Elvis Costello.

"I am astonished, disappointed, pleased with myself. I am distressed, depressed, rapturous. I am all these things at once and cannot add up the sum." - Carl Jung

10. Eddy Budds-DJ Fast Eddy (co-promoter): Favorite covers: The Pretenders' "Stop Your Sobbing" (the Kinks), the Bangles' "Going Down to Liverpool" (Katrina and the Waves), the Lyres' "No Reason to Complain" (the Alarm Clocks). Loves: The Kinks, Stiff Little Fingers, the Lyres.

"I would never want to belong to any club that would consider having me as a member." - Groucho Marx

11. Shari Krumel (promoter): "We started 'One Night Stand' 11 years ago to make the local music scene less competitive and more cohesive. We also wanted to have fun. Performers this year will be covering Queen, Television, T-Rex, Dolly Parton, Blondie, Minutemen, Spinal Tap and many others. Proceeds from past shows have benefited a variety of different organizations. This year's show benefits cancer research."

- Tim Sullivan, tsullivan@sfchronicle.com

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/16/NS1NUDVMF.DTL

This article appeared on page G - 3 of the San Francisco Chronicle

post-holiday stress disorder

11 Things: Post-Holiday Stress Disorder

1. Speaking: You seem to find yourself using the word "dank" in every third sentence, unlike before the holidays, when you were using the word "swank."

2. Working: You're back at the cube farm now, waiting for the harvesting. Something happened on Monday, but you can't be too certain what it was. You remember being scolded on Tuesday for murmuring "all work and no play ..." Now it's Thursday and you're on your knees, in tears, and begging for Calgon to take you away.

3. Staring: You spent most of last Sunday listening to Marvin Gaye's "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)," while pensively staring out the window. You even remember singing along for a bit, giving the song a certain misfit vibe that could be compared only to the teardrop rolling down the face of Iron Eyes Cody during that anti-litter campaign back in the 1970s.

4. Heating: You're seriously considering moving your bed into the hallway, so that you can sleep a foot away from your DC-10 Dust Bunny Mounted Wall Heater, which gives off just enough "heat" to warm up three of your fingers, two of your toes and the wee little cockles of your heart.

5. Viewing: You finally finish catching up on all the movies you semi-intended to watch last year, but you make the mistake of viewing them all at once. A few hours later, you realize your brain has turned to movie medley madness mush.

6. Wearing: You need to stop kidding yourself. Nothing fits and nothing will ever fit again.

7. Decorating: You refuse to take your Christmas tree down for at least two or three more weeks, and you continue reminding everyone within earshot that the Christmas lights will be staying up permanently.

8. Listening: Your iTunes still has the Waitresses' "Christmas Wrapping" song playing in heavy rotation, and you're still drinking copious amounts of eggnog and whiskey each time you listen to it.

9. Traveling: You decide to hail a cab. The cabbie asks, "Where to?" You reply "2007." There's a short pause as the cabbie looks at you in the rearview mirror and then looks at the meter. He smiles and begins to drive.

10. Caffeinating: You hear the faint sound of your synapses snapping as you entertain the notion of a third espresso. You finish jotting down some illegible notes on a dirty napkin about "post-holiday stress disorder." The barista eyes you suspiciously and asks you to leave.

11. Preparing: You've looked at your calendar and counted out the days a couple of times now, and you're quite certain that there are only 350 days left until Christmas. Time is of the essence now - you need to get ready.

- Tim Sullivan, tsullivan@sfchronicle.com

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/09/NSG0UALR3.DTL

This article appeared on page G - 3 of the San Francisco Chronicle

paper tigers

11 THINGS: Paper Tigers

Thursday, January 3, 2008

1. How laughter feels about boredom

How love feels about hate.
How daring feels about different.
How courage feels about fear.

2. How doing feels about planning

How spending feels about saving.
How success feels about failure.
How life feels about death.

3. How kids feel about parents

How breaking the rules feels about rules.
How irresponsible feels about responsible.
How whoops feels about too late.

4. How "how are you doing today?" feels about how you are doing today

How winks feel about nods.
How voices feel about quiet.
How partying feels about rest.

5. How e-mailers feel about e-mailing

How opening feels about reading.
How wondering feels about knowing.
How deleting feels about saving.

6. How men feel about women

How flirting feels about trouble.
How confident feels about tentative.
How too much feels about not enough.

7. How giving feels about receiving

How asking feels about not asking.
How excitement feels about calling.
How music feels about everything.

8. How now brown cow

How insane feels about sane.
How how I feel feels about how I feel.
How writing feels about writing this.

9. How women feel about men

How chance feels about fate.
How maybe feels about definitely.
How caution feels about wind.

10. How readers feel about writers

How today feels about tomorrow.
How tigers feel about zoos.
How everyone feels about complaining.

11. How writers feel about readers

How quintessential feels about essential.
How carpe diem feels about waiting and seeing.
How 2008 feels about predictions and resolutions.

- Tim Sullivan, tsullivan@sfchronicle.com

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/03/NSDGU73TN.DTL

This article appeared on page G - 3 of the San Francisco Chronicle