The Wonders of Modern Technology

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I figured, if it’s good enough for Unca Willy, it’s good enough for me. Now, to decide whether it’s worth doing regularly….

Yesterday I met up with fellow RPGnet regular Jeb Boyt, who was in town for a law-school reunion. Braving the Seattle-esque weather that has plagued NYC recently, we headed underground into the subway, and out to the Brooklyn Museum of Art, to check out a special exhibition of Pulp cover art from the 30s and 40s.

Very cool stuff–they even had a few of the original Walter Baumhofer Doc Savage cover paintings (“Pirate of the Pacific”, “The Red Skull” and “The Meteor Menace”)–seeing the actual oil paintings really makes you aware of how much the old pulp covers have faded and worn. The museum displayed the originals next to sealed copies of the actual magazines, so you could compare them.

I actually wonder if the pulp covers were ever as vibrant as the original paintings—it’s hard to tell now, since the pulps are so old, but I’m not sure if reproduction techniques of the time were able to match the colors. The painting of “The Meteor Menace”, for example, had a much bluer idol–it appears more purple on the pulp cover. The painting of “The Red Skull” had the light playing on Doc’s face with a distinct greenish tint, which is much more subdued on the pulp cover. I wonder if artists like Baumhofer knew this, and made color adjustments to allow for imperfect reproduction, or if its just a factor of the colors fading on the old paper.

The paintings were brilliant. If the show ever tours to an art museum near you, I highly recommend checking it out.

GMS

News: Good, Bad and Strange

Good: Got the news yesterday that our rental application was approved, and we finally have a place to live in Lawrence when we move at the end of July. Those of you who need the address can email me, and I’ll provide it. Nice looking place, too–Laura’s sister visited the property for us, and took pictures, which she emailed to us. Technology is neat.

So, as of August 1st, we’ll be living in a 3 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath townhouse, with a fireplace and a 2-car garage.

Bad: Had to go to the doctors on Tuesday, because I was spitting up blood. (FUN!) Turns out that I appear to have what is called a hiatal hernia, which is when a portion of the upper part of the stomach pops up through the diaphragm. That upper part continues to produce stomach acids, which, given that they’re above the diaphragm, can go nowhere, and end up causing burn damage to the lining and to esophagus. So, I’ve been given a couple of perscriptions, and blood tests and such, and told to “take it easy”–apparently the condition can be brought about by high stress. Yeah. None of that going on around here….

Strange: A headless body has been found near Castle Frankenstein. You’d think that any family member involved in reviving the old research would do it someplace less obvious….

GMS