media

Odds-On Favorite Retires From Column

This week, the News celebrates the 50th anniversary of its longest-running feature, the “I Make the Odds” column penned since July of 1958 by Harvey Preakston.
Preakston, a graduate of City College and the son of former rugby impresario Reginald Preakston, joined the paper in 1955 as a young sports reporter who was assigned to cover… »

Mayor Montgomery, Our Own Eliot Spitzer

The unfortunate situation with New York’s Governor Eliot Spitzer has reminded some of a similar controversy which rocked our city in the early 80s. Popular Republican state Representative Karl Montgomery was elected to the mayor’s office in 1980 and had a relatively low-key, yet effective, first year in office. Then, in February of 1982, he… »

A Brief Aside

Hello- here is a bit of non City-related news. As you may have heard, there is a writers strike currently on. This video, The Mighty Pencil (featuring titles by The City Desk graphics department), shows how you can support the writers of your favorite tele-vision programs.
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GggokNW-4c]
Again, that address is pencils2mediamoguls.com. This strike is a very… »

What A Character! – Fatty Turkey

A recurring series in which we take a look back at the city’s most familiar advertising icons.
From the annals of spokesfigures whose time had come and gone before they’d even arrived, there’s Fatty Turkey, the eponymous mascot of Fatty Turkey Brand Whole Frozen Turkeys. A subsidiary spawned from McLaren Preservatives, the Fatty Turkey Brand was… »

DeedlesCon 2007

It’s once again time to grab your frying pan hats and potted mint plants; DeedlesCon is back in town!
Celebrating its twentieth year of operation, DeedlesCon is a chance for memorabilia collectors and fans alike to come together and share their love of locally created comic strip icon Junior Deedles.
Probably best known for being the one… »

Friday Facts: “Bleeping Kids, Bleeping Bleep Ducks”

:: Number of times that there have been cited (by the FCC) instances of accidental profanity on local newscasts- 31
:: Number of these which have resulted in the firing of a local anchor/reporter- 1 (Arthur Stevens, in what has come to be known as the “4-H Incident,” 1983)
:: Advertising on public transit, by type- 45%… »

What a Character!: Sour Grapes Magee

A new recurring series in which we take a look back at the city’s most familiar advertising icons.

“Aw … PHOOEY!” The Silent Life of
Sour Grapes Magee
Long-time residents of the city may recall that the dour-faced figure painted on the side of the Lowell Furniture Warehouse – just east of Southwest South Street, by exit 588… »

Something To Which You Should Listen

A couple of months ago, I had to rent a car and drive out to the western part of the state on business, as the company wouldn’t spring for a train ticket. On hour four of my trip, tooling down the interstate, I had the radio set on scan, flipping between the frequencies, looking for… »

Urban Legends: Kiddie TV Murder, Satanists in the City

Here is an overview of some of the most well-known urban legends to haunt our city—none are true, but they reflect the fears and excitement of bygone times.
Kiddie TV Murder (1957)
Mystery has long swirled around the death of children’s TV personality Samantha Smith, who was found murdered in her home on June 28th, 1957…. »

Out you two pixies go- through the door, or out the window

Salon: All hail Pottersville!

In Capra’s Tale of Two Cities, Pottersville is the Bad Place. It’s the demonic foil to Bedford Falls, the sweet, Norman Rockwell-like town in which George grows up. Named after the evil Mr. Potter, Pottersville is the setting for George’s brief, nightmarish trip through a world in which he never existed. In… »