ASK Dr. HAL! Has a POST-THANKSGIVING PRE-BIRTHDAY Party!

Monday, November 23rd, 2009

Chicken John
presents
====== THE GENUINE & ORIGINAL =========
ASK Dr. HAL! SHOW 

NOW PLAYING AT THE LEGENDARY
Chez Poulet Gallery-Cabaret
3359 Army (Cesar Chavez St.)   
San Francisco, California
[Where Mission St. Joins Cesar Chavez]

And take note:
WE’RE NOW ON FRIDAYS!
FRIDAY, November 27th!
THE DAY IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THANKSGIVING;
THE DAY IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING Dr. HAL’S BIRTHDAY
—SPECIAL “THANKSBIRTHGIVINGDAY” SHOW—
GAGS! GOOFS! PRIZES! SURPRISE GUESTS! CRANKS! QUIPS!

PERFORMANCE COMMENCING AT
NINE P.M. SHARP!         
===DOORS OPEN FOR THE SHOW AT 8:30 PM===
THE PRE-SHOW begins about Eight-Thirty. We will be starting as close to Nine PM
as we can. Despite a long history of lagging audiences, we’ll try not to hold the
curtain as we have in the past–
WE CLOSE, ideally,  before Midnight, to give our East Bay friends the chance to
make it in time to catch the last train from the 24th St. BART Station, a few short
blocks North of the CHEZ POULET GALLERY-CABARET [Last East Bay train departs
about 12:16 AM] in S.F.’s colorful Mission District!

Yes! You read it right! The original, unabridged & authentic Ask Dr.
Hal!
Show
(beware of derivative question-and-answer shows) is
back in action– with Chicken John & all your favorite, frantic ADH
crew!  With Robert Levy at the door! KrOB at the controls! Pete
Goldie’s
Science Scoops! David “Yo-Yo King” Capurro body-surfs
the Internet!
Dr. Hal answers your queries! They’re all back– doing
the show once more! Everybody– even– Woo-hoo! –Frank Chu!
It’s just as if we never left! But beware– the final curtain might fall while you aren’t paying attention– and you’d miss it all!
Admission —       $10.00      (TEN AMERICAN DOLLARS)  

[Our usual (reasonable) Admission Price.]

=========The Dr. Hal Report============
Vol. XII                                                                         No. 7

“Our birthdays are feathers in the broad wing of time.”
– Jean Paul Richter
“The years between fifty and seventy are the hardest. You are
always being asked to do thing
s, and yet you are not decrepit
enough to turn them down.”
– T.S. Eliot
“Call this an unfair generalization if you must, but old people
are no good at everything.”

– Moe, from The Simpsons

A NOVEMBER TO REMEMBER!
–AND WE START…  WITH A KLASSIC KARTOON!
Just before every performance begins, we screen a great animated cartoon– each, one
of the best seven-minute theatrical shorts ever committed to film. The previous week we
brought you, as promised, the outstanding Warner Bros. short, Book Revue (1945). But now
we go to Disney for holiday inspiration, when the hovering question of Will Power versus
Self-indulgence looms the largest. In that spirit, KrOB offers No Smoking (1951) in which
Goofy first attempts to reject, but then fully embraces the tobacco habit. That’s why lame-o
censors, the people who know what’s good for you better than you do, have decreed that
this little cartoon be never, ever shown. But of course at Ask Dr. Hal! we are, as always,
taking pains to give you the whole thing, complete and uncut. So join us this Friday night,
won’t you? –in time to catch up with yet another treasure of your Nation’s once flourishing
but now (that the Conspiracy has dumbed it all down) mostly vanished popular culture.
Remember, our show will start right up at the very moment the cartoon ends. So be on time!

” A Disney cartoon from the 50’s that would have today’s censors going nuts.”
–DevilDucky
Also with…
NEW KLASSIC KrOB MONSTER EDIT:
Clash of Combat– with Dry Bones!

As every schoolboy knows, Prince Phrixus of Boiotia, son of Athamas, and his twin sister Helle
were both cordially hated by their cruel stepmother, Ino (Their mother had been Nephele, a minor
goddess of the clouds, but someone Ino always felt herself being unfairly measured against). So she
arranged an honor for the two– to be sacrificed to the Harvest Gods. (It may have been a very great
honor, but the kids were actually dubious about this.) Fortunately, Nephele sent them a miraculous
flying ram, on whose fleecy back they got away, just in time. Starting either from Halos in Thessaly
or, according to some, Orchomenus in Boeotia, they cruised at a low-flying altitude over the strait of
the Dardanelles until, when they hit an air pocket, Helle slipped off and fell all the way into the sea
and was killed. They call that body of water the Hellespont, in Helle’s honor– or, the Sea of Helle.
At least there’s the honor. Phrixus eventually landed in Colchis, where he was adopted by kindly King
Aetes. The ram, as a reward for saving the Prince’s life, was sacrificed to Jove– a great honor, to
be sure– and the golden fleece of this deceased magical beast was hung up in the Holy Grove of
Ares,
guarded by a reptilian monster, a many-eyed, multi-headed dragon. So, to make a long story
short, Jason and his Argonauts appeared. With Princess Medea’s help Jason managed to kill the
guardian monster. And then, as they were trying to leave, Aetes, to stop them, sowed the dragon’s
teeth (a Hydra in the movie) –from them, up sprung the legions slain of the monster, a skeleton army.
So watch as KrOB marshals a skeletonous skirmish, animated by the divine Ray Harryhausen, our
Master Puppeteer. Cheers! Oh, what happened to the fleece, you ask? Why, Zeus placed it amid the
stars, a thoughtful gesture. The constellation of Ares is principally formed of the stars Hamai, Sheratan and Mesarthim, the latter one of the very first binary stars ever to be discovered, in 1664.
The Cloven Foot of the Ram. Just ask Pete Goldie. Hamai is a magnitude 2.2 star. Ares, or Aries
may be found somewhat below Triangulum. By the way, you might want to know that Hamai, 72 light-years distant, is heading straight for us– rapidly approaching at 9 miles per second.

Read the latest hard-hitting interview with Dr. Hal on Laughing Squid’s Blog:

http://laughingsquid.com/a-conversation-with-hal-robins/

NO BAR– BUT YOU CAN DRINK! (JUST BRING YOUR OWN)
Not counting the inevitable Fernet Branca shots for the (un)lucky.
With Venom Mango Energy Drinks given away– on the house!!

SPOTLIGHT ON DAVID CAPURRO FOR NOV.27th ADH–
KING OF THE YO-YO VARIETY ARTISTES
This week on ADH we can expect the multi-talented David Capurro once again to
ride herd on the accompanying images which constantly stream under his assured
direction to accompany and illustrate the conversational vagaries and Mercurial
meanderings of Dr. Hal, Pete Goldie and the guests of Ask Dr. Hal! But there are some
who though used to “Cappy’s” magisterial, incense-shrouded presence on our stage, are
unaware that he’s also a master manipulator extraordinaire of that curious artifact, the
Yo-Yo. In fact, he’s one of the brightest lights in the Yo-Yo world, and, a veteran of
countless shows, has appeared on both Cable and Network TV. He is the head and
founder of the foremost contemporary society of Yo-Yo gentleman adventurers, the
Spin Doctors’ Yo-Yo Club, headquartered in scenic Alameda, CA, and is a former
member of crimefighting Team Yoyojam. No amateur, he has been a player in the Yo-Yo
industry, with a professional résumé from BC/Tom Kuhn Yo-Yos. In 2007 at the US
National Yo-Yo Contest, David received the prestigious National Achievement Award.
For those unfamiliar with the honor, the National Achievement Award is bestowed on
“a person whose effort successfully improves the sport, and positively influences the
industry.” We couldn’t list all the venues David’s Yo-Yo’d for– there wouldn’t be room,
even here. But some of them include the Fillmore, the Great American Music Hall, Slim’s,
Jimmy Kimmel Live, Paul Nathan‘s Dark Kabaret, Sioux City Art Splash Festival 2000,
The Odeon, Chris Karney‘s Visceral Variety Show, the Discovery Channel, Bravo, the
(U.S.) National Yo-Yo Contest, the Bay Area Classic Yo-Yo Contest, the California State
Yo-Yo Championships, the West Coast Regional Yo-Yo Championships, First Night Santa
Cruz, Chicken John‘s You Asked For It!, the Steel Reserve Brewing Company, the
Exotic/Erotic Ball and on and on. Modest Mr. Capurro could brag, but doesn’t, about his
extraordinary list of awards and citations– here’re just a few, to give the idea: in the 1998
Bay Area Classic, Dave took 1st Place in the Advanced Division, scored 1st place in
1-Handed Compulsories and Freestyle Divisions during the 1999 Southeast Regionals, also
scoring in the 1999 Marin County Yo-Yo Classic in the Freestyle Division. Again in 1999, at
the East Bay Super Spin-Out, David took the 1st Place Award in the 1-Handed Freestyle
Division, and he won 1st Place as well in the Expert Division of the Northern California
Championships. 2001 saw him achieve victory in the California State Championships,
winning 1st Place in the Ladder Division for his age group. More recently, in the 2004 Bay
Area Classic, he became the overall high scorer among all Age Divisions for his victories
in the Sport Ladder Division. Every now and then, he’s been known to break out his Yo-Yos and give Ask Dr. Hal! audiences an impromptu thrill. He should also get some kind of
award for the Most Free Fernet Shots Finagled out of Chicken John…

PETE GOLDIE CUTS TO THE CHASE– IN SPACE!
“Why the !!?@#$%?!!,” Chicken John recently expostulated, “do we have to let !!?@#$%?!!
Pete Goldie go on and on about the !!?@#$%?!! “Chandra Levy Orbiting Oscilloscope” or
whatever the !!?@#$%?!! it is?” But in fact, old contentious Chicken was just blowing off steam–
he really knows the score. In what some consider the best part of our show, ADH Science
expert Pete Goldie leads attendees through the endless reaches of the Universe in his
continuing segment & educational project, ” (The) Waste(s) of Space.” Pete will be on hand
this week too, to present more of the newest discoveries made in the eternal realms of the
unfathomable void.

NEWS – SF CHRONICLE RATES CHICKEN JOHN “BEST
OPPONENT” TO MAYOR GAVIN NEWSOM
ANTI-NEWSOM EDITORIAL RIFFS ON CHICKEN’S MAYORAL BID

“What’s with this snubbing the press?” rhetorically asks a sneering column by San Francisco
hometown newsrag The Chronicle, with a byline by one C.W. Nevius. In a rant about how the
Mayor
seems to be hiding after dropping out of consideration for the gubernatorial race, his
downfall is intimated a few lines later as “Nevius” cites, “…it wasn’t so long ago that he was
such an imposing candidate that the best opponent his enemies could find was Chicken John.”
We at the Dr. Hal Report regret the affront to the standards of journalism exhibited by the
Chronicle in this none-too-subtle suggestion that beloved Ringmonster Chicken John’s late
mayoral candidacy was in essence sponsored– and, it follows, financed –by Mr. Gavin
Newsom’s clandestine “enemies.” To this allegation we at Chicken John Productions can only
reply in bewilderment, where then is the emolument from the Newsom-hating cabal? Lately
money seems to be flowing the other way, from instead of to embattled Chicken as he
continues the struggle against the encircling, constricting tentacled grip of bureaucracy. In a
few words, “Show us the money!”
For the full text of this editorial, go to
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article/article?f=/c/a/2009/11/19/BA4D1AMH90.DTL

NEWS – ONGOING SHOWS
“THE PRODUCTIONS OF TIME” –Dr. HAL’S CURRENT ART SHOW!
For everyone who missed Dr. Hal’s last art show, some of the images shown there are now featured again,
together with new and previously unshown works. It’s all happening at the Mercury Café, 201 Octavia Street
(at Page). The opening party featured entertainment by Dr. Hal and KrOB. Keep watching this space for our
announcement of the closing party, which, when it happens, in addition to another appearance by the
demented duo, will present a live performance by Dr. Hal ably assisted by KrOB’s visual and auditory magic!
It will also be an opportunity for those who are interested to purchase a limited number of Dr. Hal’s books, The
Meaning of Lost and Mismatched Socks
(which is becoming quite a rarity– Random House is now out of
them), Dinosaur Alphabet and Alien Apocalypse 2006, including autographed and dedicated copies.
This may be the last, best chance to get some of these. Art Prints of many of the pictures can be ordered from
Studio Reflex of San Francisco– pick up a form at the show. The Mercury, serving organic and fair trade
coffees as well as locally produced foods, can be reached at (415) 252-7855.
LETTERS
Reuben Pickering of this City writes,
“The Quantum Mechanics vs. Relativity bit. Thought the answer fudged in a way I didn’t like. I was hoping
to get you to pick one or the other theory as wrong, then make some shit up, instead of essentially blowing
the whole thing off. Anyway, the grounds for your answer were demonstrably wrong, as even at a small scale
where no curvature is locally detectable, a curved spacetime puts constraints on the math that pretty well
fuck [Quantum Mechanics}.
“However, I had a second thought. What if one were to claim that spacetime is both flat and curved at one
and the same time? Then your answer could work. Logically impossible? Maybe. Yet we already have evidence
demonstrating the seemingly logically impossible notion that subatomic objects possess the characteristic of
wave-particle duality.
“One other thing. String Theory. You will never see a question from me about that. In string theory, we see perhaps
the finest minds of my generation having somehow been conned into engaging, in the 21st century, [the]
mathematical equivalent of a grand old Medieval pastime. To wit, debating how many angels could dance on
the head of a pin.
“String theory makes too many claims which simply are not either directly or indirectly testable to be anything
other than bulls___… er, metaphysics.”
Dear Reuben,
We’re sorry, as always, when one of our answers fails to give complete satisfaction. But we did advance the
simultaneity of flat and curved spacetime as a possible answer, one to which you now, at length and after
consideration, seem to be giving more credence. Keep in mind that during the show we have to think on our
feet, coming up with answers at once and on the spot. This being said, the shibboleth of String Theory was
introduced not by us, but by prayer-and-golfing-partner “Chicken” John. We too are uncomfortable with this
topic and avoid it when we can, feeling that today’s science, for a variety of reasons, often finds itself politically
or factionally bound to support not-yet-justified hypotheses as proven– just look at the parlous state vertebrate
paleontology is in, for example. Finally, the canard that the Medieval Schoolmen debated on how many angels
could dance on the head of a pin is inauthentic, not originating with them, but advanced as a parody by a known
wiseacre, one François-Marie Arouet, a.k.a. Voltaire.
Thanks for your interest in Ask Dr. Hal! –and we’ll do our best to entertain you more the next time!
SOCIAL NOTES
Ask Dr. Hal! fell victim to rainy weather last Friday, and there were all too few of the faces we long to see
each wk., even some who had pledged to be there, & our tears of sorrow flowed from our eyes, mingling with
the precipitation on our Cherubic cheeks… But, when all is said, cold & rain are well-known discouragers of
entertainment– & besides, The Show Must Go On, dig? So, on it went, and it was crackerjack, according to
the review from the Faithful Few… Persistent Paul Pot, f’rexample… We appreciate that you all could have
been
at the simultaneously occurring Toshio Hirano concert at the Mercury, still home for now, by th’ bye,
of Dr. Hal’s ongoing Art Show, The Productions of Time. Why not take a look-see? Anyhoo, good-looking
Gina Andrews came, not in vain, despite the rain… Determined Dekoo submitted many a contrary query… Pert
Paula Eckels hasn’t made up her mind whether or not last wks.xtravaganza exemplified faux futility or dusty,
doddering Dr. Hal’s sad senility… Guess the old, grizzled geezer didn’t pleaser… We did welcome escape-artist
& comedian Chris Karney, our old fellow-traveler, & there’s no blarney… But creative Chris also escaped the show,
leaving us early after getting squirrelly… This week we’ll be folding an acknowledgement of hoary headliner
decrepit Dr. Hal’s 59th birthday (November 28th, Saturday) –or was that his 95th? –into our tribute to the Season’s
just-celebrated Holiday, Thanksgiving Week-Out
(November 26th, Thursday) & hope to do better luring our quirky
quondam patrons, all fully stuffed to repletion with the savory flesh of the mutant descendants of Melleagris
gallopavo
, to waddle in for what’ll be the climactic Ask Dr. Hal! Show of the Year, we hear. Yes, declining Dr.
Hal
will shortly be 59, and is accepting condolences at this time…This time of year is short on cheer… But we’ll
bounce back like a new bambino, we prophesy– don’t worry –when these dark daze are past, with plenty of
Slack… Patient photog Puzzling Evidence needs some– he was again shooting us more for those You Tube
entries of his on PuzEv TV, rite thru th’nitebut You Tube’s been balky about
accepting ‘em of late, according to perplex’d Puzzo… We’ll all just have to be patient while th’ Tubesters
re-configure @ Y.T. HQ… Meanwhile, have you yet checked out the recent ones? Just use the search words Puzzling Evidence TV– maybe throw in You Tube– & view ’em all!

That’s it! See you at the exclusive
CHEZ POULET GALLERY-CABARET
3359 Army (Cesar Chavez St.) San Francisco, California  

[Where Mission St. Joins Cesar Chavez]     

Happening This Friday Night– Nov. 27th!

Spend Friday the 13th at ASK Dr. HAL! for Good Luck!

Monday, November 9th, 2009

Chicken John presents–
THE GENUINE & ORIGINAL

ASK Dr. HAL! SHOW         
NOW PLAYING AT THE LEGENDARY
Chez Poulet Gallery-Cabaret      
3359 Army (Cesar Chavez St.)
San Francisco, California

[Where Mission St. Joins Cesar Chavez]

And take note:
WE’RE NOW ON FRIDAYS!
Our next show: FRIDAY, November 13th! 

PERFORMANCE COMMENCING AT
NINE P.M. SHARP!           
===DOORS OPEN FOR THE SHOW AT 8:30 PM===   
THE PRE-SHOW begins about Eight-Thirty. We will be starting as close to Nine PM as we can. Despite a long history of lagging audiences, we’ll try not to hold the
curtain as we have in the past–
WE CLOSE, ideally,  before Midnight, to give our East Bay friends the chance to
make it in time to catch the last train from the 24th St. BART Station, a few short
blocks North of the CHEZ POULET GALLERY-CABARET [Last East Bay train departs
about 12:16 AM] in S.F.’s colorful Mission District!

Yes! You read it right! The original, unabridged & authentic Ask Dr.
Hal!
Show
(beware of derivative question-and-answer shows) now
bursts again onto the scene– with Chicken John & all your favorite
crew!  With Robert Levy at the door! KrOB at the controls! Pete
Goldie’s Science Scoops! David “Yo-Yo King” Capurro body-surfs
the Internet!
Dr. Hal answers your queries! They’re all back– doing
the show once more! Everybody– even– Woo-hoo! —Frank Chu!
It’s just as if we never left! But beware– the final curtain might fall
while you aren’t paying attention– and you’d miss it all!
Admission — $15.00 

(FIFTEEN AMERICAN DOLLARS)
[For this special, one-time only presentation, Guest Star GEOFF
ELLSWORTH of the Towne Dandies, Chicken will levy a one-time
increase in our usual (reasonable) Admission Price.]

====The Dr. Hal Report====
Vol. XII                                     No. 5

“True eloquence means saying all that is necessary and only what is
necessary.”

–La Rochefoucauld, Maxims

C  O  N  T  E   N   T  S  :

GEOFF ELLSWORTH OF THE TOWNE DANDIES HEADLINES
NOV. 13TH ADH + KARTOON : SUPERMAN WRESTLES
BERSERK GIANT GORILLA IN TOUCHING VIGNETTE + THEN
COWPOKES ROPE AND HOGTIE RAMPAGING DINOSAURS IN
KrOB MONSTER MASTERPIECE  + PETE GOLDIE RETURNING
FROM DEEP SPACE MISSION IN TIME FOR SHOW + NEWS:
DR. HAL ART OPENING NOW UP & RUNNING @ MERCURY
CAFE
+ TOM KENNEDY TRIPARTITE SILENT ART AUCTION TO
CLOSE THURSDAY NOVEMBER 12TH, WITH HAL, CHICKEN
PRESIDING + BLACK DYNAMITE KUNG-FUS THE MAN,
SMOOTH-TALKS THE LADIES ON THE BIG SCREEN THIS
MONTH IN BAY AREA + SOCIAL NOTES — WE’RE AGOG AT
JENNER’S BLOG +YOU’LL FLIP– FOR THE VERY LATEST OF
THOSE KRA-A-AZY DARN PUZ-EV YOU TUBE KLIPS +  

With…
UNIQUE ANIMATED CARTOON PRESENTATION!
TERROR ON THE MIDWAY (1942)
Another in our series of
the best American cartoons!
Lovingly selected–by KrOB…
Terror on the Midway is the ninth of the seventeen Technicolor
animated cartoons based upon the DC Comics character Superman,
originally created by hapless cartoonists Jerry Siegel and Joe
Shuster.
In it, a bumbling circus monkey accidentally frees a bizarrely
malevolent giant gorilla, who menaces the entire population of the
big top, particularly a frightened toddler and then the ever-in-danger
“girl reporter” Lois Lane. As in all right-wing scenarios, the release
of evil from confinement creates panic and social chaos which can
only be resolved through the exercise of force when a superhuman
strongman appears to restore order and subdue the villain, who
represents the unlimbered id to the fearful-minded.
While any rational consideration of the outcome of a struggle between
the supremely powerful Man of Steel, who after all can destroy planets,
and a mere gorilla, whatever its purported size and ferocity, must point
swiftly to the inevitable outcome, in this case the real struggle was going
on behind the scenes in this classic episode of American animation.
The Superman cartoon series was presented by the Fleischer cartoon
studio at the height of its creative powers. The Fleischer brothers, Max
and Dave, decided that they would make these cartoons the greatest
things anyone had ever seen, even to the point of losing money on them–
which, sadly, they did. Each of the Superman series was so meticulously
constructed that the energy of a full-length feature was often expended in
production. The result was a peak of dynamic animation possibly not
exceeded even in our own time, let alone the 1940s.
Today we are more generally aware that gorillas are not bloodthirsty,
violent monsters, and we recognize, if we are lucky enough to do so, that
such portrayals are reflections of our own fears (Let’s leave King Kong and
his predicament out of this loop). But in the Forties, the U.S. opposed Hitler and the Axis in a trans-global conflict which made the concept of monstrous
aggression needing to be checked a relevant one.
It’s true– as Superman wrestled the gorilla, another struggle was going on for the embattled Fleischers, and one more painfully closer to home, as they
grappled with cost-conscious Paramount, more and more unwilling to lose
money on its short subjects, especially since the war had dried up revenues
from overseas markets. The result was that Max and Dave were bought out,
losing control of their animation factory, which was from then on re-purposed and reincorporated as Famous Studios.
So Terror on the Midway actually occupies the historical position of being the last Fleischer cartoon ever made– the first Famous Studios cartoon had
already been released three weeks before. The eye-popping animation bids
farewell to an ending era.
One problem the brothers had was that they didn’t own their most popular
character, Popeye– legal rights belonged to King Features. In the same way,
Superman was the property of DC Comics. In both cases revenue which could
have propped up the studio was drained at this crucial time in favor of the
copyright holders. They did own Betty Boop, but Puritanism and censorship,
together with the sanitized re-do of her de-sexed character by clueless Famous Studios executives, caused her once-bright star to set rapidly.
DC Comics, incidentally, bought the rights to the incredibly profitable Superman from his two teenaged creators for $100– Siegel & Shuster then lived their lives in relative poverty, hacking their creation’s adventures out at the drawing board for basic wages, while Superman still generates millions today for the company.
— Synopsis —
The story begins with the music and noise of the circus, where we find Daily
Planet reporters Clark Kent and Lois Lane hanging out, enjoying the event’s
vividly-depicted atmosphere. The Planet has again assigned Lois to cover the
circus for a human-interest feature story, her specialty, while that apparent
doofus, Clark, just lounges around and kibitzes. As ambitious go-getter Lois
expresses her regret that she didn’t have a more exciting assignment, a yawning,
laid-back Clark offers his condolences, then takes a taxi back to his hotel. Later
that night, as Lois attends the clown performance, a monkey wanders from the main
tent and accidentally opens the cage of a giant, drooling, glowing-eyed ape.

Growling, the hairy beast barges into the tent, creating cascades of dangerous
pandemonium, stampeding elephants and so forth. Before long, the gorilla is
predictably after Lois as Clark, or rather now Superman, having discarded his
assumed human identity, zooms to the rescue. Much gorilla-bashing ensues.
During the fight, one of the tent poles falls and strikes a power circuit, starting a
fire. Superman saves Lois’s bacon from the flames just in time. The final scene
shows Lois vigorously typing her story, with Clark sitting lazily back in a chair at the
next desk making the usual wisecracks and breaking the fourth wall while smirking
and winking broadly at the audience.
There’s not much more to say– except that the refined, intricate “Fascist Realism” of
presentation has never been more breathtaking than here; experimental lighting and
daring design of the characters were never more extreme. The stylized forms of Clark
and Lois commend our attention– once he got out of his Clark Kent drag, as surviving
model sheets from the studio show, his actual physical proportions changed as he
became Superman, just as his voice changed in mid-sentence as his clothes did, from
“This is a job…” (wimpy Clark Kent voice) “…for Superman!” (now deeper, more
manly Superman voice).
Ultimately thought-provoking, like all good cartoons. Nine minutes of rip-roaring
cartoon action. And a KrOB Personal Favorite, of course!

Also with…
JOLTING EXCITEMENT! —POUNDING HOOVES AND REPTILIAN ROARING
HIGHLIGHT KLASSIC KrOB MONSTER EDIT:
DARING, DASHING, DUSTY TWO-FISTED DINO-ROPERS!
Gronk! KrOB has secluded himself in his atelier to create this absolutely scientific, unique presentation. You’ll see various leathery cowboys on horseback use their lariats to lasso and capture (momentarily) a large carnivorous dinosaur, possibly a living specimen of Giganotosaurus carolinii, one of the largest known theropod dinosaurs. Its remains include a well-preserved braincase that displays a suite of derived characters unique to the animal, and others that help establish its relationships amongst the Theropoda. These, by the way, include the development of a broad frontoparietal skull table that forms a shelf overhanging the supratemporal fenestra, the reorientation of the metotic fissure and fenestra ovalis onto the occiput, the ventral extension of the supraoccipital on either side of the foramen magnum, a broad but low occipital condyle, and pneumatization of the basioccipital. (See Dr. Hal‘s book,
Dinosaur Alphabet [2006] for his own restoration of this species.)

Fossils of the type have been excavated in Africa recently, but the events depicted take place on Mexican soil. Yet in the Mesozoic, or Secondary Era, the present continents were all in different positions; land bridges and island chains existed that have long since vanished. It must have been by these means that the ancestors of the giant allosaurids seen epitomized here found their anachronistic-seeming home in the mysterious Valley of Gwangi (a Native American word meaning “lizard”) located somewhere in Mexico’s remote Sierra Madre Oriental. And there are other “Paleolithic survivals” there, as we’ll see, particularly a bulging, bellicose Styracosaurus. But the great KrOB has, by splicing various Westerns and dinosaur movies together, produced something truly sui generis this
time (unseen by us as of this writing) truly suitable for the Friday the 13th Episode of Ask Dr. Hal! at Chez Poulet. Stop-motion animation by Ray Harryhausen– experience this truly great art with us. Yes, another genuinely educational featurette will be offered as part of our ongoing show at the quasi-legendary, secretly famous C.P. Gallery-Cabaret, the inheritor of the marmoreal mantle of the Odeon, San Francisco’s former Variety Arts Showcase. A venue and an era which has now vanished, like the seemingly endless Age of Reptiles itself, into the Mists of Time.
And the Chez Pouletian Period may too have reached its apogee and– who knows? –be facing its end… Come see these shows while you can.

Read the latest hard-hitting interview with Dr. Hal on Laughing Squid’s Blog:

  http://laughingsquid.com/a-conversation-with-hal-robins/

NO BAR– BUT YOU CAN DRINK! (JUST BRING YOUR OWN)
Not counting the inevitable Fernet Branca shots for the (un)lucky…
PETE GOLDIE RETURNS FROM DEEP SPACE MISSION
FOR NOV.13th ADH–
PROMISES “LONGEST SLIDE-SHOW YET”
Last week at Ask Dr. Hal! headliner Dr. Howland Owll attempted, during the absence of ADH Science Solon Pete Goldie, to preserve some of the long-running show’s  vaunted
“Astronomical currency” by speaking briefly on how a new type of Supernova– the
explosive death of a star– has been discovered, in which helium detonates on the surface
of a White Dwarf star. This exploding celestial furnace, dubbed “SN2002bj” by less-than-
poetic astronomers, was first observed seven years ago in the galaxy NGC 1821 by
amateur sky-watchers but was officially misclassified at the time as a mere Type II
Supernova.
In a Type I stellar explosion, a star accumulates matter from a nearby neighbor until a
runaway nuclear reaction ignites.
In a Type II, a star runs out of nuclear fuel and collapses under its own gravity.
But perplexing SN2002bj had a different signature than any of the variations known in these two types. In particular, it brightened and dimmed over the course of less than 27 days, whereas most Supernovas brighten and dim over three or four months.
In fact, this rapid dimming of the recent Supernova and certain signatures now observed in its spectrum, including an ultra-strong helium signal, suggest that this star exploded by a previously unknown mechanism, first proposed by Lars Bildsten of UC Santa Barbara.
Bildsten’s idea involves a binary pair of white dwarfs, one of which is primarily made of helium that is being slowly siphoned off by its companion. When enough helium accumulates on the surface of the dominant white dwarf, an explosion occurs that powers a faint and brief thermonuclear supernova.
This process is akin to a Nova, where matter, mainly hydrogen, falls onto a star, slowly building up and then exploding, but with less force then a full-fledged supernova. Ultra-explosive SN2002bj had about 1,000 times more energy than a typical Nova, though.
Beloved astro-explicateur Pete “Boffo Boffin” Goldie will, barring catastrophe, re-take his rightful place once again at Ask Dr. Hal! and discourse on this– and other mysteries of Deep Space.

NEWS – ONGOING SHOWS
“THE PRODUCTIONS OF TIME” –Dr. HAL’S NEW ART SHOW!

For everyone who missed Dr. Hal’s last art show, some of the images shown there are now featured again, together with new and previously unshown works. It’s all happening at the Mercury Café, 201 Octavia Street (at Page). The opening party featured entertainment by Dr. Hal and KrOB. Keep watching this space for our
announcement of the closing party, which, when it happens, in addition to another appearance by the demented duo, will present a live performance by Dr. Hal ably assisted by KrOB’s visual and auditory magic!
It will also be an opportunity for those who are interested to purchase a limited number of Dr. Hal’s books, The Meaning of Lost and Mismatched Socks (which is becoming quite a rarity– Random House is now out of them), Dinosaur AlphabetAlien Apocalypse 2006, and including autographed and dedicated copies.
This may be the last best chance to get some of these. Art Prints of many of the pictures can be ordered from Studio Reflex of San Francisco– pick up a form at the show.

The Mercury, serving organic and fair trade
coffees and locally produced foods, can be reached at

(415) 252-7855.

CHICKEN JOHN, DR. HAL TO PRESIDE OVER LAST NIGHT OF
BENEFIT AUCTION

In April our friend the amazing artist Tom Kennedy died in a tragic drowning accident at Ocean Beach in San Francisco. The Ripper Journey Foundation has been established in his memory, and the final episode of a three-part art auction fundraiser will take place November 12th at the Jellyfish Gallery, 1286 Folsom Street in San Francisco. The public is invited to participate and attend free of charge.

Among other events of that evening, Chicken John and Dr. Hal will co-execute the Silent Auction.
Tom Kennedy passed away April 12, 2009 while body-surfing. He left behind a legacy as a pioneering sculptural artist, social agitator and builder of more than twenty Art Cars. As a founding member of the Art Car Movement, his works evolved into symbols of political protest and peacekeeping. Tom envisioned his beloved and most recognized art car, Ripper the Friendly Shark, traveling around the world with a crew called
the Friend Patrol. Together they would inspire and support friendship and peace in conflict zones where people perceived as enemies live and work together.
The art auction will raise money to send Ripper the Friendly Shark on this mission at least once a year. The three-part fundraiser wraps up on November 12th with a silent auction and live performances. To date, an ever-growing list of artists has donated artwork to be auctioned with all proceeds to benefit the Ripper Journey Foundation.

Featured artists include, among others, Haideen Anderson, Margot Duane, Karen
Cusolito, Michael Christian, Brian Goggin, Dan Das Mann, Jon Alloway
and Kal Spelletich. The eventwill also showcase photos, art and videos about Tom Kennedy and the Ripper Journey Foundation created in his memory. All pieces in the silent auction will also be online at
tomkennedyart.com.
EVENT DETAILS
Venue: Jellyfish Gallery at 1286 Folsom Street, San Francisco
November 12th ~ Closing Night
6:00 PM until Midnight

This announcement adapted from Scott Beale’s write-up on Laughing Squid. For complete information, go to:

http://laughingsquid.com/tom-kennedy-art-auction-to-benefit-the-ripper-journey-foundation-in-memory-of-tom-kennedy/

BLACK DYNAMITE SHOWINGS IN BAY AREA!
A friend of Dr. Hal’s co-produced this movie, not a satire on the 1970s-era “Blaxploitation” genre (Shaft, Superfly, Foxy Brown, Black Belt Jones et al) so much as a carefully constructed recreation, similar to the homages to low-rent cinema Tarantino and Rodriguez created in Grindhouse.
“With the grainy film-grade, the funky-fresh music, the hair styles, the wide collars and bell-bottoms, the zoom-happy camera work and ultra-cheesy dialogue, Black Dynamite takes you out of 2009 and
drops you into 1974.” –Ammon Gilbert, Film.com
Writer-star Michael Jai White and Director Scott Sanders meticulously touch on every detail about what makes the blaxploitation film enjoyable and charming, including boom mics dipping into the frame, stuntmen being replaced in the middle of a scene, stock footage used for every exploding car or big action sequence, and using the lyrics of the soundtrack to help narrate the action on the screen. It’s in these details where Black Dynamite seems to excel the most, making the film actually look and feel like
a low-budget blaxploitation flick from the ’70s.
See it in S.F. at the Castro on Midnight Friday Nov. 20th; in the East Bay it’ll be at the Grand Lake Theatre, Midnight Friday Nov. 21st.

Tell ’em Dr. Hal sent you…

SOCIAL NOTES

Sucha lotta questions… We answer ’em, but sometimes wish for a chance to elaborate a bit on
’em– kinda like a Side Note going the other way… But ours not to reason why… F’rinstance, alluring
Abigail queried anent the limitations of pity, while jewel-like Jenner Davis appeared and asked a
question Dr. Hal wanted to answer nominatively, but protocol took over… You owe it to yourself,
bye the bye, to checkout her incredibly great blog at
http://lastcallsf.com/ –yes, a blog, we know,
we know, but this one is a tour de force, with superb writing & photos, about this city, this scene,
this moment & the presence of the past… it’s a superior work of journalism in every way, but don’t
let that throw you– you’ll really be entertained… just visit there & browwsse… We hoped to chat
more
with the beguiling blogger & stunning former Odeon bartender, but jocose Jarico Reese didn’t
give us a chance, barreling into our converse with an alcohol-fueled insistence that we attend his
plan to build a bicycle-powered dirigible… Wouldn’t work, joker Jarico– if airship frame big enuff
to generate enuff lift 4 U & your contraptoid, it be big enuff to offer enuff surface area to the wind to
out-power any 1-man set o’ bicycle gears– Like, your puny peddling cain’t overcome Ol’ Man Wind,
dig? We’ll tell you th’ same when (you’re) sober… but jaded Jenner walked off… sigh… Hope she
returns… Demented Don ask’d after another absent siren, vivacious Valerie the Door Girl– Y’know, it’s
hard to keep tracka the traffic around here… Riled-up Reuben wanted to know, if he was already his
own
“know-it-all,”
why Dr. Hal? Well, you didn’t know that, did you, rancorous Reuben? Hope you
gotcher money’s worth… Curvaceous Carolyn needed an oracular response to a perplexing Post-It note…
Stalwart Steve was worried about the oscillating Universe. Can’t sleep for all those oscillations…
Performance Artist
shapely Spy Emerson‘s aboutta leave us for a gig in NYC, where she & madcap
Moses Grubb will be performing to a Tone Poem abt. a decomposing dead kitty kat, composed by
dogged Dr. Hal– a tru-life memoir creatively interpreted, natch, from the Dark Side of a certain recent
Art Boat Trip
to the Old World… We wish we could be there to see it… hope there’s a video… if there
ain’t, it’s a pity-o… Kourageous Kiko Aumond, one-time Brazilian Astronaut, for those who’ve been
paying attention, also is now planning a long sea voyage– of exploration & discovery to little-known
South Sea islands, the haunt of cannibal tribes, which is why he asked how to avoid getting eaten by
them– a question also of concern to jeunesse doree
exemplar Jennalex, also bound for those remote
regions…
Lovely Lynn Rubenzer appeared and hugged yr. Humble Narrator, th’ hi-point of th’ eve; when
she hugs you, you know you’ve been hugged… We were also graced by th’embrace of chic Cheryl, a.k.a.
masseuse Mable Syrup, a damsel whoosa devoted ADH regular from cycles of this show back… Princely
Paul Pot (not one of the ever-pixilated Pot-Smoking Guys, ‘tleast during th’ p’fawmance like them– or is
he? We can’t see) tried t’ deal out a donative, but th’ timing wasn’t rite– then we never got around to
reminding him– hard cheese f’r us… That smokum ain’t hokum… Kaptivating Kate Willett was there & her
feet were bare!she’s really got a glam pair of pins, female foot fanz… Shoes (in her case) are over-rated…
And really, over all, for a show without patient Pete Goldie (outpatient Pete Goldie– get it?), the wholething
wasn’t that moldy… But we’ll see. Yes, we all will. ‘Cause photog Puzzling Evidence was shooting us
more
for You Tube entries on PuzEv TV, rite thru th’nite, soon to appear beneath this site… More of the… 

AMAZING, AMUSING PUZZLING EVIDENCE YOU TUBE CLIPS!
Did you know you can watch some of the show right this minute?

Well, thanx to Puzzling Evidence, you can! Go ahead– scope out a few of the hi-lites from previous episodes of Ask Dr. Hal!
–on You Tube!
It’s easy! It’s fun! It’s time-consuming! And it’s technologically au courant, and absolutely the next best thing to being there in person! You need to visit his wonderful site, with rare video of the Lost Galleon La Contessa and many wonders unrelated to our show– HELCO from Burning Man ’96, various festivals and performances of all your faves– as well as our stuff from the links below. How?
How, you say? You do? Why are you talking to your computer? Go ahead– just click, clickety-click, on these handy URLs.

Remember, if it won’t play, try watching in High Quality…

Our pre-Hallowe’en Show launches with Chicken’s Monologue– and Pete Goldie’s debut of a
Bees-ness Suit October 30th (Pt. 1):

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PuzzlingEvidenceTV#p/u/6/1uOzvC3Fb0Q

Then dig the ’80’s KrOB costume! Pre-show Art Farm clean-up of Newsom’s stained no-record on
Chicken John, and we wait…for the Bay Bridge to re-open that October 30th till Dr. Hal arrives
with his timely warning about the Mewlips (Pt. 2):

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PuzzlingEvidenceTV#p/u/5/KY_KIBHwMUU

Little Orphant Annie comes to Our House, to stay a few minutes– see where a sawbuck gets you?
October 30th, (Pt. 3):

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PuzzlingEvidenceTV#p/u/4/lLR36AC4i9w

Curvaceous contortionist Tara Quinn delivers energy liquid to the flaccid, limp Show, and Hal plays
the Munsters theme song on his old organ as the show sells out for a can of glucose-filled sugar-water,
an apparent Fernet chaser of some kind October 30th (Pt. 4):

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PuzzlingEvidenceTV#p/u/3/YziKS14n9ic
God loves Slayer, and the (evil) Twelve Galaxies are named in order, while GALAXY 125 remains
unnamed. Love, abortions and Eli Wallach’s Jones for the legendary Orange Box Man October 30th
(Pt. 5):

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PuzzlingEvidenceTV#p/u/2/0MhngJtABuU

A Bee makes free with Venom, and so endeth our catechism October 30th (Pt. 6):

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PuzzlingEvidenceTV#p/u/1/WdVMQ1QPZFY

Pete Goldie makes the SmokePot Guys laugh– and travels into the Abyss on October 23rd to reveal
Galaxy Clusters and other wonders (Pt. 1):

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PuzzlingEvidenceTV#p/u/4/tKw_I5OnpP0

Then Dr. Hal appears to begin the show, not for the proud man, apart, on October 23rd (Pt. 2):

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PuzzlingEvidenceTV#p/u/3/Hlc5K6HHh38

Accidents, doughnuts, cults and religions, Vampiric Diabetes, Other-shoeism, Miniature Zombies,
pens, swords, and Smoke Pot Guy served up hot, all on October 23rd (Pt. 3):

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PuzzlingEvidenceTV#p/u/2/x5QJsymmO2E

Seven inside jokes from inside that SmokePot Guy’s brain– as seen by the Norns, inside a black hole.
Then a One-Minute Dance Party occurs, when the Merry Bells ring round, and the jocund Rebecks
sound– to many a Youth and many a Maid dancing in the Chequered Shade, concluding  this lively
episode of ADH on October 23rd (Pt. 4):

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PuzzlingEvidenceTV#p/u/1/NpKMazKKoR8

Our second show of the latest run– straw telescopes seek Cassini Probe porn, with Phat Mandee
warbling “Over the Rainbow” in the background! It’s our October 16th show, its hour come round at
last (Pt. 1):

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PuzzlingEvidenceTV#p/u/2/TNz1un4qzWA

Saturn-shine on the moons of Saturn up against the Three Body Problem in the new “invisible” ring;
Cosmic Splat on Iapetus. What flavor ice cream is Hal, you ask? Answered October 16th (Pt. 2):

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PuzzlingEvidenceTV#p/u/1/rgLjQx0yECc

Light bulb eating by Chicken John and Phat Mandee consumes a priceless antique Edison-Mazda bulb
October 16th (Pt. 3):

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PuzzlingEvidenceTV#p/u/0/SCP6w2S1zcY

Cougars and their ways then become the topic– this was the ruling October 16th (Pt. 4):

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PuzzlingEvidenceTV#p/u/3/WA4-1q9cpdg

Zombies and Poetry– do they… go together? Here’s what we said October 16th (Pt. 5):

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PuzzlingEvidenceTV#p/u/2/VigfjfFtotA

Our prevue show features Moon Matters, & Pete Goldie offers a lunar lunchpail on October 9th (Pt. 1):

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PuzzlingEvidenceTV#p/u/7/OE2n6ph_aNs

Then after more Selenitic sensationalism Pete gives Chicken a needed lesson in courtesy, aided by
the Politeness Pachyderm, a.k.a. the Polite Elephant. This was on October 9th (Pt. 2):

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PuzzlingEvidenceTV#p/u/6/xEKerwUwodA

Dr. Hal enters with an excerpt from Milton’s L’Allegro, somewhat bungled as always– then… From our
October 9th show (Pt. 3):

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PuzzlingEvidenceTV#p/u/5/Nc-GK1Vds8A

Love and other things, Hell, clay, pebbles, meters, Chaco Taco’s Op-ish birth story, carnys, BigTop
peanuts, hay, barkers, cops, burlesque girls, vagina dentata, THC-induced delirium, clicking sounds,
Dawn’s laugh, Don Fisher, Jesus’ middle name, you name it… on October 9th (Pt. 4):

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PuzzlingEvidenceTV#p/u/4/7OQ7eO45YJM

Picking up some still life while being “gingered” by a microwaved viking dressed in a paisley fractal
art barge….priceless. At least, we hoped so– on October 9th (Pt. 5):

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PuzzlingEvidenceTV#p/u/3/co14OqXtjUs

See you at the exclusive
CHEZ POULET GALLERY-CABARET
3359 Army (Cesar Chavez St.) San Francisco, California
[Where Mission St. Joins Cesar Chavez]

Happening This Friday Night–

Nov. 13th!

ASK DR. HAL’s November Neo-narrative!

Monday, November 2nd, 2009

Chicken John presents:
THE GENUINE & ORIGINAL
ASK Dr. HAL! SHOW    

NOW PLAYING AT THE
Chez Poulet Gallery-Cabaret       
3359 Army (Cesar Chavez St.)
San Francisco, California

[Where Mission St. Joins Cesar Chavez]

FRIDAY, November 6th!    

PERFORMANCE COMMENCING AT
NINE P.M. SHARP!        
===DOORS OPEN FOR THE SHOW AT 8:30 PM===
THE PRE-SHOW begins about Eight-Thirty. We will be starting as close to Nine PM
as we can. Despite a long history of lagging audiences, we won’t hold the
curtain as we have in the past–
WE CLOSE, ideally,  before Midnight, to give our East Bay friends the chance to
make it in time to catch the last train from the 24th St. BART Station, a few short
blocks North of the CHEZ POULET GALLERY-CABARET [Last East Bay train departs
about 12:16 AM] in S.F.’s colorful Mission District!

Admission —       $10.00

(TEN AMERICAN DOLLARS)

PROGRAMMING NOTE:

TOWNE DANDIES OPENER IS NEXT WEEK, NOT NOV. 6TH

A scheduling problem has compelled us to book Geoff Ellsworth for next week, not this week. Next week’s admission price will be $15.00, but this week it’s still ten!  

==The Dr. Hal Report==
Vol. XII                     No. 4

C  O  N  T  E   N   T  S  :

KARTOON : SEX & INNOCENCE DISPLAYED
IN STILL AVANT ANIMATION + KrOB MONSTER MASTERPIECE
SHOWCASES HELLISH DEMONIC FIEND IN BLASPHEMOUS,
PULSATING PERFORMANCE TO BE DAMNED FOR + PETE
GOLDIE
AWAY ON DEEP SPACE MISSION,  ASTRO 7 CAPSULE
WILL RETURN TO EARTH IN TIME FOR NEXT SHOW + NEWS:
DR. HAL ART OPENING NOW UP & RUNNING @ MERCURY
CAFE + TOM KENNEDY TRIPARTITE SILENT ART AUCTION TO
CLOSE THURSDAY NOVEMBER 12TH, WITH HAL, CHICKEN

PRESIDING + SOCIAL NOTES + VERY LATEST PUZ-EV YOU
TUBE KLIPS +

UNIQUE ANIMATED CARTOON PRESENTATION!
ALL THE CATS JOIN IN (1946)
Another in our series of
the best American cartoons!
Lovingly selected–by KrOB…
A “cool jazz” cartoon from the world’s greatest animation studio, this is (almost) five
minutes of irresistible movement and music. In the catchy Technicolor short, master
animator  Fred Moore, one of the Disney Studio’s famed “nine old men,” presides as an
insistent Benny Goodman tune accompanies a vital vignette where post-WW II youths
go out, driving and dancing (teenagers are a rare subject in cartoons). With lightning-
fast timing, and great jokes around a scribbling, scooting pencil drawing the people and
backgrounds as fast as it can (sometimes just not fast enough to keep up with the
hyperkinetic teens), the picture contains, very unusually, a surprising sequence of a
naked girl jumping out of a shower into her clothes. Wow! You have to look fast to see it–
but we know some of you are lusting after cute lil’ cartoon characters– don’t deny it!
The cartoon is both dated and, strangely, absolutely timely, though it depicts youthful
rituals of more than fifty years gone by. Ultimately thought-provoking (as well as toe-
tapping) like all good cartoons. And a KrOB Personal Favorite.

The characters are all so cool and smooth. Just watching the dancin’
made me wanna get up and dance!

–Chrissy Atkinson

WITH…  SPINE-SNAPPING KLASSIC KrOB MONSTER EDIT:


NIGHT OF THE DAEMON!


A snarling, slobbering, hairy fiend emerges though a hole in the sky, at the inexorable
summoning of forgotten, ancient sorceries, to blast, burn and rend limb from limb a
number of unfortunates in this far from kuddly KrOB klip. Yes, Hallowe’en may be
technically over, but it never really goes away at Castle KrOB. The British author
Montague Rhodes James wrote “Casting the Runes,” a wonderfully gruesome and
suggestive horror story
about a demonic curse. It was filmed by Jacques Tourneur,
an inspired director of the Val Lewton school who surpasses his mentor in this film.
Existing in a mutilated and truncated form only for many years, so that even its director
died believing no unedited print, or “director’s cut,” as we say today, existed, the true
complete version
was discovered personally by Dr. Hal and associate Merl Reagle in
San Francisco in 1977 when Columbia Pictures unknowingly struck a new print from what
was archived in their vaults. So this footage and Dr. Hal go back a long way.
Now it passes through KrOB’s lens for another incarnation, seen here at the Ask Dr. Hal!
Show.
Entire books have been written about this film, its authenticity and history. The latest
of these, called Beating the Devil: The Making of Night of the Demon, by Tony Earnshaw,
(Tomahawk Press, 2005) is pretty good, and we at Ask Dr. Hal! recommend it highly, with
the caveat that even this thorough treatment does not go quite as far as it might in getting to
its deepest possible understanding. Lights out!

Read the latest hard-hitting interview with Dr. Hal on Laughing Squid’s Blog:

http://laughingsquid.com/a-conversation-with-hal-robins/

NO BARBUT YOU CAN DRINK! (JUST BRING YOUR OWN)
Not counting the inevitable
Fernet Branca shots for the (un)lucky…


PETE GOLDIE TO BE ABSENT ON DEEP SPACE MISSION,
FOR NOV. 6th ADH
Beloved astro-explicateur Pete “Boffo Boffin” Goldie has jettisoned his commitment to the Ask Dr. Hal! Show
for the duration of the week-long Astro-7 Deep Space Mission. Via his ground control link-up, Dr. Goldie has
proclaimed “All Systems Go and A-OK” from his Terribly High Earth Orbit Repair and Exploration Module
(THEOREM) after launch this Sunday from Cape Canavergravel in Florida. NASA officials have emphasized their
specific need for Pete Goldie’s “Magic Hands.” The mission objective: to repair the wobbling and severely ailing
orbiting Chandra Levy, Eliot Spitzer and Web Hubbell Very Large and Complicated Telescope Array. We wish
daring Dr. Goldie every measure of success on his historic flight, and confidently expect to welcome him, perhaps
somewhat singed from his descent through Earth’s Troposphere behind the DALKON 6 Heat Shield, to re-take his
rightful place once again at Ask Dr. Hal!

NEWS – ONGOING SHOWS
“THE PRODUCTIONS OF TIME” –Dr. HAL’S NEW ART SHOW!
For everyone who missed Dr. Hal’s last art show, some of the images shown there are now featured again,
together with new and previously unshown works. It’s all happening at the Mercury Café, 201 Octavia Street
(at Page). The opening party featured entertainment by Dr. Hal and KrOB. Keep watching this space for our
announcement of the closing party, which, when it happens, in addition to another appearance by the
demented duo, will present a live performance by Dr. Hal ably assisted by KrOB’s visual and auditory magic!
It will also be an opportunity for those who are interested to purchase a limited number of Dr. Hal’s books, The
Meaning of Lost and Mismatched Socks
(which is becoming quite a rarity– Random House is now out of
them), Dinosaur Alphabet and Alien Apocalypse 2006, including autographed and dedicated copies.
This may be the last, best chance to get some of these. Art Prints of many of the pictures can be ordered from
Studio Reflex of San Francisco– pick up a form at the show. The Mercury, serving organic and fair trade
coffees and locally produced foods, can be reached at

(415) 252-7855.

CHICKEN JOHN, DR. HAL TO PRESIDE OVER LAST NIGHT OF BENEFIT AUCTION
In April our friend the amazing artist Tom Kennedy died in a tragic drowning accident at Ocean Beach in
San Francisco. The Ripper Journey Foundation has been established in his memory, and the final episode
of a three-part art auction fundraiser will take place November 12th at the Jellyfish Gallery, 1286 Folsom
Street in San Francisco. The public is invited to participate and attend free of charge. Among other events
of that evening, Chicken John and Dr. Hal will co-execute the Silent Auction.
Tom Kennedy passed away April 12, 2009 while body-surfing. He left behind a legacy as a pioneering
sculptural artist, social agitator and builder of more than twenty Art Cars. As a founding member of the
Art Car Movement, his works evolved into symbols of political protest and peacekeeping.

Tom envisioned his
beloved and most recognized art car, Ripper the Friendly Shark, traveling around the world with a crew called
the Friend Patrol. Together they would inspire and support friendship and peace in conflict zones where
people perceived as enemies live and work together.
The art auction will raise money to send Ripper the Friendly Shark on this mission at least once a year. The
three-part fundraiser wraps up on November 12th with a silent auction and live performances. To date, an
ever-growing list of artists has donated artwork to be auctioned with all proceeds to benefit the Ripper
Journey Foundation. Featured artists include, among others, Haideen Anderson, Margot Duane, Karen
Cusolito, Michael Christian, Brian Goggin, Dan Das Mann, Justin Credible (insert wolf-whistle here) Jon Alloway and Kal Spelletich. The event
will also showcase photos, art and videos about Tom Kennedy and the Ripper Journey Foundation created
in his
memory. All pieces in the silent auction will also be online at
tomkennedyart.com.

EVENT DETAILS
Venue: Jellyfish Gallery at 1286 Folsom Street, San Francisco
November 12th ~ Closing Night
6:00 PM until Midnight
This announcement adapted from Scott Beale’s write-up on Laughing Squid. For complete information, go to:

http://laughingsquid.com/tom-kennedy-art-auction-to-benefit-the-ripper-journey-foundation-in-memory-of-tom-kennedy/

NEXT WEEK’S SPECIAL GUEST STAR–

APPEARING NOVEMBER 13th–

GEOFF ELLSWORTH…
of the TOWNE DANDIES!

“The Towne Dandies are music as art project,” says Ellsworth, who is in fact an artist,
a professional painter of portraits and landscapes. And while he is also an accomplished
musician and songwriter, he tends to think of himself primarily as an artist and to regard
his eclectic exertions with the Towne Dandies as performance art. “And with all art projects,”
he says, “they always take a turn on you. You start out thinking you’re making one thing, but
circumstances take you into different directions. So with every one of our Towne Dandies
shows, I always just stay open to the possibilities.” For Ask Dr. Hal! Ellsworth promises to do
a half-hour, one-act play. Some of our audience may remember him from the Odeon days.

ADMISSION PRICE NOTE:
To pay this guest artist appropriately, Chicken has increased the admission price of the show on Friday, November 13th,
for this one time to $15.00.

SOCIAL NOTES
‘Twas the night before Hallowe’en & not very much seemed to be stirring at Ask Dr. Hal! –but, y’know,
it turned out t’be just another one o’ those nites when we get most of the audience as they come in after
we get started. Yes, the krowds are coming to the old Chez Poulet-they’re just coming late… Early arrivals
were rewarded with our Frank Tashlin cartoon, Porky Pig’s Feat, a last-minute substitution for our
announced cartoon
featurette, the Tex Avery-directed Porky’s Duck Hunt. Ackshully, PPF is a far better
cartoon anyway
than the historically significant PDH– KrOB just wanted to show the latter short’s Drunken
Singing Fish
scene… But back at the show, we’re still making interesting discoveries… Like, f’rexample, how
cranky Chicken’s discovered that he doesn’t haveta work too hard to make the potted Pot-Smoking Guys laff–
in fact, those guys– jocose Juhani Smith & knocked-dead Ken Kneisel
ll laff at anything chatty Chicken sez!
We’re repeating ourselves… short-term memory‘s shot… But we seem to remember delectable Diane took a flyer
on the show, & might be back for mo’; & we glimmed sultry Sarah Szczechowicz, pedantic Pete Goldie’s better
half, released from childcare of determined daughter Daria by the timely intercession & sympatico self-sacrifice of
devoted Dawn Stott back at the Goldie manse… Then there was generalissimo Geoffrey Smart, a one-time host
of ADH back in the (recent) day, who even so hasn’t burned out on th’concept… We ogled voluptuous Val Stanfield,
visiting from Long Beach, CAwe saw her on the Playa a month or two ago wearing a smile & a hair ribbon… just
those… Lovely jasper-eyed Janay Growden was also very noticeable… We had more than the usual no. of surprises,
& surely th’ biggest surprise hit of the show was the unannounced incursion of comely contortionist torrid Tara
Quinn…
She did indeed undulate into a few impromptu poses for the appreciative krowd, but she was mainly
there
to drop off a few hundred cases of hi-fructose mango energy drink… Photo’d everybody drinking it, too…
not to Dr. Hal’s (diabetical) taste, tho’ –but there’s no mistaking that the show Sold Out that nite… Jaunty John
Law
sported a truly impressive set of chin-whiskers… we saw him the nextnite at the big fun(d)raiser co-ordinated
by jocund John & kurvaceous Katy Bell for beleaguered Bill the Junkman of Ace Auto fame, and the utility of th’
facial foliage became evident as laughmeister Law “went” for Hallowe’en as kra-azy Kommunism-founder Karl
Marx…
Back at the show, kaptivating Kate Willett & masterful Marc Roper 1nce again adorn’d the whip-it-heavy
after-party, lingering after Andy Antrobus & mellow Molly Mulier, a gen-u-inely generic couple… Cast-member
Cappy was finally back in th’ saddle… ‘midst swirling clouds of incense— sorry, asthmatics… Photog Puzzling
Evidence
was shooting us more for You Tube entries on his PuzEv TV site thru th’nite, & was that particular Paul
Pot,
penning a pasquinade, or not? 

And don’t forget:

AMAZING, AMUSING PUZZLING EVIDENCE YOU TUBE CLIPS!
Did you know you can watch some of the show right this minute?
Well, thanx to Puzzling
Evidence,
you
can! Go ahead– scope out a few of the hi-lites from previous episodes of Ask Dr. Hal!
on You Tube! It’s easy! It’s fun! It’s time-consuming! And it’s technologically au courant, and absolutely
the next best thing to being there in person! You need to visit his wonderful site, with rare video of the
Lost Galleon La Contessa and many wonders unrelated to our show– HELCO from Burning Man ’96,
various festivals and performances of all your faves– as well as our stuff from the links below. How?
How, you say? You do? Why are you talking to your computer? Go ahead– just click, clickety-click, on these
handy URLs. Remember, if it won’t play, try watching in High Quality…

Pete Goldie makes the SmokePot Guys laughand travels into the Abyss on October 23rd to reveal
Galaxy Clusters and other wonders (
Pt. 1):

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PuzzlingEvidenceTV#p/u/4/tKw_I5OnpP0

Then Dr. Hal appears to begin the show, not for the proud man, apart, on October 23rd (Pt. 2):

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PuzzlingEvidenceTV#p/u/3/Hlc5K6HHh38

Accidents, doughnuts, cults and religions, Vampiric Diabetes, Other-shoeism, Miniature Zombies,
pens, swords, and Smoke Pot Guy served up hot, all on
October 23rd (Pt. 3):

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PuzzlingEvidenceTV#p/u/2/x5QJsymmO2E

Seven inside jokes from inside that SmokePot Guy’s brain– as seen by the Norns, inside a black hole.
Then a One-Minute Dance Party occurs, when the Merry Bells ring round, and the jocund Rebecs
sound to many a Youth and many a Maid dancing in the Chequered Shade, concluding  this lively
episode of ADH on
October 23rd (Pt. 4):

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PuzzlingEvidenceTV#p/u/1/NpKMazKKoR8

Our second show of the latest run— straw telescopes seek Cassini Probe porn, with Phat Mandee
warbling “Over the Rainbow” in the background! It’s our
October 16th show, its hour come round at
last (
Pt. 1):

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PuzzlingEvidenceTV#p/u/2/TNz1un4qzWA

Saturn-shine on the moons of Saturn up against the Three Body Problem in the new “invisible” ring;
Cosmic Splat on Iapetus. What flavor ice cream is
Hal, you ask? Answered October 16th (Pt. 2):

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PuzzlingEvidenceTV#p/u/1/rgLjQx0yECc

Light bulb eating by Chicken John and Phat Mandee consumes a priceless antique Edison-Mazda bulb
October 16th (Pt. 3):

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PuzzlingEvidenceTV#p/u/0/SCP6w2S1zcY

Cougars and their ways then become the topic– this was the ruling October 16th (Pt. 4):

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PuzzlingEvidenceTV#p/u/3/WA4-1q9cpdg

Zombies and Poetry— do they… go together? Here’s what we said October 16th (Pt. 5):

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PuzzlingEvidenceTV#p/u/2/VigfjfFtotA

Our prevue show features Moon Matters, & Pete Goldie offers a lunar lunchpail on October 9th (Pt. 1):

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PuzzlingEvidenceTV#p/u/7/OE2n6ph_aNs

Then after more Selenitic sensationalism Pete gives Chicken a needed lesson in courtesy, aided by
the
Politeness Pachyderm, a.k.a. the Polite Elephant. This was on October 9th (Pt. 2):

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PuzzlingEvidenceTV#p/u/6/xEKerwUwodA

Dr. Hal enters with an excerpt from Milton‘s L’Allegro, somewhat bungled as always– then… From our
October 9th show (Pt. 3):

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PuzzlingEvidenceTV#p/u/5/Nc-GK1Vds8A

Love and other things, Hell, clay, pebbles, meters, Chaco Taco’s Op-ish birth story, carnys, BigTop
peanuts, hay, barkers, cops, burlesque girls, vagina dentata, THC-induced delirium, clicking sounds,
Dawn‘s laugh, Don Fisher, Jesus‘ middle name, you name it… on October 9th (Pt. 4):

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PuzzlingEvidenceTV#p/u/4/7OQ7eO45YJM

Picking up some still life while being “gingered” by a microwaved viking dressed in a paisley fractal
art barge….priceless.
At least, we hoped so– on October 9th (Pt. 5):

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PuzzlingEvidenceTV#p/u/3/co14OqXtjUs  

Watch Plenty More ADH at Puzzling Evidence TV!

See you at the exclusive


CHEZ POULET GALLERY-CABARET


3359 Army (Cesar Chavez St.)

San Francisco, California 


[Where Mission St. Joins Cesar Chavez]