My question is pretty simple...

Who turned this site on to the world's greatest newspaper, The NY Post?

The Post is said the be the paper that prompted Johnny Carson to retire, and the paper with a classic headline about the decapitation of a stripper: "Headless Body In Topless Bar", and I read it religiously. It isn't as funny as it was in the 80s, but it still gets the news the NY Times just isn't interested in. Their headline about cheating on a statewide math exam ("Easy As Pi") is just another example of their brilliance.

My compliments to this site for its continued good taste. Long Live Rupert Murdoch!

I wonder if anyone other than me recalls the mock Post that was released about a fictitious WW III. The headline, typical of the Post of the 80s was "Michael Jackson, 30 Million Others Dead"

Regardless of the omission of copyright, reading the lyrics on Monday morning caused me to pull down my copy of Songs of the Pogo. I ended up getting several good laughs at many of the lyrics contained therein.

Thanks, Rick, for making my day that much merrier and brighter.

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Jason Arnett
Jackleg Writer
jack_leg@hotmail.com
Website coming soon...

I'm sorry you feel that way, Rick. I hadn't realized that having and expressing high esteem for you precluded my having quibbles with specific actions on your part. "All or nothing," huh?

For what it's worth, I'll note that I thought the matter was done after Evanier's post and my (admittedly) wise-ass follow-up. I felt the need to respond to Rick B., but I guess that was a mistake -- no matter how politely phrased, disagreement apparently constitutes "fightin' words" around here.

I'll refrain from responding to future SPLASH entries, or posting in threads based on them, okay?

Merry Christmas!
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Let's make 2001 Rick Veitch's year -- drop by the Gutters and post some kind words about the greatest man who ever lived!

[This message has been edited by Otto Chelman (edited 12-27-2000).]

I've just sent Otto an e-mail letting him know I was only kidding about the SOUPY SALES thing (and it's BLACK TOOTH, not BLACK FOOT). I always loved that bit when SOUPY's two pups, one with the white loving arm and sound effects and the other with the black slapping growls, came in from each side of the camera. This whole message board is a lot like WHITE FANG and BLACK TOOTH to my SOUPY, sometimes!

And Ken, I'm the POST fan who writes the SPLASH stories. Doing the headlines is the best part (my personal favorite: MAD PULPER STRIKES AGAIN!).

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Rick Veitch
Invites You To Read THE DAILY RARE BIT FIENDS
updated every day along with news of the world's most popular artform!
THE COMICON.COM DAILY SPLASHis always refreshing!
www.comicon.com/splash

Otto --
Hey, no harm, no foul. Like I said, I didn't see the original entry and I'm still confused because I can't find it on the SPLASH page.

--Ricko

[This message has been edited by Otto Chelman (edited 12-28-2000).]

Isn't the above a response?

Now my world's gone all topsy-turvy...

I find it interesting that the question that's arising is "should there have been a copyright notice", rather than "should it have been posted at all". This was a reasonably sizable chunk of Walt's work, and it was not done in a journalistic context of commenting on the work itself in any significant way. I certainly have a soft spot for Boston Charlie (and Pogo as a whole), and can't say I was saddened to see those words and show them to my new wife without having to yank the book out of somewhere. But if we're going to talk about creator's rights, I'd say that the reuse of a creator's material on a commercially-funded site without any visible sign of granted permission should raise a red flag right there.

All right...

Nat said:
But if we're going to talk about creator's rights, I'd say that the reuse of a creator's material on a commercially-funded site without any visible sign of granted permission should raise a red flag right there

And I've gotta agree. There should have been a copyright notice accompanying the lyrics.

(As an aside, Kelly notes in Songs of the Pogo that the melody of the song is not original, though the piano arrangement is. And even in that book, the complete lyrics are not included.)

However,

I took that post on the Splash to be nothing more than Rick trying to wish everybody a happy holiday. Would this have come up if he'd posted it as a message here in the News, Announcements and Gossip forum? Is the dustup simply because he owns the site, makes some little bit of money off of it and forgot to give proper credit? Rick, did you get extra hits on the site Monday (and make more money) because of the posted lyrics? [I'm not asking for dollar figures...]

I admit that I don't know how money is made off websites other than by selling things (product, ad space...). The SPLASH doesn't sell anything, but Rick does, as do many others who have booths here.

I understand that there are links for the booths that run right next to the SPLASH, but I view them independently. Commercials are something that we have to put up with in every facet of our lives, now.

Maybe I'm naive (and I'm certain there are those of you who will nod their heads sagely at that). But I took the SPLASH post as an enthusiastic Pogo fan wanting to share some fun.

In that, I see little harm done. Maybe someone who saw it would have visited a Pogo website and bought something, or gone to a store of some sort to hunt down a Pogo book if there'd been a notice of copyright. If Rick charged us money to visit the SPLASH every day, that'd be different. As it is, the article functioned as an ad for Pogo. It sparked my funnybone enough to pull down one of the many Pogo books I own. And I'm always on the lookout for more when I can find them.

Isn't it a good thing to keep your product in the minds of the public?

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Jason Arnett
Jackleg Writer
jack_leg@hotmail.com
Website coming soon...

While we're on the subject, I have a SPLASH question:

Does every headline really need to end in an exclamation point? It's often especially tacky on the obits.