Patrick McGoohan--the Prisoner has escaped...

This entry's title is not meant to be snarky.
Since the theme of The Prisoner was that we (and society) are our own jailers ("Who is Number One?" "You are, Number Six!"), with his passing, McGoohan is finally "free", in a way none of us can can ever be truly free in life!
A noted actor and raconteur, McGoohan's greatest success was in three heroic tv series roles:
The Scarecrow in The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh aka Dr. Syn: alias The Scarecrow
John Drake in Danger Man aka Secret Agent
Number Six in The Prisoner (which he conceived and co-created, as well as writing & directing a number of episodes.)
Consider that without his artistic influence, we wouldn't have shows like ABC's LOST, AMC's The Prisoner remake series, or, to a lesser extent, any of the shows like The X-Files or Fringe where you aren't certain who is who and who's running things...
(Personally, I always thought "The Village" was on the other side of the island's mountains on LOST!)

Check out...
AMC's The Prisoner Tribute
Six of One (the Prisoner Appreciation Society)
RetroWeb: the Prisoner

Be seeing you...
(Below: the opening page of the never-published comic adaptation by Jack [King] Kirby.)

Have a LOST Season Premiere Party on January 21st!

Mysteries aplenty await you on January 21st, as you gather around the tv to watch the season opener of ABC's LOST!
Among them...
Where (or when) is the island?
How was it moved in time or space (or both)?
Why must the Oceanic Six return?

And isn't it interesting that the new season group portrait has them (including survivors who hadn't escaped the island) in a ruined building in an overgrown, apparently abandoned, city?

If you're like us, you're gonna gather together to watch the show.
And, like us, you're gonna make it a theme party!

Here's some decor and party favor ideas...coincidentally, all available from us! ;-)

TO begin with, send out classy invites...
Mystery Tales #40 postcards (8 pack)
Mystery Tales #40 notecards w/envelopes (10 pack)
Mystery Tales #40 notecards w/envelopes (20 pack)
Mystery Tales Logo postcards (8 pack)
Mystery Tales Logo notecards w/envelopes (10 pack)
Mystery Tales Logo notecards w/envelopes (20 pack)

Then, stock up on drinkware and coasters...
Mystery Tales #40 mug
Mystery Tales Logo mug
Mystery Tales #40 tile coaster
Mystery Tales #40 alternate tile coaster
Mystery Tales Logo tile coaster
Mystery Tales #40 rubber coaster
Mystery Tales #40 rubber coaster set of 4
Mystery Tales Logo rubber coaster
Mystery Tales Logo rubber coaster set of 4

Decorations to set the mood...
Mystery Tales #40 wall clock
Mystery Tales Logo wall clock
Mystery Tales #40 refrigerator magnetMystery Tales Logo refrigerator magnet
Mystery Tales #40 9.5" x 14" mini-poster
Mystery Tales #40 throw pillow case
Mystery Tales #40 decorative porcelain plate
Mystery Tales Logo decorative porcelain plate

How about mini-buttons as party favors?
Mystery Tales #40 mini-buttons (10 pack)
Mystery Tales Logo mini-buttons (10 pack)
Mystery Tales #40 mini-buttons (100 pack)
Mystery Tales Logo mini-buttons (100 pack)

If you do a trivia contest, how about giving the winner a Mystery Tales #40 keychain or a Mystery Tales Logo keychain or a Mystery Tales Logo Cap or Mystery Tales Logo Trucker Hat?

Visit our Mystery Tales #40 stores for the complete line of kool kollectibles!
Mystery Tales #40 CafePress Store
Mystery Tales Logo CafePress Store
Mystery Tales #40 ArtsNow Store
Mystery Tales #40 Printfection Store

Fantastic Femmes--Vanessa L Williams

Note: this page has been updated with NEW info HERE!

The first African-American to become Miss America, Vanessa was also the first to lose the crown due to the publication of nude photos taken a couple of years prior to her entry into the competition. (She has since been reinstated as the official winner for 1984!)
For most people, that would've been the end of their career. But not Vanessa..
Since then, she's had a number of best-selling vocal albums, performed to rave reviews in several Broadway shows including Kiss of the Spider Woman, Into the Woods, and Carmen Jones, and appeared in theatrical and tv movies ranging from drama (Soul Food) to musicals (Bye, Bye, Birdie) as well as performing on soundtracks of a number of films including Pocahontas!
Her greatest success has been a tour-de-force performance as scheming editor Wilhelmina Slater on the ongoing Ugly Betty tv series.
She'll be doing genre again, as her schedule permits...
Trivia: Vanessa turned down the lead in Monster's Ball which was then offered to Halle Berry, who won the Oscar for it! Hey, nobody's perfect!

Genre appearances include
A Diva's Christmas Carol (Ebony Scrooge)
Shaft (Det. Carmen Vasquez)
BoomTown (Det. Katherine Pierce)
WWIII aka Winds of Terror (MJ Blake)
Adventures of Elmo in GrouchLand (Queen of Trash)
The Odyssey (Calypso)
FutureSport (Alexandra Torres aka Alex)
Star Trek: Deep Space 9 "Let He Who is Without Sin" (Arandis)
Hoodlum (Francine Hughes)
Eraser (Lee Cullen)
T.J. Hooker "Partners in Death"
Partners in Crime "Celebrity"

Check out...
Vanessa's Official Site
Vanessa Williams Music

Fantastic Femmes--Puffy AmiYumi (Ami Onuki & Yumi Yoshimura)

I know they're not actresses, per se, but, it's my blog, they fit into the Fantastic Femmes theme with the animation connection, and I had a couple of pix I wanted to share...

Known as "Puffy" in Asia, Ami Onuki and Yumi Yoshimura are incredibly-popular J-Pop singing idols who first achieved fame in America performing the catchy theme to the animated Teen Titans series.

Genre credits include...
Yumi Yoshimura
LoveDeath

PuffyAmiYumi (Ami Onuki & Yumi Yoshimura)
Mohohan: Copycat Killer (actresses in commercial Dendou-Jitensha [commercial within the movie's narrative] )
Hi! Hi! Puffy AmiYumi! (appear as themselves in opening and closing live-action vignettes)
Teen Titans (series theme song, appear in music video)

Check out...
Puffy AmiYumi's Official Japanese website
Puffy AmiYumi's Official US website
Sony Music's Puffy website

On the series Hi! Hi! Puffy AmiYumi!, the cartoon Ami is voiced by Janice Kawaye, the animated Yumi by Grey DeLisele.

Fantastic Femmes--Ashanti

Note: this page has been updated with NEW info  

HERE!

Another singer / actress with several genre credits, and a fair number of other film / tv appearances as well.
Ashanti Douglas is a superb soprano, and a competent actress, with an enthusiasm for action stunts.

Her genre credits include...
Resident Evil: Extinction(Betty)
Muppets' Wizard of Oz(Dorothy Gale)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer "First Date" (Lissa)

Check out...
AshantiMusic
Ashanti Daily (FanSite)

Other actresses to play Dorothy Gale include...
Tin Man: Grace Wheeler, Zooey Deschanel, Alexis Llewellen, Rachel Patee (Dorothy at various ages)
The Dreamer of Oz: Courtney Barilla (Dorothy Gale / Dorothy Leslie Gage [the real-life inspiration for the character])
Return to Oz(1985): Fairuza Balk
The Wiz: Diana Ross
The Wiz (Broadway): Stephanie Mills
Journey Back to Oz; Liza Minelli (daughter of Judy Garland)
Off to See the Wizard: June Foray
Return to Oz(1964) Susan Conway
The Wizard of Oz (1939) / Lux Radio Theatre "Wizard of Oz": Judy Garland
The Land of Oz aka The Scarecrow of Oz: Maryeruth Boone
The Wizard of Oz(1925): Dorothy Dwan
Dorothy and the Scarecrow of Oz: Marcia Moore
The Wizard of Oz(1910): Bebe Daniels