This is an unusual one to end it on, since this was merely an autograph purchase so to speak. I don’t make a habit of doing postings on autographs that I have purchased, but I’m making an exception here. At the time, there was only once legitimate source to buy signed photos of Bettie Page and it was through Playboy magazine. I had asked Lisa to get me one of these for my birthday, but when I found out that she hadn’t ordered it, I went ahead and ordered one – along with a book about Bettie, also signed – in the off-chance that they may stop selling them at any time and I would miss out.

Bettie Page is one of those people who are fascinating and really shouldn’t be. She began innocently enough as a model for a camera club and quickly became involved in underground nude and bondage photos from 1952-58, made all the more alluring to drooling fans by her innocent look and distinctive bangs. In 1958, after attending a Key West church service, Bettie Page decided to quit the business entirely and then vanished into virtual obscurity.

She didn’t re-surface until 1996, when she realized that there was a fan base pining for her. I was one of those fans, having being in my Playboy phase and considering Bettie Page as an icon. And so I sent in my check for the photo and book and received it shortly thereafter.

Bettie Page died in 2008, having only been photographed on a couple of occasions (she adamantly refused to let fans see her in her elderly, hefty state), and having a movie made about her (The Notorious Bettie Page). I wish I had gotten the chance to meet her, but have to be satisfied with my signatures.

This concludes the autographs of 1997.

Return to the beginning of these 1997 autographs here…

Continue with the autographs of 1998… (under construction)

In addition, David Prowse, who was the man behind the Darth Vader mask was scheduled to be in attendance. They were all appearing from 3pm – 7pm and as I recall I arrived with my friend Eric Flinn closer to the ending time. So we did not get to meet Prowse, who had already left for some reason.

In any case, the store had some signed photos of Prowse, and actually had a couple of other actors who regularly made the circuit of personal appearances. As I recall, all photos were $10, so I of course picked up Baker and Hollis and had them sign, and then purchased Prowse, Jeremy Bulloch (who was Bob Fett in Empire and Return of the Jedi, and actually made an appearance as a different character in Revenge of the Sith), and Peter Mayhew, who had portrayed Chewbacca. I later got a chance to meet Mayhew as can be seen here.

These were some of the minor characters and I later had the chance to meet a couple of major ones, one of them also in my hometown! Unfortunately, I got no photos of either Hollis or Baker - so maybe we can try again one day when the Force is with me…

Autographs of 1997 will continue…

1997 will continue…

So naturally, I was a bit miffed. However, my friend Steve Randisi told me that Gale always had obliged fans through the mail, and that my photo must have been lost either coming or leaving her. It was sad that I never got both leads to sign a joint photo, but I later was able to purchase a nice signed portrait of Charles F*rrell (seen here) and Steve himself obtained a GREAT photo that he had Gale Storm sign for me in 1997, when she did an appearance at one of the collector shows.

Since My Little Margie was filmed at the Hal Roach Studios, the leads had the opportunity to pose for a photo with Laurel and Hardy when they returned there for the dedication of Lake Laurel and Hardy in 1955. This almost made up for the lost photo.

Autographs of 1997 will continue…

After our first weekend back, on Monday, July 22, we had a bit of a lice scare when we discovered that a neighbor girl of Ashleigh and Briana (living at apartments in Fairborn at this time) had lice. We had a bit of panic trying to take the necessary precautions in our apartment. We didn’t find any lice, however…yet. The next day I returned to work at the Beavercreek Kroger front office. Equally as thrilled about that.

On Saturday the 27th, I really excercised my wrestling chops by attending the live wrestling matches at Hara Arena. I saw the likes of Ric Flair, Randy Savage, Lex Luger, Sting, The Disco Inferno, the Steiner Brothers, the Nasty Boys – and even the new WCW phenomenons the Outsiders, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall.

Although it was well before the onion scare, I became deathly sick by July 31, a day after going out to eat with Lisa’s friend Susan and her boyfriend Mike at the now-defunct Mexican restaurant Chi-Chi’s. I remained sick all the way up until Saturday, August 3, the day that Mom, Ashleigh, Lisa, her friend Susan, and I left for Myrtle Beach.

I remember that Ashleigh had spent the night at my Mom’s the night before and when we arrived early in the morning, she got up and scratched her head vigorously. I didn’t think anything about it at the time, but it all made sense when she had fallen asleep on Susan’s lap in the back seat and suddenly Susan noticed and pointed out to Lisa “the bugs” crawling around in her hair. We stopped at a convenience store and a gas station where they did a quick emergency hair washing. This seemed to mostly clear everything up, but we were all a bit paranoid throughout the week.

We arrived at the Windy Shores condo that Saturday night and met up with Grandma and Grandpa Murphy, who had brought along my cousin Jacob for the week. In these days, my vacations were mostly about rest, rather than doing things – so I spent a lot of time just reading, listening to my Walkman, and watching TV.

And of course, in the kitchen

Ashleigh tires of the little waves

Jacob, Ashleigh, Susan, Lisa, me, and my Camel Lights chill by the pool

Ashleigh curls up on her Grandma while Grandpa Murphy works on his tan, or lack of one

Lisa and Ashleigh float their cares away

The lazy pool gang

A South Carolina downpour. Anyone see the irony here?

On Sunday, we stayed around the condo and swam in the pool and ocean, playing Farkle and Trivial Pursuit in the evening. Likewise Monday saw mostly swimming, but that evening saw me catching the latest Monday Nitro wrestling (with a major coup by the Outsiders) while the gals all went shopping. Poor Ashleigh had smacked her head into the side of the pool while attempting a backflip, so I had to nurse her bloody little scalp and we kept a watch on her to make sure there was no concussion.

Another day at the pool – taken from our Windy Shores condo balcony

Susan and a couple of melon-heads. Had to get the word melon in there somehow

Ashleigh after being conked on the head

On Tuesday, I finished up the Stephen King book The Shining that I was reading and began the next one Salem’s Lot. That evening we went to the Ripley’s Believe It or Not museum and the Pavillion amusement park, where two significant things happened. The first was that I talked Ashleigh into riding the rollercoaster, which went upside-down. I convinced her to do this, by telling her that it didn’t actually go upside-down, but rather corkscrews. Which of course means that it went upside-down. Thankfully, she loved it - so at the age of six, Ashleigh was indoctrinated into the upside-down roller-coasters club.

Never could pick her out, but Ashleigh is on their somewhere

The second memorable thing to happen was that Jacob created his famous Sand-Art baseball. Most kids filled this baseball with colorful designs and majestic decorations. Jacob, however, decided to try and make it look like a real baseball by using only white sand and adding red sand to simulate the stitching. What he ended up with was a white ball with a red ring around it. I kidded that it was while riding the Gravitron that Jacob go the ‘vision of the baseball.’ I will never allow him to live this down.

Jacob and Ashleigh waiting in line for a ride at the Pavillion

Ashleigh steers while Jacob contemplates his master ball plan

On Wednesday, August 7, we went to Broadway at the Beach and had dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe. This was my fourth Hard Rock Cafe visit – although I was only mildly visiting them at this point. We came back to the condo that night and swam into the evening.

Just another manic Wednesday morning

In front of the Hard Rock – along with a young passerby

Lisa, me, and Susan at the Hard Rock Cafe

Lisa mounts a motorcycle outside the Hard Rock…

…as does Mom. Not sure what the thrill was here…

…But Ashleigh and Jacob had their turn too

Celebrity Square at Broadway at the Beach

We had a rather busy day on Thursday as Lisa and I went to an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet, played some miniature golf, and then everyone went to Barefoot Landing and Alligator Adventure.

Jacob and Ashleigh ready for another day’s adventures

Lisa’s hair extensions set us back nearly $200. Money well spent (?)

One of the scary guys at Alligator Adventure

Mom relaxes at Barefoot Landing

Ashleigh and one of the dinosaurs (?) at Barefoot Landing. Jacob pay no attention whatsoever.

And another of the dinosaurs (?) at Barefoot Landing

And on our final day, Lisa, Susan, and I went to a Japanese restaurant where I attempted to introduce Lisa to the joys of sushi. She mostly balked at it and Susan got angry with me for forcing her to eat it. Susan got the teppanyaki and touted how much better that would have been. Ironically, in the present day, both Lisa and Susan are huge sushi buffs. We later picked up Ashleigh and went out for our final evening to play some Rumble Golf.

We drove home straight through on Saturday, August 10, 1996 – making it in time to lose another softball game on Sunday.

1996 will continue as we finish up the Summer and roll into the Fall…

Of course, being a comedy aficionado, I – along with my Dad – would occasionally lapse into the world of making fun of Mr. Rogers. But goodness, he was an easy target, since he was aiming his message of cooperation, togetherness, friendliness, and love at young children. We may have been ahead of our time a bit, as this was even before Eddie Murphy took on the ghetto role of Mr. Robinson on Saturday Night Live.

But regardless of us, the fun-pokers, Mr. Rogers certainly did a lot of good for a lot of kids over the years. And this is why I felt moved to write him a ‘thoughtful’ letter in December of 1997 and send along a picture for him to sign. He did in fact sign it – returning it on December 10, just eight days after I had sent it – with a very nice inscription, along with a note card. This was effectively the last successful through-the-mail autograph request of 1997.

The death of Fred Rogers in 2003 made me appreciate owning this piece even more…because he was not only a good man with a good message, he was a television icon who will never be replaced.

Autographs of 1997 will continue…