Review: Ronald Knox Bible

With Lent here, I thought this would be a good time to review the Ronald Knox version of the Bible. A few months ago, I was lucky enough to win a used copy from the Catholic Bibles blog. Obviously, I haven't read the entire Bible, but I think I've read enough to give a review.

First, a little history. Initially, the main Catholic English translation of the Bible was the Douay-Rheims, which I wrote about in a previous post. In the late 1930s-early 1940s, revisions began on the Douay-Rheims, but this time, America and Britain would work on their own translations. In America, there was the Confraternity New Testament, which I also discussed in that same post. In Britain, Monsignor Ronald Knox took it upon himself to revise the entire Bible, and the result is what is today referred to as the Knox Bible.

There are those who say the Jerusalem Bible is the most poetic and lyrical modern translation of the Bible. In my opinion, the JB reads more like a novel, and the title of most poetic and lyrical modern translation should go to the Knox Bible. With its British flavor, it does have a very melodic cadence. As with the Confraternity New Testament and the Revised Standard Version: Catholic Edition, the Knox Bible has mild archaic language, making the passages sound more prayerful without getting so archaic as to think one is reading Shakespeare. Regarding the Psalms, Fr Knox has done something I think is clever. In the original Hebrew texts, certain Psalms are written so each verse begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet, going in order. Knox translated these Psalms in such a way to do the same thing with the English alphabet.

There are certain passages that a Catholic always looks to first to see if that Bible has the traditional translation. The Knox Bible scored high in that regard.

Genesis 3:15-16 "And I will establish a feud between thee and the woman, between thy offspring and hers; she is to crush thy head while thou dost lie in ambush at her heels."

Matthew 16:18 "... thou art Peter, and it is upon this rock that I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

Matthew 16:26 "How is a man better for it, if he gains the whole world at the cost of losing his own soul? For a man's soul, what price can be high enough?"

Luke 1:28 "Into her presence the angel came, and said, Hail thou who art full of grace; the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women."

John 3:16 "God so loved the world, that he gave up his only-begotten Son..."

Unfortunately, the Knox Bible also misses some. In the Gospels, "amen I say to you" is not used. The classic phrase "In the beginning" is changed to "At the beginning of time" in both Genesis and John. The much loved Psalm 23 is a little clunky (the King James version of Psalm 23 seems to be the definitive standard). Luke 1:34 has Mary asking "How can this be" (implying she doubts the Angel Gabriel) instead of "shall" or "will". Isiah 7:14 has "maid" instead of "virgin".

But overall, I enjoy this version, and would not hesitate to recommend it.

Open Letter to DC: Captain Marvel Rebirth



Gil Kane artwork

The last few years for Captain Marvel in the comic books have been horrendous.  I won't waste my time and yours recapping it, but in the latest issue of Titans (#32), the end result is a clean slate that could result in a rebirth for Captain Marvel.

So, DC is at a crossroads.  Here's what should be done.

Justice by Alex Ross, Jim Krueger, and Doug Braithwaite.  This series portrayed Captain Marvel perfectly.  This is the way Captain Marvel should always be portrayed.  DC needs to start a new, on going comic book series that uses the Justice version of Captain Marvel.  No ifs, ands, or buts, no excuses, no exceptions.  This is the bottom line.  The Justice version of Captain Marvel.  Is that clear enough?

DC should bring Alex Ross on board to be the cover artist and to have creative control over the series by contributing plots, and even full scripts.  Perhaps they should even consider making him the editor, or at least a co-editor with Joey Cavalieri.

To write the finished scripts, one of Ross' collaborators, Jim Krueger, Mark Waid, or perhaps Paul Dini should be brought in. Another possibility is Gail Simone, who had often said she wants to write a Captain Marvel book. The stories need to be serious yet fun; have drama and pathos, yet also some humor; have a magical element, but not turn into a Harry Potter or Narnia wannabe.  A good blueprint to follow would be E. Nelson Bridwell's stories from the final issues of the 1970s Shazam! series and the Dollar Comics editions of World's Finest. The whole "Big in tights" concept needs to be dropped, or at least be executed in a far more subtle manner. To have a Captain Marvel who runs around acting like a child is what has kept the character in the minor leagues for the last twenty-odd years.

Steve Rude artwork

For the artwork, DC needs to get an A-list artist who has a style that suits Captain Marvel. Steve Rude would be the best pick.  Other good choices would be Mike Allred (though its doubtful he would find the time for an on going series), Darwyn Cooke, Matt Wagner, Cliff Chiang, or possibly even Amanda Conner.

The focus of the series needs to be on Billy Batson and Captain Marvel.  Billy must not be the whiny kid Jerry Ordway portrayed in the Power Of Shazam series of the 1990s, but a likable, street smart, resourceful kid who can be both mature and fun loving.

Freddy and Mary should remain without their powers for the immediate future, and be supporting characters, so that Captain Marvel and Billy Batson can remain undiluted.  Likewise, the spotlight-hogging Black Adam Family needs to go away.  Osiris and Isis need to be destroyed permanently, while Black Adam needs to be banished.  He can make a return in three or four years in a big epic story arc that will also see the return of Freddy and Mary's powers.  But for now, Captain Marvel and Billy Batson need to develop as characters and build their fan base without Black Adam siphoning off any popularity.

Dr. Sivana needs to reemerge as Captain Marvel's main adversary.  Read the Shazam Archives volumes.  Sivana was present in almost every story masterminding some scheme or scientific evil.  Likewise, the character of Beautia needs to be reestablished as she was in those early stories, as being naughty but not evil... loyal to her father, but in love with Captain Marvel (while Billy crushes on Beautia).  Also, Billy's Fawcett era girlfriend, Cissy Sommerly, has not appeared in a DC comic since the very early 1980s.  She is another character that needs to be reestablished.  Ibac is an evil counterpart to Captain Marvel that could fill the void left by Black Adam perfectly.

As for the title of the new Captain Marvel comic book, I think it may be time to set aside the name Shazam. I won't go as far as to say that name as a title is cursed, but ever since DC started publishing Captain Marvel in the 1970s, they have used the title Shazam, and the popularity of the the comics have always been weak.  Perhaps its time to use a new title, like World's Mightiest Mortal. Using the old Whiz Comics font, it could make an eye-catching logo.  Another, more whimsical idea would be to revive the classic DC anthology title  More Fun Comics and make Captain Marvel the starring feature.  While true, Captain Marvel has no history with that title, the name does fit the character, as he is certainly more fun than your average, generic, angst-ridden superhero.

So there you have it DC.  This is what the fans want. This is what will make Captain Marvel a top seller.  Give us the Justice version of Captain Marvel.  The solution seems so simple, doesn't it?

Batman On TV: What Might Have Been

Since January marks the 45th anniversary of the ABC-20th Century Fox Batman TV series, I thought I'd speculate on what might have been.  When one thinks of the 1966-1968 TV series, the comic book Bat-fan thinks "what a terrible way to go-go". To them, the show was ultimately a waste and a damaging insult.  But is that really the case?  Many Bat-fans, myself included, became Bat-fans by watching reruns of the series.  And admit it, we all loved it... that is, while we were young enough to take it seriously.  It was when we turned 12 or 13, when suddenly, the show we enjoyed so much just weeks earlier, all of a sudden looked different. Batman and Robin didn't seem heroic, just buffoonish.  The adventures and gadgets suddenly seemed dopey.  It was at that moment most of us rejected the show and proclaimed hatred for it.

But did it have to be that way?  What if Batman was produced just a little bit differently, more of a pop art adventure show: fun, yet serious?  It could have very well been like that. In 1964, Ed Graham Productions optioned the TV rights to Batman, and was trying to sell the show to CBS as a Saturday morning juvenile adventure show.  The end result would have been a Batman show similar to The Lone Ranger or The Adventures of Superman.  During this same period, DC Comics commissioned publicity photos of former football player Mike Henry, who would later go on to play Tarzan, and Jackie Gleason's dipstick son in the Smokey & The Bandit movies, in a Batman costume.  As it turned out, ABC expressed interest in Batman due to the popularity of the two Batman serials from the 1940s being screened at the Playboy Club in Chicago.  DC quickly reeled the rights back from Graham, and made a deal with ABC, who had the intent of turning the property into their version of NBC's The Man From UNCLE, a serious, yet fun pop art adventure show.

Now this is where things get messed up from the comic book fan's point of view. ABC farmed the rights out to 20th Century Fox to produce the show.  Fox, in turn, assigned the show to William Dozier and his Greenway Productions.  Dozier had little to no respect for comic books (although he did think highly of newspaper comic strips and radio adventure heroes), and decided the only way the show would work is to camp it up.  Dozier may have adopted the idea from Andy Warhol, who made the first deliberately campy version in a 1964 film Batman Dracula, made without DC's approval and screened only at Warhol's art exhibits.

But suppose Fox didn't assign Dozier for the job.  What if Fox got someone in line with ABC's original vision?  How different would the show have been?  It was still the 1960s, so it would be pop art and fun, but it wouldn't have been so demeaningly campy.  The screen test costumes Adam West and Burt Ward wore were better than the actual costumes for the series.  Batman's ears on the cowl were longer, as was his cape, and his boots were larger.  As for his chest emblem, gone was the pathetic little bat in the yellow circle resting on his gut.  Instead, there was a black bat spread across his shirt.  In this early screen test, West looked more like David Mazzuchelli's Batman Year One artwork come to life.  The screen tests were also done in a more serious tone, proving both West and Ward were perfectly cast as Batman and Robin.  It was the way the show was produced, dictated by Dozier to be a comedy, that ruined it.  Likewise Frank Gorshin and Burgess Meredith were perfect in their respective roles of the Riddler and the Penguin.  But suppose Cesar Romero, who played the Joker a little too childish, upon refusing to shave his mustache, was replaced with a young and deadly Jack Palance as the Joker? Or Frank Sinatra, who reportedly wanted the role?  Suppose Julie Newmar was able to play Catwoman for the entire run, making the character more consistent, and lame villains like Archer, Minstrel, and Marsha Queen of Diamonds were non-existent, while comic book villains like Two-Face, the Scarecrow, and Hugo Strange were utilized.

Sure, the show would still be as colorful, with pop art gimmicks like tilted camera angles, the twice a week cliffhanger format, and even the animated sound effects in the fight scenes (but perhaps more subtly done, like in the movie), but gone would be the bat-poles, the ridiculous bat-gadgets, and Batgirl.  Instead of Batman and Robin constantly depending on the all knowing Bat-Computer and the miraculous "Universal Drug Antidote" to get them out of trouble, suppose they used more detective work and had to be more clever. Instead of Robin's predictable and repetitive "holy" exclamations, suppose he quipped puns more in line with the character of the comic books, and suppose the show dealt with his circus history?  Imagine  the deaths of Bruce and Dick's parents being part of the series and their characterizations, making the show sombre at times.  Or the character of Aunt Harriet played for reality with her being concerned and suspicious of her nephew showing up with bruises and cuts day after day, perhaps even leading to believe Bruce, their benefactor, is a child abuser. Instead of the theme song used with a vocal of "Batman" sung repeatedly to campy effect, what if the much cooler instrumental version by Al Hirt was used?

One of the show's  biggest handicaps was that most episodes followed the same formula.  Imagine if the producers took some chances with the story telling, did episodes from different points of view.  What if writer-directors like Alfred Hitchcock, Jack Webb, and Rod Serling were invited to contribute episodes? Suppose Jack Webb did an episode focusing on Gordon and the GCPD where a pair of detectives or squad officers were on a case where Batman ended up saving the night, causing bitterness or jealousy, while a pair of self-righteous night shift paramedics spend their shift cleaning up the bruised and battered criminals Batman leaves in his wake, feeling Batman has no respect for the criminal's civil rights.  Or Hitchcock's episode, a suspenseful view of the Riddler.   Or Rod Serling, looking into the twisted mind of The Joker.  Mystery novelist Eric Ambler was originally linked to the project briefly before backing out upon learning of Dozier's camp-comedy premise.  Imagine if he and other mystery writers worked on scripts.

I feel the show could have been similar to Steve Englehart and Marshall Rogers' celebrated run on Detective Comics in the late 1970s.  As it was, Englehart took the grim, serious, yet somewhat pedestrian Batman Frank Robbins and Denny O'Neil developed a few years earlier, and gave the comic a distinctive pop art flavor that spiced up the series without sacrificing any of the darkness or melodrama.  Englehart found the perfect balance.  With a better production team, the TV series could have found the same balance.  Had all this come to pass, I think the series could have lasted five or six seasons, instead of the two and a half it did.

Even so, a fact of life is, DC Comics was being driven to bankruptcy by the Marvel Comics Group in the 1960s.  Fox, Dozier, ABC and Adam West, via the success of Batman, saved DC from going out of business.  And truth be told, although I went through the phase where I loathed the show, in recent years I've come to appreciate it for what it is. Many of the first season episodes are, in fact, very good pop-art adventure shows where the campy humor is more of a by-product rather than the whole focus of the show as it would become in the inferior second and third seasons. The pilot episode, "Hi Diddle Riddle...Smack In The Middle", is a little darker than the rest of the series, well paced with some suspense. It has wonderful dialogue that subsequent episodes never matched.

Other first season gems are "The Joker Is Wild...Batman Is Riled" (featuring a rather deadly Joker), "Instant Freeze...Rats Like Cheese" (George Sanders superb performance as Mr Freeze elevates the drama in this episode), "Zelda The Great...A Death Worse Than Fate" (the only episode to go against the traditional formula: there are no fight scenes, and someone other than Batman or Robin is in the cliffhanger death trap), "The Joker Goes To School...He Meets His Match The Grisly Ghoul" (great episode that focuses on Dick Grayson's character), "The Purrfect Crime...Better Luck Next Time" (the best Catwoman episode), "The Penguin Goes Straight...Not Yet He Ain't", and "Ring Of Wax...Give 'Em The Ax".  Also of note is the feature film, produced at the end of the first season. It has a bit of a James Bond feel due to the excellent Bruce Wayne scenes, and I kind of think Lee Meriwether made a better Catwoman than Julie Newmar. It's the series' last highpoint, with the second season episode "The Penguin's Nest...The Bird's Last Jest" the only one to match the first season's excellence.

The Tim Burton-Michael Keaton Batman movies are my favorites, but in all honesty, I'd rather watch reruns of the TV show than the Joel Schumacher movies, or even the current Christopher Nolan-Christian Bale movies.

An Open Letter To Hohner

The German made Old Standby

I started playing harmonica when I was around 12 years old, inspired by the Blues Brothers. One of my favorite harp (harmonica) models was the Hohner Old Standby. It was a classic model that dated back over a century to 1892.  That's two years older than the world's most popular harp, the Hohner Marine Band, introduced in 1894.  In the early 1900s, the Old Standby was renamed "New Best Quality", but that didn't catch on and the "Old Standby" name returned by 1920.  The Old Standby was made in Germany, and was a quality instrument.  This model was well loved by generations of harp players. While many blues artists played the Marine Band, many Country artists, such as Charlie McCoy, preferred the Old Standby.  That's not to say you couldn't wail the blues on the Old Standby. Sonny Boy Williamson II and Junior Parker both had the Old Standby as their preferred harps.

But in the 1990s, Hohner began manufacturing the Old Standby in China, replacing its wood comb with a plastic one, giving it generic cover plates, and decreasing the overall quality of the instrument to something slightly above a toy.  What a terrible way to celebrate the Old Standby's centennial.  To really rub salt in the wounds, Hohner introduced a new model, the Big River Harp, which was the low-price entry in its new MS line. It was everything the German made Old Standby had been, albeit slightly larger with a plastic comb. Shamefully, Hohner has disrespected the classic Old Standby and its fans.

This is wrong and it needs to change.  Hohner, please listen to your customers. The time has come to correct this mistake and upgrade the quality of the Old Standby.  Return it to a quality German made instrument again, but sell it at a low price similar to the Big River MS.  Give it just intonation like the Marine Band and Special 20.  These days many players prefer plastic combs over wood, so keep the Old Standby with a plastic comb (with recessed reed plates).  To make it unique, give it phosphor bronze reeds, like the Suzuki Bluesmaster and Promaster, and the Bushman Delta Frost.  Phosphor bronze reeds are quickly gaining popularity with harp players, and the German made Old Standby would be the perfect model for Hohner to enter into the phosphor bronze market. If the MS series can have a low priced German made model in the Big River, why can't the Marine Band series have a low priced, German made alternative to the Special 20?  It should be The Old Standby.

Will you listen to your consumers, Hohner, or will you simply ignore us, as you have done regarding the Old Standby for nearly 20 years?

Silent Our Gang Comedies

This week, TCM aired a marathon of Our Gang Comedies.  As a kid, I was a very big fan of the Rascals. I remember watching and videotaping them on TV every day. I remember when I was about 12 years old, I got the book Our Gang: The Life And Times of the Little Rascals by Richard Bann and Leonard Maltin.  Looking through it when I first got it, on a Christmas morning, I was surprised by the discovery the films I was watching on TV were only half of the series output, that the Rascals were making silent films since the 1920s.

As I got older, my interest in the Rascals waned, but I remained fascinated by the early silent films produced in the 1920s.  I bought three of these silent gems on Super 8 film, and I also bought a series of 4 VHS tapes that had two or three silents per tape (with great musical scores played on a Wurlitzer organ).

On the TCM marathon this week, they aired about 30 of the silent Our Gang films, and watching them (and video taping them) reignited my enjoyment for this classic film series. While I still may not be as big a fan as I once was of the talkies, if a film company were to restore the entire series of 88 silent films, and release them on DVD, I would buy it in a second.

Our Gang: (l-r, top) Johnny Downs, Mickey Daniels, Allen "Farina" Hoskins,
(l-r, bottom) Joe Cobb, Mary Kornman, and Jackie Condon