#design is consistent with s1 animated posters

[ansonmountdaily]

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 character promo

Source: Star Trek Official Instagram, April 13 2023

[raphyart]

PRETTY GIRLS WEAR RAPH ANIMATION

Illustrated by Me using Adobe Photoshop and Animated using Adobe After Effects

With additional illustration using a Wacom drawing tablet

Featuring Pink Latex designed by Txxx (@txx.latex)

This illustration showcases some of my recent designs for S2Y2K and some of the OG S1 pieces. For a lot of the merch in S1, I ended up incorporating the logos in a lot of the illustrations i had created of myself in unrelated future pieces. This would be the first illustration that shows the new pieces in such a style.

Due to the nature of the image, it was fun placing numerous little easter eggs and inspirations within the scene. In the background, a Cactuar as seen in the Final Fantasy series of games can be seen. The Final Fantasy series being one of my favourite video game series- Initially i was going to use a KAWS figure of even a Heropuke but ended up going with the final option of a Cactuar. In the close foreground, on the table numerous other easter eggs can also be seen such the late Virgil Abloh’s Figures of Speech catalogue book, A Death note, The Life of Pi’erre 4 CD and “Routine” (From the same album) playing off a iPhone, A Gameboy Color (Seen with the Pukeboy loading screen), a RAPHYART x NIKE MORE ARTEMPO shoe poster and a calendar featuring a potential drop date (August 1st 2023).

The final image consisted of 700+ layers which surprised me for some reason.

Song ID: Pi’erre Bourne - System

RAPHYART© 2023. All Rights Reserved.

WWW.RAPHYART.TUMBLR.COM

[floralkittygambler]

Am I Tripping Or Is Helluva Boss Also Stereotypical? (Bit of a rant sorry, wasnt impressed :< )

Name is Cleatus with a ‘hill billy’ (sorry, idk if that’s seen as an offensive term? I think red neck is offensive so Im going for what feels safer but idk help me out-) accent. (Honestly the voice is so unfitting it feels like a parody-). HB seems to love the Southern accent (nothing wrong w the accent but the portrayals... Ehhhhh...) Considering everyone gets their own VA to sound unique, the female sheep sounds like we’ve heard her voice in all of Viv’s works before. It’s a pretty voice! But just... Save money and VAs are versatile to play various roles in one series- This really caps their full potential.  Horse imagery everywhere. Lets be honest, Blitz liking horses and his IG pet ended up being the SH logo, it’s really awkward self praise- I hate to say it but it does make me cringe a little... The sciency villians designs. Just... Awful and out of place- Seems like a try hard attempt at a parody. Forced. Misses the mark. Also got Villainous vibes too, like that Dementia (sorry forgot her name but lizard hoodie girl!) lady. She suits her world at least and carries her humour a bit better. The warning is again immature (its an adult cartoon yet I - an adult - feel more like a teen when they cant trust their audience to understand ‘sexual references/scenes’ and opt for ‘horny’. Also no suicide warnings bc dayum even censored it was graphic - and Im a fuckin horror simp! Plus - even accidental - it’s a sensitive topic you need to be careful with. Again, just feels like childish attempts to make ‘funny edgy humour’. Dark humour is an artform most think they have yet lack.  Removal of Tilla. The most unique designed and actually interesting looking imp. Gone. And with the poster originally showing all three earlier it just shows lack of consistency when S2 is scripted therefore there should be consistency now.  Blitz going back to the silent o. CAN WE PLEASE JUST LEARN THE CORRECT FUCKIN NAME! I struggle with pronunciations as it is ;; Moxxie abuse for no reason that isnt actually funny needs a counter. Does anyone else find some of the animation in HB a little robotic/delayed/jarring sometimes? Idk... Just doesnt feel as fluid or smooth anymore - ESPECIALLY for actual movement (like walking. They look and feel so rigid..) Tour bus appears and disappears a lot.  Free stock photo of money for a trillionaire is pretty chuckle worthy! But immediately ruined by suicide prompting. No warning for animal mauling if anyone needed it (Honestly they could have done that joke way better like how it’s done in Madagascar, which this scene reminded me of) Pro: Cat suits (minus Blitz’s, sorry. It wasnt cute) Idk how I felt about the cuties ref tbh. Imma sound fuckin paranoid as hell but Im pretty sure Netflix declined Hazbin according to the timeline and tweets. Agreed, cuties was fucked up and why they accepted it idk but this felt less calling out nonces and more of a petty jab at Netflix. Again, personal opinion but still. More suicide prompting. Also kinda weird Blitz is asking teens in cars whether theyd fuck an old guy... Right after using pedophilia to upset him. The opera was empty then suddenly full. Also Im getting Phantom of the Opera vibes but... Less classy of an homage- Sorry. Im not normally into musicals but that is a brilliant one!  Ok I sorta like the glimpse of Heaven being just as bad as hell but it feels messy. Good point, they’re hypocrites. However the easy to anger seems more like the sin of wrath- which doesnt make sense for a Heavenborne. The swearing... Look, Im always fuckin effin and jeffin but couldnt they just for ONCE think of some more articulate way for the characters to express themselves? At this point, it feels like 50 shades of a single oc. It’s nice to see Millie and Mox be affectionate but that kiss was definitely a gross factor and what teens joke about kissing being like.  Pro: Cat Mox and Mil. Again. I love cats. Though seeing Millie never help when he’s hurt yet him always coming to help her gives me Chaggie vibes.  How is Opera lady still singing when shes dead? Another horse ref shown by unicorn. Old man you could literally de-age yourself in the machine you stupid motherfucker (I miss cowbelly) Ok seeing the old man in diapers and hearing some creepy shit recently about diaper kinks was yikes. Also Cherubs, yall coulda helped him with that piano. Love the pianists class though. Again good to show the hypocrisy of Heaven yet it feels really... 1 dimentional? Also didnt Viv say in a recent stream Heaven was going to be alien and futuristic? And yet its... Just cliche lambs and cherubs with a doe and some bees? The same futuristic heaven she criticised another creator for-  Im sure Wally’s only back bc he got so much fan simping tbh, similar to how Pent was supposed to be a one off and Travis is a minor character. Overall the humour really didnt hit (and I LOVE shitty puns-), it felt mediocre at best BUT BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT Can we give credit that FU-CKING FINALLY we had 1 - ONE - UNO - SINGULAR plot that actually fucking flowed, made sense (sorta), wasnt just messily patchworked plot pieces together and actually flowed like an episode? Still that should be bare minimal that it feels almost dirty to give credit for. Likewise, I felt *stupid* watching. Like they think the audience is so stupid they have to explain everything to them. Basically a kids show if blood and swears slipped in.  Weirdly, this was the weakest episode as well as the strongest plotwise. Halfway through S1, this is... I laughed once, which was even less than last time.  It just feels like watching someone with talent piss it all away for their 15 minutes instead of building a more solid foundation thatll last far longer. Likewise, it almost felt like anti-heaven propoganda in a way rather than ‘both sides wack’ and like heaven is an after thought. I didnt really feel the passion. Yes the other episodes need a LOT of work to be professional studio quality but at least you could feel a soul, a passion. This felt filler. There was no development or anything. Like you could skip it and still understand (well ‘understand’ considering the usual storytelling). Like Ep 1 had a flowing, linear plot (look Viv and SH have shown they arent capable at branching and juggling multiple plots efficiently) and everything sorta feels downhill from there for me... Also for a cat owner it feels Vivs only seen persians and tuxedo cats. (Id also like to personally add - AND IM SORRY - that how husk-like Mox’s felt, idk whether it was a subtle shitty HD ref or just lack of creativity for cats. Also the tux cat with ‘buttons’ and bowtie needs some variation and spice FAST) Again, its a shame Viv/SH dont open themselves up for genuine critique as itll bit their ass sooner or later. Been there, done that, never a-fuckin-gain.

[tarhalindur]

Assorted Thoughts on Higurashi Gou

(Spoilers galore, so hiding everything under the cut.)

1) To modify the old Madoka meme for another fitting character:

“I, Furude Rika, enter the timeline.

Keiichi: Went to funeral with parents.

Tomitake: Disappeared.

Rena: L5′d

I am forcibly ejected from the timeline.”

2) My snap reaction to the nurse who’s “treating” Keiichi at the end of the episode: Hmm, I should probably double-check whether that could be the same nurse that shows up in Yakusamashi-hen.

Hmm.

HMMMMM.

Imma go with “yes”.  (I think we can safely assume that the appearance of the nurse is her actual appearance, since K1 has no reason to hallucinate that)

Which would mean Tokyo is very likely still involved, natch.  (The fun questions, of course, are “how long was the hospital scene after Rika and Satoko died?”, the closely related “did the Great Hinamizawa Gas Disaster go off offscreen?” and “did the Yamainu pack up the clinic in Tatarigoroshi-hen/Minagoroshi-hen?”, and “did the syringe that nurse gave Keiichi contain good old H173?”  I’m putting my quatloos on the answer to “was that H173?″ being yes, for the record - right spot for it to be played straight/wrong spot for that bluff, especially given that the only group who have reason to catch on are the rewatchers and rewatchers will remember Watanagashi-hen’s ending.)

3) Speaking of Tokyo, an important note, especially since Ryukishi07 did in fact go with the obvious primary culprit in OG Higurashi: the obvious primary culprit in Gou is Nomura, at least at the mortal level.  She’s known to have pulled the strings in OG, there’s an obvious motive for her to be involved more directly (i.e, if Miyo refused to be her patsy this time around), IIRC the Yamainu and Banken were shown in Matsuribayashi-hen to be ultimately loyal to her, and given her OG character design the appearance of the one unknown character we see in the Gou OP is consistent with being a younger Nomura.  (It might also be consistent with younger Miyo, and Miyo is admittedly the second option here on “rob a train, wait two days, rob it again” grounds.  But I have my doubts.)

(On a meta level... well, as everyone and their mom has noted, that’s fucking Featherine in the OP (I may or may not be laughing about certain possibilities WRT this because [REDACTED]), my snap reaction to that shot of Rika’s eyes in aforementioned OP was “that sure feels Seacats too” even before I ran across someone noting that it was strikingly similar to the manga description of a Witch’s awakening in Umineko, and the full OP lyrics are, uh, HMMM-worthy.  Wouldn’t be shocked if Nomura is a Featherine piece here.  And now I’m definitely laughing because I’ve had a certain alternate reading of “Feel the Bern” keeping popping into my head ever since Bernie started using that slogan and, well, 2020 being 2020...)

(Ah, yes, me: successfully dodging most Umineko spoilers involving the events at Rokkenjima mansion but getting THOROUGHLY spoiled about the meta level.  Probably didn’t help that When They Cry in general and Umineko in particular are probably second only to Death Note in “gateways for anime fans to get into forum Mafia/Werewolf”, especially when *somebody* had that one “oh good heavens, just look at the time” avatar *coughLLDcough*.)

4) On a lighter note, standing verdict on the new OP: Catchy, but more generic than either DEEN OP (especially S1, which holds up extremely well).  Actually reminds me more than a little of a couple of Raildex OPs (poster children for “catchy but not much enduring value”).

[sol1056]

git along little nonnies

Got a whole bunch of you on related themes, so I’m just gonna do this all at once: a bunch of questions about DW, spinoffs, merchandise, business, management, support (and protest) and whatnot. In no particular order.

Ok there are petitions and peaceful boycotts directed at DW but problem is they aren’t addressing the EPs and things they, not DW, did so how are we to sign them, how to handle this when this could at best confuse the situation and not give any results and at worst, make matters even worse about what we want regarding DW addressing things? 

Here’s what companies care about: money. Everything else is gravy.

If you want a corporation to pay attention to your complaints, then you need to figure out their sources of income, and find a way to threaten that. If the social reprobation is high enough, damage to the brand can translate into lost sales, but the tempest required to make that happen must be much, much larger than anything I’ve seen the fandom manage. 

I’ve been saying this all along: voices are far more powerful than signatures. If twenty thousand people wrote or called in, and said what they liked vs what upset them, that would have a far greater impact. Certainly a lot more than a list of names with no emotion beyond a request that may not even be something DW can, or would, fulfill.  

And don’t even get me started on mailing stuff in. Cute, but hardly actionable.  

Do you know what kind of contracts DW sign, as in, are they obligated to air all seasons, can they choose not to air them, do the companies they work with (netflix, wep) have a say or more say than them? Who gets the last word? Is airing all seasons squarely on DW or more? 

As I’m not a corporate lawyer employed by any of the signatories, I can’t tell you what the contract stipulated. What I can tell you is that a contract of the magnitude of the DW-WEP-Netflix agreement probably had a dissertation worth of riders covering the different types of possible defaults or breaches, and the penalties for each. Additionally, the contract also likely covered what constituted ‘satisfactory delivery’ of the product. 

To take it down to a really simple level: you place an order at a restaurant. You expect to get it, eat it, and pay for it. You don’t expect to be told, “hey, we burnt your steak and we’re out of butter for your sweet potatoes, so have some green beans instead,” and then be told you still owe the full amount, anyway. 

Netflix wouldn’t settle for ordering (and paying for) something never delivered, anymore than you would. Sure, any corporation worth their over-inflated stock options would try --- but that’s the point of contracts, to make sure they can’t. 

Netflix paid, DW delivers, end of story.  

 ...do you think ppl in charge didn't think EPs would tell they made changes and also thought they'd manage to bury it? And then they got in trouble and DW is going thru changes for that reason? -waves at DW goings on and silence.

I got lost in all the pronouns, there. Who’s the first ‘they,’ the EPs or DW execs? Is the second ‘they’ referring to the same as the first? So... I’m not really sure what you’re positing, but if the ‘DW is going through changes’ is implying DW’s got a shakeup and/or is promoting its head-of-TV to president and that’s somehow connected to two newbie EPs screwing up?

I’d say the chances are so infinitesimal as to be nearly in the negative. (I should also note, the press release listed successful shows Cohn oversaw, yet oddly did not include VLD.) DW is not a three-person start up; it has stakeholders and a board and a C-suite to satisfy. Cohn got that promotion ‘cause she’s got a track record going back thirty years, most recently growing DW’s TV division from 8 to 800 in five years. 

Most corporations tend to announce their new CEO or President like someone woke up that morning and went, hey, I’ve got a great idea. Truth is, it’s usually in the works for at least a year, sometimes several years, or more. The only thing that has me side-eyeing the announcement is the silence around who’ll fill Cohn’s previous position. 

But that’s again less to do with a single series, and more to do with what it says about DW as a whole, business-wise. 

What meaningful changes could the new president Margie Cohn make that would be different than the last one? Also I'm sorry if your getting a bunch of Voltron/DW questions lately, you just seem to be the most knowledgeable person on this platform.

I’d be willing to bet I’m far from the most knowledgeable person; I’m just someone not bound by an NDA, and curious enough to do a bit of digging and jaded enough to talk about (most) of what I find. 

A president can have immense impact on a company’s direction; that’s kinda why they exist, to set that high-level strategy. That said, Cohn will be bound by all contracts signed by her predecessor. The TV side (barring someone filling the shoes she left) will probably continue as it was. The theatrical side (which she’s taking over) will be where we’ll probably see any major changes. 

And even those aren’t likely to be on films currently in production. Hell, given theatrical animation can take up to five years, I’m not sure that’d show much change, either. Look instead to changes in investors, new deals, and new properties. 

What do you think DW will do about a sequel if there’s really no bible? Theres tons of plot holes & abandoned storylines. VLD will never feel satisfying, and fans already argued with different interpretations based on conflicting content, without a nice satisfying explanation...

I know this is the first of a three-part ask, but I’m skipping the rest because the only answer possible is to your very first question: the bible doesn’t matter. 

Any new series --- even a continuation --- will construct its own bible. Same as we’d do in fandom: they’ll patch together what they can, fill in blanks as they need, and gloss the rest, or retcon it outright. Even if there were a bible, diligently followed, that doesn’t mean the next series is automatically beholden to it. Some franchises would care (ie Star Wars) while others might let a reboot mess with the details (ie Star Trek). 

For every continuation, there’s gradations in between, since otherwise what’s the interest for creative minds, if you’re obligated to follow someone else’s script exactly? So, no. The absence of a story bible doesn’t preclude the next iteration making its own, as it needs, to whatever extent it requires. 

I was wandering around the hot topic online store, and i noticed a shirt that raised a few flags and questions. it's the 'Voltron Location' shirt. it has all the paladins in different places in a star globe chart thing? with what might possibly be planet designations. plus Lance is the only one not inside his blue colored bubble. Keith is in Red and Shiro in Black again. it's interesting at least.

Nearly all the shirts use the same base images, just changed up. It feels a little like someone handed a designer a half-dozen images with a request for forty-something designs --- and now HT is just throwing them all at the wall to see what sticks (or sells). 

HT’s stuff has been pretty consistent, from what I’ve heard: Shiro is Black, Keith is Red, etc. Considering the t-shirts seem to be selling out regularly (along with various other sidelines), I’d say someone is savvy as to the fact that the segment of fandom spending the most money is also the segment that prefers the S1/S2 lineup. 

If that’s what customers want, it’s smart business for DW to provide.

(Yes, that applies on more than one level.)

There are VLD comic books being released by LionForge Comics, are those considered canon? Do LM and JDS have any involvement? They take place before Season 7and8 but I don't wanna support the original EPs.

Every fandom has its own stand on what counts as canon. Sometimes (especially with adaptations) you’ll find fandoms being explicit as to whether they’re book or movie (ie HP and LotR). I expect the same will eventually shake out in VLD’s fandom, too. 

From everything I’ve heard, Hedrick and Iverson were handed the comics and ran with it. I suppose that would argue for seeing the comics as canon, being they were written by people also writing the main series... but from what I can tell, it’s one-way. The show affected the comics, but nothing in the comics ever affected the series.

That said, your purchases have nothing to do with the original EPs. All you’re doing is telling DW you like the VLD-iteration of Voltron.

What are your thoughts on the final vld poster? I feel like it’s missing the end. Allura is randomly staring back into nothing.

It’s a clever idea to do a poster for each season, but it’s not something I’ve ever paid any attention to, really. If it were drawn by the head writer? That might mean the artist had more insight than, say, a storyboarder or animator. But even then... cool picture, still not-canon. I’m only interested in canon.

Do you think that Voltron was rushed purposely by the EP's. [...] Wouldn't this effect the quality of, well, everything? I feel as if they got frustrated with the show at that point and just wanted out.

Dude. There are times I sit here and just stare into space, bewildered yet again not just at the thought of 39 episodes released in one year --- but doing that with 26 as a last-minute cut-and-paste rearrangement. All I can tell you is that what I’ve seen from animation people and aficionados (and friends) is that three full seasons in one calendar year is just bonkers. 

If DW hadn’t wanted the schedule that packed, the EPs aren’t the ones getting the say. That’s a DW-Netflix thing. I really wonder whether DW used VLD as a guinea pig. TH went a year between S1 and S2, and the numbers slumped badly. Perhaps DW wanted to know if more episodes, more often, would keep fan interest high? DW has experienced execs, but they’re all from broadcast; how you arrange and time things in the brave new world of binge-watching is a completely different beast. 

So, it’s possible it was less of a rush job to get the show out, and more from a desire to see what'd happen to release so much, so close together. 

I still think it’s a bonkers schedule, though.

"Relaunch the whole property" sounds like they won't continue expanding the whole vld universe and they'll make a new itineration. Though if they do a spin-off it'd likely be on the vld universe surrounding the new "Legendary Defenders" from the epilogue. And "especially given the response" do you think after the negative response from s8, wouldn't be better for WEP to not keep working with Dreamworks? Or maybe they need to clean their brand from vld fiasco? What can you say about all of this?

I can say you might try re-reading, because boy is that a radical interpretation of the text. Remember, Jeremy was speaking before S8, and all indication is that he was caught off-guard as much as the fans. Re-read in light of Jeremy (at the time) appearing to expect S8 to be a crowd-pleaser.   

...I'm becoming more confident in my belief that DW has something planned for Voltron. I mean they are still heavily promoting the show, LionForge is still publishing Voltron comics, and merchandise is still being made. These don't seem like the actions of a company trying to get people to forget a show. 

You’re not wrong. Up to the last few days of 2018, DW gave every indication they wanted S8 quietly buried. Nothing they’ve done since has fit that pattern --- including the anomaly of failing to announce their 2019 series. Something is going on, that’s for certain. 

Did DW really just throw the VAs to the wolves [for] three days? and there's still no official stance? One panel was enough. They had [the VAs] take the heat for them? But thankfully fans felt sorry for them? Which could also have been the goal, shut the fans up [with] the VAs of the characters who got the worst treatment and who love their characters ... Yes DW this really makes me trust you /sarcasm/

I don’t think that was the original plan. Let’s pretend DW released its 2019 schedule via press release in the first few days of January, and among those was an announcement of a VLD sequel or spinoff, coming late 2019. 

People wouldn’t be fussing over putting the VAs through three panels. They’d be complaining we didn’t get the biggest room for every panel. The majority of the fandom doesn’t trust the EPs, and is wary of DW --- really, the only ones who retain any goodwill, at this point, are the VAs. So who better than to assure a nervous fandom about the goodness of the second iteration than the VAs whose characters were most shafted by the first iteration?

What breaks this is that immediately after S8 dropped, Josh and Kimberly went silent on twitter. AJ slipped into passive-aggressive snarking; Jeremy fell off the radar and usually he’s pretty interactive with his fans. Bex pretty much wiped  VLD from her stream, possibly including deleting older tweets. Neil tried to engage and made a hash of it, bless his heart. 

Josh and Kimberly are consummate professionals who reliably promote the series after every season drop, but their radio silence continued for almost two weeks. This wasn’t the first season that came saddled with controversy; if there was a time to go quiet, it was after S7. Something else was going on. 

I have strong suspicions backed by research, but if I’m right, I’d be stepping on a major legal landmine. In the interest of not getting blown up, I’ll only say that the VAs appearing for those three panels (and their low-key and mostly diplomatic hedging around VLD’s conclusion) was a good sign that all parties involved are willing to work things out.   

[DW was] quick to handle the Season 7 backlash and have stayed mum on what is arguably a much worse reaction to the 8th and final season.

and

I believe the S8 of voltron we got was not the original ending we were supposed to get and highly edited. My question is why? What was the point of changing the original ending? [The] radio silence from DW and the cast is driving me nuts. I wish DW would make a statement.

DW is in an interesting place. Its TV side is barely five years old, but dominated by execs with long-time broadcast experience, predating vibrant interactivity afforded by platforms like twitter, tumblr, or instagram. DW’s background as a theatrical company also seems to incline it away from any ongoing engagement with the audience. It releases a movie and by the time that hits theaters, DW is onto the next thing. 

It’s a strong contrast with production studios like Zagtoon (Miraculous), who penned an open letter to their fandom about production delays. Or little studios like Wonderstorm (The Dragon Prince) whose deft use of twitter and tumblr sets their brand apart. Or Federator (Castlevania), with their witty marketing campaigns and willingness to engage with fans. Even Disney was willing to be open about its errors with Tiana, and to make clear how it was striving to do better --- so there’s no excuse that only small studios do such outreach.

My guess is that DW's core leadership is from the school of business in which admitting a mistake is tantamount to ritual suicide. Don’t blink first, or maybe the rule is never let them see you sweat, but whatever it is, DW is turning into a textbook case of how silence can damage a brand. 

Companies have multiple avenues to reach customers directly, now. Our modern technologies are a two-way street, and good companies leverage that to create not passive fandoms but active communities. It takes work, careful planning, and some level of transparency --- something old-school execs find highly uncomfortable, to be honest --- but in this day and age, those are crucial building-blocks to achieving any kind of audience loyalty.

DW isn’t going to render itself obsolete (at least not overnight), but it's on a track to end up as the studio whose work audiences only watch when there’s nothing better being offered. Unfortunately for DW, there’s a hell of a lot of other studios out there, and they're all offering something better. 

[papermoonloveslucy]

Lucy is a Chaperone

S1;E27 ~ April 8, 1963

Synopsis

Lucy and Viv chaperone a Spring break trip for Chris and her friends. Feeling they don't fit in, they try to act like teenagers in order to have fun with the girls and their friends.  

Regular Cast

Lucille Ball (Lucy Carmichael), Vivian Vance (Vivian Bagley), Candy Moore (Chris Carmichael)

Jimmy Garrett (Jerry Carmichael) and Ralph Hart (Sherman Bagley) do not appear in this episode, although Jerry is mentioned. 

Guest Cast

Hanley Stafford (Kenneth Westcott, Principal at Danfield High School) was born Alfred Austin in 1899 and changed his name to Hanley Stafford to honor his birthplace, Hanley, Staffordshire in England. He was a radio actor famous for playing Baby Snooks’ father. This episode of “The Lucy Show” is his final screen credit.

In real life, Kenneth L. Westcott is the name of the show's property master. To remind him who she is, Lucy mentions that she baked a pineapple upside down cake for the last PTA bake sale.

Charlotte Lawrence (Elizabeth Westcott, below left) played one of Ethel Mertz's bridge-playing pals in “No Children Allowed” (ILL S2;E22) and neighbor Marge in “The Homecoming” (S5;E6). This is her only appearance on “The Lucy Show” and her penultimate screen credit.  

Patty Garrity (Debbie Westcott, above center) started movie acting at age 6 and appeared as Dixie Pollit, one of the “no-neck monsters” in 1958's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. In a 1965 episode of “My Three Sons” she played a girl with a crush on Robbie Douglas, played by Don Grady, who plays Bill in this “Lucy Show” episode. Her final screen role was as Sheila in The Trouble With Angels (1966). She died in 1991 at age 42.  

Don Grady (Bill, below left) famously played Fred MacMurray's eldest son Robbie Douglas on “My Three Sons” from 1960 to 1972. This episode of “The Lucy Show” (his only series appearance) aired on CBS the same week that he appeared on ABC as Robbie Douglas. At the time, he co-starred with William Frawley as Uncle Bub. Frawley played Fred Mertz on “I Love Lucy” who will make his final screen appearance on “The Lucy Show” in 1965.  Grady died in 2012 at the age of 68.

Eddie Hodges (Georgie, above right) was a child actor who created the role of lisping Winthrop Paroo in The Music Man on Broadway in 1957. In the 1962 film version his role was taken by Ron Howard, who worked on the Desilu lot filming “The Andy Griffith Show.” Hodges returned to Broadway in the play Critic's Choice (1960), which was made into a film starring Lucille Ball in 1963. His role in that film was taken by Ricky Kelman, who was seen in a 1973 episode of “Here's Lucy” coincidentally starring Andy Griffith. Hodges left acting in 1974 and eventually became a mental health counselor in his native Mississippi.

In the previous episode, Chris's friend Georgie was played by Ronald Keith.  

Lucie Arnaz (Cynthia) is the real-life 11 year-old daughter of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. She was born in 1951 just before the premiere of “I Love Lucy.” Lucille Ball was actually pregnant during the filming of the show’s pilot. Despite rumors to the contrary, Lucie Arnaz never appeared on “I Love Lucy.” She made an uncredited appearance on this series in “Lucy is a Referee” (S1;E3) as one of the spectators at the football game. This is the second of her two appearances as Chris’s friend Cynthia, a character mentioned in the premiere and in many subsequent episodes. Lucie Arnaz, however, returned to the show in later seasons in other roles.  She also appeared with her mother and brother Desi Jr. on “Here’s Lucy.” 

Karen Balkin (Vicki) made her screen debut as Mary Tilford in the long-awaited film version of Lillian Hellman's controversial Broadway play The Children's Hour. Her final screen credit (of only four) was also set in a girl’s boarding school, 1974's Our Time.

Jimmy Carter (Guitarist, above left) made only one more screen appearance after this episode of “The Lucy Show.” The year before he had played Herman on “Leave It to Beaver” for three episodes.

This episode was aired opposite the 35th Annual Academy Awards telecast on ABC. Nominees What Ever Happened to Baby Jane, That Touch of Mink, and Two for the Seesaw were all mentioned in “No More Double Dates” (S1;E21).  In attendance were future “Lucy Show” and “Here’s Lucy” guest stars as Shelley Winters, Ann-Margret, Ed Begley, Victor Buono, Joan Crawford, Robert Goulet, Edward G. Robinson, and Robert Stack. 

This week TV Guide celebrated the 10th anniversary of their first national edition. Just as Lucy was on the cover in 1953, she is on it again this week.  

A surf rock version of the show's theme is played during the episode's opening credits (following the show's regular animated opening). Previously, this theme was adapted for a marching band in “Lucy is a Referee” (S1;E3).  

Although the state where the fictional beach town of Sandy Cove is located is never specified, Lucy notes that it was a long drive from Danfield. It could possibly be meant to be Sandy Hook, New Jersey. Like the Brewster street scenes in “Lucy Drives a Dump Truck” (S1;E24), the exterior locations were filmed on a sound stage.  

Chris's packing list of Sandy Cove:

6 pairs of Capri pants

4 sweaters

2 pairs of Bermuda shorts

3 sweatshirts

1 pair of jeans

1 jacket

4 pairs of sneakers

2 shifts

5 bathing suits

1 dress

Capri pants were introduced by fashion designer Sonja de Lennart in 1948. The name derives from the Italian isle of Capri, where they rose to popularity in the late 1950s and early '60s. Capris' acceptance in the United States was influenced by the TV series “The Dick Van Dyke Show” (1961-66) where they were famously worn by Mary Tyler Moore (above).

VIV: “Lucy? Do I look like a new bride?”

LUCY: “You look more like an old bee-keeper.” 

Lucy and Viv break out the mosquito netting as protection against bites - but end up needing protection against bats, instead!

When trying on the blonde wig hat, one of the girls says she feels like Jayne Mansfield. Jayne Mansfield (1933-1967) was a major Hollywood sex symbol of the 1950s and early 1960s. The actress and model was known for her platinum blonde hair and her provocative personal life which frequently made headlines. Vicki and Debbie remark that their wigs are red and blonde, just like Lucy and Viv.  

While talking about boys, Chris compares one young man to Paul Newman (above). At the time of filming, quietly sexy actor Paul Newman (1925-2008) had been nominated for two Oscars; the first for Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, which coincidentally featured Patty Garrity (Debbie Westcott) and of course, Elizabeth Taylor. 

This marks the first appearance of Lucy’s transistor radio. It will be seen throughout the series, even when she relocates to California.

When the girls are dancing, Viv mistakes the Mashed Potato for the Jitterbug. When Lucy attempts the steps, Viv remarks that she's got “lumps in her gravy.” The Mashed Potato was a popular dance craze of 1962 made famous by James Brown. It was performed in the John Waters film Hairspray set in 1962 Baltimore. A companion dance song was titled (appropriately) “Gravy”. 

Lucy teaches Viv the current teenage slang:

Choice, Groovy, Tough = Good

Fink, Creepy, Scuzzy, Grumpy, Drippy, Raunchy, Flaky = Bad

Diddly Diddly Diddly = And So Forth

Split = Leave

Cracks You Up = Someone is Funny

Having a Blast = Enjoying Yourself

Some examples of slang from Lucy and Viv's youth: “Greetings, gate. Let's cut a rug. Hubba hubba hubba!”

The framed travel poster in the kitchen is by René Jacques from 1960. It depicts the aqueducts Pont de Garde, near Nimes, in Provence, France.    

Lucy's wardrobe when she attempts to fit in with the kids has her wearing the dark-haired fun wig and a shift dress with the face of a smiling girl with free-flowing pigtails on the back.

Lucy and Viv perform “Big Girls Don't Cry,” a song written by Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio and originally recorded by The Four Seasons. It hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on November 17, 1962, around the time this episode was being scripted. It has been heard on many film and TV soundtracks and is currently associated with the Broadway musical Jersey Boys.

Lucy suggests doing the “Surfer's Stomp,” but the gang ends up doing the “The Limbo” instead. “Surfer's Stomp” was a 1962 hit for The Mar-Kets, reaching #31 on the Hot 100 List. In “The Limbo” dancers must pass under a horizontal pole that is at first at chest level, but then consistently lowered. It originated on the island of Trinidad. It was popularized by Julia Edwards (known as the 'First Lady of Limbo') who appeared in several films, particularly Fire Down Below (1957). Chubby Checker released “The Limbo Rock” in 1962 further popularizing the dance.

Bill refers to Lucy as an “overgrown Gidget.” Gidget is a fictional character created by author Frederick Kohner (based on his teenage daughter, Kathy) in his 1957 novel, Gidget the Little Girl with Big Ideas. The novel follows the adventures of a teenage girl and her surfing friends on the beach in Malibu. The name Gidget is a contraction of ‘girl’ and ‘midget'. The character first appeared on screen in 1959 played by Sandra Dee and two sequels in 1961 and 1963. A television adaption starring Sally Field premiered in 1965. The name has become synonymous with any female surfer or beach bum.  

Callbacks!

This is the second episode in a row to have scenes at Danfield High School. This is also the second episode in a row that Lucy tries to recapture her youth and wears a black wig. The previous episode was “Lucy and Viv Take Up Chemistry” (S1;E26).   

Lucille Ball also wore (partial) scuba gear while Lucy Ricardo was shopping for her Florida trip in “Lucy Meets Orson Welles” (ILL S6;E3). She does so again as a salesperson in the sporting goods department during “Lucy Bags a Bargain” (S4;E17, center). 

Lucy Ricardo was seen at a 'sandy cove' when stranded on a “Desert Island” (ILL S6;E8) off Miami Beach.

Fast Forward! 

In a 1967 episode of “The Lucy Show” a female dancer in a beatnik club is wearing the same (or same type of) shift dress worn by Lucy in the beach scene, with the face of a smiling girl with free-flowing pigtails on the back. Here the face is worn on the front. It is interesting to see it in color for the first time!

Goofs & Blunders!

Packing Predicament - The striped top hanging in the background is worn by Cynthia in subsequent scenes, so why is it in the Carmichael kitchen? Cynthia (Lucie Arnaz) and Chris (Candy Moore) are definitely not the same size so couldn’t possibly share clothes.  

“Lucy is a Chaperone” rates 3 Paper Hearts out of 5