The Bookmobile

In the latest episode, Joseph and Mike talked about visiting the bookmobile.

In case you've never had the experience, here's what they looked like:

They could - and did - vary in appearance depending on where they were operated and who was funding it. Sometimes they were converted old school buses, but most often they looked similar to this fella. You can tell by the yellow and brown color scheme that this was most likely from the 70s.

As for the interior:

This is a view looking from the front towards the back.  You would check your stuff out at the little station in the very back.  Again, not every bookmobile was laid out exactly like all of the others, but this is a pretty good look at the general layout you'd see.

Did you ever visit your local bookmobile?  Let us know!

"Paperback Writer"

Episode #123

As a follow-up to the previous episode, Joseph and Mike discuss R.I.F. - the old Reading Is Fundamental program, going to the library, and paying visits to the beloved Bookmobile. New regular segment "Gift, Keep, Ditch" features foes of Godzilla, and there's even an announcement about a new contest for another free movie on Blu-ray!

https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/whenitwascool/Uphill_Both_Ways_123_Paperback_Writer.mp3

Happy Father's Day!

8 From the 80s: Forgotten Dramas

Each installment Mike will look back to the decade of decadence and provide a list of eight things – from movies to music to memorable moments and everything in-between.  Keep in mind, this isn’t a TOP 8 list and any numerical notations are included to merely designate one item from another. Because, frankly, how can you rate one thing over another when it comes from a decade as totally tubular as the 80s?

Forgotten Dramas

“Drama” might not be the most appropriate way to describe most of the shows on this list - fantasy or sci-fi might be a more apt category - but we’re going to keep things simple and just lump all of the non-sitcom shows into this category.  Mostly because it’s the easiest way to do it, but also because this is my column.

Anyway, on with the show!

8. T. and T. (syndicated, 1987-1990)

When The A-Team was canceled, Mr. T needed some work.  So off to Canada he went where he starred in this first run syndicated crime show from 1987-1990.  All but forgotten beyond hardcore Mr. T fans, T. and T. told the story of T.S. Turner, a boxer who was framed for a crime he didn’t commit, but instead of hanging out with George Peppard, T was “rescued” by lawyer Amy Taler and the two of them solved crime together.

“Godzilla: The Official Guide to the King of the Monsters” Roars into Bookstores This September

Uphill Both Ways readers and podcast listeners know that Mike and Joseph are huge fans of Godzilla, so they are anticipating — as all aficionados of The Big Fella should be — Welbeck Publishing’s incredible tome Godzilla: The Official Guide to the King of the Monsters, due September 13, 2022. Written by writer/actor/director/producer and full-on Godzilla enthusiast Graham Skipper (of Sequence Break fame), this is the first officially licensed book to cover the complete Godzilla movie franchise, including both Japanese and Western films. Following is information from the official press announcement.

Discover the complete history of Godzilla in this definitive, official guide to the King of the Monsters.

Godzilla: The Official Guide to the King of the Monsters celebrates more than 60 years of movie mayhem in an exceptional, fully illustrated book. An official publication in partnership with Toho Co., this must-read guide brings together every incarnation of the world’s most famous creature for the first time – including all the Japanese and Western movies, as well as Godzilla’s most celebrated appearances in TV, comics and video games.

"Everyday I Write the Book"

Episode #122

Ernest Hemingway once said "There is no friend as loyal as a book" and if that's true, then Joseph and Mike have an army of buddies! Join the guys as the talk about the books that they read as kids back in the 70s (and early 80s) and find out who read works by people like Jules Verne and H.G. Wells and who read Beverly Clearly and the ghost writers behind the Franklin W. Dixon pseudonym. We'd say this episode is a "real page turner", but, well - it's a podcast and that wouldn't make a lot of sense. So click the link and listen already!

https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/whenitwascool/Uphill_Both_Ways_122_Everyday_I_Write_the_Book.mp3