Johnny B’s High Top Sneakers… My search for the truth… By Michael Scarola

  Johnny B’s High Top Sneakers… My search for the truth…

  By Michael Scarola

I remember back in 1985 seeing promos on television for the Misfits Of Science.  At first I wasn’t planning on watching it but happened to be home the night of the premiere episode and decided to check it out.  I was instantly hooked and the one character that stood out to me was Johnny B.  He had a cool style that not only fit the 1950’s music he sang but also fit into the look of the 1980’s.  Leather motorcycle jackets were in style in the 1980’s and high top sneakers were just gaining popularity.

From the first few moments I saw Johnny B I knew I wanted a pair of white high top sneakers.  At the moment I didn’t care which brand, I just wanted to wear sneakers like Johnny B.  I recorded the episodes on VHS and eventually started scanning through to decipher exactly which high top sneakers he wore.  In the pilot episode and a couple of the earlier episodes he had a pair of white/gray New Balance high tops (figures 1-1 & 1-2).  They appear to be New Balance 480’s and I remember seeing those in stores at the time.

Figure 1-1

Figure 1-2

That year I put white high top sneakers on my Christmas list since I was only 15 years old at the time and didn’t have a job yet.  I got a pair of Kangaroos (Roos) and was happy to have them even though they weren’t exactly the ones Johnny B had.

As I watched more episodes it was obvious Johnny B also wore two pairs of white/gray Nike high top sneakers.  One pair was a more ordinary white/grey pair (figure 2) and the other were a very high pair that had a Velcro strap on the top portion (figure 3-1).  A sneaker store by my house did have the regular pair of Nike high tops, without the velcro strap, but they were around $65(USD) and I couldn’t afford those at the time.

Figure 2

Figure 3-1

The pair I really liked were the Nikes with the velcro strap that my friend Sean and I referred to as ‘ski boots’ (figure 3-2).  They appeared to have a velcro strap that went around the entire top portion and had what looked like a flap in front that went over the strap.  At least that’s how they looked on the lower resolution TV sets of the time.  About a year or so after Misfits Of Science was off the air a friend of mine showed up one day with a pair of red canvas Nike high tops (Vandals) with a velcro strap that went all the way around the top portion.  I assumed the strap was the same on Johnny B’s pair.  I looked for Johnny B’s Nikes with the velcro strap in every sneaker store I could but was never able to find a pair.  This particular pair of Nike’s eluded me for the next 3 decades.  I would always wonder what particular model these sneakers were and what they looked like up close.  The only other time I saw them was in a brief scene in the 1986 movie Soul Man.

Figure 3-2

Over 30 years passed and I had searched online a few times with no luck finding these sneakers.  A few months ago I came across the web site, Science Of Misfits.  What an amazing and comprehensive web site dedicated to one of my most beloved television shows, the Misfits Of Science.  Recently I contacted Janis Kunz who runs the site asking if she knew anything about these sneakers that Johnny B wore.  Janis did some research and helped me to discover exactly which sneakers they were.  They were Nike Double Team Hi’s.

A more than 30 year search had ended for me.  However my ‘myth’ regarding the velcro strap had been crushed, well maybe not exactly crushed but at least I now know the truth.  The velcro strap did not go all the way around the top of the sneaker as I had come to think all these years.  It’s a long strap that goes around the front of the sneaker and has a wider portion towards the outer edge where it attaches.  This wider portion is what I thought looked like the flap over the strap.  I immediately compared screen shots of Johnny B wearing these high tops and the images from the links I attached below and could now see how he wore them.  He didn’t tie the laces and simply stuck the ends of the velcro straps into the eyelets on the inside of the sneakers.  This gave the allusion that the velcro straps might have gone all the way around the top of the sneakers when in fact they did not.  I have to say that being a huge MoS fan all these years, it’s a relief finding all this out and finally seeing some up close pictures of these amazing high tops Johnny B wore.

Janis also helped me to remember the name of the other Nike high tops Johnny B wore that did not have a velcro strap.  They are Nike Airship Hi’s.  Even though I had seen these in person in the sneaker store back in 1985 I couldn’t remember the exact name.  After all it has been over 30 years since seeing them so it’s understandable.  A fun fact regarding Nike Airship Hi’s is they were actually worn by Michael Jordan before he got his signature ‘Air Jordan’ sneakers.  Both Johnny B and Michael Jordan wore these, how cool is that!

Deciphering which high tops Johnny B wore has been a long journey that has come to a satisfying end and led me to Janis’ awesome web site, Science Of Misfits.  I can’t wait to further delve into more of the facts and trivia regarding the Misfits Of Science.

Below are links to pictures of the Nike Double Team Hi’s.  I have to say they are an impressive looking pair of high tops, unlike most I’ve ever seen.

http://niketalk.com/t/501741/the-damn-i-remember-them-vintage-nike-thread/630#post_18214324

http://www.arkamix.com/vintage-nike/basketball/nike-double-team-hi-1983

http://www.online-instagram.com/media/947721897645602478_250130412

Here’s a couple of links to the Nike Airship Hi’s.

http://sneakernews.com/2015/04/22/michael-jordans-infamous-first-nike-sneaker-in-royal-blue/

https://40.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_luvozwX3oq1qg5q72o1_500.jpg

Below is a link that shows the New Balance 480 high tops.

http://only-sneakers.ru/category/new-balance-vintage/page/3/


Here I’ve compiled a list with the name of the high top sneakers Johnny B wore in each episode of the Misfits Of Science.

01-02. Deep Freeze – New Balance 480
03. Your Place Or Mayan? – New Balance 480
04. Guess What's Coming To Dinner? - New Balance 480
      & Nike Double Team Hi
05. Lost Link - Nike Double Team Hi
06. Sort Of Looking For Gina - Nike Double Team Hi
07. Sonar... And Yet So Far - Nike Airship Hi
08. Steer Crazy - Nike Double Team Hi
09. Fumble On The One – Nike Airship Hi
10. Twin Engines - Nike Airship Hi
11. Grand Theft Bunny - Nike Airship Hi
12. Grand Elusion - Nike Airship Hi
13. Once Upon A Night - Nike Airship Hi
14. Center Of Attention - Nike Airship Hi
15. Against All Oz - Nike Airship Hi
16. The Avenging Angel - Nike Airship Hi
17. Three Days Of The Blender - Nike Airship Hi

"Misfits of Science" Kickstarter-funded Shot-for-shot Intro Remake

There's something totally awesome about seeing a TV show intro that you know inside and out lovingly and hilariously remade.



Check out their YouTube channel for a side-by-side comparison of the original and the remake, and also a blooper reel.

Point about the Remake that I found pretty cool:  The font! Such a wonderful recreation.



Strangely enough, there's a second Intro Remake, this one "Misfits of Science: 2013":



I like how they put in some new humor (teasing a tiny El), it makes it easier to imagine what a new version might be like if made today...



Funny thing about these two remakes? Nobody attempted to do a remake of the theme song itself.

'Misfits Of Science' Limericks

Because 'Misfits of Science' is cool and so is the limerick form (don't let anyone tell you otherwise). These were written by my sister and make me giggle, smile, or cry at the perfection, depending.

DEAN PAUL MARTIN:

Dean Paul Martin has some little fame
though mostly because of his name
but as Billy he shines
cause when he does his lines
he really gets into the game

If comedy timing's your thing
that's what to the role Martin brings
so you'll get lots of laughs
watching Billy make gaffs
and even occasionally sing

 BILLY:

Billy, the leader of the team
is always hatching some scheme
when it doesn't work out right
he'll get into a plight
but he doesn't let it make him lose steam

His heart's in the right place, you know
and he doesn't mind letting it show
he wants people to ken
that "not fitting in"
just means "plenty of room left to grow"

 KEVIN PETER HALL:

A man called Kevin Peter Hall

an actor over seven feet tall

was offered the part

of a scientist smart

no need to wear makeup at all

He snatched up the role very fast

it was just what he wanted, at last

he played the role to the hilt

for this part he was built

and he added quite well to the cast

EL:

(told from the point of view of Billy)

My friend Elvin disliked being tall
cause he couldn't much play basketball
so he had a good think
and decided to shrink
and now he's the size of a doll

he was able to achieve this "diminish"
because he's such a good chemist
now he fits in his bed
without bumping his head
but alas for just fifteen minutes

 

MARK THOMAS MILLER:

The man, Mark Thomas Miller
plays a rock musician that's killer
so when he's on screen
you watch every scene
and don't think that any are filler

As for the rest of his role
the parts where he uses his volts
his miming's exact
doesn't look like an act
you'll think he can really fire bolts

JOHNNY B:

(told from the point of view of Billy - do you sense a theme here? LOL)

My friend Johnny's electric
it took him awhile to accept it
now that he's fired
about being wired
we can always have free pyrotechnics

As for music, he's got quite a knack
for played C to B back-to-back
but if you tell him it's bad
he might just get mad
and then you may find yourself zapped

COURTENEY COX:

A young Courteney Cox plays a teen
of a type that you've never seen
it looks like she's doing
all the pushing and moving
cause her concentration's so keen

Courteney Cox plays Gloria with ease
equal parts stormy and breeze
she'll make you think twice
is she naughty or nice?
either way you're sure to be pleased

 

GLORIA:

With Gloria Dinallo you'll be fooled
cause she looks like she's fresh out of school
but as you'll soon discover
if you look past her cover
she's a telekinetic who rules

She's really quite good in a fight
and is often annoyingly right
she likes rock 'n' roll
she has lots of soul
and her smile is dazzlingly bright

 

JENNIFER HOLMES:

Jennifer Holmes played a part
that may not be considered high art
but Jane's scenes with Glo
were a high point of the show
and added to the series' moral heart

 

JANE:

Jane's the probation officer for Glo
and she likes to remain in the know
she keeps an eye on her actions
tries to prevent new infractions
and delights in watching her grow

She's a true friend to Glo, you can tell
and a surrogate mother, how swell
and the times when she'll get
in a dealing with H.I.T
she'll keep Billy in line just as well

 

MAX WRIGHT:

Max Wright always makes you laugh aloud
he's got something to please any crowd
the way he worries and wails
as Dick with his travails
would make any comedian proud

His performance is really quite strong
it seems as if he does no wrong
he can do a mean frown
or act like a clown
and pulls it all off with aplomb

 

DICK:

Richard, or Dick as he'd like to be known
can ofttimes be heard to bemoan
please finish this task
is that too much to ask
and be kooky on time of your own

Richard's job is tough, no denying
but that doesn't keep him from trying
to make H.I.T run smoothly
without all the tomfoolery
and all the while keeping from crying

And 2 silly ones:

A guy named Johnny B. Goode
bought a guitar made out of wood
he played it real well
made it ring like a bell
like nobody else ever could


Three young friends rather silly
formed a trio, Dino, Desi and Billy
They had a little fame
because of their names
but critics were decidedly chilly

  Thanks to @SunglassesAtMidnight and @Emmanuelle for the B-Man and Johnny B. Goode pics!

"Misfits of Science: An Oral History"

Years ago in your youth you watch a TV show and fall completely in love with it. But horribly it seems to be unloved by the world at large, and you can find nothing substantial in the way of behind-the-scenes info. You quest for years for further knowledge, yielding bits and pieces only, scraps of mentions here and there. This is all you have to feed your insatiable desire to read more about your beloved TV show, so you allow it to be enough. All the while you're screaming on the inside, wishing your show was as popular as other sci-fi, like "Star Trek" or "Heroes", where every detail of creation, production, and filming is so readily available as to be impossible NOT to find. But then.... Miraculously.... Joyously.... AN ORAL HISTORY IS PUBLISHED!!

It's gloriously crammed from digital cover to digital cover with absolutely nothing but words from the cast and crew reminiscing about their time with the show and the era when they worked on it! It's got trivia you never even dreamed of! It's got anecdotes that make you laugh and cry together! It's got that ever-sought-after, ever-before-elusive behind-the-scenes info! Marred only by the two inevitable drawbacks to it - not being nearly long enough and not being able to include interviews from those who have passed away - it is the Holy Grail of your Misfits of Science searches.


Thank you so much Will Harris for making that part of my life and childhood complete :)

 

EXPERIENCE IT HERE

"Misfits of Science" fansites

Check out the two most recent additions to the online fan presence for 'Misfits of Science':

FROM THE FANS - tumblr

STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART - Facebook

Special thanks to SunglassesAtMidnight for all her wonderful work!

Other 'MoS fansites:

SunglassesAtMidnight - Twitter

Misfits of Science - Facebook

Science of Misfits - Blogger

Science of Misfits - YouTube

Misfits of Science - Twitter

Happy Valentine's Day - Misfits Style!

Happy Love Day!! <3
--> click for mood music <---

Funnycaps 2.0: 'Misfits of Science - The H.I.T. Lab'

Happy Holidays! Check out this special edition 'H.I.T. Lab' comic:

Q&A with Arthur Barrow on the music/score of 'Misfits of Science'

***Reposted from January 2011*** 

Though you can't tell by the show's credits (boy are they inadequate when it comes to the music part of it), Arthur Barrow was part of the team that created the AWESOME score to MoS (including the pilot). I got a chance to chat with him a bit thru the email, and he was very amiable and said the fansite was cool and he dug the show (how cool!). And although it's been a long time since working on it, so he wasn't sure how much he could remember for sure, he was glad to answer some questions I wanted to ask about the score/music. (And no, he couldn't shine any more light onto the theme lyrics, I checked, lol.) I asked if it was okay to share his answers so all the rest of you MoS fans could know the info too, and he said sure, so here's what he had to say about his time working on the show's score:

-------

AB: I was very involved with the music. Except for the theme song, I co-wrote most of the music with Steve Schiff. He played guitar, and I played the keys and bass. We wrote and recorded a lot of it here at my LA studio.

We had Dean Paul Martin over here to sing a song or two, even. He was really nice. So sad how he died. I think the electric rock guy on the show was over here, too for a song, maybe? It's been a very long time!


JM: What types were the instruments used to record the score?

AB: If it was a bass, it was my Fender jazz bass. If it was synth, it was probably Roland jp8.

 Oh, the colors...!

JM: Did you get to score to the finished edit of the episodes (or a rough-cut at least)? What was the recording process?

AB: The picture edits are locked before the scoring. We did it to a vhs tape, and used a click book to calculate the tempos.

(I admit, I had to look up what a click book is. Google definition: A collection of tables of timings with one page for each individual tempo.)


JM: Was it fun to score, did you get to have some creative freedom while doing it? Did you get to add your own touches, or did the producers/scriptwriters have it all planned out as to what what they wanted for a scene?

AB: Yes, it is creative, sure, but it was mainly very grueling - staying up all night to get it done in time, etc.


JM: Which were your favorite scenes to put music to? The action/superpower ones maybe, or the humorous ones...?

AB: Action, I guess


JM: Basil Poledouris, in an article, said that it was one of the 'completely electronic' scores he worked on. I think that that helps set the music apart, gives it this unique identity that works really well for the characters and situations in Misfits. Was there anything noteworthy that you remember about doing it completely electronically? Any challenges or advantages?

AB: He was traditional. He wasn't used to the way we did things with synths.


JM: When moving to scoring for the series proper, were there any conscious decisions made as to how to keep doing the music? Like whether to stick to only electronic, or to keep to the same style but spread out and experiment?

AB: We kept the style.


JM: The songs sung by Johnny B were always a high point in the episodes for me. Did you, and Schiff, record the backing music that Mark sung over?

AB: Yes, I think so.

"Now, go, cat, go!"

JM: Did Mark play any of his own guitar parts? Or was that always taken care of by the studio musicians or Steve Schiff?

AB: I think the guitars were Schiff.


(I asked about the covers songs that were used; he agreed that they might have been used to keep within budget, but didn't recall doing anything for them himself and doesn't think they were done at his studio.)


JM: Do you know the singer/title to this song? 'memories' (12)

AB: Yes - I may have co-written, but I'm not sure. We recorded that - don't know the singer - maybe same girl as theme song?

JM: Ah, that's so cool to hear! I was figuring it sounded like an original song, but I wasn't sure since (aside from the theme song) there weren't any original songs in any other eps. It does sound like it could be Karen Lawrence actually. That'd be cool if it was!


(I asked whether he had any other MoS memorabilia, like demos tapes or cd's, but he didn't.)


JM: A fan asked me whether I knew what 80's funk tune was played behind the sequence where Jade is being kidnapped. I'm not sure that this is a pre-existing song used here, or if it's just more of the score. Do you remember?

AB: Yeh, that's Steve and me jammin here in the studio - I have not heard that since we did it!

One more thing - there was a guy named Jeff Sturges who did some of the score - there was so much do it had to be divvied up. He was more traditional, but he would hire me to come down to the Universal recording studio to do synth parts with the other instruments.

-------

It's thrilling to know some more about how the music was created and what it was like during the process. It's great to have been able to track down some tidbits about the show's production and add 'em to our little MoS community (I hope I'll get a chance to talk with others who were involved with the show sometime too). Thanks again, Mr. Barrow, it was so cool to hear about the score production from you!

'Superminds' DVD Release, or: The 'Misfits of Science' Box Covers Rant

I want to be positive about, and generous towards, the new release of 'Superminds' on DVD in France. I really do. Because I think it is SO TOTALLY AWESOME that the entire series of 'Misfits of Science' is getting yet another official release (the first being 'Die Spezialisten Unterwegs' in Germany). I'm happy the French fans are getting a coveted DVD release, for I know there are tons of 'Superminds' fans. I'm even a bit jealous, I'd like MoS to get a US release. But...

When I look at the box cover to the 'Superminds' DVD my brain screams "Abomination!!"

That's because it represents just how misrepresented 'Misfits of Science' always is (except of course by those who insanely adore it to pieces!). And I know for a fact that this isn't something caused by the dust of intervening years obscuring poorly filed away memories - even at the time it aired on television it was misunderstood by those not in the know! And wow, this cover is the mother of all misrepresentations. When I look at it *shudder*, I don't get any sort of vibe that matches with the series itself. So just for fun, let's do a breakdown of each point about it that rankles (it may be the only fun I'll ever get out of it!).


ONE: Billy is firing a lightning bolt.

Billy?!?! You mean the guy in the show whose major character trait is being the guy without superpowers who rallies the Misfits with superpowers. This is a trait that helps to define Billy Hayes - he helps save the day by leading his superpowered friends to use their powers in useful and meaningful ways. He has to ask for them to do the things he can't, the things that require powers to accomplish. In this way, Billy is forced to become the best leader he can in order to get things to work - something that would be obliterated if he himself had powers of any caliber.

But I guess whoever made the cover was worried that we might not realise Billy was the leader of the group if he wasn't shown doing something powerful. That if they just had him being front and center with his teammates flanking him it would be too subtle.


TWO: The lightning bolt isn't bright classic-optical-FX blue.

That's instant failure right there, in my book. (And yes, these entries are listed in the order of how they struck me as I looked upon the cover for the first time.) But, perhaps, since this isn't actually Johnny B's bolt then I guess it's okay for it to be any color. But still, it does not represent what the show looks like. (Not that this is the first cover to get it wrong. Case in point is the UK VHS cover. Yellow? Honestly, have they never seen the show? Oh. Right.)


THREE: Skyscrapers being blown to post-apocalyptic smithereens?!?!

I know the Misfits tend to bring destruction with them wherever they fight crime and defend the underdog, but - come on! - they never revel in such blatant hopeless and bleakness as a crumbling city. Now, the sort of shows this cover is trying to emulate do revel in that, so maybe that's why they made sure to include it. But then, that would be false advertising, wouldn't it?


FOUR: The pictures of the four main characters aren't from the show.

Well, Kevin Peter Hall's picture comes from a promo shot of MoS episode "Grand Elusion", so that one is fine, he looks acceptably like El. Courteney Cox's I can't place, but it could easily be from an MoS photoshoot too and also fine. Either way, she does look like Gloria in the picture. But Billy? When does Hayes ever look/stand/dress like that? And Johnny B? His picture gets an entire Entry of Shame all its own...


FIVE: Why is there no picture of Johnny B on the cover?

There's a horrible monster standing behind Billy's right shoulder, but I see no evidence of Johnny B.

The monster has Johnny B's head grafted (badly, too) onto a body wearing a leather jacket Johnny B probably wouldn't be caught dead in. Wearing a piece of jewelry Johnny B never has. And sporting a modern 'layered look' that isn't his - yaknow, a modern fashion that wasn't from the 80's when the show is from.

Am I being too overboard when it comes to this point? Perhaps, but why can't I be? I don't see why they thought they had to do anything other than use an actual picture of Johnny B. Could they not find one? Were they all too outdated looking for them? Um, the fact that he wore a 50's black leather jacket was a character trait. He wasn't just the guy who was both the hottest and the coolest around (paradoxically ;P), he was also supposed to be a misfit.

With Johnny B you've got a character who is a guitar-toting rock star with a gorgeous smile and perfect hair, the epitome of popular, right? So how on earth does he get to fit in with a group of misfits you ask. Well, aside from the obvious fact that his acquired electrical output had bumped him to "freak" status, he wasn't an eighties rock star. That's right, he represented that shade of outcast that is a fanatic for a bygone era. (A category I now fall into and am classically exhibiting with this post actually, lol).

He's a throwback, a 50's rocker, a guy who does and wears what he wants to regardless of its relative position to the curve.  If you give him a slick modern look, he loses that aspect about his character.


SIX: There's no pink on the cover.

Unlike the glorious neon of the German cover:

I went out of my way to purchase this specific edition, as opposed to the one with an orangey red border, based soley on how thrilled I felt every time I saw those pink bars. For a TV show that displays more colors than you'd think legally permitted, to have a cover that is all shades of drab and misery and brood is inexcusable. I'm almost surprised whoever is responsible didn't also photoshop the Misfits' mouths to not be smiling in order to have a complete package. Maybe they were pressed for time.


SEVEN: Courteney Cox is the only name listed.

Okay, I guess I have to let this one slide since nobody else from the cast got big enough to sell a DVD by their name alone. But adding Kevin Peter Hall's name might bring the notice of all the cult sci-fi fans who know his other work - the type of geeks who are the sort to enjoy this show and want to purchase the DVD set. Or how about Max Wright's name, he'd be known to fans of 'ALF', who also might be the sort to warm to the brand of humor of MoS. Oh well, I'm not completely certain if their names are well-known in France.


EIGHT: "The Series That Inspired 'Misfits'"?!?!

AHEM!! What is it going to take to stop everyone from thinking the TV show from Britain (that airs on channel E4) is connected to MoS?!?! If someone has proof - straight from the mouths of the producers/creators of the E4 show, not speculation - I will sit down and shut up. But until then, the implication of this sentence, prominently displayed on the front of a classic TV show DVD, really irks me.

It smacks of the release being nothing more than an ugly, cheap cash-in on the popularity of a currently-running show by a company that owns the rights to a cult classic show they otherwise don't think they'd have any success releasing on its own merits. a) This insults the fans of the (zany, uplifting, colorful) original cult classic (though these fans may still purchase the set since they have no other good way to get it), and b) it misrepresents the show to the fans of the (bleak, snarky, gray and orange) currently-popular show who the company is hoping will get fooled into being interested in a series that bears no similarity in tone or humor or style to the other. Yes both shows do share the word 'misfits', but that doesn't automatically make one the remake of the other. Is 'Ed' a remake of 'Mister Ed'? Is 'Game of Thrones' a remake of 'Name of the Game'?

Sure the two series also share the premise of a group of people acquiring superpowers, but then (aside from the lack of title similarity) why not purport that the E4 show was inspired by The X-men, or by the 'Mutant X' TV show, or by 'Heroes' (that show by Tim Kring, who btw didn't co-create MoS), or any of the other myriad of 'group of people who are suddenly fighting crime now because they can shoot lasers from their fingers' franchises? If you were to go by the lack of knowledge about, or mainstream popularity of, 'Misfits of Science' that this box cover itself implies, how do we even know if the producers/creators of the E4 show even know of its existence?


NINE: The title font isn't one ever used for 'Superminds' (to my knowledge anyway).

A small nitpick to be sure, but still it's one more thing designed to eradicate any accidentally-allowed-to-remain 80's vibe - this DVD set must be able to sit alongside the other 2012 DVD releases on a store shelf without embarrassment after all.


(Drat, if I could think of one more hideous aspect to the cover, this could be a 'Top Ten' list...)


So anyway, that's my fangirl nerd rage for the time being. I just couldn't sit this one out, I found the whole thing so insulting, and a culmination of everything that ticks me off about how one of my absolute favorite TV series of all time (any maybe even beyond! ^_^) forever seems to get misrepresented, belittled, misunderstood, jeered at, forgotten, or otherwise confused to the point of unrecognition.  I shudder to think of what the back of the box might be... Maybe we'll get really lucky and they'll replace the cover with an appropriate one sometime between now and its release date of September 19th. For now though, I'm just going to end off with a couple of thoughts on the Japanese MoS box cover, or 'Miracle Espers' as it's called there...

This cover might just be the best at representing our Misfits. Johnny B's bolt is blue (See! It's possible to do!). El's ability is included, as well as his and Billy's close teamwork. And even Jane gets to be on this one! The whole scene captures those final moments in the pilot (which is the only episode on this VHS) where it all comes to a head (possibly the best part of the pilot) - it's saying: Watch out for the helicopter! It has the Neutron Beam Cannon on it! Glo, do your stuff! Johnny B, help out with a bolt! Everyone, band together, we're almost there!

Just like in the show. :)

-----

UPDATE: Okay, so it looks like they might have done a better job with the insides of the DVD set. The menu screens at least have actual photos from the show. Though I still dislike that the menu cursor is a yellow bolt!

2nd UPDATE: WTF, there's a cover with Johnny B and Billy switched places? Well, at least that eradicates both the problem of Billy being the one firing lightning and the awful-looking jacket on Johnny B. Small consolation...

'Misfits of Science' now on Twitter

So, anyone feel like tweeting about 'Misfits of Science'? I've started a Twitter for any and all things MoS related. If you're a fan - follow it! If you're not a fan - go watch all the episodes until you are ;)

"Die Spezialisten Unterwegs", or: "Misfits of Science" on DVD

It's really difficult when one of your favorite shows' only DVD release is out of your country, but luckily I was able to track down a site that shipped internationally! And I was totally satisfied with their transaction too, so I'm definitely recommending it to any fans who are also interested in purchasing one. The set of 5 DVD's includes both the original Engish and the German audio tracks, was brand new in shrinkwrap, took about 3 & 1/2 weeks to come, and comes to about $50 USD (if the extra shipping costs of 12 euros is needed anyway, the shipping is free within Germany). Now it's region 2 of course, but since I play mine on my computer that wasn't an issue for me.

And, wow, is the set neat! The entire series of all 17 episodes (or 16 if you count the pilot as only one ep), on 5 discs with chapter select, 2.0 mono sound, and an 18 picture photo gallery. The menu screens have some soundtrack bits as the background music, which was realy cool to hear without dialogue in front. The slipcase with its pink neon on black, the main menu screen with its four-way splitscreen of scenes of the Misfits and their powers playing out to the rocking theme, make this set feel like it was made for fans who cherish the show and not like a slapdash Let's-throw-something-together-to-keep-these-people-quiet type of release some cult shows get stuck with ("War of the Worlds" Season one comes to mind - no scene select? No extras? No clean music bits? Not even a photo gallery? Nothing?!?!).

Maybe one day "Misfits of Science" will get a release in its native country, but for now, this set does the job beautifully! (as long as you can manage the foreign menu screens, lol).

Funnycaps 2.0: 'War of the Worlds' & 'Misfits of Science'

I've always enjoyed funnycaps (aka: screencaps with intentionally funny captions), both reading them and making them. I tried making some multi-panel ones off of two of my fave shows, War of the Worlds and Misfits of Science. It was fun :) (Yeah, I know, I probably broke one of the cardinal rules of funnycapping by photoshopping a frame or two in some of them - but since I was just having fun with these, I figured it didn't matter.) I've never seen any multi-panel funnycaps before (hence why I'm calling them '2.0'), but I'd like to see more if anybody knows of any or has any themselves. I do have some ideas for others kicking around in my head, I may get around to putting those up sometime too, but for now here are the ones I made:

Read 'em here

Read 'em here