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When It Was Cool Newsletter - November 20, 2024

Hello everyone and thank you for your continued support for When It Was Cool. Yesterday, I posted a new article for the website about a 1970s kid riding toy called The Green Machine. I hope you enjoyed it. I am working on more articles like this for the main website. Of course, from now through the end of the year the big focus is on selling the new 700-page DragonKingKarl's Pioneer Era of Pro Wrestling Omnibus: The Bible of the Pioneer Era of Pro Wrestling book. If you haven't ordered a copy yet, I encourage you to do so. Not only is there a 700-page physical book but also it is available on Kindle and as part of the Kindle Unlimited service. I am working on getting booked on some podcasts outside of WIWC and Observer and as soon as those happen I will, of course, post a link here. Read More.


The Green Machine by Marx Retro Toy Review

In the mid-1970s I was a kid in rural north Alabama far away from any major toy stores or major discount stores. However, a local general merchandise store called “Elmore’s” carried in stock the amazing kid’s riding toy called The Green Machine by Marx. Read More.


Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame 2024 - Tracking the Future

A poster at The Board at Wrestling Observer called 'AmericanNumbers' has put together an incredible resource that I am sure will stir a lot of discussion over the next year. This is a spread sheet with everything you need to know about the remaining candidates in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame. Read More.


Film Reviews: 1960s Japanese Action Classics in the Red Peony Series

Official synopsis: Produced during the heyday of ninkyo eiga (chivalrous yakuza films), the seminal Red Peony Gambler series has had a lasting influence on cult cinema. The illustrious Junko Fuji stars as the beautiful and badass Oryu, the eponymous and benevolent female gambler who uses her incredible might for right. The following reviews are based on Film Movement’s presentation of the three films that are newly restored from original film elements. Read More.


Batman in Order - Detective Comics Issue 42 - The Nineteenth Appearance of Batman

The 19th appearance of The Batman took place in the August 1940 issue of Detective Comics issue 42. The cover was very basic with a nearly generic, smiling Batman watching Robin tackle a mobster in front of a stark yellow background. Read More.


DragonKingKarl’s Pioneer Era of Pro Wrestling Omnibus: The Bible of the Pioneer Era of Pro Wrestling Book. What’s to Know and Why Does it Matter?

I am very excited to release my new book, DragonKingKarl’s Pioneer Era of Pro Wrestling Omnibus: The Bible of the Pioneer Era of Pro Wrestling. I have put years of work into this project which, I believe, is the most in-depth and detailed exploration of pre-1900 professional wrestling ever undertaken. The Pioneer Era Pro Wrestling Omnibus: The Bible of the Pioneer Era of Wrestling is sourced from hundreds of pro wrestling researchers, newsletters, books, magazines, newspapers, and years of firsthand research, and I have documented every major event in pro wrestling before the year 1900. Read More.


Check out our new video on the When It Was Cool YouTube Channel featuring Karl Stern and the new DragonKingKarl’s Pioneer Era of Pro Wrestling Omnibus: The Bible of the Pioneer Era of Pro Wrestling book.


When It Was Cool Newsletter - October 30, 2024

Happy early Halloween to all of our wonderful Patreon supporters! On the free When It Was Cool Podcast feed today, I have the last of our DragonKing Dark flashback episodes for Halloween looking at the Wolf Man! The launch of my new book DragonKingKarl's Pioneer Era Pro Wrestling Omnibus: The Bible of the Pioneer Era of Pro Wrestling was a great success! The book currently is #7 and rising on the Amazon pro wrestling books chart presently only behind multiple editions of Tyrus' new book and a third book by Jim Ross. I have no problem following at least one of those people on the sales chart. Guess which one? Read More.


Batman in Order - Detective Comics Issue 41 - The Eighteenth Appearance of Batman

The 18th appearance of The Batman took place in the July 1940 issue of Detective Comics issue 41. The cover featured Robin in hand-to-hand combat with a knife wielding thug and Batman diving in to save him. Read More.


When It Was Cool Newsletter - October 23, 2024

I will announce the release date of the DragonKingKarl's Pioneer Era Pro Wrestling Omnibus: The Bible of the Pioneer Era of Wrestling this week. Patreon supporters at the $10 or higher level will get the PDF version first. Then in a few days, it will be available for purchase at Amazon. It will be available in softback, Kindle, and for Kindle Unlimited. I may have the PDF up on Patreon as early as tonight! More entries cut from the upcoming DragonKingKarl's Pioneer Era Pro Wrestling Omnibus: The Bible of the Pioneer Era of Wrestling. Again, these are cut due to space restrictions or are unverified. I present them here in the newsletter so our wonderful Patreon supporters can have an unabridged version of the book. Read More.


When It Was Cool Newsletter - October 16, 2024

This week the When It Was Cool Newsletter features the first round of cuts from the upcoming DragonKingKarl's Pioneer Era Wrestling Omnibus: The Bible of the Pioneer Era of Wrestling which has now started the editing phase. NoFriender (of the still in existence but never updated Thrash Metal Show) wrote the forward and I just put it in yesterday. NoFriender really pushed this project, and it is soon to bear fruits, hopefully. Read More.


Batman in Order - World’s Fair Comics Issue 2 - The Seventeenth Appearance of Batman

The 17th appearance of The Batman took place in the June 1940 issue of World’s Fair Comics Issue 2. This was a special issue produced for the 1940 World’s Fair and featured multiple characters interacting with or visiting the 1940 World’s Fair in separate stories. This marked the first time that Batman and Superman shared the cover of a comic book. They do not, however, appear in the same story. Read More.


When It Was Cool Newsletter - October 9, 2024

Welcome to the When It Was Cool Newsletter for the second week of October 2024 and, of course, our thoughts and prayers are with the people in central Florida. Tonya's family mostly lives within an hour or less of Tampa and are, unfortunately, right in the path of Hurricane Milton. Today on the When It Was Cool Retro Podcast free feed, I posed an old episode of DragonKing Dark on Dracula! Of course, the entire DragonKing Dark archive is at your instant disposal as a Patreon member. In fact, if you love Dracula as much as I do, we have a whole Dracula Collection for you here as a Patreon member. Read More.