It's So Hanna-Barberaesque

These, know, happened to be parts of the original costumes for Bingo, Drooper and Fleegle (Snorky's "ragmop" such seems to have disappeared after design flaws proving nearly fatal to its performer were discovered) from the first (1968-69) season of The Banana Splits Adventure Hour, to use its formal and official style.

For its second and final season (1969-70), Snorky was redesigned in the vein of a baby elephant, with slight cosmetic changes otherwise. And I assume such were prototypes for the "walkabout" costumes such as were used at Cincinnati's Coney Island for its final seasons before the eventiual move to Kings Island in 1972, such finding their way into the ABC Saturday Superstar Movie presentation The Banana Splits in Hocus Pocus Park, designed mainly as a series pilot.

Judging by this being the 7th edition of this feature, I suppose some of you might have ideas that this might somehow relate to Jack Daniel's--but sadly, no. Thanks, though, for asking.

So what exactly could a non-alcoholic Brandy Old-Fashioned be like?

Irony of ironies: The Dells branch of Great Harvest Bread is right across Elm Street from Goody Goody Gum Drop. So which would you rather want during the intermission fo some show at Elm Street Plaza?

What this cat wouldn't give for an afterlunch on the Wisconsin River doing some serious kayaking with a bottle of lime seltzer water for the sake of hydration of the highest order alongside as much the scenery as the wildlife to be expected. Hopefully not including Rawhide Clyde and Bristletooth.

Penelope Pitstop passed through over the July 4th holiday and we shared some of my own legendary malted waffles for breakfast, with plenty of maple syrup made from Loopy DeLoop's artisan maple sugar from his hobbyist sugar bush back in Quebec's Eastern Townships. Not to mention choice Puerto Rican coffee as happens to be firewood roasted.

Tom and Jerry are into another of their chase episodes when, for some reason, Tom gets seriously distracted to the point of his stumbling down the stairs of a subway station, stopping just short of the ticket vending machine.

On the remote shore of a lake somewhere in northern Minnesota's lakes country in the face of rather obvious mugginess, a most unlikely pair of diver crews were camping in close proximity as part of a summer's diving escapades, though wholly unplanned all the while.

As in the ursine diver duo of Emmy Lou and Jenny Lee camping out next to The Three Wolves (as in Hokey Wolf, Loopy De Loop and Mildew Wolf), along with the Divin' Wolf Pups (Bon-Bon, Loopy's nephew, and Ding-a-Ling, Hokey's rather faithful compadre). Both likely had campervans to ensure some semblance of self-sufficiency, yet you could imagine the camaradierie between these most unlikely diver teams, never mind that it was SCUBA or snorkelling as the diving media of choice.

And to think it all started one muggy afternoon when Jenny Lee emerged out of the water alongside the Divin' Wolf Pups after quite a fascinating SCUBA session as led to depths of as much as 30 feet, which had Hokey Wolf, leader of the Three Wolves diver club, asked "And pray, who exactly IS this diving bear in our midst?"

Emmy Lou was quick to respond "That's my cousin, Jenny Lee ... we happen to be quite good divers ourselves of the ursine kind!"

Hokey, in his trademark Sgt. ERnie Bilko goloss, made the introduction: "After all, my ursine gals, we happen to be THe Three Wolves, perhaps the greatest trio of lupine divers ever known--I, Hokey Wolf, happen to be the leader and majordomo of our diving confraternity lupine!"

Loopy De Loop chimed in: "I happen to be 'ze good wolf,' none other than Loopy De Loop; I can be rather proficient in diving, which in no way impacts upon my charm factor with the aquatic life!"

"And I happen to be Mildew Wolf," thus replying, "more or less the comic relief of this confraternity, or reasonable facsimile thereof!"

Emmy Lou continued: "Jenny Lee and I ourselves happen to be rather exceptional divers ourselves; we picked up the diving bug, as it were, one winter down in Florida--the Keys, I believe it was, and we took a few diving lessons in SCUBA and snorkelling--and boy, were we hooked on diving!"

"Make no mistake," Hokey Wolf glibly responded, "we wolves just couldn't help but discover our inner sea wolves, as it were, through diving! We were originally with Peter Potamus' company, but in due time, the fans started liking us all the more, we decided to go our way in the diving confraternity!"

Mildew Wolf chimed in: "And make no mistake about it; we wolves can't help but enjoy DIVING, and in a good way, at that!!"

"Point taken, Mildew!" chimed in Hokey in his leadership role. "And among diver groupies, we happen to have quite the respect, charm, admiration!!" [pause] "And let me introduce my juvenile diver partners, the Divin' Wolf Pups!" (Bon-Bon and Ding-a-Ling introducing themselves.) And after quite the conversation stretching well into the supper hour--

"How about we all go into the water for a sunset dive, wolves and bears together? Such is certainly bound to be interesting!!"

"What else could be more interesting?" remarked Jenny Lee, with her mentrix Emmy Lou nodding approval.

And you can just picture what ensued underwater once the "golden hour" ensueth ...

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