Dante’s Info # 12, the Spring 1995 edition, was the second issue of my tent newsletter that I created using the new computer-formatted look – and the last one for many years that I was entirely pleased with. With this issue and all previous ones, my Dad would take the photos that I wanted to use to work with him and create a half-tone shot of the correct dimensions that would be literally pasted to a master sheet. These photocopied very well. But when we began scanning in the images we wanted to use, it was exceptionally difficult to print them out and get them to photocopy with any degree of quality.
But for this issue, we he had not yet purchased the scanner, so this issue had a very crisp look – with a combination of computer-formatted layout and sharp looking photos. Unfortunately, it didn’t contain any earth-shattering articles. I had already written a bit about Harry Spear, but in this issue I related the “certified letter scheme,” by which I was able to obtain a legitimate autograph of this very reclusive Our Gang member by sending him a certified letter (see article below). I also had success with this idea with another reclusive Our Gange member named Alvin Buckelew. This article was the first in a long-running series called The Great Rascal Search, a vastly popular series that uncovered the whereabouts of ‘missing’ Little Rascals, usually based on exclusive interviews.
This issue also included “The Rascal Awards,” a comedic jab at the new Little Rascals film, to which I received a complimentary letter from real Our Gang member Jerry Tucker. In addition I reprinted a great article about Betty Healy by Bill Cappello, along with one of Stan Laurel’s personal letters to Betty and a batch of rare photos from the L&H film Our Relations, which served as the issue’s theme.
Our tent meetings covered by this issue were held on April 30, May 28, and July 9 (elsewhere discussed here)
Next: My Summer 1995 trip to Hollywood…
Leave a Reply