"...we must spare time to run down together on Saturday morning, and make sure that this curious and inconclusive investigation has no untoward ending."
- 'The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist'
A weekly roundup of links from across the web related to Sherlock Holmes, courtesy of Matt Laffey from Always1895.net. We welcome your comments and feedback, and if you have any material to include in the weekly roundup, please send to always1895@gmail.com. |
| [Baker Street Journal Summer 2013 (Vol. 63, No. 2).] |
The Baker Street Journal’s Summer 2013 issue recently appeared in our mailboxes bringing joy to Sherlockians the world over, and for those with a particular fascination for the Altamont phase of Holmes’ career, an extra special treat lay within the familiar yellow wrappers illuminated with a gorgeous portrait of Holmes/Altamont which originally appeared on the cover of Collier’s Weekly Magazine (September, 1917) from the brush of my favorite Canonical illustrator Frederic Dorr Steele. As always you can read an online version of Steve Rothman’s latest "Editor’s Gas-Lamp" to whet your appetite. If you’re not a current subscriber to the BSJ, I strongly suggest procuring the very reasonable $38.50 yearly subscription rate and treating yourself to the greatest (ir)regular Sherlockian publication on the market (since 1946).
I Hear of Sherlock released Episode 54 of their IHOSE podcast featuring an interview with columnist and psychologist Maria Konnikova, author of Mastermind, on ‘mindfulness’ and other related mental techniques employed by Holmes in the course of his adventures. Ms Konnikova is an excellent spokesperson for psychology, particularly when conveying some of the fundamental concepts of Cognitive Psychology by way of the Canon. Make sure to subscribe to Konnikova’s Scientific American column ‘Literally Psyched’. Next, Mr Wolder and Mr Monty discuss one of my favorite collections of early 20th century, pre-BSI/BSJ era writings - in this case 1895 to 1933 - on Holmes and the Canon, Sherlock Holmes, Conan Doyle and The Bookman, edited by noted Sherlockian scholar S. E. Dahlinger and annotator extraordinaire Leslie S. Klinger on Gasogene Books.
Following their chat about The Bookman, they announced that IHOSE’s sister website The Baker Street Blog began syndicating the Friday Sherlock Links Compendium (i.e. what you are reading right this very moment!) and that in future episodes of IHOSE, listeners can expect to hear Matt Laffey (he wrote in the third person…) deliver a range of short audio segments on everything from summaries of recent Sherlockian news items to hard hitting, on the ground reporting from various Sherlockian meetings, soirees, conferences, parties and hootenannies. Episode 54 ends with a traditional reading from the BSJ’s “Editor’s Gas-Lamp" though instead of dusting off a decade’s old issue, Steve Rothman’s piece from this Summer’s issue (Vol. 63, No. 2) is used. Another great episode made even more memorable by Monty and Wolder’s extremely kind and generous praise of Always1895 as well as the announcement that I’ll be contributing regular audio pieces to the podcast - an honor that’s particularly amazing considering IHOSE was one of my primary gateways into contemporary Sherlockian culture. [Editor's note: we are thrilled that Matt has taken us up on our offer to join us as a regular contributor and look forward to bringing you that feature on I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere.]
Following their chat about The Bookman, they announced that IHOSE’s sister website The Baker Street Blog began syndicating the Friday Sherlock Links Compendium (i.e. what you are reading right this very moment!) and that in future episodes of IHOSE, listeners can expect to hear Matt Laffey (he wrote in the third person…) deliver a range of short audio segments on everything from summaries of recent Sherlockian news items to hard hitting, on the ground reporting from various Sherlockian meetings, soirees, conferences, parties and hootenannies. Episode 54 ends with a traditional reading from the BSJ’s “Editor’s Gas-Lamp" though instead of dusting off a decade’s old issue, Steve Rothman’s piece from this Summer’s issue (Vol. 63, No. 2) is used. Another great episode made even more memorable by Monty and Wolder’s extremely kind and generous praise of Always1895 as well as the announcement that I’ll be contributing regular audio pieces to the podcast - an honor that’s particularly amazing considering IHOSE was one of my primary gateways into contemporary Sherlockian culture. [Editor's note: we are thrilled that Matt has taken us up on our offer to join us as a regular contributor and look forward to bringing you that feature on I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere.]
 |
| [Sherlock Holmes, Conan Doyle and The Bookman (2010) ed. by S.E. Dahlinger & Leslie Klinger published by Gasogene Books.] |
BBC News announced what might truly be one of the final nails in the coffin of the Victorian Age: “India’s last telegram will be sent on Sunday night as the country’s state-run telegraph service shuts down….The telegraph service started in 1851 when the British East India Company built a 30-mile (48km) electric telegraph line from the city of Calcutta to its suburb of Diamond Harbour, primarily for official use. Over the next few years, telegraph lines were expanded to cover the entire country and in 1855, the service was opened for public use." Unsurprisingly, India is not the first country to stop offering telegram service: Australia shut down it’s telegram service in 2011 (though “in the Victorian town of Beechworth, visitors can send telegrams to family members or friends from the Beechworth Telegraph Station."), along with Ireland in 2002, New Zealand in 1999 and Nepal in 2009. Surprisingly, one can still send telegrams in the United Kingdom, Canada, Russia, the United States and Mexico (where “telegrams are still used as a low-cost service for people who cannot afford or do not have access to e-mail.") Check out the worldwide status of telegram services for a complete listing. We of course know how Holmes would feel about this sad state of affairs, Watson once having remarked that Sherlock has "never been known to write where a telegram would serve" (DEVI).
["An answer had arrived to Holmes’s telegram before our Surrey officer had returned. Holmes read it and was about to place it in his notebook when he caught a glimpse of my expectant face. He tossed it across with a laugh. “We are moving in exalted circles," said he. The telegram was a list of names and addresses…" from "The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge”]
 |
| [Mark Gatiss, Steve Moffat and Sue Vertue ‘hanging out’ with 4,000 of their closest friends at SDCC this past week (July 2013).] |
Sherlockology and BBC America both reported on the first ever BBC Sherlock panel at this year’s San Diego Comic Con (SDCC): “To a packed out crowd of over 4,000 people in the huge Ballroom 20 of the San Diego Convention Center, producer Sue Vertue and co-creators / executive producers Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss discussed the peculiarities of their take on Conan Doyle’s famous novels, the increasing popularity of the show across the globe and the gratification of working with actors who have, since the series began, gone on to become major Hollywood stars." First off, that attendance figure is not a typo - a reported four thousand (4,000) SDCC attendees were present to hear Vertue/Moffat/Gatiss flex their wit, praise ACD's genius and elevate question avoidance (eg. “How did Sherlock survive the fall…") to an art form. To make up for the conspicuous (or inconspicuous, depending on how you see the world) absences of Cumberbatch and Freeman, the crowd was shown a specially recorded video featuring the dynamic duo delivering personal statements to SDCC attendees.
The Baker Street Babes’ Kristina Manente posted a highly entertaining review of her SDCC experience (thus far), specifically the Sherlock Panel and the SherlockeDCC party. Ms Manente’s post is packed with links related to the SDCC Sherlockian madness as well as some great photos of attendees and some very special surprise guests.
[Mark Gattis, wearing a crown, and Kristina of the Baker Street Babes at the SherlockeDCC party. An amazing photo that will be just as awesome in 30 years time.]
MTV Geek - an MTV ‘subsidiary’ I didn't know existed until just now - ran their own odd little Q&A with Steven Moffat, Mark Gatiss, and Sue Vertue regarding BBC Sherlock Season 3. The interviewer seems a bit overly focused on getting Moffat and Gatiss to ‘react’ to various ‘crazy’ and ‘wacky’ BBC Sherlock fandom stuff (e.g. Mystrade), while also seeming not to realize how ‘in touch’ Moffat/Gatiss/Vertue are with the Tumblr/Twitter/etc. world. One particularly odd tentative de provocation seems to be the interviewer's total misunderstanding of Sherlock fans’ use of “feels" (e.g. “Reichenfeels") coupled with the BBC fandom’s habit of affectionately referring to Moffat as a Troll: MTV Geek: “Obviously fans get very into Sherlock. Many have accused you of “destroying their feelings". What would you like to say to those fans?" Gatiss: “Well, I haven’t. We haven’t. Conan Doyle made everyone wait ten years to find out what happened to him. We left it five minutes between saying he was dead and saying he’s not dead. I think that’s not cruel. I think it’s actually quite kind." Check out the (BBC) Sherlock Fandom Glossary and learn Sherlockian concepts you never knew existed.
We Recycle Movies announced that July would be Sherlock Holmes Month and that “in honor of my favorite detective, and with extreme personal bias, here are the three great adaptations that will consume the rest of July:" 7/13: Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon (1942), 7/20: The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (1976) and 7/27 BBC Sherlock. “In order to best compare these films, I decided to create a game of my own: Sherlock Bingo! Each square has a trope of the Sherlock story, so we can tick off the various allusions as they appear."
 |
| ["If you want to do a viewing party of your own, there are several other cards (Sherlock Bingo 1, Sherlock Bingo 2, Sherlock Bingo 3 & Sherlock Bingo 4) to play with…Let the games begin!" ] |
Lighter Side of Sherlock Holmes maintained by Glenn Schatell, son of Norman Schatell, the author of The Lighter Side of Sherlock Holmes: The Sherlockian Artwork of Norman Schatell (2013) on MX, has a ton of artwork samples and information about Mr Schatell who passed away 30 years ago. But due to the dedication and handwork of his son Glenn, this labor of love is finally seeing the light of day.
 |
| [Thirty plus years in the making.] |
Peter Blau’s Scuttlebutt from the Spermaceti Press June 2013 issue is available for perusing and overflowing with Sherlockian news/info from far and wide including: crime writing festivals, Holmesian theater adaptations, books on Victorian clothing patterns, scion events and much, much more. Bookmark Mr Blau’s Scuttlebutt from the Spermacetti Press site if you haven’t already.
Buddy2Blogger explores various Canonical references (42 points in total) from BBC Sherlock Season 1, Episode 2 The Blind Banker. For example, in point # 6, "The character of Sebastian [Wilkes] seems to be based on Reginald Musgrave, based on his body language and dressing sense. Here is how Sherlock describes Musgrave in “The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual": “He had changed little, was dressed like a young man of fashion - he was always a bit of a dandy - and preserved the same quiet, suave manner which had formerly distinguished him. You can follow @Buddy2Blogger on Twitter and/or read his blog at Buddy2Blogger.blogspot.com. (Thanks to Mr Ray Wilcockson for the tip!)
[On the left is Sydney Paget’s illustration of Reginald Musgrave from MUSG and on the right is Sebastian ‘Seb’ Wilkes from BBC’s The Blind Banker.]
Barnes & Noble Blog in “Six Books to Fill the Sherlockian Void" attempts to ease the withdrawal pains of the vast legion of BBC Sherlock fans who have been waiting for an eternity (at least in Tumblr years) for ("the mythical, unicorn-status") Season 3 by suggesting six Sherlock pastiches. My two favorite pastiches listed on here are Kim Newman’s Professor Moriarty: The Hound of the D’Urberville (basically, the Canon seen from the perspective of Sebastian ‘Basher’ Moran) and Lyndsay Faye’s Dust and Shadow: An Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H. Watson (a pastiche which could only be written by a seasoned Sherlockian). On a related note, I hope it goes without saying - since the author of this piece never mentions it - that those afflicted with an idée fixe regarding BBC Sherlock should, first and foremost, read the entire Canon if he/she has yet to do so. And if you have read all the stories once or still have a few unread stories to go (lucky you!!) I highly suggest re-reading the Canon using one of the four main annotated editions: Baring-Gould’s Annotated Sherlock Holmes (2 vols), Oxford Sherlock Holmes (9 vols), Klinger’s Sherlock Holmes Reference Library (Gasogene, 10 vols) or Klinger’s New Annotated Sherlock Holmes (Norton, 3 vols). If you’re on a tight budget, you can probably find the Baring-Gould two volume set used (VG/G condition) for $10 to $15. If you need a second opinion, check out the first comment from one Mr Leslie S Klinger: “When in despair, read the Canon! Certainly Mr. Moffat is! What better time to start all over again, with A Study in Scarlet?" Hear, hear.
[A typical page from Baring-Gould’s Annotated Sherlock Holmes.]
Wear Sherlock announced the release of recreations of the BBC Sherlock Series 2 striped set mugs, which are now available to purchase at the Wear Sherlock Mug Store. What on earth are the ‘Series 2 striped set mugs’ you ask? The Beginners Guide to the Sherlock Fandom has the somewhat disturbing answer: “The stripey mugs nearly broke Tumblr as a result of the sheer volume of crack that they produced. During the filming of series two, this photo [see below] was taken on the set and at some point ended up on Mark Gatiss’s Twitter. Showing Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman’s matching mugs full of tea (and revealing that Martin Freeman apparently takes milk in his). With the hiatus getting to them rather pitifully, the fandom spun this photo into its own universe of mug-porn, mug-fanart, mug-replicas, and mug jokes. There is literally fanfiction written about these mugs. It is beyond reason…" This is precisely where the ‘Sherlockian Kool-Aid’ was meant to be drunk from; and even if you think the BBC Sherlock Tumblr fandom is insane, these still make handsome coffee drinking devices.
[Above is the recreation of Benedict’s Mug. Click to see the recreation of Martin’s mug.]
Top Gear - UK car show and “the world’s most widely watched factual television program" - recently featured Mr Benedict Cumberbatch in a ten minute segment whose conversation ranged over BC’s first car (it was a British made Mini) to the proper way to fake a punch for the cameras, as well as a fascinating factoid about BC’s actress mother, Ms Wanda Ventham, who played Colonel Virginia Lake in the cult 1970′s science fiction television series UFO (1970-73) among a myriad of other TV shows and movies. Incredibly, she appeared in 13 episodes of Doctor Who from 1967 to 1987, playing three different characters, a different one in each decade (1967, 1977 and 1987). The segment ends with BC driving around a race course in a segment called “The Star in a Reasonably Priced Car". Overall, an entertaining, if slightly surreal, ten minutes of TV.
[Wanda Ventham, Benedict Cumberbatch’s mom, in a super fancy car as seen on Top Gear.]
Sherlock. Everywhere. posted the winning entry for their Wacky Caption Wednesday contest. Let’s hope this is a semi-regular feature on the IHOSE Tumblr site.
[Captioned image from the Sherlock Holmes story “The Naval Treaty."]
Tea at 221B posted a great illustration by Charles Raymond Macauley from a 1905 edition of "The Adventure of the Priory School”: "I must have a peep through that, Watson. If you bend your back and support yourself upon the wall, I think that I can manage." An instant later his feet were on my shoulders. But he was hardly up before he was down again. “Come, my friend," said he, “our day’s work has been quite long enough. I think that we have gathered all that we can. It’s a long walk to the school, and the sooner we get started the better." (PRIO)
 |
| [Charles Raymond Macauley’s illustration for “The Adventure of the Priory School".] |
0 comments:
Post a Comment