I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere

Canonical Toasts

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<b>“Let us drink the
quarrelling <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">toast</span> of the Lodge.” [VALL]</b></h4>
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Lost in the mists of pre-history is the origin of
salutations via drink. Imbibing from a communal vessel to honor or celebrate an
event, occasion or deity to bind a group both figuratively through action and
literally through a shared liquid seems to be a common, world-wide human
ritual. In the 13th century B.C., Ulysses drank to
the health of Achilles in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Iliad</i>.
The Romans were famous for their toasts and usually put in a piece of burnt
bread into their wine to improve its taste. This custom became common in
Europe.<br />
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According the website <a href="http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2013/05/the-origin-of-toasting-drinks/">Today I Found Out:</a></div>
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The term <i>“toast”</i> itself
originated in the 16th century. One of the first written accounts of it was in
Shakespeare’s <i>The Merry Wives of Windsor</i> when the character of Falstaff
demands – <i>“Go fetch me a quart of sack; put a toast in’t.”</i> To
translate, he’s asking for a great deal of wine with a piece of (literal) toast
in it.  …. This is thought to be due to the quality of wine in the past--
it was in many cases inferior to our modern vintages.  Thus, placing a
piece of toast within a jug was supposed to soak up some of the acidity and
improve the flavour.  This also had the side benefit of giving people
something to do with a piece of stale bread, often spiced or with fruit
embedded, that would improve the bread’s palatability.  Up until very
recently in history, wasting food just wasn’t something people tended to do, so
finding ways to make stale bread taste good was fairly common- waste not, want
not. (This was also more or less how French Toast got its start.)</div>
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Over the coming centuries, the term
<i>“toasting”,</i> in English, slowly transformed to incorporate traditional
libations and the honouring of people. In the early days of this connection,
the person being honoured often received the physical toast saturated with wine
at the end.</div>
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Toasting became so popular in the
17th and 18th centuries that Toastmasters came into being. Acting as a kind of
party referee, they were there to ensure that the toasting didn’t become too
excessive and that everyone got their fair share of toasting opportunities.
This may sound silly, but it was a desperately needed role. If left to their
own devices, guests would occasionally go on toasting every individual in the
room. (This being a great excuse to drink excessive amounts of alcohol without
seeming like a lush.)</div>
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The origins of the Sherlockian Toast is likewise lost in the
mists of alcohol and tobacco in the gathering places of New York City and
London in the 1930s. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have taken on
many forms, from a simple “Cheers” or “L’chiam” to our favorite Baker Street
denizens (and usually such toast are given within The Game) in poems,
especially limericks, and song, as well as prose of various length to various
characters (or occasionally objects), obscure or infamous, in the Canon. </div>
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On <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose99" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere Episode 99</a>: Chris Redmond, BSI ("Billy") talks about his toast at the Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes.</div>
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<b>IHOSE:</b> So what I wanted to mention
that what stuck out to me in the book [<a href="http://www.wessexpress.com/html/quicksuccession.html"><i>A Quick Succession of Subjects</i></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">] was when you were down here in New York
for a BSI Weekend you actually attended the annual dinner of the Adventuresses
of Sherlock Holmes which until that time had not admitted men to their
proceedings and this was something of a first. I think you were brought by a
date and you made a toast which was speech-like in length but it was very good.
It was called “The Man Who Loved Women”. You remember that occasion?</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><b>REDMOND:</b> I do remember that. I came to New York for several of the
January weekends in, I suppose, the early 1980s because of relationships and
circumstances and the first time I came was the first time the Adventuresses
invited men to attend their dinner, which was held on the same evening as the
BSI dinner. There were no women Irregulars at that time so nobody had to make a
choice. They invited me to come to that dinner. I was somehow able to get
myself on the list of people making toasts and, having stood up to make a toast,
took great advantage to being there and spoke for at least ten minutes about
men and women in the Sherlockian world and about Dr Watson as the model of the
man who loved women.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><b>IHOSE:</b> Yes, indeed he was. Do you remember the reception to your talk,
to your toast?</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><b>REDMOND:</b> I don’t. I imagine it was mostly relief when I finished.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">The lesson here for
would-be toasters is, unless you’re a raconteur of the ability of Chris
Redmond, don’t get too carried away in your speech.</span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><br /></span>The Origins of the Canonical (or Conanical) Toasts</h3>
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Baker Street Irregular historian Jon Lellenberg, in answer
to my inquiry as to whether there is any history available on the Canonical
Toast replied, “It would be an entertaining subject, but no one's tackled it
that I'm aware of -- maybe because most toasts are too  transient and even
ephemeral compared to dinner papers and the like.” During his talk on “A
Photographic History of the BSI” at the Mind and Art of Sherlock Holmes
Conference at the Chautauqua (NY) Institute on September 11, 2016 [see also <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose104" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 104: Sherlockians at Chautauqua</a>], Ben Vizoskie, BSI ("Alexander Hamilton Garrideb") amplified:</div>
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Toasts have been a part of the
annual meeting [of the Baker Street Irregulars] from the beginning. No minutes survive from the first two annual
dinners in 1934 and 1936, but the minutes of the third dinner in 1940 state
simply “…the toasts were drunk: first to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The</i>
Woman, then to Mrs. Hudson, then to Dr. Watson’s Second Wife.” The individuals
the BSI have honored with toasts have varied over the years, but there have
always been toasts.</div>
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Whether the contents of the toast were recorded was another
matter. When I asked Ben later about it, he didn’t know. If they were, they are
not readily available or searchable.<br />
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Ross Davies has sought to remedy that. He has a site called <i><a href="http://www.rossdavies.org/toasts">Sherlockian Toasts: Salutes to Sherlock Holmes, John Watson, Mrs. Hudson, and others of their ilk</a>,</i> and we asked him about it.</div>
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<b>IHOSE:</b> Why did you start the
website?</div>
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<b>DAVIES:</b> Because I discovered a need
— mine! — for such a resource. A few months ago I was invited by Bob Katz,
Headmastiff of The Sons of the Copper Beeches (an ancient and renowned scion in
Philadelphia), to give my first Sherlockian toast. Bob assigned me the toast to
Dr. J.H. Watson. I was nervous. I wanted to do a good job. I’d seen enough
clever Sherlockian toasts (and heard about others) to feel some pressure to
live up to a long and entertaining tradition. I started my preparations by
looking online for examples and inspiration. Much to my surprise, I did not
find much. All those thousands of Sherlockian toasts, all those hundreds of
Sherlockian websites, and yet only a few toasts to be had online! I managed to
come up with a few words on my own, and to recite them to The Sons in
Philadelphia. I also resolved to make it easier for others who might find
themselves in the same boat in the future. So, I set up the Sherlockian Toasts
website. I hope it helps. </div>
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<b>IHOSE:</b> What is your interest in
Canonical toast? </div>
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<b>DAVIES:</b> Once I started work on the
website, I started thinking seriously about Sherlockian toasts in general, not
just my panicky need to come up with something good to say about Dr. Watson.
And that’s when I began thinking about the toasts as fragmentary oral records
of Sherlockian culture. My hope now is that if we can accumulate enough toasts
— old and new — we will build a new perspective on Sherlockian history. So,
Sherlockians, please do send me your toasts: all of them!</div>
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Toasters may send in their toasts; they need not be current.
Blow the dust of those yellowing index cards to the Canonical honoree given at
that half-forgotten scion meeting and <a href="http://www.rossdavies.org/toasts" target="_blank">head over to the site</a>.
You will need the following information: </div>
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 Name of the author</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Subject of the toast</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Audience (scion society or state dinner or other)</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Date it was offered</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Text of the toast (with annotations, and audio/video
recordings, if you like)</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Copyright notice (we assume the author holds
it unless you say otherwise)</div>
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Note: By your submission you<b>’</b>re
giving the website permission to publish it there and elsewhere (maybe in a
“Sherlockian Toasts” pamphlet, for example). But of course it remains <b>your</b>
toast, to do with as you see fit.</div>
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<br />
This little-explored area of Sherlockian society will have a bit
light shed upon it in the upcoming Fall issue of <a href="http://johnhwatsonsociety.com/"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Watsonian</i></a>. You will read just a sample of the many forms of
salutation and gratitude that have been given to that body of work, the Canon,
that we esteem so. Many scions today make an effort to collect their toasters'
notes and archive them. Perhaps some of the atmosphere of sodality and fellowship
are lost in the transition to print. Of course we can rectify that with a
figurative (or literal) “kampai”, and a fond remembrance of a meeting gone by
or anticipation of one to come.</div>
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--<br />
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Canonical Toasts

“Let us drink the quarrelling toast of the Lodge.” [VALL] Lost in the mists of pre-history is the origin of salutations via drink....

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by James C. O'Leary

About Sixty Eliminates the Improbable

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"About sixty;" [BOSC]</h4>
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As a devotee of Sherlock Holmes, you've probably asked — or have been asked — "What's the best Sherlock Holmes story?"<br />
<br />
And you've likely answered in the same way as most people who have read the entire set of 56 short stories and four novels. That is to say, you've mentioned "A Scandal in Bohemia," the first short story in the Canon, in which Sherlock Holmes meets Irene Adler, who captures his admiration when she beats him. Or "The Speckled Band," where a young lady seeks help after her sister dies under mysterious circumstances and she finds herself in the same situation. Or <i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i>, with its spine-tingling exchange between Dr. Mortimer and Sherlock Holmes:<br />
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  "Footprints?"<br />"Footprints."<br />"A man's or a woman's?"<br />Dr. Mortimer looked strangely at us for an instant, and his voice sank almost to a whisper as he answered: —<br />"Mr. Holmes, they were the footprints of a gigantic hound!"</blockquote>
Or a handful of others such as "The Red-Headed League," "Silver Blaze," "The Final Problem," etc. <div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In 1927, the <i>Strand Magazin</i>e held a contest challenging readers to choose the top 12 Sherlock Holmes stories, to determine who would match a list of 12 stories selected by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle:</div>
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<ol>
<li>"The Speckled Band"</li>
<li>"The Red-Headed League"</li>
<li>"The Dancing Men"</li>
<li>"The Final Problem"</li>
<li>"A Scandal in Bohemia" </li>
<li>"The Empty House" </li>
<li>"The Five Orange Pips" </li>
<li>"The Second Stain" </li>
<li>"The Devil's Foot" </li>
<li>"The Priory School" </li>
<li>"The Musgrave Ritual" </li>
<li>"The Reigate Squires" </li>
</ol>
Of course, this was before the final installment of short stories, <i>The Case-book of Sherlock Holmes</i>, was published, so the final dozen stories aren't considered in Conan Doyle's original list. Randall Stock has <a href="http://www.bestofsherlock.com/story/storyhm.htm" target="_blank">a summary of all of the surveys that sought to revisit this eternal question</a>, including the results of one that he ran in the Baker Street Journal in 1999.<br /><br />The wonderful thing about asking Sherlockians to create such as list is, none of them would be wrong. We all like various stories for particular reasons. The Canon leaves a personalized imprint on our hearts and minds.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
But what if someone asked you to defend the indefensible? What if you were asked to champion the worst story in the Sherlock Holmes collection? Well, <i>your</i> worst may not be someone else's worst. There may be other readers who have vastly differing opinions on the matter.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
And so with that concept in mind, Christopher Redmond decided to undertake a project called <b><i>About Sixty</i></b>, in which he challenged sixty Sherlockians to make a case why each one of the stories in the Sherlock Holmes Canon is the best. He mentioned this in our interview with him in <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose99" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 99</a> of IHOSE. The result is <a href="http://wildsidepress.com/about-sixty-why-every-sherlock-holmes-story-is-the-best-edited-by-christopher-redmond-paperback/" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">About Sixty: Why Every Sherlock Holmes Stories is the Best</a>, edited by Redmond himself.</div>
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<br />Of the collective effort, Redmond says, “What they have written is compelling evidence that any one of the Sherlock Holmes stories can be the best; it’s all a matter of what the reader is looking for.”<div>
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<div>
It's a marvelous concept and one that should bring delight to readers, as we cheer on the authors making the case for our favorites, or assume our most skeptical pose for those saddled with convincing us of the superiority of the traditionally weak stories.<br /><div>
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In the end, we think it's appropriate to quote Professor Moriarty in "The Final Problem": </div>
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"It has been an intellectual treat to me to see the way in which you have grappled with this affair..."</blockquote>
<br />
<i><a href="http://wildsidepress.com/about-sixty-why-every-sherlock-holmes-story-is-the-best-edited-by-christopher-redmond-paperback/" target="_blank">About Sixty</a></i> is available in paperback from <a href="http://wildsidepress.com/about-sixty-why-every-sherlock-holmes-story-is-the-best-edited-by-christopher-redmond-paperback/" target="_blank">Wildside Press</a> for $14.99.<br />
<br />
--<br />
<br /></div>
</div>

About Sixty Eliminates the Improbable

"About sixty;" [BOSC] As a devotee of Sherlock Holmes, you've probably asked — or have been asked — "What's the...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Episode 105: Echoes of Sherlock Holmes

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"The detectives and I must have echoed it" [VALL] </h4>
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<br />
Laurie R. King, BSI ("The Red Circle") and Leslie S. Klinger, BSI ("The Abbey Grange") are no strangers to the mystery genre. Laurie is probably best known for her Mary Russell-Sherlock Holmes stories, and Les has annotated the Sherlock Holmes stories, Dracula, Sandman and H.P. Lovecraft.<br />
<br />
Together, the two have edited two anthologies of stories inspired by Sherlock Holmes: <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Study-Sherlock-Stories-Inspired-Holmes/dp/0857689320/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1475202335&sr=1-1&keywords=a+study+in+sherlock" target="_blank">A Study in Sherlock</a></i> and <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Company-Sherlock-Holmes-Stories-Inspired/dp/1605986585/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1475202361&sr=1-1&keywords=in+the+company+of+sherlock" target="_blank">In the Company of Sherlock Holmes</a></i>. They're back at it again with a third volume, <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Echoes-Sherlock-Holmes-Stories-Inspired/dp/1681772256/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1475202292&sr=1-1&keywords=echoes+of+sherlock+holmes" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Echoes of Sherlock Holmes</a></i>, and we sit down with them to discuss what it's like pulling together the work from a wide variety of mystery writers.<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Echoes-Sherlock-Holmes-Stories-Inspired/dp/1681772256/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1475202512&sr=1-1&keywords=echoes+of+sherlock" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTGkBpaiA-edCOI4beXWd4U2PPthWoZsdO3Tr6arxFDd1YJIjx85GvB_WOgEOi66LtaTQIeMD7E9U55ZcwTnOcoyJeH4gVAf0DPIk2LWJcKAU81Q0fzpdXMkrzYp7JAPehZnIVxGHFHpiY/s320/EchoesOfSherlockHolmes.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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<br />
If you'd like to see Laurie and Les in person, they'll be at the <a href="http://www.poisonedpenevents.com/?ai1ec_event=laurie-r-king-signs-mary-russells-war-and-echoes-of-sherlock-holmes-with-leslie-klinger&instance_id=2047" target="_blank">Poisoned Pen</a> in Scottsdale, Arizona on October 1 at 2:00 pm; and at <a href="http://www.bookpassage.com/marin-events" target="_blank">Book Passage</a> in Corte Madera, California on October 8 at 5:00 pm. And there will be a celebration of the publication of <i>Echoes of Sherlock Holmes</i> via the <a href="http://www.meetup.com/SHERLOCK-BREAKFAST-CLUB/events/234351431/?rv=ea1&_af=event&_af_eid=234351431&https=off" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes Breakfast Club</a> in Los Angeles on October 9 at 3:00 pm.<br />
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<h3>
Sponsors</h3>
This episode includes our two longtime sponsors, plus a special sponsor. Please support our sponsors by visiting their sites:<br />
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<li><a href="http://www.wessexpress.com/" target="_blank">Wessex Press</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/" target="_blank"><i>The Baker Street Journal</i></a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.danandriacco.com/" target="_blank">Dan Andriacco's Baker Street Beat</a>, including <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Erin-Bloody-McCabe-Cody-Book/dp/1787050114" target="_blank">Erin Go Bloody</a></i>, the latest in the Sebastian McCabe - Jeff Cody series.</li>
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<a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/ihearofsherlock/ihearofsherlock105.mp3" target="_blank">Download</a> [Save As] | File size 27.8 MB, 59:02</h4>
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Links</h3>
<ul>
<li>Echoes of Sherlock Holmes (Amazon)</li>
<li><a href="http://laurierking.com/" target="_blank">Laurie R. King's website</a></li>
<li>Laurie's latest book: <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mary-Russells-Russell-Sherlock-Holmes/dp/146420733X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1475202559&sr=1-1&keywords=Mary+Russell%27s+War+%26+Other+Stories" target="_blank">Mary Russell's War and Other Stories</a></i></li>
<li><a href="http://lesliesklinger.com/" target="_blank">Leslie Klinger's website</a></li>
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</span></div>

Episode 105: Echoes of Sherlock Holmes

"The detectives and I must have echoed it" [VALL] Laurie R. King, BSI ("The Red Circle") and Leslie S...

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by Scott Monty

Sherlock Holmes in the 23rd Century — An Animated Series That Never Was

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“…the future only could show how strange it was to be” [TWIS]</h4>
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Many Sherlockians are aware of <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock_Holmes_in_the_22nd_Century" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes in the 22<sup>nd</sup> Century</a></i>, an animated series that aired in the United States from 1999-2000. But how many would be aware of <i>Sherlock Holmes in the 23<sup>rd</sup> Century</i>, a show planned more than a decade before, in 1988? It all began with space cowboy and would have been brought to you by the creative team behind He-Man.</div>
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filmation" target="_blank">Filmation Studios</a> was known in the '60s, '70s and '80s for its massive animated output. Its cartoons included DC superheroes, Archie comics, Fat Albert, Star Trek, Gilligan’s Island, Tom and Jerry, He-Man and She-Ra. But its tie to the Sherlockian world comes from its last animated series, <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BraveStarr" target="_blank">Bravestarr</a></i>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Bravestarr</i> was a space western set on the planet of New Texas in the 23<sup>rd</sup> century, and aired in syndication from 1987 to 1988. Marshal Bravestarr, the titular character of the series, kept peace and order on his planet in episodic installments.  <o:p></o:p></div>
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One notable exception to this format is the two-part episode, “Sherlock Holmes in the 23<sup>rd</sup> Century,” meant to spin off as its own show. The first episode opens with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idSfpY4-kmk" target="_blank">the standard Bravestarr theme song</a>, and then takes the viewer to 1893 where Holmes and Professor Moriarty are battling atop the Reichenbach Falls during a brutal lightning storm.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A decidedly gray Moriarty and Sherlock Holmes at the Reichenbach Falls</td></tr>
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But it ends differently this time.  As Watson watches from below, Moriarty pushes Holmes off the cliff!  Luckily, a time warp opens and Holmes is transported to the year 2249.  Holmes crashes through the roof of a futuristic hansom cab and is taken to the nearest hospital by Dr. Wt’sn, an alien of substantial strength.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Wt'sn - experience with women in three separate galaxies?</td></tr>
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Holmes adjusts quickly to his new surroundings, and shows a strong knowledge of astronomy, specifically the constellation Rigel. Wt’sn equips Holmes with a suitably futuristic jacket and deerstalker while Holmes tries to get used to having a scanner pipe and his newfound power to blast lightning bolts from his hands. The duo moves through New London on their way to 221B Baker Street to meet a Scotland Yard agent descended from the Holmes family, Ms. Mycroft Holmes (and her very large gun).</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ms. Mycroft Holmes</td></tr>
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Baker Street has been turned into a Sherlock Holmes Museum, where Marshal Bravestarr finally makes his entrance to the story. Bravestarr is tracking down a lost alien boy who was aboard a hijacked space freighter and comes to the great detective for help. During their interview, Holmes is kidnapped but is saved by three street urchins and their dog, Baskerville. Chief Inspector Kitty Lestrade comes to take the would-be kidnapper away, and our heroes find that he was working for a larger foe. While tracking down this new villain, Holmes, Wt’sn, Bravestarr and Mycroft become trapped in a dungeon, but our heroes escape and find the lost alien child.<br />
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And then Moriarty shows up.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I won’t spoil the second half of this story, but things escalate quickly and include the Eiffel Tower and a futuristic punk rock band. You can watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTqu5ryoU5o" target="_blank">part two</a> of the episode on YouTube or own the episodes on DVD from <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Bravestarr-Complete-65-Episode-Collection/dp/B004RA7XZE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474054547&sr=8-1&keywords=bravestarr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a>.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Of course, there never was a <i>Sherlock Holmes in the 23<sup>rd</sup> Century</i> series. Filmation was in financial trouble at this point. It was bought by the cosmetics company L’Oreal, and eventually shuttered, with no new series made after <i>Bravestarr.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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But one could wonder what the series would have looked like. These two episodes spent a lot of time world building. Sherlock Holmes is quickly outfitted for the future, with his new powers, gadget and sidekick. An overarching foe is established in Professor Moriarty, and one assumes he would have a new scheme each week. New London is built up with street urchins to take the place of the Baker Street Irregulars, and Mycroft Holmes and Kitty Lestrade take the place of the Victorian Lestrade and Gregson. It wouldn’t be a far stretch to assume that Holmes and Wt’sn would take up residence in the Sherlock Holmes museum, and the finicky curator would take the place of Holmes’ previous landlady (I wouldn’t be surprised if the caretaker even turned out to be named Hudson).<o:p></o:p></div>
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But we will never know. It’s a mystery what could have been.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Sherlock Holmes in the 23rd Century — An Animated Series That Never Was

“…the future only could show how strange it was to be” [TWIS] Many Sherlockians are aware of Sherlock Holmes in the 22 nd Centur...

+ Read more »

by Rob Nunn

Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty's Web

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"it is a singular and a dangerous web" [DANC]</h4>
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Over the years, Sherlock Holmes has inspired many board and card games. Among the earliest was <a href="http://www.grandoldtoys.com/toydb_Detail.php?id=1254" target="_blank">a Parker Bros. card game issued in 1904</a>. And while he wasn't named as part of the cast of characters, Sherlock Holmes was referenced in early editions of Clue.<br />
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With all of the focus on video games and virtual reality lately, we were delighted to discover that someone is doubling down on board games again, and in a very stylish way.<br />
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In this case, that someone is Lucy Keifer and her creation is <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/118555799/sherlock-holmes-and-moriartys-web" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty's Web</a>. The game is being sourced on Kickstarter, and Lucy needs your help to bring this game to life. She's very close — just days away and so close to achieving her budget. Read on and watch below, and see if you're convinced <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/118555799/sherlock-holmes-and-moriartys-web" target="_blank">to support this project</a> (complete with rewards!).</div>
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London is flooded with unsolvable crimes. Play as Holmes, Watson, Mycroft, Irene Adler, Inspector Lestrade and Mrs. Hudson to trace them back to the nefarious Professor Moriarty. But be careful! Moriarty is ruthless and brilliant, and unless you’re very, very careful you will find yourself caught in Moriarty’s Web.</blockquote>
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Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty's Web is a collaborative, moving board game. Unlike most board games which feature a static fold-out board, this is a build-your-own model, which changes based on how the game unfolds. This creative, unexpected approach fits with Professor Moriarty's cunning plans and solving it is fit for the brilliant mind of Sherlock Holmes.</div>
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In this case, brilliance can happen at ages 10 and up, and the game can accommodate three to six people. And players need to collaborate with each other in order to work their way through Moriarty's Web.<br />  <div>
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The <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/118555799/sherlock-holmes-and-moriartys-web/updates" target="_blank">Kickstarter page</a> has many more graphics and even a 30-minute video with a preview of what actual game play looks like.<br />
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Minimum investment is $40, but there are other levels with deluxe models, incentives and other goodies to help you make your decision.<br />
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We're looking forward to adding this to our collection. We hope you are too. But, even if you aren't, please share this article to help make this wonderful project a reality.<br />
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Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty's Web

"it is a singular and a dangerous web" [DANC] Over the years, Sherlock Holmes has inspired many board and card games. Among...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

The Symmetry of Sherlock

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"a little short and thick for symmetry" [NAVA]</h4>
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Sherlock Holmes said, "Art in the blood is liable to take the strangest forms." And with his penchant for noticing details that others fail to notice, one might wonder if his tendencies border on the obsessive.<br />
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Take, for example, the classic scene in which Holmes asked Watson about a very common architectural feature in Baker Street, in this scene, described by Watson:<br />
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I could not help laughing at the ease with which he explained his process of deduction. "When I hear you give your reasons," I remarked," the thing always appears to me to be so ridiculously simple that I could easily do it myself, though at each successive instance of your reasoning I am baffled, until you explain your process. And yet I believe that my eyes are as good as yours."<br />"Quite so," he answered, lighting a cigarette, and throwing himself down into an armchair. "You see, but you do not observe. The distinction is clear. For example, you have frequently seen the steps which lead up from the hall to this room."<br />"Frequently."<br />"How often?"<br />"Well, some hundreds of times."<br />"Then how many are there?"<br />"How many! I don't know."<br />"Quite so! You have not observed. And yet you have seen. That is just my point. Now, I know that there are seventeen steps, because I have both seen and observed."</blockquote>
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That level of detail and minutiae — a level that escapes the average person — is what sets Sherlock Holmes apart.</div>
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So when Steve Lawes, the principal cinematographer for the series, had an opportunity, he was equally as obsessive about the details of some of his shots. In particular, <a href="https://vimeo.com/cgmzz">Celia Gómez</a> determined that a number of shots were arranged in a perfectly symmetrical fashion. She created <a href="https://vimeo.com/183124955" target="_blank">a short video</a> (embedded below) that highlights her astute observations.<br />
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It's quite clever, and the cinematography reflects the nature of Holmes's ordered mind. What do you think? </div>
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<i>Tip of the deerstalker: We originally discovered this video via Bob Katz, BSI ("Dr. Anstruther") on Facebook, where he shared a link to <a href="http://www.ew.com/article/2016/09/23/sherlock-video-symmetry-cinematography" target="_blank">an article on Entertainment Weekly</a>.</i><br />
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The Symmetry of Sherlock

"a little short and thick for symmetry" [NAVA] Sherlock Holmes said, "Art in the blood is liable to take the strangest f...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Review — The R.X. Problem (The Adventures of Watts and Sherlock Book 1)

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"in which the future city was sketched out" [STUD]</h4>
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<br />
Sherlock Holmes and science-fiction have a surprisingly good relationship. Many great science-fiction authors from Harlan Ellison to Isaac Asimov to <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2016/04/interview-with-sci-fi-legend-jack.html" target="_blank">Jack McDevitt</a> have written their own Holmes scholarship and pastiches. Perhaps because, unlike fantasy, science-fiction must be grounded in the realm of logic and possibility, it is much easier to see Holmes dealing with mechanical menaces than fairies or gnomes.  Spooks need not apply, but computers are another matter.  Which brings us to Katie Magnusson's delightful cyberpunk Holmes story collection, <i>The R.X. Problem (The Adventures of Watts and Sherlock, Book 1)</i>.<br />
<br />
In this book which technically is a short story collection but has a narrative thread connecting all of the tales together, we have a Holmesian character (not Sherlock Holmes, though he is inspired  by the great detective) who becomes roommates with Dr. Watts, a wounded veteran who now has a portion of his body replaced with cybernetics — much better treatment than poor Dr. Watson received for his injury from Maiwand. After being discharged from combat, Watts must find a roommate, and he is connected with the mysterious Sherlock, a consulting detective from a Historic Colony (a village where people still live as if it is the Victorian time period), who now resides in the city.<br />
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<a href="http://www.wattsandsherlock.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhixmPbwMBC-ybRlLR916QykM_O53LG5stUqlJkyNCxWjcNSN52PJHc75BOEVyrE9im2Jbj0-LL4AmNfRrG3EMx6VLxmJMDg8JEdL3Awl5SpLoPLIkRUluzdu6mraci26PIAfo3gZqR4jpo/s400/Watts+Sherlock+RX+Problem.jpg" width="262" /></a></div>
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While the beginning of the story is a futuristic revision of the introductory chapters of <i>A Study in Scarlet</i>, once the mysteries begin, we are in all new adventures. A smart move on Ms. Magnusson's part. She sprinkles in connections to Doyle's adventures such as adding in Irregulars and a Lestrade stand-in with Detective Murphy, but the vision of this dystopian future in which corporations run what remains of the world and a vast wasteland is all that's left of the suburbs is entirely her own creation. We have traditional Holmes adventures grounded in this bleak futuristic world which makes for a great read. The overarching mystery connecting the stories together deals with a new highly addictive street drug known as "sunshine" and its connection to the supposedly benevolent R.X. corporation.<br />
<br />
The writing is quite good and rightly focuses on the development of the friendship between the two men. Sherlock is very much like Sherlock Holmes. When reading his voice, you can feel the Doyle connection. Watts is quite different from Dr. Watson. He is a gruff, no nonsense doctor jaded from his battle experience. I found his voice to be more like that of characters from Chandler than characters from Doyle, and that is not a criticism. He makes a nice bridge between the two worlds, save with one exception. At one point, Watts uses a vulgar expletive. It isn't necessarily out of character, but it did not seem to fit the book, and I almost saw Dr. Watson taking Watts to task for using such a term in his name. <br />
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My only other complaint is one that fits with most other cyberpunk books — the technology. It is difficult to find the right footing in a futuristic world and while some of the changes such as easily getting an arm replacement are visionary, they are juxtaposed with standard technology that feels like it too should be more advanced. In a world where people can literally plug into the Internet via connections in their arms, they are still using cell phones and sending text messages.  In a world where people can get a mechanical leg replacement at a local hospital or even in the black market, police still have to send DNA evidence away to a lab to get tested. It is a minor complaint, but it is one that took me out of the stories on a few occasions. The writing is of such high quality, however, that it did not take me long to be rapt in the tales again.<br />
<br />
On a different point, the story I found to be the absolute best in the collection was also the most traditional. "A Murder in the Colony," has Sherlock returning to his home historic colony and solving a murder that his father supposedly committed. It is not completely traditional. The new technology is important to the tale, but for the most part, the characters must only use what was available in the Victorian time period as well as their wits. The relationship between Sherlock and his parents is strained and we get glimpse into what made the man become the futuristic consulting detective.  Even if you are not a fan of anything non-traditional with Sherlock Holmes, I still recommend reading this collection if only for this story.  It is truly exceptional.<br />
<br />
I look forward to Katie Magnusson's next Watts and Holmes collection (the book ends with a sneak peek at the second volume), and I also hope she writes a traditional collection of Holmes tales as well.  She is a talented writer and can easily write for both worlds. <br />
<br />
<i>The R. X. Problem (The Adventures of Watts and Holmes Book 1)</i> is available as a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/R-X-Problem-Adventures-Watts-Sherlock/dp/1532929242/" target="_blank">paperback</a> and  an <a href="https://www.amazon.com/R-X-Problem-Adventures-Watts-Sherlock-ebook/dp/B01EAZN066/" target="_blank">ebook</a> on Amazon.  You can also visit the series' <a href="http://www.wattsandsherlock.com/" target="_blank">website</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";">Derrick Belanger is the author of the #1 bestselling book in its category <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="1519511957" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="9e2003200f68f2fe44eb4bcdd1a73f6d" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Peculiar Provenance" href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Adventure-Peculiar-Provenance/dp/1519511957/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=9e2003200f68f2fe44eb4bcdd1a73f6d&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_3292728" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Peculiar Provenance</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_3292728" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=9e2003200f68f2fe44eb4bcdd1a73f6d&_cb=1451973203084" style="border: none; height: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 0px;" width="0" />, which was in the top 200 bestselling books on Amazon. He also is the author of the MacDougall Twins with Sherlock Holmes books, the latest of which is <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B017862MVS" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="5293cce6e7483fecbc2d08a80a6fd7fa" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Curse of the Deadly Dinosaur" href="http://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Dinosaur-MacDougall-Sherlock-Holmes-ebook/dp/B017862MVS/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=5293cce6e7483fecbc2d08a80a6fd7fa&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_7842789" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Curse of the Deadly Dinosaur</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_7842789" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=5293cce6e7483fecbc2d08a80a6fd7fa&_cb=1451973247482" style="border: none; height: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 0px;" width="0" />, and he edited the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle horror anthology <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B00P4E8AVI" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="a71c0c4edf6b4a9c56848bf35d8b468a" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="A Study in Terror: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Revolutionary Stories of Fear and the Supernatural" href="http://www.amazon.com/Study-Terror-Revolutionary-Stories-Supernatural-ebook/dp/B00P4E8AVI/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=a71c0c4edf6b4a9c56848bf35d8b468a&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_5010397" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Study in Terror: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Revolutionary Stories of Fear and the Supernatural</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_5010397" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=a71c0c4edf6b4a9c56848bf35d8b468a&_cb=1451973259426" style="border: none; height: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 0px;" width="0" />. Mr. Belanger has recently started the publishing company <a href="http://www.belangerbooks.com/" target="_blank">Belanger Books</a> which released the Sherlock Holmes anthology <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Watson-Sherlock-Anthology-Stories/dp/1533202273/" target="_blank">Beyond Watson</a>. Derrick Belanger also is a frequent contributor to I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere. He resides in Colorado and continues compiling unpublished works by Dr. John H. Watson.</i><br />
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><br /></i>
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<i style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman";"><br /></i>

Review — The R.X. Problem (The Adventures of Watts and Sherlock Book 1)

"in which the future city was sketched out" [STUD] Sherlock Holmes and science-fiction have a surprisingly good relationshi...

+ Read more »

by Belanger Books

Episode 104: Sherlockians at Chautauqua

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"I had never heard of the institution" [GREE] </h4>
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Every four years, the Baker Street Irregulars, the New York-based literary society dedicated to studying Sherlock Holmes, arranges an excursion somewhere in the United States. These events happen outside of the usual BSI Weekend, and like the weekend itself, are open to all interested Sherlockians.<br />
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The first in 2004 took the group to Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania to the locales that inspired <i>The Valley of Fear</i>; then in 2008, the group went to Salt Lake City on the trail of <i>A Study in Scarlet</i>; in 2012, Los Angeles played host to a film-related conference. And in 2016, the group headed to the <a href="http://ciweb.org/" target="_blank">Chautauqua Institution</a> for "The Mind and Art of Sherlock Holmes."<br />
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And this time, we were there! We managed to not only listen to and see some wonderful presentations, but we gave one of our own on the future of our little publication. But in the meantime, we nabbed a few of the speakers and got their stories — stories that went beyond the presentations. We even have some audio (and video clips below) of Philip Carli at the piano during the silent showings of the William Gillette film and Eille Norwood shorts. We even have some breaking news on a newly-discovered silent Sherlock Holmes film — the last one ever produced, in 1929.<br />
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Join us to hear why this hobby is about more than the collective events and publications; it's about relationships.<br />
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<h3>
<b>Notes</b></h3>
1:36 Intro<br />
6:22 Sponsor: Wessex Press<br />
7:34 On the ground in Chautauqua<br />
9:12 Interview with computer science legend Alan Kay<br />
12:39 Bonnie MacBird talks about the Vernet family<br />
14:45 Glen Miranker takes us to the WWI trenches<br />
20:30 Henry Boote, Sherlockian entertainer<br />
24:09 Tim Greer on staging Sherlock Holmes<br />
29:12 Sponsor: <i>The Baker Street Journal</i><br />
31:22 Silent films<br />
34:30 Philip Carli at the piano during the Norwood films<br />
37:15 Russell Merritt talks about the silent films — and a newly discovered one!<br />
41:59 Philip Carli accompanies the Gillette film<br />
44:42 Jeffrey Hatcher on his inspiration for Holmesian screenwriting and playwriting<br />
53:12 Closing thoughts<br />
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Sponsors</h3>
This episode includes our two longtime sponsors and we thank them. Please support our sponsors by visiting their sites:<br />
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<a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/ihearofsherlock/ihearofsherlock104.mp3" target="_blank">Download</a> [Save As] | File size 26.5 MB, 57:32</h4>
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Links</h3>
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<li><a href="http://ciweb.org/">The Chautauqua Institution</a></li>
<li>Bonnie MacBird on <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose103">Episode 83: Art in the Blood</a></li>
<li>That <a href="https://flic.kr/p/7nAsnC">Moroccan table</a></li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eille_Norwood">Eille Norwood</a></li>
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Additional Images / Videos</h3>
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Episode 104: Sherlockians at Chautauqua

"I had never heard of the institution" [GREE] Every four years, the Baker Street Irregulars, the New York-based li...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

An Interview with the John H. Watson Society Treasure Hunt Master

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“This is treasure
trove indeed." [BLUE]</h4>
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Every August, online Sherlockians can count on the <a href="http://johnhwatsonsociety.com/treasure-hunt">John H. Watson Society Treasure Hunt</a>
taxing their knowledge of the sacred writings. 
Having just ended its fourth annual treasure hunt on September 1, we
interviewed “The Napoleon of Questions” behind the event, Margie Deck.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>I Hear of Sherlock
Everywhere: How did the John H. Watson Society Treasure Hunt get started?  Have you been associated with it since the
beginning?</b></h4>
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<b>Margie Deck:</b>
The Treasure Hunt, along with the John H. Watson Society as a whole, was the
brain-child of the late Don ‘Buttons’ Libey. He was a brilliant, enthusiastic,
friendly and kind man.  He conceived the
Treasure Hunt in 2013 as an individual competition. I read a posting he made at <i>Welcome
Holmes</i> about the society and the hunt. My first thoughts were that I wanted to give it a try, and, instead of
going it alone, I wanted to try it as part of a team made up of some of my Sherlockian
friends from <a href="http://soundofthebaskervilles.com/">The Sound of the Baskervilles</a>. I wrote to Buttons asking if the JHWS would consider adding a
team division to the hunt; he readily agreed. 
Our Sherlockian friendship began at that time, and I was fortunate to enjoy
working with him until his passing in early 2015. </div>
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The first Treasure Hunt was insanely difficult and
wonderfully entertaining. I have no idea
how many hours we worked on it but, in the end, the SOBs prevailed--and my SOB
team mate and best friend, Sheila Holtgrieve, and I were solidly hooked on the
process. I believe that first year two
teams and one individual, the very clever Denny Dobry of Reading, Pennsylvania,
<a href="http://johnhwatsonsociety.com/treasure-hunt/results">actually finished it</a>. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Buttons was posting a weekly quiz for the JHWS at that time.
Sheila and I started doing those each week in order to practice for the next
Treasure Hunt.  With Buttons’ urging, I began
a puzzle column for <i><a href="http://johnhwatsonsociety.com/the-watsonian">The Watsonian</a></i>; we discussed quizzing and the Treasure Hunt
process often.  Buttons wrote the 2014
edition of the hunt, and the SOBs earned High Honors that year as well.  <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In late December 2014, Buttons asked me to write the 2015
Treasure Hunt. I declined because I
wanted to be a contestant one more time, and, to be honest, I was a little
nervous about the whole idea. I made a commitment at that time to write the
2016 edition. When he passed away suddenly in March, it seemed only right that
I volunteer to write for 2015. He had previously asked me to do so, and I
wanted to help the JHWS continue. His
loss was a crushing blow for me personally and for the society. It literally
takes a dozen people to do all the tasks he took care of for JHWS. I miss him
every day.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I wrote the 2015 and the 2016 edition; I’m very proud of the
work. I like to think Buttons would be proud of it as well.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h4>
<b>IHOSE: How have you
seen the treasure hunt change over the years?</b></h4>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>MD:</b> The main
change has been the number of participants actually submitting an entry. We have doubled each year, and I’m hopeful
2016 will be our best year yet in number of competitors. One thing I have loved about the Treasure
Hunt is that it has been an international competition from the beginning.
Having teams from various countries makes our competition unique. In 2015, we
added teams from Canada and the UK to compete with our returning French, Italian
and American teams. This year we added
competitors from <a href="http://www.sherlockholmessociety.in/">The Sherlock Holmes Society of India</a>. I hope the growth
continues.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One change I
instituted is the scoring by points. Each question is, of course, one point unless it has more than one
element, and then each element has a point. I believe in the 2016 edition, questions range from one point to up to
four or five points. I added this simply
to make the hunt more competitive. Holmes said playing the game is its own reward but I think we still like
to win. The points help mix it up a bit.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The other changes in the hunt are in the writing process. Buttons
crafted his hunts with lengthy threads where one answer was required in order
to have the needed information to answer the next question.  The threads were good fun, but I made the decision
to not use them. His threads required
the use of a specific edition of the Canon due to the need for specific page
numbers and word counts. I thought we might have more competitors if any
edition of the Canon would suffice as a reference. Also, Buttons’ hunts required access to a
great deal of the scholarship, including the old and new series of <i><a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/">The Baker Street Journal</a></i> and <i>The Baker Street Miscellanea</i>. When I was a competitor, I did not have access
to those publications, and I found it difficult to work on the threads without
them at hand. So, again, I hoped to increase our numbers by not requiring that
access.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
However, I do want to honor the scholarship and I do include
some scholarship questions. When I write questions that require going outside
the Canon, I spend some time on the internet looking for the sought
answer. I do not use a question from
outside the Canon that I cannot find an answer for with an internet search of
some sort.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h4>
<b>IHOSE: Have you
already started working on next year's devilish questions yet?  How far in advance do you start?</b></h4>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>MD: </b>Actually, as
the plan is now, I will be a competitor again in 2017. The amazing Michele Lopez of the <a href="http://www.unostudioinholmes.org/homepage.htm">Uno Studio in Holmes</a> of Italy has
agreed to be Treasure Hunt Master next year. He is a driving force within the Sherlockian community in Italy, and his
team scored High Honors in the 2015 Treasure Hunt, and Honors in 2014. He has written some of the weekly quizzes at
JHWS and I know he is going to be a terrific hunt master.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Asking Michele to write next year’s hunt was my idea; I
think all volunteer organizations need a healthy spirit of rotation in order to
thrive. Taking a break should help my
creative process and keep my question writing from becoming stale; it is also
good to be reminded what it is like to be a competitor. I hope to come back as Treasure Hunt Master
in 2018, or 2019, depending on how things work out.  Should something go awry with our plan, I
will write in 2017 if needed. Hopefully,
I will have plenty of notice as it does take some time to craft the questions. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In 2015, I did not know until March, of course, that I
needed to write the hunt, so I had from March 15 to July 31. I finished the final draft about July 20<sup>th</sup>. For 2016, I knew that I had a year to
prepare.  I started drafting ideas in
October, and writing questions in earnest in January; the final draft was
complete around July 1. For my writing
process, I need about six months. I do
not know how long it took Buttons to write the first hunt; I know he did the
second one in a month. I would not be
able to do it in a month.  But then, he
had read the Canon from beginning to end every single year for thirty
consecutive years. He knew his Holmes
and Watson.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The time it takes to finish somewhat depends on the time my
proof reader has available to work with me. 
While I believe Buttons worked alone, I do not want to.  For 2015, my friend, the very astute Melissa Anderson
of the Peoria-based <a href="http://www.sherlockpeoria.net/Hansom_pages/Hansomsmain.html">Hansoms of John Clayton</a>, worked with me, and in 2016, my SOB teammate Sheila Holtgrieve and
I were back working together.   <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h4>
<b>IHOSE: Can you
describe the question making process for us?</b></h4>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>MD: </b>For me, the
first step is, oddly enough, the last question. “What is the treasure for the year?” must be answered first. Once that question is sorted, I spend a great
deal of time just reading. When
something seems interesting to me, I make a note, and then go back to
reading. Like most people I know, I have
a stack of Sherlockian books in the house. I open one at random, read a few paragraphs,
make a few notes, close it, pickup another one and do the same thing. Before long, I have a stack of notes about
things I found interesting from different sources. I take those topics to the Canon, and start
searching for the applicable parts of the stories. I often get side-tracked. I will be reading a story, looking for one
thing based on the notes I made, find something else more interesting, and
start working on it. Once I am clear on the idea for the question, then I start
working on the wording. The question
must not be too easy but it must be answerable. This year I chose a quote from the Canon for the theme, and then crafted
the questions in a manner that reflected the theme.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once I have some questions written, I share them with my
proof-reader. Besides the standard
check-for-grammar-typing-spelling-errors, I ask my helper to apply a three-part
assessment to each question:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<ol>
<li>When you read the question, do you understand what you
are being asked to find? </li>
<li>Do you see something in the wording that gives you a clue
as to where to begin to look for an answer?</li>
<li>Does the answer I have seem appropriate for the question
as written?</li>
</ol>
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If the helper cannot answer yes to each of the three
questions, then I re-write it until she can. One question this year was re-written at least six times. Sheila went one step farther this year and
drafted some question ideas as well; while she didn’t actually write questions,
her ideas were very helpful. Being a
three-year veteran of the hunt, she has some mad quizzing skills and I trust
her instincts. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I have 100 questions written, I read the document out
loud to see if it actually flows. Reading aloud engages a different part of the brain than reading
silently; Sheila and I read it aloud in June, and found two errors that had
been on the thing for months that our eyes simply didn’t ‘see.’ It is an interesting process. I like that you used the word ‘devilish’ when
referring to the questions. As a matter
of fact, Sheila referred to them the same way. I have no idea why I can write them that way.  I just can.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h4>
<b>IHOSE: What was your
inspiration for the mixture questions that were added to this year's hunt?</b></h4>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>MD: </b>The mixtures
idea came from the quote used for the theme—“…that mixture of imagination and
reality which is the basis of my art…”  I was telling someone about the chosen theme, and I said “Here, I go.
I’m going to mix things up,” and the idea for the structure just popped into my
head.  <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h4>
<b>IHOSE: Sherlockian
research and mentions of Holmes in other writer's works have appeared in
questions from time to time.  How far do
you allow yourself to stray from the Canon when making the questions?</b></h4>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>MD: </b>As I’ve noted
before in this discussion, I want to honor the scholarship in a few questions,
and occasionally something really interesting relating to Holmes and Watson
will pop up in another, non-Sherlockian text. When I find something I would like to use, I use Google, or a similar
search engine to see if I can arrive at the information online. If I can, then I start working with the
information to craft a question. If I am
directly quoting another writer, I try to make it very clear so the treasure
hunter can see that he or she has the option of searching for those exact
words. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h4>
<b>IHOSE: Have you had
any upset participants when a ruling didn't go in their favor?</b></h4>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>MD: </b>My experience
has always been positive. Actually I
think the only person ever even a tiny bit snappy about the Treasure Hunt was <i>me</i>; I was fussy with Buttons about a
certain question pertaining to a proper noun in 2014. If anyone were to be
grumpy with me, I would probably write it off to “third-week fatigue” and just
go on. That was certainly the case with
me, Buttons, and that proper noun. I understand it.  I have yet to have a truly rotten experience
with a Sherlockian about anything.  </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For those of us that read <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose56" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Brad Keefauver</a>’s blog at <i><a href="http://sherlockpeoria.blogspot.com/">Sherlock Peoria</a></i>, we know that he has had some opinions about the Treasure Hunt,
and, last year, he wrote a piece calling me out a bit for going too far to help
someone with a question about the Treasure Hunt. His words were blunt but he was absolutely
right. I appreciate the honesty.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h4>
<b>IHOSE: What is your
favorite Canonical story?</b></h4>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>MD: </b>Most of the
time, my favorite is "Charles Augustus Milverton," but I like "The Adventure of the Dying Detective" quite a bit, and I have a soft spot
for "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle." I guess that means that I am
unable to name just one. I can tell you
that "The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone" is my least favorite, except for that one line about Watson never
failing to play the game. Love that!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h4>
<b>IHOSE: The John H.
Watson Society Treasure Hunt is available all over the world because of online
communication.  What are your thoughts on
the rise of online Sherlockiana?</b></h4>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>MD: </b>In 2003 I
discovered the online group <i>Welcome
Holmes</i>, and it changed my life. 
Talking with Sherlockians from everywhere became an integral part of my
life; when I moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2006, I joined The Sound of the
Baskervilles, and added the fellowship of a local group. I would not want to give up either way of
having Sherlockian friends.<br />
<br />
Now, ten
years later, online communication has exploded and it seems quaint to think
there was a time it wasn’t available. Since BBC Sherlock became a force on the net, I feel happily
over-whelmed by it all. I’ve given up trying to keep up, and as a tiny fish in
vast ocean, I enjoy what comes my way and do not worry too much about the
rest. I have never really enjoyed
Sherlockian pastiche and therefore I tend to pass up the fanfic, and I don’t
participate in Facebook, so I miss a lot. I have made some lasting, wonderful friendships online and I’m grateful
for that. I understand there are some
dust-ups online from time to time between various mind-sets about what
constitutes being a Sherlockian. I stay
out of the fray. I think online
Sherlockiana is a blessing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
[<i>Editor's note:</i> follow Margie on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/pawkypuzzler" target="_blank">@pawkypuzzler</a>]<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h4>
<b>IHOSE:  Is there anything else you would like to share with
the I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere readers about the John H. Watson Society or
its treasure hunt?</b></h4>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>MD: </b>I appreciate
your time and attention. I hope you will consider forming a Treasure Hunt team
next year. Or perhaps joining The John H
Watson Society—the publications are amazing. 
Or both!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcHsdXK7BpIFLm-EiZ_IAMPSMg1vNvRjONuCm08hVMnz1Xw6nTwq79zmRf_rUEO-hP4YpuCDluIWo9LPbaX6U2rpAcXvMSithFU9iiA8_Oiei21_O9kBsFRm21T5MNlKjLpTmCanQOdarU/s1600/Magie+Deck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="624" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcHsdXK7BpIFLm-EiZ_IAMPSMg1vNvRjONuCm08hVMnz1Xw6nTwq79zmRf_rUEO-hP4YpuCDluIWo9LPbaX6U2rpAcXvMSithFU9iiA8_Oiei21_O9kBsFRm21T5MNlKjLpTmCanQOdarU/s640/Magie+Deck.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Margie Deck</b> is a
member of The Sound of the Baskervilles and The John H. Watson Society. She also volunteers for <a href="http://www.sherlock-seattle.org/">Sherlock Seattle</a>.  She has been interested in Holmes since 2003, and active in Sherlockian societies since 2006.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.johnhwatsonsociety.com/" target="_blank">The John H. Watson Society</a> was established in 2013 and is
always seeking new members at all stages of involvement in Watsonian,
Sherlockian and Holmesian interests.  Their
publication, <i>The Watsonian</i>, is
published on a bi-annual basis.  The
society also publishes members’ longer works as part of their <a href="http://johnhwatsonsociety.com/product-category/publications/fiction-series">Fiction Series</a> and <a href="http://johnhwatsonsociety.com/product-category/publications/monograph-series">Monograph Series</a>.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
--<br />
<br /></div>

An Interview with the John H. Watson Society Treasure Hunt Master

“This is treasure trove indeed." [BLUE] Every August, online Sherlockians can count on the John H. Watson Society Treasure Hun...

+ Read more »

by Rob Nunn

Petr Kopl's Sherlock Holmes — A Review

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</div>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"...with the same feverish animation as before" [DYIN]</h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVd0S3BNoIKE5Ir6m2nDXDW5zMtVy7eAwl2kOLcAX67KCClQxzXmf_B1aZfTDUtfeda7AvynK7VTlrT4DBcwtt9hhPc84L3DW8i_1evGwxd7J6zIKLle6W3fcrdtjkIaPCpX6OpX_qRhQs/s1600/kopl02_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVd0S3BNoIKE5Ir6m2nDXDW5zMtVy7eAwl2kOLcAX67KCClQxzXmf_B1aZfTDUtfeda7AvynK7VTlrT4DBcwtt9hhPc84L3DW8i_1evGwxd7J6zIKLle6W3fcrdtjkIaPCpX6OpX_qRhQs/s640/kopl02_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Graphic novel and comic book adaptations of Sherlock Holmes often use canon as a departure point, crafting unique tales that create a properly Victorian atmosphere of high drama.<br />
<br />
Czech artist <a href="http://www.petrkopl.cz/" target="_blank">Petr Kopl's</a> adaptations of <b>"<a href="http://mxpublishing.com/product/9781780926803/A+Scandal+In+Bohemia+%E2%80%93+A+Sherlock+Holmes+Graphic+Novel" target="_blank">A Scandal In Bohemia</a>"</b> and <b><i><a href="http://mxpublishing.com/product/9781780927237/The+Hound+of+The+Baskervilles++%E2%80%93+A+Sherlock+Holmes+Graphic+Novel" target="_blank">The Hound of the Baskervilles</a></i></b> (both translated by Paul and Jana Simpson and released by MX Publishing) are a rare breed of pastiche: integrating the Canon and other Victorian-era references into a great mix that make for an astoundingly fun read.<br />
<br />
One of Kopl's strengths in both novels is his reliance on the original Sherlock Holmes stories to guide his storytelling, making these novels feel very Holmesian in spirit. (It's no wonder that the <a href="http://www.sherlockholmes.cz/" target="_blank">Czech Society of Sherlock Holmes</a> granted him an honorary membership in 2000). His adaptation of <b>A Scandal in Bohemia</b> manages to integrate <a href="http://sherlockholmes.stanford.edu/readings2.html" target="_blank">"The Adventure of the Speckled Band"</a> seamlessly, making it part of the overall story without any artificiality. Although seemingly the most retold Holmes tale in the canon, Kopl's adaptation of <b><i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i></b> manages a pitch-perfect atmosphere of brooding horror and malevolence.<br />
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<br />
What makes both of Kopl's Holmes adaptations work is a strong sense of wit. Despite the slightly exaggerated quality of his art, Kopl never plays his Holmes and Watson strictly for laughs...although there are some legitimately laugh-out-loud moments. Kopl also integrates many clever references to other Victorian literary figures such as Phineas Fogg and a familiar character who got on the wrong train. (To say more would be spoiling). There is only one false note - an appearance by a more fantastic Victorian-era character - but otherwise these are spectacular works of Sherlockian lore.<br />
<br />
(Note: Kopl indicates that these two novels are part of a larger series narrative; however, both of these work very well as stand-alone reads. The third in the series—not reviewed for this article—is "<a href="http://mxpublishing.com/product/9781780928357/The+Final+Problem+%E2%80%93+A+Sherlock+Holmes+Graphic+Novel" target="_blank">The Final Problem</a>").<br />
<br />
With many artists and writers crafting graphic novel adaptations of the canon, there is a diverse range of works for Sherlockian scholars and fans to enjoy. Petr Kopl's "<b>A Scandal In Bohemia"</b> and <b><i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i></b> are excellent starting points).<br />
<br />
All three of these Holmesian adaptations are available from <a href="http://mxpublishing.com/product/9781780926803/A+Scandal+In+Bohemia+%E2%80%93+A+Sherlock+Holmes+Graphic+Novel" target="_blank">MX Publishing</a>.<br />
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As a bonus, here's a video of Petr Kopl at work on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9oXwBXDf-k" target="_blank">a portrait of Sherlock Holmes</a>.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T9oXwBXDf-k?rel=0" width="640"></iframe><br /></div>
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<i>Special thanks to Robert Skel for his assistance in acquiring review copies</i><br />
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Petr Kopl's Sherlock Holmes — A Review

"...with the same feverish animation as before" [DYIN] Graphic novel and comic book adaptations of Sherlock Holmes often us...

+ Read more »

by Gordon D

Episode 103: Coupling with Sherlock Holmes — Al & Julie Rosenblatt

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"they were said to be a most united couple." [DANC] </h4>
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You might call them the first couple of the Baker Street Irregulars. Albert ("Inspector Bradstreet") and Julia ("Mrs. Turner") Rosenblatt have graced the Sherlockian scenes as a couple since the early 1970s.<br />
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We had a chance to visit them at their home in New York, where we heard about a little girl named Margie and an unrelated trip to Meiringen were responsible for sparking the interest that led to so many amazing things.<br />
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From arranging the quinquennial Sherlockian dinners at the Culinary Institute of America with Master Chef Fritz Sonnenschmidt, BSI ("Simpson's") to writing <i>Dining with Sherlock Holmes</i>, and providing us with the BSI year-in-review in verse and a second generation Sherlockian, Al and Julie have been sparking plugs for many others. <br />
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Join us to hear why this hobby is about more than the collective events and publications; it's about relationships.<br />
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We thank Mary Miller for her ongoing and generous support of our program on <a href="http://patreon.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">Patreon</a>. Won't you be part of this ongoing success story?<br />
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<h3>
<b>Notes</b></h3>
1:36 Intro<br />
2:55 Listener comments<br />
7:33 Your comments, please<br />
9:35 Sponsor: The Wessex Press<br />
10:38 Meet Al and Julie Rosenblatt<br />
12:37 We have Margie to thank for Julie's first meeting with Sherlock Holmes<br />
14:10 Al's first meeting with Sherlock Holmes and a trip to Meirengen<br />
16:15 The Baker Street Irregulars come onto the scene<br />
18:23 Julie's educational efforts<br />
20:00 Sherlock Holmes and the law, including retired Sherlockians sitting in for fun<br />
22:30 Betsy, their Sherlockian progeny<br />
24:51 Al and Betsy begin their BSI Weekend in verse partnership<br />
29:00 The Venn diagram of a Sherlockian couple<br />
30:42 The beginnings of the Culinary Institute dinners<br />
36:57 The cookbook<br />
38:13 Master Chef Fritz Sonnenschmidt is on the scene<br />
44:52 Splitting attention between the BSI and ASH<br />
47:39 Memories of Julian Wolff<br />
50:03 Sponsor: <i>The Baker Street Journal</i><br />
51:45 A conversation with Julian about the difference between fact and fiction<br />
53:30 Women in the BSI<br />
1:00:25 Julie receives her investiture and the pair becomes the first entry in the Florin Society<br />
1:05:30 Non-Sherlockian interests and what's next<br />
1:10:00 It started with Sherlock Holmes, but now it's about friendship<br />
1:11:02 Final remarks</div>
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Sponsors</h3>
This episode includes our two longtime sponsors and we thank them. Please support our sponsors by visiting their sites:<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.wessexpress.com/" target="_blank">Wessex Press</a>, where you can find such books as <i>Sherlock Holmes, Conan Doyle and The Bookman</i>. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/" target="_blank"><i>The Baker Street Journal</i></a>, where relationships are discovered and rediscovered. </li>
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Would you care to become a sponsor? You can find <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/p/contact.html#.Vc1Qx7JViko" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">more information here</a>.</div>
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<a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/ihearofsherlock/ihearofsherlock103.mp3" target="_blank">Download</a> [Save As] | File size 35.2 MB, 1:16:44</h4>
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Links</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.ciachef.edu/" target="_blank">The Culinary Institute of America</a></li>
<li><i><a href="https://affiliates.abebooks.com/c/2670720/77416/2029?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.abebooks.com%2Fservlet%2FSearchResults%3Fsts%3Dt%26cm_sp%3DSearchF-_-home-_-Results%26ref_%3Dsearch_f_hp%26tn%3DDining%2520with%2520Sherlock%2520Holmes%253A%2520A%2520Baker%2520Street%2520cookbook%26an%3DRosenblatt" target="_blank">Dining With Sherlock Holmes</a></i></li>
<li><a href="https://www.ciachef.edu/grad-speaker-fritz-sonnenschmidt/" target="_blank">Fritz Sonnenschmidt</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2013/12/special-episode-free-sherlock.html" target="_blank">Betsy Rosenblatt, BSI</a> ("Lucy Ferrier")</li>
<li><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Opening-Statements-Jurisprudence-Legacy-Dutch/dp/1438446578/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1472566454&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Opening Statements: Law, Jurisprudence, and the Legacy of Dutch New York</a></i></li>
</ul>
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Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email (comment AT ihearofsherlock DOT com), call us at (774) 221-READ (7323).<br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">--</span></div>

Episode 103: Coupling with Sherlock Holmes — Al & Julie Rosenblatt

"they were said to be a most united couple." [DANC] You might call them the first couple of the Baker Street Irregulars....

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by Scott Monty

Remembering Gene Wilder

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"in Mr. Wilder's absence" [PRIO]</h4>
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Gene Wilder has passed away at the age of 83, <a href="http://variety.com/2016/film/news/gene-wilder-dead-dies-willie-wonka-young-frankenstein-1201846745/" target="_blank">according to Variety</a>.</div>
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He was a legendary comedic actor, and his roles took him from the ridiculous (Leo Bloom in Mel Brooks' film <i>The Producers</i>) to the sublime (the lead in <i>Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory</i>). His association with Mr. Brooks spanned such other comedies as <i>Blazing Saddles</i> and <i>Young Frankenstein</i>, which have both reached legendary status.</div>
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The success of those films led Wilder to write and direct his own, including the less-than-acclaimed <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3Awaa0D" target="_blank">The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother</a> </i>in 1975. In this spoof, he starred as Sigerson Holmes, the youngest of the three Holmes brothers, who was eternally jealous of Sherlock's success. Marty Feldman co-starred as Orville Sacker (an homage to Ormond Sacker, the original name Sir Arthur Conan Doyle planned to give Watson). They met under the following circumstances:</div>
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001204/?ref_=tt_trv_qu">Orville</a>: Are you Mister S., for Sigerson, Holmes?<br />
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000698/?ref_=tt_trv_qu">Sigerson Holmes</a>: Perhaps.<br />
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001204/?ref_=tt_trv_qu">Orville</a>: Do you have a brother whose first name is Sherlock?<br />
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000698/?ref_=tt_trv_qu">Sigerson Holmes</a>: I do not.<br />
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001204/?ref_=tt_trv_qu">Orville</a>: You do have a brother?<br />
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000698/?ref_=tt_trv_qu">Sigerson Holmes</a>: I do.<br />
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001204/?ref_=tt_trv_qu">Orville</a>: Might I inquire as to his first name?<br />
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000698/?ref_=tt_trv_qu">Sigerson Holmes</a>: "Sheer luck."</blockquote>
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It's not the greatest of Sherlock Holmes films — not by a long shot — but it's one in the pantheon of hundreds of movies about the great detective. And it's the one through which Gene Wilder left his mark (and his passing knowledge of the Canon, incidentally).<br />
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The film also starred Madeline Kahn and Dom Deluise, with Leo McKern as Professor Moriarty. Nicholas Smith of <i>Are You Being Served?</i> fame appeared as the landlord, and <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2015/12/nicholas-smith-had-two-sherlock-holmes.html#.V8SVrpgrLb0" target="_blank">passed away last December</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div>And of course, Thorley Walters and Douglas Wilmer made cameo appearances as Dr. Watson and Sherlock Holmes. <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2016/03/remembering-douglas-wilmer-bsi.html#.V8SVrpgrLb0" target="_blank">We also remembered Wilmer</a> after he passed away earlier this year.</div>
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With Wilder's death, all of the principal actors in <i>Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother</i> have now left the stage.</div>
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R.I.P. Gene Wilder (1933-2016)<br />
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Remembering Gene Wilder

"in Mr. Wilder's absence" [PRIO] Gene Wilder has passed away at the age of 83, according to Variety . He was a lege...

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by Scott Monty

Jay Finley Christ — An Old Irregular

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"His name is still honoured." [3GAR]</h4>
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Somebody asked me a question the other day about Jay Finley Christ, BSI ("The Final Problem"), a Sherlockian whose immense contributions to scholarship (and fun) are by no means forgotten more than 50 years after his death. The Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopedia has <a href="https://www.arthur-conan-doyle.com/index.php?title=Jay_Finley_Christ" target="_blank">an extensive survey of his life and work</a>, including the observation that "He is mostly famous for having created <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2015/02/canonical-abbreviations-no-short.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the system of abbreviations which shorten in 4 letters the titles of 60 Sherlock Holmes stories</a>." <br />
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He was also the author of much good-natured Sherlockian writing, including a number of poems, among them "<a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2009/08/in-vaults-thor_21.html#.V7fSxpgrLb0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Old Tin Box</a>" (about Holmes's unpublished cases), issued as a pamphlet in 1946, and "The Story I Like Best," published in the <i><a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/" target="_blank">Baker Street Journal</a></i> in 1947, with this quatrain that I have quoted in more than one context:<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">  Good Sherlock took full many a crook</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">In Adventures beyond compare;</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">And the best of the lot is the crafty plot</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Of the man with the flaming hair.</span></blockquote>
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There was also "The Song of Hiawatson" in 1956, a mashup of Sherlock Holmes with Longfellow's "Hiawatha," which perhaps was more widely known then than it is sixty years later.<br />
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Christ was a Chicagoan, recruited into the ranks of the Hounds of the Baskerville [sic] by Vincent Starrett himself. He was a professor of business administration at the University of Chicago for many years, and moved in the city's literary circles as well. Some of his works of Sherlockian scholarship, chronology and reflection appeared under his own name, some under the nom-de-plume of J. A. Finch.<br />
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The debt we owe him is not just for the four-letter abbreviations, but for his invention of Sherlockian reference works, specifically the <i>Irregular Guide to Sherlock Holmes of Baker Street</i>, published in 1947, for which the abbreviations were devised. Though a bit eccentric, like Sherlock Holmes's own good old index, the <i>Irregular Guide</i> is still one of the reference books to which I turn most often — when, for example, I want to find all the mentions of weather in the canonical tales, or all the references to boxers' ears. <br />
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Jay Finley Christ retired in 1950 and settled in Michigan City, Indiana, where he cranked up his Sherlockian production for the remaining 13 years of his life. He read and wrote in a little outbuilding — a man-cave, we would call it now — which his widow, Maud Christ, described later: "Jay built it all himself, even the fireplace, and put 221B over the door. Here he spent the happiest hours of his life."<br />
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I was just becoming a Sherlockian when he died, in December 1963, so I never communicated with him, but a little later I did have some correspondence with Maud Christ, who kindly sent me some souvenirs of the great man. Most interesting among them was a little tin, or at least steel, box containing several dozen 35-millimeter slides that he had made, presumably for some of the non-credit Sherlockian lectures. They were clumsy by today's graphic standards, photographed mostly in black and white from print material, and sandwiched in glass, but they included some classic images. They are now in the <a href="http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/books-video-music/specialized-collections/literature-genre-doyle.jsp" target="_blank">Arthur Conan Doyle Collection at the Toronto Public Library</a>.<br />
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Later, I was able to acquire a real collectible: Christ's copies of the three-and-a-quarter volumes of the old series <i>Baker Street Journal</i>. He had had them bound in blue cloth, with his name ("J. F. Christ") stamped in gold on the spine, and I continue to refer to them regularly. <br />
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Unexpectedly, those volumes provide a window into the sad story of how the Baker Street Journal began bravely but later faltered, amid the financial woes of the publisher, Ben Abramson. It had been Christ's habit to note on each issue the date when it reached Michigan City, so that volume 1 number 1 is inked "Recd Feb 8, 1946". Volume 2, number 1, was slower to appear — "Posted 2/20 Recd 3/1/47" — and volume 3, number 1 did not show up until March 20 of 1948. After that, as the Journal's schedule slipped and eventually petered out, Christ made no more such notes.<br />
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<i>Image credit: <a href="https://www.arthur-conan-doyle.com/index.php?title=File:Jay-finley-christ2.jpg" target="_blank">The Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopedia</a></i><br />
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