Take A Bow

No!  Not The Antiquated Social Gesture -
 - although you'll all have to learn it once I take over the world.  "Here comes the Supreme Dictator!  All present must bow!" will be the incantation from my massed bodyguard of Music Police, and if you omit the gesture or aren't quick enough then Why!  my Very Heavily Armed And Extremely Cross Police will have a word with you.
     "Er, quite, Conrad," I hear you quietly muse.  "So now we know what it's not about, tonight.  What is it about?"
     This.  Art?

NO!  Art -

     - that whining sound is my gigavolt Tazer charging up -

I'm still going to shock him

     Ah, there we go.  Bows and arrows, toxophily and this leads inevitably onto -

"Archer"
This is an animated series from the Fx channel, and it is most definitely not for kids. O boy and how, what with the nudity, violence, swearing and sexual innuendo.  It's set during the Cold War and focuses on ISIS (an acronym that had fewer connotations seven years back), a South Canadian spy organisation, and Sterling Archer, employee.
     Archer is, to be blunt, an utter douchebag, with mother issues, as she runs ISIS.

Sterling being all cool and lethal bizzle

     He still lusts after his ex, Lana, who is now partnered by the desperately clingy Cyril.  Variously hindered or helped by the backroom staff -

Ray, Archer, Cyril, Carol, Lana, Pam and Krieger

    - thank you Art, he might be a 24-carat toerag but he and the show are extremely funny.
     What was even more interesting was hearing it being described by one of the producers, Casey Willis, on a podcast.  It originates from the creators of Frisky Dingo and Sealab and 90% of what you see is written by Adam Reed.  From a group of 8 staff who'd worked together for 12 years they suddenly jumped to 40 when Archer began, and by Season 6 totalled 75 people.  Naturally this upped the bills and budgets and Casey remained a little coy about overall costs, but did reveal that an episode of Season 6 cost $200,000 more than an episode of Season 1.  This is partially explained by the 3 weeks it takes to create an episode: first comes the script, then a storyboard, which goes to the illustrators, and then to the voiceovers before getting animated and finally edited*.

Okay, hold onto your chapeau, because remember the bow and arrow and archers?  This leads into -

"Rocket Robin Hood"
One of those things that crop up in your humble scribe's mind from time to time.  Is it real?  Am I raving?  Is it real but I'm raving anyway? - don't answer that question!
     No, it's real.  Or, yes, it's real.  Art?

Quality.  This hasn't got any.

     Not simply real, they made 52 episodes of it, and Conrad seems to remember seeing a couple when he was a lot smaller and saner.  I don't recall ever seeing it since the early Seventies, so perhaps you had to be there and it was a thing of it's time.  Compare and contrast with "Archer" for an entertaining thirty seconds.

See?  Bow and arrow

Fun With Statistics
Woohoo.  SIT BACK DOWN!  This is interesting, really.  I don't like that glazed look that comes over your slack-jawed faces when I threaten to post blog traffic stats, this matters a lot to me, the least you lot could do is show a little enthusiasm.
     No, a slow handclap is not appropriate - oh, that buzzing noise is my Tazer, charging up -
     See, you can look interested!  Art?

EXTRA LARGE for extra clarity.  No, no, don't thank me

     We have now hit over 35K, and yet at this time of year back in 2014 Conrad was expostulating wildly at having nearly hit 3K.  So some of you out there are still human, because if you were all these Things - Ooops, no, sorry, that's "The Thing", isn't it?  Sorry, I meant some of you out there are still reading, which is almost the same as being human.  I think**.
     Then there was a Comment that had been added, Art?

Exactly.  Wait, what?

     Quite what connection "Climan Transportation" has to a blog created by an alien spy wearing human camouflage is beyond me.  Especially since they work out of Canada.  A bit far to charter their services, doncha think?
     Also, I fear Derek undervalues the Titan missile.  One of these (admittedly elderly) babies packed all the explosive used in the Second Unpleasantness, three times over.  Wherever it landed was going to have the Ultimate Bad Hair Day -

Finally -
Conrad.  All the pens, all the time.

ALL THE PENS!
ALL THE TIME!

     And having created that, I shall retire for tonight.


*  Conrad prefers it by far to "Bob's Burgers".  There.  Said it.
** I hope.