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CURRENT MODFATHER OBSESSIONS
1.) Being a renowned intellectual, the Modfather is often asked "What books have you read lately?" by arch and frosty types unlikely to consider the latest issue of "Entertainment Weekly" a book.  "Important" comic books are presumably only a half-step up from magazines on the respectability scale, but boy, have I found a good one: James Kochalka's Superf*ckers, a brilliant, over-the-top, good-naturedly obscene and hilarious riff on the superhero team conceit. The breakout star of the show is substitute team leader Jack Krak (pictured directly below, offering his critical appraisal of this website), whose brio, vulgarity and pathos blend in a way that's irresistible and shockingly endearing.

2.) What happens when vintage restaurant ware meets Brokeback Mountain?  If you find any of this Syracuse pattern, originally manufactured for a Billings, MT joint, please let The Modfather know.

INVENTORY UPDATED AUGUST 2010
Recent finds include a very rare (and super cute) Russel Wright "Karate Kids" Sterling polynesian teapot, a hard-to-find loop-handled Stangl "Carnival" carafe, and a couple of nice Eva Zeisel Hallcraft pieces: a Century Fern 4-part relish, and a Tomorrow's Classic gravy & ladle in the Arizona pattern.

RED (WING) HERRING
I wonder which of the "Mad Men" worked on these 2 vintage TV Guide advertisements for Red Wing Potteries.  Not sure of the dates, but I am guessing late 1960s, perhaps just before the kilns shut down for good.  Notice a key difference between the two with regard to the promotion?  Desperate times, desperate measures.

JACKED BAUER
Just about a year ago, Bauer of California launched a reissue of some American Modern shapes; collectors were enthusiastic, but leery after the Oneida fiasco a few years ago. Like Oneida, Bauer felt compelled to include a bastard coffee mug, which is no doubt the harbinger of reissue line failure. The most obvious problem? Original vintage AM pieces are actually cheaper than their new Bauer counterparts, ouch. But the new pieces are much more durable, right?  According to Bauer's own FAQ, this new pottery achieves its bright color by being low-fired, "which means that it has a greater tendency to chip," double ouch. Last month, Bauer announced the production of the pitcher and tumblers in "traditional Bauer colors" (including traffic cone orange, apparently).    

LINENS & THINGS
RW devotee Gary Maurer and his lovely wife Laura have finally published their long-promised text on Wright's tablecloth work. The Modfather has yet to receive his promotional copy, but you can get yours here.

GOD REST YE MERRY GENTLEMAN
Here's a nifty belated Xmas card created by you know who. Given the message, it must date back to 1955, the year of the I.C.A. overseas assignment: COVER / INSIDE / BACK