LABJ’s LA Stories
Dribble Drawings
Want to get a new view of Lakers forward Shaquille O’Neal? Wonder what other players think about him?
If so, Los Angeles-based Tokyopop Inc. has something for you. The L.A.-based publisher of manga (Japanese-style comic books) recently signed a deal with the National Basketball Association to feature marquee basketball players in a new series called NBA Sports Manga. The series features O’Neal, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan and Jason Kidd.
“You’ve seen books on Shaq,” said Jod Kaftan, the series editor. “That’s not the most original way of telling the story.”
Each book features pages of the athlete’s special moves and pictures of other NBA players commenting. It’s more of a basketball thing than a comic book thing, though.
“It’s not necessarily a core manga fan’s product,” said Kaftan. “It’s breaking out of the niche.”
Andrew Simons
It’s Time
A decade has passed since they took a licking, and the hands of time above Santa Monica are once again ticking.
After a $75,000 repair job, the four timepieces atop the 12-story Crocker Bank building are marking the minutes after being frozen in place for 10 years following the Northridge earthquake.
The 1929 clocks are now linked to a satellite system that keeps them accurate, said Turner Smith, project manager.
“It’s all high-tech and computerized on the inside now,” Smith said. “But the structure you see from the street is all original.”
The 75-year-old building on Santa Monica Boulevard between Fourth Street and the Third Street Promenade has gone through a $1.6 million seismic retrofit and more than $6 million in rehabilitation, said Kevin Green, managing partner of 225 Santa Monica Associates, which owns the building. Green said the clock faces will be backlit at night.
“This is going to be a nice fixture for the Santa Monica community.”
Andy Fixmer
Dam Security
Hoover Dam is being protected by a Valencia company’s not-so-secret counter-terrorism device.
Delta Scientific Corp. is publicizing its DSC501, a big rectangle of steel that hydraulically lifts out of the ground to block a truck bomb from getting close to its target.
Asked why the company is letting terrorists know about the device, Scott Altizer, high security systems applications engineer at Delta, said “That’s a good question.”
Dam officials wanted to get the word out, he said, while some of their other clients keep silent on security measures.
“For the Hoover Dam, they gave us a list of things they wanted us to mention to let the bad guys know they’re protected,” Altizer said.
Delta’s steel shield is set in a foundation 18 inches deep and can be raised in about 1.5 seconds. The barrier is certified to stop a 15,000-pound vehicle traveling at 50 miles per hour, but Altizer said it could stop a 20,000-pound vehicle at 70 miles per hour.
The devices are used at military bases, nuclear power plants, embassies and oil refineries. The J. Paul Getty Museum is among Delta’s local clients.
Karey Wutkowski
Ruins Revived
After a $250,000 makeover funded by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the historic Campo de Cahuenga site near Universal Studios re-opened last month.
The site has been under construction since about 1995, when the MTA discovered relics of the old adobe building while building the Red Line subway station at Universal City. Archaeologists refurbished the walls and foundation of the original building, where General Andres Pico and Lt. Col. John C. Fremont signed the 1847 Treaty of Cahuenga ending hostilities between California and Mexico and furthering the United States’ westward expansion.
Guy Weddington McCreary, chairman of the Campo de Cahuenga Historic Memorial Association, said about 30 people visit each Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“We figure with the subway there, and Universal there eventually thousands of people could come to this site,” he said.
Amanda Bronstad
The Roving Eye
A Billboard a Day
For the sweeps three times a year November, February and May KABC (Channel 7) goes the extra mile for Oprah, changing 20 billboards each day to promote the next day’s guest on the star’s afternoon talk show.
The operation takes on the precision of a well-oiled machine, as workers fan out across the city at around 2 p.m. to paste teasers on the billboards for the next day’s show, which is broadcast locally at 3 p.m.
“It’s quite an undertaking.” explained Bill Burton, vice president in charge of programming, advertising and promotion for the local affiliate. “For here, it makes sense because there are so many commuters that spend so much time in their cars.”
The billboard vinyl inserts are designed by West L.A.-based agency Mendelsohn/Zien Advertising, then printed and flown to Los Angeles from Phoenix by Billboard Poster Co. Inc.
“The one thing that has been difficult over the years, but it only happens infrequently, is the rain in November and February,” Burton said. “Bad weather can sometimes throw a wrinkle in things.”
The changing of the billboards first began nine years ago when an advertising company since acquired by media conglomerate Viacom Inc. met Burton’s challenge of producing a plan to provide “topical” advertising during sweeps month.
A few years ago, Burton said the station tried to promote its newscast at 11 p.m., but it was difficult to get topics for the broadcast in advance so that it could print up the billboards. So the daily Oprah billboard changes are the only ones he does.
“It’s been a nice project for us,” Burton said.
Pat Maio
