PopCult

Rudy Panucci On Pop Culture

In Praise Of Big Rubber Guys

The PopCulteer
March 13, 2026

The PopCult Toybox

Just to be clear about the headline, “Big Rubber Guys” is a line of action figures from Major Toys, inspired by the 1980s LJN wrestling figures.

LJN made the first WWF action figures, and they had zero points of articulation. They were essentially semi-soft rubber statues. That made them ideal for kids to smash into each other in mock wrestling matches. Having no joints they were nearly impossible to break, and being larger than the average action figure of the day, they could be more detailed and look more like the actual wrestlers.

A lot of kids grew up with these figures, and the nostalgia for them is tremendous. Over the years the LJN style of figure has been copied by Jakks Pacific’s WWE line, AEW’s action figure line, and currently, with the LJN trademark under license, by Mattel and WWE for figures sold exclusively at Target.

In 2019, the revived LJN brand was used on a set of pre-AEW figures of The Young Bucks that made their way into that year’s PopCult Gift Guide.

Major Toys (AKA Major Bendies) is a toy company started by former WWE stars, Matt Cardona and Brian Myers (Cardona has recently returned to WWE after six years away). The duo hosted a podcast devoted to wrestling action figures, and when they were released from WWE, they started their own company, at first to make Bendie figures, but they later branched out to Big Rubber Guys, in the style of the LJN figures.

And that’s where my interest was piqued. See, I did NOT watch wrestling in the late 1980s. I never cared for Hulk Hogan or the “Rock and Wrestling” era. I was familiar with the toys from my mother’s day care, but I had little interest in them.

When I started watching wrestling around 1999, and paid attention to the LJN figures, I saw that they had their own inherent charm. I don’t really care for the initial wave of LJN figures, save for Roddy Piper, but over the years I’d pick up a few of the odd “throwback” figures done in that style, like Trish Stratus, C.M. Punk, and a few other that I was able to get cheap. They were sort of the non-articulated version of “ReMego” figures, which are made in the style of classic MEGO figures from the 1970s.

In the beginning, Major Toys was sticking with classic and indie wrestlers, but now they’re branching out into movie licenses with figures already out based on Kevin Smith, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Sylvester Stallone movies. They’ve also got a deal with MLB to do licensed figures of mascots, and Macho Man Randy Savage in gear inspired by different Baseball teams. A

Shotzi!

I’ve been keeping an eye on what Major Toys has been doing, and when they signed on to do a Big Rubber Guy (Gal?) of one of my favorite recently-released WWE Superstars, Shotzi Blackheart, I pre-ordered it.

It arrived, and I was sort of hooked. Mel got me a Danhausen figure for Christmas (and he recently debuted for WWE) and since then I’ve picked up a few more, including “Monster in my Pocket” limited edition tributes of Shotzi and Danhausen made in solid colors.

At Toy Fair, Major Toys announced upcoming deals to produce figures based on The Princess Bride, Flash Gordon, The Phantom and The Blues Brothers. lso at toy Fair, they announced a series of figures based on AEW stars, like Toni Storm.  With the future of AEW’s action figure line from JazWares unclear, these might be the only AEW figures available after July.

The Big Rubber Guys are around eight inches tall, very well-sculpted and have terrific paint detail.  The figures display well with MEGO figures and Adventure Command. They run around fifty bucks each, which is not bad at all considering the very limited runs of figures they’re doing. The shipping is quick and customer service is great. They know that these are collectibles, and not an impulse buy, and they go the extra distance with resealable display packages and top-flight design.

Also, these are built like a tank. If they shelf-dive, you can be sure that they’ll survive completely intact.

Let’s take a closer look at a few of them, shall we?

WWE’s newest Superstar, Danhausen, who will arrive at your door shipped in a sturdy crate, if you’re lucky enough to get him before he becomes the property of Mattel.

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Remembering James DeSimone

Over the weekend the GI Joe Collecting community (of which your blogger is a proud member) was saddened to learn of the passing of James DeSimone. He’d been dealing with health issues for years, although he had recently been well enough to make the trip from California to Louisvile, Kentucky for The Kentuckiana GI Joe Toy Expo . He recently lost his wife, and that seems to have been too much for him. He was around 70 years old.

DeSimone was a key person when it came to convincing Hasbro that there was a viable market for GI Joe nostalgia in the early 1990s. He’d published a couple of books, and had started a “club” newsletter, and Hasbro honored his contributions to the hobby by including his name on the back of the box for the GI Joe Hall of Fame series, which restored Hasbro’s Man of Action to his original 12″ height. It was largely through his lobbying efforts that Hasbro brought the 12″ GI Joe back to toy stores in 1992, after a fourteen-year absence.

I only met the man once, at Kentuckiana, and our meeting was brief, basically just an introduction and a handshake, but the fact that there was a Kentuckiana GI Joe Toy Expo, and JoeLanta and before that The Official GI Joe Club Convention is all because of the initial efforts of James DeSimone.

He was a powerful advocate for the hobby, and he was also a tireless self-promoter, which rubbed a few folks the wrong way. He could be a controversial figure in some circles, but it was his tenacity that kept the first ever action figure from disappearing into obscurity.

After Hasbro granted the license for the Official Club and Convention to Brian Savage and Fun Publications, DeSimone concentrated on creating replicas of the GI Joe Race Car and Panther Jet, as well as a “gray area” 1/6 scale version of a vehicle made famous by a certain caped crusader.

He also wrote a few books about GI Joe, including a licensed photo guide, which for years served as the bible for the hobby, before it was supplanted by more comprehensive books and websites. His book, The new official identification guide to GI Joe and accessories, 1964-1978 is still held up as the standard by many.

We can’t overestimate how important James was to the GI Joe collecting hobby. He wrote the first major book, organized the first conventions and created a newsletter that, in the days before the internet, was the only way for fans to keep up with what was going on in the hobby.

PopCult sends its condolences to his family and friends.

STUFF TO DO Around Friday The 13th and St. Patrick’s Day

You can pick your poison of the unluckiest day, the day they got all stabby with Ceasar, or the day where we celebrate the luck of the Irish this week as we collect a list of cool STUFF TO DO all over the state, to tell you about, noted as briefly as possible. brevity was tricky this week because we have everything from theatre to film to rock music to the symphony, wrestling and more.

Again, I’m just scratching the surface here. Please don’t think this is there is to offer.

As always, you should remember that THIS IS NOT A COMPLETE LIST OF EVENTS.  It’s just a starting point, so don’t expect anything comprehensive, and if you feel strongly about me leaving anything out, feel free to mention it in the comments.  Also, if you have a show that you’d like to plug in the future, even if your promotional graphic uses cruddy AI art, contact me via Social Media at Facebook, BlueSky , Spoutible, Instagram or Twitter.  I dont charge for this, so you might as well send me something if you have an event to promote.

Our feature event this week is a play that begins its run at The Alban Arts Center this weekend…

We are very happy to remind you that Cristen Michael has created an interactive calendar that is way more comprehensive than this list of STUFF TO DO, and you can find it HERE. Just click on the day and the event and you’ll be whisked away to a page with more details about loads of area events.

Most weekends you can find live music at Taylor Books. There is no cover charge, and Friday and Saturday shows start at 7:30 PM.  Many Sunday afternoons at 2 PM they also have live music. This weekend you can hear Steve Himes on Friday and  The Carpenter Ants on Saturday. At the WV Music Hall of Fame Sunday afternoon they’re having a film event, and The Carpenter Ants will be performing there, too.

You can find live music in and around town every night of the week. You just have to know where to look.  Keep in mind that all shows are subject to change or be cancelled at the last minute.

Among the notable music venues in town are The World Famous Empty Glass CafeLive at The Shop in Dunbar, Louie’s, at Mardi Gras Casino & Resort, In Huntington, there’s local institution, The Loud (formerly The V Club),  The Wandering Wind Meadery is on Charleston’s West Side, Plus there’s music in Charleston at The Blue Parrot, Sam’s Uptown Cafe and Fife Street Brewing.

You might also find cool musical events at Route 60 Music in Barboursville and Folklore Music Exchange in Charleston.

To hear music in an alcohol-free enviroment, see what’s happening at Pumzi’s, on Charleston’s West Side. Saturday at 7:30 PM Pumzi’s welcomes The Dynamic Duo and Two Roommates.

You can also visit Coal River Coffee in Saint Albans for live music in an alcohol-free environment.

For cutting-edge independent art films, downstairs from Taylor Books you’ll find the Floralee Hark Cohen Cinema by WVIFF. Each week they program several amazing movies in their intimate viewing room that you aren’t likely to see anywhere else.They have an OSCAR party this Sunday, if you’re into that sort of thing. I gave up on awards shows decades ago, myself.

Please remember that viral illnesses are still a going concern and many people who have very good reasons are still wearing masks, and many of us, understandably, are still nervous about being in crowds, masked or not. Be kind and understanding  while you’re out. And if you’re at an outdoor event, please remember that it’s awfully inconsiderate to smoke or vape around people who become ill when exposed to that stuff. If somebody asks you to refrain, please respect their weishes and don’t be a jerk about it.

Keep in mind that all shows are subject to change or be cancelled at the last minute.

Here we go, roughly in order, it’s graphics for local events happening over the next several days that I was able to scrounge up online…

WEDNESDAY

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RFC Marches Forth With New Tunes From Tape Age, Heavy Hitters Band, Stitch Jones and His Bionic Marines and More!

Tuesday is NEW RFC DAY The AIR  and today we prove it with a newish episode of Radio Free Charleston to excite and delight you and yours.To listen to The AIR, you simply have to point your cursor over and tune in at the website, or you could just stay here, and  listen to the cool embedded player found elsewhere on this page.  

You can hear Radio Free Charleston Tuesdays at 10 AM and 10 PM, with boatloads of replays throughout the week.

Radio Free Charleston brings you a new show with one brand-new hour, and a special encore of the second-ever episode of Radio Free Charleston International, from over a decade ago.

The reason for this is Myasthenia Gravis, which has your humble blogger and radio host a little more humbled than usual. Looking back through this blog’s archives, It seems like I get hit pretty hard every late-February/early-March.

Still, I bring you a killer first hour, with new music from Tape Age, Heavy Hitters Band, Stitch Jones and his Bionic Marines, Gardenn, The Paranoid Style and more.

Our second and third hours show you what kind of stuff I’d been dying to unleash on the world back in 2016.  I was a little surprised to discover that I’d been playing Moron Police for that long. As you can see, it’s free-form radio at its most freeformy.

Check out this playlist, with links to the artist’s page in the first hour…

RFC V5 261

hour one
Tape Age “Bizarre Love Gun”
Heavy Hitters Band “Ornithology”
Stitch Jones and His Bionic Marines “Buddy, Brotha From A Different Motha”
The Carpenter Ants “It’s Time”
Gardenn “Put It In Work”
Moron Police “Okinawa Sky”
Neal Morse Band “The Great Withdrawal”
The Paranoid Style “Known Associates”
Massing “Chemicals”
The 4D Man “Dyslexic Cinema”
Samuel S.C. “Evergreen”
John Radcliff “Not Satisfied”
Frenchy & The Punk “War On War”
The Settlement “Work”

hour two
Oingo Boingo “Helpless”
Weezer “Do You Wanna Get High?”
Dubioza Kolektiv Pirate Bay Song”
Jane Wiedlin “World On Fire”
Adam Ant “Cool Zombie”
Moron Police “Who’s That Chicken”
The Aquabats “Sequence Erase/Giant Robot Bird Head”
The English Beat “Click click”
The Creatures “Killing Time”
Julian Cope “Beautiful Love”
Genesis “Return of the Giant Hogweed”
Ian Gillian and Rick Wakeman “Light My Fire”
The Pretenders “Private Life”

hour three
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes “Believe”
Pete Townshend “Empty Glass”
Frank Zappa “Uncle Remus”
DethKlok “How Can I Be A hero”
Men Without Hats “Underneath The Rainbow”
XTC “It’s Nearly Africa”
Elvis Costello “Tramp The Dirt Down”
Joe Jackson “Soul Kiss”
Can “Outside My Door”
Marianne Faithfull “Why’d You Do It”
Captain Beefheart “Veteran’s Day Poppy”
Laura Mvula “Living Without You”

You can hear this episode of Radio Free Charleston Tuesday at 10 AM and 10 PM on The AIR, with replays Wednesday at 9 AM,  Thursday at 2 PM, Friday at 9 AM, Saturday at Noon and Midnight, Sunday at 8 PM and  Monday at 11 AM, exclusively on The AIR. Now you can also hear a different classic episode of RFC every weekday at 5 PM, and we bring you a marathon all night long Saturday night/Sunday morning.

I’m also going to  embed a low-fi, mono version of this show right in this post, right here so you can listen on demand.

 

After RFC, stick around for encores of last week’s episodes of  MIRRORBALL at 1 PM and Curtain Call at 2 PM.

At 3 PM get ready for two classic episodes of The Swing Shift that feature Benny Goodman’s legendary 1938 Carnegie Hall concert.

 You can hear The Swing Shift Tuesday at 3 PM, with replays Wednesday at 8 AM, Thursday at 9 AM,  Friday at 10 AM and 8 PM and Saturday afternoon, only on The AIR . You can also hear all-night marathons, seven hours each, starting at Midnight Thursdays and Sundays.

Monday Morning Art: B&W Building

With the last week having been a bad MG week, this week’s art is one I pulled from the slush pile.

A few years ago I took a series of photos looking up while standing at the base of a very tall building in Chicago. I used one of those photos for the basis of a color piece that I ran in this space a few years ago.  However, before that, I attempted to do something different. I had a couple of pieces of weird, glossy black paper, cut into squares, and I decided to try to do something unusual with it.

I drew an architectural-style image based on the photo, but deformed, in pencil on the black paper. Then I “inked” it using white acrylic paint.

The problem was…I had smudged up a lot of the glossy black surface while pencilling it, and wasn’t happy with the end result. So it got the boot.

While going through my reject file to find something to run here this week, I came across this piece and decided that it didn’t look as bad as I’d remembered, and that, if I cheated and cleaned up some of the black areas digitally, it might not be a bad Monday Morning Art piece. And so, here it is. Technically, it’s mixed media, being a pencil/paint/digital hybrid.

If you want to see this image larger, click HERE.

Meanwhile, over in radioland, Monday beginning at 2 PM on The AIR,  we bring you a classic episode of Psychedelic Shack, and then at 3 PM we do the same with Herman Linte’s weekly showcase of the Progressive Rock of the past half-century, Prognosis. New shows are on the way this month. You can listen to The AIR at the website, or on the embedded radio player elsewhere on this page.

Psychedelic Shack can be heard every Monday at 2 PM, with replays Tuesday at 9 AM, Wednesday at 10 PM, Friday at 1 PM,  and Saturday at 9 AM. You can hear Prognosis on The AIR Monday at 3 PM, with replays Tuesday at 7 AM, Wednesday at 8 PM, Thursday at Noon, and Saturday at 10 AM.

Tonight at 9 PM we bring you our Monday night line-up featuring two hours each of Curtain Call and Beatles Blast, plus six hours overnight with an assortment of our programming from Haversham Recording Institute. The Haversham stuff starts at 1 AM and tonight it’s three classic episodes of Sydney’s Big Electric Cat.

Sunday Evening Video: A Serious Movie About Meteors

Fifty years ago today, the largest meteorite in recorded history struck the ground in Jilin, China. Over three-thousand pounds of alien material hit the ground during a meteor shower. In honor of this important scientific event, today we bring you a serious academic movie about the very real consequences we could possibly face if a large meteor made landfall.

As you probably learned in Middle School Science Class, A meteor shower could possilbly blind most of the world’s population and spread spores that cause triffid plants to become animated.  I mean, this is common knowledge. This ultra-serious film shows exactly what would happen in the event such a took place.

I hope this important film helps you prepare for the inevitable day when the meteors strike, and deliver their deadly payload to our planet.

Stock up on herbicide.

 

The RFC Flashback: Episode One Hundred Seventy-Seven

This week we go back ot January, 2013 for episode 177. “Sock ’em Who-Bots Shirt” was the first episode of Radio Free Charleston for 2013. Host segments for this episode were recorded at The Dale Morton Studio  in Hurricane, WV. Our musical guests were Frenchy and The Punk, Flare Baroshi, and Johnny C and The Scurvy Dogs. This episode also includes a short film by K.D. Lett and an exclusive fake trailer for the MTV series “BuckWild,” with footage you won’t see anywhere else. This will be really funny for anybody who remembers that there used to be a reality show set in West Virginia called “Buckwild.”

Big thanks go out to Dale Morton, who allowed us into his mascot and costume studio so that we could have loads of really cool looking stuff in the background. Plus, as a bonus, we got to shoot indoors during the winter. Dale does amazing work and has an international list of clients ranging from schools to big name corporations to well-traveled members of the cosplay community. It was a real treat to record our host segments in such a cool place. He’s still producing top-notch work, and you should follow that link if you need any mascot, costuming or cosplay work done. And on top of that, Dale is now a published author, with a new book about Howard Hughes’ “Spruce Goose,” which I will be telling you about in the coming weeks.

Musically, this episode is loaded with great stuff. Frenchy and The Punk made a triumphant return to Radio Free Charleston with their performance of “The Confession of Jack Bonnie and Sally Clyde,” They are still touring and making new music. Also making a triumphant return to Radio Free Charleston on this episode was Flare Baroshi, who made her mark on the show on our Halloween 2009 edition with the music video for “Vampire Mafia.”  We welcomed her back with the music video for her song “Phoenix,” co-directed by Elizabeth McCormick and Joscelyn Atkinson. Wrapping up the show this week, we had Johnny C and The Scurvy Dogs with their tender and heartfelt cover of The Go-Go’s “We Got The Beat.”

The original production notes can be found HERE.

Action Figure Review: 1SG Augustus Lange

The PopCulteer
March 6, 2026

The PopCult Toybox

Today I’m going to treat you to a photo essay and mini-review of a very exciting, small-batch action figure created by a couple of friends of mine from the Marx Action Figure collecting community.

These were developed by Scott C. Stewart and Rick Provence and their inaugural figure is the first new Marx-style body designed in half a century.

There have been many reproductions of Marx action figures made over the years, but they either use the original molds, or were new molds that replicated the original designs.

This is the 1SG Augustus Lange – New Battles of the Great Plains Figure. Scott began selling these through his Stewart’s Attic website a few weeks ago, and I missed out on the first batch. Luckily, I was able to score one from the second batch, but as I write this, they are down to their last one. However, the plan is to keep making them, and eventually introduce more figures. In fact, one is already in the prototype mode, and will use this body, with a different head, and molded in gray.

This is a cool, 1/6 scale action figure, depicting an historical figure, and it’s a wonderful addition to my collection.

Back to Augustus Lange, let me quote from the website:

For the first time in nearly 60 years, Marx-style action figures are getting a completely new body—built from the ground up with new and improved construction for better durability, fit, and display.

This release features a unique uniform jacket and newly designed arms, delivering a fresh, more authentic look while staying true to the classic Marx spirit.

Each figure comes fully equipped with a premium mix of soft and hard authentic accessories, including:
Campaign Hat
Forager Cap
Dress Helmet
Fabric Great Coat
Neckerchief with adjustable slide
Folded Gauntlets
Pistol Belt with holster and frogs
Saber
Binoculars
Bugle
Pistol and Rifle

To complete the experience, the set also includes a separate Battle Map and Manual, featuring an Order of Battle and a historical overview of the Battle of the Hundred-in-the-Hands / The Fetterman Fight (December 21, 1866)—the battle where 1SG Lange fought and tragically lost his life.

Proudly made by RPSS Custom Marx Toys. Created by Veterans. Proudly Made in America.

I”ve known Scott for more than fifteen years (he’s even starred in a PopCult video), and I’ve bought dozens of his custom creations of hats and other gear. Rick has a tremendous reputation as a customizer, and together they have created a wonderful new addition to the ranks of Best of the West and Fort Apache Fighters of the past.

Let me address the price first. While it may seem high to a non-collector, for a new 12″ figure, complete with cloth, vinyl and plastic accessories, with an instruction manual and a full-color two-piece box, this is less than half what comparable short-run custom figures go for. In short, it’s a bargain and worth every penny. $125 is not too high for such a high-quality figure.

The figure itself is wonderfully-sculpted, with new details and designs. The plastic used for the body is not identical to the Marx figures of the past, or most of the newer reproductions. It’s harder and seems like it would be much easier to paint, if someone wanted to customize it further. The headsculpt, which does appear to be the same kind of plastic that they used on vintage figures, is crisp and very well-done. He fits right in with Johnny West and Captain Maddox, stylistically.

The plastic accessories are largely reproductions of vintage pieces, although that impressive dress helmet is new to me. They are top notch. The cloth duster and neckerchief are also terrific.

I’m going to run some photos here to give you a better idea of how cool this figure is, but I will warn you that, with my MG flaring up, I did not try to put all the accesories on the figure like I would normally do for a photo shoot. The spirit was willing, but the fingers are weak.

But here’s how this figure looks…

Here’s the set, in a photo swiped from Scott’s website.

A close-up of the face of Augustus Lange

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Non-Celtic STUFF TO DO

Yesterday I told you all about Charleston’s Celtic Calling, but aside from that lovely batch of nifty events, we have even more cool STUFF TO DO all over and just beyond the borders of the state, to tell you about, noted as briefly as possible.

Again, I’m just scratching the surface here. Please don’t think this is all we have to offer.

Our featured event this week actually opened last weekend, but somehow managed to slip under my radar. It’s the new play by Dan Kehde, at CYAC’s Elk City Playhouse…

Before we go on to the other events, remember that this Friday is another Bandcamp Friday!

If you read PopCult regularly and/or listen to Radio Free Charleston on our sister internet station, The AIR, you know that my mantra for RFC is “Support the Local Scene. Support Independent Music. Buy your music in an ethical manner.”

One of the most ethical ways to buy music these days is by using Bandcamp, which on a normal day, passes along a much more equitable amount of the money you spend to the artists who make the music that keeps them in business.

On Bandcamp Friday, they waive their usual fees and the artists get to keep virtually ALL of the money spent on their music and merch that they sell through Bandcamp.

This is why I like to plug Bandcamp Friday. As I just explained, that’s the day when my favored streaming service, Bandcamp, foregoes their usual cut of the money and lets the artists keep all the money spent on their music and merch.

The artists get a much bigger cut of the proceeds.  If you scroll down and check out almost any post about an episode of Radio Free Charleston that has a playlist in this blog since 2023, you will find that the list of artists have links, many of which take you directly to that artist’s Bandcamp page. Except for this week, when your humble blogger was under the weather and didn’t do a new episode.

As always, you should remember that THIS IS NOT A COMPLETE LIST OF EVENTS.  It’s just a starting point, so don’t expect anything comprehensive, and if you feel strongly about me leaving anything out, feel free to mention it in the comments.  Also, if you have a show that you’d like to plug in the future, even if your promotional graphic uses cruddy AI art, contact me via Social Media at Facebook, BlueSky , Spoutible, Instagram or Twitter.  I dont charge for this, so you might as well send me something if you have an event to promote.

We are very happy to remind you that Cristen Michael has created an interactive calendar that is way more comprehensive than this list of STUFF TO DO, and you can find it HERE. Just click on the day and the event and you’ll be whisked away to a page with more details about loads of area events.

Most weekends you can find live music at Taylor Books. There is no cover charge, and Friday and Saturday shows start at 7:30 PM.  Many Sunday afternoons at 2 PM they also have live music. This weekend they have a poetry opn mic on Friday and Tim and Maggie on Saturday. Sunday it’s Ray + Jon.

You can find live music in and around town every night of the week. You just have to know where to look.  Keep in mind that all shows are subject to change or be cancelled at the last minute.

Among the notable music venues in town are The World Famous Empty Glass CafeLive at The Shop in Dunbar, Louie’s, at Mardi Gras Casino & Resort, In Huntington, there’s local institution, The Loud (formerly The V Club),  The Wandering Wind Meadery is on Charleston’s West Side, Plus there’s music in Charleston at The Blue Parrot, Sam’s Uptown Cafe and Fife Street Brewing.

You might also find cool musical events at Route 60 Music in Barboursville and Folklore Music Exchange in Charleston.

To hear music in an alcohol-free enviroment, see what’s happening at Pumzi’s, on Charleston’s West Side.

You can also visit Coal River Coffee in Saint Albans for live music in an alcohol-free environment.

For cutting-edge independent art films, downstairs from Taylor Books you’ll find the Floralee Hark Cohen Cinema by WVIFF. Each week they program several amazing movies in their intimate viewing room that you aren’t likely to see anywhere else.

Please remember that viral illnesses are still a going concern and many people who have very good reasons are still wearing masks, and many of us, understandably, are still nervous about being in crowds, masked or not. Be kind and understanding  while you’re out. And if you’re at an outdoor event, please remember that it’s awfully inconsiderate to smoke or vape around people who become ill when exposed to that stuff. If somebody asks you to refrain, please respect their weishes and don’t be a jerk about it.

Keep in mind that all shows are subject to change or be cancelled at the last minute.

Here we go, roughly in order, it’s graphics for local events happening over the next several days that I was able to scrounge up online…

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STUFF TO DO: Celtic Calling Edition

We have a special bonus edition of STUFF TO DO this week.

Today we’re going to cover The Celtic Calling, then tomorrow we’ll cover everything else. The 10th Celtic Calling Gathering will take place downtown and around Charleston WV between March 4st-8th 2023.

This celebration of all things Celtic has become an annual tradition here in Charleston. If you can come out to enjoy this immersion into Celtic culture.

Many of the events are free, and it’s a way better way to celebrate the home countries of many Appalachians than green beer and leprechauns.

Here’s The Schedule:

Wednesday, March 4th
9am -7.30pm – Children’s Story Walk and Make and Take Craft activities start today and continue everyday throughout the gathering – 4th Floor, Kanawha County Public Library, 123 Capitol Street – FREE

6-8pm: Acoustic Music Session/Jam- regular weekly music gathering with this week a Celtic twist. Come at 5 for great eats with musicians – The Bears Den, 405 Capitol Street – FREE

7.30pm: Film : ‘Ireland West Camino’, Director: Thomas Breiter will be present. Flora Lee Hark Cohen Cinema by WVIFF, 230 Capitol Street — Admission – $12 Adults, $7 Students. https://wviff.org/purchase/46027/

Thursday, March 5th
9 – 7.30pm: Children’s Story Walk and Make and Take Craft activities – 4th Floor, Kanawha County Main Library, 123 Capitol Street – FREE

6pm: “Little Cardiganshire: The Welsh Settlements of Jackson and Gallia counties of Ohio”. History presentation by Dan Rowbotham, Director of the Madog Center for Welsh Studies at the University of Rio Grande / Rio Grande Community College, OH. Think Bob Evans! He would love to speak to you if you have Welsh ancestry. Main Library, Room 311A, Kanawha County Main Library, 123 Capitol Street – FREE

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