A Linc to the Past

Hello, history lovers!

Well, there's been another jam-packed, swear-filled, history-stuffed chapter in Lord Likely's Astonishing American Adventure, today. It was so exciting, I dropped a pen!

Anyway, in the latest entry Likely meets a pre-Presidential Abraham Lincoln, and the pair seem to get on rather well. Maybe a bit too well?

Gay-braham Lincoln

There has been speculation and heresay about the late President's sexuality, which you can read about here. Does the encounter Lord Likely writes about confirm these previously unfounded rumours? I can only imagine that the history books will have to be rewritten, and all they will say is 'Gay'.

Maybe the beat combo Electric Six were not so far off in their imagining of Lincoln's life, after all:

Language, Timothy

I feel I must also apologise for Likely's terrible attitude towards the coloured community. Of course, such attitudes were prevalent in Victorian society, but still it is rather shocking to see in print. Suffice to say, the opinions that tumble out of his lordship's mouth do NOT reflect those of any of us.

Once A Week Man

Today's episode of Lord Likely's adventures will be the only one this week, right up until the weekend, we'd imagine.

Why?

Well, Mr. Andy Fanton, who works on my staff helping me to transfer Likely's journals to the web, is off to Manchester this week.

Why?

You're a curious bunch, aren't you? Well, as well as working on Lord Likely (so to speak), Mr. Fanton also maintains the web comic The Carrotty Kid. This creation of his also found success with an animation studio, Cosgrove Hall Films, resulting in this pilot episode getting made.

This week, Fanton returns to the studio, in Manchester, to talk further about cartoons and carrots, hence no Likely for a week. WE won't hold a grudge, however, and wish him well on his trip.

Read Mr. Fanton's recently reinstated blog for further details, and to pass on your own good luck messages.

Coming Soon

While you wait for the next chapter, I thought I'd get a little teaser of Likely's next adventure, which will debut at the end of the month, once the American Adventure has been completed. So, we present to you now, the first look at The Curious Case of the Conjuring Calamity.


Ooooh...the tension!

I'm off to find my pen. See you all in a week, history lovers!

- Prof. Julian Syngen-Smythe.

A Walk in the Park

Good day, history lovers!

Today's enthralling chapter of Lord Likely's Astonishing American Adventure features some real-life history, thus it has me as excited as a dog in a fire hydrant factory.

In today's chapter, Likely meets Calvert Vaux and Frederick Law Olmstead, the joint designers of New York's Central Park. Of course, in 1856 the park was yet to be built, and his lordship makes a decent attempt at designing it himself. It's rather a pity the pair did not take Likely up on his plan, as it would have made for a rather unique-looking attraction. Ah, well.

To read more about Central Park's history, go HERE.

Further fascinating tidbits from his lordship's diaries are cropping up everywhere, especially regarding his own family. Already we have been introduced to his American half-brother, Ludlow Likely, learnt more about Lightnin' Lance Likely (the outlawed Likely, who also features in this blog, here) and discovered that in 1856, Lord Eustace Likely, the father of the clan, is still alive and pumping. Exciting times!

The Likely family tree is less a tree, and more an entire forest. I wonder what further revelations await us?

Stay tuned!...

- Prof. Julian Syngen-Smythe.

Face the Lord

Good day,history lovers!

As well as having his own MySpace profile, Lord Likely has now deemed Facebook worthy of his regal self, and has now joined up.

Go here to see his profile, and feel free to add him as your friend, to get all the latest Likely news and maybe just to have a nice chat with him, if he thinks you are worth the effort.

Have fun!

- Prof. Julian Syngen-Smythe, editor The Astonishing Adventures of Lord Likely.

His Lordship Loses His Widgets

Hello, history lovers!

Today has been a busy day, as I have set about reorganising the sidebar on The Astonishing Adventures of Lord Likely.

I had become aware, through some emails and comments, that his Lordship's journals sometimes took an age to load - if at all - due in no small part to the overwhelming amount of widgets on the site.

So, today I made a drastic decision - OFF WITH THE WIDGETS!

No-one likes to lose their widget, but I felt it necessary to do so. If we were losing even one reader due to slow loading times, then that was one reader too many, and one poor soul denied the pleasure of reading his lordship's writings.

So, I cleared out the widgets, but replaced them with more tasteful, graphical links instead. Having done that, I then decided to update all the more graphic links (buttons, adverts etc) to keep them more in keeping with the style and tone of the journals.

I hope the fine people at Fuel My Blog, Humor-Blogs.com, The Pisstakers, MyBlogLog, Blog Catalog and Spicy Page do not mind me taking such liberties. The reciprocal links are still there, they are just dressed up rather differently, and given a Victorian twist.

I have also added a couple more Victorian ads, some more priase from the newspapers at the time and some other bits and bobs, so go and peruse the journals right now, and let me know what you think of it's new-look sidebar.

Now, I am off to a real bar.

Good-bye!

Prof. Julian Syngen-Smythe.

Update: I reinstated the Blog Catalog and MyBlogLog widgets, but much smaller this time. I missed seeing your beautiful faces.

Double Update: I have just added a 'Story So Far' recap on the sidebar of Likely's journals, so new readers can quickly catch-up on events in his lordship's latest adventures.

Another Likely Discovery

Hello, history lovers!

I am agog with excitement today, for it seems that another member of the ever-expanding Likely family has been discovered - and he's alive and well and on the internet RIGHT NOW!


He is Sir Renchard Likely, a newspaper tycoon and journalist, from the UK. Quite what his exact relationship is with our very own Lord Likely is not yet clear, but he definitely shares his ancestor's love of foul language, if his news website The Shits O'Clock News is anything to go by.

I shall try and pin him down for an interview soon. Watch this space!

In the meantime, stay historical!

- Professor Julian Syngen-Smythe.

Likely Lineage

Greetings, history lovers! And welcome to a special chapter of Lord Likely: Stripped Nude, featuring as it does many video clips for your enjoyment.

Despite being some 150-odd years old, the journals of Lord Likely continue to influence all art and literature ever in existence ever, due to them being just so damned good. Countless writers and performers have followed in the journals' wake, trying to replicate the wit of his lordship, but not all have succeeded. Here today, I shall present to you some of the more successful candidates, all of whom owe a tip of the top hat to Lord Likely: Aristocratic Adventurer...

Bottom, BBC TV Comedy Series, 1991-1997.

If you have ever smirked at the wanton violence inherent in Lord Likely's journals, then here is some more wanton violence from this hilarious British sit-com, starring Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmonson. In the clip below, the despicable duo find a novel way to deal with the gasman...




Blackadder, BBC TV Comedy Series, 1983-1989.

In one of the most blatant steals from his lordship's diaries, comes this Rowan Atkinson-starring sit-com, spanning four different generations of the manipulative Blackadder family, and Baldrick, the long-suffering man-servant. A lord and his filthy, idiot servant? I ask you! Such damned gall! Anyway, in this clip, Edmund Blackadder (Atkinson) tries to teach Baldrick (Tony Robinson) how to count.




The Carry On Films, 1958-1992.

Lord Likely is not one to pass up any chance at innuendo or smut, a charming trait carried on with aplomb by the 'Carry On' series of movies. In the iconic scene below, from 1975's Carry On Camping, Dr. Soaper (Kenneth Williams) gets an eyeful...




Monty Python and the Holy Grail, 1975.

If historical hi-jinx are your 'bag' (as the kids say, so I am told), then feast your eyes upon this scene plucked from the Monty Python film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, in which a witch is put on trial. Comedy almost as good as Likely's.




Fawlty Towers, BBC TV Comedy Series, 1975-1979.

More John Cleese-based homage to his lordship, in this hysterical UK sit-com, about the snooty, snobbish hotelier Basil Fawlty. In the classic clip here, Basil has to explain a mix-up over a fire drill to his guest, which he does so in spectacularly rude style.




A Bit of Fry and Laurie, BBC TV Comedy Series, 1989-1995.

Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie (no doubt familiar to our U.S readers as House, M.D), were an excellent comic double act, and in this brilliant sketch the pair play a stuffy, upper-class couple. Fry's character in particular was more than likely inspired by Likely.




A Shot in the Dark, 1964.

In this, the second of the classic Pink Panther movies starring the brilliant Peter Sellers, Inspector Clouseau tackles his crazy servant, Cato (Burt Kwouk). Observe in particular Clouseau's moustache, clearly styled on that of his lordship.




Hot Fuzz, 2007.

Taking their cue from the action and comedy mix innovated by Lord Likely, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost made the movie Hot Fuzz about two cops in a sleepy, English village. In this action-packed scene, they pursue a thief through the village.




Not Only, But Also, BBC TV Series, 1965-1970.

This long-missed comedy duo tore up the comedy rule book in the 1960s, and then hit the big time with their sketch show Not Only But Also. In this sketch, Peter Cook, in the guise of a rather stiff father, explains to his son (Dudley Moore) the facts of life, in a very English way. Note the Likely-influenced moustache on Cook's face.




The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, ITV Drama, 1984-1994.

Finally, in one of the most outright instances of plagarism, comes Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle. The titular Victorian detective and his assistant, Watson, embark on all sorts of adventures, no doubt copied from the adventures of Lord Likely. In this scene from a UK television adaptation, Holmes (the late, great Jeremy Brett), indulges in some fisticuffs.




So there you have it. Clear proof that The Astonishing Adventures of Lord Likely shaped the future of TV, film and literature, and will no doubt continue to do so. Of course, some nay-sayers (other jealous historians), claim that the above actually influenced the journals, but they are history idiots. Anyone can see that 1856 (when Likely penned his diaries) was way before any of the above took place. It's simple chronology.

Until next time, stay historical!

- Prof. Julian Syngen-Smythe.

Lord Likely Goes Corporate

Good day, history lovers!

The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed this little button appearing after each post on The Astonishing Adventures of Lord Likely, the blog which I edit:

What does it all mean?

Well, what it means is that Lord Likely is now part of gaup enterprises, inc., a shadowy corporation which develops "the world's finest humour-based blogs for the cutting-edge, technically-handed, media-thrusting, web-wired world," according to the press release which I am holding in my hands right now.

A quick look at their resume reveals that they own The Carrotty Kid (a webcomic about a kung-fu carrot), Anthology of Awful (horror), i done a comic (foul-mouthed cartoons) and Take Life From Behind (self-help).

As historically-minded as I am, I sometimes have to consider the future, and so when two of their representatives, armed with a briefcase full of papers and a fistful of notes, I agreed to sell them the precious Likely journals for enough cash to keep me in shirts and glasses and fast cars for a lifetime. Plus, I'll be able to continue my studies without the need to scramble around for finance, of course.

I am being kept on as editor of these fine, historical documents, so do not fear, it is just that we now belong to a giant, faceless corporation who will probably suck the joy out of everything, but hey! I got a lot of dosh very dynamic and forward-facing company.

This also does not affect my current allegiance to humor-blogs.com, The Pisstakers, or Fuel My Blog, so all is well.

You can visit my new paymasters on their website, or by dropping by their blog. And feel free to investigate some of their their comedy offerings...they are actually really good! No, really!

Well, I am off to enjoy a nice glass of champagne.

See you!

- Julian Syngen-Smythe.

_{This post has been vetted and passed by gaup enterprises, inc}.