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On Caturday, June 25th from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm, don’t plan on relaxing too heartily by taking any random catnaps, for Tony winner, Television Star, slinky siren of the silver screen, and fundamental feline in most fabulously feminine form, Julie Newmar, will strut her stuff on the catwalk of all that celebrates the cute and cuddly at this year’s CatConLA. But that’s not all, folks! Her brother, author of “The Mediterranean Universe,” John Newmeyer, will be accompanying her! The book’s subject matter: None other than cats—and their place in the Universe in the most central of senses… Imagine that!
CatConLA will be held this year on the last weekend of June. Delight, as Newmar, all manner of products related to cats (“The Mediterranean Universe,” most chiefly) and kitties galore convene for a confurence to beat all copious incarnations of Kindles to ever roam the earth!
Retaining a multi-generational, singular association with cats, Newmar is best known as the first (and for many the sole) actress to personify the feisty feline felon Catwoman in the ever-popular series Batman! (The primary difference betwixt Newmar and your average house cat however is that Newmar would, could, and DID stand up to The Caped Crusader at all costs! Cats on the other hand’d be figurative cry babies and, more likely than not, swiftly trot or slink away from the scene if confronted by the dark, imposing, pointy-headed behemoth not unlike a…you-know-what-out-of-you-know-where. Either that, or some of the braver, more gregarious ones might jump atop the winged one’s pate; subsequently utilizing his rubber ear horns as ambient chew toys! Or…if they were anything like my cat, would simply lounge around licking themselves in varying and sundry strategic to unmentionable places, waxing CATegorically nonplussed…. ~sigh~) Newmar on the other paw, is far more stealthy and graceful, and uh…Homo sapien than all that!
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That most memorable Television role notwithstanding, Newmar’s career has been just as singular as her foremost feline association, commencing with the triumph of a Tony for her work in Broadway’s smash hit comedy Marriage-Go-Round after which she would go on to be accepted into the illustrious Actors Studio! She also toured Stop the World I want to get Off, with Joel Grey. Harboring a lifelong love of dance, she would also continue to receive top bill in Bob Fosse’s musicals both on and off Broadway! TV shows in which she has guest starred include: The Monkees, Columbo, The Bionic Woman, Get Smart, Star Trek, Bewitched, The Beverly Hillbillies, Twilight Zone, Route 66 and My Living Doll—a noted cult classic! Films include “Mackenna’s Gold” and “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.” To top it all off, her reach has been so stellar all these years that in 1995, Amblin Entertainment produced a movie (and quite a fine one I might add) in her namesake: “To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything! Julie Newmar” wherein Newmar starred as none other than —wait for it now: herself. Moving right along, she has recently become quite the conversational CATch in social media after having written the most cutting edge page turner: “The Conscious Catwoman Explains Life on Earth.” (And if you’ve already purrchased said publication, I would highly advise against dog-earing any of the pages lest you lose your place! Just sayin’…)
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Author John Newmeyer, rather than treat cats as pets, does not quite view them as equals– but superiors–in many ways. He perceives them to be more like masters, “proud, capable and fierce”, (as is the author himself, so privileged is he to be related to one of their sole/soul sapien sisters!)
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Newmeyer’s inspiration for his fourth and latest book centers around the notion that, considering the quintillions of planets the entire universe over, of those harboring life, who’s to say that much of it might not be of the feline persuasion? And why not? I always thought it was general knowledge that cats were not of this earth to begin with. What. You think the 1978 film “The Cat from Outer Space” was merely created as a tool of amewsment for the masses?! Well no! John Newmeyer was hip to the scene! As a result, “The Mediterranean Universe” was formed to explore such mewsings via thought provoking passages, and feline characters, not the least of which include Lionesses who Lunch and Felix the Cat Man! Yet while there is of course no concrete manner in which to prove such galactic difurcity (particularly in light of humanity’s failure to harness light speed—let alone that of a cat), Newmeyer himself has been to all 7 continents and knows whereof he speaks, particularly in light of his sojourn to South Africa, wherein he dedicated himself to the study of lionesses such that his latest creation’s subtitle reads: “Imagining Feline Civilization”. Lastly, you’ll be even happier to know, his stealth, otherworldly feline-sister-purrsonified has also contributed a cheeky biographical sketch to the work, in her own right!
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A Caltech and Harvard graduate, John Newmeyer’s interests do not stop there. An enterprising vintner, he is founder of Heron Lake Winery located in the hills of Napa; most noted bouquets have encompassed a top notch Pinot Noir and a charming Chardonnay for the past 30 years and counting!
Part expo, part symposium, CatConLA runs the weekend of June 25th-26th at The Reef, wherein many a kitty would certainly cringe should any aquatic coral or any categorical cat corral hover too close to the water’s edge—all metaphorically speaking of course. But if you wish to procure some of the newest, most cutting edge products for your cat, up to and including furniture (for those in need of a cat nap), toys (so no one is beholden to wait around for Santa Claws), art (for your little PiCATsso) clothing (for those who wish to scare cats into GOING BACK to outer space and staying there), or simply conFUR with all manner of cat experts, authors such as John Newmeyer and purrtrayers such as the lady of the hour herself: Ms. Julie Newmar; the late June expo is sure to catisfy all!!!
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