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Salutations and welcome to Muldowneyville, the marvelous world of performance
artist & Interpretive dancer Suzanne Muldowney. She is known for her amazingly
researched character interpretations like The superhero Underdog
and her dance renditions of Draculas historical persona Vlad
The Impaler. But she does so much more. Here you’ll meet Suzanne
the baker, the seamstress, the writer,
and Suzanne the philosopher.
We highly encourage people to send Sue questions and we'll try to have Suzanne respond and write back on this forum.
News:
Suzanne on Sirius Radio Monday June 8th 2008 7-8pm!
Subject:
"Graduation: Looking Backwards As Well As Forward; Students Especially Guilty Of Mistreating Other Students at School Will Have Penalties to Pay Later In Life."
Here is her report from her last program:
FROM: Suzanne Muldowney
DATE: April 8, 2009
Two nights ago I was on Sirius Radio again. I had hoped to do another show
about
my characters and their costumes at the end of February, but my main contact,
Tim, said
the budget would not allow for me until into the spring.
Since the week of April 5th was Holy Week, the staff said I should do something
Easter oriented. I felt it appropriate that since it was not yet Easter, the
listeners and I
should focus on something negative Christ's Passion. Since Christ suffered
and died for l
sinners before and after His time, I gave the program the title
"Present day Malice:Connection to the Passion."
Unlike the first time, when I was transported both ways by a staff member,
I had to
get to New York on my own, via Greyhound. Jim McClure and a Mr. Shulli, the
main
news department man, met me at PABT and called for a company car to take us
to the studio.
I was taken into a small room which I would have to myself, unlike the first
time,
But as I went down the halls to this room, I passed through a chamber of horrors,
I call it a
chamber of horrors because it consisted of sculptures, photos, and caricatures
of the I
impure Howard Stern. I felt guilty anew for performing under the umbrella
of the same
company that carries his radio program.
In the room I had a couple of hours during which I wrote notes for the content
of my
program and also sewed my costume for New Year's 2010. Jim came in two times
with
CDs containing instrumental accompaniment for the spiritual "Were You
There," which I
would finish the broadcast with. The first version I heard was in too low
a key for me, but
the second was much better.
I had to pray to myself in the final couple of minutes before air time! What
if there
were more prank phone calls? What if the staff found my topic disturbing or
threatening?
I introduced myself under my legal name, stating it was my first time since
January
19th. Since it was Holy Week, people had to meditate on Jesus suffering and
death before
they could hop on the Easter bandwagon of joy and celebration. I gave the
name of the
program. Why did I call it that? There were specific incidents within the
Passion in which
Jesus was physically tortured and maliciously teased when we learned about
these incidents,
most likely when we were kids, didn't we feel indignant? "How could anyone
l
have been that mean and cruel?" However, people nowadays who mistreat
others, `
whether by name-calling, prank-pulling, malicious gossip or teasing, blackmailing,
extorting, exploitation, damage or theft of property, or even physical assault,
and derive
pleasure from their actions, are just as mean and cruel as those who maltreated
Christ!
What was the connection? The Gospel of Matthew has Jesus describe the Day
of
Judgment when He divides the good and bad people, and says to the good people,
"I was
hungry and you fed me. . . thirsty and you gave me drink. . . sick and you
cared for me", etc.
The good people ask, "When did we see you badly off and give you assistance?"
Jesus' answer is the connection: Whatever you do to the least of my brethren,
you do to me.
But this applies to acts of malice as well as acts of goodwill, Mean-spirited
people l
who make trouble for others via the above-mentioned ways add to Christ `s
sufferings.
These malefactors prove that they do not observe the Golden Rule. It's even
worse when
they carry out their actions in public, and many good people, who wind up
as witnesses, do
not intervene on the victims' behalf. When I answered some incoming phone
calls, three times I was asked if I was I
Catholic! But that was beside the point. All of what I've mentioned was more
for historic and social, not religious, significance.
My third point of the broadcast was consequences. Although Jesus did not
react to
His being sadistically teased, the mockers did not quit as many victims of
teasing are told
will happen if they ignore their tormentors; Jesus' enemies persisted} Persistence
rather
than repentance is also sadly true in my case. And even though Jesus said
"Father, forgive
them," that did not mean that his torturers, executioners, and mockers
watched him die and
then casually go home; they all got their comeuppance, a deserving scare,
when God
retaliated at the moment of Jesus' death in that there were an earthquake
and a severe
thunderstorm. The hecklers and their deeds were all documented, put on record,
and
propagated so that even today, after two millennia, those who maltreated Jesus
are still ,
villains! Present-day maltreaters risk being remembered negatively, and being
permanently documented unfavorably. Later in life, their children might very
well be the
next generation of bullies so that the parents would receive the complaints,
have to take
action, and be deservedly haunted by their own past atrocities. Maltreaters
had to take one word into consideration: BEWARE!
A couple of callers asked was I referring to Howard Stern in terms of future penalties to pay.
Alas, yes he was, because even today he pollutes the airways with profane and even sexually explicit jokes!
l finished off singing "Were You There" and commented afterwards
that we were all
there when Christ was crucified, because we all had put Him up to it, and
when "it causes
me to tremble, tremble, tremble," we were having attacks of conscience.
People engaged
in making others suffer proved that they had no qualms, no twinges of conscience!
R.I.P.
Ebony
July I5, 1996 - March 15. 2009
When Blackie died in July I999, I waited until the start of 2000 to get another
cat, since I
had to wait until I had no more performances for a long while. My family and
I contacted an agent
for pet adoption, who referred me to a small shelter run by my vet, Cinnaminson
Animal Hospital.
l was not sure that I had any specifics about how the new cat should look.
I almost went for
a male orange tabby. But then I saw a female black. named either Isis or Iris,
and fell in love with
her since Blackie. naturally. had also been black. I was told this black adoptive
candidate was 4 or
5 years old. She had been owned previously by another family who had neglected
her. But had she
ever had kittens? She was already spayed now; I never found out if she had
ever borne kittens
I decided to take the black female but I changed her name to Ebony. No other
black cats I
had known personally or had seen photos of had ever been named that. It was
symbolically
appropriate for her color. She had gold eyes, but her coat was not solid black.
I soon observed that
she had one small white spot, about the size of a quarter, on her underside
between the hind legs.
She also had scattered white hairs on the right side of her neck. Ebony came
to my home on February I6, 2000.
Only a week after she came to live with me, Ebony revealed that she had a
problem with
vomiting. I took her back to the vet who said that the adoption agent had
stated that Ebony was
lactose intolerant, so that she must not be given milk. She also had a very
delicate stomach; she
could not eat table scraps or canned cat food --only dry cat food and water.
I had to monitor her
every time she ate, because she would vomit on an average of once every 4
or 5 days.
I have always loved to pick up my cats and hold them close to me. But Ebony
was very
uncooperative in this manner. I would pick her up and cuddle her, but almost
immediately, she
would mew and squirm so that I had to put her down. The only way I could pick
her up was to take
her by surprise and sense her onset of resistance so that she would not scratch
or bite me when I hadto put her down.
When the weather grew warmer that first year, she would want to go outside
more. But then
she would want to go out when I was ready for bed, or after I had gone to
bed; so that I had to sit on
the steps leading to my upstairs apartment waiting for her to come back. I
think it was about a year
that I gave up losing sleep by waiting for her and would let her back inside
the following morning.
Every time I heard her mewing late at night, I was afraid the tenants in the
adjoining apartments
might complain to the front office so that the management would take action
against either Ebony or me!
I liked when I would get into my bed and she would jump up at the foot to
sleep with me.
She liked to squeeze herself into the space between my spread-eagled legs.
But when she was
hungry, she jumped onto my bureau-top altar, knocking flowers or sacred objects
over! I tried after
a long while to stop her doing this by spraying her with a water bottle, but
it proved fruitless.
Every year when Halloween and Christmas parades were held, I would have to
go away for
a couple of nights at a time, and left Ebony with my parents. But they complained
about her
vomiting on their dining room rug. After some time they ruled she be confined
to the basement.
But then after years, they refused to baby-sit her anymore, so that now I
had an extra expense by
having to board her at the vet's.
In July 2008 I transferred Ebony from the Cinnaminson vet to Heritage Vet,
directly across
the street from my apartment, so that now the vet was within walking distance.
Heritage gave her a
checkup to get her registered, and promised to board her whenever necessary.
They also
determined that her date of birth probably had been July 15, 1996.
In January of this year, I took her for her annual checkup. Then, sadly,
the vet told me that
she had insurmountable kidney problems, and was not expected to live more
than a couple of
months longer. For a while she kept up her strength by eating, but in the
last few weeks, she
urinated in the wrong places and ate less and less. She lost so much weight
that I could see and feel
her bones when I picked her up. In the end she was more cooperative with my
holding her than she
had ever been in all the time I had had her.
On the morning of March 15, 2009, she wanted to go outside. I let her out,
but had to go to
church about an hour later. I saw her on the front lawn and thought I should
let her back in. But
she just sat there. I went out to my fathers car and saw her walk across the
front sidewalk.
When I returned from church, she was not at the front door waiting for me.
I went inside
and busied myself with craft work and TV for many hours. Every once in a while,
I got up and
looked down the stairs, but she still was not at the front door. Finally,
at dusk, I had to go out and
look for her. I called her name repeatedly, but she did not answer. I went
around the side of my
building and then saw a black form lying on the lawn next to a group of small
bushes. It was
Ebony! I rushed to her, felt her body, and saw that she was dead! All that
time I had been waiting
for her, she had been lying here lifeless. She must have died while I was
at church.
I had to call my family and tell them, they said the best thing to do until
she could be buried
was to keep her body outside on my upstairs patio. I got a plastic bag, picked
her up and hugged
her, put her into the bag and banded it shut, and put her on the patio. But
a couple of hours later,
after it had grown dark, I went onto the patio, took out the corpse, removed
her collar, and caressed
her once again for a long time, as she had never let me do while alive. I
held her up as though
offering her to God, and then put her back into the bag.
In the morning, I called a woman at the office who had assisted in burying
Blackie, but she
wasn't there. I had to call the maintenance department instead; they sent
a man named Mike who
agreed to dig a grave in an adjoining abandoned golf course. He also brought
an empty box for a
coffin. I put Ebony in it, closed it, and wrote her name, birth and death
dates on the top. Ebony was
buried in the same property where Blackie had been buried nearly ten years
earlier, and only a few yards away.
With both Blackie and Ebony buried in the same deserted woods, I will visit
them once a
month (I had already done so with Blackie since she died) and pay them my
respects.
Old News!
There's a lot of talk about this new Underdog film and Suzanne's opinion. She has forwarded me this press statement to post immediately!
On August 4th we were on the streets of NYC to see the movie and ask what people know about Underdog. We'll be reviewing it on the Checkerboard Kids Program!
Never fear! I'll post it up clips on youtube
THREATENED
by Suzanne Muldowney
On Friday, August 3, 2007, a motion picture will premiere which, unfortunately,
puts me in a very awkward position. The movie
is based on the fictional character I am best known for portraying: Underdog.
Ever since 1966, and especially since 1980, I have been impersonating this TV-cartoon superhero, who originated in 1964, through theatrical dance. I started in science-fiction convention masquerades, then went on to staged variety shows, TV talkshows, and especially parades. In May 2006 I was on the national TV show Jimmy Kimmel Live; the host specifically requested that I make an Underdog appearance. Also in 2006 premiered a documentary about my performing career and interpretation of the character: My Life as an Underdog, which can be looked up on MylifeasanUnderdog.com.
Despite these accomplishments, I fear I will be totally overlooked and eclipsed by this upcoming feature film. Society makes movies too important a medium in terms of propagating a concept or story. A topic is not considered significant unless it is the subject of either a movie or a TV show. The public is forewarned that the outfit behind this movie, Disney, typically takes topics not created by it, and making any changes or makeovers it feels like, so that the end product is a far cry from the original, but is mistaken by the public as infallible, gospel.
The character of Underdog was created as a cartoon canine equivalent of Superman, since he had much the same powers, especially the ability to fly. However, like the 60s Batman TV series, the Underdog series was flawed by simplistic and unrealistic plots; simplistic dialogue; lack of intelligence among characters; illiteracy; melodramatic narration; general silliness; and high degrees of violence. As a child, I was stunned when I was force-fed the dictionarial meaning of the word "underdog": born loser; and forced to acknowledge the above character and programmatic flaws. I was further intimidated and humiliated when force-fed the notions that Underdog was strictly a parody of Superman; and that unless he was presented in a dignified, realistic, and meritorious manner, he was inappropriate. Having been thoroughly shaken, I have always made a point of portraying Underdog along the lines I had been told were the only "right" ones. I have earned respect for both the character and myself as a result.
But I fear only the worst from this upcoming movie which threatens to eclipse even my own movie, listed above. The ads for the Disney movie contain a blasphemous parody of part of the Pledge of Allegiance: one nation under dog.
The following reasons are why this movie puts me in a threatening situation:
1.) The filmmakers would receive a lot of attention and credit for
allegedly resurrecting the character of Underdog, or re-inventing him. In
all that media hype, the public would forget, or refuse to believe, that I
exist and have been portraying Underdog for several decades.
2.) If the plot does not do the character justice, if it contains any or all the same flaws as the cartoon stories did, the public will have no regard for him and will forget, or refuse to believe, that I portray him in a dignified and meritorious manner, with sensible stories.
3.) If the film is rated "Fair" or "Poor" rather than "Good, "the public will have no regard for either it or the character, as in #2, and will leave me in the lurch.
4.) The film's being rated "PG" bodes ill. Such a rating
automatically means that some content is inappropriate for children, when
the character was originally created for children. Any film content that is
not family-friendly will cause both the character and me to lose face with
the public.
5.) If the film is a big hit, there will be a lot of commercial and media hype. Casts and crew will appear on TV talk shows; relevant toys and other merchandise will be fostered; Underdog impersonators will appear in Disney theme parks; and, as in #1, many people will be given undeserved hero worship and false godhood. The public will be so eager to jump on the bandwagon that they will forget, or refuse to believe, that I am still around and have been active for several decades.
6.) If the film is a flop, the public will hold both the character and me in contempt, as in #2 and 3. They will refuse to consider my documentary.
I cannot bring myself to believe that I will reap any benefits from the showing of this movie. Twice in the 1990s, the original cartoons were rerun on cable TV. But they only repeated the original character and programmatic flaws before the next generation of children and-more importantly-no connections were made to me.
The public is urged not to let themselves get carried away by the release and presence of this film which rivals, and threatens to ruin, all my conscientious efforts to keep a superheroic character, plagued by buffoonery and negative naming, worthy of merit and respect, since I was forced to see only the negative while I was growing up.
Update: 7/21/07
I saw the movie commercial, last weekend and here are my notes on what I saw!
(WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD!)
* Underdog, Polly and Riff Raff are ordinary dogs walking on all fours wearing no clothes and piped in voices.
* Underdog himself is not called Underdog the beginning when acquires his powers Through what's seems to be some sort of power plant accident, He has a has a human owner named jack who puts him through a hero training program. During this Underdog seemed to crash through some separators thus damaging property which is a programmatic flaw.
* This Underdog wears a cape red shirt with a letter "U" but no pants!
* Please do not expect me to move on all fours without legware!
The 2007 Coney Island Mermaid parade in New York was the place where Suzanne revealed her her newest mermaid costume. She calls her "Sylvia" please send us if you have any pictures!
The Suzanne
Documentary, "My Life as an Underdog"
website:
Suzannes MySpace page:
http://www.myspace.com/realunderdog
Hard to belive Underdog hit the airwaves 43 years ago! This Thanksgiving will be the 42nd anniversary of the Underdog baloon!
Old school public access show Beyond Vaudeville lives! It has a new Myspace page! Humble host, Frank Hope has a brand new interview with Suzanne that you can read here! You can also get their DVD with old school Suzanne footage on it!
On 5/22/06 Suzanne had a lovely time on the Jimmy Kimmel Live Show!
Everyone was respectful and really enjoyed what she did! Hopefully they'll have her back again!
If you 'd like to see her performance click here!
If you'd like to see her interview with Jimmy Kimmel click on his name.
Suzanne has donated 6 costumes to Baltimore, MDs Visionary
Arts Museum!
They will be worn
by worn by manequins in various
displays in the museums. The ones to look out for are:
Julius Ceasar (Military Garb) as seen in "My Life as an Underdog"
Patriotic Mermaid (never worn)
Supergirl 85-98
Daisy Sunshine gown worn on "Oddville Mtv" Season Finale
Sept 1997, Clip of Suzanne singing on show here
Underdog Tunic 1986-99 Underdog dance from Checkerboard Kids Program
here
Balencercise Uniform (Balencercise is another Sport like figure jogging
that has been invented by Suzanne. She got the idea from balancing gymnastics
but no somersauts or tumbling involved. the body stays upright at all times.)
Green costume with white and yellow daisy motifed appliques. Skin colored
tights.
How Does Suzanne Make Her Costumes?
photo by dustin3000
It's Official! Suzanne took 3rd Place honors (Best Mermaid) at Coney Islands 2005 Mermaid Parade!
The Underdog 40th Anniversary stats are in!
In 2004 Suzanne made 55 appearances, 32 Locations In 6 different States
Prepare thyself! Sue's already planning for the 45th anniversary in 2009, She says sapphires are the symbol of 45th I assume this will become a possible motif in her costume. Stay tuned!
Sue is always looking ahead! For
her 25th Coney Island Mermaid Parade in the Summer of 2007 Suzanne will unveil
a brand new mermaid character dressed in a specific color to suit the occasion!
I will say no more!
Suzanne Muldowney awarded "Best Honorary Baltimorean" according to Baltimore's City Paper! On January 29th she was presented with a citation by a representative of the mayors office The Baltimore Cable Show "Port Discovery" had Sue come on and dance. At the shows end they had Irish folk dancers. Sue joined them as Underdog but specifies she did not dance the same movements. There was also a birthday cake wishing Underdog a belated 40th anniversary.
Underdog In Superbowl Commercial
Yes, Suzanne saw the commercial! She recounts: "This is the first time Underdog had been used in a commercial since "Frosted Cheerios in 1995! I recognized Captain America and Spiderman. The live action commercial then had an animated Underdog. I felt the commercial tried to make it seem that he had appeared too late. The commercial didn't involve me at all." Would it have been a better commercial if she had been in it? "Probably!" retorted Suzanne.
Suzanne's Beyond Vaudeville episode guide!
Just Added::
Photos by Deborah Samantha Olin of Suzanne marching in the Coney Island Mermaid Parade 2004 can be seen here!
This year is Underdogs 43nd anniversary. Suzanne will definitely be touring, performing as this character. Check our schedule and updates of where you can see her next. Feel free to send photos and write in experiences you may have had seeing Sue at an event or function.
The live action Underdog movie is being produced by Disney/Spyglass. Click here for link to article. The Script was supposedly written by Adam Rifkin director of Detroit Rock City & The Dark Backward. Ben Stiller’s name is attached to a similarly named movie. "Oh, I can see the confusion, and it's not that Underdog," swears Stiller, who instead was filming the story of a bunch of underdogs who compete in the World Dodgeball Championship in Las Vegas. Suzanne has written the makers of the film giving suggestions on how the Underdog film should be handled. Read letter here
Speaking of Art projects, Since it is a Olympic year Suzanne asks all you artists out there to peruse UNDERDOG: INTERPLANETARY OLYMPIC HORROR and send us an interpretation of your favorite scenes and we will put them up on the website for all to see on our artwork page!
Special thanks go out to Discoman Doug Kramer, Boris, Christine B, The Masked Mutant, Ed at Media Funhouse, Sal Piro, Jake Squirt, Marcia at Making The Scene, The Coney Island Sideshow, Atomic TV, The great folks at MNN and praise due to the cast and crew of Beyond Vaudeville the greatest public access show there ever done was.
Q: Just who are you anyway ?
A: My name is Phil, I first saw Sue on the Beyond Vaudeville program. I was a guest several times on the show. The hosts introduced me to Suzanne after a live show and we became fast friends, 13 years later we’ve worked on projects, hung out and went to parties and parades. Sue has a dream that she wants everyone to know about her opinions and intentions. So I present it all here for free. A clearing house of all things Suzanne. So if you have, share! Add to the legend. If you use anything from our site, acknowledge. Link us and get the word out.
We are just a humble fansite so please dont sue us! We po'!