ABOVE:: interview segment where American Idol Season 2 finalist Corey Clark sets the record straight about his 2002 arrest.
On Sunday, May 18, 2014, we got together for a video interview with Corey Clark, the American Idol finalist from Season 2 who was dismissed from the show as announced on the April 1, 2003 broadcast. Mr. Clark and nine other ex-Idol hopefuls have a pending lawsuit filed in Federal Court in New York City against American Idol Productions among other defendants. Mr. Clark has stated that he has proof that the show has been discriminatory against African-American contestants and is seeking legal redress.
Our interview with Mr. Clark went approximately five hours, and we will be putting the video footage online over the next several days. For now, here's a segment of the interview in which Mr. Clark talks in full detail about his arrest in October 2002 that led to his dismissal from American Idol more than five months later. It is fair to say that the fallout from this pivotal event in Mr. Clark's life still affects him to this day.
Think you've heard it all? Think you know all the details? Don't answer until you've heard Corey Clark tell his story in his own words. Note that the footage is uncensored for language, and in certain brief instances, there will be language that could be considered Not Safe for Work.
During the course of the interview, Mr. Clark talks about several people who were involved in the events he describes. In the interest of getting all sides to the story, anyone mentioned who would like to interview with us to tell his or her side can contact us at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
For those experiencing long buffering times, you can listen to the interview in audio-only format:
1st INTERVIEW: May 18, 2014
Part i:
Part II:
Part III:
Part IV:
2nd INTERVIEW: October 26, 2014
full interview:
3rd INTERVIEW: November 25, 2014
full interview:
Corey Clark: Unfiltered, Part I (approx. 91 min)
Corey Clark: Unfiltered, Part II (approx. 58 min)
In Part I, Mr. Clark discusses the American Idol audition process, how Simon Cowell affected his decision to continue his career in music, his 2002 arrest, the charges being dismissed then mysteriously reinstated, The Smoking Gun, his dismissal from American Idol, and being blacklisted from the music industry.
In Part II, Mr. Clark discusses The Book Deal That Wasn't, his 2005 interview with ABC, Paula Abdul, the discovery of new facts that cast old beliefs in a new light, and goes in-depth about his current lawsuit against American Idol Productions and other defendants.
The statements made by Mr. Clark in his interview sessions with USTownhall.com are exclusively his own. USTownhall.com, its employees, associates, affiliates, subsidiaries, and parents are neutral parties who neither condone nor condemn the statements made herein.
Corey Clark: Unfiltered, Part 3 (approx. 51 min)
In Part III, Mr. Clark discusses the legal and strategic underpinnings of his lawsuit, talks more about Paula Abdul and his reasons for embarking on the alleged affair, and gives his honest--and shocking-- thoughts about Simon Cowell, Paula, and Randy Jackson. He called Randy a ...what?!
In this interview:
• Corey spills the behind-the-scenes details about his American Idol audition process.
• Corey talks about the Smoking Gun website article that led to his dismissal including a shocking revelation about what American Idol knew concerning Corey's legal situation before the article came out and what Corey says Idol did with that information.
• Corey discusses his post-Idol career and his contention that he was blacklisted from the music industry.
• What really happened between Corey Clark and Paula Abdul?
• Corey talks about his showbiz experiences before Idol including his days with R&B star Ne-Yo.
• Corey goes into great detail about his lawsuit against Idol and discusses the evidence he was able to obtain to bolster his case.
• How will this case affect the American Idol judges? Will any judges, past or present, be named as defendants or have to give testimony?
• What does Corey really think about Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, and Paula Abdul?
• Corey discusses his feelings of race relations and racial equality not only as it concerns American Idol, but how he sees things in the larger society.
• And much, much more!
To keep in touch with Corey Clark or to check out his music, we provide the following links:
Like a well-deserved left cross to the kisser, the stories presented in X-9: Secret Agent Corrigan, volume 2 (of a projected five volumes) satisfy on a visceral, straight-to-the-point level. In each arc of the classic newspaper comic, which in this volume first saw print between September 1969 and April 1972, a week's worth of strips is used for set up, and then it's full steam ahead as the action plays out in brisk fashion over the next two-and-a-half to three months. Secret Agent Corrigan is unadorned meat-and-potatoes adventure so in terms of plotting, there isn't really any new ground covered here. We have the usual hallmarks of the genre: women kidnapped, guy gets mixed up with the mob/syndicate, people staging their own kidnapping or attempts on their lives for personal gain only to have it backfire, hero gets mixed up in political hotspots around the world, and the like. However, a master storyteller like Archie Goodwin, the writer on the series from 1967 to 1980, knows why these plots work and exploits them to their fullest potential in the limited space available to him. If you're a fan of those great half-hour television dramas of the 1950s – such as Dangerous Assignment or Patrick McGoohan's Danger Man – you will love Corrigan.
In the best tradition of the iconic newspaper adventure strips, Goodwin's laconic FBI agent Phil Corrigan muscles his way balls-first into one deadly situation after another propelled by pure testosterone and the desire to get the job done. He's a guy's guy in a way that seems quaintly retro when contrasted to the way men are depicted in the media today, but Corrigan's uncomplicated sense of himself is very refreshing because of it. Goodwin's stories are elevated to a new level by his collaborator Al Williamson, an illustrator squarely in the Alex Raymond tradition of more realistic figure drawing.
It must have been quite a daunting task to follow in the footsteps of two legendary creators of genre fiction, but that is exactly what Archie Goodwin and Al Williamson set out to do when they took over this classic comic strip which began life under the name Secret Agent X-9.
Above: strip from September 4, 1969, "Prince Kasim" storyline [Image provided by The Library of American Comics]
Secret Agent X-9 began publication as a daily newsapaper comic strip on January 22, 1934 and lasted until February 10, 1996. What makes X-9 stand out from among the many other action-adventure comic strips that populated the newspapers back in the 1930s was its pedigree. The creators of X-9 were no less than Dashiell Hammett and Alex Raymond. Hammett is widely recognized as one of the progenitors of the genre of hard-boiled detective fiction. Athough he wrote only five novels, Hammett's influence is far-reaching as his works – which include the creation of Sam Spade for The Maltese Falcon and Nick and Nora Charles for The Thin Man – have been adapted to film and television numerous times over the decades and are known worldwide. The artist on the strip Alex Raymond is no less a luminary in his own right being the creator of the seminal space fantasy comic strip
Flash Gordon. Interestingly, Raymond's Flash Gordon and Hammett's Thin Man novel saw print on January 7 and January 8, 1934 respectively – a scant two weeks earlier than their collaboration on Secret Agent X-9 – quite an historic month for the two! However, in spite of the talent of the creators involved, the strip was not a big hit for them and both left after about a year.
X-9 continued through the decades in the hands of several creators, most notably artist Mel Graff who drew the strip for about 20 years and gave X-9 his real name of Phil Corrigan.
When Goodwin and Williamson took over in 1967, they brought a pedigree of their own. Al Williamson made his mark as artist on some of the most notable comic magazines of all time including EC's Weird Science and Weird Fantasy as well as Creepy and Eerie, the flagship magazines of EC's spiritual successor Warren Publishing. Archie Goodwin is recognized in the comics industry as being one of the finest writers and editors that the medium has ever produced. Like Williamson, Goodwin made his reputation at Warren's Creepy and Eerie, but as head writer and editor. For Marvel Comics, Goodwin served a short stint as Editor-in-Chief during the 1970s and later inaugurated the Epic Comics line which was Marvel's creator-owned imprint. For DC Comics, Goodwin wrote or edited a number of Batman-related projects and created the 1970s Manhunter character who appeared in a classic serialized story in Detective Comics with art by Walt Simonson.
Above: Williamson's expert use of black & white on display in sequence from March 7, 1972 during the "Doctor Seven Returns" storyline. [Image provided by The Library of American Comics]
So do the talents of Goodwin and Williamson compare favorably with X-9's creators Hammett and Raymond? It's almost blasphemous to say this, but in some regards, they actually exceed them. Hammett's dialogue has more wit of course, but Goodwin's pacing is superb, and he manages to maintain an ever-present sense of tense urgency throughout the stories. In reading the 280 pages of stories that comprise this volume, one continually feels swept up in a tornado of gunplay, fists, leaps, and one death-defying scenario after another. Goodwin's terse dialogue and quick cuts are at times too good – you have to force yourself to slow down to admire the crisp, drool-worthy black-and-white art of Al Williamson – but don't fail to do so. Williamson is a master craftsman who lays out the breathless action to perfection and excels at balancing light and dark in each panel in order to create convincing depth and texture. He is an illustrator in the classic sense in that he brings all his considerable skills to the forefront in service of the story rather than resorting to over-obvious flash that only serves to call attention to the artist at the story's expense. Aspiring artists, and quite frankly, many of today's top comic book artists, will find a lot to learn here from basic figure rendering to advanced composition and layout. As a team, Goodwin and Williamson mesh flawlessly. They are clearly of one mind working toward a common goal: delivering a narrative gut punch – a giddy thrill ride of action, excitement, narrow escapes, exotic locales, and femme fatales.
The eleven capers presented in X-9: Secret Agent Corrigan volume 2 are as follows (unofficial story titles provided by us for convenience):
"Prince Kasim" - Corrigan's wife Wilda is kidnapped by Prince Kasim of the Middle Eastern nation of Turistan to be his wife as he ascends to the throne.
"Byron Jagger" - Spy novelist Jagger tries to goose sales of his book by faking attempts on his life and saying they're the work of Cain, a notorious spy thought dead who Jagger claims is still alive. Turns out Jagger is correct, and Cain decides to silence the writer for real.
"Clete Bowman" - Bowman decides to give up his failed acting career for a shot at real money by becoming a courier for an espionage ring trafficking in stolen defense plans.
"Gorstrom" - Big game hunter and syndicate bigwig Gorstrom hunts the biggest game of all on his private Caribbean island – Phil Corrigan, who is playing bodyguard to government witness Karen Holt.
"Charlene Amberson" - Rich girl Amberson arranges her own kidnapping to score some cash to run away with the guy her father disapproves of. The ruse turns deadly when the couple's cohort decides to make the kidnapping real.
"Jonas Branveldt" - Corrigan heads to the South American jungle of Arumba to find the notes of presumed-dead Dr. Branveldt who made a discovery that could make atomic weapons obsolete. What he finds is a very much alive Branveldt along with a lost valley unchanged since the Mesozoic era filled with danger – and dinosaurs! Exceedingly entertaining story with page after page of bravura Williamson art.
"Doctor Seven" - Corrigan meets recurring enemy Dr. Seven and his henchwoman Lushan for the first time as our FBI guy gets loaned out to the CIA to track down US space satellites knocked out of orbit and brought to the nation of Kalipur.
"R. Barcroft Baxter" - Movie producer Baxter seeks to undermine Galaxy Studios head Kay Stirling in order to take over the company and run it as a syndicate-controlled enterprise.
"General Drax" - Corrigan is assigned to bodyguard Drax, the dictator of Balkania under threat of assassination, as he prepares to address the United Nations.
"Jonas Garth" - Corrigan heads to the African nation of Ukhari on the trail of Jonas Garth, a treasure hunter who is wanted for murder back in the States.
"Doctor Seven Returns" - Blamed for Corrigan's defeat of Dr. Seven, Lushan trades information about Seven's next scheme for Corrigan's protection.
Once again, The Library of American Comics has outdone itself on this compilation using thick matte paper for the best combination of readability and durability. An essay by Goodwin's wife Anne T. Murphy opens the book with insights into Archie and Al both individually and as creative partners. The strips themselves were reprinted from Al Williamson's personal proofs provided by his wife Cori, and are of uniformly excellent quality resulting in the definitive showcase for what is considered to be the last great action-adventure newspaper strip. A must-buy for any lover of American newspaper comic strips.
SUMMER 2012 TELEVISION PREVIEW
Written by USTownhall staff
Saturday, 02 June 2012 12:49
Below is our calendar of first-run television viewing for the summer months of June through August. Check back often for more details, updates, and additions! Click on the highlighted series titles below to watchpreview clips!
More details (including trailers) coming soon, but for now, enjoy this first sneak peek...
DRAMA
FALL MOVIE CALENDAR
Argo (Oct 12)
Chasing Mavericks (Oct 26)
End of Watch (Sep 21)
Flight (Nov 2)
Jack Reacher (Dec 21)
Les Misérables (Dec 14)
SEPTEMBER
Sep 7
• The Words
Sep 14
• Finding Nemo 3D
• Resident Evil: Retribution
Sep 21
• Dredd
• End of Watch
• House at the End of the Street
• Trouble with the Curve
Sep 28
• Hotel Transylvania
• Looper
• Won't Back Down
OCTOBER
Oct 5
• Frankenweenie
• Pitch Perfect
• Sinister
• Taken 2
Oct 12
• Argo
• Here Comes the Boom
• Seven Psychopaths
Oct 19
• Alex Cross
• Killing Them Softly
• Paranormal Activity
Oct 26
• The Big Wedding
• Chasing Mavericks
• Cloud Atlas
• Fun Size
• Silent Hill: Revelation
NOVEMBER
Nov 2
• Flight
• The Man with the Iron Fists
• Wreck-It Ralph
Nov 9
• Skyfall
Nov 16
• The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2
Nov 21
• Life of Pi
• Parental Guidance
• Red Dawn (2012)
• Rise of the Guardians
• The Silver Linings Playbook
DECEMBER
Dec 7
• Playing for Keeps
Dec 14
• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
• Les Misérables
Dec 21
• Jack Reacher
• Monsters, Inc. 3D
• This is 40
• Zero Dark Thirty
Dec 25
• Django Unchained
• The Guilt Trip
Life of Pi (Nov 21)
Trouble with the Curve (Sep 21)
Zero Dark Thirty (Dec 21)
Won't Back Down (Sep 28)
The Words (Sep 7)
ACTION / THRILLER
Alex Cross (Oct 19)
Django Unchained (Dec 26)
Killing Them Softly (Oct 19)
The Man with the Iron Fists (Nov 2)
Red Dawn (2012) (Nov 21)
Skyfall (Nov 9)
Taken 2 (Oct 5)
SCIFI / FANTASY
Cloud Atlas (Oct 26)
Dredd (Sep 21)
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Dec 14)
Looper (Sep 28)
Resident Evil: Retribution (Sep 14)
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 (Nov 16)
COMEDY
The Big Wedding (Oct 26)
Fun Size (Oct 26)
The Guilt Trip (Dec 26)
Here Comes the Boom (Oct 12)
Parental Guidance (Nov 21)
Pitch Perfect (Oct 5)
Playing for Keeps (Dec 7)
The Silver Linings Playbook (Nov 21)
Seven Psychopaths (Oct 12)
This is 40 (Dec 21)
ANIMATION
Finding Nemo 3D (Sep 14)
Frankenweenie (Oct 5)
Hotel Transylvania (Sep 28)
Monsters, Inc. 3D (Dec 21)
Rise of the Guardians (Nov 21)
Wreck-It Ralph (Nov 2)
HORROR / SUSPENSE
House at the End of the Street (Sep 21)
Paranormal Activity 4 (Oct 19)
Silent Hill: Revelation (Oct 26)
Sinister (Oct 5)
USTownhall RoundTable: The Fall 2017 sessions
Written by Scott Katz
We're back! Just when you thought it was safe to watch your favorite shows without us trashing them, Scott, Kerry, and Brenda are back to shine a big ol' spotlight on what we liked -- and what we didn't -- abouit some of the hottest reality shows on television!
For now, we'll be discussing the current season of Dancing with the Stars as it returns for a 25th cycle.
Click on the triangular "Play" button to listen to the podcast. After a few minutes, the file should be fully scannable backwards & forwards. You can pause and resume at any time as long as this page is not refreshed.
(1) Sep 23, 2017: First Dances, no elimination
(6) Oct 26, 2017: Movie Night, Nick Lachey eliminated
(2) Sep 28, 2017: Ballroom night, Barbara Corcoran eliminated; Latin Night, Debbie Gibson eliminated
(7) Nov 2, 2017: Halloween Night, Vanessa Lachey and Nikki Bella eliminated
(3) Oct 5, 2017: Guilty Pleasures Night, no elimination
(8) Nov 10, 2017: Quarterfinals Night, Terrell Owens eliminated
(4) Oct 12, 2017: Most Memorable Year Night, Derek Fisher eliminated
(9) Nov 17, 2017: Semifinals Night, Victoria Arlen eliminated
(5) Oct 19, 2017: Disney Night, Sasha Pieterse eliminated
(10) Nov 24, 2017: Finals Night, Jordan Fisher wins!