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Welcome Back, Kotter #2
The Sweathog Newshawks
It all started innocently enough. Freddie Boom-Boom Washington wrote a story for the school newspaper. It told of the school's brilliant basketball star, a super-cool, super-baaaad dude who does it all - Freddie Boom-Boom Washington. When, for no good reason at all it was rejected, the sweathogs decided to do something about this injustice.
Mr. Kotter made the mistake of telling the sweathogs about freedom of the press, and what started out as a minor issue became a first edition - the beginning of the Sweathog Press. Its motto is: Give the Readers What They Want, and What They Want is Human Tragedy, Crime, and Sex. Does it sell? You bet it does!
Mr. Kotter made the mistake of telling the sweathogs about freedom of the press, and what started out as a minor issue became a first edition - the beginning of the Sweathog Press. Its motto is: Give the Readers What They Want, and What They Want is Human Tragedy, Crime, and Sex. Does it sell? You bet it does!
157 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1976
1 person is currently reading
16 people want to read
About the author
William Johnston
106 books16 followersLibrarian note: William Johnston has also written under the pseudonyms Susan Claudia, Willa Jay, Heather Sinclair, Ed Garth, Alex Steele, and William Howard.
William Johnston joined the Navy in 1942 and served in the Pacific. He worked as a disc jockey, advertising executive, magazine editor, and PR man before his writing career took off in 1960 with The Marriage Cage, a comic mystery that earned him a Best First Novel Edgar Award nomination from the Mystery Writers of America. He followed that book with a slew of pulp titles for Monarch Books, ranging from light comedy (The Power of Positive Loving) to medical romance (the Doctor Starr trilogy) to soft-core erotica (Save Her for Loving, Teen Age Tramp, Girls on the Wing).
Johnston’s medical novels dovetailed with his first tie-in assignments -- original novels based on the TV series The Nurses, Doctor Kildare and Ben Casey. Those books, published between 1962 and 1964, were so successful that his next original medical romance, Two Loves Has Nurse Powell, was presented as “From the author of Ben Casey.”
In 1965, Johnston wrote an original novel based on the TV comedy Get Smart. The book was a huge success, leading to nine more novels over the show’s five-season history and making him the “go-to” guy for sitcom-based tie-ins. He wrote books based on Captain Nice, Room 222, Happy Days, Welcome Back Kotter, The Flying Nun, The Brady Bunch, Nanny and the Professor, The Munsters, Gilligan’s Island, Bewitched, The Monkees and F-Troop, among others.
But his TV tie-in work extended far beyond sitcom adaptations. He wrote books based on Ironside, Dick Tracy, The Young Rebels, The Iron Horse, Then Came Bronson, and Rod Serling’s The New People, to name a few. He even adapted the cartoon characters Magilla Gorilla and Snagglepuss into books for children.
Johnston also penned many novelizations, including the pilots for the 1930s-era private eye series Banyon and the high school drama Sons and Daughters. His feature film novelizations include Klute, The Swinger, Echoes of a Summer, The New Interns, The Priest’s Wife, Lt. Robin Crusoe USN and his final tie-in project, Gore Vidal’s Caligula (under the pseudonym “William Howard”).
After retiring from fiction writing, he opened his own bar, which he operated for many years. He resided in San Jose, California prior to his death in 2010.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
William Johnston joined the Navy in 1942 and served in the Pacific. He worked as a disc jockey, advertising executive, magazine editor, and PR man before his writing career took off in 1960 with The Marriage Cage, a comic mystery that earned him a Best First Novel Edgar Award nomination from the Mystery Writers of America. He followed that book with a slew of pulp titles for Monarch Books, ranging from light comedy (The Power of Positive Loving) to medical romance (the Doctor Starr trilogy) to soft-core erotica (Save Her for Loving, Teen Age Tramp, Girls on the Wing).
Johnston’s medical novels dovetailed with his first tie-in assignments -- original novels based on the TV series The Nurses, Doctor Kildare and Ben Casey. Those books, published between 1962 and 1964, were so successful that his next original medical romance, Two Loves Has Nurse Powell, was presented as “From the author of Ben Casey.”
In 1965, Johnston wrote an original novel based on the TV comedy Get Smart. The book was a huge success, leading to nine more novels over the show’s five-season history and making him the “go-to” guy for sitcom-based tie-ins. He wrote books based on Captain Nice, Room 222, Happy Days, Welcome Back Kotter, The Flying Nun, The Brady Bunch, Nanny and the Professor, The Munsters, Gilligan’s Island, Bewitched, The Monkees and F-Troop, among others.
But his TV tie-in work extended far beyond sitcom adaptations. He wrote books based on Ironside, Dick Tracy, The Young Rebels, The Iron Horse, Then Came Bronson, and Rod Serling’s The New People, to name a few. He even adapted the cartoon characters Magilla Gorilla and Snagglepuss into books for children.
Johnston also penned many novelizations, including the pilots for the 1930s-era private eye series Banyon and the high school drama Sons and Daughters. His feature film novelizations include Klute, The Swinger, Echoes of a Summer, The New Interns, The Priest’s Wife, Lt. Robin Crusoe USN and his final tie-in project, Gore Vidal’s Caligula (under the pseudonym “William Howard”).
After retiring from fiction writing, he opened his own bar, which he operated for many years. He resided in San Jose, California prior to his death in 2010.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 25, 2018
"Wait'll you hear about the woman who for years has been existing on food stamps."
"What's news about that?"
"She doesn't know they can be used to buy food, she eats the stamps."
Cue laugh track. Cue me punching myself in the balls.
There's only two reasons why someone should read Welcome back Kotter: The Sweathog Newshawks:
1) You've seen all 95 episodes of Welcome Back Kotter, and want to experience more of it...in book form!
2) You've owned this book for over 20 years and you set a goal of reading 100 books on Goodreads. You find the year quickly coming to a close, you're two behind schedule, and you pick a 150 page novel based on a shitty TV sitcom to help get to the finish line.
Now, to be fair, The Sweathog Newshawks does an admirable job of capturing the humor of the show. Still, that humor isn't so hot. So...a secret success? Maybe. But either way, after 90 pages (roughly the equivalent of three episodes) you're begging for it to end. But it's not over. Oh no my friend, you still have two episodes left to go. Look on the bright side, though, no commercials!
Two more thoughts:
1) This is a more enjoyable read if you picture the theme song at the start and end of the book. I don't care what you say, that's a great song. NO ONE DENIES THIS!
2) Not even one attempt of an "up your nose with a rubber hose!" type joke?! 160 pages and not ONE? This is a fucking Mr. Kotter book, dammit, not Sanford and Son the novelization!
Class dismissed.
"What's news about that?"
"She doesn't know they can be used to buy food, she eats the stamps."
Cue laugh track. Cue me punching myself in the balls.
There's only two reasons why someone should read Welcome back Kotter: The Sweathog Newshawks:
1) You've seen all 95 episodes of Welcome Back Kotter, and want to experience more of it...in book form!
2) You've owned this book for over 20 years and you set a goal of reading 100 books on Goodreads. You find the year quickly coming to a close, you're two behind schedule, and you pick a 150 page novel based on a shitty TV sitcom to help get to the finish line.
Now, to be fair, The Sweathog Newshawks does an admirable job of capturing the humor of the show. Still, that humor isn't so hot. So...a secret success? Maybe. But either way, after 90 pages (roughly the equivalent of three episodes) you're begging for it to end. But it's not over. Oh no my friend, you still have two episodes left to go. Look on the bright side, though, no commercials!
Two more thoughts:
1) This is a more enjoyable read if you picture the theme song at the start and end of the book. I don't care what you say, that's a great song. NO ONE DENIES THIS!
2) Not even one attempt of an "up your nose with a rubber hose!" type joke?! 160 pages and not ONE? This is a fucking Mr. Kotter book, dammit, not Sanford and Son the novelization!
Class dismissed.
June 2, 2020
Was a fun read. Entertaining, short. I think a 7th grader would enjoy this and also learn some about being on a school newspaper.
January 14, 2017
It is what it is. If you are looking for grade A writing, humor, wit, wonderful prose, blah, blah, blah, and you get this then you're an idiot. These were nothing more than junior books for TV shows. Much like fan fiction from today (although I stress that this would still have to be better than the majority of crap writing on the net. Just because you have access to a keyboard doesn't mean you should write fiction).
If you enjoyed the show you'll enjoy this. Just let go, take the stick out out of your ass, and enjoy it for what it is.
I felt like they got the humor right. Not much content on Barbarino, mostly focused on Washington and a bit of Horshack. It certainly felt long. When you are used to the 30 minute shows and then read a story like this, I don't know. Just felt too long after a while.
But if you miss Welcome Back Kotter and want a little taste then certainly pick it up. I had a few laughs and lot of smiles so I'd say it served its function.
I did miss Gabe's stories to Julie though.
If you enjoyed the show you'll enjoy this. Just let go, take the stick out out of your ass, and enjoy it for what it is.
I felt like they got the humor right. Not much content on Barbarino, mostly focused on Washington and a bit of Horshack. It certainly felt long. When you are used to the 30 minute shows and then read a story like this, I don't know. Just felt too long after a while.
But if you miss Welcome Back Kotter and want a little taste then certainly pick it up. I had a few laughs and lot of smiles so I'd say it served its function.
I did miss Gabe's stories to Julie though.
Read
January 19, 2016I can't believe it, but I have a memory of reading this back when the show was on.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews