JUNE 24, 2013
BY HOWARD JOHNSON
1962 : I was six, at my grandmother’s house, eating pancakes and watching my favorite show on TV. Captain Kangaroo was talking to Mr. Moose about something not quite visible just off the right side of the screen. My grandmother entered the room. She looked at the big console television, tilted her head, and then tweaked the horizontal-position knob. The image shifted a bit to the left, revealing more at the right side. I sat in awe, jaw dropped, gaze transfixed.
When she left the room, I was all over that knob. If you turned it far enough, what would happen? Could you see off the edges of the set? Could you see the cameraman? Could you see yourself? My brain exploded with questions.