It was 1990. The first comic book that I bought with my own money was the second issue of the first Robin mini series. I had just received this huge book on the history of Batman the year before and I was fascinated by the chapter on Robin. I don't really have any specific reason for it because the chapter wasn't totally complimentary. The talked about Dick Grayson, how he grew up and ditched the name and became his own super hero. I knew there was another Robin named Jason Todd. I read a couple of issues featuring Jason thanks to some packed collection of comics I bought at the Venture up the road. Even at 9 I thought Jason was a douche. You're hanging out with Batman! And you just beat up Two Face, what's with the petulant whining? But something about the character compelled me. At some point later on I was playing with some toys in the living room, my parents were watching Entertainment Tonight and they did a little story on how Robin was getting a new costume. I was floored. The next time I was with Mom at the grocery store I saw this:
I bought that and I was completely hooked. What was it with this kid?
Jennifer Walters was a pretty low key repressed law student. She was mousy, she was quiet and she didn't do anything to draw any attention to herself. The person she was closest to was her cousin Bruce.
So let's say your Dad was Superman. He came to Earth as an adult, married your Mom, had you, started the Justice League. Let's say during that time during senior year of high school you develop the same powers as your dad.
So here is the guy that started this whole thing. Now, when I kept seeing the Watchmen trailers I always have to think how originally it was going to be all Charlatan characters. Nite Owl was based on Blue Beetle and Rorschach was inspired by: ( The Question )
Also, everybody, thanks for all the thoughts and stuff. I really appreciate it more than I can say, and she told me that she appreciates it too.
So today I was going to highlight The Question, but I realized I've already done two DC characters in this already, so I'm going to give the House of Ideas some play. And because I missed last week, this a two fer, and behind the cut.
Gifted inventor, decent athlete. Completely devoid of powers and had a desire to become a superhero "just because". I like that. He's all the best parts of Spider-Man, Batman and Iron Man without all the angst. The man never stopped joking.
And it got him shot in the head.
His origin may not have been different, or his shtick, but he was different in the world of comics. He was the guy who never let anything get him down.
Unfortunately I can't find any decent art of Ted, so his upcoming action figure will have to do.
Back in the 40's most of the Golden Age heroes were upstanding citizens. They had diplomatic ties, or were respected scientists, or had day jobs or were philanthropists, but there was one who stood out from the pack.
Plastic Man.
Y'see Plastic Man started out as a crook. During a robbery at a chemical plant lowlife hood "Eel" O'Brien was shot in the shoulder. Another near miss punctured a storage tank above him and an acid bath doused him, getting in the wound. He managed to get outside only to see his crew drive off without him. Disoriented he wandered until he found himself at a monastery outside the city where the monks took him in. When the police tracked him to the monastery the monks said they hadn't seen him, even though they knew full well who he was. During this Eel found that the acid somehow changed him. He could stretch his body to incredible lengths and even change his shape.
Touched by the monks kindness he decided to change his ways and fight crime, and the best way he knew how was to fight it from the inside. Plastic Man kept his criminal identity and would use that as an in to be there as a crime happened to stop it. How fantastically original is that?
Plus The Kinks used him (or his name anyway) to write a very catchy song.
I am going to have to draw some characters today. I just know it. Beach Head, the Dreadknocks, the Crimson Guard, Shipwreck. Word on the street is that the G.I. Joe movie will be a Brussels based G.I.J.O.E. (Global Intergrated Joint Operating Entity). Jason Statham and Mark Wahlberg are auditioning. So you're going to go to this movie expecting to see soldiers and Special Forces type military guys, does that mean we're going to get a whole mess of giant robots? Or maybe they'll go a different route and most of the action will involve a busload of nuns going to a prayer meeting in Dayton. Yes, I'm still quite disappointed in Transformers. So I have no hopes for G.I. Joe. I don't know how many of you spent your weekday afternoons watching G.I. Joe or Transformers, but it was my regular thing. I think I learned a lot about loyalty from watching those shows. And I miss stuff like that. No one is drawing playing cards and then describing why they're laying the card a certain way. To me that's boring and more implausible than to have a 200 man gun fight where no one got shot.
The last time we did one like this I referred to a humorous take on Johnny Lawrence but this time friends we must not ignore the plight of a true hero of times past. I refer you to William Atherton.
Who? You may ask if you haven't clicked the link above. He was in a large number of movies in the 80's where he played an asshole
I can't say I know what he's like personally, maybe not a great man, but a working man. Taking on roles that he probably knows that he's going to get vilified on the street for.
So Little Caesars. Their slogan is "Pizza! Pizza!" right? Does anyone remember why? Because you'd pay the price for a single pizza and get two in a huge carboard supported sleeve.
I miss that. Tearing open the paper on one of those bags was always fun for me.
Yeah, I should probably not do these posts when I'm hungry. I'm gonna go eat something. In the meantime..
How come they never made TRON frisbees? It's like printing money. Toy lightsabers, toy Ninja Turtle gear. Hell, they make inflatible Superman muscle suits. Why didn't they make TRON frisbees?
My best friend Toby and I would play this constantly. The guns looked cool. Were really durable, and we learned the tactic of sniping early on. Lazer Tag rocked hardcore.
And when I was small the Legend of Zelda cartoon was a big deal on Friday afternoons. Now I'm wondering what the hell was wrong with me.
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