The Fire and Water Podcast Presents: WHO'S WHO UPDATE '87: VOLUME 4It's the fourth fabulous issue of WHO'S WHO UPDATE '87! Shag and Rob take a look at new and updated characters such as Lois Lane, Marine Marauder, Mon-El, Power Girl, The Question, Protector, and more! We wrap up with your Listener Feedback!
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“A sigh is still a sigh…” and a sign of Rob’s impending disproval…
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the banter immensely, gentlemen. Some quick “lettercol-esque comments”:
Marine Marauder: Rob, as you may be aware, Alan Davis had this version of the character tangle with Aquaman in his first “Justice League: The Nail” Elseworlds series, in a brief team-up with Ocean Master.
Mentalla: Rob, your story about this entry inspiring you to seek out the comic story reminds me of what I have loved about DC Comics in the 1970s and 1980s: where a mention of a past story in the narrative being footnoted with an “editor’s note” would inspire a new back-issue hunt (and the back cover on this issue serves as the helpful “editor’s note” for this entry).
Metallo: Shag, the woman who was grabbed by Metallo in the surprint was indeed “Super 1980’s Lois Lane(TM)”, in a re-depicted scene from Superman v2 #1.
Mr. 104: A character that should have been included in the first volume, and was most likely added to the update because of his upcoming appearance in Suicide Squad-Doom Patrol Special. Of course, now I feel cheated that Animal-Mineral-Vegetable Man did not have a proper “old school 1980s” Who’s Who entry as well…
Mr Bones: …must have watched a lot of “Underdog” as a kid…
Moonbow: Moonbow’s “logo” is from the cover of Fury of Firestorm v1 #48, her first costumed appearance. This handling was similar to the entry for “The Top,” as well as “Tomahawk’s Rangers” and other Who’s Who entries that use the Ira Schnapp lettering in their “logos.”
Paradise Island: While the letters page said there is only one Wonder Woman, Who’s Who still had the Wonder Woman I and II entries in the previous series, so the “See X” notes still have to use that numbering designation to point the reader to the correct entry…
Power Girl: I do not believe this was mentioned – Mary Wilshire illustrated the Power Girl revised origin story in Secret Origins #11.
Protector: “For more on the Protector: look here…”
ReplyDeleteShag, you are correct. George Pérez did originally draw Robin in the first New Teen Titans drug issue. Here is an excerpt from an interview with Andy Mangels printed in Comics Interview #50 (pages 47-49):
“…But the only other change was that Robin was drawn and inked as leader of the TEEN TITANS because of an incredibly ridiculous bit of trouble with licensing. Keebler, the cookie company, was sponsoring the first drug book, and through the licensing of super-hero cookies, Robin was licensed to Nabisco. So we couldn’t use Robin on a Keebler-licensed product, even though it was a totally different type of marketing. Dave Manak – who was editing that book – whited out the entire costuming on Robin and drew this costume they quickly designed, and renamed him the Protector. So you have the Protector doing all the Robin-type things, like flying the T-Jet, and giving all the orders – and who is this guy? Every single pose he’s in, that was Robin in the original pose. Anyone who has the original artwork can see all the whiteout on that Protector figure and, if you hold it up to the light, you can see Robin’s costume underneath.”
As to why they decided to keep the character in later books, Mr. Pérez said: “Now you had a character where they’d say, ‘This character was designed *specifically* for these drug books,’ to cover their tracks, so he was utilized over and over again, because now he was the binding tie that made these stories different from the TITANS stories [in DC comic books].”
So yes, it is true.
And on your sidenote about the animated drug advert: I actually had a PAL-VHS of that PSA as part of a TV advertising archive back when I was working in Asia in the 1990s. Unfortunately, it had succumbed to mold damage and became unplayable. I also remember “Teen Titans” being a planned ABC Saturday morning series, and my understanding was that the plans fell through for some reason, and the team behind that pitch were asked to take over the animation for the Super Friends franchise which led to the Super Powers Team season, to which they carried over the Cyborg character and design.
Also, a “Government Issue” episode for the Fire and Water Podcast sounds like a great idea, gentlemen…
Rampage!: So John Byrne employed the “cut and paste” technique. I believe this was during the time John Byrne was starting using the early version of the Machintosh computer to create imagery for his art. I wonder if he created the pattern on his computer first…
I have to pause for now. I will listen to Listener Feedback tonight, and may have more responses then. Thank you again.
And I am back. Great episode all around, as always...
ReplyDeleteRob, Alan Davis is a comic book writer as well as an artist, he wrote the brilliant aforementioned "Justice League: The Nail" series as well as Clandestine and his later stories on Excalibur, to name a few.
Ah, my Who's Who debut on "The Line It Is Drawn" is a few weeks away... November 27th to be exact. Mark your calendars.
And you are a tease, Shag, to mention the name "Super Duper" with such enthusiasm and then knock the wind out of the sails less than twenty words later. I suppose there is only room for one composite character in your fandom life...