Pop Culture Chronicles

Batman: Year One

I collected a good number of the Batman titles from 1983 through 2003. I stopped reading, however, in about 1987. So now I'm catching up. Here are some of my impressions:

Batman: Year One - (Batman # 404-407, 1987). This story by Frank Miller with art by David Mazzuchelli redefined the Batman mythos. Here is the definitive post-crisis origin tale confirming Batman as the Dark Knight, distancing him further from the campy 1960s TV series and the 1950s sci-fi era. It's fairly consistent with Dennis O'Neil's run as Batman writer in the 70s and O'Neil just happened to be serving as editor during Miller's four-parter.

I can see where this story influenced the movie Batman Begins. We have police lieutenant James Gordon, before he was Commissioner, a good cop fighting corruption in a big city police department. Bruce Wayne has just returned after twelve years abroad preparing himself as the supreme crime-fighter and vigilante of Gotham. Also, like the movie, the police surround Batman in an abandoned building where he uses special technology to summon the bat population.

The gritty realism is what I've always liked about Batman since the O'Neil days. I prefer to see him fighting gangsters as opposed to members of his rogues gallery. In this story a highly trained, yet inexperienced Batman struggles his way through. The human element comes through in Gordon's relationship with his wife and his detective partner.  

This story, since reprinted in hardcover and various trade paperback editions, is one of the best Batman stories ever. I felt as if I was watching a movie while reading this truly suspenseful comic. I love Batman in any incarnation, but the Dark Avenger of the Night is how he was meant to be from the start. 

Now here is some good news. Batman: Year One is going to be a made-for-DVD animated movie released later this year.    

Captain America Adventure Serial

I just bought a VHS of the old Captain America adventure serial for $1.00 at a garage sale. I watched the first episode last night. I had seen several episodes as a child when our local PBS affiliate would air old adventure serials on Saturday nights. I didn't remember much about it though.

Captain America was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby for Timely (now Marvel) comics in 1940. Weakling Steve Rogers volunteers for an experimental super serum which transforms him into the powerful and muscular Captain America. He spends the war fighting Nazis. The first issue of Captain America Comics, while dated 1941, was actually published one year before America entered World War II. Cap was retired by Marvel when super heroes went out of vogue, but he was revived in the 60s when Rogers, who had been in suspended animation, was thawed out. 

The serial was the first time a Marvel/Timely superhero had appeared in any medium outside the comics. It is good for nostalgia and maybe one of the best serials of its era. But it is glaringly inconsistent with the comic version. Absent from the movie is Cap's trademark shield. Instead he carries a gun, which seems very odd. The origin story and alter ego is also changed. Cap is a district attorney named Grant Gardner in the serial. While the serial was released during the war (1944) Cap strangely enough doesn't fight any Nazis. 

Of course the forthcoming Captain America: The First Avenger will be more true to the comic origin. Other live action versions have included two 1979 and 1980 TV movies starring Reb Brown. The 1990 movie was the most faithful to the comics in many respects, but was panned by critics. I still haven't got around to that one, but I am looking forward to the latest movie incarnation of Captain America.      

A Very Brady Blog Post

Recently Watching A Very Brady Christmas with my daughter caused me to wonder how many Brady reunions there have been since the cancellation of the original series. My research has revealed that there have been three spin-off series from the original: a variety show, a sit-com, and a drama. The original series is available in its entirety on DVD.

The first reunion was the Brady Variety Hour in 1977 which lasted only nine episodes. The second reunion was to be a TV movie entitled The Brady Girls Get Married in 1981. The movie was re-edited into the first three episodes of a new sit-com called The Brady Brides which told of Marcia and Jan's married life. The series ran 10 episodes. 

The TV movie A Very Brady Christmas aired in 1988. The high ratings led to yet another spin-off series called The Bradys which was more dramatic than comedic. It ran six episodes which have since been re-edited into three TV movies. 

Reuniting the entirety of such a large cast proved challenging, with the original Jan missing from the variety hour, the original Cindy missing from the Christmas movie, and the original Marcia missing from the drama. Each were replaced with other actors. The Brady Girls Get Married (which became the first three episodes of "The Brady Brides") was the only reunion that featured the entire original cast.  

The most successful Brady series outside of the original was actually a cartoon called "The Brady Kids" airing from 1972-1974, lasting 22 episodes. Since the series there have been two theatrical films which spoofed the original series, both featuring all new actors. The Brady Bunch Movie and A Very Brady Sequel were released in 1995 and 1996 respectively. A third movie was released to DVD in 2002 called The Brady Bunch in the White House.

As is obvious from the picture on this post, the Bradys also had their day in comics when Dell published two issues, complete with photo covers, in 1970. A promotional comic, Brady Bunch Kite Fun Book appeared in 1976.

It has been noted that the original series and reunions have put the Bradys on all three networks at various times. This feat isn't unique to the Bradys, however, since James Garner has played the role of Bret Maverick on all three networks as well. The original Maverick series aired on ABC, the New Maverick/Young Maverick on CBS, and the Bret Maverick series on NBC.             

Jonah Hex / Josh Brolin

I love the western genre, I love comics, and I'm a fan of Josh Brolin. So imagine my thrill at seeing the movie poster for Jonah Hex for the first time. Refusing to pay for overpriced movie tickets, I typically wait for DVD. So last night I finally got around to seeing the movie. We were warned by many critics, so expectations were low, but the movie was even worse than I thought. 

An ex-Confederate soldier, Jonah Hex, turns traitor to his cause. So a superior officer disfigures him and kills his family. The remainder of the film is a revenge plot as Jonah tracks the man who killed his family. In fact, the U.S. government has hired him to do so since the ex-Confederate general is now terrorizing the land to keep his "cause" alive though the war is long over. Jonah's "love" interest is a prostitute and his dog was rescued from perpetraitors of animal cruelty. So far that sounds really good and a plot like that could really be developed into a great story. But it was a missed opportunity. 

The movie is mainly a long string of people and things being blown up, burned up, and shot up. The climactic fight scene is hard to follow since it's actually two fight scenes interspersed. One of those fight scenes is also interspersed with a dream sequence. The two fight scenes and dream sequence are interspersed with a bombing attack on Washington D. C. The camera switches from one thing to another at rapid speed and you feel like you're on a tilt-a-whirl. What a jumbled up mess! 

Even bad films sometimes have redeeming traits. It may be the cinematography, the character development, or the art direction. Well, not this one. It's just all-over bad. Nor was it very true to the comics in which Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti have managed to tell some straight-forward western tales without all the voodoo, necromancy, and James-Bondesque weaponry of the film. Will Hollywood ever learn that faithful adaptations of good characters are much better? That is why Batman Begins and Spiderman are my favorite comic movies of all time. 

The good news, however, is that Josh Brolin will be going west again in the near future. He is no stranger to westerns having done a superb job as James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickock on the three-year run of Young Riders. He also played historical figure Jedidiah Smith on Steven Spielberg's Into the West TV mini-series. 

Brolin's latest project, again with Spielberg at the helm, premieres in theatres on Christmas Day. It's a remake of True Grit with Jeff Bridges as Rooster Cogburn. Just the previews send a chill of anticipation up my spine. I think Brolin's the bad guy and some are saying that Bridges won't fill the shoes of a character made famous by John Wayne. But as far as I'm concerned Rooster Cogburn is a fictional character and not the Duke himself. So I'm willing to give Bridges a chance. I may even buy an overpriced movie ticket. Maybe. 

As far as Jonah Hex, read the comic and don't waste time on the movie. Not even a great cast ensemble could save this one from the recycle bin.

My rating: D             

    

Return of Barnabas Collins

You just can't keep a good vampire down! The Dark Shadows TV series has spawned many multi-media spin-offs including movies, comics, board games, novels, and audio plays on cd. In a post entitled Retro Revival in the Fall of 08, I expressed eager anticipation at the coming of Kolchak Tales Annual # 1 with guest-star Barnabas Collins.  

It was all I hoped it would be: a suspenseful story which accurately captured the mood of both the Night Stalker and Dark Shadows TV series. Both Kolchak and Barnabas were portrayed in perfect character and the artist's renditions of these characters looked like the actors who played them on television. The cover art was awesome!

My aforementioned post was mistaken when I assumed that this was the only appearance of Barnabas in comics since the 70s. It was, however, the only appearance of Barnabas in actor Jonathan Frid's likeness since the 70s. There was a four-issue comic mini-series in 1992 and 93 which coincided with the short-lived Dark Shadows revival series featuring Ben Cross as Barnabas. 

At any rate, in addition to the recent return of Barnabas Collins in 2009's Kolchak Annual, where else might the aristocratic vampire be showing up in the near future? First, Hermes Press will be reprinting the entire Dark Shadows comic book series originally published by Gold Key from 1969-1976. These volumes willl be in hardcover archives format and will hopefully be released next month. 

Second, Johnny Depp has signed on to play Barnabas Collins in a big screen version of Dark Shadows. Depp says it's a dream come true given his love for the character and for the original series. I personally cannot wait to see one of my favorite actors playing one of my favorite characters.  

Third, the entire Dark Shadows TV series is available from Netflix with some seasons in streaming video and others in DVD format. The entire revival series is also on DVD. So if you're looking for a Dark Shadows fix, help is on the way.

Waiting for Some Marvel Collected Editions

Here are some past, current, and upcoming comic book series which I either have skipped, or probably will skip, in favor of waiting for the reprints in either trade or hardcover format:

Marvel

Black Widow and Marvel Girls Black Widow combines super heroics with intrigue and espionage. I find the combination appealing. I hear that Scarlet Johansson will be playing her in Iron Man II. No argument from me.   

Black Widow: Deadly Origin

Black Widow: Web of Intrigue

Further Adventures of Indiana Jones Omnibus, Volume 3 Reprints of the old series.

Models, Inc. What can I say? When I was a small child, adults would sometimes bring me home a comic from the supermarket. They would grab one at random and sometimes it would just happen to be Millie the Model. How cool that she is taking her place in the mainstream Marvel universe.  

Star Wars Omnibus: Boba Fett My son will enjoy these 496 pages of Boba.  

Thor The run by J. Michael Straczynski, a writer I learned to appreciate because of his work on The Twelve. 

Comic Collection Essentials, Part Two

Okay, I'm back--still determined to post more regularly, but still catching up.

I was talking about comic collecting. So here are a few more essentials that I think a serious collection needs:

6) A Sampling of Various Genres including war, western, horror, and funny animals in addition to super heroes, sci-fi, and fantasy. I just realized that the photo here is of the only war comic I still own (not counting nazi-fighting super heroes).

7) A Few Disney Comics featuring the likes of Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, and others. Boom Studios is currently doing a lot of Pixar characters.

8) Samplings from the Various Classic Companies including Marvel, DC, Dell, Gold Key, Charlton, Harvey, and Archie. Most of my boxes are DC, but I have about five boxes of Marvel, and one box which collectively houses exhibits from the other aforementioned publishers. IMO, Dynamite Entertainment is the best new publisher we've seen in a long while. My collection of their stuff is growing. 

9) At least a few comics with Celebrity Photo Covers. This was a big thing in the 50s-60s (and to a lesser extent in the 70s) when every popular TV series or movie became a comic. My collection includes Maverick, Hogan's Heroes, the Monkees, Bonanza, Merlin Jones, Davy Crockett, and others (click on photos for larger image).  

10) Related to the above category, Comics Based on Classic TV series. I have Adam-12, the A-Team, Dark Shadows, and others.

11) A Few Movie Adaptations. My collection includes some of the Marvel Super Specials from the 80s like James Bond, the Muppets, and Krull. I also have the Marvel Special Edition of Close Encounters and the original Return of the Jedi mini-series. 

More later    

Mego Men (and other 8 inch Action Figures)

The Mego company just about had the 8 inch action figure market cornered in the 1970s. These were some of my favorite childhood toys. I recall saving my money for the next trip to TG&Y or K-Mart to get another of my favorites--and it was usually a difficult choice.

Mego began with the Action Jackson figures (Mine is still good, but not pictured). He was the quintessential man of action who could be a cowboy, fisherman, motor bike dude, baseball player--you name it---depending upon which clothing and accessory packages you preferred. But Mego branched out, eventually landing the licensing rights to both DC and Marvel heroes. Additional heroes were added to the line each year and Action Jackson was eventually phased out. Pictured are some of my personal childhood collection.

Mego also produced a classic monsters series, but the license for the Universal Pictures versions belonged a company called Azrak Hamway Inc. So the Frankenstein pictured is not actually a Mego.

Mego had other categories as well:

• Planet of the Apes (I have "Soldier Ape, but he is worse-for-the -wear).
• Western Heroes (I have Wild Bill Hickok and Sitting Bull, both of whom are now dismembered but I still got all the parts)  
• Happy Days (I have Fonzie. A lever on his back makes his thumbs go up. Aayyy)
• Starsky and Hutch (Mine are still in excellent condition).
• Our Gang (the Little Rascals) (I didn't even know these existed until last week).
• Star Trek (I've kicked myself for 30 years for not collecting these).

In addition to Starsky and Hutch other TV heroes came in 8 inch versions, but not from Mego. LJN produced the cops from the Rookies (I have Webster and Gillis), the team from S.W.A.T. (I have Deke and the S.W.A.T. van), and the paramedics from Emergency (I have Roy). These well-made figures have withstood the test of time.

I had many hours of fun with these 8 inch people who were such a significant part of my childhood. Of course I had Batman (the original with removable cowl), Robin, and Superman. But these guys are too worn to still be photogenic. 

You can learn more about Mego by visiting the website dedicated to these 8 inch figures. it's called Mego Museum.  

Universal Monsters and Men

As a child I was allowed to stay up late Friday nights to watch classic horror movies. I especially loved the monster movies produced by Universal Studios: Dracula, Frankenstein, Wolfman, and the Mummy. These would air Friday nights at 11:30 on The Plenty Scary Movie, which came to us on cable from KTUL-TV, channel 8, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. We eventually had our own local horror movies in Western Arkansas, complete with horror hosts Dr. Boo and Dummy Mummy. 

Strange as it may sound, when I watch those old black-and-white horror movies today I feel rather cozy and secure--like a child lost in the world of make believe. Here are some fascinating facts about the Universal Monsters and the actors who portrayed them. 

Bela Lugosi: Lon Chaney, Sr. had played both the Phantom of the Opera and Hunchback of Notre Dame in the silent era. He was to be Dracula, but he unexpectedly died before filming began. So Bela Lugosi got the job  in 1931 and set the bar for interpreting the Count. His trademark accent has become a vampire staple. 

It is said that Lugosi turned down the role of the Frankenstein monster. But he did go on to play Ygor in Son of Frankenstein and Ghost of Frankenstein. In 1941 Lugosi was a gypsy in The Wolfman. He finally portrayed the Frankenstein monster in Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman (1943) and reprised his role as Dracula in Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948). 

Boris Karloff: He was the original Frankenstein monster in 1931 and in the first two sequels Bride of Frankenstein and Son of Frankenstein. He did not reprise his role as the monster again until an episode of Route 66 in 1962. Karloff did appear as a mad scientist in House of Frankenstein (1944) and coached Glenn Strange through his performance as the monster. Karloff was also the Mummy in 1931. 

Lon Chaney, Jr.: Chaney, Jr. was the only actor to play all four monsters. Between 1943 and 1948 he played the Wolfman in five movies. He was the Frankenstein monster in Ghost of Frankenstein (1942), Dracula in Son of Dracula (1943), and the Mummy in three sequels from 1942-1946. 

John Carradine: Having turned down the opportunity to be the first Frankenstein monster, Carradine was also considered to be Dracula, but the part went to Lugosi.  Carradine did, however, go on to play Dracula in House of Frankenstein (1944) and House of Dracula (1945). 

Glenn Strange: Better known for his roles as Sam the Bartender on Gunsmoke and Butch Cavendish on the Lone Ranger, Strange was the Frankenstein monster in three movies: House of Frankenstein, House of Dracula, and Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein.    

Maverick

Pictured is a gem I recently purchased at a comic book show. I've been hoping to find an affordable issue of Maverick in decent condition for a long time. If you've been reading this blog, you know I love westerns--especially the TV westerns of the 50s and 60s. While the big screen cowboys are okay, my first love is the TV western whose memorable recurring characters get to seem like old friends. 

Maverick is my favorite western and possibly my favorite TV show of all time. Not your typical horse opera, Maverick had complex plots, witty dialog, comedy relief, a reluctant hero, and excellent acting. 

The comic based on the series lasted 19 issues from 1958 to 1962. The first six issues were a part of Dell Publishing's Four Color series, while the seventh issue was published as Maverick # 7 and the numbering continued from there. Each issue featured photo covers and the one pictured below introduced Bart Maverick to comics (I recently purchased this one at a comic shop sale).  

Bret Maverick (James Garner) was originally to be the only Maverick, until Warner Brothers got behind on production of the TV series. Then Jack Kelly was introduced as Bret's brother, Bart Maverick. So now two episodes could be filmed simultaneously with two separate production crews with respective episodes featuring either Bret or Bart. The Bart episodes would alternate with the Bret episodes Sunday nights on ABC. The brothers would occasionally share an episode. 

Garner left the show after three seasons due to a contract dispute. Kelly continued as Bart and Garner was replaced by Roger Moore who played the Mavericks' British cousin, Beau Maverick. On an earlier episode, Moore had appeared as Jack Vandergelt III, a character very much like the Beau Maverick character. This historical episode was the only one in which Garner, Kelly, and Moore all appeared together. It would be great if someone made available some 8 x 10 stills of the three together from that episode.

Moore played Beau Maverick in only 13 episodes, citing mediocre scripts as his reason for leaving the show. Robert Colbert appeared as Bart's brother, Brent Maverick, in two episodes of Season Four. Publicity photos of Kelly, Moore, and Colbert together and in character still survive. While it was intended that the three appear together in the show, Moore left too soon for that to happen. An episode with Bret and Bart together also aired during Season Four, but was actually a hold over filmed during Season Three. So this makes Season Four the only season in which each of the four Mavericks appeared at least once. Only Kelly returned for the fifth and final season. His new episodes alternated with Garner reruns from earlier years. 

The comics stories always starred whatever Mavericks were currently on the TV show. The artist was Dan Spiegle who visited Garner on the set and took great pains to make his characters look like the actors. 

Maverick has appeared somewhere each decade of the last half of the twentieth century. The original series ran from 1957 to 1962. The 1970s saw a made-for-TV movie, New Maverick, with Garner, Kelly, and introducing Charles Frank as cousin Ben Maverick. His series, Young Maverick ran only 8 episodes on CBS with Garner making a cameo in the first show. 

NBC was the third network to pick up Maverick as Garner returned in Bret Maverick for the 1981-82 season. Kelly made a cameo as Bart in the final episode and would have become a regular player had there been a second season. Kelly also appeared as Bart Maverick in Kenny Rogers' 1991 The Gambler Returns: Luck of the Draw. 

The year 1994 saw the theatrical release of Mel Gibson's Maverick in which Gibson played Bret. Co-stars included James Garner and Jodie Foster. 

So where has Maverick shown up in the 21st century? In 2006, a Bret Maverick statue was unveiled at a ceremony with Garner present in his hometown of Norman, Oklahoma. The Encore Westerns cable network is currently airing the original series daily and in chronological order. My DVD recorder is set nightly and I've so far captured Season One. Maverick episodes can be viewed online for free by clicking here. High speed cable internet helps. And of course, Maverick occasionally shows up at a comic shop or show.