Chew the Fat: Aquaman!

Martinex1: The Aquaman movie is due out around the holiday season.  And a lengthy trailer was recently released (check it out below).  What is your opinion of Aquaman - from his comics to the JLA to the Super Friends?  Do you think the DC movie universe will have a hit with this one?  Or do you think they may have missed the boat again?  Let's Chew the Blubber today as we discuss Aquaman all day!

Rank and File: Justice League of America, Roll Call!

Redartz:  Hi gang! Most of the time here at BitBA we seem to discuss Marvel Comics and their phenomenal cast of characters. So this time around, we'll give a chance to DC. Specifically, the Justice League. 

 The JLA has had as many lineup changes as the Avengers, and perhaps more. Of course, the League had a couple years head start. A wide range of characters have filled the membership logs of the JLA, including DC's biggest stars, and many of their lesser lights. From Superman to Blue Beetle, from Wonder Woman to Gypsy, much of DC's lineup have occupied the pages of DC's premier team book. 

There was the classic original lineup, with the likes of Green Lantern, Flash, Martian Manhunter and Wonder Woman (and frequently Superman and Batman). In the 70's there was the "Satellite Era", with a grand array of members, adding such names as Firestorm, Black Lightning, Elongated Man, Red Tornado, Black Canary and Green Arrow. In the 80's, a new era for the JLA gave us the lineup with Gypsy, Vibe, Steel, Vixen and John J'onzz. A few years later, after the Crisis on Infinite Earths, the "Bwa Ha Ha" league, with Batman, Black Canary, Captain Marvel, Dr. Fate, Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, Mr. Miracle, John J'onzz and Guy Gardner kept us entertained. 

Which lineup was the best? Which heroes had the biggest impact? What characters did you enjoy seeing in the book, and which ones could have stayed home? Give us your opinions, and I won't tell Batman about how you missed the membership meeting...

 

Animation Congregation: Early DC Stars in Cartoon Format!

Martinex1: Back in September of 1967 (50 years ago - wow!), The Superman / Aquaman Hour of Adventure aired on the CBS television network on Saturday mornings.  The hour-long Filmation produced show was a reverent take on the classic DC characters.

It may seem strange to us today that Aquaman was a co-headliner for DC's premiere comic book cartoon, but he was quite popular back in the day.  Aquaman,  Mera, and Aqualad starred in 36 episodes including "Menace of the Black Manta," "The Crimson Monster from the Pink Pool," and "The War of the Quatix and the Bimphars." 

While those titles are enough to get me interested, what I find even more fascinating is that the series had back-up features that starred some of my favorite DC characters. - Teen Titans, Hawkman, Flash and Kid Flash, the Atom, Green Lantern, as well as the Justice League of America.  Batman and Robin, however, were nowhere to be seen as the characters were under contractual control with a rival network because of the ongoing live-action classic Batman.

These rarely discussed gems, feature the voice talent of Bud Collyer, who voiced Superman on the radio serial and continued here, Ted Knight who would later become famous on The Mary Tyler Moore Show as a consistent and strong voiced narrator, and Paul Frees the cartoon voice legend taking on the Guardians of the Universe and Evil Star.  Pat Harrington, Jr. who would much later play Schneider on One Day at a Time voiced the Atom and Speedy.  

Some of the episodes were penned by Bob Haney and George Kashdan, who added some kooky stories and twists to the tales. Mort Weisinger, the famed Superman editor, also edited some scripts featuring the man of steel.

It was great to see the premiere heroic team actually referred to as the Justice League of America rather than the Super-Friends as I had known them in the 1970s.   Check out the Justice League intro below, but be aware that the flashing lights and changing colors can be a bit irritating.  The animation while still simple was a step above the Marvel Super-Hero concept that first appeared on TV a year earlier.

I honestly did not know that some of these shorts existed until recently but I really enjoy their nostalgic air and faithfulness to the concepts despite their wackiness, so let me share a few with you here.  Enjoy the late 1960's sentimentality and action, and please share your comments.

The Quarter Bin: And Not a Drop to Drink!

Martinex1: It is time for an all new and all different $1 Challenge.   This time lets take a plunge and get wet with our heroes, heroines, adventurers, and comic pals.   Oceans and the depths are constant fodder for exploration in the four-color set.  Other than outer space, I cannot think of a more mythical and strange setting.   Being under the sea or trapped in a watery prison presents very real and relatable risks to the characters.  The ocean can also be portrayed as a wild, unexplored, and even legendary frontier. 

And in my opinion, underwater art is fantastic. Comic art connoisseurs can expound on the Kirby Krackle, but I really enjoy Buscema Bubbles and Perez Percolation.  Who do you think is the best seafaring artist?

So today, I am taking a look at a wide variety of covers that have watery themes - from simple swimming pools to hidden lands to ocean beaches to liquid death traps.   There are 30 selections on our ever-rotating comic book rack.  Take a look and then pick your favorite four (four for a dollar after all)!  There may be some oddballs here that you have never seen before.  Share your choices and your reasons as you check out and leave your comments behind.  And please if you have read any of these, please feel free to share your thoughts on the comic, art, story, and setting.