Daily Planet - 5/5/77

Another Aqua-centric example of the virtual pile of Daily Planet ad pages sent to me by F.O.A.M.er Andy Mangels. Thanks Andy!

As most Aqua-Fans know, our hero didn't get all that much ad love from DC, so it was nice they promoted the return of his solo title, brief as though it was. (On an unrelated note, I wonder who/what you get if you call the number that was once the DC Hotline?)

Those seven issues of Aquaman remain some of my favorite stories of the character, and we'll finally be getting around to looking back at them starting tomorrow for Comics Weekend!

Hey Kids, Comics!

Shameless Begging Department: If anyone of you out there has a story they've always wanted to submit for my Hey Kids, Comics! blog, now would be a really good time to send it in!

/begging

Breaking News - Brave and the Bold #32

F.O.A.M. member Doug Zawisza just sent me a link to DC's blog, where today they're previewing the cover to an upcoming issue of Brave and the Bold (#32, out in February) featuring a team-up between Etrigan the Demon and...Aquaman!

Behold this spiffy image by artist Jesus Saiz, with a story by J. Michael Straczynski:

Classic Aquaman, yeah! Thanks Doug!

The All-New Super Friends Hour: Episode 5

It's time for another episode of The All-New Super Friends Hour!

This episode kicks off with "The Monster of Dr. Droid", featuring Superman and Wonder Woman, featuring your typical well-meaning but-horribly-naive scientist who wants to bring world peace:

Next, Batman and Robin teach us about electrical safety, followed by The Wonder Twins in a segment called "Vandals", about a group of toughs about as threatening as the Archie gang.

Aquaman gets to headline the De-Coder feature:

...then he and the rest of the Super Friends star in "Super Friends vs. Super Friends":

A giant octopus attacks some undersea explorers. Watching nearby are two fish-like alien creatures, who see what's happening but offer no help.

The Super Friends get the call, and Aquaman offers to handle it ("A giant octopus should be no problem for the King of the Sea!", offers Batman, constructively), but its a little tougher a problem than it at first seems:

The two aliens, watching nearby, are impressed with how powerful Aquaman seems to be. They blast him with a ray, paralyzing Aquaman, and dragging him into their ship (which looks a little like the Mego-produced Mangler).

With the Super Friends now searching for him, the aliens drag Aquaman to their lost city, and drop him in the middle of a giant arena, led by their king, named Tyrannus. Once the paralyzing ray wears off, Aquaman frees himself:

...but they zap him again once he's about to bust some alien butt for kidnapping him.

The Super Friends, using Aquaman's communication device, find where he is and head there. The Wonder Twins, thinking only they know where Aquaman is, head there, too, but the sub containing the aliens that kidnapped Aquaman zaps them all with the same paralyzing ray, and are brought to Oceana.

As amusement for Oceana's king and its people, they are compelled to fight each other! But Superman manages to melt the ray, freeing themselves of its control.

But knowing they could re-paralyzed by the portable ray guns each of the aliens are carrying, they fake a fight, giving themselves time to figure out what to do:

The pre-determined winner--Aquaman(!)--is then brought out to find a giant crab-like creature known as Serpentine. As he fights the creature, the rest of the Super Friends find a way to free themselves, and the Wonder Twins.

Aquaman's battle--held inside a giant water tank--with Serpentine grows so fierce that the tank is cracked, causing the monster to break free and attack anyone in sight, including the citizens of Oceana!

It goes after the king, but the Super Friends stop it, and finally subdue the creature.

The Super Friends school the citizens of Oceana for letting King Tyrannus cause all this destruction. One of the aliens says the coliseum, now destroyed, will not be rebuilt, but its wreckage will stand as a monument, to "Remind us of the evil ruler who gave us monsters and games, instead of freedom" (thus ending the ruling ambitions of King Tyrannus' brother Jeb).

Next, Superman then teaches us how to make a telescope out of household items. Then, the team-up segment stars Batman and...The Atom!:

A story about a mass living, malevolent energy? Let's face it, that is a perfect time to work in The Atom. I wonder, did the show's writers start a script and figure which hero from the DCU would best fit, or the other way around?

Finally, Wonder Woman teaches us about always having important phone numbers--like the police and fire departments--on hand in case of an emergency.

...and so ends another fun episode of The All-New Super Friends Hour!


Even though Aquaman pretty much just appears in the group segment, he gets a lion-share of the action, and the setting is almost entirely underwater. For my money, I can never get enough of Aquaman fighting giant sea-monsters.


This episode's Aqua-Content: High

Breaking News - Dan Didio Interview

F.O.A.M. member Jeff Baab just sent me a link to an interview on CBR with Dan Didio, and of course the subject of Aquaman comes up:

We're talking about Green Lantern, we're talking about Flash, and it's funny, because even five years ago you wouldn't expect to hear the words "Green Lantern" and "major event" together or "Flash" and "anticipated launch." It seems that the care that everyone has put towards these, some would say, "B-List" characters who aren't Superman or Batman, has paid off. Looking forward, I know Geoff has commented on enjoying writing the Aquaman characters in "Blackest Night..."

Oh, here comes the Aquaman question. [Laughs] I'll tell you what, I'll answer this if you can name me five Aquaman villains.

OK, there's Black Manta. There's Atlan the Wizard. There's the Fisherman, who's pretty terrible but still an Aquaman villain. There's obviously Ocean Master. And finally...I'll go with Kordax.

All right, good. [Pause] And your question was? (Laughter)

Aquaman in 2010. Is he the next hero you guys are going to try and develop up beyond the place he's been in recent years?

I think presenting strong Aquaman stories, if there's an Aquaman in the DC Universe, because right now he's dead--although we know there will always be "an Aquaman" in the DC Universe. He's one of those characters. I don't think he's in the same tier as Green Lantern and Flash. In fact, I'd probably rank them higher than the "B-list" ranking you gave them. As you see the numbers Green Lantern and Flash are drawing, it's clear that they're in the A-list now in the DC Universe. We have five primary characters--Superman, Batman, Flash, Green Lantern and Wonder Woman--and we try to treat them like our A-list. The fact that we're able to strengthen, stabilize and actually build franchises around Flash and Green Lantern I think makes the DCU overall a lot stronger.

I don't know whether or not Aquaman can bring that level of heat to the DC Universe. There's a lot of interest in him. There's always been an Aquaman series that seems to have strayed from place to place or change directions on occasion. What we would like to do if we brought back Aquaman, is give him the same treatment we gave Hawkman, which is to give him a very clear, concise direction that felt true to the character and his past history that also presented him with a fine interpretation to be built upon."

There's some stuff here that I totally agree with; there's some other stuff that makes me want to pound my head on the nearest hard surface.

Heroes World Ad - 1976

F.O.A.M. member Aaron Bias sent me a bunch of pages from the 1976 "Heroes World" catalog (actually known as The Superhero Catalog on the cover), and one of them was this, a page I've never seen before, featuring a lot of stuff with Aquaman on it! Thanks Aaron!

I'm not even going to get into the travesty that is Aquaman not being included in the top half of the page's "Super-Hero Baby Brigade" line of plush dolls (don't get me started again on the whole Shazam!-instead-of-Aquaman thing), and instead concentrate on all the fun Super Friends party favors at the bottom, all using that classic Alex Toth stock shot.

As you can see, these products got a lot use in my house:

...you know, I never noticed before that, on all the SF merchandise, the line-up goes, from left to right, Robin, Batman, Superman, Aquaman, and Wonder Woman, except on the centerpiece, where its flipped. Huh?

Over the years, I've managed to find all these items over again, except for the centerpiece and the cups. Off to eBay!

Superman/Aquaman Set by Ideal - 1966

Just when I think I've seen every Aquaman item there is to see...

Courtesy our newest F.O.A.M. member, big-time comics pro Doug Hazlewood, comes this photo of the uber-rare Superman/Aquaman set made by Ideal in 1966.

I've seen pics of the larger sets featuring Aquaman and other JLAers:

...but never this mini-set of just the two (then) animated TV stars, plus two...let's just say less detailed villain figures.

As you can see, Aquaman was a bit of an afterthought on the packaging: Superman's logo couldn't be any bigger, and poor Aquaman has to settle for his name being in plain text.

These sets are crazy expensive in the package like this, I've seen similar sets on eBay go for thousands of dollars. Whoever owns the actual set the above pic is taken from, I'm betting its a large chunk of their eventual retirement plan.

Thanks Doug, and welcome to F.O.A.M.!

Batman Vs. Ocean Master Action League 2-Pack - 2009

I picked up this nifty set at Target a few weeks ago but kept forgetting to do a post on it (mostly due to the largess of you Aqua-Fans, who keep sending me more and more stuff!).

This is part of the cute "Action League" subset for the Brave and the Bold line of toys. The Aquaman 2-pack featured him along with Black Manta, so Batman seemed as good a foe as any for the Ocean Master. I love his look of rage!

These sets are really adorable, and they feature such B-listers as Metamporpho and (okay, C-lister) B'Wana Beast. Because they're so small (each figure is only about 3" or so high) they're relatively cheap, and a good value for your money. Hopefully that means they're selling well, and we can look forward to more B&B stars being given the Action League treatment!

More Fun Comics #82 - Aug. 1942

Comics Weekend "King of the Convict Island!" by Mort Weisinger and Louis Cazeneuve.

More fun with More Fun!

On a remote island in the Pacific, a group of convicts, sentenced to years of hard labor, watch World War II play out just across the horizon.

With the Allied fleet retreating, the convicts realize they have been essentially "stranded" on the island. One of the guards tries to break up the conversation, threatening to put a few bullets into the prisoners unless they get back to work!

Another one of the prisoners, a hulking brute named Yascom(?), takes this opportunity to get the drop on the guard, hitting him in the head with a sledgehammer! Ouch!

He inspires the other prisoners to revolt, and the quickly overtake the guards. Yascom declares himself King of the Island:

Aquaman saves the life of the one prisoner--named Adams--unwilling to go along with Yascom's plan, first from being shot, then from a hungry shark:

Aquaman finds out the man he just saved was willing to repent for his crimes (embezzling) and refuses to follow the word of a killer like Yascom.

Back at the island, tensions are brewing between Yascom and his ruling class, and those who just stood by and watched, who are put to work. An argument breaks out, and one of Yascom's men references the dead Adams.

Except at that moment, Adams pops his head out of a nearby bush, scaring the bejesus out of him! He shoots at Adams, but when the others can find no trace of him, they think it was all in their fellow convict's head.

Yascom is sure Adams is dead, so Aquaman and Adams devise a plan to make Yascom think the island is haunted: first he has a finny friend steal Yascom's homemade crown right off his head, then they make a pseudo, stuffed Yascom, making him the laughing stock of the others.

A rebellion against Yascom starts to brew, so he decides to administer some whippings to the rebels. Aquaman feels compelled to step in directly:

Adams shows himself to be alive, and leads a small group against Yascom. Meanwhile, Aquaman is trussed up in the broiling tropical sun, trying desperately to find a way free:

As Aquaman frees himself underwater, an all-out riot has broken out between Yascom's men and Adam's men. Yascom grabs Adams, raises him over his head, and is about to throw him into the ocean where a school of sharks are circling.

But...Aquaman is there!:

I say it almost every week, but I love Aquaman's tough guy attitude here: "Pretty grim, I call it, but no more than he deserved!"

This is probably my least favorite of the More Fun stories so far. Aquaman taking all that time and effort just to make Yascom think the island is haunted is kind of odd and misplaced. I guess his normal M.O.--jumping fist-first into the group of bad guys and punching his way out--wasn't going to fill ten pages, so Mort Weisinger had to find another way. That said, its not a bad story, and once again Aquaman is brave and resourceful.

This issue is the debut of artist Louis Cazeneuve on the Aquaman strip. He would actually have a (much) longer run on Aquaman than Paul Norris, but he seems to have been generally forgotten when the lists of major Aquaman artists are compiled.

Personally, I find his work here not as sharp Norris's, in that its sloppier and a little more cartoony, and generally looks similar to other Golden Age comic book art styles of the time, while Norris's work was quite distinctive. But I do enjoy his inking style, which is more fluid and pleasing to the eye.


Before we sign off for today--always, always, remember this:

...damn straight!

Aquaman (Vol.1) #48 - Dec. 1969

Comics Weekend "A Kingdom to Re-Build!" by Steve Skeates and Jim Aparo.

Oops! I forgot last week was a new issue of Blackest Night, so I had to bump the post looking at this issue back a week, inadvertently breaking up the continued story in Aquaman #'s 47 and 48. Sorry about that, Aqua-Fans!

Anyway, the last issue of Aquaman featured two bifurcated plots, rapidly heading towards each other. While a revolution was brewing back in Atlantis, Aquaman and Mera were searching for Aqualad.

Aquaman and Mera are hot on Garth's trail, when they find he is in the clutches of a giant creature named the Bugala. This issue opens up with a crackerjack action sequence, putting us right into the middle of the fight:

Back in Atlantis, Mupo is on a murderous rampage towards Narkran, who Aquaman left in charge while he was away. Mupo has feelings for Aquagirl, and when he saw Narkran wound her to save his own skin, he thinks of only thing: killing Narkran!

Aquaman, Mera, and Aqualad return to Atlantis to see the fighting right there on the streets of Atlantis. Aquaman orders everyone to stop fighting and to go back to their homes. As if that wasn't enough, a minor earthquake begins to hit!

Some of Narkran's most loyal followers--who had a hand in kidnapping Mera (seen in previous issues) figure the jig is up, and they have one last chance to save their skin: kill Aquaman and Mera!

The three of them make quick work of the kidnappers, and find their friend Vulko:

Mupo and Narkran continue to fight, until Mupo is a moment away from slitting Narkran's throat.

But just before he can, Aquaman arrives, ordering Mupo to stand down. Narkran uses this moment to try and get Aquaman to deal with Mupo "Like the traitor he is!"

Aquaman, now certain that Narkran was involved in the plot to kidnap Mera, decks him, leaving Narkran a crumpled, whimpering heap:

Aquaman scolds Mupo for his attempt at an uprising, saying he should have listened to Aquagirl and had more faith in his king.

Later, Aquaman, Mera, and Vulko discuss the series of earthquakes that have been hitting Atlantis lately. Mera suggests it may be an ancient prophecy coming true, and Vulko's research indicates that Atlantis will suffer many more small quakes.

Aquaman then decides to rebuild vast portions of Atlantis, but instead of the giant gleaming towers, the new buildings will be durable, sturdy structures. Days later, the work begins:

...the end!

Talking about how great Jim Aparo's work is a little superfluous at this point, since I've said it so many times before. But what the heck, its still awesome stuff!

I love the firm stances of Mera and Aquagirl as they stare at the crawling Narkran, and the last panel of the story makes me smile: the AquaFamily, all together.

This issue, like the previous few, features a back-up reprint, "How Aquaman Got His Powers", from Adventure Comics #260. So, like last issue, this one features all three of Aquaman's most noted artists, all in one book: Nick Cardy on the cover, Jim Aparo on the main story, and Ramona Fradon on the back-up. An embarrassment of riches!

Halloween 2009

Halloween 2009 shots are still coming in--this one is from our newest F.O.A.M. member, David Wendkos!

Here's what David had to say about the custom-made costume: "I didn't really like the costumes I could find around on the internet, so I decided to make my own.

The top started as an UnderArmour top, which I had someone airbrush to add the scales. The blue hand is a latex surgical glove. The bottoms are green tights. I used iron-on velcro on it, then used yellow foam with sticky velcro to create the belt. (I want to come up with a better version before next time I wear it.)

The blond/gold hair is a wig and one of my least favorite parts of the outfit. I intend on finding a better one between now and next Halloween. Overall, though, it was fun to make."


It's a great suit--the scales and the blue hand two especially nice touches! Thanks for the pic David and welcome to F.O.A.M.!

Super Friends "Hobo Bag"

This is a custom-made, one-of-a-kind "hobo bag" put up for sale a few weeks ago on Esty. It was made from a section of 1970s fabric that featured this stock Super Friends art (probably the pillowcase/sheet set). It features that classic Alex Toth shot of the main heroes, plus additions The Flash, Green Lantern, and Hawkman.

It was sent to me by our newest F.O.A.M. member, Nuno Teixeira, who also had some very nice things to say about the Shrine:

"You got me sucked into your blog due to your devotion to Aquaman and the community that can be found of similar-minded fans out there. I have never been a huge Aquaman fan only because I always wished DC would've done more (and DO more) with him and actually devote time and resources to making him a top-tier character in the DCU instead of one that is made fun of.

Your site finally inspired me to start up a site dedicated to a personal favorite character of mine: Darkhawk (www.darkhawkzone.com). He is much, much less appreaciated than Aquaman and very much from two different worlds. The similarity though is that, given dedication, a good creative team, and the right direction (Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning, War of Kings) there's a chance for these underdogs to shine."

That's a really nice thing for Nuno to say, and I'm glad he mentioned the Aqua-Community that has sprung up around the Shrine, since that is one feature of the blog I'm the most proud of.

Also, I love the idea of the Shrine being the inspiration for another character-centric blog, since everybody is somebody's favorite hero! Good luck with the Darkhawk blog Nuno, and welcome to F.O.A.M.!

DC Super Friends Plush Doll - 2009

Here's yet another Aquaman plush doll, again part of the DC Super Friends line, manufactured by The Toy Factory. It was sent to me by F.O.A.M.er Charles Howell, who works for the company. Thanks Charles!

These dolls measure about a foot high, and are pretty faithful replicas of the classic forms of the characters. Not to mention adorable as heck!

DC Originals T-Shirt - 2009

This is another one of those "DC Originals" t-shirts, sent to me a while ago by F.O.A.M.er George Rears. Thanks George!

Almost, if not all, of this DC Originals stuff stars the same five heroes, which you see above. I can only guess that Wonder Woman is licensed separately or something, because I do see her on some DCO merchandise, but she's always by herself, never mixing in with Superman, Batman, Aquaman, Flash, and Green Lantern. Ooh ick, Amazonian cooties!

The Physics of Superheroes 2nd Edition - 2009

Hitting bookstores today is the second edition of Professor James Kakalios' book The Physics of Superheroes!

I read and enjoyed the first book thoroughly, so under normal circumstances I'd check out this second, updated edition. But this version holds particular interest, since there's a whole chapter devoted to Aquaman, titled "So He Talks To Fishes--Want to Make Something Of It?", covering the topic of Fluid Mechanics.

But that's not all! A few months ago, James went looking on the web for a particular splash page from an issue of More Fun Comics to run in the book. First he went to F.O.A.M.er Shag Matthews, who had a small version of the splash page in question on his blog.

Shag didn't have a high-res version, so he helpfully directed James to Laura's Unofficial Aquaman Site, as well as to me and the Shrine. Neither Laura or I had it (since, at that moment, the More Funs were all but unavailable to me).

But I kept trying to find it--even going directly to DC to see if they had it easily accessible in their files (they didn't).

Eventually, James gave up on the idea, and asked me for possible replacements. He wanted something from an Aquaman comic that would show off his super strength and invulnerability, due to Aquaman's ability to survive in the depths of the oceans.

I gave James a couple of ideas, but my #1 choice was an excellent sequence from Justice League of America #200 (aka The Greatest Comic Book Ever Made) where Aquaman drags one of the Appellax aliens under the sea.

Aquaman, in a particular bad-ass moment, holds the creature (who is made entirely of crystal) there by the throat until he shatters into little pieces. To make it even better, the writer of the story, Gerry Conway, gives us some narration that really underscores what a tough-as-nails moment this is. It remains one of my all-time favorite Aquaman sequences.

James thought that would work perfectly, so after I sent him a high-res scan of the page (from my battered copy) he slotted it in for the book. As soon as I got my copy in the mail over the weekend, I turned right to the Aquaman chapter, and there it is:

...how cool is this?

James asked how I wanted my name listed in the book as credit for providing the image. I told him that, since I'm sure space was limited, to forget my name entirely and just credit The Aquaman Shrine. I loved the idea of the Shrine's name actually being in a book.

But James went one better, singling out me, the Shrine, and Laura in the book's perface:

...Great Neptune!

I'm absolutely ecstatic James went to that effort, to mention me and the Shrine like that. The copy he sent me also features an inscription, instantly making this book one of my most treasured items, and I haven't even read it yet! Thanks James!


Any superhero and/or science fan should pick up a copy of the book. You can learn more about it here, or purchase it via Amazon using the Shrine's first ever online ad:

Halloween 2009

Now that Halloween has come and gone, a couple of F.O.A.M. members sent me pics of themselves dressed as the Sea King!

The above shot is of Shawn Myers, featuring a homemade Aqua-suit in what he calls "Filmation-style Aquaman." Pretty nifty--I love the somewhat muted colors.

The following is of John Lijewksi:

John is wearing the same kind of suit I wore back during Halloween 2007, which I found uncomfortable as hell. But John didn't think it was too bad, and adds:

"My kids have said I'm not to leave the house with it on, which I took as they want me to pick them up from school in it."

Ouch! John plays to win.


Thank for the pics guys, and happy belated Halloween!

AquaSketch by Joe Quinones - 2009

This awesome sketch of Aquaman is by Joe Quinones, who I met at the 2009 Big Apple Con!

I wasn't that familiar with Joe's work until I saw it in Wednesday Comics, where Joe drew the Green Lantern strip. I thought it was beautiful stuff, modern but retro (my favorite combo!), and when I saw him on the guest list of the con he was one of the people I planned to see.

I had to leave before he finished the piece, but Joe readily agreed to send it to me. As much as I don't like leaving before I've picked up all the sketches I arranged for, having this arrive in the mail a few days later makes it feel like the con has gone on a few extra days...

Adventures of the AquaHoodie - Dan McMahon

Another Aqua-Hoodie, another new member of F.O.A.M.! This is Dan McMahon, who sent me this pic this morning, along with some other Aqua-related stuff. Bonus points for the flippers!

Thanks Dan, and welcome to F.O.A.M.!

More Fun Comics #81 - July 1942

Comics Weekend "Champ of the Waves" by Mort Weisinger and Paul Norris.

More fun with More Fun!

Aquaman gets a rare mention on the cover this time (would it have killed DC to give Aquaman one frigging More Fun cover?). Inside, he's actually not taking on Blackjack the pirate for once:

Aquaman's finny friend does indeed lead to him to what the trouble is:

The young woman, Dotty, wakes up and assumes that it was her friend George who saved her. Aquaman, gracefully, doesn't give George away.

Dotty then brags about George to another guy, named Mr. Humber (who, with his Brylcreemed hair and pencil-thin mustache, looks like your classic 1940s gangster). Humber challenges George to race against him in the "big swimming marathon" that's taking place in a few days. Dotty is all for it, and George--his lie now ever-expanding--goes along.

Humber and Dotty depart, and Aquaman takes George aside and asks him what's going on. George reveals his feelings for Dotty, and his shame that he "can't swim a stroke." Aquaman generously offers to teach George how to swim.

But it won't be that simple--we learn that the mob has money on this race(!), and they're betting on Humber (See? I told you he was crooked!). Thinking that George is a better swimmer then he lets on, the mob plans to get George out of the race.

Aquaman helps George learn how to swim, but they run out of time before the sem-finals take place. Aquaman then actually helps George cheat, by...um, well...

...comics were different then.

George wins the semi-finals, and Aquaman tells him that the training must continue in earnest, since he won't help George cheat again.

That night, the mob tries to bribe George to throw the race, but he refuses. So they do the next logical thing: they hit him over the head, throw him in a trunk, and dump him into the ocean!

Luckily, Aquaman's finny friends again are on the case:

Aquaman saves George, and together they hatch a plan. Aquaman thinks that if George doesn't show up until the last minute before the race, the mob will get sloppy and try to rub him out again.

The mob, being predictable, does just that, by sending one of their gang into the water to shoot George from below:

...Aquaman, seeker of adventure, first-class wingman.

I love how resourceful and hard-working the mob is here, for very little gain. I mean, rigging a swimming race? I guess the FBI's crackdown really forced the mob to find other sources of revenue outside of gambling, prostitution, protection, etc., so they were forced to try and rig relatively mundane events like this.

Of course, they didn't count on that hero of the seven seas, Aquaman!


This was artist and Aquaman co-creator Paul Norris' last work on the strip and the character--he would not draw his co-creation again for another forty-five years.

Not having seen any (save one) of these original Aquaman stories drawn by Norris until recently, I never had a full appreciation of how good his work was, how distinctive.

These Golden Age Aquaman stories are way better than I ever would have expected, and I have to think part of the reason Aquaman lasted through the 1950s, even after almost every other comic book superhero disappeared, was because of Paul Norris giving the character such a solid start.

Russell "Aquaman" Burbage vs. Black Manta

Meanwhile, in Ohio:

"Here’s two pictures of the Black Manta I made and who is still at this very moment sitting in my office handing out candy.

One is me about to give him the smack down. The other is him lounging at home this morning planning his attack."

Happy Halloween everybody!

Blackest Night #4 - Dec. 2009

Comics Weekend "Blackest Night" by Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis, Oclair Albert, and Joe Prado.

Blackest Night continues, this issue opening with The Flash and Atom being assisted in their fight against the undead by Mera:

They run into the undead Firestorm, who is being torn apart inside by the two people inside him--Ronnie and Jason--fighting to take control of the body.

Ronnie, who is one of the undead, takes control, just as Jason warns Flash and the rest that they need to evacuate Earth!

Just at that moment, other of the undead break in, including Aquaman:

...I have to say, I loved this bit--The Atom using his powers to drag The Flash and Mera across phone lines with him! While my feelings about this whole storyline haven't changed, this was a good old-fashioned, Crazy Superhero Comics moment.

After a moment between Luthor and the Calculator, we meet back up with our heroes, where Mera expresses her uncertainty that the three of them are up to this task:

While The Flash heads off on another task, The Atom and Mera hop back onto the phone lines and meet up with Mr. Terrific and other members of the Justice Society in Manhattan.

The JSAers are feeling like its hopeless, but now its Mera's turn to be a leader:

Mera breaks open some water lines, causing gusts of water to burst forth, keeping the undead at bay--for a few moments, at least.

The Atom saves Damage from his undead father by shrinking down and slipping inside Al Pratt, and then emerging full-size from inside, bursting Al open. Clever, but yuck! Its all for naught, unfortunately, since Damage falls victim to the Zombie Jean Loring.

Meanwhile, The Flash makes his way to Coast City, looking for Green Lantern, but is met by more of the undead and the one who seems to be their leader...Nekron!

To be continued!


Zombie Aquaman plays a very small role in this issue--appearing in only three panels--but Mera gets a ton to do, continuing Blackest Night's tradition of presenting her as a top-flight, highly effective and dynamic character. Let's hope this trend continues after Blackest Night is over...

Aquatic Justice by Kevin Smith

This is a shot from Aquatic Justice, an animated podcast (or something like that) by Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier.

In this clip, they talk almost entirely about Aquaman. They poke a lot of fun, but at least in some different ways than we usually hear. I like the animation--its like Aquaman swam into an episode of Ren & Stimpy.

The clip is definitely NSFW, so I'm not posting it directly on the Shrine. But if you like Kevin Smith, you might want to check it out. (This was sent to me by F.O.A.M.er Brian Heiler. Thanks Brian!)

"I'm in the Justice League, bitches."

Despero Heroclix Figure - 2009

This super cool Heroclix figure of longtime JLA villain Despero was sent to me by our newest F.O.A.M. member, Daniel Hemmann.

As you can see, this old school Despero, not the more "extreme" scary monster version that showed up in the 80s. Whoever got the idea to do the sculpt of him based on the cover to Justice League of America #1, where he played The Flash in a game of intergalactic chess using the other JLAers as the pieces, deserves a raise--its a goofily brilliant idea.

You can see the orange and yellow blob that represents Aquaman. Sure, its lacking in detail, but think of how tiny those little parts are! Despero himself is only about two inches tall.

Thanks Daniel, and welcome to F.O.A.M.!

Treasury Comics Interview with Kevin Nowlan

Shameless Plug Department: I just posted a brand-new interview I did with one of my all-time favorite artists Kevin Nowlan over at TreasuryComics.com.

We talk about his work on Wednesday Comics and some of his favorite treasury-sized comics growing up. Go check it out!

Super Friends Promo Still - 1972?

I saw this obscure little item for sale on eBay, and it was listed as a "1976 promotional still sent to TV stations to promote the Super Friends show."

Maybe, but that 1976 date can't possibly be right--Marvin and Wendy weren't on the show by then, and besides that I can't believe that Hanna Barbera would use anything but the classic Alex Toth group shot to promote the show once it went into production.

My bet is this piece was put together before the show started being produced, dating it to 1972 or 1973, possibly even before Toth started doing his now-legendary model sheets.

I wonder who did the art?

DC Super Friends Aquaman Plush - 2009

The last piece of Aqua-merch I picked up at the Big Apple Con was this 14" high Aquaman plus doll, part of the DC Super Friends line. I had seen this on eBay a few times, and it was fairly easy to find at the con, so near the end of my day I picked it up.

He's a cute little bugger--so cute, in fact, that when I pulled it out of my backpack, our dog Johnny (who can somehow sense what items are stuffed and which are not) assumed it was for her. She even stood on her hind legs, trying to get a better look at it as it sat high up on my desk. No, no, sweetheart--that's Daddy's toy!

Adventures of the AquaHoodie - Jason Garner

Another Aqua-Hoodie makes the scene, this time on our newest F.O.A.M. member Jason Garner! Thanks Jason!

Jason sent me a couple of things as his F.O.A.M. membership application, including a shot of this birthday cake his "understanding sister" (his words) had made for his 30th birthday:

Looks delicious! Thanks Jason, and welcome to F.O.A.M.!

Aquaman Toon Tumbler - 2009

Another Aqua-Item I picked up at the Big Apple Con was this Aquaman Toon Tumbler glass, made by PopFun Merchandising.

These Toon Tumblers have been around for a few years, but only recently did they get the DC license, which now enables them to make Toon Tumblers featuring not only Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman, but also Green Lantern, Poison Ivy, Sgt. Rock--even the Justice Society!

PopFun had a huge display at the con, and the Toon Tumblers were only $10. They have a Justice League one, too, also featuring Aquaman, which I should've picked up--now I can't understand why I didn't.

Brave and The Bold: "Mayhem of the Music Meister!"

After too long an absence, we had a new episode of Brave and the Bold on Friday, and once again it featured Aquaman!

This episode was the long-awaited musical episode, but it starts off like any other--in this case, villains! Gorilla Grodd, Black Manta, and The Clock King are in the middle of a caper:

...when they are stopped by a trio of heroes: Aquaman, Green Arrow, and Black Canary!

Suddenly, and unexpectedly (to say the least) Black Manta starts breaking into song! At first, everyone else--heroes and villains alike--are a bit taken back, but when they all start singing and dancing, we learn that they are all under the control of a new villain, The Music Meister (Neal Patrick Harris)!

Using his amazing powers (which, we see via flashback, he's had since childhood), he forces everyone to do a full on music number, literally singing the praises of himself:

Batman, watching this from afar, remarks to himself, "Now there's something you don't see everyday."

Batman gets involved, and MM uses his control over the heroes and villains to get them to try and take out the Dark Knight Detective:

But eventually Batman is able to break MM's control over his pals, and he hands them all specially-made earplugs which will keep them safe from the Music Meister's control. While MM slips away, the heroes return to the task at hand: stopping Manta, Grodd, and King!:

We learn that the Music Meister has a two-pronged plan: to take over the world (of course), but he's also fallen for Black Canary (who wouldn't?) and wants to try and woo her...but she only has eyes for Batman!

The Meister's plan includes the denizens of Arkham Asylum (where we get glimpses of Bat-villains that have not been in the series yet), and the heroes try and keep things under control:

But eventually the Music Meister gets control of Aquaman and Green Arrow again, and at one point they grab Black Canary. Green Arrow is about to clock her one(!), but she ducks out of the way and Arrow's fist lands in Aquaman's face, something he doesn't take too kindly to:

Canary subdues Aquaman (yeah, right) and then Arrow, leaving Batman to try and stop the Music Meister.

In the meantime, using a rigged satellite, the entire world falls under the Music Meister's sway, even the citizens of Atlantis!:

Eventually, Batman and Black Canary defeat the Music Meister. Aquaman, Green Arrow, and the rest of the world are freed from his control. Black Canary tries to ask Batman out for a date, but he's uninterested.

Black Canary, all alone, breaks out into song, revealing a deep romantic longing. Her thoughts are interrupted by Green Arrow, who reveals his feelings for her. She, never knowing this, seems to respond:

...the end!

A totally delightful episode, full of great songs (a brilliant stroke, casting NPH as the Music Meister) and it even manages to develop the Brave and the Bold universe a bit, by getting Green Arrow and Black Canary together.

For my money, Brave and the Bold has shaped into a really great series, with a distinct point of view, both in its writing and its look. Its enormous fun, and I look forward to each episode...especially when Aquaman's involved!

More Fun Comics #80 - June 1942

Comics Weekend "The Scourge of the Seven Seas" by Mort Weisinger and Paul Norris.

More fun with More Fun!

After taking the last couple of issues off, Blackjack the Pirate returns to tangle with the hero of the seven seas, Aquaman!

Before we go any further...I love that cartoony, ultra-mean-looking shark there. If I was that young woman, I'd be scared, too!

Anyway, this story opens with Blackjack whiling away the hours in prison. Blackjack knows he can't jump the fence, because its electrified. So, when no one else is looking, he knocks one guard into it, zapping the poor guy into unconsciousness.

He then turns to the other guards, and says the unconscious one is held fast to the fence due to the current. If they turn it off (a-ha!) they can free him. The guards do this, and Blackjack punches them out long enough to hop the fence and escape (these guards were later transferred to Arkham Asylum).

But you have to do more than just hop the fence to escape--this jail is on an island! That doesn't stop Blackjack, who leaps into the water. The guards call in Aquaman to help out, and he shows up just in time to "save" Blackjack from a nosy shark:

...this is obviously long before Aquaman made all the creatures of the sea his finny friends.

Seeing that its all a ruse, Aquaman heads back out into the sea to find him. One guard asks who this Aquaman guy is, but luckily the prison has hired a guy to be in charge of exposition:

Now free, it only takes Blackjack a few weeks to get a job aboard a pleasure yacht--the hoity-toity owner hiring him because he looks "Picturesque--rather nautical."

Of course, it only take Blackjack a few days to convince the other crewmen to mutiny, playing upon their resentments at being so underpaid, at least in relation to the Thurston Howell-esque owner named Van and his girlfriend Phyllis.

The crewman bonk Van over the head, dumping him into the ocean. Phyllis manages to let loose a rowboat, which Van uses to keep himself from drowning. Aquaman, via the help of a finny friend, hears about this and assumes that Blackjack must be involved!

He finds Van, and drags him and the rowboat after Blackjack. Meanwhile, Blackjack is busy ransoming his remaining prisoners--except, that dirty scoundrel, he just takes the ransom money and splits! He steers the ship out to sea where, when he dumps the bodies, "Their corpses won't bob up on some shore."

But Aquaman and Van catch up and sneak aboard:

...this Golden Age Aquaman does possess one characteristic that the later version would also have: his unwillingness sometimes to bother with a plan. Rather, he just jumps into a bunch of bad guys and starts throwing punches.

Blackjack and his men dump Aquaman into the ship's hold until they can figure out what to do with him. But before they have a chance, Aquaman opens up a pressure valve, allowing ocean water to come pouring in, slowly sinking the ship!

One of Blackjack's henchmen jumps in to stop Aquaman, but of course that's what Aquaman wanted:

Ouch! That first panel makes me teeth hurt!

Having taken care of Blackjack, Aquaman shuts off the valve, keeping the ship from sinking. Knowing when they are beaten, the rest of Blackjack's men give up and help Aquaman rescue the prisoners:

...and so ends another adventure with Aquaman!


Maybe I'm reading (way) too much into it, but there's an interesting little bit of characterization that borders on social commentary in this story.

It takes Blackjack almost no time at all to convince the yacht's crew to mutiny--not because Blackjack possesses any sort of special powers, but simply because, as the story states, Blackjack is "A natural leader of men", and "the weak-willed" can be easily led to resent those who have more money, even if, like Van, they seem to be nice guys. With the Great Depression barely a few years past, I guess its only natural the idea of Class Warfare was so prevalent it could be hinted at, even in a silly comic book story.

On a separate note--don't forget that if you are a perpetrator of evil anywhere on the seven seas:

AQUAMAN WILL KNOCK ALL YOUR TEETH OUT.

Aquaman (Vol.1) #47 - Oct. 1969

Comics Weekend "Come the Revolution" by Steve Skeates and Jim Aparo.

These Comic Weekend segments, between the More Funs, Blackest Nights, and DC Super Friends, have been so filled we haven't had time to talk about a solo Aquaman comic in a long while! So I thought it'd be good to go back to one of the best runs of Aquaman's history, the SAG years!

Let's just start with the first page, since you really can't beat a shot of Aquaman and Mera by Jim Aparo:

Tula is understandably concerned about the violent tone this Atlantean town hall has taken--Mupo and his followers want to overtake Narkran, the power-mad ruler of Atlantis in Aquaman's absence. Aquagirl splits to give herself time to come up with a plan:

A compatriot of Mupo's named Dex is suspicious of Tula, but Mupo is sure she won't be any trouble. Dex thinks Mupo has feelings for Tula (who wouldn't?), so Mupo, to show he means business, decides to move up the date of revolution, and to strike now!

Mupo and his men storm a weapons storage facility, and quickly overtake the guards surrounding it. Part one of the revolution is complete!

Meanwhile, Aquaman and Mera, on their way home, are concerned when they see Aqualad's steed, Imp, by itself, way out in a remote part of the ocean. Aquaman guesses that Aqualad wouldn't have left Imp behind without a good reason, and that he's trying to find Aquaman! He and Mera delay their return to Atlantis to try and find Garth.

But that's a big mistake, since Mupo's plan is moving forward. Meanwhile, Narkran, hearing about what's going on, assumes Tula is part of it, and has her arrested. He then goes completely over the edge, threatening to kill her if the revolution isn't halted:

(I love those half-page ads. Relics of a bygone era)

Anyway, the threat of Tula being killed means nothing to Dex, and he wants to continue with the attack. But Mupo says no, insisting that they can't risk the life of an innocent person.

Mupo orders everyone to lay down their weapons, which drives Dex nuts. He punches Mupo, assuming command of the revolution!

Meanwhile, Aquaman and Mera find Aqualad, fighting a giant monster!

Back in Atlantis, Dex has taken command. Narkran is momentarily distracted,a dn Tula uses that to escape. Narkran manages to hurl his dagger at her, stabbing her in the back.

Tula falls onto the ocean floor, and in that moment all Mupo cares about is saving her. He picks her up, handing her off to Vulko to tend to her wound. He then makes a bee line for Narkran, calling him a coward, who would "Stab a defenseless girl--for no reason!":

To be continued!

This seems like an odd place for the story to stop, so I'm betting that Aparo--doing the pencils, inks, and letters for Aquaman--needed a bit of a breather, which is why around this time the book started running back-up strips.

Later, it would be Deadman drawn by Neal Adams, but this time it's a reprint from Aquaman's Adventure Comics days, "The Adventures of Aquaboy", from Adventure #268, by Robert Bernstein and Ramona Fradon.

Wow, when you think about it, this issue features a hat-trick of the Great Aquaman Artists--Nick Cardy (cover), Jim Aparo (main story), and Ramona Fradon (back-up)! That's a lot of beautiful artwork for a measly 15 cents!

We'll get to Part 2 of this story next weekend!