Who's Who Update | Robin

They say that super-hero sidekicks were introduced to give kids a character to relate to.  If that's the case, it worked on me.  As a young child, my favorite super-hero was Robin, the Boy Wonder, sidekick of Batman.  

 I saw him in action on "The New Adventures of Batman," an animated series in which Adam West and Burt Ward reprized their roles as the voices of Batman/Bruce Wayne and Robin/Dick Grayson.  Robin was also one of the "Super Friends" on the Saturday morning cartoon of the same name, along with Superman, Aquaman, Batman, and Wonder Woman.    

 Underoos were also a thing when I was a kid--sets of briefs and undershirts featuring the costumes of various super-heroes and other characters.  I had the Robin set, and my mom sewed a yellow cape and green felt gauntlets to accessorize the Underoos.  (I will spare readers the photos...).  

 Robin's spot as my favorite character was eventually taken by Batman, then Superman, then the Conner Kent Superboy.  But I did faithfully read and collect the Robin solo series featuring the Tim Drake Robin.

 When the original Who's Who comic book came out, the Dick Grayson of Earth 1 had already moved on to his new heroic identity of Nightwing.  Although Dick did have a Who's Who entry in the 1989 Batman Annual, I decided he really needed one drawn by George Perez.  So here it is!              
  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Secret Origin of... PETER CANNON - THUNDERBOLT

Image
Though there were other comics series with similar names before and after, the longest-running  Secret Origins  comic book was published by DC Comics from April 1986 to August 1990.  It included 50 regular issues, three annuals, and one special edition.  This series of blog posts focuses on the stories that would have been, should have been, or otherwise follow the spirit of that series. The Secret Origin of... PETER CANNON - THUNDERBOLT        Charlton Comics published the comic book adventures of a number of "Action Heroes," including Captain Atom, the Blue Beetle, the Peacemaker, Judomaster, and Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt.  Charlton ceased publication before I started reading comics, but many of the Charlton Action Heroes were acquired by DC Comics in the early 1980s.  They were introduced into the DC Universe in the 12-issue maxi-series Crisis on Infinite Earths.  They were also featured in the encyclopedic Who's Who, the Defini...
Read more

Comics and the Bible | The Seraph in "Echo of Evil!" | Super Friends #46

Image
The Seraph in "Echo of Evil" from  Super Friends  #46 Rivkah's cousin from Los Angeles is visiting Masada, a site in the Eastern Judean desert.  She is introduced to Chaim Lavon, who senses the clammy nearness of a malevolent being.    A caption box sets up the remainder of the story: "The influx of American visitors to Masada promised to be a joyful event, yet the place was haunted by the venomous presence of a demon... A ghostly butcher eager to slaughter 960 men, women, and children... Echo of Evil!" Despite the moment of unease, Chaim shares the history of Masada with cousin Wendy: "King Herod the Great turned Masada into a pleasure palace and formidible fort around 36 to 30 B.C.  100 years later, Rome sacked Jerusalem.  The last band of Jewish fighters fled into the desert to continue their battle for freedom... From Masada, they harried the Romans for two years....Then, Flavius Silva, with the Roman Tenth Legion, plus 10,000 colonial troops and s...
Read more

I Met... SANDY PLUNKETT!

Image
  I Met... Sandy Plunkett! Chillicothe Comics Center, a local non-profit, sponsored a special event at Wheatberry Books, our local bookstore.  They invited Sandy Plunkett, an Athens-based comic book artist, for a time of conversation and signings.  Although the name was unfamiliar, I learned that he had worked for both Marvel and DC, in addition to other projects throughout the years.  He penciled entries in the original Who's Who series for the Fiddler, a Golden-Age Flash villain, and Tim Trench, a private investigator who appeared in Wonder Woman.  So I took my 50-pound Who's Who Omnibus Vol. 1 for him to sign, which it graciously did.       But I also learned during his presentation that he drew the cover for Comic Book Creator #29, the first issue I worked on during my time with TwoMorrows Publishing.  Had I realized that, I would have brought that magazine for him to sign as well.  Next time!
Read more