Only Jack Kirby could come up with a space faring character on a surf board and make it cool! Kirby then went a step further and created an interstellar character that traveled via skis... and rather than treat him as a joke, he was one of the most grim and powerful members of The New Gods pantheon. Other creators' attempts at giving a character a popular mode of transport met with less success... Rocket Racer and his skateboard never really took off and Dazzler soon ditched her roller skates. His ability to make wild concepts work is another reason that Jack Kirby will always be at the top of the list for character creation.
SPECTACULAR!.....and why hasn't the Cartoon Channel/DC launched a New Gods series, given that Darkseid was a major villian in the Justice League Ultimate series.
ReplyDeleteDave sez,
ReplyDeleteOutstanding cover!
Only a genius like Jack Kirby could capitalize on surfing and skiing!
This is yet another team-up that seems just so darn natural -- both Jack Kirby characters, and both with unusual forms of transportation.
ReplyDeleteYour other comments bring me back to a suggestion I made many weeks ago about making ad hoc superteams around a theme. You mention Rocket Racer and Dazzler; throw in Static Shock and I think you have a set!
Silver Surfer, Black Racer, Ghost Rider, any other mode of transport defined characters out there?
ReplyDeleteAh, how well I remember the introduction of the Black Racer. Pretty much seemed like Kirby trying to recapture the Silver Surfer at first. Surf. Ski. Silver. Black. Whatever. Of course, Jack took him in an entirely different direction. Sweet memories of the hopeful early days of the New Gods.
ReplyDeleteUm, oh yeah. Nice pairing for this cover!
Just curious...do Asian comic characters or Caucasian heroes get defined by their color? Black Goliath, Black Racer, Black Panther, Black Tornado. Okay that last one was Dolemite but you get my drift.
ReplyDeleteThe Black Terror (from Golden Age publisher Better/Standard/Nedor) was Caucasian. It's just his costume that was mostly black. To reflect a motif that was equal parts Superman and Batman.
ReplyDelete