Is Firestar the first character that started on a cartoon and then was integrated into the comics? Jimmy Olsen came from the radio serials, but I think that Angelica Jones might have been the first cartoon star to make the transition (at least for Marvel and DC). At any rate, I have a huge fondness for Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, as it was the best superhero cartoon I had ever seen at that point - I loved how many guest stars and villains showed up. So, even though she began as a replacement for The Human Torch, I am glad that Firestar found a continuing life in the comics after her cartoon series ended. Come to think of it, didn't the same thing happen with H.E.R.B.I.E.?
20 comments:
Haha, neat team-up.
Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends is such a fun show.
HERBIE, Firestar, Harley Quinn, Renee Montoya and a few others are characters that first appeared in cartoons but then became comics mainstrays.
Your byline is "The greatest team-ups that never happened... but should have!" Never has this been more true than with this cover. The names alone provide a coolness factor, the characters would make an interesting mix, and the story looks like a good crime-solving mystery wrapped up in superpowers.
Another possible name-similarity pairing just now occurred to me: Power Man and Power Girl. Besides the name bit, there's another thing they have in common: both have large chests that they leave mostly uncovered.
Maybe a good cover would be a team of characters that migrated to comics from outside media? Firestar, Renee Montoya, Harley Quinn, H.E.R.B.I.E. and led by Phil Coulson?
"Is Firestar the first character that started on a cartoon and then was integrated into the comics?"
I think Black Manta has that distinction. Bob Haney was writing both the Aquaman comic book and the TV show back in 1966. He introduced Manta in the cartoon, then brought him into the comic book a month or two later.
...oops, 1967.
Very cool, I did not know that! Leave it to Bob Haney, the inspiration for this whole blog!
Bob, Power man and Power Girl have already met, check the labels... and they will meet again!
Ah, yes, there they are... a year and a half ago! And on a date, no less! Hopefully their second team-up will follow up on that thread. (Maybe with Luke thinking, "I like her, but she keeps staring at my chest!")
Brilliant. I was a huge Amazing Friends fan.
Wonder Twins, anyone?
Oh sure, Firestar gets all the attention, but no love for Ms Lion?
;)
Besides the Wonder Twins (and Gleek!), several other Super-Friends TV creations must have made their debut in the Super-Friends comic in the 70s. Wendy, Marvin and the Wonder Dog did, certainly. And while I'm not an expert on the comic (I own a handful of issues), I wouldn't be surprised if Apache Chief, Black Vulcan, and Samurai all appeared in the comic as well. Also, while she may have appeared in comics first, wasn't the Barbara Gordon version of Batgirl actually created for the TV show?
It doesn't really count if they just star in a comic version of the TV show - I mean characters that broke through into the main continuity.
doesn't Batgirl count? created for the tv show by request of the tv studio. Or does it not count because that's not a cartoon?
Batgirl debuted in the comic book, NezMaster. She first appeared in an issue of DETECTIVE with a 1967 cover date, but which shipped in late 1966 while the second season of the Batman TV show was airing. The first season was a surprise pop culture phenomenon (Jan.-May 1966) which the network was keen to capitalize on. They had the same studio shoot a Batgirl pilot (with Joey Bishop as the Firefly!-- but without the costume) during the spring of 1967. Her introduction in the comics may well have been in anticipation of the planned series, maybe not. She wasn't the first Batgirl (or Batwoman), after all. The ratings at the end of the second season receded, so Batgirl became a co-star instead of a spin-off.
Oh, and Ms. Lion (in Pet Avengers) and the Wonder Twins (in Teen Titans) have both been in continuity since being in comic adaptations of their TV shows. There's actually much earlier examples outside of super-hero comics, most notably Mickey Mouse and Felix, but also Mighty Mouse and Casper, who both had much longer careers in print than they had on film.
If you include retcons, some of the stuff from the SuperFriends got brought in, even Wendy and Marvin, but that was yearrs later. Batgirl came in from the Batman live TV show. Yeah, it's probably HERBIE..
I think Casper the Friendly Ghost and Little Audrey began as cartoons, then switched to comic books later. (Not DC or Marvel though, so maybe they're disqualified.)
Also, Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck started as cartoons, but then had successful comic book series.
sad that is not true
@RB: What isn't true?
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