Well, it seems as though the Hulk/Flash TV Event from STF #2034 was such a hit that the pair has graduated to the big screen! It's still fun to pop in my DVD's of the 90's Flash series. What a shame it was bounced around the TV schedule so much that it never got a fair chance to catch on with audiences.
These two also shared a more traditional comic book adventure in STF #1296...
I LOVE these live-action photo covers! I remember having a Marvel Teamp-up or something with a photo cover of Captain America and Spider-Man.
ReplyDeleteI would buy a The Incredible Hulk '78!
The '90's The Flash show was pretty cool, even though it was more a loose adaptation of the comics. It was still pretty cool. Even though CBS picked up Wonder Woman, network television has NEVER been kind to the super-hero genre. I cite The Incredible Hulk (the final season), The Flash and Supergirl. Most super-hero shows lasted three seasons - if it was that lucky...
Kids today don't appreciate the struggle! Smallville went the longest with ten seasons, the Arrowverse is doing pretty well...Agents of SHIELD. Weren't there Marvel shows on Netflix at one time... ;)
Your cover looks a whole lot better than the "guest stars" that were on the Hulk. Thor and Daredevil didn't do that well. Now, considering that Shipp did the Flash for the CW crossover, his moments on the shows gave it a totally different feel - just like when Barry first met Jay in the comics. Quality like that is why comics have been able to last this long.
ReplyDeleteI personally thought at the time that John's costume as the Flash looked rubbery and fake, though the in-show explanation (it was designed to withstand the rigors of high-speed travel, and wouldn't shred like regular clothes) made sense. I had the same feeling with his appearances in last year's Elseworlds crossover event. On the other hand, as Jay Garrick he's looking pretty excellent -- like the "Elder Statesman of Speed" he is, both in character and out.
ReplyDeleteRichard Kiel as Solomon Grundy? I totally could see that happening in the 90s. The character's treatment on Gotham is that show's one truly massive fail; I'm not sure who I'd cast in the part these days. Maybe Jensen Ackles?
@AirDave: Netflix canceled the Marvel shows because (short and oversimplified version) Marvel/Disney wanted the characters back for use with their streaming programs, and possible appearances on the big screen.
Whirlwind, I can understand. Fight super-speed with super-speed. But, he's always been a henchman, more often than not! So, how would he possibly get hold of Solomon Grundy (who's most frequently been a Golden Age GL and Modern Age Bat-foe, anyway) in order to partner up with him?
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking a trio of criminal geniuses made up of: the "Mad" Thinker; the Puppet Master; and...THE PIED PIPER!
Think about it. Philip Masters can only control one mind at a time. But, if he were to make a Wundagorian clay statue of everyone's favorite hyper-sonic hypnotist...well, let's just say they'd really put the "harm" in "five-part harmony."
Just got a "Thank You" from John Wesley-Shipp for this cover - pretty cool!
ReplyDeletesetting wayback machine for 1990
ReplyDelete@Cary Comic: How about Whirlwind and whammer (Wordgirl)?
ReplyDeleteCover of the month!
ReplyDelete@Anonymous: Wordgirl? Is she any relation to the old Electric Company character who fought illiteracy in "The Adventures of Letter Man?"
ReplyDeleteP.S.---for those too young to remember, THE ELECTRIC COMPANY was a 1970's PBS educational series for young people whose regular cast of characters included (a much younger) Morgan Freeman...and the wall-crawling star of "Spidey Super Stories!"
ReplyDelete@Cary: yeah! He's one of her rogues' gallery. A Shocker wanna-be who dresses like the love-child of The Lone Ranger and the Minnesota Vikings' mascot.
ReplyDeleteWait, I know my memory is off but Letterman had an enemy named Wordgirl? And years later PBS would also have a superhero named Wordgirl. Strange.
ReplyDelete@Bob Greenwade: The Flash took a lot of cues from Tim Burton's Batman, and that's where the rubber suit superhero costume craze began. They've gotten better but they're still not really over it. Man Of Steel and Amazing Spider-Man seemed like they were made out of basketball coverings.
@Ross: That is extremely awesome! (I wonder if he saw my comment above...? Especially the "Elder Statesman of Speed" part. I'd be so stoked if I were to hear that phrase on the current show.)
ReplyDelete@Anonymous: Whirlwind and Whammer? That sure would be an invitation to extreme alliteration!
@Cary: I fondly remember Fargo North, Decoder. It'd be fun to see that character show up on this blog, teaming up with some other cryptographer (though I haven't the foggiest idea who would be a good fit).
@ShadowWing: Thanks for the info/reminder. And while I don't recall the Man of Steel outfit, I thought Henry Cavill looked fine in Batman v. Superman and Justice League.
I know it is not traditional but I'd like to see some heroes team up in their normal identities. Bruce Banner consulting with Barry Allen would be a good one but there are a lot more such as Ray Palmer and Hank Pym.
ReplyDeleteGlenn, The closest I've done is the team The Newshounds, which featured Peter Parker and Clark Kent among their members.
ReplyDelete@Shadowtronix: I was describing Whammer's looks.
ReplyDeletea "Thank You" from John Wesley-Shipp? That is awesome indeed Ross. High five!
ReplyDeleteRandom thought: What if Speed Racer joined the Wacky Races?
ReplyDeletePS: Guys, there's no hyphen in John Wesley Shipp's name.
Now that would be The Fast and The Furies I would like to see. :)
ReplyDeleteWhich raises the question, how did [@RossPearsall @LouFerrigno Thank you, Ross] John know about it? Is he a fan too?
ReplyDeleteI linked it to him on Twitter
ReplyDelete@Ross: what you might call a special delivery Shipp-ment.
ReplyDeleteX-D
People have to remember that fantasy movies did not take off until Star Wars. Special effects came into their own IN THE LATE '70'S. Still, even with groundbreaking effects, superhero films struggled for realism.
ReplyDeleteTake a look at the end credit listings and the technical staffing required in movies today. There's a boatload of people involved in these blockbusters. Compare those numbers to the end credits listings for movies in the '70's and '80's. Big difference. Fantasy movies, no matter how story driven they must be, depend on special effects, and Marvel is fortunate to hit a sweet spot in the 21st Century. What's a Marvel movie without CGI? Movies like Thor would be laughable in the '70's without CGI and the advanced camera work behind these big production budgets today.
One can take a look at the sci-fi flicks in the '50's and understand why Hollywood had no faith in the genre. The budgets were on a shoe string for a reason. It was impossible to conceive of anything but cheese in an arena where you must suspend disbelief. The industry needed more than one stop animation.
Sad-but-true, Anon. In fact, Thor--as played by Reb Brown in the early Nineties--did prove laughable!
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately. :-(
Yeah, you know it was bad when the little girl in "Adventures in Babysitting" looked more like Thor than Reb did.
ReplyDeleteShe was more likely imitating "Thordis" from the August 1978 issue of Marvel's "What If...?" comic.
ReplyDeleteexcuse me for mine 2 cents, but Reb Brown played Captain America in 2 made for TV movies (one of which even co-starred Chistopher Lee)...
ReplyDeletehowever Thor was kind of in the theatrically released "Adventures in Babysitting" and one of the made for TV Hulk movies...
@Jack-el& Cary: And Reb Brown did a superb jo in both those TV-movies! But, a few years later, Bill Bixby and Lou Ferigno did "The Incredible Hulk Returns." The first of their reunion movies for NBC, based on their characters from the CBS "Hulk" series. With Eric Kramer (a Reb Brown look-alike!) being cast as a relatively low-powered Thor, mystically bonded to a 20-something paramedic named Donald Blake (a la Rick Jones and Mar-Vell) in order to give the Asgardian a responsible moral compass.
ReplyDeleteNeedless to say, Mr. Kramer's portrayal was not well-received by most purist Marvel fans. Similar to their extreme dislike for Rex Smith's Daredevil wearing a Shroud-like costume (sans cape) in the very next reunion movie.
"The Trial of the Incredible Hulk!"
Thanks, Anon! :-)
ReplyDelete"Sawlaman Gruhndee dawn't lack Supah Freynds" - Solomon Grundy (accent in Tact)
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