It is a simple concept: What if the Bronze Age DC Comics team-up series Super-Team Family kept running forever... and what if it could use characters from anywhere, not only from DC? This blog is my answer to that question, and a celebration of the amazing creators and characters that have entertained so many over the years. And here we are... Presenting the 3000th issue of STF (cover #3510 in total)! Thank you to everyone who regularly visits here and lets me know through your kind words, comments and suggestions that you get a kick out of the covers. A huge thanks goes out to those that have gone the extra mile and made a donation or became Patrons of STF: The Lost Issues - your support has helped this milestone to be reached! Now, let's get to the special features...
AND NOW, A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR...
YOU GET A RING! AND YOU GET A RING! AND YOU GET A RING!
I definitely have some recurring themes on this blog... and the GLC handing out Power Rings like Pez is definitely one of them! I thought it might be fun to present some of the characters that have wielded the universe's most powerful weapon...
TIME FOR A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT...
OOPS, I DID IT AGAIN!
I try not to give myself too many restrictions while creating covers for this blog, but I do have a few rules: Don't use images from something that was already an inter-company crossover to begin with, and try not to re-use any character images more than once. That second one is a rule that I have broken quite a few times as you will see below. I didn't do it on purpose, sometimes I just forgot that I had already used an image - you have to forgive me, I've done a lot of these. Anyway, I thought it would be fun to present some of these examples here, it's interesting to see how an image can be used in different ways:
COMING SATURDAYS THIS FALL!
It hasn't been easy keeping up with this blog on a daily basis for the past decade, but I am glad that I have kept with it - your enthusiasm, encouragement, ideas and patronage have helped keep me inspired and motivated and I want to thank you all for joining me on this ride! Let the march to STF #4000 begin!
49 comments:
I love the Hostess Twinkie ad and the PSA. Heavy-handed there much, Superman?! Ha! The extras are pretty awesome! One of my favorite Amalgam Comics is Iron Lantern.
Congratulations! Here's to the next 1,000 covers!
Wow.
Fantastic tribute to 3000!
Thanks a ton
Congratulations on the cover #3000 of the Super-Team Family: The Lost Issues!
AWESOME JOB! Beautiful cover! For the first time, I really liked to see "sponsored ads" during a reading. lol
Thank you, Ross. For all fun that you keep bring to us in these 10 years.
And, I believe that I speak for all of us - your fans - that we wish to you more than 10 years of hard work in another 3,000 covers more! ;-)
Health, happiness, and success to you today and always!
ooops, you did it again alright....
and it was be truly amazing and very much fun....
my faves were the Kirby heavy Cap vs Orion and the Saturday morning line-up page (i miss those in comics. guess i am showing my age, eh???)
and the reuses of images is forgiven and informative....
JOB WELL DONE, ROSS!!!!!
ooops....
i did it again....
the above unknown is of course me.... jack-el....
By the way, don't worry about the work of the next 10 years ... ideas - at least - we will always give you. lol
Amazing work, Ross! Great achievement! Looking forward to the next 1,000 covers!!
the time is 1:58. It's 2 to 2! It's 2- 2- 2 books in one. The pass has overtaken the future! The future's time has come to pass. You have just intercepted The Twilight Zone.
What a circus. It's a night at the races. It's Superman with a credit card. There is nothing wrong with your reception.... It's everything you can ever think of.
The New Gods, the newish Avengers, the commercial break, the new look at reruns, the psa that counts, and the Saturday that fills your cereal bowel with imagination.
A Really Original Super Series !! #ROSS
"A picture" may be worth a 1000 words, but yours are worth a full library. Nice to see what you can do with a little practice, now take the rest of the day off. You've earned it..
It's a shame you make a board game out of all your stuff...it would be more popular than chutes and ladders. Stay Well.
YES! This was well worth the wait. And still only sixty cents for the regular-sized issues, too? I don't know how you do it. ;-)
Seriously, though: thanks for the great bits of nostalgia. I fondly remember those Hostess ads. My favorites being "Hawkman vs. Golden Raven" and "Batgirl vs. The Mockingbirds!" I also remember the original version of the Superman psa. An anti-child abuse message, as I recall.* But, most anxiously awaited, of all, were the Saturday morning cartoon blurbs, every September. Animated entertainment that didn't have to be proportionately educational, to boot! At least, not in an overly preachy way.
So, thanks again, Ross, for three thousand issues of fun. Can't wait to see what you have planned for STF #3100 (circa Oct. 8)!
*Though the fine print in your version was a hoot to read. Lol!
Good lord Ross! Sit down, have a drink of water! BREATHE, MAN! BREATHE!!!
Happy 3000, Ross! Looking forward to the challenge of the next 4000!!!!
Very nice job, I especially like the Twinkies advertising
Someone has to say it, so I will take the hit
"I love this blog 3000!"
Thanks for sharing your talent and inspiration.
Holy Miley! What an ebullient extravaganza. A feast.
I haven't had time to take it all in yet. But my verdict will for sure start at simply amazing. Further viewing will no doubt raise that exponentially.
The collection of previous covers is greatly appreciated.
But what's with the 3000 v 3510, total, Ross?
Anyway, congratulations on your amazing track record and a huge thank you.
Now I'll go back to your issue...
This is an awesome entry. All of the bonus bits are things that could easily be included in the interior of such a magazine.
(For the one-on-one fights on the back cover, I'd give a clear edge to the New Gods in every case but Thor vs. Barda. That one would involve a lot of landscaping, followed by finally talking things out so the teams work together -- and an intervention just in time to prevent Pietro's death!)
And ah... Iron Beetle and GL Daredevil! Of all the suggestions of mine that you've actually used, Ross, this was my favorite.
As for the re-used images, the Spirit, Ghost Rider, and Spectre ones are hard to criticize because their reversals make them look like fresh images, so I'll give you a pass on them. (The Jack of Hearts image is too close to symmetrical.)
The (drawn) Hulk one is great enough that I'd be happy to see it used three times or even more! The only question is, who with? Ambush Bug and Booster Gold/Blue Beetle have already had covers with him in similar posts. Maybe Mr. Mxyzptlk? Guy Gardner? Joxer? Freakazoid? Barney?
The Lou Ferrigno image is also iconic enough that I'd welcome seeing it alongside Lynda Carter (even though I know they've already shared a cover), Dick Durock, or one of the actors (Jackson Bostwick or John Davey) who played Captain Marvel on the Shazam! TV show.
In any case, #4000 will be nearly three years in the future, and I hope to see something equally awesome for that. Maybe a retrospective of your more successful large teams (like Robo-Force or the Roustabouts) would be fitting.
Damned spell checker! Not Holy MILEY! Nothing against Ms Cyrus. But it was Holy Moley!
Sockamagee -- what an accomplishment!
I assume there were a couple confrontations you couldn't fit onto the covers: Bug/Forager vs Ant-Man and Lonar (the New God with the winged horse) vs Black Knight (borrowing Aragorn from Valkyrie).
Congratulations on one of my favorite sites. Not a day goes by where I don't check it!
I don't see why comic book companies don't take your ideas: it's the equivalent of "leaving money on the table"!
@Davejonz: BTW, "Holey Moley" is now the name of a primetime game show(?) on ABC.
Thanks, guys - glad you like this anniversary issue!
Patinthehat: I can't believe I didn't think of using I love you 3000 somewhere!
Davejonz: The other 510 covers are from my B&B and MTIO days plus 2 "lost lost issues" that I included in my STF #1000 post.
That thing about rings inspires: Ben 10 (reboot) and Benjy Grimm (Fred and Barney Meet the Thing) (with of course, Benjy's Thing Ring (actually, Thing Rings)).
I often wonder if teenage Benjy got those rings from Shazzan's original master (the Wizard of the 7th Mountain)?
I was having a hard time coming up with the two teams that hadn't met before, but Ross pulled it off. Although, unless there was some magical handicapping by Doc Strange or the Cube itself, those fights are going to be over pretty quickly.
I like to try and find the original images Ross uses, and he gets me every time he flips or rotates one.
And looking at all those "I did it again" images, I'd have to say that if Ross ever needs to take a month off he could re-run a "Greatest Hits" string from issues 200-2000 and I'd be OK with it.
Thanks, Ross, and here's to the next couple of thousand issues!
Magnificent!
PS: Another team-up idea inspired by my current binge of anime viewing:
Usagi Tsukino and Frank Castle! "In the name of the moon, we'll really punish you!"
Fantastic, Ross, but not surprising -- you do great work and I'm not surprised No. 3000 was an extra-special version of the same!
No need to worry on the re-use of images; that actually was a neat insight into how the same image could be featured in completely different stories/ideas. Only the Falcon/Black Lightning example felt like a real repeat, and I never noticed it until you pointed it out yourself!
Congratulations -- and I hope you get some rest!
Congratulations, and thank you for the best comics blog going!
Coming Saturdays this fall, was the best part. I remember the good Saturday morning cartoons, you need to make more of these. Great job!
I am continually amazed at how you're able to post a new cover every single day. Sometimes I get exhausted just thinking about it!
Thanks so much for sharing all of this with us. I've been following for nearly your entire run after I saw a recommendation on another blog I read. I love not only the art, but the history you mention on the different artists or titles, and also the comments are quite enlightening, as several of your followers always provide education on where the images came from, etc.
You really outdid yourself with today's posts - the Twinkies ad and the Mutant PSA were really nice touches, but I also loved seeing all the old Green Lantern and re-used images. A great start to my morning.
Cheers and happy anniversary!
Love the Hostess ad. Those always brought a smile to my fact. Loved the fact that DC characters would sometimes appear in the Marvel pages and vice versa. (Early crossovers.)
Great cover! *but you knew that already"
I printed the cover of 3000 at my local Staples on high quality paper and the worker there asked where I got the cover from and I told him it was a preview in magazine I was subscriber to. He was a Marvel fan and could name almost every Marvel character but only character he recognized was "Mr. Miracle".
He asked me would I mind if he made a copy for himself. I said "Fine as long as you promise to buy the real copy when it comes out." and he replied "Most definitely."
Now regard the team ups I'd like to see Orion vs. Hercules in "Gift of Battle!"
Congrats on 3000 issues!
Btw: if you wanna see a similar tribute to Saturday morning cartoons, google "Youtube Fred Flix Superhero Summit." :-)
Oh, man! Like opening presents on Christmas! Loved seeing the earlier covers, as I've just recently discovered STF. LOVE the Hulk advert. Sal B's Hulk my favorite version. I'd buy every one of these! Julie Schwartz would design the cover first, then have staff come up with the story -- boy, we'd be selling comics all over if he had his hands on these!
I applaud your dedication, sir. And that playful, inspired imagination.
We all thank you.
ooops, i've come back again...
with another team idea....
following from my idea the other day of iconic English heroes, i propose....
The League of Extraordinary Anthropormorphs....
K-9 from Doctor Who....
Winnie-the-Pooh....
Thomas the Tank Engine....
Danger Mouse....
and Paddington Bear!!!
(sometime in the next 1000 covers hopefully....)
Wow! Such a great collection for the big 3-0-0-0! Congrats Ross, and here's to the next 3000!
So great being a part of this blog!
Congratulations! This post is packed with great stuff!
If my calculations are correct, STF #4000 should hit virtual news stands around Oct. 28, 2023. :-)
You get a big delight in every bite of STF: The Lost Issues! Here's to another couple thousand! :-)
ok so you not only create new covers for characters, you also list them by major and some minor heroes, but you also take notes of the images you might have to reuse because you might not have better image to use? MEDIC! MEDIC!! This guy needs a rest.
Other than that, that's one hell of a creative mind. Be careful with it.
Ross, about that 10:38 AM comment to Davejonz: Did you include the April Fool's Extra from last year?
Bob: Haha, no I didn't count that one!
Parabéns Ross, vida longa e próspera ao blog, são os votos sinceros de um fã brasileiro!
(Congratulations Ross, long and prosperous blog life, are sincere wishes from a Brazilian fan!)
Love your blog and love reading about the process - do you take only cover images or interior art as well? Creating these every day is such a monumental achievement - congratulations and here's to 1000 more! :)
memocartoonist: Covers, interiors, commissions, merchandizing art, anywhere I can find a usable image. Glad you like the blog!
That could almost be Stan Lee in the Twinkie ad.
It looked more like Alan Napier as "Alfred '66."
Amazing stuff. Perfect matchups between 2 sets of Kirby creations.
I also liked GL & DD as the Men Without Fear.
You outdid yourself.
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