Friday, March 31, 2023

Godzilla Vs. The Spectre

 

I used to get a kick out of the fact that despite having such incredible magical abilities, The Spectre would sometimes choose to just grow huge and start walloping the bad guys.  And what better combatant than the King of All Monsters himself? This issue would call for some nice two-page splashes.

Thursday, March 30, 2023

Fantastic Four and Deadman

 

Here's an example of where I had to declutter and complete an image before I could use it.  This awesome great shot of The FF in the Fantasticar was just what I needed, but I had to do some prep work to get it ready.  Here's a peek behind the scenes:



Wednesday, March 29, 2023

Aqualad and Iron Man

 

An oddball pairing here but this was a case in which I noticed that I had a couple of images that seemed to go together well.  I can definitely see a story that mixes both Manhunter and Stark Tech.  Garth doesn't get enough respect, especially these days, and it would be nice to see him take center stage again.

Tuesday, March 28, 2023

Brother Voodoo and The Flash

Joe Giella, whose inks are featured in the cover above, passed away last week, and he leaves behind a storied career. I remember seeing his name on the credits of so many of the Marvel and DC tales in my youth, stories that went on to be the building blocks for their entire respective universes. May he rest in peace and with the knowledge that he helped bring so much enjoyment to the fans over the years.

 

Monday, March 27, 2023

The STF 4000th ISSUE BLOCKBUSTER!

Welcome to the 4000th cover for Super-Team Family: The Lost Issues!  When you count the B&B and MTIO covers that I began with, the total comes to 4510 covers.  It's been just about 13 years of daily work, but it's been a fun ride thanks to all of the enthusiasm and support from visitors to the blog. This year was especially nice, with STF: The Lost Issues getting a segment in The Team-Up Companion from TwoMorrows Publishing, quite an honor.  I truly appreciate everyone who stops by to check out my daily covers, especially those who take the time to comment and let me know what they think and offer praise, constructive criticism and suggestions.  The biggest thank you of course must go out to the Patrons of this blog.  Your support has meant the world to me and a huge reason why the blog has lasted so long. 

In addition to the main cover here featuring a meeting between two teams that I have been meaning to get to for years, I've prepared some special features.   You know, it's too bad that legal red tape prevents me from selling any STF-related merchandise on this blog, but it got me thinking.  What are some of the cool STF-Inspired tie-in items that might have appeared over the years?  Let's see some of the greatest STF Swag that never existed - but should have!

Your All-New Saturday Line-Up!

I presented some Saturday Morning cartoons as part of the special features in my special features for STF #3000, and I wanted to expand the concept here.  Most of these new shows are based on previous STF adventures:

Adam Strange joined Star Wars in STF #3343...

Shazam met Shazzan in STF #1178...

Dick Tracy hunted Spider-Man in STF #1080...

Johnny Quest and Tintin Shared a two-part tale in STF #186 and STF #187...

and Aquaman and Sub-Mariner have a long history on the blog, they last appeared together with The Defenders in STF #3927, they battled Mer-Mutates in STF #2270, tried to avert war in Issue #1105, faced the sea's wrath back in Issue #751 and starred in my very first STF two-parter in Issue #3 and Issue #4.

That should make for a fun Saturday Morning, but there's no reason you can't get into the STF fun on school days with the...

Scooby-Doo: Marvel Madness Lunch Box!





After School, it's time to relax with a board game, perhaps one that's based on STF's longest running romance:

The Captain America & Wonder Woman Game!



They certainly have a history on this blog - this marks the 30th appearance of the WW/Cap Romance!

If it's a newer game you are looking for, maybe it's time for a round of...

Superman Vs. The Hulk Rock-'Em Sock-'Em Robots!


That's fun, but it's time for something even more advanced:

The Superman and Spider-Man Video Game!


And don't miss out on the fully articulated...

STF Action Figures!






Ah, what could have been.  Maybe such crossovers will never happen but here on the blog I'm going to try to keep on presenting them to you.  Thanks again for visiting and all of the support over the years.  Let the march to STF #5000 begin!

Sunday, March 26, 2023

Batman and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (The Movie!)

 

When Ben W mentioned in a recent comment section that there should have been a cinematic meeting between these two properties since their movies came out so close together, I had to agree it was an excellent point.  I highly recommend the Batman/TMNT animated move that came out.  It's an excellent crossover and the closing credits are amazing, with lots of mock covers like I make here on the blog.  

Coming Tomorrow:  STF #4000! 

Saturday, March 25, 2023

The Falcon and Jimmy Olsen

 

I'll be interested to see if Jimmy Olsen will be a part of Janes Gunn's Superman: Legacy.  Gunn seems to want to go back to basics with the property, so I think there's a good chance we'll see Superman's Pal.  The real question is, will we see a ginger live action Jimmy for the first time ever?  

Friday, March 24, 2023

Sandman Vs. Sandman in: "This Town Ain't Big Enough!"

 

Ever since I paired these two way back in STF #59, I have received requests for a follow up tale. Well, consider your wish fulfilled... 11 years later!  Sorry about the long wait, you might say I slept on this one for a while...

Thursday, March 23, 2023

Silver Surfer and Wonder Woman

 

I am interested in the Amazons series that is being readied for HBO Max.  Will Diana herself be a part of the series.  I'm not sure when it will take place so I don't know if she will already be off the island, or if we will see a young Diana in training - or perhaps the show will predate her birth.  Hopefully we will get some more details soon.

Wednesday, March 22, 2023

Aquaman and The Shadow

 

My favorite memories of The Shadow do not come from his print or theatrical appearances, but from the classic radio plays featuring the character.  When I was a kid, we had a collection of them that we would pop in and listen to at bedtime.  I'm sure that someone has a bunch of the episodes on Youtube, I'll have to give them a listen again after all these years.

Tuesday, March 21, 2023

I Am Vengeance, I am The Night, I am ACE!

 

I decided to take a picture of my cat Ace to celebrate his seventh birthday today, and it was he who gave me a present.  He is named after Ace the Bat-Hound, and here he was giving a perfect Bat-Signal impression!  He even has the scalloped bottom of the wing, I was glad he didn't move before I got a picture off.

Starfire and Namorita


 I've seen too many awesome cosplays of Starfire to believe that the version on the streaming Titans series is the best that they could have given us.  James Gunn professes to be a fan of the Wolfman/Perez New Teen Titans years, so let's hope we see a more comics' accurate version on the big screen somewhere down the line.  After Namor's cinematic debut, I don't hold out much hope for Namoritia receiving a faithful portrayal.

Monday, March 20, 2023

Green Lantern and Ant-Man & The Wasp

 

We've seen Green Lanterns of all sizes, from microbes to entire planets - so there's no reason these two diminutive heroes can't get in on the action.  It might be fun to see them explore the Microverse of OA.

Can we really only be a week away from STF #4000?  I'll give you a tease about what to expect:  An oversized cover featuring an adventure between a major DC team and a fan favorite Marvel mutant group that have yet to meet on the blog, which will take them to various exotic locales.  Then, some extras - A new STF-inspired Saturday Morning cartoon line up plus a big look at STF-related swag... the toys and games and merchandise from over the years that never existed - but should have! Of course, there are a few covers to go before that which I hope you will enjoy (including a couple of comment suggestions fulfilled).

Sunday, March 19, 2023

Firestorm Vs. Dr. Doom in: "Stolen Fusion!"

 

This story is Part Two of the battle that began in STF #3044.  Looks like Ronnie Raymond bit off more than he can chew when storming Doom's castle.  Then again it looks like Victor Von Doom may have underestimated what it takes to control the power of Firestorm.  This should be interesting...

Saturday, March 18, 2023

Machine Man and Captain Atom

 

Time for an all-Ditko cover.  Neither of these guys has received so much as a mention in the Marvel and DC cinematic universes.  I wonder which will be featured in live action first?  I think that both of them could be pretty impressive visually on the big screen.

Friday, March 17, 2023

The Graveyard Shift in: "Sentenced to Life!"


 I thought that for the third appearance I would add in a new member.  I got a few suggestions in their previous appearances, and I thought that Batman13's idea of bringing in Casper was a good one.  He'll add some youth to this team of dead heroes.  The Graveyard Shift was last seen trapped in The House of Secrets in STF #3870, and they first assembled in STF #3290...

Thursday, March 16, 2023

Howard the Duck Vs. Godzilla

 

I've read rumors that the follow up film to Godzilla Vs. Kong will be titled Godzilla and Kong.  That indicates that the two titans will be teaming up against a larger threat.  We've already seen King Ghidora and Mecha-Godzilla, so I am not quite sure who it could be, though.  I wonder what The Cloverfield Monster is up to these days?

Wednesday, March 15, 2023

Tigra and Bronze Tiger


 Bronze Tiger was a favorite of mine in John Ostrander's Suicide Squad stories back in the day, so I was disappointed to not see the character included in either of the live action movies.  I guess there's a chance he could show up in the Amanda Waller series that is being planned, there may be a new version of Task Force X introduced in that. 

Tuesday, March 14, 2023

New Teen Titans Vs. Ultron

 

DC comics seems to be going through yet another reboot phase with their new Dawn of DC titles.  Tom Taylor and Nicola Scott will be bringing readers an all new Titans series and the line up will be the one we see above (plus Starfire), meaning that the classic New Teen Titans team will be back together.  I hope that this is a sign of what we can expect to see on the big screen if a Titans film for the DCU gets greenlighted.

Monday, March 13, 2023

Hourman and Daredevil in: "Raising Grundy!"

 

These guys definitely went to the same tailor.  Whoever it was probably figured that Matt Murdock wouldn't notice he was getting a hand me down look from Rex Tyler! These two previously appeared together in these our fits in STF #3220, and first met back in STF #2892...

Sunday, March 12, 2023

The Punisher and The Authority


 Probably the most surprising announcement in James Gunn's DCU line up was an Authority movie.  I think Gunn may want to juxtapose their style of crimefighting against that of Superman's.  Superman Legacy promises to present the kinder, more optimistic and inspiring Man of Steel that's been missing from the movies for too long.  I expect that a follow up movie will see Superman clashing with The Authority like he did with The Elite in the comics and on video.  

Saturday, March 11, 2023

Spider-Man and The Atom

 

When Marc Tyler Nobleman, Comics' historian and Patron of this Blog, suggested I pair up Spidey and The Atom, It was a no-brainer.  No only have I not teamed them up before, but their costumes actually go together pretty well.  I never noticed that before.  Thanks, Marc!

Friday, March 10, 2023

Iron Man Vs. Amazo

 

I love those hip-discs on Iron Man's classic design.  I'm not sure what special purpose they served, but I have seen that they are loaded with circuitry when he's removed them, though.  Mostly I just think they look cool, like the widow's peak and buccaneer boots on this design.  Maybe someday we'll see it in live action.

Thursday, March 9, 2023

Star Trek and Lost in Space

 

I wonder if this crossover was ever considered for real back in the day.  How cool would it have been to see the casts of these two outer space shows interact with one another?  I'm not sure how the timelines match up, but they could have come up with a plot device to get around that.

Wednesday, March 8, 2023

Thor and Elongated Man

 

There may have been characters that I thought were cooler, but the superhero I most identified with as a kid had to be Elongated Man.  He loved having his powers and didn't want to keep his identity a secret. He had red hair and loved a good mystery.  He never became quite as popular as some of the others he shared adventures with.  I even had a brother named Ralph.  I hope James Gunn likes Ralph Dibny too and that he finds a place for him in the DCU.

Tuesday, March 7, 2023

Cloak & Dagger and The Demon

 

Was Alan Moore the first writer to present Etrigan speaking in rhyme?  I'm not sure I remember any other writer doing that with the character before seeing it in the pages of Swamp Thing.  Whoever came up with it, it's a brilliant technique to make The Demon unique, even among occult characters. It makes him a little trickier to write for, but the storytelling effects are worth the extra effort.

Monday, March 6, 2023

Samurai Jack, Young Hellboy and Casper


 To my surprise it seems that there is yet a third live action film incarnation of Hellboy in the works.  At first, I thought it was just speculation, but casting announcements have already been made.  Hellboy: The Crooked Man will be co-written by Mike Mignola and star Jack Kesy in the title role.  It will be interesting to see how this attempt fares in comparison to the other two.

Sunday, March 5, 2023

Sgt. Rock Vs. Mephisto

 

They do say that war is Hell, so this is a match up that might actually make a crazy kind of sense.  Even with the ultimate power at his fingertips, I'd like to believe that Sgt. Rock would make the right decision here.  I'd love to see Mephisto's reaction when his plans failed due to the will of a single America soldier.

Saturday, March 4, 2023

Red Star and Black Widow

 

One real shame about Natasha Romanov being killed off in the MCU is that it creates a big missed opportunity.  Now that Daredevil is in the MCU proper, I would have loved to see him share some adventures (and possibly romance) with The Black Widow.   I guess there are a couple of opportunities to do this.  The upcoming 18 episode Daredevil series on Disney+ will have plenty of room for flashbacks, so maybe she could be included there.  Failing that, they could bump into each other in one of the upcoming time and reality warping Avengers movies.  I think all of these scenarios are probably long shots, however.

Friday, March 3, 2023

Deathstroke Vs. The Falcon

 

The were lots of rumors about a Ben Affleck-starring Batman movie which would have featured the Dark Knight up against Deathstroke.  Those plans seem to have gone away now that James Gunn and Peter Safran are in charge of the DCU.  That's OK with me - I much prefer to see Deathstroke as a foil for Dick Grayson and the New Teen Titans anyway.  Still, it seems like this new DCU is skipping right to Damien Wayne (& Nightwing possibly), so who knows if we will ever get a proper Titans movie anyway?

Thursday, March 2, 2023

Tarzan and Hawkman

 

This is a crossover that I really wish DC had done.  Joe Kubert is in my opinion the greatest comic book artist to ever live and it would have been great to see him work on a projects featuring two characters that he depicted so masterfully.  Heck, throw in Sgt. Rock and you might just have the perfect comic book!

Wednesday, March 1, 2023

Super-Turtle and Throg

 

I saw this pairing discussed in a recent comments section and it inspired me. I remember seeing the Super-Turtle comics strips in the back of some of my old Silver Age titles.  I'm not sure if the Turtle of Steel ever made it into regular continuity, though... I never did see him join with the Legion of Super Pets.