Peace On Earth

Superman & The Special Olympics

Superman Vs. Muhammad Ali

In November DC Comics are releasing a hardcover reprint of the legendary 1978 SUPERMAN VS. MUHAMMAD ALI comic book.

I do have an old, beat up copy of that book that I purchased from Ebay about a decade ago but I will probably get the new version as well.

Now if only DC would re-release another earlier crossover Superman story where he fought against wrestling champion Antonino Rocca…

Perhaps in the coming weeks I will post the Superman stories written by Jack Kirby where the Man of Steel meets his greatest nemesis… Don Rickles.

Read more about Superman Vs. Muhammad Ali at Dial B For Blog.

Batman Meets Fatman

No really…

The Batmobile must be pretty wide to fit Batman, Robin and Fatman on the front seat.

Obviously the Batman writers were taking the piss here…

This is another “unique” Bat-story of the 1950s that shows just why most people disregard this era of the Caped Crusader’s career.

Perhaps DC should put out a collection of Weird Tales from Gotham City. It could be filled with all the stupid stories from the 1940s, 50s and 60s such as the one above. It could feature the ‘many strange transformations of Batman, like the stories where he turned into a giant, merman, gorilla etc. There could also be a section on all the many times Batman travelled back in time, fought aliens or met others that he inspired such as Fatman, Batboy, Mogo the Bat-gorilla, Batmite, Ace the Bathound, Batman Jones etc. I’m not sure it would sell many copies although I am sure some people would pick it up just for a laugh.

Eveready Batteries

I have a few of these ads on my computer. They are kinda cute. From the early 40s.

Don’t Rely On Unscientific Myths!

I guess that in the 1940s people had to be told these things.

Americommando

After a quick check I can confirm that this is not on Superdickery.com.

Americommando was a back up feature in Action Comics during WWII.

Superboy Says: Know Your Country

I love the old Public Service Announcements that you used to sometimes see in the back of old comic books. I even love it when animators and film makers try to do the same thing as well. Yep, whether it is Batman making a plea for racial harmony or C3PO trying to get R2D2 to quit smoking or even Superman trying to stop anti-Semitism and religious intolerance, I think these things are great in a corny sort of way. I’m sure that the people who made them had their hearts in the right places but they do seem to come off as being a bit preachy and very hokey.

The first of the DC Comics was this one featuring Superboy, who was the poster child for their PSA’s in the 50s and early 60s.
I do find it hard to believe that no-one would have paid any attention to ‘that little Scandinavian girl’ but this was before everyone decided that Swedish girls were hot. Of course it was so much easier for Superboy to convince the kids to go to some hot Scandinavian chick’s house than to the black or Asian kids places. It wouldn’t be until the early 70s when DC would try to assist integration between blacks and whites, firstly with the Green Arrow/Green Lantern and then with Lois Lane. In the 50s Asians were still being vilified in comic books, although not as much as a decade earlier when America was at war with Japan. In the 50s they went from being the evil, simian looking enemy to comic relief. Again it would be the 70s, when Bruce Lee and Kung Fu became fashionable, that Asians would be treated like normal people in comic books.

What’s your BQ?

I think that it’s quite cute that DC Comics would add little items such as the above to try to promote racial harmony. I guess that this comes for the late 60s or something when a few DC Comics were talking about ‘brotherhood’ and the like.

That Library Really Is An Awesome Place!