Super-Team Family: The Lost Issues blog

Superheroes are already fantasy, but why stop there?

As a kid, I was, no surprise, the biggest Super Friends fan going. One of the show's hallmarks (like the Justice League comics that inspired it) was the way in which the larger assembly of heroes would divide into smaller groups to tackle simultaneous crises. I loved seeing who went with who each time, and made up my own mental wish-list sub-groupings. 

Today, I still love this about the medium—and its inventive derivations.

My first online stop of the day is Super-Team Family: The Lost Issues, a daily dose of fictional meetings of fictional characters (as opposed to the "real" meetings of fictional characters that play out in comics, movies, and TV shows).

A labor of love by Ross Pearsall, it combines characters who (usually) haven't co-starred in an actual published story. Ross doesn't limit himself to superheroes; his covers also tap popular figures from science fiction, action-adventure, comic strips, rock music, and more.

Many of the pairings are inspired (Dr. Mid-Nite and Moon Knight) and sometimes batsplat crazy (Vibe joins the Monkees). The digital mojo on display is seamless, plus Ross has a gift for clever wordplay; the titles of his fake stories are spot-on.

Ross may rue the day I discovered his work because I regularly send him unsolicited suggestions. A guy who teamed up Huntress and Darkman and Godzilla and Boba Fett and Peanuts and Tiny Titans is obviously is not lacking for inspiration.

Still, he humors me, and sometimes even runs with one of my suggestions. (Sometimes it turns out that he beat me to it—either a team-up that was already up but I missed or one already in the works. Geek minds think alike.)

Ideas I proposed:

The Thing and Thing 1 and Thing 2

(though the main co-star is the other Thing)

Wolverine and Timber Wolf

 Daredevil and Blue Devil

 James Kirk and Han Solo 

(both space captains)

 Rocketeer and Bulleteer

Oracle and Max Headroom 
(both members of the Decoders)

Ambush Bug and Tick

Firestar and Starfire

Flash Gordon and Flash

Tarzan and Atom 

(namely Sword of the Atom) 

 

Superman and Greatest American Hero

Hawkman and Indiana Jones 

(both archaeologists)

She-Hulk and He-Man

(hers and his hyphenates)

Scooby-Doo and Deadman

Guardians of the Galaxy and Guardians of the Universe

 Godzilla and Apache Chief

 Boba Fett and Rocketeer

(see also #1788 below)

Green Lantern and Daredevil

 Wolverine and Vixen

Little Nemo and Sandman

 

Fantastic Four and Fatal Five

(kindred spirit to my suggestion of

Fantastic Four and Inferior Five vs. Secret Six...

but then see two covers down)

Batman and Bill Finger

(on one-year anniversary of Bill getting official credit)

Fantastic Four and Inferior Five

Swamp Thing and Luke Skywalker

(I proposed Swamp Thing and Yoda on Dagobah) 

Flash and Daredevil

Catman and Black Panther

Spider-Man and the Outsiders

Boba Fett and Rocketeer

(see also #1464 above)

 Tarzan and Sub-Mariner

(I proposed Tarzan and B'wana Beast because of a similar aesthetic—

underpants-only costumes)

Firestorm and Ghost Rider

Unknown Soldier and Winter Soldier

Tarzan and Rima

Human Torch and Human Bomb

Pink Panther and Black Panther

Darkseid and Darth Vader

(a common request;

see also #2343 below)

Mighty Mouse and Underdog

Wonder Woman and Black Panther

(both long-overdue headliners of recent [this posted in April 2018] 

highly successful films about royal superheroes who are not white men)

Flash and Thor

(lightning and thunder)

Robotman and Dynomutt

Tarzan and King Kong

Hawkman and Condorman

Mork and ALF

(I proposed the Justice League of Aliens:
Superman, Spock, Yoda, ET, 

Mork, ALF, Marvin the Martian)

Darth Vader and Darkseid

(see also #2184 above)

Star Trek and Challengers of the Unknown

(both boldly going where no one

has gone before)

Tempest and Storm

Casper and Deadman

Dazzler and Doctor Light

Superman and Little Lulu

(I first proposed Lois Lane and Little Lulu,

then this)

Red Tornado and Storm

New Teen Titans and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Katana and Samurai Jack

Falcon and Blue Falcon (and Dynomutt)

Flash Gordon and Commissioner Gordon

Superman and Spider-Man (black suits)

Deadman and Deadpool

Superman Red Son and Winter Soldier

Samurai Jack and Hong Kong Phooey

Popeye and Cap'n Crunch

Captain Marvel and Back to the Future

Scooby-Doo and Ghostbusters

Twilight Zone and Phantom Stranger

Spider-Man and Red Tornado

Dazzler and Halo

Wildcat and Black Cat

Power Girl and Powerpuff Girls

Greatest American Hero and Captain Avenger (Hero at Large)

Ice Masters

(I had proposed multiple pairs within this group,

mostly with Frozone or Elsa)

Han Solo and Adam Strange

(both members of the Space-Time Five)

Hong Kong Phooey and Kung Fu Panda

Wildcat and Muhammad Ali

Ghost Rider and Skeletor

(I proposed Mr. Bones/Ghost Rider vs. Atomic Skull/Skeletor;

see also #4729 below)

Adam Strange and Luke Skywalker

Aquaman and Gilligan's Island

Dial "H" for Hero and Ben 10

Batman and Robin and the Fonz (jumping the King Shark)
(I suggested Aquaman and the Fonz—both Arthurs—jumping the King Shark)

Avengers and Crimson Avenger

(see also #4569 below)

Tarzan and He-Man

Katana and Blade

Spider-Man and the Fly (movie)

Blue Beetles and the Beatles

Woody Woodpecker and Groot (and Rocket Raccoon)

(I proposed Woody and Groot)

Batman and Gargoyles

A-Listers 

(Captain America, Air Wave, Alvin, Atom Ant, 

Amazing Man, Captain Avenger, Atomic Mouse; 

I proposed calling them the "All-New A-Team" 

and included a wild card—Hester Prynne)

Spock and Black Vulcan

Aquaman and Black Panther

Amazing Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends and Amazing Man

(I proposed Amazing Spider-Man and Amazing Man...and 'Mazing Man)

Black Panther and Black Adam

Indiana Jones and Challengers of the Unknown

Spider-Man and Atom

Aquaman and the Beatles

(I proposed Aquaman and Yellow Submarine)

Huntress and Kraven the Hunter

Clark Kent and the Watcher

(I had proposed Clark Kent with 

Peter Parker, Dick Tracy, Harry Potter, Hulk; 

though this is not one of those pairings, 

I am including here because it is the 

first time the Clark logo has appeared on the blog)

Green Lantern and Yellow Kid

Plastic Man and the Mask

Firestorm and Storm

Swamp Thing, Kermit, and Grogu

(I proposed Swamp Thing and Kermit and,

separately, Swamp Thing and Yoda)

Mister Miracle and Daredevil (with three others)

(I proposed Mister Miracle and Daredevil)

Jimmy Olsen and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Superman and King Kong

Mister Miracle and Silver Surfer

Gorilla Grodd and Planet of the Apes

(I proposed Flash, Gorilla Grodd, and Planet of the Apes)

Peacemaker and War Machine

Daredevil and Deadman

Tarzan and Vixen

(see also #4700 below)

Avengers and Crimson Avenger 

(see also #3271 above)

Moon Knight and Starman

Tarzan and Vixen

(see also #4551 above)

Ghost Rider and Skeletor

(I proposed Mr. Bones/Ghost Rider vs. Atomic Skull/Skeletor;

see also #2959 above)

Velma (Scooby-Doo) and Marcie (Peanuts)

Red Tornado and Storm

Punisher and Hitman,

part 1

Punisher and Hitman,

part 2

Moon Knight and Raven

Cyborg and Dynomutt

Phalanx of Phantoms

(I had proposed Phantom Stranger variously with 

Funky Phantom, Danny Phantom, and Phantom of the Opera; 

Phantom Girl/The Phantom)

Luke Skywalker and Hawkman

Wildcat and Tick

 

Power Girl and Power Rangers

Joker and Ronald McDonald

Casper, Richie, Rich and Spectre

(I proposed Casper and Spectre)

Toy Story and Toyman

Mister Terrific and Laff-A-Lympics

Cyborg and the Borg

My executed suggestions, by the numbers (not counting repeats/sequels; as of #5249):

Most

6x

Spider-Man

Tarzan 

5x

Superman

Daredevil

Black Panther

By category

DC

5x

Superman

4x

Deadman

3x

Batman

Flash

Aquaman

Hawkman

Wildcat

2x

Green Lantern

Swamp Thing

Cyborg

Atom

Firestorm

Vixen 

Katana

Red Tornado

Mister Miracle

Adam Strange

Power Girl 

Phantom Stranger

Challengers of the Unknown

Amazing-Man

Marvel

6x

Spider-Man

5x

Daredevil

Black Panther

3x

Storm

2x

Wolverine

Fantastic Four

Ghost Rider

Moon Knight

Winter Soldier

Dazzler

Hanna-Barbera

3x

Dynomutt

2x

Scooby-Doo (not counting a solo Velma team-up)

Hong Kong Phooey

other animation

2x

He-Man

Samurai Jack

movies

3x

Luke Skywalker (including on a technicality because he was used in lieu of Yoda in one suggestion and in lieu of Star Wars in another)

2x

King Kong

Han Solo

Indiana Jones

Captain Avenger

other

6x

Tarzan 

2x

Beatles

Flash Gordon

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Tick

Casper

Rocketeer 

Greatest American Hero

All art copyright its respective original creators. All team-up alchemy credit to Ross. Keep it going, Ross!

Bill Finger in “amNY,” a free daily newspaper

Cristian Salazar at amNewYork contacted me with questions about the connection between the Grand Concourse and the creation of Batman. This led to a nice mention of Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman in a 7/7/15 article about the storied history of this major Bronx thoroughfare.

My theory is that Bill Finger and Bob Kane were not on the GC when they created Batman, but weren’t far. And they were there—specifically Poe Park, at 2640 Grand Concourse—to brainstorm later Batman stories.

Jay Emmett, negotiated Siegel and Shuster’s Superman settlement, 1928-2015

Twice in a two-week period, I was too late.

My list of pop culture figures to track down and interview was reduced by two with the deaths of actress Amanda Peterson and former Warner Communications (now Time Warner) executive Jay Emmett, who passed on 6/22/15. (Yes, this is the world’s only post that mentions both of them.)

I’ve already quoted Jay here (in 2014), and that quotation is worth reposting at any time, not just in light of the circumstances. In 1975, when Jay was Executive VP of Warner Communications, he said of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster: “Legally, nothing has to be done. Morally, I think something should be done, and we will do it out of compassion.”

And they did. And ever since, fans have debated how fair the settlement was. In one of my earliest blog posts, I sketched out ways (according to me) in which Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster were “right” and “wrong” and the ways in which the company that is now DC Entertainment was “right” and “wrong.”

When I quoted Jay last year, I also asked out loud where he had gone. Then I immediately tried to answer my own question, surprised that it took me that long to think to do so. Thanks to fellow Superman author Larry Tye, I did reach out to Jay with an interview request, but did not hear back. I followed up, but again, no reply. I now know that he was not well of late, though perhaps he would not have responded in any case; another Superman author/friend, Brad Ricca, said it’s possible Jay was bound by a NDA.

Whatever you think of the Siegel and Shuster settlement, it was something—far more than Bill Finger got. If you’re a Superman fan, you owe Jay a debt of gratitude. Apparently he was a heckuva guy in his own right.

Amanda Peterson of “Can’t Buy Me Love,” 1971-2015

Like many people my age, I saw Can’t Buy Me Love in 1987 and then an untold number of additional times on cable. I even bought the DVD probably five or six years ago, though I did not watch it till this week when news broke that its female lead, Amanda Peterson, died at age almost-44.

In my self-appointed role of “pop culture archaeologist,” I keep a list of people I want to track down and interview, and Amanda was on that list. Her last appearance in a film was in 1994. Over the years, I’ve seen more than a couple of posts by people asking whatever happened to her.

Now we know she had rough patches. This is always upsetting to learn, but in this case more so because she seemed to fall victim to some of the traps she presumably left Hollywood to avoid.

Upon rewatching CBML for the first time in more than 20 years, I felt it hasn’t aged particularly well. But Cindy, the character Amanda played, is the least clichéd part of it. Her performance is charming and assured.

The world learned of Amanda’s death on 7/6/15, and the morning after, I contacted Ryan Hartsock, the Colorado photographer who took the last known professional photos of Amanda, in 2012. They’d been online since then, apparently, but didn’t come up when I searched for Amanda a year or so ago.

photos courtesy of Ryan Hartsock of KR Productions/

Twisted Pixels Photography

Unsurprisingly, at least one outlet much larger than me also interviewed Ryan, and beat me to posting it. But I am running mine anyway, as a tribute to the star of a movie that meant enough to me at one point that I wanted to own it. Thank you for your time, Ryan. If you were suffering, Amanda, I’m glad you aren’t anymore.

How is it that you met Amanda?

I met Amanda through a friend while planning an event to help models and photographers in May 2012.

Did you meet her family, too?

I never had the opportunity of meeting her family other than her daughter.

What was her initial response when you asked to photograph her?

We spent quite a bit of time on the phone leading up to the event and never once mentioned taking her photo. On June 3, 2012, she and I talked and it was decided that she was willing to shoot on the conditions that she choose the photos and “don’t Photoshop the hell out of me.” The images I took that day were only released at her discretion and on her time frame. She was very careful as to how they were released.

The snake...was she immediately cool to pose with that? Or nervous?

She loved the snake, as did her daughter. She spent a great deal of time playing with it and I think had a genuinely good time.

Why did you photograph her? How aware were you of her movie past?

She wanted to get back in front of the camera on her own terms and I accepted. I jokingly say it took convincing but in reality, although she was hesitant because it had been so long, she was totally open to the idea. I knew of her role in movies but to date I still haven’t seen them, other than Annie when I was young.

Updates on Amanda were virtually nonexistent online, but apparently you’d posted the photos back in 2012? Before she died, did anyone stumble upon them and ask you about her?

We had agreed to post the pics and just see the response without advertising the shoot. People were able to send emails through the website that she and I would read when we were able to meet up. She didn’t have her own email so she would sit with my computer and read through the fan mail that had been sent to me. That always brightened her day. There have been several people that have been in contact over the years with various interview offers and requests but she wasn’t ready and had hopes of starting her own blog and website that unfortunately we never finished.

Did you ask why she left the film business and/or if she had plans to try to break back in?

No, it was kind of a non-issue. I base my opinions of people on the present and how they treat me and those around them. I was there to listen to various stories as she brought them up but her past to me is irrelevant, she was a great person while I knew her and that’s what matters.

Did you see/communicate with her after the impromptu shoot?

We did stay in contact every few months over the years but it definitely wasn’t all the time. We would go months without any contact and then spend hours at Starbucks while she read the latest gossip about herself or spend time texting back and forth regarding offers or ideas. I was a go-between basically, I would send her the info and she would go over things with her manager and get back with a yes or no. She was cautious to keep her whereabouts as private as possible.

Anything else about Amanda you’d like to add?

I would love to get all of the photos from that day to her family but the only number I have is her cell. If they could contact me, that would be great. [MTN: They since have.] She had an effect on so many people and I think it would be nice to get all these emails and messages to them so they can see the good versus all the media spin and gossip that seems to flood the headlines. She was a great individual and it’s disheartening to see how cruel people can be. She had also sent me cell phone pics of her and some of her friends backstage at concerts, etc. Although she wanted them to be seen, I don’t feel that this is the time now and I’d like to pass them off to her family.

In the time I knew Mandy, she always treated me with kindness and respect. Although I was just breaking out in photography at the time, I’ll always feel honored that of all the great photographers she could work with she chose lil ol’ me.

“Boys of Steel” on NYPL summer reading list

With the summer reading theme “Every Hero Has a Story” in full swing, I was honored to hear that Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman made the summer reading list (nonfiction, grades 2-3) of the New York, Brooklyn, and Queens Public Libaries.

I was bummed Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman didn’t, especially since it’s a New York story. However, as Betsy Bird kindly explained, only paperbacks are eligible. (They didn’t know about this.)

I suppose you could say both books are New York stories. Metropolis and Gotham, the fictional cities of Superman and Batman, respectively, are both analogs for New York (some say Metropolis is New York during the day, Gotham is New York at night).

Semantics aside, thank you, NYPL!

“Bill the Boy Wonder,” Scholastic Book Club edition: “I cried”

In 2013, Scholastic produced a Book Club (paperback) edition of Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman, which I’ve previously mentioned only in passing (in 11/13). I guess this mention is not much more than in passing, either. But at least now I give a link.

Bill with my other SBC exclusive to date,  

Vanished: True Stories of the Missing

 

And now I get to quote “The hero we deserve,” the humbling 5/1/14 post on the Scholastic blog On Our Minds:

…a book came across my desk to catalog that ROCKED my world—Bill the Boy Wonder by Marc Tyler Nobleman. … I was impressed by the comic book style presentation of the facts in Nobleman’s book, and his use of primary sources brings a tear to the eye of this librarian! It’s a great nonfiction title to use in the classroom, considering the Common Core; there are comprehensive author’s notes and a bibliography. Seriously, though, I have to admit—I cried (beach scene, page ~35).

Thank you, Deimosa Webber-Bey, for writing those kind words, and thank you again, Scholastic, for publishing my words.

Your life is nonfiction

Some kids think nonfiction is boring.

I don’t blame them. Some adults think so, too, and some nonfiction is boring. Then again, so is some fiction. So why do kids more commonly dismiss nonfiction?

At least part of the reason is that children’s nonfiction was often written without regard for prose. But starting a book with the date and place of a notable figure’s birth is, in most cases, a thing of the past (historically and literarily). Now some readers don’t give writers (nonfiction or fiction) till the end of the first page to engage us. We don’t even give them to the end of the first paragraph. We expect to be grabbed by the first sentence.

We are strict. Or we should be.

Modern readers want writers of any kind of book or article to wow us not only with complex characters and a propulsive plot but also with lyrical language. As I have written here before, it’s not enough to have a good story; you need a good story, well told. (Source: my college film theory professor Tom Doherty.) Nonfiction, like life, is more interesting when it’s nonlinear and unpredictable. Yes, that makes it messier, but messy makes for better drama. Messy is not boring.

Fact-after-fact nonfiction: out.

Narrative nonfiction: in.

So when kids tell me that nonfiction is boring, I ask them what they do first thing Monday morning, in school but before class starts. They all say the same thing: we talk to our friends. I ask about what. They all say the same thing: what we did over the weekend. Then I always say the same thing.

That’s nonfiction.

What you do is a true story. Your life is nonfiction. And if you’re talking about it, you must like nonfiction more than you think you do.

The unpredictable (yet welcome) thing about that is that they see that they agree.