Once Upon a Geek

Today we are presenting the latest collection of geek related t-shirts from my closet.  This time around I’ve included some baseball caps and even one pair of new boxers.  For past entries featuring geek apparel, please click here.  These shirts are all fairly recent acquisitions.  Please note nearly all of these were gifts.  My wife has put a strict moratorium on buying myself anymore geek t-shirts as the closet is already bursting at the seams.  Happily my friends are under no such ban. 

This t-shirt and ball cap combination was a gift from Serv.  Notice how the colors on the Superman symbol are reversed.  I find that striking.  In fact, this hat has become my favorite to wear lately.  The shirt came pre-faded.

This Red Lantern t-shirt was another gift from Serv, this time for my birthday.  Can’t you feel it?  The shirt just radiates rage.  Rage!  RAGE!

Neat mega-print Batman shirt from Lore (the irredeemable brother) for my birthday.  I really like the Bronze Age styling of the image.

Hilarious Star Trek t-shirt from Lore (the irredeemable brother).  This gag still makes me laugh!

Neat Superman hat I’ve had for a while.  I picked it up at Wal-Mart of all places.  I really like the bold colors and that the hat is fitted.  Where there would normally be an adjustable strap on the back, it’s just solid fabric with the stitched Superman symbol shown in the insert.

This Ghostbusters shirt is actually billed as a “T-shirt Costume”.  I picked this up at Target last Halloween.  The slime glows in the dark also.  I’ve been slimed!

A birthday gift from my boss.  This shirt is hilarious!  I tried to make the image big enough for you to read all the various powers.  I think my favorites are, “Communicate with Fruit” and “Summon a Lamp… Once”.  LOL!

This Scooby-Doo t-shirt is another birthday gift from Lore (the irredeemable brother).  I really like the coloring on this shirt. The mystery machine is faded and everyone in the foreground is really solidly colored.  Just looks sharp.

A friend gave me this Star Wars ball cap about 15 years ago.  It’s served me well, even in the years before Star Wars was cool again.

I picked up this Unique Geek t-shirt prior to DragonCon to help promote the website.  The insert shows the back of the t-shirt.

Okay, I don’t normally post pictures of underwear, but this is an exception.  I already featured these boxers on FIRESTORM FAN, but thought they were worth mentioning here also.  I just picked these up last week from K-Mart.  While there are tons of DC Comics boxers on the market, these are astonishing because they include both Firestorm and Doctor Fate.  Seriously?!?!?  Firestorm and Doctor Fate?!?!?  Two of my favorite characters that have proven time and again they can’t support their own monthly comic books?!?!?  Two characters that almost no one in the general public would recognize?!?!?  You betcha!  The other characters (Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Robin, and even Green Arrow) aren’t surprising to see on apparel as they are fairly well known.  I just never imagined they’d make Firestorm or Doctor Fate boxers.  I’m thankful they have!  I will say it’s a bit awkward where they’ve placed Firestorm.  He’s right on the flap. Kinda creepy.

I’m not usually a fan of people mocking Aquaman, however, I thought these two music videos were humorous.  I still believe the King of the Seven Seas is a majestic ruler who deserves our respect, but I can also enjoy a good joke from time to time.

This first one is by a band called The Motion Sick.  Check out their website by clicking here.

If you can’t see the embedded video above, please click here.

This second one is by Mark Aaron James.  Check out his website by clicking here.

If you can’t see the embedded video above, please click here.

Coverage of Dragon*Con 2009 continues here!  To read about Friday, click here.  If you’d like to see over 600 pictures I took at the event, you can view them on Flickr and THE UNIQUE GEEK photo gallery.

Saturday

After the WAR OF THE SNORE the night before, Choco Taco and I decided to grab some breakfast.  Thankfully we had access to the Executive Level in the Hilton where they supply complimentary breakfast.  Turns out that many of the celebrities also have access to the Executive Level.  So there we were eating, while a couple tables over were Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy from Harry Potter), Adam Savage (Mythbusters), Michael Hogan (Colonel Tigh on Battlestar Galactica), Neil Innes (best known for his collaborative work with Monty Python), and others.  It was neat being with so many celebrities during their down time.  As I looked around the room trying to identify everyone, I wondered if they were looking at us trying to figure out if we were famous too.  Probably not, but a boy can dream.

We then made our way to the parade.  We got there minutes before the parade started, so we didn’t have a great view.  Last year there were approximately 3,500 spectators for the parade; I’d say we had more this year.  The parade was pretty good this year.  The Colonial Marines lead the parade and the Star Wars characters finished it.  In-between were the usuals like the Cobras, Star Trekkies/Trekkers, superheroes, Middle Earth folk, pirates, Stargate folks, Battlestar Galactica folks, horror folks, Ghostbusters, Doctor Whovians, Anime folks, and many, many more.  I’ve got over 100 pictures of the parade up on Flickr and THE UNIQUE GEEK photo gallery. The most creative parade costume I felt was the two-person AT-AT.  Unfortunately, my pictures of the AT-AT didn’t turn out that great, so here is a pic from the costume creators.  A really clever idea!

After the parade I visited the Walk of Fame.  I considered taking my picture with Eric Roberts since he was in Doctor Who, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.  I can’t stand his acting and really hated him in the Doctor Who TV movie.  I did stop by and visit Alan Ruck (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Spin City, Star Trek: Generations).  He was super cool!  We shook hands (he offered his hand immediately) and he asked me my name.  I’m not much for autographs, I usually prefer to get my picture taken with famous people.  So we chatted for a few moments and then he came around the table for the photo.  A couple days later, we were both on the same street corner waiting for the light to change.  We started to chat and he remembered meeting me and shook my hand again.  He was probably one of the nicest and most approachable celebrities I’ve ever met.

Then I visited Dirk Benedict (Battlestar Galactica, A-Team).  One of my goals at Dragon*Con this year was to meet him.  To me he represents everything that was fun about television in the late 70’s and early 80’s.  I had a question prepared that I didn’t get to ask during Friday’s A-Team panel, so I figured now was a good time.  I asked if the scene with the Cylon in the A-Team opening credits was originally scripted, or was improvised on-set.  He said the shot was his idea as a joke for the guys who weren’t there on-set that day.  Apparently the Director didn’t want to do the shot, but Dirk convinced him to.  Turns out the shot was so well-received, it ended up in the opening credits!  After that I got my picture taken with him and also purchased one of his books. I’m about a quarter of the way through his first book, Confessions of a Kamikaze Cowboy: A True Story of Discovery, Acting, Health, Illness, Recovery And Life.  The book covers his early life, his battle with cancer, the benefits of a macrobiotic diet, and taking control of your own health through diet.  There is a lot of controversy surrounding his dietary suggestions, but it’s worth listening to.  I don’t normally go in for autobiographies, and I REALLY don’t go in for health food propaganda.  However, I’m really fascinated by this book and find myself questioning the way I eat.  I’d recommend this book to anyone with an open mind.

I then when hunting for more great costumes to take pictures of.  I was shocked to find out I’d filled my memory card entirely after about 500 pictures!  Wow!  Thankfully I brought my laptop that has a built-in SD reader slot.  So I downloaded all the pictures, cleared the memory card, and started off again.

There were two panels I was planning to attend but was disappointed to find out they were canceled.  Both the Eureka creator panel and the Leonard Nimoy panel were canceled for Saturday. Bummer.  So instead I got in line for the Stargate Atlantis panel.  I’ve seen some Stargate panels before at Dragon*Con. They’re very well organized and the guests are great, so I figured it was worth a shot.  The line was insanely long.  It went outside and wrapped around the building.  I waited for about an hour with some very nice people and we had a great chat.  Once we got inside we were lucky enough to find seats on the fifth row!  That was awesome! While I’m not an expert on Stargate Atlantis, I have watched my fair share of episodes.  The cast were funny, kind to the fans, and genuinely seemed to be having fun.  One of the stars, Rachel Luttrell (Teyla), was late.  So Joe Flanigan (Colonel Sheppard) called her on his cell phone.  He held his phone to the microphone so we could all hear the conversation.  He lied and told her the panel hadn’t started yet and the hilarity ensued!  Throughout the panel they all had some really good banter and teased each other mercilessly.  This panel was a blast. I’m going to be sure to attend more Stargate panels at future Dragon*Cons.

After that I hit the Art Show.  There I picked up my third Tom Fleming print. This time out it was Doctor Fate!  I’ve already got an Aquaman and Firestorm from him.  They look great framed in my office!  He’s slowly working his way through the JSA, so I might pick up some more from him in the future.  You can see more of Tom Fleming’s work by clicking here and clicking here.

Later Ravenface and I came across someone in an Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld costume!  We couldn’t believe it!  You may recall a few months back Ravenface and I interviewed the creators of Amethyst for this blog (click here for more on that interview).  This was the first time either of us had ever seen someone dressed as Amethyst.  We chatted with this lady for about ten minutes.  She was super sweet and really was a big Amethyst fan.

After that we witnessed the astonishing Alpha Flight photo shoot being organized.  Allen (a.k.a. The Evil Twin) had dressed up as Firestorm last year for Dragon*Con.  This year he created an impressive Sasquatch costume.  Seriously, this costume was eight feet tall!  You can read more about it on his blog. We were only there while they were preparing the photo shoot.  So I’m using some pictures here from other photographers.

During the convention, some of our friends were handing out THE UNIQUE GEEK bingo cards.  You can see the cards below.  In order to qualify to win, you had to have very specific pictures.  My old friend Shockwave took this challenge as a personal crusade.  Through determination and cleverness, he managed to get a bingo!  Way to go Shockwave.  Below you’ll see one of his required photos, a JSA member in Saturday Night Fever pose.  In this case, Doctor Fate discoing.

Finally, from 10pm until 4am we were at the Nuts on the Road: Gonzo Sound & Vision film fest (presented by NeedCoffee.com and Quickstop Entertainment)!  This thing is amazing!  They play hilarious video clips all night long, taking breaks every hour to hand out thousands of dollars in prizes.  Seriously!  If you show up, you’re going to go home with something.  More than likely you’ll go home with multiple prizes. This year I went home with Sideshow Collectibles gift cards, Batman The Brave & the Bold The Atom action figure, and a DC Universe Infinite Heroes action figure set with Bizarro, Supergirl, and Wonder Girl.  There were also numerous packages of caffeinated mints, caffeinated chocolate chews, and Bacon-flavored chewing gum given out (or to be exact, thrown out to the audience).  They offered a lot more prizes, but I declined as my suitcase was already beyond full.  Also featured was an opening musical act, Neil Innes (best known for his collaborative work with Monty Python – yes, the same guy we saw at breakfast).  There were other celebrities on-hand, such as Adam Savage (Mythbusters), Dr. Forrester & TV’s Frank (Mystery Science Theater 3000), Doc Hammer (Venture Bros), and more.  As always, we had a phenomenal time.  This year’s crop of comedy videos was possibly the best yet.  If you attend Dragon*Con next year, this event is a MUST!  Below is a photo of THE UNIQUE GEEK gang around 4:00am after the event was over.

That was Saturday!  Come back tomorrow for a recap of Sunday and Monday…

*** UPDATED WITH MORE LINKS ***

CELEBRATING DOCTOR FATE (AND NEARLY BLUE DEVIL) IN THE SUPER POWERS COLLECTION!

Fourteen different blogs have combined forces today to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Kenner’s Super Powers Collection! While we’ll be looking at Doctor Fate here (as well as the proposed Blue Devil figures), every other blog in the crossover will cover different action figures or mini-comics from the Super Powers Collection.  Back in 1984, Kenner released the first wave of Super Powers action figures based upon heroes and villains from DC comics. While there was a fairly large marketing campaign, I doubt they realized just how celebrated these figures would become.

ACTION FIGURES

The first wave of figures had characters like Superman, Batman, Robin, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, Aquaman, Hawkman, the Joker, Lex Luthor, Brianiac and the Penguin.  Two more waves were released, bringing the line to a total of 33 figures.  One of the primary reasons the Super Powers Collection became so successful was that the molds were very good. These figures actually looked like the characters in the comics. That may sound like a no-brainer in the age of DC Direct and McFarlane Toys, but keep in mind prior to the Super Powers Collection adherence to characters likeness wasn’t exactly a priority. Another reason for the line’s success was the inclusion of popular heroes and some relatively unknown characters (I mean, who really demanded a Tyr figure anyway?). This mixture proved to be popular with comic book fans and kids alike. Finally, some people will argue that the “Power Action” hidden gimmick in each figure was a big selling point. I don’t necessarily agree with that, but hey, everyone’s entitled to their own opinion, right?

The Doctor Fate action figure was released as part of Wave 2 in 1985. This figure was really the first tangible piece of Doctor Fate merchandise, outside of his comic book appearances. To this day, I still think his helmet looks phenomenal!  Check out the Super Powers Collection Doctor Fate action figure below!

Below-Left is a picture of the Super Powers Collection Doctor Fate still on the card. This is the Canadian version, which I’ve seen advertised recently on the card for as much as $369 in near-mint condition.  Below-Right is the file card found on the back of the packaging explaining more about Doctor Fate.

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Each of the Super Powers figures had a hidden gimmick, referred to as “Power Action”. In Doctor Fate’s case it was a “Power Action Mystic Spell Cast”. By squeezing his legs together, his arms would move up and down. I suppose this was to simulate Doctor Fate casting one of his trademark Ankh Bolts. While the gimmick was nice (especially since it didn’t disrupt the appearance of the figure), it really wasn’t necessary to the character.

To see the “Power Action Mystic Spell Cast” in action, check out the Super Powers review site done by Cool Toy Review. Go to the bottom of the page and roll over the photo to see Doctor Fate in action.

MINI-COMICS

The first two waves of Super Powers action figures each came with a mini-comic book starring that particular character. These comics were 4.5 inches by 2.75 inches, and had 13 pages of story.

Not much information exists about who the writers and artists were for these mini-comics.  Paul Kupperberg (writer of the full-sized DC Super Powers mini-series from 1985 and 1986) had this to say about Kenner’s Super Powers Collection mini-comics, “I wrote only one of the Kenner minis, for Steppenwolf (#13). Alas, I have no real memory of having done it. Art looks to be Jose Delbo. The rest were probably written by the likes of Jack Harris, Rozakis, and the like. Wish I could remember more about them: don’t even recall who the project editor was…probably Barry Marx, who worked under Joe Orlando in Special Projects.“  Special thanks to The Aquaman Shrine for the quote!

Doctor Fate had his own mini-comic in which he battled the brainwashed Superman and Martian Manhunter.  The mini-comics served to introduce the characters to new readers, as well as to promote other action figures in the line. While both Superman and Martian Manhunter co-starred in Doctor Fate’s mini-comic, they also had figures of their own in the Super Powers line. In the same vein, Doctor Fate appeared in the mini-comics of Steppenwolf, Kalibak, Desaad, and the Parademons.

Here is the Doctor Fate Super Powers Collection mini-comic in its entirety:

For more Superman Super Powers coverage, be sure to check out Michael’s blog today, FORTRESS OF BAILEYTUDE.  For more on Martian Manhunter’s Super Powers activities, be sure to check out Frank’s IDOL-HEAD OF DIABOLU blog today.

I remember at the time being very confused by Doctor Fate’s mini-comic and his appearance in the full-sized 1985 DC Super Powers mini-series.  In both stories, Doctor Fate (who was from Earth-2) was interacting freely with characters from Earth-1.  This made no sense to my youthful continuity-laden brain.  While I knew there were rare crossovers between the two Earths, it would have been worth mentioning if the good Doctor had indeed crossed the multiverse.  The truth behind Doctor Fate’s presence would become apparent five months later when Crisis on Infinite Earths began to wrap up.  The multiverse was destroyed, leaving one unified Earth in which Doctor Fate coexisted with all the other DC characters.   However, for those five months I was one confused kid.

Doctor Fate also appeared in the Paul Kupperberg written Steppenwolf mini-comic.  I have to say that I found it interesting that the mystical guy is the one who reparied the computer problem.  Unusual.  For more on Red Tornado’s contribution to the Super Powers Collection, check out Doug’s Doom Patrol blog today, MY GREATEST ADVENTURE 80. Below are a few Doctor Fate-centric pages from the Steppenwolf mini-comic:

In the Kalibak mini-comic, Doctor Fate does some trippy mojo and creates demonic illusions of Superman and Red Tornado in order to scare off Kalibak.  Just a reminder, for more Superman Super Powers action check out FORTRESS OF BAILEYTUDE; for more Red Tornado Super Powers action check out Doug’s Doom Patrol blog today, MY GREATEST ADVENTURE 80.  Below are a few Doctor Fate-centric pages from the Kalibak mini-comic:

In the Desaad mini-comic we get to watch Doctor Fate get his butt handed to him.  Don’t worry, he eventually gets rescued by Green Arrow and Robin.  For more Green Arrow Super Powers coverage, be sure to check out Adama’s blog today, DISPATCHES FROM THE ARROW CAVE.  Head on over to Tommy’s BAT-BLOG today for more on Batman & Robin’s activities in the Super Powers Collection.  Below are a few Doctor Fate-centric pages from the Desaad mini-comic:

For Doctor Fate’s involvement in the Parademons mini-comic, check out FIRESTORM FAN today for all the details.

Finally, it wouldn’t be a Doctor Fate comic tribute without showing some Ankh Bolts!!!

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UNPRODUCED BLUE DEVIL AND SHOCKWAVE SUPER POWERS FIGURES

Many people don’t realize this, but there were additionally planned, yet unproduced action figures for the Super Powers Collection. Turns out that Kenner was working on several figures for release after the third wave. You can read all about it, see presentation artwork, and mock-up figures by clicking here.

Two of the unproduced figures were Blue Devil and Shockwave (a Blue Devil villain). While we don’t know when they were hoping to release them, we do know the Shockwave figure got fairly far along in the manufacturing process.  A prototype for the Shockwave figure was found by a collector and can be seen below.  The detail is amazing on this prototype!

Below is a custom mock-up of what Blue Devil’s Super Powers action figure could have looked like.  Nicely done by Jason Geyer. It makes me sad these figures never came to be.  They would have been a revered part of my childhood.

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CRISIS ON EARTH-BLOG  **UPDATED**

As mentioned, fourteen different blogs (**UPDATE** fifteen) have teamed-up today to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Super Powers Collection. While I’m featuring Doctor Fate and Blue Devil here on my site, you can visit these other character-specific blogs to see how they spotlight their own favorite characters today. Be sure to check out:

• Rob (the blogger who inspired most of us to start our own superhero blogs) rolls out the pomp and circumstance for the King of the Seven Seas over at The Aquaman Shrine. Also, thanks to Rob for the excellent “Crisis on Earth-Blog” logo!  **UPDATE** Rob followed up a couple days later with an additional post on the Super Powers Give-A-Show projector.
• Frank investigates J’onn J’onzz, the Manhunter from Mars, at Idol-Head of Diabolu. **UPDATE** Frank followed up with four additional posts.  (1) Doctor Fate mini-comic, (2) Mantis mini-comic, (3) Martian Manhunter Super Powers action figure, and (4) Super Powers #1 Martian Manhunter biography.
• Tommy applies his detective skills to the Batman universe of characters over at the Bat-Blog.  Also, special thanks to Tommy for the fantastic “Super Powers 25th Anniversary” logo!  **UPDATE** Tommy did eight separate Super Powers related posts. (1) Super Powers 25th Batman & Robin Wallpapers, (2) Batman-related spin-off products, (3) The Penguin action figure and mini-comic, (4) The Joker action figure and mini-comic, (5) Batman, Robin and Riddler toys, comics and vehicles, (6) Super Powers Batman-related cup holders, (7) a post with links to all the other participating blogs, and (8) Super Powers action figure and vehicle original production art.
• The Clowny Princess brings us a different view at her blog dedicated to the Clown Prince of Crime, Love Dat Joker.
• Kelson types the fastest blog alive and covers the Flash over at Speed Force.
• Running side-by-side with Kelson is Dixon’s Flash blog over at Crimson Lighting.  **UPDATE** Dixon followed up with four additional posts. (1) Super Powers Flash action figure, (2) Super Powers TV commercial with Flash, (3) Super Powers #2 comic book cover, and (4) complete Super Powers Flash mini-comic.
• Frank explores the figures and mini-comics that might have been for Justice League Detroit.  **UPDATE** Frank has followed up with two additional posts, one on the Super Amigos Vibe mini-comic and the other on the Super Amigos Vixen mini-comic.
• Luke provides the rundown on the winged wonder, Hawkman, over at the cleverly named blog Being Carter Hall.  **UPDATE** Luke followed up with another post on Super Powers Puffy Stickers.
• Doug puts a new spin on the adventures of Red Tornado today over at his Doom Patrol blog, My Greatest Adventure 80.
• Adama keeps Green Arrow’s aim true over at Dispatches from the Arrow Cave.
• Michael will be providing up, up and away coverage today of Superman over at the Fortress of Baileytude.
• Frank tackles as many Super Powers mini-comics today as humanly possible over at his blog called … nurgh … **UPDATE** Frank managed to get through all the mini-comics!  Starting with #1-8, then #9-16, and finally #17-23.
• Finally, today I’ll be tackling Firestorm’s Super Powers antics over at my other blog, Firestorm Fan.
• **UPDATE** A surprising fifteenth entry appeared by Michael over at The Legion Omnicom covering the Tyr Super Powers action figure from the Legion of Super-heroes.  Thanks for joining in Michael!

While the following blogs are not participating in today’s crossover, I’d like to thank them for their support.  For various reasons, they were unable to join us today but have been very supportive of the project.  Thanks!

• Ryan over at Green Lantern Spotlight
• **UPDATE** Rick was kind enough to promote our blog crossover on Plastic Man Platitudes and Mail it to Team-up
• **UPDATE** Bubba Shelby was also kind enough to promote our blog crossover on his site Toyriffic.  In September, Bubba Shelby did a post on the Super Powers Parademon action figure.
• **UPDATE** Matt over at No Cure for Comics and PopCultureShock discussed the crossover and even included a Super Powers TV commercial!
• **UPDATE** Reis over at About.com Guide to Action Figures talked about our blog crossover.

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CONCLUSION

What a great series of action figures!  For those of us who owned some back in the day, we’ll never forget the magic of these toys.  My thanks to all the bloggers involved today in this crossover event!  Happy Birthday Super Powers Collection!

Thanks once again to everyone that stopped by during BLUE DEVIL WEEK here at Once Upon a Geek. Based upon feedback I’ve received, quite a few people have enjoyed the Dan Mishkin & Gary Cohn interview.  I’m thrilled to hear that!  Keep your comments coming!

There were a couple images I’ve presented previously that I couldn’t resist including again.  First up is an advertisement for Blue Devil #1 that ran in DC comics in the month of June 1984.  I simply love this shot!

Next up is an advertisement from 1986 promoting the Blue Devil/Firestorm crossover.

I ran the scan above of this ad a few months back.  Well… I was amazed when Frank over at …nurgh… ran the same image last week, but with a much better resolution.  Click here to see the amazingly clear copy of this advertisement.

Thanks again to all the visitors to BLUE DEVIL WEEK!  With FLASH WEEK, AQUAMAN WEEK, FIRESTORM FAN, and BLUE DEVIL WEEK all behind me, I’m only got one left to cover of my top five favorite superheroes – Doctor Fate.  It will probably be a while, but I”ll get around to it.

BLUE DEVIL WEEK concludes here at ONCE UPON A GEEK…

Today we’ve got a very special treat – the first creator interview from ONCE UPON A GEEK!  Dan Mishkin and Gary Cohn, creators of the DC comic book characters Blue Devil and Amethyst Princess of Gemworld, were kind enough to spend some time with Ravenface and I discussing their creations.

Dan Mishkin & Gary Cohn both have been professional writers for nearly 30 years.  Their writing credits go on for miles, whether writing as a team or independently.  They are probably best known together for creating Blue Devil and Amethyst Princess of Gemworld, but they have also written a great deal on their own.  Just to name a few items… Dan wrote the Wonder Woman comic from 1982 through 1985, and more recently published a children’s book entitled The Forest King: Woodlark’s Shadow;  Gary wrote Shi for Crusade Comics and the Masters of the Universe action figure mini-comics.

Dan and Gary are true professionals and a joy to talk with.  We truly appreciate how generous they were with their time.  They indulged all our fanboy questions and explained a lot of the inner-workings of the comic book industry.   We talked about the characters, artists, the writing process, creator rights, proposed action figures, crossovers, and much more! I believe any comic book reader, even if you aren’t a fan of Blue Devil or Amethyst, would genuinely enjoy this interview.

Dan and Gary did a fantastic interview about Blue Devil for Back Issue magazine two years ago. In that interview they discussed things such as: how they came together as a writing team; what inspired them to create Blue Devil; and what was it like working with artist Paris Cullins. It’s the holy grail of Blue Devil interviews, so we did not re-tread those same questions here. If you haven’t read that excellent interview, issue #21 of Back Issue is available as a digital download from TwoMorrows Publishing.  Normally the digital download would cost you about $3, but they are running a special right now and this particular issue is FREE in PDF format. Go check it out!

During our interview we reference two different Amethyst-related works of art.  Here are links to both of those:

• Early Amethyst art by Ernie Colon
• Superman and Batman: World’s Funnest comic page by Ty Templeton featuring Gemworld

Our interview with Dan and Gary lasted an astonishing one hour and forty-one minutes (101 minutes).   You may play the interview right here on the ONCE UPON A GEEK site with the handy-dandy player below! I apologize for not offering the interview in text format, but transcribing an interview that long would have taken months.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Alternatively, you may download the file and listen to it on an MP3 player or your computer. You may download the interview by right-clicking here, choosing “Save Target/Link As”, and selecting a location on your computer to save the file (48.5 MB).

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy the interview.  If you are in the Michigan area, please try to attend the Kids Read Comics event in Chelsea, Michigan on June 12-13.  Dan has been heavily involved with this event and it sounds really special.  You can read more about the Kids Read Comics event on their website.

This will do it for BLUE DEVIL WEEK!  Thanks to everyone for reading!   Long live Blue Devil and Amethyst!

BLUE DEVIL WEEK continues here at Once Upon a Geek! Today we’ll be spotlighting some of my favorite comic book covers related to Blue Devil. Also, be sure to come back tomorrow for a 90-minute audio interview with the creators of Blue Devil and Amethyst, Dan Mishkin & Gary Cohn!

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, the early Blue Devil issues were really the best.  That’s why the selection of covers below is really heavy on the early Blue Devil issues.

Here is the cover to Blue Devil #1.  Paris Cullins did a great job laying out this cover.  You’ve got the heroic pose in the foreground, the background telling the story, and the film strip at the bottom with the supporting cast.  Well done!  A real classic!

I can’t explain it, but there is something magical about issue #2 comic covers from the 1970s & 1980s.  I’m not just talking about Blue Devil, but almost any issue #2 from the 70s/80s.  I feel the same way about the covers of Firestorm #2, New Teen Titans #2, West Coast Avengers #2, and so on.  Back then issue #1 was usually self-contained, so issue #2 was almost like a sequel. I’m a sucker for sequels, so maybe that’s part of it.  Anyone else feel this way?  Regardless, another great cover by Paris!  Blue Devil’s facial expression is really cool.  He looks really tough.   This is also the start of snarky caption boxes on the cover.  We’ll see a few more as the series progresses.

It was nice that Blue Devil was placed so firmly in the DC universe early on.  You can see the guest stars listed on the cover below and Zatanna featured prominently.  Paris’ rendition of Zatanna is still the definitive version in my mind.  I also like the shadows playing across the characters on this one.  Better watch out Danny for Nebiros and the snarky caption box!

I always love seeing Blue Devil fly into action with his trident!  It was a very unusual way for a hero to get around back then.  Another great Paris Cullins cover (also featuring Zatanna), but what really puts this cover over the top is the snarky caption box.  “And just for good measure — A Special Guest Star: THE MEXICAN ARMY!“  LOL!

Issue #6 is where the humor of Blue Devil really hit its stride.  The cover does a phenomenal job reflecting that.  I love the use of the word balloon on the cover.  By 1984, word balloons on covers were fairly unusual.  They were best used for humor (or villains so over-the-top it was funny).   Paris did an awesome job with Blue Devil’s body language and all the background detail work.  One of my absolute favorites!

I’ve displayed issue #7’s cover here before, but it’s worth showing again.  Again, the humor was firing on all cylinders at this point. This is where the Trickster begins to play a reoccurring role in Blue Devil’s life.  Paris did this cover, even though he was no longer the regular artist on the interiors at this point.  My favorite bit is again the snarky caption box, “… and a 1959 Pink Cadillac in PERFECT CONDITION!“  I find that hilarious!  I can understand how difficult it would be to get a 1959 Pink Cadillac in mint condition in real life, but in a comic?!?!  Too funny!

Probably my favorite Trickster comic cover ever!  Paris has a way of drawing dynamic scenes, yet they have a slight cartoonish look about them.  Mishkin & Cohn’s idea for a bank robbery in mid-air — Genius!  This issue is a laugh riot.  You should read it, and then read it again.

First appearance of Kid Devil (a.k.a. Red Devil), and a wonderful spoof of Robin’s first appearance.  Blue Devil’s embarrassment is wonderful.

Fantastic drawing of Marla!  Paris really nailed the look of her struggling to keep these two apart.  And another hilarious snarky caption box!

Blue Devil + Firestorm?  What else could an Irredeemable Shag ask for?!?!  Great cover!  I love the shadowing on this piece, and Firestorm’s got Kirby dots!  KIRBY DOTS!  Hooray!

All these Blue Devil action figures are adorable!  Super fun cover and really nice perspective.

The Blue Devil Summer Fun Annual #1 is where it all came together.  Dan Mishkin & Gary Cohn brought the humor and the adventure, while Paris Cullins brought his amazing artistry.  This comic is phenomenal!  Do yourself a favor and pick up this book. If you own it already, go re-read it.  It’s witty, fun, and full of action.  The best single issue of Blue Devil!

Here is Blue Devil from his JLA days, but before his awful second costume. I liked Wojtkiewicz’s style.  It was somewhat cartoonish, like Paris Cullins’ style.

This Shadowpact issue is where they really started to develop Blue Devil.

This Shadowpact cover is just awesome.  Blue Devil looks smaller than usual, but is cranking out so much power.  Very nice!

I like this Justiniano cover of Blue Devil battling Etrigan.  During the Shadowpact series they built a rivalry between these two demon characters.

That’s all the covers for now.  Tomorrow wraps up BLUE DEVIL WEEK with a 90-minute audio interview with the creators of Blue Devil and Amethyst, Dan Mishkin & Gary Cohn! See you then!

BLUE DEVIL WEEK continues here at Once Upon a Geek! Today we’ll be spotlighting places Blue Devil has turned up outside of comic books. Don’t forget, on Friday we’ll feature an exclusive ONCE UPON A GEEK interview with the creators of Blue Devil!

Animation

Blue Devil made a few cameos in the Justice League Unlimited animated series, including the episode “Dark Heart” in which he had a non-speaking appearance along with most of the league. He had a line in the episode “Destroyer” in which he yelled for everyone to get to the Javelins.  Those minor appearances led Blue Devil to a lead role in the comic book Justice League Unlimited #25.  In that issue, Blue Devil struggled with his role as a hero because the people he rescued were frightened by his appearance.

Action Figures

Justice League Unlimited

The first Blue Devil action figure was produced as part of the Justice League Unlimited toy line in 2007 (seen below). This figure is 4.5 inches tall (5 inches if you count the horns).  While he doesn’t look exactly like a Paris Cullins drawing, it’s a pretty good representation of the original Blue Devil design (admittedly with an “animated series” look to him).  You’ve got the trident, the goatee, the earring, the pointy ears, the flared shoulders and collar, the blue and yellow colors look great, and the devil design around the belt is there.  The horns aren’t exactly right and he’s got a tail for some reason, however, those can be overlooked.  I was just happy to see a Blue Devil figure produced!

DC Direct

There is another Blue Devil figure due out July 22, 2009 from DC Direct (see below).  This figure will stand 6.5 inches tall and is patterned from George Perez’s drawings in the classic 1986 History of the DC Universe comic book.  I’m not entirely thrilled with the face on this prototype figure. My hope is that the final figure’s face will look slightly more like the comic character.

Unproduced Super Powers Figures

Believe it or not, Kenner was developing Blue Devil and Shockwave action figures slated for the Super Powers collection back in the mid-1980s.  Unfortunately, the line was canceled before these figures could be produced.  You can read all about it, see presentation artwork, and mock-up figures by clicking here.  For information specific to the unproduced Blue Devil figure click here.  For information specific to the unproduced Shockwave figure click here.

You really gotta check out those unproduced Super Powers figures.  They look so friggin’ cool!  I would’ve loved these figures as a child.  It also goes to show how popular Blue Devil was during the mid-1980s.

Games/Trading Card

Heroclix

Here is a Blue Devil HeroClix game piece from WizKids. HeroClix is a collectible miniatures game in which players construct teams of heroes and villains to play out a battle turn-by-turn on a grid map. Blue Devil came in three different ranks: Rookie #43, Experienced #44, and Veteran #45 (shown here).  While the Blue Devil figure looks the same for each rank, the Rookie and Experienced feature Blue Devil on an elevated plane (to represent the use of his trident when flying).  The Blue Devil HeroClix are from the “Collateral Damage” set produced in 2006. The Rookie and Experienced ranks are considered to be “uncommon”, while the Veteran rank is considered to be “rare” (meaning somewhat difficult for collectors to obtain).  The Rookie is worth 50 points, the Experienced is worth 76 points, and the Rare is worth 100 points (showing that Blue Devil became more powerful later in his career).  If all that is meaningless to you, don’t worry. The cool thing is they made a Blue Devil game piece and used his costume from Shadowpact.  I love the trident and the flames!

VS Trading Card System

There were two Blue Devil cards from the “VS System” collectible card game produced by Upper Deck. In the game, players build and play a deck of VS System cards in an attempt to win a game against their opponent.

The first card is “Blue Devil: Dan Cassidy” and is #DCR-045 from the “Infinite Crisis” set produced in 2006. His attack rating is 4, his defensive rating is 2, and he has a casting cost of 2.  When activated you lose 4 endurance, however, when Blue Devil leaves play you gain 6 endurance.  The quote on the card is, “Lately, all Big Blue does with his powers is throw drunks like me out of the Oblivion.“  Phil Noto did the art.

The second card is “Blue Devil: Big Blue” and is #DCR-046 from the same set.  His attack rating is 10, his defensive rating is 10, and he has a casting cost of 5.  When activated you lose 4 endurance, however, when Blue Devil leaves play you gain 8 endurance.  The quote on the card is, “Our heavy hitter used to be a stuntman, but a magical accident turned him big, mean, and blue.“  Great art by Alex Horley!

Now, if all the attack, defense, and casting cost jargon is meaningless, don’t sweat it. Just be happy they included Blue Devil in this popular card game.

Mayfair RPG

Role-playing statistics for Blue Devil were published by Mayfair Games in 1993 for the DC Universe Who’s Who Volume 3 role-playing companion. Mayfair’s supplements featured role-playing statistics for each character, tips to role-playing the character (such as personality and subplots), and a complete list of comic book appearances for the character.  These were designed as companion pieces to DC’s Who’s Who loose-leaf edition published around the same time.

Below you will find the front-side and back-side of the Mayfair Who’s Who Blue Devil entry. If you are interested in reading the text, click the image for a larger version.

DC Trading Card

This final Blue Devil piece comes from the 1991/1992 DC Comics trading card set produced by Impel Marketing. Blue Devil is #37 in the series and the art was done by artists Paris Cullins and Robert Campanella. If you are interested in reading the text, click the image for a larger version.

That’ll do it for Blue Devil appearances outside of the comics.  Be sure to come back tomorrow where we’ll look at some favorite Blue Devil covers.  Also, don’t forget that on Friday we’ll have the very first ONCE UPON A GEEK creator interview featuring Dan Mishkin & Gary Cohn!

BLUE DEVIL WEEK continues here at Once Upon a Geek! Today we’ll be spotlighting some of my favorite stories and supporting characters from Blue Devil. Don’t forget, on Friday we’ll feature an exclusive ONCE UPON A GEEK interview with the creators of Blue Devil!

Great Stories

The earliest Blue Devil stories are without a doubt the best.  I could die a happy man if DC were to collect: the Blue Devil Preview comic (published in The Fury of Firestorm #24), Blue Devil issues #1-9, and the Blue Devil Summer Fun Annual #1.  These comics really form the foundation for the Blue Devil mythos and nearly all of them feature gorgeous artwork by Paris Cullins.  The stories feature action, drama, and a healthy dose of humor.  Here you meet Dan Cassidy and follow his transition from Hollywood stuntman to reluctant superhero.  You also get to see mainstream DC Universe characters such as: Zatanna, Superman, Elongated Man, Phantom Stranger, Etrigan, Metallo, and the Trickster.  You even get some original characters in these stories, including: Shockwave, Bolt, Nebiros, and Gopher Bloomberg (who would go on to become the Teen Titan Red Devil).  If you’ve never read these issues, do yourself a favor and pick them up.  For less than $14, you can purchase all 11 of these comics right now from Mile High Comics (before shipping).

Another great Blue Devil story is the four-issue mini-series JLA: Black Baptism (2001).  In this story the JLA must stop the rampage of a mob of demons to protect the Sentinels of Magic.  This series prominently features Faust and Blue Devil, and was probably the best portrayal of Dan Cassidy since the original series had been canceled.  There really wasn’t much humor in this tale, but it was still a fine story.  This is another one you can pick up cheap online at Mile High Comics – all four issues for about $5 (before shipping).

Finally, Blue Devil’s recent return to stardom in Day of Vengeance and Shadowpact is worth mentioning. Bill Willingham and Matt Sturges really fleshed out the character for the first time in nearly 20 years.  Blue Devil starts out in the series as a bouncer for an interdimensional magic-users bar.  You then follow his journey as he learns more about the deal he made with the demon Neron, and that it’s the man that makes the hero (not the powers). You can pick up trade paperbacks of these great issues from your local comic book shop.  Be sure to look for or special order: Day of Vengeance; Shadowpact vol 1: The Pentacle Plot; Shadowpact vol 2: Cursed; Shadowpact vol 3 – Darkness and Light; and finally, Shadowpact: The Burning Age.

Great Supporting Characters

I was planning to write up information on each of my favorite supporting characters.  However, I simply don’t have the time and other folks have done it better than I could.  So I’ve listed my favorite supporting characters and have provided links so you can read more about each.  Nearly all of these links go to Justin’s Honest-to-Goodness Blue Devil Page.

• Wayne Tarrant
• Norm Paxton
• The Trickster
• Nebiros
• Smitty & Rojek
• Sharon Scott
• Marla Bloom
• Eddie “Gopher” Bloomberg  (a.k.a. Kid Devil/Red Devil)
• Shockwave
• Bolt
• Cain & Abel of the House of Weirdness – Yes, the same Cain and Abel from House of Mystery/Secrets
• The Blue Devil suit and Trident – Not exactly a supporting character, but critical to the stories

Don’t forget, on Friday be sure to catch the very first ONCE UPON A GEEK creator interview with Dan Mishkin & Gary Cohn!

It’s BLUE DEVIL WEEK here at Once Upon a Geek! In the grand tradition of FLASH WEEK and AQUAMAN WEEK, we’ll be exploring another of my top five favorite superheroes this week.  And to finish it off on Friday we’ll feature an exclusive ONCE UPON A GEEK interview with the Blue Devil creators!

Why I Like Blue Devil…

A blast of supernatural energy trapped Dan Cassidy — special effects master and stuntman supreme — in the skin of his greatest contraption! Forever after he would be an honest-to-goodness Blue Devil!

That was the brief description at the start of most issues of Blue Devil.  It was a good recap, but it didn’t capture how funny and endearing the character was.  One of Blue Devil’s greatest traits is that he’s a regular guy.  Regardless of how crazy the situation is around him, you can count on Blue Devil to provide a perspective you can relate to.  Whether we’re talking about the original Blue Devil series or the more recent Shadowpact series, he’s always maintained a Jimmy Stewart-like quality.  He’s the guy whose situation has spiraled out of his control, and yet he’s still struggling to do the right thing.

The humor that Blue Devil is known for typically comes from these outlandish situations and his responses.  In fact, that’s when Blue Devil works best in a comic; when he can spout off a bunch of one-liners in response to the insanity he’s caught up in.

Another reason I like Blue Devil is that I got in on the ground floor.  I picked up issue #1 off the shelf in 1984.  Here was a brand new hero that was funny and I could relate to!  I didn’t need to know 40 years of continuity and I felt like I was blazing my own trail of fandom (rather than just following the herds to Uncanny X-Men or New Teen Titans).  It felt like I was cheering for the underdog.

Finally, Blue Devil just looks cool. Paris Cullins work on the first six issues of Blue Devil is downright phenomenal.  Cullins has an incredible sense for layout & storytelling, and has a way of making static figures look dynamic & fun.  In Shadowpact, they redesigned Blue Devil’s look and gave his costume a much more “regular guy” appearance.  The new look of a t-shirt and pants really works for Blue Devil.  Now the look Blue Devil sported during his JLA years should be forgotten (1995-2005).  Yuck.

A Little History Lesson…

The much-beloved Blue Devil monthly series lasted 31 issues and one annual (1984-1986).  Blue Devil was created by the writing team of Dan Mishkin and Gary Cohn, and they did the entire Blue Devil monthly series.  In that series, Dan Cassidy’s powers came from the amalgamation of his stunt suit technology and the sorcery bestowed upon him by the demon Nebiros.   While he used his powers to help people, he was always the reluctant hero.  He would rather have found a way to remove the costume that had become grafted to his body.

After that, Blue Devil dropped off the radar for about seven years until he reappeared in a six-part story in Showcase ‘93, again written by Mishkin & Cohn.  He later joined the Justice League America (1995-1996) written by Gerald Jones.  During the Underworld Unleashed crossover (1995), he made a deal with the demon Neron for fortune and fame.  This deal resulted in a drastic transformation for Blue Devil into a true devil; he was no longer just a human in a suit. During this period he joined up with the Sentinels of Magic, and found himself roaming the Earth with Lucifer’s Trident banishing escaped demons back to Hell.

Blue Devil returned to the spotlight in the excellent Day of Vengeance (2005) mini-series by Bill Willingham.  This led to a fantastic spin-off called Shadowpact that was written by Bill Willingham and Matt Sturges.  Shadowpact lasted 25 issues (2006-2008), giving Blue Devil a real chance to shine once more.  Finally, Blue Devil recently appeared as part of the Reign in Hell (2008-2009) mini-series.

The years after the monthly series and before Days of Vengeance were not stellar for Blue Devil (1986-2005).  During that era Blue Devil died no less that three times.  I’m not kidding.  Once in Underworld Unleashed #3 (1995), next in Starman #38 (1998), and finally in JLA: Black Baptism #4 (2001).  Each time he managed to come back to life.  It sort of became a running joke.

More to Come…

Come back later this week as we cover things like: cool covers, favorite stories, supporting characters, action figures, trading cards, and Who’s Who.  Even if you are not a Blue Devil fan, I think you’ll find things of interest this week. On Friday be sure to catch the very first ONCE UPON A GEEK creator interview with Dan Mishkin & Gary Cohn!