As it turns out the other Bill Finger award this summer at ComiCon is going to E. Nelson Bridwell, one of the true comic book maestros, a fan who brought an encyclopedic knowledge of all things DC to the halls of the Superman's ilk and who seemed to have the care and delicacy of a born librarian when it came to details and original sources. Bridwell was somewhat of a misfit when he first tagged in at DC, a man younger by a generation than most of his peers and often presented at a glorified coffee boy, the guy who does the chores no one else wants to do. Maybe that's why when DC finally got around to creating a comic book to take advantage of the success of Hanna-Barbera's Saturday morning cartoon The Super Friends, it was Bridwell who drew the straw. Whatever the reason it's a delight for us fans that he got the nod because he was ideally suited to the task of writing new but classic-feeling adventures for the Justice League, a League who in addition to saving the world on regular schedule, took time to train up and coming heroes like Wendy and Marvin and later the Wonder Twins. Some who want their comics lean, mean and totally relevant might sniff at the Super Friends, but in the hands of Bridwell and regular artist Ramona Fradon (the first two issues were drawn by Ric Estrada and many more by the painfully underrated Kurt Schaffenberger) it was first class read month in and month out for several years. While heroes in most other joints got grim and gritty, the heroes in the Super Friends always seemed to have a smile on their faces. Bridwell created an alternate universe filled with a globe full of heroes to echo what was happening on the TV show, but also delighting in its own singular continuity. It wasn't the "Haneyverse", but it was nearly that, another version of a fictional world we loved to visit where the sun was sunnier and the kind were kinder. DC has reprinted these stories a few times, though never all of them I think. A new hardcover collection due out soon with the first eighteen issues and a few more things. Just in time for Bridwell's recognition -- it makes me smile.
Rip Off
In the TV version, Wendy, Marvin, and Wonder Dog abruptly disappeared from the series, to be replaced by Zan and Jayna, the Wonder Twins. No explanation was given for the change.
ReplyDeleteIn the "Super Friends" comic book, we got treated to a story arc over two or three issues that involved both of the junior teams together in one adventure. It explained the arrival of Zan and Jayna while at the same time explaining the departure of Wendy, Marvin, and Wonder Dog, and providing a compelling story on top of that. Much as I enjoyed every issue that I read, I think that one is the standout story line for me. What a great transition it would have made if something like it had been done on television!
Ramona Fradon did some good work on Aquaman and Metamorpho back in the day (and I liked her husband Dana Fradon's New Yorker cartoons). Around 1980 or so she was chosen to take over the Brenda Starr comic strip from its creator, Dale Messick.
ReplyDeleteBridwell managed to flesh out the characters of the HB-supplied sidekicks; if I recall, he made Marvin the nephew of Diana Prince, or some other relation.