Super Friendly Television Stars!

Once upon a time September was an exciting time for TV viewers, because that's when all-new fresh series launched on the boob tube. And we got a glimpse of the new shows which were being launched in the Fall Preview issues of TV Guide. All of the shows were huddled together on a tight schedule spread over a mere three networks and like gladiators of ancient times fought bloody battles to capture the attention and affection of the masses demanding to be entertained. The 1970's was a heyday for Saturday morning cartoons. There was a bonanza of offerings from studios like Hanna-Barbera, Filmation, Ruby-Spears,  DePatie-Freleng and others. The studios wrestled to get precious slots in that finite Saturday morning schedule, a time established for kids to enjoy shows designed to please and excite them, as well as motivate them to motivate their parents to buy sweet, sweet cereals. 

In 1973, amongst this bounty appeared The Super Friends from Hanna-Barbera, the powerhouse of the domestic TV studios. I was a Justice League of America fan, and I hated the name "Super Friends", but if it got animated adventures of some of my favorite superheroes on TV, I'd suck it up and enjoy. The show was a hit and in one form or another stayed on television until 1985. This month at the Dojo we're going to take a lingering look at the long tenure of the Super Friends.

In 1976 long after the show had proven itself, DC finally unleashed a comic book adaptation of the cartoon which had adapted its heroes. The Super Friends comic book hit the stands featuring talents like E. Nelson Bridwell, Ramona Fradon, Ric Estrada, Kurt Schaffenberger, Alex Toth and more. It proved like its animated predecessor to be a sturdy seller and told the tales of a slightly skewed Justice League for many years until 1981. We'll be taking a look at these comics as well which proved mighty entertaining in an era when to my eye DC Comics was the superior product on the spinner racks. 

Later still there was The Super Powers, a variation on the Super Friends which drew its inspiration from toys. Jack Kirby was brought back into the DC fold to help with this project and with the assistance of many others produced some memorable and bombastic comics. 

Another titles by DC which became part of its TV publishing brand was Shazam! Fawcett's Captain Marvel had proven to be the most successful comic book of the Golden Age. DC launched a lawsuit against "The Big Red Cheese" suggesting he was a rip-off of Superman. This ridiculous assertion though found purchase in the courts for years until finally Fawcett seeing sales dropping in the 50's settled out of court with the result that Captain Marvel disappeared from the comic book stands and from the imaginations of new comic readers. My only encounter with the hero was in Jules Fieffer's The Great Comic Book Heroes and then only a single evocative page. DC decided they wanted to revive the good Captain and his friends and launched the book but in an exquisite irony were forbidden to use the "Captain Marvel" name since Stan Lee's outfit had latched onto it in the meantime for a certain Kree soldier. 

Shazam! was brought to Saturday morning TV in live-action form and three seasons were produced more or less. In conjunction with spin-offs like The Mighty Isis it hung around on the screens in re-runs for many years. 

There's little doubt that the biggest DC impact on television in the 70's was Wonder Woman. As portrayed by the gorgeous Lynda Carter, Wonder Woman played on two networks for three seasons. What Superman had been to the 50's and Batman to the 60's, Wonder Woman became for the 70's. We'll be looking at all three seasons this month. What a hardship it is. (Hubba hubba!)

And it turns out the lovely Ms. Carter was not the first TV Wonder Woman. She was also portrayed by the fetching Cathie Lee Crosby, a fetching twist in her own right. 

That's a pretty filled card for the month, but I also want to slip in a look at one of my all-time favorite comic books -- Captain Action. This title only lasted a handful of issues, but they were impressive indeed. These comics were an attempt to bring a toy to the comic book page and it did so magnificently. While not a TV show, Captain Action appeared in some memorable TV ads. 

This and whatever else I can squeeze into this very hectic month. See above for a glimpse. September was once a time of great anticipation for fans of television in years past. I want to glom a little tiny bit of that excitement for the Dojo this month. Stay tuned. 

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