Rob welcomes fellow network all-star Shawn M. Myers to cabin to discuss SUPERMAN FAMILY #192, starring Superboy, Supergirl, Krypto, Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, and Nightwing and Flamebird!
Check out images from this comic by clicking here!
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Ah, that fresh mountain air, got a fresh cup of Folgers Coffee, “it’s mountain grown” and I’m listening to Mountain Comics. “A Family Company.” (Ok that’s SC Johnson but it fit the theme of the episode)
The DC dollar books weren’t something I read as a kid. I guess my uncles who bought the comics I got felt a dollar was too much money. The benefit to that is, those are the comics I’m going back to buy now. So they’re all new to me! I’m particularly enjoining The World’s Finest run. Great stuff.
I haven’t come across this issue of Superman Family yet, but when I do I’ll be giving this episode another listen to enjoy it all over again.
A great episode of Mountain Comics and a fun “bonus episode to The Batman Family Reunion show.
“The Human Cannonball… never got a Who’s Who listing — nothing! Ah… Isamu, by the way, get on that!”
*sigh* Fine…
Is this entry not real? It looks fantastic and authentic!
What a great job on this page
[gasp!]. He did that so quickly! Hey, DC! Hire Isamu! Your books will look great and never be late!
Thanks, Uncle Captain. But the art on that Xum’s Who page was all done with digital tracing of Win Mortimer’s art. I am worse than Joe Brozowski…
Oh. And there wasn’t enough room in the entry for the last line of his history: “He died on the way back to his home planet.”
Yeah, the art may not be original, but you pulled it together with the surprint collage and you’ve done a brilliant job writing the entry – you hit all the main points, it reads well and the wordcount is spot on. Nice one, Isamu!
Unsurprisingly, I agree with Martin, the comics publishing professional, 100%. My original gushing stands. Great work, Isamu!
I had discovered Superman Family with issue 219 and thought “I love having all these stories together. I’m going to collect this series forever!” Little did I know that the series would be cancelled within a few issues.
It’s always a little disappointing when in these “Family” titles when Superman and Batman appear. They’re already appearing in Superman, Action, Batman, Detective, World’s Finest, DC Comics Presents, Brave and the Bold, Justice League, Superman vs Spider-Man, Marvel 2-in-1, Strange Tails, Little Archie, Strawberry Shortcake, The Funky Phantom … oops, I think my list got away from me …
I’m glad the series was including the Superman from Earth 2 near the end. The stories of Mr. and Mrs. Superman were a nice way to have Superman appear and tell a slightly different Superman story. But I wish they could have taken that next step and had a kid. The idea of an Earth 2 Superboy would have been a fantastic addition. Imagine the potential storylines:
Earth 2 World’s Finest of adult Robin and the son of Superman?
Earth 2 Superboy is visited by three mysterious heroes from the 30th century… the Earth 2 Legion of Super Heroes!
Earth 2 Superboy hanging out with his cool aunt Power Girl
JLA/JSA crossovers with Firestorm and Earth 2 Superboy where Ronnie is a questionable mentor
Damn you Crisis on Infinite Earths for destroying all the hopes and dreams of a 12 year old boy!
(sobs quietly in a closet surrounded by stacks of empty long boxes)
Hey, DC! Yes, I’m still talking. Hire Brian to replace Julie Schwartz! Yes, I know he’s been dead for years. No you haven’t already replaced him. Those guys were merely successors. Mark Waid’s your best attempt so far, but the jury is still out.
Brilliant idea Brian and I agree, Batman and Superman should butt out of the Dollar Comics, I think I was saying as much in a recent Batman Family Reunion.
Great episode and great guest . Also knowing when this will be read . One I’m glad there is a Krypto story . And have seen Scooby doo and Krypto to yet and if so what are your thoughts and that goes for everyone. I know it’s not out yet . But I figure by the time this read it will be and I want to hear every one’s thoughts. My brother already pre ordered the movie .
Awesome that you covered a Superman Family! Loved every part of this issue as a kid and still do. The Jimmy/Speedy story sort of connects to my all time favorite Teen Titans issue , #44. Nightwing Flamebird segments( and later Mr/Mrs ) stories have always been some of my best memories of this title. BTW Don-el was another cousin of Superman’s.
Beat me on the Don-El info, nice one!
if i remember right (I MAY not) the first superboy is a kid who just like superman in a smALL TOWN. They never say “the boy here becomes Superman” IM not even sure it’s “the past”
2 IF you classic superboy set up is part of regular dc. You run into the same problem as slaming Captain comet into regular dc (theres 10 zillion more aliens than there should be and Luthor looks dumb not knowing clark is superboy.
3. Rob I never read nightwing and Flamebird but who’s who’s made them sound cool! Of course they made korba sound cool. That’s just s-ss-silly
Rob, are you thinking of a prototype Superboy? Certainly when Superboy debuted in More Fun Comics #101 he was named as Clark Kent, after a recap of the classic Kryptonian origin. There’s a gorgeous hardback collecting the first several stories.
Great episode as usual. I’ve always been fond of the dollar comics, although I only had a few of the ‘Family’ (i.e., Superman or Batman) books; generally I preferred Adventure and World’s Finest (I think I was more attracted to the variety in those). Superman Family in particular didn’t interest me as much back then because I wasn’t really interested in the derring-do of Jimmy Olsen or Lois Lane (now, though, like Rob, I think I’d be more open to it). I do recall liking some of the “Mr. & Mrs. Superman” stories, though.
Anyway, as to the issue at hand, I definitely agree that Staton has always been his own best inker and the images you posted from the Superboy story certainly confirm that.
And speaking of that story, of course the spinner rack in Pa Kent’s store didn’t have superhero comics – the sign on top very clearly says “Wholesome Comics” … 😛
Also interesting that the caption in the Lois story likens her to a “raven-haired harpy.” Is that supposed to be a compliment?
Great episode and great host chemistry!
I’m a big Superman Family fan and feel like this book is really what cemented my love of Supergirl, even if her stories here in retrospect aren’t the strongest.
I definitely liked the breadth of the ‘Family’. Like Sean, I love the ‘Mr & Mrs Superman’ stories. Unlike Sean, I like Nightwing and Flamebird. Some of the stories have very early Marshall Rogers art which is breathtaking. And this is full on ‘Mr Action’ Jimmy Olsen.
Sean’s story about Superman Family #200 was amusing. I knew by the date when Action Comics #500 was coming out. That day, I walked down the street to the 7-11 at 2p, 3p, 4p waiting for them to open up the new comics and put them out. ‘Are the new comics out????’ Finally, when I walked down at 5p, the guy behind the counter who had been dealing with me all day said exasperated ‘what is the comic you are looking for kid?’ I explained it was Action and that it had a pink cover (I knew it from the ads which provided the date info). He went into the back of the store and came out with the copy to give me.
Hope you got more SMF in the mountains!
Great show guys. I had this issue, and it’s probably my earliest issue of the title. I think this is the first time I met Speedy, the Guardian, Krypto, and maybe even the notion of “Superboy”. I’m with you guys, I prefer my Superman NOT being Superboy…but yet I sure bought a LOT of New Adventures of Superboy comics as a kid! I guess in modern pop culture, it’s a bit of a “Young Sheldon” like retcon. It’s also funny that what Rob describes as preferring to a costumed Superboy is essentially the TV series Smallville. There’s 10 seasons of that Rob! Go binge it!
I think the Krytpo logo is basically the same font style and design as the classic Superboy logo, which was used on his regular title for years, and then modified for The New Adventures of Superboy series. I believe it was designed by Ira Schnapp.
Is it wrong that I was unsure if the Human Cannonball was wearing a helmet…or had an afro? It was the 70s, after all! Thankfully Isamu’s wonderful Who’s Who page cleared that up for me!
I always enjoyed Superman Family, but when they added my favorite strip, Mr. and Mrs. Superman, THAT became the reason I bought it practically every month!
Perfect! I never thought about HC having an Afro until I saw Isamu’s Who’s Who entry before reading this, there’s a shine that’s reminiscent of a helmet highlight. Was it on this very network recently that I heard it said Black Lightning’s Afro wig was a helmet? On OHoTMU, maybe. I seem to have edited that out of my memory!
28:45 As a possibly rare individual who likes both comics and sports, I’ll note that not only was Roberto Clemente out of baseball when this comic was published, he was unfortunately out of life. While still an active player, he died in a 1972 plane crash while helping to deliver supplies to Nicaragua after an earthquake. Amazingly, he happened to have exactly 3,000 career hits at the time.
What is ‘sports’?
What a treat, an issue of Superman Family. I’m with you Rob, I totally consider this a pilot for Superman Family Feud. You and Shawn pulled it off with elan.
I have this issue, I loved it.
I can’t believe that neither of you two are big fans of the concept of Superboy. It’s fundamental to everything Superman was when we were growing up. Those stories from the Sixties, Seventies and Eighties are magical. Ma and Pa Kent got to be fully rounded characters rather than sainted fonts of wisdom, as has been the case since Byrne un-killed them. Also, Yellow Peri.
I wasn’t a big fan of wandering Superdog, they may as well have called it The Littlest Krypto. It felt like he was cheating on Clark.
Great Frog sounds like an exclamation Perry White might use.
Thanks for the shout-outs when you were talking about the Supergirl story!
I’m with you, Rob, the Human Cannonball was only intended as comic relief, Tom DeFalco was not trying to make him happen. The Human Cannonball Renaissance begins here!
I’ve always loved Kandor, but the stories featuring the second Flamebird and Nightwing were dull as dishwater. Sorry Van-Zee, I still love you to the edges of your headband.
Great show, Rob and Shawn. A perfect springboard for the inevitable Superman Family Reunion podcast!
Also, yes, Roberto Clemente was no longer playing baseball in 1978. Most likely because he died in December 1972.
Sorry I am late commenting. I was busy cleaning up at the Wayne Family Gardens since Shawn left early – now I know where he went, the two-timer!
Nonetheless a great first episode of Superman Family Ties! I laughed out loud and nearly swerved off the off the road and now REALLY want to see the stories of the married Superman and Batman and their 2 sons.
Oh and to me, the Human Cannonball is the 70s version of Kite Man! Hell Yeah!