For All Mankind #19

Rob and Super Friend Cindy Franklin review "The Mystery of the Missing Monkey" by E. Nelson Bridwell, Ramona Fradon, and Bob Smith, from SUPER FRIENDS #19! Plus another installment of For All Merchkind, and Listener Feedback!

Check out images from this comic by clicking here!

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Opening and closing themes by Hanna Barbera.

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18 responses to “For All Mankind #19

  1. Great episode guys. I have very fond memories of the SuperFriends comics and this podcast has really brought me all in back into them (thanks to those expensive but comprehensive) hardcover collections as well.
    Having lived my whole life outside of the US, I always looked at the merch with fascination and a little envy, since we didn’t get any. Of all the things I want to kick myself in the head for not getting in my one time over there as a kid (1979), aside from every single comic book I could have got, a really nice lunchbox would have been a prized possession. To this day.

    Loved the pics, and of course, Cindy and Chris are wonderful guests on any show.

  2. In the comments for a previous episode, I stated that I never read the Super Friends comic series as a kid, but I now realize that I was completely wrong. While listening to this episode, I was scrolling through the image gallery, and it struck me that the panel of Jayna turning into a remora looked awfully familiar to me. Then, I hit page 12, where I could recall, panel by panel, rhino-Jayna facing off against Menagerie Man and his chariot. So, I know I must have read this comic book at some point in the past, probably multiple times for me to have remembered those specific panels. Still, I have no idea how or when I read it, because this issue came out 7 or 8 years before I started buying and reading comics on a regular basis, not to mention a year or so before I could really even read. Looks like I have a keep-me-up-all-night mystery on my hands.

    On a side note, I do love the science facts that Bridwell sneaked into this story. In particular, I (now) remember first learning about remora in this issue, and thinking they were quite cool. Who knows? This story may have helped to inspire young Brian to become a fisheries scientist when he grew up.

    Thank you for helping me rediscover this long forgotten corner of my childhood memories.

      1. I better start searching the back issue bins, so that I have a copy on hand when I run into the good professor.

  3. How does one deal with the summer heat? Staying indoors in the A/C, and listening to the latest podcast of For All Mankind!

    It was great to hear Rob, Cindy Franklin, and Chris Franklin on both segments.

    Let’s start with the issue. I loved Cindy’s story about sitting at the rack, reading comic books. Once again, Menagerie Man appears, first time since issue #5. The Super Friends show, that since that issue, they still have not learned to properly hide themselves. On this matter, they should apparently take lessons from their interns, as Zan & Jayna concealed themselves much better.

    Enjoyed seeing the Wonder Twins actually getting trained, as that rarely happened in the cartoon. Regarding the point that Cindy made regarding the twins and their powers, in the comic, they NEVER used the phrase “Wonder Twin Powers…activate”, it was only in the cartoon. In issue #14 in their origin story, they used “powers activate”, so they started using that phrase before they became known as the Wonder Twins.

    While it was a good issue, no one character stood out, so I am hard pressed to name a “Best Friend”.

    Regarding the lunchbox, I never noticed the date of production. I often questioned why the Wonder Twins weren’t on it, and now I know it predates them (Thanks!). Now I question why Wendy & Marvin weren’t on it, as they were pretty much on everything. There is a mini-version of this lunchbox out, and a Hallmark ornament as well.

    It’s funny that Kitten got on the lunchbox. She was in two issues, and never seen animated, so how did she rate getting on the box?

    As to what Batgirl is doing in her pose, she’s about to slap some sense into someone! I have noticed that there is some merchandise that features Green Arrow and Batgirl, which I find odd since Green Arrow was in one episode, and Batgirl never appeared.

    I’ve found a kid-sized bean bag chair, some color-guide images, and I remember having an art project where you could create mugs by coloring images in, and inserting them into the mug, that had the same line up and pose on the bean bag chair.

    Thanks so much for the hard work you do to give use these podcasts!

    Chuck

    1. I can’t believe I forgot to mention the Hallmark mini-replica lunch box! The art on that actually LOOKS like Murphy Anderson drew it, and he may have.

      Hallmark produced a small replica box, and an even smaller ornament. But I guess we can cover those on ANOTHER Merchkind segment at some point!

      I had that bean bag as a kid. It had Batgirl on it too! Green Arrow also makes an appearance. I kept the front of that thing for years, since my Mom cut the image off when the bean bag ripped and those styrofoam pellets went everywhere. But sadly, it got lost along the way.

      Chris

      1. Another great episode! Cindy is always fantastic! Like others, I was thinking of the lunchbox replicas during the Merch section. I’ve got both the Christmas ornament (on my tree each year) and small replica box (on display in my office).

        One oddity, you all mentioned “Kitty” was on the top of the actual lunchbox. On my replicas there is no “Kitty”, only Catwoman. Anyone have a picture of “Kitty” on the lunchbox?

        Again, great episode!!

        1. Kind of hard to see because of the handle, but here is Kitten. And yes, they “fixed” it for the Hallmark replicas. It has all-new, but similar art. I think it really does look like Murphy Anderson!

          Kitten

      2. Hey Chris. I do have that Hallmark replica box – in fact I have 2 because different people have it to me as gifts the year it came out!

  4. Another great podcast! I always enjoy hearing Cindy, and this time was no exception.

    Rob, as you may recall it was *I* who was the guest who sat in with you to talk about the Menagerie Man’s original appearance. So if you were going to get a ringer for the guy’s second appearance, I’m glad you got Cindy. Maybe for his last appearance you can get both of us? Bwa-ha-ha-ha!!

    The Menagerie Man’s debut was Marvin and Wendy’s last adventure with the Super Friends before Zan and Jayna came along, so I wish ENB had done more about that continuity. In fact, besides more commentary on that, I would have liked to have seen how he managed to train the animals, and why he quit using the white dwarf star, and heck, why he changed his uniform!

    The best part of the issue was the Aquaman-Wonder Twins training sequence, no question. I’m sure ENB thought to include that sequence because he knew he wasn’t going to use Aquaman much in the actual story.

    Did you not mention the letters’ page from this issue because you were both reading the digital or collected version of this story, or because there wasn’t an interesting letter to talk about? I only ask because next issue in particular ENB talks about the SF show as it connects to the DCU, which I always found fascinating.

    As for the merchandise, I distinctly remember seeing that lunchbox as a kid and NOT buying it because it didn’t have Aquaman on it! I was literally struck dumb when I saw one of your images of Aquaman CLEARLY swimming along the bottom of it, because I absolutely “remember” him not being on it at all!! We were a brown-bag family, so maybe I altered my memory to delete Aquaman when his presence just wasn’t large enough to warrant me begging my parents to get it for me? Then later my sub-conscious chose to overlook this instance of Aqua betrayal on my part, and instead decided to delete him and this whole incident from my memory?!? Funny how memory can play tricks on you. Now I need to track one of these down…..! 🙂

  5. Wonderful episode! Cindy, I loved your story about joint your mom at work and being an adorable child reading comics in the corner of the drug store. Comics were so magical to me as a kid, I enjoy hearing about how fellow fans experienced comics as a child.
    I suspect Jan had access to Bat-Hairspray and its ability to her hair place both underwater, on land, and even in deep space.
    I also wouldn’t be surprised if The Menagerie Man’s costume redesign was to further separate him from The Phantom.
    Oh my god did that Reading is Fundamental spot give me flashbacks!!! The little boy wandering the burnt out inner city wasteland until he stumbles upon the book mobile. It was a very effective PSA.
    My childhood superhero lunchbox was the Marvel Heroes. I still remember YellowJacket bring featured among the many heroes. It was my very first encounter with that character

  6. It was nice to hear the other end of the conversation, since I was painting our bathroom during Cindy’s solo portion of our call! Fun discussion, you two. I had the original issue of this comic, but it got lost along the way somewhere. However it was reprinted in The Super Friends Special that I won as a prize in one of the Post Cereal/DC promotions in the early 80s! That’s what Cindy actually read the story from.

    Oddly enough, I also bought comics from Begley’s occasionally, as it was right down the strip from the Hallmark store my mother managed. Mom would often stop in and pick up comics for me, so undoubtedly we both passed Cindy by while she was reading in the corner, unaware what fate had in store for us!

    Was that Leslien Neilsen narrating that RIF PSA? Obviously pre-Airplane!

    Chris

  7. Great to hear finally hear Cindy as a guest on this show. In fact, I’m wondering what took so long for that to happen. (Personally, I think it’s resistance by Chris because he’s – rightfully – concerned that she’ll steal his thunder and take over his semi-regular appearances on the show.)
    I found the discussion about school lunchboxes really interesting, because it got me to thinking:
    Firstly, I wracked my brains to try to remember which ones I had, because I did have a few (even though, as Chris noted, they were quite durable). I know I had an Emergency lunchbox, because that was my favorite show in kindergarten and first grade, and I know I had one with some kind of Disney theme, but I can’t specifically remember which one. And it’s really frustrating that I can’t remember anything else, esp. since I often have almost photographic memories of certain comics I read only once or twice as a kid.
    Secondly, I’m curious about how long everyone normally took their lunchboxes to school with them. Because I recall that by third, or maybe fourth grade at the outside, most of the kids in my class (and my school in general) stopped using them and started brown bagging their lunches. Lunchboxes seemed to be most popular in the first and second grades and then become sort of uncool after that.

  8. Another great episode with another great co-host.

    I didn’t get this one back then so it is fun to hear it. A couple of things …

    First off, Ramona Fradon draws a super-cute Jayna. And as noted in a prior episode, she looks rather fetching in plain clothes and not the Wonder Twins outfit. Perhaps the gap between her and Wendy is closing.

    Second, I loved seeing Gleek lifted the utility belts off the dynamic duo. I am so bored by today’s uber-Batman, the guy who given enough time could defeat anybody. Seeing him the victim of a pick-pocket space monkey? Perfect.

    But lastly, HOW COULD I NOT KNOW SUPERGIRL APPEARED ON A LUNCHBOX!!! A new grail item I suppose!

    Thanks as always for the show!

  9. This is what I’ve been waiting for, an appearance by Logic Lass! Cindy is always great fun, and it was good to have Chris chipping in before his official bit.

    I agree, it was excellent to see the Wonder Twins in training again, and I especially liked Batman collecting them in the Batmobile the minute Aquaman was done. The JLA members passing the kids among themselves, never giving them a moment’s rest, amuses me somehow.

    I’ve not slept since hearing that kangaroos have sticky pouches. I bet the space Kangas on Paradise Island are a lot slicker.

    Menagerie Man’s new outfit is even worse than the original. Those spikes. That sash! Big time fashion fail.

    That Super Friends lunch box featuring no regular members, ie Flash, Batgirl and Green Arrow, is very odd; they’re not even drawn in the animated style. Still, it’s superheroes! When I were’t lad we didn’t have cool lunchboxes, merely anonymous Tupperware. America was such a magical place.

  10. When I (re-)read these issues I always take notes about the things that I hope Rob and his Super Friend discuss.

    This episode I only have two things that you guys didn’t touch upon.

    I guess I can understand how Aquaman was talking to Zan and Jayna underwater – because that’s his SCHTICK (shoutout to Netministrator), but how were Zan and Jayna able to do that – and seemingly not have to hold their breath? I’m sure it could somehow be explained as an Exorian trait, but it would have been nice to have an ‘official’ reason for it.

    On page 5 when Aquaman and Superman are discussing their previous run in with The Menagerie Man and how The Atom helped then crack the case, I’m surprised that there was no asterisk saying *The Menagerie Man was defeated by The Super Friend in issue 6.
    Notes like that were a staple of comics when I was growing up.
    When reading these stories I read both the Saturday Morning Comics hardcover AND the specific claaaaaaaaasic issue and it wasn’t in the original issue!

    When going back-to-school shopping each year we were allowed to pick out a brand new lunchbox.
    My first lunchbox was Goober And The Ghost Chasers on one side and Inch High Private Eye on the other,
    my second was The Muppet Show,
    and my third was Super Friends – – – by fourth grade we were WAY too sophisticated to bring our lunches in a lunchbox!

  11. When discussing the Super Friends lunchbox, there was a comment about the transition from metal lunchboxes to plastic because of kids using the metal lunchboxes as weapons to hit other kids upside the heads. While I’d never heard that before, it rings true to me, in large part because (to my shame) I DID hit a kid with my lunchbox when I was in third grade!

    That’s bad enough, of course, but in fact, I hit the wrong kid! What happened was, while waiting outside the school building one morning for the bell that would let us inside, a kid started picking on me. Probably not an uncommon occurrence back then, but truth be told, I don’t even remember what it was about. What I DO remember was getting so angry about it that I simply lashed out and swung my lunchbox at him… and hit another kid nearby who I was actually friendly with, giving him a bloody nose! Horrified by what I’d done, once we were let into the school building and into our classrooms, I immediately went up to the chalkboard and wrote my name on it alongside several checkmarks (I don’t know if this was the pattern for other schools, but basically, if you did something bad, your name got put on the board, and if you continued to misbehave, a checkmark for each infraction was placed alongside it). I was sent to the Principal’s office, my mom was called, and I was sent home for the day (the only time I’ve ever been suspended for any reason, at least).

    My mom had me write letters of apology, both to the kid I hit, and to the kid I’d actually swung at, which I delivered upon returning to school the next morning, and the incident was essentially forgotten. But not by me. I think it’s safe to say that I was forever changed by that incident. I wouldn’t call myself a pacifist, exactly (although I’m probably pretty close), nor do I always succeed in keeping my anger in check, but I’ve definitely sought to avoid such violence ever since.

    (Full disclosure, I don’t even remember WHAT lunchbox I’d used that day, or even if it was metal. This would have been in Winter/Spring 1983, if that helps historians track the evolution of such things.)

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