Done-in-One Wonders Episode #3: He Was Zombie When Zombie Wasn’t Cool

Professor Xum invites guest villain Solomon Grundy to help him review the first comic book story Xum had read that featured the marshland monster -- and may ultimately regret that decision...

 

Featuring: Superman v1 #301

 

Images from this episode: http://fireandwaterpodcast.com/podcast/wondershow03-gallery

Music by Hoyt Curtin and the Manic Street Preachers.

With special thanks to Will Rodgers for providing the voice of Superman.

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Thank you for listening! Until the next one, we’re done.

13 responses to “Done-in-One Wonders Episode #3: He Was Zombie When Zombie Wasn’t Cool

  1. Another excellent episode, Xum. Your shows are always so well-researched and informative, it’s almost like having our own section of a DC Encyclopedia to listen to each episode. So glad to have a Solomon Grundy story covered as he’s easily one of my favorite characters in all of DC.

    Thanks very much for giving the legal information regard libel and slander. Amazing how easily people can get those two mixed up.

    I absolutely loved that “Praised be his name” was said in unison by the assembled hosts. Do Terra Man and Grundy have to report for chant practice every day or is that a secret super power they both share?

  2. I’ve never read this story, but I’ve always had a soft spot for Solomon Grundy. AFAIK, he’s just a zombie, and as a kid that idea creeped me out. Maybe in later years some spoilsport writer has come along and tried to explain the hows and whys of Grundy’s rebirth, but I prefer to look at stories like this as just Superman vs a zombie.

    JLGL (PBHN) of course does his usual amazing job. The issue has a real “disaster movie” feel to me, since we are constantly seeing swarms of extras running around in terror, building being destroyed, etc. I still think JLGL was his own best inker, but Oksner handles the job pretty well.

    Thanks for covering for me re: Terra Man!

  3. “Rocky Mountain oysters” – now that’s a term I hadn’t heard or even thought about since high school…
    Otherwise, I love it when a podcast episode gives me an excuse to crack open a book I have and give it a read – in this case the Adventures of Superman: Jose Luis Garcia Lopez (PBHN) hardcover. I have to say, there’s so much WTF in this story, from Solomon Grundy’s stroll from Earth 2 to Earth 1 to Superman mocking up Steve to look like Clark and then putting on the Grundy disguise himself. It’s good that he at least expressed some regret about leaving Grundy all alone on the moon, but he apparently has no misgivings over his – let’s be frank – temporary enslavement of Steve Lombard. That is some weapons-grade Superdickery.
    I enjoyed the rundown of the story, though. And I think the PBHN chorus should be adopted by every show on the network.

      1. For those confused by my comment, which sounds very much like I hadn’t actually listened to the episode, I can only say in my defense that I was sick when I wrote it. At that time, I’d started listening to it, but not only forgot that I hadn’t yet finished it, but forgot that I’d *actually read* the story being discussed (indeed, I *own* it as part of the JLGL/PBHN hardcover!). My apologies, all!

  4. And wow! What a wonderful rundown of a bonkers story, with insights from a key player, commentary by a professional colleague and marvellous background info and theorising from our host. If there was the occasional bit of ‘mansplaining’, then there was also Terra Mansplaining and Solomonsplaining… to me, it’s all just fun chat.

    I’d forgotten about Terri Cross, Garcia-Lopez gave her a bit of a Mary Jane Watson quality.

    I’m glad Clark never used the Steve Lombard Disguise Kit again, it was just too convoluted and risky. I know that at this point the Superman and Clark Kent robots* were out of action due to pollution, but surely lookalike cousin Van-Zee could have Xumed across from Kandor with five minutes notice. Or Chameleon Boy could have popped in from the future. Or Supergirl could have dressed up as Clark and used super-hypnosis to bedazzle colleagues and the TV audience. Or…

    Where does Toby park Nova when he visits?

    OK, off to buy shares in Home Depot.

    * Ajax might make a fun guest co-host, sadly I don’t think he made it to the Bronze Age, so he probably won’t get to join the Xum Crew.

  5. Bravo once again, sir! Another highly entertaining and informative episode. I especially enjoyed your overview of Solomon Grundy’s long and convoluted career (not to mention his on-and-off-again powers). The banter among you and your “co-hosts” is great fun, a nice bit of spice added to your insightful commentary.

    Like you, I don’t think I realized at the time that Skull was a new organization being introduced. I just assumed I’d missed an issue, since Superman acts like they’ve been around a while. I remember having the same thought about the group “OGRE” in Aquaman — at one point, I decided I wanted to track down all their appearances, only to find out that the 3 issues I already had were all there were!

    Thanks again for the great show. Looking forward to more!

  6. Thank you for another fun and informative episode. I’m chiefly familiar with Solomon Grundy as he appeared in the Super Friends cartoon show. So, it was great to learn more about his colorful comic book history.

    Also, I wouldn’t worry if it takes you a little longer than planned to get these episodes out. As far as I’m concerned, they are worth the wait.

  7. Xum Crew (I like that!),

    Great recap on this story. I think you guys broke the JLGL (PBHN) meter! I do have one question on the story (which is astonishing since this is pretty whacky overall); Why didn’t Superman just use a Clark Kent robot to decoy for him on the news? Well, wait a minute, before Lame-O…er…Lanos answers, I think this was during the time that the Superman robots were out of commission due to Earth’s pollution, correct?

    As for having a Grundy play date, I’ll see if I can get a hold of “my” Grundy. He tends to just drop in when he has an idea for a podcast, or he thinks I slighted him on my shows. If I bypass him for another “Wonderful Toys” episode, he’s liable to drop by…

    Chris

  8. It’s unbecoming to fail to control one’s guest hosts? The accusation stings!

    In other news, when the TAN-TAN-TANNNNNN moment came, my jaw dropped on cue. I’m your Manchurian Candidate, Professor.

  9. Best episode yet! Such a crazy story, but a joy to hear about it from Solomon Grundy and his co-hosts. Everyone did a great job. A special thanks to Little Professor Man for producing and putting the show together. He makes Solomon Grundy sound at his Grundy best.

    But man, Flying Man was such a jerk in this story. Brainwashing a civilian to stand in for him? Fooling and stranding Solomon Grundy on the moon? That’s almost supervillain behavior. Tim Price was actively disgusted by Flying Man. Tim Price has a hard time believing the comics went this far.

    Thank you for sharing the two-page spreads from the comic. Tim Price forgets that doing wide panels like this was done as early as this. Tim Price finds the Interlude: The Other Side of Space especially effective layout for starting the story. No wonder Little Professor Man enjoys this issue.

    Thank you Solomon Grundy for this episode! Tim Price thinks Solomon Grundy is the best at reading listener feedback. Hopefully, Solomon Grundy will read Tim Price’s comment on the air.

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