The Superman & Captain Marvel Power Hour Ep 002 - Golden Age Origins

Welcome to the second episode of the Superman & Captain Marvel Power Hour Podcast, the podcast devoted to exploring the publishing history & adventures of both the Last Son of Krypton and the World’s Mightiest Mortal. I am your host Kyle Benning, and thank you for joining me on this journey to explore the evolution of my 2 favorite DC Characters, Superman & Captain Marvel. This time out, I tackle the Golden Age origin stories of both characters, taking a look at Superman’s enhanced, more fleshed out origin as it was retold in Superman #1 from May 1939, and Captain Marvel’s origin from Whiz Comics #2 that went on sale in December 1939.

You can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes, or download the episode directly here:The Superman & Captain Marvel Power Hour Ep 002 Golden Age Origins


As I mentioned in the episode, there are some other great blogs and podcasts devoted to Captain Marvel, so be sure to check out Jeff Wright's Captain Marvel podcast & blog, the ShazamCast as well as Jeff Farnham's World's Mightiest Mortal Blog & Bronze Age themed Captain Marvel Adventures Blog.
For more information & content on the Last Son of Krypton, be sure to check out the Superman Homepage.


Thank you very much for listening. Be sure to check out the show headquarters & blog at www.SupermanCaptainMarvel.blogspot.com. There you’ll find extra content such as the show notes, extra posts spotlighting Superman & Captain Marvel art, the characters’ publishing history, and collected editions. You can leave feedback for the podcast there at the blog, as well as by emailing me directly at metropoliskid41@gmail.com, by leaving an iTunes review, or by visiting the facebook page at facebook.com/SupermanCaptainMarvel. You can also follow the show on twitter under the Twitter Handle @KryptonsWizard.

This podcast is made for entertainment purposes only. Superman, Captain Marvel & Shazam are copyright of DC Comics, a part of Warner Bros entertainment. These characters are discussed under fair use, and no infringement is intended.

Thanks for listening, the 3rd episode of the THE SUPERMAN & CAPTAIN MARVEL POWER HOUR will be available in 2 weeks on Sunday February 21st.

The Contents of SHAZAM!: From the 40's to the 70's HC Collection

As I mentioned in the first episode of the Superman & Captain Marvel Power Hour Podcast, for the foreseeable future, most of the stories I'll be covering on the podcast will be pulled from the SUPERMAN: From the 30's to the 70's and the SHAZAM!: From the 40's to the 70's hardcover collected editions released by Harmony books in cooperation with DC writer and editor E. Nelson Bridwell in the late 1970's. These gorgeous hardcovers featured introductions to each character by Bridwell and then collected some of the best chronicles of each hero throughout the decades. Of course since Captain Marvel's Adventures ended in 1953 before his revival by DC in the early 70's, there is a 20 year absence where we unfortunately went without any new Captain Marvel material, meaning that the SHAZAM!: From the 40's to the 70's collection is more heavily weighted on the 40's, 50's, and 70's material than the Superman collection is. Unfortunately the Captain Marvel collection is going to be much harder to come by than the Superman one is, and probably set you back upwards of $70!!! So what this blog post is going to do, is outline the contents of the Captain Marvel collection, listing out each story contained within each collection, and also tell you where else these stories are reprinted, that way, you can follow along with the podcast coverage with the resources you have access to. And if you haven't already, be sure to check out the blog post from Wednesday where discussed the contents of the Superman From the 30's to the 70's Hardcover.

Just like the Superman post, for argument's sake, I am just going to be using the Cover Dates for breaking the stories down by decade. For example, Captain Marvel's first appearance in Whiz Comics #2 was cover dated February 1940, but its actual on sale date was the first week of December 1939 (as always, thank you to Mike's Amazing World of Comics for on sale dates & info).

The 1940's

1.) "Captain Marvel" from Whiz Comics #2. Also reprinted in Famous First Edition F-4 Treasury Comic, Secret Origins of the Super DC Heroes TPB, Shazam Arvhives Vol. 1 HC, Millennium Edition: Whiz Comics #2, Shazam the Greatest Stories Ever Told TPB.

2.) "Origin of Sivana" from Whiz Comics #15. Also reprinted in Limited Collectors' Edition #C-39, Shazam Archives Vol. 1 HC.

3.) "The Origin of Captain Marvel Jr." from Whiz Comics #25. Also reprinted in Shazam Archives Vol. 4.

4.) "Captain Marvel Introduces Mary Marvel" from Captain Marvel Adventures #18. Also reprinted in Shazam! #8 (1973), Shazam and the Shazam Family Annual #1 (2002), and the Shazam Family Archives Vol. 1 HC.

5.) "The Pearl of Peril" from Captain Marvel Adventures #22. Unfortunately this story has yet to ever be reprinted anywhere else.

 

6.) "Baffin Land" from Captain Marvel, Jr. #12. Also reprinted in Shazam and the Shazam Family Annual #1 from 2002.


7.) "Captain Marvel, Jr. Meets Himself in the Future" from Captain Marvel, Jr. #17. Unfortunately this story has yet to ever be reprinted anywhere else.

8.) "Oklahoma City" from Captain Marvel Adventures #34. Unfortunately this story has yet to ever be reprinted anywhere else. 

9.) "The End of Mr. Mind" from Captain Marvel Adventures #46. Unfortunately this story has yet to ever be reprinted anywhere else. 

10.) "The Mighty Marvels Join Forces" from The Marvel Family #1. Also reprinted in Shazam #8 (1973), Adventure Comics #497, and Shazam and the Shazam Family Annual #1 (2002).

11.) "Uncle Marvel's Wedding" from Captain Marvel Adventures #59. Also reprinted in Shazam! #12 (1973)

12.) "Aunty Anti Marvel" from The Marvel Family #2.  Unfortunately this story has yet to ever be reprinted anywhere else.

13.) "The Riddles of Death" from Mary Marvel #8. Unfortunately this story has yet to ever be reprinted anywhere else. 

14.) "The Horrid Hermit" from Mary Marvel #8.  Unfortunately this story has yet to ever be reprinted anywhere else. 

15.) "The Sivana Family Strikes" from The Marvel Family #10. Also reprinted in Shazam #12 (1973) and Shazam and the Shazam Family Annual #1 (2002).

16.) "The Talking Tiger" from Captain Marvel Adventures #79. Also reprinted in Shazam! #8 (1973) and Adventure Comics #499.

 

17.) "The Return of Mr. Tawny" from Captain Marvel Adventures #82. Reprinted in Shazam! #8 (1973).

18.) "The Flying Shoes" from Mary Marvel #25.Unfortunately this story has yet to ever be reprinted anywhere else. 

19.) "Captain Marvel battles the Plot Against the Universe" from Captain Marvel Adventures #100. Also reprinted in Limited Collectors' Edition #C-35 Treasury Comic.

20.) "The Voodoo Clock" from Captain Marvel, Jr. #78. Unfortunately this story has yet to ever be reprinted anywhere else.  

The 1950's

21.) "The Return of the Ancient Villain" from Captain Marvel Adventures #125. Unfortunately this story has yet to ever be reprinted anywhere else. 

22.) "Double Doom" from Captain Marvel Adventures #130. Unfortunately this story has yet to ever be reprinted anywhere else. 

23.) "The Fourth Dimensional Elephant" from Captain Marvel, Jr. #119. Unfortunately this story has yet to ever be reprinted anywhere else. 

24.) "The Marvel Family Fights the Feathered Fury" from The Marvel Family #86. Unfortunately this story has yet to ever be reprinted anywhere else.

The 1970's

25.) "The World's Wickedest Plan" from Shazam! #1. Also reprinted in Showcase Presents Shazam Vol. 1 TPB and Shazam the Greatest Stories Ever Told TPB.

26.) "The Mystery of the Missing Newstand" from Shazam! #9. Also reprinted in Showcase Presents Shazam Vol. 1 TPB and Adventure Comics #496.

27.) "The Bicentennial Villain" from Shazam! #25. Also reprinted in Showcase Presents Shazam Vol. 1 TPB.

28.) "Case of the Kidnapped Congress" from Shazam! #26. Also reprinted in Showcase Presents Shazam Vol. 1 TPB.

29.) "Secret of the Smiling Swordsman" from Shazam! #19. Also reprinted in Showcase Presents Shazam Vol. 1 TPB

Obviously there are a lot of stories in this collection that aren't reprinted anywhere else, making it more difficult to follow along with the Captain Marvel stories that will be covered in the podcast if you don't have the Shazam!: From the 40's to the 70's collection, than if you were missing the Superman collection. However, all of these Captain Marvel stories from the Golden Age are now in the public domain, and thus can be accessed online for free, just follow the below link to read these stories:

Digital Comic Museum

I imagine DC doesn't feel like there's money in collecting and reprinting these stories in completion due to their availability online for free, and that's just too bad. Hopefully by the time we get the Shazam! movie rumored for 2019, DC will get around to putting out a Golden Age omnibus volume or two collecting Captain Marvel's appearances in chronological order, similar to what they have started doing with Superman and Batman.

The Contents of SUPERMAN: From the 30's to the 70's HC Collection

As I mentioned in the first episode of the Superman & Captain Marvel Power Hour Podcast, for the foreseeable future, most of the stories I'll be covering on the podcast will be pulled from the SUPERMAN: From the 30's to the 70's and the SHAZAM!: From the 40's to the 70's hardcover collected editions released by Harmony books in cooperation with DC writer and editor E. Nelson Bridwell in the late 1970's. These gorgeous hardcovers featured introductions by Bridwell and collected some of the best chronicles of each hero throughout the decades. Of course since Captain Marvel's Adventures ended in 1953, before being revived by DC in the early 70's, there is a 20 year absence with no new Captain Marvel material, meaning the SHAZAM!: From the 40's to the 70's collection is more heavily weighted on the 40's, 50's, and 70's material than the Superman collection is. Speaking of the Superman collection, in addition to containing sampling of the Last Son of Krypton's legacy from each decade, the book itself is also much easier to get your hands on at an affordable price. You can find copies of this hardcover with the dust jacket, fairly easily online for $10-$15. Not bad for a 400 page book collecting the Man of Steel's greatest stories up to the beginning of the 1970's. But the Captain Marvel collection is going to be hard to come by, and probably set you back upwards of $70!!! So what this blog post is going to do, is outline the contents of the Superman collection (with a similar post for the Captain Marvel collection coming later in the week), that lists out each story contained within the collection, as well as where else you can find these fine stories reprinted. That way, you can do your best to follow along with the podcast coverage with the resources you have at your disposal.


Note, for argument's sake, when breaking up the stories by decade, I'm going by the cover date instead of the actual published date. For example, Superman #62 was cover dated Jan/Feb 1950, and thus is lumped into the 1950's decade below, but it actually went on sale on November 2nd, 1949. All on sale dates courtesy of Mike's Amazing World.

So let's start with the Superman collection. Note that the first full story reprinted is "The Coming of Superman" from Action Comics #1, however it is the version from Superman #1, which reprinted the Superman material from the first 4 issues of Action Comics, but adding more content and pages to firm up more origin details.

The 1930's

1.) "Superman, Champion of the Oppressed" (composed of "The Coming of Superman" + "Origin of Superman" + "Clark Kent Gets a Job) - from Superman #1. These are also reprinted in Famous First Edition #C-61 Treasury, Superman Archives HC Vol. 1, Millennium Edition: Superman #1, Superman: the Greatest Stories Ever Told vol. 1 TPB, Superman Chronicles Vol. 1 TPB, and the Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus Vol. 1 HC.

2.) "War in San Monte" from Action Comics #2, and also reprinted in Famous First Edition #C-61 Treasury, Superman Archives HC Vol. 1, Millennium Edition: Superman #1, Superman: the Greatest Stories Ever Told vol. 1 TPB, Superman Chronicles Vol. 1 TPB, Superman in the Forties TPB, Lois Lane: A Celebration of 75 Years HC, Superman: A Celebration of 75 Years HC, and the Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus Vol. 1 HC.

The 1940's

3.) "The Challenge of Luthor" from Superman #4, and also reprinted in Greatest Superman Stories Ever Told HC & TPB, Superman Archives Vo1. HC, Superman Chronicles Vol. 3 TPB, and Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus Vol. 1 HC.

4.) "The Dukalia Spy Ring" from Superman #10, and also reprinted in Superman Archives Vol. 3 HC and Superman Chronicles Vol. 6 TPB.

5.) "The Light" from Superman #13, and also reprinted in Superman Archives Vol. 4 HC and Superman Chronicles Vol. 7 TPB.

6.) "The Archer" from Superman #13, and also reprinted in the Greatest Superman Stories Ever Told (HC & TPB), Superman Archives Vol. 4 HC, and Superman Chronicles Vol. 7 TPB.

7.) "Saboteurs from Napkan" from Superman #15, and also reprinted in Superman Archives Vol. 4 HC and Superman Chronicles Vol. 8 TPB.

8.) "How Clark Kent Met Lois Lane" from Adventure Comics #128. This story hasn't been reprinted anywhere else but this collection.

9.) "Man or Superman?" from Superman #17, and also reprinted in Superman Archives Vol. 5 HC, Superman Chronicles Vol. 9 TPB, and Superman: A Celebration of 75 Years HC.

10.) "Case of the Funny Paper Crimes" from Superman #19, and also reprinted in Superman #183, Superman Archives Vol. 5 HC, and Superman Chronicles Vol. 10 TPB.

11.) "Superman, Matinee Idol" from Superman #19, and also reprinted in Superman #183, Superman Archives Vol. 5 HC, and Superman Chronicles Vol. 10 TPB.

12.) "America's Secret Weapon" from Superman #23, and also reprinted in Superman Archives Vol. 6 HC and Superman in the Forties TPB.

13.) "The Mysterious Mr. Mxyztplk" from Superman #30, and also reprinted in Superman #183, Superman Archives Vol. 8 HC, Greatest Superman Stories Ever Told (HC & TPB), and Superman: The Greatest Stories Ever Told Vol. 2 TPB.

14.) "Lois Lane, Superwoman" from Superman #45. This story hasn't been reprinted anywhere else but this collection.

15.) "The Origin of Superman" from Superman #53, and also reprinted in Three-Dimension Adventures #1, Best of DC (Blue Ribbon Digest) #16, Greatest Superman Stories Ever Told (HC & TPB), Superman in the Forties TPB, and Superman: A Celebration of 75 Years HC.

The 1950's

16.) "Black Magic on Mars" from Superman #62. This story hasn't been reprinted anywhere else but this collection.

17.) "The Mightiest Team in the World" from Superman #76, and also reprinted in World's Finest Comics #179, World's Finest Comics Archives Vol. 1 HC, Millennium Edition: Superman #76 (#23), Superman/Batman: The Greatest Stories Ever Told TPB, Showcase Presents: World's Finest Vol. 1 TPB, and Superman: A Celebration of 75 Years HC.

18.) "The Girls in Superman's Life" from Superman #78. This story hasn't been reprinted anywhere else but this collection.

19.) "The Terrible Trio" from Superman #88, and also reprinted in 80 Page Giant #11 and the Greatest Team-Up Stories Ever Told (HC & TPB).

20.) "The Girl in Superman's Past" from Superman #129, and also reprinted in Superman Annual #1 (1960), Superman #217, Greatest Superman Stories Ever Told (HC & TPB), Giant Superman Annual #1 (1988), Showcase Presents Superman Vol. 1 TPB, Superman: The Man of Tomorrow Archives Vol. 2 HC, and Superman: A Celebration of 75 Years HC.

The 1960's

21.) "The Untold Story of Red Kryptonite" from Superman #139, and also reprinted in Superman Annual #8 (1964), Best of DC (Blue Ribbon Digest) #36, Showcase Presents: Superman Vol. 2 TPB, Showcase Presents: Supergirl Vol. 1 TPB, and Superman: Man of Tomorrow Archives Vol. 3 HC.

22.) "The Son of Bizarro" from Superman #140, and also reprinted in Action Comics #347, Showcase Presents Superman Vol. 2 TPB, Showcase Presents: Supergirl Vol. 1 TPB, and Superman: Escape from Bizarro World HC & TPB.

 

23.) "Superman Meets Al Capone" from Superman #142, and also reprinted in Superman #197 and Showcase Presents Superman Vol.2 TPB.

24.) "Bizarro Meets Frankenstein" from Superman #143, also reprinted in Superman #202 and Showcase Presents Superman Vol.2 TPB.

 

25.) "Superboy's First Public Appearance" from Superman #144, also reprinted in Showcase Presents Superman Vol.2 TPB.

The 1970's

26.) "The Pied Piper of Steel" from Action Comics #398. This story hasn't been reprinted anywhere else but this collection.

27.) "Superman Breaks Loose" from Superman #233, also reprinted in Superman in the Seventires TPB, Millennium Edition: Superman #233, Superman: The Greatest Stories Ever Told Vol. 2 TPB, and the Superman: Kryptonite Nevermore HC.


28.) "Superman, You're Dead...Dead...Dead" from Action Comics #399, also reprinted in the Best of DC (Blue Ribbon Digest) #12.


29.) "Duel of Doom" from Action Comics #400.This story hasn't been reprinted anywhere else but this collection.


And those 29 fantastic stories are what are contained within the pages of the Superman: From the 30's to the 70's Hardcover. Be sure to check back on Friday February 5th for the contents of the SHAZAM!: From the 40's to the 70's Hardcover.

The Superman & Captain Marvel Power Hour Ep 001

Welcome to the inaugural episode of the Superman & Captain Marvel Power Hour Podcast, the podcast devoted to exploring the publishing history & adventures of both the Last Son of Krypton and the World’s Mightiest Mortal. I am your host Kyle Benning, and thank you for joining me on this journey to explore the evolution of my 2 favorite DC Characters, Superman & Captain Marvel. As we follow these characters’ development from the Golden Age to modern day, I’ll be comparing and contrasting their development and changes through the decades and exploring in what ways these two characters are similar yet very, very different. In each episode, I will cover solo stories for each character, or cover an adventure that features both Superman and Captain Marvel together.

To kick-off my podcast, the first episode will be focused on the Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam animated short from 2010.

You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes (just search for Superman & Captain Marvel Power Hour) or listen to the episode by directly downloading it here: The Superman & Captain Marvel Power Hour Ep 001

Thank you very much for listening. Be sure to check out the show headquarters & blog at www.SupermanCaptainMarvel.blogspot.com. There you’ll find extra content such as the show notes, extra posts spotlighting Superman & Captain Marvel art, the characters’ publishing history, and collected editions. You can leave feedback for the podcast there at the blog, as well as by emailing me directly at metropoliskid41@gmail.com, by leaving an iTunes review, or by visiting the facebook page at facebook.com/SupermanCaptainMarvel. You can also follow the show on twitter under the Twitter Handle @KryptonsWizard.

Thanks for listening, be sure to check back here at the blog on Wednesday February 3rd for information regarding the content of the SUPERMAN: From the 30's to 70's and SHAZAM!: From the 40's to the 70's hardcover collections. And then come back next Sunday, February 7^th, for the 2^nd episode of THE SUPERMAN & CAPTAIN MARVEL POWER HOUR.

This podcast is made for entertainment purposes only. Superman, Captain Marvel & Shazam are copyright of DC Comics, a part of Warner Bros entertainment. These characters are discussed under fair use, and no infringement is intended.

Superman & Captain Marvel Artwork by Dave Stevens

One of my personal favorite artists is the late great Dave Stevens, who is probably best known for his creator owned project, the Rocketeer, which should come as no surprise is one of my favorite characters. (In fact I'm even working on making a Rocketeer Helmet of my own, which I will have to share here once it's completed). The Rocketeer made his first full appearance as a back-up feature in Mike Grell's Starslayer #2 from Pacific Comics (the Rocketeer made a cameo appearance via a house ad in the first issue of this same series).

Now despite the Rocketeer not appearing until 1982, his story is routed in the Golden Age, that magical time for super heroes and adventure comics set during the World War II. So in this was, despite coming 40some years later, the Rocketeer is spawned out of that same classic era of Americana that birthed both Superman and Captain Marvel. So naturally, this makes Dave's work and tone perfect for tackling the Last Son of Krypton and the World's Mightiest Mortal. Unfortunately Dave never got the chance to tackle either character in a sequential story, man that would have been amazing, but we are lucky enough that Mr. Stevens cranked out a few commission pieces over the years before his untimely death in 2008. Unfortunately I wasn't able to find much information accompanying these pieces I came across. If anyone out there knows any of the details behind, or better yet, possibly owns one of these pieces, please feel free to share any details you have behind them.

Dave's other claim to fame is perhaps being one of the all-time greatest artists at drawing superheroines. Dave made quite the career for himself with his beautifully painted pin-ups and covers starring female heroes of action. His entries in DC's Who's Who are second to none. I would have loved to see what Stevens could have done with a Lois Lane series following the adventures of Lois as she does some hard-nosed investigative journalism, undercover amongst the criminal underworld. Oh what could have been.

 

 

Superman & Captain Marvel Art by Rich Buckler

This is the first post of what will be a reoccurring feature; posts that feature fabulous Superman & Captain Marvel artwork with a common theme in mind. Some of these will be commissions or sketches (like the next post, which is do out on Friday), and others like this post will feature some of the original artwork progression for iconic pages and/or covers featuring Captain Marvel and Superman.

If you were to think of one artist that goes with Superman & Captain Marvel on a cover together, odds are Rich Buckler would be the name that came to mind. No other artist out there has tackled more covers featuring the Last Son of Krypton vs. the World's Mightiest Mortal than Rich Buckler, who is an extraordinary artist that was very prominent at both DC and Marvel Comics in the 70's and 80's for both interior artwork, and especially covers. Along with Ross Andru and Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, Rich Buckler was a key artist responsible for defining the house style and sleek look of Superman on the covers of his 3 ongoing titles, Action Comics, DC Comics Presents, and Superman. Luckily for us fans, that also meant some gorgeous covers also featuring the Big Red Cheese next to the Man of Tomorrow, typically trading blows, even if the two super-powered Titans never found themselves at odds inside of the issue itself.

One of the most iconic covers from the Bronze Age era of DC Comics, was the fantastic Buckler & Dick Giordano cover to the Superman vs. Shazam! Treasury Comic, which was All-New Collectors Edition #C-58 from 1978, seen in the house ad pictured to the left, with the original artwork above.

Obviously, being a fan of both characters, I would much rather see the Last Son of Krypton and the World's Mightiest Mortal working together to tackle a common threat, instead of repeatedly finding themselves at odds with one another and fighting each other. That said, seeing these two powerful heroes exchange blows on a cover makes for quite the eye-catcher and attention grabber, and can't help but pique the interest of the casual and devoted comic fan alike. In addition to the Superman vs. Shazam Treasury cover & interiors, Buckler also drew the gorgeous covers (and interiors) featuring both Superman & Captain Marvel for DC Comics Presents #33, 34, and 49, as well as the cover and interiors to All-Star Squadron #36. All-Star Squadron was a series written by Roy Thomas that featured stories set in the Golden Age and fit continuity wise in between the Golden Age adventures of the members of the team. So in the story that spans All-Star Squadron #36 & 37, we see the Golden Age Captain Marvel (Earth-S) square off against the Golden Age Superman of Earth 2 (this is an analog, not a 1 for 1 swap, more on that in a later post). You can see the Buckler pencils with Jerry Ordway inks for All-Star Squadron #36 below, next to the colored, finished cover that hit stands.

Many of the stories I've mentioned today featuring Rich Buckler's fantastic art can be found in the Superman vs. Shazam! Trade Paperback Collection. It collects the Treasury Comic story, as well as the 3 issues of DC Comics Presents featuring Buckler's artwork, as well as DC Comics Presents Annual #4, which is written by Roy Thomas & Joey Cavalieri with artwork by Gil Kane. That would be a great book to add to your collection if you don't already own the stories in some other format.

That'll do it for this time out, don't forget to come back to the blog on Friday for another art post, this time featuring some fantastic commission pieces and sketches by the late, great Dave Stevens. And be sure to check in on Sunday January 31st, for the very first episode of the Superman & Captain Marvel Power Hour Podcast! And with that, I'll leave you with this, a fantastic Captain Marvel convention sketch done by Rich Buckler in recent years.

Welcome

Welcome to the Blog "The Superman & Captain Marvel Power Hour," which serves as the headquarters and homepage for the Podcast of the same name. I'm your host Kyle Benning, and this is going to be a page and podcast devoted to exploring the history of my 2 favorite DC Comic Characters, Superman and Captain Marvel, while comparing and contrasting them along the way. Each episode will give you content to scratch your itch for both characters, whether that's one adventure that features both characters together, or coverage of two different stories, one featuring the Last Son of Krypton, and the other starring the World's Mightiest Mortal.

You may know me from my other podcasts that all fall on the same feed under the King-Size Comics Giant-Size Fun Podcast banner. Unlike those shows, this one will remain its own unique identity on its own separate Podcast Feed. After much internal debating, I decided I want this project to be its own standalone entity, which also allows me the freedom to talk about either solely Captain Marvel or solely Superman in some other format on one of my other shows over on the King-Size Comics Giant-Size Fun feed.

The first episode of the Podcast will launch on Sunday January 31st, and cover the "Superman/Shazam!: Return of Black Adam" animated short from 2010. After that initial episode I'll dive into my comprehensive coverage of the collected editions Superman: From the 30's to 70's and Shazam!: From the 40's to the 70's. For the time being, episodes will drop every 2 weeks, typically the first & third Sunday of each month, with the occasional bonus episode thrown in from time to time. Most episodes will focus on comic coverage, but I will occasionally look at the two characters in other mediums, especially animation.

The goal of this podcast and blog really boils down to giving me a regular reason to go back and revisit the many classic stories starring my 2 favorite DC Characters and give me a forum to talk about them. Along the way, I hope I can take you listeners and readers along and help you either revisit an old favorite or introduce you to a new gateway to explore. Superman & Captain Marvel have both been around for over 75 years now, they both have rich histories, and unfortunately, at least in this guy's opinion, both found themselves mistreated and marginalized by DC in recent years. So this podcast and blog will serve as an outlet to celebrate and examine their heyday and happier times. I have a lot to say, and a lot of passion to share on these two characters, and I hope you'll join me for the ride.

If you can't wait for January 31st, and would like to hear some of my thoughts on Captain Marvel and/or Superman, you're in luck; I've already talked about both characters numerous times on various shows on my King-Size Comics Giant-Size Fun Podcast feed. Below are links to recent episodes I've done on the "Strange Visitor from Another World" and the "Big Red Cheese."

Captain Marvel & the Plot Against Christmas

Billy Batson's X-MAS

Superman in Christmastown, USA

Superman's Christmas Adventure

The Power of Shazam Graphic Novel

The Current State of Superman Rant

Thanks for reading; hopefully you'll join me next Sunday for the inaugural episode of “The Superman & Captain Marvel Power Hour!”