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Well, I missed the April issue so I've been
extra-busy getting things ready for May. This time around, I
was inspired by DC Comics' "skip week" event, last month,
featuring the Justice Society of America. Done as a series
of "First Issues" using various Golden Age comic titles,
sandwiched between the bookends of All-Star Comics #1 and
#2, these books formed a basis to reintroduce the JSA to the
fans who may have forgotten the first and greatest team of
super heroes.
In chatting with some of my online friends, somebody
mentioned doing the JSA as an animated series. Being that I
am a major fan of the Justice Society and the Golden Age
period, and also since I've been experimenting with a more
streamlined, cartoonish style, it seemed like just the thing
for a column.
Anyone knowledgeable about the JSA will notice that
The Spectre is missing from my lineup. I thought about
keeping him, but the fact is, he's just a bit too morbid a
character for a cartoon. Another omission is the Golden Age
Sandman. Originally, a Shadow-like man of mystery, he later
donned yellow tights for a more "mainstream super hero"
look. I don't exactly know why I left him out, partly it's
because I hate his yellow and purple costume and his
trench-coat-and-gas-mask look just doesn't fit well with the
bright colors, and, well, I just plain forgot him, when I
was doing the group pic.
So, who do we have for the animated version of the
Justice Society of America that I call, JSA Then and Now.
This month I'll deal with the Golden Age "Then" and in a
later Artistic License, the Modern Age "Now". At the top we
have the "Big Guns" of the JSA in the Golden Age: Starman,
weilding his Cosmic Rod, Doctor Fate, practitioner of
ancient mystic arts, and the Green Lantern, whose magic ring
can do anything he can imagine. Below Green Lantern is
Doctor Mid-Nite and Hootie, and in the next row is the
Golden Age Wonder Woman, Queen Hippolyta (Polly to her
friends) mother of the modern day Wonder Woman, the original
Hawkman and Hawkgirl, with their nth metal wings, and
peeking out from behind Hawkgirl, Johnny Thunder and his
magical Thunderbolt, a Bahdnesian hex-bolt with amazing
powers. Next is the original Flash, the fastest man alive,
and the fighting fury known as Wildcat. And lastly we have
the original Black Canary, Hourman and the pint-sized
powerhouse the Atom.
Of course, what is a hero without the villain?
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