Mera and Paul Kupperberg Team-Up

Here's some amazing Mera cosplay at the 2015 Connecticut Comiconn, next to an even better example of Paul Kupperberg cosplay! I mean, this guy is good!

Paul Kupperberg's Secret Romances #1

Paul Kupperberg's Secret Romances #1, part of the ever-expanding Charlton Neo Media line, is now on sale! Not only does this feature all stories by Friend of the Shrine Mr. Kupperberg, there's art by Jose Luis Garcia Lopez (PBHN), Pat & Tim Kennedy, Jeff Austin, Bob Smith, and, well, me!

Yes, Paul was nice enough to ask me to contribute a spot illustration for a text piece called "The Man With A Copy of 'Catcher in the Rye", making this my very first bona fide comic book credit! Considering that Paul's work--especially on Aquaman--was one of the things that inspired me to get into comics in the first place, I guess everything has come full circle. I wouldn't even know Paul if not for the Shrine, and I'm very happy and proud to be part of this passion project of his.

You can buy Paul Kupperberg's Secret Romances #1 in print or digitally, find out how here!

Atlas of the DC Universe: Atlantis

Here are two pages from the Atlantis chapter of Mayfaur Games' Atlas of the DC Universe, written by former Aqua-Scribe (and current Archie murderer) Paul Kupperberg. This book is discussed on the current episode of The Hero Points Podcast, which is available now!

Click here to view/download all ten pages of the chapter, and then roll that die!
 

Memories of Mera: Paul Kupperberg

What made Mera such a big deal in the 1960s? When she first showed up in Aquaman #11 (September 1963), she was just another pretty but damp damsel in distress for Aquaman to rescue. Over the next year, she seemed there just to fill the role of a sort of underwater Lois Lane; girlfriend, abductee, troublemaker, prankster. It was, in short, the typical role of "girls" 1960s superhero comics.

Until "The Wife of Aquaman" in Aquaman #18 (November-December 1964).

Not a hoax. Not a dream. Not an imaginary story. A comic book character, one with a long history and his own title, a founding member of the Justice League of America yet, actually got married, for "real" in the pages of his own comic book. These days, when stunts like marriages and births and deaths are as common as pointless six-issue story arcs, that doesn't sound like such a big deal. But in 1964, it was unprecedented. The most famous superhero wedding of the 1960s, that of the FF's Reed Richards and Sue Storm, didn't take place until the following year (in Fantastic Four Annual #3). And, just around the time Reed and Sue were tying the knot, Aquaman and Mera were starting what is likely comics' first mainstream superhero family in Aquaman #23 (September-October 1965), "The Birth of Aquababy!"...from pregnancy to childbirth in one tidy little 24-page story.

(Of course, while Aquababy may have been conceived and birthed in a single issue, he never did manage to grow much older. He was still a baby when I came along to kill him off in the Mera back-up feature I wrote for Aquaman #58 - 60 (November 1977 - March 1978); in real time, he would have been approaching Bar Mitzvah age by then.)

So take that Marvel Comics, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Reed Richards, and Sue Storm!

DC Comics, Jack Miller, Nick Cardy, Arthur Curry, and Mera (did I mention that Nick’s Mera was also way hotter than Jack’s Sue Storm?) beat you to it! Isn't it about time those guys got the recognition they deserve?


--Paul Kupperberg

"Aquaman...A Hero We Can All Look Up To"

Those are the words of former Aquaman scribe Paul Kupperberg, who sent in this pic of his dog Spike as he gazes upon Aquaman, maybe for the first time! Great Neptune, what a cute dog!

Thanks Paul! Woof! Woof!

Two Tales of Atlantis by Paul Kupperberg

Legendary comics writer, my pal, and Aquaman Shrine Patron Saint Paul Kupperberg has just launched his own imprint of e-books called Buffalo Avenue Books, which will publish both his works and the work of others.

Paul's first offering is Two Tales of Atlantis, which is described thusly: "Paul Kupperberg (writer/creator of the DC Comics series Arion, Lord of Atlantis) creates a new Atlantean realm in these two stories of an immortal sorcerer and his oft-reincarnated warrior lover.

In 'Walk Upon the Waters,' the sorcerer Thalis sails on the enchanted ship Yar with only his memories of those he has lost for companionship as he heads into the final battle for the destiny of Atlantis. Then, in 'Passed Lives,' an aging peasant awakens in the middle of her ordinary life to realize she is Khana, the latest reincarnation of Thalis' warrior lover and must leave her family and home to go off to war and find her lost love...and learn which of the two hearts beating within her she must follow."

You can learn more about the book and Buffalo Avenue on its website, which shows how and where you can purchase the book.

The Aquaman Shrine wishes Paul the best of luck with his new venture, and heartily recommends any of Paul's fan head over there to check it out!

Our Man Kupperberg

Just thought I'd interrupt our regularly scheduled blog to mention former Aquaman writer, my pal, and Aquaman Shrine Patron Saint Paul Kupperberg has opened up a new blog called Crass Commercial Kupperberg, which features all sorts of scripts, original art, and assorted comic book bric-a-brac from Paul's long career for sale.

As of this writing, there's no Aquaman-centric material available, but as Paul says, new stuff is being added all the time, so AquaFans may want to keep an eye out. Paul has written virtually every character from the DCU at one point, so there's lots of fun stuff up for grabs.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled Aquaman Shrine...

Showcase #100 Extra!

Two Saturdays ago I did an all-encompassing post on Showcase #100, one my all-time favorite single issue superhero comics, co-written by Shrine Patron Saint Paul Kupperberg and featuring Aquaman.

At least, at the time, I thought it was all-encompassing; less than a week or so later I was going through some files and found this edition of The Daily Planet which features a prominent write-up on the book. Dang!

As if on cue, the next day Paul then sent me an email where he found this blurb on the book in Amazing World of DC Comics #14:

Steve Englehart? Paul says, "I didn't recall Paul and I were second choice on this project...!"

I guess whoever wrote this blurb was overdoing it a bit. Obviously Steve Englehart wasn't quite the only one who could tell such a tale...

Great catch, thanks Paul!

Showcase #100 - May 1978

Comics Weekend "There Shall Come A Gathering" by Paul Kupperberg, Paul Levitz, and Joe Staton.

This anniversary issue of one of DC's most influential titles, Showcase, hits the ground running with a gaggle of heroes aboard the JLA Satellite when some rather distressing news comes in:

...I love how, even amidst this literally world-shattering crisis, Kid Flash has time to flirt with Wonder Girl. And in kind of a creepy way, too.

Anyway, in classic superhero comic style, the various heroes break up into teams to combat the problem. Flash, Green Lantern, The Atom, and Adam Strange try and stop who or what is moving the Earth through space, and they are met by an army of robot warriors who are bent on stopping them.

Down on Earth, the Metal Men try and save lives, and in the time stream Rip Hunter checks out the problem there. Lois Lane goes on TV and issues an on-air plea for Superman's help (its not going to work, Lois; Superman was never in Showcase!). She is met by The Challengers of the Unknown and The Creeper, who want to use GBS-TV's powerful transmitters to broadcast an SOS.

Back in space, Flash, GL and the other are given assistance by Space Ranger, who helps them fight off their robot attackers. They find their way to what seems like the alien overlord, and destroy it, yet--the Earth keeps hurtling through space!

Meanwhile, at the offices of O'Day and Simeon, Detectives, the messed-up time stream brings a bunch of disparate people together:

As a comic nerd (redundant), I love this page--you've got The Inferior Five, Tommy Tomorrow, Anthro, Bat Lash, Firehair, and even Binky and His Buddies, all in same page. Crisis on Infinite Earths got a lot of fanboy praise for squeezing in all the various corners of the DCU together, but Kupperberg, Levitz, and Staton got there first.

Bat Lash, Tommy Tomorrow, and Angel decide to try and help out any way they can, so they take off to see what they can do, leaving Sam (the Ape in Angel & The Ape) to keep everyone else entertained.

Finally, we get to see what Aquaman's been doing:

...little did Aquaman know how much the mysterious Dolphin would enter into his life. But that's another story. (By the way, do those little kids look familiar to you? More on that in a moment)

In Metropolis, the Teen Titans help the Metal Men keep the peace, and that involves stopping various rampaging hordes of baddies who are spilling out of the time stream. That includes Vikings and Nazis(!) which Aqualad dispatches with a quip:

Out in space, our heroes are given further assist by some really big guns: The Phantom Stranger and The Spectre! The Spectre, summoned by the Stranger via a seance, quite literally tries to push the Earth in the other direction, but eventually fails.

Back on the planet, the various teams of heroes find their way to the same place, some sort of living hunk of rock. Angel and Lois Lane head in, via a small tunnel carved out by Tommy Tomorrow. They make their way to the hub, which houses a vast computer run by some sort of alien life form who wants to destroy the Earth, as well as other worlds.

Angel is trying to determine which wires to rip loose, when a white gloved hand guides her to a specific one, before disappearing. The power system crumbles, sending the life support bubble the alien was living in hurtling into space:

...the ever-lovin' end!


Aside from the fact Aquaman plays such a small role (understandable, considering the small army of characters writers Kupperberg and Levitz were working into this story), this is one of my all-time favorite superhero stories: its enormously fun, has a million different locations, a lot of humor, and moves at a breakneck pace.

Joe Staton, always one of my favorite artists, does a great job here. He was the perfect guy to bring off this story, since he excels at both lighthearted adventure and big, epic space opera.

This book also features a two-page text feature by Paul Levitz, giving short histories of every Showcase character and just where they were fit into the story. Some characters, like King Farraday, Manhunter 2070, and Fireman Farrell literally have one-panel walk-ons, and are easy to miss; so this little key at the end comes in handy for the obsessive fan, like myself.


Speaking of obsessive, some of you will no doubt recognize the kids Dolphin is saving on page 20:

Yep, that's Sugar and Spike! When I first noticed it, I doubted it was supposed to be S&S because they had never appeared in Showcase, which was the prerequisite for being included in this story.

I decided to ask my pal and Patron Saint of the Shrine (and co-writer of this story!) Paul Kupperberg about it, in an email titled "The Most Obscure Thing I Will Ever Ask You About." Paul wrote back in the affirmative that, yes, that was Sugar & Spike:

"Yes, Virginia, that was an (uncredited) appearance by Sugar & Spike, thrown in by Joe for his own amusement! Originally, when Paul and I plotted it, the idea was to restrict appearances to characters who had been in Showcase and gone on to their own features or titles. We actually thought we were doing Joe a favor by keeping the number of characters down, but It was Joe who threw in everybody else who ever appeared in Showcase! Who knew he was a masochist!"

Paul even sent me Joe Staton's original cover sketch:

Ginchy!


As if all this wasn't enough, here's one more thing before we go--check out this odd little object:

This is a 3D diorama made by a fan and given to Paul Kupperberg. It consists of cutting up several copies of Showcase #100 and turning them into this sculpture. I admire the sheer tenacity it must have took to create this, even if looking at it makes my head hurt.

Adventure Comics #463 - June 1979

Comics Weekend "Climax" by Paul Kupperberg, Don Heck, and Joe Giella.

Picking up from the last issue of Adventure Comics, Aquaman has confronted Vulko, after discovering that the deal Vulko made with the not-as-benign-as-they-seem UFP will result in an ecological catastrophe.

Vulko has had enough of Aquaman's hot-headed meddling, and calls his guards to have the former king arrested:

But as soon as Aquaman leaves the Royal Palace, he is surrounded by a small army of Atlantean troops and UFP security forces. Aquaman fights them off long enough to send a mental command to his finny friends--in this case, a massive, dense cloud of plankton, who flood Atlantis, giving Aquaman time to escape.

No sooner has Aquaman escaped however, then a blast of hard-water grazes him. That can only mean one thing--his wife, Mera!:

Aqualad tries to talk Aquaman down, but he won't listen. As he swims away, Mera and Aqualad team to stop him. Mera slows him down with a hard-water shield, and then he and Aqualad actually trade blows!

Aquaman can't stand fighting his former sidekick, so he arranges another diversion: a school of pilot fish who swarm around Garth and Mera, keeping them at bay without any further risk of harming them.

Aquaman then makes his way to one of the UFP's plants, and tries to shut it down. But just as he's figuring out what to do, a UFP sub comes by, with the company's president, named Amos, aboard.

Amos plans to blast Aquaman, and the resulting explosion with obliterate all the evidence of the UFP's nefarious plot. Aqualad, who got away from the pilot fish and has caught up with Aquaman, overhears all this.

Aquaman tears off a hunk of the control panel, not knowing Aqualad is nearby:

I have to say, Vulko gets off easy here. He makes a horribly misguided, potentially-fatal deal with the UFP, and its up to Aquaman--as usual--to clean up the mess. Gee, Vulko, do I have to do everything?

This issue was Paul Kupperberg's last as writer for the Aquaman strip, after a too-brief tenure. Bob Rozakis would take over, and continue with the character after he left Adventure Comics (for the umpteenth time!).

This issue featured a great wraparound cover by Jose Luis Garcia Lopez, where each of the heroes got a little bit of real estate to themselves:

Adventure Comics #462 - April 1979

Comics Weekend "Executive Action!" by Paul Kupperberg, Don Heck, and Bob Smith.

Picking up from last issue, Aquaman found evidence that the deal Vulko made with the UFP to farm some of the land around Atlantis will end up doing unimaginable harm to the underwater kingdom.

Aquaman has headed back home, and is attempting to get inside one of the UFP's atomic generators:

Aquaman wakes up in the Royal Palace, surrounded by Mera, Aqualad, and Vulko. Vulko is less than pleased by Aquaman's actions, and admits that he is aware of the environmental damage that will result.

Aquaman is shocked, but Vulko defends himself, saying that the UFP is working "around the clock" to correct the problem. Aqualad, once again, tries to play peacemaker, but Arthur is having none of it.

Taking off, he sneaks into the UFP's control ship:

I never have been a big fan of Don Heck's work, but once in a while he'll surprise me--that far left is panel is fantastic. Wonderfully composed and colored, combined with the lack of dialogue, it helps make this short sequence perfect.

Aquaman overhears the head of the UFP, a guy named Judd Amos, talking to some of his employees. They admit that Atlantis' soil will be depleted in less than a year if they keep going the way they're going!

Amos is indifferent, his only concern is the UFP's profits. Aquaman, hearing all he needs to, shows himself. Accusing Aquaman of breaking and entering (three times!), he ignores the Sea King's own accusations.

Aquaman grabs Amos, but then some of UFP's armed guards arrive. Aquaman knocks them both out quickly, then Amos' other underlings gang up on him. He sends out a command to some of his finny friends:

...to be continued!

Jim Aparo got tapped to do both covers for this issue, and aside from the unfortunate smiling heads above Batman's coffin, both of them were pretty solid:

...each of these stories looks so exciting, don't they?

Adventure Comics #461 - Feb. 1979

Comics Weekend "The Hand That Feeds The Earth..." by Paul Kupperberg, Don Newton, and Frank Chiaramonte.

After essentially a self-contained story in Adventure Comics #460, this issue's Aquaman feature kicks off a multi-part storyline, starting with Aquaman and Mera returning home and finding something surprising:

After taking care of the armed security, Aquaman and Mera head to the Royal Palace, where Vulko is waiting for them.

Aquaman is worried about what he sees, and he's not reassured when Vulko tells him that Atlantis has gone into business with the UFP!

Vulko--with an assist from Aqualad--try and convince Aquaman that this deal with benefit both constituencies, but Arthur's hearing none of it: he doesn't trust "Surface Dwellers", and thinks Vulko is dangerously naive. Enraged, he takes off.

He decides to head to Wall Street, on an undercover mission to learn more about the UFP and the obscene bonuses they're paying their executives (no, I'm kidding about that last part).

Eventually, Aquaman breaks his way into the UFP's record-keeping office:

The guard has the drop on Aquaman, but he manages to escape rather easily. As he does, the guard radios for help, and a phalanx of guards chase Aquaman into a darkened meeting room.

Aquaman, with eyes accustomed to seeing in the dark, finds a place to hide. When the moment is right, he strikes:

...to be continued!

For such a short story, this issue has some marvelous "set pieces" for the Sea King. I like him outmaneuvering the underwater UFP "farmers", and then, even better, the ever-so-slightly-creepy sequence with Aquaman grabbing the guard in the dark.

Like I pointed out last issue, Paul Kupperberg consciously sets scenes at night or in the dark, and Don Newton brings them off perfectly. Change the color of Aquaman's gloves from green to blue, and that one middle panel could be right out of one of Newton's issues of Batman.

Cover-wise, unfortunately all Aquaman got this time around was the little blurb on the bottom front--which is even more frustrating when you consider the cover was drawn by Jim Aparo!