More MAN FROM ATLANTIS

Yesterday I blogged about MAN FROM ATLANTIS - the TV series. Now let's take a look at some cool Mark Harris ephemera.

I believe this psychedelic key art is from the VHS release of the TV-movie pilot. What the hell is wrong with his eye?

This is the cover of a British annual. Notice how the mysterious Mr. Schubert is looking at Mark!

Here's a Tiger Beat Magazine profile of dashing young heartthrob Patrick Duffy! "Here He Is!"

"The Man Who Makes THE MAN FROM ATLANTIS Live". A bit hyperbolic?

 

Here's a gallery of underwater pulchritude courtesy of the Marvel Comics Group.

 

A couple of more slabs of beefcake from the Might Marvel Bullpen.

Interesting how Mark only has nipples some of the time. I guess it depends on how cold the water is?
 
Here's an in-house trade ad ("Mighty Marvel Does It--AGAIN!") and a cast pin-up by future PUNISHER artist Mike Zeck. I think there's a hint of nip there.

And finally - here's a print ad for a Dip Dots Painting Design Book. I guess you could paint your own nipples on Mark using the pink paint. Or not. Well, that's all the crap I have on MAN FROM ATLANTIS, probably more than you ever thought you'd want to see, eh? I'm just waiting for some studio to announce a MAN FROM ATLANTIS feature film. Who would YOU cast as Mark Harris?

MAN FROM ATLANTIS

MAN FROM ATLANTIS was one of those childhood memories that I thought I would never get a chance to relive. Now, thanks to the like-minded individuals who run The Warner Archive Collection, the adventures of Mark Harris are back to thrill a new generation of underwater adventure fans!

The dvd release of the original 1977 pilot has now been followed by the release of the TV-movie collection and the entire series - truly a dream come true for anyone who remembers this show from it's initial NBC run.

The original pilot aired in 1977 up against SONNY & CHER on CBS and THE BRADY BUNCH VARIETY HOUR on ABC. Talk about your proverbial "Sophie's Choice!" What was a gay 13 year old boy to do??? Especially since VHS and DVR had yet to be invented!

 

I opted to watch MAN FROM ATLANTIS, because it was the closest thing to Aquaman or Sub-Mariner that I would probably ever see on network TV and I could always catch those dumb old variety shows in reruns. Smart thinking!

 

I remember sitting on our plastic-covered living room couch, Mego Aquaman by my side as the opening tiles began.

 

Pretty soon we were introduced to young Patrick Duffy (a very youthful 32 years old) as an amesia victim who washes up on the shore all blue and covered in seaweed. When doctors try to save his life to no avail, brazen young Dr. Elizabeth Merrill (played by Belinda J. Montgomery) steps in realizes what this dude needs is to be thrown back in the water. Before you know it, he begins to heal and Doc Merill nurses him back to health.

The Foundation for Ocean Research decide to call him "Mark Harris" through tests they determine that he has special abilities, such as super strength, the ability to breathe under water and to leap from the water into the air. Basically, they notice his physiogamy is similar to that of a dolphin, so they begin to treat him like one! 

See how this scene is faithfully recreated in the Marvel Comics' adaptation...

Dr. Merrill takes a liking to Mark, even though he can't communicate with her. He does hang on her every word and stare deeply into her eyes with his colorful contact lenses.

The Foundation begins to have secret meetings about Mark and how he can be useful to them.

 

They determine that he can do all their dirty work and since he can't talk back, they'll be very little resistance. He does resist at first, and even escapes, but the good Doc knows just how to reach out to him.

He shares a tender moments with Doc Merrill. Oh by the way, he's got webbed feet and hands! Only his nails are a bit manky. Paging Madge and her Palmolive! Pretty soon we find out that Mark is super-intelligent and speaks English. But he lacks human emotion, you might say he's bit of a "cold fish".

So Mark begins helping out the Foundation and swimming in his tank wearing his skimpy yellow shorts. In fact the camera lingers on his tight little bathing suit quite a bit. Little does he know he's being watched...and not just by gay 13-year old boys (33 years later) but by the villainous Mr. Schubert (played by the immense Victor Buono), who hopes to use Mark for his own evil schemes!

You see, Schubert has a cult of very schlubby people working for him, even a lady who looks like Vivian Vance!

All of Schubert's people wear the same costume. Oh, except for this one guy. Didn't he get the memo?

Well after a lot of boring underwater bullshit concerning bombs and whatnot, Schubert finally tells Mark that he just wants to be "his friend."

His special friend?

\

Mark ponders the friendship as he stands there dripping in his tighty yellows.

As Schubert (and the viewers) ponder Mark's buns.

Some crazy shit happens, things blow up, water fills Schubert's secret lair and people drown. Then Mark is given a secret identity...as Stephen Colbert!

After his heroic deeds, Mark is given the opportunity to leave and search for his people.

But it turns out he can't say goodbye to Elizabeth...and thus we have the premise for the weekly series.

And the series of novels...

And the monthly comic book...

And so the saga of the MAN FROM ATLANTIS begins...and I'll be back tomorrow with more Mark Harris and Patrick Duffy goodies. Now eat your kelp!

Queen Mera of Atlantis!

The DC Comics cosmic zombie vs. superhero megaseries BLACKEST NIGHT and its sequel BRIGHTEST DAY have thrust several B-list characters into the spotlight.

Chief among these characters is Queen Mera of Atlantis.

This stunning red-haired beauty has been a supporting player in the DC Universe for almost fifty years.

She is generally known as a footnote in the Aquaman mythos.

Though after the DC "reboot" in a few weeks there is a good chance that Mera will be an A-list character in her own right.

Let's take a look at the history of this unique character.

Mera first appeared in AQUAMAN Vol. 1, #11 (September 1963) as an undersea queen from another dimension. That teen in red and blue is Aqualad, Aquaman's original underwater sidekick.

Mera was deposed and exiled to Earth, where she met the king of Atlantis, Aquaman (Arthur Curry aka Orin).

The two were taken prisoner and after being rescued, Mera decided to stay on Earth with Aquaman, as the two began to fall in love.

Within several issues, the two were soon wed in gala ceremony attended by the Who's Who of the DC Universe.

Mera and Arthur enjoyed several adventures together over the months that followed.

She often overshadowed him on the cover.

Within months, Mera gave birth to Aquababy, Arthur Curry, Jr..

With junior around, there was now an Aquaman family.

Things seemed to go along swimmingly for a while.

The Aquafamily continued to face unusual rivals.

Presenting: The Fire-Haired Karla!!!

Above is an awesome cover, though this seems to start a trend where Mera is victimized and Aquaman must come to rescue her.

See what I mean?

And again.

Oh, here's the incredible shrinking Aquaman. Unfortunately his comic book series was soon canceled and Mera was in left in limbo for a few years.

Things took a turn for the grim when AQUAMAN's title was revived in the 1970s. Aquaman's nemesis Black Manta kidnapped the Aquababy (Aquaman vol. 1 ,#60) and the couple fought against all odds to rescue and save his life. They failed.

Mera appeared in a series of solo adventures in the back pages of her husband's title during this period.

Mera then suffered a breakdown, abandoning her husband and blaming him for the baby's death. Their marriage was dissolved and Aquaman soon left Atlantis, but Mera stayed behind.

After a while Aquaman tried to make peace with Mera, but she savagely attacked him. In a desperate attempt to defend himself, Aquaman accidentally impaled Mera, believing that he killed her.

She in fact survived and later rose from her coffin, eventually leaving Earth.

We later found out that she was captured and held in yet another dimension, having had another son named AJ!!!.

After this escape she faced some evil sorcerers who stole her powers, forcing her live up on the surface world for a while.

Mera was now part of Arthur's life and adventures once more.

She even had a brief affair with his son (from another relationship)!

Things seems to normalize for a while when Aqualad (now Tempest) married Dolphin, Aquaman's ex-lover.

Mera appeared alongside Aquaman, Tempest, Lori Lemaris, Power Girl and Arion the Immortal in a JUSTICE LEAGUE OF ATLANTIS one-shot.

After all this, AQUAMAN was cancelled yet again and Arthur was thought to be dead for a while.

After a few years, he resurfaced. He was actually in a time warp, and The Justice League managed to rescue him - and he was awarded his own title once more.

After the INFINITE CRISIS, Mera somehow regained her powers and led a army of Atlantian rebels - and teamed up with a new sword-wielding Aquaman. Her former husband, Arthur was soon transformed into a squid-faced freak and was eventually killed. Again.

In BLACKEST NIGHT storyline, at the request of Tempest (remember him?) Mera reluctantly allows Aquaman's Earthly remains to be returned to Atlantis.
However before they can do so, they are attacked by zombie Aquaman, Aquagirl (she died during CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS) and Tempest's wife Dolphin (she also died at some point) who have been brought back to life as cosmic zombies called Black Lanterns.

Tempest is killed by Tula (Aquagirl) and instantly transformed into a Black Lantern as well. Mera manages to escape with the Trident of Poseidon and flees to JLA headquarters where she begins a cosmic adventure alongside The Atom. During the battle, Mera is chosen as a deputy officer of the Red Lantern Corps!

In the process she gets a great new red costume and a whole slew of new powers. Following the events of BRIGHTEST DAY and FLASHPOINT, the DC Universe is "rebooted" and a new AQUAMAN series is slated to begin, with Mera as his co-star once again.

Normally, Mera can breathe underwater, possesses enhanced density and muscle mass, granting her enhanced speed and reflexes as seen in his Hostess Fruit Pie ad.

And here she is on a jigsaw puzzle! Aside from comics, Mera's appeared on Filmation's SUPERMAN/AQUAMAN HOUR in the late 1960s. In the 2000s she appeared in three episodes of the JUSTICE LEAGUE animated series. Recently she made a brief cameo as part of Atlantis's royal family on an episode of Cartoon Network's BATMAN: BRAVE &THE BOLD.


So there you have it, the almost 50-year history of Mera in one blog post. She's a real catch!