[Peter]

What better episode to listen to while you drown in drinks for Cinco de Mayo! DC's Sea King is a central character in the current Brightest Day series. So it only makes sense to gather round and geek out on Aquaman. (1:16:17)

Listen here:
http://www.comicgeekspeak.com/episodes/com..._speak-1073.php

[Jax-Ur]

I am glad you guys are giving Aquaman his due. I actually wrote the "Aquaman" entry for the Comic Books & Graphic Novels Encyclopedia from Greenwood Publications that is set to come out late this month. I learned that he's a much more interesting and complex hero than many people think.

My current favorite comics-related Aquaman is Alex's Ross' take as seen in the JUSTICE miniseries.

[nweathington]

As for who created Aquaman, I interviewed Paul Norris at his home about four months before he passed away. He told me that Whitney Ellsworth told him to create an underwater character. He gave him a cartoony sketch of a guy with fins on his head and a cigar in his mouth. Paul designed the character, and then Ellsworth got Mort Weisinger to write the scripts, which were frankly dull. Technically, you could say that Weisinger "created" his personality, but Aquaman didn't really have a personality until years later, after Ramona Fradon took over the strip, by which time there were other writers on the strip.

[nweathington]

Oh, and since you guys are sticklers on pronunciations, it's FRAY-dun, not fray-DON.

[bamfbamf]

i am only 11 minutes into the episode... this is already shaping up to be potentially my favorite episode ever... at least until you do a spotlight on Nightcrawler...

Aquaman has to be my fave DC character...

[IRONDEATHCLOWN]

I'm thinking, if I ever decide to get a sketch, it'll be of Aquaman. I'd really like to see multiple takes on the character.

[bamfbamf]

some random pics...

[Steel]

You mention that Aquaman would be B or C list if he wasn't part of the JLA. He wouldn't be around today period without them. How would he be at all interesting alone and with a solo history? Someone would need to resurrect him and give him a reboot, at least. And even with his JLA ties, he's getting a semireboot today.

This post has been edited by Steel: 06 May 2010 - 12:00 AM

[BillDoughty]

I've been on an Aquaman kick lately, so the timing for this was perfect.

Like most of you, my first exposure to Aquaman was the Super Friends cartoon, but I remember seeing the 60s Filmation cartoon in syndication as a kid, too. Something about the guy really captured my imagination when I was very young (maybe because I was a piss poor swimmer?), and he was actually my favorite superhero for a little while, to the point that when my dad was in the hospital for a while, I remember introducing myself to a nurse as Aquaman. Luckily, she humored me.

Once I grew out of it, though, I never gave Aquaman much thought. I'd read the occasional issue here and there, but didn't really follow him much. He managed to creep back into my consciousness over time, though. First through his guest appearance on the Superman cartoon, then the JLU appearances, Smallville (even if I didn't watch, I was a aware of it), the Aquaman movie subplot than ran through the second season of Entourage, and then, finally Brave and the Bold, where he pretty much immediately became my favorite recurring character. As different as the portrayal is compared to how he has traditionally been portrayed, I think it's definitely the sort of thing that was needed to really get people realize he can be more than just the "guy who talks to fish or turns a valve." And that family vacation episode has to be the best of the series by far.

I recently started picking up and reading the Peter David issues for the first time, and as much as they're maligned for being so very, very 90s, I actually kind of like cranky, harpoon-handed Arthur/Orin/Whatever. Considering all of the shit that has happened to the guy throughout his history, the changes in mood and M.O. actually seem like a natural progression to me.

Kate Beaton did a cartoon about 90s Aquaman recently, and in the commentary talks about how much she likes the guy, so clearly I can't be the only one.

[Peter]

bamf - there's that cover/house ad I love. DC did the best ads in the 80s.

Listening back I accidentally said Mera was from Atlantis. That's incorrect - she's from another dimension.

And the woman in the upper left of that ad is from the underwater city of Thierna Na Oge. Which Peter David would bring back during his run.

[Peter]

Here are a few covers from some of the comics referenced in this ep, as well as just being some of my favorites for the character and his supporting cast:

[Sandman]

I thought that the way Aguaman lost his hand in the comic books was lame. I know they gave some reasoning behind it that helps it to make sense, but its still lame. However, the way that they handled it in the JLU episode was awesome.

[Paul]

I grabbed a couple of issues of The Atlantis Chronicles from the Wild Pig bins at Super Show, but I'm making that a grail run. I'll read them when I have them all together. There's so much of that series that David mined for his run (still one of my favourites, up there with Skeates and Aparo!). I haven't read it in 20 years, so I look forward to catching up with it again.

[grundoom]

I'm thinking, if I ever decide to get a sketch, it'll be of Aquaman. I'd really like to see multiple takes on the character.

My brother actually is working on a sketchbook with nothing but Aquaman. Nate Powell did a fantastic sketch in it. I'll have to make him post the pictures.

[Jason Aiken]

The only Aquaman I was familiar with was the tale end of Pfeir's Sub Diego run and Sword of Atlantis....

I really liked them both and thought that Tad Williams did a fine job picking for Busiek after he left. The art post-Guice wasn't to my liking, but I liked the story.

I may have to track down some Peter David issues if his were pretty good....

I really do hope they do something with Arthur Curry Jr from Sword of Atlantis... him and his half brother the Alaskan dude who became Narwhal or whatever during Sword of Atlantis.

[rainbowcloak]

Just one slight correction...

Atlanta does not have a Lighthouse.. we're landlocked here

Although we do have a great Futurama episode that skews our city and the fabled domed city of Aquaman's people

Seriously though, I did score the camo suit Aquaman miniseries at Supa-Show..

Finished reading it.. #2 has to be one of the gayest comics I have ever read.



And no, I'm not kidding. Go read it.

When Aquaman says "I've been violated" while bending over.. heh... Do I really need to spell this out for ya?

This post has been edited by rainbowcloak: 06 May 2010 - 04:06 AM

[nweathington]

Another note of interest about Aquaman's publishing history is that from 1954-1978 his adventures were drawn (with only a couple of exceptions) by only three artists: Ramona Fradon, Nick Cardy, and Jim Aparo — three of the best artists ever to work at DC. And that's still my favorite period for Aquaman. Though I like the McLaughlin/Hooper run quite a bit, too, as well as the early part of Peter David's run. And I liked where Tad Williams was heading towards the end of Sword of Atlantis.

[Jax-Ur]

I was hoping Brightest Day would bring back Arthur Jr. Having a family was something that distinguished Aquaman from his JLA peers and should not have been thrown away merely for shock value. I think the recent Brave & Bold series shows what can be done with the "my dad is a superhero" concept.

[Peter]

Eric - that we only mentioned Jim Aparo once or twice is a definite oversight. Especially 'cause I love me some Aparo artwork.

Jax - maybe Brightest Day will lead to that eventual conclusion?

[rebis]

http://childrensrecordsandmore.blogspot.co...rds-series.html

Pick the link and scroll down the page a bit. You'll find a link to an old children's record, The Official Adventures of Green Lantern, Aquaman, the Flash.

It's Freakin Swear! Really nice audio drama of Aquaman's SA origin.

BTW, all the MGM stuff from the 60's is Freakin Swear! I like it better then the Tifton and Power Records releases.

This post has been edited by rebis: 06 May 2010 - 03:39 PM