Yeah, it's just an arbitrary round number, and yeah, we just celebrated our 10th anniversary of the blog a couple of months ago.
Still, 5,000 strikes me as somewhat more significant, as a measure of depth. Blogging for 10 years? No big deal. Averaging 500+ posts per year? That some serious wastage of time.
And serious wastage of your time, reader. For which I feel obligated to reward you.
And so, our first (and perhaps last) official Slay Monstrobot contest!!
Let's start with the prize. Via a complex series of circumstances, I just happen to have an extra copy of this fine book laying around:
Between 1941 and 1945, Hitler was pummeled on comic book covers by everyone from Captain America to Wonder Woman. Take That, Adolf! is an oversized compilation of more than 500 stunningly restored comics covers published during World War II, featuring America’s greatest super-villain. From Superman and Daredevil to propaganda and racism, Take That, Adolf! is a fascinating look at how legendary creators such as Joe Simon, Jack Kirby, Alex Schomburg, Will Eisner, and Lou Fine entertained millions of kids on the home front and buoyed the spirits of GIs fighting overseas by using Adolf Hitler as a punching bag!
Well, that seems an appropriate prize for this cow-town puppet-show of a blog.
And how shall someone win this most excellent tome? As I cryptically hinted earlier this week, just create your own super-hero team!!
By which I mean, take some preexisting comic characters--however many you want. 2? 7? 140? They can be from any company, past or present. They can be any previously published heroes, past or present. Just make a fun, kick-ass, interesting team. The best suggestion wins.
NOTE:
A) All entries MUST have an original name for the team, not one that's been used before, or a variation of one that's been used before. Get creative, people. You can do better than West Coast New Gods.
B) You have free reign on your choice of heroes, but you might want to keep in mind your judge's predilections. Multiple versions of the same person probably won't find my favor (i.e. Logan from three different time periods); different characters using the same identity are somewhat more likely to meet my approval. Insert characters from non-super-hero tales at your own risk. Also, this is a team of heroes, and your judge is mighty tired of villains being "redeemed" willy-nilly. Still, your team, your choices, and I'm willing to keep an open mind.
C) Show your work. If you think it will help, explain why your characters would work/fit together well. Give the team an origin/motivation, if you like. Pick a particular universe for them to operate in, if you like. Attention to detail may help!!
D) The sole criteria for this contest is whatever tickles snell's fancy. It's completely arbitrary, so just repeat to yourself, "it's just a silly contest, I should really just relax." All decisions final. Legalese, legalese, whatever.
All entries should be left as a comment to this post. You're on the honor system--no swiping ideas from other entries. All entries must be received by Thursday 10/5. Winner posted whenever I get around to it.
Go to it!!
7 comments:
Oops. Accidental frelling. Content restored.
Please, please, tell me there's no West Coast New Gods.
Damn - you're right. Somehow 5000 posts does seem more significant than 10 years, and that seemed pretty damned impressive. Hell, i'm surprised that the Voice Of ODD! has managed to last for 10 weeks.
Every Friday i do a Friday Fun & Games feature instead of trying to compete in Friday Night Fights. I was even feeling pretty good about the new vidcap quiz i put together for tomorrow.
You just blew that out of the water.
Awesome idea, with an actual decent prize.
If only my brain wasn't pudding...
Congratulations on 5000 posts! I think I have read every one of them.
Here is my entry for the contest:
The Trouble Shooters
Core members: Alison Double (Marvel), Phantasmo (Dell), Vibe (DC), Copper (DC). Invisible Scarlet O’Neil (Famous Funnies), Blue Jay (DC) Frequent ally: The Golden Bat (Nagamatsu) Temporary members : Life Lass (DC), Weight Wizard –(prior to his capture by Nardo) (DC)
Alison Double, the albino telepath who was last seen recovering in the Alps with Elizabeth Braddock just before the latter adopted the mantle of Captain Britain (back in 1986), returned to her work at S.T.R.I.K.E. She moved up in the organization, eventually being placed in charge of security which also gives her authority of the robot known as Copper on loan to S.T.RI.K.E by Doctor Magnus.
S.T.R.I.K.E. scientists experimenting with some machines confiscated in one of their assignments accidently activate a time storm that causes chaos across the English countryside. Copper and Double do their best to assist in stopping rampaging dinosaurs and some creatures they cannot identify (like the flasher beasts from Adventure Comics 339). They find themselves aided by Vibe and Phanstasmo who were pulled in from the past before the respective deaths as well as from Life Lass and Weight Wizard from the 30th century. The Golden Bat, a hero missing for decades, also joins the battle and leads the drive in locating the person or people behind the increasingly uncontrolled temporal storms. (That would be Wizard, a villain from Dial H for Hero, looking to gather all the unclaimed dials from across time and space).
After the Wizard’s defeat, S.T.R.I.K.E. is left decimated. Vibe, Double, Phantasmo, Copper, Life Lass, and Weight Wizard decide to remain work together and are allowed to operate out of the remains of S.T.R.I.K.E.’s headquarters (which will eventually be purchased outright by Phantasmo) providing stability to the team. Golden Bat reveals that he is not time-displaced and generally operates on his own, but agrees to help the team with emergencies that have global ramifications.
Sometime later, Life Lass and Weight Wizard, are rescued and returned to their time by the Heroes of Lallor in a time bubble… but not before a team-up can occur where the Lallorians can shine. Losing two members leads the team to conduct a recruitment drive. They opt for powers of stealth and select Invisible Scarlet O’Neil and Blue Jay.
Why, oh why are there not more entries?
Okay, here's my team. I used a few criteria when picking them: 1) I like lower-powered characters, and I don't want one character to be so much more powerful than the others that the rest of the team are redundant (I'm looking at you, Superman and Thor...) 2) These are more obscure characters and I believe, all public domain, with interesting but not overwhelming abilities. They are obscure enough that their abilities can be tweaked by the writer without reader protest.
So, on with my team, Danger Squad!
MIDNIGHT
One of Jack Cole's lesser known creations for Quality, he's the team leader, as he's used to working with a diverse bunch of characters, and is also the team's detective.
PETER CANNON: THUNDERBOLT
The only non Golden Age character here. Thunderbolt contributes his martial arts skills and his "power of will" that lets him crank out the occasional superhuman feat.
ROCKMAN
The team's strongman, he also could probably help the team get from place to place quickly, since he lives underground but seems to be able to get to wherever he needs without any trouble.
THE SPIDER WIDOW
Every team needs at least one heroine, and this one is just amazing - hot young socialite dresses up as an old hag and uses trained spiders to defeat her foes!
AIR WAVE
Goofy but potentially valuable radio-based powers, especially since I'd be setting their adventures in the Golden Age.
And as the team's junior member and ace in the hole,
TOMBOY
A really obscure character - only three appearances in a comic by a one-shot publisher, she's a twelve year old girl who can beat the tar out of multiple adult men, and therefore the spiritual ancestor to Hit-Girl.
I have discovered the greatest team - perfect for this contest. They're not forgotten heroes, they're obscured - intentionally hidden from history.
They've operated out of sight since the golden age, too often dealing with fallout from other, more public 'heroes' and their actions.
What few records i've found refer to them only with a capital O, which i believe has led some previous researchers to call them The Ring or The Circle, though it is my guess that this is merely an oblique reference to having Obscured themselves from sight and history.
Everyone who has discovered their secret has been kept quiet, or otherwise 'obscured' and never heard from again. Their members inclu
My team is called Kirby's Kommandos. The members are-
Kirby (1st appearance Youngblood #2)
Team leader. Former ally of the Berserkers and Prophet. Mysterious background. Skilled at hand to hand combat as well as with giant guns and knifes. In tremendous shape for his age. Never seen without his trademark cigar.
General Kurtz a.k.a Smash (1st appearance Fighting American #2)
General in the great 1950's war against the communists. Little is known about his background. At some point was captured and experimented on by the evil Iron Cross, who turned him into the hulk-like monster known as Smash. As Smash he has super human strength and grow bigger with anger. When he's not a monster he enjoys a good cigar.
Jack Simon (1st appearance Supreme #0)
Former journalist during WWII, hired by the government to write tame versions of Supreme's violent exploits. Would later write Supreme comic books after Supreme left the earth. Has vague, mysterious knowledge of government stuff. He is the team's secretary, you know, like Wonder Woman was for the Justice Society. Likes smoking cigars.
King (1st appearance Supreme The Return #6)
Giant floating head. A mysterious Imagineer from Idea Space. Has the ability to conjure up characters that resemble ones created by comic book creater Jack Kirby. Incessantly rambles meta fictional nonsense. Smokes a giant cigar.
Hoping it's not too late ... I propose TEAM MELANGE --
They are led -- if "led" is the right word -- by Marvel's UATU, THE WATCHER. He's not supposed to interfere in things but he has the exact same attitude as Captain Kirk about this. So he watches. And then he lets the other heroes know where there's trouble. It's not his fault if they go charging off to deal with it. So yeah, he's basically the unseen Charlie of CHARLIE'S ANGELS except he can sometimes call the game like he did with the Red Ghost on the moon and you know how that turned out.
One of the first hot-heads to jaunt off any mission is DC's CHAMELEON BOY, he of the Legion of Super-Heroes. He can be anything and do anything. Great guy to have around. And yes, he is of course accompanied by adorable Proty, his protein pet. (You can see I'm thinking Saturday morning TV.)
Talk about hot-heads, though, the group's strong man is Charlton's CAPTAIN ATOM, who has all the powers of Doctor Manhattan but has the common decency to wear some clothes for heaven's sake.
Since foursomes always have three guys and a doll, the distaff member of this troupe has to come from yet another publisher, so why not Quality's PHANTOM LADY -- mainly because she's hot and has that terrific dark-projecting thing that could really come in handy a lot if you think about it.
So there they are. TEAM MELANGE!
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