Plastic Man coming to DVD
Totally different, topic, guys... Totally different.
I was talking about the rejected pilot for a new, proposed Plastic Man series.
The Plastic Man series being released on DVD is the late 1970s Ruby-Spears animated series => the one with the Plastic Jet, Hula Hula (ethnic replacement for Woozy Winks), and Penny, Plastic Man's girlfriend/fiance/later wife in the series.
The show isn't that good but it's remembered by a lot of people and is the best known version of Plastic Man for the general public.
I was talking about the rejected pilot for a new, proposed Plastic Man series.
The Plastic Man series being released on DVD is the late 1970s Ruby-Spears animated series => the one with the Plastic Jet, Hula Hula (ethnic replacement for Woozy Winks), and Penny, Plastic Man's girlfriend/fiance/later wife in the series.
The show isn't that good but it's remembered by a lot of people and is the best known version of Plastic Man for the general public.
Eh, no problem...
Although Ben should have cleared it up!
I'm disappointed in you, Ben!
Surely, you know the way of Plas?
Comics aren't all Batman and Superman after all!
Seriously, I think the best stuff are generally the lighter-hearted series like the original Plastic Man, Captain Marvel, and Spirit comics.
Me no like the dark and angst-ridden minefields of today's pop culture much at all. Pop culture has become way, way too negative, self-indulgent, and vacuous.
Although Ben should have cleared it up!
I'm disappointed in you, Ben!
Surely, you know the way of Plas?
Comics aren't all Batman and Superman after all!
Seriously, I think the best stuff are generally the lighter-hearted series like the original Plastic Man, Captain Marvel, and Spirit comics.
Me no like the dark and angst-ridden minefields of today's pop culture much at all. Pop culture has become way, way too negative, self-indulgent, and vacuous.
- AV Founder
- Posts: 7280
- Joined: October 23rd, 2004
- Location: SaskaTOON, Canada
Jack Cole's Plastic Man is great stuff. I have a few of the Archive editions. I also enjoyed the Levitz/Staton run in Adventure Comics in the 1970s-80s. The more recent Baker run was an award-winner, but I found it too slight for my tastes; I just didn't warm to it like I felt I was supposed to, based on all the good word on it.
I do have a tape of the old TV show. It's about on par with HB's Dynomutt, which is to say not all that great, but fun nonetheless. I'll welcome it on DVD.
I do have a tape of the old TV show. It's about on par with HB's Dynomutt, which is to say not all that great, but fun nonetheless. I'll welcome it on DVD.
- AV Forum Member
- Posts: 1929
- Joined: December 16th, 2004
- Location: Burbank, Calif.
I rather liked Kyle Baker's recent 20-issue revival of the Plastic Man comic book; his loose 'cartoony' style is very appealing, and worked well with the light humor. Much moreso than the aforementioned Cartoon Network pilot, which is fun .. but whose design aesthetic seemed a bit too grotesquely 'Spümcó' for its own good.
Jack Cole's original Police Comics work is the undisputed 'best' incarnation, though!
Jack Cole's original Police Comics work is the undisputed 'best' incarnation, though!
- AV Founder
- Posts: 25420
- Joined: October 22nd, 2004
- Location: London, UK
Sorry George!
All I remembered was there was a thread with the words "Plastic" and "Man" in it somewhere. When you're dealing with as much as we do around here, it's hard to keep tabs on specifics!
But, you're right...this is its own topic (hence my not merging them)!
Must admit a bit of a Plastic Man appreciation here too: out of all the more "comic" characters that were "non-heroic" heroes (if ya get my drift), he was always my favorite.
Kyle Baker needs to get himself a new signature though, unless he wants to be seen as a Walt Disney? It never fails to amuse me just how many artists shape their letters in a Disneyfied "signature"...they all do it!
Still, love that concept of the character, even if it is a bit Spumco as Droo says.
All I remembered was there was a thread with the words "Plastic" and "Man" in it somewhere. When you're dealing with as much as we do around here, it's hard to keep tabs on specifics!
But, you're right...this is its own topic (hence my not merging them)!
Must admit a bit of a Plastic Man appreciation here too: out of all the more "comic" characters that were "non-heroic" heroes (if ya get my drift), he was always my favorite.
Kyle Baker needs to get himself a new signature though, unless he wants to be seen as a Walt Disney? It never fails to amuse me just how many artists shape their letters in a Disneyfied "signature"...they all do it!
Still, love that concept of the character, even if it is a bit Spumco as Droo says.
Baker's Plastic Man run initially put me off because of the cartooning style but after I checked out both trades from the library I began to appreciate it. I think he "got it" although his Plas is more jokey than Cole's was. Cole's Plastic Man, as whacky was as his powers were, existed in a surreal world and Plas was often the most sane character in the stories!Randall wrote:Jack Cole's Plastic Man is great stuff. I have a few of the Archive editions. I also enjoyed the Levitz/Staton run in Adventure Comics in the 1970s-80s. The more recent Baker run was an award-winner, but I found it too slight for my tastes; I just didn't warm to it like I felt I was supposed to, based on all the good word on it.
I do have a tape of the old TV show. It's about on par with HB's Dynomutt, which is to say not all that great, but fun nonetheless. I'll welcome it on DVD.
I've read others of Baker's work and own two of his graphic novels, but his Plastic Man was different than his other stuff.
Mark Waid, Grant Morrison, and other current DC writers just do not understand the Plastic Man character. He's been repurposed into a jokey, annoying Jim Carrey-type character that he was never intended to be.
As for the rest of Plas, I've really only enjoyed the classic Jack Cole Plastic Man. Prior to getting my two Plas Archives (Volumes One and Five -- I really need to get the others when I can afford them!), I'd only read reprints of the very first Plastic Man story and the story that introduced Woozy Winks. Since then, I've read through at least Volume Five of the Archives through interlibrary loan.
The library system in my area is great for graphic novels! Somebody in the Columbus library system LIKES graphic novels and orders a lot of this stuff. Unfortunately, most series' runs are incomplete. For instance, the library system has, at most, perhaps the first five-seven volumes of several DC Archives. Many others in this series only have one volume available for borrowing.
The high price tags on these books tends to make them very low sellers.
The best prices I've found for any Archives online or at used bookstores is half-off. I was able to get four of them half-off about two years ago through the Half-Price bookstore chain. Since then, nada. Online you generally get down to about $35 for most Archives.
- AV Founder
- Posts: 7280
- Joined: October 23rd, 2004
- Location: SaskaTOON, Canada
I liked the art OK on Baker's Plas, but even he seemed intent on making Plas too jokey. As you said, the fun of Cole's Plastic Man was that Plas was often the sanest one in the stories. During the Baker run, I stopped after the first storyline.
Plas was way too nutty in the JLA stories. I thought it was brilliant for Morrison to include him, as he is as iconic as the others on the team; but he loses his charm on a team of "straight men", making him by necessity the fool. Ethan Van Scriver is working on a new take, and insists he'll get it right, but until then I'll catch up on my Archives readings, as I still have Volumes 2-4 in shrinkwrap (I lucked out getting them cheap on eBay).
Plas was way too nutty in the JLA stories. I thought it was brilliant for Morrison to include him, as he is as iconic as the others on the team; but he loses his charm on a team of "straight men", making him by necessity the fool. Ethan Van Scriver is working on a new take, and insists he'll get it right, but until then I'll catch up on my Archives readings, as I still have Volumes 2-4 in shrinkwrap (I lucked out getting them cheap on eBay).
I recently met Van Sciver at the Mid-Ohio Con.
Nice guy! He even autographed and personally sketched a Hal Jordan drawing (in green ink!) in my hardcover collection of the Green Lantern: Rebirth mini-series.
He's also got the SAME tastes that I do in Golden Age comics! Big fan of Plas, Captain Marvel, and The Spirit.
I wish him the best with Plastic Man... Nobody's quite gotten it right since Jack Cole, though.
First, though, he needs to finish the Flash: Rebirth series he's doing with Geoff Johns and polish off whatever his part is in next year's GL crossover event, "Blackest Night."
He's one of the few bright spots in comics now.
Nice guy! He even autographed and personally sketched a Hal Jordan drawing (in green ink!) in my hardcover collection of the Green Lantern: Rebirth mini-series.
He's also got the SAME tastes that I do in Golden Age comics! Big fan of Plas, Captain Marvel, and The Spirit.
I wish him the best with Plastic Man... Nobody's quite gotten it right since Jack Cole, though.
First, though, he needs to finish the Flash: Rebirth series he's doing with Geoff Johns and polish off whatever his part is in next year's GL crossover event, "Blackest Night."
He's one of the few bright spots in comics now.