Emergency! #4

Issue #4 was the final issue of this series. While poor sales of the series wouldn't surprise me considering how much Charlton Comics was floundering by the mid-70s, I think the fact that Emergency! was in it's last season had more to do with it.

Based on the first issue, which I reviewed earlier this week, the story here followed the show's formula a lot more closely. Gage rescues a movie star from a car crash during a rescue call. When photographers capture the actress planting a smooch on Johnny as they exit the ambulance, it sets up a whirlwind romance. Sure, the staff of Rampart Emergency and the crew at Station 51 give the paramedic his fair share of ribbing. That he can deal with. But when the actress starts showing up at all of Squad 51's calls, Johnny finds that he may have to call things off.

At least 2 episodes of the live action version of Emergency! actually involved the paramedics and their rescues being impacted by 'fans.' A third episode had Roy dealing with a former patient who develops a crush on him after he rescues her from an action. But that paramour is never seen on screen. 

A big scene of this issue takes place at the mansion of the starlet. While it wasn't common to have the action take place during Roy and John's free time; it did happen occasionally. One episode that comes to mind is when the guys get invited to a Hollywood actor's house party after they rescued him from an angry bear. 

What was unusual for that scene is that it features in only the second time in franchise history Roy's often mentioned wife Joanne. Until this issue, her only appearance was in the pilot 2 hour TV-movie, 'The Wentworth-Townsend Act.' For a limited one-time brief role with maybe only 2 lines in her only scene, the artist of this issue actually did a reasonable job of capturing the likeness of the actress who played Joanne DeSoto, Kathryn Kelly Wiget. As for who is the illustrator of this issue, once again it's a young John Byrne (Sensational She-Hulk).

As for the likenesses of actors Kevin Tighe and Randolph Mantooth, once more they are spot on. My favorite character, Dr. Early, played by jazz legend Bobby Troup, pops up in the story this time. And Dr. Brackett is in the background in one or two panels. Both good likenesses. But no nurse Dixie! Also missing are the regular crew of Engine 51. No Chet, Mike or Marco. We see someone named Capt. But it's not Captain Stanley nor the actor who portrayed him on TV, Michael Norell. I know that because the character didn't have a thick mustache!

I wonder why none of the minor characters are used in either issue I read. Was it all because of the licensing of likenesses? Seems like such a minor thing. But with Charlton known for being a notoriously penny-pinching publisher, it wouldn't surprise me one bit. 

Again as with issue #1, there's a short prose story. It involved Squad 51 getting called to a domestic disturbance and being held hostage by a gunman. It was a clever story. But like the main illustrated feature, it had an abrupt ending. Let me tell you, that feature ending actually had me scared. The word 'end 'was so tiny that I overlooked it completely. Thus when I turned a page and saw ads, I was afraid that my wife's issue was missing pages. Coming across such a print error has happened to me before. It's infuriating. But thankfully that wasn't the case here.

A much better issue than felt more like an Emergency! comic than just a random story about first responders. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Emergency! #1

Inspired by having just finished an old issue of Dr. Kildare and a back issue surprise that I'll be getting to tomorrow, I raided my wife's tiny comic book collection. My bride is a huge fan of the TV show Emergency! Running on NBC for most of the 1970s, the show followed the crew of station house 51. With the newly formed paramedic program, fire fighters John Gage and Roy DeSoto were tasked with saving the people of Los Angeles County while educating Californians about emergency services. 

At the time of the show, there were roughly 2 dozen paramedic crews operating in a county the size of Connecticut with a population of Chicago occupying it. The landscape varies from densely packed urban sprawl to sparse wilderness areas filled with cliffs, coastline and lush forests. Thus, Roy and Johnny were expected to save lives hanging from the sides of buildings as well as in the middle of a raging wild fire while being coached via a primitive form of cellular phone by the doctors at Rampart Emergency!

This premiere issue based on the TV show doesn't really follow the format of the series. The story has Roy and John responding to a warehouse fire. Then about 10 pages are devoted to a pair of police officers that have never once appeared on the show, trying to find the owner of the building. On about page 12, we return to the paramedics who learn that the fire was a case of arson and radioactive material stored inside has been stolen. With their shift over, Roy goes home for his wife's birthday. Johnny decides to play detective and with the help of the LAPD, finds the culprit and the stolen material. 

I don't understand why a third of the story focused on characters not even on the show. Sure, cops appear on the series from time to time. But, they're secondary characters at best and not once has the action ever shifted away from Roy and John over to the other boys in blue. Yes, occasionally, Roy and Johnny play detective to help solve a crime or some sort of injustice. But they've never done it off the books in the kind of Dirty Harry without guns sort of way like in this issue.

The artwork for this issue was by comics legend X-Men's John Byrne. Equally legendary is the cover artist, Joe Staton (Dick Tracy). So, I was kinda puzzled by a goof made by him at the beginning of the story. Roy tells John that they need to put on air masks before entering the warehouse fire. Yet, that never happens. Plus, I thought that the ending in which the doctors of Rampart callously watch a patient die alone from radiation sickness was just so very unlike the characters. But that sort of blame is on the writer of which whose name escapes me.

I've learned over the past couple of years that some TV/Movie comic adaptations were rush jobs. The purpose of these books was advanced advertising, mostly to kids. In some cases, the characters had yet to be cast and nor were the sets built. There weren't even established scripts to cull from! So the authors and illustrators had to use a lot of creative license. The earliest Dell Star Trek comics were guilty of this. But Emergency! #1 debuted in 1976; several years after the show had already been on air. So, I really don't understand why the departure from the established tropes of the live action original.

The prose short story, included in order for the publication to maintain its first class postage status, captures the show's format almost perfectly. It's about an elderly man who lives alone and how the paramedics rallied around the guy to keep him active and social. Not the most perfectly written story as at one point Johnny tells Dr. Early over the bio-phone to give the patient an IV. That should be the other way around.

Issue #1 wasn't the worst TV adaptation I've ever come across. (A 1980s version of Lost in Space has that current distinction). It's just that a majority of the flaws that occur in this book are things you'd expect in early run books. Not something to find in stuff based on properties already established on TV. Nice renderings of the actors who play Roy and Johnny. And a very youthful but amazing capture of songstress Julie London who played head nurse Dixie McCall. 

It's a good overall interpretation of Emergency! Only it doesn't quite feel like an episode of the 70s medical adventure drama.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 24

Kevin Tighe as Roy DeSoto, Randolph Mantooth as John Gage (L-R)

    My wife's birthday is today. So I thought I would devote today's A Madman Turns 40 to her favorite TV show as a kid and all-time: Emergency!
   
 The show ran from 1972 until May of '77 on NBC. The series starred Randolph Mantooth and Kevin Tighe as paramedics John Cage and Roy DeSoto. Roy is and was my bride's favorite.

The only appearance of Roy's wife, Michelle (center),
taken from the 2-hour pilot.

      At the time of this show, 911, emergency medicine and the paramedic program was in it's infancy. Most episodes revolved around the perils Roy and John would face answering emergencies throughout Los Angeles County. From injured hang gliders to over turned RVs, Roy and John would save the day. Many of these places are remote and without the paramedic program, the victims traditionally would have died from their injuries.

The show's theme was crafted by Nelson Riddle.

Riddle also created the 1966 Batman theme.

    Roy and John were more often than not assisted by their firefighting brothers at Station 51. Mike drove the truck, Engine 51 with wiseacres Chet and Marco assisting with rescues and manning the hoses. Together, the crew put out fires, saved people from power lines, and even had to tackle a sniper once.The man in charge was Captain Stanley (there was another Chef for the show's first season and as a rule in our household, we don't talk of him.)

Squad 51 and Engine 51 leaving the firehouse on call.
Hopefully, they are going to put out a brush fire.
Those episodes are my wife's favorite.

    Roy and John drove the Squad car. In those days, ambulance companies were all privately owned and you had to wait for their arrival. Usually Roy rode in the back of the ambulance with Johnny following them to the nearest hospital which always managed to be Rampart Hospital. (They could be in San Diego and the nearest hospital would still be Rampart in LA...)

    The staff at Rampart consisted of 3 doctors, Kelley Brackett, who despite initially being hesitant of the paramedic program, became Roy and John's biggest advocate. Young M.D. Mike Morton started off as brash and trying to throw his weight around but eventually became a skilled doctor. Bobby Troup rounded out the trio as Dr. Early, an elder statesman with a healthy sense of humor. His in-real life wife, singer Julie London played nurse Dixie McCall, a Korean War nurse who ran Rampart's nursing staff like clockwork.

     Not only was Troup and London married in reality, London was the ex-wife of series creator and producer Jack Webb. Yes- that Jack Webb of Dragnet Fame. Talk about a way to avoid paying alimony- you get not only your ex a steady gig but her hubby too! 

An early photo of husband and wife duo,
Bobby Troup and Julie London.
Pun NOT intended!

   Jack Webb's production company Mark VII Limited crafted a total of 129 episodes. Along with the live action series, an animated version aired from 1973-76 called Emergency+4. There was also action figures, toy emergency kits, comic books, board games, and a couple of lunch boxes marketed during the shows run.

During Emergency's first season, characters from Adam-12,
another Mark VII show, made cross-over appearances.
But in a season 4 episode, Johnny is upset that a
call keeps him from watching Adam-12 on TV.
Cue Wa-waaaah music...

    As mentioned earlier, Emergency! ran until 1977. But the show wasn't over then. Over the next 2 years, a total of 6 movies of the week continued the adventures of Roy and John. At this point in their careers, the guys had become captains and went to various cities to educate and observe in their paramedic programs. My wife has mixed emotions about these films as Roy and John play some really diminished roles in them.

     Though Emergency! has technically been off the air for 40 years, the show's legacy lives on. Hundreds of young boys and girls were inspired by the show to pursue a career as a fireman, EMT, or doctor thanks to this show. For a couple of brief years, Emergency! aired in rerun on TV Land and inspired another generation to the point that another favorite show of my wife's, Chicago Fire, have an Engine #51 and at least twice had characters mention how the show impact them to serve others. 

First Season Promo for my wife's new favorite show.

      Before I go to celebrate my wife's special day, I want to share with you her present. It's an episode from a short-lived 1974 TV show called Sierra. In this episode, Roy and John from Emergency! crossover to help the rangers at the Sierra National Park establish their own paramedic program. Even though Roy and John have a very limited role, this is something my girl has never seen before, so it's like finding her a lost episode. (Sorry it's in 6 parts and not in the best quality...)

   Enjoy...

   Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6