Superman #411 (2024 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

It's the summer of 1985. You go to the local Fast Fare in hopes of the newest issue of Superman. Last issue saw the beginning of a 3-part 'Luthor Trilogy' that promises to cap the age old conflict between the Man of Steel and his greatest arch enemy right before Crisis on Infinite Earths changes everything. You scour the spinner rack where you find issue #411. Only instead of the 2nd part of Superman's battle with Luthor, you're faced with a special birthday issue devoted to DC editor Julius Schwartz!?

Elliot S! Maggin, Curt Swan, Murphy Anderson, John Costanza, Gene D'Angelo, Paul Levitz and Bob Rozakis crafted this September 1985 issue intended to be an oversized birthday to the beloved Superman editor known affectionately as Julie. This issue was planned as a surprise for Schwartz months before. Though you might be wondering how you can keep such an issue secret from the editor of DC's flagship hero. Enter Dick Giordano, who in his role as Vice President-Executive Editor, managed to keep everything under wraps until publication. 

'The Last Earth Prime Story' begins on Earth-One where that world's Julius Schwartz is down on his luck and homeless. Because of the existence of superheroes on that earth, interest in fictional stories about super-powered beings has waned. Hoping to change his fortune on his 70th birthday, Schwartz goes over to the Daily Planet building to ask old friend Perry White for a job but is turned away by White's secretary for his sloven appearance. 

Later in the day, Perry is alerted to Julie's visit and goes out with his wife to find him. When the White's run into Superman, Perry informs the Man of Steel about how Schwartz helped him get into publishing during the early days of Science Fiction pulps. Superman agrees to continue the search when he discovers Julie being held captive at the hands of a deranged member of a spy network who is literally half human/half machine! 

The book ends on Earth Prime at DC Comics headquarters. The Julie Schwartz of Earth Prime, our earth, is in the office enjoying his 70th birthday party. A number of DC talent make cameos in the scene including publisher Jeanette Kahn, Curt Swan and Dick Giordano. Astute fans of Superman history should also note the presence of former Superman editor Mort Weisinger, who appears as a decorative bust in Clark Kent's apartment. Superstars of the golden age of science fiction such as Ray Bradbury, Frederik Pohl and John W. Campbell cameo during the scene where Perry White explains his personal history with Julius Schwartz to Superman.

Julie retired from comics in 1986 after 42 years at DC Comics. In retirement, Schwartz would be a regular guest at comic cons nationwide. Schwartz was DC's editor emeritus until his death in 2004 at age 88.

Completing this review completes Task #44 (A Book Featured in a FB Group Post) of the 2024 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 182

   It's time to go back to 1977. For today's look, I celebrate the 40th birthday of Liv Tyler. 

    Now you might think it's because I'm a fan or I think she's hot. But actually, there's a more sentimental reason I wanted to talk about this celebrity birthday. 

     Liv Tyler over the course of several films played the role of the elf Arwen in the Lord of the Rings movies. Her appearances happened around 2001-2005. 

     At this very same time, my wife and I suffered through several miscarriages. But we didn't name our children at first. It wasn't until 2004 when we both learned that naming your lost children helps with the healing process. Though my wife and I never got to see our babies, by God, we're parents and something about naming them helps make the grieving process real.
  

So you combine parents of rocker Steven Tyler and
model Bebe Buell and you get Liv Tyler.

     If I remember correctly, by this time, we had miscarriage #4- our son Theodred. We decided on his name because there's a scene in Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers when Theoden, Theodred's father looks upon his grave says 'no parent should ever have to bury their own children.' Well, that phrase stuck with Jan and I and from almost that moment forward, child #4, that we were told was male, become Theodred or Theo for short.

     Now we just needed 3 more names. We knew that our third child was a girl but we weren't 100% sure about our 'twins.' Now, I being a geek wanted to name them Luke and Leia. Well, being a huge Carrie Fisher fan, and once having a crush on her, my wife vetoed it. But man did I want Star Wars names for my kids. And boy did I have great one in mind. Yet, I had to sell my wife on it.

     So after something brainstorming, I decided to be diplomatic: I named our daughter Arwen Michelle after both the LOTR character and my wife's middle name. Our first son I named Luke Allen after the celebrated Jedi Knight and Jan's grandfather. Now the doozy- son #2 would henceforth be known as Chewbacaa Mwor-wrowll-rowwll-rowll! And She Agreed!!! But I had to allow that we call him Chewie for short. (Note: Chewie's middle name is Wookiee for He Who Hunts Bounties.)

     So, that's the story of why Liv Tyler deserved to be highlighted for today's A Madman Turns 40 showcase. Just so you know, we have a fifth child, another (confirmed daughter, whom Jan named Jazzmin (and we call Jazzy) after my love of Jazz music. 

      Well, that's my look at 1977 for today. I'll be back again soon to examine another aspect of my favorite year. Until then... Happy Birthday, Liv!

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 59

  Today marks the anniversary of the first killer whale born in captivity. Sadly, this happy birthday wasn't a long one. The creature, born at Marineland in California, only lived a couple of days.

     It would be another 8 years before a killer whale would actually survive and thrive after birth. The first killer whale to survive more than 2 weeks was named Kalina. The Atlantic/Pacific hybrid lived for 15-years and gave birth to at least 4 calves.

    Another first for 1977 but thankfully, not a last. 

    Well, that's my look at my favorite year for the day. Who knows where I'll turn up tomorrow. Until then...

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

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017

The actor in make-up as the elf, Leoglas.

   1977 must be a great year for people being 40 and looking nothing like their age. Lord of the Rings actor Orlando Bloom turns the big 4-0 today. I actually had to triple check this stat as I would swear he wasn't older than 30. And yes, that assumption is based on real looks, not Bloom when he's made up as the elf, Legolas.
    

Bloom in 2000.

     I had to mention this birthday not because I am a huge fan, though my wife and I love the Lord of the Rings (2 of our children and one of our kitties are named after LOTR characters.) No, in this case, Bloom and I share a secret: we're vampires.   

Bloom in 2016. See, I told ya- vampire!

    Alright, I kid about this... but honestly haven't aged since I was 15. Okay, a stray grey hair or two. But if you took a photo of me in 1992, another in 1996, 2007, and today, people couldn't tell which is the latest picture.
     
    What do you expect from someone who still gets carded at G-rated movies...

    Happy Birthday, Orlando!  May neither of us ever truly age!

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 7

   Today marks what would have been my dad's birthday. He would have been 62. Things weren't always the greatest between us and I don't really want to get into that. In fact, my year-long journey of turning 40 is supposed to be positive and fun not doom and gloomy. Nevertheless, reast assured before he passed we had pretty much patched things up.

A B&O engine from 1955, the year my dad was born.

    I tried to find some great stuff on things like where my dad went to high school or the neighborhood he lived in as a child. But in 1977, he was already in college and lived with my mom in some apartment complex that I do not remember the name of, nor to I think it still exists.

The reach of the B&O rail system circa 1977.

     So how best to honor my dad with today's article? And then it hit me! Trains. No, I didn't actually get hit by a train. It's just that for some strange reason my dad and his brothers and at least one of his cousins are huge train lovers or railfans, trains buffs, or as I remember my father calling himself, a railway enthusiast. 

    My dad's favorite train line was the B&O railroad. That stands for Baltimore and Ohio. If it sounds familiar, that' because the B&O is one of the railroads you can purchase in Monopoly. I'm not sure why it's his favorite but I know that my dad was obsessed with all things Baltimore as his favorite cousin Bobby lived in that metropolitan area for a very long time. Plus, he was a huge Orioles fan! 

A Chessie train rides a snowy rail.
Ohio, 1977.

     Another train that my dad was a big fan of was the Chesapeake & Ohio or Chessie for short. I thought it might be because it was my mom's favorite why he liked it so much (the train had a giant cat on it and my mom was a serious cat person. One very rare thing I take after her with.) But upon doing research for today's article I learned that in 1987, B&O, suffering some major financial problems was absorbed by Chesapeake & Ohio. Eventually, the line became CSX, another favorite train line of my dad's. 

    Man, I'm learning so much about him and his love of trains and it's been almost 3 years since he passed. 

A 7619-cs-b&o model engine. Completed in February, 1977
it still operates today.

    Well, that's my trip down memory lane for the day. Come back tomorrow for another look at 1977 as a Madman Turns 40.
    

38 Things I Learned Upon Turning 38

1977- It really is the best year ever for music, movies, and TV! Honest...
1978- There's nothing wrong with wanting an early bird special...
1979- Getting the mumps is scarier than a nuclear meltdown, at least to a 2-year old...
1980- Empire Strikes Back is the Greatest Film Ever Made (and yes, I DO believe in miracles!)
1981-Abuse doesn't have to weaken you. You can suppress it. Sadly, when the memories come racing back, you then have to become strong again.
1982- When you already know how to read, learning the alphabet is
 bo-ring!
1983- You shouldn't scratch your chicken pox, but it feels oh so good...
1984- A Republican can win a presidential election- by a landslide!!!
1985- When this baby hits 88 MPH, you're gonna see some serious shi- (Oops, Language!)
1986- Hands Across America is like Communism- it works on paper but not when you live in the middle of nowhere...
1987-  Breaking your arm isn't all it's cracked up to be.
1988-  You're never too young to read 'A Brief History of Time.'
1989- I'm Batman
1990- Okay, maybe I'm not. Becoming a teenager is hard for some people
1991- Those expensive shoes you're just dying to have are killing my feet.
1992- Families break apart...
1993-  You Must Read the T-Rex escape scene during a massive rain storm. It's amazing!!!
1994-  Life is Like a Box of Chocolates, you never know what your gonna get!
1995- Just because you get baptized- you're not showing the world you are perfect. You're telling people "I'm saved despite my imperfections."
1996- If you peaked in high school, there's nothing left to look forward to in life.
1997- Wearing all black can really ruin a sunny disposition.
1998- You can find true love online (and no it's not a fat guy in disguise as a hot girl.)
1999- You don't have to sleep together or shack up to have a trial marriage. It's a good idea to role play and practice putting your finances together before things get real.
2000- In times when it looks like the world will end, people will fight over green beans opposed to batteries and candles for some reason...
2001- Losing a child doesn't mean you're not a parent anymore...
2002- Getting stranded in an ice storm can actually be kinda fun and rewarding.
2003- There's a first time for everything, like getting fired...
2004-  People will lose their freakin' minds over a flash of areola!
2005-  You will no go to hell or be supporting paganism for watching Harry Potter.
             The movie Madagascar? probably...
2006-  It takes 16 years for people to get their thumb...
2007- Learning to walk again is one of the most important steps you'll ever take.
2008- " If you forgive someone, that doesn't mean you have to see them ever again" is a big fat lie!
2009- ...Sometimes family get mended back together.
2010- Just because you have a BA degree in Area A that doesn't mean you go for the masters. Getting the degree in Area B might be the better choice...
2011- Job offers might not come until after you graduate.
2012- Sometimes the corporate route is better than the scenic route- it might not pay as much, but there are hidden perks they don't teach you about in school...
2013- Your never too old to become an orphan...
2014- The government wants the very best from you- things like your money, time, bodily fluids...
2015- The bullies in your life might have a better job, more money, lots of kids, but if you are a geek and you have tickets to see The Force Awakens a day before anyone else, you're doing okay for yourself.