*WARNING -- ELECTRICITY IS DANGEROUS*

Let's talk about Power Comics today. And what, pray tell, was Power Comics? Power Comics was a series published by Eclipse Comics in the 1980s that reprinted superhero comics done by British talent for the African market. Here's a little of how Dave Gibbons explained it to Jim Salicrup in Comics Interview #16 (October 1984; the place I learned where these stories existed) :

"My agent was approached by a company in Nigeria. They wanted to do a black version of SUPERMAN without having to pay the people who created SUPERMAN. It was called POWER MAN. Probably they should have paid Marvel something. (Laughter.)"

Fast forward a bit, and Eclipse had major success with their repackaging of the "Marvelman" strip from Warrior under the title Miracleman. The name change was necessitated by, you guessed it, Marvel Comics. The twists and turns of Marvelman/Miracleman since then are enough to fill a book (not kidding here), but for our purposes, all you need to know is that it gave Eclipse incentive to search for something that might interest people who bought Miracleman. That's my assumption as to what led to Power Comics.

I mean, you can't fault the logic. On the surface, it seems like a surefire success. First, the stories were produced in the U.K., and the 1980s comics mania for all things British was on par with the 1960s "British Invasion" in music. The art was produced by two men who were eminently bankable (Gibbons and Brian Bolland) at the time. And the book even required relettering just like Miracleman to avoid hassles from Marvel. Hence, "Powerman" becomes "Powerbolt" in Power Comics.

The hitch in this cunning plan is the key difference between Miracleman and Power Comics. While Miracleman features some of the smartest and most challenging comic writing of its era, Power Comics, to be charitable, doesn't. That Nigerian company seemed to seriously question the abilities of its potential readership, and demanded stories that are even less sophisticated than you could imagine. Heck, they even required each panel on each page be individually numbered so no one would get confused about the sequence. So whereas Miracleman is still revered as a landmark, Power Comics is an obscure curio.

The aspect of Power Comics that has always floored me, especially given the concerns of its original sponsor over whether kids would "get" what was happening, is how Powerbolt recovered when he was injured. You see, our intrepid hero's origin is that he was struck by lightning as a child, and this granted him special powers. The lightning even "calls" him when danger is nearby. For reasons I don't recall catching, his only weakness is a snakebite. Naturally, it follows that he gets bitten by snakes almost as many times as gangsters stumbled across stray Kryptonite meteors in 1960s Superman comics.

What does Powerbolt do when he gets a snakebite? Well, here's one extreme example :

You might think there's no way they would actually depict this in a comic book, but you would be wrong :


Wow. And just think, I saved until last to mention Powerbolt's implied prodigious prowess as a lover. Apparently, that Nigerian company thought such a detail was important, too.

A Tale Of Two Annes

If you have seen the TV series ULTRASEVEN, you know that the heroine of the show is "Anne Yuri" (called "Donna" in the now nigh-forgotten Cinar English dub aired on TNT), played by the lovely and talented Yuriko Hishimi. In fact, Hishimi embodies Anne so well that it's hard to imagine anyone else in the role.

But suppose that wasn't always the case?

I have a theory, and I will be the first to admit that I know of no anecdotal support for it. Still, circumstantial evidence for it seems to point to...well, something. My theory is that Yuriko Hishimi was not the first choice to play Anne Yuri in ULTRASEVEN.

Well then, who else might have played the part? This woman.

Anne Mari is not well-known even among Japanese film fans in the West, but it appears she had carved out an impressive career for herself by 1967. So much so, I don't think it would be a stretch to imagine Tsuburaya Productions wanting her as a regular on one of their shows. Plus, there is the fact that she had already played a similar role ("Patra", from Science Patrol India) in an episode of ULTRAMAN.

Also - Anne Mari, Anne Yuri? Is this just chance? Maybe, maybe not.

So, why did Anne Mari not play the part of Anne Yuri, if it was offered to her? Who knows? Maybe she wanted to maintain her film career and felt it might interfere. Whatever the reason, Yuriko Hishimi ended up as the heroine of ULTRASEVEN and it wound up being the defining role of her career. Personally, I like them both.


2010 Commentary : An earlier version of this piece ran on my old Livejournal on September 12, 2005. The omission of a link for my friend M.Y. Chong is mainly because I have no idea what (if any?) site she currently uses.

This article gained an interesting second life after I posted it, and is one of those times when you have to file things under "You just never know!" Why's that? This is why. At least, I think that is the original, as I seem to recall it got a lot of mileage.

Sadly, my own translation attempts and inquiries to others better-versed in Japanese all indicate that Japanese fans are unaware if my theory is true or not. They do, however, appear to be intrigued by it. I wonder if I am the first person to suggest it?

Also, please note that the Japanese blog author felt the need to provide a special translation for the phrase "ended up." Who woulda guessed THAT would be the part that got "lost in translation?"

Everything Old Is New Again

Yesterday was a rather momentous day for the Return of Jetman site. Episode 1 made its return in revamped form, and that marks the beginning of new "airings" of the entire series. Longtime readers might notice some subtle updates and corrections that have been made. Let me tell you, there is very little more frustrating to me as a writer than coming across typos that have eluded me for EIGHT YEARS. Wow.

Reviewing that particular story is an eye-opener to me every time. It was very tentative when Lewis Smith wrote his original drafts back in 1995, and I was definitely very unsure of myself when I wrote this version in 2002. Lewis' work evolved considerably from that initial installment, to the point where he was ready to apply the lessons learned from ROJ to his own creations. He's done that amazingly, as both Gunmetal Black and Seven Spheres Legend can attest. I finally feel confident enough in my own characters that I am ready to do the same thing now, and you've been witnessing some of that evolution happen on this very blog.

I have stated in the past that launching the sequel "New Return of Jetman" series was something of a mistake on my part. I still sort of think that. ROJ tied up very neatly, and there was no real need to do any kind of follow-up. However, I was caught up in the spirit of the story in 2003, and proposed some things to keep that spirit alive after the main story was finished. That stuff became the main thrust of NROJ because it seemed a shame to let it go to waste.

When I began NROJ in 2005, I only envisioned it going on for a year. I had no idea the rollercoaster ride of life that was about to happen to me, and I couldn't have imagined the second series would still be sitting unfinished in 2010. There have been many, many times during the intervening years where I viewed NROJ as a chore and a burden. In fact, the only reason I continued it at all was because I had made it available to the public and therefore felt committed to reaching the end. Otherwise, I would have felt like I cheated everyone that cared about those characters.

So I kept working on NROJ even when I'd just have rather forgotten the whole deal, and something profoundly odd happened. One of my goals in tackling the first series on my own was to prepare myself to write other things. I never felt like I achieved that particular goal, and that was a major disappointment. As I worked on NROJ, sometimes under protest, I found that pushing myself led me to create new and different ideas - ideas that, while building from the experience, were drifting further and further away from writing about a Japanese superhero team.

During the last year or so, I finally realized that the struggles in piecing together NROJ were inadvertently laying the foundation to tell new and different stories when this project was over. It was liberating to throw aside the fear that I was a one-trick pony only capable of compelling people with a fan-made sentai that wasn't even my creation in the first place. I could do my own thing, and have it be totally mine. The Captain Satellite/My World profiles and "Shelly's Story" are examples of that.

"New Return of Jetman" is still not quite finished, but that conclusion is definitely in sight now. And honestly, even if the series was unnecessary from a dramatic point-of-view, it does do a lot of novel things, and addresses some weaknesses I perceived in the first series. I mean, Dirk Dixon alone might be one of my greatest ideas ever, and he works best in the context of this story.

I look back on the last 15 years, and it really sometimes is about the little things. I think I remember the collaboration between Lewis and I on ROJ better than anything else from 1995. Would it have been the same if he had chosen the obvious route and created his Jetman sequel as a starring vehicle for the TV characters, rather than his own original heroes? Would we have sustained interest without his lightning in a bottle creation of Green Wyvern? Would I even be writing any kind of fiction if Lewis hadn't essentially and very generously handed me the keys to his story in 2001 and let me drive it around to see where it took me?

I don't have any answers to those questions, and thankfully, I won't need to find them.

If you haven't tried it yet, now is as good a time as any to check out Return of Jetman. You can still get in the ground floor of this relaunch and experience it like it was new. Even though it is far from perfection, I am still quite proud of the work everyone has put into it.

Question I Was Asked At Work Once

"Is that trashcan on fire?"

The answer, by the way, was "Yes."

My World : Invincible Alliance

It was the day when it seemed that Captain Satellite would surely lose. Third World had launched their most outrageous and potentially devastating raid of all time. An entire squadron of the mammoth Macro Warriors landed throughout Major City and threatened to tear the hero's home base apart. Against one or two of the giant robots, the Captain might have stood a chance. But six? While Captain Satellite and Shelly Ericson unhesitatingly leapt into the fray, they knew their chances of survival, much less winning, were slim.

But just as Third World found strength in numbers, so did the forces of good. From out of the "Minors" district came Urban Nightmare. From MTI's campus came the trio of Blue Behemoth, Drone Man, and Firegirl. And from our nation's capital, the military dispatched a new incarnation of Ultimate American on his very first mission. Gathered as a united front, these seven heroes defeated the Macro Warriors, and dealt a blow to Third World's plans.

After the dust had settled, a proposal was put forth by Drone Man. Why couldn't they join together on a full-time basis as a team? His partners Blue Behemoth and Firegirl agreed that they would come on board such a venture, and Ultimate American too allowed that the idea had some merit. The other heroes, however, weren't quite so sure. Captain Satellite offered that he could join on a part-time basis, but he was so busy that he couldn't make any commitments. Shelly Ericson, on the other hand, flatly declined to be part of what she termed their "glorified pajama party."

And Urban Nightmare? He merely cryptically muttered that he would call them if he ever needed them before slipping away.

Despite this slightly shaky start, the Invincible Alliance was officially formed at this impromptu meeting. Captain Satellite and Urban Nightmare would be listed as "part-time" members on its roll call, with the Nightmare's parting statement interpreted as an acceptance of membership. Captain Satellite deferred the offer of leadership of the group, nominating Ultimate American in his place. Ultimate American was voted into the role handily, much to his dismay. His fellow Alliancers apparently think he has been on the job a lot longer than he has, and don't realize he is essentially the rookie.

Since then, the Invincible Alliance has grown and prospered in its fight against evil. Captain Satellite joined them on select cases, but was just as unable to be a part of the group's nucleus as he predicted. Eventually, he resigned his membership entirely, and recommended the robot Elektroid as his replacement in the ranks. Elektroid's membership led to some friction with Blue Behemoth, but eventually the man beast came around. Even the Urban Nightmare has returned to fight alongside the IA on rare occasions, solidifying his nebulous place on their roster.

The Invincible Alliance has been organized as a non-profit foundation through donations by Paul Mann and other wealthy individuals and interests sympathetic to their cause. It is not aligned with any government (despite Ultimate American's service in the U.S. military), and it carries on its activities through a United Nations charter granting it special status. This allows the Invincible Alliance to function as a truly global troubleshooting force, and to tackle such a disparate problems as dinosaurs emerging from the streets of Paris, space invaders appearing in Tokyo, and the dreaded "Backwards Plague" in Bulgaria.

The Invincible Alliance has established a string of embassies across the world, to allow them to have a central base wherever they need to go. You can be sure to find Blue Behemoth loafing around at whichever embassy is serving as the IA's current headquarters, and Drone Man trying to make sure his buddy doesn't cause too much trouble. Firegirl is usually out enjoying the good life, and Elektroid is trying to satisfy his curiosity about the human experience. And Ultimate American? He does his best to hold it all together. That's a full-time job.


I am a sucker for superhero teams, so when I finally made the decision that Captain Satellite would not be unique in his world, it was a no-brainer that there would be a hero club. "Invincible Alliance" was the name I had long ago settled on as my favorite for such a thing, so here they are. I wanted them to have an origin that was "big", so it is something that has been alluded to in many prior profiles.

There isn't a lot to add about the characters that hasn't been discussed in their individual profiles. I have tried to make an effort to give them a distinct purpose in their fictional world. Their group dynamic and the team's trappings display stray influences from a wide variety of sources, but hopefully they've been mixed together into something a little fresh.

Magneto and Titanium Man

I first learned of the Paul McCartney and Wings song "Magneto and Titanium Man" from, perhaps appropriately, an installment of the "Bullpen Bulletins" page in Marvel comics of the 1970s. Was it Smilin' Stan Lee himself who clued me in via his "Soapbox" column? Probably. That was the sort of thing usually reserved for "The Man" in his personal platform.

I didn't actually HEAR the song until the 1990s, when I caught it on a request show one afternoon. Believe me, I was as surprised as you are now. That motivated me to eventually pick up the Venus and Mars album to get my own copy. That meant that I had a chance to evaluate the tune based on its merits, rather than faded hype and a novelty radio spin.

And the verdict? Much as I hate to say it, there's nothing special about the song. It's slight and pleasant, but other than namedropping the titular duo (and the Crimson Dynamo), it doesn't really stand out compared to Wings tracks like "Jet" or "Band on the Run". It doesn't even have anything to do with the characters. I know the band performed the song alongside pictures of them on tour, but I genuinely get the idea that nobody in Wings knew a thing about them.

Anyhoo, I was chatting with my pal (and Xenorama major domo) David one night, and he revealed to me that he had never heard the song. This sent me on a quest to find a Youtube video for it. I did more than just succeed. I found the video linked below.

This fan video, by user "peachmon", is truly one of the best homemade music videos I have ever seen. It takes two less than perfect elements (mediocre Marvel cartoons and an average McCartney song) and blends them together into something that is greater than the sum of its parts. Truly, this is the way the song should be experienced.



(Magneto was mad! Titanium too!)

Edith Hanson

Edith Hanson is known in the West primarily for her appearances in the TV program THE SPACE GIANTS (Japanese title : MAGMA TAISHI) and the Gamera film variously titled ATTACK OF THE MONSTERS, GAMERA VS. GUIRON, and GAMERA VS. GUILLON. Even then, her name is filed under "obscure trivia" rather than "essential knowledge." Ah, but in Japan? In Japan, she is far better known, and might truly deserve the title "renaissance woman."

Edith Hanson was born August 28, 1939 in Northern India to Methodist missionary parents. One of Edith's siblings was a much older brother named Robert M. Hanson. Robert was a Marine Corps pilot who shot down 25 Japanese planes in WWII before being killed in action in February 1944. That distinction is a little ironic when you consider his sister's later pursuits in that country.

Edith Hanson came to Japan in 1960, and resided in Osaka until 1966. I believe I saw something about a marriage during that time, but my translation skills are not at a level where I'd be willing to say for sure. Regardless, Hanson ended up in Tokyo, and that was where her show business career really took off. After having made her apparent film debut in 1964, she landed a part in the 1966 Toho film ALPS NO WAKAIDAISHO - part of the popular "Wakaidaisho" ("Young Boss") series starring Yuzo Kayama. Though she seems to have curtailed her acting roles since 1987, Hanson has appeared in films as recently as 2003 and on TV as recently as 2006.

What makes Edith Hanson far more worthy of discussion beyond her thespian work is her humanitarian efforts. From 1986-1999, she served as director of the Japanese branch of Amnesty International. She wanted to slow down after leaving that post, but ultimately accepted a position as the director of a non-profit organization called EFA-Japan in 2004. EFA-Japan is dedicated to improving the education and overall situation of children in the countries of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.

Just in case you aren't impressed so far, Hanson is also a published author and essayist. Her credits stretch back at least as far as 1969, and go up to at least 1998. I have no idea if any of her work has ever been published outside of Japan, but getting anything into print at all is a major accomplishment.

I wasn't kidding when I called Edith Hanson a "renaissance woman" in my introduction. In addition to what we've already discussed, she also plays the French horn, and once considered pursuing music professionally. She has also studied Japanese dance, flower arrangement, and tea ceremony. She is a big fan of baseball (the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes were her team before they merged with another club to form the Orix Buffaloes), and, perhaps oddly, professional wrestling. All-Japan Pro Wrestling grappler/owner Shohei "Giant" Baba was a favorite of hers, and she was seen frequently at ringside. She even attended Baba's funeral.

Today, Edih Hanson resides in Tanabe, Wakayama, Japan. She was recently (2010) named a guest professor at Kinki University in Osaka. You can read an English language discussion regarding her work with EFA-Japan at this link.