SPACE GHOST GETS A FRESH LOOK FROM DC

[MattBrady]

<a href="http://www.newsarama.com/DC/SpaceGhost01.jpg"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/DC/SpaceGhost01_t.jpg" width="175" height="266" border="0" hspace="1" align="right"></a>DC Comics has confirmed for Newsarama that Joe Kelly and Ariel Olivetti are currently working on a six-part <b>Space Ghost</b> miniseries that will fully tell the origin of the hero and update him for a more realistic a modern sensibility. Yep – he’s coming out from behind the desk.

“It’s Space Ghost played straight,” Kelly said. “And I’m handling Year One.”

Initially, Kelly explained, DC was reluctant to explore the possibilities of Space Ghost as an action character in comics, but – to his continued surprise, winds shifted. “I can’t believe they actually went for it,” Kelly said. “It’s really a hardcore, pulp-feel story, with him being betrayed by the police force and taking his revenge. It’s really dark, and it’s going to be a blueprint for them to revamp the character and keep it going.”

Checking in with a bit of history, Space Ghost was created by Alex Toth for a Hanna-Barbera animated series which ran from 1966 through 1968. Neither Space Ghost’s origin nor identity were ever revealed, nor was the reason why he partnered with two teens, Jace and Jana (fraternal twins), and their pet monkey (not related), Blip.

While the character remained popular thanks to syndication since 1968, the character gained a cult following once again thanks to <i>Space Ghost Coast to Coast</i>, which returned him to an animated series, albeit this time, a talk show on Cartoon Network. On the series, Space Ghost interviews live celebrities, while villains from the original animated series, Zorak, Brak, and Moltar play supporting, if not outlandish roles.

<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/DC/f_Ghost_Ani.jpg" width="175" height="179" border="0" hspace="1" align="left">Obviously, there will be no celebrity interviews in this outing.

“I haven’t gotten to Blip yet, but I know how Jace and Jana fit in,” Kelly said. “Essentially, the first arc is his betrayal, and his path of revenge, how he climbs out of it, and becomes a more righteous kind of guy. By the end of the first six issues, he’s not yet the guy from the original Hanna-Barbera cartoons - he’s not that good yet. That is, if he was ever <i>really</i> that good. In doing a redefinition of him, you can play him a little more mysterious and a little darker. It’s a really fun story – Zorak is in it in a <i>Starship Troopers</i> sort of way, and shows up with all these bugs.”

On the art side, in an interview with the Zonacomics website (http://www.zonacomics.com/entrevistas/archivo/olivetti/index.htm), Olivetti recently said that he has been working on the miniseries for the past few months, and is currently working on the second issue. Covers for the miniseries will be produced by Alex Ross.

“Ariel’s been doing this computer-painted style – he’s done a couple of covers that kind of look like what he’s doing in <b>Space Ghost</b>, and it looks really cool,” Kelly said. “It’s got a real slick feel to it, as well as this odd blend of new tech and pulpy art – it’s a really weird mix, but it’s going to work really great.

The miniseries is currently unscheduled.

[Daredevil_blind]

Bad to the bone. That sounds very cool.

[tralfaz]

oh my god



whaaaaaa whoooooooo

[Jack Burton]

This is so sweet!!!

[joeker_1]

Cool. Now where is the Aqua Teen Hunger Force Comic.

[mpg]

this is insanity

completely unexpected

i love it :)

[Longshot]

Word. this is cool.

I don't remember the orginal too well, but i do remember that he coud turn invisible (hence the "ghost" perhaps?) and that he had some relationshp to those humanoids who lived on the planet with all the wierd monsters (gloop & gleep, that triceratops-looking thing that shot rock out its "spike," etc.)

I hope this is as good as it looks.

[tralfaz]

uh, was i hallucinating when i clicked on that site for the interview?

did those pages say Superman/Batman vs Alien/Predator ?

oh man... cant contain excitement. ANd to think, I clicked because I wanted to know what Ariel Olivetti was up to

[Cayman]

Wow, this comes out of left-field and it looks really cool actually. I've admired Ariel Olivetti's work for some time now and the preview image looks excellent. I may just give this a try.

Cay

[Truthseeker]

WOOOOHOOOOOOO!! Man I can't wait for this! I love Space Ghost in all his forms. I can not wait for this.

[Simon DelMonte]

Well, if the right Joe Kelly - the one who wrote Superboy - shows up, this could be really good.

[OM]

...Actually, there *has* been sort of a hint of Space Ghost's origin. In the Gold Key one-shot from when the show first premiered, there's this one panel scene where SG is receiving the "knowledge and the laws" of the Universe from some higher power shooting the info directly into his brain via some sort of contraption while SG is reading a big thick tome.

Of course, the only reason I remember this is because Dan Spiegle did the art...:-) :-)

Cool!

Birdman should be next, followed by Blue Falcon.

[OM]

Originally posted by ManofTheAtom
Birdman should be next, followed by Blue Falcon. ...Without Dyno-Mutt, natch. Although I'd rather see Frankenstein Jr, with my luck it'll turn out to be nothing but recycled <i>Sentinel</i> stories :-P

...One other thing that should be addressed - Space Ghost's ancestor being Mightor. That *did* get brought up in the original series, IIRC.

[Taylor Porter]

I guess I'm the only one that thinks this is pointless.

The series might be good, and I do like those sort of pulp/sci-fi action stories. I think Kelly and Olivetti are talented guys, too.

But why Space Ghost? What's the point in using this character if you're going to play him straight?

I'd be a lot more interested in this if it was a new character.

Originally posted by OM
...Without Dyno-Mutt, natch. Although I'd rather see Frankenstein Jr, with my luck it'll turn out to be nothing but recycled <i>Sentinel</i> stories :-P

...One other thing that should be addressed - Space Ghost's ancestor being Mightor. That *did* get brought up in the original series, IIRC.

I didn't know that.

How about the Impossibles?

The Galaxy Trio would make a great serious comic.

[tralfaz]

Originally posted by Taylor Porter
I guess I'm the only one that thinks this is pointless.

But why Space Ghost? What's the point in using this character if you're going to play him straight?


why you gotta be such a hata?

[Ionicavenger]

As much as I hate the retro craze sweeping through the industry (GI, tf, BotP, Thundercraps, etc) I think this is going to rock hardcore!

[Fazhoul]

Space Ghost played straight? Written by Joe Kelly, one of the two reasons I dropped the JLA? And they changed SG's costume! They fucked with an Alex Toth design? I'm not liking it.

[CaptainTemerity]

I am so in on this one! I just e-mailed my comic shop and requested it be put on my pull list.

I love my comic shop.

[Fazhoul]

Nevermind. I was trying to post an image but all that shows up is the little red "x".

[boyfriend]

Originally posted by tralfaz
uh, was i hallucinating when i clicked on that site for the interview?

did those pages say Superman/Batman vs Alien/Predator ?

oh man... cant contain excitement. ANd to think, I clicked because I wanted to know what Ariel Olivetti was up to

NO FREAKIN' JOKE!

Where's the story on THIS?!

[xdemon]

If they start reviving the Hanna-Barbera's World of Super Adventure characters, do you think there is a chance of someone doing a book about the Fantastic Four? I know that H-B did a series with them and I think they would make a great series.

Hey, why not do FOUR series with each appealing to a different demographic?

Any takers?

[Dave Accampo]

Originally posted by Taylor Porter
I guess I'm the only one that thinks this is pointless.

The series might be good, and I do like those sort of pulp/sci-fi action stories. I think Kelly and Olivetti are talented guys, too.

But why Space Ghost? What's the point in using this character if you're going to play him straight?

I'd be a lot more interested in this if it was a new character.

I see where you're coming from. It all comes back to name recognition, I guess. With so many properties vying for a limited amount of spending cash, you do anything you can to make yours stand out. Using a familiar name is a common trick.

It also makes sense to me in a fashion trend sort of way. Space Ghost has gone so far down the comedy route, the only refreshing change of pace would be to play it completely straight.

I don't really care if it's new or old. On its own merit, the approach seems pretty cool. The only thing causing me to hesitate here is Joe Kelly. Man, if this was, say, (pre-screenwriter) James Robinson, I'd be all over it. Kelly...hmmm...a cautious wait-and-see attitude, I think.

[ManWolf]

I don't know, you're messing with a cartoon icon here.

[tralfaz]

Originally posted by boyfriend
NO FREAKIN' JOKE!

Where's the story on THIS?!

in the article there's a link that directs you to another website that has an interview with Ariel. On the sidebar there are pics of his works... three of them are labeled Superman/Batman vs Alien/Predator

[Taylor Porter]

Originally posted by tralfaz
why you gotta be such a hata?

Not trying to hate this or anything. I do think it might be good. I just don't get why they're doing it to Space Ghost. The name-recognition is the only answer, and that's kind of a crappy excuse. If I do read this, I'll just have to pretend it's a different character in my mind. It's not a big deal, and I'm not the type to get uptight about changes to continuity and such, but it still just seems pointless.

[willyd]

Originally posted by Fazhoul
Space Ghost played straight? Written by Joe Kelly, one of the two reasons I dropped the JLA? And they changed SG's costume! They fucked with an Alex Toth design? I'm not liking it.

SERIOUSLY. I'm VERY surprised Ross is doing covers for this, since he has said several times that the Toth design for Space Ghost is one of the best ever. I would imagine they gave HIM the opportunity to revamp it, to earn his seal.

Glad I'm not the only one who found Kelly's JLA run unreadable Morrison-derived garbage.

The real question is, are Joe Kelly and Joe Casey the same person? :p

[Jeffbot]

Brak had better be involved somehow.

Spaaaace Ghooooost!

[sythspawn]

Originally posted by Fazhoul
Space Ghost played straight? Written by Joe Kelly, one of the two reasons I dropped the JLA? And they changed SG's costume! They fucked with an Alex Toth design? I'm not liking it.

Call me crazy, but I recall reading in the article that it would be a 'YEAR ONE' sort of story. Perhaps he hasn't GOTTEN into the Toth-designed costume yet.

[I-Ching]

This looks really interesting, I might have to check this out.

Hopefully this stupid updating and modernizing of his look won't last past this "year one" type story. Why mess with a great Alex Toth design? You'll NEVER improve it and besides, the Space Ghost hood/mask and cape are just too cool. We need that kind of super-hero fun and none of this supposed "modernizing" crap.

He looks too much like Tom Strong right now, love Joe Kelly though so this does hold promise.

[Mr Wesley]

I avoid the 80s retro books like the plague that many of them are. I also wait for the trade when it comes to mini-series.

This, I'm getting.

I've loved Space Ghost for as long as I can remember. I loved the original 60s adventures (even though I didn't see them for several years), I loved the 80s re-vamp with Space Spectre. And I especially love the Desk Jockey years.

And if you go back and take a closer look at the original adventures, I think you'll see that he's
always had that pulp hero feel.

This sounds like a grand, old fashioned space opera adventure like you'd hear on the radio in the 30s. Like the Lone Ranger in Space. In fact, if the outfit in the illustration is his police uniform, this story may have several parallels to the Lone Ranger's origin. (The Lone Ranger was a Texas Ranger who was the lone survivor from an ambush. He abandoned the Texas Rangers to serve justice all over the West.) I'm sure the costum we see here will eventually become the one we all know and love.

Very much looking forward to this.

[tralfaz]

Originally posted by willyd


The real question is, are Joe Kelly and Joe Casey the same person? :p no way, kelly wouldnt be able to write wildcats v3 if he tried

[Jack Burton]

I think he will have his classic costume. I think that the art from above is before he became Space Ghost. Honestly I don't think DC would screw around with a classic design and if they did Alex Ross certainly wouldn't do covers for it.

[Leroy]

suspicious, but curious...a probable buy.

[MindTricked]

My god, I can't believe I'm going to buy this! Wow - completely unexpected, and with A+ talent, to boot. This should be damn good.

Hmmmm... Jace and Jana. Good god, I must be the slowest Star Wars fan on the planet for not realizing that the fraternal twins of Han and Leia, Jacen and Jaina, share a scarily similar state of affairs. Heh - all they need is a monkey (but, really - don't we all need a monkey?). [/geek]

[Arashikage Ninja]

Originally posted by sythspawn
Call me crazy, but I recall reading in the article that it would be a 'YEAR ONE' sort of story. Perhaps he hasn't GOTTEN into the Toth-designed costume yet.

That's exactly what I was thinking. Hoping too I guess. This looks awesome. Alex Ross doing covers only sweetens the deal.

And I know I'm the only one who's obsessed with Deadpool here, but Joe Kelly is one of only like 3 or 4 people that got that character right. His couple year run on the Deadpool ongoing was also great. I never really got into anything of his since though, so maybe he's gone downhill.

[Lukecage_2099]

My interest is definetely peaked. I still occasionally watch the 60's and 70's versions on Cartoon Network/Boomerang. I can't get into the SGCTC version.

Maybe next DC will do a Herculoids comic book. I always wondered about the origin of the family and those damn creatures that hung out with them (especially those silly putty creatures)

[BoomBot]

This looks really cool and I'll probably get it. Ariel's art looks awesome and I think that's an older costume and he'll get the classic one later.

The series is based on Space Ghost because that's where they got the idea and Kelly wanted to delve into him, not create a new character. I think it'd be cool to get a comic series that's a little more mature on Space Ghost, and here it is.

[gwangung]

Space Ghost. Year One. And some folks are complaining that "they're tinkering with the classic costume"? C'mon, guys, you're not doing much to show comic fans have IQs over room temperature....

[jawaplumber]

Count me in :) Always wanted to see an attempt at something like this with Space Ghost, one way or another.

And come on, how frickin' easy is it to figure out that if this is a Year One story, that costume is just something he's wearing temporarily, before actually becoming Space Ghost? For crying out loud, some people just INVENT shit to bitch about.

[jawaplumber]

Originally posted by Taylor Porter
Not trying to hate this or anything. I do think it might be good. I just don't get why they're doing it to Space Ghost. The name-recognition is the only answer, and that's kind of a crappy excuse. If I do read this, I'll just have to pretend it's a different character in my mind. It's not a big deal, and I'm not the type to get uptight about changes to continuity and such, but it still just seems pointless.

I think you'd be surprised that a lot of fans of the old Hanna Barbera super-heroes have wanted to see something like this for awhile. It isn't name recognition, it's about seeing a different approach to a character many people remember fondly. Specifically, a serious approach because the other approaches have been so light, making for an interesting contrast.

As an aside, I'm a fan of both the classic Space Ghost and the 90's comedy version. They are proof that you can indeed successfully adapt a super-hero style character to any genre you want to play in, one of the greatest qualities that super-heroes in general possess :)

[gorillaboss]

Originally posted by OM
...Without Dyno-Mutt, natch.


You CAN'T have Blue Falcon without Dyno-Mutt, Dog Wonder.

Batman without Robin?
Green Hornet without Kato?
Superboy without Krypto?
Bart without Milhouse?


A hero needs his sidekicks, and Blue Falcon is just another dark avenger of the night without his mechanical hound!

[Hannibal Tabu]

I'm gonna need to lie down for a bit ...

Seriously, I like the idea of a "pulp" approach, and I have some vague interest in this. Mostly because I would love to imagine this grim bastard becoming the goofy Hanna Barbera guy, or the even goofier Cartoon Network guy.

Is it just me, or was Blue Falcon, Space Ghost, Birdman, and probably a few more the exact same character (in terms of personality) in different locales?

[PopCulture]

Covers for the miniseries will be produced by Alex Ross.
Let Alex Ross do the covers for anything and it'll sell. I'll put it on my list too!

[jerkyboy]

Originally posted by Taylor Porter
I guess I'm the only one that thinks this is pointless.

The series might be good, and I do like those sort of pulp/sci-fi action stories. I think Kelly and Olivetti are talented guys, too.

But why Space Ghost? What's the point in using this character if you're going to play him straight?

I'd be a lot more interested in this if it was a new character.

Um, becuase he;s SUPPOSED to be played straight? It was Cartoon Network that made a mockery of this good character, not the other way around.

[Darth Presley]

"It’s really a hardcore, pulp-feel story, with him being betrayed by the police force and taking his revenge. It’s really dark..."

What the hell?
Is this 1989?
A "Grim-N-Gritty" Space Ghost?
What is the freakin' point indeed?
Can we get a fresh idea here, please?

I hate "Coast to Coast" but just play the Ghost STRAIGHT, guys. This idea sounds soo tired and you know what? It's NOT Space Ghost.

Do it right if you're gonna do it. Like the Comico Steve Rude/Mark Evanier Space Ghost. That is true to the character.

Dan Spiegle rules.

Alex Toth rules more.

This "new" Space Ghost stands on the shoulders of giants and craps on their head.

Totally bankrupt.

[gwangung]

Originally posted by Darth Presley
"It’s really a hardcore, pulp-feel story, with him being betrayed by the police force and taking his revenge. It’s really dark..."

What the hell?
Is this 1989?
A "Grim-N-Gritty" Space Ghost?
What is the freakin' point indeed?
Can we get a fresh idea here, please?

I hate "Coast to Coast" but just play the Ghost STRAIGHT, guys. This idea sounds soo tired and you know what? It's NOT Space Ghost.

Really? For it's time, Space Ghost was fairly grim. Certainly wasn't a sweetness and light character when I saw him in the 60s....

[Bytor-Snowdog]

DC proves yet again why they're so cool. Yeah!

[Rodrigo Baeza]

Originally posted by tralfaz
uh, was i hallucinating when i clicked on that site for the interview?

did those pages say Superman/Batman vs Alien/Predator ?

oh man... cant contain excitement. ANd to think, I clicked because I wanted to know what Ariel Olivetti was up to

Yes, it's Batman and Superman vs. Aliens and Predator. The art for that is finished. For a brief translation of what was originally posted in the Zonacomics.com site, check my blog (where this and the Space Ghost info was published almost 3 weeks ago):
http://rodrigobaeza.blog-city.com/read/427323.htm

Rodrigo Baeza
http://rodrigobaeza.blog-city.com

[Dave Fury]

Hey everyone, I did my best trying to translate this from Spanish to English.

Olivetti: Among Superheroes, Aliens and Ghosts

ZC: In which you are working at this time?

Olivetti: Some months ago that I began with the The Ghost of the Space, a miniserie for DC with hyphens of Joe Kelly. The idea behind this project is to return to count the origin of The Ghost of the Space, giving him a wave that leave of the childlike thing to be able to integrate it inside the universe DC. At first are six numbers, but if the things turn out well I calculate that they will transform it into a regular series. By luck is a project al that seems that DC enough importance is giving it. The covers, for example, goes them to do Alex Ross.

ZC: When it they are going to publish?

Olivetti: I suppose that they waited for that this all finished to begin to publish it, since recently I am doing the second number. And by the technique that am using, carries myself but or less two months to finish each one.

ZC: Which is that technique?

Olivetti: The same one that come using time ago, since did the covers for X-Man. It goes all painted by hand, but with the computer. Although it is not the technical classic of colored by computer. Use a called team Cintiq, that is basically a monitor that acts like panel. And on that you draw with the pencil óptico. Has all the advantages of the Wacom Tablet, but goes a little beyond, since not dibujás on the tablet but it hacés directly on the drawing. That it gives you more precision. Therefore, although the tool be a computer, is a work painted by hand, remains as if used acrylic. With the advantage that yourself do not you stain the fingers. It is somewhat quite craft, but equal I come with a good one training: does some months finish a work that is fact totally with that technique.

ZC: Also for DC?

Olivetti: If, in reality is going to to be published among DC and Dark Horse, because is a crossover in which participate Superman, Batman, aliens and predators. They are almost 100 pages, a good training for what I am doing now.

ZC: While ago that do not you use pencil and ink then..

Olivetti: Pencil in reality if, because in the two works that have just to name all is worked on the pencil since the Photoshop and the Painter. But the last pencil that passed to ink went for the covers of Green Lantern that did at the end of the 2002 and that they finished of to be published does little. And that they were colored with the technical classic of colored digital for ink, nothing that to see with what I am doing now.

ZC: The cover of Green Lantern 169 leaves a little the style of the others that you did for that series ¿used some technique particularly?

Olivetti: If, for that cover I did the pencil, I passed it to ink and after scanning it I worked it almost completely in the Painter, when in general I am used to using more the Photoshop. What it happens is that the Painter has some very private feathers that they permitted me to do a tramado very worked. From there you left those figure in the style of Breccia.

ZC: Speaking of Breccia.. Tenés something that to see with the series of Swamp Thing that the is drawing?

Olivetti: Not a great deal. My woman and Martín, the son of Enrique, are being in charge of the colors. And I only correct some things. And of the pencil and the ink is entrusted Breccia. Also of the covers, that is coloring them by hand with acrylic.

ZC: How went you with the colorists in the historietas in which vos did not you take charge of the color?

Olivetti: In the case of JLA Haven, a miniserie of 10 episodes so that I did for DC a time ago, by luck all remained very well. The colorists worked very well, even I feel that they enriched my work. But sadly always is not thus, there are times in which directly you cagan the work. What they did in Marvel with the series X-Man went of terror. I had a fondista that was killed doing the fund and when it put the color remained any thing, all badly.

ZC: Solés to do him proposals to the publishers, or simply entrust you a work and vos it dibujás?

Olivetti: It can pass from any of the two ways. At times they propose me works, and other ask me that would please me to draw and I them shot some ideas. That it was the case of the project as a group with Dark Horse, I threw the idea to face to Superman and to Batman with monstrous personages, as entertaining me a little doing what pleases me. From there they managed to put according to Dark Horse and the project did well.

ZC: You prefer to work with personages already defined or to enjoy the liberty that gives you to create a new personage?

Olivetti: The ideal thing is what I am doing now with The Ghost of the Space, that is a personage that was created time ago but that he one must reinvent it, writing his history from zero. With the screenwriter we go working at par, because go arising many new things on the march. Therefore it would charm me that the regular series leave. Would be something very pretty: to have a regular series of a personage al that practically I gave it birth. Likewise to my entertains to draw the personages that read when was boy: pleases me to draw Superman, Batman and any another superhéroe, by more defined that he be.

ZC: Never it occurred himself you to aim toward the European market?

Olivetti: I have all the contacts by United States, therefore always I work for there. Such time if in some moment I rot of the superhéroes harms to look at for Europe. But for now it do not I believe, what I am doing results me quite amusing.

[Cartoon Jay]

Weird. I'm in.

[FIG]

Originally posted by mpg
this is insanity completely unexpected
i love it :)

My thoughts exactly, I can't wait.:)


And Dave, please don't make us sit through a translation like that again. Next time I'll do it seeing how I'm bilingual. Just ask and make sure the interview isn't too long.

[Kerouac]

Batman without Robin?

It worked in Batman: Year One just fine. Come to think of it, it's been working in the core Batman books for years. I like Robin around, but I don't think he needs to be around all the time, or even MOST of the time.

Matt

[Kerouac]

So anyway, here's hoping Kelly can manage to keep his politics out of this one. 'Cause Lord knows, the last thing I want to read is "Space Ghost's" opinions on the Iraq war.

Matt

[Caramuru]

Originally posted by Kerouac
So anyway, here's hoping Kelly can manage to keep his politics out of this one. 'Cause Lord knows, the last thing I want to read is "Space Ghost's" opinions on the Iraq war.

Matt
Oh, I don't know. I think Zorak would make a great Saddam.

[Dirty Vader]

Some years ago I read an article ( I guess it was in Wizard Magazine ) about an art by Alex Toth of Space Ghost's look without his mask, and he was supposed to have a blonde curly hair, so I'm a bit surprised with this "Superman" look portraied by Ariel Olivetti.
Unfortunately, I don't have the aforementioned art to scan and show to you.

Regards,

Dirty Vader

[NeoXorn]

This is one title that needs to be on a comic shopping list. I hope it delivers.:)

[Richard Werder]

Originally posted by Taylor Porter
I guess I'm the only one that thinks this is pointless.

The series might be good, and I do like those sort of pulp/sci-fi action stories. I think Kelly and Olivetti are talented guys, too.

But why Space Ghost? What's the point in using this character if you're going to play him straight?

I'd be a lot more interested in this if it was a new character.

Glad to see I wasn't the only who read the header and thought "what's the point?" SG is so linked with comedy in my eyes now that this just seems stupid.

[Xaraan]

Ultimate Space Ghost.



Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet

[Nick Wyche]

I've always been relatively fond of Joe Kelly's writing, I think Ariel Olivetti is a fine artist, but... this is just so wrong.
To take a wonderful character like Space Ghost, something fun and powerful, and turn it into something like this. If there were justice Alex Toth will be picketing DC office's and torching this thing in any and every press venue he can reach.

Like a couple of other posters have pointed out, Space Ghost was done perfectly in comic book form by Mark Evanier and Steve Rude for Comico years ago. ANY further outings should follow that lead.

This is just a horrible, horrible, mistake.

[FigNewton]

Originally posted by Darth Presley
What the hell?
Is this 1989?
A "Grim-N-Gritty" Space Ghost?
What is the freakin' point indeed?
Can we get a fresh idea here, please?

I hate "Coast to Coast" but just play the Ghost STRAIGHT, guys. This idea sounds soo tired and you know what? It's NOT Space Ghost.



I have to say I kinda agree with the basic idea here. I like the idea of Space Ghost being played straight instead of for kicks (though I loved that as well), but making it grim and gritty seems the wrong way to go.

However, I WILL be checking the series out, hoping for the best.

[hoymurphy]

Now we can read the untold story of Space Ghost's evil twin Chad and maybe the origin of the spank ray. All told realistically, of course.

--your pal, Hoy

[Zig Zag Wanderer]

Originally posted by ManWolf
I don't know, you're messing with a cartoon icon here.

To be fair, SG has been messed with so much now that anything goes.

(FWIW, I loved SG:CTC)

[rjjb7]

A gritty SPACEGHOST reboot.

Totally bizarre.

Which of the Hanna-Barbara characters is next to be D.C. Knighted?

[Royal Nonesuch]

Well, next up, Thundarr the Barbarian.

[stlfan79]

I got a hard on reading this.

[Kerouac]

Oh, I don't know. I think Zorak would make a great Saddam.

Good point. He killed enough relatives that it's not entirely out of the realm of possibility that he ate a couple, Zorak-style. ;)

Matt

[yehbbyeh]

So, who exactly is Mightor or Bightor or whatever the name of his ancestor was?

Furthermore, this is off-topic, but I remember a show that I saw when I was a little kid (I was born in 74) that seemed a little dated, so it was probably from the late 60's or early 70's that mixed live action and animation that was centered around some young kids in their early teens. It was either a boy and a girl or two boys and a girl. One of the shows took place underwater and I remember it showed them swimming, but it would use the same shot everytime it showed them swimming, and somehow it was made so they were ok underwater. Does anyone have any freaking clue what I'm talking about or what the name of the show was?

[arthurcurry]

at this point hating something with SpaceGhost would just be stupid, to start saying that playing him serious would hurt him, that messing with his costume is bad, that they're messing with a cartoon icon....'messing' why look at it that way?

why would anyone that fancies SpaceGhost be mad that he will be in the comic book spotlight? the character hasn't seen the light of day in decades besides the humorous take on Cartoon channel.

this is great news, two very competent creators will be doing him, the character will be updated and will be seen by a whole new generation, all those of us who discovered him on tv when we were kids will be seeing this great character again for the first time in years! at least in a serious manner.

DC this is one of the coolest things you got going for you in this year...Space Ghost rules, and as for the couple of naysayers out there...you're just plain bitter.

[gwangung]

Originally posted by arthurcurry
at this point hating something with SpaceGhost would just be stupid, to start saying that playing him serious would hurt him, that messing with his costume is bad, that they're messing with a cartoon icon....'messing' why look at it that way?.

'Cause there are an awful lot of fetishists who are determined to embalm a character in the way that THEY remember (never mind that others may remember that character differently or that a given approach is actually pretty consistent with the original version)(think Batman of the 1970s....creature of the night, but still pretty human....).

[Tue Sorensen]

Looks like a Tom Strong rip-off to me. :-)

[ZacWilliam]

I'm surprised how many responces this article's gotten. It's good to see Space Ghost is that popular.

My thoughts on playing it straight: Good. As someone who grew up watching the original "straight" cartoons I love this idea. Coast to Coast was a funny joke when it began but it became played out fast for me. It's nice to see the character returned to his routs and updated along those lines. I'l definately but it.


It's great to hear they're giving him an origin too. Now NEXT they should do the same for the Herculoids (they did meet SG several times). If there was ever a cartoon that needed an origin... I mean:

A man who is known across the galaxy and seems to be of normal modern intelligence level (or greater) for some reason lives on a primitive planet like a caveman with his wife and son and five unstopable, one of a kind, super-powerful monsters called the Herculoids that obey his commands and fight the aliens come from across the galaxy to try and capture and use them as weapons.

There's definately a backstory of some sort there we never learned and I'd love to hear it.

[tralfaz]

i gotta say I dont see the whole "reminds me of tom strong" thing. when was tom strong ever a space cop?

also this grim and gritty stuff people seem to be pointing out, i dont see it that way. i see how they could make a serious situation into a fun romp. I could see them making ZOrak into a Dr. Smith type character, that would be fun.

anyway, regardless of what happens, im just glad DC is doing something with one of my favorite characters from cartoons

[AllAboutMe]

They said 'LOOKS like Tom Strong,' not reminds them of the story or character of Tom Strong. The big triangle and color scheme is what draws comparisons here.
It's interesting to see SG return. I certainly do hope and assume that the image of SG is an early SG before he dons his identity and costume for reasons to be revealed.
I did really dig the Rude/Evanier interpretation of SG years ago, but think that sensiblility would not keep the book going too long. I still think Rude would be better suited to draw this book because he is a major talent and can do pulp. Not to mention Ariel is overrated in my book.
BY THE WAY: Pulp does not mean grim and gritty, folks! Batman: Year One is a pulpy (look out, Paul Levitz's ears are burning) book and I would not qualify that as the 'grim n gritty' sterotype that happened in the late 80's early 90's. Grim and Gritty has become a bad thing and it never should have.
Joe Kelly needs to figure out the whole Blip situation. The world needs monkey redemption as we are still smarting after the Gleek fiasco.

[CapPixel]

Space Ghost by Kelly/Olivetti? cool!
Now, if only there could be a Superfriends comic version...

uh? what do you say? is there a comic version of sf? what? sf is a cartoon version of a comic? really? didn't know that.

btw the new costume... ok it's a semplification of the old one, but seems to be influenced by Supreme's one... or am i wrong?

ps: any comic company interested in a revival of the Centurions PowerXtreme cartoon? i'd love it

[J.D. Lombardi]

Originally posted by ManWolf
I don't know, you're messing with a cartoon icon here.

Was this tongue in cheek? :) Because really they're not messing with it anymore than they were placing the comicbook Batman into the arena of a futuristic Batman Animated Series.

Its ok to have different takes of a character. (look at Marvel)
Plus, there isn't really a Space Ghost comic burning up the charts anyways...so some exposure, especially be this top-notch team...is welcomed.

[Alex Clarke Kent]

Originally posted by CapPixel

btw the new costume... ok it's a semplification of the old one, but seems to be influenced by Supreme's one... or am i wrong?

I don't think it's a "new" costume. I think it's supposed to be Space Ghost's police uniform. Notice the gun holster in the picture?

My take is that later on he'll use the space police uniform as a template for his Space Ghost ID. And then we'll see the Toth costume.

[JohnPopa]

Had they announced this in April I would have been sure they were kidding.

They've GOT to be kidding.

[Von Raven]

Okay, you got me! I'm going to give this mini-series a try!!

[xdemon]

I hope his real name is the same as it is on SGC2C, as a tip of the cowl to the show:

Thaddeaus Eustice Ghostal aka Tad Ghostal

I wonder if SG's evil twin, Chad Ghostal, will show up? :D

[I-Ching]

Originally posted by yehbbyeh
So, who exactly is Mightor or Bightor or whatever the name of his ancestor was?

Furthermore, this is off-topic, but I remember a show that I saw when I was a little kid (I was born in 74) that seemed a little dated, so it was probably from the late 60's or early 70's that mixed live action and animation that was centered around some young kids in their early teens. It was either a boy and a girl or two boys and a girl. One of the shows took place underwater and I remember it showed them swimming, but it would use the same shot everytime it showed them swimming, and somehow it was made so they were ok underwater. Does anyone have any freaking clue what I'm talking about or what the name of the show was?

I think you may be thinking of...I'm not sure of the exact title...but it was done by Hanna Barbera and it was shown during The Banana Splits. It was The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. It had Tom, Huck, and Becky Thatcher just traveling to all kinds of weird/cool places just having all kinds of adventures. The 3 characters were played by humans while their surroundings and other characters were all animation.

I always liked it as a kid but I was familiar with the original story and never understood how they got to where they were. I think they were always trying to get back to Hannibal, Missouri or something.

Aaaahhh....the 70's...non-sensical cheese :)

[mrhelm]

I've thought this needed to be done for years. I always thought a Space Ghost book with him played straight would be awesome.

And I'm pretty sure as this is an origin story, that he isn't wearing the costume yet.

Definitely buying this.

[Darth Presley]

Just because he isn't being played for laughs doesn't mean he's being played straight.

The author's description of his plot and the accompanying artwork couldn't be more "bent".

Have any of you ever actually seen a Space Ghost cartoon? It's not laugh a minute but it's not betrayal, revenge, and mayhem, either. In either the sixties or eighties versions.

Next month you guys'll be applauding the new Scooby Doo origin series that details Scooby's last minute escape from the dog pound gas-chamber, Fred's rejection of his wealthy parents, Velma on the run from a kiddie porn enslavement ring, Daphne revealed as a Slayer, and Shaggy sees "dead people".

With covers by Alex Ross.

Haven't you read twelve books with that same so-called "Space Ghost" origin plot in the past year?

You're being played - these creators are just jerking you off.

Demand more, folks.

[K. Thor Jensen]

WOW THIS SOUNDS TOTALLY EDGY!!!!!!!

WHAT A GREAT IDEA!!!!!!!!!!!!

christ, you idiots.

[Jason Fliegel]

Originally posted by Taylor Porter
I guess I'm the only one that thinks this is pointless.

The series might be good, and I do like those sort of pulp/sci-fi action stories. I think Kelly and Olivetti are talented guys, too.

But why Space Ghost? What's the point in using this character if you're going to play him straight?

I'd be a lot more interested in this if it was a new character.

I'm with you 100%. I'm sure Kelly and Olivetti will turn out a good comic, but Space Ghost played grim and gritty makes as much sense to me as Woody Woodpecker played grim and gritty.

[Michael Norton]

First off, let me say if the costume change is temporary, and we're promised it's temporary, I'm all over this.

Secondly, I've been screaming at people forever that The Impossibles would be awesome for a comic! Especially in the Giffen/DeMatties mold.

And to those above who mentioned Blue Falcon without Dyno-Mutt...a pox on your long box! Dyno-Mutt is one of the best things HB ever did!

Michael Norton

[FIG]

Well, I certainly think trying an old idea a different way is a good thing, especially if they have two versions. Sort of what happening with "The Ultimates", I think you can bring in two completely different demographics and thats why I think they're "ultimizing" Space Ghost. I think it's okay to have both versions as long as they both co-exist independently of each other and as long as the original idea stays the same. Ultimizng the original idea completely and having one book would be a bad idea altogether. I also think Ariel Olivetti can probably handle drawing Space Ghost in humorous situation as well, he seems competent enough. Whats to say this comic won't be hilarious? We haven't seen any sequential work thus far for anybody to rush to judgements. Let me add that artistically, the cartoon sucks even though it can be hilarious. If anything, this is a definite upgrade.

[FigNewton]

Originally posted by AllAboutMe

BY THE WAY: Pulp does not mean grim and gritty, folks! Batman: Year One is a pulpy (look out, Paul Levitz's ears are burning) book and I would not qualify that as the 'grim n gritty' sterotype that happened in the late 80's early 90's.

It wasn't the description of pulpy that made people think grim and gritty. I think it was more the following description of how he is betrayed and goes on this quest for revenge, and is not quite the good guy yet if he ever was.

[OM]

Originally posted by yehbbyeh
So, who exactly is Mightor or Bightor or whatever the name of his ancestor was? ...<i>Mightor</i> was essentially a crossing of Thor and Captain Marvel, and putting him in a caveman setting. Caveboy Tor holds up his magic club, and he becomes the Mighty Mightor. In one episode, SG goes back in time and encounters Mightor, and it becomes very obvious when they stand side by side that there's some relation. Been years since I've seen the ep, but IIRC they both came to the same conclusion.

Originally posted by Darth Presley
Next month you guys'll be applauding the new Scooby Doo origin series that details Scooby's last minute escape from the dog pound gas-chamber, Fred's rejection of his wealthy parents, Velma on the run from a kiddie porn enslavement ring, Daphne revealed as a Slayer, and Shaggy sees "dead people". ...Actually, if I'd had my way, Scooby *and* Scrappy-Doo would wind up in the gas chamber, with a pound of Scooby Snacks wrapped around their privates, and each being told that if they eat all the snacks off each of each other as fast and as hard as they can, it'll be an antidote for the gas.

Originally posted by I-Ching
I think you may be thinking of...I'm not sure of the exact title...but it was done by Hanna Barbera and it was shown during The Banana Splits. It was The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. It had Tom, Huck, and Becky Thatcher just traveling to all kinds of weird/cool places just having all kinds of adventures. The 3 characters were played by humans while their surroundings and other characters were all animation. ...Sort of correct. Here's the actual breakdown:

...The <i>New Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn</i> was produced by Hanna-Barbera and aired during at 6:00PM Central Sunday nights on NBC during the 1968-1969 TV season.

Cast:
Huck Finn: Michael Shea
Tom Sawyer: Kevin Schultz
Becky Thatcher: Lu Ann Haslam
Injun Joe: Ted Cassidy

...<i>Huck</i> premiered in September as a lead-in to <i>The Wonderful World of Disney</i>, but was given an E-Ticket to Cancellationland by January of 1969. About the same time, the fad wore off <i>The Banana Splits</i>, which had been a massive Saturday Morning Kidvid hit the previous season. H-B in turn released the syndicated <i>Banana Splits And Friends Show</i>, which basically collected all the shorts and combo live shows H-B did over the previous five years into a hundred-episode package that affiliate stations could "strip" in the afternoons.

...A couple of side notes:

1) Amerind groups reportedly raised a minor protest towards Ted Cassidy having portrayed Injun Joe because he reportedly wasn't an Amerind himself. Apparently when one of the Amerind reps met with H-B over the matter, he was so intimidated by the fact that Cassidy was twice his height he immediately dropped the complaint and fled the building. He apparently wasn't aware that Cassidy was damn near SEVEN feet tall!

2) There currently are no existing copies of <i>The Banana Splits</i> in their original airing format. All the master copies were cut and reassembled to accommodate the syndication package. <I>Cartoon Network</i> apparently did a fair job at reconstructing those original first season eps, but they're not complete as they lack a couple of eps where guest stars from other H-B and NBC programs appeared. Most notably the appearance by Jack Wild to promote <i>H.R. Pufinstuf</i>, which also aired on NBC.

3) Apparently H-B experimented with the blue-screen techniques in an attempt to put shadows underneath the live-action actors, but 1968 keying technology wasn't capable of a realistic solid shadow, and MAGICAM was still a good three years away. I've seen a couple of short test clips where the kids run towards the camera, and the shadows looked really, really choppy and faded.

4) There is no 4). Go pet your Blip or something.

[Dave Fury]

FIG,

Sorry dude, wasn't trying to annoy anyone. Thought people would be interested in reading more on the interview and I thought people would be able to piece it together themselves. I meant no offense.

[Darth Presley]

Damn, OM.

That is one impressive post. Sincerely.

Are you monetarily compensated in some way for that knowledge (network researcher, TV journalist, past H-B employee, something...) or is that just an awesome display of geekdom?

Kudos, whatever it is!!

[Alex Clarke Kent]

Originally posted by Dave Fury
FIG,

Sorry dude, wasn't trying to annoy anyone. Thought people would be interested in reading more on the interview and I thought people would be able to piece it together themselves. I meant no offense.

I appreciate you taking the time to translate all of that. Thanks. :D

[Starsky_Hutch76]

Originally posted by willyd
SERIOUSLY. I'm VERY surprised Ross is doing covers for this, since he has said several times that the Toth design for Space Ghost is one of the best ever. I would imagine they gave HIM the opportunity to revamp it, to earn his seal.

Glad I'm not the only one who found Kelly's JLA run unreadable Morrison-derived garbage.

The real question is, are Joe Kelly and Joe Casey the same person? :p

You're definitely not. For a while, it felt to me like Kelly was chasing me off of every book I liked. I'd get interested in a title and then Joe Kelly would come along and ruin it for me.

It really stuns me when someone says they're a fan of his work. What does that person value in their comics if not believable dialogue, consistant characterization, and a comprehensible plot?

[Boink182]

I used to like Space Ghost.

I was really impressed by the one Alex Ross Space Ghost painting I've seen

I've liked most of Kelly's recent work (Trial By Fire, Obsidian Age, some Superman stories). I'm looking forward to JLA Elite and Enginehead, and now this.

Space Ghost: Year One sounds very promising. If uber hardcore retro geek Alex Ross approves, then you know it's not disrespecting too much that came before.

I'm in.

The biggest suprprise: did that interview say that Space Ghost would be IN DCU CONTINUITY? So maybe we'll see him hanging out with Superman and Mr. Majestic, lol. Maybe Ash Catchem, Yugi-Oh, and Goku will be next. Rofl.

[FIG]

Originally posted by Dave Fury FIG, Sorry dude, wasn't trying to annoy anyone. Thought people would be interested in reading more on the interview and I thought people would be able to piece it together themselves. I meant no offense.

Not at all, you didn't annoy, I was simply trying to piece together the interview. Thanks for your effort and I didn't mean to come off the wrong way. Later.:)

Originally posted by Boink182 ...Space Ghost: Year One sounds very promising. If uber hardcore retro geek Alex Ross approves, then you know it's not disrespecting too much that came before....

Very true and you bring up a good point.

[MurrayC]

Originally posted by Fazhoul
And they changed SG's costume! They fucked with an Alex Toth design? I'm not liking it.

Me neither... What was wrong with the original design? Sure the new outfit is white, gloves are red, there's a big triangle on his chest, but where's the hood and cape? THAT is what made Space Ghost look so cool.

Besides, over the years, Space Ghost is probably one of the few characters that hasn't been mucked with "artist interpretation". Everyone from Alex Toth to Alex Ross has kept the design EXACTLY THE SAME because the original Space Ghost design WORKS!

This is no different than when DC made Superman Red/Blue.

[Alex Clarke Kent]

Originally posted by MurrayC
Me neither... What was wrong with the original design? Sure the new outfit is white, gloves are red, there's a big triangle on his chest, but where's the hood and cape? THAT is what made Space Ghost look so cool.

Besides, over the years, Space Ghost is probably one of the few characters that hasn't been mucked with "artist interpretation". Everyone from Alex Toth to Alex Ross has kept the design EXACTLY THE SAME because the original Space Ghost design WORKS!

This is no different than when DC made Superman Red/Blue.

Are you people paying attention?? It said in the story that this about the origin of Space Ghost. The cover picture is obviously BEFORE he became Space Ghost. Did you think Bruce Wayne came out of his mom's womb with the Bat-costume on?

And it's not the same as Superman Red/Blue because that was only meant to be temporary to begin with.

[Dave Fury]

Originally posted by Boink182
The biggest suprprise: did that interview say that Space Ghost would be IN DCU CONTINUITY? So maybe we'll see him hanging out with Superman and Mr. Majestic, lol. Maybe Ash Catchem, Yugi-Oh, and Goku will be next. Rofl.

Yeah, I thought that was suprising too. Space Ghost is joining the DC Universe. Of course, that means you have to start a uber-feats thread for Space Ghost. What's the over/under on Space Ghost becoming a member of the Justice League? LOL!

[OM]

Originally posted by Darth Presley
Are you monetarily compensated in some way for that knowledge (network researcher, TV journalist, past H-B employee, something...) or is that just an awesome display of geekdom? ...I did a lot of animation research when I was an entertainment reporter in the mid-80's, and discovered a lot about how the H-B creative process works. One of the interesting things about <i>Scooby Doo</i> that I discovered was the original format of the series was based on two sources of inspiration from the turbulent 60's: The class struggle between the Rockers and the Mods over in Englandland, and <I>The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis</i>.

...As most of us know, Hanna-Barbera used a lot of existing media icons as inspirational models for their cartoons. <I>The Honeymooners</i> inspired <i>The Flintstones</i>, <i>Blondie</i> inspired <i>The Jetsons</i>, <I>Father Knows Best</i> inspired <i>Roman Holidays</i>, Paul Lynde's neo-open gayness inspired <i>Where's Huddles?</i>, etc, etc, etc. The same was true for the Scooby gang, but only half was <I>The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis</i>, or more affectionately known as <i>Dobie!</i> or "That other show Bob Denver polluted our airwave with..."

...On that show, Dobie Gillis was a "typical" late 50's - early 60's American teenager, with three primary interests in life: Beautiful women, fancy cars, and money. As this was pre-JFK, the Peace Corps weren't quite yet an option, obviously. Unfortunately, being the son of a grocer and not all that much of a stud, this sort of nuked his aspirations. Compounding this was his association with one Maynard G. Krebs, known beatnik and bum to whom work was a four-letter word. Between the two of them, they conspired to get through life with as little effort as possible.

...Putting the effort into Dobie's life - and Maynard, who was forever having to try to steer Dobie out of what he perceived as "trouble", were the intelligent but unattractive Zelda Gilroy,
who was constantly trying to get herself hitched to Dobie as every good heterosexual pre-Beatles American woman was programmed to do. The other was Thalia Meninger, who was the complete antithesis of Zelda. Where Zelda was a mutt, Thalia was a purebred. Where Zelda was broke, Thalia was loaded. Where Zelda wanted Dobie's dick, Thalia...well, ok, this was the 60's, so you figure out what direction they did NOT go with this one. In any case, Dobie naturally wanted Thalia, Zelda wanted Dobie, and Thalia just wanted to be pampered by someone with lots of money. That someone was was millionaire heir Chatsworth Osborne, Jr., the epitome of the spoiled young man who flaunted his social status and money, to snare the attractive girls who eluded Dobie. In fact, he did so specifically to annoy and piss off Dobie to no end.

...Usually, Dobie would break the fourth wall and relate his lamentations to the audience while sitting under a large statue of The Thinker. No, not Marvel's excuse for Bernie the Brain with the big Gumby android, but that famous statue where the guy's propped his head up with his fist and his elbow's on his knee. Yeah, that one. Anyway, that's where we usually meet Dobie for the first time each episode, and where we usually find him in the dumps when his latest attempt to make money/beat the odds/get as close to getting laid as the network censors will let him scheme fails, and usually because Maynard sabotaged it.

...So, the show's been canned for a few years now, and H-B wants to use it as an inspiration for a new cartoon they're initially titling <i>Who's Scared?</i>. The concept being that the "Dobie gang" - yes, you can see the evolution beginning here, kids - would be solving ghost-related mysteries. Dobie would try to think things out, Maynard would screw things up being a lazy dope, Thalia would get captured by the "ghost", and Zelda would be the one who really solved the mystery but never got the credit *or* Dobie.

...Now, I'd mentioned the Rockers vs. the Mods. Anyone who's listened to or seen <i>Quadrophenia</i>, or has an understanding of where The Who came from, knows the gist of this story. It can be defined as "street color warfare" much along the same lines as the Bloods and the Crips, although without the organized crime element but still with the music influence. As <i>Who's Scared</i> was in development, the stories of how the two lifestyles were contrasting one another were filtering in over to the States, and someone at H-B apparently got the idea of dividing the quartet along these lines. Dobie & Thalia were Mods - hence the clothing, and especially Dobie's ascot - while Maynard & Zelda were obviously Rockers because of their total lack of fashion sense. The show reflected that a lot, and the cartoon would enhance that quite a bit by having it be the focus of their relationship. They'd encounter the mystery, challenge each other to see who could resolve it first, and along the way discover that they needed each other to solve the mystery and save the day. Caught in the middle of this was a cowardly great dane, who was tossed in for comic relief. More on him in a second.

...As production went on, names naturally got changed for legal and royalty reasons. Dobie became Fred, Thalia became Daphnie, Maynard G. Krebs became Norville P. "Shaggy" Rodgers, and Zelda became Velma. And the Thinker, it's believed, is who became the great dane known as Scooby Doo.

...Now, as this was being presented to the networks for consideration, as it was being shown to the then-head of See-BS' Saturday Morning programming department, Fred Silverman, word got out of a rather bloody row between a large group of Rockers and a somewhat larger group of Mods. By all accounts - the most colorful and believed version being the one told by Pete Townshend - the Rockers were in the wrong and quite a number of people on both sides got sent to the hospital, where the staff were very careful to make sure neither side shared the same side of the facility. H-B immediately decided to retool the series a bit and eliminate the obvious conflict points. From that moment on, the quartet would work together - read: The girls went with Fred, while Shaggy got the dog.

...Which brings us to that damned mutt. Seems that during the 15-minute test film, Fred Silverman became enamored with the dog. Enough so that he told H-B that he'd order a season of the show *if* they made the dog the focus of the show. Silverman had also noted that snickering, sniveling canines tended to become breakout characters. Huckleberry Hound started it off, but less verbal canines like Dino, Muttley, and that other dog that H-B's "Granny" knockoff owned, wound up being better prime examples. In any case, H-B agreed, and the show was sold to See-BS for the 1969-1970 season.

...However, the music element resurfaced in a different way. Don Kirchner had learned from his experience with the Monkees(*) that it was safer to program Bubblegum music for cartoons, and had struck gold with Filmation with <i>The Archie Show</i>. And even though <i>Sugar, Sugar</i> was still almost a half-year away, both See-BS and H-B realized that adding music to the show would help it go over better, especially since they were considering putting <i>Scooby Doo</i> as the lead-in show to the 2nd season of the next version of the Archie cartoon show, and as a result was going to be going up against the first half-hour of the 2nd season of NBC's <i>The Banana Splits</i>, which was the previous season's top-rated cartoon show.

(*) Ironically, after cancellation, <i>The Monkees</i> moved from NBC to See-BS Saturday Mornings, where it aired after <i>The Archie Comedy Hour</i>. Silverman, at times, knew irony and how to play it for fun and profit :-)

...As mentioned before, the shine wore off the Splits, and when placed against both <i>Scooby-Doo</i> followed by a full hour of <i>Archie</i>, the ratings dropped off significantly right after <i>Sugar, Sugar</i> started getting national airplay. By the end of the '69 season, the Splits had split, and the Scooby gang got renewed. They stayed with the Eyeball Network for two more seasons until H-B jumped it to ABC with Fred Silverman, where it mutated over time into the abombination we know and loathe today.

...Of course, were <i>Scooby Doo</i> being created today, Fred would be a Young Republican fascist frat boy more interested in cognac and profit than getting laid, Daphnie would be a sorority bimbo with a lust for designer drugs who'd sleep with anyone - including Shaggy - just to spite daddy, Velma would be a nearsighted goth dyke with a heroin addiction, a fixation on corrupting Daphnie, and a belief that ghosts are real, Shaggy would be...well, some things you just don't change, obviously, although I suspect he'd be an Unreal Tournament addict this time around as well as a food addict.

And, of course, Scooby would be a viscious pit bull possessed by a real demon who's out to expose ghostly and demonic impostors, instead of a cowardly great dane, natch.

[OM]

Originally posted by Alex Clarke Kent
Did you think Bruce Wayne came out of his mom's womb with the Bat-costume on? ...I sure hope not. The points on that cowl would have hurt like hell!

...On a side note, kids - a lot of you are calling this the "ultimatizing" of Space Ghost. I should remind all of you that it's been done before. I believe Baron & Rude called it <i>Nexus</i> :-P

[Dave Fury]

Originally posted by OM
...Of course, were <i>Scooby Doo</i> being created today, Fred would be a Young Republican fascist frat boy more interested in cognac and profit than getting laid, Daphnie would be a sorority bimbo with a lust for designer drugs who'd sleep with anyone - including Shaggy - just to spite daddy, Velma would be a nearsighted goth dyke with a heroin addiction, a fixation on corrupting Daphnie, and a belief that ghosts are real, Shaggy would be...well, some things you just don't change, obviously, although I suspect he'd be an Unreal Tournament addict this time around as well as a food addict.

And, of course, Scooby would be a viscious pit bull possessed by a real demon who's out to expose ghostly and demonic impostors, instead of a cowardly great dane, natch.

LOL! If DC does a comic like this, I'd buy it.

[C Knight]

Is Space Ghost's name in this miniseries going to be Tad Ghostal?

[musclebound]

I'm there. I dig Olivetti's stuff. Especially that old JLA mini with hmmm.. what was that angels name?? Damn. Anyway, it was cool.

[Boink182]

Originally posted by Dave Fury
Yeah, I thought that was suprising too. Space Ghost is joining the DC Universe. Of course, that means you have to start a uber-feats thread for Space Ghost. What's the over/under on Space Ghost becoming a member of the Justice League? LOL!

The guy IS uber! Lol. Those wrist bands of his have just about every known super-hero power.

http://www.animationusa.com/picts/wbpict/2_Space-Ghost.jpg

[Alex Clarke Kent]

Originally posted by Dave Fury
Yeah, I thought that was suprising too. Space Ghost is joining the DC Universe. Of course, that means you have to start a uber-feats thread for Space Ghost. What's the over/under on Space Ghost becoming a member of the Justice League? LOL!

I got the impression that Space Ghost takes place in the future. So if they are putting him in the DCVerse, I'd imagine he'd be hanging around the Legion.

Of course I could be completely off track there.

[Zig Zag Wanderer]

Originally posted by Alex Clarke Kent
I got the impression that Space Ghost takes place in the future. So if they are putting him in the DCVerse, I'd imagine he'd be hanging around the Legion.

Of course I could be completely off track there.

It's hard to say. DC could place the character at almost anytime in the DCU's history and it would work.

If it were up to me, I'd just stick at the midpoint between the present day DCU and the Legion and be done with it.

[C Knight]

... a Space Ghost vs Aliens miniseries?

[C Knight]

Originally posted by Darth Presley

"What the hell?
Is this 1989?
A "Grim-N-Gritty" Space Ghost?
What is the freakin' point indeed?
Can we get a fresh idea here, please?

I hate "Coast to Coast" but just play the Ghost STRAIGHT, guys. This idea sounds soo tired and you know what? It's NOT Space Ghost."

Originally posted by FigNewton:

"I have to say I kinda agree with the basic idea here. I like the idea of Space Ghost being played straight instead of for kicks (though I loved that as well), but making it grim and gritty seems the wrong way to go.

However, I WILL be checking the series out, hoping for the best."





Where in the article does it say that this miniseries will be "grim and gritty"? According to the report, Kelly said “It’s Space Ghost played straight,...”. Yeah, I know that maybe his definition of "straight" isn't the same of everybody else's, but until the story is published let's try to hope for the best.

I'd like a well-told story with the tone of the original series, but with more character development, a more complex plot and a more detailed description of the time period that the story is set in.

But I'm not totally opposed to the grim and gritty approach. I think it can work if "grim and gritty" only means that the story is darker and more intense than the original series, but without taking away the humanity of the character just to turn him into Space Punisher.

I just hope they don't change the costumes and original designs. Come on, they were done by Alex Toth!

[FigNewton]

Originally posted by C Knight

Originally posted by FigNewton:

"I have to say I kinda agree with the basic idea here. I like the idea of Space Ghost being played straight instead of for kicks (though I loved that as well), but making it grim and gritty seems the wrong way to go.

However, I WILL be checking the series out, hoping for the best."


Where in the article does it say that this miniseries will be "grim and gritty"?


Yeah, it never used the words grim and gritty. However, as I pointed out in another post, that's the impression I am given by the description of his betrayal, quest for revenge, and his state as "not quite the good guy yet, if he ever was."



but until the story is published let's try to hope for the best.


I do believe that's exactly what I said I was doing, right there in the quote you have from me...

[utiti77]

Originally posted by OM
...One other thing that should be addressed - Space Ghost's ancestor being Mightor. That *did* get brought up in the original series, IIRC. [/B]

Is that right ? I only remember their meeting through some kind of space-time path... I was 5 years old and went crazy. Been a sucker for crossovers of any kind ever since then.

Yeah, I'd love it if Mightor was next, too. Actually, I'd like the whole hanna-barbera superheroes universe to come back to life in comics format... And a team-up with Genndy Tartakovsky's Justice Friends and Dial M for Monkey would be an extra sweet...

u77

[C Knight]

Originally posted by FigNewton:

"I do believe that's exactly what I said I was doing, right there in the quote you have from me..."



I think it's a good attitude. Congratulations.

[FIG]

Whens this coming out already?

[AnotherFanboy?]

If you checked out Wizard Zero issue 154 page 30 it has the interview with Joe Kelly.And it has 4 of the 6 covers on there created by Alex Ross.With some captions on what he was trying to do with SG and how he looks.And Yes he does keep the ship power bands and the classic SG costume.And it is released in October.And in my opinion I thinks SG C2C 0wnz.The only superhero with his own Talk Show!And I'm glad that they're trying to make him more of an actually super hero instead of a cartoonish one.Even though both are great.

SHHHHISHHHAH!

[TTROY]

Originally posted by FIG
Whens this coming out already?


Some people need to read the article before they ask questions...........


From the article:
The miniseries is currently unscheduled.



it isn't to hard to see, it is on a line by itself.....

and i am sure that Matt will announce it when there is more information to be had.....