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It looks like the original 1966 New Adventures of Superman and Batman cartoons from Filmation will finally be coming to DVD, according to Warner Brothers animation writer Earl Kress.

At the end of a post detailing release plans for more old-school Hanah Barbera animation, Kress drops the following dates:

6/26/07: The New Adventures of Batman
The New Adventures of Superman

Those have not been “officially” announced by WB, so I wouldn’t call it 100%, but it’s a good sign. I would hope that the Batman series they are referring to is the Batman with Robin the Boy Wonder. It’s the one that was paired with the New Adventures of Superman in 1969 when they originally aired together as the Batman / Superman Hour on CBS.

The New Adventures of Batman was the series produced by Filmation in 1977. It’s the one I remember watching as a kid. It aired as part of the Super 7 block that featured Tarzan, Freedom Force, Jason of Star Command, Manta and Moray, Superstretch and Microwoman, and Web Woman. Freedom Force is out on DVD now and Jason of Star Command will be released in May.

These shows are the reason I started making my own DVDs a few years ago and I’m excited to see them finally get the actual release they deserve. If there is one area that DC dominates Marvel in, it’s tv/animation/DVD. With Superman and Batman coming, I hope they follow up with: Adventures of Superboy, the DC Heroes shorts, Aquaman, the 1988 Superman cartoon and the other Batman series (whichever one doesn’t get released). I haven’t completed (actually-just barely started) my Superman set, so it will save me some work.

Kress also states four more of my favorite cartoons will be released on July 17.

On July 17, Warner Home Video will release them in their original configuration as Space Ghost and Dino Boy and Birdman and the Galaxy Trio.

He also teases that a release of the Banana Splits Adventure Hour is pending as well.

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In issue #10 (1965) of the X-Men series, Ka-Zar was introduced and he bounced around the Marvel Universe for many years following, somehow meeting up with a large cast of Marvel heroes, despite being a one-hit Tarzan knock-off and mainly located in the Savage Land.

He did have a short run series in 1997 with art by Andy Kubert, but the character hasn’t been seen much since then.

Bibliography

First appearance: X-MEN #10
Origin issue: DAREDEVIL #13
Significant issues: X-MEN #10 (first encountered original X-Men, first battled Maa-Gor);
DAREDEVIL #12-14 (first encountered Daredevil, first battled with brother the Plunderer);
INCREDIBLE HULK #109-111 (first encountered Hulk, battled Umbu the Unliving);
ASTONISHING TALES #1-2 (first battled Kraven the Hunter);
ASTONISHING TALES #8 (encountered Bobbi Morse (Mockingbird));
ASTONISHING TALES #12-13 (first battled AIM, met Man-Thing);
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #103-104 (first met Spider-Man, battled extraterrestrial Gog);
KA-ZAR #1 (first met Shanna the She-Devil);
KA-ZAR #14-20 (battled Klaw, first visited another dimension);
X-MEN #61-63 (first battled Magneto’s Savage Land Mutates);
X-MEN#115-116 (teamed with X-Men to battle Zaladane and Garokk);
KA-ZAR THE SAVAGE #1 (discovered the Savage Land is part of Pangaea);
KA-ZAR THE SAVAGE #12 (first battled Belasco);
KA-ZAR THE SAVAGE #29 (married Shanna);
KA-ZAR THE SAVAGE #33 (apparent death of brother Parnival);
AVENGERS #256-258 (destruction of the Savage Land by Terminus, rescued by the Avengers, left Savage Land for the civilized world);
IRON MAN #202 (encountered Iron Man, battled the Fixer);
X-MEN ANNUAL #12 (Savage Land restored by High Evolutionary and Garokk; Ka-Zar, Shanna and newborn return);
KA-ZAR GRAPHIC NOVEL (Ka-Zar and Shanna separated)

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It looks like the US Post Office is rolling out new graphics for many of the mailboxes located within its offices to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Star Wars. You’ve got to admit, those are pretty cool looking.I only hope that Lucas will release at least Episode IV: A New Hope into theaters sometime this year. Carter has turned into a huge Star Wars fan (and not because of me) and I would love to take him to see one of them in the theater–several times.

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Captain America - Steve Rogers - Dead at 89

In a sad turn of events, Marvel Comics has decided that it was time to get rid of Captain America.

Captain America surrendered after failing to register as a super-powered individual following the events of the recent Civil War crossover. Pitted against his former best friend, Iron Man, Cap was fighting for what he believed America wanted. When he was attacked by ordinary citizens in the streets of New York, he realized how wrong he was and surrendered to police custody. Only a week later (real time), he's been shot and killed by a sniper on the way to court.

I can somewhat understand what they're attempting to do here. Old America is dead. The things that we used to hold true to our heart (Mom, Baseball and Apple Pie) have been replaced by iPods, H2 Hummers and Youtube. More than any other hero (except maybe Superman) Cap stood as a beacon of hope and a physical embodiment of America.

Current Captain America series writer Ed Brubaker had this to say about Captain America's current relevance to today's society:

"What I found is that all the really hard-core left-wing fans want Cap to be standing out on and giving speeches on the streetcorner against the Bush administration, and all the really right-wing [fans] all want him to be over in the streets of Baghdad, punching out Saddam."

To that I have to say, so what. Does that mean he has to stand for one of those two viewpoints? Could he not have had his own? Couldn't you use Cap to motivate people to speak their mind, no matter their opinion?

In the end, it doesn't matter. Marvel has made their decision and will live with it until it benefits them to bring him back. With Cap's friend Nick Fury in hiding for the past few years, it will be no surprise to me when he reveals that the "Cap" that was shot and kill was a SHIELD Life Model Decoy and that the real Cap, Steve Rogers, has been working underground with him.

We know that he won't stay dead. I would guess that in less than 6 months, another hero will appear in the familiar red, white, and blue costume. The "impostor" will parade around as Cap for a while until the real one reappears. With copyright laws such as they are, Marvel cannot go without publishing a Captain America series for too long a period or the rights would revert back to creator Joe Simon.

"It's a hell of a time for him to go. We really need him now," said co-creator Joe Simon, 93, after being informed of his brainchild's death.

The sad part about that quote (as a friend mentioned to me), is that at 93, Simon may not be around to see his creation, his legacy, return.

Added Captain America to the Who's OHotMU page today.