Big Bang Comics
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Big Bang Comics first appeared in 1994, with five issue mini-series (numbered 0–4), published by Caliber Comics. Their second series was published by Image Comics.It is currently self-published.
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[edit] History
Gary Carlson's first major independent comic occurred in the 1980s with a black and white title called Megaton. Erik Larsen's Savage Dragon, Rob Liefeld's Youngblood both debuted in Megaton. In the 1990s Carlson wrote Berzerker for Caliber Press, one of the first canonical appearances of a Big Bang Comics character was by the Knight Watchman in Berzerker #1. Gary co-created the Big Bang Comics anthology series alongside artist and writer Chris Ecker.
The Big Bang Comics titles are designed to be homages to the Golden Age and Silver Age comic books. Most stories in the anthologies take place in one of these two ages; Earth-A stories take place in the 1960s, and Earth-B stories take place in the 1940s with characters like Ultiman, Thunder Girl and Doctor Weird.
One of Doctor Weird's earliest collected appearances was in the 1977, Al Greim published Comic Crusader Storybook #1, in a story by Howard Keltner and Dennis Fujitake. The Comic Crusader Storybook was a trade paperback fanzine anthology which included short stories featuring the work of many independent artists and writers.
The company is currently self publishing Protoplasman, written by Gary Carlson, and drawn by Mort Todd.
[edit] Metafictional Big Bang
In the world of Big Bang Comics, several false imprints were thought up that supposedly existed in the Golden Age and the Silver Age, to give more depth to their characters (a ploy later used in Amalgam Comics).
All of these false covers appeared on the reverse of the Caliber Press miniseries issues in scaled-down shots, and again as full-page replicas in Big Bang #0.
| Title | Description |
|---|---|
| Deductive Comics | A tribute to Detective Comics, right down to the lettering. This is supposedly where Knight Watchman entered the Big Bang world along with his sidekick, Kid Galahad. |
| Hi Octane Comics | The supposed introduction of Ultiman. However, this was simply a retitled cover of Big Bang #2 of Caliber Press, using the lettering style of Action Comics. |
| Jolt Comics' | The introduction of the Golden-Age Blitz (Mack Snelling). A tribute to Flash Comics. |
| Policeman Comics | The supposed starting point of Protoplasman, inspired by Police Comics where Plastic Man began his superhero career. |
| Quantity Comics | Mentioned as being the umbrella-group for Policeman Comics. This itself is a pastiche of the Golden Age Quality Comics. |
| Red Hot Comics | A comic that starred Dr. Stellar, Vita-Man, Robo-Hood, The Badge and Stars 'n' Stripes. Red Hot Comics drew the most attention after fans saw the blown-up image in Big Bang #0. Many requests were sent in to see Robo-Hood and Vita-Man in action. Stars 'n' Stripes, however, have never appeared since. |
| Star Studded Comics | Mentioned as being the origin of Dr. Weird. The title suggests Star-Spangled Comics, although the lettering seems to be a reference to All Star Comics. |
| Thunder Girl Adventures | Thunder Girls' solo title, based loosely on the old Fawcett Comics character Mary Marvel, with elements of Wonder Girl thrown in. |
[edit] Big Bang heroes
- The Badge (based on Guardian (DC Comics) and Captain America)
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- During WWII, he fought the Nazis as the Supreme Allied Commando, later became top agent of B.A.D.G.E., a joke on Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D..
- The Beacon (based on Green Lantern)
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- Beacon (Earth A): Dr Julia Gardner
- Beacon (Earth B): Scott Martin
- Blackjack and his Flying Aces (based on Blackhawk)
- The Blitz (based on The Flash)
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- The Blitz (Earth A): Jimmy Travis
- The Blitz (Earth B): Mack Snelling
- Cyclone (based on Kid Flash, the Blitz's sidekick (Earth A)
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- Combines elements of Dr. Mid-Nite, Starman, and Adam Strange.
- Dr. Weird (comics) (based on Doctor Fate and the Spectre)
- The Human Sub (based on Aquaman)
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- Later became The Atomic Sub
- The Hummingbird (based on Silver Age version of The Atom)
- Jeena (pronounced Gina) the Jungle Girl
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- Mentioned by Venus (comic) in Caliber #1, but has yet to make an appearance.
- Knight Watchman (based on Batman) & Galahad the Kid Whiz (based on Robin)
- Mighty Man (from the Savage Dragon)
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- A tribute to the original Captain Marvel comics, created by Erik Larsen, who is a big fan of the old Fawcett Comics Captain.
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- Mascot to the Roundtable of America. Seems to be based on Snapper Carr.
- Mr. Martian (based on Martian Manhunter)
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- Mostly based on Captain America, but was actually just a generic hero shown in issue #8 in six different incarnations from six different decades. The purpose was to poke fun at all the clichés in comics during each major era: the "Glittering Golden Age", the "Silly Side of the Silver Age", the "Pseudo-Intellectual Pseventies", the "'Oity-Toity Eighties", and the "Nigh-Incomprehensible Nineties."
- Moray (based on Aqualad and Wonder Girl)
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- The Sub's granddaughter and sidekick
- Op the Cop
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- A humour strip written by Gary Carlson, featured in Caliber Press Issue #1. Op hasn't appeared since.
- Percy
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- The second and final humour strip in Big Bang Comics, this time satirising the older generation of science-fiction films. Appeared in Image Comics Issue #1.
- Protoplasman (based on Plastic Man)
- Robo-Hood (based on Green Arrow and Robotman)
- Shadowhawk (Silver Age)
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- A parody of the 1960-era Batman Comics Complete with the Shadowcar, Lady ShadowHawkette, Shadowdog and kid sidekick, Squirrel aka Hawk Shadow. Working with Knight Watchman
- Shadow Lady (based on Phantom Lady)
- The Sphinx (a hero from an Egypt-dominated alternate Earth.Loosely based on Hawkman)
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- Sphinx I : Peter Chefren/Chefren Ra
- Sphinx II : Allison Kane
- Stars 'n' Stripes
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- Possibly a reference to the Star-Spangled Kid and Stripesy. Appeared on a mock-up cover of the metafictional Red Hot Comics, but haven't been seen since.
- Super Frankenstein (possibly based on the 1960's Frankenstein by Dell Comics)
- Thunder Girl (based on Mary Marvel)
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- Ultragirl (Big Bang) (based on Supergirl)
- Ultiman's daughter (Earth B)
- Venus (based on Wonder Woman)
[edit] Big Bang hero teams
[edit] Round Table of America (RTA) Earth A
(Based on the Justice League)
- Ultiman
- Knight Watchman
- Thunder Girl
- The Blitz: Jimmy Travis
- Beacon: Dr Julia Gardner
- Human Sub
- Mike Merlin (Mascot, first appeared in Image issue #12)
[edit] Knights of Justice Earth B
(Based on the Justice Society)
- Ultiman
- Dr. Weird
- The Blitz: Mack Snelling
- Beacon: Scott Martin
- Venus
[edit] Whiz Kids (Whizzards)
(Based on the Teen Titans)
- Kid Galahad
- Moray
- Cyclone
- Thunder Girl
- She-Borg
- Black Power
- Totem
- Gargoyla
- Hot Pink
[edit] Bibliography
[edit] Caliber Press
- Big Bang: #0 - 4
[edit] Image Comics
- Big Bang: #1 - 35
- World Class Comics: #1 (A one-off strip for minor characters)
- Whiz Kids: #1
- Big Bang Summer Special: #1
- Round Table of America: #1
- Ultiman Family: #1
- RTA: Personality Crisis: #1
- Knight Watchman: #1 - 4
[edit] Big Bang Comics
- Big Bang: #1 - 3
[edit] Trivia
- Although Big Bang Comics is a tribute to the older American superhero comics, a large portion of its itinenary seems to be inspired from English myth and legend.
- The Roundtable of America, for example, is derived from the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
- Robo-Hood is another example, being a reference to Robin Hood, Mike Merlin a tribute to Merlin, and Galahad may be a reference to Sir Galahad.
[edit] Other media
- A TV Movie of the Knights of Justice was also made. Although is featured the Golden Age heroes, the Knights of Justice were accompanied by Knight Watchman and the heroine called Masker (who appeared in BB #21). Their duty was to defeat a supervillain and prove their usefulness to the President or face being disbanded.
- The movie is loosely based on the hyperactive Saturday-morning shows of the 1970's that combined special effects with live action. The movie itself received several favourable reviews from various websites across the Internet.
- The movie is available exclusively from the Big Bang Comics website. It is unclear if any sales will be made abroad despite requests for it to be sold in the UK.
[edit] Big Bang Comics RPG
A pen-and-paper roleplaying game has also been released for Big Bang Comics (Pisces All Media, 2006). The Big Bang Comics RPG uses a streamlined version of the D20 system.
