Tag: Super Heroes

Love of the Golden Age

On January 18, 2025

In 2025, Blog, Blog writing, Comic Book Writer, Comic Books, ToastMasters, Toastmasters 4 Writers, Toastmasters Speech

It first began by reprinting newspaper comic strips, and then it illustrated adventure stories had previously been in pulp novels and magazines, then the detectives put on masks and a man could leap tall buildings in a single bound. It was the Golden Age of Comic Books, the Golden Age of Super Heroes.

As mentioned previously, though I had read a few other comics, the first series I was committed to reading every issue was All-Star Squadron. A book that took place during that “Golden Age.”

I would discover and read other books at that time, some Justice League of America, Brave & and the Bold which would be replaced by Batman and the Outsiders, and The New Teen Titans.

The Titans became a representation of the “Present Day” comics for me, while The Squadron was the represented a modern telling of those original heroes of the Golden Age. I was far more interested in them than any of the new characters and teams that were showing up.

That was the world that I fell in love with. The world of ‘Earth 2’. (I’ll discuss my thoughts on parallel worlds in comics in another post.) But because of this I would become curious and want to learn more all about the heroes of the Golden Age, even those not at DC Comics. I began to do research, with great enjoyment, on all these comic book heroes and heroines of the 1930s and 1940s.

I remember in school one time; I had some graph paper and I attempted to create a crossword puzzle out of the name of every super hero I knew. Wasn’t easy since so many of the names ended in ‘man’.

I read books about comics of the period, and even bought a small “price guide” (Not Overstreet, because I couldn’t afford it), to find out what issues of what comics each hero first appeared in. I loved discovering all those long-lost characters, there are many more I’m only discovering recently and it is still fun. It was that fun that kept me going. Not only enjoying the comics I read, but discovering characters I might never be able to read their stories.

When DC Comics celebrated their 50^th Anniversary they released a monthly series called WHO’S WHO IN THE DC UNIVERSE. Page after page, issue after issue of hundreds of characters from across the DC Comics universe and history. It was fantastic to read, but it didn’t’ include all the heroes I had discovered. I kept exploring, finding reprints to read when I could.

There are so many heroes that are lost to time. Some survived by being bought up by the bigger surviving publishers. Examples of what DC bought:

Fawcett Publishing: the original Captain Marvel, Bulletman, Spy Smasher, and more

Quality Comics: Plastic Man, Uncle Sam, The Ray, Black Condor, Human Bomb, and Phantom Lady.

Charlton Comics: Captain Atom, Blue Beetle, The Question, Nightshade, and Peacemaker

Each of these purchases have stories in their own, but for the sake of this blog I’ll mention one. Plastic Man would find his place at DC Comics, but the other Quality Comics character get introduced into the DC Universe on another alternate universe. In Justice League #107 and #108. Only a few issues after the grand #100 which was the digest reprint that had started my love for super heroes, the JLA and JSA once again team up to discover that on Earth X Uncle Sam lead a team of Freedom Fighters that included Black Condor, The Ray, Doll Man, Human Bomb, and Phantom Lady that were still fighting the Nazi’s decades after America lost World War II. The Freedom Fighters would get their own comic series out of that, where they would be joined by another Golden Age character known as Firebrand.

When Roy Thomas wrote the All-Star Squadron years later, he included these heroes into the team, but also showed how they ended up on a dystopian world later. I’m still not certain if that was a good idea, but I’ll get to that and other alternate world issues in another blog entry.

The pantheon of heroes grew, and I wanted to know them all.

A lot of that was the foundation on which I began to build my own world of heroes. More on that later.

I still love to discover lost heroes from the past.

This is a continuing series on comic books as part of an assignment for Toastmasters which will result in a speech on the top of these blogs.

Digesting Super Heroes

By kevinpsb4

On January 10, 2025

In 2025, Blog, Blog writing, Christianity, Comic Book Artist, Comic Book Reader, Comic Book Writer, Comic Books, ToastMasters, Toastmasters 4 Writers, Toastmasters Speech, Writing

“Thank you, God, for bringing Mom and Dad home safely,” my mother would always say as we drove past the hospital. Both her parents had been in a patient there a number of times, and we praised God for them returning home safe and healthy.

That hospital has held many joyful and sad memories for us. Hopefully me being born there was one of the joyful ones.

My father also worked in the lab, and my mom would walk me over to have lunch with him from time to time.

So, what does all that have to do with comic books, and super heroes? Quite a lot, actually, at least for me.

The hospital had a small gift shop where visitors could purchase flowers, snacks, or stuffed animals for the patients they were coming to see. They also had a small magazine display rack, and upon it were a few (very few) small comic books.

These were digest size books that were reprints of other already published books. Most of these digests were done by Archie Comics, about Archie, his two girls Betty and Veronica, Jughead, and the rest.

But every so often there were other digest comics. These were mostly from DC Comics (actually, I don’t remember Marvel publishing Digests like these).

I wasn’t really interested in Archie and his friends. Then one time I was there I saw a comic with a whole lot of super heroes on the cover. 33 In All. I recognized several of them: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and others that I knew from the Super Friends, but there were a whole lot more on this cover. I just had to have it.

Suddenly I was in love with the entire DC Universe in one single issue. (Or a single digest reprint of Justice League of America #100, #101, and #102). Here was my first exposure to so many different super heroes, and to the concept of Parallel Worlds. This was long before I ever heard the term ‘multiverse.’

Not only was there a Justice League of America, but also a Justice Society of America from an entirely different. Similar heroes to ones I was familiar with and others that were all new to me.

I was in love with absolutely every one of them.

Many years later I would become friends with the writer and editor of the book, Len Wein, and we chatted about what stories were decided to put in these digests. “Editor’s Choice,” was his answer. Gail Simone would say that Justice League of America #100 and this story would be a major impact on her becoming comic book writer as well.

Justice League of America #100 – the comic that was reprinted in the digest that started me on the road of loving comic book super heroes.

So, to get introduced to the DC Universe this clearly was the right place.

I would be in the lobby of the hospital many times over the next months and years, as my grandparents slowly reached the end of their stories. Sitting quietly there, sometimes doing my homework, sometimes not, I really didn’t have much to do. This lonely boy fell into the eyes of the hospital’s chaplain one Father Francis ‘Frank’ Smith.

Father Smith felt sorry for this boy sitting there and went back to his own office down the hall. When he returned, he came over to me and handed me two comic books: one was an issue Superman and the other was of The Flash.

Superman #355 – one of the comics given to me by Father Smith.

The Flash #293 another comic given to me by Father Smith.

At one point in my life as I began contemplating a career in comic books and writing and drawing super heroes, I began to wonder if God would approve of me enjoying creating stories about people with god-like powers. I would be reminded of Father Smith giving me these two super hero comics out of his own collection, and I knew it was okay and that God approved of my goals.

This would be the true beginning of my love of comic books and super heroes.

There would be many more to follow.

Being in that hospital lobby so often would result in purchasing other Digest comics and discovering other heroes, none so great as the doctors and staff who help my parents and grandparents there.

Prayers and Concerns

By kevinpsb4

On January 8, 2025

In 2025, Blog, Blog writing, Los Angeles, ToastMasters, Toastmasters Speech

Hi All,

Hoping to have the next installment of my blog related to comics and super heroes tomorrow, but this morning we evacuated our apartment out of precaution because of the fires burning near us.

Please Pray for all those who have lost their homes and businesses, and that everyone else is safe and able to return home when the areas are safe for them.

Thank you all.

Kevin

Yesteryear

By kevinpsb4

On January 7, 2025

In 2025, Author, Book Illustrator, Comic Books, Voice Acting, Writing

“This is KPSB radio, beginning its broadcast day.”

My name is Kevin Paul Shaw Broden ‘Four Names of Creativity’.

I have always imagined my initials as the call letters of a radio station. Not any Top 40 pop station, or 24 hours of talking heads; no, my station exists in the golden age of radio of the 1930s to the 1950s. When tales of adventure ruled the airways.

That was the beginning of my very first Toastmasters speech, and as this blog series is part of an upcoming speech, I thought I would start here.

Before comic books, and while super heroes existed inn Saturday Morning Cartoon, I was discovering them on the radio.

The radio, as they say (or used to say) is the theatre of the mind. In that theatre of my imagination was a place where The Shadow knew what evils was in the hearts of men. Where the William Tell overture announced the arrival of the Green Hornet. The Lone Ranger fought criminals in the wastelands of Texas. And it was in radiophonic sound that Superman first met Jimmy Olsen and was struck down by Kryptonite while Batman and Robin took over the show for a while.

This ‘radio station’ of mine came in existence at a very young age. When my father had to work late, my mother would let me sleep in her bed and leave radio playing all night. ‘Old Time Radio’ programs would be played at 9pm and then rerun at two or three in the morning, full of adventure, comedy, and suspense.

These masked men and adventures would follow me throughout my life. They would transform in to the Super Friends, and other animated heroes of my childhood and then a few years later I’d discover comic books and the heroes with in.

Comic Book super heroes would become my world in one way or another, from enjoyment, to education, to a career.

But these masked heroes of the radio waves and the pulp novels that inspired them would always remain in my imagination until many years later I would write a serialized novel entitled: REVENGE OF THE MASKED GHOST which you can purchase as an eBook, for Kindle and other e-readers.

Cover art for my novel Revenge of the Masked Ghost — Revenge of the Masked Ghost – a serialized novel inspired by pulp heroes and those that played on the radio.

This novel is in the genre of “New Pulp” which in itself is inspired by all the Pulp fiction of many years ago.

These Pulp, Radio, and Comic Book heroes would continue to influence me throughout my life.

Now as a Voice Actor, I would absolutely love to work on a “Radio Play” like those of yesteryear.

As you will see in my next posting, I believe God had a hand making comics books so important to me.

This is the second posting in a series of blogs about Comic Books, Super Heroes, and how they influenced my life and career, as part of a Toastmasters assignment and upcoming speech.

Comics & Me – Introduction

By kevinpsb4

On January 2, 2025

In 2025, Blog, Blog writing, Childhood, Comic Book Artist, Comic Book Reader, Comic Book Writer, Comic Books, ToastMasters, Toastmasters 4 Writers, Writing

Hi All,

May this New Year be enjoyable and successful for all.

I have several goals for this New Year, mostly focusing on my career, but to start off I’ll be writing this blog and posting twice a week. Which will hopefully be a whole lot better than what it has been in the past. This first blog series is about how comic books and super heroes have influenced my career. This is also part of a Toastmasters assignment, “Writing a Compelling Blog,” which when the blog series is complete, I’ll be giving a speech about the whole experience.

Comic books and super heroes have been part of my life for, well nearly all my life. Now that I think about it, super heroes have been there long before comic books were. I’ll probably be giving away my age in this blog, but I have no problem with that.

There were several super heroes shows as part of Saturday Morning Cartoons on television at that time, most well-known of course was the Super Friends, but there were others before that. I would first discover super heroes elsewhere, starting with reruns of the 1950s Adventures of Superman starring George Reeves, and the 1960s Batman series starring Adam West. I think I enjoyed the Superman series better even if it was in black and white. I also enjoyed super heroes that I never saw, listening to the Green Hornet, Lone Ranger, and The Shadow on the radio (yes these were all reruns as well), and I enjoyed them almost more than the ones that appeared on television. Radio was the theatre of the mind; my young imagination created the worlds I heard. These radio heroes would end up playing an important part of my career down the road.

Comic books came into existence to me in an odd way. Why I had never read one up to this point I’m not really certain, though I suppose the comic book adaptions of Bible stories does count, but it’s not the same thing. Religion and how it relates to my love of comics will be in an upcoming blog account. However, I believe God had a hand in my love for comics from the very beginning.

The first comics I read I got while my grandparents were in the hospital. The gift shop sold digest sized comics, and one of them greatly interested me. This comic and the ones that followed, would be the start of everything that would follow. After that, I would be… well, I would be addicted to reading super hero comics.

This is Issue 11 of the DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest comic which began my love for comics and super heroes. Wow 33 super heroes in one comic!

I would be encouraged keep reading comics as it helped with my overall reading in school.

It wouldn’t be long after those first few comics that I would discover my favorite series to read; All-Star Squadron, and I would continue to read it until the end of the series years later. As reading comics helped improve my school reading, this series helped grow my interest in history. More on this later too.

From those early comics I read, I soon began to draw pictures. Copying some, and creating my own. It would take a lot of work, and a lot of years, but eventually I would become a professional comic book illustrator and a writer, and that all lead into the rest of my career.

Am looking forward to telling you all the crazy details of it all.

Hope you enjoy my new blog series, please comment and share.

Kevin Paul Shaw Broden
Four Names of Creativity

Len Wein – Soldier of Victory

By kevinpsb4

On November 28, 2017

In Uncategorized

This evening my wife, author Shannon Muir, and I will be attending the 2017 Animation Writers Caucus Annual Meeting and Award Presentation at the offices of the Writers Guild of America in Los Angeles. Events like these have always been special to us because at first it was a chance to meet our creative and literary heroes we have looked up to, then becoming fellow animation writers, and in some special cases becoming close friends.

At these annual meetings we honor a writer who has truly added to the animation industry as a writer and creator. This year our presentation must also be a memorial as the award is being given posthumously to writer extraordinaire and friend Len Wein.The outside world knows him best as the creator of Wolverine and Swamp Thing, but he is so much more especially to a little boy who had to sit for hours in a hospital lobby while his grandparents were being taken care of upstairs.

The hospital chaplain took pity on the little boy who had nothing to do on those old vinyl couches than his homework and so gave me two comic books, Superman and The Flash. They were great, and that gift meant a lot to me, but it wasn’t until I wandered into the hospital gift shop that my life was changed forever.

Along side the magazines the small shop had a few very small comic books for sell. One of which, with the JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA logo on the top and text at the bottom that read “33 Super-Stars in One Epic Adventure!” with dozens of those heroes jumping of the front and back cover, had my full attention. I convinced my mother to give me the 95 cents to purchase this copy of DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest #11.

Opening those four-color pages I found myself tumbling into a wonderful world of super heroes. Yes, I knew of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman from television and cartoons, but there were so many many more. Here I learned not only about the Justice League but also the Justice Society of America, and that there was an Infinite number of parallel earths where more heroes resided.

I was definitely hooked and the DC Universe was my playground from then on.

This digest turned out to be a reprint of JUSTICE LEAGE OF AMERICA #100, 101, and 102, about our heroes on a quest to find seven more heroes lost to the ages.

This great story, that put a boy on a quest to discover all the heroes of the golden age of comics, was written by the great comic book author Len Wein. I would soon be reading many more.

(An interested side note is that Len also edited the Blue Ribbon Digest that it was reprinted in.)

I was not the only one influenced by this comic; fellow comic book writer Gail Simone also marks this story as what began her path into comics.

I learned just the other day that Len himself fell in love with comics as a child while he was in the hospital as well. Though for him it was for medical treatment, but he has stated that those comics and super heroes got him through it.

Now that little boy who sat quietly in the hospital lobby wants to pay his respect to the man who sent towards a career as a comic book and animation writer. I honor you Len for all the stories you have brought to the world, and for being a friend.

Thank you.

Kevin Paul Shaw BrodenFour Names of Professional Creativity

Jack Kirby’s 100th Birthday

By kevinpsb4

On August 7, 2017

In Uncategorized

This month of August (2017) I am doing a series of sketched based on the career of Comic Book legend Jack Kirby’s career.

I started off with the Blue Beetle because that was the first masked hero that Kirby illustrated. It appeared in a news paper comic strip.

My second illustration is of Sandman and Sandy the Golden Boy.
Ol’ Wesley Dodds tosses away his trench coat, fedora, and gas mask for the bright tights that all the latest heroes were wearing. He also picked up a young Side Kick. Sandy’s shirt changed a little from issue to issue, but here he looks striking like Captain America’s partner Bucky.

Speaking of Cap, the third sketch is of Captain America and based on the cover art of Captain America #1 in 1940.

I hope to continue drawing more Kirby characters through out the month. (I did continue to draw Kirby characters through out August 2017, see my portfolio.)

Hope you enjoy.

The Guardian

By kevinpsb4

On February 20, 2017

In Uncategorized

The other evening I was watching an episode of SUPERGIRL

In this episode SUPERGIRL discovers that Jimmy Olson is the Guardian who has been fighting crime in the streets of her city, and even catching those that escape her.

Looking at the design of The Guardian’s shield made me think of the creation of the original character.

Jack Kirby created The Guardian in his Newsboy Legion series. In the 1970s he, and they, were part of the Cadmus Project in Kirby’s Fourth World books, but back in the 1940s he was Jim Harper and basically the guardian of these street kids.

As a police officer he did a good job, but felt it necessary to put on a mask to protect these kids all the more. He also carried a golden shield.

It is that shield that is important. Even though he was forced to put on the mask, Jim Harper saw himself as a police officer first, and even his shield was designed to look like a policeman’s shield, his badge. In later incarnations of The Guardian this part him is lost. Many masked vigilantes are forced not only to fight the bad guys, but also the police. For Jim Harper, The Guardian’s role is something much more. He had to be a hero to the Newsboy Legion and the people on the street, but also to his fellow police officers.

Years before Jim Harper put on the golden helmet of The Guardian, policewoman Peggy Allen saw flaws in the regular justiciable system and so put on a costume and became the WOMAN IN RED.

The idea that these police officers saw a necessity to step out of their uniforms to wear masks in order to fight crime spurs a lot of thought and potential stories.

I’d love to tell a story about that original version of The Guardian.

Post Script – The Golden Guardian which I posted for Jack Kirby’s 100th birthday.

Jack Kirby – The Golden Guardian

Earlier in the year I sketched an image of the Golden Age super hero The Guardian in my blog about the character and his use in the TV series Supergirl.

This Silver Age version of the character called The Golden Guardian Kirby incorporated into his Fourth World New Gods story line in the pages of Jimmy Olsen. As part of the Cadmus project this Guardian is what many later versions would be based on. Whether it was in later comics, in the animated series Young Justice, or in Supergirl.

Continuing to celebrate Jack Kirby’s 100th Birthday.

Kevin Paul Shaw Broden
Four Names of Professional Creativity

Celebrating 15 Years of a Webcomic

By kevinpsb4

On June 30, 2016

In Uncategorized

Celebrating 15 Years of a Webcomic by KevinPSB4

Though only a few months have passed for Debra and her friends, the webcomic FLYING GLORY AND THE HOUNDS OF GLORY have been around for 15 years.

FLYING GLORY AND THE HOUNDS OF GLORY (www.flying-glory.com) is the story of ambitious Debra Clay who’s grandmother was the wartime super heroine FLYING GLORY. Now the teenager always looking for ways to promote her rock bang, The Hounds of Glory, is thrilled to discover that she has inherited her Grandma Elsie’s super powers. Once she’s convinced her friends to put on costumes as part of their performance, a new team of super heroes is formed even if they didn’t want to be. Because they are soon fighting super villains between, and sometimes during, their rock concerts.

Be sure to pick up FLYING GLORY FLASHBACK a special 15th Anniversary edition that my co-writer Shannon Muir put to get. It includes all the song lyrics she wrote for the series as well as character bios. (amzn.to/293eI1L) Only 99cents.

Are these the Heroes you’re looking for? And have you found them recently?

By kevinpsb4

On March 13, 2013

In Uncategorized

I’ve been doing a lot of old style pulp writing recently, and had a sudden thought about characters. So I wrote down several brief character descriptions

Tell me if you recognize them, and if you thought I got them correct?

He was raised by loving parents who taught him right from wrong; to respect others, and to help his neighbors, who ever they might be, however he could. He has moved to the big city to do just that.

Raised by a single father, he never knew his mother. Reaching adulthood, he discovers he is heir to a distant and mysterious kingdom. He will become king if he can bring the kingdom together, even though they see him as an outsider; even as an enemy.

Recruited for a special police force, his personality is both greatest strength and greatest weakness.

She was raised and loved by her entire family, but when they are threatened she must turn away from them in order to save them.

A police scientist discovers something in his lab that allows him to fight crime in ways no other cop can.

Traumatized in childhood he struggles to prevent it from happening to others.

Two police officers are sent undercover to a distant city. They must use their training to fight a new kind of criminal, while struggling with their personal relationship.

Kidnapped to a new land; he must act like one of them to survive while saving them from themselves.

Kevin Paul Shaw Broden
Four Names of Professional Creativity

The Lyrics of Glory

By kevinpsb4

On October 10, 2011

In Uncategorized

As you know, Shannon Muir and I are celebrating the tenth anniversary of our online comic book FLYING GLORY AND THE HOUNDS OF GLORY.

The story involves a team of teenagers who have chosen to put on costumes and be super heroes to support their leader Debra Clay who discovered she has inherited super powers from her grandma who was the World War II heroine Flying Glory.

On top of that, the team is also a rock band, first starting out performing for their high school and in local concerts. Now they are FLYING GLORY AND THE HOUNDS OF GLORY; and their heroic actions have brought more attention to the band and their music.

And their music is our music. Or rather, their lyrics are Shannon’s lyrics.

One of the ways that we try to make our comic book unique from other super hero comics, or web comics, is that at least once per issue we include lyrics to a song that the band performs. All the songs that have appeared in the comic book over the last ten years have all been written Shannon Muir.

Music as part of an action adventure is how Shannon and I got to know one another.

When we were younger, and she lived thousands of miles away, we both enjoyed watching an animated television series called JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS.

Originally created to sell dolls, JEM was a well-crafted television series that had and still has an audience and fandom of boys and girls, men and women. Developed by writer Christy Marx the series dealt with a wide range of topics both fun and serious beyond the simple adventure.

As a young teen watching such a show, Shannon did something I never would have had the nerve to do. She wrote to the production company and was soon in contact with Christy Marx herself to learn about the show and writing for animation. Marx soon became Shannon’s mentor and friend.

I would later meet Marx online, and then at a science fiction convention. Whatever I said must have impressed her enough because when Shannon was ready to move down here to Los Angeles she asked Christy about me. She must have said something nice, because we’ve been together for over fifteen years.

The reason I bring this up is that Shannon and I have not intended to make FLYING GLORY AND THE HOUNDS OF GLORY a copy of JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS, it’s quite different, but Marx’s influence is there.

One such influence is the inclusion of a song per story. There were usually two songs, I believe, per episode of JEM.

In our current issue, as part of our 10th anniversary celebration, Shannon is including three songs as part of the story. The next song page will appear next week.

Shannon has now assembled all her songs written for FLYING GLORY AND THE HOUNDS OF GLORY, as well as songs written for another series she developed called ENCHANTRESSHAWKE. Along with the lyrics to over fifty songs, she has also written an extensive history as to where each song came from.

Her songbook is entitled FLYING GLORY FLASHBACK: Celebrating 10Years Of The Lyrics, Words, and History Behind The Webcomic

It can be punched in both paperback book or as an ebook.

To all the fans of FLYING GLORY AND THE HOUNDS OF GLORY as well as those who like music and to discover where lyrics come from, I encourage you to support Shannon and purchase her book.

Thank you all for putting up with this little promotion.

Best

Kevin Paul Shaw Broden
Four Names of Professional Creativity

DCnU – Not quite here yet.

By kevinpsb4

On August 30, 2011

In Uncategorized

Less then 24 hours from now the universe will be starting over. Rather, the DC Comics Universe of super heroes will be starting over, with the release of JUSTICE LEAGUE #1.

I’ve been thinking about what to put into this blog for several days since I picked up my last batch of comics.

Last week’s comics represented the end of the old DC universe in a way, and I’m not talking about the end of Flashpoint. But that end bothered me in a way.

Two books had wonderful sunset endings, and one did not. Let me explain.

ACTION COMICS ended with Clark Kent and Lois Lane walking off into the evening twilight, all his problems resolved and finding happiness with her and Metropolis. The End. In WONDER WOMAN; her grand journey, and alternate reality, came to its end happy to find Paradise Island and the rest of the world the way it should be and she sores in the warmth of the sun. The End.

But in another JUSTICE SOCIETY, the ending wasn’t so glorious, no proper curtain down. The final issue felt like the story was rushed so that it would be over before the new universe took over. The Per Degaton story never quite went anywhere, Jessie Quick’s part of his story felt rewritten. And Alan Scott, Green Lantern (the true Green Lantern in my eyes, as I’ve written before), in a really bad looking costume, dies battling a monster/god that hardly had time to know a few buildings down.

The story ends in the cemetery with the question, what now? The answer by Jay Garrick is; we go one as we always have. And The End comes with everyone feeling at a loss.

The Justice Society and all the ‘Golden Age’ characters have always been my favorites, and they haven’t always been given their do.

Jay Garrick stands there and I realize he’s the last remaining member of the original Justice Society. Spectre is someone else, Dr. Fate has been replaced, Hourman’s son takes his place, Sandman gone, Johnny Thunder long gone. Even Hawkman man their great leader died and died again. Only The Flash, Jay Garrick stands alone out of that team; the first super hero team.

It really hurts to see all those characters go out that way. It’s almost as bad as when twenty odd years ago they ‘died’ and were trapped for ‘eternity’ in the Norse Ragnarok.

I grew up reading about these characters, whether it was in the ALL STAR SQUADRON, following their children in INFINITY INC, or collecting any back issues or reprints I could find (and afford). I read them more than any other characters.

A couple of years ago the JUSTICE SOCIETY ANNUAL gave us a glimpse of the ‘new Earth 2’ with a team that was almost the team I remember before the CRISIS took it away. Not quite, but close, especially since it focused on Helena Wayne, the true HUNTRESS.

It was a great thrill to see the original team worked into the continuity of SMALLVILLE.

Now the universe is starting over, and what of my beloved team?

I had no answer for that question three hours ago, and now I have at least a glimmer of hope.

Coming across my Twitter feed @ComicBooked had this message: Justice Society, Earth 2 to return! http://bit.ly/rffbmc

There would be a new Earth 2 on which the Justice Society of America still exists.

James Robinsons will be writing. He’s handled the team quite well in the past, and did fantastic job on Starman. So I am really looking forward to this book, and hope that it will have that same joy of adventure I remember.

So in a few hours (and apparently some people already have the new Justice League in their hands), a new universe is born. (I have to stop thinking of Marvel’s New Universe).

I am glad to know that some old friends will be there, even if they are slightly different.

As mentioned in a previous blog, I will hold judgment of these books until I read them. However I will say this:

I’ll know how well all the books did once DC announces next years summer Event story line.

Kevin Paul Shaw Broden
Four Names of Professional Creativity

Secret Origin of the Masked Ghost

By kevinpsb4

On September 9, 2010

In Uncategorized

Secret Origins – Original vs Unique Characters

You didn’t really expect me to tell you the hero’s origin here did you? You’ll just have to keep reaching the chapters of “Revenge of the Masked Ghost” as I post them each week.

For those of you who aren’t following me on Twitter (@Kevinpsb00) or Facebook, I have begun writing a serialized novel which I am posting on my Facebook account entitled “Revenge of The Masked Ghost” You can find a link to it on the right side of this blog, as well as links to other important things in my online life. Check them all out.- – – > > >

‘Masked Ghost’, Ya, I know it’s not the most exciting name, but it says what it needs to. Like writer Mark Waid has admitted, I have a terrible time coming up with character names. Civilian names are actually easier to come up with than costumed nom de plumes. You try to come up with a really interesting name for a guy in a mask and tights that hasn’t been used a dozen times. At least this isn’t the 90’s when all I would have to do is find a way to use the words ‘Death’ or ‘Blood’. Only slightly a joke there.

I’m still proud of FLYING GLORY and her grandma I now call OL’GLORY.

Now on to the origin. Every kernel of a story idea isn’t always original. Especially if you want to tell a tale about mystery men and super heroes. Man puts on mask and fights crime, or avenges the murder of family members; whether he has super powers or just uses his fists, that’s basically it.

That character, his mask, tights, and cape, can be so much more than that depending on what the writer, and the artist, who brings him to life. What makes Peter Parker a great character? Is it his powers, or the death of his Uncle Ben teaching him to take responsibilities for his actions? The Fantastic Four are great team because they’re a family.

I could go on.

Each writer takes a shot at

Now I’m frightening myself, because there’s no way I can compare myself to the greatest writers of the last 75 years of super heroes. I wouldn’t dream of even trying.

The reason why I mention all is that I know at first glance the “Masked Ghost” will appear very familiar. I’ll admit that I really enjoy the original costumed mystery men like the Crimson Avenger, the Green Hornet, and the original Sandman. And my hero has the same type of business suit and fedora. Though he doesn’t have a stereotypical Asian sidekick like to of those did.

(Unimportant aside: The word ‘sidekick’ is in Word’s spell check. Did that word exist before the creation of masked heroes?)

I’ve wanted to write about one of these old style mysterious vigilante’s (realize that the term super hero wouldn’t come into existence for several years,) but didn’t want to do just any story. It had to have something unique about it.

Then about three weeks ago I had a thought; not about the hero himself but what would the family be like if they suddenly discovered he was a masked vigilante. That’s all I’ll tell you about that idea, except to say that from a single thought grew a whole concept. I first brain stormed for about a page, and then for three more pages I began to work out what the first story would be about. A day later I had worked out the beats for a 25 chapter long story.It grew quickly from there.

I don’t know everything about what’s going to happen to our hero and his family, and I know absolutely nothing about criminal he’s hunting. But it’s all coming together, and you will be discovering all his secrets as I do

So why this blog, besides promoting “Revenge of the Masked Ghost?” I want to tell all the new writers out there who want to get into comics and super heroes not to worry if your ideas aren’t a hundred percent original. Whether you get a chance to write for an existing mystery man (or woman) or create one of your own, make the story write come from your heart. That way your story will be unique and special. Make what’s been around for years new and make it your own. I’ve done that with Flying Glory, and hope I’m doing it with “The Masked Ghost.”

On a side note a ghost out of my own past showed up to haunt me last night…

Jordan Jennings (@JordanCJennings on Twitter) of CBO Productions did a review of the first issue of Image Comics SUPREME as part of his Field Guide To the Comic Book Bargain Bin series. He gives a very interesting look back at this character created by Rob Liefeld. What makes this a haunting to me is that comic was my very first professional job in the industry. I drew background and did color comps on several pages. I continued to work with Brian Murray on the next several issues of the series, and also did colors for other books as well. Thank you Jordan for reminding me of the great experiences I had.

Talk to you all next week.

KPSB