Tuesday, January 31, 2023

RETURN OF THE CREATURES



James Gunn has announced the first slate of DC movie and TV projects under his aegis and it would be a massive understatement to say I was surprised when I found out one of them is an animated TV series—all episodes written by Gunn—based on the Creature Commandos.

Creature Commandos was something I created when I first got into the business. I cooked it up as a pitch for Paul Levitz, editor of Weird War Tales, maybe six months after I started selling stories to the DC anthology books. It was a no brainer. The book was called Weird War—so what would be more perfect than classic monsters fighting Nazis in World War II?


Then came the infamous DC Implosion, when a good chunk of the comics line was gutted.  I was out of work there for something like nine months, so the "monsters fighting WW II" idea, which I never had a chance to pitch to Paul, was tucked away...but not forgotten. After I got back in the DC door, I started working with the brilliant writer/editor Len Wein (who went on to become both my mentor and dear friend), who'd taken over Weird War. Len was looking for an ongoing series for the book, I told him about Creature Commandos (don't think it had that title then. Len and I might have come up with it together) and he went for it, assigning the great Pat Broderick to bring the characters to visual life.

It’s amazing that, after all these years…decades!...these obscure characters from so early in my career are having a comeback. (In what form? Time will tell. And, no, I have no insider info.) 

 I look forward to seeing what Gunn & Company have planned.

10 comments:

  1. Wow, the more you learn, congratulations on this excellent news. I didn't grow up on this comic, but I am aware of the DC Frankenstien because he featured in some of the Superman stories during the 'Rebirth' phase written by Peter Tomasi

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    1. Thanks for the congratulations!

      I don't think the Tomasi Frankenstein is the same one. In Creature Commandos, these are normal humans who are transformed into monsters as part of a secret government project. The one you mention was the literal Frankenstein's monster, right?

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  2. I remember when I was the only person on this website who would ever ask about, or even mention Weird War Tales.

    At least this new enterprise will apparently be animated. Not enough comic properties consider animation an option. People have said "wouldn't the Fourth World be great in Live action?"

    No. No it would not, real people saying what Jack Kirby came up with in there would sound weird, and pull you right out.
    Animated however could be a mix of Star Wars, Beauty and the Beast, and Fantasia!

    Creature Commandos.


    Jack

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    1. Yes, an animated NEW GODS would be perfection. Let's manifest that!

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  3. Here you go Dematteis, 90 years ago last Tesday...

    https://www.9and10news.com/2023/01/30/today-in-history-lone-ranger-debuted-on-michigan-radio/?fbclid=IwAR083D6Sa-8pitj5CxOB0t-tf0OYSH9y8o3X6m3molZC1Zw15mhUuuegVuw&mibextid=q5o4bk

    Jack

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    1. The Lone Ranger is a year younger than William Shatner!

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    2. And 199 years younger than Captain Kirk

      However, what you typed is a common misconception. William Shatner was created in a lab controlled by the Canadian government in 1954, as a full grown man.

      The information he collected was later used by Tommy Douglas to create the modern Canadian healthcare system, the Sketch comedy show Kids in the Hall, the alkaline battery, and Alpha Flight.

      Canadians also created Peanut butter, but that was before they created Shatner.


      Jack

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  4. How can I get one of these comics autographed?

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    1. I'm not back on the convention circuit yet, but, once I am, that would be the best place to get a book signed. I'm hoping (and it's just a hope at this point) to step back into those waters later this year or early next. Thanks for asking!

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