My wife picked up a copy of "The Music of DC Comics: 75th Anniversary Collection" a couple of weeks off of Amazon for me and I have been enjoying it ever since. The CD includes 31 theme songs from DC's long line of comic book characters TV series and movies. This just isn't a bunch of re-done instrumental versions. These are the actual themes we all love from the TV series and movies. This is one of the best mixes of Super Hero themes I have heard in a long time. I love it so much I think it should have been a 2 disc CD. Wish The Challenge of the Super Friends, The Flash TV series, The New Adventures of Batman, and to many others to mention were part of this collection too. I put together a a semi sample of the CD below using the best copies a could find. Take a listen and hear for yourself this fine collection of music.
Chosen from among all others by the Immortal Elders - Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, Mercury - Billy Batson and his mentor travel the highways and byways of the land on a never-ending mission: to right wrongs, to develop understanding, and to seek justice for all!"
In time of dire need, young Billy has been granted the power by the Immortals to summon awesome forces at the utterance of a single word:
SHAZAM!
...a word that transforms him in a flash into the mightiest of mortal beings - Captain Marvel!
I loved watching Shazam on CBS back in the 70's. It's fun to watch now, but damn it was cheesy. I don't know what was up the that lightening bolt on the front of that RV, but were they trying to blow their cover?
The show was on for 3 seasons on CBS and later had a cartoon version in 1981 on NBC. The Cartoon version was a more accurate to the comics and had the whole Marvel family: Captain Marvel, Mary Marvel, Captain Marvel Jr., and Uncle Marvel.
The cartoon had the same producers and the intro was somewhat similar to the live version and the show used a lot of the same soundtrack.
Here is a look at my boxed Shazam from Mego's World's Greatest Super Heroes Collection.
Mego definitely pushed this character in the line when the show debuted and even plugged the TV series in their toy commercial. I have to laugh at the telephone cord representing a lightening bolt (at least I think it is supposed to be a lightening bolt). Shazam was a last minute entry in the 2 nd wave of figures. Spiderman, Captain America, and Tarzan were planned from the beginning with Captain Marvel a last minute add.
Also, on a side note I didn't know Mr. Fantastic had the powers of invisibility. It kind of looks more like the power of teleportation than invisibility for him and the Invisible Girl.
I wonder why Mego didn't give hime the proper white cape? Anybody know what's up with the Shazam movie starring The Rock as Black Adam?
For more Saturday morning memories and Super Hero toys check us out.
Fellow Bat-Fan and voice actor, Wally Wingert put this video together from a photo story he did as a kid. The story called "The Biggest Robber Yet" and features the first and second wave of Mego World's Greatest Super Heroes including a "RC" Batman, Robin, Superman, Aquaman, Tarzan, Captain America, Spiderman, and Shazam. Wally did this photo story in 1973 so the action figure line was hot off the presses, but it doesn't look like Wally had a removable mask Robin, which would probably place the time line in the later half of 1973. We also get to hear Wally's voice talent too, as he plays all the characters in the story. Enjoy!
