Beyond the Big Two - Big Bang Comics
Jul. 16th, 2012 12:24 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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scans_dailyA repost from s_d 1.0.
If you haven't met them before, meet Knight Watchman and Kid Galahad.
Back in the 90's when Batman was wallowing in his own angst, and the angst of anyone within 200 miles, and was, essentially, a self righteous aggravating pain the the Batcave, there were two places left to enjoy his adventures. The first, obviously, was Batman the Animated Series. The second was the Big Bang comics series of entirely blatant, but respectfully affectionate, homages to the glories of the Golden and Silver ages.
Two of the best were Knight Watchman (The Twilight Paladin of Midway City) and his sidekick Kid Galahad (The Kid Whiz). In reality Reid Randall and his orphaned nephew Jerry.
In a nice twist on things, as Reid still lives with his mother and also owns and runs a ladies fashion boutique, no one seems surprised he's never married and settled down because they just assume he's.... you know, THAT way inclined. Though he has proven himself to be a fine uncle to his orphaned nephew of course. Plus that's a perfect cover for the alpha male Knight Watchman. :) I'm amazed Bruce Wayne never actually thought of that himself! :)
Anyway, here is a selection from Big Bang Comics #1printed by Big Bang in 1996. (Art by "Tom King", a pseudonym for Chris Ecker)
And we're straight into the glories of sidekick in mortal peril! Clearly we're in safe hands here! :)
Okay, so it's TV night at the Randall's, and they're watching on of their favourite programs, a quiz called "What do You Know?" and at the end they make a special announcement!
Ah the fun of a secret identity! Surely this will be a televisual treat for the masses as their telegenic young hero makes his TV debut?
Well, it would be if not for the presence of the jealous question-setter for the show, who believes that HE is the real reason for the shows success, not cheap stunts like having Kid Galahad guest star.
So enraged is he that he concocts a scheme, sending an message to the press
Boo! Hiss! "What a cad this Quizmaster must be!" do I hear you cry? I hope I do!
But our heroes are not to be so easily cowed and announce their plan to defy the mystery man.
Yes indeed Nestor, nothing screams "Respect me you mindless fools!!", like a pale blue bodysuit with purple trunks!
I can't work out if there's a pun in his name, like a certain Mr Nygma... Can anyone spot one?
And our heroes are taking the threat as lightly as they feel it deserves.
Now there is a dramatic convention in fiction that anything which is given undue prominence early on, will be significant later, can you guess which part of the above image comes into play? I'll let you ponder that one.
(Personally, judging by Jerry's rather over-excited expression, I'm pretty sure there's a porn mag behind that cover.)
But then.... their vibrating wristwatches go off!!! (It's a lot more efficient than a big spotlight, and less easy to trace than a dedicated phone line
I like the Watchtower, it's probably lighter and airier than a certain cave.
The shows sponsor has been kidnapped, and the only clue is "What do you do when a friend knocks..."
or... "In Vita-Min...." as in "He's stashed inside the giant Vita-Min bottle prop on top of a nearby building!
(In another universe, it was usually the sidekick who cracked their quiz-based foes' riddles, so Galahad doesn't come across as being that bright here)
Oh, and big shout out to the opening titles of a certain 1960's TV show in that last panel there! :)
Gayly coloured costume and a large Q, it's a good thing he'd already announced his name to the world, otherwise people might have leapt to a very different conclusion.
He has a point there, one has to admit, though I'm sort of curious where one goes to get what appears to be an electric chair with pink accessories...
Time marches on...
If they give you lipstick young man, you'd goshdarn well wear it! You want to look pretty for the camera's don't you
Oh and anyone who EVER uses the phrase "Well, let me have it" deserves WHATEVER fate befalls them in the following ten seconds.
KW swiftly finds himself locked into another room, where the Producer of the show has been incarcerated by Whitt, who has taken over the station. Freeing him, KW is then ordered by a mysterious voice to follow a certain corridor if he wants Galahad to be kept safe. Having no choice KW follows orders and....
Props to Galahad here, clonked on the head by a mallet and tied to an electric chair, in short order and still dropping clues to his mentor! (And Quizmaster has created a predicament worthy of his original source material too)
This image serves no purpose other than to enhance my reputation for tied up sidekicks...
And now the fun begins, Quizmaster promises to ask only three questions and still have Knight Watchman reveal his deepest secrets.
The first question's answer is more metaphysical than anything
The second does involve revealing a secret he'd probably rather had been kept, but considering the alternative would be to have the only correct answer be "Kid Galahad is really a smouldering pile of ashes...." it's understandable.
But before KW has to answer the third question....
So Galahad has been working on that rope escape for months... interesting mental images there! :)
There is a certain part of me which wants to correct Galahad on one point; If KW tells the truth, their careers are over. If he lies, only GALAHAD'S career is over, KW will still be alive and kicking. So which would be the best path to take? Perhaps it's better for everyone that Knight Watchman didn't actually point that out to him.
And does Knight Watchman have a point about the nature of Secret vs Civilian identities, I'm still not sure! :) I think it depends which POV he answers from; Reid and Jerry are the secret identities of KW and KG. but KW and KG are the secret identities of Reed and Jerry)
Still this was a lot of fun and that was in short supply during those times.
For more info on the Purple Paladin and his squire you can find more info here...
http://bigbangcomics.com/characters/knight-watchman/
http://bigbangcomics.com/characters/kid-galahad/
If you haven't met them before, meet Knight Watchman and Kid Galahad.
Back in the 90's when Batman was wallowing in his own angst, and the angst of anyone within 200 miles, and was, essentially, a self righteous aggravating pain the the Batcave, there were two places left to enjoy his adventures. The first, obviously, was Batman the Animated Series. The second was the Big Bang comics series of entirely blatant, but respectfully affectionate, homages to the glories of the Golden and Silver ages.
Two of the best were Knight Watchman (The Twilight Paladin of Midway City) and his sidekick Kid Galahad (The Kid Whiz). In reality Reid Randall and his orphaned nephew Jerry.
In a nice twist on things, as Reid still lives with his mother and also owns and runs a ladies fashion boutique, no one seems surprised he's never married and settled down because they just assume he's.... you know, THAT way inclined. Though he has proven himself to be a fine uncle to his orphaned nephew of course. Plus that's a perfect cover for the alpha male Knight Watchman. :) I'm amazed Bruce Wayne never actually thought of that himself! :)
Anyway, here is a selection from Big Bang Comics #1printed by Big Bang in 1996. (Art by "Tom King", a pseudonym for Chris Ecker)
And we're straight into the glories of sidekick in mortal peril! Clearly we're in safe hands here! :)
Okay, so it's TV night at the Randall's, and they're watching on of their favourite programs, a quiz called "What do You Know?" and at the end they make a special announcement!
Ah the fun of a secret identity! Surely this will be a televisual treat for the masses as their telegenic young hero makes his TV debut?
Well, it would be if not for the presence of the jealous question-setter for the show, who believes that HE is the real reason for the shows success, not cheap stunts like having Kid Galahad guest star.
So enraged is he that he concocts a scheme, sending an message to the press
Boo! Hiss! "What a cad this Quizmaster must be!" do I hear you cry? I hope I do!
But our heroes are not to be so easily cowed and announce their plan to defy the mystery man.
Yes indeed Nestor, nothing screams "Respect me you mindless fools!!", like a pale blue bodysuit with purple trunks!
I can't work out if there's a pun in his name, like a certain Mr Nygma... Can anyone spot one?
And our heroes are taking the threat as lightly as they feel it deserves.
Now there is a dramatic convention in fiction that anything which is given undue prominence early on, will be significant later, can you guess which part of the above image comes into play? I'll let you ponder that one.
(Personally, judging by Jerry's rather over-excited expression, I'm pretty sure there's a porn mag behind that cover.)
But then.... their vibrating wristwatches go off!!! (It's a lot more efficient than a big spotlight, and less easy to trace than a dedicated phone line
I like the Watchtower, it's probably lighter and airier than a certain cave.
The shows sponsor has been kidnapped, and the only clue is "What do you do when a friend knocks..."
or... "In Vita-Min...." as in "He's stashed inside the giant Vita-Min bottle prop on top of a nearby building!
(In another universe, it was usually the sidekick who cracked their quiz-based foes' riddles, so Galahad doesn't come across as being that bright here)
Oh, and big shout out to the opening titles of a certain 1960's TV show in that last panel there! :)
Gayly coloured costume and a large Q, it's a good thing he'd already announced his name to the world, otherwise people might have leapt to a very different conclusion.
He has a point there, one has to admit, though I'm sort of curious where one goes to get what appears to be an electric chair with pink accessories...
Time marches on...
If they give you lipstick young man, you'd goshdarn well wear it! You want to look pretty for the camera's don't you
Oh and anyone who EVER uses the phrase "Well, let me have it" deserves WHATEVER fate befalls them in the following ten seconds.
KW swiftly finds himself locked into another room, where the Producer of the show has been incarcerated by Whitt, who has taken over the station. Freeing him, KW is then ordered by a mysterious voice to follow a certain corridor if he wants Galahad to be kept safe. Having no choice KW follows orders and....
Props to Galahad here, clonked on the head by a mallet and tied to an electric chair, in short order and still dropping clues to his mentor! (And Quizmaster has created a predicament worthy of his original source material too)
This image serves no purpose other than to enhance my reputation for tied up sidekicks...
And now the fun begins, Quizmaster promises to ask only three questions and still have Knight Watchman reveal his deepest secrets.
The first question's answer is more metaphysical than anything
The second does involve revealing a secret he'd probably rather had been kept, but considering the alternative would be to have the only correct answer be "Kid Galahad is really a smouldering pile of ashes...." it's understandable.
But before KW has to answer the third question....
So Galahad has been working on that rope escape for months... interesting mental images there! :)
There is a certain part of me which wants to correct Galahad on one point; If KW tells the truth, their careers are over. If he lies, only GALAHAD'S career is over, KW will still be alive and kicking. So which would be the best path to take? Perhaps it's better for everyone that Knight Watchman didn't actually point that out to him.
And does Knight Watchman have a point about the nature of Secret vs Civilian identities, I'm still not sure! :) I think it depends which POV he answers from; Reid and Jerry are the secret identities of KW and KG. but KW and KG are the secret identities of Reed and Jerry)
Still this was a lot of fun and that was in short supply during those times.
For more info on the Purple Paladin and his squire you can find more info here...
http://bigbangcomics.com/characters/knight-watchman/
http://bigbangcomics.com/characters/kid-galahad/
