Deep Background
Project: Blockbuster Bob Greenberger reveals DC’s Charlton Weekly Project adding a psychological twist to the proceedings. Later on, Paul Kupperberg played off the notion as the spirit of his father speaking Editor’s note: Courtesy of a tip shared by Chris Irving, I first to him in the Tod Smith-drawn mini-series. discover evidence that DC once planned a weekly tabloid featuring Dick’s old pals Pete Morisi and Frank McLaughlin were invited the Charlton Action Hero characters when my talk with Frank back and asked to start new serials with their creations, Peter Cannon McLaughlin reveals he drew a Judomaster story for the company and Judomaster respectively. Both would do everything: Write, pencil, around 1985. It was slated for use in something called Blockbuster, a and ink. proposed weekly that evidently was abandoned. That same day, I I was left to find talent for Captain Atom, The Question, and receive Ken Bruzenak’s sketchbooks (to illustrate his interview in Sarge Steel. Fortunately, we had a number of freelancers with fond CBA #8) and, lo! I find logo designs by Ken for the same aborted memories of the heroes so picking people was none too difficult. Of book. The mystery widens as Dave Gibbons then e-mails me a cover course, I was still meeting people and developing my own editorial to the unrealized (and hitherto unknown) Comics Cavalcade Weekly tastes, so I was open to everything and everyone. featuring the Charlton characters and Superman—and just what the Such a novice approach may have helped doom the project. hell is Comics Cavalcade Weekly?! I’m losing sleep pondering this After all, Dick had some notion what he wanted the book to be but I conundrum, and I hear that Pete Morisi possesses a T-bolt story still don’t recall getting an in-depth look at that notion. I was pretty much unpubbed. In desperation, I call Mike Gold (former DC staffer who left to my own devices, with Dick acting as cheerleader/consultant. In contributes a sidebar here on the name “Blockbuster”) but he knows retrospect, launching something as new and different as a weekly little and suggests I call Joey Cavalieri at DC. “Nope, can’t help comic should have been given to an experienced editor—neither me ya, ”Joey sez, “try Robert Greenberger.” Thank heavens, Robert is an nor IF YOU ENJOYED THIS Dick,PREVIEW, to be honest—one who could have devoted a lot more time electronic correspondent and, jackpot! Robert solvesCLICK for us the mysTHE LINK toTO THISBerger’s schedule was such that she could focus it, ORDER much as Karen tery of Project: Blockbuster. —JBC ISSUE IN PRINT OR on DIGITAL FORMAT! New Talent Showcase and developing people for DC’s use. Mike Barr volunteered to write “The Question,” which got Paul Levitz made a gift of the Charlton heroes to then-Executive assigned to New Talent Showcase alumnus Stan Woch to pencil and Editor Dick Giordano in 1983. Dick was told they included Captain Rick Magyar to ink. Andy Helfer, still a Special Projects editor at the Atom, Blue Beetle, The Question, Sarge Steel, Peacemaker, Peter time, had been talking with Dick about working together on someCannon—Thunderbolt, and Nightshade. None of the other features thing so they cobbled together the idea of producing Sarge Steel. such as the Fightin’ Five or the one-off characters such as Denny Dick didn’t have the time to pencil his old feature but knew he could O’Neil’s Wander were included. That December, when I interviewed fit in inking. Trevor VonEeden, just walking off Thriller, got tabbed for to join staff, Dick spoke with delight of how he was developing the that gig. heroes into something special: America’s first weekly comic book. “Captain Atom” was a little tougher to figure out. He was a Little did I realize that with some time on my hands, as both super-hero, similar to Firestorm but in need of an experienced hand. I Crisis on Infinite Earths and Who’s Who slowly geared up, that Dick turned to Paul Kupperberg, who clearly knew how to write superwould be asking for my help. Truth be told, the original project files heroes and could try something different. I finally settled on a neware long gone and we’re dealing with fuzzy memories at best so this comer named Paul Chadwick to pencil. If I have the chronology right, recreation is the best I can do. he had just done some Dazzler work at Marvel. Dick needed my assistance in keeping this and some of his other The “Superman” feature, it was decided, would be reprints of COMIC BOOK ARTIST #9 editorial projects (such as The Dark Knight Returns and DC then-current newspaper strip which featured Superman and other Interviews with Charlton alumni the JOE GILL, DICK GIORDANO, STEVE SKEATES, ROY THOMAS, PETE MORISI, Challenge) moving along. He outlined plans to feature all the DENNIS O’NEIL,heroes, as produced by Marty Pasko, George Tuska, and Vince JIM APARO, PAT BOYETTE, FRANK MCLAUGHLIN, SAM Charlton heroes in two- to four-page stories plus GLANZMAN, some sort plus of ALAN MOOREColletta. It had Watchmen not been previously collected except as a single volon the Charlton/ Connection, DC’s planned and more! Superman tale to identify the book as clearly set at DC. It would be a ALL-CHARLTON ume fromWEEKLY, Tor Books, so would be fresh, in color, and hopefully a DICK GIORDANO cover! 32-page newsstand comic and hopefully help change people’s readmust-have for comics fans. We formatted it so you would get a (80-page Digital Edition) $3.95 ing habits. week, complete with Sunday strip, in two pages. http://twomorrows.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=98_56&products_id=525 Along the way, Marv Wolfman asked Dick how the Charlton Dick gave everything the green light and we got started. Some, heroes should be handled in Crisis and it was agreed that they’d be such as Giffen and Morisi, produced in very steady batches so their on their own world and wind up on the one remaining DC-Earth chapters started filling the cabinets. Others were tougher to get into when all was over. The heroes would be immediately integrated into the groove of producing weekly storytelling. We got a few chapters the continuity, included in the Who’s Who, etc. Any writer who done for “Captain Atom” but Paul Chadwick was not fast. In fact, hoped to guest star them in their own titles were told they were not Denys Cowan came in and started penciling the feature before we to be seen until Crisis. got too far. Thankfully, Chadwick still talks to me these days. Dick had already made numerous assignments as he started to Dick kept calling it Blockbuster, a named bandied about for get a feel for what he wanted the book to be like. Blue Beetle, the some time but never used for a comic. Looking further back into DC’s light-hearted crime fighter, was given to Steve Englehart, David Ross, history, I chose to revive Comics Cavalcade (All-American’s answer to and (oddly) Alex Niño. One of the most interesting elements Steve DC’s World’s Finest) so logo designs from Ken Bruzenak evolved from introduced was having the Beetle married, his wife supportive of Ted Blockbuster to the unwieldy Comics Cavalcade Weekly. Had some Kord’s career. (Imagine an updated Elongated Man/Sue Dibny relasaner head spoken up, such as Paul or Bruce Bristow, it would have tionship. ) had a stronger name. Another tyro error. Peacemaker went to Keith Giffen and Gary Martin. Keith I asked Dave Gibbons for the favor of his producing the first would write for the first time, and pencil the serial. It was Keith who cover but we never really thought beyond that on how the covers decided that Christopher Smith heard a voice from the helmet, should be handled after that—spotlighting one feature or all of them. by Robert Greenberger
Background image: Promotional painting for DC Comics, heralding the acquisition of Charlton’s Action Hero Line. ©2000 DC Comics.
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COMIC BOOK ARTIST 9
August 2000