What’s funny about this new strip is that I told my comics class about it the other day, and almost no one in the room, even the few people over 40, had ever heard of Condorman. Most had heard of The Greatest American Hero, and all knew the song, which I of course sang a little bit of. It was beautiful.
I have never seen Condorman–as a kid we belonged to a church that frowned sternly on movie theatres (and TV, and bowling, and most other things). So I never saw a single movie in the theatre between the ages of 5 and 15. However, I would often get the novelizations of movies, which would allow me to join very haltingly–and always awkwardly–in with movie-related conversations at school. Sometimes it would work, and sometimes not. I had the paperback book version–complete with 8 black and white photo pages!–but no one had ever seen it. So when I make clever Condorman references… well, you can just imagine.
This really looks like a terrible movie, now. Maybe McG will remake it soon, or something.
ANYway, this week’s strip focuses its lackadaisical eye upon these two forgotten greats of the 1980′s, and the awesome (but short) story that their battle would have produced. Rated “P” for “Pratfalls”.
ALSO: Last week’s strip, dogged by website problems, is now up in its right place as well.
Awesome. I saw Condorman at a 4-H summer camp. It was really odd.
In other news, you are going to Fluke right?
Maybe you thought the clip of Condorman was so terrible because you didn't understand what they were saying. Maybe?
GREAT!
By the way: the strip is very funny by itself too…
Yeah, I guess Disney said no-no to YouTube, because the only real clips on there are in other languages. We'll have to get you or Simon to translate. But no, it DEFINITELY looks crappy. I think I even thought the novelization was crappy as a kid. As opposed to Return of the Jedi, which had a first-rate novelization.
Shannon: YES to FLUKE. I plan on availing myself once more of the strange bar/con combo. I love it!
More color comics!!! Your hatching is fantastic. BTW– Who landed first?
I assume the carnage you chronicled leaves the Blue Falcon alone at the top of this erstwhile heap?
I loved Condorman when I was a kid. I was actually pretty obsessed with the movie. When I watched it again later I quickly realized it was almost unwatchable and I think the only thing that made it slightly watchable was nostalgia.
You made a very pretty comic from it though, so that's another point in it's favor.
Man, you guys are too sweet. Andy: Thanks for the hatching-praise. I'll be the guest artist at PARTYKA (partykausa.com) next month, and all the drawings will be in color pen, so it should be a veritable ORGY OF DELIGHT for you.
Evan, almost every movie I love has this great problem of being crap if you don't see it for the first time as a kid. I remember watching The Dark Crystal for the first time ever in my 20's (the girl I was unsuccessfully wooing loved it) and being bored to tears the whole time.
The primary thing I remember about Condorman is an awkward, awful scene where a child points out to Barbara Carrera that Michael Crawford has drawn her into his comic book as "Laser Lady." Secondary thing: boats with ray guns on them.
I TOTALLY FORGOT THAT THE DUDE WAS A CARTOONIST! OMG!!!
Hey, does anyone know what "ZOMG" stands for? I really want to know. I LOVE it–but what if it's insulting to some small group? Zimbabweans, for instance? Zookeepers? Zebras? I wouldn't want George Willis mad at me…
On an off note, it could be "ZWOW! OH MY GOSH!" hmmm, just guessing though.
HA! DHARBINMAN, that's what I will refer to you as from now on!
Please get up… I want my monday strip! I need my monday strip!
They say that SPLAT! KLONK! are the new SNIKT! THWIP!
The "Z" doesn't change the meaning of the "OMG," really–it's an honorific that you get to append to it after you've spent a certain number of hours on the internet. You'll get an email notification once you've put in the required time, but it usually winds up in your spam folder.
I am super duper looking forward to your guest month on Partyka.
Wow. Condorman. The memories come flooding back. I have no idea how many times I saw that movie as a kid, but I know it was more than once. It was BADASS. There's no other way to describe it. The main thing I remember was his BADASS car that was somehow camouflaged inside a truck or something and could be deployed when needed…. obviously I don't remember it that well… only that it was BADASS.
And, of course, there's no way to relive the experience now. I saw it at the Manor, in downtown Wilmington, which at the time, I believe was Wilmington's only movie theater. An old theater, that had a stage, the smell of popcorn, sticky floors. This was before I-40 came and forced the town, begrudgingly into the modern age. Wilmington seemed like any small, southern town then. There wasn't much to do there, and a movie like this was an event for a kid.
Good times.