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Episode 1718 Talkback - Spotlight on Namor the Sub-Mariner

Up from the murky depths of comics history arises this seaworthy Spotlight on the very first Marvel Comics character: Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner! Lend your pointed ears to Grand Admiral Chris Eberle and Frigate Lieutenant Adam Murdough as they chart out 80 years of stories starring the Avenging Son: his divided heritage; his turbulent, oft-interrupted reign over the peoples of Atlantis; his key alliances and rivalries; his tempestuous love affairs; and the fine line he has always walked (or swum) between the arbitrary roles of 'hero,' 'villain,' and 'anti-hero.' It's an aquatic anniversary acclamation for Atlantean aficionados of all ages! Imperius Rex!! (3:09:11)

Listen here.

Comments

  • What is this?! A three-hour Marvel Spotlight on the Sub-Mariner?! Hands down, without a doubt (and any other cliché you can think of), this is the BEST Christmas gift that I've received this year! Thank you from the bottom of my heart (which is exactly as deep as the deepest spot in the ocean: 11,033 meters)!
  • These spotlights are the best!!!
  • David_DDavid_D Posts: 3,881
    Thanks, @Mark_Engblom ! That was excellent.
  • Hear! Hear! Mark, many thanks for the outstanding visual supplement!
  • alienalalienal Posts: 508
    edited January 2019
    Oh, man! That was scary! I was just in the middle of watching those Marvel Grantray Lawrence Animation videos again (I had watched Cap and Iron Man) and was about to watch the Subby one and then I looked at my iPad and saw the Spotlight on the Sub-Mariner! (Also it's funny, I have a memory of showing my mom the cover of Sub-Mariner number 7, the photo cover and she said "Oh, the SubmarEEner!" as in the undersea vessel. Hahah!) By the way, am I the ONLY one who, after 50 years of reading the character, never noticed that his name was "roman" spelled backwards? I have to say, my favorite era of Subby IS that period when he first got his own Silver Age mag, issues 1 through 8, drawn by John Buscema. Why?: Triton, the Leviathan, Tiger Shark, Dorma, Diane Arliss, and Ben Grimm. Anyway, I haven't finished the episode yet (28 minutes to go), but I hope you say something about WHY hasn't this character gotten a movie yet! Especially after the "splash" the Aquaman movie has gotten now. **** Oh, you guys just sort of alluded to it but didn't really discuss it at length. So, why hasn't this guy gotten his own movie or even made an appearance in the MCU yet? Is it a murky copyright issue? If they do have the FF back, then Namor would be a cool villain-like character to play off of them and to team up with Dr. Doom.
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    Don't forget Jae Lee's 90's version of the Submariner. Mega muscles, and headbanger hairdo.
  • nweathingtonnweathington Posts: 6,736
    Re: Namor’s influence on later comic book characters, I think E.C. Segar’s early Popeye work (which Everett surely read as a young artist) likely influenced Everett’s development of Namor. Don't think of the Popeye from the cartoons, but the original depiction in Thimble Theater newspaper strip in the late 1920s, early ’30s. Besides the nautical connection, both characters are head-strong, recklessly violent, nigh-invulnerable, anti-social, and a bit odd looking. And back then Popeye had a shady past that was often hinted at (including that he may have killed people), but never fully gone into.

    Re: the pronunciation of Lloyd Jacquet, Murd was spot on. It's pronounced like “jacket”.

    I couldn’t find an original page set underwater, but here’s page from that era which makes use of the Craftint Doubletone effect @wildpigcomics brought up (Craftint was the name of the company, Doubletone was the name of the of the chemically treated paper—renamed DuoShade when the company was later sold to Grafix). Everett and other Timely artists like Burgos and Russ Heath would use the technique quite a bit for Marvel’s war and horror comic covers during the 1950s.
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    Still have more than half the episode to listen to, but great job so far.
  • nweathingtonnweathington Posts: 6,736
    I think it's important to mention that Namora wasn’t just Namor’s sidekick, she also had her own (albeit short-lived—only three issues) series in 1948. Cover art for all three issues was by Ken Bald, but Everett drew and perhaps even wrote a few of the “Namora” stories for the series.

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    While Hickman has been busy writing for the development of the East of West TV series, he has not been completely absent from comics. He’s still been putting out creator-owned work: the previously mentioned East of West series and the great Black Monday Murders series. And, of course, he finished up the long stagnant SHIELD series recently.

    McGuinness? Drawing Orka? Here you go, @Adam_Murdough:

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  • Good stuff, gentlemen. I love comic podcasts that cover the roads less traveled. Especially when, lately, so much focus out there is on Aquaman.

    I will add that Namora's resurrection came in the AGENTS OF ATLAS series a few years back. A time displaced Namorita also was brought back in the later issues of the Abnet & Lanning run of NOVA. Some might frown on the stunt but I always loved the character and didn't want her to be just a write off character from the beginnings of CIVIL WAR.

    I don't think either of the characters have been used since but I could be wrong.
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