"Should Space: 1970 cover the superhero shows/films of the 1970s, as well as sci-fi?"
For the last year or so, I've been considering this question. There's no doubt that television shows like Wonder Woman, Shazam!, Isis, The Incredible Hulk, and feature films like Superman: The Movie, were big parts of my 70s sci-fi childhood. But I'm also not sure that I want to open up the blog to discussing these titles on a regular basis. It seems like it might be straying a bit too far off topic (or opening a Pandora's Box!). Admittedly, shows like The Six Million Dollar Man and Man From Atlantis are on the cusp anyway; essentially superheroes without capes. And something like The Incredible Hulk was, in its TV incarnation, more sci-fi than superhero. So, I'm looking for some input.
As always, feel free to discuss your your choice - or make your arguments, pro or con - in the comments!
Hell yeah, you should. You could keep the blog title in the name of internal integrity or maybe tweak it so that it covers a broader range of genres a la Cinefantastique. Then again, Starlog used to cover all things SciFi and Fantasy and nobody batted an eye.
ReplyDeleteIs Batman (not a superhero, I know) as sci-fi character? I fear not. And true superheroes may come from another planet, it's just an excuse, they belong to 'contemporary *fantasy*' (like, if in a different way, werewolves and vampires), not to science-fiction.
ReplyDelete[Except for the 'space vampires' of "Life Force", of course; and the vampires of "I'm a legend", since they are diseased person, not 'undeads'].
I vote yes! I think a large percentage of us who liked the 70s scifi liked the 70s superheroes. With one mighty word...I say yes!
ReplyDeleteHi! Love your blog & love seeing all of this great "old school" sci-fi stuff from the 1970s-80s! Personally, I would love seeing Shazam! & the rest. I don't think it's straying to far from the genre. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteI just discovered your web site recently. There's a new pulse to the classic shows you present. I'm fond of the 70's era too. Alot of these shows have a cult production quality like classic Twilight-Zone. They get better with age. I often wonder with all the sci-fi shows since the 70's. Which shows will have that production quality, some 50 years down the road.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, you should. If 'Starlog' covered it in the 70's, so should you. All the superheros were treated as outgrowths of science fiction by the 'Starlog' editorial board. Coverage of Jackson Bostwick and Nicholas Hammond does not a lesser Star Kid make!
ReplyDeleteRockie Bee
I personally think it's a great idea to combine this aspect as well. A majority of superheros were sci fi oriented within their creation. from radioactive spiders, to gamma radiation, to some space accident so many of those characters, within tv or comic were thrown into a sci fi genre even though they are based on the superhero aspect. I think it'd throw you a curveball option every now and then for your readers.
ReplyDeleteI understand your trepidation - the internet does not need another all inclusive "That 70's Blog". However in this case I think the superheroes deserve inclusion; They do deal in many of the same tropes as 70's sci-fi and, on a personal level, they certainly were as essential viewing to my young eyes as their "purer" sci-fi counterparts.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely. What men rapidly approaching middle-age wouldn't. Many of my most vivid TV memories were from 'The Incredible Hulk' (remember the episode with Banner and McGee trapped in a forest fire?) and there's far too little mention of Hammond's 'Spider-Man'. Still no DVD of it either. And Christopher, just think of the Babes now on offer. 'Superman's Valerie Perrine springs to mind...
ReplyDeleteScience fiction and fantasy are still that whether derived from "serious" sources or "kiddie" sources. Edgar Rice Burroughs, Howard Carter, and many other pulp authors works were considered juvenile -- just like comic books. In fact, comic books arguably replaced them!
ReplyDeleteSo yes, please cover the super hero shows and movies. But maybe covering the Super Friends cartoon might be going too far. "Shazam!" yes, "Wonder Twins Activate!" not so much.
Yes, I'm being facetious there.
Arguing that super heroes are not science fiction and purely fantasy rules out covering things such as Star Wars or any other space fantasy. So by all means include the heroes.
I voted yes, and agree with some others here that the superheroes share a certain feel with the sci-fi shows already covered. Covering these shows once in a while would not hurt, just keep the focus on "real" sci-fi.
ReplyDeleteI've only recently discovered your blog, but as someone that missed the 70s and is now playing catchup, I have loved getting recommendations and opinions from you. If there is a possibility to get that with even more titles, like Shazam and Isis, I say go for it. I've been curious about these things for a while, and I already trust your opinion.
ReplyDeleteI of course voted yes, cause that means Decembers Space Babe could be Joanna Cameron, aka Mighty Isis! And that would be a good thing!
ReplyDeleteI voted yes. I think the '70s superheroes and sci-fi complement each other. I didn't think about the additions to Space Babe of the Month pool until I read the comments. In that case, my suggestion for a future Space Babe is Deirdre Hall for Electra Woman & Dyna Girl.
ReplyDeleteUnequivocally, yes.
ReplyDeleteThe middle ground here is : Only cover superhero tv shows, not movies.
ReplyDelete