Welcome to ANTHOLOGY AUGUST 2026!

First off is a spacey one.

MA-31 - Eye in the Sky:

1 - Rockin' Chair on the Moon Bill Haley 1952

2 - My Satellite Jesse Belvin 1956

3 - Red Planet Rock Don Lang and His Frantic Five 1957

4 - Planetary Run Joe Montgomery 1957

5 - Rocket To The Moon   Tony Perkins 1957

6 - Rock It To The Moon Jackie Góetroe and The Scamps 1958

7 - Satellite Rock Joe Tate and the Hi Fives 1958

8 - Rocket To The Moon    Lenny Welch 1958

9 - Light My Rockets Neil Alan 1958

10 - Sputnik Dance The Equadors 1958

11 - Rockin' On The Moon Deacon and The Rock & Rollers 1959

12 - Like Out Of This World Rockin' Charlie 1959

13 - Satellite City Earl Wrightson 1960

14 - People From Another World Jive Five 1961

15 - Signals From Saturn Rose DuBats 1962

16 - First Man To Stand On The Moon Buck Griffin 1963

17 - Countdown The Crescendos 1963

18 - Rocket Ship Don Drummond 1964

19 - Space Race Gene and The Esquires 1965

20 - I'll Send You to the Moon Les Baroques 1966

21 - Hippy, Skippy Moon Strut (Opus #1) The Moon People 1969

22 - Santa's Rocket Tim Dinkins 1969

23 - I’m a Stranger Here Five Man Electrical Band   1973

24 - Galaxy War 1977

25 - Eye In The Sky Alan Parsons Project 1987

26 - Books about UFOs Husker Du 1987

27 - Interplanet Janet Man or Astro-Man 1996

28 - Return of the Attack of the Curse of the Son of the Astro Squid Part XIV Chapter 6   The Amino Acids    2004

29 - Hot Rod Ride to the Moon Hi-Fly Rangers 2006

30 - Martian Rendezvous Alu 2008

By the way, Track Five's performer is that Tony Perkins, the guy who a few years later worked for Mr Hitchcock on a little black-and-white exploitation film.

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MA-151 - Four-Color Fantasies - Volume 1!!!:

01 - George of the Jungle - Scott Shaw - 1989  (2:24)

02 - Peter Parker - The Great Luke Ski - 2002  (3:23)

03 - Official Suburban Superman - Suzy Quatro - 1973  (3:06)

04 - Look Out for the Batman - Tony Eira - 1966  (2:39)

05 - Super Heroes - The Model - 1981  (3:11)

06 - Aquaman - Grandpa Griffith - 2006  (3:36)

07 - Barney Google - The Mellomen with Thurl Ravenscroft - 1949  (1:56)

08 - Superman - Allison McCallum - 1972  (2:29)

09 - Green Hornet - Mr Unique and the Leisure Class - 1984  (2:43)

10 - Parker - Victor Banana - 1989  (2:10)

11 - Lois Lois - Superman's Girlfriend - 1979  (4:53)

12 - Comic Strip Wobble - Joe Capp and the Starfires - 1962  (2:24)

13 - Dick Tracy - The Chants - 1961  (2:16)

14 - Magilla Gorilla - The Family Goat - 1969  (2:37)

15 - Up Up and Away - Jivin' Jean & the Jokers - 1959  (2:36)

16 - Dr Strange - Paul Roland - 1982  (2:56)

17 - Captain America - Jimmy Buffett - 1970  (3:20)

18 - Spiderman - Stikky - 1988  (0:54)

19 - Superman - Joyce Davis - 1962  (2:31)

20 - L'Invincible Batman - Batman - 1966  (2:30)

21 - The Phantom - The Super Dupers - 1966  (3:35)

22 - Iron Man - Vitamin Lounge - 2002  (3:55)

23 - Superman Love - Chet Bolins - 1981  (2:37)

24 - Deputy Dog - Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs - 1966  (2:49)

25 - Help Help! and I Had a Hamburger Dream - Jack Mercer, Mae Questel, and Jimmy Carroll - 1964  (2:16)

26 - (I Saw) Batman (In the Launderette) - The Shapes - 1979  (2:38)

27 - Supergirl - Readymades - 1977  (1:46)

28 - Stop Talkin' About Comic Books or I'll Kill You - Ookla the Mok - 2006  (1:46)

29 - Capt Kangaroo - Suburban 9 to 5 - 1968  (1:57)

Pay no attention to Track 28.  Keep talkin'!  See you Thursday.

  

Book Review - THE SUPERMAN WARS - by William Bernhardt

 

            This grand 2026 book is subtitled “A Battle for Truth, Justice, and an American Icon.”  The author, William Bernhardt, is a writer of several series of legal thrillers.  They’re always a fun read.  And extra credit because he’s an Oklahoman.

            This book is focused on Jerry Siegel, the writer half of the Siegel-Shuster team who created Superman and generated millions (maybe billions?) of dollars for almost everyone but themselves.

            Bernhardt does a good job of depicting the impoverished existence of sub-working-class children of immigrants to our country.  This was a world of neighborhood stores and craftspeople of the servant class, working to improve the prospects of their children.

            The author uses his tale-telling abilities to narrate the experiences of the young men who created the ultimate American hero.  It\s really depressing to read about the ongoing exploitation of their talent by all the various incarnations of DC and the men who ran them.  (The fact that such exploitation by those in power happens every day does not excuse it.)

            Joe Shuster is not shirked in the telling, but Jerry is in the spotlight throughout.

            In an afterword, Bernhardt ventures the opinions of a couple of psych/behavioral experts anent Jerry Siegel.  They point out that a lot of Jerry’s life exemplifies someone with hypomania or manic mood swings.  What achievements Siegel reached!—only to sign Superman away (more than once).

            The several legal imbroglios involving Jerry-and-Joe versus DC (and Jerry solo) show the dismal state of creators’ rights and corporate behavior.  Kudos to Neal Adams and others who motivated fans to shame DC into providing Joe and Jerry with medical coverage and pensions in the 1970s.

            I learned lots of things that THIS Super Fan did not know, including an early origin story for Superman which sent him to twentieth-century America from the future, not from another planet.

            The Superman Wars of the title are covered up until the 2025 film, with many backs-and-forths in courtroom and in the public eye.

            It’s gratifying to read the acknowledgments and see all the people Bernhardt contacted.  It’s like a Who’s Who of super folks, like Swan, Adams, the Siegel family, Carlin, Uslan, Maggin, and many more.

            This is a fine book with a splash of photos and art spread throughout.  If you love Superman, you’ll like it.  My only wish is that it were about half again as long and covered Joe Shuster’s side of the story in more depth.

            Read this book and enjoy some gosh-wows, and some deep compassion for how a couple of guys from Cleveland were swallowed alive by corporate greed.

            PS I was thrilled to meet Bill Bernhardt as a co-panelist at Soonercon 34, June 19-21, 2026.  He was kind enough to sign my copy of The Superman Wars.

            We participated in a panel called “The Golden Age of Sci-Fi: What Makes Classic Stories Endure?”

     

            In this photo, left-to-right:  Bill Bernhardt, Steven Southard, Frank Hood, and me.

See you Monday!

  

Thrilling Days of Yesteryear

 Here are three compilations of Super-related music.

MA-05 - Supermusic

1)  Movie Theme - Walter Murphy

2)  Superboy TV Theme

3)  Superman - Herbie Mann

4)  The Adventures of Superman TV Theme

5)  Sound from Krypto / Movie Theme - Let's All Dance with Super Friends cassette

6)  Superman the Animated Series TV Theme (extended)

7)  The Batman / Superman Adventures TV Theme

8)  Movie Theme - Gotham's Greatest

9)  Comic Book Heroes / I'm Your Superman - Rick Springfield

10)  The New Adventures of Superman TV Theme

11)  The New Adventures of Superman Episode Title Music

12)  The New Adventures of Superman TV End Credits

13)  Movie Theme - Super Hero Music cassette

14)  It's Superman - The Supermen

15)  You've Got Possibilities - The Supermen

16)  TV Theme - Ruby-Spears

17)  Movie Theme - Cinema Sound Orchestra

18)  The Superman / Batman Adventures TV Theme

19)  Superboy TV Theme (Filmation cartoon)

20)  SuperPup TV Theme

21)  Movie Theme - Fleischer cartoons

22)  Theme from Superman (original) - Wonderland Space Shuttle

23)  Movie Serial Theme

MA-52 - Adventures of Superman - original MUTEL catalog recordings

01. Mysterioso (2:13)

02. Wax Museum (1:32)

03. Build to Sting (0:18)

04. Frantic Rhythm (1:53)

05. Violin Scream (1:19)

06. The Getaway (0:57)

07. Fight (3:13)

08. Jump the Fence! (1:19)

09. Queasy (1:34)

10. Deserted Village (1:33)

11. Rip Through Fear (1:03)

12. Face at the Window (1:44)

13. Eerie Oboe (1:22)

14. Flute to Finale (0:53)

15. Night of Terror (2:29)

16. Sad Romance (1:20)

17. Monkey Mystery (1:18)

18. Airport (0:37)

19. Slow Carousel (0:46)

20. Radio Waltz (1:43)

21. Tango (2:09)

22. Silsby Pastorale (1:43)

23. Life and Death (2:28)

24. Romantic Interlude (1:54)

25. Blue Melody (1:41)

26. World of Tomorrow (3:10)

27. Menace (1:34)

28. City Desk (1:21)

29. Sword of Damocles (2:56)

30. Cat Burglar (1:28)

31. Atlantic Rollers (2:09)

32. Solemn Moment (1:31)

33. Sea Power (1:35)

34. Scotland Yard (2:59)

35. Prelude to Crime (0:24)

36. Crime Doesn't Pay (2:47)

37. Changing Moods I (3:01)

38. Changing Moods II (2:48)

39. Humorous In & Out (0:34)

40. Chameleon Moods (2:40)

41. Free for All (1:35)

42. Hope Abandoned (2:47)

43. Arctic Wastes (2:25)

MA-55 - Adventures of Superman - More Library Recordings

01. Eerie Night - F G Charrosin (3:10)

02.  Tragedy - Unknown Artist (1:26)

03. Lost in a Fog - Ronald Hanmer (1:25)

04. Dismal Swamp - King Palmer (1:37)

05. Mists - Unknown Artist (1:18)

06. The Tell-Tale Heart - Jack Foulds (2:48)

07. The Ghost Walks - F G Charrosin (1:41)

08. Stealthy Footsteps - F G Charrosin (1:49)

09. Confusion - F G Charrosin (1:17)

10. Rebellion & General Havoc - Edward Carmer (1:34)

11. Disorder - Edward Carmer (1:20)

12. Desert Caravan - Granville Bantock (3:02)

13. Storm at Sea - Unknown Artist (2:52)

14. Tenebrae - Unknown Artist (3:05)

15. Condemned - Unknown Artist (3:02)

16. Dramatique - Unknown Artist (1:03)

17. Tumult & Commotion - Miklós Rózsa (1:20)

18. Mechanical Monster - Unknown Artist (1:50)

19. Danger Ahead - Unknown Artist (1:45)

20. Men of Steel - Miklós Rózsa (1:39)

21. Informal Interview - Ronald Hanmer (2:38)

22. Bits and Pieces - Ronald Hanmer (0:58)

23. Just Whimsical - Ronald Hanmer (1:40)

24. Way Out East - Ronald Hanmer (2:59)

25. Dagger in the Dark - Ronald Hanmer (3:06)

26. Magic Necklace Cue - Modest Mussorgsky (2:00)

27. Seven Souvenirs Cue - Modest Mussorgsky (1:44)

28. Catacombs - With the Dead in a Dead Language - Modest Mussorgsky (3:58)

The story of the latter two comps' music sources is found in this 2019 post.

If you grew up thrilling to the George Reeves series and other Super media, hope you get a few fun twinges.  See you Monday for some soundtrack compilations.

  

A SUPER Place to Work!

I work security for the good ole State of Oklahoma, at night when it's supposed to be peaceful.

And it usually is, giving me time to walk the building, watch the cameras, and consider deep thoughts.  For example ....

Doesn't THIS particular parking-lot view yield a painted set of lines that's suspiciously familiar?

I think it looks like Superman's shield!  However, I am sad to inform you that during the daytime there isn't a Super Car parked there.

See you on Monday, fellow Super Seers!

  

Maybe a Dream! -- Imaginary Stories, Part 2

Here is the second half of Valentino's summary of DC Comics' imaginary stories.  Part 1 is here.  It's from Amazing Heroes #29, cover-dated August 15, 1983.

The author "infers" that the tale of Super-Menace, in Superman #137, is imaginary.  However, there's a chart of "Superman's Journey to Earth" which also mentions the creation of Super-Menace.  I don't remember if that's in the same issue, or a different one.  And being at work, I can't go check in the Comics Closet.  You guys tell ME, OK?

BTW, I am probably a heretic, but I never thought the imaginary tale of Superman-Red and Superman-Blue was anything but a subpar concept.  Even though most fans seem to love it, I don't.

"Clark Kent's Brother," from Superman #175, is a work of genius in the category of imaginary stories.  If you check out this 2007 Super Blog post , you can learn much more about that great Edmond Hamilton story.

The longing for more-more-MORE imaginary tales in the above sidebar is similar to what led to the DC Elseworlds concept.

I must admit that I don't remember all of these tales, although anything in an issue of Superman, Superboy, Jimmy Olsen, Action, Lois Lane, or World's Finest is doubtless in the Comics Closet somewhere.

See you Monday, fellow imaginary readers!

  

Aren't They All? -- Imaginary Stories, Part 1

Imaginary stories, that is!

Read more!

This article is from the August 15, 1983 issue of Amazing Heroes.  It exemplifies the kind of fun comics scholarship that I love!

The other half of this article on Thursday, fellow imagineers!

  

How Do YOU Rank 'em?

Here's a poll from the July 6, 2025 Tulsa World.

I would rank Superman II as second best ONLY if considering the Donner Cut.  Then I'd put Superman and the Mole Men in for Number Three.

IMO, all the others are dubious.  But Man of Steel and the Dawn of Justice are atrocities, because they claimed to be "Superman" movies, but did not contain anything like the "real" Superman.

The 2025 film would probably come in at Number Four for me because I haven't seen it enough times to really evaluate it.

See you on Monday, Super Friends!

  

Yup?

Here's a little essay from the June 1, 1986 Amazing Heroes.

OUCH!  Was this satire, or prognostication?

In case you youngsters don't know, "Yuppie" was a derisive acronym coined in the 1980s, based on "Young Urban Professional."

What say you?  Is Clark Kent so conformist that he qualifies as such?  Of course, you gotta know WHICH Kent you're talking about.

  

See you Thursday, Yuppers and Yuppettes!

  

You Too Can Be Bizarro!

This article is from the September 15, 2000 Oklahoman.

You can tell the writer had fun with the concept.

Of course I have this tome.  One thing about the whole Bizarro thing that I thought too much about was the whole do-the-opposite thing.  I mean, if you EXPECT a Bizarro to say "Good is Bad,"  wouldn't he say the OPPOSITE of that, that "Good is Good"?

If you expect a Bizarro to do everything wrong, wouldn't they get it right just to be opposite?  But then, if you EXPECT them to do that, then they'd have to do it wrong because you expect them to do it right, to spite your expectation that they would do it wrong ...

Do you have a headache yet?

  

Five Years of Wedded Bliss!

You can call me a crummy Superman fan, but I have no idea whether in the current Superman comics Superman and Lois are married, with or without kids, or even if they are printing any Superman comics.

As far as I'm concerned, the 1986 reboot failed because of John Byrne's carved jaws, demolition-derby writing, and DC's decree that the "old" Supes was a liability.  

Still, I stayed on for a decade or more after that, buying and reading because I was (and still am) emotionally invested in Big Blue.  It's a sign of being an old fart that I'd rather read a comic from 1973 or 1965 or 1954 than anything in the last twenty years or so.

Anyway ... This here is from the Comics Buyer's Guide of October 12, 2001.

I got a big thrill from the wedding because me, myself, and I got a big thrill from OUR wedding.  Still do, 48+ years later!

I hope YOU too can find your heart's desire, fellow Valentines!

  

Record Your Own Official SUPERBOY Promos!

Here's more of the Promo Packet for Superboy's Season Two, courtesy of Mister Wonderful, aka Mark Barragar, aka KOKH-25's Ranger Roger.

The above folder is the size of a legal manila folder.

These pages are letter size.

You have plenty of time to read 'em all before rejoining the blog parade right here, on Monday!