Shazam History & Future

[Mary Canary]

For those who are fans of Captain Marvel aka Shazam!, Newsarama has been posting a nice series of articles.

Part 1:

https://www.newsarama.com/35699-an-oral-history-of-dc-s-shazam-captain-marvel-the-fawcett-years-part-1.html

Part 2:

https://www.newsarama.com/35740-an-oral-history-of-dc-s-captain-marvel-shazam-the-fawcett-years-part-2.html

Part 3:

https://www.newsarama.com/35763-an-oral-history-of-dc-s-captain-marvel-shazam-the-fawcett-years-part-3.html

Part 4:

https://www.newsarama.com/35806-an-oral-history-of-dc-s-captain-marvel-shazam-the-lost-years-pt-1.html

I always liked the old Filmation cartoon, what I remember of it anyway.
Have been scoping clips on YouTube now and then.
And I'm about halfway through the Showcase reprint collection that DC published (the one with b/w pages).

I'm excited about the upcoming movie adaptation.
The director seems to want to make it a lighter superhero flick.
I guess WB put this on the front burner after they saw Wonder Woman raking in the bucks and thought maybe there was a desire for superheroes who aren't just dark and angsty.
Also, as nice as the Rock probably is, he is always just "the Rock" in all of his movies.
So I'm glad that the Shazam movie is now a separate production and won't be including the Rock as Black Adam.

[LonnieFisher]

I really loved the Shazam live action show in the '70's!

[Mary Canary]

With a bolt of lighting, part 5 has arrived:

https://www.newsarama.com/35839-an-oral-history-of-dc-s-captain-marvel-shazam-the-lost-years-part-2.html

[PNGwynne]

Wonderful stuff, I love Captain Marvel (my second-favorite hero). Thanks for sharing.

[Godzilla]

I used to read the Jeff Smith issues to my kids at bedtime. I've always been a fan of the big red cheese.

[Mary Canary]

Part 6 of Newsarama's Shazam history, which includes how Marvel took over the name Captain Marvel:

https://www.newsarama.com/35855-an-oral-history-of-dc-s-captain-marvel-shazam-the-lost-years-part-3.html

[Mary Canary]

The Shazam Years!
Part 7:

https://www.newsarama.com/35984-an-oral-history-of-dc-s-captain-marvel-shazam-the-shazam-years-part-1.html

[hedrap]

The copyright/trademark background is always the most interesting to me and is once again, something directly connects to Mego.

Fawcett can't trademark Captain Thunder in late '39. Marvel Comics appears in Nov '39. Captain Marvel appears in Whiz Feb 1940.

Fawcett/NPP never had a case over trademark ownership. Goodman could easily show where the name came from as the govt would have a record of Fawcett's failed attempts to TM Thunder. The best NPP could do was make sure it had zero copyright connection.

DC doesn't move on Fawcett's copyright until after Marvel swiped the trademark back and the courts make their decision. So they go with Shazam as a cover title, but try and use the subtitle as an undercut which proved unnecessary. We've debated this before, but I think this oral history shows DC lucked out with Gomer Pyle's "Shazam" becoming a pop culture reference that eclipsed the Captain Marvel name.

[Mary Canary]

The Shazam Years!
Part 8:

https://www.newsarama.com/36034-an-oral-history-of-dc-s-captain-marvel-shazam-the-shazam-years-part-2.html

I have been reading the Showcase collection recently, and while I miss the color pages, I have to say there is so much fun and charm in these stories. Really all-ages and truly enjoyable adventures with the Marvel Family.

So with the Shazam! movie coming up, can WB/DC use the name "Captain Marvel" for the character? Or is he forever going to be known as Shazam now? And is it Shazam Jr. and Mary Shazam? I guess I don't understand the legalities of all of this. Marvel secured the name Captain Marvel, but DC has still been able to use it in the comics for the character himself, just not as a book title?

[Mary Canary]

Part 9:

https://www.newsarama.com/36082-an-oral-history-of-dc-s-captain-marvel-shazam-the-shazam-years-part-3.html

[Godzilla]

I'm loving this series!

[Mary Canary]

I'm loving this series!

Oh good! Not too many replies have been posted, but I keep adding the chapters here as they come up, hoping someone has been reading them along with me.

[Godzilla]

Absolutely! They do kind of beat up on the TV show, unfairly if you ask me just based on how popular it was.

[palitoy]

I think the lack of replies is based on people being sent to another site for an involved read. I've been enjoying it as well but agree they kind of beat up on a show that pretty much saved a character who hadn't been in print for almost twenty years.

[Mary Canary]

I think the lack of replies is based on people being sent to another site for an involved read. I've been enjoying it as well but agree they kind of beat up on a show that pretty much saved a character who hadn't been in print for almost twenty years.

Oh, sorry. I hope it's ok that I share the links. I was just enjoying it and thought others might as well. But yeah, some of them are longer reads.

I'm kind of surprised by how many people have stated they don't like Captain Marvel being wedged into the central DCU and want him in his own universe. Personally, I like him as part of the DCU and don't see why there can't be a place for him and the Marvel Family. Maybe he's a more lighthearted, whimsical hero, but not every corner of the DCU has to be dark and serious.