The Lesser Known Geek Hall Of Fame

Seth and Crazy Train return for the latest induction into the Lesser Known Geek Hall Of Fame. As longtime fans may know, inductees are not limited to just characters or people. Superheroes, literary characters, heroes, villains, real people, etc… For the first time, we are inducting a feature film. And there is no better inaugural movie inductee that 1979’s The Black Hole.

5:30 – Early Concepts

The 1970s were rife with disaster films such as The Poseidon Adventure, Earthquake, and of course the Airport series. The reason why they were so plentiful is that many of them drew big at the box office. The Poseidon Adventure alone earned $125 million in 1972, which translates to over $700 million in 2020 dollars. So the idea of a science-fiction disaster movie didn’t seem too out of place.

8:05 – Rewrites, Rewrites, Rewrites

Over the next few years, the film was constantly rewritten by multiple writers. The title would also change over time to names like Probe One and Space Probe One before finally landing The Black Hole as its name.

13:30 – Enter Star Wars

The entire film industry was rocked in May of 1977 when a certain independent film called Star Wars was released. Suddenly, science-fiction was a mainstream genre. Interest in the film, then still called Space Station One, was renewed. Yet another outline was submitted, but this version added emphasis on the black hole itself.

19:00 – The Characters and Premise

As stated before, the premise changed from a straight-up disaster film to one with a villain, Dr. Hans Reinhardt. This new premise saw explorers find Reinhardt’s ship, the USS Cygnus, in deep space. At first, all seems well until Reinhardt’s true insidious history is discovered.

39:30 – Defending The Ending

One of the problems with the film was there was never a firm ending written before production. Even the cast didn’t know the ending until seeing the film at the premiere. The ending has been generally interpreted as Heaven and Hell. But it is worth noting that the Disney producers were hoping for the film to become a franchise with multiple sequels. It’s a pretty safe bet that had the film been a bigger success, the ending would have been a setup for the next story.

46:45 – Windup

The Black Hole deserves credit for helping bridge the gap from traditional sci-fi to modern mainstream sci-fi. And as stated before, it helped usher in a new era for Disney that appealed to adults as well as children. Those precedents alone make it worthy of being the latest entry into The Lesser Known Geek Hall Of Fame.

The latest inductee into The Lesser Known Geek Hall Of Fame is DC Comics' rocket pack-wearing archeologist Adam Strange.

Inductee #7: Adam Strange

The latest inductee into The Lesser Known Geek Hall Of Fame is DC Comics’ rocket pack-wearing scientist Adam Strange. First appearing in Showcase #17 in 1958, Strange was hardly the first hero to don a rocket backpack. However, unlike his movie serial predecessors, Strange is still around today.

Creating a Sci-Fi Hero

In the 1950s, Superheroes were not a major selling genre in comics. Most comics focused on gritter stories, westerns, horror stories, crime dramas, etc. The only DC superheroes to survive these last days of The Golden Age were Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superboy. That’s it. Four heroes (or three, if you count Superboy and Superman as the same character).

Jet engines were the wave of the future. Humans were also in the infancy of space travel. This was a boom period for science fiction, so it only made sense that comic publishers would try to capitalize on the popularity.

In 1957 DC Comics editor Irwin Donnenfeld asked two writers, Jack Schiff and Julius Schwartz, to each create a new sci-fi hero. One from the future and one from the present. Schiff got the first pick and chose the future hero. Schwartz was happy with this because he felt it would be easier to make a present-day character relatable.

Schwartz got inspired by space travel and decided his hero would be the first man in space. Thus, he gave him the name Adam from The Bible. Artist Murphy Anderson created Adam’s look and gave him a rocket pack like those seen in sci-fi serials such as Commando Cody and Rocket Man. A few details added and Adam Strange was born!

Origin

Adam Strange was an archeologist who accidentally found the Zeta-Beam, which instantly transported him to the planet Rann. There he met Alanna, whose father explained the Zeta-Beam was placed on Earth to potentially seek out intelligent life, who could then find the planet from there. However, the beam somehow became a transportation beam since then. Before Adam is transported back to Earth, he was given a schedule of when the Zeta-Beam would activate again. He then used that schedule to travel back to Rann and defend it from evil forces.

The Silver Age Connection

Adam Strange made his debut in the pages of Showcase #17 in 1958. Shortly after that, he started appearing regularly in Mystery In Space. The character proved popular enough to be the main attraction in that book well into the 1960s.

A few years prior to introducing Adam Strange, Showcase had been used to debut the new Barry Allen version of The Flash. With the success of Adam Strange, Julius Schwartz looked to other superheroes to update. Within a few years, the new versions of Golden Age characters were mixed in with new original characters like Hawkman and The Atom.

Schwartz then got the idea of creating a superhero team as an updated version of The Justice Society. This lead to the formation of The Justice League, which Adam Strange was made an honorary member of.

Abilities

Adam Strange was an archeologist who was very quick-thinking. For most of his existence, his abilities were entirely science and tech-based, much like Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers. This makes him like a space-faring Indiana Jones.

His most obvious feature is the rocket pack and spacesuit that he uses to fly through the air and into space. He uses various types of energy weapons and blasters. He also has the Zeta-Beam which allows him to instantly travel through star systems instantaneously.

During the events on Infinite Crisis,

This episode inducts the first real-life person into the Lesser Known Geek Hall Of Fame, Forrest J Ackerman. While the name may be familiar to people, how his name got known in the first place is something they man not know.

In short, Forrest Ackerman (or “Forry”, “4SJ”, “The Ackermonster” “Dr. Acula”, or the many other names he went by) could be considered the world’s first fanboy. In fact, many of the geek customs can be linked back to him.

Perhaps the most historic example of his early acquaintances was made during his time writing for Science Fiction Magazine in the early 1930s. Two men that worked for that magazine were Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster. So this means he worked with Siegel and Shuster BEFORE they created Superman

His main body of work was as a literary agent for many of the sci-fi greats. He worked with Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, L Ron Hubbard, and many others. He also ran the magazine Famous Monsters Of Filmland through most of the 20th Century.

With so many connections in Hollywood, it was not surprising that he wound up getting several small roles in various sci-fi and horror films. His IMDB page has over 70 entries as a result.

He’s credited with creating the name Vampirella for the cult-favorite comic character, as well as coining the term “sci-fi”. And that’s just scratching the surface of his contributions to the world of sci-fi and fantasy.

Ackerman passed away in 2009 and the ripe old age of 92, but it will easily be another 92 years and we will still be seeing elements of the genres left by him. He was that influential.

This episode inducts the first real-life person into the Lesser Known Geek Hall Of Fame, Forrest J Ackerman. While the name may be familiar to people, how his name got known in the first place is something they man not know.

In short, Forrest Ackerman (or “Forry”, “4SJ”, “The Ackermonster” “Dr. Acula”, or the many other names he went by) could be considered the world’s first fanboy. In fact, many of the geek customs can be linked back to him.

Perhaps the most historic example of his early acquaintances was made during his time writing for Science Fiction Magazine in the early 1930s. Two men that worked for that magazine were Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster. So this means he worked with Siegel and Shuster BEFORE they created Superman

His main body of work was as a literary agent for many of the sci-fi greats. He worked with Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, L Ron Hubbard, and many others. He also ran the magazine Famous Monsters Of Filmland through most of the 20th Century.

With so many connections in Hollywood, it was not surprising that he wound up getting several small roles in various sci-fi and horror films. His IMDB page has over 70 entries as a result.

He’s credited with creating the name Vampirella for the cult-favorite comic character, as well as coining the term “sci-fi”. And that’s just scratching the surface of his contributions to the world of sci-fi and fantasy.

Ackerman passed away in 2009 and the ripe old age of 92, but it will easily be another 92 years and we will still be seeing elements of the genres left by him. He was that influential.

The first Flash Gordon strip was published in January 1934. Raymond was the only person credited for the strip, but he did have ghostwriters helping with the writing while he supplied the artwork. The initial story, which became known as "Flash Gordon On The Planet Mongo", is what many of the subsequent adaptions have been based on.

Three Flash Gordon serials were released in theaters. Former Olympic swimmer turned actor Buster Crabbe portrayed Flash in all three serials, opposite James Middleton’s Emperor Ming.

The series went on to be regarded as one of Filmation’s best series. Each episode was a chapter in an ongoing story, complete with a summary of events in the opening moments, much like the original serials. It ran for two seasons and ended its run in 1981.

The 1980 feature film is the adaption modern generations are familiar with. It’s probably just as famous, if not more so, for the music soundtrack by Queen.

The first Flash Gordon strip was published in January 1934. Raymond was the only person credited for the strip, but he did have ghostwriters helping with the writing while he supplied the artwork. The initial story, which became known as "Flash Gordon On The Planet Mongo", is what many of the subsequent adaptions have been based on.

Three Flash Gordon serials were released in theaters. Former Olympic swimmer turned actor Buster Crabbe portrayed Flash in all three serials, opposite James Middleton’s Emperor Ming.

The series went on to be regarded as one of Filmation’s best series. Each episode was a chapter in an ongoing story, complete with a summary of events in the opening moments, much like the original serials. It ran for two seasons and ended its run in 1981.

The 1980 feature film is the adaption modern generations are familiar with. It’s probably just as famous, if not more so, for the music soundtrack by Queen.

The Green Hornet has a very interesting ancestry dating back to The Old West

The Lesser Known Geek Hall Of Fame #4: The Green Hornet

The latest entry in Geekville Radio’s Lesser Known Geek Hall Of Fame is The Green Hornet. Many fans remember the 1966 TV show with Van Williams and Bruce Lee, but did you know that the character had existed for 30 years before that TV show? Join Seth and Crazy Train as they discuss the long storied history of the character, and the surprising lineage back to the fictional Old West.

The Green Hornet was created in 1936 by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker, the same creators as The Lone Ranger. Like before, the character was originally conceived for radio serials. We previously discussed both men in our previous episode about The Lone Ranger.

Radio Origins

After the success of The Lone Ranger, Trendle and Striker looked to create another hero to add to their radio drama lineup. They opted for a contemporary hero, as The Lone Ranger was a Western.

Enter The Green Hornet.

The Green Hornet first aired on Jan 31st, 1936 for WXYZ radio. The origins of the character remain in line with many of the characters we’ve discussed so far. A wealthy individual who had a secret identity as a crimefighter. In this case, it was newspaper publisher Britt Reid, who donned a mask and took on crime lords as The Green Hornet.

Much like The Lone Ranger, Green Hornet had a partner who knew his identity and complimented his style. The Ranger had Tonto, The Hornet had Kato. Also, the show used actual classical pieces for theme and incidental music. In this case, the music was “Flight Of The Bumblebee” by Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov .

Britt Reid’s father Dan had inherited a silver mine, which was used to fund a newspaper called The Daily Sentinel. If you listened to the last show, you will know the significance of that silver mine. That’s right, Dan Reid’s uncle was John Reid, aka The Lone Ranger. Which makes Britt The Ranger’s grand nephew.

While traveling in The Orient, Britt Reid saved the life of a man named Kato. Kato would go on to be Britt’s partner in crimefighting. He was also a master engineer and a martial artist. This complimented Britt’s intellect and detective skills. Plus, Britt used guns that would stun opponents, as his fighting skills were inferior to Kato’s.

During the 1940s, Kato’s nationality was quietly changed from Japanese to Korean due to fear that a Japanese hero during World War II would cause a backlash. We’ll touch more on that later when discussing the comic book titles.

Kato and Britt tricked out Britt’s limo, and dubbed it Black Beauty. While no model of car was given for the radio show,

Hi-Yo Silver! The mysterious masked man who has been an icon to TV and radio has made his way to the Geekville Radio Lesser Known Geek Hall Of Fame!

"What?" you may ask. "You said this is the LESSER Known Geek Hall Of Fame. Everybody has heard of The Lone Ranger. Why are you doing a show about a character everybody has heard about?"

That is a very good question. While it is true that the vast majority of people have probably heard of The Lone Ranger, how much is actually known about him? Do you know who the Ranger is? Do you know why he is called The Lone Ranger?

Seth "Zandrax" Zillmann and "Crazy Train" Jonathan Bolick open the doors to the Hall Of Fame to answer those questions and more.

The story of The Lone Ranger starts in Detroit Michigan during the 1930s. George W. Trendle, a lawyer, businessman, and overall renaissance man had invested in several Nickelodeon and movie theaters. In fact, he co-owned about 20 movie theaters in the Detroit area. When competition started rising in the theater industry, he sold the theaters for apprimately six million dollars. That's six million not adjusted for inflation. Six million in 1930 dollars.

After leaving the theater business, George invested in the radio business. He bought the CBS affiliate radio station WGHP, and changed it to WXYZ. Radio was arguably the biggest entertainment media at the time, since the television would not become a mainstay for another decade or two.

Enter Fran Striker, a writer from . He had actually written radio shows before, even some in the Western genre. Trendle hired Striker to write the episodes, a duty that Striker would continue for the next several years in many forms of media.

The rest, as they say, is history. Trendle went down in history as the creator of arguably the greatest Old West hero of all time. Striker would find steady work writing stories. And, most of all, fans would enjoy these stories on the radio, TV, print, even the movie theater.

What may surprise many people who may not know the full history of The Lone Ranger is his direct relation to another famous crimefighter who became an icon of his own.

And of course, there are the two failed attempts at relaunching The Lone Ranger as a feature film franchise. One of which was very controversial due to the treatment of the beloved actor synonymous with the role.

All this and more in a fun-filled podcast about the one and only Lone Ranger! Hi-Yo Silver! Away!