She first appeared in Lois Lane 123 (July 1973) in a back-up story brilliantly titled:
Those were simpler times.Melba Manton was a newscaster at WGBS in Metropolis, and in the tradition of reporters in that city, she didn't just report the news-- she made it.
Who could conceive of such awesomeness as Melba Manton?None other the Mad Man-babe himself, Robert Kanigher.
In a mere four pages, she solves a murder, sets a trap for the murderer, exposes unsafe tenement conditions, saves an innocent man from being shot, and dashes off to appear on the six o'clock news to talk about it. Oh, and she jumps down a manhole and runs through a sewer, which is always cool.
All this she does while wearing THIS outfit:
Melba Manton was five times the woman Lois Lane was, because she did everything Lois did, only better and without needing help from Superman every five panels.
Melba was ingenious and intrepid, sort of like Valerie from Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space.
Did you know that saving Lois's bacon automatically makes you an honorary member of the Justice League?Behold, Melba in action, wearing that jumper over a green pirate-sleeve shirt with a red menswear tie!
The Fashion Assassins may be dedicated, but they're lousy shots.Melba Manton didn't get many appearances, but she was achingly fabulous in each one. Kurt Busiek! I demand the return of Melba Manton to the Metropolis cityscape!
12 comments:
"Sure glad you made me put this old metal sheet under my shirt"
The man-with-no-name has nothing on Melba.
Also,
I just realised I'm not in your links anymore. What have I done great one?
This is why I'm going broke(r) buying every issue of Superman's Girlfriend I can find.
It's so groovy I can barely take it.
We need New Earth Melba!
A hot black in green pirate sHirt? I'm sold. (Not sure about the pants though.)
And an electric chair cunningly disguised as a 'lie-detctor chair' that happens to look exactly like an electric chair? How stupid would you have to be to fall for that? (oh. That's right. As stupid as Lois Lane.)
Is it me or is she a little like an African-America Lady Cop?
With extra awsome mixed in.
Nope. Melba knows nothing of VD.
With Melba on the case, the Revenger is toast!
What if the guy 'silenced' Willy with one to the head?
Whence cometh the Melba Manton Custom HeroClix?
Melba Manton and Jack Ryder would be the most unstoppable broadcasting team in the history of New Earth.
You want obscure seventies groovy black chicks in comics? Teri Trapper. She and her husband Ted appeared ONCE in the Super DC Dictionary and in an SRA Reading Module Comic Book (ah. SRAs. colored coded reading fun for public school students)
And if you don't mention CONJURA as the ultimate 70s groovy black chick, I'll have to sic vampire Prez on you.
Waitamminit... I just noticed... it's Groovy Chick MONTH?
Oh my yes. Yes yes yes. Signed and approved.
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