Friday, April 29, 2005

Music Swell

Riddle me this, Mangaman and Fanboy!

What do Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, and Aquaman (and even the Joker and the Penguin!) have that Green Lantern (and lesser lights) do not?

"A sparrow with a machine-gun?" Uhhh... no. Nice try, though.

Decent theme music.

Williams' Superman theme, Elfman's Batman lick (and the '60s theme, natch!), Wonder Woman's driving R&B beat, Flash's tripletted march (again, from Elfman), Aquaman's 42 different theme songs by 42 indie bands, Shirley Walker's masterful Joker theme from the Animated Series, and the Penguin's BTAS and 1960s themes: hey, that's music to fight (or commit) crime by! Enough for me to fill an entire (an entirely illegal) "DISC OF JUSTICE!" CD I can play for maximum geekage.

But Green Lantern? Hello?! I have never found even two notes rubbed together in honor of GL. The background music to the Ted Knight voiceover intro of GL's few appearances in the Filmation cartoons barely registers, since it's most "action background music" used generally on the other 'toons.

Is there none? Musicians and budding composers, where are you? There's scores of music waiting to be written, not just "Brightest Day: The Green Lantern Theme".
"My Favorite Martian Manhunter" (a concerto for theremin)
"Green Arrow" (Think 'theme from Shaft')
"The Black Canary Cry" (warblable only by Ukranian women's choirs)

Endless possibilities! Anyone know of any DC hero music I don't, then?

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Scipio:

Check out "The Ballad of Barry Allen", by Jim's Big Ego, a band fronted by Carmine Infantino's nephew. It's a good tune. http://www.comictreadmill.com/CTMBlogarchives/2004/2004_Individual/2004_04/000341.php

Of course, there's always the Power Record themes from Songs and Stories of the Justice League. You cna get a Plastic Man and Metamorpho song (in addition to Aquaman, Wonder Woman and Flash), but you won't find Green Lantern there either. http://www.comictreadmill.com/CTMBlogarchives/2004/2004_Individual/2004_09/000549.php

H

Scipio said...

"He swims faster than the fastest thing,
in the sea or on the la-a-and..."

Oh, yes! I'm familiar with the Power Record themes. The Aquaman one is particularly catchy, and the Plastic Man one has clever lyrics!

Hadn't heard of the Barry Allen thing thought, I'll check it out straightaway; thanks!

Scipio said...

Hey, "H",

I went to that Treadmill entry, but the link to Jim's Big Ego isn't functional; any further hints about where I might find this tantalizing Flash song?

Scipio said...

Never mind; I found at (of all places) jimsbigego.com !!!

Anonymous said...

I agree -- themes are important, but what's especially key to any successful superhero CARTOON is the groovy, hummable theme SONG.

Super-Chicken? Had it. George of the Jungle? Had it. Spider-Man? Listen, bub: Had it. Teen Titans? Oh, HELL yes.

Even themes without lyrics, but stentorian voice-overs, work, if the music is catchy enough: Superfriends? "Creee-ated....from the cosmiclegendsoftheuniverse! (Bomp,bomp,bomp..bomp bomp)" Had it.

The Mighty Heroes? (Dum dah DAHHHH, dah dah..."a call goes out for..." Had it.

Which brings me to "Krypto-ooo... (krypto-ooo!) the Su-Per-Dog!" Feh.

The producers made a serious oversight.

Just doesn't do it for me, even if "Pup, pup and away" is about as good an encapsulation of Silver Age whimsy as you'll find. The tune itself is definitely pitched for the kind of ears that can listen to Barney without bleeding.