The Protectors

[jasonahurley]

Yeah, the costumes, and some of the character concepts are pretty dated, but overall this line is actually really good. The writing is really consistent throughout the line (most of the books were written by R. A. Jones and Tom Mason), and continuity is pretty nearly flawless. I seriously love these books, and I can't wait to get the whole thing bound into two volumes so I can pick up and ready through an entire universe with a definite ending whenever I like.

[StarBrand]

Weren't the characters in this series either actual Golden Age characters or based on Golden Age characters?

[BruceReville]

Weren't the characters in this series either actual Golden Age characters or based on Golden Age characters?

Amazing Man - Gravestone - President O'Brien - the Eye and other various non super-powered characters (and some brief appearances by past super-powered characters) were based on actual Centaur Comics characters. The others (Majority of the remaining Protectors) were sort of the next generation of characters that took over when the older heroes retired. Just like Miss Fury.

Malibu used ties to the past while giving new stories in the modern day.

[Knightt]

Weren't the characters in this series either actual Golden Age characters or based on Golden Age characters?

I guess I was way off base then...

I've been reading up on comic characters in the public domain, so the Protectors series has come onto my radar lately. I may be giving this series a shot soon.

Prepare to remember the early 90s in all the unfiltered garish glory. The characters in that comic have the most dated attire I think of any comic series I have read.

Apt that you say they have the "most dated attire", Chiclo. I say that and hope that memory serves me well as I think the majority of these characters from an earlier period in comic history, perhaps the WWII era (at least 1942)? The Protectors were updated public domain superheroes from Centaur Publications. I remember seeing some of these characters in some older comic books fighting against some kind of nazi-monsters and having a patriotic theme.

Here is a really nice site dedicated to a spectrum of selected books which tracks not only The Protectors back to their Golden Age roots but up to Modern Age as well.

http://www.mightycrusaders.net/mp_protectors.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Unfortunately there are a good number of links that no longer work. I hope that the info formerly stored there is on someone's hard drive and not lost forever. Not that there are not other sites dedicated to these Golden Age characters but others as well. They were and are campy heroes but knowing that going into it, I think many will find them to be an endearing read even with Malibu's over the top sexuality that is rampant throughout the line.

For me, the saving grace on the Protectors books are the Direct Market covers by S. Clarke Hawbaker. I asked Tom Mason years ago, "My God man, why didn't you have S. Clarke Hawbaker draw the interiors of the books?" and he replied, "He was too slow." I think that is a bit of a shame as I would have loved to have seen The Protectors draw by Hawbaker. I definitely like his art and feel that if he were to have done the interior art, that title may have been taken more seriously then and now.

I just checked Centaur Publications ran from 1938 to 1942, putting them in business during the beginning of WWII. So, yes their costumes are pretty dated.

[StarBrand]

Weren't the characters in this series either actual Golden Age characters or based on Golden Age characters?

Amazing Man - Gravestone - President O'Brien - the Eye and other various non super-powered characters (and some brief appearances by past super-powered characters) were based on actual Centaur Comics characters. The others (Majority of the remaining Protectors) were sort of the next generation of characters that took over when the older heroes retired. Just like Miss Fury.

Malibu used ties to the past while giving new stories in the modern day.

Interestingly, as you probably know, Miss Fury was a Golden Age character published by Marvel when they were still named Timely. Yeah, I know all their Golden Age characters were from when they were still Timely. Lol
The public domain aspect of the Protectors is why I became interested in the Protectors. I'm considering at some point publishing public domain characters myself, likely from the Golden Age.

[StarBrand]

Toward the top of this page, it states the Protectors are based exclusively around characters from Centaur Publications.

http://www.comicvine.com/public-domain- ... /12-55750/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Chiclo]

I've been reading up on comic characters in the public domain, so the Protectors series has come onto my radar lately. I may be giving this series a shot soon.

Prepare to remember the early 90s in all the unfiltered garish glory. The characters in that comic have the most dated attire I think of any comic series I have read.

Apt that you say they have the "most dated attire", Chiclo. I say that and hope that memory serves me well as I think the majority of these characters from an earlier period in comic history, perhaps the WWII era (at least 1942)? The Protectors were updated public domain superheroes from Centaur Publications. I remember seeing some of these characters in some older comic books fighting against some kind of nazi-monsters and having a patriotic theme.

Here is a really nice site dedicated to a spectrum of selected books which tracks not only The Protectors back to their Golden Age roots but up to Modern Age as well.

http://www.mightycrusaders.net/mp_protectors.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Unfortunately there are a good number of links that no longer work. I hope that the info formerly stored there is on someone's hard drive and not lost forever. Not that there are not other sites dedicated to these Golden Age characters but others as well. They were and are campy heroes but knowing that going into it, I think many will find them to be an endearing read even with Malibu's over the top sexuality that is rampant throughout the line.

For me, the saving grace on the Protectors books are the Direct Market covers by S. Clarke Hawbaker. I asked Tom Mason years ago, "My God man, why didn't you have S. Clarke Hawbaker draw the interiors of the books?" and he replied, "He was too slow." I think that is a bit of a shame as I would have loved to have seen The Protectors draw by Hawbaker. I definitely like his art and feel that if he were to have done the interior art, that title may have been taken more seriously then and now.

I just checked Centaur Publications ran from 1938 to 1942, putting them in business during the beginning of WWII. So, yes their costumes are pretty dated.

I didn't mean the main characters or their superhero costumes. I mean as they walk down the street, they walk by people who look like they were extras in a Kid and Play music video. The every day attire is very specific to the early 90s and when I read through the first part of the Protectors run a while back, I started remembering why the early 90s were a bad thing.

[Chiclo]

Yeah, the costumes, and some of the character concepts are pretty dated, but overall this line is actually really good. The writing is really consistent throughout the line (most of the books were written by R. A. Jones and Tom Mason), and continuity is pretty nearly flawless. I seriously love these books, and I can't wait to get the whole thing bound into two volumes so I can pick up and ready through an entire universe with a definite ending whenever I like.

Tom Mason was a registered user on these boards. I sent him a message and he responded that he was the same Tom Mason.

I think I still have a message in my outbox from over a year ago that he hasn't read.

[Chiclo]

Weren't the characters in this series either actual Golden Age characters or based on Golden Age characters?

Amazing Man - Gravestone - President O'Brien - the Eye and other various non super-powered characters (and some brief appearances by past super-powered characters) were based on actual Centaur Comics characters. The others (Majority of the remaining Protectors) were sort of the next generation of characters that took over when the older heroes retired. Just like Miss Fury.

Malibu used ties to the past while giving new stories in the modern day.

Interestingly, as you probably know, Miss Fury was a Golden Age character published by Marvel when they were still named Timely. Yeah, I know all their Golden Age characters were from when they were still Timely. Lol
The public domain aspect of the Protectors is why I became interested in the Protectors. I'm considering at some point publishing public domain characters myself, likely from the Golden Age.

Miss Fury was also published by Adventure Comics, one of the imprints of Malibu. There was a four issue black and white mini and a colour special.

I cite myself - viewtopic.php?f=40&t=32249" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[BruceReville]

Weren't the characters in this series either actual Golden Age characters or based on Golden Age characters?

Amazing Man - Gravestone - President O'Brien - the Eye and other various non super-powered characters (and some brief appearances by past super-powered characters) were based on actual Centaur Comics characters. The others (Majority of the remaining Protectors) were sort of the next generation of characters that took over when the older heroes retired. Just like Miss Fury.

Malibu used ties to the past while giving new stories in the modern day.

Interestingly, as you probably know, Miss Fury was a Golden Age character published by Marvel when they were still named Timely. Yeah, I know all their Golden Age characters were from when they were still Timely. Lol
The public domain aspect of the Protectors is why I became interested in the Protectors. I'm considering at some point publishing public domain characters myself, likely from the Golden Age.

Miss Fury was also published by Adventure Comics, one of the imprints of Malibu. There was a four issue black and white mini and a colour special.

I cite myself - viewtopic.php?f=40&t=32249" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Which ties directly into her appearance with the Protectors

[jasonahurley]

This thread makes me ridiculously happy to have found these boards. I know we've only known each other for a short while, and I don't want to freak you out, but I think I love you all.

[StarBrand]

Weren't the characters in this series either actual Golden Age characters or based on Golden Age characters?

Amazing Man - Gravestone - President O'Brien - the Eye and other various non super-powered characters (and some brief appearances by past super-powered characters) were based on actual Centaur Comics characters. The others (Majority of the remaining Protectors) were sort of the next generation of characters that took over when the older heroes retired. Just like Miss Fury.

Malibu used ties to the past while giving new stories in the modern day.

Interestingly, as you probably know, Miss Fury was a Golden Age character published by Marvel when they were still named Timely. Yeah, I know all their Golden Age characters were from when they were still Timely. Lol
The public domain aspect of the Protectors is why I became interested in the Protectors. I'm considering at some point publishing public domain characters myself, likely from the Golden Age.

Miss Fury was also published by Adventure Comics, one of the imprints of Malibu. There was a four issue black and white mini and a colour special.

I cite myself - viewtopic.php?f=40&t=32249" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Chiclo]

Did the Witch one-shot from Eternity tie into the Protectors too? Is it the same Witch from the Protectors? I have it somewhere around here.

[BruceReville]

Did the Witch one-shot from Eternity tie into the Protectors too? Is it the same Witch from the Protectors? I have it somewhere around here.

Two totally different characters