SHAZAM!

[adrienne_j]

This morning, in my capacity as Head Comic Book Geek, I had to explain to my co-workers that Shazam is only the magic word Billy Batson says to change into a superhero, it is not the hero's actual name. The hero's name is actually Captain Marvel. And then I completely wowed them with my nerd knowledge by telling them what Shazam stands for

Comments

[anonymous]

Ok.. but why "big red cheese"? I mean what is cheese like about him?
And does that mean that cmj is a little blue cheese?

-drew

[adrienne_j]

You've never heard reference to Captain Marvel as the 'Big Red Cheese' before? He's been called that forever. Honestly, I don't know the origin of the nickname, but I definitely didn't make it up. And c'mon, I love the guy, but what is NOT cheesy about him? The kinda creepy perma-grin? His saying "Holy Moley!"? The fact that he was modelled on actor Fred McMurray? The Elvis-style half-cape? All cheesy :)

And yeah, guess that would mean Cap Jr. is the Little Blue Cheese.

[uniquecrash5]

I'm fairly certain that one of his enemies called Capt. Marvel the "Big Red Cheese"; a quick websearch confirmed it...

[adrienne_j]

Ah thank you Jay! I did a quick search, but couldn't find the origins of the name, just the name everywhere... But a villain calling him that makes sense.

[in_the_annex]

Hey!
I was at the comicon on sunday to meet Cameron Stuart (penciller, Catwoman and Seaguy), and I also got to meet mini-cairon! What a cute son-of-a-comic-book-store-manager!

[adrienne_j]

Oh cool! I was going to work that comic con for the Snail, but since I was away the previous weekend, I didn't feel right about being gone for another entire Sunday. Very cool you got to meet Cameron Stuart. And even cooler that you got to meet Nolan! He is a cutie pie. It is hilarious that Nolan's only 5 months old and Ciaran already has him working comic book conventions.

[faithfan]

I think it makes it even harder that due to similarities with another company's character in name that the Captain Marvel we know and love gets mistaken for Shazam as his name. His last ongoing was the Power of Shazam, his last miniseries was Shazam; hell, even his HeroClix figures (of which he has two) are called Shazam instead of Captain Marvel. Since everything on the face of things is Shazam, that's part of where people think that's his actual name.

And if Freddy is the little blue (bleu?) cheese, what is Mary? or Hoppy?

[adrienne_j]

Hmmm, good point. If DC isn't even doing much to bridge the distinction, stands to reason most people don't know the character's actual name. But yeah, they sure do know Shazam!

And ok, you've out nerded me. Who the heck is Hoppy? A Marvel bunny? Grasshopper? Kangaroo perhaps?

[faithfan]

The Marvel Bunny from a world like Earth C( for Captain Carrot) where bunnies and other animals spoke.
-drew

[troy_duffy]

Yeah, I always liked Captain Marvel. As a young lad, I always thought he was a more interesting kind of Superman (to risk the wrath of Kel) with his various God-inspired abilities, and the lightning switch, and the weakness of being tricked or forced back into Billy Batson. I had a second love affair with the Big Red Cheese (and I believe it was Sivana(?) who called him that?) during the Giffen-era Justice League. His innocence and boy-scout like behaviour was a great anti-thesis to the more gung-ho Guy Gardner and the darker Batman. They really used him well in that series I thought. And the trifecta of love-ins for the guy was, of course, Kingdom Come. They way Waid just made him so creepy was great, and his use of the SHAZAM (nitpick - since its an acronym, shouldn't it always be capitalized?) lightning bolt to fry Supes was just all kinds of awesome

[adrienne_j]

Thanks, I'm proud of my nerdness :)

And you're not mistaken about the Courage of Athena, skill of Artemis etc. but those were part of what Mary Marvel receives when she says SHAZAM!

You could be right about the whole suing thing Troy. I thought I'd heard that Marvel was pretty damn pissed when DC sued Fawcett and took over all their characters, so I can only imagine they wanted some litigation revenge on DC for that.

And yes, the Kingdom Come Capt. Marvel blasting away at Superman? Oh that ruled. Another Capt. Marvel book that ruled was the oversized collaberation by Paul Dini and Alex Ross. It was called Shazam: Power of Hope and it was, I thought, the best of the oversized books done by Dini and Ross. I can lend it to people if they're interested :)

[troy_duffy]

Mary's Shazam was
Selena Grace
Hippolyta Strength
Ariadne Skill
Zephyrus Speed
Aurora Beauty
Minerva Wisdom

and at some point they had fixed it so that Black Adam's deities were more in keeping with his earlier egyptian origin
Shu Stamina
Heru Swiftness
Amon Strength
Zehuti Wisdom
Aton Power
Mehen Courage

I personally would perfer Stamina and Power( which both of the guys have) to Grace and Beauty.

-drew