Continuing our weekly feature "Video Fridays"...
With the death of
Johnny Storm aka
The Human Torch II, let's take a look at several of his various media incarnations...
He first appeared in the 1960s Hanna-Barbera cartoon...
I included this because it's the only vid with the seldom-used opening narration!
BTW: the voice of Galactus is Ted Cassidy (Lurch from the
The Addams Family tv series.) and The Silver Surfer is Vic Perrin (the Control Voice/narrator of the original
Outer Limits.)
He also "apperared" on several lp albums including
Golden Records "Amazing Spider-Man #1", "
Fantastic Four #1" (Note: the most bizarre thing about these records is all the sound effects in the story were actually
spoken with an echo effect.
So, when the cosmic rays hit the spacecraft, you hear an actor
saying "RAK-TAK-TAK!"),
and the
Power Records book and record series including
"The Way it Began".
BTW, the voice of the Human Torch / Mole Man / narrator is
Peter Fernandez, the voice of the 1960s
Speed Racer!
His next "appearance" was audio-only when Bill Murray (
SNL, GhostBusters, Groundhog Day, etc.) portrayed him on a 1975 13-episode radio series modeled after the dramatic shows of the 1930s-50s!
Click here for the
Fantastic Four: "Menace of the Mole Man" radio show mp3
or if you want "visuals" with your radio show...
Johnny did
not appear in the 1978
FF animated series, replaced by Herbie the Robot (The Jar Jar Binks of FF history)..
|
Jack Kirby's original model sheet for H.E.R.B.I.E. |
BTW, Johnny was replaced because The Human Torch was optioned for a live-action tv pilot which never got beyond Development Hell, not because the network thought kids would immolate themselves imitating him!
And finally, the trailer for the low-budget 1994 Roger Corman movie version starring Jay Underwood as Johnny! (The music is from
Battle Beyond the Stars!)
BONUS: the ONE scene of Johnny in action as the Human Torch!
BTW, I'll be wearing
this to the memorial ceremony...