Sea World Aquaman and Mera

This photo from the 1970s DC Comics Sea World show was posted on the Back Issue! Facebook page last week, and I had to post it here--it's the single clearest shot of the Sea King and Mera from this show that I have ever seen. Great Neptune, do I wish I had had the chance to see this show as a kid--it looks so fun!

(h/t: Newest F.O.A.M.er Mike Clune)

DC Super Heroes Sea World

The fight for justice takes a coffee break as our heroes wait for the sand on the beach to be re-organized. 

From the 1970s DC Super Heroes Sea World show.

Sea World Mera

I love anything and everything about the DC Comics Superhero Sea World show, even if the pictures from it are fuzzy and indistinct, as this one is. It might be hard to make out, but that's Mera performing another amazing stunt as part of the show.

I've always said, if I had a time machine, I'd probably go back and pick winning lottery numbers or invest in Apple or something. But once I was done with that stuff, I'm sure I'd attend at least a couple of these Sea World shows just so I could say I saw them live!


BTW, if you want to learn more about the DC Comics Sea World show, visit my pal (and F.O.A.M.er) Marc Tyler Nobleman's truly amazing work on the subject, starting here!


(h/t: the Plaid Stallions blog)

The JLA at Sea World

I never tire of running pics from the Justice League Sea World show that ran in the 1970s; never having gone to it myself these amazing shots are all I have. I don't know what I would have done seeing a live-action Aquaman (not to mention Mera!) in front of me; my parents probably would have had to pry me out of my seat when the show ended.

DC poobah Mike Carlin posted this pic on his Facebook page a few days ago, this is probably the biggest, clearest shot of the JLA in action that I've ever seen. Click to embiggen!

Aquaman on the Web: Sea World!

F.O.A.M.er Marc Tyler Nobleman kicks off a huge series of posts all about the Super Heroes Sea World show (mentioned earlier today), featuring interviews and rare photos, including some of Aquaman and Mera! Go check it out!

Aquaman @ Sea World

F.O.A.M. member Brian Heiler posted on his blog Plaid Stallions these pics of the awesome live-action Supehero Sea World show that featured, among others, a live-action Aquaman and Mera!

In this instance, Aquaman did an amazing "death-defying" jump into a ring of fire! I know I say this all the time, but...outrageous! Thanks Brian!

Aquaman and Mera at Sea World!

Courtesy F.O.A.M.er Brian Heiler and his blog PlaidStallions comes this spiffy color photo of Aquaman and Mera performing some aqua-acrobatics at the Sea World show, which the Shrine has covered before.

I've said it before, I'll say it again--my head simply would have exploded with glee if I had seen fortunate enough to see this show in person.

Thanks Brian!

Super Heroes at Sea World Live!

This grainy, Zapruder Film-esque shot is of the two actors who played Aquaman and Mera at the Super Heroes at Sea World show, performed in Orlando in 1978!

F.O.A.M. member John Lijewksi III sent me a link to a brief snippet of video on YouTube, where we get glimpses of all the costumed players pulling off amazing feats of aquatic acrobatics:

Sadly, there's no sound to this clip, but who knows? Maybe there are more bits of video out there...

Thanks John!

The JLA At Sea World Part 2

Biff! Sok! This is another shot from the Super-Heroes Sea World show, again courtesy F.O.A.M.er Brian Heiler. Thanks Brian!

I don't know what I would have done if I ever saw something this cool in front of me--possibly exploded from sheer excitement. I love that whoever made this put the effort into making it look like the JLA Satellite, a really nice touch. Although...what's with Aquaman's pose? C'mon Arthur, engage the audience! (He always did have a problem with Surface Dwellers)

Brian has a series of Sea World posts over at his Plaid Stallions blog, check it out for more amazing shots like this one.

The JLA At Sea World

Another priceless bit of Aqua-Arcana (Aquacana?) from F.O.A.M.er Brian Heiler is this beautiful photo of some of the cast from the Super-Heroes Sea World show.

This pic (which is up on a site called FloridaMemory.com) features the clearest shot I've ever seen of the actors playing Aquaman and Mera--interesting how Aquaman towers over the rest of his fellow heroes!

I dream of someday tracking down these two as-yet-unknown actors for an interview. But for now, this will have to do. Thanks Brian!

Sea World Poster - 1976

Almost two years(!) ago, I posted an image of the live-action Super-Heroes Sea World show that was run in an issue of DC's in-house magazine, The Amazing World of DC Comics. The show featured what I believe is the first appearance of a live-action Aquaman, not to mention a live-action Mera!

I never thought I'd ever see any better shots of the show than that, but then my pal and F.O.A.M. member Brian Heiler (of the awesome blog Plaid Stallions, among other online endeavors) posted this jaw-dropping image--a full-color poster of the super-heroes in all their water-skiing glory! Holy Aquatic Acrobatics, Batman!

As soon as I saw the poster on his blog, I begged Brian to send me a version to post here, which he graciously sent me. Ye Gods, do I love this thing. Even though I never saw the show, this thing just feels like my childhood to me, with all the goofy love of super-heroes that goes with it.

Aside from that, I'm just impressed at the athletic ability on display here--I cannot imagine having enough balance to form a human pyramid, while water-skiing, while dressed up in those silly costumes! At least the guys playing Superman and Aquaman had it a little easier than the rest of them.

This show remains the only instance of a live-action Mera--at least until Amy Adams plays her in the big-budget Aquaman movie.

I can dream, can't I?

Anyway, thanks Brian!

Missed Opportunity: Sea World Ad

This ad is probably the ne plus ultra of "Missed Opportunities" when it comes to Aquaman not being included in something he should have been.

How can you not feature Aquaman in a shot of the Super Friends while they're schlepping for an aquatic/acrobatic show? Especially since Aquaman was represented in the show itself!

This ad ran on the back cover of pretty much every DC comic for a couple of months in 1977. As a kid, I grimaced every time I saw it, which was a lot. Bah!

Aquaman at Sea World - 1977

These unusual(to say the least) photos were from an article in The Amazing World of DC Comics #14 on Sea World's "Salute to the DC Superheroes" show that ran in the late 1970s.

During the forty-five minute show, fans got to see(top to bottom, left to right) Wonder Woman, Batgirl, Supergirl, Black Canary(!), Mera(!!), Robin, Batman, Superman, Aquaman, and Flash take on the Joker and the Penguin.

How they do that, exactly, the article doesn't say, but this photo struck me like a thunderbolt when I first came across it because it scored an "11" on the Goofy Meter.

I guess this actor(uncredited) is techincally the first ever live-action Aquaman, beating Alan Ritchson by a few decades, and we also get the first(and so far, ever) live-action Mera! Aquaman history was made in Florida...who knew?

And just as a side note...man, that all-black Batgirl costume must have been uncomfortable as hell to wear in the Florida heat.