Striker / Striker Zero
Posted: Sat May 14, 2016 11:15 pm
(I apologize, but was just watching ERB again.)
Mr. Riker's Neighborhood: Not to be confused with a similarly named show, there are some disturbing parallels. Mr. Riker likes his educational bookends at the beginning and end of all of his comics. He is aimed at slightly younger readers and is always polite and calm when dealing with the world around him. He even keeps a model of the city in his basement and has a few puppet friends who talk to him.
Striker: On the other hand... When the trolly needs help, he dons a colorful costume and leaps to help those in his neighborhood. He uses some fairly low-end gadgets (grappling hook, body armor, occasionally tear gas or similar as well as a deadly level of martial arts training to brawl with the best of them. this might include helping with groceries and getting cats out of trees, and was the real-life superhero movement decades before that was a thing. As "Striker" he mostly deals with lower-end thugs and criminals, and due to the educational nature of the comic, he does focus on why criminals might behave that way and how to keep oneself safe. Ironically, this put his comic in direct violation of the comic code for a long time making this a kind of underground children's book in the early to mid seventies. In response, it was published without the "comic's code" approval which did hurt sales somewhat. (and most PTAs hated the frank and open discussion of such topics. stating children were not ready for that at any age.)
Striker Zero: As the comic's code relaxed, the comic got slightly more mature. While Striker still helped, and attempted to redeem villains when he could, sometimes he would get dragged into other comics. Striker Zero, while functionally the same hero, dealt with more mature themes. Like resisting drug dealers in a neighborhood and avoiding gangs. The comic always dealt with such issues honestly, admitting why someone might want to be in a gang or use drugs before offering alternatives. This is also the 'imprint' that appeared in other comics if there was a team-up. This was published at the same time as Striker.
Mr. Riker's Neighborhood: Not to be confused with a similarly named show, there are some disturbing parallels. Mr. Riker likes his educational bookends at the beginning and end of all of his comics. He is aimed at slightly younger readers and is always polite and calm when dealing with the world around him. He even keeps a model of the city in his basement and has a few puppet friends who talk to him.
Striker: On the other hand... When the trolly needs help, he dons a colorful costume and leaps to help those in his neighborhood. He uses some fairly low-end gadgets (grappling hook, body armor, occasionally tear gas or similar as well as a deadly level of martial arts training to brawl with the best of them. this might include helping with groceries and getting cats out of trees, and was the real-life superhero movement decades before that was a thing. As "Striker" he mostly deals with lower-end thugs and criminals, and due to the educational nature of the comic, he does focus on why criminals might behave that way and how to keep oneself safe. Ironically, this put his comic in direct violation of the comic code for a long time making this a kind of underground children's book in the early to mid seventies. In response, it was published without the "comic's code" approval which did hurt sales somewhat. (and most PTAs hated the frank and open discussion of such topics. stating children were not ready for that at any age.)
Striker Zero: As the comic's code relaxed, the comic got slightly more mature. While Striker still helped, and attempted to redeem villains when he could, sometimes he would get dragged into other comics. Striker Zero, while functionally the same hero, dealt with more mature themes. Like resisting drug dealers in a neighborhood and avoiding gangs. The comic always dealt with such issues honestly, admitting why someone might want to be in a gang or use drugs before offering alternatives. This is also the 'imprint' that appeared in other comics if there was a team-up. This was published at the same time as Striker.