Category: Turnarounds
Last article published: 15 September 2014
This is the 8th post under this label
Sometimes, a person realizes they weren't meant for the life they chose. Such is the case with the obscure superhero the Green Giant:
According to Jeff Rovin's Encyclopedia of Super-Heroes (which would be a 3-5 volume enterprise if published today), Pelican Publications' big hero got a single issue in 1940 which was barely released to newsstands due to poor printing*. Rovin's comments intimate that only the cover has survived to this day because his research has yielded nothing but the costume and the powers pictured on that cover. Indeed, the comic's other features - Master Mystic, Black Arrow, etc. - don't even make it into the Obscure Golden Age Heroes Appendix of the book. Today's internet has more. His real name is Brentwood. He uses a gravitic belt as part of his growth spurt shtick, which also allows him to fly. He was created by George Kapitan and Harry Sahle. He worked at a brokerage firm (is he the only superhero stockbroker?!). He wore short pants in the interior story. Slim pickings indeed.
It's clear that Green Giant realized his folly and in a kind of reverse-Spider-Man move, went commercial**.
As a product mascot, he would know much greater success. He even weathered the lawsuit from Santa Claus (the Court ruled that laughs couldn't be trademarked) and became in icon in his own right. He even got his son into the business.
Jolly "Green Giant" Brentwood, we salute your attempt!
*Historical note #1: According to the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide (2000), Green Giant Comics #1 was an experiment to determine if the company could profitably manufacture and distribute comics with their otherwise idle printing presses. The Moreau Publishing company actually believes the book was NEVER released to news stands.
**Historical note #2: Yes, I know Green Giant and even their mascot were around BEFORE 1940. Perhaps the canon can remain intact by simply saying the mascot tried his hand at being a superhero and quickly returned to his old job when it didn't work out.
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