Fans of David Pepose and Jonathan Lau’s work on Space Ghost will be happy to know that not only is Dynamite planning a third season of the book, but before it arrives they’ll release Space Ghost vs. the Herculoids by the same creative team, which will lead into the next series.
Pepose told me recently, when we were talking about the Kickstarter for the final issue of The O.Z. (which you can still back for another 13 days) that this summer’s Space Ghost Annual will tease the crossover.
“We’ll be putting an action-packed, emotional bow on our ‘Season Two’ storyline,” he said about the annual, “and towards the end of the issue, it’ll also kick off our big Space Ghost event in September, featuring Alex Toth’s other team of sci-fi adventurers, the Herculoids!”
If you aren’t familiar with the Herculoids, it was another Hanna-Barbera cartoon that ran for 18 episodes in the late 1960s, with new episodes being produced in the early 1980s after its reruns gained a fan following. Both Space Ghost and the Herculoids were part of the Space Stars line-up, where they even had a crossover.
Set on the planet Amzot, Herculoids blended science fiction and fantasy elements as Zandor, his wife Tara and their son Dorno led a team of alien creatures against an endless supply of villains, mad scientists, mutants, giant ants and more. Luckily Zandor and company had the help of the space dragon Zok, the rhinoceros-like Tundro, the rock ape Igoo and two shape-shifting balls of goo named Gloop and Gleep.
“Similar to Space Ghost and Speed Racer, I watched every episode of the original Herculoids as well as the ’80s revival, and I’m very excited to inject a nice bit of science-fantasy into the mix,” Pepose told me. “Space Ghost has been this ultimate found-family story, so the idea of them meeting another family from the other side of the cosmic tracks has been something I’ve wanted to explore for quite some time. Our series begins when the Galactic Federation discovers Quasarite — the energy-infused element native only to the Herculoids’ homeworld of Amzot — and kicks off a chain-reaction that puts Zandor and the Herculoids on the warpath… and right on a collision course with Space Ghost.”
Here’s the full solicitation from Dynamite:
The universe’s most heroic families collide in SPACE GHOST VS. THE HERCULOIDS! When Space Ghost and the Twins stop a brutal hijacking of a Federation cruiser, they discover a new arms race involving a rare mineral known as Quasarite – but when the Federation invades the hidden planet of Amzot to retrieve it, they’ll trigger an unspeakable tragedy that will put the intergalactic barbarian Zandor and the Herculoids on a harrowing quest for revenge! With civilians caught in the crossfire, can Space Ghost and company stop the Herculoids’ attack before they reach the heart of the Federation? And what dark machinations lie ahead for the Federation’s chief prison warden, the evil Collector, and his robotic servant, Mekkano? It’s the showdown of the century that will set the stage for Space Ghost’s next adventures! Featuring the return of the fan-favorite Space Ghost creative team for this special mini-series event, plus covers by Drew Moss, Drew Moss, Joseph Michael Linsner, Tom Raney, Francesco Mattina, and Bjorn Barends!The countdown to Space Ghost Season three begins here – do not miss it! This issue features a PREMIUM MYSTERY BLIND BAG which contains three limited editions of the issue selected randomly from a range of variant covers exclusive to this offering. Please Note: The number of Blind Bags is limited. Allocations may occur.
“I’ve loved playing with some of the classic superhero tropes in Space Ghost, and a superhero team-up has been on the top of my list for ages,” Pepose said. “Space Ghost and Zandor are such a great pair, in the tradition of Superman and Batman — they’re both heroes who are used to being the toughest guy in the room, but during this first meeting, they’re not going to buy what the other one is selling.”
That explains the “Vs.” in the title, and Pepose said to expect to see some tension between the two families. “There’s going to be some massive dramatic sparks flying while these two teams clash — but at their core, Space Ghost and Zandor are both fathers who love their children, and that common thread will go a long way towards helping them settle their differences.”
Here’s a look at the variants:
Space Ghost vs. the Herculoids arrives in stores Sept. 16.