By: centraljersey.com
George Khoury needed the of strength of The Hulk, the speed of The Flash, the courage of Captain America and maybe just a little bit of The Tick’s sense of humor.
But maybe the superpower Mr. Khoury called upon most when he set out to write the first book to chronicle the history of live-action comic book heroes on television was a little of Batman’s detective skills.
To write "Age of TV Heroes," Mr. Khoury tracked down leads and followed up on clues to locate actors – many of whom haven’t been in front of a camera in decades – and coax them into revealing long-forgotten tales of their shows.
He made hundreds of phone calls and sent hundreds of emails to locate dozens of directors, producers, writers and stuntmen who helped bring his favorite childhood shows to life.
He had to hunt down bootleg collections of "Dr. Strange," "Isis," "Vampirella" and other shows that haven’t seen the light of day in years.
Mr. Khoury says all the super sleuthing was worth it because by the time TwoMorrows published his book, he had interviewed Adam West ("Batman"), Lynda Carter ("Wonder Woman") and Dick Durock ("Swamp Thing") – some of his heroes growing up.
"As a Generation X kid, my excitement for superhero comics actually started via television in the ’70s watching the old George Reeves’ ‘Superman’ and Adam West’s ‘Batman’ on WPIX along with Spider-Man on ‘The Electric Company’ on Channel 13 – I didn’t really get into comic books until the ’80s when I was 11," Mr. Khoury said. "Over the years I noticed that these superheroes shows weren’t just a gateway to comics for me, but to an entire generation of comic book aficionados.
"Via television in the era before cable, we let these superheroes enter our homes and some of our favorite memories. … In an era before digital effects, these were shows that enraptured imagination because they were so colorful and livelier than most of the content on the tube back then."
Behind the masks and behind the scenes, Mr. Khoury said he and his co-writer, Jason Hoifus, uncovered some amazing tales:
– ABC canceled "Batman" in 1969, but NBC was ready to pick up the show for one or two more seasons until discovering the sets had been destroyed.
– "Wonder Woman" star Lynda Carter was reprimanded by the show’s executives after she insisted on doing a dangerous stunt where she hung unsupported from the underside of a helicopter.
– "Shazam!" actor Jackson Bostwick showed up in jeans and a T-shirt because he thought he was going on an audition for a commercial for Captain Marvel cereal, not a Captain Marvel serial.
Publisher John Morrow marveled at how Mr. Khoury is "relentless in digging out the kind of juicy, behind-the-scenes information that fans of our books adore, and can follow up even the slimmest leads to come up with details that almost always help flesh out the historical picture."
Mr. Khoury, who moved to Princeton in 2005 with his mother and brother, never knew what to expect when he contacted an actor. Ms. Carter "sincerely enjoyed her years on the show – that show made her a household name." Before warming up, Mr. West "was probably skeptical after talking about this show after speaking about it for over 40 years."
But as Mr. Hoifus puts it, "Of all the people I remember him being thrilled to find, Danny Seagren is probably at the top. His portrayal of Spider-Man on ‘The Electric Company’ was a big part of both of our childhoods and George was ecstatic when we reached him."
Mr. Seagren says "it was a surprise and a delight" when Mr. Khoury admitted how much he loved watching him portray Spidey as a kid, and it broke the ice. Mr. Seagren began to relive moments from 35 years ago.
For instance, before the filming the first segment, Mr. Seagren got dressed up in the costume and perched himself atop a desk. When the producer walked in, Mr. Seagren nearly jumped on him. Once the producer overcame the shock, he was impressed with Mr. Seagren’s athleticism.
Although many of Mr. Khoury’s childhood memories are wrapped up in these shows, it wasn’t a misspent youth. They were fuel for a lifelong passion – and a career. He has written hundreds of essays and magazine articles. He’s authored five other books, and is currently working on an updated version of his first book, "Kimota: The Miracleman Companion," which examines how one of comics’ first grim and gritty characters became ensnared in a long legal tangle. Mr. Khoury also covers comics, film and TV in his column called Pop! At www.comicbookresources.com.
Writing "Age of TV Heroes" brought Mr. Khoury back to his childhood and reminded him that although you can now watch "Smallville" in HD or on a 52-inch flat screen, the world will always need heroes.
"Each interview only encouraged me to keep going," Mr. Khoury said.
"But there were thrills right from the start. I was just blown away to speak with Stan Lee and Danny Seagren. That type of adrenaline carried me throughout the interview process, subject to subject. It’s just humbling to speak to people that meant a lot to one as a child."
For more about "Age of TV Heroes," log on to twomorrows.com.

