Booster booster Marty writes

not sure if anyone's tipped you off to this yet, but booster had a speaking appearance in a recent episode of teen titans go! (season 7, episode 46, "TV Knight 7") i can't speak to the quality of the episode as a whole as i've only seen the relevant part (i.e. where booster was on screen), but i'll admit to getting a chuckle or two out of it.

I found some confusion as to whether "TV Knight 7" is Teen Titans Go! season 7 episode 46 as reported on Fandom.com or episode 45 as counted by CartoonNetwork.com. Whatever number it is, it does indeed give Booster Gold his first speaking part in the series.

The Cartoon Network link above will take you to a preview of the episode, in which you can hear Booster in action, voiced by Fred Tatasciore.

Unlike Marty, I have watched the entire episode, written by Luke Cormican and Josh Weisbrod and directed by Cormican. It's got a real Robot Chicken feel to it, and like most anthologies, its short, unconnected gags — a Mad-style blend of television and comics tropes — can be a bit hit or miss. I thought the Booster Gold segment was the episode's highlight, but I admit I may have a bit of a bias there.

You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll thank Marty for bringing this to your attention.

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Cort's back with more Booster Gold sketchbook pages! He writes

These are a fun and varied mix of styles so it was nice to add them all to my collection. Which is now 59 pieces large! 2020 has had a lot of downs and twists and turns, but it has been fruitful for having artists open their lists for mail-in commissions, and I've been very lucky and very grateful for that.

Jon Bagdanove

Will Conrad

Elsa Charretier

Nick Prolix

Way to find the bright side of everyone being stuck at home without regular jobs in 2020, Cort! (And we're grateful that you shared your luck with us.)

You can see Cort's full Booster Gold sketchbook online at imgur.com.

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Today I present to you my single favorite Booster Gold panel.

As much as I love the work of Kevin Maguire and Adam Hughes, it's not from Booster's Justice League tryout or KooeyKooeyKooey any other Justice League International comic. It's not by Aaron Lopresti, who drew many truly inspirational moments for our hero in 52 and Generation Lost, including his triumphs over Mister Mind and Max Lord. Nor is it a page from the pen of Booster's prolific creator, Dan Jurgens, though he has crafted so many other memorable Boosterrific moments in the past three-and-a-half decades.

It doesn't even have Blue Beetle or Skeets in it.

No, my favorite Booster Gold panel comes from a most unlikely source, a comic that few people have read since it was released in the middle of the Chromium Age of the 1990s. It was a time after Doomsday had killed destroyed Booster's original technology and our hero had lost much of his previous power and personal identity. (Clothes, after all, do make the man.)

Here's the panel, from the eleventh page of Extreme Justice #12, released November 14, 1995:

Oh, how that gets me every time.

The artists for this piece are Tom Morgan, Ken Branch, and Lee Loughridge, with a lettering assist by Kevin Cunningham. I've always had a soft spot for profiles, and I have notebooks filled with doodles of similar poses. I can't tell you how many gnashed teeth I've drawn in my life. I think it's exceptional how tight the close-up is while still including everything you need to know about the person whose personal space we have violated. Considering that the previous panel is a full body shot, Morgan could have been lazy, but he doesn't skimp the details. The character's iconic blue star seen relegated to the shoulder pad — a literal chip on his shoulder — may be the best part!

But the real reason I love that panel is the writing by the late Robert Washington III and its literary allusion to Tik-Tok, the Clockwork Man of Oz, a mechanical servant/warrior incapable of independent thought or action without the mechanical assistance of its friends. The comparison to Tik-Tok reveals Booster at his most human: a wounded warrior who struggles under the weight of his own heroic expectations and biological frailties. Doubt personified.

Probably because I first encountered it at just the right time in my life, but it has become embedded in my consciousness. I think of this panel often, probably several times a year when I'm feeling worn down by my responsibilities or illness or just life in general. (I probably don't need to tell you, 2020 has been a real test so far.) Somehow, knowing that Booster Gold has experienced the same feelings brightens my outlook. If he found a way to keep going, there's still hope for the rest of us. (I have to believe that won't require entrusting my body to an alternate-universe would-be world conqueror, but a man's got to do what a man's got to do.)

So anyway, maybe it's not the best drawn or the most illuminating or aggrandizing Booster Gold panel, but it's my personal favorite.

What's yours?

Comments (1) | Add a Comment | Tags: clockwork man extreme justice ken branch kevin cunningham lee loughridge plague robert washington iii tom morgan

On the subject of Justice League #37, I think I've decided that our mystery hero is supposed to be Animal Man. It looks like most of you agree with me.

Last week's poll question: Does Booster Gold appear in JUSTICE LEAGUE 37? (40 votes)

I think it's weird that the Justice League has spent the last year fighting a war to save the multiverse as we know it, and the DC Universe's greatest continuity cop, Booster Gold, has been relegated to a one-panel appearance. *shrug*

What does Scott Snyder have against Booster Gold?

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On Thursday, Cartoon Network announced the release of their latest mobile game, Teen Titans GO Figure!

According to their press release:

Teen Titans GO Figure! features nearly 100 exciting figures to battle and level up. Collect fan-favorites like Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Black Lightning, Swamp Thing, Shazam and more, each customizable with new paints, abilities and accessories. You'll meet up with tons of iconic DC characters along the way, including Supergirl, Hawkgirl, Commissioner Gordon, Martian Manhunter, Space Cabbie, Rainbow Raider, Booster Gold, Condiment King and more.

Before you rush out to play, know that DC Comics also released a digital tie-in comic book. The comic's plot actually involves some time travel antics, so naturally Booster Gold has to drop by. His one-panel appearance revisits Rip Hunter's chalkboard from Booster Gold Volume 2.

Teen Titans Go! Figure (Cartoon Network Custom Comic) #1
Ivan Cohen, writer; Sandy Jarrell, artist; Kelly Fitzpatrick, colorist; Josh Reed, letterer

You can purchase the Teen Titans GO Figure! game for $3.99 by way of CartoonNetwork.com, and you can read the Teen Titans Go! Figure comic for free at Comixology.com.

(Yes, the exclamation point is in a different place in those two products. Why? Go figure.)

Thanks to J for letting me know about the comic.

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