Adelaide
November 2-3, 2024
Adelaide Showground
Written by Leah Williams
After all the fun and excitement of April, it’s time to look ahead to the future, and all the wonderful happenings of May. Not only does May play host to the release of Deadpool 2, it also features the debut of Star Wars spin-off, Solo: A Star Wars Story, and several awesome gaming releases in Detroit: Become Human, Dark Souls Remastered and the Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze port for Nintendo Switch.
But what other events does May mark the anniversary of? Here are a few of our favourites.
May 1984 – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crashes the comics scene in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1
Originally designed as a one-off parody of superhero comics, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crashed the scene in ’84, injecting their brand of humour and satire into the superhero genre. They went on to become a surprise hit, and their insane popularity led to a series of well-received and fondly remembered cartoon hits and more.
May 1, 2008 – Iron Man kicks off the Marvel Cinematic Universe
When the first Iron Man film was released in 2008, nobody could have predicted how it would change cinema. The release was quickly followed by The Incredible Hulk and would soon spawn a film empire with Thor, Captain America, The Avengers, Doctor Strange, Ant-Man, Guardians Of The Galaxy and more, spinning out of Iron Man‘s movie universe. Ten years later, we’re still reeling from the legacy that Iron Man has left.
May 1, 1962 – The Incredible Hulk makes his debut in Incredible Hulk #1
Everybody’s favourite jade giant smashed his way onto the scene on this date, going on to become a core member of The Avengers and a phenomenon in pop culture. The struggles of Bruce Banner and his alter ego have featured in multiple television shows, cartoons, spin-off comics and films.
May 1, 1961 – The first anime television series, Instant History (Otogi Manga Calendar), airs
Instant History is recognised as the first anime show produced for television, marking a historical moment in the history of the genre. The show itself explored historical events and utilised a mix of film footage and photographs mixed in with animations to explain the history of the world.
May 10, 1974 – Iron Fist debuts in Marvel Premiere #15
Iron Fist, aka Danny Rand, made his ‘kung-fu action’ debut on this date, featuring a showdown with the sinister Shu-Hu and detailing Danny’s iconic origins in the fabled city of K’un-Lun. Rand is portrayed by Sydney and Perth “Supa-Star” Finn Jones on the Netflix adaptation.
May 23, 1994 – Star Trek: The Next Generation comes to a close
On this date, one of the most iconic and enduring Star Trek television shows came to a close, airing its final episode, All Good Things… This two-hour finale was a love letter to its fans and featured Captain Picard and his crew saving humanity one last time.
May 25, 1977 – George Lucas’ epic Star Wars saga begins
Star Wars, later subtitled A New Hope was released on this day, featuring the story of Luke Skywalker and his struggles against the evil Galactic Empire. The success of the film lead to multiple sequels, in every form of media under the Tatooine twin suns, and the franchise has since become one of the largest and most successful of the modern age. The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi also enjoyed May premieres in 1980 and 1983 respectively. You can catch Star Wars legend Ian McDiarmid, aka The Emperor, at Supanova Perth and Sydney next month.
May 26, 1897 – Bram Stoker’s Dracula is first published
Dracula frightened readers across Europe when it was first published on this day, establishing many of the conventions of gothic horror literature and creating the modern vampire myth. The novel has spawned countless adaptations, revisions, and spoofs, and is arguably responsible for turning vampires into one of the most famous monsters of all time.
Join us again next month as we explore the wild, wild month of June and our next batch of “Supa-Stars”!
Pic: “Supa-Star” Ian McDiarmid as The Emperor in Return of the Jedi
