Okay, bear with me here, because I seriously couldn’t make this stuff up even if I tried. News has hit the web today that Swedish publishing company DC Thomson, in conjunction with Elstree Studio Productions, is bringing the British superhero Bananaman to the big screen.
If you’ve never even heard of Bananaman, you aren’t alone. Created by Steve Bright and Dave Donaldson in 1980, he is a parody of Superman and Batman, with some shades of Captain Marvel thrown in, mixed with slapstick and eccentric British humor.
The comic tells the story of Eric Wimp, a seemingly ordinary schoolboy from Nuttytown who eats a banana to transform into Bananaman, an adult superhero with the abilities of flight, the strength of “twenty men… twenty big men,” and invulnerability. If he needs extra power, he just eats more bananas, which are provided by his faithful crow.
But wait, that’s not all! His powers change depending on how many bananas he eats and how he eats them, and he was apparently sent to Earth from the moon as a baby, and… wait for it… has a Fortress of Solitude at the North Pole that is actually just a giant banana. Oh, and his weakness? Moldy bananas.
Bananaman was given an animated series in 1983, which ran for 40 episodes over three seasons. Rumors of a film adaptation began back in March and now, a website consisting of nothing more than heroic music, the year 2015, studio logos, and the hashtag #PeelThePower juxtaposed against a starry background, has surfaced.
Bananaman is definitely one of the more… unique comic book adaptations currently in production, and you can definitely bet that we’ll be keeping a close eye on this one for any more updates.
In the meantime, check out the wacky opening theme to the animated series below, and let us know how you feel about this bizarre news.
Published: May 10, 2014 12:19 am