It’s Fun to Be in the JL-A

This isn’t really my story. It’s Paty’s story and Dave’s story and Ellen’s story. Paty and Dave as in Cockrum. My sister, Ellen Vartanoff, who had a printed copy in her files.

Back in the day, mostly in 1966, I wrote a lot of letters to DC Comics with my reactions to their comic book tales, and many of my letters got printed. The reason they got printed, I believe, is that I was telling more than just my own story; I was speaking for thousands of comics fans who were too busy to put pen to paper (or in my case, to put a USPS postcard in my typewriter and later to put entire sheets of bond paper in for long missives to Julie Schwartz) and tell the editors what we thought. Today, I’ve also got the time and the impulse, so here’s a story that once again is not entirely mine. I’ve known about this song for years, and recently I found Ellen’s copy and asked Paty about the song’s germination. Here’s what Paty said:

 It all started at a Xmas party that the Pinis threw at WARP graphics. Tom Ostrander was there along with a lot of comic pros like me and Dave. At one point, we were all doing improv filking and he came out with “I have the first line of a filk and cannot get past it.” So we all said, “Lay it on us!” So he said, “OK. Here it is. To the tune of YMCA. ‘Young man, in your spandex and cape’… and that’s as far as I have been able to get!!!”  So we all got to thinking on it and NO ONE could come up with another line to follow the rhyming pattern of the original song. After the party, Dave and I went home still mulling it over and not coming up with anything… and this went on for over a year. Every once in a while we would mention it and think about it but to no avail.

Finally one afternoon,  Dave comes running into the dining room as I was starting to set the table for dinner, and said “I got it!!!” I looked up and said “If it is contagious, I don’t want it.”

“NO NO. Listen… Young man,” he sang, “in your spandex and cape… I said young man, wearing fuchsia and grape… you can fly now, and you’re strong as an ape… you’re a MIGHTY SUPERHERO!!! Young man in your red, white and blue, I said young man, We are looking for you…You can join up and be one of the crew! Be A MIGHTY SUPERHERO!!! bum bum bum. It’s fun to be in the JLA… it’s fun to be in the JLA…Superman is your friend, Flash and Green Lantern too…Black Canary is there for you…It’s fun to be in the JLA… It’s fun to be in the JLA…you can fly ’round the world, you can beat up on crooks, you can star in the comic books!!! Batman always wears a big frown… because Joker is a prince of a clown… you can help Bats kick his butt outta town…be a MIGHTY SUPERHERO…” and then he stopped.

I told him “C’mon… what’s next?”  

“Dunno… haven’t gotten any further than that!”

“Well…get back to work on it… good stuff… dinner in half an hour…”

After dinner I went in to my computer and started doing some possibles and finally came into Dave’s den and said I got a verse… so he typed it into his file as I sang it to him and we went on from there, adding verses and choruses for months… actually close to a year. Every once in a while one of us would come up with another verse or chorus. Dave mentioned it to an online friend, Dannell Lites, who had a Magneto site we both frequented and she sent another verse before she, tragically, died. 

Dave marked the contributions of Dannell with an asterisk. I know I did the Creeper and Booster verses  as well as the chorus of Red Tornado. I also helped with a line here and there when Dave was stuck for a rhyme. I am pretty sure I did the Spectre and the Dr Fate chorus, and we traded lines on the Gnort verse. Dave added the great big red cheese but I think I did the rest of that verse.

It’s Fun to Be in the JLA

by Dave and Paty Cockrum

Young man – in your spandex and cape;
I say young man – wearing fuchsia and grape;
You can fly now, and you’re strong as an ape.
You’re a mighty superhero.

Young man – in your red, white and blue,
I say young man – we are looking for you.
You can join up and be one of the crew,
Be a mighty superhero.

Bum bum bum bum bum

It’s fun to be in the J – LA,
It’s fun to be in the J – LA.
Superman is your pal.
Flash and Green Lantern too.
Black Canary is there for you.

It’s fun to be in the J – LA,
It’s fun to be in the J – LA.
You can fly ’round the world,
You can beat up on crooks.
You can star in the comic books.

Batman always wears a big frown
Because Joker is a prince of a clown.
You can help Bats kick his butt outta town.
You’re a mighty superhero.

Starro is a mighty cold fish,
But Amazo thinks Canary’s a dish.
And that Desp’ro makes a poor body wish
For a mighty superhero.

Bum bum bum bum bum

It’s fun to be in the J – LA,
It’s fun to be in the J – LA.
Hawkman flies way up there,
Gets in Green Arrow’s hair.
Atom pops up out of thin air.

*It’s fun to be in the J – LA,
It’s fun to be in the J – LA.
Plas can be his own chair!
Diana’s our maiden fair.
And oh yes, the moon is our lair.

*J’onn J’onzz is the last of his race
Of the Martians there is no other trace
But he bears it with an amazing grace
He’s a mighty superhero!

Spectre is a haunter of men
And the Stranger shows up now and again.
They’re both spooky,
But now that’s ok when
You’re a mighty superhero!

Bum bum bum bum bum

It’s fun to be in the J – LA,
It’s fun to be in the J – LA.
You can make news headlines
Yeah, wherever you go.
You can star in a TV show!

It’s fun to be in the J – LA,
It’s fun to be in the J – LA.
Red Tornado’s up there
Spinning circles in air.
Metamorpho has chemical flair!

Creeper is a dude who is cool
And Zatanna shows that women can rule!
When they help out, they are nobody’s fool.
They are mighty superheroes!

Booster is a mighty fine guy
And Blue Beetle, well he knows how to fly.
He’s a bug man when he takes to the sky!
He’s a mighty superhero!

Bum bum bum bum bum

It’s fun to be in the J – LA,
It’s fun to be in the J – LA.
Dr. Fate is a fright!
Batman’s pants are too tight.
Kooey Kooey rocks into the night!

It’s fun to be in the J – LA
It’s fun to be in the J – LA
Be a popular guy
Wearing real flashy tights
And make bucks from the movie rights.

Dinah’s a canary that’s true,
And Diana wears the red, white and blue,
And Zatanna has some magic for you
They are mighty superheroes!

G’Nort is a fella with fleas.
Captain Marvel is the great big Red Cheese.
And Tornado makes a really big breeze.
They are mighty superheroes!

Bum bum bum bum bum

It’s fun to be in the J – LA
It’s fun to be in the J – LA
Membership is a perk,
Though Guy Gardiner’s a jerk!
His attitude sure needs work!

It’s fun to be in the J – LA
It’s fun to be in the J – LA
Wally West is the Flash.
Jay and Barry were first.
Zooming by in a scarlet burst!

Fire, well she’s built like a brick,
And Ice Maiden is a popsicle chick,
And the Huntress does a high k’rate kick.
They are mighty superheroes!

J – LA!

*verses contributed by Dannell Lites.

Thank y’all, shugah! Dipsmoochies!