Robot 6
Remember when David Bowie’s wife did a Black Widow TV show? Me neither.
Comics have always been fodder for live-action adaptations, from those early Captain America serials to Adam West’s Batman and on through the current crop of heroes gracing the big and small screens. But in that flow of ideas there are a couple that never made it to fruition but came close. Take this forgotten pitch for a Black Widow television series.
In 1975, the then-wife of rockstar David Bowie, Angela, got the television rights for Black Widow and Daredevil from Stan Lee in hopes of using it as a star-vehicle for Angela’s own on-screen ambitions. Angela Bowie enlisted actor Ben Carruthers (The Dirty Dozen, Shadows) to play Daredevil, and the duo did several black-and-white stills dressed up in their parts. Bowie enlisted her husband’s Ziggy Stardust era costume designer Natasha Kornikoff to design the outfits, adding face paint to Daredevil’s ensemble but leaving Black Widow’s look relatively untouched. Sadly, the photos and Bowie’s pitch were never greenlit by a television studio.
But imagine what could have been if it had made it on air, and the actors of the time playing those roles — Telly Savalas as Kingpin would be a no-brainer, but what I’m really wondering is how and who Angela’s husband David Bowie would end up playing.
22 Comments
Hub
January 21, 2012 at 11:07 am
Just based on those pictures this looks like it would be a glorious, surreal hoot.
Mr. M
January 21, 2012 at 11:24 am
Looks like it would have given me nightmares (as a kid). And it appears she’s an amalgam of Black Widow and Medusa!
Dr. Bloodmoney
January 21, 2012 at 11:29 am
Damn, that would’ve been awesome. And David Bowie, of course, would’ve been perfect as the Jester. Or maybe the Purple Man…
Tom Fitzpatrick
January 21, 2012 at 11:31 am
she looks hot!
BeccaBlast
January 21, 2012 at 11:57 am
Something tells me three threads have just been started on the Wonder Woman boards arguing as to whether Angela Bowie should play Diana — and yes, I know how old these pics are….
Eric
January 21, 2012 at 12:04 pm
Personally, I’m pretty sure we missed a bullet on that one, and this is coming from someone who actually LIKED the old Spider-man TV show and Captain America made-for-TV movies.
Kurt Busiek
January 21, 2012 at 12:11 pm
>> what I’m really wondering is how and who Angela’s husband David Bowie would end up playing.>>
Angar the Screamer, dude.
I remember this project being mentioned in an issue of FOOM, at least, and there’s an issue of MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE where Bob Brown and Klaus Janson drew the Widow to look like Angela Bowie. She looked great.
kdb
demoncat
January 21, 2012 at 2:20 pm
those stills alone would have made the show interesting like some exec tripping on lsd. as for who david would have play could see him as bulls eye or the purple man.
Richard
January 21, 2012 at 2:33 pm
I’m pretty sure I remember one of the photos from this shoot appearing in Time or Newsweek, on a “newsmakers” or celebrity gossip type page. It was exceptionally rare for any geek- or comics-related material to appear in those publications in the days before Star Wars, let alone Superman: The Movie…but it was the Disco era and Angie Bowie was then considered a more glamorous figure than her husband.
And I’m reluctant to disagree with Kurt, but he’s mistaken and demoncat is right. Bowie as the Purple Man; it’s Iggy Pop as Angar the Screamer.
Amanda
January 21, 2012 at 3:26 pm
I think those pics sure stand the test of time!
Martin Gray
January 21, 2012 at 3:45 pm
@BeccaBlast, funnily enough I’ve a memory of an early Seventies spread in UK tabloid The Sun with her dressed as Wonder Woman.
Johnny Bacardi
January 21, 2012 at 5:29 pm
As I recall, Angar always looked more like Ted Nugent. Bowie would be a natural for the Purple Man.
jephd
January 21, 2012 at 5:30 pm
Something tells me film maker Duncan “Don’t call me Zowie bowie” Jones is cringing somewhere
Jonesy Stark
January 21, 2012 at 5:40 pm
Bowie as the purple man would be unreal.
Bill Reed
January 21, 2012 at 8:50 pm
70s Bowie? Adam Warlock.
Matthew
January 21, 2012 at 9:45 pm
They could have teamed up with Peter Hooten.
Darth Tigris
January 21, 2012 at 10:03 pm
Sadly???
Um, no. A bullet dodge that Daredevil himself would’ve been impressed by is what this is. Whew!
Oh, and for the record, back in 1975 DD vs Kingpin wasn’t really a thing. That came to the fore with Frank Miller work closer to the 80′s
sandwich eater
January 21, 2012 at 11:03 pm
It’s probably for the best that this never became a TV show.
bfg666
January 22, 2012 at 3:34 pm
Oh. My. Gawd.
DD looks absolutely ridiculous! I wish this came into production, I guess it would have been a good laugh…
Shelley
January 23, 2012 at 7:46 am
DD on crack!
James W
January 31, 2012 at 3:42 am
Apologies to the late Mr. Carruthers, but Ziggy should’ve been Matt Murdock (especially if he was only a supporting character). Check out his Bowie-face in Elektra Lives Again!
James W
January 31, 2012 at 3:44 am
“Lizzen to me Foggy. We’ve gdda take the caze, no quezz-jyun.”