Stars and Stripsey Forever: Stargirl in the Comics and Elsewhere

[tessaray]

Discuss Stargirl's comic origins here and not in the episode threads. 

[Lantern7]

I was going to call this thread "Stars & Stripesy Forever."

For a quick history of Sylvester Pemberton and Pat Dugan (as well as Merry, the Girl of a Thousand Gimmicks), click here. Yes, they heard someone wish that the American flag would come to life, and those two created their own costumes. Individually. Some days, you gotta love the Golden Age.

[tessaray]

23 minutes ago, Lantern7 said:

I was going to call this thread "Stars & Stripesy Forever."

We can always open it up for discussion. 🙂 

[Lantern7]

1 hour ago, tessaray said:

We can always open it up for discussion. 🙂 

Meh. Not something worth digging in for.

In case you didn't know, Courtney is based on Geoff Johns' sister, who lost her life in the TWA Flight 800 plane crash. He introduced the character in Stars & S.T.R.I.P.E., which also featured Pat Dugan's robot suit. I don't know what the acronym is.

[The Crazed Spruce]

Here's a video with a bit more of her back story.

 

[rmontro]

Thanks guys, that's informative stuff.  The history of individual superheroes can really get to be a tangled mess.  I guess that's one of the great things about comics.  I do like obscure superheroes, especially ones that date back a long way.  Apparently Stargirl rates her own TV show largely because of her creator's influence and position in the business.

I was curious about the nature of the staff, so I found this small article.  Not sure that origin fits in with the current show story though.

https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Cosmic_Staff

[tessaray]

10 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

Meh. Not something worth digging in for.

In case you didn't know, Courtney is based on Geoff Johns' sister, who lost her life in the TWA Flight 800 plane crash. He introduced the character in Stars & S.T.R.I.P.E., which also featured Pat Dugan's robot suit. I don't know what the acronym is.

I have a remarkable lack of imagination for naming threads. But we needed one in a hurry and I wanted this one to include the previous versions of Stargirl too. Titles are rarely set in stone around here though.  :-)  And if the show lasts long enough to need character threads, "Stars & Stripesy Forever" would be great for Pat Dugan.  

I did know about Courtney Johns as she came up early on in the Arrowverse media interviews with GJ.  I don't know what he was like before he lost his sister but I always felt like he had a positive influence on the CW shows when he was actively involved.  So I was predisposed to giving this show a chance. 

[Trini]

12 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

I was going to call this thread "Stars & Stripesy Forever."

Co-sign!

[readster]

6 minutes ago, Trini said:

Co-sign!

Third. 

[tessaray]

I'm going to let @MarkHB have the final say on the thread title. If there's a way to integrate Comics into the "Stars & Stripesy" phrasing, it's fine by me. 

[Lantern7]

Lots of shoutouts in the latest episode. Ted Knight created the Cosmic Staff, so he might have been Starman before Sylvester. Sadly, if Jack Knight were to ever appear, the show would need his creators -- James Robinson and Tony Harris -- to sign off on that, and I'm not seeing that. I'm not sure about the legalities of basing a character on the revamped Shade that starred in Starman during Robinson's run on the book.

Brainwave's kid seems targeted to become Brainwave Jr. Really, that was his name in Infinity Inc. back in the Eighties. The rest of the team were made up of kids of the JSA, and his dad was a bad guy. Turns out the principal's name is "Bowen," so I'm guessing her sullen-looking son will become Fiddler.  And based off the posters, Beth will become Dr. Mid-Nite. That's how the name was spelled; the female version of the character also originated in the Eighties.

[readster]

6 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

Lots of shoutouts in the latest episode. Ted Knight created the Cosmic Staff, so he might have been Starman before Sylvester. Sadly, if Jack Knight were to ever appear, the show would need his creators -- James Robinson and Tony Harris -- to sign off on that, and I'm not seeing that. I'm not sure about the legalities of basing a character on the revamped Shade that starred in Starman during Robinson's run on the book.

Brainwave's kid seems targeted to become Brainwave Jr. Really, that was his name in Infinity Inc. back in the Eighties. The rest of the team were made up of kids of the JSA, and his dad was a bad guy. Turns out the principal's name is "Bowen," so I'm guessing her sullen-looking son will become Fiddler.  And based off the posters, Beth will become Dr. Mid-Nite. That's how the name was spelled; the female version of the character also originated in the Eighties.

Robins and Harris are both involved in the series, Robinson more who is writing the upcoming Brainwave and Brainwave Jr episodes. I'm hoping they keep Jr's mother's history intact since she was the stepsister to Sylvester. I really like the show is keeping the villain conspircey going on in Blue Valley. However, being more of the Injustice Society instead of the Dragon King running everything. Plus, we actually have Cindy's mother involved in the series, something that was barely two panels in the original book run. 

[Starfish35]

Who is Courtney’s father in the comics?  With all the emphasis on “Starman is my father,” I’m guessing there’s going to be a twist and her father’s going to turn out to be someone else.  

[MarkHB]

5 minutes ago, Starfish35 said:

Who is Courtney’s father in the comics?  With all the emphasis on “Starman is my father,” I’m guessing there’s going to be a twist and her father’s going to turn out to be someone else.  

I have not read the comics, but per a podcast I listen to it's actually some deadbeat, and NOT Starman. I think that's a later reveal, though.

[MarkHB]

So, I've been meaning to do this for a while.... here, then, is Mark's Guide to the JSA.

Note: this is my personal knowledge from the original, pre-Crisis versions. MMV as far as the story they're going to tell, see the 90's-2000's stuff on DC Universe for more recent takes.

Seated, L-R:

• Ted Grant, aka Wildcat.  Former heavyweight champion of the world, dresses as a cat to fight crime; frequently trains other would-be heroes to fight. Yolanda Montez took over as the new Wildcat in Crisis on Infinite Earths.  Likely killed in the fight in the premiere.
• Rex Tyler, aka Hourman. Originally, he took a pill (Miraclo) that would give him great strength, speed, agility and invulnerability for one hour. Nowadays, Drugs Are Bad, so I think that hourglass totem does it instead.  Survived the premiere fight only to be killed in a car crash in Blue Valley years later. I wouldn't be surprised if he had hit an icy patch at high noon in July.
• Sylverter Pemberton, aka Starman. I'll let the show talk about him. Killed in the fight in the premiere.
• Wesley Dobbs, aka Sandman.  Wears a trenchcoat, fedora and gas mask to fight crime, mainly with his investigation skills, fists, and a sleeping gas gun. Seen apparently dead in the fight in the premiere.  I personally highly recommend his Vertigo Sandman Mystery Theater series from the early 90's.
• Charles McNider, M.D., aka Dr. Mid-Nite. He was blinded in such a way as to make him hyper-sensitive to light, so he's blind during the day but can see in the dark. He has goggles to allow him to see in the daylight and a bunch of gadgets including his trademark Blackout Bombs.  Appears to be killed by the Shade in the fight in the premiere.

Standing, L-R:

• Johnny Thunder. Originally said to be born at 7 Am on July 7, 1917, he was kidnapped as a baby and taken to Badhnesia, where a religious ceremony was performed that enabled him to summon a Thunderbolt (genie) that would obey his commands by saying the mystic phrase "Cei-U" ("Say you!").  Said to be killed in the fight in the premiere; the all-powerful Thunderbolt is in that pen.
• Alan Scott, aka Green Lantern.  He found a green train lantern that had been made from a meteor, and was able to make a ring from it that allows him to do Green Lantern stuff.  Later in the comics it was established that the green stuff in the meteor was actually all the magic that had originally existed on Oa, scooped up by the Guardians and ejected from the planet millennia ago. Unlike the Silver Age Green Lantern Corps, his magic-based powers don't work on anything made of wood. He hasn't been specifically mentioned except to show his lantern, but I'm willing to bet that he was the green thing that shot out of the roof of the house at the beginning of the fight in the premiere, and is still alive. I also believe that all that green fire in the fight in the premiere had something to do with him.
• Shiera and Carter Hall, aka Hawkgirl and Hawkman respectively, husband and wife.  He is an archaeologist who discovered the Nth Metal which allows him to fly with those wings, and realized that he is the latest in a long line of reincarnations of Prince Khufu of Egypt. He shared his gifts with his love through the ages, Shiera.  They prefer to fight with Bronze Age weapons that he grabs out of the museum he works at. Pat says they died in the fight in the premiere. Really, even by the standards of the time his origin story in Flash Comics #1 makes no sense at all, but he looks really cool.
• Between the Hawks: Jay Garrick, aka the Flash.  Inhaling the fumes from a heavy water experiment made him the Fastest Man Alive.  We saw his helmet lying on the floor in the fight in the premiere but otherwise he hasn't been mentioned.
• Kent Nelson, aka Doctor Fate: the Helm of Nabu makes him host to a Lord of Order who has flight and other magic powers. I believe Pat said that he's dead as well.  The Helm of Nabu is right up there with the Thunderbolt pen and ahead of the Green Lantern in terms of power levels.
• Yz, Johnny's Thunderbolt.

I hope this helps !

[rmontro]

13 hours ago, MarkHB said:

He hasn't been specifically mentioned except to show his lantern, but I'm willing to bet that he was the green thing that shot out of the roof of the house at the beginning of the fight in the premiere, and is still alive.

Courtney has the lantern in her bedroom, so it's possible we see some new incarnation of him.  I'm not really expecting it for some reason, although I would love to.  The original Green Lantern has very different powers than the more modern version. 

I'm not even sure if there is a "legacy" version of the original Green Lantern in the comics.  I know there are several of the modern intergalactic police versions running around.

They also showed the golden age Flash's helmet in the JSA headquarters.  I'm not sure if Courtney took it or not.  Again it's hard for me to believe they're going to go there, since there are already some Flashes running around in the Berlantiverse.  And it would be a bit much for them to say Flash derived his speed from the helmet.  

[readster]

On 6/14/2020 at 12:23 AM, rmontro said:

Courtney has the lantern in her bedroom, so it's possible we see some new incarnation of him.  I'm not really expecting it for some reason, although I would love to.  The original Green Lantern has very different powers than the more modern version. 

I'm not even sure if there is a "legacy" version of the original Green Lantern in the comics.  I know there are several of the modern intergalactic police versions running around.

They also showed the golden age Flash's helmet in the JSA headquarters.  I'm not sure if Courtney took it or not.  Again it's hard for me to believe they're going to go there, since there are already some Flashes running around in the Berlantiverse.  And it would be a bit much for them to say Flash derived his speed from the helmet.  

Alan Scott who was the original Green Lantern had twins, Jade and Obsidian with Jade having similar powers connected to the Lantern and Obsidian having power over darkness and shadows like the Shade. Also, Plus, the way things are going on bait and switches on the show.  How are we so sure that it was Henry Jr that sent that text to Yolanda to do the pictures. Cindy didn't have Henry's phone that long and the way she was jealous of their relationship and probably knew that Yolanda's parents would take her phone. the "chuck" googles, were able to read and upload very fast. I bet if Beth looked at Yolanda's phone it would say: "This text didn't originate from Henry Jr.'s phone, but another. Plus, interesting how quickly the staff turned on Yolanda in favor of Cindy when it's revealed BOTH the principal and gym teacher are members of the Injustice Society. 

[Lantern7]

From CBR: A brief history of Jack Knight.

[readster]

Being a long time Marvel Fan, only certain pieces interested me in DC Comics and most of that came from my grandfather who was a Green Lantern, Hourman and Superman fan. Which lead me to enjoying those characters so much, but more of the Justice Society in Comics and later the Justice League through the old Super Friends (Powers Team) cartoon. Geoff Johns has really taken his original Stars and STRIPE series and not only adapted it well, but went the next level in incorporating the Justice Society/Infinity Inc stories into the series and majorly the Injustice Society. Which I was more of a fan of DC outside the basics from Marvel Comics like: Masters of Evil, Frightful Four or the Serpent Society. DC Comics just seem to have better super villain teams from Legion of Doom to the Red Guild. 

  Even more importantly, while I and many fans saw more potential in the various villains of the DCU, other adaptions just didn't get them. I have LOVED characters like the Gambler, Sportsmaster, Icicle, Wizard. While other medias were: "Oh come on, guy who uses martial arts with sports equipment? Guy who is just a big gambler and planner, those are just lame." Then they see Stargirl and all of a sudden its: "Wow! This is awesome!" I have said for decades, it's not the characters its the writers and artists that make the characters. Even if you look at the back history with characters like the original Star Spangle Kid, Injustice Society, Shining Knight. They were GREAT concepts and continued a trend until the late 80s/early 90s when writers just seem to be: "People don't want to read about old heroes/villains. Plus look at their origins, so stupid!" No, limited vision on the characters is what makes them lame.

[Starfish35]

Reading up some more on the comics background, apparently Courtney’s father was a guy named Sam Kurtis.  I was thinking, if he ends up appearing on the show, he could be played by Jason Priestley?  I thought the picture in the locket looked like it could be him.  Or is that just me?

Also, apparently Rick Tyler and Beth Chapel dated, before she was killed.  I wonder if they’ll go that direction on the show?  (Dating, I mean, not killing Beth. 😳)

Edited June 22, 2020 by Starfish35

[readster]

See the preview for Shiv part 1, I am very happy they built Cindy up in small doses like in the comics. That way when you see the stakes the build up to this and I have to say, I've been very happy with the costumes and updates to them on the series. Another situation though it with Beth. In the original comics, she WAS a doctor and she even interned under McNider. However, just like on the TV show and the comics, she was not a fighter until later on. Though she did have her goggles and blackout bombs. 

  It's funny since both Yolanda and Beth have been brought back from the dead after Doomsday Clock and are showing up in Dark Knights: Death Metal too. Time travel is an odd thing. 

[Kromm]

So... not just Tigress and Sportmaster, but Artemis.

If this follows Young Justice, do we get her using the same name as her mother but eventually switching sides?

Also, and this isn't really a "comic book" spoiler, since it's stated flat out in an upcoming Episode Title, we're getting Shining Knight.  Interesting.

[Lantern7]

Given that Charles "Chuck" McNider was born in the early 20th Century and Cindy's dad might be someone presumed executed in 1947, I think maybe a lot of the original generation had a time skip. In Justice League of America #100-102, there was a story where the Justice League and Justice Society had to travel back in time to retrieve the Seven Soldiers of Victory from different eras. Pat had been enslaved by ancient Egyptians, while Sylvester Pemberton was stuck some 50,000 years in the past. Here's a link; do not go into Grant Morrison's massive "event" series. You just want the simple stuff.

Here's a CBR profile of Shining Knight. I think the only other place he's been seen in media was in Justice League Unlimited.

[readster]

11 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

Given that Charles "Chuck" McNider was born in the early 20th Century and Cindy's dad might be someone presumed executed in 1947, I think maybe a lot of the original generation had a time skip. In Justice League of America #100-102, there was a story where the Justice League and Justice Society had to travel back in time to retrieve the Seven Soldiers of Victory from different eras. Pat had been enslaved by ancient Egyptians, while Sylvester Pemberton was stuck some 50,000 years in the past. Here's a link; do not go into Grant Morrison's massive "event" series. You just want the simple stuff.

Here's a CBR profile of Shining Knight. I think the only other place he's been seen in media was in Justice League Unlimited.

It would also play into the original storyline of how the Shining Knight ended up at the school and why he was being so "mysterious". Though I do not see how they can make the Nebula Man work on the show. Though we will see, but if they play as a "reference" and just not do a full blown adaption of the original story arc. 

[Chicago Redshirt]

It's funny to me because the comics JSA's heavy hitters (Fate, Lantern, Thunderbolt and Flash) seem way, way more powerful to me than the ISA's heavyhitters, but maybe I'm grossly ignorant of the ISA's power levels. 

[readster]

On 7/9/2020 at 1:45 PM, Chicago Redshirt said:

It's funny to me because the comics JSA's heavy hitters (Fate, Lantern, Thunderbolt and Flash) seem way, way more powerful to me than the ISA's heavyhitters, but maybe I'm grossly ignorant of the ISA's power levels. 

That's always been a state of flux depending on members of both teams. Dr. Fate may be able to take someone out like the Tigress or Icicle, can't do much against the Wizard as the "rules of magic" don't allow to alter spells. The "original" Green Lantern might be able to take out almost anyone, but the green flame has no effect on wood. Members like Black-brier Thorn or Florenic Man can take him out without problems. Flash still has varnibility to magic and mind attacks. As powerful as the Thunderbolt is, he still needs a human guide. In the comics a few times both Johnny and Jakeem were taken out, one brutally when Jakeem had his vocal cords cut and almost died to keep the Thunderbolt from being used. 

[Lantern7]

Just wanted to share this. Because the Eighties.

[rmontro]

2 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

Just wanted to share this. Because the Eighties.

I do not like that Hourman costume.  Looks like a Legion of Superheroes costume.  I like the Legion, in fact I'd love to see a Legion of Superheroes series or movie.  But I don't like that look on Hourman.  And they look like they're dancing at a disco.

[Primal Slayer]

13 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

Just wanted to share this. Because the Eighties.

I really want Beth to update her costume to something similar to this.  Obviously more modern. 

[Trini]

2 hours ago, Primal Slayer said:

I really want Beth to update her costume to something similar to this.  Obviously more modern. 

All it needs is the goggles/mask/cowl and the moon symbol; they can do whatever with the rest.

[MarkHB]

2 hours ago, Trini said:

All it needs is the goggles/mask/cowl and the moon symbol; they can do whatever with the rest.

The down side is that the actress is 5 feet tall at most, a couple of inches shorter than Brec and Yvette (and they shoot to make her look even smaller). I'm not sure how well the sleeker look would work in that case.

[readster]

4 hours ago, MarkHB said:

The down side is that the actress is 5 feet tall at most, a couple of inches shorter than Brec and Yvette (and they shoot to make her look even smaller). I'm not sure how well the sleeker look would work in that case.

True and even in the comics, they were all shown to be relatively shorter compared to the men. Even Artemis the comics is no taller than 5'6.

[Lantern7]

Looks like Seven Soldiers are a thing on this Earth-2. I'm thinking maybe they alone made a leap through time, and that Pat is from the Fifties, which partially explains his "Strange Visitor From Planet Dad" vibe. I don't think a Nebula Man was involved . . . either the original, the Grant Morrison version, or something in between. I am curious if the archers are named Green Arrow and Speedy.

[MarkHB]

So, it turns out "Mary" was actually Merry, the Gimmick Girl... and in the comics she did, in fact, marry Brain Wave and reform him, leading to their son Brainwave (aka Henry Jr.) eventually becoming a hero and joining Infinity, Inc.

Here's Merry from what appears to be a Batrman Adventures (DCAU-style) comic...

[MarkHB]

... and it just occurred to me that that Toyman looks an awful lot like Jeremy Jordan!

[rmontro]

On 7/20/2020 at 1:30 PM, MarkHB said:

So, it turns out "Mary" was actually Merry, the Gimmick Girl.

Too bad they killed her off, she looks like she would have been fun.

By the way, according to the captions on the TV show, they spelled it Merri.  I'm sure that's not any sort of official statement from the TV show, but just thought I'd throw it out there.

[Kromm]

On 7/13/2020 at 1:20 AM, rmontro said:

I do not like that Hourman costume.  Looks like a Legion of Superheroes costume.  I like the Legion, in fact I'd love to see a Legion of Superheroes series or movie.  But I don't like that look on Hourman.  And they look like they're dancing at a disco.

It was the early 80s. They probably WERE. 

[Kromm]

On 7/14/2020 at 11:16 PM, Lantern7 said:

Looks like Seven Soldiers are a thing on this Earth-2. I'm thinking maybe they alone made a leap through time, and that Pat is from the Fifties, which partially explains his "Strange Visitor From Planet Dad" vibe. I don't think a Nebula Man was involved . . . either the original, the Grant Morrison version, or something in between. I am curious if the archers are named Green Arrow and Speedy.

Except in this world, it almost seems like the decade before WAS their 1950s. I mean not just Pat, but so much we've seen in ten year back flashbacks seems like the 1950s. Then boom.  Current date has smartphones. 

[readster]

I have to say, I enjoyed Pat's reactions to meeting Courtney's biological father more here than in the comics. I felt he was too: "Well, I'm not getting in the middle of this." Even though the All-Stars #4 Comic had Pat pretty much saying: "Feels good to throw your butt in jail." 

[rmontro]

I've started to read the original Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. comics run.  I can't see Principal Sherman without thinking that Jason Alexander was meant to play him.  Especially since Geoff Johns had a background in television.

[Lantern7]

Wikipedia entry on Eclipso. The character and concept has been changed a lot. I think the “Hero and Villain is Same Guy!” version works best, though most of the plots centered on man-made eclipses.

[cambridgeguy]

I don't know if this is actually true or just the actress speculating but Alex Montez (i.e. the guy most of us think is Yolanda's younger brother) is actually her cousin, which matches the comics and means he's more likely to get involved with the Eclipso plot.  Of course they'll likely change the reason for his involvement.

[shapeshifter]

16 minutes ago, cambridgeguy said:

I don't know if this is actually true or just the actress speculating but Alex Montez (i.e. the guy most of us think is Yolanda's younger brother) is actually her cousin, which matches the comics and means he's more likely to get involved with the Eclipso plot.  Of course they'll likely change the reason for his involvement.

Sounds like Yvette Monreal (Yolanda/Wildcat) has more of a family than Yolanda the character does.

[rmontro]

As I said elsewhere, I've been reading a compilation of early Stargirl appearances in the comics.  Where I'm at now, she still doesn't have the staff and is still using the cosmic converter belt.  Recently the belt has given her the ability to throw star shaped energy blasts, and she also sometimes trails little stars behind her.  A neat little visual hook.

It occurred to me that this must be where they got the idea for America Chavez's use of star shaped energy manifestations.  America Chavez is a Marvel character that debuted in 2011, rumors are she will be hitting the big screen in the MCU in the coming years.

[Trini]

 

[Trini]

https://www.dccomics.com/blog/2021/02/10/spend-spring-break-with-stargirl-and-the-seven-soldiers-of-victory

Quote

After months and months of fighting crime and handling universe-threatening enemies, even superheroes need a springtime vacation. But thanks to award-winning writer Geoff Johns and artist Todd Nauck, there’s no Cancun, Miami, or South Padre Island on Stargirl’s itinerary in this 48-page one shot, on sale May 4!

Courtney Whitmore’s spring break plans aren’t like your average high schooler’s. Instead of hanging out with friends, she’s heading out on an adventure with her stepfather, Pat Dugan, a.k.a. S.T.R.I.P.E., and teaming up with his former team, the Seven Soldiers of Victory! The soldiers are forced to reunite again to unearth the secret eighth soldier of victory, but what other secrets lay buried, and what does it all mean for Courtney’s future as Stargirl?

Anybody can hang out at the beach and party, but for fans of Stargirl, Golden Age superheroes and fast-paced fun and adventure, the Stargirl Spring Break Special is a must-read! The book arrives at comic book stores and participating digital retailers on May 4 for $5.99. The physical version also features a card stock variant cover by Mike McKone for $6.99.

 

 

[Lantern7]

50 minutes ago, Trini said:

 

 

Would this be in DC continuity, or would it be within the show? Interesting . . . I think the lady below Shining Knight was Crimson Avenger, but I can't place where she originally came from. I think Geoff Johns' run on Justice Society of America, but I'm not sure.

[Trini]

4 minutes ago, Lantern7 said:

56 minutes ago, Trini said:

Would this be in DC continuity, or would it be within the show?

I don't think it has anything to do with the show; but I wouldn't be surprised if there were some easter eggs/references, since Johns is involved with both.

[Trini]

Preview of Stargirl Spring Break Special #1: https://www.dccomics.com/blog/2021/05/21/first-look-stargirl-soldiers-through-her-spring-break

[Noneofyourbusiness]

On 8/12/2021 at 10:47 AM, shapeshifter said:

2 dumb questions: 

1. Who are the present-day characters represented in the opening horror story?
2. What did the mother see when she screamed?

1. We haven't seen them in the present day. The name on the house was McNider, the family name of the original Doctor Midnite, Dr. Charles "Chuck" McNider. The mother said her husband was on call, and IMDB says her name is Myrna McNider, which is the name of Charles's wife in the comics. Which would make Rebecca McNider his daughter, who's not in the comics.

2. We don't know, we didn't see what she saw. Possibly Rebecca's dead body in the same condition that the doll looked like for a moment when Rebecca took it out of the box.

On 8/11/2021 at 4:17 AM, tvwatchergordis said:

What is Rick's deal with Solomon Grundy does he want to lure him somewhere and then kill him? He is leaving him fried chicken for something. Or will he realize hatred is not the answer? hmmm(and if he did last season I don't quite remember)

Rick let Grundy go last season when Rick was in the middle of beating Grundy to death, recognizing that he was just a big, scared animal. He's likely feeding him because he feels responsible for him.