Tuesday, June 16, 2009

The OTHER Patriotic SuperHeroes...

"I'm NOT Captain America, or Superman, you sieg-heiling swine!
I'm Super-American!"

With all the tzimmis over the Return of Steve Rogers as Captain America (and who didn't know that was coming?), you might want to have a look at the other star-spangled heroes introduced during the Golden Age of comic books!

You did know Captain America was not the first superhero to wrap himself in the "colors that never run", didn't you?
The very first flag-wearing hero was Archie (then MLJ) Comics' The Shield who predated Cap by over a year!
Then, between 1940 and 1945, dozens of stars & stripes-wearing heroes (and heroines) flew, leaped, punched, kicked, and flipped thru the four-color newsprint world of comic books!
(Technically, Superman wore red, YELLOW, and blue, so he wasn't visually a flag-waving hero.
But Wonder Woman's Amazon garb was meant to show alliance with America's values and beliefs!)

In that virtuous vein, we at Atomic Kommie Comics™ want to tell you about a plethora of patriotic pummelers at Lost Heroes of the Golden Age of Comics™ in our Flag-Draped Heroes line of kool kollectibles!
We're talking about
American Crusader
American Eagle (now Burning Eagle)

Captain Battle & Captain Battle Jr
Captain Courageous
Captain V
The Conqueror

The Eagle & Buddy

The Flag

Major Victory

Man of War

Miss Victory

Stars & Stripes

Super-American

Unknown Soldier (now Soldier Unknown)

U.S. Jones

V-Man

Yank & Doodle

Yankee Doodle Jones & Johnny Reb

on t-shirts, mugs, messenger bags, and other goodies!
(We'll be doing individual Hero(ine) Histories of each of them over the summer. Watch for them!)
Most, if not all of them have recently been revived in the new series Project SuperPowers and it's spin-off titles. (Pick them up at your local comic book store TODAY!)

So fly the flag (or The Flag himself) this 4th of July with Flag-Draped Heroes ONLY at Lost Heroes of the Golden Age of Comics™!

Monday, June 15, 2009

Fantastic Femmes--Aishwarya Rai

While studying architecture in college, Aishwarya Rai began fashion modeling on the side.
This led to entering (and winning) local beauty pagents, then to the national Miss India contest, then to Miss World, which she won handily!
From there, she became a spokesperson in numerous international advertising campaigns, and came to the attention of the Indian film industry.
Aishwarya's success both artistically, and at the box office, in Bollywood has been nothing short of astounding!
In fact, she's India's top-grossing star, and considered the "public face" of Indian movies to the rest of the world!
In addition, Aishwarya's been named "Most Beautiful Woman in the World" in numerous international polls!
Her ventures into Western filmmaking have been varied, from romantic comedy to action fantasy, but the fame and fortune she's achieved in her native country has, unfortunately, yet to follow her to America.
But, I believe it'll come, and soon!
Trivia: Aishwarya speaks five languages: four Indian tongues (Tulu, Hindi, Marathi, Tamil) and English
Genre appearances include...
Last Legion (Mira)
Dhoom 2 (Sunehri)
Shabd (Antara Vashisth / Tammana)
Khakee (Mahalakshmi)
Check out...
Aishwarya's Official WebSite

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Power Nelson the FutureMan

In the year 1982, with the world exhausted by the second and third World Wars (you remember them, don't you?), civilization has been conquered by Emperor Seng I who rules the planet from a palatial palace in New-New York.
Gene West is chosen by a resistance group composed of scientists to be the test subject for a special experiment which gives him super strength and invulnerability.
Armed with these powers and his knowledge of history and future technology, he is sent back thru time to the 1940s where he fights as Power Nelson, the FutureMan to keep Seng I from rising to power, wearing an eye patch when in civilian guise to disguise his secret identity. (Hey, if eyeglasses worked for Clark Kent...)

Created in 1940, before America entered World War II, Power Nelson the FutureMan was the cover feature for the brand-new comic book Prize Comics.
Interestingly, in the series' "future" of the 1980s, America won both world wars, but was so drained of resources and manpower that Seng I easily took control!

Though he only appeared on the first six issues' covers, Power Nelson's strip ran until #23, then disappeared, his (and the world's) final fate unknown...

Until 2008.

Alex Ross revived him in Project SuperPowers as present-day (2008-9) President West, the apparently-ruthless ruler of an oppressive United States. (Ross also revived Golden Age android hero Dynamic Man as a ruthless industrialist! See a theme?)
Whether President West is the Gene West who went back to the 1940s or a parallel-universe version is yet to be disclosed. (Time-travel paradoxes! Ain't they FUN?)
In addition, President West is apparently in league with Emperor Seng II (Yes II, not I!) who may be either Seng's offspring or someone who usurped power and took the name.
(Seng, and other Golden Age arch-villains, as well as President West and Dynamic Man form The Supremacy, which secretly controls the Earth's major governments!)
And West reappears, in costume as The FutureMan aka President Power in Project SuperPowers Vol 2!
Offhand, I'll bet things didn't go quite as planned for Power Nelson in the "untold tales" after Prize Comics #23...

With Gene West taking a major role in Project SuperPowers (and the fortuitous purchase of a near-complete Prize Comics run) we at Atomic Kommie Comics™ have also decided to revive "Earth's Last Hope" as part of the Lost Heroes of the Golden Age of Comics™ line of kool kollectibles!
So, check him out, before he disappears into a time loop or alternate universe, or something!

Friday, June 12, 2009

Design of the Week! (1)

We've decided to introduce a new feature to our line of collectibles...Design of the Week!
Each Wednesday, we'll post a design, to be sold for exactly 7 days, then replaced with another!
First up...
If you share my depression / outrage / fear over the economy, voice your opinion visually with a bumper sticker, shirt, tote bag, or other goodie showing it takes selling the world's most expensive baseball card (Honus Wagner T-206) just to keep a roof over your head by going to ...Pay My F@#%ing Mortgage!