Cap and Bucky relaxing.

Here's another pic of Steve Rogers, AKA Captain America, smoking a pipe. I'm not sure why this vice of his intrigues me so much. It sure would be cool to see Steve Rogers in the new Avengers movie walking around with a pipe.

Senate hearing on steroids.

(via icelandbob on Whitechapel.)

Cap's vice.

Did you know that Captain America smoked a pipe?
I'm rereading all of my Tales of Suspense comics and came across this last night.

Happy 4th of July.

Happy Fourth of July.

On July 4, 1776, after a couple of days of debate and revision, the Second Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence.

On July 3rd, John Adams wrote to his wife, Abigail:

The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.

 

To commemorate our independence I humbly submit the above video of Hulk Hogan and this promo for an unproduced Captain America cartoon from 1990.

Hitler vs. The Leader.

I've been reading some of my pocket book Tales of Suspense reprints, gearing up for the Captain America film. One of the classic Captain America stories from the silver age is the The Fantastic Origin of The Red Skull, printed in Tales of Suspense #66. The Red Skull has Cap prisoner and decides to tell his story. The Red Skull was a petty criminal, working as a bell hop, when Adolf Hitler checked into his hotel. Tired of the endless failures of his highest ranking men, Hitler grabs the young, nobody, bell boy and decides that he will turn the young man into the ultimate Nazi weapon, The Red Skull.

I was also watching the old Captain America cartoon also from the late sixties. In the cartoon version of The Fantastic Origin of The Red Skull all mention of Hitler, the Nazis, the Third Reich, and even Germany are removed from the cartoon. Hitler becomes "The Leader." The opposing force is simply the enemy.

Comics were primarily read by kids at that time. Television was watched by everyone. I guess Marvel felt that they needed to protect the adults from the grim realities of war. Nevermind that the parent's of those kids actually fought the Nazis.
Here are some panel comparisons from Tales of Suspense #66 (I took my copies from a paperback reprint) and the animated series.

It's an interesting choice to make. Like most forms of censorship it makes little sense. The kids who watched the racist, cigarettes smoking, war mongering, Warner Brothers cartoons of the 1940's grew up, only to censor the same cartoons. They judged that the cartoons would do damage to children. Well, then, weren't they damaged? We should allow ourselves to be censored by people who grew up watching racist, cigarette smoking, war mongering cartoons that psychologically damage kids?
If they damage kids, you're damaged, you old, hypocritical fucks.




Here is a take on his origin culled from many comic book tales and the animated series. Pretty good.

Daily poster: Captain America.

Captain America.
Ain't It Cool News posted this beautiful, retro, Captain America poster yesterday. Wouldn't it be amazing to see this in the theater. I'm sure they will have a gritty, wet looking close up of the shield or something predictable instead. Funny how everyone tries to make their product stand out by doing the same thing.