Today is a day to celebrate and honor our past presidents, and not just the two we most often think of in conjunction with this day, the two that had their holidays smushed into the Amalgam Universe single day off that we now get instead of the delicious double-shot two days from years of yore. No, don't simply remember George Washington and Abe Lincoln, but also Thomas Jefferson, William Howard Taft...um...Benjamin Franklin Pierce...Jimmy Stewart...John Wayne..uh...Sam the Eagle...and the rest. Like my pers'nal fav'rite, Theodore Teddy "Bear" Roosevelt, a man who knew a thing or two about saying "bully!"
But as you hoist a rich chocolate milkshake today to the likes of Presidents Zachary Taylor, Oliver Wendell Douglas and John Zoidberg, don't forget to toast comics' greatest Presidential guest star, a man who, like Son of Satan, couldn't hold down his own book but made more guest appearances in comic books through his
Alien reality television star!
Fantastic Four supporting character!
(More important than Sue, slightly less important than Ben Grimm and Galactus)
Suicidal criminal empire mastermind!
Panel from Avengers Forever #12 (October 1999), written by Kurt Busiek and Roger Stern, art by Carlos Pacheo, Jesus Merino and Steve Oliff
President for Life!
Non-consecutive panels from Watchmen #10 (July 1987), written by Alan Moore, art by Dave Gibbons and John Higgins
Skrull!
Panels from Avengers Forever #5 (April 1999), written by Kurt Busiek and Roger Stern, art by Carlos Pacheo, Jesus Merino and Steve OliffYes, our Man Dick has led a colorful and diverse comics life, and in his many appearances, he's been written more in perfect character than any given page of any Civil War tie-in portrays Tony Stark. Mark Gruenwald had an unwritten rule that for a character to appear in The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, he had to have made three significant appearances in Marvel comic books. I spot references to three distinct Marvel Universe stories above, and I'm sure there were many more I've missed. (For instance: behind the scenes of the historical Doctor Doom/Doctor Kissinger partnership in Supervillain Team-Up #6.) Wouldn't you love to see a Richard M. Nixon page in the next Official Handbook? His stats, specs, origin story, significant appearances, allies (Halderman, Erlichman, Mitchell and Dean), powers, weaknesses (Congressional commitees)?
But I say a token half-page in the next edition of That Marvel Seventies Handbook is not enough. If the epitome of 1970s Marvel, Ghost Rider, can make such a roaring return to popularity, why not President Nixon? Email Joe Quesada today at Marvel.com and ask, nay, demand a two-fisted all-out-action Nixon monthly comic, all done in the Mighty Marvel fashion. Nuff said, True Believers...and Make Mine Nixon!
I'll only buy Ultimate Nixon if DC puts out Don Rickles Adventures first.
ReplyDeleteAh, the late great Richard Milhouse. He made SUCH a great comic book villain...possibly because he was such a splendid misanthrope in real life.
ReplyDeleteBut on to President's day. I have always felt that we should have EVERY dead president's birthday off. I personally like Millard Fillmore day, or James K. Polk day.
I remembered late last night that RMN has appeared in several issues of Simpsons Comics and Futurama Comics. Oh well, I'll dig those out for next year's Nixon Day!
ReplyDeleteDidn't Nixon appear in the Prez Rickard story during Neil Gaiman's Sandman run? I think you'll find it in Issue 54: "The Golden Boy", also reprinted in the anthology "Worlds' End" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sandman:_Worlds'_End#.28.2354.29.22The_Golden_Boy.22).
ReplyDeleteToo bad there's no Former Secretaries of State Day, because then you could cover all of the Henry Kissinger appearances. Man, did that dude ever make the Marvel Universe rounds back in the day.
ReplyDelete