“...it’s been an awfully long time.” (Lamont Cranston/Kent Allard/The Shadow in The Shadow: Blood & Judgement by Howard Chaykin!)
"Wakka Ding Hoy!"...It is 2031 and that is the cry of the Plexus Rangers. On behalf of the “temporarily” Mars based Earth government they protect the shopping and p*rn sedated US masses that congregate around the Plexmalls from the threat of Go-gangs and civil insurrection. America is really bouncing back after The Year Of The Domino and it’s gonna be “back on track in ‘76”. Or is it? A nice Jewish boy called Reuben Flagg (ex stand-up comic, ex soft p*rn star, now A Plexus Ranger) may just be about to bring the whole rotten thing down, but it won’t be easy.
Stock up on Mananacillin tune into Inter-species Romance because…tomorrow four big hard years of waiting end and the Plexus Rangers ride again. Wakka Ding Hoy!
American Flagg! is back. For now, for then and forever.
AMERICAN FLAGG DEFINITIVE COLLECTION - Available from OKcomics from Thursday 24 July.
But, I know, I know; “Has it dated?” In an Amazing Heroes interview in the year 1983 A.D. Chaykin! spake thusly:
On Genre Comics: “...comics need more humour than they have. I think one of the problems with comics today is that they're incredibly humourless. They're very death oriented...They're very depressing. For the most part, comic book characters are creeps. They're really creepy characters. They're whiners. They're all losers.”
On Politics: “I feel as if Americanism has been taken from me; I'm being denied. It has been co-opted by The Right and I feel it's my responsibility to get it back for myself... (I'm dealing with) patriotism as opposed to nationalism, and patriotic sentiment as opposed to jingoism.”
On “Flagg's America”: “There is a complete and utter death of self esteem...most people have meaningless jobs and no real purpose...It's a completely video addicted culture that also gets to watch itself.”
On making demands of the audience: “...the book is complex: it has lots of stuff in it; it requires some attention. It might take a little longer to read than the average...book; at least I hope it will...I'm not telegraphing the material. I'm not taking the reader's hand. I'm asking the reader to pay some attention...”
It's 2008 and now he's asking again. You don't always get a second chance...
American Flagg!; it was for Then and it's also for Now.
(All quotes from Amazing Heroes #29 (Aug 15 1983). Interview by Peter Sanderson. Copy courtesy of the OKComics 10p Bin - where good things lurk also).
Then again, Chaykin! also said we would be using Rubik's Cubes as currency, Molly Ringwald would be President and people would travel everywhere on roller skates. (I'm lying about this bit).
You best be running now, Mr Clemfold. Remember; tell no-one your plans, use pay as you go phones, always use cash, take public transport- above all stay off their radar, and never ever mention The Princess again to another living soul. The Black Helicopters are coming! Whup! Whup! Whuppa! Whup! Whup!
"Barrucci reports a second Flagg collection is in the works, with production lessons learned." Awe-some! Only three years and three hundred and some days to go!
Brought to you by Wakka Ding Hoy! - Your first stop for all your Flagg! needs. More after Pre-Holocaust Theatre...
Our liscence to sell good Chaykin comics has been revoked by order of Diamond Comic Distributers, apparently Titan will produce a softcover version in October. I remember a few years ago when Paul Chadwick did a new concrete mini series very much in the style of his earler, awesome work in the eighties. People complained that it was too wordy. If anyone tried to do a comic as dense as American Flagg! today people would complain that there was too much going on in each issue, they would complain about the sound effects, they would complain that it took 20 minutes to read each issue rather than the 2 minutes 37 seconds it took to read the latest issue of New Avengers (It took so long because I went back over it to check if I had missed anything).
I presume at 2' 37" you read the indicia as well? It's usually the most interesting feature until the year end Post Office statement.
In all fairness this is something I've noticed for a few years. There was a time (when I were a lad, and all the streets were cobbled, etc, etc, etc) when a comic was invariably a good read, something substantial, something which took time to actually read. These days I seem to be able to speed read a lot of the mainstream titles. Are comics dumbing down?
The way people speak about N** A******s reminds me of a lovely old punchline; "the food was terrible - and such small portions!"
Anyone complains about anything in AF! is asking for a buzznucks sandwich. They are also a berk. But you are probably right OKO; after all it wasn't produced yesterday hence it is "old" and "dated". I still have faith it will find an audience amongst The Nowsters. It's just that d*mned good.
"Dumbing down"? Who wants to be Taylor (Tay-LAH!) in Beneath The Planet of The Apes and press that particular button? Gentlemen? Ladies?
I will, however, say this; one week after AF! is released and demonstrates that 90% of mainstream comics are padded out pablum by "creators" who are nothing of the sort, AF! is declared "illegal" and "contraband", of course I am sure this is a coincidence, eh Marvel? Eh, DC? We're through the looking glass here people! Back and to the left. Sadly my copy has been, um, lost, yes that's it, lost. Otherwise I would return it forthwith. Oh, yeah!
American Flagg! So good THEY don't want you to read it!
I was just reading Chaykin!'s bio blurb on the back flap of Wolverine: The Death Of Wolverine, it contains this radiant gem:
"...Chaykin's sharply charged Flagg storylines influenced a generation of politically minded Marvel writers." Really, Marvel? Seriously? That's right; "politically minded Marvel writers". A whole generation of them to boot. Amazing.
Mind you, Jason Aaron's blurb says "...Scalped's industry-wide praise earned Aaron a guest-spot on Wolverine." I love that "earned" it's classy.
What? Oh, yeah Howard Chaykin! - here's a transcripty thing of a Panel he did recently:
The Diamond action left me curious. So I went checking some of the online booksellers I use, and lo and behold the book is still available in it's American format. Everywhere. Which then beggars the question ~ is it legal to stop or prevent the sale of a book for such a reason and in such a manner?
And funnily enough both Forbidden Planet websites (International & Scotland), one of which is part of the Titan empire still list American Flagg hardcover as available and in stock. Strange that.
Isn't it the same situation as we had with DC/Titan League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen:TBD? Although obviously less organised; which is why none of us have read LOEG:TBD. (Well, except for all of us who have.) I think it is legal (but as OKComicsman has said on more than one occasion: "There's a difference between The Law and Justice!") but awesomely hard to enforce. Which is a big sad old shame.
