Wednesday, March 22, 2006

MARVEL FANFARE #18 Marvel Comics, 1985



“Mother and country – my favorite underwear! I told you not to iron these, but you wouldn’t listen! Damn you, Jarvis!”

Now that is a comic book cover: a Frank Miller drawing of Captain America looking hella-pissed, pointing at the reader, crying tears of righteousness. Somebody is going to get their ass kicked, or at the very least receive a patronizing, long-winded speech from Cap.

I think I’ve talked about Marvel Fanfare before, but I can’t remember. We’re coming up on the Dave’s Long Box One Year Anniversary Spectacular, and I can’t be bothered to remember every post I’ve made over the past twelve months. It’s the oxycontin, you see. Makes everything fuzzy. Anyhow, Marvel Fanfare was a 36-page monthly anthology book that was printed on magazine quality paper with no ads. It ran from 1982 to 1992, and was edited by Affable Al Milgrom. The quality varied wildly, but this issue really sticks out as a high point for me.

“Home Fires” is a melodramatic Captain America story by writer Roger Stern with art by Frank Miller and Joe Rubinstein. A mysterious group of arsonists known only as “We the People” have been burning apartment buildings in New York City, and demand six million dollars from the city in order to stop their campaign of terror. Captain America investigates the arsons and helps out the New York firefighters as only he can.

Here he is saving a kid from certain death with the help of a conveniently placed flagpole:


It turns out that the arsonists are actually a bunch of disgruntled working stiffs who are sick of seeing their paychecks buy less and less and their taxes increasing more and more. They’re fed up with having to foot the bill for poor people and freeloaders, so they decide to start torching tenements as part of an extortion scheme. The arsonist all belong to The Knights of Brooklyn, a fraternal order modeled after the Masons and The Shriners. You know, it would have actually been funny if the arsonists were really Shriners, rolling up to their next target in tiny little cars and wearing those cute red fez hats of theirs.

Cap finds a policeman’s badge at one of the fire scenes, and discovers that one of the Knights of Brooklyn firebugs is actually a cop. There’s a great scene where Cap confronts the cop/arsonist as he’s getting in his patrol car. The guy tries to escape – bad move. Doesn’t he know that Captain America’s shield can move faster than his stupid car?

Check it out:

That’s a pretty cool scene, yes? I love that page. That Frank Miller, he can put a sequence together.

The bruised and shaken cop spills the beans and Cap rounds up the ringleader and the rest of the arsonists in their Knights of Brooklyn lodge, where they keep gallons and gallons of gasoline. Idiots. The ringleader makes some lame justification for setting all the fires (the most recent being in a nursing home) and then he does something really fucking stupid:

He tries to light the American flag on fire. In front of Captain America.

That gets you a coupon for a free knuckle sandwich, courtesy of the Sentinel of Liberty!


The idiot arsonist ringleader screams “flame on!” and lights himself on fire, igniting the gallons and gallons of gasoline in the lodge. Cap rescues the other idiot arsonists and they all watch the building burn.

But wait! Cap rushes back inside the inferno! What’s he doing?

Cue the wailing Top Gun guitar music as Cap emerges from the flames in a sequence that still grips my shit to this day:


Oh, F@*% YEAH!!!!

Cap risks his life to pull Old Glory out of the burning building, then gives those stupid arsonists a piece of his mind. THAT is how real patriots roll, you crummy firebugs! That’s what America’s all about, bozos! You think about that while you cool your heels in the slammer, you ungrateful creeps!

Okay, the story is a little over-the-top, but it’s a Captain Frickin’ America funnybook. If you’re looking for subtlety, move along, Mac.

I do have one big issue with this story: The motivation of the arsonists is so broadly sketched out that it’s nonsensical. I wonder if the original story idea gave the Knights of Brooklyn more recognizable and ugly real-world political beliefs rather than the homogenous and generic “put-upon working man” bit that the printed story ascribes to them. It seems likely to me that originally the arsonists had radical right wing and/or racist beliefs, but that these were toned down for the kids or to avoid antagonizing conservative readers. That’s just my take on it.

Politics aside, you cannot go wrong with that page of Captain America rescuing his beloved flag from a burning building. If that’s not a F@*% Yeah moment then I don’t know what is.

39 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm going out today and buying that book. F' Yeah indeed!

joncormier said...

Again, I read and I'm entertained. Moreso by the "Ktang!" sound effects than anything. I miss those - or I miss them now that I know they exist but I haven't seen any...

So Captain America is kind of Hank Hill with a costume?

Anonymous said...

Well, i'm not gonna touch the "We love our flag" stuff. Always thought it was weird to have your whole National Anthem be about a piece of cloth (I get symbolism, but not like Yanks). What I love about this is Cap is laying the hurt on regular guys! Like he should. I don't mind him as a "Commander" for the Avengers, battle tactics king and all that, but I'm sick of seeing him duke it out with major powered villians. Cap should be about helping your average New York citizen!

David C said...

I always liked this story. F&*@ Yeah, indeed!

Marvel Fanfare was a weird title. Sometimes it'd feature something by a really high-profile creator like Frank Miller, and other times, it'd be burning off a piece of inventory drek by some no-name newcomer.

I was a little curious where this particular story came from - was it commissioned for Marvel Fanfare, or an inventory story created back when Miller was on Daredevil?

Anonymous said...

David c: looks like an inventory story to me, since by the time it came out (1983-1984) Miller's style had evolved considerably from that stuff.

There's some real gold in those Fanfare hills, though. I really like Issue #40, which has an Ann Nocenti/David Mazzucchelli Angel story, or #10-13, the kickass George Perez Black Widow saga, or #47, an six years in the making Hulk/Spider-Man team-up by Michael Golden and Bill Mantlo.

Anonymous said...

Isn't the angle of incidence equal to the angle of reflection?

Not in the Marvel Universe, true believer!

Anonymous said...

Cap is not really like Hank Hill -- unless Mark Millar is writing him, Cap is a big city kid who grew up under the New Deal and volunteered for WWII. Hank Hill, as lovable as he is in animated form, is a Sun Belter who complains about "Carter-appointed judges." And will kill himself when he realizes the truth about his son, but that's a separate issue.

Sheep! said...

Loved the Iron Man/Doc Ock issues of Fanfare as well, although I can't remember who did them.

Nik said...

Wow, who knew Frank Miller did a Captain America story? Thanks, Captain Dave!

Tosy And Cosh said...

The angle of incidence may normally equal the angle of reflection, but a little of the 'ol English can overcome that. Pool players do it all the time.

Peter said...

Always loved that shot of Cap and the flag. I should make a wallpaper out of that (Cap makes for great iconic shots, at least he used to)

Iron Man/Ock was written by Roger McKenzie and drawn by Ken Steacy.

I also loved the Vess (?) pieces of the Warriors Three.

Yeah, Marvel Fanfare, interesting little book indeed. Anthologies can contain the oddest treasures :)

Word verification is "futme", sounds like me being dumbfounded. "Well fut me!"

zailo said...

Hank Hill's steadfast adherence to the belief system of his own little world is truly inspiring. "We back out of our driveways to the left in this country, mister."
I get to hear a bit more than I need to, having a friend who worked on the show for a while.
Don't get me wrong I have always been a huge Cap fan. Yes even when he was cap-wolf. He is greatest as the nice guy who knows how to F*** you up. Like a sort of the-glass-is-half-full Batman.

Anonymous said...

My favorite issue of Marvel Fanfare? The one that printed the X-Men Questprobe story, because it's full of Questproby goodness.

Anonymous said...

I would run out and buy this comic right now, but it could probably kick my ass.

Anonymous said...

Matt Craig: Actually, it looks like Cap is constipated there.

Wait, I think that is the first time in years Howard Chaykin's drawn a comic with a blonde protagonist! Or ever!

Davinder said...

Cap's shield is gigantic in the panel where it's flying towards the police car. It's bigger than the hood!

Aaron said...

I first read this story in the Captain America: Red White and Blue 60th Anniersary Hardcoer ook... AWESOME. It combines two great tastes that I'd never known had actually been together: Frank Miller and Captain America. Now if only Marvel could steal Frank back for a while to let him go crazy in their sandbox...

Anonymous said...

I love the setup for this, and Frank the Tank is the man, but Cap must not have gotten the memo re: Texas v. Johnson. =PP

Anonymous said...

Tosy And Cosh said...

The angle of incidence may normally equal the angle of reflection, but a little of the 'ol English can overcome that. Pool players do it all the time.


I think you mean a little of the old American, friend!

Anonymous said...

Marvel Fanfare 22 (I think): The Thing. Barry Windsor-Smith being funny. Word.

Issue 42 ish: Walt Simonson writes, Dave Gibbons draws Dr. Strange. The story's a bit slight, but it is one of the best looking recent Dr. Strange tales I've ever seen.

Quilty said...

I never read this story, but I may have to hunt it down.

The flag-burning part reminds me of a G.I. Joe story (or was it G.I. Joe: Special Missions?) where Roadblock threatens to shoot a looter at an American embassy because the looter is about to set fire to the American flag. The guy asks why Roadblock is threatening him when there are people stealing stuff like typewriters.* Roadblock's answer?

"No one ever died for a typewriter."




* Not for all you younger folks: electric typewriters were once as expensive as some computers!

Anonymous said...

quilty: That's G.I. Joe #69, which was the debut of gold plated Destro. That was one of the best periods, creatively, for the Joe book.

Quilty said...

Thanks, Dan. That would have been in the sixth Marvel G.I. Joe trade, had Marvel decided to keep those going....

Anonymous said...

Quilty,

that Roadblock quote came after the flag burning dude spit on RB's head. He threatens to machine gun the flag burner's head into a "fine red mist" I still remember the panels and the "fine red mist" line from reading it as an 11-year old.

Anonymous said...

The one thing that would make this comic any more F*** YEAH is if Cap, having delivered his speech, then shouted "Having said that - AMERICA IS NOTHING!! THIS FLAG IS A PIECE OF CLOTH!! Back to the fire with you, Old Glory!"

And then he risks his life AGAIN to BURN THE FLAG, PETER B GILLIS STYLEE.

call me jack... said...

as much as I love Cap, I have to wonder what the other Avengers think when they see him do crazy stuff like this.

Anonymous said...

Quilty: Apparently, they didn't sell real well.

Anonymous said...

Heh. Look at him, crying on the cover. What a Fraulein!

Anonymous said...

"You know, it would have actually been funny if the arsonists were really Shriners, rolling up to their next target in tiny little cars and wearing those cute red fez hats of theirs."

From SJ Games' Illuminati New World Order: "You think they look silly with their hats and their motor scooters. If you knew what those hats really meant, you'd never laugh at anything, ever again.

Anonymous said...

a big super-powered muscle man hitting some lame ass average man... Because he lit a flag on fire. EMBARRASSING.

Anonymous said...

Too bad "flag-waving" has become such a negative epithet these days. If Cap can't get away with it, who can?!

If you think Cap saving a flag is weird or irrational: for goodness' sake, he's wearing a flag!

zailo said...

I would love to see a comic where somebody tries to desecrate an American flag and Cap shows up, wets the flag, rolls it up and snaps him right in the face with it. Just like the ol' rat tail trick from gym class. All the while Cap is screaming "Sedition!" at the top of his lungs.\

"apjvujvb" totally ape jive, you jive baby.

Anonymous said...

I always thought Joe Rubenstein was a really great inker for Miller's pencils (also see the Wolverine limited series and the issue of DD where he fights the Hulk).

I also thought the Nocenti/Mazzuchelli "Angel" story and Barry Windsor-Smith "Thing" story were good Marvel Fanfares. Another decent one was a back up story involving a very bored Peter Parker.

Anonymous said...

That's be such a cool idea for a villain. "I must BURN THE FLAG!! But not just ANY flag - it's got to be the one CAPTAIN AMERICA WEARS ON HIS CHEST!!" And then this lunatic with a flamethrower is constantly running around trying to set Cap on fire.

Or was that Flag-Smasher? I forget.

Mister Sinister said...

That guy in the car couldn't been killed, decapitated, suffered severe head trauma, or be harmed by shattered windshield glass from the Cap's VIBRANIUM/ADAMANTIUM shield?

That flag-burner cries every night.
Until one night when he was called upon by the spirit of Captain America to be
"The American Flag"
w/ the power to shoot beams of red, white, & blue & has super throwing stars.

verif:

xclnaib-

X-Callin' Abe-
the phone guy for the X-Men

Paul Schreivogl said...

Oh, F#^#&@*, yeah.

I lived with a Canadian roommate for a while...we were watching a movie about which I cannot remember the soldier (Samuel L or Lawrence Fishburne??) where he ran back into a building being overrun after having saved hostages and ran back out with the flag from on top of the building.

My roomate looked at me and asked "Is there glory in that?".

I just looked at him...

If you can't understand the clenched-chest feeling of pride you get watching someone try to save the idea of America..well...I don't think I can explain it to you.

Nathan said...

Marvel Fanfare was a weird title. Sometimes it'd feature something by a really high-profile creator like Frank Miller, and other times, it'd be burning off a piece of inventory drek by some no-name newcomer.

Promo Codes said...

Don't get me wrong I have always been a huge Cap fan. Yes even when he was cap-wolf. He is greatest as the nice guy who knows how to F*** you up. Like a sort of the-glass-is-half-full Batman.

Promo codes said...

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