Saturday, February 11, 2006
Comic Art
During World War Two, pretty much anything costumed in Old Glory sold comics, so what could be better than a team costumed literally as the Stars and Stripes? Hence was born the Star-Spangled Kid and Stripsey. To my mind, as a team, one of the lamest ideas in the history of lame ideas in comics. I think they were based on the Grapes of Wrath because Stripsey was the big, strong, not-too-smart oaf, while it was the little kid that had all the moxie. But they did pretty good cause it was the war and patriotism sold. Far cry from today where uber-patriot Captain America is afraid to "sell out" to his country, standing now for the "Idea of America" not its reality.
Even solo, the Kid's costume is pretty lame, almost looks wrong without the stripes, but he quickly joined the All-Star Squadron which became the Justice Society of America which is why we are looking at him here as we continue our walk through the JSA.
The kid has been a part of the JSA for forever. Here you see him backing an '80's version of the Scoiety. I happen to own this particular issue, it is really more of an homage, he is an old man by the time this story happens, but he was an inspiration for them all.Typical for today's JSA, there is a modern "equivalent" which is who you see below. Originally, she used the SSK moniker, but now she is known as "Stargirl." She is really an amalgam of two Golden Age characters - the SSK and Starman who was powered by his "cosmic rod." Starman is her uncle and she refashioned the rod into a staff but donned the SSK homage costume. Hey, why not? When a single character can't cut it, combine 'em and see what you get.
Stargirl is a bit annoying as she is really, really young. Fourteen or so. That has made for an interesting storyline as she knows Captain Marvel's secret (that he is really the 14-year-old Billy Batson) there is even a bit of a budding puppy love going there, but all-in-all in a title that crosses time and saves the multiverse every issue, a 14-y-o that acts like it can get a little annoying.
Related Tags: comics, comic books, Star Spangeled Kid, Stargirl, Starman, Justice Society of America, JSA
