MattBrady
08-26-2003, 07:17 AM
<center><a href="http://www.newsarama.com/Thousand_Flowers_index.htm"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/flowers/flowers_banner.jpg" width="475" height="75" border="0"></a></center>
<center>A THOUSAND FLOWERS</center><center>Comics, Pop Culture, and the World Outside</center><center>Installment 25</center><center>by Stuart Moore</center>
<b>American Flagg!: Worth the Work</b>
Last time (http://newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5093), we talked about the <b>X-Men</b> phenomenon and how it grew through the ‘80s and ‘90s -- despite the fact that, at times, it was a frankly daunting experience for new readers. Another book that required careful reading and rereading, and that became a sensation within the comic book world, was Howard Chaykin’s <b>American Flagg!</b>
I’ve discussed here (http://newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2898) the rise of the early ‘80s “ground-level” independent publishers -- alternatives to DC and Marvel that nevertheless aimed at a similar readership, as opposed to the head-shop/hippie crowd serviced by the undergrounds. Of these publishers, the one that competed most directly with the majors was First Comics. Their comics were printed on newsprint (initially, anyway), priced lower than many of their competitors, and published on a strict monthly schedule. First’s initial lineup featured the stage-play adaptation/spinoff <b>Warp</b>, Mike Grell’s <b>Jon Sable Freelance</b>, and a revival of Joe Staton’s comedy-superhero <b>E-Man</b>.
<img width="200" height="308" border="0" hspace="2" src="http://www.newsarama.com/flowers/af21cov.jpg" align="right" alt="American Flagg! #21">But the jewel in their crown was <b>American Flagg!</b> (yes, with the exclamation point). Howard Chaykin had already made a name for himself with a wild variety of comics and science-fiction projects, some created solo and some in collaboration with prominent sf writers. <b>Flagg!</b>, he said at the time, was his first mature work. Set in the year 2031, it followed the adventures of reluctant hero/patriot Reuben Flagg, the former star of a hit vid-show called <I>Mark Thrust - Sexus Ranger</I>, as he chose to join the “real” Plexus Rangers that the show had been based on. Flagg had been replaced on his show by “tromplography” -- a process wherein the producers digitally inserted his image without actually having to pay him. Like many of the science-fiction details of the book, this one is drawing ever closer to reality as time goes on.
<b>Flagg!’s</b> mix of action, satire, and character drama ranged from its home base of Chicago’s “PlexMall” -- a futuristic shopping mall/apartment complex/government office -- to Brazil, Russia, Canada, and other exotic locales. The setting was complex and the players were vibrant, morally ambiguous working stiffs, lending the whole enterprise a strong air of realism. You believed in Chaykin’s world and his busy, constantly harassed characters.
<b>Flagg!</b> became controversial for its sexual content -- tame by today’s standards, but heavily focused on long-legged women in stockings, garters, and high heels. But the sex was part of the mix, and the women were genuine, often resonant characters. The dialogue was terse and realistic.
One of the finest scenes in the series, from issue #7, involves Flagg -- a media star, after all, with an eye for attractive women -- picking up the visiting Doctor Titania Weis at a PlexMall function. They retire to his apartment, and just as things are starting to heat up, Flagg -- whose Jewish heritage is a vital part in his character -- notices a swastika around her neck.
Weis shrugs off the swastika as the symbol of her political party and Flagg, fired by anger and self-loathing, proceeds to have (presumably) rough sex with her. Afterward, as he’s called to defuse a hostage situation, Flagg thinks: “I’ve got to do this the hard way…’cause I’m too shaky for a clean shot. For god’s sake -- a <b>swastika</b>. I don’t remember <b>ever</b> being <b>this</b> ashamed of myself…” Funny, sharp, dramatic, and painful, all in one scene.
<b>Flagg!’s</b> plots were sometimes a chore to follow. Probably the trickiest storyline was “Southern Comfort,” in issues #4-6. Having introduced Flagg, the PlexMall, and the pirate radio station Q-USA in the first three issues, Chaykin abruptly uprooted Flagg and sent him to Brazil on a confusing mission to (a) chaperone the Chicago mayor’s illegal basketball team, (b) trace the violence-inducing subliminals being planted in the hit TV show “Bob Violence,” and (c) explore a mysterious connection between the Plex authorities and a suspicious Brazilian company.
<img width="350" height="214" border="0" hspace="2" src="http://www.newsarama.com/flowers/af4panel.jpg" align="left">The resulting story moved at a dizzying pace, featuring no fewer than eighteen (!) major, speaking-role characters and, in addition to its own complex plot, several subplots that fed directly into the remainder of the book’s first year. In the days before regular trade paperback publication, FLAGG! was a tough book to follow; you had to reread issues pretty frequently to remember who Sam Luis Obispo was, for instance. In this regard, it resembled the early-80s cult TV sensation <I>Hill Street Blues</I>
Publishers jumped on the X-MEN bandwagon without considering that some phenomena are sui generis -- for instance, the fact that viewers perennially like <I>Star Trek</I> doesn’t mean they’ll just jump for anything set in space. <b>Flagg!</b> also encouraged a mini-boom of complex stories with “realistic” (often mid-sentence) dialogue -- but it didn’t originate with the publishers. <b>Flagg!</b> was very much a favorite among comics creators, and many of them aspired to build stories with the same level of texture and reality.
Unfortunately, aping the <b>style</b> of <b>Flagg!</b> didn’t automatically give you any of these advantages -- it just made your book hard to follow. There were any number of forgotten indy books that fell into this trap, but DC and Marvel had their share too. One of the most controversial, which I’ve mentioned before, was the early ‘90s <b>Legion of Superheroes</b>. This revamp combined a <b>Flagg!</b>-ish fragmented dialogue style with a lack of hero code-names -- and an enormous cast -- for an experience that rewarded the trivia knowledge of devoted fans, but left even longtime casual readers out in the cold.
In contrast, <b>Flagg!</b> itself succeeded because it was <b>worth the work</b>. The complex subplots involving Brazil, Chicago, and Mars built to a series of meaningful major storylines, which drove home the moral points of the series. The characters were interesting, layered, and mostly likable, even if they were hard to keep straight sometimes. And the whole series added up to a complex commentary on patriotism, greed, and the flawed nature of heroic human beings, all of which became clearer the more you read (and reread). The first year, in particular, still functions as a terrific novel when read in one gulp -- all the plot threads build to a harsh, violent climax.
Oddly, once Howard Chaykin left <b>American Flagg!</b>, both he and the book went in different directions. Chaykin’s short-lived <b>Time-Squared</b> was as heavily textured as <b>Flagg!</b>, but featured shorter, simpler stories. His subsequent DC works, <b>The Shadow</b> and <b>Blackhawk</b>, also featured fairly straightforward core narratives.
First Comics, meanwhile, continued <b>Flagg!</b> in other hands. Steven Grant and Joe Staton collaborated with Chaykin competently, but neither did their best work. The very talented J. M. DeMatteis and Mark Badger -- both of whom have produced excellent comics elsewhere, separately and together -- proved a complete mismatch for the cynical, macho Reuben Flagg. You had to give First credit for trying something completely different, rather than just aping Chaykin. But it just didn’t work on any level, and eventually they relaunched the book again under Chaykin’s studio for a curiously soulless twelve-issue series. And that was about it for First Comics.
Howard Chaykin has talked, periodically, about returning to his best-known creation. A combination of problems with rights and film-reproduction has made reprinting the original material difficult, though probably not impossible. Howard has worked primarily in TV for the past decade; now that he’s concentrating his efforts more heavily in comics again, hopefully we’ll see <b>Flagg!</b> trade paperbacks sooner rather than later.
<img width="200" height="307" border="0" hspace="2" src="http://www.newsarama.com/flowers/af26cov.jpg" align="right">First Comics launched at a time of great optimism in the direct market. It promised to be a creator-friendly publisher, but also pledged to provide on-time, monthly, continuing comics. Ultimately, <b>Flagg!</b> was a lesson in the contradictions of that approach: It was too much the product of its creator’s personality, and too successful a work under that creator, to thrive after his departure.
So <b>American Flagg!</b> the comic limped on, a shadow of its former self, while the indy comics revolution of the ‘80s ebbed. But the series’ influence lived on. It’s been much imitated, but none of its followers have equaled its scope, complexity, and depth of satirical commentary. It’s still a high-water mark, and like <b>The Spirit</b>, its influence can be seen, a generation or more removed -- despite the fact that it’s been out of print for more than a decade.
<b>X-Men</b> and <b>Flagg!</b> both offered barriers to the casual reader -- but both, in completely different ways, rewarded the reader who put in the time. For a creator, it’s a risky way to approach a series; nine times out of ten, you’re better off structuring a book so that new readers can jump right in. But sometimes, it’s the tenth series that proves the most rewarding and influential. Just remember: It’s got to be worth the work.
**
<b>Stuart Moore</b> has been a writer, a comics editor for Vertigo and Marvel Knights, a kitchen worker, a book editor, and the nighttime manager of the Lawrenceville, NJ Woolworth's curtain department. He has won the Will Eisner award for Best Editor 1996 and the Don Thompson Award for Favorite Editor 1999.
My current comics work: JUSTICE LEAGUE ADVENTURES #22, in comics shops now, features a nice stand-alone story spotlighting Green Lantern and Hawkgirl; details and a great cover image <b>here</b> (http://www.dccomics.com/comics/dc_display.html?cm_dc_itemCode=jladv22&month=August). Next up is LONE, a new future-western series from Dark Horse/Rocket Comics in September, drawn by Jerome Opena, this year’s Russ Manning Award-winner for best newcomer. It’s likewise previewed <b>here</b> (http://www.rocketcomics.net/profile.html?SKU=12196).
More details on these and other new projects, including GIANT ROBOT WARRIORS, VAMPIRELLA, and PARA, here (http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com/news/105884489322456.htm) and here (http://www.popimage.com/content/viewnews.cgi?newsid1058854264,10752,) .
And check out Ryan Kelly’s great double-page International Robot spread from GIANT ROBOT WARRIORS here (http://newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4639). Don’t you just love the Canadian robot with the hockey stick?
See you in two weeks…
<center>A THOUSAND FLOWERS</center><center>Comics, Pop Culture, and the World Outside</center><center>Installment 25</center><center>by Stuart Moore</center>
<b>American Flagg!: Worth the Work</b>
Last time (http://newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5093), we talked about the <b>X-Men</b> phenomenon and how it grew through the ‘80s and ‘90s -- despite the fact that, at times, it was a frankly daunting experience for new readers. Another book that required careful reading and rereading, and that became a sensation within the comic book world, was Howard Chaykin’s <b>American Flagg!</b>
I’ve discussed here (http://newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2898) the rise of the early ‘80s “ground-level” independent publishers -- alternatives to DC and Marvel that nevertheless aimed at a similar readership, as opposed to the head-shop/hippie crowd serviced by the undergrounds. Of these publishers, the one that competed most directly with the majors was First Comics. Their comics were printed on newsprint (initially, anyway), priced lower than many of their competitors, and published on a strict monthly schedule. First’s initial lineup featured the stage-play adaptation/spinoff <b>Warp</b>, Mike Grell’s <b>Jon Sable Freelance</b>, and a revival of Joe Staton’s comedy-superhero <b>E-Man</b>.
<img width="200" height="308" border="0" hspace="2" src="http://www.newsarama.com/flowers/af21cov.jpg" align="right" alt="American Flagg! #21">But the jewel in their crown was <b>American Flagg!</b> (yes, with the exclamation point). Howard Chaykin had already made a name for himself with a wild variety of comics and science-fiction projects, some created solo and some in collaboration with prominent sf writers. <b>Flagg!</b>, he said at the time, was his first mature work. Set in the year 2031, it followed the adventures of reluctant hero/patriot Reuben Flagg, the former star of a hit vid-show called <I>Mark Thrust - Sexus Ranger</I>, as he chose to join the “real” Plexus Rangers that the show had been based on. Flagg had been replaced on his show by “tromplography” -- a process wherein the producers digitally inserted his image without actually having to pay him. Like many of the science-fiction details of the book, this one is drawing ever closer to reality as time goes on.
<b>Flagg!’s</b> mix of action, satire, and character drama ranged from its home base of Chicago’s “PlexMall” -- a futuristic shopping mall/apartment complex/government office -- to Brazil, Russia, Canada, and other exotic locales. The setting was complex and the players were vibrant, morally ambiguous working stiffs, lending the whole enterprise a strong air of realism. You believed in Chaykin’s world and his busy, constantly harassed characters.
<b>Flagg!</b> became controversial for its sexual content -- tame by today’s standards, but heavily focused on long-legged women in stockings, garters, and high heels. But the sex was part of the mix, and the women were genuine, often resonant characters. The dialogue was terse and realistic.
One of the finest scenes in the series, from issue #7, involves Flagg -- a media star, after all, with an eye for attractive women -- picking up the visiting Doctor Titania Weis at a PlexMall function. They retire to his apartment, and just as things are starting to heat up, Flagg -- whose Jewish heritage is a vital part in his character -- notices a swastika around her neck.
Weis shrugs off the swastika as the symbol of her political party and Flagg, fired by anger and self-loathing, proceeds to have (presumably) rough sex with her. Afterward, as he’s called to defuse a hostage situation, Flagg thinks: “I’ve got to do this the hard way…’cause I’m too shaky for a clean shot. For god’s sake -- a <b>swastika</b>. I don’t remember <b>ever</b> being <b>this</b> ashamed of myself…” Funny, sharp, dramatic, and painful, all in one scene.
<b>Flagg!’s</b> plots were sometimes a chore to follow. Probably the trickiest storyline was “Southern Comfort,” in issues #4-6. Having introduced Flagg, the PlexMall, and the pirate radio station Q-USA in the first three issues, Chaykin abruptly uprooted Flagg and sent him to Brazil on a confusing mission to (a) chaperone the Chicago mayor’s illegal basketball team, (b) trace the violence-inducing subliminals being planted in the hit TV show “Bob Violence,” and (c) explore a mysterious connection between the Plex authorities and a suspicious Brazilian company.
<img width="350" height="214" border="0" hspace="2" src="http://www.newsarama.com/flowers/af4panel.jpg" align="left">The resulting story moved at a dizzying pace, featuring no fewer than eighteen (!) major, speaking-role characters and, in addition to its own complex plot, several subplots that fed directly into the remainder of the book’s first year. In the days before regular trade paperback publication, FLAGG! was a tough book to follow; you had to reread issues pretty frequently to remember who Sam Luis Obispo was, for instance. In this regard, it resembled the early-80s cult TV sensation <I>Hill Street Blues</I>
Publishers jumped on the X-MEN bandwagon without considering that some phenomena are sui generis -- for instance, the fact that viewers perennially like <I>Star Trek</I> doesn’t mean they’ll just jump for anything set in space. <b>Flagg!</b> also encouraged a mini-boom of complex stories with “realistic” (often mid-sentence) dialogue -- but it didn’t originate with the publishers. <b>Flagg!</b> was very much a favorite among comics creators, and many of them aspired to build stories with the same level of texture and reality.
Unfortunately, aping the <b>style</b> of <b>Flagg!</b> didn’t automatically give you any of these advantages -- it just made your book hard to follow. There were any number of forgotten indy books that fell into this trap, but DC and Marvel had their share too. One of the most controversial, which I’ve mentioned before, was the early ‘90s <b>Legion of Superheroes</b>. This revamp combined a <b>Flagg!</b>-ish fragmented dialogue style with a lack of hero code-names -- and an enormous cast -- for an experience that rewarded the trivia knowledge of devoted fans, but left even longtime casual readers out in the cold.
In contrast, <b>Flagg!</b> itself succeeded because it was <b>worth the work</b>. The complex subplots involving Brazil, Chicago, and Mars built to a series of meaningful major storylines, which drove home the moral points of the series. The characters were interesting, layered, and mostly likable, even if they were hard to keep straight sometimes. And the whole series added up to a complex commentary on patriotism, greed, and the flawed nature of heroic human beings, all of which became clearer the more you read (and reread). The first year, in particular, still functions as a terrific novel when read in one gulp -- all the plot threads build to a harsh, violent climax.
Oddly, once Howard Chaykin left <b>American Flagg!</b>, both he and the book went in different directions. Chaykin’s short-lived <b>Time-Squared</b> was as heavily textured as <b>Flagg!</b>, but featured shorter, simpler stories. His subsequent DC works, <b>The Shadow</b> and <b>Blackhawk</b>, also featured fairly straightforward core narratives.
First Comics, meanwhile, continued <b>Flagg!</b> in other hands. Steven Grant and Joe Staton collaborated with Chaykin competently, but neither did their best work. The very talented J. M. DeMatteis and Mark Badger -- both of whom have produced excellent comics elsewhere, separately and together -- proved a complete mismatch for the cynical, macho Reuben Flagg. You had to give First credit for trying something completely different, rather than just aping Chaykin. But it just didn’t work on any level, and eventually they relaunched the book again under Chaykin’s studio for a curiously soulless twelve-issue series. And that was about it for First Comics.
Howard Chaykin has talked, periodically, about returning to his best-known creation. A combination of problems with rights and film-reproduction has made reprinting the original material difficult, though probably not impossible. Howard has worked primarily in TV for the past decade; now that he’s concentrating his efforts more heavily in comics again, hopefully we’ll see <b>Flagg!</b> trade paperbacks sooner rather than later.
<img width="200" height="307" border="0" hspace="2" src="http://www.newsarama.com/flowers/af26cov.jpg" align="right">First Comics launched at a time of great optimism in the direct market. It promised to be a creator-friendly publisher, but also pledged to provide on-time, monthly, continuing comics. Ultimately, <b>Flagg!</b> was a lesson in the contradictions of that approach: It was too much the product of its creator’s personality, and too successful a work under that creator, to thrive after his departure.
So <b>American Flagg!</b> the comic limped on, a shadow of its former self, while the indy comics revolution of the ‘80s ebbed. But the series’ influence lived on. It’s been much imitated, but none of its followers have equaled its scope, complexity, and depth of satirical commentary. It’s still a high-water mark, and like <b>The Spirit</b>, its influence can be seen, a generation or more removed -- despite the fact that it’s been out of print for more than a decade.
<b>X-Men</b> and <b>Flagg!</b> both offered barriers to the casual reader -- but both, in completely different ways, rewarded the reader who put in the time. For a creator, it’s a risky way to approach a series; nine times out of ten, you’re better off structuring a book so that new readers can jump right in. But sometimes, it’s the tenth series that proves the most rewarding and influential. Just remember: It’s got to be worth the work.
**
<b>Stuart Moore</b> has been a writer, a comics editor for Vertigo and Marvel Knights, a kitchen worker, a book editor, and the nighttime manager of the Lawrenceville, NJ Woolworth's curtain department. He has won the Will Eisner award for Best Editor 1996 and the Don Thompson Award for Favorite Editor 1999.
My current comics work: JUSTICE LEAGUE ADVENTURES #22, in comics shops now, features a nice stand-alone story spotlighting Green Lantern and Hawkgirl; details and a great cover image <b>here</b> (http://www.dccomics.com/comics/dc_display.html?cm_dc_itemCode=jladv22&month=August). Next up is LONE, a new future-western series from Dark Horse/Rocket Comics in September, drawn by Jerome Opena, this year’s Russ Manning Award-winner for best newcomer. It’s likewise previewed <b>here</b> (http://www.rocketcomics.net/profile.html?SKU=12196).
More details on these and other new projects, including GIANT ROBOT WARRIORS, VAMPIRELLA, and PARA, here (http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com/news/105884489322456.htm) and here (http://www.popimage.com/content/viewnews.cgi?newsid1058854264,10752,) .
And check out Ryan Kelly’s great double-page International Robot spread from GIANT ROBOT WARRIORS here (http://newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4639). Don’t you just love the Canadian robot with the hockey stick?
See you in two weeks…