Captain America creator explains character’s patriotic origins

[American Patriot]

Captain America creator explains character’s patriotic origins

BY CINDY PEARLMAN July 19, 2011 7:06PM

Joe Simon (left) and Jack Kirby dreamed up Captain America in 1940. | Joseph H. Simon photo

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Updated: July 20, 2011 2:18AM


Before there was Captain America, there were his enemies.
“Sometimes, more than the heroes, a lot of comics succeed because of their villains. The Joker. Lex Luthor,” recalls Joe Simon, who dreamed up the superhero in 1940 with the late Jack Kirby. “When Captain America was created, we were looking around and realized that the perfect villain was right on the front pages of the newspaper: Adolph Hitler.
“He had that ridiculous mustache and plenty of goose-stepping henchmen,” Simon says. “So, all we needed was to give him the perfect counterpart, a patriotic hero who would represent the American ideal.”
Their idea led all the way to the multiplex this weekend with the release of “Captain America: The First Avenger,” starring hunky Chris Evans.
The origin story revolves around a man named Steve Rogers, who is so skinny and scrawny that he’s not fit for military service. He volunteers for a top-secret research project that turns him into beefy Captain America — a man who defends American ideals.
Simon, now 98, says the man with the star-spangled shield was an immediate wartime hit.
“Captain America comics was the top seller for Timely Comics, which is what they called Marvel back then,” he says via e-mail. “Our first printing was 800,000 copies, and they printed 200,000 more. Not only did we have a million copies in print, but they sold out everywhere — the returns were almost nothing.”
Simon was hands-on as an editor, writer, artist, inker and businessman, and is happy to discuss Captain America history.

Q. How did real life for you in New York and later in the Coast Guard during World War II influence this comic character?
A. There were the Nazi Bund members holding their meetings in Madison Square Garden at 50th Street and Ninth Avenue. I can see that corner from my apartment window today, looking south toward the Worldwide Plaza. Back then we weren’t in the war yet, but everyone saw it coming. So it was the perfect time for a new icon to appear, to remind Americans of our ideals and our duty.

Q. How did you create the Captain America costume?
A. The idea for his costume came to me on a bus, and I did the first sketch that night, borrowing the chain mail from another hero I’d worked on — the Blue Beetle. Jack and I had the entire first issue put together before we sold it to Martin Goodman at Timely Comics.

Q. How did the character change over the years?
A. After the war Captain America floundered, interest disappeared and his title was canceled. Kirby and I weren’t involved — we had moved on to bigger and better things. There was an attempt to bring him back in the 1950s, but that ended almost immediately. Jack and I created our own Cold War patriot, Fighting American, to fight the crooks and the commies.

Q. What involvement did you have in this movie?
A. The entire premise of the movie is based on the origin story Jack and I gave Captain America back in the beginning, with the super soldier formula and the fact that he’s one-of-a-kind. Several years back, Marvel and I came to a legal understanding, and Jack and I will be credited as the creators of the character. The producers, especially a fellow named Stephen Broussard, have kept me up to date on what’s been happening, and I’ve been excited by everything I’ve seen. There were several unfortunate attempts to do Captain America movies over the years, and they were all really bad. This time it looks as if they got it right.

Q. Chris Evans returns as Captain America in “The Avengers” next year. What do you see as the future of this character on the big screen and on the page?
A. The comic books are still going strong — at least as strong as the comics can be these days. With that “Death of Captain America” story line [in 2007], readers flocked to the character to see what was going to happen next. That was rewarding to see. And if the movie is as good as I hope it will be, there will be more, even beyond ‘The Avengers.’ I’m very happy about that, because I think Captain America is exactly what we need. Someone who is one of us and represents the best we can be as Americans.
Big Picture News Inc.

[Malsua]

So, does anyone have any dirt on the upcoming movie?

Does captain America toss down his shield in disgust at detainees in Guantanamo? Does he burn the flag in protest against racist policies on home lending? Does he chant in unison with crowds of clenched fist socialists "YES WE CAN! YES WE CAN!"

I'm trying to figure out how Hollywood plans on trashing yet another icon with it's leftist ideology.

[American Patriot]

I have seen some clips, and they were pretty good. I didn't see any of that sort of stuff. I've read "it was going to happen" but I find it unusual since the people that wrote the articles hadn't seen the script (someone posted some stuff to that effect on the site here before, I couldn't find it though).

[American Patriot]

http://captainamerica.marvel.com/cap...ca-trailer.php

Here's the trailer.

Looks awful good to me so far.

[Malsua]

It does look good. They probably won't show the digs on our country in the trailers. Maybe I'm too jaded but these shitdicks in Hollywood can't help but slip something in.

[American Patriot]

I think you're right Mal... they do it all the time.

I for one "dig" on the country's government being a bunch of jerks... the current administration in particular. Socialism isn't what I signed up to protect all those years ago.

It's RAMPANT now in this country and must stop - or else the men and women of this country WILL STOP it.

I sure hope they understand they aren't going to get away with it.

The backbiting and name calling they do to the Right is pathetic, calling us racists, and fascists, and you name it. It's bullshit and I'm sick and tired of it.

If this movie is fouled up like that I'll stick to things like fantasy movies that don't have political references they can foul up any more.

[vector7]

Captain America, Meet Mother Russia: Soviets Had World War II ‘Super Soldiers’

• By Spencer Ackerman
• 
• July 19, 2011 |
• 4:28 pm

When Comrade Stalin sensed the twin evils of fascism and capitalism threatening Mother Russia, he tapped the boundless ingenuity of the proletariat to create an experimental program of electrode-driven Super Soldiers. Genetic engineering? Pfft — that’s for decadent Americans like Steve Rogers.

This is Pravda’s answer to the forthcoming blockbuster Captain America.

From 1936 to 1941, Soviet scientists “implanted gold electrodes” into the brains of 300 unwitting “volunteers,” thereby “eliminating the pain center.” (Neurologists have now stopped reading this piece.) Then they were turned into cyborgs, as their “limb bones” received “titanium implants that protected the soft tissues against landmines or shells, as well as from gunshot injuries.” Because in Soviet Russia, pain feels you.

How titanium implants in someone’s bones protect his “soft tissue” from blast or ballistic trauma is cheerfully unexplained. Luckily, Pravda’s source for this is a book by “American historian Jeff Strasberg,” who appears not to exist.



Why didn’t any of these Proletarian Powerhouses transform the balance of power in the Second World War and then the Cold War? For one thing, some of them formed a “special unit” — Russkie Howlin’ Commandos? — that couldn’t withstand the Nazi assault at Brest. Afterward, “a nuclear bomb was created, and the idea of soldiers-terminators was deemed obsolete,” Pravda explains.

Two galling things about this. First, it’s way too close to Ed Brubaker’s “Winter Soldier” storyline in the Captain America comics. Cap’s old partner Bucky Barnes, long thought dead during a clandestine WWII mission, got revived by the Russkies, brainwashed, outfitted with a metal prosthetic arm and used as a secret assassin during the height of U.S.-Soviet tensions. Later, Bucky would don the mantle of Captain America himself when Steve Rogers briefly died got transported through time and space by the machinations of the Red Skull.

Second, the Soviets already had a super-soldier. No one remembers the Red Guardian, Moscow’s answer to Captain America? Worked for the KGB?

Led a squad of Soviet bootleg Avengers? Had a shield that wasn’t so conducive to throwing? His bones certainly weren’t made of titanium. But the only pain he felt was the desolation of knowing the Soviet empire was doomed to collapse.

Illustration: Clayton Henry/Wikipedia

[American Patriot]

I honestly do not recall a 1990 film about Captain America.

[Malsua]

1990 Captain America? I don't recall it either.

It grossed 10 million...must have been a real piece of garbage.

[American Patriot]

It had Ned "Squeal like a Pig" Beatty in it too.

[American Patriot]

July 21, 2011 2:16 PM



"Captain America: The First Avenger" builds buzz online

By

Devin Brown

Chris Evans plays Captain America in "Captain America: The First Avenger."
(Credit: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures and Marvel Studios)
(CBS/What's Trending) - "Captain America: The First Avenger" is set to rule the domestic box office this weekend on the coat tails of great Internet buzz and high marks from critics. Though not quite the critics' darling that "X-Men First Class" came to be, "The First Avenger" has a 98 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes from audiences wanting to see the film. Chris Evans' super-muscular take on the superhero is boding well with audiences, and the film has been a top trend on Twitter and Google.
While critics agree it isn't the best the Marvel universe has sent us, citing both "Thor" and the aforementioned "X-Men" to be superior in terms of character development and plot, "The First Avenger" is definitely worth the ticket price.
As the final prequel to next summer's "The Avengers," it is this film's duty to set up the history for what is sure to be 2012's biggest film. With projections for the film around $60 million during its first weekend, it will probably not beat "Harry Potter," but will lead nicely into the next set of films under Marvel's belt.
Captain America's cast is great with Chris Evans, Tommy Lee Jones and Stanley Tucci putting in time. While this year has certainly been crowded with superheroes, fans still seem to want to see them. Captain America will be the fifth superhero-themed film to hit domestic box office this year.

Twitter has been going crazy in anticipation for the film making Captain America top trend. Unlike previous films in the genre, the Twitter buzz is organic. There was no promoted tweet to put it in the top trends, thus the buzz from the public bodes well for the film going forward.



(Go to the original site to see a video, I can't post it from here: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504943_1...-10391715.html)

[American Patriot]

'Captain America's' Chris Evans Encourages Ladies to See the Film

2:05 PM 7/21/2011 by THR Staff
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Marvel Entertainment

“The one thing I think they really did right was the romance,” said the star.

While the fanboys will flock to see Marvel’s film adaptation of Captain America when it opens this weekend, Chris Evans insists that there’s something in it for everyone – even those females who have never opened a comic book.
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“I gotta be honest, [compared with] the majority of superhero movies that I’ve seen, I think we do a really good job establishing a romance,” Evans told MTV. “It’s a budding romance, it’s early. Steve Rogers hasn’t had much experience with women, so the romance they establish is new and fresh, and it doesn’t have a chance to develop.
VIDEO: 'Captain America: The First Avenger' Marvel Unveils New Clips

“I don’t want to give too much away,” he continued. “But I will say everything else in the movie aside, the one thing I think they really did right was the romance.”
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Co-star Hayley Atwell, who plays the Cap’s on-screen love interest, agreed.

“It’s got a strong, sincere love story running through it,” she added. “Captain America has a sincerity. He’s earnest, and there is a vulnerability about him. He’s not your typical testosterone-fueled man.”
STORY: 'Captain America' Reviews: What the Critics Are Saying

Sebastian Stan, the actor behind Bucky, has a slightly different take when it comes to luring the ladies to the theater.

“I feel like you can drive a car on Chris’ chest,” he joked. “That might help.”
Captain America hits U.S. theaters on Friday, July 22.

[American Patriot]

'Captain America' Reviews: What Critics Say

9:20 AM 7/20/2011 by THR Staff
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Paramount Pictures

While some say it can't compare to X-Men or Batman, another write it's "one of the finest movies yet from Marvel Studios."

Reviews are starting to trickle in for Captain America: The First Avenger, which hits theaters this Friday and premieres at Comic-Con in San Diego. Here's what the critics are saying:
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"If you take a World War II movie, dial up the action with contemporary visual effects and CGI, then give your hero a double dose of steroids and human growth hormones, you wind up in the movie/comic-book world of Captain America: The First Avenger," writes Kirk Honeycutt in The Hollywood Reporter.
"Captain America delivers comic-book action that should satisfy Captain America’s fans, old and new, while Chris Evans’ no-nonsense yet engaging portrayal of a man who doesn’t know how to back away from a fight may cause young women to swoon and young men to join a gym," he adds.
But "in terms of even recent films, Captain America lacks the deft touch, appealing character interaction and sophisticated storytelling skills of Marvel Comics’ X-Men: First Class," Honeycutt adds. "And let’s not even bother to compare this to Christopher Nolan’s Batman series."
Hit Fix's Drew McWeeny thinks Captain America: The First Avenger is "one of the finest movies yet from Marvel Studios, and a big departure in tone and storytelling from most of the films they've made so far. It is a strong indicator that the more willing the studio is to experiment, the more exciting the payoffs can be."
"Marvel has been working towards this moment for a while, and there have been a few moments where it felt like they were making missteps with the individual movies in their rush to reach The Avengers, but they've saved one of their very best movies for last, and I suspect Captain America: The First Avenger will send audiences out of the theater rabid to see what's next," he adds.

Comic Book Resources reviewer Josie Campbell says watching the movie is "akin to walking back in time: a throwback to the summer adventure movies of yesteryear, Captain America inhabits a world where the bad guys are bad, the good guys are good, and the day is saved in the nick of time -- though with some original twists along the way."
"The latest superhero flick from Marvel Studios and Paramount Pictures, "Captain America" is a solidly entertaining movie that, while lacking the wow factor of Thor or X-Men: First Class, tells an otherwise interesting summer yarn," she adds. "It's pleasant and light-hearted tone is great for younger audience members, but it never dips below this surface of mindless entertainment. Overall Captain America is a pleasing popcorn movie: it's a light, easy snack of a film, but don't expect anything to stay with you after the movie is over."

[American Patriot]

'Captain America' Star Chris Evans: 5 Things to Know

6:42 PM 7/19/2011 by THR staff
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Jerod Harris/Getty Images

Marvel's latest superhero flick, directed by Joe Johnston, hits theaters Friday.

Chris Evans is no stranger to the superhero genre. The star of Captain America: The First Avenger also played the Human Torch in 2005's Fantastic Four and it's 2007 sequel, as well as a parodied superhero actor in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.
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Here are 5 things you should know about the actor, whose red, white and blue superhero will hit movie screens Friday.
1. Evans grew up outside of Boston, Massachusetts. The star, who moved to Hollywood right after high school, comes from a working-class family. His dad is a dentist and his mom is the artistic director of the Concord Youth Theater in Massachusetts.
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2. He turned down the role of Captain America the first time. "I said no because I'm a big fan of my privacy," he has said. "A flim like this, if it explodes...you don't have the opportunity to kind of get your foot again. And that's intimidating. You're compromising a little bit of the freedom that you really enjoy."
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3. After accepting the part, Evans went to therapy. "The second I agreed to do it, I was like, 'All right, I'll do this, but I've got to start working on my head,'" he told the New York Times of spending about a month working through his anxiety over taking on the massive role (he signed a six-film contract) with a professional "It's not like I had any massive breakthrough, but for some reason, this feels more manageable."
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4. He doesn't mind the merchandise. And while he hasn't copped to starting his own collection, the star told MTV News that he knows someone else who will be keeping all of his Captain America merch. "These are things my mother will collect and will fill our entire basement with," he said.
5. Evans doesn't want to be a big celebrity. Despite staring in what could be one of the summer's biggest blockbusters, Evans says he's not looking to join the ranks of globally-known celebs like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. "I've been lucky enough to have been around people who are much further down the celebrity row than I am. And I've seen what it means to be constantly bombarded," he's revealed.

[Malsua]

I am cautiously optimistic.

Like the G.I. Joe turd...they put in the line "There goes GI Joe, some real American hero" said in a sarcastic tone, I expect there will be something along those lines.

[American Patriot]

I am cautiously optimistic.

Like the G.I. Joe turd...they put in the line "There goes GI Joe, some real American hero" said in a sarcastic tone, I expect there will be something along those lines.

I'd be concerned about that too