Captain America Creator Explains The Origins Of Patriotic Character
Before there was Captain America, who were their enemies.
"Sometimes, more than the heroes, a lot of comics work, because they are cheaters. Joker. Lex Luthor," says Joe Simon, who dreamed of the superhero in 1940 to the late Jack Kirby. "When Captain America was created, we are looking around and I noticed that the perfect villain, the front pages of the newspaper was right: Adolf Hitler's.
"He had a mustache as ridiculous, and a lot of goose-stepping henchmen in," says Simon. "Then, all we needed was to give her a perfect counterpart, a patriotic hero who would be the American ideal.""Sometimes, more than the heroes, a lot of comics work, because they are cheaters. Joker. Lex Luthor," says Joe Simon, who dreamed of the superhero in 1940 to the late Jack Kirby. "When Captain America was created, we are looking around and I noticed that the perfect villain, the front pages of the newspaper was right: Adolf Hitler's.
His idea has taken all the way to theaters this weekend with the release of "Captain America: The First Avenger" with the portly Chris Evans.
The story revolves around the origin of a man named Steve Rogers, who is so thin and fragile it is not fit for military service. Volunteers for a research project top secret it robust Captain America - a man who defended American ideals.
Simon, now 98, said the man with the star of the shield was a success in the war immediately.
"Captain America Comics was the best seller of Timely Comics, which is what they called Marvel at once," he said via email. "Our first printing was 800,000 copies, and printed 200 000 more. We not only have a million copies, but sold everywhere - the yields were almost nothing."
Simon was in the hands of as an editor, writer, artist, inker and businessman, and is happy to discuss the history of Captain America.
P. How have real life in New York and later in the Coast Guard during World War II influence this cartoon character?
R. There were some members of the Nazi Bund meet at Madison Square Garden at 50th Street and Ninth Avenue. I see the corner of my apartment window today, looking south to the Worldwide Plaza. At the time we had not the war, but everyone saw coming. It was therefore the ideal time for a new icon to be displayed to remind Americans about our ideals and our duty.
P. How to create the costume of Captain America?
A. The idea of her dress came to me in a bus, and made the first sketch of the night, take the chain mail of another hero who had worked on - the Blue Beetle. Jack and I had the whole thing together first before they sold it to Martin Goodman's Timely Comics.
Q. How does the nature of change over the years?
A. After the war, Captain America, plaice, the interest is gone and his title was canceled. Kirby and I was not involved - we were moved to bigger and better things. There was an attempt to bring it back in the 1950s, but ended almost immediately. Jack and I created our own Cold War patriot, Fighting American, to fight against the wicked and the Communists.
P. What is the role in this film?
A. The premise of the film is based on the story of Jack and I originally gave Captain America back to the beginning, with the super soldier formula, and that it is unique. Several years ago, Marvel and I came to a legal understanding, and Jack and I will be credited as the creators of the character. Producers, especially a guy named Stephen Broussard, kept me aware of what happened and I was delighted with everything I saw. There have been several unsuccessful attempt to make films Captain America in the years and they were all really bad. This time, it looks like they are satisfied.
A. The comics are still going strong - at least as strong as a comic strip can be any day now. With the death of 'Captain's "plot America [2007], readers could see the mark to see what would happen next. It' was gratifying to see. And if the film is as good as I hope it will be even more of" Avengers ". I am very happy, because I think that Captain America is just what we need. Someone who is one of us, and represents the best we can be like the Americans.
