Saturday, July 4, 2009

THE FANTASTIC FIGHTIN' FREEDOM FRIES FORCE by Caitlin Plovnick


This is the Fantastic Fightin' Freedom Fries Force. They fight to rename things in the name of nationalism - they also do battle by hardening their enemies' arteries. They occasionally fight alongside Liberty Cabbage (not pictured). Their helmets are made of ketchup, catsup or maybe Independence Sauce.

Caitlin is a funny cartoonist!

DEMOLITION DOVE by Javier Hernandez


Demolition Dove is, according to Javier, a character he's working into a comic book this year.

More from Mr. Hernandez:
"Right now I have a four-page comic that I've put online. This web comic is more along the lines of some of Steve Ditko's Mr. A comics, where they're more about editorial exposition than a proper narrative."

Here's the Demolition Dove web comic.

And here's Javier's site.

CAPTAIN DRIVE-THRU by Janee Trasler



This is Captain Drive-Thru … staunch defender of every American’s right (regardless of age, creed, ethnicity, gender, or musical preference) to clog arteries and pack on pounds.

Janee has lots of fun sites and blogs.

THE SECRET OF THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE concept and character art by Peter Duffy with color and overly wordy writing by Chris Duffy



The Louisiana Purchase--president Thomas Jefferson's bold move in 1803 that secured America's expansion past the Mississippi. But do the history books reveal ALL his reasons for acquiring so much new territory? Few government officials, even with highest levels of security clearance, have ever known that the secret motive that made it crucial for the U.S. to gain this territory was one man: Jacques Chasseur, also known as the Secret of the Louisiana Purchase, Jack the Hunter, He Who Always Catches His Prey, and the Immortal American.

Though Chasseur's full life story is not known, it is believed that he has lived in the area comprising the western portion of the Mississippi drainage basin since BEFORE the arrival of the peoples who would become the Indian tribes of the Western Hemisphere. This has never been confirmed, but folktales about an ageless hunter in this region who possessed great strength, the eyes of a hawk, and an uncanny sense of smell predate the arrival of Europeans.

In making his historic purchase, Jefferson managed to make this legendary individual a citizen of the young republic. Stories had already reached Washington via spies of a wandering trapper who was said to be able to elude or fend off even the largest of Indian war parties (though he was generally regarded by tribes as an ally if not as a sort of demi-god).

For reasons unknown, Chasseur is compelled to obey the rulers of the territory he calls his home, though he will only follow direct orders spoken aloud in his earshot. These facts had also come to Jefferson via spies in the Spanish and French army, the two nations that had previously controlled the region (it is also unknown how the French and Spanish learned that Chasseur was compelled to obey any occupying government). Chasseur had managed to mostly avoid contact with Spanish and French who would issue orders to him, but in the few cases when he DID receive commands, his abilities had proven invaluable.

The United States did not have to wait long to benefit from their control of Chasseur. In 1815 in the Battle of New Orleans, he single-handedly repulsed several attacks on American positions, luring hundreds of British infantry into the nearby Cypress Swamps from which they never emerged.

Chasseur served for a time in the Secret Service, but most of his career as a U.S. agent (like most of his life story) is shrouded in mystery.

Friday, July 3, 2009

CONSTITUTION and THE BILL OF RIGHTS by Scott Cunningham and Phillip Pittz



Before that fateful night of July Fourth, Fergy Mendez was just your average American, slightly klutzy, security guard, saddled with the graveyard shift at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. But when he accidently spilt apple pie on one of the country's most prized documents and hurriedly tried to wipe away the stain, Fergy discovered that the acidic juice had revealed a secret message hidden along the edges of the aging parchment: "Whosoever Holds This DOCUMENT, If He Be Worthy, Shall Possess The Power Of All Three Branches of Government, If He Should Speak Aloud the Word RATIFICATION!" No sooner had Fergy finished uttering the inscription, when suddenly light bulbs began to explode throughout the Archives, and a bright energy CASCADED from the document, directly into the confused security guard! HE screamed "WE THE PEOPLE!!!" as he was consumed in the yellowish glow. When the smoke finally cleared out stepped THE CONSTITUTION! Though his clothes were in tatters, the cherished document was still intact!

Brandishing the Taser of Truth, and possessing great physical strength (thanks to his astonishingly strong, ahem, constitution), Fergy now transforms into America's greatest super hero whenever the country find itself under threat. The Founding Fathers foresaw that the nation would one day need a champion and coated the Constitution with a special magical ink that would activate when the time was right. But, also knowing that they was no way to be certain these great powers might suddenly go astray, the wise Fathers provided their heirs with a magic bronze band, passed down from generation to generation within the select families of the Constitution's co-signers. And so it came to be that the LET FREEDOM RING (with its distinctive Liberty Bell logo), would come into the hands of mild-mannered constitutional lawyer, William Jennings Hancock Esq., Jr. upon graduation from an exclusive Washington private prep school. Now, with a twist of the ring, his pin-striped suit is transformed into "The Tights of Rights!" For with powers so great, the Founding Fathers reasoned, they might well destroy the very people they are meant to protect...were it not for The Constitution's trusted sidekick, BILL OF RIGHTS!




Scott and Phillip also do a web comic called starringLi'l Bigfoot (who I think may be Canadian, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt).

THE STAR-SPANGLED BADGER designed by Julie Van Voorhis, drawn by Andrei Molotiu



When not celebrating the intersection of wildlife and patriotic heroism, Julie teaches art history.

ROCKETS REDGLARE by Andrei Molotiu



Rockets Redglare is the alter ego of Veronica ("Ronnie") Rowley, the heiress to the Rowley Fireworks fortune. Having studied jet propulsion and astrophysics at M.I.T., she quit a promising career at NASA to take over the family business when her father's health problems forced him to retire (he remains her closest advisor and the only one to know her secret identity). Working after hours in her company's labs, Ronnie perfected her trademark Propell-O-Boots.

A highly successful businesswoman, Ronnie has unfortunately not been so lucky in her personal relationships. One day, frustrated over her then-boyfriend's immaturity and fear of commitment, she distractedly allowed herself to fly high above the earth's atmosphere, where she was bombarded with All-Purpose Metamorphic Cosmic Rays. This is how she developed her super-power. Whenever enemies threaten America, she gets very pissy and gives them dirty looks, which manifest themselves as deadly beams shooting from her eyes. Her power only falters when her adversaries turn out to be reasonable, responsible adults; but, since most of them are men, this rarely ever happens.


Andrei has a blog and a beautiful brand-new book out.

MAYFLOWER POWER by Greg Means



With a heart as pure as a puritan and fists as strong
as a field of daisies, he fights for liberty, justice and fancy belt
buckles!

In addition to being a drawer of cool stuff, Greg Means is a publisher of quality comics!

AMERICAN STREAM by Tom Cherry



When congressional aide Bitsy Palmer dove into the raging Potomic River to rescue a drowning class of kindergartners, she heroically 
sacrificed her own life to save each child! Touched by her valor, a patriotic nymph brought the young woman back to life and gifted her 
with the ability to transform into a living body of water. Using her
 powerful waves of red, white, and blue for good, Bitsy Palmer protects our nation's capital as...THE AMERICAN STREAM!

There's a wealth of comic strips and drawings at Tom's blog!