Last year at this time, (in Blog #3151), I blogged about Memorial Day And Comic Books... In particular Sgt. Fury & His Howling Commandos!

In that post I mentioned how 'Memorial Day' came to be, and that it goes back to the day then called 'Decoration Day', which was first celebrated after the American Civil War.  For more info on the history, please read the earlier blog post.

This year I decided to 'honor' Captain America & Bucky, for three reasons.

Reason Number One:  When I was growing up, (yeah, way back when...Cover Dated November of 1963!), Captain America had been 'dead' for many years.  As well as his 'sidekick', Bucky, who had died at the end of WWII. A 'try-out' of returning Captain America, (only), was done in Strange Tales #114.  (Thanks again to Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Dick Ayers, and Stan Goldberg!) 

Being a 'fan' of the Fantastic Four, (which started in - November of 1961 cover dated), I of course was following the solo feature of the Human Torch in Strange Tales.  I believe this was my first 'intro' to Captain America, as Fantasy Masterpieces which started reprinting 'old' Timely Captain America stories didn't start doing so until issue #3 - cover dated June of 1966.

Of course, Captain America 'returned from the dead' in Avengers #4 - cover dated March of 1964.  As I was a 'Marvelmaniac' during those years, I also read that comic.

As well as followed 'Cap' in his 'try out' in Tales of Suspense #58 cover dated October of 1964, which was the 'lead in' to his taking half of the 'split book' in issue #59 - cover dated November of 1964.

I have also mentioned in this Blog before, that I also purchased several coverless comics from the Timely / Atlas periods at a used bookstore in Downtown San Diego, on Broadway.  It was Lanning's Bookstore, (run by Mrs. Peggy Lanning), and I stumbled across it when I was walking downtown at the far East end, and came across a shopping cart full of coverless comics that was place in front of the store window!  It was there that I was introduced to the pre-Marvel days, and found Captain America comics there, as well as the Atlas 'HoRRoR' comics.  Great times... And yeah, I'm sure that many others in San Diego found Peggy Lanning's used book store too, as I keep running across those people at the SDCC!

So yeah, I've been a 'Cap' fan for a while...LOL!  But no, I'm no longer reading the current Marvel titles of Cap, for reasons I've mentioned before here in my blog...

Reason Number Two: I became 'Facebook Friends' with Allen Bellman in February of 2010, who is a well known Captain America artist.  This after meeting him briefly at the Comic-Con International: San Diego (a.k.a. SDCC) back in July of 2007.

Since then, Allen has corresponded with me several times about his convention schedules, as well as calling(!), and I've updated this Blog with those dates and info, as well as mention him at my Facebook Group Page:  Facebook Comic Con | Make It So Marketing, and my newer Facebook Fan Page: Michael D Hamersky On Comics.

In return, Allen volunteered to support my 2010 'Black Friday Comics' event, which kicked off my then brand new Facebook Fan Page, by offering to illustrate for the lucky winner of the Grand Prize... An illustration of Captain America 'punching' anyone of the winner's choice!  That lucky person was Mark Poe who chose Cap punching out the Red Skull, as seen near the top right of this blog post!   Thanks again, Allen!

(BTW... Allen's web site can be found at AllenBellman.com, and there is a lot of info there, including his upcoming appearances schedule, plus a page on how YOU can commission an illustration similar to the one that I have shown above!)

Reason Number Three:  The Captain America: The First Avenger film is coming our way in July, during the Comic-Con International: San Diego week of July 21st - 24th.  The Opening Day is on Friday, July 22nd.

Now THAT is the Summer Blockbuster Film that I want to see!  Yeah, Thor was pretty darn good, (see my review in Blog #3407), but it is the 'Cap' film that is #1 on 'My Must See at the Big Screen' film for the Summer of 2011!

I for one am pleased that the setting of this film is in World War II.  The trailers from the film have made this upcoming film move up from an... 'Oh, they are making a Cap movie'... To 'Wow! They are making a real Cap movie!  And with Bucky Barnes too!'. Reading further I've found that the 'Howling Commandos' will be in the film also... I can hardly wait!  And yeah, Tina & I will be checking for any special screenings for Comic-Con attendees when we get there!  Usually we stay all night at the Comic-Con, unless we have a special invite to 'After-Con Parties', but the Cap film is special! 

So this is the reason I've chosen Captain America & Bucky today to honor 'Memorial Day with Comics'!   Yeah, I know... Captain America died and was brought back... How many times now?   And yeah, so has Bucky Barnes...!

Hey, that's comics for ya!  But still, to me, besides the Sgt. Fury & His Howling Commandos comic... Captain America & Bucky in the 1940's is what comes to mind for me for the latest installment in this Annual Blog Series!

Again, we should stop for a while, and think about the non-fictional persons who have made the Ultimate Sacrifce... Their Lives... for all of us.

Because after all Memorial Day now "...commemorates men and women who died while in military service to the United States. First enacted to honor Union and Confederate soldiers following the American Civil War, it was extended after World War I to honor Americans who have died in all wars".

This blog series is also in honor of all of them...

~Michael