Groove's Faves: "What If...Celebrities Ran for President?" by Wolfman, Severin, and Costanza

'Tis Election Day in the U.S.A., Groove-ophiles! To celebrate (and help ease the pain if your candidate(s) don't do well), here's a ca-razee piece written by Marv Wolfman with art by Marie Severin and John Costanza (then John lettered it and Marie colored it up purty!) from Spoof #3 (October 1972). Back in '72, newfangled things like 18 year olds getting to vote and celebrities going political were new and novel, inspiring Marv to write "What If...Celebrities Ran for President!" Marvelous Marv's crystal ball was a mite cloudy on the details, but doggoned if he doesn't hit the proverbial nail on the head with his overall prognostications...

Now, if thou hasn't already done so...get thee offeth thine backside and VOTE! Groove hath spoken!

The Grooviest President!

Does anyone reading this blog not know it's Election Day here in the good ol' U.S. of A.? If you didn't know, you really need to read something besides Ol' Groove's blog every once in a while, man! Sheesh! In fact, if you're over 18, registered, and a U.S. citizen, I urge you to get out there and vote if you haven't voted already. It's a right and a privilege, and it's also very, very cool. (Just got back from doin' it m'self!) End of ever-lovin' sermon!

Now, I know what you're expecting--something about DC's wild and wacky Prez comic. Well, I ain't goin' there today. I figure there'll be tons of blogs covering that kooky comic. If I'm wrong, and if you ask real nice, I'll share the first issue of Prez with ya this coming Famous First Friday. But only if you ask. Nicely. And I do accept bribes.

Nope, I was gonna focus on Presidential Appearances (just seemed right to capitalize that) of the Groovy Age, but there wasn't a lot of excitement in that. I did do some research though, looking at superhero comics produced by Marvel and DC only (hadda narrow it down somehow), and if you're interested in my findings, Jimmy Carter appeared the most times (14), followed by Gerald Ford (12), and Richard Nixon (7). Lyndon Johnson who was Prez during the dawn of the Groovy Age didn't make any Marvel or DC super-appearances that I could find (though he did seem to pop up in Herbie quite a bit...) Franklin D. Roosevelt deserves an honorable mention here, I suppose. Although he wasn't Prez during the Groovy Age (duh!), he did make quite a few appearances in the Invaders, which was set during WWII (when he was Prez. There, don't never say this blog ain't ejimicational!) Here's a quick look at those grooviest comicbook Commanders-in-Chief:

That's Richard Nixon, from Fantastic Four #104 (August, 1970) by Stan Lee and John Romita, Sr.; Gerald Ford from Defenders Annual #1 (July, 1976) by Steve Gerber, Sal Buscema, and Klaus Janson; and Jimmy Carter from Justice League of America #150 (October, 1977) by Steve Englehart and Dick Dillin, just in case you're wonderin'.

I had actually planned on running the whole Ford appearance from Defenders Annual #1 'cause it's so far-out, but then I remembered an issue of the Flash (by Cary Bates and Irv Novick, natch) Li'l Groove read way back in 1971...that's the one I have to share with you today. According to DC, in the future we'll have a different kind of President. And it'll be up to the Flash to keep him alive and kickin'! From the Flash #210 (August, 1971), ladies and gentlemen, I give you...Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, 2971!

Ah, the way-out whimsy of DC in the Groovy Age. Kinda brings a tear to your eye, huh? But if you want something a little grittier; a little more down to earth and thought provoking, where better to go than to Stan Lee and John Romita's op-ed piece that ran in the 16 April, 1972, issue of the New York Times Magazine (and was reprinted in FOOM Magazine #17)? (A special "thanks, man" to my pal, Barry Pearl for the scan!)