THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS SNUBS HOWARD THE DUCK

ITEM! Every year the Library of Congress and the National Film Registry select several movies to be preserved in their air-tight archives for all eternity. The criteria is that a film be "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." This year, several genre films were added, including James Cameron’s The Terminator, James Whales’ classic 1933 version of The Invisible Man, and even the Ray Harryhausen tour-de-force The 7th Voyage of Sinbad.

Unbelievably though, there’s still no love for the very first Marvel Movie ever — Howard the Duck. Although the movie tanked at the box office when first released, it’s gone on to become a cult classic. And you don’t get much more “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” than a movie about the love between a wayfaring water fowl and Lea Thompson! What can you, the very model of a Modern Merry Marvelite, do to address this grave injustice you ask? Your Fearless Leader is here to help! Just go directly to the National Film Registry’s website and nominate the Master of Quack Fu for inclusion in the archives for 2009! What’s that you say? Some of the more culturally deprived among you have never even seen the Howard the Duck movie? Well say no more, oh lost and lonely pilgrim of the cinematic wastelands! I'm here for you! You can watch the entire movie right here at the ol’ Soapbox! Who says this isn’t the Marvel Age of instant gratification?

Excelsior!

Smiley

HAPPY TURKEY DAY!

GET DOWN, AMERICA! GO VOTE!

ITEM! And speaking of history — today’s the day we Americans make some! Be sure and go out and vote today, pilgrims! Your Uncle Stanley would even tell yah who to go vote for, but unfortunately my name is not on the ballot. Marvel hasn't had a candidate on the ballot since Howard the Duck in '76 (see video below). Yours Truly would’ve made a great candidate too — I’m older than John McCain and my head’s bigger than Barrack Obama’s! Still, either way the election turns out, we’re all going to make history today, and you don’t wanna get left out of that, do yah? After all, you have to vote to maintain your right to complain and to sell books with humorous word balloons drawn over photographs of political figures later, right? So, to quote Howard the Duck, “Get down, America! Go Vote!”

Excelsior!

Smiley

THIS DUCK IS CRAZY!

THE BIGGEST BARGAIN IN BLOGS!

TRAPPED IN AN OMNIBUS HE NEVER MADE!

ITEM! Without a doubt this week’s comic shop cherry-pick is the deluxe Howard the Duck Omnibus — over 808 pages of web-footed waddling and waughing that is sure to please even the most discerning finely feathered fanatic. Everyone’s favorite anthropomorphic antisocialite was Marvel at it’s Bronze Age best (not to mention some of the late-great Steve Gerber’s very best sardonic and satirical scripting), and this two-ton tome contains it all. You get all of Howard’s first appearances, the entire 33-ish run of his original series, and even his Marvel Treasury Edition appearance plus Marvel Team-Up #96! And it’s all yours for a mere $99.99, which let's face it is like two tanks of gas these days. As Doctor Bong might say, ask not for whom the ominbus tolls, pilgrim, it tolls for thee!

Excelsior!

Smiley