Superheroes to Visit the Pentagon April 28, 2005

DoD propaganda groups - America Supports You & Defend America

These images are featured on the DoD home page - http://www.dod.gov/





In the case of the Marvel heros, the poster coincides with an invitation to pentagon employees to bring their sons and daughters to work April 28 - http://www.defendamerica.mil/downloads/ASY-Marvel-Schedule.pdf - to meet Rummy and other superheros (any area DU'ers care to check it out and take photos? can anyone convert the pdf to an image and post below?).

About Americasupportsyou



In the case of the second, one can obtain a high-res (1.4 meg) image by clicking a link, or, if that is not large enough, obtain a poster by submitting their email address (which I am certain is archived in some database), after which you recieve a confirming message.

About DefendAmerica



Note: It's been 30 minutes since I sent the request for the link for the large image, with no reply. Although a vet, I'm probably on the DoD's blacklist.

To help him find his lost credit card, huh?:eyes:

OR...maybe they've finally decided to come and take him away...now, that really WOULD be "saving the day"!:D

B-)

I'm sure Rummy would welcome them with open arms. :sarcasm:

n/t

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=28748

Spider-Man, Captain America team with Pentagon
Custom comic book will be given free to troops worldwide

Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Saturday, April 30, 2005

Jon R. Anderson / S&S

Marvel Comics unveiled a custom comic book Thursday at the Pentagon that will be distributed free in May to U.S. forces in Iraq and around the world. Featuring the New Avengers and the Fantastic Four, the comic will have a mammoth print run of 1 million copies. The first 150,000 will go to soldiers in the Middle East.

“We’re not going to sell them. These are for the troops,” Jeff Klein, a Marvel spokesman recently told USA Today. Both DC Comics and Marvel have published special issues before on topics such as drug abuse, land mines and the heroes of 9/11. This latest effort dwarfs those, and is in partnership with “America Supports You,” a Defense Department campaign that encourages private citizens, communities and businesses to reach out to troops and their families. The comics will be available free at military exchanges.

The book is a normal-sized edition of The New Avengers, written by Brian Michael Bendis and drawn by Dan Jurgens and Sandu Florea. Marvel heroes encounter an alien army after an American soldier finds a spacecraft in the Louisiana bayou. This is the only appearance of the military; the advertisements are tailored for servicemembers. Oddly, Reed Richards, before he transforms into Mr. Fantastic, wears an AAFES logo on his overcoat. Getting issues to the field every month is “logistically tough,” Marvel’s Bob Sabuni told USA Today, citing high demand from soldiers as an impetus for the effort. But the use of the military’s exchange service will ensure that a book goes to every soldier who wants one, even in “forward-deployed locations.”



Spider-Man and Captain America helped the Pentagon and Marvel Comics unveil a new comic book that will be distributed free to troops around the world. One million copies of the comic book will be distributed, with the first 150,000 going to troops in the Middle East. (note the kid's clothes - probably a junior marine).

http://www.dod.gov/news/Apr2005/20050428_807.html

America Supports You: Superheroes Step Up
By Kathleen T. Rhem
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 28, 2005 – Message to U.S. troops: Spiderman and Captain America Support You. And the two Marvel Comics superheroes came to the Pentagon today to prove it.

Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for public affairs, introduces Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld at the Pentagon on April 28. Marvel Comics unveiled a custom comic book there for members of the armed services for distribution to more than 150,000 service members in the Middle East. Marvel Comics Senior Vice President Rob Steffens, Spiderman and Captain America also joined in the announcement. Photo by Tech Sgt. Cherie A. Thurlby, USAF (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

Spiderman, the original webbed wonder, and Captain America, a former 98-pound weakling who a science experiment turned into the perfect soldier, visited the nation's military headquarters to shake hands, pose for photos and unveil a new Marvel comic book that features a military character in the opening scene.

The comic was designed and is being distributed in partnership with DoD's "America Supports You" program, which seeks to showcase ways in which the American public is supporting the men and women of the armed forces, and the Army and Air Force Exchange Service.

"The New Avengers: Guest Starring the Fantastic Four" features the America Supports You program logo and other military-themed artwork on the cover. "Marvel salutes the real heroes, the men and women of the U.S. military," is printed across the bottom of the front of the comic.

Also, a two-page "centerfold" contains a poster of the America Supports You logo surrounded by Marvel superheroes.

"Today we are launching the first of what we hope will be a series of books to provide entertainment to our troops here and abroad," said Rob Steffens, Marvel's senior vice president for operations, in announcing that the company is donating 1 million comic books to the military. The comics will be distributed in military exchanges throughout the world.

"Thankfully we live in a country where generations have sacrificed and continue to sacrifice to protect our liberties and our freedom," he said. "We do not take that for granted."

Steffens also announced that Marvel is donating the original artwork to the Fisher House Foundation to auction off and earn money for the foundation's work in support of sick and wounded military members and their families.

Today's event at the Pentagon was scheduled to coincide with the national "Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day," so plenty of youngsters were on hand to get the first copies of the special comics.

"That's really cool. They said that they're trying to help all the people (in the military)," said 11-year-old Kaitlin Lee, who was visiting the Pentagon with her younger brother and sister and their soldier dad.

Kaitlin explained that it's good for the superheroes to show support for the troops because some kids want to be like their favorite superheroes.

She used her 6-year-old brother, Josh -- who was holding tight to his own "Spidey" -- as an example. "Like Josh here," she said. "He wants to be like Spiderman and (Spiderman) wants to help out (the troops). So it's just kind of showing that we would like to help out too and we want to show (the troops) that we care."

Before posing for photos with the superheroes and with several of the young people at the event, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld reminded the crowd this was all about supporting the troops. "We're all very grateful to them for the wonderful job they do. We are in their debt," the secretary said. "We thank their families as well, and those families that are here know that we recognize the sacrifice that all of you make also."

He also thanked Marvel for its support. "We appreciate all you're doing for 'America Supports You,'" Rumsfeld said.

Army Col. Joe Mudd, who works on the Joint Staff, said he believes comics are a good method to get out a message of support for the military.

"Any show of support is important, and people relate to comics," he said. "We like the good guys to win, and we think we're the good guys too." Mudd said the storylines in many popular comics "speak to what we strive for as individuals and as a nation."

The colonel, who was at the event with his 9- and 11-year-old sons, said the popularity of the recent Spiderman movies makes his point perfectly. "They appeal to people of all ages," he said.

Mudd's two boys, Joseph and William, had somewhat less to say about the event than their dad. But their feelings were loud and clear: "Cooooool!"

He's always been suspicious of right-wing governments.