Captain America HATES Illinois Nazis…
I was sitting on the couch this morning working on my laptop. My son was playing with the new (vintage 1980’s) G.I. Joe action figures he picked up at Free Comic Book Day. My daughter had apparently been bitten by the coloring bug. She’d broken out her Mongo-sized box of crayons and was working on some teddy bear pages to send to her grandmother and great aunt (our fridge, which is stainless steel, isn’t magnetic–go figure).
After about an hour of watching her work very diligently, I asked, “Hey Tiff, you want to color something besides bears?” She shrugged, and said “Sure,” so I dug around in the cave for some old Jack Kirby sketches I’d printed off the Web awhile back. I found a really cool one of Captain America stomping some Nazi butt. I figured she’d turn up her nose in favor of some My Little Pony action. But to my shock & surprise, she grabbed it with a loud and enthusiastic, “Coooolllllll!”
After forty-five minutes and a few color suggestions from Dad, she handed the masterpiece pictured above to me.
I know it probably seems weird to get all excited because my daughter colored a Jack Kirby sketch. But, if you’re a regular reader, you know I’ve talked about my not so veiled scheme to get my kids hooked on my many and varied hobbies and interests. When I wrote that post, I was focusing mainly on my Little Man. Not that I had given up on my daughter…it’s just that she seemed firmly entrenched in the typical girly-girl stuff you’d expect from a nine-year old.
But alas, the Nerd Side (like the Dark Side, only cool and not evil) may have gotten its hooks into her. Besides practicing her coloring skills on the work of Jack “The King” Kirby, she also was as excited as the rest of us to see Iron Man 3 and, when we went to FCBD at our local comic shop, she purchased a Superman emblem key chain and two 1980’s G.I. Joe action figures to use when she plays with her little brother. Granted, the two figures she chose are rocking purple & teal and blue & yellow uniforms, respectively–always very tactical. I was as surprised as the store clerk when she announced she wanted to buy them. Maybe she’s decided, “if you can’t beat em, join em.” Whatever it is, I’m loving it.
So, if you’re like me and you want to nudge up the cool factor in your kids’ lives, jump on Google Image Search and print out some old school Kirby, Ditko, or Romita art for your mini-nerds. Then you’ll have the coolest art ever to hang on your fridge. For me, I’ll be rocking a sweet Kirby Cap’n America sketch in my office. Until next time…stay nerdy my friends.
Copyright 2013 It Came From The Nerd Cave Captain America is TM of Marvel Entertainment