BEACH BUM COMICS : THE SIMON & KIRBY ORIGINAL- ONE AND ONLY

Joe Simon & Jack "the King" Kirby' Fighting American was fun, exciting with some great art. Harvey Thriller came out with the first issue I read. Had me hooked!

Nelson Flagg was the unathletic younger brother of star athlete and war hero Johnny Flagg, and served as the writer for popular TV news commentator Johnny at station USA. When outspoken anti-Communist Johnny is killed by one of the many enemies his commentary has earned him, Nelson makes a deathbed promise to hunt down his brother's murderers.

Here's some familiar Jack Kirby action!

Recruited for the U.S. military's "Project Fighting American", Nelson has his mind and life force transferred to Johnny's "revitalized and strengthened" corpse. Assuming Johnny's identity, he adopts the costumed alter ego Fighting American to battle Communist threats. The two went on to battle an array of mostly Communists grotesqueries with physical deformities and colorful names. Though not specified, Fighting American's powers are shown to be increased strength, agility, endurance, and speed. His aging was also slowed to the point where a fellow WWII vet notes he hasn't aged a day.

Fighting American #1 Look out! It's Round Robin!

"Round Robin"
First two pages of Round Robin open, interrupted by an introduction to Fighting American. "Peter Piper's Red Vipers" which includes Fighting American's origin. Page 13 opens with a four panel origin of Speedboy, with what appears to be new Joe Simon art, followed the conclusion of the Red Robin story.
"Peter Piper's Red Vipers" (retitled from "Break the Spy Ring")
New art on splash page, possibly by Joe Simon, has Fighting American and Speedboy interrupting Round Robin story to present Fighting American's origin story.
"Track Down the Baby Buzz Bombs"
Reprinted from Prize series. An unnamed, blond-haired teenager working as a page at Flagg's network assists the hero and is rewarded with own costume and the name Speedboy.
"Roman Scoundrels"
"Duel to the Finish Line"
Reprinted from Prize series.
"The Hero Who Laughed at Himself"
Reprint of a fanzine article on Fighting American, accompanied by illustrations.
"Find the King of the Syndicate"
"The League of Handsome Devils"
"You'll Never See the Likes of Them Again"
Ad for forthcoming issues includes 3 images from Fighting American covers and a new image, likely by Joe Simon. Unfortunately, this was the only issue published.
"The Secret of Yafat's Mustatche"

Fighting American #1 Who is the Fighting American?
"Break the Spy Ring"
Fighting American (Nelson Flagg in Johnny Flagg's body)
Retitled "Peter Piper's Red Vipers" in the Harvey Comics title.
"Track Down the Baby Buzz Bombs"
An unnamed, blond-haired teenager working as a page at Flagg's network assists the hero and is rewarded with own costume and the name Speedboy.
"Duel to the Finish Line"
All stories reprinted in Harvey Thriller title.

Fighting American #2 Throw Them Down the Sky Well!
"The League of Handsome Devils"
"Find the King of the Syndicate"
"Investigate the City of Ghouls"

Fighting American #3 Don't Laugh -- They're Not Funny -- !
"The Man Who Sold Out Liberty"
"Stranger from Paradise"
"Poison Ivan and Hotsky Trotsky"
"Z Food"

Fighting American #4 Listen, Road Island Red!
"Tokyo Run-Around"
"Home-Coming Year 3000"
Dream adventure Fighting American feature.
"Operation Wolf"

Fighting American #5
"Jiseppi, the Jungle Boy"
"The Year Bender"
"Invisible Irving, the Great Nothing"

Fighting American #6 Look! Fighting American and Speedy are putty in the Hands of the Great Ali Ghazam!
"Deadly Doolittle"
"Super-Khakalovitch"
Speedboy origin retold feature.

Fighting American #7 Look Fighting American! The Horses have Sprouted Wings!
"Sneak of Araby"
"Three Coins in the Pushcart"
"About Space-Face"

Marvel Comics came out with a nice hardcover edition of Fighting America, reprinting the previously published covers & stories. Joe Simon & Jack Kirby provided introductions.
"The Beef Box"
Previously unpublished 3 page story.

I enjoyed what Jim (Captain Marvel) Starlin, Rob (X-Force) Liefeld & Stephen (Prophet) Platt added to the legend of Fighting American.

Nice Stephen Platt cover!

Awesome Comic's Fighting American ran in 3 mini-series. Written by Jeph (Commando movie) Loeb with art by Rob (Deadpool) Liefeld, Ian (Cable) Churchill & Stephen (Soul Saga) Platt.
Ths storyline for the first 2 issue mini-series was original written & drawn as part of Marvel's Hero Reborn.