This weekend’s light-hearted and escapist superhero story will deal with DC’s political comedy character Prez, given how this is Presidents Day weekend.
PREZ Vol 1 #1 (September 1973)
Title: The Making of the Prez
NOTE: Decades ago, Theodore White was known for his series of books titled The Making of the President, with the year of the election after each new volume. (1960, 1964, 1968, etc) In 1973, many readers would have gotten the implied joke of “The Making of the Prez.”
Villains: Boss Smiley and Misery Marko
Synopsis: On the alternate Earth known in the DC Universe as Earth 72, America not only lowered the voting age to 18 but also made 18-year-olds eligible for holding any elected positions in the U.S. – even president.
Enter stock-car racer Prez Rickard (a riff on the famous Tex Rickard), whose mother named him Prez because she was convinced her son would go on to be president some day. Prez’s political career took off when he synchronized all the clocks in his hometown of Steadfast. (Remember, this is political satire like Al Capp’s Li’l Abner on some levels.)
This caught the attention of corrupt political handler Boss Smiley, whose head was one of those syrupy and kitschy smiley faces that had become widespread by 1973. Boss Smiley and slimy advertising mogul Misery Marko recruited Prez to run for the Senate as their pawn, using the slogan “He made the clocks run on time.” (a Mussolini joke, of course)
Prez ultimately rebelled against Boss Smiley and Misery Marko and, with fellow 18-year-olds, ran his campaign honestly and won. In 1976, Rickard ran for president and won again, filling his administration with colorful youngsters like himself, thus kicking off even more satirical adventures in which Prez and company thwarted political villains. Continue reading
LORRAINE HANSBURY: TO BE YOUNG, GIFTED AND BLACK (January 20th) – A 90-minute biography of African-American playwright Lorraine Hansbury, whose works include A Raisin in the Sun. Her husband Robert Nemiroff wrote this drama which includes performances of scenes from her plays. Ruby Dee, Roy Scheider, Blythe Danner, Barbara Barrie and Claudia McNeil were among the cast members. 
AMERICAN PRESIDENTS FROM EISENHOWER TO TRUMP – Be forewarned that my takes on U.S. Presidents can offend members of both major parties since I’m an Independent Voter. Anyway, don’t try accusing me of belonging to either party. I go after both sides’ presidents. Click 
AN IDEAL HUSBAND (January 14th) – Adaptation of the play by Oscar Wilde. THE Jeremy Brett starred as the good guy, Viscount Arthur Goring, who takes action when the brother of his lady love Mabel Chiltern (Susan Hampshire) is being blackmailed by a conniving socialite (Margaret Leighton). Originally aired in England in 1969. 90 minutes. 
EASY AS ONE, TWO, THREE – The number 1 team in the nation – the UNIVERSITY OF SAINT JOSEPH (CT) BLUEJAYS – hammered the DEAN COLLEGE BULLDOGS 87-60 ### Meanwhile, the 2nd ranked RANDOLPH MACON COLLEGE YELLOW JACKETS defeated the ROANOKE COLLEGE MAROONS 69-50 ### And the number 3 CHRISTOPHER NEWPORT UNIVERSITY CAPTAINS won 85-73 at the SALISBURY UNIVERSITY SEA GULLS. 
CLOSE CALL FOR NUMBER SIX – The (6) JOHN CARROLL UNIVERSITY BLUE STREAKS took it on the road against the OHIO NORTHERN UNIVERSITY POLAR BEARS. At Halftime the Polar Bears were on top 44-36 but the Blue Streaks roared back to force Overtime with a 77-77 tie to end Regulation. In the extra session John Carroll University managed a 95-89 victory. Luke Chicone’s Double-Double of 19 points and 10 rebounds led the Blue Streaks. 
THE DRAGON 
YANKEE GIRL 
