Thank you, Adam Brody

Really? This is what I choose to be thankful for on Thanksgiving? Well, yes (though my wife, my family, my dog and a million other things come before Mr. Brody on the list).

In case you missed it, the first issue of Red Menace came out yesterday. It’s written by Brody (along with Paul DiMeo and Danny Bilson) and, as the WildStorm site says: “Los Angeles, 1953: Home to bent cops, smooth criminals, and curvaceous starlets; where the glamour and wealth of Hollywood and Beverly Hills collide with the crime and grit of Chinatown. Amidst this startling contrast, American ideals are under siege by Joseph McCarthy and the H.U.A.C. trials, rooting out communist threats where ever they may lie — even in the ranks of the super heroic! Can there be any doubt about the loyalties of L.A.’s greatest and most patriotic hero, the Eagle? America is about to find out the hard way!”

Was the book so great that I can’t help but heap thanks upon its (third of a) writer? Nope. It’s a decent read, if a bit retread. But it has fun with the genre and is worth a look (as are all WildStorm books, if only for the dose of pretension served up in Jim Lee’s column).

I say thanks to Adam Brody because he first helped push comics fully into the hands of cool kids, and also because he’s following through on his interest and taking time away from a budding movie career to help write what will assuredly be a forgotten series within a decade.

The O.C. was once a not-entirely-awful show and wildly popular. This may seem hard to believe now, but it’s true. And while the show was set to prop up some blonde jackass as a heart throb, Brody’s Seth character stole the spotlight and used it not only to illumine alt rock (which isn’t that great or original an accomplishment), but also to prop up his love of comics. Of course, it’s impossible to quantify the impact of this, but I think it fits as a significant moment in the ongoing emergence of the medium.

An interesting side note gleaned from Wikipedia is that Brody’s mother, Valerie, is a graphic artist.

So, to Adam, thanks, and keep up the good work.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.