American Flagg

It was one of the best comics of the 1980s … set in the 2030s.

It’s been 30 years since Howard Chaykin’s “American Flagg!” ended its 50-issue run.

Chaykin created a world where the American government left the planet in the 1990s, and the Soviet Union collapsed (a novel concept at the time), the Brazilian Union and Pan-African nations are the new superpowers.

There’s a 40-plus-year effort to get America back to its former glory in time for the 2076 Tricentennial but it’s a cover to sell off the rest of the nation’s assets.

Cities have been transformed into mall-like structures called Plexmalls. 

Enter Reuben Flagg, a former TV star drafted into the law-enforcement Ranger program. He’s assigned to the Chicago Plexmall. He encounters graft and subliminal messages urging gang violence.

Chaykin created a complex world in an initial story arc that encompassed the first 12 issues. “American Flagg!” was detailed science fiction, but even more, it was biting and hilarious political and social satire. Some of it feels dated in the 2010s but some of it feels prescient 35 to 30 years later.

The art is still splendid. Chaykin used pre-computer techniques that added depth and texture to the illustrations.

Chaykin wrote and illustrated the comics in the early issues but was less involved in the total package in later issues.

It also had something of a “Heavy Metal” magazine atmosphere for its time. Cutting edge with an adult flair. 

The comic was produced by the independent First Comics. First was an alternative press out of Illinois that allowed creators to keep the rights to their respective characters and found nationwide markets.

There are collected editions of “American Flagg!” though it’s been a decade since they were published and they collect only the first 14 issues.

Still, “American Flagg!” is worth seeking all these years later. Worth remembering. “American Flagg!” salute.