If you walked into a comic shop in 1983, the shelves were mostly a sea of bright spandex and predictable morality. Then came First Comics American Flagg!. It didn't just break the mold; it smashed the display case and set the store on fire. Created by Howard Chaykin, this book was a loud, vulgar, and terrifyingly prophetic scream that changed how people thought about "funny books" forever. Honestly, if you look at the DNA of modern masterpieces like Watchmen or The Boys, you'll find Chaykin's fingerprints all over the crime scene.
It was 2031—at least in the book. The United States government had packed its bags and moved to Mars after a global collapse, leaving Earth to be run by a corporate entity called The Plex. Imagine a world where the only thing keeping society from eating itself is a network of fortified shopping malls and a militia of "Plexus Rangers" who are basically glorified security guards for a fascist department store. That’s the vibe.
The Hero Who Was Actually a Pawn
Reuben Flagg is not your typical hero. He's a washed-up TV star. He used to be the face of a show called Mark Thrust, Sexus Ranger (yeah, Chaykin wasn't subtle) until the Plex replaced him with a computer-generated hologram.
Basically, he was deep-faked out of a job before deep-fakes were even a thing.
Desperate for a paycheck and possessing a weird, naive streak of patriotism, Flagg joins the real Plexus Rangers and gets stationed in Chicago. But the Chicago of 2031 isn't exactly the Windy City we know. It's a "Plexmall"—a claustrophobic, neon-soaked urban nightmare where people are addicted to a drug called Somnabutol and a violent cartoon called Bob Violence.
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A World of Talking Cats and Corporate Overlords
One of the wildest things about the first comics American Flagg run is the supporting cast. Flagg’s partner isn't a grizzled cop; it's Raul, a ginger tomcat with a cybernetic link that lets him talk and think like a human. He’s cynical, brilliant, and arguably the smartest person in the book. Then you have Luther Ironheart, a robot ranger with a holographic head who provides some of the series' weirdest visual gags.
Chaykin used these characters to poke fun at the Reagan era’s consumerism. The villains weren't costumed megalomaniacs; they were middle-aged men in suits. They were the executives at the Plex who realized they could control the population by filling their favorite cartoons with subliminal messages to trigger gang wars. Why? Because war is profitable, and scared people buy more stuff. It's biting, it’s mean, and it feels uncomfortably relevant in 2026.
Why First Comics American Flagg Changed Everything
Technically speaking, this book was a revolution. Chaykin didn't just write and draw; he redesigned the visual language of comics.
Working with letterer Ken Bruzenak, they turned the page into a sensory overload. Television screens, advertisements, and overlapping dialogue bubbles fought for your attention. It felt like channel surfing during a fever dream. This wasn't just "panel-to-panel" storytelling; it was a multimedia experience printed on newsprint.
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The use of Craftint Duoshade boards allowed Chaykin to add textures and tones that were impossible with standard comic coloring at the time. It gave the world of American Flagg! a dirty, tactile feel—like a film noir set in a neon disco.
The Independent Movement's Big Bang
Before First Comics, if you wanted to work in the industry, you were basically a "work-for-hire" grunt at Marvel or DC. You didn't own what you created. First Comics, based out of Evanston, Illinois, changed the game by offering creator ownership.
American Flagg! was their flagship. Its success proved that an independent book could not only compete with the "Big Two" but could also be more sophisticated, more adult, and more successful. In 1984, it swept the Eagle Awards, winning seven categories. People were buying issue #1 for twenty bucks on the back-issue market almost instantly—which was unheard of back then.
The Prophecies of Howard Chaykin
It’s kinda scary how much Chaykin got right. He predicted:
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- The rise of reality TV and the blending of entertainment with politics.
- The dominance of massive corporations over national governments.
- The use of digital avatars to replace human celebrities.
- A fragmented world where international alliances are bizarre and shifting (he featured something called the "Italo-Brit-Zionist Conspiracy").
He wasn't trying to be a psychic. He was just looking at the greed of the 80s and following the logic to its natural, messy conclusion.
The first twelve issues are widely considered one of the greatest "first years" in comic history. They form a tight, interlocking narrative that ends with Flagg uncovering the true depth of Plex corruption. However, Chaykin eventually found the monthly grind of doing everything himself—writing, drawing, inking—too much to handle. By issue #27, he started pulling back, and while the series ran for 50 issues, those early Chaykin-only chapters are the ones everyone still talks about.
How to Experience American Flagg! Today
If you’re looking to dive into this world, don't just hunt for the old 1983 floppies unless you're a collector. The "Hard Times" collection covers those essential early arcs.
Actionable Insights for New Readers:
- Start at the Beginning: The first 12 issues are the "gold standard." They tell a complete story of Flagg's arrival and the initial revolution.
- Watch the Background: Chaykin hides jokes and plot points in the TV screens and advertisements scattered throughout the art. If you read too fast, you'll miss the best parts.
- Appreciate the Lettering: Look at how Ken Bruzenak uses font and placement to mimic sound effects and overlapping voices. It’s a masterclass in graphic design.
- Context Matters: Remember that this was written when the Cold War was still hot and "shopping malls" were the center of the American universe. It’s a time capsule of 80s anxiety.
American Flagg! isn't a "comfortable" read. It's loud, it's often offensive, and it demands your full attention. But if you want to understand where the "Grim and Gritty" era of comics really started—and see a creator at the absolute height of his powers—there is no better place to look.
Next Steps:
- Pick up the American Flagg! Definitive Collection (published by Image/Dynamic Forces) to see the restored colors and Bruzenak’s original lettering in high quality.
- Look into Howard Chaykin’s other 80s work, like his reimagining of The Shadow or Blackhawk, to see how he continued to deconstruct classic tropes.