"Bam. Zap. Splat. Kpow!" (Special "News Stories from Australia" Edition)
“Bam. Zap. Splat. Kpow!
“Fans of comic book superheroes Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four and the X-Men will be able to see their favourite characters when a new theme park opens in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates by 2011.”
[…]
“‘Marvel is a brand that is recognized globally via its ever expanding list of superhero characters,’ said Mohamed Khammas, head of the Al Ahli Group, in a statement.
“‘Now, it won’t be much longer until the children in Pan Arabia and the world can experience new and exciting rides with Marvel’s Spider-Man, the Incredible Hulk, the Fantastic Four and many other superheroes right here in the UAE.'”
“It must be difficult going to bed one day thinking you’re an ordinary person. Sniff! Scratch! Yawn!
“But then wake up with supernatural powers. Eee-yow! Zap! Kerplop!
“But this is an election year and all politicians must go through this super hero transformation, especially party leaders. Wham! Bam! But no thank you ma’am.”
[…]
“Whoosh! Whoopee! As the election campaigning heats up, you see super hero powers emerging.
“Super John, aka Bland Man, dons a green and gold tracksuit and walks at an unruffled pace to save any Aussie in trouble anywhere in Australia.
“Whereas Captain Kevin, aka Neat Man, has shown such well-groomed poise under trying media conditions that he could give master classes on how to keep your hair in place in a cyclone.”
In the “I’m totally jealous of this guy” department: “The comic book guy”
“This 73-year-old publisher can hardly wait to get to work every morning – it keeps him young.
“Comic book hero The Phantom may enjoy worldwide kudos as ‘the man who cannot die’ but his Australian publisher Jim Shepherd could perhaps be equally well celebrated as ‘the boy who never grew up.'”
[…]
“‘I can hardly wait to get to the office every morning,’ Shepherd says. ‘Right at this very minute I’m looking at a pile of artwork that dates back to 1939, just making sure that every single page is there. It keeps you young, it really does.'”
