Here's another dramatization from
Angelo Siciliano Charles Atlas that takes place in the wonderfully ridiculous cartoon reality where all that matters is your ability to beat up guys. Be sure to note panel two, where we see Joe apparently running somewhere while trying to read his new Charles Atlas book. Man, is he in a hurry!
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| Click for a bigger image that is the envy of other images. |
If only the cartoon world of Charles Atlas were the world we lived in. Imagine how much more interesting presidential elections would be. I'd never miss a televised debate if I knew I could count on Obama and Romney (for example) beating the shit out of each other while shouting their talking points at the camera.
So how much is there to
Siciliano's Atlas' claim to be "The World's Most Perfectly Developed Man"?
Well, the sequence of events is like this: A fitness magazine held a contest in Madison Square Garden to find the "World's Most Beautiful Man". The 775 entrants were judged by a panel of doctors and artists, and
Siciliano Atlas won. After a second win the following year, he crowned himself the WMPDM for all eternity. After all: every time you compete, that's just an opportunity to lose your title.
So, if you're better at something that 775 other people who think they're pretty good at it, you can therefore claim to be the World's Most Perfect Book Binder / Tennis Ball Juggler / Fish Wiggler / Chronic Overeater / Bear Baiter, etc. Good to know!
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1 comments:
Atlas never won that title, TWMPDM. He won 'America's Moat Handsome Man Contest' in 1921 (a photo contest, run by Physical Culture magazine). Then, in 1922, he won 'America's Most Perfectly Developed Man,' which was a physique contest held in Madison Square Garden. His publicist and business partner, Charles Roman, dreamed up the 'world' title to sell more mail order courses. Bert Goodrich, the first Mr. America in 1939, could still have been beaten by Atlas at that time, but it is clear that by 1946 onward, physique stars like Alan Stephan and Clancy Ross would have embarrassed Atlas off the stage with their more advanced, weights produced bodies.
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