On Monday, I brought you the tale of the New Teen Titans enlisting in the war on drugs with their new friend The Protector. One neat thing about this comic is that there are so many scenes of teenage powerhouses bouncing drug dealers like pillows that it makes me happy. However, I can only choose one for tonight’s fight, and I finally decided on this one.
Spacebooger doesn’t need drugs. He gets high off of…
The Battlefield: The New Teen Titans “Plague!” (DC/Keebler Company-1983)
The Promoters: Marv Wolfman (writer), George Pérez (penciler), Dick Giordano (inker), Ben Oda (letterer), Adrienne Roy (colorist), Len Wein (consulting editor), and Dave Manak (editor) with special thanks to David Mishur and Stephen Jacobs (whoever they are)
"Ok, you can bash their heads in. Just don't kill them, with the strength to smash through a cement wall or anything."
Cliff Notes: Read Monday’s article. Then head to Spacebooger’s to vote for your favorite One Panel of Pain! We’re almost to the end of this tournament.
BW Media Spotlight 
[…] Sandwich and ShadowWing Tronix makes Nancy Reagan proud by one-upping her “Just Say No!” […]
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My name is Dave Mishur. While at The Keebler Company I was approached by Steve Jacobs to help fund an anti-drug comic book produced by DC Comics and distributed by the treasury dept as part of Nancy Reagan’ drug initiative. I was successful in getting funding and advised on certain areas of the project. Benefits included a White House tour and many pleasant meetings with DC folks. It was presented to the Cabinet by Pres Reagan and quickly became the most highly requested government publication of the time. We immediately did another printing which Keebler also funded.
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Neat. Thanks for stopping by and for helping get this going, as it was my introduction to the Teen Titans. I even did a full review that I linked to in the article: https://bwspotlight.com/2009/04/20/smc-teen-titans-psa/
I forget, did they fund both sequels or just the one? I remember, and I think I said in the full review, that a different cookie company was doing a Barnum’s Animal Cracker-style cookie with Super Friends or Super Powers or something at the time, which is why Robin got swapped out with new character The Protector. That’s been the story on the internet anyway.
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As I recall, we only did the first book in the series. The original project called for a one-million print run, with copies delivered through Treasury to 4th graders across the country. So many requests came in (more than 200,000, according to Steve Jacobs) for anywhere from a dozen to 4 or 5 thousand that we went back to press for another million. Subsequent programs were funded by the National Soft Drink Assoc and Nabisco I think. According to Dr. Carlton Turner, Special Asst to the President for Drug Abuse Policy, it was still called the Keebler Program. The kit also included a teacher’s guide, poster and certificates of achievement signed by Nancy Reagan. Publicity was phenomenal and our President, Tom Garvin, was presented the Gold Shopping Cart award for Outstanding Community Service by the National Alliance of Supermarket Shoppers, a consumer group based in N. Y. Illinois Senator Chuck Percy read a commendation of Keebler for the Congressional Record. It was one of the most successful PR projects ever and a definite highlight in my career.
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They distributed the first one in our schools but I don’t know how. I think the copy I have was a discarded one left behind because I don’t remember being given it. I thought it was a good story on its own, the testimonials–including Speedy, who in the comics did succumb to drug addiction so I’m glad they remembered that–had an impact, and I always wanted to see more of the Protector. I was in middle school so maybe 6th grade or around that and still enjoyed it. You should be proud of the end product…though of course I don’t know how many people were helped by it. I’m hoping it reached someone to get off of or stay away from drugs. As PSA comics go it was quite good.
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[…] other site news check the comments from the Friday Night Fight I used from the New Teen Titans anti-drug PSA. While I wish he had gone to the actual review, […]
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