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Wednesday, October 14, 2009

The Tale of The Aquaman Patch

sgToday is a very special post for The Aquaman Shrine, and time-wise it worked out perfectly that I had the chance to run it on the first post of the Shrine's fourth year.

This is an Aquaman iron-on patch that I first talked about a long time ago, during the Shrine's first few months. Its a silly little item I picked up on eBay and never gave much thought to.

But then one day a few months ago I got an email from a guy named Robert Hernandez, who lives in Florida. I'll let him pick up the story from here:

I came across your blog on a Google search for "Aquaman patch". I have a denim jacket that for around twenty years now, I've been adding classic Justice League characters--Hawkman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, Atom, Martian Manhunter...I have everyone...except Aquaman.

I'm a teacher, and I wear the jacket to school during those few weeks in Florida where it gets genuinely cold. Other than the big budget movie characters, most of my students haven't heard of most of them. That's a shame...my room is always popular because I blow stuff up.

There's an implied acceptance of material I like because of that popularity. I've turned kids on to all sorts of stuff that rips them from the internet and TV...Ender's Game, The Hitchhiker's Guide, Settlers of Catan, Risk, and comic books. The jacket really helps. I feel like a walking billboard.



Robert asked me if I would consider selling the patch to him since had never been able to find it anywhere else. And while I normally don't want to part with any of the Aqua-Collection, this seemed like such a good cause. After all, someone has to clue the younger generation in on Aquaman--Brave and the Bold can't do the job all by itself!

So I agreed to send the patch to Robert for a nominal fee. What I really wanted in return was the chance to tell this story about a great teacher...and, of course, pics of the coolest jacket since the second season of Happy Days. Behold!:
sg
sg
sg
...this jacket is made of win!

Thanks Robert, keep up the good work...oh, and by the way, welcome to F.O.A.M., too!

9 comments:

Randy said...

Wow! That is a great jacket and an even greater thing that you did there, Rob. It isn't easy to part with an Aqua-item. Trust me, I know from experience.

That was a really nice patch, by the way.

Unknown said...

That is a wonderful story and the jacket is truly awesome.

Russell said...

I love those Green Lanterns and The Atom!! I don't see Jonn or Katar, though...:-(

See, Rob, it just goes to show you (again)....you've really had a wonderful life. You can't imagine all the people you've touched, and if you were to leave, it would leave a very big void indeed. Or something like that. :-)

wich2 said...

Good on you, Rob (proving again why this place has the Kismet that it does...)

GO, Robert - teachers are the BEST.

-Craig W.

Andy Luckett said...

That jacket is made of EPIC win!

Nice story, and nice to see Aquaman right there on the top right shoulder, in full view of impressionable minds.

Anonymous said...

I believe the children are our future,
teach them and let them lead the way.

rob! said...

Russell-

Hawkman is right by Flash, but the crease of the jacket covers it up. Don't know about Manhunter, tho...

rob! said...

Jrloafy-

show them all the beauty they possess inside.

Jamdin said...

Amazing story and Robert's jacket rocks.