CSBG Archive
Comic Book Easter Eggs – Justin Timberlake in Wolverine and Musical American Flagg!
Every week, I will be sharing with you three comic book “easter eggs.” An easter egg is a joke/visual gag/in-joke that a comic book creator (typically the artist) has hidden in the pages of the comic for readers to find (just like an easter egg). They range from the not-so-obscure to the really obscure. So come check ‘em all out and enjoy! Also, click here for an archive of all the easter eggs featured so far! If you want to suggest an easter egg for a future column, e-mail me at bcronin@comicbookresources.com (do not post your suggestion in the comments section!).
Commenter Rollo Tomassi suggested N’Sync’s appearance in Wolverine #168 (by Frank Tieiri, Dan Fraga and Norm Rapmund)….
Reader Courtland F. pointed out a neat bit Howard Chaykin did in early issues of American Flagg. I might return to this in the future for Chaykin’s other uses of this bit, but for now, let’s just take a look at the sound effects in issues #1 and #2, where Chaykin used The Rivington’s hit 1962 song, “Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow,” as sound effects during two separate gun battles…
Hilarious.
The Rivingtons later had another hit in 1963 with “The Bird is the Word.”
Commenter FilmBuffRich pointed out this neat bit in Avengers #135 (by Steve Englehart, George Tuska and Frank Chiaramonte), where Ultron finds Phineas Horton to have him transform the Human Torch (later we learn that this is a time-divergent copy of the original Human Torch) into the Vision.
As you can see, Horton is watching television and one show in particular…
Yep, he was watching The Avengers in an issue of (the unrelated) Avengers. Classic.
Thanks for the great suggestions, folks! Again, e-mail me at bcronin@comicbookresources.com if you have any other nifty suggestions!
20 Comments
Mike.T
February 22, 2012 at 9:27 am
Ali G!!! Booyaka-sha!!
I made Comic Book Easter Eggs today | geektechteacherdad
February 22, 2012 at 10:28 am
[...] I made Comic Book Easter Eggs today [...]
Michael P
February 22, 2012 at 10:54 am
Aren’t “Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow” and “The Bird Is The Word” basically the same song?
buttler
February 22, 2012 at 10:58 am
Wow, that’s like Extreme N’Sync. So brawny!
Jeff
February 22, 2012 at 11:22 am
@Michael P
No, the melody and tempo are quite different between those songs.
buttler
February 22, 2012 at 11:56 am
They do, however, both involve the lyric ““Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow.”
Augusto
February 22, 2012 at 12:02 pm
“beats the Grammys”….lol
TJCoolguy
February 22, 2012 at 1:59 pm
Wow. Sometimes I forget how stupid-looking those guys from N’Sync were in their heyday. Yeah, Mike T., that’s not Ali G, that’s one of the kids from N’Sync (Howie? Yeah.). And, unlike Sacha Baron Cohen, he was doing it unironically. He genuinely thought that was a good look.
chad
February 22, 2012 at 2:00 pm
always found the avengers on the tube bit in avengers a little hilerious two different teams . espicaly since the prof is so busy watching it that he does not care Ultron is calling.
Dylan
February 22, 2012 at 3:14 pm
Pretty sure “Bird is the Word” is by The Trashmen…
Eric
February 22, 2012 at 3:49 pm
The song most people here appear to be thinking of is Surfin’ Bird by The Trashmen, which is essentially a combined cover of Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow and Bird is the Word, both of which were originally by The Rivingtons.
Travis Pelkie
February 22, 2012 at 5:45 pm
Ah, thanks Eric, I knew I’d heard the 2 songs in one, and it was puzzling me. Now I must find the Rivingtons versions!
Bird, bird bird is the word…damn, that’s catchy!
SLS'd Egg to Feature in Fabergé Big Egg Hunt' | Chocolate
February 22, 2012 at 5:51 pm
[...] Comic Book Easter Eggs – Justin Timberlake in Wolverine and Musical American … by Brian Cronin Commenter Rollo Tomassi suggested N'Sync's appearance in Wolv d F. pointed out a neat bit Howard Chaykin did in early issues of American Flagg. Read more on Comic Book Resources [...]
Brian Foss
February 22, 2012 at 10:36 pm
thanks youtube!
The Rivingtons – Papa Oom Mow Mow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQrQjNNZCAo
The Rivingtons – The Birds the Word
http://youtu.be/mHLhm1Xc6qY
The Trashmen – Surfin’ Bird
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj0GtRI4Ulo
Joe Young
February 23, 2012 at 3:41 am
Poppa oo mow mow and Bird is the word are the exact same song with different lyrics.
Joe Young
February 23, 2012 at 3:44 am
It’s like La Bamba and Twist and Shout.
Brud
February 23, 2012 at 8:36 am
Has there been anything mentioned that Phineas Horton was in Stamford, Connecticut – where the incident that incited the Civil War occurred?
Mike.T
February 23, 2012 at 9:50 am
Nah man Howie was in Backstreet boys!! Could be AJ from backstreet boys but I think it is Ali. Cause his shirt says Ali.But the L is blocked out.
Lierson
February 23, 2012 at 4:59 pm
It’s not the whole group showcased in this comic. No JC Chavez, no Lance Bass, no Joey Fatone. Just Timberlake and Chris Kirkpatrick. Therefore, it’s a pretty good chance that it’s actually Ali G pictured here.
Rob
February 24, 2012 at 3:24 pm
MTV was apparently on board for giving the issue a shout out or something to advertise the comic if N’Sync were drawn in. Then for some reason it never happened. I’m sure there’s much more to it then that, but if I understand correctly it was a “Hey, we’ll put ya in if we get a plug, you mega-successful yoo-hoos.”