The history of Flash Appreciation Day
“Flash and Substance” — the fifth episode in the third season of the animated television series Justice League Unlimited — debuted on February 11, 2006; the episode focuses on DC Comics superhero The Flash, and the character’s fans adopted the original airdate — February 11th — as “Flash Appreciation Day,” an annual occasion to celebrate the super-speedster. Over the years, the date has seen online expressions of fan commemoration, a one-time collaboration of comics blogs using the event to help comics creators in need, and even a formal petition to the White House seeking official presidential recognition of Flash Appreciation Day.
Directed by Joaquim Dos Santos and written by Matt Wayne, “Flash and Substance” depicts a special day for the Flash (voiced by actor Michael Rosenbaum): the citizens of Central City honor their hero with a celebratory “Flash Appreciation Day” that includes the dedication of the city’s Flash Museum. Four of the Flash’s villains — Captain Boomerang, Captain Cold, Mirror Master, and The Trickster — use the occasion to attack the Flash, and Flash’s Justice League colleagues, Batman and Orion, assist the hero against these rogues.
The episode establishes the Flash as a unique hero with deep connections to his community. As his alter ego Wally West, Flash works at a crime lab and has to take the day off to enjoy his special day; Wally is a working-class public servant, a superhero with a day job. The Flash frequently converses with common citizens, and at the celebration, the mayor lauds the hero’s “charitable work with the city’s underprivileged” as much as she praises his crimefighting.
The Flash also takes a different approach to combating his villains. When Batman, Flash, and Orion find the Trickster alone at a bar, Batman and Orion favor a physically threatening approach to compel answers from him regarding the plans of the other antagonists. But Flash intervenes to have a sincere conversation with the villain about Trickster’s mental health; Flash’s empathy elicits helpful information from the Trickster.
The episode’s Flash Appreciation Day celebration is a fitting fictional tribute to a popular comics character. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the Flash debuted in Flash Comics #1 (cover-dated January 1940) and has endured via various iterations. Originally having the alter ego of Jay Garrick, the hero’s adventures were discontinued by the 1950s, but a revised version of the character — with the alter-ego of Barry Allen — appeared in Showcase #4 (cover-dated October 1956); in the 1980s, Allen was succeeded as the Flash in DC’s narrative continuity by his protégé, Wally West, with Allen’s time-travelling future descendent Bart Allen also assuming the Flash mantle before Barry Allen returned as the Flash in 2009. The character has appeared in other media, including television shows, cartoons, video games, and movies.
The fictional Flash Appreciation Day celebration has become a real-world occasion for Flash fans. A survey of various social media sites documents the day’s popularity, with fans expressing their passion for Flash and his adventures. To mark the 75th anniversary of the Flash character’s publication debut, on January 11, 2015, the now-defunct comics blog site Nothing But Comics submitted a petition — via the White House’s We the People online petition platform — requesting that then-U.S. president Barack Obama officially declare February 11, 2015 as Flash Appreciation Day.
At the time, Nothing But Comics shared that “For the Flash’s 75th anniversary, we thought it would be great if we could get symbolic recognition of this unofficial Flash celebration from the U.S. head of state, and submitted our petition.” In initiating the petition, the site noted the Flash’s importance and inspiration to comics fans: “Furthermore, we feel it is important to honor a character that has provided inspiration and served as a positive influence to so many people since 1940.”
The petition referenced the character’s longevity and cultural impact:
Declare February 11, 2015 “Flash Appreciation Day” In Honor of Comic Book Superhero The Flash
DC Comics superhero the Flash debuted in Flash Comics #1 (January 1940). The character’s legacy is impressive, and the hero’s adventures continue today in comics and on television. The Flash uses his powers of super-speed in the cause of justice, and has provided positive inspiration to his many fans for the past 75 years.
We, the fans of the Flash, ask the President of the United States to declare February 11, 2015 “Flash Appreciation Day” in order to honor the character’s inspirational example and values.
With the petition submitted, fans then had 30 days to collect 100,000 signatures in order for the petition to merit official consideration, per White House policy. Additionally, an initial 150 signatures were needed for the petition to be publicly searchable on the We the People platform; with other comics blog sites promoting the effort, and Flash fans using social media to support the petition, Nothing But Comics reported on January 16, 2015 that the petition had garnered 150 signatures and was now searchable on the White House site.
Despite the petition’s initial success and strong fan support, the petition failed to meet the 100,000 signature threshold for presidential consideration. Or did it? On February 11, 2015, Nothing But Comics reported:
Not only did the petition get the 100,000 signatures that were needed, but President Obama promptly gave a moving televised speech about his love for the Flash, and then officially declared today “Flash Appreciation Day.” It was a great moment for Flash fans… it was a great moment for the world.
Nothing But Comics went on to reveal why no one remembers this significant event:
But unfortunately, the Reverse-Flash went back in time and changed history so that none of that happened. In our altered timeline, the petition still received an impressive amount of signatures (over 700), and a lot of fan support, but just not enough to merit official consideration by the President.
In blaming Flash’s archenemy Reverse-Flash — who in DC’s narrative continuity has used his super-speed to travel back in time and change history — Nothing But Comics put a fun spin on a disappointing result. However, the site was unbowed in its celebration of the Flash:
Reverse-Flash may have stolen our official White House recognition of Flash Appreciation Day, but he can’t steal our love for the Flash. Judging from all the fans who signed and promoted the petition, and all the media sites that shared the news, the Flash is loved by a lot of people. So let’s honor our hero in all his iterations by remembering what the Flash means to us, and today — each in our own way — let’s celebrate Flash Appreciation Day!
A year later, on the tenth anniversary of the “Flash and Substance” episode release that originated the Flash Appreciation Day concept, Nothing But Comics collaborated with eight other comics blogs — Bounding Into Comics, Comics Bulletin, Flash Fans, The Geeked Gods, Graphic Policy, Multiversity Comics, Outright Geekery, and Speed Force — to celebrate Flash Appreciation Day with various articles regarding the Flash, but also promote support for the Hero Initiative, a nonprofit organization that helps comics creators needing emergency medical aid or financial support:
It’s great that the Flash has a special day each year for fans to express their appreciation, but what’s the best way to honor a fictional superhero? Since we can’t give Flash the key to Central City, Nothing But Comics, in partnership with eight sites, is recommending that you show your appreciation for the Flash by being a hero for comics creators in need — this Flash Appreciation Day, we’re asking Flash fans to support the Hero Initiative.
While Flash Appreciation Day began as a fictional celebration of an iconic superhero, the February 11th date has evolved into a real-world occasion that has inspired positive action from the character’s fans, and the day endures as an annual moment to commemorate the Flash.
NOTES AND FURTHER READING:
DISCLOSURE: As works published by DC Comics are referenced in the above article, it should be disclosed that the article’s author is a former DC Comics contributor. There are no current financial arrangements between the author and DC Comics. The article’s author is also a former contributor to the Nothing But Comics site and was involved with the White House petition and Hero Initiative efforts that were inspired by Flash Appreciation Day, as discussed in the article.
The Hero Initiative — this nonprofit organization supports comics creators needing emergency medical aid or financial support.
“Justice League Unlimited” Flash and Substance (TV Episode 2006) — IMDb — this site lists the credits for the “Flash and Substance” episode.
“Flash Appreciation Day — Please Sign the White House Petition” (Reed Beebe; Nothing But Comics, January 12, 2015)
“Flash Appreciation Day Petition Crosses First White House Threshold” (Reed Beebe; Nothing But Comics, January 16, 2015)
“Flash Appreciation Day — The News is Spreading Fast!” (Reed Beebe; Nothing But Comics, January 20, 2015)
“Flash Appreciation Day — WE DID IT!” (Reed Beebe; Nothing But Comics, February 11, 2015)
“Flash Appreciation Day is Tomorrow!” (Reed Beebe; Nothing But Comics, February 10, 2016)
“On Flash Appreciation Day, please help comics creators in need” (Reed Beebe; Nothing But Comics, February 11, 2016)
“Check out these Flash Appreciation Day articles” (Reed Beebe; Nothing But Comics, February 11, 2016)
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POST-CREDITS SCENE:
THE BLACK TERROR WILL RETURN…
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