Charles Atlas

**Charles Atlas**, born **Angelo Siciliano** (October 30, 1892 Acri, Italy – December 23, 1972, Long Beach, New York) was the developer of a bodybuilding method and its associated exercise program, most well-known for a landmark advertising campaign featuring his name and likeness, which has been described as one of the most lasting and memorable ad campaigns of all time.

According to Atlas, he trained himself to develop his body from that of a "scrawny weakling", eventually becoming the most popular muscleman of his day. He took the name "Charles Atlas" after a friend told him he resembled the statue of Atlas on top of a hotel in Coney Island,[*citation needed*] and legally changed his name in 1922. His company, Charles Atlas Ltd., was founded in 1929 and, as of 2004, continues marketing a fitness program for the "97-pound weakling." The company is now owned by Jeffrey C. Hogue.[*citation needed*]

## History

Born **Angelo Siciliano** (also called Angelino) in Acri, in Calabria, Italy in 1892, he moved to Brooklyn, New York in 1905, took the name Charles, and became a leather worker. Although it has been said by some that he had been a small, weak child, by his own admission Siciliano was not undersized when he started training. Siciliano worked hard to develop his physique; he tried many forms of exercise initially, using weights, pulley-style resistance, and gymnastic style calisthenics. Atlas was inspired by other fitness and health advocates who preceded him. World-renowned strongman Eugene Sandow, and Bernarr MacFadden, creator of "Physical Culture," both set the stage for Atlas.

After being bullied, the young Siciliano joined the YMCA, and began to do numerous exercise routines. He became obsessed with strength. One day, he watched a tiger stretching in the zoo, and asked himself, "How does Mr. Tiger keep in physical condition? Did you ever see a tiger with a barbell?"[*citation needed*] He concluded that lions and tigers became strong by pitting muscle against muscle.

In 1921, Bernarr MacFadden, publisher of the magazine *Physical Culture*, dubbed Atlas "The World's Most Perfectly Developed Man" in a contest held in Madison Square Garden[*citation needed*]. Atlas was chosen by a cross-disciplined group of health and medical experts, educators, anthropologists, scientists and medical doctors. They viewed Atlas as having the "perfect male body," and placed his physical measurements on file for posterity.[*citation needed*] Atlas's physical measurements are buried in the Crypt of Civilization, a time capsule at Oglethorpe University.[*citation needed*] He soon took the role of strongman in the Coney Island Circus Side Show.

## Dynamic-Tension

*Main article: Dynamic-Tension*
There is a misconception that Atlas used weights to gain his build. Actually, after trying other systems of exercise and finding they did not work for him, Atlas used his own system of "Dynamic-Tension" to build his body. The system allegedly turned him into a 180-pound man who was able to pull a 72-ton locomotive 112 feet along railroad tracks.[*citation needed*]

Atlas's "Dynamic-Tension" program consists of twelve lessons and one final perpetual lesson. Each lesson is supplemented with photos of Atlas demonstrating the exercises. Atlas's lesson booklets added commentary that referred to the readers as his friends and gave them an open invitation to write him letters to update him on their progress and stories. His products and lessons have sold millions, and Atlas became the face of fitness.

## Likenesses

Besides photographs, Atlas posed for many statues throughout his life, including (it has been said) the statue of George Washington in New York's Washington Square Park.[*citation needed*] Atlas was also an inspiration and a model for later bodybuilders and fitness gurus, including Arnold Schwarzenegger.[*citation needed*]

## Death

Atlas died of heart failure at age 80 after his daily jog on the beach (it should be noted that his family had a history of heart attacks).[*citation needed*] At the time, people were still writing to him.[*citation needed*]

## The print advertisements

The famous Charles Atlas print advertisements became iconic mostly due to them being printed in so many comic books during the '40s, '50, '60s, and '70s. The typical scenario presented a skinny young man (usually accompanied by a female companion) being threatened by a bully. The bully pushes down the "97-pound weakling" and the girlfriend joins in the derision. The young man goes home, gets angry (usually demonstrated by kicking a chair), and sends away for the Atlas free book. Shortly thereafter, the newly muscled hero returns to the place of his original victimization, seeks out the bully, and beats him up. He is rewarded by the swift return of his girlfriend and the admiration of onlookers.

The ad was said to be based on an experience the real Atlas had as a boy. With variations, it was a mainstay of comic books and boys magazines for decades.The ads usually conclude with the words, "As is true of all the exercises in Atlas's course, you can do these exercises almost anywhere."

The ads ran in comics until the late 1970s, being briefly revived in the pages of some Marvel comics in 1997, before disappearing.

### "The Insult that Made a Man out of Mac"

In this, the full-length version, the protagonist, "Mac," is accosted on the beach by a sand-kicking bully while his date watches. Humiliated, the young man goes home and, after kicking a chair and gambling a ten-cent stamp, subscribes to Atlas's "Dynamic-Tension" program. Later, the now muscular protagonist goes back to the beach and beats up the bully, becoming the "hero of the beach." His girl returns, while other females marvel at how big his muscles are. (An earlier but otherwise almost identical version, "How Joe's Body Brought Him Fame Instead of Shame," debuted in the 1940s.)

### "The Insult That Turned a 'Chump' Into a Champ"

In this version, which debuted in 1941, "Joe" is at a fair with his girl, when the bully (who has just shown his strength with the "Ring-the-bell" game) insults and pushes him. Joe goes home, slams his fist on the table, and orders the free Atlas book. Joe then returns to the fair, rings the bell and pushes down the bully, while his girlfriend reappears to compliment him on his new powerful physique.

### "Hey, Skinny! Yer Ribs are Showing!"

The condensed, four-panel version stars "Joe," though it is otherwise identical to Mac's story. Instead of "Hero of the beach," the words floating above Joe's head are "What a man".

### "How Jack the Weakling Slaughtered the Dance-Floor Hog"

Another version of the ad presents a scenario in which "Jack" is dancing with his girl Helen. They are bumped into by a bully, who comments on how puny Jack is, not even worth beating up. Jack goes home, kicks a chair, and sends away for Atlas's "free book." Later, the muscular Jack finds the bully, punches him out, and wins back the admiration of Helen. This time, the words "Hit of the party" float over his head as he basks in the admiration of the other dancers.

## Cultural References

The Atlas print advertisements, especially "The Insult that Made a Man out of Mac," have been referenced and parodied in dozens of other venues, including songs, comics, television shows, and movies.

### Music

* "Charles Atlas Song / I Can Make You a Man" from the rock and roll musical *The Rocky Horror Show* includes multiple references:
	+ The title line exploits the grammatical ambiguity of Atlas's slogan "In just seven days, I can make you a man," between the meanings ". . . cause you to become a 'real' man" and ". . . create a man for you."
	+ It mentions both Charles Atlas and "Dynamic-Tension" by name.
	+ It refers to a *98*-pound weakling, a device that did not infringe[*citation needed*] Atlas's trademark on the phrase "97-pound weakling."
	+ The mad-scientist character (Dr. Frank N. Furter) furthermore claims that his Frankensteinian creation "carries the Charles Atlas Seal of Approval."
* The Who song "I Can See For Miles", featured on the album *The Who Sell Out,* is followed by a "commercial" for the Charles Atlas Course. ("The Charles Atlas course with "Dynamic Tension" can turn you into a beast of a man.") John Entwistle poses on the cover as a panther skin-clad Charles Atlas alumnus, as the more muscular Roger Daltrey was otherwise occupied in a bathtub filled with baked beans.
* The song "Mr. Apollo," recorded by the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and released on the album *Tadpoles,* parodies Charles Atlas's advertising, with lead-singer/writer Vivian Stanshall affecting a gruff butch voice. The song involves members of the band singing the praises of fictional bodybuilder Mr Apollo, while Stanshall alternately sings and offers no-nonsense motivational advice, such as "*no tiresome exercises / no tricks / no unpleasant bending / wrestle poodles and win!*"
* The song "Sand In My Face" by 10cc, on their debut album, is a detailed description of Atlas's legendary ads.
* "We Are The Champions" by Queen includes the line, "I've had my share of sand kicked in my face..."
* The song "I Will Not Fall" By Wiretrain/Wire quote is; "And Charles Atlas Stands, upon the beach, upon his head and says . . . I will not fall."
* The band A.F.I. have a song called "Charles Atlas" on their album "Very Proud Of Ya."
* The Australian band The Fauves had a minor local hit with their song "The Charles Atlas Way."
* The Bob Dylan song "She's Your Lover Now" contains the lyric: "Why must I fall into this sadness? / Do I look like Charles Atlas? / Do you think I still got what you still got, baby?"
* The Josef K song "Sorry For Laughing" contains the lyric: "When we groove on into town / Charles Atlas, he stops to frown."
* Roger Waters' song "Sunset Strip," (from *Radio KAOS*) contains the line "I like riding in my Uncle's car / Down to the beach where the pretty girls all parade / And movie stars and paparazzi play the Charles Atlas kicking-sand-in-the-face game."

### Film and TV

* The 1990 film *Book of Love* has Tom Platz playing a Charles Atlas-like character.
* The British comedy troupe Monty Python created a cartoon spoof (animated by Terry Gilliam) of the famous beach advertisement.[1]
* A *Spitting Image* annual parodies the Charles Atlas advertisement, with the two protagonists competing not on muscular physique, but with their rhetorical skills and grasp of post-modernism.
* In the *Futurama* episode "When Aliens Attack," Fry gets sand kicked in his face by a "professional beach bully" who asks for payment for his services after Fry has won the girl, Leela. Leela hits on Fry, but he turns out to be gay.
* In the *Ren and Stimpy* episode "Ren's Pecs," Ren seeks counsel from the bodybuilder "Charles Globe," who inspires him to get plastic surgery. Charles Globe and the entire episode are obvious spoofs of the Charles Atlas story.

* *Mad* magazine produced a cartoon parody (animated by Don Martin) of the ad.[2]

### Books, magazines, and newspapers

* In the 1966 postmodern Canadian novel *Beautiful Losers,* written by Leonard Cohen, Charles Atlas is parodied as "Charles ***Axis."***
* The novel *Cat's Cradle,* written by Kurt Vonnegut Jr., mentions Charles Atlas. When the narrator comes across the term "Dynamic Tension" in a book about the mysterious cult leader Bokonon, he laughs because he imagines the author does not know "that the term was one vulgarised by Charles Atlas, a mail-order muscle-builder." However, as he reads on he finds that Bokonon is an alumnus of Atlas's training program, which has inspired his idea that "good societies could be built only by pitting good against evil, and by keeping the tension between the two high at all times."
* An article in *The Onion* newspaper's *Our Dumb Century* spinoff portrays a feud between Adlai Stevenson and General William Westmoreland being carried out in the same vein as illustrated in the Charles Atlas advertisement.

### Comics

* In Grant Morrison's run on the DC comic book series *Doom Patrol*, the character Flex Mentallo is the creation come-to-life of a little boy who wrote his own comic book based on the iconic advertisement. However, the Flex character, upon returning to the beach, smashes his girlfriend in the face, saying "I don't need a tramp like you anymore!" (Charles Atlas Ltd. filed suit against DC for this parody, but their suit was dismissed on First Amendment grounds.)

* In an issue of the DC Comics title *Mystery in Space*, the main character Comet, referring to an army of super-powered clones, says "Physically those clones may make me look like a 98-pound-weakling, but psychically I'm the Charles Atlas of this beach."

* In *Watchmen* (DC, 1986), the character Ozymandias advertises a workout regimen entitled the Veidt Method. The advertisement appears on the back cover of comics featured within the graphic novel. The advertisement, which references the Atlas ads, promises to "Give You Bodies Beyond Your Wildest Imagination!"

* An issue of *Nickelodeon Magazine* features a fake advertisement that parodies the Atlas body ads; the difference is that the product promises to make a person extremely smart. In this parody, a genius man picks on an incredibly strong yet slow-witted man for his lack of intelligence. The man gets his revenge by scientifically proving that the genius bully does not exist, making him disappear.

* Marvel Comics' humor series *What The--?!* used Atlas parodies regularly, as in "The Insult that Made Mac a Blood-Sucking Freak!" (*What The--?!* #23, November 1992).

* Minicomics pioneer Matt Feazell uses the sand-kicking bully to represent the Etruscan attack on Rome in *Not Available Comics* #25, 1993.

* "The Hold-Up that Made a Hero Out of Mac," from *Radioactive Man* #1 (Bongo Comics, 1993), blends Mac's story with Batman's origin.

* Cartoonist Chris Ware appropriated Mac's "chair-kicking resolve" in a Jimmy Corrigan story from *Acme Novelty Library* #1 (Fantagraphics, Winter 1993).

* Cartoonist Josh Neufeld used the ad to spoof business writer David A. Vise in a piece done for *Fortune Small Business* magazine in 2002.[3]

* In the June 4, 2007, edition of "*This Modern World*," Tom Tomorrow uses the ad to make a point about how President George W. Bush pushes around Congressional Democrats.[4]

* New Orleans cartoonist Caesar Meadows spoofed the ad — substituting zine-making for bodybuilding — while advertising the 2008 Alternative Media Expo.[5]

## References

1. ↑ Charles Atlas obituary
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Kannenburg, Gene. "The ad that made an icon out of Mac," Hogan's Alley. Retrieved Aug. 6, 2008.
3. ↑  Wallechinsky, D. *The 20th Century History With The Boring parts Left Out* (Little Brown & Co., 1996).
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "
Federal judge: Parody of Atlas man protected by First Amendment," Associated Press (August 31, 2000).
5. ↑ Gaines, Charles and Butler, George. *Yours in Perfect Manhood, Charles Atlas: the Most Effective Fitness Program Ever Devised* (Simon & Schuster, 1982).
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Classic Ads," CharlesAtlas.com.
7. ↑ James Woycke,
*Au Naturel: The History of Nudism in Canada*, p. 3
8. ↑  Sullivan, John. "Charles Atlas Complaint Held as Legal Weakling," New York Times (Aug. 31, 2000). Retrieved August 7, 2008.

## External links

* CharlesAtlas.com
* Sandow Plus
* Charles Atlas at Find-A-Grave

es:Charles Atlas