By Michael Fitzgerald Troy

Glamour and Glitter fashion and fame – Dazzler’s my name! Say what? With the recent release of the Jem DVD box set, it got me reminiscing. I always had a love/hate relationship with the pink-haired pop punkette of the ’80s. I truly, truly, truly enjoyed watching the Jem cartoon with my baby sister, Kelly. The drama of Jem vs. The Misfits was epic. Who needs Knots Landing when you have cat fights and day glow hairdos all rolled into one. (Just kidding, EVEYONE needs Knots Landing!) The hate part comes from my disdain for the dolls based on the cartoon. They were hideous with big, ole’ jugheads of ghastly proportions. Not to mention the ugliest faces this side of 818. Ah well, it’s the closest we’ll ever get to a Xanadu cartoon! (OMG! That would be so cool!) And, it was good, damn it!

Before Jem there was Dazzler. Or, “Disco Dazzler,” as John Byrne disdainfully referred to her as Marvel’s day late and dollar short answer to the fading disco craze. Alison Blaire was a mutant singer on roller skates who could transform noise into light. Gee, that would be handy strapped on an alarm clock.

Dazzler is worshipped as much as she is lamented. I can dig it. I have to. I’m gay; it’s part of the contract. From fighting Dr. Doom to getting a hot blue spandex outfit, headband included, well after Olivia Newton John pulled that stunt in her video for “Physical.” There was wackiness and craziness. Tons of blue eye shadow and lots of sparkle. Let’s not forgot those beautiful Bill Sienkiewicz painted covers. She was in and out of the X-men, and Longshot did some in and out of his own. I think he and Dazz had a kid; it’s all a blur. You can say disco is dead but make mine Dazzler!

Michael Troy is a deeply superficial person. Born in the midwest in the ’70s, Michael came to Los Angeles to pursue his bi-polar career path as an actor and artist. 2005 saw the release of Michael’s first published book, Homo-Hero’s Big Book of Fun and Adventure (www.greencandypress.com). Michael has contributed to the Lady Gaga comic book from Bluewater Productions and has his hand in various other upcoming projects. Michael has performed stand-up comedy at all of the major comedy clubs in Los Angeles and is making his triumphant return to the main stage of The Comedy Store in September. Michael offers an off-beat sense of humor as the star of such youtube cult classics As The Gays on Film (www.youtube.com/fullfrontaltv), A Minute With Margot, a loving tribute to Superman legend Margot Kidder (http://www.youtube.com/user/rktcommander), and currently hosts a vlog style series Lethally Blonde over at www.monsterburg.com. Sitting alongside industry heavyweight Phil Jimenez at the “Divas and Lassoes” panel for the 2010 San Diego comic-con, Michael maintains and cherishes his “underground” status. A staunch believer in Blonde Ambition, Michael hopes his new comic about shallow blonde super heroes in Los Angeles, The Blonde Squad, will set the world on fire (or at least brighten it a bit). Check out Michael Troy and Lethally Blonde updates here!!!