I wanted to share with you all the greatest success yet of the tour. Today, hundreds of fans of talk show personality Conan O’Brien gathered in NYC, Seattle, LA and Chicago to rally behind their favorite late night host while his tenure hurtles to a premature demise. If you haven’t been keeping up, The Jay Leno Show has been canceled and it is all but a done deal to put Jay back at The Tonight Show and serve Conan his walking papers. Fans across the nation have pledged their support for Conan as the behind-the-scene battle between Conan and NBC rages on, with over 250K having joined the “I’m with CoCo” Facebook group.

I attended the rally to serve a dual purpose: support Team Conan as a gesture to NBC that they have once again bungled their programming schedule and disappointed audiences, and spread the word about Jon Hamm being the single greatest actor who should play Captain America. It was a rousing success, as folks took pictures, I did an interview with Chicago public radio, and our sign can be clearly seen in the back of the local ABC news broadcast.

If nothing else, I would hope that Conan would see a picture of our sign and get a chuckle out of it. He’s made me laugh for so many years, I’d be honored to make him laugh even once.

Here are some pics of the signs!

Poor “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” started strong last weekend, but had a steep dropoff of nearly 70% in the second weekend. While it is a decent popcorn actioner, the story lacks the heart, depth, and broad appeal that Star Trek apparently has, so look for the space exploration adventure to hold a bit steadier than “Wolverine” for its second week.

Not much Jon Hamm or “Captain America” news this last week, but I wonder if the critical smash “Star Trek” remake could have used a little more charm from somewhere….

Eh. Well, maybe.

The Tiny Cast of Mad Men

This may not play so well for our guy, Jon Hamm, depending on how his “Mad Men” schedule works out. Season three of the series about 60s-era Madison Avenue advertising execs just started filming a week ago, and it will premiere on AMC in August. If a fourth season is a go and films on the same timetable, it is possible that Jon Hamm would not be able to film Mad Men in the spring, then leap into Captain America, then film The Avengers, and then back to a possible fifth season of the show.

Anything is possible, of course, but it is something to keep in mind. The good thing is that we still won’t have casting news of Captain America easily until Autumn of this year. Let’s just keep spreading the word and being positive. Don’t forget, Jon Hamm Should Play Captain America!

Welcome to “Jon Hamm Versus,” where we will take a look at possible contenders for the lead role of Steve Rogers/Captain America in the upcoming film “The First Avenger: Captain America,” slated for release on July 22, 2011. Next up, we look at the powerhouse blockbuster-making man-of-the-year Hollywood VIP movie star Mr. July, Will Smith.

Will Smith’s name has easily been tossed around for the role of Captain America/Steve Rogers since about 1996. And it’s pretty safe to say just about every Hollywood studio has put the Fresh Prince’s name at the top of their casting list for nearly every greenlit script since then. It’s just like when you’re a kid and you put “President of the United States” at the top of your fantasy list of jobs you would like to hold. And like the problems most studios face, odds are if you don’t have enough cash you’re not going to get the top job.

The benefit to Will Smith is that he has the A-List clout to do basically any movie he wants at any time. If you look at his IMDB page, there isn’t one completed project in there that you haven’t heard of. Meanwhile Samuel L. Jackson has six times the credits and his Q rating is probably has a two-digit percentage disadvantage to Smith’s.

So could Will Smith make Captain America? Sure, if he wanted to. But as past evidence shows us, it’s basically a heavily passed around rumor. He’s already had modest success as Hancock, which should also have a sequel in the next few years. Plus, Smith likely doesn’t want to get tied down to a specific character in a franchise. Would the “true fans” accept a black Steve Rogers? I think so. There would be some unrest until the movie actually came out, like how goofballs complained that the heroes in the first X-Men movie weren’t going to wear their ‘traditional’ costumes. But then the movie came out and the change worked and no one gave a crap that Wolverine didn’t go around killing dudes while adorned in a yellow Spandex costume. Comic book purists (read: white folks) would accept Will Smith eventually, but I will concede that he’s likely the only black man they could see in the role. Sorry, Omar Epps.

Anyway. Like Brad Pitt, Will Smith commands top dollars and does not put him as the favorable candidate in this battle. Meantime, Jon Hamm merely has a Golden Globe and a SAG award, and still only nets about 3 millions viewers a week for “Mad Men.” The “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” easily had 20 million viewers a week for five seasons. Like Brad Pitt, Will Smith is the height of his career and has many years of success still to come. Jon Hamm is on an upward trajectory, already with drama and comedy under his belt. Hollywood action star is the only thing missing from his résumé.

Jon Hamm wins!

She wins big points for being the largest public figure to date to back Jon Hamm as Captain America in a recent blog post. She lays waste to the other “contenders” with an acidic but succinct tongue, calling people like McConaughey (McConaugheyyyyy!!!!!!) “too goofy and unheroic,” Paul Walker “too surfer-boyish and brainless to play a hero,” and Jon Cena “too wrestler-ish and not polished.” And she says Jon Hamm is “my personal choice–suave, debonaire, confident, has that polished superhero look and a snarky sense of humor. This “Mad Man” could definitely be Captain America.“

So this is it! With Debbie Schlussel getting things rolling, it won’t be long until this snowballs into an indomitable force that cannot be ignored. Studio executives and Hollywood fatcats will not be able to turn a blind eye to the brilliant casting suggestion. Jon Hamm Should Play Captain America, and soon the whole world will know it. Get on the train before it is out of reach!!

Find out more about Free Comic Book Day here, including what books are being offered, a locator for participating stores, and info about the medium of comics, among other cool things.

If you happen to be in the Scranton, PA area, I recommend checking out Comics On The Green for all your comic needs.

No word if Jon Hamm will be taking advantage of Free Comic Book Day, but next time I see him, I’ll ask him about it.

Jon Hamm Enjoying Nature

From the news report at Mother Nature Network: “There are a lot of options to take in your life and not be wasteful and selfish. If you put other people and the environment first instead of yourself, it’s a lot easier to make those decisions that decrease your impact on the environment.” Toward that end, Hamm and his girlfriend Jennifer Westfeldt watch their consumption. “We don’t use a lot of air-conditioning. We open windows. We have a relatively small air-conditioning bill, and we’re trying to get it smaller every day. The fact that we’re in California and there have been a lot of initiatives put forth to do that is great. We’re trying to take advantage of that as much as we can.”

If Jon Hamm isn’t channeling Steve Rogers here, then I don’t know what’s going on. Every person can do their part to put other people first, ahead of their own self-interest? What type of person says something that? Oh yeah, I forgot… every superhero in the universe! Somebody please get him in a meeting with Avi Arad! Cast him in “The First Avenger: Captain America” before he takes an indie gig to maintain his actor’s cred.

We all know he is not the first celebrity to back environmental issues, but when push comes to shove, it will be interesting to see where he comes down on laws concerning Green regulations.

A fellow who linked to us on Twitter had a nice observation that I thought should be addressed. Even if we, as Jon Hamm fans, demand and advocate for Jon Hamm’s casting in the “The First Avenger: Captain America,” due out in July, 2011, does Jon even want it? A good question, to be sure. Are we wasting our time here?

I’d argue with a cautious, “No.” Look, Jon Hamm is a respectable actor who has obviously proven to have a great deal of range in the comedy and drama genres. The important word there is “actor,” which in Hollywood often translates into “happy to have a job.” At this point, of course we can’t say definitively if he wants the gig, which would likely include at least two sequels and prominent role in “The Avengers” due out the following year. But as a working actor who had his major breakthrough less than two years ago, perhaps it’s not a bad idea to join major superhero film projects that are attached to Robert Downey’s career rebirth, Sam Jackson’s turn as badass Nick Fury, and Edward Norton’s interesting take on the Hulk, and whoever the hell is playing Thor. So, the question might be, would Jon Hamm want to join a bunch of A-Listers in Marvel’s craziest movie gambit since “Daredevil?” The answer is likely the same as a different question: Is Jon Hamm an actor?

The man can do what he wants, either way, so let’s have fun putting a public face to this fantastic casting idea. And if he sends his goons to my secret loft hideaway in the midwest to shut me down, I won’t put up a fight. The e-mail address is on the contact page, so I’m just a few mouse clicks away.

Welcome to “Jon Hamm Versus,” where we will take a look at possible contenders for the lead role of Steve Rogers/Captain America in the upcoming film “The First Avenger: Captain America,” slated for release on July 22, 2011. For round seven, we consider Hollywood powerhouse Jerry O’Connell.

Everyone here knows who Jerry O’Connell is, and just about everyone here probably likes him a great deal. There are many important facts about Jerry that make him a super heavyweight in this battle. First, he’s been acting since he was 12 (we all know he and River Phoenix famously battled with Wil Wheaton for more screen time in “Stand By Me“). Second, he’s had siginificant roles in a number of television series, like “Sliders,” “Crossing  Jordan,” and Holy Good God did you know “My Secret Identity” had 70 episodes??? Ahem. Third, he’s appeared in a number of successful films, including “Jerry Maguire,” “Scream 2,” and he had an inspired cameo in “Can’t Hardly Wait,” and all three were important films of the 1990s. Finally, and most importantly, he’s married to Rebecca Romijn, one of Barker’s Beauties who appeared in three X-Men movies and could likely have the ear of every executive at Marvel Studios any day of the week.

So, with television and film credits that makes every wannabe in Hollywood green with envy, with a marriage to the most influential and beautiful guest star on Just Shoot Me, with the youth and charm of most lead actors in a movie about college freshmen, why not cast Jerry O’Connell? Two words: Matt Le Blanc. Like Matt Le Blanc, Jerry O’Connell has that comfortable feel of a TV star who you’ve welcomed into your home hundreds of times before. He’s no superhero, despite attempts to convince you otherwise with things like “Lost In Space.” Think about it. We’re all happy to see see O’Connell or Le Blanc in our homes, but neither of them could don Superman’s cape or Spider-Man’s webshooters.

Could you imagine if they made a Captain America movie in 1985 with superstar Ted Danson? It nearly makes sense, but at the same time it isn’t quite right. Luckily, Jon Hamm has added the leading man credits on television and the perfect supporting roles in film to make him the unshakable best bet of this face off. Sorry, Jerry. But a supporting role in these films is NOT out of the question.

Jon Hamm wins!