Pineapple Man
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| Pineapple Man | |
 Cover art for Pineapple Man #3 Art by Sam Campos |
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| Publication information | |
|---|---|
| Publisher | SoloGraphics |
| First appearance | Pineapple Man #0: The Hunt (1994) |
| Created by | Sam Campos |
| In story information | |
| Alter ego | Isamu Pahoa |
| Team affiliations | Grandma Pahoa Miyoko Tabata Luk Fun Chun |
| Abilities | Superhuman strength and agility Trained hand-to-hand combatant |
Pineapple Man is a fictional independent comic book superhero created by Sam Campos and published under the SoloGraphics imprint, formed both by himself and his wife Genesis.[1] The character made his debut appearance in a two-part story arc titled Pineapple Man #0: The Hunt in 1994.
Pineapple Man's secret identity is that of Isamu Pohoa, a young Hawaiian man who turned to a life of crime after graduating from High School. After falling out of favor with the crimelord Kawafuchi, Sam is shot and left for dead atop an ancient heiau dedicated to Kukailimoku, the Hawaiian god of war. Instead of dying however, Isamu metamorphosed into the frightful form of Kukailimoku, having both superhuman strength and agility. Learning to control his new-found powers, he reluctantly decides to use them for good, and dons the alter ego of Pineapple Man due to his pineapple-like appearance. The series ran four successful issues, locally outselling Batman and X-Men comics.[2] Currently the comic is on hiatus, with no word of continuation.
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[edit] Publication history
While attending Kahuku High School, Sam Campos was caught reading comics in his art class. His teacher gave him an ultimatum: create his own comic book character over the following weekend or fail the class. The end result was Pineapple Man, a character that drew upon the rich local mythology and celebrated Sam's own Hawaiian culture.[3]
Several years later, Sam and his wife Genesis attended a comic convention where they met Richard Dominguez, an independent creator and publisher. After having an in-depth discussion on Dominguez's own creation, El Gato Negro, the couple were inspired to create their own independent comic book. They established the SoloGraphics imprint, and working as a husband-and-wife team, revived Sam's Pineapple Man character in the two-part story arc The Hunt published in 1994.
Four successful self-titled issues appeared shortly after, including a special Christmas issue. At the peak of its run, Pineapple Man locally outsold both Batman and X-Men comics, and was distributed internationally.[2] A fifth issue was to be published online in a web comic format but nothing has since materialized. The comic is currently on hiatus with no official word of continuation.
[edit] Fictional character history
Shortly after completing High School, Isamu Pahoa was lured to a life of crime, eventually rising in the ranks to be the right hand man for the criminal lord Shigeru Kawafuchi. Despite being in his service for some years, a disagreement occurred between the two, with the crime-lord resolving to kill Isamu. Isamu was shot and left for dead upon an ancient heiau. Instead of dying, Isamu was transformed in the image of the frightful god Kukailimoku. His skin became a thick hide and his face metamorphosed to resemble the god’s image. Spikes sprang forth from his head, neck, and limbs giving him natural weapons. He became stronger and faster. A reluctant hero, Isamu decides to use his new-found powers for good, working for a government agent.
