David Kessler, Superhero, Messiah

Of all the job titles David Kessler has held, this one takes the cake. The International Society For The Advancement Of David Kessler has highlighted careers of attorneys, artists, physicians, professors, and actors. Even several fictional characters were David Kessler.

But David Kessler was a Marvel comic book character named Messiah. Starting in issue number 97 of Defenders (July 1981), the mild-mannered (aren't they always?) David Kessler made his debut. According to the Marvel Comics website,

"David Kessler was a dreamer, an idealist who thought he could change the world just by preaching a message of peace. When others gave up on the message, David put his energies to better use--working at a school for handicapped children, and other, similar efforts. No matter how hard he tried, it never seemed to make a difference. Eventually he quit his job and went to Israel, to seek out his roots. After 20 days alone in the desert, an angel appeared to him, telling David that he was the one, true messiah foretold in the Hebrew scriptures. It filled him with divine power and sent him to begin his mission of raising the world up from its current state. Unbeknownst to David, however, the angel was actually the demon Hyppokri (or one of his agents), one of the demonic cabal known as the Six-Fingered Hand, and the power that filled him was anything, but divine."

"What were his super powers?", you ask? Marvel says, "Chief among his powers was the ability to heal others. He could also evaluate the spirit of others and see their true nature. He could summon an army of warriors--whom he believed to be angels, but were really demons not actually under his control."

The International Society For The Advancement Of David Kessler has ordered on Ebay several copies of the comic that David Kessler first appears in. You may want to secure your copy now before there is a rush to horde the dwindling supplies.

Steve Guttenberg Was David Kessler

You read that right. The illustrious Steve Guttenberg played David Kessler in the 1977 movie The Chicken Chronicles. Yeah, you read that right too. The Chicken Chronicles was actually the name of the film and it was Steve Guttenberg's first major film role. It was a high school sex romp movie in which David Kessler is on a mission to lose his virginity once and for all. What else is there to do in high school? David Kessler is bound to lose his virginity sometime, so it might as well be chronicled on the silver screen.

For those of you who are following along at home, this is the second movie in which David Kessler is the main character that The International Society For The Advancement Of David Kessler has reported on (though, so far it is chronologically the oldest known movie with David Kessler in it). The first (and our favorite) movie to be discussed here is the classic An American Werewolf in London. Then, of course, there was Irreconcilable Differences. Have a look at the previous posts to learn more about the fascinating, fictitious David Kessler.

When in Rome, Do as David Kessler Does

David Kessler is no stranger to the stage. There is evidence of David Kessler being a stage presence for over 100 years. The summer of 1999 was a particularly active summer for David Kessler as he graced several stages in the Rome, Georgia area. Along with the Prospect Theater Company, David Kessler put on a play called She Loves Me, Shakespear's classic, As You Like It and Gilbert and Sullivan's classic, The Pirates of Penzance.

Can you imagine being in Rome, Georgia that summer and seeing David Kessler in three different shows? If only the International Society For The Advancement Of David Kessler had been around at the time, we could have gotten a group rate.

Another Fictitious David Kessler

Did you know David Kessler was in the 1984 movie, Irreconcilable Differences? Remember that movie with Ryan O'Neal, Shelly Long, and a cute, little Drew Barrymore? Maybe you rented it on VHS or Beta when you got your exciting new Video Cassette Recorder in 1986. Or maybe you taped it from HBO when you got your exciting new Video Cassette Recorder in 1986. Either way, it may have been a while since you last saw the movie.

The only thing I can think of that is interesting about the movie is that David Kessler is one of the characters. I can only assume that since I can't remember anything about the movie, I must not have seen it. After all, how could I forget a movie that David Kessler was in?

Judging by the reviews I have seen online, the prominence of David Kessler in this movie pales in comparison to the lead role David Kessler enjoyed in An American Werewolf in London. Now that was a role for David Kessler! This time around David Kessler is played by Sam Wanamaker, pictured here from the film Superman IV (I couldn't find a picture of Sam in Irreconcilable Differences).

Though Sam is now dead, he will be considered for posthumous induction into adjunct membership of The International Society for the Advancement of David Kessler. Well played, Sam. Well played.

Comic, Writer, Performer David Kessler

As the title vaguely implies, David Kessler is a comic, writer, and performer. His website www.davekessler.com gives that impression too (That's where I got the idea from). It is also where I nicked the photo from.

A few photos on his site show him doing standup comedy at the Improv. He's even been on television and made a short film. We definitely have to check out David Kessler. He can be seen on stage both in LA and in NYC. Ooh, bi-coastal! How very today!

If David Kessler plays his cards right, he may even supplant David Kessler as the most famous David Kessler.

David Kessler, Fine Artist

A Santa Fe, New Mexico gallery called the Meyer-Munson Gallery lists David Kessler in its Artist Index. It looks like he as sold a couple of multi-thousand dollar paintings on their website. I have seen his posters at about a million poster sites on the Web. They're hard to miss.

Since he shows up on so many poster websites, I suppose he is known in the poster and fine art industries. I'll put him in the Fame category until I hear otherwise. I only have my vague intuition to go on, acknowledging, of course, that he's not nearly as famous as the most famous David Kessler.

Anyway, David Kessler paints on aluminum to make his paintings extra shiny. Of course, that deconstruction doesn't do justice to his work. And neither does the Web, I am sure. From what I can see on my monitor, I bet seeing the real thing is a much more satisfying experience. The work looks photorealistic.

Fictitious David Kessler

In 1981 John Landis gave us a fictional David Kessler (artfully played by David Naughton) who was the lead character in the horror film with a humorous heart, An American Werewolf in London. Any self-respecting David Kessler must have seen this film at least once, if not several times. The best line in the movie is when a mangled, rotting, dead zombie friend of David Kessler says to him, "You must die, David Kessler!" That's the kind of line David Kessler doesn't soon forget.

Perhaps David Naughton should be given an honorary, adjunct membership in the International Society for the Advancement of David Kessler. Maybe the membership committee will consider this matter, when there is a membership committee.

You can learn more about the classic film at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082010/ or you can get information on the 20th Anniversary DVD and see more pictures like the one above at http://www.americanwerewolf.com/home.html.

Dead David Kessler

Among the David Kesslers that have enjoyed some public exposure, David Kessler is the earliest example I have found so far. David Kessler was born in 1863. If he was still alive, he would undoubtedly be the most famous David Kessler, as he'd be celebrating his 143rd birthday this year. No such luck for him or us. Instead, David Kessler died in 1920 after a prominent life on stage in New York City's Yiddish theater.

He is a member in good standing with The International Society for the Advancement of David Kessler despite being dead. You will note that being alive is not one of the criteria for membership (though it is encouraged).

Less Famous David Kessler

We all know David Kessler from the FDA, but there are other David Kesslers that also enjoy varying degrees of notoriety. Take David Kessler, for instance. David Kessler is a journalist and author of a few books, one of which he recently co-wrote with the famous Elizabeth Kubler-Ross; On Grief and Grieving. His books and interests tend toward end-of-life issues. You know, (death). Shh. Don't say it too loud. Maybe it won't happen to you.

If you want to learn more about him and his work, hop on over to www.davidkessler.org. Don't go for too long though, there are other David Kesslers you'll want to learn about.

The Most Famous David Kessler

Undoubtedly the world's most famous David Kessler is the former head of the United States Food and Drug Administration, Dr. David Kessler. David Kessler is probably most noted as bringing the U.S. tobacco industry before Congress's heavy scrutny. His investigations into the manipulation of nicotine levels in cigarettes and other manipulative and misleading practices of the tobacco industry contibuted to findings of culpability in federal courts and headline-grabbing record damage awards to plaintiffs and their families. Punitve damages also funded state-wide anti-smoking initiatives.

David Kessler earned an M.D. from Harvard AND (probably because he was bored) a law degree around the same time from the University of Chicago. Last I heard about this over-acheiving David Kessler is that he is Dean of the Yale medical school.

Added 9/22/2006 - I thought I was tracking down another David Kessler; this time an author of novels. I went to http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/k/david-kessler/ to find out more about David Kessler who wrote six books. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Oh, but I was. It seems the Deanship at Yale nicely affords David Kessler the time to pen fiction too. I stand by my last statement...

Hey, Dave. You're making the rest of us look bad.