”Independence icons” as Venezuelan toys

Who would win a grudge match between G.I. Joe and Simon Bolivar? We may soon find out:

Inspired by socialist President Hugo Chavez, a father and daughter are hoping to launch a line of action figures from Venezuela's history to counter the popularity of "imperialist" American superheroes like Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman.

Joyce Parra and her father, Angel, have drafted drawings for action figures they call "Venezuela's Heroes," including independence icons Simon Bolivar and Francisco de Miranda, as well as Antonio Jose de Sucre, a general who helped Bolivar free Venezuela from Spanish rule.

"The idea isn't to get rich," Joyce Parra, 26, told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "What we want to do is make them available for the children whose parents cannot afford to purchase such toys."

Parra is hoping for funding from the Venezuelan government in order to manufacture at least twenty action figures. He may get his wish after Chavez praised the toys on his weekly program for symbolizing the “battle against Superman, against Batman, (and) against Robin.

Not all of the planned action figures are men; one of them includes Manuela Sáenz- Bolivar’s mistress who’s seen as a revolutionary hero.

Image- AP ("An action figure in the likeness of Venezuela's independence hero Francisco de Miranda, created by Angel Parra and his daughter Joyce, is displayed in Caracas, Wednesday, March 11, 2009.")
Online Sources- Univision.com, Los Angles Times, Wikipedia