I don’t know about you, but I spent most of yesterday glued to CNN, taking in Obamarama. (Oh… is that… not the official name for it? It seems like it ought to be.) Anyway, this phenomenon of Obama’s pop-culture popularity is something to behold, regardless of what you think of the man’s politics.

And so today I thought I’d point you at a great article about super-heroes who’ve ascended to the presidency.

Though he’s already met the Savage Dragon and Spider-Man, and will be playing a role in both Youngblood and Marvel’s Thunderbolts series, Obama is no superhero president.

While he may joke about being rocketed to earth from Krypton as a child, comic book readers know that there have been times when real super-heroes have been inaugurated as President. Often times these stories are used as springboards to explore larger topics, but more often than not, are funhouse mirrors on our own world.

It’s a must-read for any comics fan, not to mention that I’d had no idea that Obama had already been inserted into several comics, already. Fun!

Honestly, when Captain Underpants arrived on the scene, I assumed that now I’d seen it all. I’m a voracious bookworm and have been lucky enough to have kids who likewise love to read, but I understand that reluctant young readers sometimes need to be lured in, sure. I understand that young boys, in particular, can often be hooked with a bit of low-brow humor, yes.

But Sir Fartsalot??

Yes. Sir Fartsalot.

Notable not just for the name—or the fact that it’s aimed to mix medieval times with every modern boy’s favorite giggle-provoker (flatulence! so funny!)—Penguin decided to back an official webisode to drive kids towards their website.

Warning: Do not view the following if you are of weak constitution or no sense of humor.

Can I tell you a secret? I think the cartoon is hilarious. (Please don’t tell my son. It’s a struggle to keep him… ummmm… contained… as it is.)

Author Kevin Bolger clearly knows what will grab middle-school boys, and Penguin was likewise savvy in launching both the website and cartoon.

I guess you could say it’s a coup for both marketing and armpit-farting children everywhere.

Hey, remember back when we were kids and movies were divided into two categories: Those we were allowed to see (G and PG) and those we weren’t (R)? Nowadays we also have PG-13, which I think was supposed to help matters, somehow, but really just made them more complicated for most of us.

Well, some of us. Me, I have children under 13, and I have no problem telling them that they have to be this high to go on that ride. Er, 13 to see that movie. End of story. But it turns out that their friends all get to see those movies because their friends’ parents are much cooler than I am. Or something. I don’t know. I, however, maintain my position because I’m a big meanie.

I also believe in old-fashioned values like parenting my children myself, and not blaming the media for its influence on them. But I am just crazy that way.

Okay, now that you know my particular bent on these matters, perhaps you’ll understand how amusing I find the news that kid-targeted movies containing scenes of characters smoking will now also contain anti-smoking PSAs:

The six major studios will begin including antismoking public service announcements in youth-rated DVDs of films that include tobacco use.

Paramount, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros., Fox and Disney will place public service announcements on DVDs of new releases that are rated G, PG and PG-13 under an agreement reached by California health officials, studio reps and the Entertainment Industry Foundation. For the past year, Walt Disney Studios has had its own program of antismoking PSAs, but joined the agreement late Thursday to feature the state-produced spots.

I mean, this is good, I guess. It would be better if they just stopped putting gratuitous smoking into movies designed for underage audiences, I suppose, and better still if parents talked to their children about the dangers of smoking… but this is good, too.