Catesby Jones California Republic Heritage Flag

The Bear Flag Revolt lives on as an epic chapter in California History. But a few years before the Mexican-American War of 1846 there was the Commodore Catesby Jones Incident at Monterrey, California. And this is when the first US flag was officially hoisted over California Soil by a government official as captured territory.

Catesby Jones 1842 California Republic Heritage Flag

In 1842 Texas was still a semi-independent renegade republic with limited diplomatic recognition as are Northern Cyprus, Palestine, and Transnistria today in 2012.

There were wild rumors of war in Mexico and the United States. It was sure to manifest but the commander of the US Pacific Squadron - Catseby Jones accidentally invaded and occupied California at Monterrey Bay three years prior to the Bear Flag Revolt.

Commodore Catesby Jones received intelligence that war with Mexico was imminent and inaccurate news was reported that the UK purchased California and rumors of war had already started were abundant. Also note the US was at great tension with Canada over territorial claims in Oregon-Columbia country.

Russia also evacuated California at Ft. Ross, all powers in the area were edgy due to the political vacuum left by Russia. Was somebody going to step up and fill the void? Were Canada, Mexico, and Russia conspiring to split up the West Coast and keep the USA boxed in, on the Atlantic Ocean?

US with 26 Stars - Hoisted Over California in 1842
Four years before the Bear Flag Revolt

In October the pre-game season of the Mexican-American War started on October 19, 1842. Catesby Jones sailed into Mexican Waters with the United States and Cyane. The Americans later captured the Mexican brig Joven Guipuzcoana - the first prize of war in the US-Mexican conflict. The next day on October 20, 1842 over one hundred and fifty US sailors and US marines landed at Monterrey, California. The Mexican Flag was lowered and the 26 starred American Flag was raised. At this time the youngest state in the Union was Michigan. Fort Monterrey was then renamed after a Virginian - as Fort Catesby.

The next day on October 21, 1842 Commodore Catesby Jones truly discovered that Mexico was not at war with the United States. Catesby Jones then lowered the American Flag and restored Monterrey to Mexican control with a 13 gun honor salute to the Mexican Colours.

Jones' action was horribly embarrassing and the United States made a formal apology to Mexico, but four years later the American Hope of expanding in to California was manifested, at least the northern half of it.

Please note that the Catesby Jones 1842 California Republic Flag is a new convention that combines the modern flag of California with elements of history. The bear on the Catesby Jones 1842 California Republic Flag is laying down in a cave and foggy eyed from hibernation.

Bears sometimes awoke too early, before the winter has ended. They would then go back to sleep. Likewise the United States did so with California with the Commodore Catesby Jones Incident, which was a too early 'winter' advance on California. But like the bears who wake up too early, before the winter thaw, the United States went to back sleep and awoke four years later to 're-take' California in 1846 and fly the stars and stripes on her coastline.
















Imagine if Mexico and America went to war in 1842? This is one alternate thread of history yet to be written.

Flag of Helium from John Carter of Mars film 2012

Nation of Helium
John Carter of Mars 2012 Film

The flag of Helium uses several shades of blue. It is a divided horizontally in the middle. Off center nearer the fly is a large disc counter shaded to the background which represents Mars.

On the upper half are two smaller discs that represent the dwarf moons of Mars - Diemos and Phobos.

Flags from the Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars - 1998

 The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars- 1998 is the cosmic sequel to the original Brave Little Toaster.  In this wonderland of imagination house hold appliances are give a measure of love usually reserved for cars and dolls.

In this movie a brave little toaster travels to Mars to rescue his human master.  Along the journey love, loyalty, and questions about mankind's attachment to non-biological entities are gleaned.

After arriving on Mars, the household appliances are surprised to that the planet has already been colonized by machines who seek to reek revenge on the humans that inhabit earth.  However a courageous little toaster reminds the machines that there is spark of joy in the human heart.

Two distinct 'Martian' flags made by the machines appear in this film.

US Flag Shorts on Mars as the Flag - Rocketman 1997

Rocketman 1997 stars Harland Williams as a gifted computer programmer who travels to Mars to plant the first American, sort of.  But Fred Randall is an ill coordinated goofball who looses the flag in a canyon and uses his American Flag shorts in its place. 

Rocketman is you classic silly beans American movie, made for the delight of kids in elementary school.  It it filled with slapstick, farts, and monkey hijinx. It is so stupid it is actually funny. 

The Flag in the Mars Attacks - Card #49 The Earthmen Charge

Long before the Garbage Pail kids there was a bubble gum trading card series known as Mars Attacks from 1962 - the year the United States launched a man into orbit one year after the Soviet Union.

Earthmen Tank Flag - Mars Attacks 1962

On card number 49 a small flag can be seen on the counter attack of humans upon the Martian home world. The flag is barely noticeable on the Earthmen Tank. It is a red and black horizontal tri-bar pennant - with black in the middle.

The artwork is a mix of war time WWII meshed to the early space age 1960s.


The Back Side of the Card

Here is the other side of the card with story explanation. This unique format of a 'book' revealed by trading cards made it like an archeological game where bits and pieces of the story came to the readers in a non-linear fashion. This type of 'trading card book' with a strong focus on art is a rare type of media. Considered not a comic book but yet a cherished media that stirred the imaginations of many a American Children.

Wondrously it is attached to Solarian Heritage. Solarian is an all inclusive politically correct term for beings native the 'Terran/Sun' system.' Thus persons from the Moon, Earth, Mars, Ceres, Deimos, Phobos or Mercury are all considered 'Solarian' yet differ by native planet such as Lunatic (considered an insult on Earth), Earthling, Martain, Cerisian, Deimonite, Phobo or Mercurite.

This series of cards will certainly become priceless artifacts of 'Martian Heritage' when 'humans/cyborgs' from earth successfully colonize Mars in the next 200 years - maybe in the year 2222. Certainly in the next 50 years people will have 'cell phones' directly implanted in their skulls.

Marvin the Martian Flag - MARS WEEK 2012

Marvin the Martian with native Mars Flag

One of Marvin the Martian's flag is similar to the Japanese flag. The difference is that the central disc is of center towards the hoist and the background is pink.









Marvin the Martian Flag
In the Duck Dogers Episode - 1953