I am fascinated by all things Indian. A few days ago The New York Times published an obituary for Indian bodybuilder Manohar Aich, who died at the age of 103.
Manohar Aich, was only 4 feet 11 inches tall. A fact that earned him the nickname of “Pocket Hercules.”
I was struck by the similarities between the story of Manohar Aich and the life of Joseph L. Greenstein, a strong man know as the Mighty Atom. Years ago, my brother had given me a biography of Greenstein, which I highly recommend. Greenstein was only 5 feet 4 inches tall and he was the inspiration for the golden age comic book superhero “the Atom.”
The parallels are uncanny
In Michael Chabon’s great novel The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, there is a minor character names the Mighty Molecule who is based on Joseph Greenstein,