With all the hoopla surrounding the release of the final installment of the

films this weekend, you may not have realized the much-anticipated — by all us geeks anyway — film

opens next Friday, July 22. The film marks the first live-action feature starring the Star-Spangled Avenger since 1990's

starring none other than Matt Salinger — son of the late and famously reclusive author J.D. Salinger — in the lead role.

For the uninitiated, Captain America is a Marvel Comics superhero described as follows in a brief on Marvel's website: "In World War II patriotic solider Steve Rogers, recipient of the 'Super Soldier Serum,' became the living symbol of freedom, Captain America. Left for dead while frozen in ice, the star-spangled hero with an indestructible shield awoke years later to continue his never-ending battle for liberty." (Check out the

on Marvel.com for more.)

If you've been biding your time for the last 21 years to see a live-action Cap on the big screen and can't hold it in for another six days or so, you can at least abate some of that tension by trying your hand at creating your own Captain America shield by following the instructions through one of the links below. Most of the instructions are via Instructables.com.

1.

From Instructables.com member seamster: "If you are interested in making one of these, you may have to do a bit of searching and asking to find a used satellite dish. I've seen them show up at thrift stores from time to time. Keep your eyes open, and you should be able to find one."

2.

From Instructables.com member AdrenalineSpeed: "I found a tabletop BBQ grill at ACE Hardware and immediately thought of Captain America, rest in peace. This requires nothing more than sanding, epoxy and paint!"

3.

From Intructables.com member scmorgan: "I made this for my son, who loves superheroes."

4.

From The League of Heroes member irishamericanlad: "Add your favorite vehicle wax, buff it out and you have a perfectly (cause you made it) round Captain America shield."

5.

Another option from Instructables.com member seamster: "This is a flying Captain America shield that you can make out of duct tape and cardboard. Make a couple of these and you can battle it out with your friends Captain America-style!" (See the video below to see the shield in action.)

If you've tried the shields above and you still need a Captain American fix, check out Marvel's free, kid-friendly

online.

Simon A. Thalmann is the online editor for Booth Features. He can be reached at sthalmann@kalamazoogazette.com.