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George
Bush's Favorite Comic
By Craig &
Lucie
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Welcome to
SBC’s The Panel, a chance for you to put your burning
questions – comics-related or otherwise – to a group of comics
professionals.
The Panel lives or dies by your
contributions; please email them to [email protected]
and we’ll add them to the list…
This week’s question comes
from SBC Big Kahuna himself, Jason Brice, and is as
follows:-
"If President George W. Bush (and/or Tony Blair,
and/or any other elected official or dictator you choose) were a
comic book fan, who or what would be his - or her - favorite
creators and/or series?"
Beau
Smith:
President Bush would like most anything I
wrote...why? Because I always throw in a mix of action, humor and
romance in my comics. He would enjoy Chuck Dixon's comics with the
history slant. I also think he would enjoy the art of The Kubert
Brothers, Jim Lee, Steve Lieber and Art Adams...all these guys are
master story tellers.
I think President Bush would enjoy the
JSA comic as well as The Avengers. I think they would appeal to him
because of the dynamics of a group of super powers and how they
interact with each other. Much like his own job as
president.
To close, I think he would be a fan of Archie
comics because of the humor and all ages attraction of Archie
comics. I know I still read em'.
Beau Smith writes, fights
and wears tights…well, two out of three ain’t bad.
William
Tucci:
Since the President is the son of a war hero
he most likely spent many a youthful hour lost in the classic pages
of Marvel's "Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos", DC's amazing
"Sgt. Rock" and being from Texas, "The Lone Ranger" by Dell
Comics.
Apparently, when GWB isn't busy keeping the world
safe from Terror, lowering our out of control tax burden or leading
us through the best economy in twenty years, I've read that he
regularly enjoys "The Onion." Now I know that's not comics, but
shows a certain sense of humor and degree of wit. So I'd bet he'd
really get a kick out of many books in Top Shelf's catalogue,
especially Craig Thompson's "Good-Bye, Chunky Rice" and "Better Luck
Next Century" by the wonderful Dylan Horrocks.
Of course,
there's always "Superman."
William Tucci is perhaps best
known for his creation Shi, issue one of the latest series
Ju-Nen due very shortly.
Roger Langridge:
If
Eaglemoss' Horrible Histories series have done an issue on the
Crusades yet, I think it should be put at the top of his reading
pile.
As for what he might actually like, I can see him
having a good old wank over some of Frank Miller's stuff. If you're
not smart enough to see the satirical edge, it can easily be read as
nice simple right-wing politics with no shades of grey. Maybe he'd
like some of those World War Two propaganda comics where the Germans
and Japanese are all hunchbacked, slope-eyed demons and the
Americans are gods in human form.
But I think the creator
whose work he'd most identify with is Jack T. Chick (of Christian
propaganda minicomic fame).
Tony Blair would probably prefer
a watered-down version, like those religious Archie comics they used
to do. You can't really play guitar to Jack T.
Chick.
Roger Langridge is the creator of Fred The Clown, a
new issue of which is right now … your orders are to look out for
it
Vince
Moore:
Right now I think GWB's favorite book would
be American Power. Therefore his favorite creator would be Chuck
Dixon. Although I think GWB would definitely be into Ennis'
Punisher.
Vince Moore is the writer of Platinum
Publishing’s upcoming book, Kid Victory & The Funky Hammer
Alonzo Washington:
Sgt.
Rock & Power Rangers attack of the ooze! I think he would be
interested in any comic book that deals with war &
oil.
Alonzo Washington is the creator of Omega Man and a
noted black rights campaigner
Devin
Grayson:
Duly elected? Oh, sorry. 'Fraid that leaves
Bush out....mind you, George W. Bush has made it very clear that he
does not read. Anything.
Devin Grayson writes exclusively
for DC, the reinvigorated Nightwing being amongst her current crop
of books.
Alan Grant:
Prior
to the September 11 attacks, Bush's intelligence quotient seemed to
be on the low-to-non-existent side. He may have gained comfort from
the Teletubbies comics, although the emphasis on hugging would have
made him queasy, maybe even psychotically enraged.
However, I
suspect that since the Twin Towers Bush has been possessed by one of
the evil Spirits of the Apocalypse, possibly Leviathan, which now
uses Bush as its mouthpiece. If this is indeed the case, the Pres
will not be reading any comics at all in future. All of his energies
will be focussed on manifesting, in real life, the catastrophes
prophesied in the Book of Revelation.
Alan Grant is maybe
most famous for his Batman and Judge Dredd work, and his classic
EPIC series The Last American is due out imminently from Com.X as a
trade for the first time.
Fiona Avery:
President Bush probably didn't read comic books as a kid
because the man in all likelihood can't read. Maybe the
pictures helped. But I have the chilling suspicion he was read Art
Spiegelman's MAUS as a child and laughed.
Fiona
Avery plays in the Marvel Universe, with Wildstorm at DC, and is the
creator of No Honor.
Stephen
Holland:
There’s not a lot for Bush to choose
between, is there?
Even at Marvel and DC every writer who
touches politics despises the arrogant, self-serving, manipulative,
disingenuous, hypocritical, drink-driving, election-rigging,
minority-oppressing, human-rights-eliminating, fund-slashing,
environment-obliterating, oil-obsessed, imperialist little
shit.
He’d probably get a kick out of The Ultimates -
though Condoleeza, Dick or Colin would need to use a lot of
white out on all those Thor speeches.
He certainly wouldn’t
be too fond of Dr. Parsons, creator of tony & me by georg
bush.
Nor would Mr. Blair, though at least he was
democratically elected.
I imagine our Tony would go for
Love & Rockets. There’s a band in there, and they’ve long
been a brand name that’s “cool” to leave on your coffee table. I
doubt he’d read it, though: Tony’s way too busy betraying Labour’s
long-held principles and pissing all over our collective social
conscience.
Sorry, did you just touch a nerve?
:)
Stephen Holland runs Page 45, a comic shop in
Nottingham, England, with Mark Simpson and Tom Rosin. He also has a
regular column in Comics International. In #171, out in a
fortnight, he praises the generosity and business acumen of Dave
Sim, creator of Cerebus - even though Stephen is
ever-so-slightly left of centre, and Dave Sim is what you
might call less-than-liberal.
Rob
Williams:
That question would imply that Bush could read,
which isn't necessarily the case.
Maybe Bryan Hitch-era The
Authority or The Ultimates - all those pretty splash pages would
mean that he wouldn't have to concentrate too much and the nasty
violence would remind him that he maybe did make the right choice in
not bothering to turn up for the Texas National Guard. I mean, look
at what's happening in Iraq at the moment? Soldiers can get
hurt.
In Tony Blair's case, if George liked The Authority and
The Ultimates, then I'm sure Tony'd take that recommendation on
board.
Rob Williams is the writer of Cla$$war for Com.X,
Family for the Judge Dredd Megazine, a bunch of stuff for 2000AD,
including the upcoming Low Life, and Star Wars Tales for Dark
Horse.
Donna Barr:
First,
George Bush would have to learn to read. Tony Blair would read
whatever George Bush told him to read.
Donna Barr has
books and original art at www.stinz.com, webcomics at
www.moderntales.com, www.girlamatic.com, and has POD at
www.booksurge.com Nothing she won't try, at least once.
Jesse
Leon McCann:
George W. Bush became a comics fan while
sitting on his dad's lap and having REAGAN'S RAIDERS read to him.
Later, when he struck out on his own, he tried THE PUNISHER,
thinking it to be just his style. But soon he realized he couldn't
understand a bit of it--probably because some foreigner named Ennis
was the writer.
Today, while eating pretzels, he'll peruse
his well-worn copies of the GON series, comfortably uncluttered with
words, and featuring some "darn purty pitchers."
Jesse
Leon McCann currently editing the fourth Simpsons TV Episode Guide
for Bongo Comics/Harper Perennial, writing several stories for DC
Comics' Kids Line, and Scooby-Doo books for Fisher Price and
Scholastic, Inc.
Kwanza
Osajyefo:
That's a good question, John. (pause) Uhm.
G-Dub, as I refer to him, (pause) would actually have to first prove
to me that he could actually read. (pause) I think despite your
political affiliation, his performance during his press conference
(pause) was poor and that he has a poor record as president.
Mudslinging aside, (pause) I think that the Thief-in-Chief would
likely have Dick read to him, uhm, licensed-property comics or
comics with movie or TV tie-ins. Good Christian comics (pause) full
of Americans fighting against those evildoers that hate us, freedom
and our way of life.
So to break down a list appropriate for
G-Dub:
Captain America
Captain America and the
Falcon
Marvel Age Spider-Man
The
Punisher
Superman
Powepuff Girls
Scooby Doo
Teen Titans
GO!
He-Man
GI Joe
American Power
Head Up
Ass-Man
His favorite creators, Avi Arad, Gui Karyo, Bill
Jemas, Paul Levitz, Jeannete Kahn and God.
Viva la Freedom
Toast!
Listen to www.AirAmericaRadio.com
Kwanza
Osajyefo is the founder of funkyComics, home to Jim's Ninja and a
number of other forthcoming comic book properties.
Vito Delsante:
I
would imagine GWB being a Superman fan or maybe even a Captain
Marvel fan. I definitely think he has the mind of a child trapped in
the body of an adult and he probably drives Cheney insane saying
"Shazam!" a la Gomer Pyle during important meetings.
Vito
Delsante is currently pitching his creator owned mini-series, "The
Mercury Chronicles", with artist Jim Muniz. He can be seen in June's
"Batman Adventures Vol 2: Shadows and Masks" from DC Comics and in a
forthcoming issue of X-Men Unlimited.
Brandon
Thomas:
This is a tough one, because most guys are
going to think of George W. Bush, and his high stakes revenge epic
against Saddam Hussein, and draw instant comparisons to Marvel’s
Punisher, but that might be too extreme, even for him. The comic
franchise that most exemplifies Bush, and his outlook on the world,
are the X-Men and the imperialistic strangle-hold their books can
elicit on the marketplace. Because they are the biggest and the
baddest, and clearly outnumber anyone that could serve as a worthy
competitor, I think Bush would appreciate their standing and
influence among us. He’d be impressed at how mutants, supposedly
feared and hated, could multiply uninhibited, thereby bullying
themselves into the upper echelons of the sales charts. But then,
he’d probably label them social deviants, and tell them they
couldn’t get married to one another…
Brandon Thomas is one
of the writers of Spider-Man Unlimited #3, scripter of Youngblood,
creator of Cross and long-time Ambidextrous columnist.
Finally, Jason also sent this question to New Zealand’s Prime
Minister Helen Clark:
Dear Prime Minister,
I am a
New Zealander who runs a large fan website for comic books. My site,
Silver Bullet Comics, reaches a wide international audience. As
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, you may or may not be aware
there is a large and thriving comic book community in Aotearoa.
One of the discussions we are currently engaged in focuses
on our respective national leaders, and their (possible) interest in
comic books.
Do you have any interest in comic books, or
have you read them regularly at any point in your life?
Thanks for your time and attention, despite the somewhat
trivial nature of my request.
It took mere days for a
response to come winging its way back to us:-
Kia ora,
Thank you for your e-mail message. It is difficult to
respond to the many e-mail messages received. We do however read
everything that is sent and if a unique issue has been raised or new
information presented we will respond as soon as possible.
Naku noa, na
[Name withheld on no-one’s
request]
Private Secretary
I think that answers all
questions?
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