Republican Vice Presidential hopeful and current Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin features on the next issue of Tales From the Crypt, wielding a hockey stick (presumably a nod to her famous hockey moms speech) at the regular hosts of the comic while yelling “didn’t we get rid of you guys in the 50s?”. According to ICV2 Cathy Gaines Mifsud (daughter of original EC publisher William Gaines) has stated the comic is not taking a political stance either way, but it is making a point about freedom of the press, drawing parallels between the censorship of comics in the 50s (which was based pretty much on hysteria and hyperbole and no proper research to back up wild claims of comics damaging youth) and reports that back when she was but a small town mayor Palin enquired in the local library about the possibility of having certain books removed from the shelves.
“Tales from the Crypt is not endorsing any political candidates…nor are we attacking any candidates, but Tales does care about freedom and censorship,” commented Gaines Mifsud. I’ll leave you to make your own minds up if running that sort of cover clashes with that statement or not. It seems like open season for politics and comics in the US between this, IDW’s comics biography of McCain and Obama and some creators endorsing one or another candidate, not forgetting some comics creators who have actually been following and documenting the presidential trail for some time. We’ve seen Gordon Brown in Captain Britain, but largely speaking major political candidates in the UK seem to be seen more commonly in the time-honoured political cartoon than the comics, although a few have made appearances here and there. Which may be just as well, really. I mean, can you imagine comics biographies of Gordon Brown or David Cameron? I mean serious ones, not one taking the mickey.
October 2nd, 2008 at 11:25 pm
Well, this is just beautiful. I’m from the states and a great number of us are cringing at the thought of her any where near the lower 48. [and yes ... I'm a girl too, so that's not the issue].
She’s an idiot. and we’ve had an idiot in charge for the last 8 years. Unfortunately, there’s lots of idiots in our country. Those who think the President must be right “cause he’s the President”. You know the reasoning. “I can’t be bothered. We hired some guy to do that..I don’t know, never thought about it…”
The whole world insists on following us when we’re not much more than bold and brash young adults, unwilling to be told no. Many of us are really hoping the idiot part doesn’t take over again.
October 3rd, 2008 at 8:44 am
Susan, sadly idiots running for, or actually in, office isn’t restricted to the US, the rest of us have plenty of numpties in political office too, there seems to be something about politics which attracts them… Still there is a silver lining to everything – BBC Radio 4′s News Quiz (topical comedy show, very good usually) played the Hallelujah Chorus for Palin this week because she’s an absolute gift to satirists :-)