What if the attack on the US Capitol succeeded? 1/6 is a 4 part comics series written by Alan Jenkins and Gan Golan and illustrated by Will Rosado. Prof. Jenkins and Golan joined me on the podcast to talk about their comic which combines comics journalism, speculative fiction and activism.
Drawing on real-life events, 1/6 travels the road that led from back-room meetings, white supremacist rallies, and the Four Seasons Landscaping parking lot to a violent attack on the Capitol that left several Americans dead and shook our nation to its core. It imagines a world in which the events of that day turned out very differently. Through a diverse cast of characters 1/6 builds towards a story of how we might organize and fight for democracy.
From One Six Comics, 1/6 answers the question “What if the January 6 attacks on the US Capitol succeeded in overthrowing our Democracy?“. Written by Gan Golan and Harvard Law professor Alan Jenkins, it features art by Will Rosado, with colors by Lee Loughridge, and letters by Tom Orzechowski. The graphic novel also features work by comics masters Shawn Martinbrough and Jamal Igle.
The first issue of the 4 issue series is coming out early January 2023.
The team is working closely with the Western States Center, an amazing organization that has been on the frontlines of countering White Supremacy for decades.
They’re We looking to raise $10,000 so they can distribute the comic en masse to organizations looking to amplify their critical work. You can support the project through Kickstarter. If the project hits its goal, it’ll be able to print and distribute 5,000 additional copies to organizations and educational institutions.
Today, just in time for Tax Day, we are launching a new video game that let’s you blast corporate Tax Evaders! The game, a spin on the classic Space Invaders, pits you against corporations, like GE, Exxon, Verizon, Goldman Sachs, Boeing, Google, Pfizer and Microsoft, who rake in billions, but pay no taxes. It’s the latest example of video games to educate and push a political agenda.
Why did this game happen? Because some of the largest, most powerful corporations actually pay less taxes than you or I. They aren’t just avoiding paying their fair share and leaving the rest of us to pick up the tab, their tax dodging schemes are are forcing us to make serious cuts to social security, health care, housing, education and all the basic services that keep our society running.
That hurts real people.
The launch of the game coincides with a series of ‘illuminated’ actions taking place across the country between now and April 15th, where, Light Brigades will be taking the message to the streets and to the very doorstep of these corporations, while mobile Guerilla Projection Teams will be projecting the game in public space for people to play outdoors and on the streets.
But, it’s not just a video game. Not only is it fun, entertaining and educational, but it actually allows you to blast these tax dodging corporations for reals using a “twitter bomb” feature.
Shockingly, the debate in Congress today is about cutting Social Security. The real question is why are we even discussing these cuts before going after the hundreds of billions that corporate Tax Evaders steal from our budget every year? A recent report reveals that we are losing nearly $100 Billion every year from corporate tax dodging.
We need to stop closing hospitals and schools, and start closing corporate loopholes!
Blast the corporate Tax Evaders!
The Tax Evaders game was concieved by NY Times bestselling author Gan Golan in collaboration with famed radical game designer Molleindustria, who also did the programming. The great retro 8bit pixel artwork was done by Jamogames with a catchy chiptunes soundscape by Ashton Morris.
You can play the game on the website where there are a lot more features, and actually blast corporate tax evaders for real using the “twitter bomb” which we gotta say, is damn cool. On April 10, the video game made its public debut when guerilla projection groups in New York City, Seattle, San Francisco and Baltimore played it on the side of office buildings of real corporate tax evaders. You can see more here.
You can follow the ongoing actions happening in over 10 cities through Tax Day on twitter: #taxevaders
Oh, I was a bit busy yesterday, so lots of previews…. today, might not be better… But it’s new comic day! Yay!
Around the Blogs
The Beat – Unemployed superheroes hit Occupy Wall Street – I love this for so many reasons. It being a great comic that deserves so much more recognition is just the tip of the iceberg.
The Adventures of Unemployed Man is fun, funny and educational taking shots at today’s economic collapse and the issues people deal with day to day. It intelligently explains and teaches economic issues and satirizes the current economic and political state. This is humor as smart and biting as anything you’d find on The Daily Show or Colbert Report.
MAIN STREET, USA-Against incredible odds, jobless crusader UNEMPLOYED MAN and his sidekick PLAN B embark on a heroic search for work-and quickly find themselves waging an epic battle against The Just Us League, a dastardly group of supervillains including THE HUMAN RESOURCE, TOXIC DEBT BLOB, PINK SLIP and THE INVISIBLE HAND.
Experience this action-packed story in THE ADVENTURES OF UNEMPLOYED MAN-a fearless, brilliant, and provocative book that ASTOUNDS with incisive wit and AMAZES with stunning insights into the desperate situation so many heroes find themselves in today.
A new supergroup of down-but-not-out heroes has emerged from the economic crisis, including perpetual grad student MASTER OF DEGREES, fix-it-with-tape DUCTO, pain-shrinking therapist GOOD GRIEF, checkbook unbalancer ZILCH, shadow worker FANTASMA, and WONDER MOTHER, who built her invisible jet from pieces of the glass ceiling.
These heroes have enlisted the help of Erich Origen and Gan Golan, the dynamic duo behind the New York Times bestseller GOODNIGHT BUSH. Together they tell the story of our intrepid heroes’ climactic clash with the self-interested villains who dwell in the Hall of Just Us, devising sinister plots that threaten the entire world.
This richly illustrated book is a parody of classic superhero comics from the Golden Age to the present day-and a brilliant dissection of our current economic meltdown. It features dazzling artwork by such comics legends as Ramona Fradon, Rick Veitch, Michael Netzer, Terry Beatty, Josef Rubenstein, Benton Jew, Thomas Yeates, Shawn Martinbrough, Clem Robins, Tom Orzechowski, Thomas Mauer and Lee Loughridge.
Written by Erich Origen and Gan Golan with numerous artists, the story follows the fall and rise of Ultimatum and his eventual alter ego The Unemployed Man. The story is brilliant with perfect jabs at the various forces that exist and affect today’s economy. The best of all, it provides political commentary without shoving it all down your throat.
There’s some minor issues in the graphic novel doesn’t go too deep into some of those economic forces to really explain what they are (Glass Steagall being the one that really sticks out), but this should be enough to get folks to want to find out what they are themselves.
This is perfect satire that’s aimed at folks who let the rich get richer and don’t do anything about it. There’s educational materials that make you think, all wrapped up in entertainment.
I wish all of politics was this much fun. This should be required reading for everyone to open their eyes and get them to really think about what’s happened the last 30 years to get us where we are.
