A pretty light day of news. But here’s some while you watch football today.
Around the Blogs:
Bleeding Cool – Frank Miller Vs Alex Cox On OWS… And Robocop – Forgot about Miller and the Robocop 2 connection.
Bleeding Cool – Captain America Cannabis Seized In San Diego – I think it was just some early shipments of giveaways for next year’s San Diego Comic Con.
It’s been quite a while but we’re bringing back Twitter Tuesday. Below is a highlight of some of the past week’s more politically oriented Twitter posts from those in the comic book industry showing it’s not just geek stuff they discuss.
The Amazing Spider-Man #96-98 was a pretty important arc in that it strayed from the Comics Code Authority in an effort to reach readers in a very special tail about drug abuse. In an interview with Comics Alliance, Stan Lee recounts how the code inflexibility wouldn’t allow the story to be published.
Marvel circumvented potential censorship on behalf of the United States Department of Health, Education and Welfare (now the Department of Health and Human Services) by bucking the code.
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Drugs in our culture have had an up and down relationship. Once upon a time amphetamines (also called “pep”) were once recommended for everything from depression to weight loss. They were sold over the counter until 1971. In a 1951 comic Mickey Mouse and Goofy got into the action promoting the sale of speed product called Peppo.
(h/t Boing Boing)
A head shop collectible store you’d think would go well with comic books. At least in the stereotypes of so many it would. Unfortunately at Kryptonite Komix (Carbon Hill, Alabama) you could buy more than just the latest funny books and bongs. Owner Danny Wayne Barton was arrested for selling marijuana to police informants.
According to Carbon Hill P.D. Barton was charged with four counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance within a three-mile radius of a school. Barton would face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison if convicted.
Thanks for perpetuating the stereotype Danny, all of us appreciate it. If you go to jail our guess is your new Kryptonite will be the soap.
It’s our latest Friday Fun! There’s many instances of the government directly mandating what should be covered in stories. J. Edgar Hoover actually wrote anti-mob comic book stories as propaganda in his war on crime. Here we have an example of one of the numerous anti-drug comics to be released in the 80’s.
We’re dealt with various stories centered around the Archie gang and a peer mentoring program. The humor of the comic is how it deals with each of it’s tales. The white girl is shown in a nice home and has a drinking problem. The black boy lives in the ghetto and is offered crack. No stereotyping there I see.
But some of the best is it’s gee-whiz attitude that getting some one to go to alcohol treatment or “just say no” is that easy. Must be nice to live in Pollyanna.
Ah memories, and you can read it in full at http://www.ep.tc/problems/eight/11.html.
Dark X-Men #2
Michael Pointer – This blood on my hands is mine to clean. You’d just replace it with the blood of your enemies.
Norman Osborn – Michael… let us be clear about something. There will always be blood. This is the world we live in. The question is, whose blood will it be?
and
Norman Osborn – You may ask why I want you. I really like your war. I’d like to be able to say to the daylight side of the U.S. Government that my people are making major advances in the “War on Drugs.” I’d like to show them that when one sets aside law and gives order it’s due — Then “wars” which were previously hypocritical gestures — can be fought for real and won.
Unknown Soldier #10
Moses – But what is it exactly you imagine you do here, for us?
Mrs. Wells – I, uh… I guess I drag the media to a place where it wouldn’t normally go, you know? I take people who follow the most vapid aspects of my culture back home, and I force them to see me in the context of the world.
Moses – Sounds like performance art to me.
Mrs. Wells – Well, that implies this is all some fiction. But it isn’t, is it? Don’t get me wrong. I also want to understand. To talk. To learn… to educate.
Moses – To be honest, Mrs. Wells, I think you push bad PR for a continent that has a PR problem to begin with —
and
Moses – Rich people drinking and throwing money at the problem? Aid just keeps pouring into the continent and social conditions get worse and worse and nothing ever changes!
Soldier – Sir, I need you to calm down.
Mrs. Wells – Jack, relax, okay? I’m willing to have a conversation with you, but…
Moses – Investment in our markets! Honest trade with the outside world! Micro-loan agencies! Stable banks! Leaders who give a fuck! That’s what we need!
Soldier – Back it up right now!
Moses – We need the world to stop stealing from us with one hand and giving back crumbs with the other!
and
Moses – How can you empower an African child!? With photographs? By adopting them? The answer is you can’t! They need Africans to look up to!!
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