I swear I didn’t make this happen just by wishing it into existence.
Finally, there’s enough information available to make an informed decision on the US Presidential election! Or, at least, there will be soon. IDW is publishing Presidential Comics, a flip-book biography of Barack Obama and John McCain, in October. The Obama side is written by Jeff Mariotte, who will presumably not indulge his tendency to have his protagonist fight vampires, and drawn by Tom Morgan. John McCain’s bio, meanwhile, features Stephen Thompson on pencils and Andy Helfer on the script. J Scott Campbell is responsible for both covers.
A few thoughts:
I’m going to go ahead and guess, based on the fact that he drew John McCain as the chubby Joker, while Barack Obama looks like he could have been an IO Agent with a heart of gold in a mid-90’s issue of Gen 13, that J Scott Campbell prefers the Democratic nominee. If Campbell’s McCain popped up in the pages of Danger Girl, you can be pretty sure that he’d be leering over Silicon Valerie’s tank top and secretly trying to have the girls all killed.
If they weren’t being published as a two-fer, by what margin do you think the Obama issue would outsell the John McCain book? I’m guessing it’d be at least 3-1 from Diamond, which means Obama can probably rest easy among the crucial people who do the orders for comic book stores demographic. This is kinda funny, too, because McCain’s is the one which’ll have all the action and airplanes and stuff.
Will it be a single conservative blogger looking for a fresh angle, or a big-name Michelle Malkin-type who cries foul at the fact that McCain looks like Mister Rictus from Wanted while the interior art for the Obama book is from an ex-Captain America artist? The answer to this depends on how very slow the news day is when someone visits the IDW site.
How awesome would it be if this is a big hit and IDW starts putting out books like this for minor-party candidates? Who would you want to draw the cover for the Ralph Nader and Bob Barr biographies? Also, if they did one about Ron Paul, would his fans buy multiple copies each in an attempt to prove that he’s more popular than either Obama or McCain based on his Diamond sales figures?
(cross-posted to dansolomon.com)
July 22nd, 2008 la 1:28 pm
I’m going to go ahead and guess, based on the fact that he drew John McCain as the chubby Joker, while Barack Obama looks like he could have been an IO Agent with a heart of gold in a mid-90’s issue of Gen 13, that J Scott Campbell prefers the Democratic nominee.
If he had that strong of a preference he wouldn’t have made the two of them look the same size. Also, the actually optimistic candidate might be the one smiling. It mostly looks like he’s just trying to make as neutral a pair of portraits as possible from the baseline he was given. Which is to say I think we should consider possibility that John McCain just looks like the kind of guy who would leer at Val’s rack and try to have the girls killed. Probably while calling one of them a “trollop”.
July 22nd, 2008 la 1:53 pm
I would buy a biography of Lyndon LaRouche, but only if it was drawn by Stuart Immonen, with a cover by Rob Liefield. I don’t know why, but that seems like the way to create the damn near perfect presidential-comic experience.
July 22nd, 2008 la 2:51 pm
I realize that blue and white are simply the traditional party colors, but Obama looks like he’s ushering in a beautiful day, while McCain is gloating as the skies turn red with chaos.
July 22nd, 2008 la 2:51 pm
Er, blue and red, of course.
July 22nd, 2008 la 3:10 pm
McCain looks like Mister Rictus from Wanted
Bah! McCain’s got too many cheeks, or too much cheek, or something. He doesn’t look nearly as much like Mr. Rictus as does James Carville.
Also, if they did one about Ron Paul, would his fans buy multiple copies each in an attempt to prove that he’s more popular than either Obama or McCain based on his Diamond sales figures?
Without a doubt, yes.
July 22nd, 2008 la 3:33 pm
With the exception of McCain’s face being as red as his party colours, I didn’t perceive artistic bias. He’s just a ruddy, old codger anyway.
As a native Texan, your Ron Paul comment made me smile.
I think these publications are an excellent way to get pastey white men that don’t leave their mom’s basement except on new arrivals day to possible vote. (I kid.)
July 22nd, 2008 la 4:32 pm
“I think these publications are an excellent way to get pastey white men that don’t leave their mom’s basement except on new arrivals day to possible vote. (I kid.)”
They could try selling them directly to the campaigns to be used as hand-outs at fundraisers and rallies. It would not be a terrible business model.
July 22nd, 2008 la 5:19 pm
To be honest, my first impression was that the artist actually made McCain look better/stronger than he actually looks in real life. And like Dan says, at least he’s smiling. I just don’t see a bias here.
July 22nd, 2008 la 5:23 pm
Hey! Where are the Cynthia McKinney and Bob Barr ones? I feel cheated…
July 22nd, 2008 la 7:10 pm
Mm. I think the shoulderpads are a bit sharp, and Obama looks rather slender. *shrug*
Why is McCain the smiling one?
I’m sure this’ll end up online at some point. Should be interesting.
July 22nd, 2008 la 8:02 pm
Cynthia McKinney will get a Vertigo title all her own, while Bob Barr and Ron Paul’s books will be mimeographed and handed out on a street corner like all great libertarian literature.
July 22nd, 2008 la 8:05 pm
“Hey! Where are the Cynthia McKinney and Bob Barr ones? I feel cheated…”
If Cynthia McKinney or Bob Barr was the best my party had to offer for a presidential candidate, I’d feel cheated too.
July 22nd, 2008 la 8:33 pm
I keep thinking that pick makes McCain look like Reagan, somehow.
July 22nd, 2008 la 8:49 pm
I suppose you’ve already seen that Boing Boing post about Brent Rinehart’s self-published mini-comic horror-fest. If not…
http://www.boingboing.net/2008/07/17/homophobic-politicia.html
July 22nd, 2008 la 9:13 pm
McCain’s comic will have some awesome torture sequences, though.
July 22nd, 2008 la 9:22 pm
As re. my earlier post, I would like to point out that McCain’s actual smile is like a million times more horrifying than anything Campbell has ever managed to draw.
July 22nd, 2008 la 9:44 pm
I think McCain looks fine.
July 23rd, 2008 la 12:55 am
McCain doesn’t look too creepy to me. In fact, Obama looks almost *too* serious in this pic. -shrug-
July 23rd, 2008 la 12:58 am
I want to see a Chuck Baldwin issue and a special Alan Keyes holographic print!
July 23rd, 2008 la 2:43 am
They should do a team book as a follow up. Presidents of North America! Then the American people could learn who the leaders of Mexico and Canada are. Brian Adams is in charge of Canada right?
July 23rd, 2008 la 1:43 pm
I wouldn’t mind seeing them do one on Richard Nixon as long as they drew him with his giant robot body from Futurama.
August 4th, 2008 la 8:35 pm
If they really wanted to court the geek demographic, they’d have a Sci Fi Channel movie, starring Christopher Eccleston (wrong race, yeah, but THOSE EARS) and Michael Hogan as Obama and McCain, respectively.