politics

Does politics belong in comics? Can comics influence politics? And what impact do we expect the election of Donald Trump to the presidency of the United States to have on the comic industry and on the stories it tells over the next four years? ComicsAlliance contributors Elle Collins, Kieran Shiach, Tom Speelman, and Tara Marie join editor-in-chief Andrew Wheeler for a roundtable discussion about the relationship between politics and comics.

Donald Trump held a special pity party on Thursday night after running scared from a Republican debate because he doesn't like outspoken women. Ditching the debate because broadcaster Fox refused to bow to his demands to bench moderator Megyn Kelly, the racist Cheeto bloviated to adoring fans at an event intended to raise money for wounded veterans, though the money is routed through Trump's own Donald J. Trump Foundation, which hasn't been noticeably generous to veterans in the past. Among the chief donors to the fundraiser were billionaires Ike and Laura Perlmutter, who gave Trump $1 million, or one sixth of the total amount raised on the night. Ike Perlmutter is the reclusive CEO of Marvel Entertainment, who avoids publicity and either doesn't like having photos taken or doesn't show up in them. Trump thanked Perlmutter personally from the podum, referring to him as "Ike Perlmutter from Marvel" and calling him, "One of the great, great men of our country in terms of business and talent."

Conservative comics creators Chuck Dixon and Paul Rivoche have written a piece for the Wall Street Journal titled, “How Liberalism Became Kryptonite for Superman: A graphic tale of modern comic books’ descent into moral relativism.” While beating familiar conservative drums like jingoistic nostalgia and referencing a lot of incorrect information, these two experienced pros manage to paint a picture of an industry tottering on the edge of moral collapse to an audience that knows little about what’s actually going on. The goal here, of course, is to sell comics. By complaining to a conservative audience about how liberals have taken over the medium, Dixon and Rivoche attempt to persuade non-comics readers to buy their new book, an adaptation of Amity Shlaes' The Forgotten Man, as a bit of political activism. Like many conservative comics fans, Dixon and Rivoche bemoan the lack of conservative comics being published today, and a perceived liberal bent of the industry, while limiting their definition of comics primarily to super hero books published by Marvel and DC. The problem is not with their politics; it’s with their misrepresentation of the industry and its history to an outside audience.

Steven Weissman is best known for comics about weird little kids like his late-'90s Little Rascals-by-way-of-Universal-monsters comic Yikes, and collections of strips featuring the cute, chubby children composed of thin, sharp, harsh-looking lines...

The Allegra LaViola Gallery in New York City plays host this week to artist Casey Jex Smith, whose exhibition will kick off Wednesday night with a performance based on role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. With Smith as the Dungeon Master and audience members in control of the game dice, actors representing President Barack Obama and former Governor Mitt Romney will battle it out for the hon

After the infamous Clint Eastwood vs. Chair incident at this summer's Republican National Convention, artist Francesco Francavilla created a clever piece of art to mock commemorate the incident. Now, following Mitt Romney's debate comments regarding his plans for defunding PBS, the home of Big Bird (and debate moderator Jim Lehrer), Francavilla has created a new piece of art, paying homage to Joh

By now you're certainly aware of the incredibly unexpected and indescribably bizarre performance by Clint Eastwood at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida on Thursday night, where the American film icon delivered an unscripted and punishing admonishment to an empty chair he jokingly identified as President Obama...

Comic books have a history of attempting to tie-in with US Presidential Elections; in 2008, remember, Image Comics' Savage Dragon endorsed Barack Obama before the election, and Marvel Comics' Amazing Spider-Man hung out with him following his inauguration...

It's the pop culture mash-up you never expected - or, arguably, wanted: A Ron Paul-supporting remake of the Pokemon animated series theme song, as sung by the guy who sang the original. Yes, "why?" is a perfectly legitimate question to ask in response...

While some folks view the Republican primaries as America's greatest reality TV show, left-leaning viewers may see it as a choice between four political supervillains (or three supervillains and the somewhat less potent Ron Paul). Front yards across the nation are already littered with campaign signs, and they will get even more cluttered as we move closer to Election Day...