Did you know that Uncle Sam was a superhero? Yes, in the long-defunct Quality Comics. Created by Will Eisner (brilliant creator also of the Spirit), Uncle Sam dispensed some down-home American wisdom along with punching his way through all sorts of Nazis and other Axis types and beating the crap out of gangsters and suchlike internal enemies of our nation.
After the war, comic books started to lose their grip on the American imagination, but for a few prominent heroes like Superman and his pals. Quality Comics folded; DC Comics has owned Uncle Sam and the rest of the Quality heroes (Doll Man, Human Bomb, Phantom Lady, Blackhawk Squadron, etc.) since 1956.
It's nice to know that at one time, American comics were pro-American. Of course now they tend to be as anti-American as anything in pop culture. In the 1990s, poor Uncle Sam was reduced to being a homeless bum fighting the evil side of America in a miniseries; it was painted by the brilliant Alex Ross, but it reflects the attitudes that have helped shrink comic books into claustrophobic US-hating nihilism.
It's hard to believe how pro-America our comic books once were. Well, maybe the people who made them hated America, but it wouldn't sell back then. Not sure it sells all that well now, actually, but there are a lot of other reasons for the publishers to blame for their current decline besides wokeness, which is exactly what they will continue to do.
Oh, Uncle Sam! Where are you when we need you?
Uncle Sam was an interesting character because he had no origin; from the start, it was implied that he was the actual symbol known for dozens of years prior to his comics debut.
ReplyDeleteAlex Ross is a great artist but I lost my respect for him when he started painting portraits of contemporary politicians. Another one who exults in alienating a portion of his fan base is writer Mark Waid, who doesn't want Republicans to buy his comics.
I love the older comics, but most comics post-1985 have gone too far in the wrong direction.
Hi, FM -- yeah, I was saddened by Ross embarrassing himself, using his great talents for stupid political pictures. I didn't know about Waid, but I was never that much of a Waid guy and am pleased to comply with his desires.
ReplyDeleteWhat can you do? The whole world's gone crazy.