COMICS AND POLITICAL PROPAGANDA

In War, Politics and Superheroes: Ethics and Propaganda in Comics and Film, one of the main arguments made by its author, Marc DiPaolo, is that the superheros featured in comics or TV shows frequently influence "American public opinion and U.S. government policy" (1). According to DiPaolo, since the terrorist attacks of September 11, comics have become more popular, particularly "superhero narratives" (1). He cites superheroes such as Wonder Woman and Spider Man as examples of characters who encourage views on anti-establishment. 

Mark Millar, the author of famous comics such as Wanted and Kick-Ass, echoes DiPaolo's views, by stating that superhero comics are "at their most popular and evocative when they respond to particularly turbulent political times, especially those marred by war and social unrest" (1). DiPaolo then goes on to expand on Millar's views, by citing World War II, the Vietnam War, and the war in Iraq as periods when comics enjoyed an increased level of popularity. Superheroes such as Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman first appeared during "the Great Depression and World War II era" (2), whereas Spiderman, the Fantastic Four, X-men, Iron Man, and the Hulk, were created in the sixties. 

DiPaulo also adds that Reagan's administration was one of the main causes why, during the eighties, the stories of the previously mentioned superheroes were "all radically revamped; their serialized stories began anew with a retelling of their origin stories set in the present of the 1980s" (2). He also adds that the heroism of these characters was largely "defined either in support of, or in opposition to, Ronald Reagan's America" (2).

DiPaolo states that comic books "have always been political, and have taken stands on controversial issues such as the death penalty, abortion, gay rights, and the environment" (11). He gives an example of an issue of Captain America fro 1941, in which Jewish writers opted to depict Hitler as a supervillain, "before the U.S. had entered World War II" (11).

One of the most well known examples of the way in which comics and politics intersect is represented by the introduction of Tony Stark in 1963, "who built his first, crude Iron Man battle-suit as a means of escaping from a Communist prison camp in South Vietnam" (12). This choice of location coincides with the Vietnam War, which was taking place at the time. The 2008 movie adaptation of Iron Man, starring Robert Downey Jr., changes the location to Afghanistan and introduces a terrorist group holding Tony Stark captive, to mirror the current political climate.

According to DiPaolo, "politically themed superhero adventures tend to fall into three different categories: establishment, anti-establishment, and colonial" (12). In the establishment narrative, the superhero aims at protecting the government and the citizens from villains (Batman, Iron Man, Captain America). The anti-establishment narrative, on the other hand, puts the superhero against the evil and corrupt government (Wonder Woman, X-men). Finally, the colonial category sees the hero as a traveler to a space seen as being uncivilized, in order to make use of its natural resources or to civilize it (Indiana Jones). 

It should be noted that the characters' political views are often a reflection of the views held by the writers. Therefore, DiPaolo states that it is possible for the same character to have a liberal ideology while portrayed by one writer, and then shift to a conservative ideology when the writer changes. An example would be Green Arrow, a "Robin Hood-like" (14) figure, first seen as a "Marxist revolutionary figure" (14) and later on as more moderate in his views, when the first writer was succeeded by others. The changes in ideology are often accounted due to America's social context, or simply due to the fact that "the character is going through a phase" (14).

Another interesting aspect is the way in which comics were used to criticize the Bush administration. DiPaolo mentions Superman comics as being the first monthly periodicals to openly state their dissatisfaction:

On the eve of George W. Bush’s real world installation into the White House, writer Jeph Loeb crafted a story in which Superman villain and amoral robber baron Lex Luthor is elected President of the United States in the fictional world of the DC Universe. When asked by a fan why anyone in their right mind would vote for Lex Luthor—the lunatic who dropped a nuclear bomb on California in the first Superman film as part of an elaborate plan to make a billion dollars on a real estate swindle—Loeb replied, “This is almost too easy ... who’s president now?” (26)

Finally, DiPaolo offers an interesting piece of advice regarding the way in which politics operates within a comic book:

In understanding how political symbolism and subtext work in superhero stories, it is important to be aware that the politics of a given storyteller and the politics of the individual fan often determine how that story is received. It is also important to be aware of industry trends, and the life cycles of long-lasting fictional characters that have changed over time, not only because of historical trends, shifting fan bases, and the idiosyncrasies of individual storytellers, but also for marketing reasons. (30)

WRITTEN BY ANTONIA GIRMACEA
EDITED BY MADALINA BORCAU