Putting a public figure into your story is one thing. You can argue for fair use and parody. Great.
But at what point do people realize a line is being crossed and a backlash start up?
Why has no one been up in arms about this game, released after Obama was virtually locked as the Democrat's nominee?
Personally, the way I see it: MANY people wrote the stimulus bill and this was just a commentary on how absolutely ridiculous the cartoonist thought the final legislation was.
As much as I lean left, I find it embarrassing to watch people twist some of the statements made by the cartoonist. On Countdown With Keith Olbermann, the host said that the artist said the chimp was meant to represent Pelosi, not Obama, and Olbermann mentioned how advocating the shooting of one rather than the other was cold comfort. What the cartoonist actually said was that, if the chimp represented any one person, it would be Pelosi, not Obama...but wasn't meant to represent either.
From Lee Newman of Ultimate Comics, the list of top-selling books at one of their locations in North Carolina for what was released on 1/21/09. Pull lists are not included, as this is meant to capture what is being bought off the shelf.
TOP TEN of Week 1/21/09
1. Amazing Spider-Man #583 2nd Printing
2. Presidential Materials: Barack Obama 3rd Printing
3. Dark Avengers #1
4. Final Crisis: Superman Beyond #2
5. Amazing Spider-Man #584
6. Justice League of America #29
7. Green Lantern #37
8. Mighty Avengers #21
9. Thunderbolts #128
10. Astonishing X-Men #28
1 & 2. Obama mania round two. Next week, round three!
3. Excitement for Dark Reign is actually bigger than the Initiative in the stores.
4. Gimmick or not, people bought it. After this there is a steep drop off in issues sold off the shelf, with all of the titles selling out off the stands.
5. J.R. Jr. brings a bump to the title, as expected. Will the Brand New Day heavy story keep the readers coming though?
6. Faces of Evil or Wein & Crisscross, used to this title selling well but not selling out!
8. Solid book, lots of word of mouth comparing it to Doctor Who, is that a good or bad thing?
Pretty sure this lady wishes she could rephrase the way she tried to refer to the fist-bump. Unless there's something I didn't hear about the First Couple before. You'd think that would have gotten more play in the media than his smoking habit.
Bluewater Productions is now coming out with a comic about Michelle Obama. As much as it is a cash-in, I'm kinda glad to see it happening.
Michelle Obama is already my favorite First Lady in my lifetime. She's a strong, secure and attractive woman who doesn't seem intent on trying to compete with the President because they seem like they're on the same page and comfortable with each others' success.
Michelle seems to have a stronger voice than Laura Bush, secure enough in herself to not feel the need to compete with her husband all the time like Hillary and easily the most attractive First Lady in my 33 years of life. Looks aren't important, really, but it's better to have them than have kids wondering why the President brings his mom everywhere instead of his wife (like Bush 41).
From Lee Newman of Ultimate Comics, the list of top-selling books at one of their locations in North Carolina for what was released on 10/29/08. Pull lists are not included, as this is meant to capture what is being bought off the shelf.
9. Hmmm. Amazing Spider-Man has dropped another slot in the top ten. I'd be curious to know if it is because more of the walk-up purchasers have added it to their pull (thus not counted here) or sales are returning to normal after the New Ways To Die arc.1. Final Crisis: Rage of the Red Lanterns
2. Presidential Material: Barack Obama
3. Avengers: The Intitiative #18
4. Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1
5. Ultimate Captain America Annual #1
6. Spike: After the Fall #4
7. Hellboy: In the Chapel of Moloch
8. Spawn #185
9. Amazing Spider-Man #575
10. Thor #11
Commentary:
Despite online grumblings about Astonishing X-Men Ghost Boxes and its price, the fact that we were short shipped had more to do with this book not being on the list then the price point. The few folks who did get ahold of it seemed to have good things to say about it, in store. Online is another matter altogether.
1. Johns is the MAN!!!! We knew this would sell well and despite it being short shipped it still brought people in the door. That is a book with huge potential. Why it doesn't translate into sales I haven't figured out, but with the hardcover of Secret Origins hitting the shelves early next month, maybe the book will get the boost the fans and almost certainly DC wants.
2. We weakened and did one last reorder. I, also, pulled them off the shelves from two of my other stores. (Wednesday saw a run on the Ross Obama Tee)
3. Skrull Kill Crew seemas to be full of win this time around.
4. People really liked
OneBrand More Day... it probably helped that this story pretty much came out of the Secret Invasion tie in series.5. Kevin may be right, people may want to see this universe end, we'll know for sure next week.
6. This book like Amory Wars and Umbrella Academy seemed to pick up the further it got along until at the end you had people coming in to buy the whole thing in one fatal swoop. I don't know if there is a disconnect with reaching the fans in a timely matter like the Who Wants to Be a Superhero book a couple years ago or if they just don't like the monthly thing (which I don't see reflected in Buffy or Angel).
7 & 8. Put the original creators on their books and people will check them out. The key now is to retain that interest.
To my thinking, the worst thing about this was that the use of the term was a calculated choice. Nader knows that he's nearly irrelevant to the 24 hour news channels now, so he won't get any of his contentions aired unless he uses an inflammatory term. It wasn't a slip of the tongue. It wasn't some sort of unemotional logic that led him to think it was perfectly fine to use. No, this was premeditated and strategic. It now ensures that he and his points will air in the short-term, but hasten their march towards complete irrelevancy in the long term.
The man really had some great thoughts about what we need to do as a nation, but will have as much chance of someone listening to him as Linden LaRouche has. And those news channels will be just as unlikely to give air time to a non-mainstream political thinker/candidate without some sort of shock value to it. To resort to hate language with no care over who it might hurt and no remorse for it when called on the carpet...and for what? For nothing.
Yesterday, waiting in line to vote, I'd have to say that 1/4 of the people queued up to vote were what I'd call hip-hop's version of the college-age slacker. Instead of having a fake vintage t-shirt, ratty pants and mussed up hair, you'll find over-sized white t-shirt, sagging pants, and cornrows or a wave cap.
Cynics decry the participation of these youths because they imagine that they were all blindly voting for Obama based on his skin color.
I choose to see it as a whole new group becoming interested in the political system that is here to service us all.
I choose to see them as a small part of a larger group that might have a renewed interest and faith in the republic.
I'm hopeful about our country as much for the increased participation as I am for the Obama win.
Oh, what's that? It isn't really like they're encouraging a sore loser character to be able to shoot and kill a Presidential character?
Yeah, but that's not a headline that will provoke coverage and hits, so Kotaku.com used it (and now I'm copying it).
I'm sure EA.com will privately be thrilled with that sort of coverage, because it will blossom into 24 hour cable news coverage and ultimately drive more sales and offend none of their customer base.
Apparently, Reed Richards (shown above at campaign stop) is running for President, with his campaign managed by Johnny Storm.
Meanwhile, he's being opposed by Victor Von Doom's campaign. He's running, he's managing, he's doing everything...for he is DOOM!
I'm still voting Obama.
About 5 minutes or so into the video, Obama makes the "I was born on Krypton and sent here to save the Earth" reference. That's the only comic book geek funny you'll find, but there are plenty of other decent jokes to be found here and in John McCain's speech.
Worth noting is the accusations that some rather sensitive readers are hurling at CBR's coverage of the video.
LeeNova84: "Is CBR actually endorsing Obama or is this just what passes for actual reporting on this website? Such an obviously biased article should not be under the heading of “CBR News.” And I don’t even like John McCain; I’m just a fan of professionalism in journalism."
PureClint: "Well this CBR article is a shining example of reporting bias."
...
"How exactly does the writer likening Senator McCain to Emperor Palpatine constitute news or pass as reporting?"
Sean Walsh: "These boards are very left leaning. And the comics world itself seems to be that way too; lots of creators out there endorsing him through their art."
theriothrope: "Andy Khouri = Obama's Cabana Boy - I'm not gonna unclench. This is pathetic! I registered today simply to comment on Andy Khouri's "article". Thanks CBR, for today's news in liberal name-calling! Maybe I think Andy looks like an aging hipster with a haircut suited to a boy much younger than he is. Maybe we're not all on the Obama bandwagon and just maybe some of us find crap like this offensive. Either way, this is an extremely sad example of what passes for "news" on this site and I think I'll just avoid it altogether in the future. Keep trying to fight the good fight pureclint! I doubt it'll do you any good, but keep trying anyway. I'm done."
From Lee Newman of Ultimate Comics, the list of top-selling books at one of their locations in North Carolina for what was released on 10/8/08. Pull lists are not included, as this is meant to capture what is being bought off the shelf.
1. Presidential Material: Barack Obama
2. The Stand: Captain Trips #2
3. Secret Invasion: Inhumans #3
4. Ender's Game #1
5. X-Men Original Sin #1
6. Deadpool #3
7. Presidential Material: John McCain
8. Dark Tower: Treachery #2
9. Final Crisis: Revelations #3
10. Trinity #19
Presidential Materials - Being in a college town really helps come election time. The best selling items that this new location (9th Street, Durham) has ever had are the Obama by Ross Tee Shirt and the Obama comic book.The Stand - Stephen King sells all kinds of books everywhere.Inhumans - Fluke? Don't know, like last week's House of M: Civil War, this is a book that was not as popular as it was this week. I haven't read it yet, maybe something important happened.Ender's Game - Good old Orson Scott Card, even when he removes North Carolina from the comic, it still sells really well. I was not old enough to realize the Ender's Game phenomenon when it happened last time... It will be interesting to see if it's success is a regional or countrywide thing.X-Men Original Sins - Crossover appeal, plus a decent issue of Wolverine Origins not featuring Deadpool leading into it made this one sell really well.Deadpool - A steady behemoth. This one sells more each time it comes out and has the most beautiful legs.
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