Barack Obama (comic character)
Encyclopedia
Barack Obama
has appeared as a character
in comic book
s published by a number of publishing companies. During 2007, when Obama decided to run for President of the United States
, comic book writers and artists wanted to capture this historic moment by including him as a character in various comic books.
, where he appeared as a U.S. Senator
. The comic only had a print-run of 1,050 issues. A year later, in September 2008, Obama appeared in Erik Larsen
’s Savage Dragon
#137 . This issue featured a variant cover which showed Obama with the Savage Dragon, who proclaims that he is endorsing him for President. This marked a significant moment for Obama as a comic book character; it was the first time that a future president had been shown on a comic book cover. The issue sold out four print runs. A month later, the comic was followed up by Presidential Material: Barack Obama by Jeff Mariotte
and in November 2008 with Obama: The Comic Book by Rod Espinosa.
In November 2008, two things led to an explosion in popularity of the Obama comic book character. One of Obama's advisers gave an interview to journalist Jon Swaine of The Daily Telegraph
titled, “Barack Obama: The 50 facts you might not know.” In the interview, it emerged that Obama collects “Spider-Man
and Conan the Barbarian
.” Then later that month, on November 4, 2008, Obama became the first African-American to be elected President of the United States
.
When Marvel Comics
discovered the president-elect was an avid collector of Spider-Man
comics, they decided to have Obama the comic book character grace the cover of their The Amazing Spider-Man #583 (Jan. 2009), for the story "Spidey Meets the President!
" written by Mark Waid
. This particular release proved extremely popular and sold out in a matter of minutes. A day after the release, the edition was sold for $300 on eBay
.
Since that time, Obama the comic book character has graced the cover and pages of many other comics including Savage Dragon #145 (Feb. 2008) by Erik Larsen and Youngblood
#8 (Feb. 2008) by Rob Liefeld
. The Savage Dragon #145 had a special edition variant only offered at the WonderCon 2009 in San Francisco in March 2009 (only 1,500 were produced). On the cover, Barack Obama can be seen holding an American flag and punching Osama Bin Laden in the face. These comic book editions have become highly sought after collectible items. In January, February and March 2009, Licensable BearTM #4 issues have sold for $250, first print Savage Dragon #137 with Barack Obama on the cover have been sold for $400 and Savage Dragon #145 special edition variants with Obama and Osama Bin Laden on the cover have sold for $425 on eBay.
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
has appeared as a character
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
s published by a number of publishing companies. During 2007, when Obama decided to run for President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, comic book writers and artists wanted to capture this historic moment by including him as a character in various comic books.
Publication history
Obama made his first appearance as a comic book character in July 2007 in Licensable BearTM #4 by Nat GertlerNat Gertler
Nat Gertler is a writer who has written books about computers and comics, including The Complete Idiot's Guide to Creating a Graphic Novel...
, where he appeared as a U.S. Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. The comic only had a print-run of 1,050 issues. A year later, in September 2008, Obama appeared in Erik Larsen
Erik Larsen
Erik J. Larsen is an American comic book writer, artist and publisher. He is best known for his work on Savage Dragon, as one of the founders of Image Comics, and for his work on Spider-Man for Marvel Comics.-Early life:...
’s Savage Dragon
Savage Dragon
Savage Dragon is an ongoing American comic book series created by Erik Larsen, published by Image Comics and taking place in the Image Universe. The comic features the adventures of a superheroic police officer named the Dragon...
#137 . This issue featured a variant cover which showed Obama with the Savage Dragon, who proclaims that he is endorsing him for President. This marked a significant moment for Obama as a comic book character; it was the first time that a future president had been shown on a comic book cover. The issue sold out four print runs. A month later, the comic was followed up by Presidential Material: Barack Obama by Jeff Mariotte
Jeff Mariotte
Jeff Mariotte is an author who currently lives in Arizona with his wife, author Maryelizabeth Hart, and family. As well as his own original work, he is best known for writing novels and comic books based on licensed properties.-Biography:...
and in November 2008 with Obama: The Comic Book by Rod Espinosa.
In November 2008, two things led to an explosion in popularity of the Obama comic book character. One of Obama's advisers gave an interview to journalist Jon Swaine of The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
titled, “Barack Obama: The 50 facts you might not know.” In the interview, it emerged that Obama collects “Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
and Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian (comics)
Conan the Barbarian was a Marvel Comics title starring the sword-and-sorcery character created by Robert E. Howard. It debuted in Oct. 1970 and ran for 275 issues until Dec...
.” Then later that month, on November 4, 2008, Obama became the first African-American to be elected President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
.
When Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
discovered the president-elect was an avid collector of Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
comics, they decided to have Obama the comic book character grace the cover of their The Amazing Spider-Man #583 (Jan. 2009), for the story "Spidey Meets the President!
Spidey Meets the President!
"Spidey Meets the President!" is a backup feature in The Amazing Spider-Man #583, written by Zeb Wells, with art by Todd Nauck and Frank D'Armata. The cover of the issue shows Barack Obama giving a thumbs-up to Spider-Man...
" written by Mark Waid
Mark Waid
Mark Waid is an American comic book writer. He is well known for his eight-year run as writer of the DC Comics' title The Flash, as well as his scripting of the limited series Kingdom Come and Superman: Birthright, and his work on Marvel Comics' Captain America...
. This particular release proved extremely popular and sold out in a matter of minutes. A day after the release, the edition was sold for $300 on eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
.
Since that time, Obama the comic book character has graced the cover and pages of many other comics including Savage Dragon #145 (Feb. 2008) by Erik Larsen and Youngblood
Youngblood (comics)
Youngblood is a superhero team that starred in their self-titled comic book, created by writer/artist Rob Liefeld. The team made its debut as a backup feature in the 1987 one-shot Megaton: Explosion before later appearing in its own ongoing series in 1992 as the flagship publication for Image Comics...
#8 (Feb. 2008) by Rob Liefeld
Rob Liefeld
Rob Liefeld is an American comic book writer, illustrator, and publisher. A prominent artist in the 1990s, he has since become a controversial figure in the medium....
. The Savage Dragon #145 had a special edition variant only offered at the WonderCon 2009 in San Francisco in March 2009 (only 1,500 were produced). On the cover, Barack Obama can be seen holding an American flag and punching Osama Bin Laden in the face. These comic book editions have become highly sought after collectible items. In January, February and March 2009, Licensable BearTM #4 issues have sold for $250, first print Savage Dragon #137 with Barack Obama on the cover have been sold for $400 and Savage Dragon #145 special edition variants with Obama and Osama Bin Laden on the cover have sold for $425 on eBay.
Comics featuring Barack Obama
- Licensable BearTM #4, Publisher - About ComicsAbout ComicsAbout Comics is a publisher of comics and comics-related material founded in 1998 by Nat Gertler. It identifies itself as neither "a mainstream comics publisher, nor an alternative comics publisher"....
, Writer – Nat GertlerNat GertlerNat Gertler is a writer who has written books about computers and comics, including The Complete Idiot's Guide to Creating a Graphic Novel...
, Artist – Lonny Chant, Release – July 2007 - Savage Dragon #137, Publisher – Image ComicsImage ComicsImage Comics is a United States comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties. It was immediately successful, and remains...
, Writer – Erik LarsenErik LarsenErik J. Larsen is an American comic book writer, artist and publisher. He is best known for his work on Savage Dragon, as one of the founders of Image Comics, and for his work on Spider-Man for Marvel Comics.-Early life:...
, Artist – Erik Larsen, Release – September 2008 - Presidential Material: Barack Obama, Publisher – IDW PublishingIDW PublishingIDW Publishing, also known as Idea + Design Works, LLC and IDW, is an American publisher of comic books and comic strip collections. The company was founded in 1999 and has been awarded the title "Publisher of the Year Under 5% Market Share" for the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 by Diamond Comic...
, Writer – Jeff MariotteJeff MariotteJeff Mariotte is an author who currently lives in Arizona with his wife, author Maryelizabeth Hart, and family. As well as his own original work, he is best known for writing novels and comic books based on licensed properties.-Biography:...
, Artists - Tom MorganTom Morgan (comics)Tom Morgan is an American comic book artist known primarily for his work on Marvel Comics' Captain America, The Punisher 2099, Excalibur and Iron Man.-Biography:...
, Release – October 2008 - Obama: The Comic Book, Publisher – Antarctic PressAntarctic PressAntarctic Press is a San Antonio-based comic book publishing company which publishes "American Manga" style comic books.Founded by Ben Dunn in 1984, Antarctic Press has produced over 850 titles with a total circulation of over 5 million...
, Writer – Rod EspinosaRod Espinosa-Biography:Espinosa was born in the Philippines. He graduated from the Don Bosco technical college with a certificate in architectural drafting and got a degree in advertising art from Santo Tomas University in Manila...
, Artist – Chris Allen, Release – November 2008 - The Amazing Spider-Man #583: "Spidey Meets the President!Spidey Meets the President!"Spidey Meets the President!" is a backup feature in The Amazing Spider-Man #583, written by Zeb Wells, with art by Todd Nauck and Frank D'Armata. The cover of the issue shows Barack Obama giving a thumbs-up to Spider-Man...
", Publisher – Marvel ComicsMarvel ComicsMarvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
, Writer – Mark WaidMark WaidMark Waid is an American comic book writer. He is well known for his eight-year run as writer of the DC Comics' title The Flash, as well as his scripting of the limited series Kingdom Come and Superman: Birthright, and his work on Marvel Comics' Captain America...
, Artists - Barry KitsonBarry KitsonBarry Kitson is a British comics artist best known as a penciler of major superhero comic books published by Marvel and DC.-Biography:Kitson's first professional work was Spider-Man for Marvel UK...
, Mark FarmerMark FarmerMark Farmer is a British comic book artist. He is best known as an inker, often working with Alan Davis.-Biography:Farmer got his start in the UK comics industry before becoming part of the British Invasion, the wave of UK creators that were an integral part of the DC Comics "new look" of the...
, Dean White, Cory Petit, Release – January 2009 - 08: A Graphic Diary of the Campaign Trail, Publisher – Three Rivers PressThree Rivers PressThree Rivers Press is the trade paperback imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House. It publishes original paperback titles as well as paperback reprints of books issued initially in hardcover by the other Crown imprints.- History :...
, Writer – Michael CrowleyMichael CrowleyMichael Crowley is a senior correspondent and deputy Washington bureau chief for . From 2000 to 2010 he was a writer for The New Republic. His work has also been published in The New York Times, The Atlantic, GQ, New York and Slate. Michael Crichton allegedly based a minor character on him in his...
, Artist – Dan GoldmanDan GoldmanDan Goldman is an American writer, artist and designer living in São Paulo, Brazil...
, Release – January 2009 - Savage Dragon #145, Publisher – Image Comics, Writer – Erik Larsen, Artist – Erik Larsen, Release – February 2009
- Youngblood #8, Publisher – Image Comics, Writer – Rob LiefeldRob LiefeldRob Liefeld is an American comic book writer, illustrator, and publisher. A prominent artist in the 1990s, he has since become a controversial figure in the medium....
, Artist – Rob Liefeld, Release – February 2009 - ThunderboltsThunderbolts (comics)The Thunderbolts are a Marvel Comics superhero team, which consists mostly of former supervillains. The group first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #449 , and was created by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley.-Publication history:...
#128–129, Publisher — Marvel Comics, Writer - Andy DiggleAndy DiggleAndy Diggle is a British comic book writer and former editor of 2000 AD. He is best known for his work on The Losers, Swamp Thing, Hellblazer, Adam Strange and Silent Dragon at DC Comics and for his run on Thunderbolts and Daredevil after his move to Marvel.-Career:Diggle took over editing 2000 AD...
, Artist - Roberto De La Torre, Release — March–April 2009 - Female Force: Michelle Obama, Publisher – Bluewater ProductionsBluewater ProductionsBluewater Productions, Inc. is an independent production studio of comic books and graphic novels. Based in Vancouver, Washington, Bluewater publishes biographical comics, adaptations from films and original titles with self-created characters, most notably of publisher Darren G...
, Writer – Neal Bailey, Artist – Ryan Howe, Release – April 2009 - DraftedDrafted (comics)Drafted is a comic book series by Mark Powers and Chris Lie, published by Devil's Due Publishing starting in 2007.- Publication history :The 99 cent Preview was published in June 2007 and the main series began in September 2007...
: 100 Days one shot, Publisher – Devil's Due PublishingDevil's Due PublishingDevil's Due Publishing is an independent comic book publishers in the United States. Based in Chicago, Illinois, DDP is best known for its wide selection of genres, including licensed and original creator-owned properties that populate its monthly comic book series and graphic novels.Though...
, Writer – Mark Powers, Release – June 2009 - Barack the BarbarianBarack the BarbarianBarack the Barbarian is a comic book series published by Devil's Due Publishing beginning in June 2009. It was written by Larry Hama, with art by Christopher Schons....
, Publisher – Devil's Due PublishingDevil's Due PublishingDevil's Due Publishing is an independent comic book publishers in the United States. Based in Chicago, Illinois, DDP is best known for its wide selection of genres, including licensed and original creator-owned properties that populate its monthly comic book series and graphic novels.Though...
, Writer – Larry HamaLarry HamaLarry Hama is an American comic book writer, artist, actor and musician who has worked in the fields of entertainment and publishing since the 1960s....
, Artist – Christopher Schons, Release – June 2009 - President Evil, Publisher – Antarctic Press, Writer and artist – David Hutchison, Release – July 2009
- Political Power: Barack Obama, Publisher – Bluewater ProductionsBluewater ProductionsBluewater Productions, Inc. is an independent production studio of comic books and graphic novels. Based in Vancouver, Washington, Bluewater publishes biographical comics, adaptations from films and original titles with self-created characters, most notably of publisher Darren G...
, Writer – Chris Ward, Artist – Azim Akberali, Release – September 2009 - Army of Darkness: Ash Saves Obama, Publisher – Dynamite EntertainmentDynamite EntertainmentDynamite Entertainment is an American comic book company that primarily publishes licensed franchises of adaptations of other media. These include adaptations of film properties such as Army of Darkness, Terminator and RoboCop, literary properties such as Zorro, Dracula, Sherlock Holmes, Alice in...
, Writer – Elliott Serrano, Artist – Ariel Rey Padilla, Release – September 2009 - Air Gear , Publisher – Weekly Shonen JumpWeekly Shonen Jumpis a weekly shōnen manga anthology published in Japan by Shueisha under the Jump line of magazines. The first issue was released with a cover date of July 2, 1968, and it is still circulating. One of the longest-running manga magazines in Japan, it has a circulation of 2.8 million copies...
, Writer – Oh! GreatOh! greatOh! great, whose real name is , is a Japanese manga artist most recognized for the manga series Tenjho Tenge and Air Gear. In 2006, he received the Kodansha Manga Award for shōnen for Air Gear. Oh! great also created the adult series Silky Whip...
, Artist – Oh! GreatOh! greatOh! great, whose real name is , is a Japanese manga artist most recognized for the manga series Tenjho Tenge and Air Gear. In 2006, he received the Kodansha Manga Award for shōnen for Air Gear. Oh! great also created the adult series Silky Whip...
, Release – Chapter 227 - GodzillaGodzilla comicsGodzilla has appeared in a range of comic books that have been published in Japan and the United States.-Japanese Godzilla comics:In his native Japan, Godzilla has been featured in various comic books since his inception in 1954. These comics for the most part were black and white publications...
: Kingdom of Monsters #1, Publisher – IDW Publishing, Writer – Eric PowellEric Powell (comics)Eric Powell is a comic book writer and self-taught artist living in Lebanon, Tennessee who is best known as the creator of The Goon.-Biography:...
, Artist – Phil HesterPhil HesterPhil Hester is the name of:*Phillip Doyce Hester , former chief technology officer of Advanced Micro Devices*Phil Hester , comic book artist and writer...
, Release – March 2011