Nov 22 2008
Obama Is Prez Rickard
This is what the Loved One said to me on the evening of Nov. 5.
What, you never heard of the Prez?
Entering the DC Universe in 1973, Prez, I think it can be argued, is a manifestation of the confusion and desperation of those times, in the wake of the events of the 1960s that dashed the political hopes of a generation, starting with the JFK assasination 45 years ago today. Not to mention a couple of little somethings called Watergate and the Vietnam War.
That an undoubtedly square 60-year-old comic book writer whose main achievement was the co-creation (with Jack Kirby) of Captain America would write a story like Prez just seems so…70s. Just let the kids fix it. Maybe they’re onto something with the peace and the love and so forth.
In fact, Prez starts out as the unwitting pawn of political boss Boss Smiley who has an enormous smiley face for a head, but he rebels along with Eagle Free, his Native American FBI chief who is basically a racist caricature who plays a sort of Noble Savage/Magic Negro role and runs with a motley crew of animal friends, including a monkey, an elephant and a gorilla. What the heck are these creatures doing in the vicinity of Steadfast, Middle America? Anyway, Prez battles the enemies of America, combining countercultural idealism with jingoistic fervor. Hmm, that doesn’t exactly sound like our president-elect. But…
20 years after being introduced to DC fans, Prez returned in Neil Gaiman’s 1993 masterpiece The Sandman:
Morpheus is taking Prez to the Dreaming, and Boss Smiley is left to realize he’s not the master of the universe.
However, the thing that really made the Obama/Prez connection real for me is the way the story is introduced into Sandman, which is full of DC references all through its 10 delicious volumes.* Before telling the story of Prez, a character posits a multiverse of Americas. You could be lucky enough to live in Prez Rickard’s America, or unfortunate enough to live in Gerald Ford’s.
On the morning of Nov 5, I was so happy to wake up in Obama’s America. Not because I think he will be so perfect. But because I’m just so glad the smart people are back in charge.
*Honestly, everyone must read Sandman. It is absolutely necessary for cultural literacy.
