Barack Obama in comics
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Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...
has appeared as a character in comic books published by a number of publishing companies, sometimes appearing as a realistic fictionalized version of himself and sometimes as a spoof.


Publication history

Obama made his first appearance as a comic book character in July 2007 in ''Licensable BearTM'' No. 4 by
Nat Gertler Nat Gertler (born April 30, 1965) is an American writer known for his comic books and his books about comics, including six on Charles Schulz's ''Peanuts''. Gertler is the publisher of About Comics, and founded an annual cartoonists' challenge, ...
, 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 Erik J. Larsen (born December 8, 1962) is an American comic book artist, writer, and publisher. He currently acts as the chief financial officer of Image Comics. He gained attention in the early 1990s with his art on Spider-Man series for Marvel ...
’s ''
Savage Dragon The Savage Dragon is a fictional superhero 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. The character first appeared ...
'' No. 137. This issue featured a variant cover which showed Obama with the Savage Dragon, who proclaims that he is endorsing him for president. 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 (born 1955) is an author who lives in Arizona. As well as his own original work, he is best known for writing novels and comic books based on licensed properties. Biography Mariotte was born in Park Forest, Illinois, but he moved ...
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'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was f ...
'' titled, "Barack Obama: The 50 facts you might not know." In the interview, it emerged that Obama collects " Spider-Man and
Conan the Barbarian Conan the Barbarian (also known as Conan the Cimmerian) is a fictional sword and sorcery hero who originated in pulp magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, films (including '' Conan the Barbarian'' and '' Conan the Destroyer'') ...
." 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 Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
discovered the president-elect was an avid collector of Spider-Man comics, they decided to have Obama the comic book character be put on the cover of their ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' No. 583 (January 2009), for the story " Spidey Meets the President!" written by
Zeb Wells Zeb Wells is an American comic book writer known for his work at Marvel Comics, a television writer/director known for his work on the animated TV series ''Robot Chicken'', and the co-creator/showrunner of '' SuperMansion''. Career Wells is an ...
. 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 Inc. ( ) is an American multinational e-commerce company based in San Jose, California, that facilitates consumer-to-consumer and business-to-consumer sales through its website. eBay was founded by Pierre Omidyar in 1995 and became ...
. Prior to the Spider-Man story, the president-elect was featured in Secret Invasion #8; this is the first appearance of president-elect Barack Obama in a Marvel comic. Obama the comic book character has been put on the cover and pages of many other comics including ''Savage Dragon'' No. 145 (February 2008) by Erik Larsen and '' Youngblood'' No. 8 (February 2008) by
Rob Liefeld Robert Liefeld (; born October 3, 1967) is an American comic book creator. A prominent writer and artist in the 1990s, he is known for co-creating the character Cable (comics), Cable with writer Louise Simonson and the character Deadpool with wri ...
. The ''Savage Dragon'' No. 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. Barack Obama is the subject of graphic novel "Barack Hussein Obama" by Steven Weissman. In this, President Obama and his cast of characters (Secretary Clinton, VP Joe Biden, his family) experience life in a parallel universe. Barack Obama has also appeared in Archie Comics Veronica #199, and Archie #616 and #617. President Obama was in the Flashpoint Storyline of DC comics of 2011. He discusses the earth members of The Green Lantern Corp with
Amanda Waller Amanda Blake Waller (née White), also known as "the Wall", is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''Legends'' #1 in 1986 and was created by John Ostrander, Len Wein, and ...
.


Comics featuring Barack Obama

*''MAD Magazine #479'' Publisher – Mad (magazine), Release – July 2007 *'' Captain America'' #41, Publisher — Marvel Comics, Writer –
Ed Brubaker Ed Brubaker (; born November 17, 1966) is an American comic book writer, cartoonist and screenwriter who works primarily in the crime fiction genre. He began his career with the semi-autobiographical series '' Lowlife'' and a number of serials i ...
, Artists – Steve Epting, Rick Magyar, Release — October 2008 *''
Secret Invasion "Secret Invasion" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through a self-titled eight-issue limited series and several tie-in books published by Marvel Comics from April through December 2008. The story involves a subversive, long-term in ...
'' #8, Publisher — Marvel Comics, Writer – Brian Michael Bendis, Artists –
Leinil Francis Yu Leinil Francis Yu (born 1977) is a Filipino comic book artist, who began working for the American market through Wildstorm Productions. Career Leinil Francis Yu was first recognized after winning the '' Wizard''s Drawing Board Contest, his first ...
, Mark Morales,
Laura Martin Laura DePuy (credited later in her career as Laura Martin, having married Randy Martin in 2001) is a colorist who has produced work for several of the major comics companies, including DC Comics, Marvel Comics and CrossGen. Career A sometimes com ...
, Release — December 2008 *''Barack Hussein Obama'' Book 1, Publisher – Fantagraphics Books, Inc., Writer/Artist – Steven Weissman, Release – November 2012 *''Licensable BearTM'' No. 4, Publisher – About Comics, Writer –
Nat Gertler Nat Gertler (born April 30, 1965) is an American writer known for his comic books and his books about comics, including six on Charles Schulz's ''Peanuts''. Gertler is the publisher of About Comics, and founded an annual cartoonists' challenge, ...
, Artist – Lonny Chant, Release – July 2007 *''Savage Dragon'' No. 137, Publisher – Image Comics, Writer –
Erik Larsen Erik J. Larsen (born December 8, 1962) is an American comic book artist, writer, and publisher. He currently acts as the chief financial officer of Image Comics. He gained attention in the early 1990s with his art on Spider-Man series for Marvel ...
, Artist – Erik Larsen, Release – September 2008 *''Presidential Material: Barack Obama'', Publisher – IDW Publishing, Writer –
Jeff Mariotte Jeff Mariotte (born 1955) is an author who lives in Arizona. As well as his own original work, he is best known for writing novels and comic books based on licensed properties. Biography Mariotte was born in Park Forest, Illinois, but he moved ...
, Artists – Tom Morgan, Release – October 2008 *''Obama: The Comic Book'', Publisher –
Antarctic Press Antarctic Press is a San Antonio-based comic book publishing company which publishes " Amerimanga" style comic books. The company also produces "how-to" and "you can" comics, instructing on areas of comic book creation and craft. Beginning in ...
, Writer – Rod Espinosa, Artist – Chris Allen, Release – November 2008 *''
The Amazing Spider-Man ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' is an ongoing American comic book series featuring the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man as its main protagonist. Being in the mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a bimonthly per ...
'' #583: " Spidey Meets the President!", Publisher –
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
, Writer –
Zeb Wells Zeb Wells is an American comic book writer known for his work at Marvel Comics, a television writer/director known for his work on the animated TV series ''Robot Chicken'', and the co-creator/showrunner of '' SuperMansion''. Career Wells is an ...
, Artists –
Barry Kitson Barry Kitson is a British comic book artist. Biography Kitson's first professional work was '' Spider-Man'' for Marvel UK. He also drew many stories for '' 2000 AD'', beginning with a " Future Shocks" tale written by Peter Milligan as well as ...
,
Mark Farmer Mark Farmer (born 1957 in Birmingham) is a British comic book artist. He is best known as an inker, often working with Alan Davis. Career Farmer got his start in the UK comics industry before becoming part of the British Invasion, the wave of ...
, Dean White, Cory Petit, Release – January 2009 *''08: A Graphic Diary of the Campaign Trail'', Publisher –
Three Rivers Press Three 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 imprint ...
, Writer – Michael Crowley, Artist – Dan Goldman, Release – January 2009 *''Savage Dragon'' No. 145, Publisher – Image Comics, Writer – Erik Larsen, Artist – Erik Larsen, Release – February 2009 *''Youngblood'' No. 8, Publisher – Image Comics, Writer –
Rob Liefeld Robert Liefeld (; born October 3, 1967) is an American comic book creator. A prominent writer and artist in the 1990s, he is known for co-creating the character Cable (comics), Cable with writer Louise Simonson and the character Deadpool with wri ...
, Artist – Rob Liefeld, Release – February 2009 *'' Thunderbolts'' #128–129, Publisher — Marvel Comics, Writer –
Andy Diggle Andy Diggle is a British comic book writer and former editor of the weekly anthology series '' 2000 AD''. He is best known for his work on ''Adam Strange'' and ''Green Arrow'' for DC Comics as well as his creator-owned series '' The Losers'' an ...
, Artist – Roberto De La Torre, Release — March–April 2009 *''Female Force: Michelle Obama'', Publisher – Bluewater Productions, Writer – Neal Bailey, Artist – Ryan Howe, Release – April 2009 * '' Drafted: 100 Days'' one shot, Publisher –
Devil's Due Publishing Devil's Due Publishing (often abbreviated as DDP) is an independent comic book publisher in the United States. Based in Chicago, Illinois, DDP is best known for its wide selection of genres, including licensed and original creator-owned proper ...
, Writer –
Mark Powers Mark may refer to: Currency * Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina * East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic * Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927 * Fin ...
, Release – June 2009 *'' Barack the Barbarian'', Publisher –
Devil's Due Publishing Devil's Due Publishing (often abbreviated as DDP) is an independent comic book publisher in the United States. Based in Chicago, Illinois, DDP is best known for its wide selection of genres, including licensed and original creator-owned proper ...
, Writer –
Larry Hama Larry Hama (; born June 7, 1949) is an American comic-book writer, artist, actor, and musician who has worked in the fields of entertainment and publishing since the 1960s. During the 1970s, he was seen in minor roles on the TV shows ''M*A*S*H'' ...
, 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 Productions, Writer – Chris Ward, Artist – Azim Akberali, Release – September 2009 *'' Army of Darkness: Ash Saves Obama'', Publisher –
Dynamite Entertainment Dynamite Entertainment is an American comic book publisher founded by Nick Barrucci in 2004 at Mount Laurel, New Jersey. It is best known as the owners of '' The Boys'' franchise across several IP medias. Dynamite primarily publishes adaptations ...
, Writer – Elliott Serrano, Artist – Ariel Rey Padilla, Release – September 2009 *''Air Gear '', Publisher –
Weekly Shōnen Jump is a weekly ''shōnen'' manga anthology published in Japan by Shueisha under the ''Jump'' line of magazines. The manga series within the magazine consist of many action scenes and a fair amount of comedy. The chapters of the series that run ...
, Writer –
Oh! great , known professionally as Oh! great, is a Japanese manga artist best known for his manga series ''Tenjho Tenge'' (1997–2010) and ''Air Gear'' (2002–2012). In 2006, ''Air Gear'' earned him the Kodansha Manga Award in the '' shōnen'' category. ...
, Artist –
Oh! great , known professionally as Oh! great, is a Japanese manga artist best known for his manga series ''Tenjho Tenge'' (1997–2010) and ''Air Gear'' (2002–2012). In 2006, ''Air Gear'' earned him the Kodansha Manga Award in the '' shōnen'' category. ...
, Release – Chapter 227 *Gamble Fish, Publisher: Weekly Shonen Champion, Writer: Aoyama Hiromi, Release: March 2007 *''
Godzilla is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film '' Godzilla'' and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films prod ...
: Kingdom of Monsters'' No. 1, Publisher – IDW Publishing, Writer – Eric Powell, Artist – Phil Hester, Release – March 2011 *''Veronica'' #199 *''Archie'' #616 and #617


See also

* Depictions of Barack Obama


Notes


References

* *


External links


Lining Up for Obama and Spider-Man
(New York Times, 1/14/09)
PREVIEW: "Political Power: Barack Obama"
(MTV Splash Page, 5/22/09) {{DEFAULTSORT:Obama, Barack Comics Fictional presidents of the United States Obama, Barack Black people in comics