“I’m a Crook”: Representations of the U.S.
President in Popular Literature
The fall of 2000 witnessed an American presidential election that tested
the nation’s resolve and caused many to question the vibrancy of the electoral
system. As one president exited to a storm of media speculation and low public
opinion, a pro-business right wing candidate took his place. Although many
questioned his character and past deeds the candidate became President. In
November 2000, Lex Luthor was elected the 43^^ President of the United States.
Yes, the long-time Superman nemesis was elected President in the fictional DC
universe. Although this may seem unimportant at first glance, it is in fact an
excellent indicator of the esteem in which the president of the U.S. is held. The
act of placing a villain as leader of the United States is a reversal of comic book
tradition and a restatement of political thinking within the superhero genre of
comic book literature. This paper will examine the changing role of the
President of the United States in comic books while paying special attention to
depictions of the president as a hero, villain, or non-political entity.
The 1930s, 40s, and 50s
Although the early days of superhero comic books presented vigilante
like actions against government officials, such as Superman intimidating a state
governor in Action Comics #7, after the start of World War II the comic book
medium quickly began to present itself as a patriotic storyteller concerned with
preserving American life. Comic books joined the war effort, and real life
leaders like Adolph Hitler found their way onto comic covers in an attempt to
help the cause. But images of the U.S. President were rarely shown; when they
were, the commander in chief was often depicted as a shadowy figure whose
face was not to be seen. This portrayal was arrived at because it was thought that
the office of the Presidency could be sullied by representing its current occupant
in a comic book. The comic strip Joe Palooka, however, did feature an
appearance by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938 (Waters 48-49). After the war and
into the 1950s the tradition of depicting the President as a nondescript figure
continued. The notion of the U.S. President was rarely portraye d in comic
adventures, and when it was, the office served as shorthand for the importance
of the American political system and one’s patriotism towards it. In the wake of
Cold War political changes, many comic books attempted to avoid overt
political messages. Pressure by parental groups, state legislatures, and Dr.
Fredric Wertham’s often-mentioned book Seduction of the Innocent shoehorned
comic book publishers into presenting an extremely positive view of all symbols
of authority, which included elected officials like the President. When the
Comics Code Authority was adopted in 1954 it essentially drove out most of the
political content from comic books. The combination of tradition, fear and a