Tales from the Crypt presents... Sarah Palin? (ICV2.com)

When Comics Attack!

'Tales from the Crypt's' Sarah Palin Cover

Published: 10/02/2008 08:40pm

Can anyone remember an election year in which presidential politics intruded any more obviously into the insular world of comic books than it has in 2008? Presidential (and now Vice-Presidential) candidates have increasingly graced the covers of comics and since IDW’s even-handed McCain and Obama biographical comics (see “IDW’s Comic Book Bios”), the depiction of these political figures has become increasingly controversial with Erik Larsen’s Savage Dragon endorsing Obama (see “Endorsement Gets Noticed”), and the cover of Bluewater’s Hillary Clinton comic drawing criticism for its similarity to IDW’s McCain and Obama covers (see "Hillary Clinton Comic").

Now along comes news that Vice Presidential candidate and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin will be depicted on the cover of half of the copies of Papercutz’ Tales from the Crypt #8, which ships to retailers later this month. Governor Palin is shown brandishing a hockey stick and asking, “Didn’t we get rid of you guys in the 1950s” as the traditional narrators of EC Horror comics, the Crypt Keeper, the Old Witch, and the Vault-Keeper, flee in panic.

The issue will include a special editorial by Cathy Gaines Mifsud, the daughter of William Gaines, the original publisher of EC Comics and Mad Magazine. Gaines Mifsud’s editorial links the cover image to the controversy surrounding Governor Palin’s queries (while Mayor of Wasilla, Alaska) to a librarian about the possibility of removing controversial books from the public library (no books were actually removed from the library, see “Palin Library Censorship Issue Raised”).

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