Fans of his work on Nexus, Badger, Punisher and countless other titles may be wondering what Mike Baron has been up to lately. Well, you can check out his latest work over at The Conservative Voice, where he posted an essay titled “Manifesto” earlier this week. The first line — “What if the United States launched an all-out public relations blitz to convince the world that Islamofascism must be stopped?” — gives you an idea of the flavor of the essay.
His proposed PR plan does include comics:
Comics: The idiot bastard son of newsprint and yellow ink has become the tail that wags the cultural dog. Half the movies made today are based on comic books. The comic itself is making a comeback thanks to the graphic novel and the rise of Japanese manga. Comics are the preferred reading in most of the civilized world. They account for over half the periodicals sold in Britain and Japan. It is only in the United States where they dwindled and almost died from a combination of cultural and economic factors.
But now they’re back, and being read big time by studio executives. Entertainment Weekly and the New York Times regularly review comic books. With the advent of such works as Art Spiegelman’s Maus and Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series they are once again a serious vehicle for ideas.
We need the kind of comics we produced during World War II, when Superman, the Justice League et al went to bat for America against the Nazis and the Japanese. One character from that era cries out for a new beginning: Captain America. Captain America should be taking the fight to Tehran. Captain America should become the unabashed champion of Western civilization and Judeo/Christian values. Considering Marvel’s diversification, world market, and the eagerness of its owners to hobnob with the beautiful people, this is unlikely.
We need a new Captain America.
For news on his comic work, check out Baron’s website. The latest update, from July, is on the state of Nexus: “As some of you may already know, there will be no new Nexus in the foreseeable future. Dude and I simply could not agree on the story.”
August 10th, 2006 at 9:22 am
And here, ladies and gentlemen, is why I don’t want to give Baron any of my money anymore.
August 10th, 2006 at 9:22 am
Okay, Baron is officially a Right-wing nut. It makes so much sense to spread hatred in the U.S. against Muslims? Wow, can’t you see the skinheads torching mosques and saying “Well, Captain America said it was okay!”
August 10th, 2006 at 9:30 am
After Mr. Baron links to a news segment – which starts as a 60 minutues clip but then almost seamlessly cuts to somebody trying to prove Palestinians fake their own deaths….
After he calls for ridicule of a religion, (“comic books satirizing Ahmadinejad—the dude’s eyes are so close together he’s practically a Cyclops. And Nasrallah—did you ever see a more hapless looking shmuck. He looks like a chipmunk with glasses..”)which can only lead to more misunderstanding and violence…
After he inadvertantly agrees that the Palestinians live under Israleli opression in this paragraph:
“8. Above all, repeat as often as possible the message that suicide bombing is a crime against humanity, it has no justification, and the people who do it are evil. Point to the example of Tibet, under soul-crushing Chinese rule for decades, yet not a single Tibetan has resorted to violence, let alone suicide bombing. ”
After all this, he actually says this:
“Thank God for Fox News. This is one area where civilization has a leg up.”
At which point I stopped reading. Mike Baron’s understanding of the world is equivalent to that of a child. A hateful, spoiled child who does not even understand the propaganda he regurgitates.
August 10th, 2006 at 10:55 am
You didn’t finish the quote, Matt. Fox news means civilization has a leg up what?
August 10th, 2006 at 11:15 am
i was waiting for a punchline at the end
or like a Colbert style essay, or something
guess not
“What if the United States launched an all-out public relations blitz to convince the world that Islamofascism must be stopped?”
*gives me chills”
August 10th, 2006 at 11:39 am
In a stating the obviouos manner:
“They account for over half the periodicals sold in Britain and Japan.”
Not in Blighty they don’t.
KG
August 10th, 2006 at 11:48 am
Good to have a name to avoid
August 10th, 2006 at 12:24 pm
That’s sad. I feel sorry for Mr. Baron. There’s a sickness running wild in America, and he’s the latest casualty. I hope someday he recovers enough equilibrium to be ashamed of that article.
August 10th, 2006 at 1:31 pm
Wait — so Islamofascism SHOULDN’T be stopped? Gee, thanks for clearing that up for me. I’ll start sizing my wife for a burka.
August 10th, 2006 at 2:36 pm
I read Baron’s piece and found it to be a well-reasoned article with lots of thought-provoking ideas. So I’m a bit shocked at the vitriol and name calling being expressed here. Wanting to fight against Islamo-fascism and terrorism is NOT the same thing as being anti-Muslim.
I DO agree that there is a sickness running wild in America, and unfortunately, I’m seeing it right here on this message board.
August 10th, 2006 at 2:46 pm
Hey, we now know who will be buying “Holy Terror Batman”.
August 10th, 2006 at 3:50 pm
“Wait — so Islamofascism SHOULDN’T be stopped? Gee, thanks for clearing that up for me. I’ll start sizing my wife for a burka.”
A burka might not be practical these days, what with the global warming and all.
The US is a big place that holds many diverse points of view. I’m not in any way saying that America as a whole is sick, but parts of it are suffering from some terrible fever dreams right now. I think it’s the intellectual equivalent of the 70s, where masses of people went a bit crazy – but instead of bad fashion and the Village People, everyone today is into factionalism and ignoring reality, even as it crumbles down around our ears. Hopefully this era will end soon, and we’ll all still be around to feel foolish about it. I crave an era where Mr. Baron his full attention on comic books.
August 10th, 2006 at 3:52 pm
Damn, that last sentence should read:
“I crave an era where Mr. Baron can focus his full attention on comic books.”
August 10th, 2006 at 4:08 pm
Jackie,
No one is saying that Islamist fascism isn’t evil! Hello, the scum should be kicked in the ass.
However, Baron is complaing about ALL muslims. Get it? He’s saying that we should start ripping on the religion in general. How does that help anything? There are over a billion Muslims in the world. Should we start a propaganda campaign against all of them? How do you think that will go towards winning friends and influencing people to think that the West isn’t filled with people who hate Muslims in general?
We don’t need a propaganda campaign. Everyone knows Islamic terrorists are evil and should be crushed. Turn on the TV, I don’t see anyone suggesting that we shouldn’t do so who has a brain.
August 10th, 2006 at 4:25 pm
Ms. Estrada,
Baron’s piece is far from “well-reasoned”, it is scary, hateful and simple minded.
It advocates starting a Ministry of Propaganda to send out a “pro-Western, pro-civilization message.” (“…using The Ministry needs to foster news and entertainment that reflect Western values and do not shy away from naming the enemy.”)
Don’t you or Mr. Baron understand that with thinking like this – “Captain America should become the unabashed champion of Western civilization and Judeo/Christian values.” – is in fact WHY Terrorism exists. The United States of America is not the entire fucking world. This “idea” of bringing western “civilization” to people round the world is both offensive and dangerous. These people who we so badly want to bring civility and freedom to – how do you think they feel when their countires are decimated and then occupied? Do you even understand why terrorism exists?
It’s too important a problem to use a tired old superhero comic book plot to correct. Baron needs to grow up a bit before he starts ranting about such stuff.
August 10th, 2006 at 6:48 pm
Mike Baron being conservative is a new development?
August 10th, 2006 at 9:32 pm
I certainly DO understand why terrorism exists. And the fact that so many here think it’s somehow “our” fault that Islamo-Fascists want to impose their ideology on us or simply want to wipe us out only underscores the need for the “propaganda” Mike is calling for in his rhetoric, since there is plenty of leftist propaganda out there that needs to be countered.
FYI, I’m not a conservative; this just happens to be an issue that I agree on with many conservatives.
August 10th, 2006 at 10:48 pm
I think the funny book industry needs more rightwing nuts; they’re funny.
August 11th, 2006 at 8:11 am
Er, didn’t they try this storyline in Captain America pretty recently? And didn’t it turn out to be utter shite?
Regarding Baron – he should hook up with Graig Weich of CIVILIAN JUSTICE fame, or maybe the LIBERALITY FOR ALL crew. Lord knows they could do with the help of a seasoned pro, and evidently they’d have much to agree on.
August 11th, 2006 at 4:08 pm
“Mike Baron being conservative is a new development?”
Yeah, I seem to recall his introduction to a Punisher collection from the 80s making the case that America needs a real life Punisher, someone willing to completely bypass the legal system and dispense summary justice, etc.
Mike Baron’s mother is/was a radical feminist professor at UW-Madison, from what I’ve been told.
August 14th, 2006 at 1:34 am
“These people who we so badly want to bring civility and freedom to – how do you think they feel when their countires are decimated and then occupied? Do you even understand why terrorism exists?”
I think you’re putting the effect before the cause. If terrorism didn’t exist, there’d be no need to occupy their countries. Logically, they should feel that perhaps terrorism wasn’t worth the price they paid and reform. However, logic and religion rarely get together and hash things out.
Terrorism exists because:
a) a relatively small group of Islamic nutjobs wants nothing less than to impose Islamic law on the rest of the world, but they lack the pure military force to do so
and
b) the rest of the Islamic world (as well as most of the Western world, for that matter) would rather placate than confront such an obvious threat. The Islamic world remains passive against out of a misguided notion of never taking sides against fellow Muslims; the West out of apathy.
August 14th, 2006 at 2:48 am
“Islamofascism”
Interesting that this bullshit word took all of 2 days to seep so deeply into the public conciousness.
Amerofascism is what has got me scared.
August 14th, 2006 at 11:31 am
“Amerofascism is what has got me scared.”
Yeah, I know. Their stranglehold on freedom has gotten so bad, only 80% of the internet is occupied with bleating about the dictatorship we live under! HOW CAN WE BEAR THE OPPRESSION????
August 15th, 2006 at 2:42 pm
Heaven forbid somebody actually express an opinion, be it from the right or the left. My own political blog would be defined as far left, but I wouldn’t deny anybody (let alone, admittedly, a friend and collaborator) his or her point of view without resorting to the sort of infantile name-calling I’ve seen here.
All too often the left thinks they have the trademark on free speech, and that anybody who disagrees with them is some sort of hate-monger. Baron is not a hate-monger, and his point of view is well considered and well reasoned. And not entirely incorrect – except for the oxymoron “Fox News,” of course.
August 15th, 2006 at 3:45 pm
I don’t think anybody is trying to deny Mr. Baron to right to express his opinion – I think the people here are just responding to that opinion. My opinion is this:
If ANYONE, (regardless of whatever label they may favor -conservative, liberal), calls for a “propaganda campaign” to RIDICULE AN ENTRIE RELIGION, that person contributes to the childish fear and hate mongering that leads people to blow up shit in the first place. (any once again, it is very hard to argue that Baron is not promoting hate by his “manifesto”) In Mr. Baron’s mind, what comes after this silly ass propaganda deal? Interment camps?
I really don’t know what spell the goverment has over some people where they fail to see the obvious. We – as a people -have more in common with those being bombed and occupied than we do with the leaders of goverment. If one is serious about stopping terrorisim, one must stop terrorizing.
August 15th, 2006 at 7:44 pm
Matt (sans the D) wrote:
“I think you’re putting the effect before the cause. If terrorism didn’t exist, there’d be no need to occupy their countries. Logically, they should feel that perhaps terrorism wasn’t worth the price they paid and reform. However, logic and religion rarely get together and hash things out. ”
Okay, some wires are defintely getting crossed somewhere and this new “islamofascism” jazz is getting way out of hand.
Let’s be clear about a few things:
Muslims, including the most radical terrorist groups you could imagine, have no interest in taking over the world, making us think like they do, making everyone worship Allah, etc. etc. This new word – “islamofascism” – is a term made up by the current administration. They are trying to try to tie this current situation into the same old war time thinking ala “evil empire”.
The people who commmit terroist acts do not do so because they “hate freedom”, are jealous of our wealth, or want everyone in a burka.
Don’t take my word for it. Don’t take the goverment’s word for it . Put down the label that someone convinced you were and think for yourself. Look it up – It’s just a little more complicated than you are making it out to be.