News of Note:
Oh you mean it wasn’t ANTIFA:
Mark Waid & Dan Mora to team for World’s Finest
Tom Taylor goes exclusive
More Tom King Batman: Killing Time with art from David Marquez
Sean Murphy returns with Beyond the White KnightAlex Ross doing solo Fantastic Four graphic novel
Some movie:
Why The People by Beka Feathers & Ally Shwed a case for Democracy coming in June from World Citizen
3 Amazing New Books
Tyler:
Regarding the Matter of Oswald’s Body #2, Christopher Cantwell, Luca Casalanguida, Boom!
Honorable Mentions: Primordial #4, Hulk #2, Amazing Spider-Man #81
Tad:
We Only Kill Each Other #2 Stephanie Phillips, Peter Krause, comiXology
Newburn #2 Chip Zdarsky, Jacob Phillips, Image
She Could Fly Vol. 3, Christopher Cantwell, Martin Morazzo, Dark Horse
Honorable Mentions: Adventureman #7, Gun Honey #4, Mazebook #4, Primordial #4, Regarding the Matter of Oswald’s Body #2, Robin & Batman #2
Great Responsibility: Exploring the American Experiment Through Comics
I’ve been experiencing a pretty regular earworm for the last year, Jordan Klepper from the National Mall, January 6, 2021. The part that gets stuck in my head starts at about the 30 second mark:
Just because it’s so outrageous it’s worth reading, here’s the transcript:
- Will you accept Joe Biden as President of the United States on the 20th?
- No, I will not accept... No, I will not. So, look, what I... I've educated myself about this okay? I don't know all that's in the Constitution.
- Have you read it? It's pretty short.
- The Constitution of America?
- Yeah.
- I've not read the whole thing, no. You've read the entire thing?
- Yes, it's remarkably short.
- All right. I-I doubt that, but it's okay.
- You should read it, 'cause you might be committing a seditious act in an hour and a half.
- Okay, I'm not gonna comment about that.
I remember thinking, even at the time, not only is it short- there’s a COMIC!
Constitution Illustrated by R. Sikoryak
Sikoryak uses comics characters from throughout American history to illustrate Our Nation’s Founding Document. The diversity of the chosen homages (From Richard F. Outcault’s Yellow Kid to Raina Telgameier & Dav Pilkey- and everything in between) portrays the vibrant tapestry of the American Experience. Meanwhile, the individual choices of characters and poses chosen for each article, section, or amendment provides a commentary on both the text and the history that accompanies it- often so subtle that it would be worthy of a whole separate episode just to examine it. For today, however, we’ll focus on some highlights.
First the parts that the young man who spoke with Klepper would have been wise to examine.
What were lawmakers doing at the Capitol that day?
Here’s Article II, Section 1
If that’s too small to make out I encourage you to read the text at the National Archives along with helpful links to the amendments that added or superseded it.
The gist, the States certify the validity of the ballots BEFORE they are sent to Washington. The Constitutional responsibility of the President of the Senate (aka Vice President) is to COUNT them, not certify them.
Also, of relevance to the “Very Peaceful” “Tourists” of the Capitol Building on January 6,
Article III, Section 3
But enough ugliness. The Constitution of the United States of America is, in spite of (or maybe even because of) its flaws, a beautiful, and truly revolutionary document. Starting right from the top:
The Preamble
We the People
Not we the Rich White Men, though that’s what they meant at the time. Not we the White Men or even We the White People- either would have been more accurate to the reality of the time. No, We the People. It was probably a stylistic choice as much as anything, but it has laid the groundwork for more than two centuries worth of expansion to civil rights and suffrage.
in Order to form a more perfect Union
More Perfect. Even at the time they knew that if the nation was to last it’s Constitution had to be considered a work in progress…
establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty
Justice. Tranquility. Welfare. Liberty. Read them again. Let them sink in. It’s a mission statement. This is what we want to do. This is what you should work toward.
Article V.
In case one was too dense to pick up on it in the Preamble, they codify that this document is supposed to be a living one, amended as the needs of the people required.
The Constitution can be a difficult read. It’s filled with archaic language, vagaries, and legalese. One could spend a lifetime studying it, and many have. But that shouldn’t stop one from expanding upon their understanding.
Fault Lines In the Constitution: The Framers, Their Fights, and the Flaws That Affect Us Today by Cynthia Levinson, Sanford Levinson, & Ally Shwed
Fault Lines is a good introduction to the history and meaning of the Constitution. Twenty years ago I would have asserted that it was non-partisan and not expected any pushback. Alas, we live in an era where the egos of the people who support one party are so fragile that any criticism of their ideas is viewed as tantamount to a witch hunt and the people leveling said criticism are deemed UnAmerican.
Some highlights:
Framers:
55 Men took part in the Constitutional Convention. How many did you recognize. I only knew four. Washington, Madison, Hamilton, and Franklin.
Noticeably absent: Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, James Madison, and John Jay
Liberty:
Man, I wish more gun rights activists saw the world this way.
Outline:
John Marshall 4th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Secretary of State under John Adams, Representative of Virginia 13th.
As I read that page, my mind drifted to Michael Lewis’ The Fifth Risk. For those who haven’t encountered it here is an excerpt from a Vox interview with the author:
See, that’s what I wish ALL government was about. Being ahead of the problem, building a well oiled machine towards that mission statement embodied by the Preamble.
ALAS:
We now step away from the Constitution to take a closer look at the society that it represents, and that at times hides behind it.
Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations by Mira Jacob
In Good Talk Mira Jacob paints a picture of the difficulties and complexities of being a first generation American- her parents immigrated from India- during the rise in popularity of red trucker hats. She centers her story around struggling to answer the increasingly difficult questions of her precocious 8-year old son. Whether intentional or not, and I tend to think that it was more a happy accident than a concerted manipulation, her honest and often hilarious portrayal of her son makes it hard not to immediately relate to her regardless of one’s own background.
Which makes the story all the more heartbreaking as the questions get ever more awkward and meaningful.
And her struggle reminds me of Richard Feynman discussing Quantum Mechanics
and wishing there were more rich, old, white men who listened to people of color, were cultured enough to have read Feynman, and wise enough to consider him before they spoke.
Or put more bluntly:
This has been the hardest part of the show notes to write. Because I’m a middle class white male. And I care about not hurting others, not making an ass of myself, and most importantly if I say anything at all, I want it to be additive. I want it to be a small part of making a better world, not something that reinforces an ignorant status quo. It’s nice to know that I’m not the only one who can struggle with that.
But we’re going to end with the funny…
3 Books We Hope Will Be Spectacular
Tad
Tyler:
Not we the Rich White Men, though that’s what they meant at the time. Not we the White Men or even We the White People- either would have been more accurate to the reality of the time. No, We the People. It was probably a stylistic choice as much as anything, but it has laid the groundwork for more than two centuries worth of expansion to civil rights and suffrage.
in Order to form a more perfect Union
More Perfect. Even at the time they knew that if the nation was to last it’s Constitution had to be considered a work in progress…
establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty
Justice. Tranquility. Welfare. Liberty. Read them again. Let them sink in. It’s a mission statement. This is what we want to do. This is what you should work toward.
Article V.
In case one was too dense to pick up on it in the Preamble, they codify that this document is supposed to be a living one, amended as the needs of the people required.
The Constitution can be a difficult read. It’s filled with archaic language, vagaries, and legalese. One could spend a lifetime studying it, and many have. But that shouldn’t stop one from expanding upon their understanding.
Fault Lines In the Constitution: The Framers, Their Fights, and the Flaws That Affect Us Today by Cynthia Levinson, Sanford Levinson, & Ally Shwed
Fault Lines is a good introduction to the history and meaning of the Constitution. Twenty years ago I would have asserted that it was non-partisan and not expected any pushback. Alas, we live in an era where the egos of the people who support one party are so fragile that any criticism of their ideas is viewed as tantamount to a witch hunt and the people leveling said criticism are deemed UnAmerican.
Some highlights:
Framers:
55 Men took part in the Constitutional Convention. How many did you recognize. I only knew four. Washington, Madison, Hamilton, and Franklin.
Noticeably absent: Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, James Madison, and John Jay
Liberty:
Man, I wish more gun rights activists saw the world this way.
Outline:
John Marshall 4th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Secretary of State under John Adams, Representative of Virginia 13th.
As I read that page, my mind drifted to Michael Lewis’ The Fifth Risk. For those who haven’t encountered it here is an excerpt from a Vox interview with the author:
…idea that grew out of… conversation… with John McWilliams at the Department of Energy. I asked him… tell me five top risks the department faced off the top of his head. He got through four very quickly: they were things like nuclear weapons accidents, attacks on the electric grid, the Iran nuclear deal being undermined, and North Korea figuring out how to get a missile to California. He had very detailed stories about each one and why each one was much scarier than we knew. But then he got to the fifth and it took him like a long time — I could see that he’d run out of material. And I thought, that’s the fifth. The risk you’re attending to, the risk that’s top of mind, is not likely the thing that’s going to actually kill you. The fifth risk is a scary one because it’s the thing you’re not paying attention to. Now, eventually, he does come up with a fifth risk. He says “project management.” …what he meant by “project management” was that there are these very slow, glacially paced risks that the government manages day to day where nothing really dramatic ever happens. But if it gets mismanaged over the long run, something really dramatic could happen.
See, that’s what I wish ALL government was about. Being ahead of the problem, building a well oiled machine towards that mission statement embodied by the Preamble.
ALAS:
We now step away from the Constitution to take a closer look at the society that it represents, and that at times hides behind it.
Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations by Mira Jacob
In Good Talk Mira Jacob paints a picture of the difficulties and complexities of being a first generation American- her parents immigrated from India- during the rise in popularity of red trucker hats. She centers her story around struggling to answer the increasingly difficult questions of her precocious 8-year old son. Whether intentional or not, and I tend to think that it was more a happy accident than a concerted manipulation, her honest and often hilarious portrayal of her son makes it hard not to immediately relate to her regardless of one’s own background.
Which makes the story all the more heartbreaking as the questions get ever more awkward and meaningful.
And her struggle reminds me of Richard Feynman discussing Quantum Mechanics
and wishing there were more rich, old, white men who listened to people of color, were cultured enough to have read Feynman, and wise enough to consider him before they spoke.
Or put more bluntly:
This has been the hardest part of the show notes to write. Because I’m a middle class white male. And I care about not hurting others, not making an ass of myself, and most importantly if I say anything at all, I want it to be additive. I want it to be a small part of making a better world, not something that reinforces an ignorant status quo. It’s nice to know that I’m not the only one who can struggle with that.
But we’re going to end with the funny…
3 Books We Hope Will Be Spectacular
Tad
Honorable Mentions: Joy Operations #2, A Righteous Thirst For Vengeance #3, Serial #9, Star Wars: Darth Vader #19, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #6,Time Before Time #8
Honorable Mention: Chicken Devil #3, Venom #3
My other recent earworm, presented without comment:
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