George Wallace pro-segregration comic from 1960, Alabama
- Xeni Jardin
- Uncategorized
- Aug 15, 2007
Fringe comix archivist Ethan Persoff tells BoingBoing,
This is one of the rarest items we will ever offer, and one of the most historically significant.
George Wallace produced a comic book in his bid for the Governor’s office in 1962. Includes a blatant defense of segregation.
Takes jabs at the NAACP, freedom workers, many others. It is very easy to state the 60s might have been very different without this booklet, as it was credited with helping Wallace win the election and become Governor. This booklet has since been heavily suppressed.
We offer it now for the first time ever since its original printing over 45 years ago. Initial printing was very scarce and limited in distribution itself, as it was printed solely for white voters in Alabama USA.
Offered online in two presentations. One as issue 19 of Comics With Problems: Link, the other as a stand-alone piece: Link. There are no black people in this comic.
Reader comment: Neil H. in Raleigh, NC says,
One thing that struck me about the Wallace text was how the writer actually called the civil rights activists “freedom riders.” In the age of Karl Rove, lesson number one is to always “re-frame” the opponent, a la “mobile communist agitating defilers”. Also, the whole comic was a bit light on the red-meat race-baiting. I’m sure that was taken care of at the citizen council meetings.