Marvel comics censors content critical of current US administration

[Mormolyce]

Two separate counts here - one is from Marvel Comics #1000, a big commemorative issue. Mark Waid penned a piece about Captain America's relevance in the 1940s and how it still applies today:

The Hollywood Reporter has learned that an essay in Marvel Comics No. 1000 that described America as “deeply flawed” and called for people to take to the streets has similarly been removed after appearing in early preview copies.

The essay, written by Mark Waid, accompanied a full-page image of Captain America by John Cassaday and Laura Martin and was intended to tie in with the 1944 release of the first Captain America movie serial. In the piece, Waid wrote about the imperfections of the current American political system.

“The system isn’t just. We’ve treated some of our own abominably,” he wrote. “Worse, we’ve perpetuated the myth that any American can become anything, can achieve anything, through sheer force of will. And that’s not always true. This isn’t the land of opportunity for everyone. The American ideals aren’t always shared fairly. Yet without them, we have nothing.”

Waid went on to write, “America’s systems are flawed, but they’re our only mechanism with which to remedy inequality on a meaningful scale. Yes, it’s hard and bloody work. But history has shown us that we can, bit by bit, right that system when enough of us get angry. When enough of us take to the streets and force those in power to listen. When enough of us call for revolution and say, ‘Injustice will not stand.’”

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/he...-issue-1234909

Apparently telling people America isn't perfect and we should fight for a better tomorrow is too political lol.

Secondly, Art Spiegelman (of Maus fame) wrote this piece which you can read in full at the below link, but was told to censor it by Marvel:

I turned the essay in at the end of June, substantially the same as what appears here. A regretful Folio Society editor told me that Marvel Comics (evidently the co-publisher of the book) is trying to now stay “apolitical”, and is not allowing its publications to take a political stance. I was asked to alter or remove the sentence that refers to the Red Skull or the intro could not be published. I didn’t think of myself as especially political compared with some of my fellow travellers, but when asked to kill a relatively anodyne reference to an Orange Skull I realised that perhaps it had been irresponsible to be playful about the dire existential threat we now live with, and I withdrew my introduction.

A revealing story serendipitously showed up in my news feed this week. I learned that the billionaire chairman and former CEO of Marvel Entertainment, Isaac “Ike” Perlmutter, is a longtime friend of Donald Trump’s, an unofficial and influential adviser and a member of the president’s elite Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida. And Perlmutter and his wife have each recently donated $360,000 (the maximum allowed) to the Orange Skull’s “Trump Victory Joint Fundraising Committee” for 2020. I’ve also had to learn, yet again, that everything is political... just like Captain America socking Hitler on the jaw.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/20...ise-of-fascism

So I'm sure all those people who wring their hands over censorship and free speech will ride to the rescue here, right?

[Kontinuum]

ORANGE SKULL BAD

lmao

stop taking capeshit so seriously

[Trassk]

Marvel's bigger problem of late is that is HAS become to political and forcing social issues into their work based on real world factors.

In the past something like the message of accepting peoples differences came from the made up concepts like mutants, and how that was a reflection of how people were different in the real world without needing to actually be the same thing, making far less preachy.

Today marvel just thrusts social and political messages into their comics based on real world issues, making a very obvious, non-subtle split in who were are representing. This ends up creating a divide.

If they were still creative with their writing instead of just being reactionary and forcing messages, they would still appeal to more people instead of the shell of a company they use to be.

[Mormolyce]

Marvel's bigger problem of late is that is HAS become to political and forcing social issues into their work based on real world factors.

Eyeroll.

Don't ever read original Silver/Bronze Age Marvel comics. I think the politics in them would make your head explode.

[Draco-Onis]

If they were still creative with their writing instead of just being reactionary and forcing messages, they would still appeal to more people instead of the shell of a company they use to be.

You mean becoming the most successful purchase in history with several multi billion dollar franchises instead of a company always teetering on the verge of bankruptcy? You are literally denying reality to fit your narrative even if you were to take just comic book sales they are still neck and neck with DC though comic book readership overall continues to stale.

[ParanoiD84]

Leave political garbage out of stuff like this please.

[Trassk]

You mean becoming the most successful purchase in history with several multi billion dollar franchises instead of a company always teetering on the verge of bankruptcy? You are literally denying reality to fit your narrative even if you were to take just comic book sales they are still neck and neck with DC though comic book readership overall continues to stale.

That is because they were brought by Disney and the success of the movies have kept the company afloat. The comics themselves have been tanking in sales for years.

[Howel]

I can understand wanting apolitical media content; but when it is from a writer, that supposedly did so on their volition, and not pressured by any higher ups, it gives a bad taste in the mouth frankly. Sales or not, popularity or not, if artists aren't allowed to express themselves in their ways, it rarely turns out good.

Which goes both ways. There are conservative writers and artists, who have also found themselves bogged down by either apolitical or political correctness, and that as well is a loss of art and opinion; all to serve... money making. Soulless corporate entertainment, avoid of politics, because some people might not like it. It is the casualization of media, but political, because hurt fees fees...

[Trassk]

I can understand wanting apolitical media content; but when it is from a writer, that supposedly did so on their volition, and not pressured by any higher ups, it gives a bad taste in the mouth frankly. Sales or not, popularity or not, if artists aren't allowed to express themselves in their ways, it rarely turns out good.

Which goes both ways. There are conservative writers and artists, who have also found themselves bogged down by either apolitical or political correctness, and that as well is a loss of art and opinion; all to serve... money making. Soulless corporate entertainment, avoid of politics, because some people might not like it. It is the casualization of media, but political, because hurt fees fees...

There are of course subtle ways to convey a political message without directly doing so. Someone mentioned Marvel's earlier political messages, if you take captain america, however he's been fighting against the red skull most of his life, who's organisation is a take on the nazi party without needing to actually call it that.

And if anyone claims he hit Hitler on the comics cover, those golden age comics are as disjointed from the versions of the characters as it was when batman used guns and superman could shoot rainbows and mini clones of himself. Let's just say the golden age is a different entity to what came after them.

[Howel]

There are of course subtle ways to convey a political message without directly doing so. Someone mentioned Marvel's earlier political messages, if you take captain america, however he's been fighting against the red skull most of his life, who's organisation is a take on the nazi party without needing to actually call it that.

True. I will say that the first example, is disheartening that you aren't allowed to call out that there is problems in society (because there freaking is, that's one thing both sides can agree upon), moreso because it ends with saying without those, they'd be nothing; admitting that such issues aren't unnatural nor something that is easily approached.
The other one... that one I don't care much for, but is still not direct, soooo.

It is tame examples, in my opinion, which is why it doesn't feel right.

[Draco-Onis]

That is because they were brought by Disney and the success of the movies have kept the company afloat. The comics themselves have been tanking in sales for years

Comic book sales have been tanking period and Marvel's numbers were mostly due to the fact that they decided to go on a pissing contest against their most popular franchises (Fantastic 4, X-Men). You clearly have no clue what you are talking about now that everything is once again under one umbrella sales have picked up. Also people touting DC as the great alternative also don't read DC since they have obviously overlooked the diversity within DC.

- - - Updated - - -

Its a business decision and correct one. Politics divide, which causes them to lose customers. Doesn't matter if their message is left or right or whatever - its irrelevant. Old comics always promoted patriotism and weren't specific to some party and that's the way it should be.

So you don't read comics got it.

[Muajin76]

That is because they were brought by Disney and the success of the movies have kept the company afloat. The comics themselves have been tanking in sales for years.

and here i thought that sex appeal would help boost Marvel sales. :P

[Grimbold21]

You seemingly forgot all the people that go "private business, their rules"

[s_bushido]

lol

You're perfectly free to point to that one interview and blame the nefarious Disney, or whatever the idiots you get your anti-SJW marching orders from are feeding you this week. But if you want to cherry pick that, you're also going to have to contend with the fact that a solidly mediocre super hero movie like Black Panther is the 11th highest grossing film of all time (only beaten in this particular franchise by the mainline Avengers movies), in large part because of the evil diversity that you hate so much.

As an aside, sayig that comic sales have "been tanking for years" (when, in fact they haven't) and blaming it on this in particular, seems rather rich.

[Lorgar Aurelian]

That is because they were brought by Disney and the success of the movies have kept the company afloat. The comics themselves have been tanking in sales for years.

https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/...39/363/220.jpg

You know if you ignore that the VP didn’t actually say that but I’m guessing you linked a picture instead of any story as every time you do link a story it’s pointed out that your talking nonsense.

- - - Updated - - -

Leave political garbage out of stuff like this please.

They will need to go pretty far back and unmake captain America The xmen and many more to do that so kinda hard.

[Belize]

Leave political garbage out of stuff like this please.

Superhero comics have always been incredibly political.

[Ivanstone]

[callipygoustp]

I am outraged!

[s_bushido]

<snip>

Fake news. No one says "excelsior."

[Muzjhath]

Marvel's bigger problem of late is that is HAS become to political and forcing social issues into their work based on real world factors.

Have you ever read a copy of the X-Men?