Leftist comic books?

[Guerrilla22]

I know a graphic novel called "Fidel" obviously about the life of Castro is coming out in both a spanish and english version in August, and I know there has been a manga insired by the Kapital vol. 1, and V for Vendetta, which has an anarchist theme, does anyone know of any other comic books or graphic novels that are based on leftist themes?

[RHIZOMES]

I think Watchmen's subtext definitely is. All because it has reactionary class-enemy characters doesn't mean it's isn't leftist.

[Sugar Hill Kevis]

There's superman the red son (http://www.amazon.com/Superman-Red-Elseworlds-Mark-Millar/dp/1401201911), for the soviet fetishists.

Howard Zinn's 'A People's History of American Empire (http://us.macmillan.com/apeopleshistoryofamericanempire)' is a graphic novel, content sort of speaks for itself.

(http://www.amazon.co.uk/All-Rage-Boondocks-Past-Present/dp/0307352668/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1244371678&sr=8-6)The Boondocks (http://www.amazon.co.uk/All-Rage-Boondocks-Past-Present/dp/0307352668/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1244371780&sr=8-6), which is just, fantastic. There are quite a few anthologies of it, all pretty good...

But then of course, all comics are part of the liberal media conspiracy.

[Killfacer]

May not be what you are looking for entirely but there is a revolutionary Tintin. It's about how the revolution occurs and it's really fucking funny.

[Pirate turtle the 11th]

You can get tintin breaking free online

(although i also own a copy in paper because i am awesome)

http://tintinrevolution.free.fr/pages/image001.html

[ellipsis]

I second Superman The Red Son, I even stole my nomme de guerre from it!

[n1co]

theres a small one called 'iraq-operation corporate takeover' i picked up from marxism which is an easy read but its basic, and then i have one on che's life which has about the cuban revolution in it aswell as main parts of his life before that, i cant find where it is at the moment to give you any details about it.

any decent leftist comic books just keep on mentioning them though cos i much prefer pictures to long detailed books and i still have a lot to learn about haha

[n1co]

should mention theyre not really comics based on leftist themes theyre more books shortened and put into pictures, still thought it relevent though.

[n1co]

actually forget the iraq one, the more i think about it the more im remembering i didnt like it.

[fiddlesticks]

I second the Watchmen, it is my favorite comic book ever.

[kharacter]

Um, for manga there's The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kurosagi_Corpse_Delivery_Service), and MPD Psycho (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MPD_Psycho)both by Eiji Otsuka who's a self-procalimed leftist I believe. I have yet to read either, but I'd be interested in reading the former. The latter, however, is about a detective, and I don't really want to be involved with police-type characters. I know the former has social commentary on it and it's supposed to be good. There's also a film being made in the US about it I think. It also, unfortunately, has religious stuff in it, which does not appeal to me in the least, but I would not dismiss it completely because of it.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MPD_Psycho)

[eyedrop]

I seem to remember Corto Maltese having a few anarchist characters, besides just being a fantastic comic.

[Delenda Carthago]

There is a comic book called "Palestine".Not leftist,but its cool.

[Durruti's Ghost]

I think Watchmen's subtext definitely is. All because it has reactionary class-enemy characters doesn't mean it's isn't leftist.

Although the movie completely ditched the leftist subtext by removing the street characters. I always interpreted the novel as being at least partially an allegory for how the internal conflicts of the ruling class (embodied in the "heroes") ultimately just inflicted more and more harm upon the workers (embodied in the street characters). With those characters and scenes removed, though, an entire theme--a central theme--of the novel disappeared... :(

[Guerrilla22]

I have Palestine, it's really good.

[Tyrlop]

http://www.addictedtowar.com/atw1a.html
Addicted to war - Pacifist Cartoon about militarism in USA

[ellipsis]

Good thread, sticky?

[Honggweilo]

well since all my other suggestions were metioned, "The Red Star" is also a great comic, dispite the liberal + psuedo trotskyist (orwell style) message.

http://www.archangel-studios.com/comics/redstar/

The is also "Addicted to War" by Andreas Joel, which is a beginners guide anti-imperialist graphic novel

http://www.addictedtowar.com/atw1a.html

And one in dutch, "Glopie Kopie Wereld" by Sam Mapaey, which is my longtime favorite and the best introduction to marxism around IMHO.

http://www.epo.be/uitgeverij/extrainfo.php?id=90_6445_324_1-B (http://www.epo.be/uitgeverij/boekinfo_boek.php?isbn=9789064453243)

http://www.epo.be/extra/glopie23.jpg

[ellipsis]

Howard zinn's people's history of empire (http://therevolutionscript.blogspot.com/2009/08/peoples-history-of-american-empire.html) is a good read.

[Kayser_Soso]

Check this one out, about Paul Robeson. It has a study guide section for high school students. http://www.alba-valb.org/resources/document-library/volunteer-june-2009/?searchterm=robeson%20volunteer%202009

[Panda Tse Tung]

Green Arrow
and the 'Mao-comics' (not sure if they have been published in English).

[Guerrilla22]

I'd love to read Mao comics lol. I didn't know Green Arrow was leftist in nature.

[khad]

I'd love to read Mao comics lol. I didn't know Green Arrow was leftist in nature.
He was, back in the 70s. The 80s made him a right wing libertarian.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Arrow


Under Grell, Green Arrow would abandon the use of his trademark gadget arrows and relocate from Star City to Seattle, Washington (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattle,_Washington). As the series was part of DC Comics' mature audience line, it took on a more gritty, violent, and urban tone, with Green Arrow often using deadly force against his enemies. Grell wrote the series for the first 80 issues, downplaying the super-hero aspects of the characters and isolating Green Arrow from the rest of the DC Universe. When other super-heroes appeared, such as Green Lantern and Mike Grell's creation The Warlord, they appeared in street clothes under their civilian names. Green Arrow abandoned his mask, and Black Canary lost her sonic scream power. While crossover specials were conceived to allow other writers (most notably Denny O'Neil (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denny_O%27Neil), who wrote Batman and the mature audience comic The Question (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Question_%28comics%29)) to use Green Arrow, Grell deliberately downplayed all super-hero ties to Green Arrow, to the extent of having longtime Green Arrow friend Hal Jordan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hal_Jordan) only appear in civilian form and the name 'Green Arrow' not being used in the series.[4] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Arrow#cite_note-3) During this period, Green Arrow was portrayed as a right-wing libertarian rather than the left-of-center liberal of the nineteen-seventies; he remained a passionate individualist, but became far more conservative in his political beliefs.

And now he's a liberal lifestylist redemption myth.


In 2006 Andy Diggle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Diggle) and Jock (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jock)'s Green Arrow: Year One (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Arrow:_Year_One)[6] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Arrow#cite_note-5) presented the most recent official version of his origin. Using concepts from previous iterations, Oliver Queen is a rich, thrill-seeking activist who, is attacked and thrown overboard, and washes up on a island, where he learns of a smuggling operation. Upon witnessing the inhabitants' slave-like living conditions, he begins to take down the smugglers' operation. He eventually returns to civilization changed by his experiences. In the final part of the story, Oliver claims that a mutiny or the actions of a group of heroin dealers could be used as a cover story for what transpired, referencing the original Green Arrow origin story, as well as Mike Grell's version.

[A.R.Amistad]

Try reading any of Ruis' works, like Marxism for Beginners and Cuba for Beginners are all illustrated.

Oh yeah, my organization actually has a comic of its own, General Strike check it out:

http://www.generalstrikecomics.com/

[ellipsis]

Try reading any of Ruis' works, like Marxism for Beginners and Cuba for Beginners are all illustrated.

Good quality books that help you figure out what the fuck you just read in Das Kapital. Helped me tons in clarifying all the different stuff I read and showing the evolution of marxist thought.

[Luís Henrique]

Louis La Guigne:
http://www.bedetheque.com/serie-5288-BD-Louis-la-Guigne.html#21842

Luís Henrique

[CELMX]

smurfs! If you actually think about it, they are pretty leftist. Everyone shares, there wasn't any exploitation. Smurfys of the world, unite! :)

Gargamel is that evil cappie bastard.

Someone I think already mentioned this, but Marxism for Beginners is an AWESOME graphic novel.:)

[ellipsis]

and then i have one on che's life which has about the cuban revolution in it aswell as main parts of his life before that, i cant find where it is at the moment to give you any details about it.

The book is called "Che: a Graphic Biography" by the same people who did the 9/11 report comic, Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colón. Apparently there are two with the same name which is kinda confusing. I just read this one and was pretty impressed. I wasn't a big fan of the 9/11 report one, mostly because the didn't draw the guns right a lot of the time, but I think this makes a decent Che primer for people who want to get a good idea of what his life was like. It also gives a real thorough(for a graphic novel) history of Latin America, the Cold War, etc. which gives Che a lot of context.

[un_person]

I can't believed nobody has mentioned V for Vendetta yet. Also, I haven't read many yet but DMZ is a pretty good series. It's about a second civil war in amerika.

[ellipsis]

Uhh, the OP mentioned it.

[NecroCommie]

Marx's das kapital has appeared as a manga version. I'm hunting for that one currently. Heh, I beat you to it hugs!:D

[hugsandmarxism]

Marx's das kapital has appeared as a manga version. I'm hunting for that one currently. Heh, I beat you to it hugs!:D

:crying:

Anyhow, if you find an english version, be sure to let me know ;)

[Panda Tse Tung]

He was, back in the 70s. The 80s made him a right wing libertarian.
Jup, i got 2 books in which he joins green lantern. Together they help workers revolt against their boss :), kick out some greedy land-lord, etc... etc...
Green Lantern is depicted as the conservative that starts realizing the world ain't black 'n white, green arrow being the 'teacher'.

[mutiny]

The Invisibles is pretty philosophic and kinda out there but good.

[Sarah Palin]

V for Vendetta dabbles with anarchism vs. fascism

There is also a graphic novel version of The People's History of American Empire

Edit: It's called the People's History of Empire I guess. It's the comic version of the Howard Zinn text.

[ellipsis]

Howard zinn's people's history of empire (http://therevolutionscript.blogspot.com/2009/08/peoples-history-of-american-empire.html) is a good read.
read threads before posting for simplicity's sake.

[Koffie-Kommie]

well since all my other suggestions were metioned, "The Red Star" is also a great comic, dispite the liberal + psuedo trotskyist (orwell style) message.



I would say the same thing about "Superman: Red Son" (which many people have already mentioned). But, despite it's Trotskyist leanings, it's still one of my favorite comic book limited series, just based on the idea! The writer of this book Mark Millar, (who i think is Scottish), has been accused by right-winger comic book reviewers of being a communist-sympathizer. Although I def think he's left-leaning, i don't think i would go so far as to call him a communist. (Tho he's a hell of a writer: one of the best in the comic biz)

Other graphic novels that leftists/communists would appreciate are

-"Persepolis" (there's an animated movie of this one too) by Marjane Satrapi about growing up during the
-"Pride of Baghdad" an allegory of the war in Iraq by Brian K. Vaughn ( a writer who also worked on the most recent season of TV's Lost)
-"Y: The Last Man" also by Vaughn, who in this series asked, Would the world be a better place if it was only inhabited by Women?
-"Civil War" A Marvel comics crossover featuring all of their superhero characters. (Also written by Mark Millar). In this story it's one group of pro-government sponsorship heroes led by industrialist Iron Man vs civil-liberties heroes led by Captain America (!?!) Very interesting limited series that had a great impact during the time of the Patriot Act.


The majority of comic-book creators are actually pretty progressive or left/leaning; just a couple of right-wing nuts in that community.

I've noticed that a lot of people on here have listed Watchmen. I also love that book (and movie), but it has a very BIG thing that I don't agree with, that is a BIG part of the story--which is the whole thing about human nature and how it is promoted in the story by most--if not all--the characters.

[spiltteeth]

Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings, King Kong) is directing three back-to-back movies based on the character Tintin
http://www.aim.org/aim-column/will-spielberg-expose-communism-like-he-did-nazism/

[ellipsis]

Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings, King Kong) is directing three back-to-back movies based on the character Tintin
http://www.aim.org/aim-column/will-spielberg-expose-communism-like-he-did-nazism/

I don't think that qualifies, seems more like anti-leftist movies based on anti-leftist comics.

[Guerrilla22]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b1/Palestine_bookcover.jpg

[bricolage]

There is a comic book called "Palestine".Not leftist,but its cool.

This one is by Joe Sacco and there is a version with an introduction by Edward Said that is pretty cool. Also the same guy has done a new graphic novel called Footnotes in Gaza and also has one about Bosnia, both are meant to be very good.

[RED DAVE]

Check this one out, about Paul Robeson. It has a study guide section for high school students. http://www.alba-valb.org/resources/document-library/volunteer-june-2009/?searchterm=robeson%20volunteer%202009Fantastic. Unbefuckinglievable.

Thanks Comrade.

RED DAVE