Recently, Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich declared his support for the idea of a moon colony. Even more recently, he was roundly mocked for this even though manned space flight is one of the glories of American history. Wired asked space enthusiast Warren Elliswhat he thought of the plan:

I get the impression he didn’t really get warmed up until he reached Florida. Speaker Gingrich, as a “historian,” will be well aware that Nixon announced the Space Shuttle program to replace the closing Apollo program in order to retain Florida and keep the aerospace industry on his side. With Shuttle closing, it’s the most obvious thing in the world to walk into Florida and say, “I will give you all the money to build stuff.” You’ll probably see him do the same in California.

Ells offers much more on space and Earth’s relationship to the same in the interview.

The ruckus prompted cartoonist Sam Henderson to rerun his own thoughts on moon colonization utilization non humans.

Channel 4 has managed a video of Alan Moore walking around town and chatting with some Occupy protesters in V for Vendetta masks, who tell him his work was an inspiration for their actions. And what does he think?

“I’m amazed, very impressed and I’m rather touched. I think this is the best organized and most forward thinking protest that I have ever had experience of.”

The video is great if only for the scenes of the magisterial Moore striding about a graveyard with his walking stick. Moore amiably chats about the need for protest, and how his work might have influenced the protesters. And the package includes one of the BEST comics interview effects we’ve seen — a plug-in, posterized panel of Moore talking inserted into a background of one of his comics. Great but now that it’s been done, no one else can use it.

If you are like us, you are still grieving at the loss of Herman Cain from next year’s presidential race. From his powerful hats, to his inspiring slogans — “You need a job, right?” — to his wondrous waffling that made every scandal a delight, Cain never failed to bring a smile to our lips, even in these grim times. And he justified that faith in his ability to make us laugh at our problems right up until the very end, topping it off with a quote with the Pokémon movie.

But Herman is gone. Luckily, a new candidate for the Republican nomination has arisen who may just take his place, Marvin E. Quasniki, a humble turquoise farmer from Tonopah, Nevada who is running on a very catchy campaign motto that will soon be heard all over Fox News: “No more bullshit.”

He also held his own in the debates, as this clip shows, and reinvented the whole “word said three times in a row” movement with his own spin. You can also see him in action with Erin Burnett, and more at his YouTube channel.

Now, there are some who say Quasniki is nothing more than a puppet. In this case, a puppet created by Henson Alternative, the adult branch of the Muppet empire, and endorsed by Nerdist, the geek news site. But really, maybe it is time we recognized that having a puppet in the White House is a proud tradition, and Marvin E. Quasniki fits into that tradition. In that case, it is your patriotic duty to cast your vote and hit “Like” on Facebook.

Charges against cartoonist/journalist Susie Cagle for “being present at a raid” have been dropped, although not without a bit of drama:

 

Susie tweeted her frustration that after a month of jumping through hoops and getting nowhere to have her charges dropped, it took the SPJ to get the city to drop the charges. She also noted that the District Attorney happily answered her questions when she introduced herself as press, but wouldn’t talk to her if she presented herself as an arrestee.

 

Once they teamed up to fight dull comics and superhero tropes with the twin pillars of ’80s dark and edgy — THE DARK KNIGHT and WATCHMEN — but now they find themselves on opposite sides of a political battle!

Okay it’s not really a fight, it’s middle-aged comics creators speaking their minds, but Alan Moore has rebutted Frank Miller’s disparaging comments on the Occupy Wall Street movement. While Moore’s work has actually become something of a symbol for the various protest movements springing up around the world as the V for Vendetta mask has become an icon at the rallies, Miller called the protesters losers who needed to go home to their momma’s basement. And as usual, Moore just has no time for it:

Well, Frank Miller is someone whose work I’ve barely looked at for the past twenty years. I thought the Sin City stuff was unreconstructed misogyny, 300 appeared to be wildly ahistoric, homophobic and just completely misguided. I think that there has probably been a rather unpleasant sensibility apparent in Frank Miller’s work for quite a long time. Since I don’t have anything to do with the comics industry, I don’t have anything to do with the people in it. I heard about the latest outpourings regarding the Occupy movement. It’s about what I’d expect from him. It’s always seemed to me that the majority of the comics field, if you had to place them politically, you’d have to say centre-right. That would be as far towards the liberal end of the spectrum as they would go. I’ve never been in any way, I don’t even know if I’m centre-left. I’ve been outspoken about that since the beginning of my career. So yes I think it would be fair to say that me and Frank Miller have diametrically opposing views upon all sorts of things, but certainly upon the Occupy movement.

As far as I can see, the Occupy movement is just ordinary people reclaiming rights which should always have been theirs. I can’t think of any reason why as a population we should be expected to stand by and see a gross reduction in the living standards of ourselves and our kids, possibly for generations, when the people who have got us into this have been rewarded for it; they’ve certainly not been punished in any way because they’re too big to fail. I think that the Occupy movement is, in one sense, the public saying that they should be the ones to decide who’s too big to fail. It’s a completely justified howl of moral outrage and it seems to be handled in a very intelligent, non-violent way, which is probably another reason why Frank Miller would be less than pleased with it. I’m sure if it had been a bunch of young, sociopathic vigilantes with Batman make-up on their faces, he’d be more in favour of it. We would definitely have to agree to differ on that one.

Matt Bors writes to alert us to a news Occupy Comics sketchbook — Sarah Glidden on Occupy Miami. Glidden was in town for the Miami Book Fair, but found time to visit the OWS site.

She explains more here, including the view from Europe where she’s currently working:

“When we would start talking about OWS, the attitude seemed to be that it’s great that Americans are taking some sort of action against the system we’ve created,” she says. “And then the conversation would inevitably turn towards “so wait, I still don’t understand… why don’t the American people want health care for everyone?” which is always fun to try and explain.”

Culture sketchbooks are coming on Thursday with Dan Carino in LA and Sara Rosenbaum in Boston. Next Wednesday an international edition with reports from Amsterdam, London, and Athens will run.

While Frank Miller’s outburst against the OWS protesters might not have been the smartest PR move for him, he was right on the money about one thing: as a cartoonist, he was well qualified to comment. Graphic novels and comics have inspired a lot of the OWS protesters’ iconography.

The best known example, of course, is the use of the Guy Fawkes mask from V FOR VENDETTA by anonymous and other protest groups. But a lot of the Occupy posters and graphics are also comics-inspired, says the Guardian:

They are nostalgic in that they resemble the posters of Paris 1968, or Spain 1936. Expressionist graphics, decisive slogans and modernist wit pervade these images. Yet if the abstract design of a red tower calling on the 99% to Occupy London makes you think of Soviet revolutionary art, the really fascinating thing about the posters is not these echoes of the 20th century but their connection with today’s comics or graphic novels.

Famously, the Guy Fawkes mask used by protesters comes from the graphic novel (and subsequent bad film) V for Vendetta, and this face makes its appearance on posters too. The strong black-and-white style used against coloured backgrounds by Occupy the Streets with its striding woman, Occupy Philly with its Liberty Bell, and Occupy Portland with its face of a young woman representing the 99%, all share the aesthetics of comic book artists such as Art Spiegelman and Charles Burns.

The Guardian has a slideshow of various posters. As we’ve pointed out here before, this is nothing new: comics and politics have always gone hand in hand, and it would be more surprising if a political movement didn’t quickly tie in to the quickly-grasped symbolism that comics offer.

To bring it full circle, Sean Kleefeld found himself donating a bunch of books to the OWS library to replace those lost in the police action last week — and found a surprising author well-represented:

With this week’s release of the biggest GN of the year, the 500K print run WIMPY KID IN CABIN FEVER, Ward Sutton has combined two huge news topics for “Diary of a Wimpy President” which is available at the BostonGlobe.com, but only if you are a member of the site. Which will cost you 99¢, which all things considered, is pretty cheap for an online newspaper. Let’s not be cheapskates here, people.

But for those without access, here’s a peek.

In case you were not on Twitter or Facebook in comics circles this weekend, Frank Miller, evidently tired of being asked when SIN CITY 2 would go into production, decided to set up a diversion by airing his feelings on the Occupy Wall Street movement in a calm, reasoned editorial that did not contain ad hominem attacks:

Everybody’s been too damn polite about this nonsense:

The “Occupy” movement, whether displaying itself on Wall Street or in the streets of Oakland (which has, with unspeakable cowardice, embraced it) is anything but an exercise of our blessed First Amendment. “Occupy” is nothing but a pack of louts, thieves, and rapists, an unruly mob, fed by Woodstock-era nostalgia and putrid false righteousness. These clowns can do nothing but harm America.

“Occupy” is nothing short of a clumsy, poorly-expressed attempt at anarchy, to the extent that the “movement” – HAH! Some “movement”, except if the word “bowel” is attached – is anything more than an ugly fashion statement by a bunch of iPhone, iPad wielding spoiled brats who should stop getting in the way of working people and find jobs for themselves.

This is no popular uprising. This is garbage. And goodness knows they’re spewing their garbage – both politically and physically – every which way they can find.

Wake up, pond scum. America is at war against a ruthless enemy.

Maybe, between bouts of self-pity and all the other tasty tidbits of narcissism you’ve been served up in your sheltered, comfy little worlds, you’ve heard terms like al-Qaeda and Islamicism.

And this enemy of mine — not of yours, apparently – must be getting a dark chuckle, if not an outright horselaugh – out of your vain, childish, self-destructive spectacle.

In the name of decency, go home to your parents, you losers. Go back to your mommas’ basements and play with your Lords Of Warcraft.

Or better yet, enlist for the real thing. Maybe our military could whip some of you into shape.

They might not let you babies keep your iPhones, though. Try to soldier on.

Schmucks.

While the post drew positive reactions from Andrew Breitbart’s Big Hollywood site, most comics folks were left bemused by Miller’s piece. For instance, Sam Henderson wrote on Facebook:

Frank Miller not dating well makes me wonder if I’ll still find the Jerky Boys funny when they come up on my Spotify shuffle.

Comics journo Teresa Jusino entitled her piece Helping An Old Man Continue to Feel Relevant

Ty Templeton said it with pictures: (click for the whole thing.)

We could go on and on, but you get the picture. Interestingly, it was not Miller’s first response to the OWS movement — earlier in the week, i09 had asked various Batman writers what Batman would think of OWS, and Miller’s publicist replied:

Batman believes in the First Amendment and decorous behavior.

The outburst comes, of course, soon after the release of HOLY TERROR, an anti-terrorist tale which many have found heavy-handed in its anti-Islamicism if by heavy-handed you mean a totally gonzo screed.

If comics were looking for their very own Ed Anger, they just found him.

Meanwhile, when is SIN CITY 2 coming out, anyway?

Cartoonist/journalist Susie Cagle has a full report on the events on the night of her arrest along with 100 other Occupy Oakland protesters, from the fires at the barricades –

At some point over the 15 minutes it took me to make my way north to document the police mobilization, those barricades were lit on fire. As I stood at 17th and Telegraph looking south from behind the police line — first held by Oakland police, then less hardcore troops from San Leandro — a column of black smoke snaked up between the office buildings. 12:01 a.m.: “three minutes to leave, police: ‘mask up!!’”

to jailhouse indignities:

After transfer, we were subjected to another round of searches, this time more invasive than the last. While standing single file in a hallway with male inmates leering and licking the windows in their cell doors, we were told to hold out our bras and shake our breasts. “Come on, ladies, shimmy,” said one sheriff. “Get into it. Shimmy.”

You’ll want to read the whole thing.

Cartoonist Susie Cagle — who was previously teargassed during another confrontation — was arrested as part of the Occupy Oakland protest on Wednesday night. Cagle was not there as a protester, but as a reporter, covering the scene for Spot.us. According to Cagle’s father, Cagle was arrested despite having a prominent press pass and the arresting officer actually knowing her and her work.

After being held overnight at Santa Rita Jail, Cagle was released, and charged with the misdemeanor of “present at raid.” On her Twitter stream, she mentions she’s currently trying to retrieve her wallet and housekeys from the Oakland police.

ABC news has a video interview Cagle on the event.

For those covering this new item, the arrest of a clearly marked media person covering the event seems troubling…well, a lot of this whole Occupy Oakland matter seems troubling.

Cagle’s Twitter stream — which was maintained by her partner while she was in jail — is the best source for accurate information regarding the matter. As she points out, she has worked for media outlets Alternet, Truthout and more in the past, and has delivered comics journalism for Cartoon Movement in the past.

As she mentions in the news piece above, Cagle intends to continue covering Occupy Oakland — hopefully she’ll be reporting on the headlines more than making them in the future.

Snowtober didn’t drive them away, and now that the weather has warmed up again, Occupy Wall Street is going strrong — and now with added superheroes. but not just any superheroes, but the characters from THE ADVENTURES OF UNEMPLOYED MAN, a GN anthology that came out last year. Written by Gan Golan and Erich Origen, with art by Ramona Fradon, Michael Netzer, and Rick Veitch, the book was way ahead of all this 1% vs 99% rhetoric with the story of an unemployed man who gathers a team of misfit superheroes to fight the self-interested villains from the Hall of Just Us. (And why not be way ahead of it since income inequality has been a looming issue for years?)

Golan has thought of all kinds of ways to promote the book, including yesterday’s Halloween parade down at OWS. The heroes included “undocumented worker Fantasma, student-debt-burdened Master of Degrees, Captain Generica and Wonder Mother” and (seen above with Unemployed Man) Krug Man, a wondrous economist who says “I told you so” over and over.

THE ADVENTURES OF UNEMPLOYED MAN has a permanent place in the OWS library, as a reference work. And Golan and Origen are in talks for an animated Unemployed Man series.

Photos by Bryan Derballa/Wired.com — many more in the first link.

From reading her comments here and elsewhere, we knew that cartoonist Susie Cagle was tough as nails, but interviewed about her experiences at Occupy Oakland on Tuesday night when police teargassed and shot beanbags and rubber bullets at Cagle and hundreds of other protesters in Oakland, you’ll see how tough.

They’re tear gassing in there, and it’s all getting trapped by the buildings on either side. I really didn’t want to get shot, so, as soon as I saw them raising the guns, I just dropped to the ground. The whole time I was on the sidewalk, I was pressed up against the building. They started tossing flash grenades and tear gas canisters onto the sidewalk. I was standing with people who had just come out of their business to see what was happening, and they were attacked.

As I crouched down to protect myself, a teargas canister rolled right under my face and exploded.

Cagle — who planned to return to the protests yesterday — also plans a comic about the protests and the ensuing violence.

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Reported worldwide today, Syrian political cartoonist Ali Ferzat was abducted early Thursday morning by pro-Assad forces.  Beaten near the airport, his hands were broken “as a warning”, and then abandoned on the highway.

The following cartoon, showing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad hitching a ride out of town from deposed Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi, was cited as being one of the more critical cartoons against the current regime.

It, and other cartoons on this topic, can be found here.

Al-Assad had been a supporter of Ferzat’s work before Assad assumed the presidency upon the death of his father.  Assad had allowed a satirical magazine, titled “Lamplighter”, to be published.  However, widely popular, it was shut quickly shut down.

Ferzat’s website had been temporarily unavailable, presumably due to a surge of traffic.  Located at http://www.ali-ferzat.com/ it is currently available, with a full archive of his work. The artist’s website, translated via Google. (Be advised… the picture archive does not function under Google translate.) There is also a Facebook page.

Due to the ongoing tensions in the Middle East, Ferzat had been lauded in the West for his editorial cartoons, and Cune Press published a collection of his work in 2003. 

Ferzat is recovering.  In the meantime, please visit his website, and do what you can to promote and protect freedom of speech, even in countries where the government actively supresses this freedom.