Posted in: Comics, Recent Updates | Tagged: Batman, Comics, wikileaks

Actual Comic Book WikiLeaks

Published Sat, 04 Dec 2010 02:29:11 -0600

Last updated Sun, 05 Dec 2010 19:31:04 -0600

Bleeding Cool did some silly comic book coverage of WikiLeaks this week. But what actual relevant comics and cartoon appeared in Julian Assange's act of treason terrorism free speech?

Covering Mexico's Latin American Unity Summit earlier this year, from the US' Mexico office.

The media coverage did not in any way suggest a practical forum and there was a good supply of criticism, in addition to Montano's piece, which was respectful in its choice of words. The most damning criticism was a political cartoon in the leading daily Reforma (Feb 24) which depicted a large Chavez gorilla, with a small Castro perched on his back playing an accordion labeled "CanCubaZuela Group" with a small image of Calderon dancing to the music and waving marimbas. Osorio told us at a same day Central Bank event with leading Mexican businessmen that there were abundant references to the cartoon and its apt characterization of the Summit's result.

From the Riyadh Embassy, 2007

Editorials in all of Iraq's newspapers have lashed out at Blackwater, likening it to another militia contributing to the deterioration of Iraq's security. Numerous editorial cartoons have been published depicting Blackwater as bloodthirsty mercenaries. While the escalation of the Turkish border issue has been dominating the media, the Blackwater incident will likely remain a prominent issue for editorials and political cartoons as the unpopularity of private security firms makes it an easy target.

Riyadh, 2009, on the Prince Mohammed bin Naif assassination attempt

All major Arabic and English dailies led with the story, focusing prominently on MbN himself and his role in the Kingdom's war on terror. Al-Sharq Al-Awsat dedicated the first three pages of the August 29 edition solely to the attack on the Prince and related subjects. Other papers included lengthy biographical profiles of the Prince, editorial cartoons dealing with the event, and even poems in his honor.

The articles and editorials show broad support for MbN and, more generally, the fight against terrorism. Many depicted the event as an assault on the Saudi state that called for a patriotic response. Saudi journalist Dawood Al-Shiryan wrote in Al-Hayat that the attack was "terrorism as a political rebellion attempting to undermine the authority of the state." Okaz called the attack "an attack on the security of the nation…that should make everyone alert and ready to fight." The August 29 editorial cartoon in Al-Watan depicted a prone terrorist, wearing an explosive belt and holding a detonator in each hand, dead and bleeding from a wound caused by the Saudi flag planted in his back. In the same paper, a caricature accompanying a poem celebrating the Prince as "Engineer of Love and War" shows him carrying a shield resembling the Saudi flag.

Paris Embassy, 2006;

In September the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) announced its union with al-Qaeda and declared France to be its number one target. Several high profile events in
2006 — including the local publication of the DanishvMohammed cartoon pictorials, heated debate on the interdiction of the veil in French public institutions, and the presence of French troops in Afghanistan and Lebanon — have been cited by various French authorities as factors manipulated by Islamic extremists to incite violence against the country.

And of course… from the Moscow embassy in 2008.

Medvedev's address to the Federal Assembly last week provided a prism for viewing the power relationship in the Medvedev-Putin tandem, refracting opinion amongst our contacts into three, very divergent, camps. The first group views Medvedev as ascendant, slowly accruing power as he plays to his strengths managing the economic crisis. The second, more skeptical, group argues that Medvedev continues to play Robin to Putin's Batman, surrounded by a team loyal to the Premier and checked by Putin's dominance over the legislature and regional elites.

Cartoon from the New York Times by Cain and Todd Benson.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!