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Popular Culture Review
cautious code of conduct severely limited the depiction of the President of the
United States within the pages of most comic books. Because of this, when the
President appeared in 1950s comics he was almost always the white-bread
symbol of a conservative, yet confident, nation.
The Kennedy Years
Comic books in the early 1960s continued to portray the President as
the political and moral symbol of the nation but soon began to show a
representation of the current office holder. The first President to be seen ‘on
screen’ in a major U.S. comic book was John F. Kennedy when he made an
appearance in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #56 in October 1961 (“John F.
Kennedy”). Some believe that this change of philosophy regarding portrayal of
the ‘real’ U.S. President can be attributed to Superman editor Mort Weisinger’s
admiration of Kennedy, while others claim that the President was used because
he appealed to the youthful readers of comic books; no matter the cause,
Kennedy’s depiction created a sea change in the treatment of the President in
comic books (Hembeck). Previously, Presidents were shadowy, almost mythic,
symbols that occupied a position so far above the lowly comic medium that they
could not even be seen within it. Suddenly, JFK and the Presidents who
followed became part of the comic books universe and were often focal points
of the stories (Fleisher 117). John F. Kennedy congratulates Supergirl when she
makes her first public appearance in Action Comics #285 (Feb 1962); he helps
the Fantastic Four prevent Dr. Doom from becoming part of the Presidential
cabinet in Fantastic Four #17 (Aug 1963); and in Journey Into Mysteiy #96
(Sept. 1963), the President assists Thor in preventing Merlin from taking over
Washington, DC. Even more exceptionally, in Action Comics #309, published a
week before his death. President Kennedy masquerades as Clark Kent in order
to protect Supennan’s secret identity. When finding out that it was Kennedy
who impersonated him Superman states, “1 knew 1 could trust my secret identity
with you! After all, if 1 can’t trust the President of the United States, who can
I trust? (14, bold in the original). In Superman #170, written before, but
published after, Kennedy’s death, the President gives Superman the mission of
helping the young people of America stay in shape. Superman accepts the
assignment, of course, because the President asked him to. Although the
characteristics of the President as strong, honest, and moral continued in comic
books during the 1960s, the commander in chief became more friendly and
personable. While the 1940s and 1950s Presidents were grey, unseen leaders, the
1960s saw a colorful President that was a friend to Superman and worked with
the Fantastic Four. Not only did comic books encourage their readers to trust,
honor, and obey the President, they also wanted them to like him.
Prez Goes to Washington
Following John F. Kennedy’s death, comic books continued to depict
the sitting President in cameo appearances that showed strength and patriotism