Resist!

Since the election of Donald J. Trump as president of the United States many Americans have taken to protesting his policies in different ways. What policies have they protested against so far and what will they protest against in the future? The answers may not be easy during these Strange Adventures but let’s examine just a few protests which focus on delivering a message to President Trump in Washington DC!

January 12, 2017: The Women’s March on Washington

Many Women, actually, many human beings,  believed that Mr. Trump expressed misogynistic viewpoints during his campaign for president and were concerned this could influence Trump’s actions as president.  This resulted in a massive March in Washington DC! Certainly the Trump administration is hostile to many issues that women, indeed, many people, care about deeply. The designer of the Obama hope poster, Shepard Fairey, even helped promote the event by printing full page advertisements of the posters he created for the occasion, to be used as impromptu  protest posters! The Women’s March on Washington had up to one million protestors; there was much networking and political organizing and many consider it a success!

March 9-13, 2017: Dakota Access Pipeline Protest

Many people, especially The Standing Rock Sioux tribe, are trying to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL)  in North Dakota, which has a chance of destroying local waterways. They are also concerned that some wildlife and some sacred sites could be damaged by the DAPL. Bill Moyers provides more information. The protesting has taken on an  urgent air after President Donald Trump signed an executive order reviving plans for the DAPL. The Episcopal Church and the Unitarian Universalists are just two of the groups that support the struggle of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, and there are other groups, including many veterans! We wish them success against possibly over whelming odds. Trump seems as though he would not understand or even listen to the protests!

April 22, 2017: March for Science

The March for Science is on Earth Day this year! Scientists will march to preserve funding for, and to increase interest and belief in, science! Many scientists believe the Trump administration is anti-science and anti-funding science. Many Trump appointees and even Donald Trump himself seem dubious about established scientific theories. Scientists and anyone that cares about science and ecology are being treated like enemies by Trump.But NOVA asks, is this crossing a line for scientists? We always wish success for science!

September 16, 2017-Juggalo March

Yes, fans of the musical group, Insane Clown Posse, known as Jugglealos, vowed they would march on Washington D.C. to protest the FBI declaring them to be a criminal gang! The fans follow their favorite band around the country, similar to how Deadheads used to follow the Grateful Dead around the country, though the music is much different and their culture is very unique and complicated.They also have a contentious relationship with Donald Trump! If they march it could be the Strangest Adventure Washington DC has ever seen!

There are of course, other issues  that many Americans disagree with Trump about. 

More protests and events in the Washington DC area in 2017 via The Peace Center. All protestors are welcome to Washington DC. Perhaps that is the only way some people think they are being heard now.

Black Power!

Most comic book fans think Amalgam Comics, a joint effort of Marvel Comics and DC Comics, was only printed in 1996 but most forget that Amalgam comics were also printed as early as the 1970’s. Black Power was arguably the most famous character of this early, experimental Amalgam Comics era. 

Jefferson Lucas was raised in the slums of Yorktropolis. Later, he received great powers from a suit that the criminal Gambini had experimented on in a  prison laundry laboratory. In the first issue he established that his name was Black Power. He needed super-powers to fight The Pin-Whale Gang; they were corrupting his neighborhood. Later Jefferson discovered these powers were always within him. He also fought the KKK, when they were causing racial strife in Yorkopolis! Black Power had his most famous adventures in the future era of 1984!

Amalgam was published on an informal basis over the years and never sold very well. Not to let that stop them but Amalgam even attempted the universe spanning Secret Crisis Infinite Wars in the 1980’s where Amalgam introduced the character of Grandmaster-Flash. The quality of that series, many fans felt, was inferior to DC Comic’s similar Crisis on Infinite Earths or Marvel Comic’s Secret Wars, plus there were only four issues of SCIW as opposed to eight issues of those other titles. Did DC and Marvel consign their second rate writers and artists to work on SCIW? Many fans have speculated yes! Did the big two conspire to keep Amalgam low quality to keep them from stealing readers from their own titles? Did early Amalgam have a meaningful impact on the world of comic books? Only time will tell.