POW! BIFF! ZAP! Holy police comics, al-Batman!!

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

------ Forwarded Message
From: Ross Stapleton-Gray <amicus () well com>
Date: Mon, 28 Mar 2005 10:08:31 -0800
To: <dave () farber net>, johnmac's living room <johnmacsgroup () yahoogroups com>
Cc: <scott () scottmccloud com>, <echodog () well com>
Subject: POW! BIFF! ZAP! Holy police comics, al-Batman!!

http://www1.eps.gov/spg/ODA/USSOCOM/FortBraggNC/H92239%2D05%2DT%2D0026/Combi
ne%20Synopsis%5FSolicitation.html

"In order to achieve long-term peace and stability in the Middle East, the
youth need to be reached.     One effective means of influencing youth is
through the use of comic books.     A series of comic books provides the
opportunity for youth to learn lessons, develop role models and improve
their education.
...
The series will be based on the security forces, military and police, in
the near future in the Middle East in cooperation with the Ministries of
Interior of some of those countries.     The comic series will be subject
to change based on initial focus group testing of a prototype comic.     If
the subject matter for a specific comic does not do well in its intended
focus group then it may be dropped and/or a new basis for the comic will be
selected.     There may be opportunities for this series to continue and
additional comic series to be developed next year based on feedback from
the first series.
2.5.     The US Army retains all rights to the intellectual property
contained in these comic books.     The Contractor shall not use or
disclose any information concerning this product or of the Government in
any form of advertising..."


Which all strikes me as highly amusing, especially given U.S. Congressional
concerns regarding comic books and decency in the 1950s.  It might also be
fun for one of the online magazines to get hold of one of the scripts, and
invite a couple of dozen cartoonists to independently work up a couple of
panels each, just to understand the diversity of approach across the world
of comics.  Imagine Frank Cho's take on Iraqi police women.  Maybe Bill
Watterson could be tempted to return to work, penning valiant Kurdish
marshalls swooping in on Baathist dead-enders... "Aiiieeee!!! It is the
scourge of terrorists everywhere!!"

Ross



-----

Ross Stapleton-Gray, Ph.D., CISSP
Stapleton-Gray & Associates, Inc.
http://www.stapleton-gray.com




------ End of Forwarded Message


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