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The Last American

November 28, 2016 elizabeth.wasson

last

Even commercial comics in the U. S. have taken a more serious turn on occasion. The Last American is a highly intelligent commentary on the degraded discourse about nuclear war in our popular culture.

Like the well-known documentary film, The Atomic Cafe, it mocks the absurd civil defense campaign of the 1950s which urged schoolchildren to survive a nuclear attack by imitating a cartoon turtle: "Duck and cover!" — Like the well-known documentary film, The Atomic Cafe, it mocks the absurd civil defense campaign of the 1950s which urged schoolchildren to survive a nuclear attack by imitating a cartoon turtle: “Duck and cover!”

The Last American seems at first to be yet another postholocaust adventure story, featuring a specially-chosen agent who was preserved underground during the nuclear war, emerging to take command of the resistance against America's conquerors like a typical Radioactive Rambo. Yet for the entire series, he searches in vain for other survivors, finding instead only heartbreaking evidence of the extinction of the human race. His robot companions try to conceal the truth from him as long as possible; but in the end he must face the fact that he is not only the last American, but vey likely the last human being alive. The fantasy of the planners who thought they could win a victory in the wake of a nuclear war is shown to be a tragic farce. — The Last American seems at first to be yet another post-holocaust adventure story, featuring a specially-chosen agent who was preserved underground during the nuclear war, emerging to take command of the resistance against America’s conquerors like a typical Radioactive Rambo. Yet for the entire series, he searches in vain for other survivors, finding instead only heartbreaking evidence of the extinction of the human race.
His robot companions try to conceal the truth from him as long as possible; but in the end he must face the fact that he is not only the last American, but vey likely the last human being alive. The fantasy of the planners who thought they could win a victory in the wake of a nuclear war is shown to be a tragic farce.

One particularly effective sequence depicts a robot trying to cheer up his human companion by jauntily singing "New York, New York," while patrolling the ruins of that city, littered with rubble and the skeletons of the former inhabitants. — One particularly effective sequence depicts a robot trying to cheer up his human companion by jauntily singing “New York, New York,” while patrolling the ruins of that city, littered with rubble and the skeletons of the former inhabitants.

The robot's song blends into a fantastic sequence in which Death himself goes on with the lyrics in drawings which underline the irony of the lyrics. — The robot’s song blends into a fantastic sequence in which Death himself goes on with the lyrics in drawings which underline the irony of the lyrics.

The Death-headed robot cavorts through the ruins of the city whose show-business past he ironically celebrates.

When his robot urges The Last American to "Look on the bright side" he imagines a chorus of animated corpses singing the following lyrics: Every cloud has a silver lining! It's just an attitude of mind, Look on the bright side and you'll find-- The Silver lining that's in every cloud. When the Bombs are on their way, At least they give you time to pray And don't forget to file a claim for compensation! When you're flying through the air Think what you'll save on taxi fare. The worst disaster has its brighter side! New York City's tumbling down-- Be thankful you're not out of town, News like this could spoil a good vacation! So what if that Fireball kills? Think how it cuts those heating bills-- And it's not every day you get a free cremation! And when that fallout's raining down, Just pass the tanning lotion round! Who cares about a little radiation? Someone's dropped another bomb, that's okay, You like it warm! It's just a different attitude of mind! There has been no more bitter mockery of Americans' inability to take seriously the prospect of nuclear annihilation. — When his robot urges The Last American to “Look on the bright side” he imagines a chorus of animated corpses singing the following lyrics:
Every cloud has a silver lining!
It’s just an attitude of mind,
Look on the bright side and you’ll find–
The Silver lining that’s in every cloud.
When the Bombs are on their way,
At least they give you time to pray
And don’t forget to file a claim for compensation!
When you’re flying through the air
Think what you’ll save on taxi fare.
The worst disaster has its brighter side!
New York City’s tumbling down–
Be thankful you’re not out of town,
News like this could spoil a good vacation!
So what if that Fireball kills?
Think how it cuts those heating bills–
And it’s not every day you get a free cremation!
And when that fallout’s raining down,
Just pass the tanning lotion round!
Who cares about a little radiation?
Someone’s dropped another bomb, that’s okay,
You like it warm! It’s just a different attitude of mind!
There has been no more bitter mockery of Americans’ inability to take seriously the prospect of nuclear annihilation.

Scout

November 28, 2016 elizabeth.wasson

scout

One of the graphically more interesting comics was Timothy Truman's Scout. The cover of the issue in which a nuclear weapon is used against Las Vegas is nothing out of the ordinary — One of the graphically more interesting comics was Timothy Truman’s Scout. The cover of the issue in which a nuclear weapon is used against Las Vegas is nothing out of the ordinary

but the interior sequence of panels depicting the aftermath of the explosion shows striking originality

as we simultaneously pull back and zoom in on the scene

and as the panels divide into ever-thinner segments

symbolizing the disintegration of things by the bomb

finally returning us to the more-than-emblematic skull of the opening panel. The prevalence of nuclear war imagery in recent Western culture is alarming, of course, particularly since so much of it has been fatalistic or belligerent in nature; but I take some comfort in the fact that at least we have allowed ourselves to think about nuclear war. For decades we pretended that it couldn't happen. Then we seemed to be trying to frighten ourselves into believing that it could. Unfortunately, that seemed to be a necessary first step to eliminating these weapons. — finally returning us to the more-than-emblematic skull of the opening panel.
The prevalence of nuclear war imagery in recent Western culture is alarming, of course, particularly since so much of it has been fatalistic or belligerent in nature; but I take some comfort in the fact that at least we have allowed ourselves to think about nuclear war. For decades we pretended that it couldn’t happen. Then we seemed to be trying to frighten ourselves into believing that it could. Unfortunately, that seemed to be a necessary first step to eliminating these weapons.

Previous: The Japanese

Next: The Last American

The Japanese

November 28, 2016 elizabeth.wasson

japan

One of the most important tasks undertaken by writers and artists is the depiction of the actual effects of the only nuclear war the world has so far experienced: the ending of World War II. Note that the conventional depiction of the premier icon of nuclear war-the mushroom cloud-is almost always at a distance. The familiar shape is awesome, but not immediately threatening. It takes a cartoonist from Hiroshima, Keiji Nakazawa, to take us beneath the shadow of the bomb and see directly what it did to the human beings it struck. — One of the most important tasks undertaken by writers and artists is the depiction of the actual effects of the only nuclear war the world has so far experienced: the ending of World War II. Note that the conventional depiction of the premier icon of nuclear war-the mushroom cloud-is almost always at a distance. The familiar shape is awesome, but not immediately threatening.
It takes a cartoonist from Hiroshima, Keiji Nakazawa, to take us beneath the shadow of the bomb and see directly what it did to the human beings it struck.

Barefoot Gen is the story of one family, in Hiroshima.

Whereas most depictions of nuclear war transport us to the far future or view the events from a distance, this comic plunges us into the almost unbearable suffering caused by war. It is remarkable that Nakazawa does not simply blame the Americans, but also criticizes the Japanese for their blind militaristic chauvinism during World War II.

Compare Nakazawa's view of the bomb from beneath the cloud to that of another, more skillful, Japanese comic book artist, Katsuhiro Otomo, whose epic-length post-World War III work, Akira, was turned into a feature film.He chooses an aerial view-the bomb as seen from the perspective of the attacker, similar to the Midnight Oil album cover we just saw, but more striking. — Compare Nakazawa’s view of the bomb from beneath the cloud to that of another, more skillful, Japanese comic book artist, Katsuhiro Otomo, whose epic-length post-World War III work, Akira, was turned into a feature film.He chooses an aerial view-the bomb as seen from the perspective of the attacker, similar to the Midnight Oil album cover we just saw, but more striking.

While the familiar mushroom cloud has lost much of its impact, this ominous black dome and the spreading circles of dust driven by the shockwave remind us forcefully of the terrible power of the bomb. This kind of creative re-imagining of nuclear imagery is rare. I was fascinated to learn from a student who had seen Akira in Tokyo that the incoming missiles were clearly labelled as American in origin. By the time the film reached the U.S. this inflammatory shot had been deleted. — While the familiar mushroom cloud has lost much of its impact, this ominous black dome and the spreading circles of dust driven by the shockwave remind us forcefully of the terrible power of the bomb. This kind of creative re-imagining of nuclear imagery is rare.
I was fascinated to learn from a student who had seen Akira in Tokyo that the incoming missiles were clearly labelled as American in origin. By the time the film reached the U.S. this inflammatory shot had been deleted.

Next: Scout

Getting Serious

November 28, 2016 elizabeth.wasson

serious

Sometimes comic book artists apply themselves seriously to trying to educate the public about the dangers of nuclear weapons.

As this painting by a Canadian artist indicates, the White House is as vulnerable as any home to nuclear weapons.

Next: The Japanese

Nuclear Records Jackets

November 28, 2016 elizabeth.wasson

records

The earliest record album to feature a mushroom cloud on the cover was not a rock album as you might suppose, but this Count Basie recording. The CD reissue has a more tasteful cover.

The most famous such rock record jacket art is from the Jefferson Airplane's Crown of Creation, whose photo credits claim that this is a picture of the Hiroshima bomb (though it seems actually to be from a September 14, 1957 Nevada test). The title song was inspired by a passage in a well-known postholocaust science fiction novel, The Chrysalids by John Wyndham, in which the new, mutant generation is praised as superior to normal humans. A nuclear cloud featured less prominently a year earlier on Grateful Dead. — The most famous such rock record jacket art is from the Jefferson Airplane’s Crown of Creation, whose photo credits claim that this is a picture of the Hiroshima bomb (though it seems actually to be from a September 14, 1957 Nevada test). The title song was inspired by a passage in a well-known postholocaust science fiction novel, The Chrysalids by John Wyndham, in which the new, mutant generation is praised as superior to normal humans.
A nuclear cloud featured less prominently a year earlier on Grateful Dead.

Here the theme is strikingly used on the cover of an album featuring anti-nuclear songs, Red Sails in the Sunset, by Midnight Oil.

In the mid-eighties, nuclear war imagery became common in rock music videos. One student doing research for me reported that MTV was showing an average of one nuclear bomb image per hour. This album by the "speed metal" group Nuclear Assault featured several songs dealing with nuclear war. — In the mid-eighties, nuclear war imagery became common in rock music videos. One student doing research for me reported that MTV was showing an average of one nuclear bomb image per hour.
This album by the “speed metal” group Nuclear Assault featured several songs dealing with nuclear war.

Next: Getting serious

Atomic Age Nostalgia

November 28, 2016 elizabeth.wasson

nostalgia

In the early nineties, nuclear war imagery became highly self-conscious and self-referential. One of the more interesting recent trends was the bomb as nostalgia, themes from the forties and fifties combined with atomic bomb imagery. The 1991 series, Atomic Age, archly incorporates period artifacts such as Sputnik and this drive-in movie. — In the early nineties, nuclear war imagery became highly self-conscious and self-referential. One of the more interesting recent trends was the bomb as nostalgia, themes from the forties and fifties combined with atomic bomb imagery.
The 1991 series, Atomic Age, archly incorporates period artifacts such as Sputnik and this drive-in movie.

Look at this frame from Hard Boiled comics.

Now zoom in on the fast-food containers on the front seat. One is labelled with the code name of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima: "Little Boy" and the other bears the name of the Nagasaki bomb: "Fat Man." — Now zoom in on the fast-food containers on the front seat. One is labelled with the code name of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima: “Little Boy” and the other bears the name of the Nagasaki bomb: “Fat Man.”

Consider this ad from a Fall, 1988 J. Crew catalog, featuring "a jacket that might have been worn by J. Rob't Oppenheimer at Los Alamos — Consider this ad from a Fall, 1988 J. Crew catalog, featuring “a jacket that might have been worn by J. Rob’t Oppenheimer at Los Alamos.

In contrast, the Def Jeans company ran an ad campaign on television and in print media contrasting their "def" jeans with nuclear war as "dumb." — In contrast, the Def Jeans company ran an ad campaign on television and in print media contrasting their “def” jeans with nuclear war as “dumb.”

Of the several modern novels about the Manhattan Project and J. Robert Oppenheimer, Jay Cantor's Krazy Kat is both the most unusual and most interesting, using old comic strip characters to develop Oppenheimer's famous quotation--"The scientists have known sin"--to argue that the opening of the atomic age marked a fall from grace into guilty self-knowledge. — Of the several modern novels about the Manhattan Project and J. Robert Oppenheimer, Jay Cantor’s Krazy Kat is both the most unusual and most interesting, using old comic strip characters to develop Oppenheimer’s famous quotation–“The scientists have known sin”–to argue that the opening of the atomic age marked a fall from grace into guilty self-knowledge.

This strip from a very interesting comic book devoted entirely to the theme of nuclear war (itchy Planet) treats nuclear war as a fifties family situation comedy, with father and daughter taking out their frustrations on each other with nuclear missiles.

America's favorite nuclear technician, Homer Simpson, was transformed into a nostalgic atomic hero in Radioactive Man (1993). It bears a phony cover date of "Nov 1952." — America’s favorite nuclear technician, Homer Simpson, was transformed into a nostalgic atomic hero in Radioactive Man (1993). It bears a phony cover date of “Nov 1952.”

But the ultimate in ironic nuclear nostalgia is undoubtedly this comic book cover.

Next: Nuclear record jackets

Fun and Games

November 28, 2016 elizabeth.wasson

games

Nuclear war themes are present even in products aimed at children. Consider this gum wrapper featuring the wildly successful and controversial Garbage Pail Kids.

Students I have talked to had not even considered the implications of the logo for this popular candy whose wrapper has not changed since the fifties.

Atomic war toys and games appeared shortly after World War II, including a board game that let you bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the Atomic Bomb Ring, which was sold for 15¢ and a boxtop from Kix cereal. Kids peered into the plastic to "See Genuine Atoms Split to Smithereens!" Over six million were distributed between 1947 and 1957. — Atomic war toys and games appeared shortly after World War II, including a board game that let you bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the Atomic Bomb Ring, which was sold for 15¢ and a boxtop from Kix cereal. Kids peered into the plastic to “See Genuine Atoms Split to Smithereens!”
Over six million were distributed between 1947 and 1957.

Nuclear war is also a feature of several popular board and computer games, including one entitled B-1 Bomber, which allowed the player to drop warheads on Moscow and another called simply Nuclear War, which treated the subject with a macabre sense of humor. The antiballistic missile game Missile Command had a considerable vogue some years back and even turned up in fiction. This game combined the original 1945 atomic bomb test, named Trinity, with the bombing of Hiroshima and a future nuclear holocaust. — Nuclear war is also a feature of several popular board and computer games, including one entitled B-1 Bomber, which allowed the player to drop warheads on Moscow and another called simply Nuclear War, which treated the subject with a macabre sense of humor. The anti-ballistic missile game Missile Command had a considerable vogue some years back and even turned up in fiction.
This game combined the original 1945 atomic bomb test, named Trinity, with the bombing of Hiroshima and a future nuclear holocaust.

Such a computer game is the focus of this comic book story in which a strategic planner accidentally becomes enmeshed in his son's game rather than the scenario he was supposed to be testing. — Such a computer game is the focus of this comic book story in which a strategic planner accidentally becomes enmeshed in his son’s game rather than the scenario he was supposed to be testing.

The cartoonist comments on the hazards inherent in playing at apocalypse by having this mishap result not only in the death of the boy's father, but in the launching of a real nuclear war. — The cartoonist comments on the hazards inherent in playing at apocalypse by having this mishap result not only in the death of the boy’s father, but in the launching of a real nuclear war.

In this frame from the AXA strip we see her musing on prewar videogames such as "Desastre Nuclear," visible in the background. — In this frame from the AXA strip we see her musing on prewar video games such as “Desastre Nuclear,” visible in the background.

The popular Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles become involved in a postholocaust scenario in this game. — The popular Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles become involved in a post-holocaust scenario in this game.

Next: Atom-age nostalgia

Bomberotica

November 18, 2016 elizabeth.wasson

bomberos

Nuclear weapons, like other weapons, have been linked in the male imagination to sex from very early on. In 1946 Pat Frank, later to become much better known for Alas, Babylon, had a bestseller in a comic novel titled Mr. Adam in which a nuclear accident sterilizes all men on earth except one, and he becomes the object of frenzied pursuit by still-fertile women determined to have babies by him. But it was Dr. Strangelove which fixed the stereotype of the bomb as sex organ — Nuclear weapons, like other weapons, have been linked in the male imagination to sex from very early on. In 1946 Pat Frank, later to become much better known for Alas, Babylon, had a bestseller in a comic novel titled Mr. Adam in which a nuclear accident sterilizes all men on earth except one, and he becomes the object of frenzied pursuit by still-fertile women determined to have babies by him.
But it was Dr. Strangelove which fixed the stereotype of the bomb as sex organ.

as Slim Pickins exhuberantly rode the missile which triggered Armageddon.

The image is here picked up as an antiwar statement on the cover of a Vietnam-era underground comic book.

Note that whereas in Dr. Strangelove the missile was an ironic symbol of male potency, in Wonder Woman comics it symbolizes female impotence and fear.

Howard Chaykin, in his eighties revival of the classic pop character of The Shadow, gave this theme a perverse twist, when his villain, using nuclear blackmail to gain his evil ends, harked back to the film: "This is what America wants-a combination of Dr. Strangelove, The Story of O, and Let's Make a Deal." — Howard Chaykin, in his eighties revival of the classic pop character of The Shadow, gave this theme a perverse twist, when his villain, using nuclear blackmail to gain his evil ends, harked back to the film: “This is what America wants-a combination of Dr. Strangelove, The Story of O, and Let’s Make a Deal.”

A Spanish artist and a British writer collaborated to create AXA, a female adventurer in the radioactive wasteland who appeared in a British newspaper for five years.

The war which created the setting for the strip was paid little attention, having taken place centuries in the past.

Axa was an utterly conventional strip which revived the old fifties stereotype of gigantic insects and other monsters born of nuclear radiation.

Axa is a rebel, but a rebel based on conventional male ideas of a heroine. She rejects the regulated life of the high-tech domed city, trades her sterile jumpsuit for a fur bikini that keeps falling off, and promptly plunges into a series of perils little different in essence from those undergone by the heroine of a nineteenth-century melodrama.

But a modern twist is given her adventures because in a world of warped mutants, AXA's normal and highly appealing genes are even more attractive than her body. — But a modern twist is given her adventures because in a world of warped mutants, AXA’s normal and highly appealing genes are even more attractive than her body.

A favorite theme in postholocaust fiction is the new Adam and Eve story, as the last woman and man must mate to recreate the human race, often featuring the favorite male fantasy of the assertively sexual female.

As this cover makes clear, sexuality can be associated even with a holocaust of global proportions.

Next: Fun and games

Radioactive Rambos

November 18, 2016 elizabeth.wasson

rambos

Stories of postholocaust battles in the radioactive wasteland had been around since the fifties, as in this rare Canadian novel, but usually there had been a certain moral earnestness about them, at least a token attempt to deplore the end of civilization. On the cover we see a college professor turned savage defending his wife in a duel fought with pieces of a barbecue set. — Stories of postholocaust battles in the radioactive wasteland had been around since the fifties, as in this rare Canadian novel, but usually there had been a certain moral earnestness about them, at least a token attempt to deplore the end of civilization.
On the cover we see a college professor turned savage defending his wife in a duel fought with pieces of a barbecue set.

But in the eighties there arose a new generation of postholocaust heroes, what I call "Radioactive Rambos." The archetype is Jerry Ahern's John Thomas Rourke, a former CIA agent who fought the Soviet Union in Afghanistan and now roams the ruined earth battling the vicious Communists who are trying to dominate the few survivors left in the rubble. The success of Ahern's Survivalist series, eventually running to some nineteen volumes and claimed sales at one point of over five million copies, spawned a vast number of imitations — But in the eighties there arose a new generation of postholocaust heroes, what I call “Radioactive Rambos.” The archetype is Jerry Ahern’s John Thomas Rourke, a former CIA agent who fought the Soviet Union in Afghanistan and now roams the ruined earth battling the vicious Communists who are trying to dominate the few survivors left in the rubble.
The success of Ahern’s Survivalist series, eventually running to some nineteen volumes and claimed sales at one point of over five million copies, spawned a vast number of imitations

featuring, as this advertisement for the third volume in the Eagleheart series states, "action, romance and mutants." — featuring, as this advertisement for the third volume in the Eagleheart series states, “action, romance and mutants.”

"When the rain of nuclear bombs stopped, the reign of terror began." — “When the rain of nuclear bombs stopped, the reign of terror began.”

"The Russians had destroyed the world-- Now they wanted to rule what was left of it." — “The Russians had destroyed the world– Now they wanted to rule what was left of it.”

"The Only Good Mutant is a Dead Mutant" The Seattle space needle seems to have survived remarkably well in this one. — “The Only Good Mutant is a Dead Mutant”
The Seattle space needle seems to have survived remarkably well in this one.

The frustrations created by the decades-long cold war are released as the survivors struggle ruthlessly for the scraps that remain after the fall of civilization: "When all is lost, there's always the future. But the future in a world shrouded in the radioactive red dust clouds of a generation-old global nuclear war depends on finding hidden caches of food, weapons and technology-the legacy of a preholocaust society-stashed in lonely outposts known as redoubts. When Ryan Cawdor discovers a redoubt in the bitter freakish wasteland that now passes for Alaska, he also uncovers a new threat to a slowly reemerging America. Roaming bands of survivors have crossed the Bering Strait from Russia to pillage Alaska and use it as the staging ground for an impending invasion of America. In Deathlands, the war for domination is over, but the struggle for survival continues." — The frustrations created by the decades-long cold war are released as the survivors struggle ruthlessly for the scraps that remain after the fall of civilization:
“When all is lost, there’s always the future. But the future in a world shrouded in the radioactive red dust clouds of a generation-old global nuclear war depends on finding hidden caches of food, weapons and technology-the legacy of a preholocaust society-stashed in lonely outposts known as redoubts. When Ryan Cawdor discovers a redoubt in the bitter freakish wasteland that now passes for Alaska, he also uncovers a new threat to a slowly reemerging America. Roaming bands of survivors have crossed the Bering Strait from Russia to pillage Alaska and use it as the staging ground for an impending invasion of America. In Deathlands, the war for domination is over, but the struggle for survival continues.”

In most of these new novels, the hero is a loner, like the classic Western gunfighter, he arrives in town, although on a motorcycle or in a souped-up van rather than on a horse, and slaughters vast numbers of villains with ruthless aplomb, then rides off to kill again. "After Armageddon, one rugged survivor blazes down the highways of a ravaged America." — In most of these new novels, the hero is a loner, like the classic Western gunfighter, he arrives in town, although on a motorcycle or in a souped-up van rather than on a horse, and slaughters vast numbers of villains with ruthless aplomb, then rides off to kill again.
“After Armageddon, one rugged survivor blazes down the highways of a ravaged America.”

Survival in these novels means willingness to kill. The nuclear war has exhausted the atomic arsenal and made the world safe for conventional weapons once more. "In a postnuke wasteland, he's the only hero we've got!" Most of the volumes in this series were written by cyberpunk author John Shirley, who gave them a loopy originality which mocked the genre they came from. — Survival in these novels means willingness to kill. The nuclear war has exhausted the atomic arsenal and made the world safe for conventional weapons once more.
“In a postnuke wasteland, he’s the only hero we’ve got!”
Most of the volumes in this series were written by cyberpunk author John Shirley, who gave them a loopy originality which mocked the genre they came from.

The police are dead, the armies vanished, and the Radioactive Rambo careens through the ruins blasting commies, mutants, and vicious bikers alike with exhilarating abandon. "After Nuclear War, America's only chance for freedom is the...Doomsday Warrior" — The police are dead, the armies vanished, and the Radioactive Rambo careens through the ruins blasting commies, mutants, and vicious bikers alike with exhilarating abandon.
“After Nuclear War, America’s only chance for freedom is the…Doomsday Warrior”

Radioactive Rambos are not establishment figures; they reject the authority of their own government as well as that of the enemy. Here a remnant of the U.S. Army must be defeated. The hero of this series rides carries his pet pit bull with him on his motorcycle. The blonde with the open blouse appears nowhere in the novel. "Across post-nuclear America he fights to stop a war-crazed general's countdown to doomsday!" — Radioactive Rambos are not establishment figures; they reject the authority of their own government as well as that of the enemy. Here a remnant of the U.S. Army must be defeated.
The hero of this series rides carries his pet pit bull with him on his motorcycle.
The blonde with the open blouse appears nowhere in the novel.
“Across post-nuclear America he fights to stop a war-crazed general’s countdown to doomsday!”

True survivalist fiction is rare and obscure, however. There were three issues published of this crude comic book depicting the heroic struggles of survivalists against their own government after the war.In this story, the U.S. government ruthlessly hunts down the survivors cowering in the ruins of New York. "The subway entrance up the street is barred from the inside. The ones that are still alive are paranoid, and armed--so when you blow the doors off, tell the men to go in shooting..." "What about the ones who don't resist? I mean some of them might not be sick." "You know the directive Sgt. Everyone is to be considered contaminated and therefore must be.....destroyed, and that includes EVERYONE." It's not entirely clear what "paranoid" means in this context. — True survivalist fiction is rare and obscure, however. There were three issues published of this crude comic book depicting the heroic struggles of survivalists against their own government after the war.In this story, the U.S. government ruthlessly hunts down the survivors cowering in the ruins of New York.
“The subway entrance up the street is barred from the inside. The ones that are still alive are paranoid, and armed–so when you blow the doors off, tell the men to go in shooting…”
“What about the ones who don’t resist? I mean some of them might not be sick.”
“You know the directive Sgt. Everyone is to be considered contaminated and therefore must be…..destroyed, and that includes EVERYONE.”
It’s not entirely clear what “paranoid” means in this context.

"The Nightmare of War...The dream of America reborn" Many of these writers can barely disguise their glee at having their heroes revel in the postholocaust anarchy. William W. Johnstone goes further by seeing the nuclear war as a cleansing apocalypse which will destroy all weak-kneed liberals, protesting college students, and labor unions and make possible the creation of a reactionary utopia. — “The Nightmare of War…The dream of America reborn”
Many of these writers can barely disguise their glee at having their heroes revel in the postholocaust anarchy. William W. Johnstone goes further by seeing the nuclear war as a cleansing apocalypse which will destroy all weak-kneed liberals, protesting college students, and labor unions and make possible the creation of a reactionary utopia.

The radioactive Rambo archetype was firmly established in the public mind by the hugely successful series of Mad Max films from Australia.

Cartoonist Bill Griffith satirized the popularity of these movies by reviving an obscure fifties comic book character named "Little Max," transforming him into "Little Mad Max." — Cartoonist Bill Griffith satirized the popularity of these movies by reviving an obscure fifties comic book character named “Little Max,” transforming him into “Little Mad Max.”

So popular did the theme become that a series of similar novels, with less sex and violence, was created for teenaged readers. The hero of this novel worries a lot about getting to kiss the heroine and hanging on to his letter jacket while searching for his family, who were away from home when nuclear war broke out.

In a related but distinctly different genre, more conventional stories of World War III in Europe were popular in the eighties. In these, nuclear weapons usually play a minor role, and the traditional military values are exalted. "In the war of the future, Death is as bloody as ever!" (How reassuring!) — In a related but distinctly different genre, more conventional stories of World War III in Europe were popular in the eighties. In these, nuclear weapons usually play a minor role, and the traditional military values are exalted.
“In the war of the future, Death is as bloody as ever!”
(How reassuring!)

For some reason, these novels were especially popular in Great Britain. The Zone was a British series, and it was former NATO commander General Sir John Hackett who wrote the scenarios of World War III which inspired the bestseller, Team Yankee, here turned into a comic book.

Every conceivable genre has been given the nuclear war treatment. There are nuclear war westerns, nuclear war detective novels and ghost stories, nuclear war pornography, and even a nuclear war vampire novel. The long night of nuclear winter makes an ideal environment for a vampire, of course. — Every conceivable genre has been given the nuclear war treatment. There are nuclear war westerns, nuclear war detective novels and ghost stories, nuclear war pornography, and even a nuclear war vampire novel.
The long night of nuclear winter makes an ideal environment for a vampire, of course.

Next: Bomberotica

Postholocaust fantasies

November 18, 2016 elizabeth.wasson

post

Even by the late sixties most science fiction writers had rejected the mutant superpowers theme as absurd; but it was replaced with the ever-popular mutant monster, which already by the seventies had become a cliché. The nuclear cautionary film series Planet of the Apes had given a special twist to the theme of nuclear mutation which was imitated by popular comic book artist and writer Jack Kirby in his Kamandi series. — Even by the late sixties most science fiction writers had rejected the mutant superpowers theme as absurd; but it was replaced with the ever-popular mutant monster, which already by the seventies had become a cliché.
The nuclear cautionary film series Planet of the Apes had given a special twist to the theme of nuclear mutation which was imitated by popular comic book artist and writer Jack Kirby in his Kamandi series.

which more than one reader pointed out stole directly from Beneath the Planet of the Apes, with its warhead-worshipping simians. — which more than one reader pointed out stole directly from Beneath the Planet of the Apes, with its warhead-worshiping simians.

By the way, the wrecked statue of liberty showed up again in this comic

and on the cover of this macho thriller; note the contrast between old and new models of femininity.

In the 1974 series, Doomsday Squad, the superheroes, far from being able to prevent the war, emerge only after the holocaust has taken place, by accident, according to the absurd illogic of modern warfare. This series was reissued in the eighties, when the theme of the hero roaming the ruined earth had become firmly established as a convention as stereotyped in its characteristics as the western.

The Ex-Mutants was a series about highly-attractive heroes and heroines who are bred to normality in a world filled with pathetic and dangerous mutants.

Occasionally the series tried to treat the threat of nuclear war seriously, as in this story in which another world, like their Earth, plunges over the nuclear brink.

Next: Radioactive Rambos