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COMICS WITH PROBLEMS issue #19
GEORGE WALLACE FOR THE BIG JOB
Sixteen page Gubernatorial Campaign Booklet, commissioned directly by George Wallace for his bid for Governor of Alabama during the 1962 election. Wallace had lost to John Patterson in a previous election. Patterson was backed directly by the KKK. Wallace claimed "NO ONE WILL EVER OUT-N*GGER ME AGAIN", producing this booklet for the following election. Comic book is credited with helping him win.
PROBLEM(s) DEALT WITH:
1. Defense of the Alabamian Way of Life vs. Washington Government telling Alabamiams how to run their elections.
2. Battling the Civil Rights Commission.
3. Being ruined politically by Washington.
4. Segregation, and the argument there is no Constitutional enforcement to not Segregrate, see "Alabamiam Way of Life" (or item #1)
5. Overcoming Wallace childhood: Chopping wood, Mules, Plowing corn, Picking cotton, Depression.
6. Graduating Law School
7. World War II
8. Defense of "crippled, blind and underprivileged [white] veterans."
9. Industry, Job training, and Welfare for white Alabamians.
10. Fighting Communism (see page 12)
11. Segregated Schools (e.g. see item #1)
12. Paved Roads, Pensions, Liquor Agency corruption
13. Removal of "every [northern] freedom rider, sit in, and every other troublemaker backed by the NAACP that meddles in our affairs."
14. Sobriety and Religion.
15. all other problems, please see Alabamian Way of Life, e.g. item #1.
FUTURE PROBLEM(s)
NOT ADDRESSED IN THIS BOOKLET:
1. Desegration of Alabama Schools
2. FBI infiltration of the KKK
3. Hippies
4. A bid for the 1972 Presidency
5. Attempted Assassination
6. Becoming Crippled
7. Multiple Divorces
Ethan |
08.14.07 - 10:25 pm | #
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I never thought I'd say something like this about a piece of hateful backward literature, but: THIS IS AWESOME.
Awesomely indicting, and Awesomely honest. And Awesomely Offensive! Thanks.
Parliament Cigarettes |
08.15.07 - 3:34 pm | #
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Man, I gotta tell you. If this comic is any indication, Alabamians used to dress so much sharper! Look at those fabrics, colors, and tightly maintained hairstyles!
If this comic were produced today it would be with a ton of frightened frail senior citizens and their fat t-shirt stained grandkids, sporting shorts and flip-flops. Everyone would be wearing NASCAR hats and they'd be farting.
Fashion Expert |
08.16.07 - 12:54 am | #
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 nice document, thanks for posting it...sunshine really is the best cleanser...what a ridiculous figure he was...too bad that we still have to deal with folks just like him...
carrybagman | Homepage |
08.16.07 - 11:10 am | #
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 I love how he "went all out to help the war vets, crippled, blind and underprivileged" - just not if they're black.
Amazing |
08.16.07 - 6:00 pm | #
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 I was amazed at how it didn't seem openly racist. If you didn't know about segregation you might think he was a swell guy.
Hysterical Woman |
08.16.07 - 6:18 pm | #
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 Page 8: "HE TOOK A KNUCKLE-BUSTING AIRCRAFT MECHANIC'S COURSE"
That means gay, right? They seem awful close in that panel.
B.Bodby |
08.18.07 - 12:52 am | #
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Additionally, from page 10:
"ALMOST EVERY SECTION OF THE STATE HAS BEEN BLESSED WITH AN INDUSTRY THAT IS PUMPING NEW LIFE-BLOOD INTO THE COMMUNITY'S ECONOMY!"
On what labor, buddy?
B.Bodby |
08.18.07 - 1:00 am | #
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 If that was what Alabamians really looked like then... then there wouldn't have been a problem. Look through the entire comic - not a single black face that needs to be segregated out.
(It should be noted that in the 1970s in what appeared to be an honest change of heart, Wallace would totally disavow segregationist views; as Wikipedia notes, "His final term as Governor (1983?1987) saw a record number of black Alabamians appointed to government positions." But yeah, he did a lot of politically expedient bad along the way.)
Nat Gertler | Homepage |
08.20.07 - 2:25 pm | #
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The harm I see from Wallace's comments in the 60s, genuinely racist or not, is that it allowed others, many of them vicious racist shitheads, to murder and terrorize others. It doesn't matter if Wallace was sincere or not. Others acted in violent and hateful ways as an effect of his leadership. His leadership was a green light to continue oppressing others. That sort of thing can't be undone. And if he was just acting that way to become politically powerful, then fuck him twice, really.
I have some sympathy to the fact he was shot, and that he claimed to become more interested in civil rights later in life, and all that. But there's no excuse, really, for the early stuff. As I see it.
I have to wonder why people always have to point out that he loosened up his racist tone later in life. We don't know that anyway, we just know blacks had the vote suddenly and he had to adjust. Why apologize for him?
Parliament Cigarettes |
08.20.07 - 5:26 pm | #
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 Well, people do sometimes learn from mistakes and change. I don't think we should take a "never forgive" stance to people who were racist.
That said, it's interesting how skillfully this avoids addressing the issue of race at all- even the words "white" and "black" aren't used, the closest we get is a reference to the NAACP (without mentioning what the C stands for, of course.)
I dare say it puts me in mind of 2004 and how advocates of same sex marriage bans always carefully avoided mentioning gay people. The best way to advance discrimination is not to mention who's being discriminated against.
Evan Waters | Homepage |
08.20.07 - 6:34 pm | #
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I don't think we should take a "never forgive" stance to people who were racist.
I agree with you and I don't. We are, after all, dealing with a politician.
If all signs point to Wallace upping his racism to getting elected and then downplaying them once blacks had the vote, then aren't we dealing with a slime? Doesn't forgiveness have something to do with knowing the person you're forgiving? It seems to me Wallace was any sort of person to any sort of moment.
Advocate |
08.21.07 - 1:04 am | #
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it puts me in mind of 2004 and how advocates of same sex marriage bans always carefully avoided mentioning gay people.
Yeah, totally. Nice allegory.
Advocate |
08.21.07 - 1:11 am | #
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Well, I dare say "benefit of the doubt" comes into play at some point (or rather, innocent until proven guilty)- there's no real evidence that he remained racist to his deathbed, and since he's not running for office anymore it's not like taking him at his word would do any harm.
He at least had the decency to emphasize the idea that he had changed, as opposed to other former segregationists who tended to just sweep that part of their career under the rug.
Evan Waters | Homepage |
08.21.07 - 1:56 am | #
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there's no real evidence that he remained racist to his deathbed, and since he's not running for office anymore it's not like taking him at his word would do any harm.
I dunno, in this instance, can't we really just call a spade a spade?
Advocate |
08.21.07 - 9:20 am | #
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I don't think I was apologizing for him -- I think I was reflecting that segregation of that sort was such a horrid wrong that even such a visible, impassioned supporter of the cause saw its ugliness eventually.
Nat Gertler | Homepage |
08.21.07 - 8:50 pm | #
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Please, no separate but equal jokes, though.
(Nelson from the Simpsons "Ha-Ha" laugh)
Julie |
08.24.07 - 11:14 pm | #
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 I voted 'Wallace for President' in 1968. Flew down and wore my Stand Up For America T-shirt to the New Orleans polling station. Had to pull my long hair back so the photographer could read the shirt as I entered the voting booth.
The Wallace campaign never quite knew what to do with our group of 5 hippies that attended their rallies in the Deep South. The Guv'nor told me in Minden, Louisiana that he was glad for my vote, but I was "duped by Communists into my lifestyle.".
He was right.
Hudson Marquez
Hudson |
08.29.07 - 11:49 pm | #
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The Guv'nor told me in Minden, Louisiana that he was glad for my vote, but I was "duped by Communists into my lifestyle.".
He was right.
I never realized till now that long hair and t-shirts with patriotic slogans were indicative of the Communist Party.
carrybagman | Homepage |
08.30.07 - 3:55 pm | #
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People are saying this comic doesn't contain any black people, but I see one.
Look a little close at Wallace's son. (page 15, panel two)
Bob doDD |
09.05.07 - 11:13 am | #
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It should be noted that in the 1970s in what appeared to be an honest change of heart, Wallace would totally disavow segregationist views
Why should this be noted?
Who gives a shit?
Do we forgive rapists? He raped a lot of people's chances at success and security. And gained a ton of power by saying Nigger in an open theater. I can give a fuck if he later said "oops".
An attempt at forgiving him is an attempt at forgiving all of us. Accept blame.
Marlene |
09.05.07 - 11:43 pm | #
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Accept blame.
Wow, (belches) you sound like a fun chick! (makes fart noise with armpit, etc) ....Is bringing up rape sort of a modern Godwin?
I agree with the comments on this thread about how it's kind of weird people point out Wallace repented, as if that's medal-worthy, though. Maybe conversationally it's an interesting thing to say but then again I'd expect a lot to change too, perspective wise, after getting shot a few times.
Bob doDD |
09.06.07 - 3:05 pm | #
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Bob Dodd: I thought the same thing. And he doesn't look NEARLY as happy as the other family members either.
It's like he's thinking "I bet Daddy'd love me more if I was white."
70s kid |
11.17.07 - 8:42 pm | #
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 I am speechless.
Un-F*cking-believable.
jgm |
01.26.08 - 6:42 pm | #
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 I wonder who the artist, penciler,inker, writer are? Were they ashamed of their work, even back then? Or can we say it's the usual gang of idiots?
nola78 |
02.20.08 - 8:14 am | #
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 Wallace spoke for many white people who simply wanted the right to choose whom they associated with. I have no truck with pointless racism - in my view a person should be given advancement if he or she has the right abilities, not according to skin colour or ancestry. However, this same love of fairness makes me despise racism against white people too - whether it comes in the form of so-called affirmative action or government-sponsored efforts to teach whites to feel guilty about what their forefathers did. The blacks in the USA have been free since the Civil War, but they still want to blame 'whitey' for their higher levels of poverty and criminality. I'm all for equality - so how about we stop treating blacks like retarded children and start allowing them to compete for jobs like poor white bastards such as myself who don't get any?
Tom |
07.31.08 - 7:13 am | #
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 Gee...Mule!
I love how desegregating is considered meddling in the states "affairs." Like, they know it's fucked up and wrong, but just let them do it! Just don't worry about it! "You want to treat a human as a human as a human? fine, that's your cockamamie new age communism, but personally, well their darker than i am, pigment-wise. and i read somewhere that's some kind of secret sign from god that they're evil, or simple-minded, or something, i don't know. but vote for me. i plowed."
Richard |
12.02.08 - 5:44 pm | #
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 Would you stop insulting the guy? He served our country in the military and as a politician did what he thought in the best interests of his state. While supporting segregation may seem racist now, back then he probably truly viewed it as an infringement on state rights and an issue that should be decided by the people? Can you blame him for having such a view back in 1962?
As somebody pointed out he eventually changed his stance on the issue later in life.
Also comparing slavery and efforts to end segregation to the "gay rights" sham is disgraceful.
Recon-Team |
04.25.09 - 5:28 pm | #
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