Unbelievable! Not just One To Watch today folks, but Two!

These two games are both new to Sidekickcast and are both quite a departure from the usual fare I showcase in these features. Just to keep you guessing!

Ladies and gents may I present to you, for your viewing pleasure, L.A. Noire and NBA Jam.

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Pretty cool image yeah? But is it racist? The poster has been popping up all over the place on the net but can also be seen as fly posters all over LA and other US cities according to The Telegraph. Debate has been sparked with many branding the image as racist as it depicts Obama as a reverse Black and White minstrel with socialism branded beneath the image. This is obviously an attack on his extensive and expensive healthcare reform but I don't think it's racist. He's being depicted as the Joker so if you want to say they're saying he's crazy or having a laugh then fair shout but I think if the as yet unknown creator and distributor of this image wanted to be racist they'd be alot less subtle. He isn't in reverse Black and White minstrel make-up, he's in Heath Ledger Joker makeup, a clear distinction. I find it ridiculous that people are telling you this image is racist without knowing the intention of the creator or the impact it's had on the sibject. Is President Obama even bothered by this? The man is a well known comic book fan, making cameos in comics from Marvel to Dynamite so I reckon he'd get a kick out of looking like the Joker even if it is a blatant attack on his policies.

Link: http://welshbluemeanie.blogspot.com/

Click image to embiggen

I have been assured that Rich is back on his meds now and that normal service will be resumed. If you're reading any of the Dark Reign stuff or even it's pre-cursor Secret Invasion from Marvel you may actually understand this post, if not I guess you're pretty screwed.

Rich's comic project with Flint Lockjaw; The Caretakers Uncannily Nasty Tales is now available to pick up from indyplanet.

Link: http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2009-01-07-obama-spiderman-comic_N.htm

Next Week's Amazing Spider-Man #583 see's everyone's favourite Web-Head save the President Elect from the clutches of old school Spidey and Captain America villain; the Chameleon. According to the USA Today article this issue is expected to sell out big time and is predicted to reach a $20 ebay price on day one of it's release (14th January). That just seems like insanity to me, I know there are alot of Obama fans out there but $20 for a new comic?! I'll not be paying that but I am happy with the attention this will garner for Spidey, Marvel and just comics in general. Anything that grabs big headlines and a generally good buzz about comics is ok in my book.

Link: http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=18655

As we've been putting out alot of the Super-Obama pictures I thought I'd put up this last one from LA I saw on CBR today. I like the fact that it's graffiti and show's the will of the people right down to street level, it's good to see that people still care enough about politics to deface public property. This is the way it should be.

Obama admits he is from another planet named Krypton and his real father was a man named Jor-El. It seems as though all the Superman talk has either gone to Obama's head and he truly believes he's an orphaned alien left on Earth to save us or he's decided to have little fun with the idea. Either way, it's good to see comic book references making their way to capital hill, and maybe some of those superhero ideals will wear off.

According to the BBC, whilst attending a fundraiser for Catholic charities the presidential candidate joked about his recent comparisons to the Man of Tomorrow. Back in August Senator Obama posed infront of a statue of the Superman in downtown Metropolis, Illinois, so does this mean he's a fan or is this another attempt to harvest votes from the comic and geek community? You Decide!

Way back in Sidekickcast Episode #1 we briefly discussed the range of Presidential Comics being brought to us by IDW publishing . This sparked my interest in the links between comics and politics, was this a one off event or was there evidence to suggest comics have been the secret weapon in political campaigning?

I decided to begin my investigation by learning all I could about the source of my inspiration; the Presidential Materials comics from IDW. There are three books available, each US presidential candidate has their own biographical story with a third flipbook also available collecting both candidate's issue in one volume. The Barack Obama writing duties are being handled by Wheadonverse novel author Jeff Mariotte, whilst Andy Helfer, a former editor at DC with biographies of Malcolm X and Ronald Reagan under his belt crafts John McCain's journey that could lead to the White House.

Each story chronicles the life events that drove these men to pursue the hot seat at the Oval office, including their rise to prominence in the US political system. At the time of posting IDW reports that pre-order sales have Obama with a significant lead over John McCain; 48-34%. Will this be reflected come polling day or is it more likely that people that comics are already more attracted to the more liberal ideals of the Democratic party? Surely John McCain's story has the potential to be a far more entertaining story, his time as a POW during the Vietnam War should provide the reader with some real life drama and tragedy.

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