Fred2Blue

Contrary to what you may have heard, there is no difference between a comic book and a graphic novel. Because a lot of people associate comic books with kids, ‘graphic novel’ is a label that publishers give to certain titles so that they’ll reach a greater audience. In 1986, DC Comics released one such ‘graphic novel’, a 12 issue limited-series from Alan Moore, an acclaimed British writer. Watchmen is the only comic book to ever win the Hugo Award, given annually to that years best work of science-fiction, and was named by Time Magazine as one of the greatest English language novels of the past century. The title is a reference to the quote, “Who watches the watchmen?” In short, it’s the Citizen Kane of comic books.

Fast forward to 2008. In a matter of days, millions of Americans will flood to retail stores across the country in preperation for the upcoming holiday season. Wal-Mart will undoubtedly be one of those stores, especially with their ’Always Low Prices’ mantra in a horrendous economic climate. How they keep prices so low? By getting 70% of their products from Communist China of course. How do they justify this? Well….they don’t. But our government says it’s cool. So Wal Mart, in turn, tries to make us feel better by slapping a smiley face on everything. See? All better! Happy happy joy joy, happy happy joy joy.

Unlike other books published by DC Comics that take place in fictional places like Metropolis or Gotham City, Watchmen takes place in our world. But in Alan Moore’s 1986, superheroes have changed everything. One in particular, Dr. Manhattan, is so powerful he single handily turns the tide of the Cold War in our favor by guiding us to victory in Vietnam. Sounds good right? Well, not so much. In this 1986, Richard Nixon is still the President of the United States and we’re on the brink of nuclear armageddon.

Another character in Watchmen is a violent psychopath named Edward Blake aka The Comedian. Blake is tasked by the U.S. government to carry out unspeakable acts, and he’s more than happy to oblige. How does a guy like that end up with a name like The Comedian? No, he doesn’t tell jokes while fighting bad guys. He doesn’t kill people by making them laugh to death or anything like that. He simply sticks a little smiley face on his chest. That’s it. Under any other circumstances a guy like Blake would be considered a menace to society, but you stick a smiley face on him and, presto, he’s a superhero.

The lasting image you get from reading Watchmen is The Comedian’s smiley face button…with blood dripping from it. Wal-Mart started using the smiley face logo in 1996, a decade after Alan Moore’s masterwork hit the shelves. When he wrote Watchmen, the story took place in present day…..but he wasn’t trying to show us what might have been. He was trying to warn us.

Watchmen is available at all major book stores, the 12 issue series has been converted into paperback form. In March it will be released as a major motion picture (trailer below). Another one of Alan Moore’s works, V for Vendetta, was also made into a film a few years back. I highly recommend it.