Story: Portrait of a Politician
Appears: 366-368
Issues: 3
Writers: John Wagner and Alan Grant
Art: Ron Smith
Dated: 28 April 1984 to 12 May 1984
To illustrate just how bizarre people and politics are we have an Orang-utan running for mayor. And he wins too. Just like the crazy online petitions and Christmas number one campaigns we see today people have been exercising their right to “none of the above” for a long time.
One of the most charming aspects of this story is that Dave the Orang-utan doesn’t actually know or care what the humans around him are doing. He isn’t actively pursuing a goal but is being used as a figurehead by others.
It is interesting that the Justice Department just lets things play out. In a manner of someone giving out enough rope. It will be interesting to see Dave reappear in the future.
The art is great with Smith’s gift for faces capturing the slimy TV pundits. There is also a caricature of a certain BBC election correspondent.