Unearthed: 1960s Article In The New Guard About Marvel As Right-Wing

I don't think I've ever seen the New Guard article found by Sean Howe and the text reprinted here from Libertarian Party pioneer David Nolan. I'm also not sure its central thesis convinces. Its praise of a right-wing subtext in prime-time 1960s Marvel Comics comes down to what he terms a refreshing willingness to call the good guys good guys (and have one of them be an arms dealer) and the bad guys communists. I think it's safe to say that this was more about genre correction and distinguishing the Marvel books against the competition than an act of political activism, but the specific effect of that kind of expression on the books is something rarely considered and probably should be.

The article is also -- and maybe more importantly -- a near-perfect example of how Marvel could be read and enjoyed by young adults of that time (Nolan graduated MIT that year), entering into their well-executed core adventure-book values through the lighthearted tone and humor that was largely but certainly not solely provided by Stan Lee. Reading Marvel Comics isn't an act of proto-hipsterism for Nolan as much as the healthy embrace of a throwaway pleasure -- the guy in the business suit buying and enjoying the crap out of a dirty-water hot dog. Anyway, I can't imagine a more perfectly formulated entry point into that particular phenomenon with the Marvel books, and I'm thankful Howe dug this one up.
 
posted 7:00 am PST | Permalink
 

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