A Public Service Announcement! ;)

A Public Service Announcement! ;)

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Best Thing Ever or Sign of the End Times?

ICV2 Reports:


The American Library Association is offering a Watchmen-themed “Read” poster featuring Jeffrey Dean Morgan (The Comedian in the Watchmen film), Watchmen-style graphic design, and the cover of the book. It’s selling the 22” x 34” poster for $16.00. This is one more indication of the breadth of the Watchmen phenomenon and its uses in promoting graphic novels.

ALA has in the past partnered with manga producers (see “ALA
Poster Features Manga”), Marvel, and DC for posters.


This is truly something I never thought I would see. I'm proud and also sort of amused in a sort of "best thing ever sort of way." I'm happy to know that this poster will probably make it into high schools across the country. I know some folks have been teaching Watchmen at the high school level. Hopefully, more will now.


On the other hand, they chose the actor who plays one of the more despicable characters from the book. J.D. Morgan here plays the amoral Comedian, a rapist, chauvinist, and cold-blooded murderer. "Hey kids, meet me in the stacks at your local library!" See how one can read this as more an April Fool's Day joke than a legitimate story? But, it appears to be reality, adding an even more wonderful but somehow disconcerting element to it.


Inside reference to those who have read Watchmen: Question: Would you actually ever meet the Comedian in the stacks of your local library? Answer: "Only once."

2 comments:

Sean said...

I put it in the "Best Thing Ever" category, although Ozymandias would have been a better advocate for self-empowerment through reading than The Comedian. However, Jeffrey Dean Morgan has crossover appeal from his stint on "Grey's Anatomy," so he's the rare celebrity who can turn on both fanboys and chick-lit connoisseurs (not that either group really needs a celebrity endorsement to be encouraged to read more). In any case, I've ordered one of these posters for my office, but will have to get it framed to prevent drool damage from all my "Grey's"-obsessed co-workers and students ...

Bucky C. said...

Hi there, Big S! Drop me an e-mail to let me know what's new with you, eh?