Howard the Duck will ascend to the highest office in the land this fall, as Marvel Comics celebrates the half-centennial of its most iconic duck with Howard The Duck #1: 50th Anniversary Special, which will feature Howard getting acclimated to the Oval Office after he is elected President of the United States.
According to Marvel, Howard the Duck's foray into politics is, "inspired by a classic tale from Steve Gerber and Gene Colan’s 70s’ run," with the new story by writer Daniel Kibblesmith and artist Annie Wu being one of several contained in the super-sized 50th Anniversary Special, out this November from Marvel.
"Get Down, America! Vote Howard The Duck!"
Marvel's solicitation for Kibblesmith and Wu's story entices readers to, "Find out how gutsy [Howard] is as Commander in Chief when the Earth is invaded by aliens in this startling political satire!" A Howard the Duck presidential run was first floated in the letter pages of Howard the Duck #4, by writer Steve Gerber and artist Gene Colan, where in response to "this Bicentennial bummer of a year" they suggested a new political voice was needed – which is why, in "Marvel's first political endorsement", the book's creators declared Howard the Duck's entry into the 1976 presidential race, with the campaign slogan: "GET DOWN, AMERICA! VOTE HOWARD THE DUCK IN '76!"
Howard's Campaign Was A One-Off Joke That Could've Gone Much Further
The humorous announcement in Howard the Duck #4 was a set-up to sell Howard the Duck campaign buttons – with the ad reminding readers to make their checks out directly to writer Steve Gerber, Howard's "campaign manager." The tongue-in-cheek campaign declaration, while effective as a backdoor to selling merch, was predicated on a huge missed opportunity, as the creative team behind the original Howard the Duck comic could have developed into a full-fledged storyline in the book's pages. While this failed to materialize, Howard The Duck #1: 50th Anniversary Special will honor Marvel's most unlikely hero's history, as well as giving readers a zany Howard tale generations in the making.
Howard The Duck #1: 50th Anniversary Special will also feature stories by Chip Zdarsky and Joe Quinones, as well as Meritt K and Will Robson, all building the character's stories tenure with Marvel Comics. However, it may be difficult to top Kibblesmith and Wu's "startling political satire" which will finally correct one of the biggest missed opportunities in the character's history by making him President of the United States, and then promptly having the world be invaded by hostile aliens. With another contentious election looming, one that would make readers in 1976 heads' spin, Howard the Duck may prove to be the voice of reason needed to stem the tide of political unease.
Howard The Duck #1: 50th Anniversary Special will be available this fall from Marvel Comics!
Source: Marvel
