No Alex Ross collection is complete without the most obscure and controversial of his works. Uncle Sam is a very compelling story about a homeless man who resembles the symbol of the United States of America, yet his clothes look tattered, ripped and dirty as he begins his journey through America's past, present and future, only to realize, the "American Dream" looks just like he does, bruised and mangled by corruption, racism, and war mongering. This book was written by Steve Darnall in 1997, yet it is still valid today as it was 10 years ago, because nothing has changed. I consider this view of the USA, eye-opening, because it tells the truth of how America, and most countries for that matter, are rotting because of corruption and deceit and by being led by a small group of opportunists. My favourite part was when Sam encounters the "real" Uncle Sam, the one we see in posters with his crisp suit made of the American flag and his top hat, and finds out the symbol for this country is really a greedy, selfish bastard. I still wonder how DC/Vertigo published this without being censored. The art is as clean and detailed as the one in Kingdom Come, maybe even more, and shows a lot of Ross' and Darnall's political views.IN MY COLLECTION: The original two-issue prestige format graphic novel and the silk flag.
Left to Right: Uncle Sam issues 1 & 2 and the Uncle Sam silk flag which was reprinted in the Hardback edition, as a wraparound cover. Not pictured is the softcover edition because it has the same cover as issue 1.
Left to Right: The promotional poster, the litograph, the UKCAC convention program and the t-shirt.
1 comments:
Uncle Sam has to be one of the best political statements ever made in the medium of sequential art. Some of our congressmen should read it: they might learn something.
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