Prez (character)

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Prez
Prez 1 1973.jpg
Prez #1 (August–September 1973), the first appearance of Prez Rickard, art by Jerry Grandenetti.
Publication information
Publisher DC Comics
First appearance Prez: First Teen President of the U.S.A. #1 (August–September 1973)
Created by Joe Simon, Jerry Grandenetti
In-story information
Alter egoPrez Rickard

"Prez" is the name of several characters appearing in comics published by DC Comics. The original was Prez Rickard, the first teenage President of the United States, who appeared in a short-lived comic series by writer Joe Simon and artist Jerry Grandenetti [1] in 1973 and 1974. [2] Similar characters have appeared since then, revisiting the concept or paying homage to the original character. In 2015, DC published a miniseries about a teenage girl named Beth Ross who is elected President via Twitter in the year 2036. [3]

Contents

Story

Following the real-world passage of the 26th Amendment in 1971, which lowered the minimum vote age to 18 nationwide, an amendment is passed allowing teenagers to also be elected to public office. [4] Teenage Prez Rickard – named by his mother with the dream of him someday becoming President – takes the initiative of fixing the clocks in his town of Steadfast to run on time, making him a local hero. [5] Shady businessman Boss Smiley (a political boss with a smiley face for a head) recruits him to run for the Senate, thinking that he can manipulate the boy. However, inspired after encountering Eagle Free, a young Native American, Prez campaigns on his own terms, and is instead elected president. [6]

He selects his mother to be Vice President, makes his sister his secretary, and appoints Eagle Free Director of the FBI. As president, Prez fights a legless vampire and his werewolf henchman, a right-wing militia led by the great-great-great-great-great-grandnephew of George Washington, evil chess players, and Boss Smiley. He is attacked for his stance on gun control and survives an assassination attempt during that controversy.

Publication history

The series was abruptly cancelled after four issues. [7] Several years later, issue #5 was included in Cancelled Comic Cavalcade #2 (though Prez itself predated the DC Implosion which prompted the production of that book). Prez also appeared in Supergirl #10 (Sept.-Oct. 1974). [8] Although the first issue of Prez specified that the series was an imaginary (non-continuity) story, this story by Cary Bates implies that Prez is President of the U.S. on Earth-One of the DC Multiverse. In the story, Supergirl saves Prez from two hoaxed assassination attempts, only to be entrapped into a third by a politician working with a witch. In this story, Prez's repair of clocks is presented as a personal hobby.

Other versions

In other media

See also

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References

  1. McAvennie, Michael (2010). "1970s". In Dolan, Hannah (ed.). DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. Dorling Kindersley. p. 156. ISBN   978-0-7566-6742-9. Teenage President of the United States Prez Rickard didn't enjoy a long term in comics. However scripter Joe Simon and artist Jerry Grandenetti gave him plenty to tackle in four issues.
  2. Prez at the Grand Comics Database
  3. Mark Russell [@Manruss] (February 6, 2015). "@TheComicHunter @neilhimself I think I will have to. Though my Prez will be a 19 year-old girl who gets elected via Twitter" (Tweet) via Twitter.
  4. Peterson, Matthew (May 23, 2010). "RETRO REVIEW: Prez #1 (Aug./Sept. 1973)". Major Spoilers. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
  5. Markstein, Don. "Prez". Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  6. Morris, Jon (2015). The League of Regrettable Superheroes: Half Baked Heroes from Comic Book History. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Quirk Books. pp. 230–231. ISBN   978-1-59474-763-2.
  7. Sacks, Jason; Dallas, Keith (2014). American Comic Book Chronicles: The 1970s. TwoMorrows Publishing. pp. 113–114. ISBN   978-1605490564.
  8. Sacks, Jason; Dallas, Keith (2014). American Comic Book Chronicles: The 1970s. TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 144. ISBN   978-1605490564.
  9. Peterson, Matthew (August 11, 2013). "RETRO REVIEW: Sandman #54 (October 1993)". Major Spoilers. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
  10. "New Books, New Creative Teams: The Complete List of New and Continuing DC Comics Titles". DC Comics. February 6, 2015. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
  11. Mark Russell [@Manruss] (February 6, 2015). "@TheComicHunter @neilhimself I think I will have to. Though my Prez will be a 19 year-old girl who gets elected via Twitter" (Tweet) via Twitter.
  12. Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016). The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe. DK Publishing. p. 237. ISBN   978-1-4654-5357-0.