Airboy on President Reagan

The 1980s sequel series of Airboy, published by Eclipse, provoked its fair share of controversy. 

Airboy returns!

When the original Airboy, now operating an aircraft business, is attacked and killed, his son takes up the mantle. In the second issue, Airboy's son and his friends trace the attackers back to central America. There he learns that his father was supplying a corrupt regime with weapons. As a surprising development, when young Davy sees how the poor people in the country are living, he forgets about revenge, and decides to aid the guerrillas who killed his father!

Eclipse, the publisher of 1980s Airboy, was always politically involved. At this time, the news was filled with the Iran Contra scandal, and allegations that the United States government was funneling guns to Iran (despite an embargo) by aiding the Contras in Nicaragua. So in addition to the original Airboy supplying weapons to a bloodthirsty dictator intent on staying in power at any price, we learn that the United States is propping up a corrupt regime. 

We even see a signed photograph of President Reagan sent to the bloodthirsty dictator. On the photo, our president has written "Best wishes, your pal, Ron." As another sign of the times, given Reagan's contention that a nuclear war was winnable, we see written "Nuke 'em 'til they glow, then shoot 'em in the dark." 

Serious themes for a comic today, let alone in the 1980s. And this in an era when most U.S. citizens loved their president. Even today, many look back on Reagan as the ultimate statesman. Reading these stories today, in the love-him-or-hate-him, hard-swinging, tough-talking, never-apologize era of President Trump, these stories seem a little less audacious.

Dragon Dave