Education Commons^™

Strip Offends Reader, Michael T. Johnson

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

I am writing in regard to recent episodes of the locally written comic strip, "Screwballs," that the Campus prints. The episodes that I am concerned with are the ones depicting the Wilde Stein Club members as evil, neo-Nazi monsters.

Screwballs "Wilde-Stench", Tom Higgins

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Four-panel comic strip penned by Maine Campus staff member Tom Higgins. Long-description follows: Panel 1. The scene is on a sidewalk in an outdoor setting. Pillowy clouds dot the sky. An academic-looking building is in the background. Walking past "Tank," a muscular, straight, white, cis-gender male with flat-top haircut is on a sidewalk is a line of knee-high, non-gender specific individuals dressed in leotards and tutus, carrying star-topped wands on their shoulders and wearing spiked helmets or Pickelhaube, worn by members of the German military during the second reich. One of the knee-high individuals is turned toward the character "Tank," …

Screwballs Comic "Rude Awakening", Tom Higgins

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

A four-panel black and white comic strip drawn and authored by Tom Higgins depicting a homophobic athlete. Long Description.

Panel one depicts two figures in bed in a darkened room. In the background there is a shelf lined with trophies that speak to the macho, athletic background of the room's primary male occupant. The athletic male figure is depicted seated in bed, bare chested with a blonde crewcut. He is looking at a sleeping bearded figure next to him in confusion. The athlete's confusion is emphasized by a short series of question marks and an exclamation mark hanging over his …