BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA

by Steven Weissman

What does it mean to live in America today? If you know there 's no right answer to that question, you ll want to read Barack Hussein Obama a book about you; about your country, your family, your president. Barack Hussein Obama is not a graphic novel. It 's neither a biography nor an experiment, but a whole, fully realized parallel America, a dada-esque, surrealistic satirical vision that is no more cockeyed than the real thing, its weirdness no more weird, its vision of the world no more terrifying. The zombieesque simulacra of Joe Biden and Hillary and Newt and Obama wander, if not exactly through the corridors of power, through an America they made and have to live in, like it or not. American cartoonist Steven Weissman takes from the lives of the leaders of the free world, his friends, his family, his sworn enemies, and gives them a new life that is both withering and oblique, devastating and contemplative, chaotic and pellucid. Before you lose your will to vote, read Barack Hussein Obama.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Humor, Politics

112 pages, Hardcover

First published September 19, 2012

About the author

Steven Knight Weissman (born June 4, 1968, in California) is an alternative cartoonist.
Weissman was the recipient of the Harvey Kurtzman Award for Best New Talent in 1998 and he is best known for his offbeat and bizarre explorations of childhood friendships. He is the author of a number of books, including Barack Hussein Obama (2012), Butter and Blood (2015) and the series of graphic novels Yikes! (1999-2008). His work has been published by Fantagraphics, Retrofit Comics, Nickelodeon, Vice, Mad Magazine and more.
Weissman lives in Los Angeles, CA with his wife and son.

Reviews

[Captain Curmudgeon · Rating 1 out of 5]

Uh, I guess I dont get it. I see its surreal and Obama is a character...so....Is this purposely suppose to be a shitty pretentious hodgepodge of nonsense??.....Its like a shitty David Lynch movie with a giant bird ....whatever, I didnt like it.....and also the drawings were shitty.....Im not saying that this book should be burned cause that would be fascist and stuff, but what Im saying is that this book should be burned....Im just saying some books deserve to be burned, thats all......maybe the multi million dollar movie will be better...I blame the whole state of California, societies acceptance of grown men acting like retarded infants, and the current obsession with feigned ignorance in pop culture for this obamanation...(GET IT!!! OBAMANATION!!! HAHAHA!!).........whatever, fuck you too....

Jesus, why do I hate this comic so much?!?! I think in all honesty I am just jealous this person will make more money than I ever will and am also jealous they have found a legitimate outlet for their creative endeavours....Apparently my "legitimate outlet for creative endeavours" consists of turning book reviews into whiny journal entries nobody cares about......

[Sam Quixote · Rating 1 out of 5]

Steven Weissman’s Barack Hussein Obama is a short collection of one page/four panel gag strips where “Obama”, “Joe Biden” “Hillary Clinton” and other political figures do mundane, stupid things for no reason - comedy, I guess?

One gag is Obama telling the reader how to make s’more ice cream sandwiches, another is him trying not to laugh at a foreign leader because he doesn’t understand what he’s saying. Wha… Then Joe Biden’s tucking him in at night. Hillary has an affair with Colonel Gaddafi. Later on things get really weird when Obama turns into a bird!

I have no idea what the point of this book was. If it was satire, I have no clue what Weissman was trying to say. If this was comedy, it failed because it wasn’t funny - except for one page where Obama’s outside a motel and says to Biden “That’s quite a tip, Joe! Are you planning to trash the room or something?” and he says “Just in case I decide to blow my brains out tonight.”; that made me chuckle.

It’s also drawn in this weird ghetto style, like Weissman grabbed a bunch of cardboard pieces with bits of cellotape attached and some ballpoint pens and hurriedly scribbled out his strips on the back of them. Everything looks dreadful!

Obviously humour is subjective so maybe some readers are gonna be laughing their socks off at this comic but I couldn’t believe this garbage got published at all. Barack Hussein Obama is full of unfunny boring comic strips - steer clear of this crap!

[Ty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Does everyone want to write a book about Obama? I know I do! Mine will be sort of like this, except short paragraphs instead of short comics. It'll be out in about four years. Some people will think my book is stupid, and those people will think this book is even more stupid, but I liked it quite a bit. Obama smokes joints with Biden, is turned into a parakeet, argues with God, is annoyed by his daughters, etc. There are funny parts and scary parts. It's political, if you think that simultaneously humanizing and mythologizing celebrities/political figures and also mocking our impulse to do both of those things is political. I do.


http://tymelgren.com/books/february20...

[Matt Graupman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read "Barack Hussein Obama" several times in the last few years and I could swear that the comics in the book keep changing; they're never the way I remember from previous readings. Honestly, Steve Weissman's surreal comics about the president are so insane that I'd be willing to believe that the panels reconfigure and rewrite themselves when I'm not reading them. This book is out there. Way out there.

Vice President Joe Biden gets his hand blown off and ponders how he'll ever jerk off again. Barack Obama transforms into a bird and flies his daughters to a secluded island. The ghost of James Garfield makes an appearance. That's just the tip of the iceberg in these wry, deadpan cartoons. It's not a political work, at least not explicitly, with Weissman using politicians more as a reference point for his madcap comics. Whether or not you're a political junkie, you'll find something to entertain and/or offend you.

"Barack Hussein Obama" is many things: experimental, funny, aggravating, strange, etc. but it is never boring. At the very least, hearing a deceased president describe how ghosts watching the actions of the living is "a total boner buster" is worth the price of admission alone.

[George Marshall · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have never given one star before, but in this case I am sufficiently irritated by this book which seems to say nothing and is a puerile form of humour that involves portraying Obama Bidden etc as brainless frat guys- though, even as an English outsider, I suspect that there is a some kind of 'homeboy' joke that is potentially more offensive. However my major problem is this: when you have an extremely powerful and extraordinary person like Obama, loved and loathed in equal measure, with so many things good and bad to say about him, what on earth is achieved by this pointless and empty caricature. This is not surreal, or Dadaist- it is empty

[Greg · Rating 1 out of 5]

What the HECK was that? I was in the graphic novel section of the library and saw this and figured I might like it. I was wrong. I'm not sure I even understand what the point was. It doesn't strike me as satire (or at least not very good satire). There isn't very much resemblance to reality at all. I don't care for the art, I didn't find it humorous or thought-provoking. I understand it may be experimental but it just didn't speak to me and might have offended me a bit (I haven't decided yet but I have decided not to spend any more time wondering).

[Elli · Rating 2 out of 5]

entertained but also kinda confused...........

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

The content was alright, but I loved the slightly sloppy, stolidly bizarro technique and execution.

[Kitty · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have little idea what this collection of surreal comics about the Obama presidency was going for. Sorta fun anyway?

[Noel · Rating 2 out of 5]

What did I just read O_o

[Caitlin · Rating 1 out of 5]

The summary for this book portrays a much more ambitious goal than executed, which leads me to believe I need to understand the author's other work for context. Defining this comic strip as dada-esque provides a barrier for purpose and humor. The randomization of situations assigned to random characters read like a game of mad libs sprinkled with some misogyny.

[Hans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful stuff.

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is so stupid

[Ed Erwin · Rating 2 out of 5]

What the heck did I just read?

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

pure gold. you are retarded if you don't laugh.

[Jeremy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some pretty hilarious gag strips about the fictitious life of the president. Joe Biden makes out pretty well here.

[Dana Jerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

HA Larious. Soft and hard humor ala Kate Beaton.

[Oneirosophos · Rating 1 out of 5]

Fubar.

[Soaring Leaves · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not sure if I was supposed to find this funny, it was alright for a little while, but it descended into meh, good thing it was short

[Andrés Santiago · Rating 5 out of 5]

effing hilarious! you'll never see Hillary Clinton with the same eyes again... Highly recommended