On this month's episode of The Sociologist's Dojo Podcast, Dr. Hattie Earle, Senior Lecturer in English and Creattive Writing at Sheffield Hallam University and the author of the new book: Silence in the Quagmire: The Vietnam War in U.S. Comics joins the host for a frank discussion of Militarism in Comics. Discussion topics include: The importance of comics as a medium, the racialization of "the enemy other", and why Frank Castle, and those that emulate him, are simply...the worst. Enjoy!

Production Notes:

Intro: 0:00-2:10

The Basics of Dr. Earle 2:11-31:42

• Dr. Earle "stans" for early Simpsons episodes
• Keeping the Acadfemic at bay when consuming Pop Culture
• 'An Evangelist of Comics'
• Introducing Dr. Earle's book (8:58-16:52)
• The Soft Power of Comics and the Hard Power of Foreign Policy
• Relationship between WWII and Vietnam in Comics
• Reluctance to discuss My Lai

Historical Context 31:43-79:06

• Comics being used differently in different conflicts
• Comics impact on the Anti-War movement
• Historical Revisionism and relitigation of war through comics
• Comics as Manufacturing Consent
• Propaganda shaping public consciousness
• The Importance of the internet on Anti-War movements

Social Analysis 79:07-113:24

• The construction of "The Enemy Image" and its racialized "othering"
• Superhero comics embodying American Experiences (Immigration, Foreign Policy, Tragedy)
• Discussing Frank Castle: The Punisher
• The Gender Politics of Militarism and Comics

Outtro: 113:25-116-10

• Dr. Earle's Social Media
• Coming up on the Blog and Podcast
• Next Episode: Summer Movie Recap: (August 2025)

*All Audio Clips used under Fair Use*

Links

• Silence in the Quagmire: The Vietnam War in US Comics by Dr. Hattie Earle
• Police, 'The Punisher' and Performative Masculinity- The Sociologist's Dojo
• The Curious Case of Elon Musk and Tony Stark- The Sociologist's Dojo
• Yellow: Race in America Beyond Black and White by Frank H. Wu
• YellowFace Documentary
• War, Politics and Superheroes by Marc DiPaolo
• Eddie Adams: Saigon Execution
• International Noise Conspiracy: "Capitalism Stole My Virginity"