Gerry Conway, the co-creator of The Punisher has stated several times in previous years how disturbed he is that police officers wear the Punisher symbol as part of their uniforms. In recent videos and photos posted on various social media platforms, officers at protests of the death of George Floyd and at Black Lives Matter protests have been seen wearing these symbols on their uniforms, shields, and vests. What police officers fail to understand is that The Punisher, in one sense at least, is a critique on a broken system and a society that cannot rely on officers to protect and serve.
This view is not unfounded: see, for example, this video from a protest in downtown Los Angeles on June 4: protesters who are dancing and singing peacefully are met with teargas. Christopher Mathis, a Senior Reporter at Huffpost, who was arrested while reporting on the protests in New York wrote about the officers he saw the night of his arrest wearing this symbol.
As the cops escorted us into the 67th Precinct, we passed a hulking white cop on his way out into the street. He wore a “Punisher” skull patch on his bulletproof vest, a popular fascist ode among cops to the murderous vigilante comic-book character.
The Punisher is a Marvel Comics’ character named Frank Castle. Castle is a former US Marine and Navy SEAL, who becomes the Punisher after a police investigation regarding his family’s death was infiltrated by the same criminals who committed the crime. He can no longer trust the police department, so he makes a decision to pursue not only the criminals who had a hand in the slaying of his family but also those who try to escape from the law and righteousness. He is a vigilante who anoints himself judge, jury, and executioner.
What the Creator of Punisher Thinks
Gerry Conway is the co-creator of The Punisher, Firestorm, Power Girl, Vixen, and Ms. Marvel. He is also a writer and producer of TV, films, and novels and has worked for Marvel and DC comics. He is a vocal opponent of the injustices happening in our country and of police brutality. On his personal Twitter account, he has been very open about his feelings on current events. In an interview for SYFY Conway tells Dana Forsythe why he is disturbed by this trend.
To me, it’s disturbing whenever I see authority figures embracing Punisher iconography because the Punisher represents a failure of the Justice system….
…It goes without saying. In a way, it’s as offensive as putting a Confederate flag on a government building. My point of view is, the Punisher is an anti-hero, someone we might root for while remembering he’s also an outlaw and criminal. If an officer of the law, representing the justice system puts a criminal’s symbol on his police car, or shares challenge coins honoring a criminal he or she is making a very ill-advised statement about their understanding of the law.
The use of the Punisher logo by the Blue Lives Matter movement has been criticized by many comic insiders. This issue of cops looking to the Punisher as some sort of role model or hero is addressed in Marvel Comics’ Punisher #14 (July 2019).
“I’ll only say this once: We’re not the same. You took an oath to uphold the law. You help people. I gave that up a long time ago. You don’t do what I do. Nobody does. You boys need a role model? His name is Captain America and he’d be happy to have you.” He warns the officers that if they don’t stop idolizing him by saying “I’ll come for you next.”
What Fans Have to Say
Most good stories have theses. Like any good essay, a good story has a good argument. However, in fiction, this argument isn’t set forth explicitly. The author will never come right out and say “In this comic, I will argue . . .” Rather, the argument underlies the text, which is why—we believe, anyway—these narratives mean so much to us.
When we see Superman save a plane full of people, we see that we should save lives when we can. When we watch The Boys, we see a world where superheroes are products of a global corporation (literally, products you can buy and watch) and how that corrupts power. When we read The Hunger Games, we see a society that prioritizes the pacification of the masses at the cost of human lives for the benefit of entertainment, exploiting how we glamorize violence.
The Punisher is not without its flaws. However, it is up to us—the fans—to represent these stories with their larger messages in mind.
Also tired of seein my boy Punisher gettin a bad rep cuz blue lives matter dorks wanna adopt his logo, the homie Frank Castle woulda killed your crooked cop ass by page 3 in any comic pic.twitter.com/FFp9NLfbIM
— Charlie (@carlitosxguey) May 31, 2020
Note: The Punisher has no faith in or respect for the law. This should be obvious.
Any police officer wearing a Punisher skull gives himself away & should be fired immediately. Any military personnel wearing it should be quickly discharged for the same reason.
— Social Distancing Since 1971 (@ThatStevenGrant) June 3, 2020
Punisher Skulls Seen on Police Officers
In a November 2017 article from Vulture, writer Abraham Riesman discusses his thoughts on the history of “Why Cops and Soldiers Love the Punisher” and the misconceptions that result. Reisman writes that “The reasons for this attraction are varied, but tend to focus on the character’s status as a non-superpowered man willing to push his mind and body to the brink in order to do what he thinks is right.”
Pictured above are The Catlettsburg Police Department Police Cars decorated with Punisher Logo and Blue Lives Matter Logo. The designs were commissioned by Police Chief Cameron Logan with approval from the city council and Mayor Randall Peterman. Kentucky’s “Blue Lives Matter” legislation is House Bill 14 was called racist by Black Lives Matter protesters. The Chief removed Punisher emblem, ‘Blue Lives Matter’ from police cars after the large amount of backlash it received.
On July 10. 2019 the St. Louis Police Officers Association asked police officers to wear this symbol and change their Facebook profile photos to the symbol as a sign of solidarity. On July 11th, St. Loius Police Commissioner, Colonel John W. Hayden, Jr., released a statement that said:
Although fictional in nature, the Punisher logo does not coincide with our
mission to protect life and property and achieve a peaceful society. Gerry
Conway, the co-founder of this comic character, has himself stated that “the
Punisher represents a failure of the Justice system … the reality some people
can’t depend on institutions like the police or military to act in a just and
capable way.
Punisher was created by a corrupt police force. Castle reacts to a system that is broken. His violent acts are not condoning acts of violence, but a warning about the possibilities of what can happen when the system of justice collapses.
The system has collapsed. Be warned.
For more, check out:
John Boyega’s Passionate Speech at London Protest
List of info on educating yourself on Racism and becoming Anti-Racist
Why Blackface In Cosplay Is Wrong – With Guests Tatyana and Paloma
Written in collaboration with Emily Schuck.
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Awesome article. I agree completely. The Punisher was judge, jury and executioner and if the police stand by this symbol, it’s really scary.