by John | Feb 18, 2024 | Blog
In 2017, I was in Atlanta and one of the touristy things I did was visit the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library. I’ve been to three presidential libraries now. The others were for two much high-profile presidents—Kennedy and Nixon.
Carter isn’t an easy man to summarize. His presidency was marred by the Iran Hostage crisis, “stagflation” and other issues. His 1980 re-election bid ended in a landslide loss to Ronald Reagan.
But Carter was far ahead of his time in terms of energy conservation and he actually accomplished a lot internationally. But his most enduring legacy is what he achieved after he left office. His humanitarian work, his diplomacy, his efforts to support election integrity internationally and negotiate major conflicts won him a Nobel prize in 2002.
He may not have been our best president, but he was definitely our best ex-president—and probably our kindest.
If you’re interested in touring Carter’s presidential library and aren’t going to Atlanta soon, you can take a virtual tour of the exhibits and building. Plus, there are my photos below.
The museum includes a life-sized reproduction of the Carter Oval Office. Photo by me. Click image to enlarge.
Of the three presidential libraries I’ve visited, Carter’s is the only one with Marvel Comics art! The art (signed by Stan Lee) is by John Tartaglione who drew many of the romance comics panels I’ve used in Last Kiss!
The guy in the goony hat—but great T-shirt!—is me on the serene, wooded grounds that are the exterior part of the Carter library. (Photo by my sister Lisa Lustig Hernandez.)
↓ TranscriptScene: Photo of a sunset.
CAPTION: “I have one life and one chance to make it count
for something...
"My faith demands that I do whatever I can,
wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long
as I can with whatever I have to try to make
a difference.”
--Jimmy Carter, now 99 and
in hospice for one year as of yesterday.
by John | Feb 19, 2023 | Uncategorized
Happy Presidents’ Day!
I know George Washington and Abraham Lincoln are the presidents usually associated with this holiday. But I wanted to do something different. And I really like this quote by F.D.R.
Adapted from a photo by Jessica Tan on Unsplash.
↓ TranscriptSCENE:
CAPTION: Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough.
--Franklin D. Roosevelt
Adapted from a photo by Jessica Tan.
Happy Presidents’ Day
jessica-tan-2Ae69B_9AP8
by John | Feb 20, 2022 | Uncategorized
This is about 180 degrees away from what I was originally planning to do for President’s Day. I thought I’d feature an inspiring quote about leadership or courage or patriotism or some such. But for some reason I kept coming back to this quote by Abe Lincoln that doesn’t seem to fit any of my expected categories at all.
But we live in difficult times. Depression and anger are rampant. So I thought something clearly and strongly upbeat might be more appropriate. And maybe looking for good things does have something to do with leadership, courage and maybe even patriotism after all.
Transcript:
SCENE: A rose garden.
CAPTION: “We can complain because rose bushes have thorns…or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
–Abraham Lincoln
Adapted from a photo by Heidi Kaden
heidi-kaden-tHplJOPwsmI
↓ TranscriptSCENE: A rose garden.
CAPTION: “We can complain because rose bushes have thorns...or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
--Abraham Lincoln
Adapted from a photo by Heidi Kaden
heidi-kaden-tHplJOPwsmI
by John | Feb 14, 2021 | Uncategorized
You can still vote for Last Kiss model Felina Vie in Inked Magazine’s cover girl contest. (You’ll need a Facebook account to sign in to vote.) Vote for free once every 24 hours. Thanks!
Transcript:
President Abe Lincoln: I’m finally in a comic? Really? And it’s…Last Kiss?!! So no superhero suit? No cape? What’ll I tell Mary? I promised her we’d play Caped Crusader and First Lady tonight!
Happy President’s Day!
↓ TranscriptPresident Abe Lincoln: I’m finally in a comic? Really? And it’s…Last Kiss?!! So no superhero suit? No cape? What’ll I tell Mary? I promised her we’d play Caped Crusader and First Lady tonight!
Happy President’s Day!
by John | Feb 18, 2018 | Uncategorized
Happy Presidents’ Day from me and mischievous Mike Pascale. (View the original 1958 art below to see how thoroughly Mike modified it for today’s comic.)
By the way, Abe Lincoln is my favorite president. Tragic and witty, he’s also easily our most quotable commander-in chief:
“If I were two-faced, would I be wearing this one?”
“Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?”
“America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.”
Art by John Tartaglione from the story “The Sea Green Eyes!” in FIRST KISS #5, 1958.
Transcript:
SCENE: Woman talking to President Abe Lincoln / Abraham Lincoln.
WOMAN: Abe Lincoln in a Last Kiss comic? Why?!! Don’t you have better things to do?
Lincoln: I had some free time between Presidents’ Day sales!
DJP.lk393_Lincoln_MP
1958 Art: John Tartaglione Fabulous Facelift: Mike Pascale
Art by John Tartaglione from the story “The Sea Green Eyes!” in FIRST KISS #5, 1958.
↓ TranscriptSCENE: Woman talking to President Abe Lincoln / Abraham Lincoln.
WOMAN: Abe Lincoln in a Last Kiss comic? Why?!! Don’t you have better things to do?
Lincoln: I had some free time between Presidents’ Day sales!
DJP.lk393_Lincoln_MP
1958 Art: John Tartaglione Fabulous Facelift: Mike Pascale
Art by John Tartaglione from the story "The Sea Green Eyes!" in FIRST KISS #5, 1958.
