Howard Chaykin, American Flagg! issue 5 page 21 (1983)

The second of consecutive pages from an early Flagg issue. See the description of issue 5 page 20 for my comments.

A few notes from page 21:

* The third panel noise of "shaboom shaboom," which likely references the 1954 song by the Chords called Sh-Boom: "Life could be a dream (sh-boom), if I could take you up to paradise (sh-boom) ..." Chaykin often favors post-war 1950s American music and many of his series use jazz and other music as plot drivers.

* We see that the entire scene - the protest and police action - was related to the arrival of a delegation from Mars, which lands and then is quickly ushered into an "air limo" to be taken away from the chaos. Each of the first 12 issues contains clues of how the American Government on Mars is planning to sell off the United States to billionaires rather than rebuild it by 2076 (the action here takes place in 2032 or so), which creates the political uncertainty into which fascism, gang warfare, and retreat into fortress like "malls" grow. Flagg can also be read as a parable that as bad as fascism may be, the anarchy that comes from no government is likely worse for the societal minorities.

* And of course more great page design, visuals, sounds and lettering. The lettering in Flagg by Ken Bruzenak is revolutionary and hugely influential.