Sh*t My President Says
by Shannon Wheeler
Top Shelf Comix
Shannon Wheeler has tackled God (Apocrypha Now ), so now he has decided to tackle a man who seems to think he is a god. Wheeler has taken it upon himself to try and bring some meaning to the odd, rambling, often contradictory social media missives of the man who has found himself in the White House. From his very first Tweet about appearing on Letterman in 2009, to tweets from just a couple of months ago after the inauguration, Wheeler illustrates the text while highlighting the subtext.
Instead of the ranting blowhard he presented to his followers during his campaign speeches, Wheeler draws Trump as a child. Often seen in a tantrum, other times curious, and occasionally even trying to be helpful, young Donnie never quite seems to realize the ramifications of his words. This is funny at first, as he is only a reality TV personality. But it becomes worrisome during the campaign and downright scary after the election.
That fear is why, overall, I can’t say that I enjoyed Sh*t My President Says. I see it as an important work, chronicling these missives for historical purposes. But until we know how this experiment ends, I am having trouble finding any joy or humor in what he says, no matter how well it is illustrated. And it is illustrated well. The black and white line drawings of not only Trump but of Obama, Putin, and even a confused Kristen Stewart give breadth and depth to the world that he inhabits. In addition to the tweets, Wheeler often includes other quotes, like the ones from his sons contradicting his claims of no Russian ties, or obvious facts that undercut his current tweet. I recommend Sh*t My President Says, not because of its comedic potential, but because of its ability to frame a sadly important communication channel in perspective. Here’s hoping that Wheeler only gets a few more volumes of this project.
