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The Punisher Co-Creator Wants To Reclaim The Logo From Police Officers

The Punisher Co-Creator Wants To Reclaim The Logo From Police Officers

Cops have been reportedly wearing the logo on their uniforms at Black Lives Matter protests

Tom Wood

Tom Wood

The co-creator of The Punisher is campaigning to reclaim the character's iconic skull logo from the police in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

It's pretty well known that Frank Castle - the titular Punisher himself - is someone fighting against injustice, but the trademark skull logo has been sported by police officers standing opposite protesters in the USA.

Well, Gerry Conway - one of the creators of the graphic novel - is now calling for young creators and artists to help him take back the logo.

On his Twitter account, Conway wrote: "I'm looking for young comic book artists of color who'd like to participate in a small fundraising project for #BLM to reclaim the Punisher skull as a symbol of justice rather than lawless police oppression. Respond and follow so we can DM."


He continued: "To be clear, this little project is open to anyone who wants to contribute their time and effort. It's not a paying gig, it's intended to raise funds to support BLM.

"I hope to use multiple artists with a variety of styles and artistic approaches.

"As to the debate over whether the Punisher symbol can ever be a symbol for justice -- I agree that's an open question. What it must *not* be is a symbol of oppression.

"I want to deny police the use of the symbol by claiming it for BLM. Call it irony."

It has been reported in the past that people have petitioned Disney - the company that now owns the rights to The Punisher and the logo - to ask them to stop police officers from using the image without consent.

Marvel Comics

Disney has not yet commented on the petition, but it seems as if Conway wants to step things up a notch in order to stand in solidarity with the protesters.

This isn't the first time that Conway has spoken out about the perceived misuse of the logo. In January 2019 he told Syfy: "The vigilante anti-hero is fundamentally a critique of the justice system, an example of social failure, so when cops put Punisher skulls on their cars or members of the military wear Punisher skull patches, they're basically sides [sic] with an enemy of the system.

"They are embracing an outlaw mentality. Whether you think the Punisher is justified or not, whether you admire his code of ethics, he is an outlaw. He is a criminal. Police should not be embracing a criminal as their symbol."

Last year, io9 reported that a Dallas Police Department officer was spotted wearing a Punisher skull logo on his uniform at a community police oversight meeting that spilled over into an altercation.

Featured Image Credit: Marvel/Disney

Topics: World News, TV and Film, US News, US Entertainment