Yestergay’s Man: Eric Orner’s Smahtguy
Hank Kennedy reviews cartoonist Eric Orner’s biography of US politician Barney Frank. I do not think that any self-respecting radical in history would have considered …
Hank Kennedy
Seventy Years On the Waterfront
For its seventieth anniversary, Hank Kennedy reflects on the history and legacy of Elia Kazan’s classic trade union-themed crime drama ‘On the Waterfront.’ Still from …
Peacenik?: A Socialist Perspective on the Libicki/VanCAF Controversy
Hank Kennedy covers the recent ban (and subsequent retraction of said ban) of American-Israeli graphic novelist, Miriam Libicki, from the Vancouver Comic Arts Festival, using …
Against Frum on Woodrow Wilson
Hank Kennedy sets the record straight on Woodrow Wilson’s legacy – one of service to the imperialist capitalist class abroad and brutal and racist repression …
Did We See This One Before?: Rachel Maddow’s ‘Prequel’
Hank Kennedy reviews ‘Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism’ a new book on U.S. fascism and anti-fascism by MSNBC television host and political commentator, Rachel …
Socialist Noirvember
Hank Kennedy discusses film noir’s relationship to the 1940s Hollywood Left and highlights two films of interest for socialist cinephiles. November is often known by …
Bela Lugosi: The People’s Horror Star
Hank Kennedy profiles actor Bela Lugosi, highlighting the man’s often forgotten left-wing politics. There are two popular images of Bela Lugosi. Of the two, to …
Solidarity Sometimes: U.S. Organized Labor’s Cold War Policy in Central and South America
Hank Kennedy presents a historical overview of the reactionary Cold War international policy of the Meany/Kirkland era AFL-CIO, with a focus on its relations with …
From Champion of the Oppressed to Truth, Justice, and the American Way: Who Took the Socialism Out of Superman?
Hank Kennedy traces the ideological history of Superman, arguing that the populism of the character’s early iterations would eventually be shed as a result of …
Letter: On Halloween Now and Forever
While I applaud the recent attempt to give a political analysis of the Halloween films, I take issue with how this analysis is not supported …
The Comics vs. the Communists: The Left During the Comic Book Scare
Hank Kennedy presents and assesses the many reactions to comic books by different strata of the socialist Left during the Comic Book Scare of the …
Lev Gleason: Crime Comics’ Communist Czar
Hank Kennedy recounts the life and work of U.S. left-wing comics publisher Levrett Stone Gleason. Crime Does Not Pay no. 42, 1945. When people think …