claim: a july 1990 comic strip in heavy metal magazine featured a controversial wall in new york city, built by donald trump, and a populist "rise to power" by the future president.
question: did a 1990 comic depict trump coming to power and building a wall?
origin: in september 2017, there was renewed interest in a 1990 comic strip by the artist peter kuper, which appeared to preempt current events by featuring the construction of a large, controversial wall by donald trump, as well as a populist “rise to power” by the future united states president.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  peter kuper did a comic about nationalist trump coming to power on a build-a-wall platform. this was 27 years ago in heavy metal in 1990. pic.twitter.com/1ceze5hxnj
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  — steve lieber (@steve_lieber) september 20, 2017
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  the artist peter kuper confirmed to us that the comic strip, titled “the wall,” is authentic, and was published in volume 14 number 3 of heavy metal magazine in july 1990. its existence has gained new interest because trump began his 2016 presidential election campaign partially on the basis of a pledge to build a wall along the southern border of the united states.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  after his election in november 2016, heavy metal magazine ran a feature article on the then 26-year-old comic strip, offering this summary:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “the wall” begins with a disavowal of well-known lines of “the new colossus,” the poem associated with the statue of liberty. in this story, we’re living in a divided city [new york] where the haves and have nots can barely relate to each other. in fact, the cultural and economic divide has been made real in the form of a wall to “keep the peasants at arm’s length.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  law enforcement had been overwhelmed; the cops were running for their lives. so, a wall: the brainchild of trump and [real estate mogul harry helmsley]. but the relationship between these two egomaniacs can’t last, and in a fit of rage helmsley carries out a purge called the “night of the long skates.” all trump’s associates are wiped out, and trump himself escapes into the nyc sewer. but trump plots his revenge.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  …in this story, [a pro-trump group called the guardian demons] band together in their hats, led by a messianic trump who convinces his followers that helmsley is the reason for the unemployment and poverty they face. the mob carries trump to a humiliating victory over helmsley, a feat trump promises to commemorate with a monument…
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  the “people’s monument” promised by trump is yet another wall. the final panels of the comic strip show a graffiti artist spraying “dump trump” on the wall – a slogan popular in 2017 among the president’s critics.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  the article goes on:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ok, so trump isn’t president in this 26-year-old story, but the man depicted is fully recognizable as the current president-elect. the tactics used to motivate followers, the faith in the power of walls, the goddamn hats — it was all there.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  peter kuper explained the origins of the comic strip to us:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  the idea came to me after a visit to berlin in 1987 before their wall came down. trump was a well known real estate mogul at that time. so was helmsley. the pieces of the story fell into place.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  he added: “i wish my pen, instead of predicting the future, would be able to change current events.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  we have big plans. we need your help.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  © 1995 - 2020 by snopes media group inc.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  this material may not be reproduced without permission.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  snopes and the snopes.com logo are registered service marks of snopes.com
comment: a 27-year-old comic strip by peter kuper received renewed interest on social media in 2017.
summary: in september 2017, there was renewed interest in a 1990 comic strip by the artist peter kuper. it appeared to preempt current events by featuring the construction of a large, controversial wall by donald trump, as well as a populist “rise to power” the artist confirmed to us that the comic, titled ‘the wall,’ is authentic, and was published in volume 14 number 3 of heavy metal magazine in july 1990.