Sometimes a comic just has interesting timing.

Switch the Wayback machine back to 1973 and look in on one such comic book.

The previous year, 1972 was a presidential election year, where Richard Nixon beat George McGovern.

"Would you believe this guy has gone as far as tearing Wallace stickers from the bumpers of cars and he voted for George McGovern for president." - Uneasy Rider

That 1972 presidential election was a complete blowout. Republican Richard Nixon won more than 60% of the popular vote and 520 electoral votes to McGovern's 17.

So, given that November 1972 data, you'd think putting Richard Nixon in your comic book would be a great idea.

So that is exactly what Harvey comics did in the Spring of '73. This is a supporting Richie Rich character, boy comedian, magician, impressionist Jackie Jokers in a literal ticker tape parade with....Richard M. Nixon.

Of course, in between things were heating up because of a little tiny itty bitty burglary attempt at the Watergate hotel. Throughout that Spring, things were really heating up.

While this very comicbook was on the racks, President Nixon, in late April of 1973, made a national television address to speak (he believed for the last time) on this Watergate thing, and the resignations of several in his administration.

It is the intersection of politics and comic books. A sure thing was now probably not looking like such a good idea by the editor (the story writer is unknown, art by Ernie Colon)

Here is a snippet of the transcript of the national address Nixon made while this comic book was on the spinner rack.

"We must maintain the integrity of the White House, and that integrity must be real, not transparent. There can be no whitewash at the White House."

Beyond the cover, let's peak inside the issue. President Nixon is not just a cameo, but a major player in the story. Jackie is impersonating a famous senator at a night club, when he is taken by some agents to go see the President.

Jackie thinks it is all a gag, but is actually taken to the real White House, and meets President Nixon. Nixon honestly (hmmm) believes Jackie to be the famous senator (nicknamed 'shorty') and brings him in to a star studded party.

Thinking he is being set up for a gag, Jackie is really introduced as the senator by the President and told to go mingle.

And we get a bunch of faces from 1973 pop culture.

Then in comes the President to say that he and the senator will entertain the entertainers!

The 'acid test' - oh, those wacky days.

Is that Hitchcock and Brando?

And presenting one of the strangest panels in all of comicdom assembled

Presenting President Nixon on the 88s.

Well, turns out the real senator was really kidnapped. Jackie reveals he was in disguise. To fool the kidnappers, Jackie goes on air as the senator and convinces them they kidnapped a nighclub impersonator.

Y'know. Typical Thursday.

So, there you go - the triumphant parade of Richard Nixon in Jackie Jokers, cover date May 1973. Nixon has about 15 months left in office before he opts to resign.

You can contrast this with what Marvel Comic's Secret Empire plotline in Captain America (Steve Englehart). This comic (Captain America 175) hit the shelves in April 1974, a year after Jackie Joker, and 4 months before Nixon's resignation of the Presidency.

President Nixon in Comics.

How it was planned How its going

And just for fun, here is President Nixon on their Troubalert back in 1970 (Stan Lee and John Romita)