Mr. Block: The Subversive Comics and Writings of Ernest Riebe

by Paul Buhle (Primary Contributor), Iain McIntyre (Primary Contributor), Graphic History Collective (Editor)

Before the Golden Age of comic books, there was Mr. Block: a bumbling, boss-loving, anti-union blockhead, brought to life over a hundred years ago by subversive cartoonist Ernest Riebe. A dedicated labour activist and member of the Industrial Workers of the World, Riebe dreamed up his iconic, union-hating anti-hero to satirize conservative workers’ faith in the capitalist system that exploits them. This wickedly funny anthology of Riebe’s writings and comics is a treasure trove of radical 20th-century art and an essential addition to the bookshelves of comics lovers, historians, and labour activists alike. As income inequality skyrockets and the collective power of the working class is undermined, the lessons from Mr. Block’s misadventures and misbeliefs are as relevant today as ever. Building the new world from the ashes of the old demands many tools—and laughter will always be one of them.

Genres: History, Graphic Novels

130 pages, Paperback

Published August 1, 2023

Reviews

[Oscar Pichel Sanchez · Rating 3 out of 5]

cool stuff cagon el capitalisme tot el dia cada dia

[Malcolm · Rating 3 out of 5]

The comic of the Industrial Workers of the World. Mr. Block is, perhaps the origin for the impression that leftist memes are all text. That being said, there is plenty of content here that resonates with a modern reader.

Mr. Block is a wooden-headed member of the working class who believes in the American dream. Hard work, not complaining, and thrift will allow him to elevate himself to the upper classes. He does everything he's supposed to. It should work out for him.

But it doesn't. It was never going to. And the thing most holding Mr. Block back is his own pig-headed opposition to workers organizing. The character's name is derived from his being a 'blockhead' symbolized by his literally wooden noggin.

The artist produced Mr. Block comics for a variety of IWW publications and, reportedly, did so at no cost. Riebe viewed the production of these comics as his contribution to the effort of worker's rights. It was the talent he had to give and he gave it, making dozens of Mr. Block comics over a period of years including eventually teaming Block up with an equally foolish sidekick Mr. Bone (He's a 'bonehead.' Get it?).

This brings us to the interesting question: Is this leftist propaganda? Well, yeah. Obviously. It is intentionally so. The comic effectively communicates the inability of the working class to get ahead under its own steam. Foolish refusing to organize and band with your class will only result in the further enrichment of the moneyed classes. It also showcases several ways in which the bosses exploit their workers like encouraging certain workers to rush the work pace with false promises of promotion and activity which renders the work unsafe and actually kills people. That the bosses will never make concessions to workplace safety unless forced and that standing by waiting for things to improve will likewise kill people. It highlights a scam reminiscent of modern MLMs whereby the worker buys the stock from the company and sells it themselves. It is intended to be both entertaining and informative.

The entertaining aspect is where the series falls short, though. The back cover blurb promises laughs but there's honestly only a couple of gags that stick with you. One involves Block being recruited by the AFL to go try to win lumberjacks over from the IWW (This references a rather famous effort by the IWW to organize lumber workers) and returning with an axe in his head saying only the "The AFL is known to" the lumber workers. The other involves Block having a very long thought about his options while falling down the stairs.

This does mean that the comics are propaganda first and entertainment second. Which is fine. At least it's coming from worker-supporting sides for once. It's a medium that can be made to work to transmit pretty simple messages and those messages resonate down the decades: "Don't trust your boss" "Any job that needs you to pay money to them is a scam" and "Organize!"

So, the Mr. Block comics aren't great art. The drawing is passable but the writing is often large blocks of text but the rare action sequence or piece of physical comedy do usually land. But it is excellent propaganda, propaganda for a good cause and conveying good messaging.

[W · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's interesting that this was written during the WWI timeframe and nothing has changed. There's still profiteering, still pointless war, still the same constructed class divisions.
Humans will never learn; the sun will destroy the earth and we will be arguing about communism and guns. Enjoy more coitus.

[Brian Kovesci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every man’s struggle vs. those in power, circa 1910’s.

Thin satire, but biting in its clarity for how foolish Mr. Block (and those who think like him) is for buying into the exploitation of those in power with no real chance of achieving his goals of achieving higher societal rank.

[Mayonez Sidorovich · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Sometimes a few petty profiteers are prosecuted or new laws are made to bust the trusts. In most cases the laws are busted by the trusts. This is easy. All you need is a supreme court, a band of corporation lawyers, and the law becomes unconstitutional."

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s deeply depressing how many of these comics, many over 110 years old, continue to resonate to this day.