Lil’ Donnie: Executive Privilege knocks Trump and his cronies down a peg, chronicling the “adventures” of the worst president in United States history.
Executive Privilege collects the first 125 strips of Mike Norton’s Rueben Award-nominated webcomic.
You’re probably thinking, “Ugh, I’m so tired of Trump and Trump-based comedy.” It’s understandable. But Lil’ Donnie is the exception to the rule. Norton has described the series as him “screaming into the void.” He is (like many people) infuriated by Trump and company, and this comic strip was his way of “[getting] off his ass” and doing something.” Whatever money he makes at conventions gets donated to organizations that try to counteract the damage Trump is doing.
Each strip tackles something specific that’s been in the news, but with an absurd or surreal twist. A minor twist, at that. That’s probably the funniest thing about Lil’ Donnie – how true-to-life it is despite its absurdity (I’m actually not sure if that’s the funniest thing or the scariest).
Norton admits that the comic is petty, but it’s cathartic to create, and it’s cathartic to read. That’s what sets it apart from the late night monologues and Alec Baldwin impressions that we’ve all grown tired of. Lil’ Donnie channels our collective anger better. It’s not just being silly or stating a punch line. It doesn’t dance around the issues. It takes direct aim at specific people and things and exposes their idiocy. Reading it is like saying “f*ck you” to Trump, which again is admittedly childish, but it also feels good.
The art is what really sells Lil’ Donnie. Norton does little things, like draw Trump’s hands tiny and make Sean Spicer’s suit too big. The window in the Oval Office constantly shows the outside world as being on fire. It tickles you, and makes the biting commentary taste so much sweeter.
Watch us speak with Norton about Lil’ Donnie:
Look, is Lil’ Donnie going to solve all of society’s ills? No. Is it going to humiliate Trump into resigning? God, I hope so, but probably not. But it provides momentary relief, and it’s comforting to see that there are still sane people out there that see the truth.
The world needs art like Lil’ Donnie. It’s so important to support work that keeps those in power in check – especially when those in power are trying to stomp out free speech at every turn. And while it won’t change any Trump supporters’ minds, Lil’ Donnie is a constant reminder to the rest of us that what’s going on in America isn’t normal, and that we shouldn’t stand for it.
Lil’ Donnie: Executive Privilege is out this week from Image Comics. Pick it up and scream into the void with Mike Norton.
