The Punisher is one of the most brutal, violent characters in comics. Yet, somehow, his iconic skull logo has been co-opted by some police officers who use the symbol to show their support for "Blue Lives Matter." Now, certain comic creators are urging Disney to take legal action against police forces who have used the logo without permission.
It's always been an odd choice for certain police officers to co-opt Frank Castle's iconic logo. The Punisher is a ruthless serial killer who has his own form of justice that exists well outside the actual law. Cops are supposed to serve and protect the people of their communities, and only use violence as a last resort - if at all. Castle has even told police officers in the comics that co-opting his logo is a terrible idea and threatens officers who think it's OK to have it inscribed on their patrol cars. Even the Punisher's co-creator Gerry Conway called cops who wear the logo "a disgrace."
This week in response to the nationwide Black Lives Matter protests following the death of George Floyd, Disney announced they were donating $5 million to social justice organizations, starting with $2 million to NAACP. A handful of comic creators suggested that Disney take their actions a step further and demand police forces to stop using the Punisher logo and sue those who don't agree. Mags Visaggio (Vagrant Queen) urged Marvel to start issuing cease and desists for the misuse of the Punisher logo. Matt Wilson (Supreme Villainy) echoed Visaggio's message on Twitter and was joined by Eric Palicki (Dead Beats), Kat Verhoeven (Meat and Bone), and other comic creators who want Disney to take some sort of action. As Palicki mentioned in his tweet, Disney has reportedly sued over the unapproved use of the logo in the past.
The Punisher logo represents a broken man who uses violence to solve his problems - Frank Castle's actions and mindset is the antithesis of how cops should be behaving. Disney intervening would stop the unapproved use of their logo and property while stopping it from being further used as propaganda. The right thing seems to be making sure the logo is used as it's supposed to - in comics, television shows, and movies - not as a symbol to represent a countermovement. Time will tell if Disney finally decides to take real action against those misusing the Punisher's logo