McCain and Obama comic book biographies hit stands

By Alex Dobuzinskis

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The life stories of U.S. presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama hit comic book stands on Wednesday -- and the company behind the illustrated bios hopes plenty of adults will buy them.

IDW Publishing, a San Diego-based company, said it produced the comic book biographies of the two candidates to capitalize on the election. The two biographies will be sold separately in comic stores, and together in a bound edition at bookstores.

In his comic, McCain, the Republican nominee for president, is shown being struck by captors in a Vietnamese prisoner of war camp. Obama, the Democratic nominee, is portrayed as a community organizer sitting around a kitchen table listening to Chicago residents.

"It really is a kick to do something that is something so out of the norm for comic books," said Scott Dunbier, special projects editor with IDW.

Dunbier said he came to appreciate the two candidates more after fact-checking their biographies.

"Both men have very compelling stories," he said.

The company tried to stay neutral as it told the life stories of the two senators.

Both comics feature the candidates on the cover standing in front of the U.S. flag. McCain smiles as he faces to the right, while Obama has a stoic expression as he looks left.

Both publications run 28 pages and rely on news stories, official websites and books by the candidates themselves.

"I think that people who normally don't go to comic shops are really going to be part of the audience that pick this up," Dunbier said.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis: Editing by Mary Milliken)