President Harry S. Truman

Few comic book appearances carry quite the historical weight of President Harry S. Truman's 1947 debut in 48 Famous Americans, brought to the page by none other than the legendary Golden Age duo of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. Published under the banner of J. C. Penney Company, Inc., this educational comics tradition placed Truman in remarkable company — sharing pages with the likes of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Grant, and Theodore Roosevelt. Spanning a surprising stretch from 1947 all the way through 1999 across titles like Know Your Presidents and Big Bang Comics, Truman's comic presence is a fascinating slice of Americana, a reminder that the medium has always celebrated history's giants as well as its costumed ones.