Snowbirds Don't Fly
Encyclopedia
"Snowbirds Don't Fly" is a two-part anti-drug comic book
story arc which appeared in Green Lantern
/Green Arrow
issues 85 and 86, published by DC Comics
in 1971. The story was written by Dennis O'Neil
and Neal Adams
, with latter also providing the art with Dick Giordano
. It tells the story of Green Lantern
and Green Arrow, who fight drug dealers, witness that Green Arrow's ward Roy "Speedy" Harper
is a drug addict and deal with the fallout of his revelation. Considered a watershed moment in the depiction of mature themes in DC Comics, the serious tone of this story is set in the tagline on the cover: "DC attacks youth's greatest problem... DRUGS!"
who need money for their addiction, and are surprised to find Queen's ward Speedy (Roy Harper) among them. At first, they think he is working undercover to bust the junkies, but then Queen catches him red-handed when he tries to shoot heroin. It becomes evident that the stolen arrows are indeed Queen's, which he shares with Harper when they fight crime together. In the second part (Green Lantern/Green Arrow #86), an enraged Green Arrow lashes out at his ward. In shame, Harper withdraws cold turkey
, and one of the junkies dies of a drug overdose
. Queen and Lantern tackle the kingpin of the drug ring, a pharmaceutics CEO who outwardly condemns drug abuse, and visit the funeral for the dead junkie.
that makes reality unbearable for them, so they shoot drugs to escape reality. Roy Harper (portrayed as a teenager) later laments to Hal Jordan (portrayed as in his 30s, like Oliver Queen) that Jordan's generation has told their kids many lies, especially about segregation
and the Vietnam War
, and so, he has no reason to believe their credo that drug abuse is bad. They also let Harper complain that he felt left alone by his mentor Queen; so when their friendship tapered off, he took refuge in drugs. Adams and O'Neil established that the true criminal is the dealer who supplies the drugs, in this case a wealthy narcotics CEO named Saloman Hooper. That both writers firmly oppose drug abuse becomes evident when Harper painfully withdraws cold turkey
(assisted by Queen's girlfriend, Black Canary
; Adams allocates an entire page portraying Harper in various stages of pain and misery) and the Asian junkie dies of an overdose. The title itself "Snowbirds Don't Fly" refers to the slang
expression for drug users ("snowbirds").
, which featured Spider-Man
tackling crimes related to drug abuse. It was the first comic to be published without the rigid Comics Code, which prohibited the depiction of drug abuse, even in a totally condemning context. Adams said: "We could have done it first and been the ones to make a big move. Popping a pill and walking off a roof isn't the sort of thing that really happens (referring to a drug crazed man featured in that Amazing Spider-Man arc), but heroin addiction is; to have it happen to one of our heroes was potentially devastating. Anyway, the publishers at DC, Marvel and the rest called a meeting, and in three weeks, the Comics Code was completely rewritten. And we did our story."
His colleague Dennis O'Neil added that in his opinion, drug addiction was the worst social problem, so it fit well into the more socially oriented stories Adams and himself wrote. Concerning the choice of the drug abuser, he said that "we chose Roy [Harper] for maximum emotional impact. We thought an established good guy in the throes of addiction would be stronger than we some character we'd have made up for the occasion. Also, we wanted to show that addiction was not limited to "bad" or "misguided" kids. O'Neil also added that nobody vetoed this choice up in the DC hierarchy.
(Roy Harper's successor as Green Arrow's/Oliver Queen's sidekick "Speedy"), who is not only a victim of child prostitution but also later portrayed as HIV positive: but in spite of her sad fate, she is explicitly portrayed as a positive, pro-active hero by writer Judd Winick
.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
story arc which appeared in Green Lantern
Green Lantern
The Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
/Green Arrow
Green Arrow
Green Arrow is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, he first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 in November 1941. His secret identity is Oliver Queen, billionaire and former mayor of fictional Star City...
issues 85 and 86, published by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
in 1971. The story was written by Dennis O'Neil
Dennis O'Neil
Dennis J. "Denny" O'Neil is an American comic book writer and editor, principally for Marvel Comics and DC Comics in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, and Group Editor for the Batman family of books until his retirement....
and Neal Adams
Neal Adams
Neal Adams is an American comic book and commercial artist known for helping to create some of the definitive modern imagery of the DC Comics characters Superman, Batman, and Green Arrow; as the co-founder of the graphic design studio Continuity Associates; and as a creators-rights advocate who...
, with latter also providing the art with Dick Giordano
Dick Giordano
Richard Joseph "Dick" Giordano was an American comic book artist and editor best known for introducing Charlton Comics' "Action Heroes" stable of superheroes, and serving as executive editor of then–industry leader DC Comics...
. It tells the story of Green Lantern
Hal Jordan
Harold "Hal" Jordan is a DC Comics superhero known as Green Lantern, the first human shown to join the Green Lantern Corps and a founding member of the Justice League of America. Jordan is the second DC Comics character to adopt the Green Lantern moniker...
and Green Arrow, who fight drug dealers, witness that Green Arrow's ward Roy "Speedy" Harper
Roy Harper (comics)
Roy Harper is a fictional superhero in the DC Comics Universe. He was known for over fifty years as Green Arrow's teenage sidekick Speedy. He first appeared alongside his mentor in More Fun Comics #73...
is a drug addict and deal with the fallout of his revelation. Considered a watershed moment in the depiction of mature themes in DC Comics, the serious tone of this story is set in the tagline on the cover: "DC attacks youth's greatest problem... DRUGS!"
Plot
In the first part (Green Lantern/Green Arrow #85), Green Arrow runs into muggers who shoot him with a crossbow. Strangely, the weapon is loaded with his own arrows. Tracking down the attackers, Green Arrow and his best friend Green Lantern find out that the muggers are junkiesSubstance dependence
The section about substance dependence in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders does not use the word addiction at all. It explains:...
who need money for their addiction, and are surprised to find Queen's ward Speedy (Roy Harper) among them. At first, they think he is working undercover to bust the junkies, but then Queen catches him red-handed when he tries to shoot heroin. It becomes evident that the stolen arrows are indeed Queen's, which he shares with Harper when they fight crime together. In the second part (Green Lantern/Green Arrow #86), an enraged Green Arrow lashes out at his ward. In shame, Harper withdraws cold turkey
Cold turkey
"Cold turkey" describes the actions of a person who abruptly gives up a habit or addiction rather than gradually easing the process through gradual reduction or by using replacement medication....
, and one of the junkies dies of a drug overdose
Drug overdose
The term drug overdose describes the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities greater than are recommended or generally practiced...
. Queen and Lantern tackle the kingpin of the drug ring, a pharmaceutics CEO who outwardly condemns drug abuse, and visit the funeral for the dead junkie.
Depiction of drug abuse
Throughout the story, Adams and O'Neil portrayed the junkies as victims rather than criminals. In a longer plot dump, both an Asian and a black junkie complain of vicious racismRacism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
that makes reality unbearable for them, so they shoot drugs to escape reality. Roy Harper (portrayed as a teenager) later laments to Hal Jordan (portrayed as in his 30s, like Oliver Queen) that Jordan's generation has told their kids many lies, especially about segregation
Racial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...
and the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, and so, he has no reason to believe their credo that drug abuse is bad. They also let Harper complain that he felt left alone by his mentor Queen; so when their friendship tapered off, he took refuge in drugs. Adams and O'Neil established that the true criminal is the dealer who supplies the drugs, in this case a wealthy narcotics CEO named Saloman Hooper. That both writers firmly oppose drug abuse becomes evident when Harper painfully withdraws cold turkey
Cold turkey
"Cold turkey" describes the actions of a person who abruptly gives up a habit or addiction rather than gradually easing the process through gradual reduction or by using replacement medication....
(assisted by Queen's girlfriend, Black Canary
Black Canary
Black Canary is the name of two fictional characters, DC Comics superheroines created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Carmine Infantino. The first Black Canary debuted appeared in Flash Comics #86 . The first Black Canary was the alter-ego of Dinah Drake, who took part in Golden Age adventures...
; Adams allocates an entire page portraying Harper in various stages of pain and misery) and the Asian junkie dies of an overdose. The title itself "Snowbirds Don't Fly" refers to the slang
Slang
Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
expression for drug users ("snowbirds").
Background
Adams stated that during the 1960s, the Green Lantern comic book was on the verge of cancellation. Therefore, Adams and O'Neill had great creative freedom, because many thought the book would not survive anyway. So, they decided to concentrate more on "socially motivated" topics, and in spring 1971, Adams decided to "make Speedy into a heroin junkie." Then, Amazing Spider-Man #96-98 (May-July 1971) was published by rival comic publishing house Marvel ComicsMarvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
, which featured Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
tackling crimes related to drug abuse. It was the first comic to be published without the rigid Comics Code, which prohibited the depiction of drug abuse, even in a totally condemning context. Adams said: "We could have done it first and been the ones to make a big move. Popping a pill and walking off a roof isn't the sort of thing that really happens (referring to a drug crazed man featured in that Amazing Spider-Man arc), but heroin addiction is; to have it happen to one of our heroes was potentially devastating. Anyway, the publishers at DC, Marvel and the rest called a meeting, and in three weeks, the Comics Code was completely rewritten. And we did our story."
His colleague Dennis O'Neil added that in his opinion, drug addiction was the worst social problem, so it fit well into the more socially oriented stories Adams and himself wrote. Concerning the choice of the drug abuser, he said that "we chose Roy [Harper] for maximum emotional impact. We thought an established good guy in the throes of addiction would be stronger than we some character we'd have made up for the occasion. Also, we wanted to show that addiction was not limited to "bad" or "misguided" kids. O'Neil also added that nobody vetoed this choice up in the DC hierarchy.
Awards and recognition
The "Snowbirds Don't Fly" arc won the 1971 Shazam Award for "Best Individual Story". In addition, New York Mayor John V. Lindsay wrote a letter to DC in response to the issue commending them, which was printed in issue #86. In 2004, comicbookresources.com author Jonah Weiland called the "Snowbirds Don't Fly" arc the start of an era of socially relevant Green Lantern/Green Arrow comics, a slant which eventually opened up the DC world to other minorities (e.g. homosexual characters) and climaxed in the character of Mia DeardenMia Dearden
Mia Dearden is a DC Comics superheroine, the second character to take the mantle of Green Arrow's sidekick Speedy. Created by writer Kevin Smith and artist Phil Hester, she first appeared in Green Arrow #2...
(Roy Harper's successor as Green Arrow's/Oliver Queen's sidekick "Speedy"), who is not only a victim of child prostitution but also later portrayed as HIV positive: but in spite of her sad fate, she is explicitly portrayed as a positive, pro-active hero by writer Judd Winick
Judd Winick
Judd Winick is an American comic book, comic strip and television writer/artist and former reality television personality...
.
See also
- "Green Goblin Reborn!Green Goblin Reborn!"Green Goblin Reborn!" is a 1971 Marvel Comics story arc which features Spider-Man fighting against his arch enemy Norman Osborn, the Green Goblin. This arc was published in The Amazing Spider-Man #96-98 and was plotted and written by Stan Lee, with art by penciler Gil Kane and inker John Romita Sr...
" — the first Marvel Comic story to portray drug abuse. It also was published in 1971, weeks before the "Snowbirds Don't Fly" arc.