A newly-elected US Congressman is set to take oath of office on a Superman comic book along with the US Constitution.
US Congressman Robert Garcia has said comics are an essential part of American fiction and reading comics helped him read and write English. He has also said that comics have created the best characters in American fiction.
A newly-elected US Congressman is set to take oath of office on a Superman comic book along with the US Constitution.
US Congressman Robert Garcia, newly elected to the House of Representatives, will take oath on the Superman #1 comic said to be worth $5 million in market. Though the comic is worth $5 million in market, Garcia has got it from the US Library of Congress.
After journalists shared photos of the Superman comic placed in the US House chamber and reported that one member will take oath on the comic book, Garcia on Wednesday confirmed in a tweet that he would indeed include the comic in his oath.
"Will be proudly sworn-in to Congress on the US Constitution. Underneath the Constitution will be three items that mean a lot to me personally. A photo of my parents who I lost to Covid, my citizenship certificate, and an original Superman #1 from the Library Of Congress," said Garcia on Twitter.
Garcia is a known comic book aficionado. He mentions "Comic Book Nerd" in his Twitter bio.
Earlier, Garcia addressed his love for comics and said it's a serious reading.
"For all of you upset that I still read comics and suggesting that I need to do more serious reading...um...Anyone who understands comics knows that comics are an essential part of American fiction. And the lessons learned are invaluable. It’s serious shit," said Garcia in November after being elected to the House.
Earlier on Tuesday, journalists saw the Superman comic in the House chamber and reported that one member would include the comic in the oath.
Journalist Matt Laslo reported, "An aide still won’t name the member, but she did offer some clarity. The member plans to take the oath with their hand resting on the Constitution, which will sit atop the classic Superman comic, along with some other 'family mementos'."
In November after his election, Garcia shared photos of the US Library of Congress and shared excitement that he could now read any comic from library.
IGN notes that the Library of Congress has the biggest comic book collection in the United States.
Garcia tweeted, "Ok y’all I’m freaking out. This is the Congressional members reading room in the Library of Congress. I can pull any comic book from what is the largest public comic collection in the country and read them here. Let’s go!"
Garcia also shared photographs of two comic books of Spider-Man and Superman.
This is not the first time that Garcia has publicly expressed his love for comics and highlighted their importance in American culture.
In 2021, Garcia said that comic books created the best American fictional character and helped him learn to read and write English.
"I’ve always been a huge comics fan and in fact credit comics for helping me learn to read and write English. Comics have created the best characters in American fiction. When I think about my favorite runs/eras when I was younger here’s the first four that come to mind," said Garcia while sharing covers of four comic issues including popular characters Superman and X-Men.