New York City Council Member Ben Kallos received a cease and desist letter from Marvel over his use of the company's characters in campaign materials.
As part of his campaign for Manhattan Borough President, Council Member Kallos' team sent out a "Superhero Alert" asking for donations on Friday. The email featured a picture of Kallos dressed as Captain America and used the phrase "he can do this all day" as the subject line, a reference to Steve Rogers' iconic statement. The message makes several more references to Marvel throughout.
Later that same day, Kallos posted a letter from Marvel's Deputy Chief Counsel Eli Bard to his personal Twitter. "Got this charming letter from [Marvel]," Kallos wrote, "and got a kick out of it, thought you might too!"
"I write to request that your campaign refrain from using Marvel's characters in its advertisements for your quest for the Borough Presidency or otherwise," Bard's letter to Kallos reads. "While Marvel appreciates your obvious affection for our properties and welcome your support as a fan, we ask that our characters not be used for political purposes or to support political campaigns."
Taking office in 2014, Kallos is a Reform Democrat currently representing New York's 5th District, which includes Manhattan's Upper East Side, Midtown East, Roosevelt Island and East Harlem. Kallos has been outspoken about his love of geek and nerd culture over the years, having hosted screenings for Avengers: Endgame and attended Anime NYC.
(via Graphic Policy)