Comic book writers and artists have joined with Twitter users pressing Disney to sue police forces who have co-opted the Punisher's iconic skull logo.
After Disney pledged to support the NAACP and various other organizations fighting racism, comic writer Matt D. Wilson took to Twitter demanding the company commit even more money to the cause. He then raised the idea of the company forcing police to stop using the Punisher's logo, a trend that co-creator Gerry Conway decried last year.
Wilson was joined in his call by other creators, including Mags Vissagio and Kat Verhoeven, while user Eric Palicki pointed out that Disney once forced a daycare to remove their characters from a mural. Comics blogger The Middle Passages echoed the sentiments of Wilson and others, linking to a comic by Nate Powell detailing the history of police and paramilitary groups co-opting the Punisher logo and other forms of pop culture.
This isn't the first time the comics community has addressed this issue. Last year, other writers spoke out after the St. Louis police union told officers to post a police-themed version of the skull in solidarity with officers under investigation for their own use of the logo.
While some hope Disney will sue law enforcement agencies, others point out that the company could use its considerable weight to disavow the use of the logo by the police. These calls all come in the wake of protests around the world against police brutality. As with Disney's announcement, similar pledges have been met with demands by fans, employees and creators for companies to go even further.