Punisher Creator Responds to Police Car Controversy

Who knew that a law enforcement agency embracing an anti-hero like the Punisher would be a bad idea? Oh right, sorry, everyone did.

That includes Punisher co-creator Gerry Conway, who shared the story of the Catlettsburg police department removing their ‘blue lives matter’ custom Punisher decals from their police cars on his twitter account. Conway had much more to say about the subject and responded to a few questions from fans.

When someone asked if Conway considered Punisher a villain, he said “He’s a complex morally compromised anti-hero, not to be emulated by cops. If a cop killed an innocent man and tried to cover it up, Frank might not hesitate to kill him. Not someone police should root for. As Castle himself said in my recent Punisher Annual story, “I’m not a good man.”

Conway followed that up by saying “It says a lot about the problem some cops have knowing what side they’re on that they would choose a Punisher logo for their cars.” In response to a question asking “Isn’t he technically a mass murderer or a spree killer?’, Conway said “Technically and actually, I’d say. Doesn’t make him a bad guy. Oh. Well, yeah, it kinda does.”

Another user tweeted “Punisher usually respects the Law unless the Law engages in criminal behavior. Then he’ll really go after them”, Conway said “He’d have had a field day in Ferguson. And not against the protestors. Just sayin’.”

The anti-hero will next be seen in his own Netflix solo series which is already underway. Steve Lightfoot is writing the first two episodes of the series, and he’s also serving as the showrunner and the executive producer. Jim Chory and Jeph Loeb are also onboard as executive producers.

The cast includes Jon Bernthal (Frank Castle), Deborah Ann Woll (Karen Paige), Daniel Webber (Lewis Walcott), Jason R. Moore (Curtis Hoyle), Paul Schulze (Nurse Jackie), Jamie Ray Newman (Sarah Lieberman), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Micro).

Luke Cage just released in September and will be followed by Iron Fist in March, which will then lead into the Defenders. Somewhere in that mix is also the Punisher series, the second season of Jessica Jones, and the third season of Daredevil, but those have yet to be dated.

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