Obama's Secret Comic Collection: Spider-Man & Conan

Before he was leading the free world, Barack Obama was busy saving his allowance for the latest Spider-Man and Conan the Barbarian comics. The 44th President of the United States has never hidden his geek credentials, and his comic book collection reveals a taste for classic Marvel superheroics and sword-and-sorcery adventures.

Obama's comic fandom became public knowledge during the 2008 presidential transition, when an adviser revealed the president-elect's collection to The Daily Telegraph. The news sent ripples through the comic book community—here was a soon-to-be commander-in-chief who understood the appeal of Peter Parker's struggles and Conan's barbaric adventures.

When Marvel Met the President

Marvel Comics couldn't resist the opportunity. When they learned Obama collected Spider-Man, they featured him on the cover of The Amazing Spider-Man #583 in January 2009, just after his inauguration. The issue included the story "Spidey Meets the President!" and became an instant collector's item, selling out within minutes of release.

The variant cover showed Obama giving Spider-Man a fist bump—a perfect marriage of superhero culture and political history that captured the optimism of the moment.

"I Was Pretty Into Conan"

Obama himself confirmed his comic credentials in 2015, stating: "I grew up loving comic books. Back in the day, I was pretty into Conan the Barbarian and Spiderman."

The choice of comics says something interesting about young Barry Obama's reading habits. Spider-Man, with its themes of responsibility, ordinary people gaining extraordinary power, and the burden of doing what's right, feels almost prophetic. Meanwhile, Conan the Barbarian offered pure escapism—a wandering warrior carving his path through a fantastical Hyborian Age.

• Spider-Man taught lessons about power and responsibility
• Conan delivered sword-swinging adventure and moral complexity
• Both series featured outsiders navigating worlds that didn't always accept them

A President Who Gets Pop Culture

Obama's openness about his comic fandom was part of a broader pattern. He's quoted Star Trek, referenced sports statistics, and name-dropped hip-hop artists with the ease of someone genuinely plugged into popular culture. His comic collection wasn't a political prop—it was real.

For comic fans, having a president who genuinely appreciated the medium felt validating. Here was someone who understood that comics weren't just kids' stuff, but a legitimate art form capable of exploring complex themes through colorful panels and word balloons.

Whether he still keeps up with current runs is unclear—being president doesn't leave much time for weekly comic shop visits—but those childhood issues of Spider-Man and Conan helped shape the mind of a man who would go on to lead a nation.