The Comic Book that predicted Twitter

TRANSMETROPOLITAN is one of my favorite comic book series of all time. Created by Warren Ellis and featuring some great art by Darick Roberston, it is a transhumanist-cyberpunk-biohacking insane odyssey from the point of view of gonzo journalist Spider Jerusalem.

Foul mouthed and unpredictable, he is an unforgettable anti-hero with a shady past, a love-hate relationship with the unnamed City and its people, and an absolute dedication to the truth. The book is way ahead of its time and predicted a lot of aspects of the madness of modern life, albeit sometimes in bizarre forms.

It also predicted Twitter. In 1997! In one issue, Spider sits watching a riot unfold below him, a brutal police force decimating a crowd of largely peaceful protestors, and he feels absolutely helpless. In a moment of inspiration, he starts writing, and broadcasting his angry written rant in real time to a giant screen in the middle of the town square, and to everyone's "newsfeeds" around the city. He describes the riot in great detail, line by line, and as more and more people read it, anger starts to mount, and the government has to pull back their troops. The riot ends. Everyone goes home. The day is saved. See for yourself:

Both the technology depicted and the context in which it was shown are almost identical to how Twitter and other real-time networks have been used as great tools of resistance. If anyone is interested in politics, journalism, or science-fiction, I highly recommend checking out this comic series.