Abstract
This chapter explores questions of fandom, authority and renegotiations of meaning through a study of one Mesopotamian artefact: the twenty-third century BCE Copper Head of an Old Akkadian ruler, which has found a new career in the fan art of the online right. This phenomenon originates with the artefact’s use as an avatar of prominent right wing YouTuber Carl Benjamin, who posts under the username “Sargon of Akkad”, after the most famous Old Akkadian king. The association between Benjamin, “Sargon” and the Copper Head is now reflected in fan-generated imagery and in Google search algorithms. Miller considers this association in light of ongoing debates in academia about how to confront “misuses” of historical imagery. Considering the historical references in “Sargon” fan art as indicative of the digital canon of Mesopotamian art, it becomes clear that visual storytelling and modern reimaginings are influential components of public perception of the past.
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Miller, E. (2022). Making Sargon Great Again: Reuse and Reappropriation of Ancient Mesopotamian Imagery in Fan-Art of the Online Right. In: Kamash, Z., Soar, K., Van Broeck, L. (eds) Comics and Archaeology. Palgrave Studies in Comics and Graphic Novels. Palgrave Pivot, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-98919-4_4
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