REVIEW: 'Ben Franklin Is Silence Dogood Time Travel Agent' Issue No. 1

Somewhere in the not-too-distant future, brazen time travelers suddenly rip 19-year-old Benjamin Franklin from his timeline. Placed in a stasis chamber "for his protection," his mind uploads into the perilous virtual reality of an AI-generated land called Neutopia.

Who has done this to young Ben, and why? Where exactly is he, anyway? Why is Ben being hunted by murderous assassins? And what will become of the future of American freedom if Ben doesn't fight for it?

And so begins the action-packed and beautifully illustrated "Genius Interrupted" issue no. 1 of the new Silence Dogood comic book series written by award-winning illustrator and writer Sean "Salty!" Salter and writer Charles Knauf.

"I originally conceived the Silence Dogood series as a Saturday morning-type cartoon," said Salter. Unsurprisingly, he found it nearly impossible to get pro-America projects produced in the stifling pro-left climate of Hollywood. Salter chose to create the series in comic book form instead.

"I want to tell an original story featuring our Founding Fathers and the importance of protecting American freedom," Salter said. "So after much thought and research, I landed on the action-adventure story of a teenage Ben Franklin trapped in a VR utopia controlled by a god-like and nefarious Artificial Intelligence."

"My goal is to tell a story that's both entertaining and thought-provoking while avoiding the pitfalls of preachy modern leftist entertainment," said Salter. "The only agenda here is that American freedom is awesome, America still kicks a**, and to consider that we may have to fight AI and maniacal robots for our very freedom someday if we don't pay attention and fight for it now. Ultimately, it's not a story about time travel, though. It's about a dystopian future where America's founding principles have been forgotten and how, or if, they can be reclaimed."

Of course, most Americans are familiar with the story of Founding Father Benjamin Franklin. He's the witty old man inventor with the funny little glasses who wrote and signed the U.S. Constitution. But what do we really know about the mischievous young Ben Franklin? Very little; however, the name Silence Dogood provides a clue.

Over his lifetime, the real-life Franklin wore many hats. He was a printer, an inventor, a writer, a signatory to the U.S. Constitution, a French fashion icon, and a scientist. He was also the 16-year-old author of fourteen letters and newspaper articles written under the pseudonym of Silence Dogood, the widowed wife of a preacher. The fictitious widow Dogood was a quick-witted and outspoken advocate for the women of her time.

Will quick-witted Ben become an outspoken advocate for American freedom, or will he simply go home? That's the question Salter asks in his series when, later, 19-year-old Ben considers taking on the Silence Dogood moniker as his code name to team up with his robot turkey Ambrose and a squad of time-travelers to stop Milo from implementing his American freedom-altering plan. Like Silence Dogood, young Ben is adventurous and outspoken and uses his quick wit to expose the problems of the day – or, in this case, possibly save American freedom itself.

Set in the future, Milo and his henchmen use time travel to collect some of America's most brilliant intellectuals. He plans to upload their minds into his supercomputer to create a collective consciousness AI and a slavish dystopian future that would change the course of American freedom into VR slavery. But before his plan is fully in place, it’s stolen by a rogue scientist who hides pieces of it throughout time.

Young Ben has a decision to make. Will he fight to go home? Or will he fight for freedom? Join Ben and his friends as they battle maniacal villains and robots, meet American legends, and possibly save American freedom!

We at PJ Media always look for ways to support pro-America authors and artists. The Silence Dogood series is a solid way to do just that. "Benjamin Franklin is Silence Dogood Time Travel Agent" is now available on Indiegogo (click see options) and Amazon. And remember, with Christmas and Hanukkah coming up soon, it's an excellent present for the teen reader in your life. You can also support Salter and his future pro-America effort at Turkey Robot Comics and by following and sharing on Instagram and Twitter/X.

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