There has always been one issue of Marston's run on Wonder Woman (I am talking in the 1940s) which puzzled me. This was the winter issue of 1944 with a depiction on the cover of Wonder Woman running for president (she didn't actually do so in the stories within.). Then as now technology was advancing in a seemingly uncontrollable way. Whereas now we have smart phones upgrades, back then the trajectory of technology gave rise to different concept, domed space age cities and flying cars. The fanciful application of technology was in contrast to the advances that had already been made. Certainly since the advent of the Industrial Revolution there had been technological development the likes of which had never really been seen before in human history, but in the early 1900s technological and scientific principles seemed to coalesce to give some things which are still staples of society today albeit in modernized forms (things like the telephone, automobiles and airplanes.) From the vantage point therefore of this era they had come so far but the imagination of things to come was even greater.

Marston for his part was never very technologically inclined. There was of course some science fiction in his Wonder Woman stories, but these became more about the setting, not the technology itself (he was a big fan of basing action on other planets.) So what might have become Marston's version of the flying car. Well, it is maybe not a surprise but with the increase in technology so too came the rise in human rights as the early years of the 20th century saw the enfranchisement of women and the extension of a social safety net. Therefore is it possible that Marston's fanciful dream of the future was not a flying car, but instead a woman being elected president? The 1000 year goal for that seemed a bit gloomy, but I think perhaps Marston might be surprised if he lived long enough to see the modern world, that he might be surprised that in fact the presence of women political leaders at the highest levels is still in many cases just as common as a flying car.

This is an interesting look at Marston, he's such a contrary man of his era. Why do you think he was such a proponent of women's abilities in an era that was traditionally male chauvinist?

That's actually quite lovely.

I does seem like Marston was ahead of his time in predicting that one day America will have a woman president.

I would have voted for Hillary in '08 ;D