Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
You’ve certainly heard that quote, right? It’s true – the importance of understanding history can never be understated. But we should really be asking ourselves, “What more can we get out of history? What more can we learn?” For example, when it comes to the history of U.S. presidents, we’ve all read the biographies, watched the documentaries and endured the lectures at school. We’ve been taught the same things over and over again; so much so that it’s become a practice of memorization. We’re not actually learning anything about these men who have been so vital to our country’s foundation.
So how can we change that?
Enter the Poopsidents.
Kyle M.F. Williams is, objectively, a hero who recognized this void and took it upon himself to change it. By drawing all 44 U.S. presidents on the toilet, he was able to take us deeper into the world of the presidency than anyone else before him. Whether you buy the Poopsidents T-shirts or invest in the book (and, if you’re a real patriot, you’ll do both), you’ll find yourself in awe of how Williams has been able to unlock new insights into these men.
We talked to Williams to get his story and a background on the Poopsidents. Amazingly, we found out that NOT ONE school has ever contacted him to speak to its students or give a lecture, and NO ONE has ever talked to him about doing the next president’s official portrait.
And you want to say this country isn’t broken? We truly need the Poopsidents now more than ever.
Robot Butt: What gave you the inspiration to create Poopsidents?
Kyle M.F. Williams: Poopsidents started as just a little wordplay joke during taco night. I conceptualize the book a few hours later after some beer and tequila.
RB: Who is your favorite Poopsident? Which one speaks to you the most?
KW: Lyndung B. Dumpson, which is a bad pun of Lydon B. Johnson – I’m not proud of that one. The drawing is pretty good, though. I gave him a nice mullet and he’s one of the few Poopsidents in the book depicted shirt-less, which is a treat.
RB: Can you take me through the process of incorporating pizzas into the drawings of John Adumps and Benjamin Harrislop?
KW: Some of the drawings were just a little too boring, or the presidents themselves were too boring, so I wanted to just throw a little something extra into the picture. If I couldn’t come up with some gimmick that referenced their presidency in some way then I put a pizza in there and called it a day.
RB: James Fartfield looks especially dejected in his drawing. What do you envision is going through his mind?
KW: He’s frustrated because he was left-handed and the flusher handle is on the right side. Plus his real name is Garfield, like that miserable idiot cartoon cat. I tried to incorporate some of that vibe into his drawing.
RB: Who was the most difficult Poopsident to draw?
KW: I had a hard time getting George H. W. Poopsh drawn but then I Googled a reference image of a pretty lady on a toilet and it got easier.
RB: Which of the 2016 presidential candidates would you be most excited to add to the collection?
KW: Doonald Rump. Or maybe Jeb Poopsh, Craps Crapstie, George Pootaki, Rand Poo, Farto Poobio, or Rick Santorum. Oh god, I’m so embarrassed.
RB: Considering that he’ll never win the 2016 election, would it be at all possible to get a quick sketch of how you’d envision Donald Trump (we’re partial to Donald Dump) in the series?
Be sure to follow Kyle on Twitter and visit his website: https://keelayjams.tumblr.com/.
