Che Guevara In Popular Culture

Appearances of Argentine Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara (1928–1967) in popular culture are common throughout the world. Although during his lifetime he was a highly politicized and controversial figure, in death his stylized image has been transformed into a worldwide emblem for an array of causes, representing a complex mesh of sometimes conflicting narratives. Che Guevara's image is viewed as everything from an inspirational icon of revolution, to a retro and vintage logo. Most commonly he is represented by a facial caricature originally by Irish artist Jim Fitzpatrick and based on Alberto Korda's famous 1960 photograph titled ''Guerrillero Heroico''. The evocative simulacra abbreviation of the photographic portrait allowed for easy reproduction and instant recognizability across various uses. For many around the world, Che has become a generic symbol of the underdog, the idealist, the iconoclast, or the martyr. He has become, as author Michael Casey notes in ''Che's Afterlife: The Legacy of an Image'', "the quintessential postmodern icon signifying anything to anyone and everything to everyone."

Che Guevara's likeness has undergone continual apotheosis while being weaved throughout the public consciousness in a variety of ways. From being viewed as a "Saintly Christ-like" figure by the rural poor in Bolivia where he was executed, to being viewed as an idealistic insignia for youth, longing for a vague sense of rebellion. His likeness can also be seen on posters, hats, key chains, mouse pads, hoodies, beanies, flags, berets, backpacks, bandannas, belt buckles, wallets, watches, wall clocks, Zippo lighters, pocket flasks, bikinis, personal tattoos, and most commonly T-shirts. Meanwhile, his life story can be found in an array of films, documentaries, plays, and songs of tribute. Throughout television, music, books, magazines, and even corporate advertisements, Che's visage is an ever-present political and apolitical emblem that has been endlessly mutated, transformed, and morphed over the last fifty years of visual popular culture. This allows Che to operate as "both a fashionable de-politicized logo, as well as a potent anti-establishment symbol used by a wide spectrum of human rights movements and individuals affirming their own liberation."

Additionally, his face has evolved into many manifestations and represents a Rashomon effect to those who observe its use. To some it is merely a generic high street visual emblem of global marketing, while to others it represents the notion of dissent, civil disobedience, or political awareness. Conversely, to those ideologically opposed to Che Guevara's belief in World revolution, or to those that resent his veneration because of his violent actions, his propagation represents shallow ignorant kitsch, idolatry worthy of spoof makeovers, parody, or even ridicule. Despite the competing narratives, Che has become a widely disseminated counter-cultural symbol that sometimes even operates entirely independent of the man himself. Hannah Charlton of ''The Sunday Times'' made note of the varying uses by postulating that "T-shirt wearers might wear Che's face as an easy replacement for real activism, or as a surrogate for it."

Genesis

Walk through any major metropolis around the globe and it is likely that you will come across an image of Che Guevara, most commonly a stylized version of Korda's iconic ''Guerrillero Heroico''. An archetype, capable of endless visual regeneration which, depending on your opinion, either helps tell the story of 20th century visual literacy or kitsch banality. According to Hannah Charlton, editor of ''Che Guevara: Revolutionary and Icon'', "By the 1990s the global market saw the emergence of what Naomi Klein has called a 'market marsala'—a bilingual mix of North and South, some Latin, some R&B, all couched in global party politics.""Che Guevara: Revolutionary & Icon", by Trisha Ziff, Abrams Image, 2006, pg 11 By embodying corporate identities that appear radically individualistic and perpetually new, the brands attempt to inoculate themselves against accusations that they are selling sameness. The next stage is to present consumption as a code, where mega brands, supposedly reflecting the " indie" values of their purchasing audience, can do so with a knowing irony that of course the buyer can remain seemingly untouched by the corporate values underpinning the transaction.

Enter Che: the 1960s symbol of student revolution, the all-pervasive ascetic gaze used to add allure and mystique to a product, because either a sophisticated audience is savvy enough to distinguish between revolution and commerce while enjoying the irony, or oblivious of who he is or what he represents. This began the metamorphosis from Che the martyred resistance fighter beloved by many, and Che the violent Marxist revolutionary despised by others, to his dual paradoxical position in the global corporate capitalist culture. The commodification of the image has been ongoing since his death, and since the late 1990s has seen a resurgence. UCLA art historian David Kunzle, has described the phenomenon by noting "if you go to Havana of Cuba."

This abiding 'renaissance' of Che's visage, is chronicled by filmmaker and Guggenheim scholar Trisha Ziff, who explores the genesis, continuing adaptation, and history of Che Guevara's famous image in the 2008 documentary ''" Chevolution"''. In another documentary titled ''Personal Che'' (2007), filmmakers Adriana Marino and Douglas Duarte document the numerous ways that people around the world re-create Che in their own image.

Hannah Charlton hypothesizes that "appropriating the aura of Che for brand building, has now given rise to a new resurgence of "Che-ness" that transcends branding in its global appeal. In the shifting complexities of intercultural values, in the search for universal images that can speak across borders and boundaries, today's global image of Che is the most successful.""Che Guevara: Revolutionary & Icon", by Trisha Ziff, Abrams Image, 2006, pg 12 The Che face, more than any other icon according to Charlton, can keep accruing new application without relinquishing its essence – a generic and positive version of anti-status quo and liberation from any oppressive force, and a general, romantic, non-specific fantasy about change and revolution.

In advertising

* A French businessman has Che Perfume by Chevignon, "Dedicated to those who want to feel and smell like revolutionaries."
* Converse uses the image of Che Guevara in one of their shoe ad campaigns.
* In 2008, Romanian auto maker Dacia (a subsidiary of Renault) produced a new commercial advertising their new Logan MCV station wagon titled "revolution". The ad, utilizing actors, begins with Fidel Castro's arriving at a remote villa, where he finds a host of other modern era revolutionaries, and ends with his standing on the back patio, where Che Guevara tells Karl Marx that "it is time for another revolution". Marx responds, "Che, it's about what people need."
* In Peru and in Strängnäs station, one can purchase packs of El Che cigarettes (ultra lights).
* " El Ché-Cola" donates 50% of their net profits to NGOs, and has the slogan: "Change your habits to change the world."
* In 1970, the Italian company Olivetti utilized Che's image for an ad celebrating its creative sales force. It read, "We would have hired him".Ernesto Goes to the Movies
by J. Hoberman, ''The American Prospect'', September 19, 2004
* Smirnoff vodka attempted to use the image of Che Guevara in an advertising campaign in 2000, but was stopped in court by photographer Alberto Korda, who took the original iconic image.
* For an advertising campaign, Taco Bell dressed up a chihuahua like Che Guevara and had him state: "Yo quiero Taco Bell!", Spanish for: "I want Taco Bell!" When asked about the allusion to Che, Taco Bell's advertising director, Chuck Bennett, stated: "We wanted a heroic leader to make it a massive taco revolution."

* The New York-based distributing company Raichle Molitor utilized a "Che look-alike contest" in order to create marketing buzz for their line of Fischer's Revolution skis. In defending their reasoning, product manager Jim Fleischer stated that "the Che image, just the icon and not the man's doings, represented what we wanted: revolution and extreme change."
* In an advertisement for Jean Paul Gaultier sunglasses circulated in Europe in 1999, Che is painted as a Frida Kahlo-type landscape, in front of a blazing desert sun.
* Leica (which was the camera used by Alberto Korda to capture ''Guerrillero Heroico'') has used an image of their camera with Che's red star to advertise their "revolutionary camera."
* The offices of the ''Financial Times'' in London, features a large poster of a Che-esque Richard Branson greeting visitors in a beret, while pronouncing "We live in financial times".
* In November 2008, The Bobblehead LLC company released a limited edition of 100 Che Guevara bobbleheads. Creator and owner Rick Lynn announced that it had been a "long time dream" to create the hand painted and custom designed pieces, which will be hand signed and numbered as a collectors item.
* In December 2008, the Tartan Army began selling t-shirts with "Scotland's favorite son" Robert Burns in the mould of the iconic image of Che Guevara. The proceeds will go to organizations that assist disadvantaged and chronically ill children in countries the Tartan Army visit.

Businesses / restaurants

* The Russian capital, Moscow, features a Club Che, which is a vibrant Latin American-themed club staffed by Cuban waiters.
* The Russian city of St. Petersburg features a Cafe Club Che (lounge, bar, & jazz club) where patrons can get their hands on a shot of Cuban rum and a fine Cuban cigar at the drop of a military beret.
* Cairo, Egypt features a Che Guevara-themed nightclub, where the waiters dress in uniformed black berets.
* The Slovenian capital Ljubljana contains a Che Bar, where images of the man decorate every wall and surface.
*Zagreb, Croatia contained a restaurant named Che Wap, specializing mostly in ćevapi, but has since then closed.
* San Diego features Che Cafe on the UCSD campus.
* Colombo, Sri Lanka, features a Café CHé, whose walls "take you through the life of the iconic revolutionary leader."
* Lipscani, a district of downtown Bucharest, Romania, features the popular bar, El Grande Comandante, which is made to look like a "basement shrine to Che Guevara."
* Lagos Island, Nigeria features a Che Lounge & Steakhouse, where Che's face appears on every square inch of glass available, on the menus, the waiters' t-shirts and lapel pins.
* Mexico City features a Cafe La Habana (Restaurant and Cafe) where it is believed it was the spot that Che Guevara and Fidel Castro met multiple times to plot the Cuban Revolution in exile.
*The city of London Ontario features a decidedly marxist decor and is named after Che Guevara.
* The capital city of North Macedonia, Skopje features a restaurant called Casa Cubana that has Latin American-theme with food and cocktail drinks (mojito, Cuba libre etc.)The walls are decorated with the Cuban flag and photos of Che Guevara, Fidel Castro and Camilo Cienfuegos and also there are hosted parties with Latin music.

In art

* British pop artist Sir Peter Blake has referred to ''Guerrillero Heroico'' as "one of the great icons of the 20th century."Just a Pretty Face?
by Sean O'Hagan, ''The Observer'', July 11, 2004
* Irish artist Jim Fitzpatrick converted Korda's picture into a high contrast stylized drawing, which since has become iconic and is frequently seen in silkscreen or stencil art.
* The Cuban Ministry for the Interior building features a large, stylised outline of Che's face above the phrase "Hasta la Victoria Siempre" (Direct translation to English: "Until victory, always").
* In 1996, Argentine/American artist Leandro Katz displayed his "Project For The Day You'll Love Me" exhibit in Harlem, New York. The accumulative series of installations dealt with Freddy Aborta's 1967 mortuary photograph of Guevara and included a timeline of the revolutionary's life. Furthermore, Katz interprets Alborta's photo in a series of photomontages, which also include paintings of a dead Jesus Christ.
* In 2005 an exhibition examining the Korda portrait titled ''Revolution & Commerce: The Legacy of Korda's Portrait of Che Guevara'', was organized by Jonathan Green and Trisha Ziff for UCR/California Museum of Photography. This exhibition has traveled to International Center of Photography, New York; Centro de la Imagen, Mexico City; and the Victoria & Albert Museum, London.
* Cuban artist José Toirac has exhibited a piece titled ''Requiem'', which contains a video of the dead bullet-riddled body of Guevara, which Toirac tortuously pans, inch by inch. The video, which serves as a quasi religious meditation, is shown inside a mausoleum-type enclosure.
* The cover of the January 1972 edition of '' National Lampoon'' magazine features a parody of the Alberto Korda's iconic photo in which Che is hit in the face with a cream pie.
* A parody of the famous Che Guevara poster was used on the cover of the March 2008 edition of '' Mad'' magazine, with Alfred E. Neuman's head replacing Guevara's.

* American artist Trek Thunder Kelly has a 2005 painting titled ''Che Guevara: The Instigator'', which features the famous guerrilla in a spoof Dolce & Gabbana ad.
* French assemblage artist Bernard Pras created a 2007 composite work modeled after ''Guerrillero Heroico''.
* The 2009 Contact Photography Festival at Toronto's Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art featured a piece titled ''"Dancing with Che"'' by artist Barbara Astman. The work comprised a series of 50 photographs wherein Astman dances in a Che Guevara t-shirt, for the benefit of her Polaroid's timed shutter.
* Manhattan's International Center of Photography held a 2006 exhibit titled ''"Che ! Revolution and Commerce."''
* The Montreal Museum of Fine Art used Guevara's image to advertise their 2004 expose titled ''Global Village: The 1960s.''
* The Italian artist Luca Del Baldo has six paintings featuring the post-mortem face of Che Guevara.
* In October 2007, the Frieze Art Fair unveiled a life size bronze statue by Christian Jankowski in London's Regent's Park. The piece, which in 2008 was also displayed in New York City's Central Park, portrays a well known Barcelona street performer dressed as Che Guevara.
* In January 2009, artist Juan Vazquez Martin, who fought alongside Che Guevara during the Cuban Revolution, held an exhibition with 13 of his paintings in Derry, Northern Ireland. The Guevara inspired works were shown as part of the Bloody Sunday commemoration weekend. Martin stated that he was "emotional" and "inspired" during his visit, upon seeing a mural celebrating Che Guevara's Irish connection to the Bogside.
* A picture of Che Guevara hung in John Lennon and Yoko Ono's kitchen.

Body art

* Argentine football legend Diego Maradona had a tattoo portrait of Che Guevara on his right arm.
* Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson has a tattoo of Che Guevara, derived from ''Guerrillero Heroico'', on the left side of his abdomen. In 1999, Tyson described Guevara as "An incredible individual. He had so much, but sacrificed it all for the benefit of other people."
* Former English professional footballer Darren Currie has a large tattoo on the left side of his stomach of Che Guevara. When asked about the motivation for the piece, Currie stated that he had been reading Che's book since he was 14, and that he "admired the way he went out of his way about things."
* Argentine Juan Sebastián Verón, the 2008 South American Footballer of the Year, has a tattoo of Che's face on his shoulder. When his S.S. Lazio won the 1999 Serie A championship, some of the team's Italian fans who initially didn't like the tattoo, came into the dressing room and kissed it.
* Former Italian footballer Fabrizio Miccoli has a large Che Guevara tattoo on his left calf. As a result, when he played for Ternana Calcio from 1998 to 2002, the team's fans would unveil a large stadium sized banner bearing the image of Che along with Moccoli's club shirt and the hammer and sickle.
* Swedish Olympic boxer Kwamena Turkson has the image of Che Guevara tattooed on his arm.
* Former South African footballer, Mark Fish, who helped his country to its African Cup of Nations victory in 1996, has a tattoo of Che Guevara.

In entertainment and media

In comedy

* American comedian Margaret Cho, on the cover of her stand-up act ''Revolution (2003)'' combines her face into an obvious appropriation of Che Guevara's famous graphic-portrait.

In films

Actors who have portrayed Che Guevara:

* Francisco Rabal in ''El Che Guevara'' (1968)
* Omar Sharif in '' Che!'' (1969)
*Terry Gilliam in the World Forum/Communist Quiz sketch in the ''Monty Python's Flying Circus'' episode "Spam" (1970).
* Michael Palin in the World Forum/Communist Quiz sketch during the concert film ''Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl'' (1982)
* Miguel Ruiz Días in ''El Che'' (1997)
* Alfredo Vasco in ''Hasta la Victoria Siempre'' (1999)
* Gael García Bernal in '' Fidel'' (2002)
* Karl Sheils in ''Meeting Che Guevara & the Man from Maybury Hill'' (2003)
* Gael García Bernal in '' The Motorcycle Diaries'' (2004)
* Jsu Garcia in ''The Lost City'' (2005)
* Martin Hyder in '' The Mark Steel Lectures: Che Guevara'' (2006)
* Sam G. Preston in ''The True Story of Che Guevara'' (2007)
* Eduardo Noriega in ''Che'' (2007)
* Benicio del Toro in '' Che'' (2008)

Other

* In the 1972 Peruvian film ''Cholo'', the character of Hugo Sotil confronts a guy throwing stones with a sling wearing a Che Guevara t-shirt, states that Che "was a man, a symbol" and, unlike him, a rebel.
* In John Carpenter's ''Escape From L.A.'' (1996), Cuervo Jones, a fictional character played by the Greek-French actor Georges Corraface, was clearly based on Ernesto "Che" Guevara.
* In the 1998 film ''Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas'', Johnny Depp depicting Hunter S. Thompson awakens from an adrenochrome overdose and stands in front of a picture of Che Guevara stuck to a Mexican flag. Benicio del Toro who co starred in the film (and would later play Che Guevara in '' Che''), has stated that Thompson kept a "big" picture of Che in his kitchen.
* In the 2003 documentary '' Breakfast with Hunter'', acclaimed author Hunter S. Thompson can be seen in several scenes wearing different Che Guevara t-shirts.
* Actress Lindsay Lohan dons a Che Guevara t-shirt in one scene of the 2004 film '' Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen''.
* Indian actor Rajat Kapoor was made up to resemble Guevara in the 2009 Bollywood thriller ''Siddharth-The Prisoner''. In describing the reasoning, director Pryas Gupta stated that the central concept of the film is "freedom from the complexities of life" while remarking "who better than Che Guevara, to represent that spirit."
* James Benning utilizes Richard Dindo's documentary ''Ernesto Che Guevara: The Bolivian Diaries'' to form his own 1997 avant-garde film titled ''Utopia''. The film juxtaposes Che's vehement opposition to imperialism, with the importing of low-wage Mexican laborers in the California desert to farm the Imperial Valley.
* The 1983 Yugoslavian film ''Kako sam Sistematski Uništen od Idiota'' (How I Was Systematically Destroyed by an Idiot), directed and co-written by Slobodan Šijan, prominently revolves around the ideas of Che Guevara. In the film, the character Babi Papuška, played by Danilo "Bata" Stojković, is searching for a real revolutionary society and a real revolution. The film opens and closes with Babi reciting a poem at rallies in Che's honor.
* Leandro Katz's 1997 film essay ''El Día Que Me Quieras'' (The Day You'll Love Me) is a meditation on Freddy Alborta's famous post-mortem photo of Che Guevara. Katz deconstructs and re-photographs the famous picture while drawing comparisons to the classic paintings of Mantegna's ''" Dead Christ"'' and Rembrandt's ''"The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp, The Anatomy Lesson"''.
* The 2008 Telugu film, Jalsa, starring Pawan Kalyan and directed by Trivikram Srinivas borrowed Guevara's look from his famous photograph to model Kalyan's look in the 2nd half of the film as a Naxalite. Kalyan himself is a follower of Che and suggest Srinivas to use Guevara's ideologies in the movie.
* The Star Wars character Saw Gerrera, that was introduced in the 2008 animated television series The Clone Wars (TV series), The Clone Wars and voiced by Andrew Kishino. Saw Gerrera's name is a "mnemonics, mnemonic riff" on the name of the Argentinian revolutionary Che Guevara. Gerrera is also a heterograph of the Spanish word "guerrera", meaning "female warrior", describing his sister Steela. He subsequently appeared in the 2016 film Rogue One and it's 2022 prequel live-action television series Andor (TV series), Andor portrayed by Forest Whitaker.
* In the 2024 film Saturday Night (2024 film), Saturday Night, Che is mentioned by the protagonist Lorne Michaels (played by Gabriel LaBelle) in an elevator pitch during a speech.

In games

* The design of Zeus Bertrand, Kantaris' right-hand man in ''Time Crisis: Project Titan'', features more or less identical resemblances with Che Guevara.
* His exploits during the Cuban Revolution were very loosely dramatized in the 1987 video game ''Guevara'', released by SNK Playmore, SNK in Japan and "converted" into ''Guerrilla War (arcade game), Guerrilla War'' for Western audiences, removing all references to Guevara but keeping all the visuals and a game map that clearly resembles Cuba. As a result of its rarity, original copies of the "Guevara" edition of the Japanese Nintendo Entertainment System, Famicom edition go for high amounts on the collectors' market.
* The 2001 construction and management simulation computer game ''Tropico (video game), Tropico'' allows players to govern a tropical island while amidst a theme similar to that of Cuba after the Cuban revolution. Players may either design their own "El Presidente" character or select one from a list of pre-made historical figures, one of which is Che Guevara.
* The box art for ''Just Cause (video game), Just Cause'', (the 2006 videogame for PC, Xbox, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 2) imitates the famous photograph of Che Guevara taken by Alberto Korda. The main character in the game of Rico Rodriguez is also based on CIA agent Félix Rodríguez (Central Intelligence Agency), Félix Rodríguez, who was present for Che Guevara's capture and eventual execution in Bolivia.

* On November 16, 2008, a new world record for the number of dominoes toppled in one turn was set in the Netherlands. The 4,345,027 falling dominoes tumbled for two hours and along with other images, revealed a portrait of Che Guevara.
* On April 29, 2004, one of the largest simultaneous chess games in history was played with 13,000 boards set up in front of the Che Guevara Mausoleum in Santa Clara, Cuba. The games of chess, which was Guevara's personal favorite, included the participation of President Fidel Castro. A similar event took place again in 2007 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Che's death in Bolivia, when 1,500 chess boards were played at once. Villa Clara Province, Villa Clara Grandmaster (chess), Grandmaster Jesús Nogueiras dedicated the chess extravaganza to Che, remarking that "there will always be Grandmasters thanks to the revolution that Che helped make a reality."
* In 2009, it was announced that GlobalFun would be releasing a mobile phone game titled ''El Che''. Described as a "great looking, action packed, freedom fighting excursion into the historical battles of Sierra Maestra, Bueycito and Santa Clara", ''El Che'' allows cell phone users to choose from an arsenal of assault rifles, shotguns, grenades and rocket launchers, while you attempt "to bring peace to impoverished Cuba."
* In ''Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker'', Che is referenced several times in the audio briefings, and several aspects of his persona are discussed. The character of Big Boss (Metal Gear), Big Boss is partially inspired by Guevara.
* In the 2010 first person shooter, ''Call of Duty: Black Ops'' one of the multi-player maps available for the player to play is named "Havana" and shows many different pieces of art painted on walls including at least one of Jim Fitzpatrick's version of ''Guerrillero Heroico''.
* A 2013 Cuban-made PC video game titled ''Gesta Final: Camino a la Victoria'' (''Final Fight: Road to Victory'') is based on Che Guevara and Fidel Castro's exploits during the Cuban Revolution.
* In the 2023 tactical role-playing game ''Persona 5 Tactica'', a spinoff of 2016's ''Persona 5'', Che Guevera is depicted as the Persona - a physical manifestation of human psyche - arising from Toshiro Kasukabe, a Japanese Diet member and potential Prime Ministerial candidate. Abducted by supernatural forces and imprisoned in a subconscious realm composed of kingdoms ruled by cruel tyrants, Toshiro is rescued by the Phantom Thieves of Hearts with the help of a female revolutionary leader, Erina, who resembles Toshiro's old high-school friend that inspired his fight for social justice. Upon Toshiro confronting one of his captors who turns out to be his Shadow self, Erina transforms and is revealed to be Toshiro's Persona Ernesto, a Gender flip, gender-swapped depiction of Guevera identifiable by a beret with a star (giving her facial silhouette a stylized resemblance to Che's iconic image), with ammunition bandoleers lining her coat and giant pistols for legs.

In literature and publications

Books

* To coincide with the 40th anniversary of his execution, ''Che in Verse'' reproduced 134 poems and songs from 53 countries about the enigmatic revolutionary. The book examines how Che was celebrated or remembered from before his death to the present day, and also explores Guevara's own interest in poetry. It reveals among other things considerable interest in the Argentine revolutionary among radical writers in the US, and contains 19 poems by North American poets, including Allen Ginsberg, Robert Lowell, John Haines, Greg Hewett, Michael McClure and Thomas Merton.
* In the novel ''I, Che Guevara'' by John Blackthorn (a pen name of former Senator Gary Hart), Guevara returns to Cuba under an pseudonym, alias during its first ever democratic election. Espousing an ideology of direct democracy and a government run exclusively via New England town meeting, New England–style town meetings, he sponsors a professor's grassroots third party (politics), third party run for President of Cuba, opposing both the Communist Party of Cuba, Communist Party and a Cuban American/White House-backed right-wing party.
* Guevara's image is on the cover of the book ''The Rebel Sell''.
* Robert Arellano's 2009 novel ''Havana Lunar'' is set during the 1992 Special Period in Cuba, and tells the story of Manolo Rodríguez, a doctor who in spite of being estranged from the Communist party of Cuba, Communist party, idealizes their revolutionary principles and talks to a Che Guevara portrait in his home.
* In Lavie Tidhar's short story, "The Lives and Deaths of Che Guevara", published in the anthology ''Solaris Rising'', ed. Ian Whates, 2011, Che is cloned multiple times, allowing him to fight (and die) in numerous 20th century revolutions, from Apartheid South Africa to the Lebanese Civil War and beyond.
* In the alternative history anthology ''Alternate Outlaws'' the story "Red Elvis" ponders the question of what if Elvis Presley decided to be a Communist. The cover illustration features the singer wearing a guerilla uniform as Che Guevara.

Comics

* ''Vida del Che'' ("Life of Che", 1968), written by Héctor Germán Oesterheld and illustrated by Enrique Breccia, Enrique and Alberto Breccia. A biographical ''Historieta'' (comic book) published as a graphic novel only three months after Che Guevara's assassination; it was subsequently banned by the military dictatorship self-styled as "Argentine Revolution" (1966–1973) and the whole edition was kidnapped.''Página/12''
"The pictures of Che", by Martín Pérez
July 20, 2008, ''Página/12'' The original drawings were saved by Enrique Breccia, and it was finally republished in 2008.
* ''Pastores'' ("Shepherds", 1985), written and illustrated by Horacio Altuna.
* ''Che: una biografía gráfica'' ("Che: a graphic biography" 2010), written by Sid Jacobson and illustrated by Ernie Colón.
* ''The Last Days of Che Guevara'' (2014). Red Quill Books published this radical graphic novel of Che's life written by Italian journalist Marco Rizzo and illustrated by Lelio Bonaccorso.
* In the memoir ''Persepolis (comics), Persepolis'' by Marjane Satrapi, the main character dressed up as Che as a child and played with her friends, who portrayed other revolutionaries.
* In the manga, Baki Hanma, there's a character inspired and named after Che. Considered 'The Second' and given immense freedom in prison, this Japanese, ninjitsu-practicing island leader named Jun "Che" Guevaru sought to prove his island's independence from the United States, even going as far as to threaten President Bush. He's eventually sent to the Black Pentagon, where he fights, and loses, to Biscuit Oliva, before escaping to his homeland.

Magazines

* Che was featured on the cover of the edition of August 8, 1960, of ''Time (magazine), Time'', which declared Guevara "Fidel Castro, Castro's Brain".
* ''Time'' magazine named Che Guevara one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century, while listing him in the "heroes and icons" section.
* The May/June 2006 cover of ''Communication Arts'' magazine features yellow and black stencil outline of Che, but his beret star is replaced with a Nike, Inc., Nike swoosh logo, and he is wearing the iconic white headset of an iPod. Release of the cover overloaded the magazine with both positive and negative responses, while generating more newsstand sales than any issue in the magazine's 50-year history.
* The December 2008 issue of ''Rolling Stone Argentina'' features Che's well known ''Guerrillero Heroico'' image on the cover.
* The cover of Issue 8 of AkzoNobel's ''A Magazine'' features a variant of Jim Fitzpatrick's :Image:FitzpatrickChe.jpg, famous portrait of Guevara.

In music

*Jazz bassist Charlie Haden composed a piece titled "Song for Che" after Guevara was killed. While performing with Ornette Coleman in Portugal in 1971, Haden dedicated "Song for Che" to the Black Peoples Liberation Movements of Mozambique, Angola, and Guinea-Bissau in protest against the Estado Novo (Portugal) authoritarian regime. The next day, Haden was arrested by the PIDE and imprisoned and interrogated for possibly a day or two, before being rescued by the Cultural Attaché from the American Embassy.
* Punk rock, Punk band The (International) Noise Conspiracy's musical inspiration was stated to be the above Ochs quote.
* Upon hearing the news of Guevara's leaving Cuba to start new revolutions in other countries, Cuban musician Carlos Puebla composed "Hasta Siempre, Comandante." Since then it has been covered by numerous artists including the Buena Vista Social Club. French singer Nathalie Cardone produced a modern rendition of the song titled "Hasta Siempre" as an ode to honor Guevara. Cardone's single sold over 800,000 copies in France alone.Nathalie Cardone "Serving Beauty" in Newest Album
by Cenk Erdem, ''Today's Zaman'', August 11, 2009
* Folk singer Judy Collins composed a ballad titled "Che" as an ode to Che Guevara after his death. The song was then remixed into an "intense rhythmic interpretation" for a 2009 tribute album titled ''Born to the Breed'' by artist James Mudriczki. Collins singled out this song as one of her favorite tracks, while describing Mudriczki's rendition as "marvelous".
* The German composer Hans Werner Henze dedicated his 1968 oratorio ''Das Floß der Medusa'' as a requiem for Guevera.
* In 1968, Scottish people, Scottish songwriter Ewan MacColl composed the song "The Compañeros" in honor of Che Guevara and the Cuban Revolution. His wife Peggy Seeger also wrote "A Song for Che Guevara."
* The Spanish punk rock group Boikot, released a 1997 CD titled ''La Ruta del Che''. Upon release of the album, a band member told the newspaper ''El País'' that "Guevara represents a universal concept of revolution, I believe we all carry a Che inside us, a way of making our own revolution."
* In 1987, the French rock band Indochine (band), Indochine mentions Che Guevara in the song "Les Tzars".
* Grammy Award-winning Carlos Santana wore a Che Guevara shirt to the 2005 Oscar awards.
* The cover of Madonna's 2003 album ''American Life'' emulates ''Guerrillero Heroico'', as she revealed to the Italian version of Top of the Pops. Madonna cited Che as a "revolutionary spirit" while adding that although she does not "necessarily agree with ''The Communist Manifesto'', she believes that "there are aspects of socialism which are good", and that she "likes what (Che) stood for".

* In rapper Jay-Z's ''The Black Album (Jay-Z album), Black Album'', the track "Public Service Announcement" contains the line "I'm like Che Guevara with Bling-bling, bling on / I'm complex."
* "Indian Girl" by The Rolling Stones has a lyric referring to Che. "Mr. Gringo, my father he ain't no Che Guevara, And he's fighting the war on the streets of Masaya"
* The Nightwatchman aka (Tom Morello) references a quote from Che Guevara – "Liberators do not exist, the people liberate themselves" – in the music video for the song 'Road I Must Travel.'
* In rapper Nas's album, ''Stillmatic'' there is a controversial track named "My Country" that pays tribute to Che Guevara and others who were murdered by the United States.
* The Allstonians, a third wave ska/reggae band, released a 1997 album with a song called "Doctor Che Guevara."
* David Bowie's album, ''Lodger (album), Lodger'' featured an inside sleeve containing one of the famous photographs of Guevara's corpse surrounded by his executioners.
* In Richard Shindell's 2004 album ''Vuelta'' the track "Che Guevara t-Shirt" tells the story of an illegal immigrant imprisoned after 9/11 who may be kept in jail forever because he carries a photo of his girlfriend wearing a Che Guevara t-shirt.
* In Kevin Johansen's song "Mc Guevara's o Che Donald's" the author compares the exploitation of the revolutionary's legacy and image to the franchising of McDonald's fast food chain.
* In Bersuit Vergarabat's album ''La Argentinidad al Palo'' the title's track name-drops Che Guevara as well as Carlos Gardel and Diego Maradona.
* On the track "It's Your World" from the rapper Common (rapper), Common's 2005 album Be (Common album), Be, the artist states "Wish I was free as Che was."
* In Pet Shop Boys' song "Left to My Own Devices" they mention with irony "Che Guevara and Debussy to a disco beat".
* The artist Immortal Technique has made several references to Guevara in his songs (No Me Importa, Internally Bleeding) and has performed many times while wearing a shirt bearing his image.
* In the Manic Street Preachers song, "Revol (song), Revol", there is the lyric "Che Guevara, you're all target now".
* The song "Hammerblow", off the Cherry Poppin' Daddies album ''Susquehanna (album), Susquehanna'', is a story-song about an underground Marxist uprising; a character in the song tells the narrator "''"We haven't gone extinct/Unlike Che Guevara, Marx and Pravda"''", assuring that though said revolutionaries may be gone, the movement continues.
* American rock band Chagall Guevara, took their name from artist Marc Chagall and Che Guevara, to imply the concept of "revolutionary art."
* The Australian punk band the Clap has a song called "Che Guevara T-Shirt Wearer" featuring the chorus lines of "you're a Che Guevara T-shirt wearer, and you have no idea who he is."
* American folk singer-songwriter Richard Shindell often introduces performances of his song "Che Guevara T-Shirt" with a story of the irony of the t-shirts. The song features Shindell lamenting on how "Che the great anti-capitalist revolutionary" has had his name and image thoroughly co-opted by the shirt makers not for revolutionary purposes but to make money for the company owners i.e. the capitalists.Obama is The Boss
by George Reisch & Russell Anderson, ''Pop Matters'', May 13, 2009
* The band Rage Against the Machine has assorted band apparel with Che's image on it and recommends Guevara's manual "Guerrilla Warfare (book), Guerrilla Warfare" in their liner notes. They also released a single called "Bombtrack" bearing Che's image and tour with a Guevara banner draped behind them while onstage.
* On October 12, 2007, musicians from the Chilean community and Grupo Amistad, performed songs dedicated to Che at a memorial celebration in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
* The Brazilian rock band Sepultura performed at Havana's "José Martí Anti-imperialism, Anti-Imperialist Tribune" in July 2008, while also visiting the memorial to Che Guevara.
* American punk rock band Against Me! have a song called "Cliché Guevara" on their album As the Eternal Cowboy.
* Muslim-American rapper Rhymefest (whose birth name is 'Che' in honor of Guevara) titled his 2009 album "El Che (album), El Che", describing the overall theme as a "journey with a revolutionary."
* Artist Dana Lyons mentions Che Guevara in his song Cows with Guns.
* American noise rock band Che Guevara T-shirt named themselves after the phenomena outlined in this article, specifically the irony that a Marxist-inspired guerrilla is now used to sell capitalist products.
* In July 2009, Cuba's best known folk musician Silvio Rodríguez announced that had written a new song titled ''"Tonada del albedrio"'' (Tune to Free Will) intended to "rehabilitate" the image of revolutionary Che Guevara from being an "international super-brand". According to Rodriguez the new song on his upcoming album ''"Segunda Cita"'' (Second Date) returns the emphasis and meaning of Guevara's life to "his struggle Anti-imperialism, against imperialism, his love of being a revolutionary and his concept of socialism."
* In October 2009, French alternative rock artist Manu Chao played two tribute concerts in Cuba (at Havana University and Sandino Stadium in the city of Santa Clara, Cuba, Santa Clara) to mark the 42nd anniversary Guevara's assassination. Chao was accompanied in Havana