Community Corner

WikiLeaks Truck Artist in Columbia Area Working on Bradley Manning Graphic Novel

More about the man behind the controversial truck.


Clark Stoeckley—the man who created the WikiLeaks truck that has been spotted in Columbia—is living in the Fort Meade area as he works on a graphic novel about the Bradley Manning trial.

Stoeckley, a 30-year-old artist from Newark, N.J., created the "WikiLeaks Top Secret Mobile Collection Unit" two and a half years ago to act as a billboard for the leaks website, but also as a prank.

He's currently covering the case of army private Manning through drawings. Manning is on trial at Fort Meade for his role in leaking war logs, diplomatic cables, and other top secret data files to WikiLeaks.

"It takes this really serious topic and makes it more digestible, a little bit more fun" said Stoeckley, who works as an art professor at Bloomfield College in New Jersey, of the truck. "It points out the absurdity of things by being absurd itself." 

Over the past year and a half, Stoeckley has been driving the truck onto Fort Meade for every hearing in the Bradley Manning trial. He is a credentialed reporter working on a graphic novel of the trial. He said since the beginning of Manning's pre-trial he has created over 300 drawings from his perspective sitting in the jury box, press room or gallery.

Col. Denise Lind, the judge, ruled Thursday not to drop a charge accusing Manning of "aiding the enemy", according to the Washington Post.

Stoeckley said he perceives the trial as "two different arguments going on, one is the prosecution's based on computer forensics and the other is based on moral conscious."

Manning admitted to leaking the data files in February, when the trial began, so now the primary focus of the prosecution's case is on whether leaking the files caused harm.

Stoeckley, an obvious supporter of WikiLeaks, said he does not believe they've proven that and argues that the files Manning released have provided valuable information about foreign wars and corrupt governments.

"The future of journalism and whistle-blowing is resting right here on this case," said Stoeckley. "The reason I think Edward Snowden fled is he saw how the government is treating Bradley Manning."

Since creating the truck, Stoeckley has gained a significant following through his activism. His Twitter account @WikiLeaksTruck, where he occasionally releases his drawings of the trial, has over 10,000 followers.

"It's a moving landmark," said Stoeckley, "people like to get their photographs in front of it."

But he says it's also a center of controversy. He said he's received death threats over it, and asked that we not reveal where he's staying as he covers the trial for his safety.

"I've gotten my fair share of middle fingers here and there," said Stoeckley. But he said he's happy that he's had the opportunity to cover the trial, even if it's clear which side he supports.

"I wouldn't be able to bring the truck onto [Fort Meade] if I wasn't credentialed media," said Stoeckley. "It's a bastion for free speech in America, that you can have whatever bumper sticker you want and still be able to bring it on [a U.S. military base]."

Stoeckley said he hopes to finish his graphic novel about a month after the conclusion of the trial.

Related Article

WikiLeaks "TOP SECRET" Mobile Collection Unit Stationed in Columbia


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