Wartime cartoons

[Alan Eardley]

Does anyone else collect WW2 cartoons (e.g. Jon's Two Types)?

Alan

 

[Smithy]

I have some Tee Emm stuff.

 

[KilroyCD]

I have some Tee Emm stuff.

I've got a bunch of Tee Emms as well, all but one issue that I'm still looking for. I also have some of Dave Breger's stuff, books on Bill Mauldin's "Willy & Joe", "Sad Sack" and all of the wartime "Just Jane" cartoons.

 

[Alan Eardley]

Excellent!

As many of this cartoons were said to be worth a 'division of infantry' in terms of morale, I bet we could raise an army here!

Alan

 

[RetroMom]

Believe it or not, my 6 year is obsessed with WWII! Every day the army toys come out and the war is recreated all over the house. I swear he is a reincarnation of my dad who was a WWII vet.

Anyway, for Christmas we got him the Disney Treasures "On the Front Lines - The War Years". Haven't watched it yet, so I don't know how appropriate it will be for him, but for adults it might be interesting.

 

[Alan Eardley]

Thanks - I'll be interested in knowing what it's like.

Alan

Believe it or not, my 6 year is obsessed with WWII! Every day the army toys come out and the war is recreated all over the house. I swear he is a reincarnation of my dad who was a WWII vet.

Anyway, for Christmas we got him the Disney Treasures "On the Front Lines - The War Years". Haven't watched it yet, so I don't know how appropriate it will be for him, but for adults it might be interesting.

 

[Alan Eardley]

How humour changes

Interesting. I've been going through some 'Jon cartoons' - Two Types, mainly, for an article I'm writing. I've collected them since I was a boy (I have a couple of pieces of the original artwork) but somehow I've never sat back and examined them as humourous, rather than historical, items. I guess that's what a hobby does for you. I can see the point of a few of them, but even with a good level of knowledge of the North African and Italian campaigns, they don't make me laugh. I think people must have had a very different sense of the humorous in those days as at the time they were regarded as hilarious. Does anyone else find this?

Alan

 

[Mike1973]

I don't collect, but have got some Two Types kicking around, great stuff! Wrong war but also a big fan of Bruce Bairnsfather.
Off topic, but as a kid in the '70's and early '80's I always had my nose in a 'Battle' comic, or a 'Commando' book... In fact I must have a couple of hundred still in a box somewhere in the loft... I wonder if my nippers will be interested...

 

[Mike1973]

Just went to the 'shelf to find some TT and test your theory, as it's been a while since I've flicked through them... Couldn't find it :eusa_doh: Must be round my Dads...[huh]
I remember finding it pretty funny, but it is topical humour for those serving at the time. A lot of 'in' jokes, and service terms. Even for someone raised on Spike Milligans memoirs (which do make me laugh out loud!) a fair bit went over my head...
I wonder how many of todays cartoons will stand the test of time?

Interesting. I've been going through some 'Jon cartoons' - Two Types, mainly, for an article I'm writing. I've collected them since I was a boy (I have a couple of pieces of the original artwork) but somehow I've never sat back and examined them as humourous, rather than historical, items. I guess that's what a hobby does for you. I can see the point of a few of them, but even with a good level of knowledge of the North African and Italian campaigns, they don't make me laugh. I think people must have had a very different sense of the humorous in those days as at the time they were regarded as hilarious. Does anyone else find this?

Alan

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Off topic, but as a kid in the '70's and early '80's I always had my nose in a 'Battle' comic, or a 'Commando' book... In fact I must have a couple of hundred still in a box somewhere in the loft... I wonder if my nippers will be interested...

Yes, 'Commando' books rank very highly. !Gott in Himmel! !Schnell, schnell! !Englischer Schweinhund!

Those and the bugs bunny "gremlin" cartoons. Very subtle propaganda, really, compared to some of the more overt bilge that was around at the time.

bk

 

[DutchIndo]

The problems with some Wartime cartoons is they are too racist. The 1930-
1940s were not too socially sensitive here in the US. I've had friends tell me of going to Cartoon Collector Shows and seeing anti-Japanese caricatures.
One will ocassionally see Bugs Bunny or Daffy Duck dumping on Hitler on TV still. One won't see the ones where they will reference the facial features of the Japanese. I've seen some and they are harsh.
I remember watching "Mail Call" and the Gunny had an A-2 with a Pin Up
painted on the back. He said the "Brass" does not allow that anymore. No more Paintings on Planes also for good reasons. Then I saw the difference in
society then and now. Back then women dressed modest and conservative.
Guys had to use their imaginations ! But the Service Men Overseas took it one step further by painting it on their Planes ! Now it reversed, Go to the
beach or watch a Music Video ! You can see it on the streets but not on a
Plane. Times have definitley changed .

 

[Haversack]

I recently inherited a scrapbook that my grandfather kept from 1936 to 1946. In it, he collected political cartoons concerning events in Europe, Anglo-American relations, and eventually, the war. As far as I can tell, the cartoons were cut from the local Santa Barbara and Los Angeles newspapers. The range depicted in the characterizations of people and nationalities is typical to the standards of its time. However, they give an almost day-by-day picture of the events leading up to the war, its progress, and aftermath. It includes cartoons about events which are now seen as obscure but much in the news then. Italy's defeat in Ethiopia. The Gazala Gallop. Anglo-Russian occupation of Iran. Actually, there is are a lot of cartoons about Russia/Stalin. Some favourable, some extremely distrusting. I do need to see about conserving this collection. It is all newsprint and over 60 years old.

Haversack.

 

[J. M. Stovall]

I'd really enjoy seeing that! I wonder if the rights on those have expired, it would make a really interesting book.

 

[Haversack]

I imagine that rounding up all the copyrights from the cartoonists' estate or their syndicates would be maddening. A couple of them are well known like Reg Manning of "What Kind of Cactus Izzat" fame. And you also have the problem of how Japanese, Chinese, and Africans were depicted then. The modern rights-holders might object. Not to mention our hosts here... Still, I just got a scanner and if I can figure out the picture posting process, a couple of examples illustrating what we are talking about MIGHT fall under fair use. I'll have to check on that as well. I do want these to be presrved.

Haversack.

 

[Haversack]

Regarding the change in tolerance for nose and vehicle art in the US military: From my own experience, there have been many swings in what is allowed and what is not. After Vietnam, there was a crack-down on nose art regardless of content. It gradually crept back during the 1980s but tolerance for it varied. Where it was permitted, 'warry' imagery or slogans were permitted. However anything risque or sexual was pretty much right out. (I recall the crew of a Lance missile laucher having to paint over its name, "13 tons of rolling birth control" because it was considered sexual.) There was a definite resurgence of nose art during the First Gulf War. While some US nose art here did depict matters female and sexual, it was very muted. In part this was to respect the mores of the people of the countries which allowed the planes to be flown from. (Saudi Arabia, et. al.) In comparison, RAF nose art during this war was often extremely obscene. (Trust the crabs).

Haversack.

 

[DutchIndo]

If I recall I remember Matt Groening being upset that Bart Simpson was appearing on some of the "Tracks" in the first Gulf War. I wonder if he would
have given his blessing 60 years ago.