MetaFilter posts tagged with propaganda and comics

The Wacky World of Comic Book Propaganda

jonp72 — Fri, 04 Aug 2006 09:59:57 -0800

An official comic book adaptation of the 9/11 commission report is due to hit bookstores this month. The U.S. Army seeks an Arabic-speaking comic book creator. Meanwhile, an Israeli blogger suspects a Kuwaiti company of misusing Marvel and DC comics. These are just the latest incidents in a long-running history of using comic books for propaganda purposes, ranging from Mussolini and Hitler to Captain America vs. the Nazi-affiliated Red Skull to anticommunist comics for Catholic parochial schools to a phony Black Panther comic book created by COINTELPRO to a comic book of the American invasion of Grenada. However, my favorite site of comic book propaganda tends to focus on more innocuous domestic issues such as bicycle safety, USDA nutrition standards, and fighting crack cocaine. (OK, that last issue isn't so innocuous, but comic book propaganda about health & safety issues still generally blows.)

Try LALAPALOOZA on them -- it's a panic!

crunchland — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 16:29:06 -0800

How to Spot a Jap ... scan of a 1942 US military educational comic strip, illustrated by Milton Canniff.

Old and improved

BlackLeotardFront — Mon, 11 Jul 2005 23:04:09 -0800

So BoingBoing recently linked to this fantastic comic book serial from the 60s entitled "This Godless Communism," a surprisingly in-depth (and hilariously slanted) history of the rise of the USSR, its leaders, and their philosophies. It's great, but it is far from the only thing on the site, the Authentic History Center. Just looking at the other comics and cartoons they have, there is a huge amount of ancient political cartoons, fantastic WWII-military-themed comic strips(surprisingly good!), and generally awesome period-relevant comic book covers, some of which link to full comics (Donald Duck's Atom Bomb?!). There is a collection of embarassing shows of race-sploitation in comics in the 70s, and the racist toys and artifacts section would make Archie Bunker blush (Chop Suey Specs!). Guaranteed to make you wince and chin-stroke simultaneously.

1957 atomic revolution comic book!

Peter H — Mon, 19 May 2003 08:25:25 -0800

1957 atomic revolution comic book. Quite a find for 1950s atomic memorabilia enthusiasts. Creepy and educational. Has anyone here ever heard of M.Philip Copp?

CIA Picture Pages, FBI Picture Pages!

Stan Chin — Sat, 23 Nov 2002 09:53:03 -0800

The CIA's Freedom Fighter's Manual is chock full of helpful hints like how to be lazy and how to screw things up at work! For more government comic hijinks, check out the FBI's Black Panther Coloring Book. Find out more information here via Social Design Notes.

cheaily — Sun, 03 Feb 2002 16:24:12 -0800

The Truth For Youth - Christian preaching in comic form. Highly amusing, yet rather disturbing at the same time -- these are the messages they're trying to get through to kids?

thirteen — Wed, 29 Nov 2000 14:14:01 -0800

Free Jack Chick comics online I only post this because I am always surprised how many people have never heard of the man. There is only one way to salvation, and Jack wants to show you. Some favorites are Bewitched and the discontinued anti-D&D classic Dark Dungeons. The Poor Little Witch" will twist your brain too. Did you know Roman Catholics are not Christian, and that Christian Scientists cannot get into heaven?