panels of propoganda
Posted on 05. Mar, 2010 by Seth in entertainment
words > RED
Many things that have been used to lift American spirits during times of war and despair. The USO. Baseball. Cabaret clubs. Of course, we can’t forget superheroes and comics. John Wayne may have better served his country by staying behind and making movies, but not Superman. In the early 1940s cartoon The Eleventh Hour, two American journalists are taken prisoner by the Japanese—Lois Lane and Clark Kent. Every night at 11:00, Superman appears and aids our troops by destroying Japanese battleships, buildings, and airplanes.
It seems every comic has had their shot at the Nazis—they seem to be fair game for all eternity. The Fantastic Four, Dr. Strange, and Namor all teamed up to foil modern Nazi projects. Spawn’s done it.
And Captain America? Well, the name says it all.
Early comics depicted enemies in stereotypical fashions which by today’s standards seem nothing short of racist.
This is how it worked: superheroes helped fight wars with us, and it made us feel better.
People wouldn’t take as much notice if today’s spandex crusaders were to participate in the war. Those were sweeter, more innocent times, when ink and paper could make all the difference for morale. Even if people still wanted comics to boost our fighting spirit, they wouldn’t be allowed to portray our enemies the same way.
Propaganda is still around, though. It may not be the same, but it will always be around. It’s bled into other outlets—even Family Guy and South Park have indulged in this guilty American pleasure. (But we don’t see it in Looney Tunes too much anymore.)
One can’t help but wonder if the two little Jewish boys from Cleveland, Ohio, imagined their Superman creation would have such an impact on the American spirit when they were dreaming him up. Perhaps nowadays Superman would not only end the war and bring our troops home, but also lower oil prices. No problem for the Man of Steel, eh?
The character Elijah Price, played by Samual L. Jackson in the movie Unbreakable says, “Real life doesn’t fit into little boxes that were drawn for it.” Well apparently it does, Mr. Price, because we’ve done it to Japan, we’ve done it to Germany and the Middle East—hell, we’ve even done it to Satan. Cartoonizing our puny threats makes them so much easier to deal with.
Does it simply uplift our spirits, or does it make it easier to cast our enemies aside if we reduce them to 4-color drawings? Stop, you fiend! In the name of our country!! After all, we are Americans, and they have become mere comic book villains who stand no chance against “Truth, Justice, and the American way.”
