Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Conf lict
Comics and
Conf lict
987654321
Contents
Preface ix
38
58
of Communism (19912001)
100
115
135
Notes 143
Bibliography 165
Index 187
1
17
78
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Preface
Preface
fictional exploits of such characters as Sgt. Rock and the Haunted Tank included
nuances of combat that had not been openly discussed.1 Besides the stimulation
offered by those colorful and violent panels, comic books sparked my lifelong
interest in history, particularly military history, war, and its impact on the culture
at home. This book looks specifically at how war-themed comics developed from
early newspaper strips and military cartoons and caricatures into the comic book
format initially geared toward children. I also explore what the comics depictions
of conflict tell us about American society and values.
Childrens entertainment has been an important, yet too easily dismissed,
aspect of American life over the last sixty yearsbecause it is not just for
children and not just entertainment. The comic book has served as a way to
introduce young readers to adult topics and yet allow them to retain some
sort of separation from reality. The comics have never been as direct, or effective, as advertising, but the ideology of support for American doctrine and the
American military is still there. However, the audience of the comic book has
changed over the years. According to the New York Comic Book Museum, the
average comic reader is twenty-four years old and has more disposable income
than the average American.2 This has an impact on which reader the comic is
geared toward, and it is most likely not the perceived audience: children. As
long as they are considered a childrens medium, at least partially directed
toward that demographic, however, the comic book will serve as an active way
of teaching them. It remains to be seen whether this is for the betterment of
mankind. Even adult comic book readers still wish to indulge their childhood
feelings but read about adult themes at the same time. Adults today also look at
comics as a type of investment, given the auction prices of such comic books as
the first issue of Action Comics, which recently fetched $1.5 million at auction.
Over the course of their history, comics have gone far beyond simple stories
aimed at children; they comprise satire and criticism, as well as patriotism and
hypernationalism. Sometimes, the comics producers toed the line of gung-ho
patriotism, but at other times they took issue with government abuses and the
misuses of state power. (Paradoxically the comics themselves were sometimes
instruments of that power. The government has long recognized the potential
of the comic book to distract, inform, or indoctrinate readers.) As mirrors of
diverse attitudes toward warfare, the comics are like movies or books. Some
of the creators (writers, illustrators, and publishers) of comics tried to depict
combat in its horrors, while others glorified war. Comics dealing with the horrors of war became a subfield unto themselves in the 1950s and 1960s, specifically in the titles Frontline Combat, Two-Fisted Tales, and Blazing Combat.3
For the purpose of this book, I narrowed the field of comic books under
analysis. The war-themed genre is as varied in comics as it is in novels, films,
and other forms of fiction. The war comic books discussed here concern conflicts
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that were occurring during the years these comics existed. The conflicts of the
last seventy years have a special place in comic book history. World War II,
Korea, Vietnam, the Cold War, and Operations Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom have all found a place in comic book literature. The comic books reflect
the ways Americans at large have viewed the militarys role in society and how
individual creators interpreted the nations many wars. Comics from 1938 (the
beginning of what is commonly referred to as the Golden Age of Comics)
through current publications will be discussed as well. Of course, not all war
comics can be considered, but as large a sample as possible has been used to
examine and better understand how the genre developed.
To look at the history of the medium, one must first look at what reading
comics accomplishes. Comic booksand even the strips in newspapers from
which some of them evolvedserve several functions for readers. Steeped in
patriotism and propaganda, they often depict fighting for moral or political
purposes. Indeed, as World War II began, comic books became an integral part
of wartime propaganda, providing information and education for children
and adults alike through colorful pages filled with characters whose wartime
adventures excited audiences, promoted patriotism, and exposed the horrors
of combat. From World War II through the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan
during the first decade of the twenty-first century, comic books have played a
crucial yet overlooked role in shaping the broader cultural perceptions of these
conflicts. For the creators of such comics, inspiration was easy to come by,
their imaginations piqued by reality that played out before them on newsreels,
the nations newspapers, nightly television, and more.
For those who read comics during times of war or conflict, these books promote different ideologies or specific economic or political positions. Although
such points of view often varied from conflict to conflict, comic books could
educate the masses about the errors of Nazism or Communism or radical
Islam. The one common denominator in the struggle against each opponent
was patriotism. The flag-waving patriotism of America during national holidays or other events can be seen as a first step toward fanaticism. Crisis also
encourages people to rally around an image or icon. Such patriotism often
verges onor becomesidolatry. For example, the American flageither
as tangible object or iconic talismanbecomes a vehicle for nationalist sentiment, sometimes even xenophobia. Its colors alone become symbolically
charged. The concept of a flag-themed superhero is primarily an American
invention.4 American comic book characters who sport the red, white, and
blue (and/or the stars and stripes) include the Shield, Captain America, and, to
a lesser extent, Uncle Sam, Wonder Woman, and SuperPatriot.5
Such characters also exist in comic books from other countries. Canada has
the Canadian Alpha Flight team, the Vindicator, andmost notablyCaptain
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Canuck (whose costumes are red and white, featuring a maple leaf). In the United
Kingdom, there is Captain Britain (whose costume incorporates elements of that
nations emblem), as well as Union Jack and Jack Staff, whose very names refer to
their nations flag.6 These characters allow the reader to identify with a country
and its ideals as embodied by the hero. How much do these works of art merely
tell us about their particular creators, and how much do they reveal about their
larger audience? Are they products of individual creative minds (artist and/or
writer) with limited or local appeal? Alternatively, do they express some collective ethos or ideal? Are the characters merely vehicles for the artists credo or
critiques? Surely these artifacts may illuminate personal psychology, but they
also tell us of the times and values in which (and for which) they were created
and in which they were consumed. Furthermore, they were both document and
dogma; they not only represent reality but also promulgate particular moral or
political, personal, or pluralistic ideals. The conduct and character of the heroes
serve as guides for proper action in a democracy.
If comic books excite positive feelings through identification, can they also
prompt revulsion and revilement? Do the characters in comic books inspire
fear or hatred in their readership? Do they effectively sell the reader on the
dangers of the enemy? By reinforcing stereotypes of degenerate villains, as
well as American purity, comic books inculcate the reader in Americas goals
and golems. Indeed, propaganda has long been a staple genre. For example,
1940s comic book depictions envisioned the evil nature of the Axis powers.
These comics show the depth of bigotry and hatred toward these vilified Others. Furthermore, the propagandistic endeavor of the comic book could go
beyond the frame of the narrative. Advertisements in the comic book during
World War II, for example, called for people to buy war bonds, engage in scrap
drives, and participate in other war-related events. The idea of a drive or call
is an important aspect of propaganda. Besides the patently commercial ads or
military-themed toys, some promoted patriotic clubs, such as the Sentinels of
Liberty with Captain America and Bucky, his sidekick.
Why is this study important? Reflect for a moment upon George Santayanas dictum Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
Only recall the crises-of-empire of prior powers (Athens, Rome, England,
China, and Prussia). How do historical and fictional accountsof war relate to
the decline of empires or the rise of new ones? What was the impact of Thucydides documentation of the dereliction of Athenian ideals? Consider the
efficiency of comic books as a delivery system that can disseminate a message
to the relatively uninformed and unformedthe barely literate or illiterate.
Had children and youngsters been inculcated sooner and subconsciously, that
empire might have continued longer. We must not ignore the impact of illustration and word on the attitude and behaviors of the citizenry.
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Preface
First and foremost, I would like to thank my wife Rachel for all the assistance
and encouragement that she has offered over the years. She has kept this project and me going through the rough times.
I would like to thank Darlene Ulmer, Ron Wade, and Mark Holroyd from
IADTChicago for their encouragement to write and teach the two classes
(History of Propaganda and History of Comic Books) that led to this book.
They were great bosses at a crucial time in my academic career.
I also wish to thank Dr. Lewis Erenberg, Dr. Ted Karamanski, Dr. Peter
Karsten, and Dr. Michael Neiburg, who offered encouragement and advice on
the subjects of cartoons and the military. From the Naval Institute Press, Adam
Kane and Adam Nettina were outstanding for their enthusiasm and quick
responses to my queries no matter how seemingly inane.
Sections of this book were previously published in the Journal of Popular Culture (spring 2007), the International Journal of Comic Art (fall 2008),
Captain America and the Struggles of the Superhero: Critical Essays, edited by
Robert Weiner (spring 2009), and the Greenwood Encyclopedia of Comics and
Graphic Novels (spring 2010).
My colleagues have served a critical role in developing my thoughts and
concepts. In particular, Kevin Kaufman, Pat Mallory, Stella Ress, and Jay Ward
have all kept me going and offered insight. Lee and Cindy Windsor gave me an
entirely new perspective on how to look at comic books while on a battlefield
tour of Italy. To them and many others I again say thanks.
My family served as a source of strength, especially during the many times
when I felt that the book would never see publication. My dad, Jerry, and his
wife, Rene Scott, offered encouragement and suggestions. My brother Micah
has never ceased to amaze me with his keen observations of my work (his intelligence and talent continuing to confound me). My relatives (especially the
Volk and Veilleux families) were always there for encouragement. Paul Mache
offered great comments and the great break for other topics when needed.
My greatest thanks must go to the corps of Wonder Women who got me
through this. Lauren Mache gave me positive thoughts and observations as she
went through the dissertation process twice (!). My daughters Zia and Jayna
pointed out all sorts of odd things, yet let Dad work when needed. Finally,
my Aunt Peggy Smetana and my mom, Linda Scott, assisted in ways big and
small. I cannot express my gratitude to these pillars of strength. I only hope
that I have done them all proud.