Mar 27, 2013

In Cartoons: War Bonds, Advertising & War Propaganda

Taxes (& war bonds) were needed to build war machines for World War 2 against the "axis" powers...

Bugs Bunny U.S. War Bonds Commercial...





The following cartoon (along with other "Hook" cartoons) was found by accident in the garage of a former soldier who had saved them, thinking they were "Private Snafu" shorts. The cartoon was finally discovered in the mid-1990s when an A&E documentary on war cartoons began production. It turned out that Warners made these shorts for the US Navy and because they wanted to keep this a secret, all original negatives were destroyed shortly after release. The "Hook" shorts that were given to the cartoon researchers had "vinegar syndrome" and have deteriorated, but fortunately before that happened, they transferred them to video. -From IMBB

Tokyo Woes...


This sort of selling (or positive war propaganda, geared towards winning the war)... then spread into the military a well. Which makes sense since that's where most of the men were. The following are examples of the developments in advertising using hopes dreams and marriage to a beautiful woman are combined with "the American Dream" that essentially constitutes a higher standard of living (for example: you get your own car etc.)


To begin with, seeing war in a positive light wasn't new as this 1936 cartoon reveals....



So using positive images associated with war & the future of individuals becomes an obvious next step in advertising during war to build moral and get soldiers to buy bonds with the promise of a great life after the war, as you can see in this highly suggestive cartoon made for the Navy of WW2...

Seaman Hook has big plans for after the war,..






Related Blog Posts:

War & Glory: Selling War Through The Ages... Illustrated IN Cartoons! http://www.culturesocietyblog.com/2013/03/war-glory-selling-war-through-ages.html

Adventures Of The Road Runner PILOT... & Basic Child Psychology! http://www.culturesocietyblog.com/2013/03/adventures-of-road-runner-pilot-basic.html

WW2 - 3 Classic Donald Duck World War 2 Propaganda Cartoonshttp://www.culturesocietyblog.com/2013/03/ww2-3-classic-donald-duck-world-war-2.html

3 Classic Superman World War Two (WW2) Propaganda Cartoons http://www.culturesocietyblog.com/2013/03/3-classic-superman-world-war-two-ww2.html

Bugs Bunny & Donald Duck as World War 2 propaganda heroes!http://www.culturesocietyblog.com/2013/03/bugs-bunny-donald-duck-as-world-war-2.html

USA - Southern racial stereotypes in 1950's Bugs Bunny cartoons that still exist today! http://www.culturesocietyblog.com/2013/03/usa-southern-racial-stereotypes-in.html

Ducktators: An Ancient Cartoon With Modern Lessons http://www.culturesocietyblog.com/2013/03/ducktators-ancient-cartoon-with-modern.html

The Basic Cartoon ACTION Template Was Made in 1935! Check Out "Mickey's Fire Brigade" http://www.culturesocietyblog.com/2013/03/mickeys-fire-brigade-donald-duck-mickey.html 

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