As some of you readers may know, Dr. Seuss worked for the US government from 1941 to 1943 and drew many political cartoons, all in his patented Dr. Seuss style. All his work during this time is available here. In keeping with the spirit of his work, I’ve updated a few of them in order to make them relevant today. You saw the first yesterday. ComingAnarchy presents another for you:
About Chirol
Sir Ignatius Valentine Chirol (1852 - 1929) was a journalist, prolific author, world historian, and British diplomat. He began his career as a foreign correspondent and later became editor of the London Times. After two decades as a journalist he joined Her Majesty's Foreign Ministry as a diplomat and was subsequently knighted for his distinguished service as a foreign affairs advisor. Additionally, he wrote a dozen books on foreign affairs including
The Far Eastern Question (1896),
Serbia and the Serbs (1914),
The End of the Ottoman Empire (1920) and
The Egyptian Problem (1921). He is generally credited with popularizing "Middle East" in reference to the Arabian Peninsula with his book
The Middle Eastern Question (1903).
"Chirol" is a US citizen and graduate student studying Defense and Strategic Studies and government contractor. As with the historical Chirol, he has traveled to over two dozen countries and lived abroad for many years. Chirol speaks English and German fluently with basic knowledge of manyl of others.
Sometimes I think that the US is a bit too conservative about its use of nuclear warfare. I’m sure it would solve a lot of problems. There, I’ve said it!
I wonder if liberals agree!
Oh smack, Gabriel just led the perfect segue to my next post . . .
You’re a bit innacurate here. His political cartoons come from his civilian career drawing for humor magazines and newspapers. During the war he worked for the US military making animated propaganda and training films, which apparently no longer exist. After the war he actually requested copies of the films he had made for his private collection, but the army either claimed that they had never existed at all or that they had not been preserved. I find it pretty awful that they would have deliberately or even carelessly destroyed work by someone as brilliang as Dr Seuss.
At least I have a copy of the 1940s anti-Nazi animated propaganda film “Education for Death” that Disney refuses to release.
Thanks for the correction. I also have “Education for Death” and it’s downright hilarous. What I did find impressive though is that the German is 100% correct. I mean it’s fabulous. I wouldn’t have expected it. There are lots of other good ones like “Der Fuhrers Face” with Donald Duck where he has a nightmare he works in a munitions factory in the 3rd reich!
For anyone else interested, you can buy the book here with the entire collection.
Mutantfrog: Check out http://www4.archive.org/movies/movies.php It’s a collection of old Cold War propaganda films. Everything from nuke tests to John Wayne discussing the ideological differences between capitalism and communism.
I also have Der Fuhrer’s face, although at much lower quality. And of course the Warner Brothers WW2 propaganda films, such as Bugs Bunny selling war bonds or gremlins from Moscow fighting Hitler, are great as well. But luckily for us, Warner Brothers is more appreciative to history and allows those and other out-dated cartoons (ones with blatant racism, etc) to be shown, as long as it’s outside of the children’s rotation.
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Does anyone know where I may find some world war II recruiting propaganda cartoons? Also, any background information on American animation propaganda techniques for that era?
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