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Captain America: WWII Propaganda and Impact
Mar 4, 2025
Lecture Notes on Captain America and WWII Propaganda
Introduction to Hydra and Captain America
Hydra
: Nazi deep science division led by Johann Schmidt.
Objective
: Create a new breed of super soldier.
American Volunteerism and Comic Books
Uncertain if volunteerism in WWII was caused by comic books or other propaganda forms.
Comic books had a significant impact on American culture during WWII.
Captain America comics sold more than some newspapers during this time.
Creation of Captain America
Creators
: Jack Kirby and Joe Simon, working for Timely Comics.
Launch
: March 1941, aimed to support American intervention in WWII.
Role of the Writers' War Board (WWB)
:
A group of writers and artists promoting the U.S. war effort.
Received government funding despite being privately run.
Controlled the portrayal of enemies in comics.
Symbolism in Captain America Comics
Captain America
: Symbolizes America's attitude entering the war.
Comic depicts him defeating Nazis, showcasing superiority over enemies.
Bucky's Role
: Represents the average American's potential to contribute to the war effort.
Demonization of Enemies
WWB produced comics depicting Japanese and Germans negatively while idolizing Americans.
Example
: Captain America #22 (1942) where he and Bucky fight Japanese soldiers.
Stereotypes of Japanese used to depict them as evil and inferior.
Target Audience
Audience
: Primarily American youth, aimed at children.
Cheap comic books made them accessible.
Eye-catching colors and intense imagery captured children's attention and created lifelong fans.
Ideology Behind the Comic
Timely Comics portrayed strong American values through Captain America.
Captain America characterized as strong, powerful, fearless, and loyal.
Represents patriotism during WWII dressed in red, white, and blue.
Propaganda Goals
Purpose of the campaign: Rally support for WWII by creating an American super-soldier.
Targeting children indicates long-term goals of ingraining these beliefs.
Prejudices against Germans and Japanese were meant to last beyond the war.
Comic book medium adapts to create new enemies (e.g., Soviet Union) for ongoing propaganda.
Conclusion
The Captain America comic book campaign exemplifies effective propaganda through media adaptation and targeting youth.
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