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.