View Full Version : Dr. Seuss goes to war


napoleon526
Aug 06, 2003, 01:29 PM
(mods can add this to the articles list if they so desire)

I recently bought a book called "Dr. Seuss Goes to War" which detailed the political cartoons of Theodore Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss. From 1941-1943, Geisel drew cartoons for the liberal newspaper PM.

Before Pearl Harbor, Geisel drew many cartoons arguing for American intervention in the war and criticisms of isolationists.

Notice how Geisel's "American Eagle" looks a lot like a Sneetch!
http://orpheus.ucsd.edu/speccoll/dspolitic/pm/10522cs.jpg

http://orpheus.ucsd.edu/speccoll/dspolitic/pm/10602cs.jpg

After Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union:
http://orpheus.ucsd.edu/speccoll/dspolitic/pm/10625cs.jpg

Many of his cartoons also dealt with Nazi Germany's treatment of Jews and other minorities. This was at a time when most Americans either didn't believe or chose not to believe what was going on.
http://orpheus.ucsd.edu/speccoll/dspolitic/pm/10922cs.jpg

December 9, 1941
http://orpheus.ucsd.edu/speccoll/dspolitic/pm/11209cs.jpg

December 10, 1941
http://orpheus.ucsd.edu/speccoll/dspolitic/pm/11210cs.jpg

napoleon526
Aug 06, 2003, 01:30 PM
After the war began, Geisel shifted the focus of his work towards arguing against red tape and other things that he saw as detrimental to the US war effort.
http://orpheus.ucsd.edu/speccoll/dspolitic/pm/1942/20203cs.jpg

http://orpheus.ucsd.edu/speccoll/dspolitic/pm/1942/20218cs.jpg

http://orpheus.ucsd.edu/speccoll/dspolitic/pm/1942/20311cs.jpg

The historical figure most often drawn by Geisel was Hitler. Many of them are quite funny.
http://orpheus.ucsd.edu/speccoll/dspolitic/pm/11223cs.jpg

Perhaps an early idea for Yertle the Turtle?
http://orpheus.ucsd.edu/speccoll/dspolitic/pm/1942/20321cs.jpg

Geisel also tackled social injustices of the time.
http://orpheus.ucsd.edu/speccoll/dspolitic/pm/1942/20528cs.jpg

http://orpheus.ucsd.edu/speccoll/dspolitic/pm/1942/20626cs.jpg

Another target was Nazi collaborators like Henri Petain and Pierre Laval.
http://orpheus.ucsd.edu/speccoll/dspolitic/pm/1942/20720cs.jpg

In the later part of 1942, Geisel began drawing cartoons depicting Germany's war troubles.
http://orpheus.ucsd.edu/speccoll/dspolitic/pm/1942/21119cs.jpg

http://orpheus.ucsd.edu/speccoll/dspolitic/pm/1942/21124cs.jpg

In early 1943, Geisel stopped drawing cartoons and started making movies for the war department.

I just thought you all might find this interesting.

napoleon526
Aug 06, 2003, 01:31 PM
Here's a site where you can see all of the Doctor's war cartoons:

http://orpheus.ucsd.edu/speccoll/dspolitic/Frame.htm

Cimbri
Aug 06, 2003, 03:30 PM
I love political cartoons :yeah:

Other political cartoons (http://cagle.slate.msn.com/politicalcartoons/)

squeaky
Aug 08, 2003, 09:34 AM
yes, many of those were quite funny :D

tctatheel7
Aug 08, 2003, 06:54 PM
yeah, i love political cartoons, but i didn't know Dr. Seus made them. They were pretty funny:goodjob: