World At War Virutal Museum

Anti Axis

. . . In the Axis' Face!
Anti-Axis ad from the Philco Corporation published in the Time magazine of February 15, 1943. A series of ads in cooperation with America’s leading cartoonists. This drawing was made by artist W.H. Crawford and used as poster in the factories who were helping to produce the weapons of Victory. The poster was also available for free on request.

During World War, propagandists instigated hatred for the enemy and support for America's allies from the countries fighting the Axis powers. Most of the images of those items is nowadays considered politically incorrect or offensive. During the Second World War it seemed that there were hardly any limitations on the type of content being published.

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While early Anti-Axis items included a portrait of Stalin instead of Hirohito, later in the war it was a combination of caricatures of Hirohito, Mussolini, Hitler, or the Japanese in general. Hitler was sometimes also ridiculed as out house painter referencing to his not so successful career as an artist in Austria earlier in his life.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor the anti-axis campaign was very aggressive towards the Japanese people. Slogans such as “slap the japs” are soft in comparison with the more aggressive “kill all japs” printed on novelty hunting licenses.

The Douglas Aircraft Company started a campaign to reduce waste. Jack Campbell was hired for this reason, he created the caricature Tokio Kid. Jack Campbell became later known when he worked for Disney. Tokio Kid was always portrayed as a dangerous murderer with a bloody knife. Tokio Kid was first published on the back of the company’s magazine, but later also appeared on posters and postage stamps.

World at War Virtual Museum

Anti Axis