Comics and The Cold War

Our historical documentary series on the history of the Cold War continues with a video examining the role of Comic Books in American and Soviet culture and how they reflected societal hopes, fears and changes.
How the RAND Corporation created American strategy: • How the RAND Corporati...
The Nuclear Wannabes: Sweden, Brazil and Argentina: • The Nuclear Wannabes: ...
Israel: the Officially Unofficial Nuclear State: • Israel: the Officially...
Taiwan Under the Kuomintang Dictatorship: • Taiwan Under the Kuomi...
What Happened to the German and Japanese POWs?: • What Happened to the G...
Operation Paperclip: • Operation Paperclip - ...
German Expulsions: • German Expulsions Afte...
Soviet Education System: • Soviet Education Syste...
How Khrushchev Fed the Soviet People: • How Khrushchev Fed the...
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#ColdWar #Comics #Marvel #DCComics #ComicBooks #DCU #MCU
SOURCES
Comic Books and the Cold War: Essays on the Graphic Treatment of Communism, the Code and Social Concerns - Edited by Chris York and Rafiel York
Pulp Empire: The Secret History of Comic Book Imperialism - Paul S. Hirsch
"Young Men Vol 1 24," Marvel Database, Fandom
Michał Zalewski, "Korea My Home,"
"Captain America Comics 1941 1," Marvel Comics, 1941,
"Avengers Vol 1 18," Marvel Database, Fandom
"How Stalin Hopes We Will Destroy America," Comics.org, 1951,
"Cold War in Comics," Book Riot
"Looking at Comic Books Through the Lens of the Cold War," Wired,
Randy Duncan, Comic Books and the Cold War, 1946-1962 (Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2011)
"Cartoons & Comics," UNC-Chapel Hill
"American Comic Book Propaganda," Slate
" Journal of Contemporary History
"Cold War 1," History Comics
"Cold War" Marvel Database, Fandom
"Superheroes, Spies: The Shadowy History of Comic Books and Propaganda,"
Nuke 'Em: Classic Cold War Comics Celebrating the End of the World"
[Author if available], "How the Cold War Saved Marvel and Birthed a Generation," AV Club
"Dirty Communists," TV Tropes,
"How Stalin Hopes We Will Destroy America," Heritage Auctions

[@Miniweet9167]

This is exactly the video I needed

[@kevinobrien2311]

Moose and Squirrel, patriotic upholders of freedom, democracy, and the American way of life, vs. Natasha Fatale and Boris Badenov, card-carrying members of VTSU and minions of Fearless Leader, although animated rather than in print. certainly were Cold War Comic Creatures. Perhaps in a future episode touching on pop culture in the post-Sputnik Cold War years, you can find reason to feature them and enough material to provide real interest and value to your viewers. (VTSU is "Villains, Thieves, and Scoundrels Union") Thanks!

[@shooter2055]

"-- or you vill be SHOT!" (eventual pistol noise) As a child and later as an adult watching with my kids, always laughed my butt off!

[@Jaden.Katarn]

Every weekend, it’s on my list of things to do first in the day; to see what new gem has been released by this amazing team.

[@TheColdWarTV]

Thank you for the kind words

[@dansmith4077]

Excellent video

[@HereNowOOO]

LOL... I love the Radioactive Man reference at the end...

[@JohnnyElRed]

It's funny how things change. Back then, you had Captain America fighting the communist Red Skull. Nowadays, Russia invades Ukraine, and the Winter Guard, Russia's official superhero team in Marvel comics, disappears completely. Even though they had features prominently in recent Avengers storylines and others. I guess propaganda and contemporary commentary was sacrificed for the sake of marketability.

[@plamendrumev5060]

one of the Red Skulls is a communmist....

[@Rumpelstiltskin-s8e]

I’m more of an omega red fan as is

[@chadkarr7394]

Red Skull was a National Socialist German Worker.

[@Kasaaz]

Like August General in Iron and stuff in DC.

[@joesalyers]

I found a Cold War comic I scanned for youtube its the most overtly cold war comic I had ever seen the video is called "1961 Cold War Comic found at a Garage Sale! 4K HDR SCANS" if anyone is interested. It was more like a CIA pamphlet with the story of the early communist revolutions with pictures for kids in the 1960s. It is wild the comic is called 2 faces of communism.

[@oso1165]

The way the government stomped out the cultural revolution of the 60s was such an incredible effort of propaganda its truly incredible how they also managed to get everyone to forget it ever happened

[@rosswebster7877]

Kudos for mentioning the late, great Harvey Kurtzman’ s (later co-founder of Mad Magazine) Two Fisted Tales among the many unfortunate casualties of the infamous comic book trials that pre-dated the McCarthy trials.

[@Keefan1978]

A very interesting video, as always. However, it gives the impression that comic books played a similarly significant role in the USSR as they did in the USA, which was not the case. Comics were rare and far between. I grew up in 1980s Estonia, and I first heard of these Petya comics only now, while watching this video. They were never translated into Estonian, and I’m quite sure almost no one here knew about them. There were some native Estonian comics during Soviet times, yes, often featuring heroes fighting vaguely capitalist villains-bandits, smugglers, and thieves of societal property. Yet one of the main positive characters was a nobleman called the Count-hardly the embodiment of aggressive class struggle. Interestingly, in the 1960s, a few Disney comics featuring Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck were even translated into Estonian. But of course, Estonia was just a tiny part of the Soviet Union. That said, as mentioned before, comics were rare in the USSR. Regardless of their content, the medium itself always carried a certain Western aura. The few native Estonian comics I remember from my childhood were always seen by us, the children, as something really cool-something "like they have in the West."

[@anthonydefreitas6006]

David the goggles joke was not missed there. 😆

[@leisti]

For those of us who didn't get it, what's the reference?

[@anthonydefreitas6006]

@@leisti kzbin.info/www/bejne/hoipd2qbmKaleM0si=FU2wPLgCdWEYszVr

[@leisti]

@@anthonydefreitas6006 Thanks.

[@bigsarge2085]

Interesting.

[@secretbassrigs]

Technically, the Korean War was a United Nations Police Action. For some reason the Soviet Union's UN representative was strangely absent when voting on it, particularly when the Soviet Union approved and funded the invasion of South Korea by North Korea.

[@eldeguello9154]

Can we use "was" when referring to a war that is still ongoing? There are US troops on the DMZ today because the Korean war is not over.

[@twoheart7813]

Very interesting episode. I was never big on comic books growing up but do remember buying a few Mad magazines. The only comic book I own, owning several, is an Archie's from around 1986 that was a special addition ham radio themed.

[@Tecnicos-qj8pb]

Great video, make one about movies 🎥 of the Cold War please 😊

[@shaeker]

Grew up on American propaganda in Canada. Gi Joe and other cartoons and comics was a daily staple. Just after the fall of communinism in Europe, I was 8 and I met my first Russian. I was so convinced that they were going to do something to me, I was having panic attacks. That my parents had to take me home to calm down

[@shaider1982]

I did not know the Lone Ranger was used as Cold War propaganda. Agree on the name "Tonto", like Pajero, was used as names (sidekick and SUV respectively) but had weird meanings in Spanish.

[@hardcaselj111]

You've mentions iowa three time that I've seen on this channel, that's a lot for iowa, are you from here?

[@TheColdWarTV]

Nope. Just my go-to locale to represent the heartland

[@hardcaselj111]

@TheColdWarTV that's cool, I love when my state is mentioned

[@jimryan5513]

I'm sorry, but this one missed the mark somewhat. You discuss the fact that you talk about how comics helped shape US attitudes about Communism. However, you fail to mention even once Frederick Wertham's SEDUCTION OF THE INNOCENT, This 1953 book put the comics industry under a harsh light for among other things being tools used by the forces that McCarthy and company were fighting, suggesting that comics were part of the "Red menace." It's a pretty glaring omission, to talk about how comics were used by the US to pass on their message, and forget to bring up how the same comics were also victims of American ant-Communist paranoia as well.

[@mrmr446]

Book sounds like a paranoid fantasy and Soviet comics were mentioned.

[@Mrgunsngear]

🇺🇸

[@rafi_thephi4658]

Holy crap I've never been this early

[@alphamikeomega5728]

A glaring omission - where is Bicycle Repairman (from the comic-book studios of Monty Python)?

[@shooter2055]

First RCMP guy I ever saw was Dudley Do-right and Horse.

[@shooter2055]

I always thought Jay Silverheels was the star of the show!

[@ArchivistAdrift]

Exaggerating the characteristics of the bad guys, of course, goes back to the 1940s comics that were doing the same thing with the Axis powers, and the fear of hiding in plain sight was well grounded in the creators of sci-fi pulp magazines and comic books themselves, like the sci-fi communist group of pulp writers/illustrators, the "Futurians" (many of whom became editors, literary agents, and publishers), and more directly, card carrying communist members like comic book publisher Lev Gleason, who gave us the original Golden Age Daredevil. There's a great story here about communism, the Cold War and comic books, and I'm afraid your video barely scratches the surface of it.

[@frankchan4272]

The not too subtle thing about fascist bring not entirely “sub out” with our current situation in the USA. Propaganda can be used for or evil, even through not entirely showing the whole picture of either side(s) motives.

[@happyelephant5384]

I Soviet Russia comics laugh at you

[@giladpellaeon1691]

"Real acid?"

[@TheColdWarTV]

"I want to see goggles, people!"

[@rawiri8]

Such a powerful tool for propaganda

[@penzorphallos3199]

Legitimate question: Should we consider the exposed usaid funded lgbt comics in peru and the lgbt theater plays in ireland as propaganda too? At what point is 'culture' different from propaganda

[@nah-x3p]

Im not sure exactly what you're referencing, but yes, that could consider that propaganda. The difference is that propaganda by and for governments tries to push the aims of those governments by handing people narratives that are ment to align readers with government policies over which they have no contol. Propaganda by any minority community in contrast, is ment to connect existing communites of people who share that minoritized and marginalized status. While both are ment to build community, one comes with the power and implied force of government while the other is about encorging connections between existing communites and does not carry the coercive implication.

[@loganw1232]

No, it isn’t any different. It’s propaganda from the progressive half of the US or the West.

[@ImperialDemocracy]

Coming from a bi dude, yes. Although I would add that I consider it to be a neutral term. Propaganda is propaganda no matter what cause it supports. Whether it be a good or bad cause.

[@loganw1232]

@@penzorphallos3199 No, it’s still propaganda.

[@secretbassrigs]

​@@loganw1232 technically, propaganda is politically motivated speech funded by a government to promote its values. Therefore, it can be considered propaganda even when a commercial entity promotes one political perspective over another, if it's paid for by a government. Americans are against propaganda, but in favor of education. Unfortunately today, education has become radically propagandized in the US. That's why Conservative Americans want to dismantle the Department of Education. Dismantling is better than propagandizing from our perspective. Let states determine their educational standards as they see fit. It's how a government for the people by the people works.

[@FortuneZer0]

Older Scrooge McDuck comics and Brutopia....

[@EricChipko]

INCOMPLETE - What about Rocky and Bullwinkle? Missed opportunity to promote Canadian culture with Dudley Do-Right.

[@dougmann777]

Interesting, but some of your images don't match the era you're describing. The Captain America cover you first show is from the 90s or later. Iron Man #1 is from 1968 - his origin story is from Tales of Suspense #39, 1963, and has him wearing his clunk grey suit. The Red Skull image looks like 1980s. You should have mentioned Thor's visit to Vietnam in c1965.

[@kevinlitton1399]

Nerd!

[@dougmann777]

@@kevinlitton1399 If by "nerd" you mean concerned with facts and reality, I plead guilty.

[@mohammedsaysrashid3587]

Most of those aimed movies , cartoon movies, and story books 📚 were published in third-world countries' educational systems 😊 respectively.. were those countries proclaimed they were non lined countries ( neutral).

[@nerozero8266]

Antonio Prohias spy vs spy

[@woktodd6723]

Ahh the CIA when will the NED stop funding you.

[@smegheadGOAT]

The USA had anti-red comics the UK had oh! bollocks if this happens we are pooked comics, like 2000ad with story's like strontium dog.

[@nvelsen1975]

Sorry but this was a bad video and you guys may well be in on it: Becky from Les Moines knows a lot more than she's letting on!

[@GrimlyFiendish-d6z]

Ngl, Captain Naz1 was a worthy opponent of Western champions.

[@pyeitme508]

LOL!