Comic Books and The Cold War

Comics as Propaganda

Captain America

• Was first written in the 1940’s as an Anti-Nazi WWII propaganda.

• The first cover shows

Capt. America throwing down with Hitler. (March 1941)

Captain America and The Cold War

• Once WWII ended- artist create Communist Villains for Captain America to fight.

The Red Skull The Red Skull began as a Nazi Terrorist

And then was altered to become a Soviet Terrorist to fight Captain America.

-Red was frequently the color associated

With the Soviet and Communist Powers.

-Other than U.S.S.R what countries to we Know of that are Communist?

-Which of those countries flags have Red in them?

USSR

China Cuba

Laos

Vietnam NorthKorea

Supreme Soviets

Superman & the Cold War• Superman has a dream of a nuclear Holocaust

and ponders if he should destroy all the Nuclear Weapons, but decides that will only make matters worse.

• "I wouldn't be hurt by nuclear war… I'd be the only survivor… If I let it happen!" -Superman

Iron Man

• Iron Man was the superhero alter-ego of Tony Stark- who was wounded and captured in Vietnam and has to develop weapons for the Communist North Vietnamese.

• Secretly Stark constructs his Iron Man suit and escapes the Vietnamese.

Iron Man in 1965Iron Man takes on the Soviet version of himself. Known as Titanium Man whoIs the alter-ego of Boris Bullski.

-Boris (that’s not a stereotypical Russian name.

-How does the “American” Iron Man talk to the “Soviet” Titanium Man?

-What are some loaded words that are used within the Comic?

How do you think that this Comic would impact the youth during the Cold War that read it?

Iron Man- 198015 years later the Story of these toComics takes a turn. Imagery and Stereotypes also are changed.

How have the two Characters changed since the 1965 Version?

How does Iron Man’s behaviorChange from the1895 Version?

Cold War in Film & TV