The Saber and Scroll
both quirky , colorful entertainment and cultural and historical commentary . Superheroes — namely Superman , Captain America , Batman , and Wonder Woman — are unique cultural icons that have only recently been studied as primary sources and as windows into the history of American culture and entertainment during war times . Just as certain forms of art are products of their times , comic books offer an artistic and entertaining lens through which to study twentieth-century America . Beginning with the first several decades of the 1900s , through World War II , the Cold War era , the post-nuclear era , and the War on Terror , there are many comic book storylines and characters that not only reflect American society during times of foreign and domestic conflict , but they also show how that society reacted . These books are “ mythology that is forever adjusting to meet society ’ s needs .” 1 Perhaps more than any other medium of entertainment in the twentieth century , superhero comics are primary sources of historical events told through cape-wearing , shield-wielding , superpowered fictional heroes .
DC ’ s Superman is widely considered to be the first comic book superhero in American literature , but before his debut in 1938 and the subsequent superhero boom of World War II , comic strips were primarily devoted to condemning vices like gambling and drinking or supporting a cause in foreign conflicts . 2 Newspapers and periodicals during World War I became famous for publishing short political cartoons that showed the United States as a savior of Europe , condemning Germany and German culture , and promoting American patriotism and the domestic war effort . Though political cartoons are a different medium with a different audience , its use of colorful characters , caricatures , and quote blurbs are a similar style of entertainment and social commentary as that of comic books . It was during World War I that the venerable image of Uncle Sam cemented its place in American literary and art history . Just as “ doughboys ” became slang for American soldiers and symbolized heroism during the war , Uncle Sam called for patriotic duty in joining the U . S . Army . 3 The poster designed by James Montgomery Flagg was one of 46 the artist did as patriotic propaganda for the U . S . government . The character of Uncle Sam is drawn as a stern , strong older man wearing a blue coat , a red bowtie , and a white hat with a ribbon of white stars on a blue background . The poster reads : “ I want YOU for the U . S . Army . Enlist Now .” 4 This recruitment poster , done in 1917 — when the U . S . entered the war — was a precursor to American comic book artists summing up “ an entire national character in the form of a single iconic figure .” 5
For those back home during World War I , comic strips in newspapers and periodicals offered a window into soldiers ’ lives overseas . Comics like Bud Fisher ’ s “ Mutt and Jeff ” and Capt . Alban Butler ’ s “ Happy Days ” allowed “ readers of all levels of education to participate virtually in a fight they had to support remotely .” 6 Before moving pictures and television , comics were a widely accessible way to promote causes and entertain the masses . Some
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