Fredrik Stromberg’s Comic Art Propaganda: A Graphic History examines the manipulative power of a medium all too often dismissed as mere superficial entertainment.
From WWII-era Batman and Superman raising war bonds to girl-power oriented manga and rare, Christianity-heavy Archie strips, the book’s collected images feature ideology-charged visual narratives that show a different platform for the art form. Though featured comics vary in subject from racism and religion to sex and drugs, the range of underlying messages is far more nuanced — and absurd — than the obvious “us versus them” subtext.
Check out Fredrik Stromberg’s website, learn about comic censorship from fellow historian David Hajdu, and buy a copy of the book
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Click through below for a gallery of images from the book.
