Life changed dramatically for civilians during WWII. The homefront was characterized by sacrifice of luxuries and enrollment in the various duties of the Civil Defense Corps. The World War II-era cartoons in this collection focus on the uncertainty and paranoia of civilians under threat of attack, all served with a dollop of black humor.
“Oh, come now. With all that’s happening these days you don’t think you could frighten me?”
March 7, 1942
“I’m so glad Mr. Burley is a fatalist. We were one mask short.”
Fred Price; March 7, 1942
“I think I’ll quit, boys — I find it impossible to concentrate on poker with the war going on.”
July 4, 1942
“Of course the Messerschmitt Me-109F has a high ceiling and speed, but don’t forget that our P-38 does 404 mph and climbs 35,000 feet, and also that our Turbo-supercharged B-17 carries 4 tons of bombs and outclimbs both the Me-110 and the Me-109F.”
Colin Allen; August 29, 1942
Bill O’Malley; December 19, 1942
“And, then, just to make absolutely sure, we always just sit in the dark.”
Gardner Rea; June 5, 1943
“What the heck did we do every evening before this war started?”
Dave Gerard; December 4, 1943
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