Office of War Information WWII Poster, NARA ID 513868.
Office of War Information WWII Poster, NARA ID 514069.
DONALD DUCK & UNCLE SAM! By Miriam Kleiman, Public Affairs
On #National Donald Duck Day, we honor Donald Duck's WWII service at home and overseas.
#OTD 1934 Donald Duck debuted in the Walt Disney film The Wise Little Hen. He soon joined his friend Mickey in cartoons and got his first solo gig in the 1937 short Don Donald. By 1938, he'd passed Mickey in popularity and enlisted to fight in World War II, at the tender age of 9...
Donald Duck Goes to War - and fights the Nazis!
The Walt Disney Studio produced posters and animated films for the to support the war effort. Donald Duck was a popular mascot during the war, appearing on military aircraft noses, emblems for squadrons, and posters. He also appeared in many propaganda cartoons and films including Der Fuehrer's Face, (1942) a satirical look at Hitler and the Nazi regime. The film, originally entitled “Donald Duck in Nutzi Land,” won the 1942 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Subject. Image online.
Original caption: The mascot of a Coast Guard-manned LCI operating in French waters, "Soogie" appears a bit glum as he poses before the likeness of a fighting Donald Duck insigne of the craft. Maybe, "Soogie" is tired of invasions, because he has already been on the scene of action at Sicily, Salerno, and Normandy. NARA ID 205583174.
DONALD DUCK JOINS THE COAST GUARD!
Disney created a special logo for the Coast Guard’s Corsair Fleet.
Donald Duck logo 4/7/1943, NARA ID 205576022.
DONALD DUCK & SMOKEY BEAR? Donald teams with Smokey to fight forest fires
Office of War Information WWII Poster, NARA ID 513938.
Communities were left to deal with wildfires when firefighters deployed to fight in World War II. The Forest Service appealed to the public directly in hopes of making fire prevention a patriotic duty. Posters and slogans included "Forest Fires Aid the Enemy," and "Our Carelessness, Their Secret Weapon."
9/4/1942 letter from RKO Inc. NARA ID 22347025.
This Forest Service program coincided with the release of Disney's popular (and forest-themed) motion picture Bambi. Disney allowed the program to use the film’s characters for one year. Given the broad appeal of cute animals for messaging, the Forest Service chose to continue this outreach in the form of a cute, powerful and strong bear. Smokey debuted on August 9, 1944. Though he never matched Donald in popularity, he continues to underscore the importance of individual caution by reminding us: "Only YOU can prevent wildfires."
More online!
Lights, Camera, Archives! Pieces of History
Uncle Walt, Papa, and The Prom Queen of Soul, The Text Message
Facial Hair Friday: Walt Disney, Presidential Aficionado, Pieces of History
Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives at the Reagan Library
Smokey Bear Fire Prevention PSAs - DocsTeach
