Pulp Empire
The Secret History of Comic Book Imperialism
Pulp Empire
The Secret History of Comic Book Imperialism
Publication supported by the Meijer Foundation Fund
As Hirsch details, during World War II—and the concurrent golden age of comic books—government agencies worked directly with comic book publishers to stoke hatred for the Axis powers while simultaneously attempting to dispel racial tensions at home. Later, as the Cold War defense industry ballooned—and as comic book sales reached historic heights—the government again turned to the medium, this time trying to win hearts and minds in the decolonizing world through cartoon propaganda.
Hirsch’s groundbreaking research weaves together a wealth of previously classified material, including secret wartime records, official legislative documents, and caches of personal papers. His book explores the uneasy contradiction of how comics were both vital expressions of American freedom and unsettling glimpses into the national id—scourged and repressed on the one hand and deployed as official propaganda on the other. Pulp Empire is a riveting illumination of underexplored chapters in the histories of comic books, foreign policy, and race.
344 pages | 44 color plates, 6 halftones | 6 x 9 | © 2021
History: American History
Library Science and Publishing: Publishing
Political Science: Diplomacy, Foreign Policy, and International Relations
Sociology: Criminology, Delinquency, Social Control
Reviews
Table of Contents
1 This Is Our Enemy
2 The Wild Spree of the Laughing Sadist
3 Donald Duck’s Atom Bomb
4 The Devil’s Ally
5 American Civilization Means Airstrips and Comic Strips
6 The Free World Speaks
7 Thor Battles the Vietcong
Conclusion: The Ghosts among Us
Acknowledgments
Notes
Index
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