US propaganda comic book from 1983 on invasion of Grenada

[Unclebananahead]

I just discovered this hardcore little reactionary piece of invective, while doing research for a new video project, and thought I'd share it with the rest of you here. Amusingly enough, this propaganda is in the form of a comic book, and moreover, the art is eerily reminiscent of the sort of comic book art I remember in the miniature comics that came with action figures back in the 80's when I was a wee lad. Of course the 'reds' are portrayed as inveterate villains and enemies of freedom, human dignity, and apple pie (big surprise coming from the Reagan administration).

[Unclebananahead]

:ohmy:

[Unclebananahead]

:laugh:

[Unclebananahead]

;)

[Ismail]

Similar comic books were produced in the 1950's. See: http://www.shunpiking.com/books/GOD/Chapter05.htm

Featuring stories of frenzied sanguinary battles, devastating air raids, murderous hand-to-hand combat and barbarous atrocities, with most of the action laid in Korea, the war comics overflow with pictures of grim-faced or grinning American soldiers smashing in the heads of bestial-looking Chinese and North Korean soldiers with rifle butts, blowing them to pieces with hand grenades, and slaughtering them with machine guns, trench knives and flame throwers. A typical cover drawing, appearing on the August 1952 issue of War Front, depicted an American GI plunging his bayonet into the stomach of a North Korean soldier with the comment: "It was either him or me! I lunged forward and felt his belly collapse before the cold steel!" The same issue of War Front contained a prefatory note which read as follows:

Know The Truth! See the facts of war come alive at a mile-a-minute clip! . . . Thrills explode on every page as the fury of war comes forth . . .

History of Battle! The story of glory and gore with all its moments of terror and tension . . .

Fox-Hole Guts! Death shrieks in every shell! . . .

Truth! Action! History! Guts! Thrills! Suspense! The drama unfolds in War Front.

Such are the images of human degradation and war which are being crammed wholesale into the impressionable minds of the nation's children through the medium of the comics.

"Never before in the history of the world," notes Gershon Legman, "has a literature like this, specifically for children, ever existed."

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

GRENADA – RESCUED FROM RAPE AND TORTURE
There is a rumor of an American “black” operation during the invasion of Grenada. According to the rumor, the Central Intelligence Agency prepared and airdropped a pro-American anti-Communist comic book over the Island in an attempt to explain why the Americans had come. The following is what has been implied about this operation.
A private comic book entrepreneur named Malcolm Ater founded Malcolm Ater Productions in New York City in July 1946. By 1950, Malcolm Ater Productions was called Commercial Comics Inc., now based in Washington DC. Ater seems to have specialized in political comics, producing them for Senator Scott Lucas, Connecticut Governor Chester Bowles, Senator Brien McMahon, Congressman Al Loveland and Arkansas Governor Sid McMath. Perhaps because of his independent stature and his location in the nation’s capitol, the CIA is alleged to have used him to produce a 14-page comic book for Grenada. Because this was a black operation, neither the CIA nor Commercial Comics appears anywhere in the book. It is alleged that Ater was paid $35,000 by the CIA for his work on the project.
The cover of the comic depicts Grenadians being murdered by communists, and then freed by Americans, and finally the joyous celebration of the Grenadian people for the American troops. The inside front cover states that the comic is a product of the Victims of International Communist Emissaries (V.O.I.C.E.) and the introduction is signed by A. C. Langdon, 1984. The story tells of Grenadian citizens held hostage in their own homes and later freed by the Americans, and features Antonio Langdon who was held a prisoner in a communist prison for four and one-half years. Langdon tells American reporters how the communists took over power in Grenada. The book ends with the American rescue and gives an address where Langdon can be reached.
The problem with this being a black CIA operation is that the invasion was in 1983 and the book clearly is dated 1984. In addition, it depicts the end of the invasion when that could not be known if the book was dropped during the invasion. It appears that this is clearly a privately produced post-invasion booklet. There seems no way this could be a black operation, but if anyone found these comic books on Grenada during or shortly after the invasion I would like to hear from them.
A West Indian bibliography says:

A U.S. government-backed propaganda comic. By a US citizen living in Grenada; claims to have been shot and tortured by the communist forces.
So, perhaps the comic book was partially paid for by the CIA a year after the attack to explain the U.S. invasion to Grenadians after the fact.


From: http://www.psywarrior.com/GrenadaHerb.html

[Unclebananahead]

I think we need to create more comics. If the CIA can put out comics like this, then so can we. We can put the real villains on display, and help clear away some of the 'blockism' regrettably so prevalent in society. In case anyone isn't familiar with the reference, 'blockism' refers to 'Mr. Block,' who was a character created by IWW cartoonist Ernest Riebe who was the embodiment of all that which a worker should not be; a personification of false consciousness. I urge all of you who are still as of yet unacquainted with the Mr. Block comics to check out the comics available at the link below.

http://www.iww.org/en/category/image-galleries/iww-cartoons/mr-block

Mr. Block is a member of the working class who is depicted being taken in by virtually every sham, dupe, and falsehood of the capitalist system and the ideology it engenders. He shows non-radicalized working people how they're being bamboozled by the bourgeoisie, and how class consciousness, solidarity, and proletarian struggle can re-make society along more equitable lines. I mention it because I think we -- at least the more artistically inclined among us -- should strive to make comics, as well as videos, movies, and games which speak as directly to the interests of the working class as the Mr. Block series. It's a war of ideas folks, and we need to employ the most powerful persuasive tools at our disposal. Just my two cents.

[A Revolutionary Tool]

That first picture makes it look like it the rebels were actually good to me. Just think about it, they come in in 1979 and the people are starving and dieing. Then when they're being rescued by America they are ripped and obviously taken care of. Propaganda fail.

[Agent Ducky]

I'm probably the only one who noticed this, but Fidel spelled "Resistance" wrong. (not resistence).... are they subtly trying to say that Communists can't spell?

[Agent Ducky]

I've seen other anti-communist propaganda comics from general Cold War era. Those are always ridiculous and usually entertaining. The sad part is that people reading it were probably just like "Oh, ok!" *accepts as fact*

[El Chuncho]

I am sure it will be as amusing as Hanzi and the Chick tracts, so I will read it later. For a moment I thought this would be a news story about another one of Frank Miller's filthy anti-black, anti-Persian, anti-Communist, anti-human, anti-liberal pieces.

[blake 3:17]

For more weirdness see Comics With Problems: http://www.ep.tc/problems/

[IndependentCitizen]

I just discovered this hardcore little reactionary piece of invective, while doing research for a new video project, and thought I'd share it with the rest of you here. Amusingly enough, this propaganda is in the form of a comic book, and moreover, the art is eerily reminiscent of the sort of comic book art I remember in the miniature comics that came with action figures back in the 80's when I was a wee lad. Of course the 'reds' are portrayed as inveterate villains and enemies of freedom, human dignity, and apple pie (big surprise coming from the Reagan administration).

'This is communist anarchy'

Best thing ever...