I posted this 1943 comic book cover on my Facebook page yesterday and got quite a strong reaction from it. Seems most people have forgotten who really won World War II. It wasn’t only Captain America and Spy Smasher – They had ample help from the likes of Bugs Bunny, Andy Panda and Gandy Goose.

Courtesy of some quick research on Mike’s Amazing World website, I created a gallery of 15 comics covers from the war years (thumbnails below) – featuring popular characters from Disney, Warner Bros., Terrytoons and Walter Lantz as well as some lesser known rabbits from Fawcett and Timely. Characters from from MGM, Famous Studios and Screen Gems also did their bit – on screen.

And it wasn’t only “brand name” cartoon super-stars that helped in the war effort. Even obscure characters from obscure studios chipped in. Here’s a great example, from the Ted Eshbaugh Studio (more stuff like this is featured on the oft-plugged Cartoons For Victory Vol. 1 and Vol. 2):

Here’s the gallery of patriotic covers I spoke about:

Don’t expect to see this one on DVD anytime soon…

And now you know!

Jerry Beck

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