CAPTAIN AMERICA

What is it ? It’s the front page of a comic

What is a comic ? It is a thin periodical which originated in 1933 And it gained popularity after the publication of Action Comics which included the debut of Superman There was a boom of superheroes until the end of WW2 The 1950s saw a gradual decline, due especially to new censorship laws and the spread of television. The 1960s saw a superhero revival, and superheroes continue to be the dominant character archetype into the 21st century today.

What were they printed on ?

They were printed on cheap wood pulp paper that’s why they were referred to as ‘the  pulps ’    

What was their size ?

7 inches ( 17/18 cm ) wide by 10 inches ( 25/26 cm) high

Who was the cartoonist?

His name was John Romita

Who wrote the story? His name was Stan Lee

It was first published in  ………    by ……………………..                          by  Jack  Kirby and Stan Lee.

1941

Marvel s Comics

The hero ,whose name is …………….. is a frail young man who became very strong after drinking an experimental ……………            during …………………………….  and  he helped the American government He was created at the beginning to spread American propaganda among the soldiers of WW2

Steve Rogers

serum

World War II

A shield which can be a weapon too

The Historical Background When was this issue ( n°78) published ? In 1954

What happened in the world at that time ? This is the period of the --------------------------------- which opposed ----------------------- & -------------------- from ------- to --------

Cold War

the USA The USSR 1947 1991

What happened in the USA ? This is the time of ---------------------------- ( also known as the Red Scare or the Witch Hunt from 1950 to 1956 ) A commission led by senator Joseph Maccarthy accused 1000s of Americans of being ------------------------ or -----------------------sympathizers and they became the subject of aggressive investigations.

Maccarthysm

Communists Communist

Here is an example of U.S. anti-Communist literature of the 1950s, specifically addressing the entertainment industry

Analysing details in the foreground A commie is a derogatory term for Communist

The reader is invited to an exciting Communist hunt

His face reminds us that of ---------------- who governed the USSR from 1953 to 1964

Nikita Kroutchev

The Hammer and sickle , part of Communist symbolism

The ----------------------------, again

This is ---------------, his real name is Ivan Kronov and he is the results of Soviet experiments. He is extremely strong. He’s wearing a soldier’s (boots and belt)uniform and his mission is to kill CA

Electro

His name is -------------------, CA’s right arm man ,he has no super powers but he’s very clever.

Bucky

Hammer and Sickle

You will notice the difference of colours: the ugly green vs the nice shade of blue Green represents evil (USSR) whereas the colour blue symbolizes justice and America

A winged helmet like that of Hermes (messenger of the Gods)

The letter A stands for America

Stars and stripes which are parts of the American Flag, called ------------------------------------------------

the Star Spangled Banner

His shield is made of an indestructible alloy. It can be linked to the nuclear power of the US

Analysing details in the background

The ugly and vicious faces of the communist hordes, disorganized .

The message a)In the lay out(disposition) & colours

There is a hierarchy in the lay out of the characters •The hero is in the foreground together with his main enemy •His right arm man and his other enemy are in the middle ground •The soldiers are in the background. this hierarchy aims at helping us decipher the scene

The use of bright colours aims at striking the attention like in an advertisement. The cartoonist used an ugly green for Electro ------- show he is evil whereas he used a nice shade of blue for CA - ------ show he represents justice and the US .

to to

b) In the character of CA Remember, CA used to be created --------------- spread propaganda --------------- -------------- CA is meant to be a model , an example for the American soldier during WW2 and for the American population during the Cold War CA is supposed to be the embodiment of America’s strength against the evil force of Communism symbolized by the USSR. His body is very muscular --------------------- show the US power --------------------- -------------------- He has supernatural powers and is invincible ----------------------- he can defeat his enemies

So as to In order to

to

So as to In order to

to so that

GOING  FURTHER  ….some links with the work •It can also remind us of the film Iron Man which was released in 2008 and where the American hero fights with other enemies : the Talibans in Afghanistan. • Wham, a painting by Roy Lichtenstein (1963) one of the earliest pop art works of art

It shows a plane firing a rocket at a an enemy plane which explodes in flames. The title is an onomatopoeia.

• Generally speaking , in time of crisis, the USA have always liked to strengthen the feeling of national unity

Here is a March 1941 issue of Captain America where we can see the hero , punching Hitler. It aims of course at denouncing ----------- Nazism

• When it was the war in Viet Nam, The Green Berets (1968)was trying to counter the anti-war atmosphere of the time. It starts with a 20 minute justification of that war…much anti-communism as well in this film….

The trailer of The Winter Soldier