Reds Under The Bed: Early Cold War Comic Books

The Red Scare, The Red Menace, Reds under the bed, whatever you want to call it, America went utterly loony-tunes Daffy Duck screwy ya-ya ga-ga during the late 1940s and right though into the 1960s, over the idea of communism. Mass hysteria doesn't even begin to cover how large sections of society were whipped-up into a such a state of paranoia that they were seeing pinko commies on every street corner.
Movies, books, music, comic books, producers of every form of popular media consumed by the masses jumped on the bandwagon. There has always been money to be made in stoking the irrational fears of a people, and people were more than ready to exploit that fear. Whether they believed that fear was real or not.

All jokes aside though, the hype and hysteria over being considered "un-American" was a serious problem for many people. The period saw large swathes of intelligentsia and artistic communities of the United States being put under scrutiny, because they often had what were perceived to be left-wing ideals. If you didn't fit into the strict, uptight conservationism of the period, it wouldn't be long before someone pointed a damning finger at you a screamed "Commie!!!" Such was the paranoia. Didn't go to church? Commie! Didn't button-up your collar? Commie!! Didn't watch Howdy Doody with your perfect little nuclear family? Commie!!!

There is little winder that under this yoke of media and cultural pressure, it allowed for the rise of McCarthyism, and the subsequent show trial witch hunts that followed.
Strange, after quelling the madness of far-right fascism, that the blind hatred of communism allowed the rise of the absolute right-wing insanity of Joseph McCarthy. A man that lied about his war record to gain a Senate seat in 1946. The House Un-American Activities Committee, that McCarthy is closely associated with was already established, formed in 1938. But it was the committee's witch hunt that went into overdrive from 1947, when they started to target movie industry professionals to testify about their known or suspected membership in the Communist Party. Even claiming the "Fifth Amendment" didn't help them, as McCarthy simply referred to them as "Fifth Amendment Communists", for daring to exercise their constitution rights. With that the FBI's head J. Edgar Hoover's fervent anti-communism and internal battle with the CIA, having CIA members put under surveillance, everything was in place for the madness that unfolded. A madness that allowed right-wing religiously affiliated groups to get a foot-hold with blatant propaganda that was designed to whip-up fear and push forward their own insidious agenda. And thus a widespread social and cultural phenomenon developed, that was as every bit as controlling, nasty and oppressive as that of the communists that they feared.
Published by Impact, an imprint of the anti-communist Cathechetical Guild (1960).
The legacy of all this still runs deep within American society, being called a "socialist" is to this day a slur.  But for those who have a grip on reality, looking back at some of the propaganda that was produced during that period is hysterically funny. Especially some of the outrageously twisted comic books that were produced, often by publishers with strong religious affiliations.

Filled with wonderful period artwork, and laughable story-lines, they're a great snap-shot of the crazy heights that the hysteria reached. That in subsequent years have become quirky, if at times a little creepy, items of vintage ephemera. Displaying the hype of the times perfectly within the pages of what was at the time considered a throw-away item. Fortunately some have survived down the years.
Here we present three examples that best encapsulate the period. From the 1947 ominously entitled "Is This Tomorrow: America Under Communism", created just as the fear was beginning to peak. Through to "American Under Socialism", produced in 1950 when the Red Scare was at its apogee. To "Two Faces Of Communism" from 1961, as slowly the fervour of The Red Scare was on the decline. As religious crazies tried attempted to continue to fan the flames. The embers of which would flare up again against the counter-culture movement of the late 60s, and carried on through to the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s.
Psychological Warfare In The Korean War - During the Korean War, the use of leaflet drops as a propaganda tool was huge. An insight into what has since become a sophisticated science.
Pocket Guide To China (1942): "How To Spot A Jap" Comic - A piece of WWII propaganda that's so bad, you wonder whether the top-brass were all on drugs when the authorised its release. 
Is This Tomorrow: America Under Communism (1947): Published by Catechetical Guild Educational Society, St. Paul, Minnesota. Between the late 1940s and into the mid-70s, the Catechetical Guild produced an extensive number of comic book titles. The Catholic based groups comics didn't necessarily sit on news-stands next to the superhero comics, but they did make their way into the hands of young people via their church network. They produced almost exclusively religious and political propaganda tomes. Among their publications are the weird cult comic classics, such as Firebrands Of Christ (1947) and God's Heroes In America (1956).
America Under Socialism (1950): Published by The National Research Bureau, Inc., Chicago, Illinois. Despite its official government sounding name, The National Research Bureau is a private company. Established in 1933 by William H. Wood in Chicago, it has been a leader in the publishing industry, producing a wide range of products and information services throughout the world. Still in existence today, they are still a major propaganda machine, just that today it's called "marketing".
Two Faces Of Communism (1961): Published by the Christian Anti-Communism Crusade of Houston, Texas. The CACC was founded by Australian born Dr. Fred Schwarz in 1940, originally in Australia, later in the United States. Dr. Schwarz railed against the dangers of communism for most of his adult life. Giving talks to capacity crowds of thousands, writing a number of books and publishing a regular fortnightly pro-Christian / anti-Communist newsletter for almost 40 years. 
Punching Hitler: WWII Era Comic Book Covers - Comic books were in their infancy when WWII broke out, and it wasn't long before the industry joined the war effort in defeating the enemy.
Walt Disney's World War II Propaganda Films - During World War II the United States government turned to Walt Disney, to help boost the morale of the people.