Indian Comics Irregular #92

During World War II, cartoonist Bill Mauldin drew the tribulations of
two haggard soldiers, Willie and Joe. In his view, there was nothing
noble about the dirty business of killing people. As Mauldin wrote
in his book "Up Front" (1945), "The surest way to become a pacifist
is to join the infantry."

But here's a twist. According to material at the 45th Division Museum
in Oklahoma City, Mauldin modeled Willie after Sgt. Rayson Billie,
Choctaw. Billie served with Mauldin in his unit of the 45th Division
(Oklahoma's National Guard) during that period.

"Our information comes right from the horse's mouth," writes Mike
Gonzales, curator. Mauldin himself told the story to the museum's
staff. The museum also has accounts of the story as told by Mauldin
to newspapers and magazines.

That Mauldin used a Native character to provide an alternative
perspective is fitting. Willie and Joe suggested that warfare isn't
about vanquishing enemies triumphantly like a Teddy Roosevelt, John
Wayne, or Rambo. It's about persevering to live and fight another
day, as Indians have done throughout history.

Thanks to correspondent Eulala McDowell Pegram for this timely
information. For more on the Native role in the US military, see
http://www.bluecorncomics.com/military.htm.

Media Reveals Ugly Americans

Americans keep asking themselves why people around the world seem to
dislike them. Well, here's one explanation. From "We Can Thank
Hollywood for Our Ugly-American Image" in the LA Times, 1/21/03:

As reported in "The Next Generation's Image of Americans," Boston
University communication professors Melvin and Margaret DeFleur
surveyed 1,259 teenagers from 12 countries about their attitudes
toward Americans. What they found is astounding.

Few of those surveyed had any direct contact with Americans; only
12% had visited the U.S. But they did have access to American
television programs, movies and pop music, and based on that
exposure, most of these teens considered Americans to be violent,
prone to criminal activity and sexually immoral.

The study found that the more access countries had to American
programs, the higher their negative attitudes toward Americans
tended to be.

"These results suggest that pop culture, rather than foreign
policy, is the true culprit of anti-Americanism," Melvin DeFleur
says.

"The Simpsons" Tackles Indians

"The Simpsons" has satirized many subjects in its record-breaking run.
The 11/26/00 episode titled "Homer vs. Dignity" hit the treatment of
America's indigenous people. As one website described it:

A local parade's salute to American Indian culture includes a huge
model of the Cleveland Indians' controversial, grinning mascot.
"Interesting side note on this float," says a broadcaster covering
the procession. "The papier-mâché is composed entirely of
broken treaties."

This only reinforces what the DeFleurs found. Most people haven't
met an Indian personally. They see a devilish caricature like Chief
Wahoo and conclude all Indians were (are?) savages.

Similarly, Mauldin's cartoons helped deglamorize war. Americans were
much more ambivalent about the next two conflicts they fought: Korea
and Vietnam. The connection between what people see and what they
think couldn't be much clearer.

Rob Schmidt
Blue Corn Comics