That’s Not All Folks: The Cold War, Communism, and Cartoons
Open Access
- Author:
- Rickert, Lauren
- Area of Honors:
- Communication Arts and Sciences
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Arts
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Mary High, Thesis Honors Advisor
Stephen Howard Browne, Thesis Supervisor - Keywords:
- Warner Bros.
Marvin the Martian
Cold War
Communism
Chuck Jones
Visual Rhetoric
Depiction of War
Cartoons - Abstract:
- After World War II, the U.S. and the Soviet Union fought to be the superpower of the world. The two countries were divided by their history, ideology, and strategic interests (Hinderaker, 748). The U.S. government perceived communism as un-American, and communist ideology was a threat to the American dream. Americans feared communism and communists, and this fear drove the U.S. to create government committees to investigate communist infiltrations. The House of Un-American Activities Committee targeted the Hollywood film industry and its workers. The Warner Bros. Animation Studios was targeted by HUAC in 1947 because of Jack and Henry Warner’s involvement in ideological leftist organizations like the Anti-Nazi League. In the months following the HAUC investigation of Warner Bros., Charles M. “Chuck” Jones led a subtle counterattack towards the HUAC investigators. He designed character representative of a Soviet Union communist, Marvin the Martian. Marvin was the foundation for depicting the communists and the Cold War in Warner Bros. films. This thesis will dive into how Chuck Jones was intentional with the character development of his Cold War influenced cartoon characters. By analyzing three of the seven episodes that Marvin the Martian appears in, this thesis will argue Warner Bros. used visual rhetoric and the current events to shape their cartoons into political statements. Finally, this thesis will draw parallels between U.S. foreign policies and the Warner Brother films.