Duck & Cover: Donald in Uniform

[Marc Ponto]

I’ve enjoyed the discussion of Donald Duck’s participation in World War
II. While the comics referred to the war only tangentially, we are still
left with many striking images from the cartoon shorts and other
propaganda efforts of the Disney studio. The most prominent example is
the unique character insignia created at the request of numerous
military units.  Donald himself became the belligerent mascot for more
than 200 outfits. To help visualize this period, I’ve posted a number of
illustrations:

http://www.snap-pop.bigstep.com/

I’ll continue to add images that I’ve gathered from different sources
after giving them a more consistent look. If anyone finds that the web
page loads too slowly, I can make some adjustments. If the page isn’t
accessible at all, it’s probably due to the lag time required for a new
site to make its way around the internet. Just try it again tomorrow.
Meanwhile- for an entertaining and informative treatment of Walt
Disney’s involvement in the war, I would recommend Disney Dons Dogtags:
The Best of Disney Military Insignia From World War II, by Walton Rawls
(1992, Abbeville Press).


Marc Ponto
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
USA