Number 1017


Poison Ivan and Hotzki Trotsky


There's a reverse propaganda thing going on in this story by Simon and Kirby from Fighting American #3. The cartoon commies, Poison Ivan and Hotzki Trotsky, are spreading the "poison of propaganda" (Trotsky's words) to children, while Simon and Kirby are selling their own.

I find this jingoism entertaining as a cultural artifact of my growing-up years. We worried about communism in the 1950s, but I worried less about the ideological difference between governments than the threat of an atom bomb being dropped on my town. I first read the story in the mid-'60s Harvey reprint edition, and thought it was funny on a couple of levels, artistically and politically.

The story, classic Jack Kirby, is full of his dynamic artwork. The action panels are beauties.