The year was 1940, Hitler and his army of evil had invaded Poland and were beginning their assault on France. Here in the United States, still recovering from the Depression, many people wished to stay out of the conflict. However, in New York, three Jewish artists for Timely Comics (now called Marvel), knowing full well what the Nazis stood for, decided that they should take a clear stand against the Nazi Blitzkrieg. Therefore, on December 20 1940, almost a full year before Pearl Harbor, Joe Simon, Jack Kirby, and Stanley Lieber (aka Stan Lee) released Captain America #1 with an image of a tall impressive American soldier, wearing a red, white, and blue jumpsuit, and holding a shield, punching Adolf Hitler in the face.
As the U.S. entered the war, Captain America (like Mickey Mouse and many other popular characters) was used to sell war bonds and for other causes to help the war effort. In the years since, Captain America has certainly evolved but still kept the same basic principle. The so-called “Star-Spangled Man” continues to symbolize freedom and protection. His iconic shield is different than the weapons of many similar characters, as the shield is inherently a symbol of protection from violence, not of violence itself. During the 1940’s, this character was undeniable successful for selling war bonds and promoting American ideals and his image as a noble promoter of freedom has in our era, elevated him to the status of heading the world´s most popular film franchise. While Steve Rogers(aka Captain America) is a fictional character who never actually punched Hitler, the men and women he represented metaphorically did, and like Captain Rogers, upon returning home, continued to stand up for the values they fought for overseas at home, even if that meant opposing their own government as they were the ones to start the post-war Civil Rights Movement among other things. The appeal of Captain America is the idea of a someone motivated by higher ideals. By releasing that comic in 1940, Simon, Kirby, and Lee were not just there to entertain but were also taking a clear moral stance against the greatest evil the world has ever known.
Very detailed and full of fascinating information. Title was creative and caught my attention. For next time, eliminating run on sentences and dividing big paragraphs into smaller ones will make your blogs easier to read. Overall really interesting and well written blog.
It was interesting reading about the origins of this character of whom I previously had limited background knowledge. The level of patriotism found in popular media is becoming increasingly clear to me as I read the civic artifact blogs.
Really interesting. I like your analysis of the shield. The left often talks about “punching Nazis” as a necessary act of patriotism (with which I don’t fully disagree). Wonder if this ultimately comes from Captain America?
That’s interesting that you brought up the “punching Nazis” argument on that is often seen on the modern left. Social media posts I see often invoke Captain America along with other Nazi punching fictional characters (Indian Jones). While I understand their argument, I don’t think that we should use violence to solve civilian problems. The Nazis of the 1940s were soldiers responsible for the deaths of millions and the Nazis of today are idiots with tiki torches.
Though I have never read the marvel comics, it is very interesting that the first hero came out of World War II. I often marvel at how literature changes based on the situation happening around the world at present. Today, with Captain America being such a large Marvel Character, it is interesting to see the impact this fictitious character has had over our outlook on United States patriotism and history today.
It is amazing that the hero Captain America was created during World War II using art to speak on a a serious problem. The fact that people came together to create art, in order to create change, is important and reoccurs throughout history. Your passion on this subject is great.