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Propaganda Posters

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Rena Littleson’s Hilarious, Disturbing ‘Truth About Drugs’ Posters

By Judy Berman on

Don’t worry, D.A.R.E. survivors — Rena Littleson has no desire to make you relive that day in middle school when a friendly cop warned your class that even thinking about smoking a joint would land you in jail for at least a decade. In fact, The Truth About Drugs isn’t about currently illegal substances at all. The collection of illustrations mimics the style of propaganda posters to explore some great moments of hysteria in the past, from the outcry against rock ‘n’ roll to segregation to alcohol prohibition to the ban on sex toys. Littleson also throws in an educational poster about the culturally accepted drug coffee and the terrible conditions that face workers who grow and harvest it. Learn the truth after the jump, then visit Littleson’s website to learn more about her work. … Read More

Design

Classic Soviet Anti-Drinking Propaganda Posters

By Marina Galperina on

With various seasonal festivities just around the corner, we know that some of our readers will be tempted to drink a little drink now and again. Spotted at the Poemas del río Wang blog, we’ve rounded up some of the Soviet era’s classic anti-drinking posters. Heed their enthusiastic, frequently constructivist warnings, lest you too are faced with peer scorn because you “got drunk, swore, smashed a tree” and are “ashamed to look people in the face.”

See, it was only with the forced industrialization of Communism and the influx of villagers into the city that drinking had become such a cultural dilemma. In the 19th century, Russians’ per-capita alcohol consumption “was among the lowest in Europe,” we’re informed. Enter: Propaganda posters. From the evil “green snake” of alcoholism, to the man metamorphosed into a belligerent fist, to the personification of a flawed pipe, dancing merrily alongside its drunken maker the terrible factory worker — meet the mascots of temperance and moderation. Just say “Nyet!” … Read More

Design

Cool Faux-Vintage ‘Captain America’ Posters

By Jason Bailey on

When we first received these gorgeous, propaganda-style posters for this week’s Captain America: The First Avenger, commissioned by the Alamo Drafthouse and Mondo, we hesitated to share them — merely out of the fear that a post dedicated to them would amount to little more than a commercial for a big new release. Then we got a look at the movie itself, and figured what the hell, we’ll shill for it — since it’s a work of pure pop bubblegum pleasure, one of the most unabashedly enjoyable pictures in many a moon. (If it is outgrossed by Transformers 3-D, then Americans have lost their will to be entertained.)

One of the many ways that the film sets itself apart from its lesser comic-book movie brethren is in its unique period setting and distinctive production design; as you’ve probably gathered from the trailers, the bulk of the narrative is set in 1942, with Captain America taking on Hitler (specifically, a rogue wing of the Nazi army). That’s why these promotional posters in WWII propaganda art style, as devised by artists Olly Moss, Tyler Stout, and Eric Tan, are so ingenious — they not only promote the picture, but encompass its jazzy aesthetic. Check them out after the jump. … Read More

Design

World War II Anti-VD Propaganda Posters

By Caroline Stanley on

Who knew that safe sex was once considered a matter of national security? According to Mother Jones, STDs took quite a toll on our troops in a pre-penicillin era. To wit, the Union Army documented 100,000 cases of gonorrhea in a two-year period during the Civil War, and the Army discharged more than 10,000 men during World War I due to STD-related health issues. Which would explain these hilariously over-the-top propaganda posters circa World War II. Perhaps we should be offended by the whole “woman as a black widow” vibe happening in a few of them, but we’re too busy laughing out loud. … Read More