Seabeewife

For you to say that these are "gay" is completely out of line. The men that gave their lives for this country and you deserve some respect. So the art is of the human body, so what? Just because someone has their shirt off doesn't make them gay. I find this extremely offensive and think that you should be ashamed of yourself. My husband is in the Navy, a Seabee to be exact, and I am proud that he is serving his country and protecting your freedom and mine. I feel terribly sorry for you. Good thing that after this I will never think of you again.

floresarts

Thanks so much for posting these images. I am a graphic designer who has always been fascinated by advertising and propaganda art from the Depression era through the 1950's. These are a wonderful glimpse into the American psyche during the WWII era on so many levels. Interesting to witness our definition of "masculinity" change over the years. Oh, and as a gay man, I just think these are fabulously fun and campy! :-D

cmennucci

hahaha this is too much! I would have never thought of it like that having seen just one or two but it's like Westside Story...seemed to be so tough in the day and you look at it now and it seems so gay.

jasonbentley

biblio: you're dead-on about the resemblance to pulp fiction paperback covers. Most of these posters were created by wage-earning, working class artists who made the transition from the New Deal work programs (responsible for some of the most compelling graphic design in American history) to the War effort and then on to the publishing industry as the War came to a close. It was assembly line work (the kind of work that vexed and later fascinated the young Andy Warhol), done free-lance. Therefore much of the anonymous commercial art done post-1945 is the handiwork of a relatively small group of working professionals, mostly based out of New York. Pulp novels, movie posters, text-books, Boy Scout manuals, magazines, ads...the list goes on.

bibliolept

I guess that we can make fun of these generations as well as give them their due. The first one and the last one are the best; in fact, that submarine poster's style is uncannily similar to "bored housewives' trashy novel" cover art.

jasonbentley

Hai, Ninja, that's cuz it's the US Navy. :-) If one spends any time in San Diego during shore leave, the air of ambiguity hangs very heavy over the wooded groves of Balboa Park. ;-) Ahoy, ahoy

ninjapirate007

these are strangely homoerotic

Yoda2

Very cool...love these.