| Old film reels from the 1940s to the 1960s give us an interesting view on the state of world affairs past and present. It seems ridiculous now to see images of people covering themselves with blankets in the event of a nuclear strike, or of the kitchens of the future self-waxing while they cook dinner for eight.
Or does it? The images may have changed, but our current headlines and 30-second TV spots are a mangled mess of Swiffer products and breaking news updates on CNN – from the Winona Ryder trial to the daily nuke report from the Axis of Evil.
Throwing a cog into the propaganda machine is illustrator and writer Micah Wright. At micahwright.com you can view old war posters that are remixed propaganda. The images are the same, but the text has been updated for the George W. Bush version of America. From global warming to the current operation in Iraq, Wright is eerily on the mark, showing how little times have changed. In one poster a soldier carries his wounded comrade, and the caption reads: "We caught hell... so you’d forget Enron." Another shows a man covering his eyes from a broken gas mask, with the tag line: "Never remove your blinders!" You’ll find a link to over 100 of these images, in addition to a biography of Wright and his work for television.
All the images can be bought in poster, T-shirt, greeting card or bag format through a link to Café Press, so if you’ve left your Christmas shopping late this year, you’re in luck. Happy holidays comrade! |
