Axidunce cartoon: Safety rules, Exhibit A, he doesn't observe rules
Pen cartoon: a bandaged worker on a crutch, arm in a sling, wears a dunce cap labelled 'AXIDUNCE' beneath a 'Safety Rules' board of ten scribbled lines; a sign reads 'Exhibit A He doesn't observe rules'. The invented label 'Axidunce' casts careless workers as helpers of the Axis by mockery, with the injuries as a fear-appeal.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1941
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- Office of War Information, cartoon by Leo
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- State
- Regime
- Roosevelt Administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Warn or inform
- Themes
- Labor, Home front
- Event
- World War II
- Regime
- Roosevelt administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Source
- Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- Source
- U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 44, World War II Posters, retrieved October 4, 2026
- Rights
- Public domain (U.S. government work)
Office of War Information. National Archives and Records Administration, RG 44, 44-PA-441J (NAID 513908).
Text on the object
SAFETY RULES 1 [illegible scribble] 2 [illegible scribble] 3 [illegible scribble] 4 [illegible scribble] 5 [illegible scribble] 6 [illegible scribble] 7 [illegible scribble] 8 [illegible scribble] 9 [illegible scribble] 10 [illegible scribble] AXIDUNCE EXHIBIT A HE DOESN'T OBSERVE RULES [imprint:] OWI-1986 [signature:] Leo FOR OWI
The ten rules are drawn as scribbled lines, not readable text.
