Egghead plays with dynamite!
Navy Department safety poster in cartoon form: a bald, long-headed workman, 'Egghead', pours gasoline from a can into a pail while smoking, with a vapor cloud rising from the pail; two smaller panels show a bystander shouting at him and a grounding wire. The technique is a fear-appeal by comic example, showing the consequence of the careless act and giving a plain rule under each panel.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1945
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- U.S. Navy Department (artist signature: Thorndike)
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- Military
- Regime
- Roosevelt Administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Audience
- Own forces
- Purpose
- Warn or inform
- Themes
- War and the military, Health
- 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)
U.S. Navy Department. National Archives and Records Administration, RG 44, 44-PA-717 (NAID 514204).
Text on the object
egghead plays with dynamite! gasoline explodes with force of dynamite! avoid static fires by connecting wire ground safety cans do not insure against the dangers of smoking GAS VAPOR [signature:] Thorndike [imprint:] NAVY DEPARTMENT SAFETY POSTER [imprint:] U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1945-O-634758
