Content note: Ethnic slur 'Japs' in a worker's speech bubble. This object is shown as it was published. Why
Hit 'Em with Copper, Zinc, Lead
A miner in a helmet says 'Gosh, would I like to take a crack at those Japs!' and a gaunt Uncle Sam answers that he is doing it with every ton of ore he mines. The slur names the enemy in the worker's own voice and the poster turns that anger into a production task.
- Date
- 1942
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- U.S. Army, printed by the Government Printing Office; drawn by Rollin Kirby
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- Military
- Regime
- Roosevelt Administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Themes
- Home front, Labor, War and the military
- Event
- World War II
- Techniques
- Name-calling
- Regime
- Roosevelt administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Source
- Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- Source
- UNT Digital Library, University of North Texas Libraries (World War II Posters collection), ark:/67531/metadc310, retrieved October 2, 2026
- Rights
- Public domain (U.S. federal work; federal imprint on poster)
UNT Libraries, UNT Digital Library, World War II Posters (metadc310). Rights basis: federal imprint/credit: 'U.S. Government Printing Office: 1942'.
Text on the object
Hit 'em with Copper, Zinc, Lead GOSH, WOULD I LIKE TO TAKE A CRACK AT THOSE JAPS! YOU'RE DOIN' IT EVERY DAY-WITH EVERY TON OF ORE YOU MINE TO MAKE TANKS, PLANES AND GUNS ROLLIN KIRBY
Imprint at foot reads 'U.S. Government Printing Office: 1942 O-487104' as read from the scan.
