Don't be a dope! Handle equipment right (Joe Dope and the barbed wire)
Equipment-care cartoon for soldiers: a wide-eyed soldier clutches the windshield of a jeep whose tires are shredded and wrapped in orange barbed wire. The verse says Joe Dope thinks a tire is 'immune to barbed wire', 'any more than his seat'. The slogan 'Don't be a dope!' is name-calling aimed at the careless driver, softened by humour.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1942
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- Ordnance Department, U.S. Army; artist Pvt. Will Eisner, Aberdeen Proving Ground
- 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
- Theme
- War and the military
- 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)
Ordnance Department, U.S. Army. National Archives and Records Administration, RG 44, 44-PA-1143W (NAID 514726).
Text on the object
No obstacle that he may meet Ever forces Joe Dope to retreat, For he thinks that a tire Is immune to barbed wire - Which it ain't (any more than his seat) [signature: PVT. Will Eisner, ABERDEEN PNG. GDS.] Don't be a dope! HANDLE EQUIPMENT RIGHT [imprint:] U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1942-O-478619 [imprint:] ORDNANCE DEPARTMENT, U.S. ARMY
