Content note: German soldiers drawn as grotesque caricatures in a comic strip about a captured American soldier; hosted as printed. This object is shown as it was published. Why
Joe Dope camouflaged his Garand
Three-panel rifle-care cartoon: Joe Dope buries his Garand in sand, the gun fails to fire, and caricatured German soldiers take him prisoner behind barbed wire. The 'Don't be a dope!' tag is name-calling at the careless soldier; capture is the fear-appeal.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1942
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- Ordnance Department, U.S. Army; artist Will Eisner
- 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-1143H (NAID 514701).
Text on the object
Joe Dope camouflaged his Garand By burying it deep in the sand; He leapt from the mire, But the gun wouldn't fire_ So the Nazis took Joseph in hand! Don't be a dope! HANDLE EQUIPMENT RIGHT [signature: PVT. Will Eisner, ABERDEEN PVG. GDS.] [imprint:] U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1942-O-478615 [imprint:] ORDNANCE DEPARTMENT, U. S. ARMY
