Misled by publicity stuff Joe Dope feels it's smart to be rough
Vehicle-care cartoon for soldiers in the Joe Dope series: a caricatured driver is thrown up out of a leaping jeep while parts rain down onto a wrecked chassis, and a small mechanic at lower left kneels with hands together. The verse and 'Don't be a dope!' use name-calling aimed at the careless driver, softened by humour.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1943
- 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-1143M (NAID 514709).
Text on the object
Misled by publicity stuff Joe Dope feels it's smart to be rough While driving a jeep - With a spin and a leap - Which makes the repairman's job tough! @!#*!*! OUCH Don't be a dope! HANDLE EQUIPMENT RIGHT [signature: W/O Will Eisner, ORDNANCE] [imprint:] U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1943-O-553727 [plate number:] 24
