Joe Dope cleaned his rifle, oh yes
Four-panel rifle-cleaning cartoon: Joe Dope cleans his rifle once, misses the target a week later and is berated by a sergeant, with a barrel cross-section showing pitting. The 'Don't be a dope!' tag is name-calling, and the technique is faint beside the practical instruction.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1941
- 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-1143HH (NAID 514702).
Text on the object
Joe Dope cleaned his rifle, oh yes- But he cleaned it just once- and in less Than a week the thing pits So Joe gets no more hits And the sergeant's remarks you can guess! [target board:] SCORE JOE DOPE BULLS EYES MISSES [banner:] ONE WEEK LATER AFTER ONLY ONE CLEANING RIFLE SWEATS.... FORMING PITS IN BARREL, DESTROYING ACCURACY Moral: RIFLES SHOULD BE CLEANED EVERY DAY FOR THREE DAYS AFTER USE! Don't be a dope! HANDLE EQUIPMENT RIGHT! [signature: WARRANT OFF. Will Eisner, ORDNANCE] [imprint:] P.M.U. H.O.D. 19/6-14 [imprint:] ORDNANCE DEPARTMENT U. S. ARMY
