Content note: Frank wartime sex-education comic with explicit symptoms of gonorrhea, a genital anatomy diagram, period slang insults and a caricatured swindling 'Professor'. This object is shown as it was published. Why
Sneaky and the Professor
Four-row colour comic strip for soldiers about venereal disease. A swindling 'Professor' and his contact man sell a fake cure; Sarge throws the contact man out, then lists symptoms and long-term harms (fear-appeal) and sends men to the medical officer. Quacks are labelled with insults (name-calling).
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1943
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- Issuer not printed (U.S. Government Printing Office imprint; artist Broder)
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- Mixed
- Regime
- Roosevelt Administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Audience
- Own forces
- Purpose
- Warn or inform
- Themes
- Health, 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)
Issuer not printed. National Archives and Records Administration, RG 44, 44-PA-1767 (NAID 515440).
Text on the object
SNEAKY AND THE PROFESSOR THE "PROF." SNEAKY SARGE SAY, SNEAKY, I AND YOU CAN MAKE US SOME NEAT CASH IN THIS HERE SOLDIER TOWN. HOW? THERE'S PLENTY SOLDIERS HERE THAT OUGHT TO BE SUCKERS FOR A FINE CLAP REMEDY LIKE THIS. ALL I NEED IS A CONTACT MAN. HOW ABOUT IT? O.K., PROF. NOTHIN' I WOULDN'T DO TO PULL A COUPLA HONEST FISH OFFEN THEM G.I. JERKS. HERE'S MY BUSINESS CARD. O.K., BOSS. I KNOW WHERE TO PASS 'EM OUT. [business card:] MEN SEE THE PROFESSOR FOR FREE ADVICE ON MEN'S DISEASES SURE CURE $2.00 BOTTLE U CURE IT [newspaper:] RACING DOPE LATER ON IN THE LOCAL JUKE JOINT. YOU AIN'T A MAN 'TIL YOU GET A DOSE. I KNOW A GUY WHO GOT IT. IT WAS NO FUN. CAN YOU CURE IT YOURSELF? SURE YOU CAN CURE IT YOURSELF! HERE'S HOW. I'VE SEEN THAT PHONEY CLAP-TRAP BEFORE. HIT THE ROAD, SCUM! I'M GOIN', I'M GOIN', -DON'T HIT ME. WHAT'S UP, SARGE? THAT KINDA PUNK IS CONTACT MAN FOR A PHONEY CLAP DOCTOR. QUACKS LIKE THAT CAN GET YOU IN PLENTY TROUBLE. NOW HERE'S THE STRAIGHT STUFF ON GONORRHEA. THE GONOCOCCUS DIES QUICKLY OUTSIDE - BUT IT'S TOUGHER'N HELL WHEN IT GETS INSIDE YOU. GONOCOCCUS (GONORRHEA GERM) IF YOU DO GET IT, WHEN DO YOU FIND OUT? IN ABOUT A WEEK-YOU'RE A SORRY MESS. ITCHING, BURNING WHEN YOU URINATE, WITH PUS DRIPPING FROM THE END OF YOUR PENIS. NOW THESE SIGNS MAY GO AWAY, BUT DON'T LET THAT FOOL YOU. THE TROUBLE GOES ON JUST THE SAME. [diagram labels:] VAS DEFERENS; BLADDER; PENIS; PROSTATE GLAND; SEMINAL VESICLE; TESTIS; EPIDIDYMIS IN SOME CASES THE BUGS GET WAY UP INSIDE YOU AND RAISE CAIN. YOUR BALLS MAY SWELL UP AND HURT LIKE THE DEVIL. IT MIGHT GET SO SERIOUS YOU CAN NEVER BE A FATHER. IF ANY OF THE PUS EVER GETS IN YOUR EYES, IT CAN MAKE YOU BLIND AS A BAT. EVEN IF NONE OF THESE THINGS HAPPEN, THE BUGS MAY STILL BE THERE - THEN WHEN YOU GET MARRIED, YOU GIVE THE DISEASE TO YOUR WIFE. WHEW! IF YOU WANT TO MISS ALL THIS TROUBLE - THE SUREST WAY IS TO JUST LAY OFF THESE DAMES YOU PICK UP. BUT IF YOU DO GO OUT, BE SURE AND TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. USE A RUBBER AND TAKE A PRO. AND IF YOU EVER GET BURNED, THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN HELP YOU IS YOUR MEDICAL OFFICER. DON'T FALL FOR THIS CLAPTRAP. MEANWHILE, ON THE WAY TO THE NEXT CAMP---- QUACK! QUACK! SHUT UP, YOU! [signature:] BRODER [imprint:] ☆ U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1943—O—521908
