Starve the Squander Bug. Buy more war bonds
Wide horizontal strip: a grey center panel reads 'Starve the Squander Bug, BUY MORE WAR BONDS', flanked by two matching red panels showing a bloated, fanged, insect-like creature clutching dollar bills. The technique is name-calling by creature imagery, giving personal spending a monster's face, and the 'starve' verb casts bond purchases as the way to deny it.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1941
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- U.S. Treasury Department, War Finance Division (code WFD 866-B)
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- State
- Regime
- Roosevelt Administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Fundraise
- Themes
- Economy and finance, Home front
- 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)
U.S. Treasury Department, War Finance Division. National Archives and Records Administration, RG 44, 44-PA-1801A (NAID 515479).
Text on the object
Starve the Squander Bug BUY MORE WAR BONDS [imprint: U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, lower left, illegible] [imprint: WFD 866-B]
