Content note: Contains a racial caricature of a Japanese parachutist with exaggerated teeth, in wartime style. This object is shown as it was published. Why
The reason for Jope Dope's new entangle
Ordnance gun-maintenance cartoon: a grinning, buck-toothed Japanese parachutist from a 'Banzai Balloon Corps' balloon aims a pistol at a screaming Joe Dope trapped in a gun turret whose guns cannot fire. The verse blames broken gun parts. The enemy is drawn as a racial caricature, and the lesson is name-calling plus fear-appeal aimed at the careless soldier.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1945
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- Ordnance Department, U.S. Army; artist CWO 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-1143E (NAID 514695).
Text on the object
BANZAI BALLOON CORPS [Japanese character on balloon] The reason for Jope Dope's new entangle He returns guns with back- plates a-dangle Broken solonoid cable Is result...he aint able To fire...by any known angle [signature: CWO Will Eisner for Air ORDNANCE] [imprint:] U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1945-O-631774
