Tanks, Torpedos & Bomber-jackets: WAR & POP-CULTURE

Desperate times call for desperate measures and Mickey's "gang" was the answer. During WWII, just like any war, there was mass amount of propaganda flickering across the globe; On one side one sees "purity" trying to triumph over the "weak" and on the other Mickey and the gang confronting the World's worst nightmare.

The Disney characters were a main motivator for Americans to get in the war, but it did not stop there. Shortly following the propaganda explosion, a request from a Naval Squadron in Floyd Bennett Field was made to Disney for a Military logo. The idea blew up and at the end of the war the number reached to about 1,200 emblems. These were made for American troops as well as allied. The characters consisted of almost every character from Disney excluding Mickey, who stayed home for the defense. One of the most popular characters for the emblems was Donald Duck. Due to his aggressive attitude and short-fuse temper it is no wonder why he was chosen so many times. Some other characters that made the list, but were created exclusively

for the war were Seabee and the Flying Tigers.

Disney was a huge significance to Americans and people world-wide during WWII and it was due to Disney himself feeling obligated to

something for the American cause.

Disney/Military Emblems

More...

-Matt

Silly Symphonies

Starting in 1929, the Walt Disney Production Company began to experiment with the idea that an animation could be made based on musical scores. The first Silly Symphonies were composed by Carl Stalling. 'The Skeleton Dance' was the first of the animations, it involves a group of four skeleton's waking up one evening and dancing to the sound of there own bones and the wind blowing through the trees. Columbia Pictures picked up the series from 1930 to 1932. Later in 1933, Silly symphonies came out with 'Three Little Pigs', which went on to will an Academy Award for Best Short Subject: Cartoon in 1934. In 1937, the short 'The Old Mill' was released. The short was based around a musical score by Leigh Harline, and the animation was about animals that live in an old abandoned mill. One evening a strong storm. This animation was the test animation for the multiplane used on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. 'The Old Mill' also won the Academy Award for Best Short Subject: Cartoon in 1937. It was parodied in an episode The Simpsons. In the episode, Homer tries to win a rubber duck race by cheating. Homer's duck ends up going through a windmill that is very similar to Disney's.

|-Kelly-|