A discussion of cartoons in The New Yorker that touched on Cold War themes, such as militarism, nuclear weapons, Communism, and the Soviet Union. This presentation was given on April 25, 2001, at the University of Maryland Undergraduate Research Day.

1. James Howard -- April 25, 2001 1
The Culture of AffluenceThe Culture of Affluence
Looks at the Cold WarLooks at the Cold War
The cartoons of the New Yorker
and Cold War issues and events:
August 1945 – January 1963
James Howard

2. James Howard -- April 25, 2001 2
Introduction
• Culture of Affluence
• The New Yorker
• Cartoons and comics

3. James Howard -- April 25, 2001 3
Cold War Themes
• American Life
• Soviet Life
• American Military
• American Politics

4. James Howard -- April 25, 2001 4
November 10, 1945
“But what on earth
do you want to
be a scientist for,
Robert? Isn’t
there enough
trouble in the
world already?”

5. James Howard -- April 25, 2001 5
December 8, 1945
“There wouldn’t be
any danger of
his smashing the
atom with this,
would there?”

6. James Howard -- April 25, 2001 6
October 9, 1949
“We asked
ourselves how
many places like
this would be
available if a war
broke out, and
when the owner
gave us a decent
price on it, we
snapped it up.”

7. James Howard -- April 25, 2001 7
June 16, 1951
“We’d like
something out of
the radioactive
zone but within
television range.”

8. James Howard -- April 25, 2001 8
April 30, 1949
“But if we disband
our Defend
America
Committee,
won’t Russia
take it as a sign
of yielding?”

9. James Howard -- April 25, 2001 9
June 27, 1959
“No wonder they’re
ahead of us. It
says here that in
the whole of
Russia, there is
not one single
golf course.”

10. James Howard -- April 25, 2001 10
September 27, 1947
“I may be a little
late tomorrow,
Mrs. Searle. I’m
having my
loyalty checked.”

11. James Howard -- April 25, 2001 11
June 28, 1949
“We haven’t
anything right
now, but you
might try us
again in a week
or so. There’s a
rumor that the
gentleman in 8-A
may not pass his
loyalty test.”

12. James Howard -- April 25, 2001 12
Conclusions
• Many themes and topics
• Culture of Affluence
– Inconvenience of the Cold War