Comics and Candidates

Abstract

Some interesting changes occurred in Arkansas politics after World War II. Many Arkansas veterans had gained a different world view from their experiences and became impatient with the "politics as usual" they found on their return home. During the postwar years, former soldiers and sailors began to survey the state's governmental landscape, hoping to bring issues as well as personalities into the Arkansas political arena. Fresh developments in the communications media allowed these innovative office seekers to experiment with diverse means of reaching voters with their message. One of the new media developments, political comics, and the role those comics played in the Arkansas elections of 1948 and 1950 are the topics of this paper. We will begin by defining what we mean by "political comics," examine some of their characteristics, and then discuss their use during the postwar political contests in Arkansas.