Itch Issue1 Dec 2009

creighton hill

jesse lenz

jon bishop

associate editor / designer

associate editor / designer

associate editor / designer

nick name: no, i’m not prince

nick name: drips n’ splatters

fatality: pushing opponents down a grassy hill

tech specs: 3mb of internal memory

nick name: jon goodman’s son blood type: gravy

Right off the bat, I’d like to sincerely thank you for reading this right now… whoever you are. I’m incredibly happy to present you with the first issue of West Liberty University’s revamped campus arts magazine, “the itch.” And, yes, it’s always lowercase. I cannot even begin to describe how proud I am of my team and all the tribulations we’ve worked through to get this baby published under such a tight deadline. I know personally that we all had at least four other projects for classes that we had to work on while making “the itch.” We were stressed beyond belief. Tensions ran high and, believe it or not, I only saw Jon cry once…

adam blazak editor in chief / art director / designer nick name: that skinny guy mutant power: can squeeze through tight spaces

With the first issue finally out, I can’t help but be torn over the outcome. One the one hand, this issue has exceeded my expectations ten-fold. My staff did an amazing job of stepping up to the challenge and getting out a great piece of work. On the other hand, working at break-neck speed meant we had to scrap a lot of our ideas. As pleased as I am with what we’ve done, I know that we can do better. I’m really excited for what we’ve got lined up, so please keep your eyes out for us in the very near future. I hope you enjoy the read.

Adam Blazak Editor in Chief

CONTENTS THE BIRTH OF PROPAGANDA

4

WARTOONS

6

WE NEED A HERO

8

PROPAGANDA OR PUBLICITY

10

THE SHEPARD FAIREY DEBATE

12

NUTTING GALLERY: THE ONE SHOW

14

UPCOMING ART EVENTS

15

HELP!

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4

THE BIRTH OF

5

PROPAGANDA

cover stories

BY JON BISHOP

Fig. 2

Fig. 3

Raise your hand if you’ve ever played Bioshock or Fallout 3. Those videogames are riddled with advertisements and posters based on century-old propaganda.

British slogan urging the citizenry to kindly ignore the 8-month Blitzkreig. ...What bombs?

You know the “Uncle Sam wants YOU” recruitment poster? That falls into the category of “Repeated Imagery.” James Montgomery Flagg, the illustrator, wasn’t the first to use the national-mascot-givingyou-a-guilt-trip ploy. Germany and Britain beat him to the punch. Lord Kitchener, Britain’s Secretary of War, struck an identical pose way ahead of the fictional Uncle Sam (although Lord K’s face didn’t pick up as much popularity). Germany’s anonymous soldier, always depicted with a heroic, upturned gaze, beat Uncle Sam hands down in the repetition department. Whether it was standing in front of the German flag, dodging bullets in the trenches, or even donning skis to fight the Norwegians, the illustrated German was always looking to the horizon, ready for action.

The best (and most ridiculous) category of propaganda was the caricature. Granted, some were of leaders in heroic stances, with symbols of their nation and victory garnishing every inch of them. Hitler, a prime example, favored depictions of himself as a glorious and brave leader. But let’s not talk about that. That’s not interesting. Because, although there were some very serious caricatures, there were several thousand more goofy ones, and the leaders got it the worst. The Germans for instance, often depicted Winston Churchill, Britain’s ingenious and resilient leader, as an impotent old man or as a dim-witted pit bull (an image he rather liked and kept). Hitler caught the rap of being a temperamental and greedy child. A lot of play came from his former and failed quest to be an artist as well.

Fig. 4 Looking good.

Propaganda has been around as long as persuasion. In ancient times it generally followed this model: Leader is born. Leader claims to be a God/ a God incarnate/ the offspring of a God/ the prophet of a God.

This model was radically changed in early 20th century, however. The invention of the radio, cinema, and advances in large-scale printing (posters/newspapers) kick-started a new age of propaganda: the Modern Age. In this majestic time, several echelons of persuasive print were reborn and countries around the world were midwives for these slanderous, subliminal images. Propaganda, although a constant in countries like Germany, was most noticeable during World War I and World War II. Tactics such as slogans, repeated imagery, and, most importantly, caricature (both positive and negative) shined their brightest in the earlyto mid-1900’s. Refer to Figure 2.

People make monuments attesting to the leader’s greatness. Leader’s praises are sang around the kingdom.

Slogans saw a lot of action in the 20th century. They were extremely versatile, albeit annoyingly repetitive. But hey, that’s the point, right? It was common to see slogans pinned up all over a war-time city, hear slogans babbled across the airwaves, and even see them at your local theatre (switching the “r” and “e” makes it fancy) for the price of an admission ticket and your date’s Charleston Chews. Every nation utilized slogans for the following reasons: buying war bonds, supporting rations, joining the military, and, if you were in Europe, dodging bombs! Britain had an especially tight lockdown on these fun statements.

Caricatures also encompassed nations– usually chock-full of racial, ethnic, and cultural slurs that represented the enemy in an extremely negative light. Additionally, national wills were embodied in posters. The German “Huns” of World War I were shown as a brutish primate in American propaganda. The Germans depicted the British Empire as a spider, spinning its web around the world and looking at the Father Land with a drooling grin. Anti-American propaganda usually twisted the identities of Lady Liberty or Uncle Sam.

Fig. 5 Looking damn good.

6

Legion of Disney

Wartoons

Some of America’s favorite cartoon characters including Donald Duck spent time on the front line during World War 2.

By Creighton Hill

I

magine for a moment that you’re enjoying an episode of the popular children’s series Spongebob Squarepants. The episode starts out like any other with an average sunny day in Bikini Bottom. Spongebob is on his way to work at the Krusty Krab but instead decides to join Patrick, Squidward, Sandy, and the other characters of the show in the war against terrorism. That’s right, Spongebob and the rest of his nautical friends are heading to Iraq to fight Al Qaeda and help hunt the terrorists. The terrorists of course are depicted as dirty, turbin-wearing monsters more evil than Plankton and more vicious than the Flying Dutchman. Armed to his big toothy smile, the friendly yellow Sponge prepares for war and sets an example for all young impressionable American viewers. He lets them know that terrorism must be destroyed and they have to do their part. Sounds just a little crazy huh? You might even be a little offended. Maybe you’re downright outraged. Of course, maybe you have no idea what I’m talking about because

you wouldn’t suffer through an episode of Spongebob Squarepants even if someone paid you. Regardless of how you might feel about this scenario, I think we could all agree that its fairly unlikely that Nickelodeon would be real keen on producing this episode. In the past though, many wartime animations were produced by some of the most well-known animation giants including Disney and Warner Brothers. Animation didn’t really gain popularity in the United States until Disney’s first feature Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937. Seeing as how Germany invaded Poland just two years later (thus effectively starting the second World War) it only makes sense that Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck should have been ready to do their part to defeat the evil Third Reich. Add to that the fact that the war put a pretty big strain on old Walt’s overseas market and you’ll start to get an idea of how Walt Disney, his employees, and the characters he created entered the war.

Disney’s Secret Defensive Tactics Disney’s cartoons for the department of defense weren’t entirely focused on creating anti-axis sentiments. Many of the cartoons produced were instruc tional animations intended for soldiers. Soldiers were more attentive to the cartoons than poorly filmed instructional videos or confusing illustrations and diagrams. Title’s including “Defense Against Invasion” which warned of the dangers of disease from foreign lands and promoted immunization for soldiers and “Victory Through Air Power” which shared strategic bombing theories, were among a few of the cartoons produced for instructional purposes. The work that Disney did to promote the war efforts was so important that when Disney employees were drafted they actually were given uniforms and sent right back to work instead of over seas. That’s how influential and helpful these cartoons became to the Department of Defense. Popular Disney characters were even used as insignias on fighter planes to make them distinguishable in harsh weather. These insignias would later become morale boosters for the soldiers as well. The work that Disney did to promote the war efforts was so important that when Disney employees were drafted they actually were given uniforms and sent right back to work instead of over seas. That’s how influential and helpful these cartoons became to the Department of Defense. Popular Disney characters were even used as insignias on fighter planes to make them distinguishable in harsh weather. These insignias would later become morale boosters for the soldiers as well.

In “Education for Death: The Making of a Nazi” we are introduced to a German boy who is named Hanz. We witness his education in the Nazi school system. He is converted from an average innocent child to a bloodthirsty Nazi.This cartoon was an effective representation of how the German youth was trained. Not only did it give a pretty accurate insight into the way Nazi soldiers were essentially created, but more importantly it increased the notion that American soldiers were fortunate to be in a better country and to be fighting on the winning team. A more lighthearted and certainly more satirical cartoon was called “Der Fuerhrers Face.” This one was primarily about Donald Duck being a Nazi and hating every second of it. Yep, Donald Duck as a Nazi. Throughout this cartoon we get to enjoy a jolly song about Hitler and the life of his Nazi soldiers. One of my favorite lines from the song went something like “When the Fuerhrers says we never will be slaves, we heil, we heil, but still we work like slaves! While the Fuerhrer brags, and lies and rants, and raves, we heil, we heil, and work into our graves!” Now does it get clearer than that? I mean, that message isn’t even hidden slightly. “America good, Nazis bad” the end. This cartoon was thought to be so effective in showing the harsh contrast between the pleasant lifestyle of Americans and how unjustly the Nazi party was treating the German people that translated copies were dropped behind enemy lines. Other important Disney cartoons produced during World War 2 included “The Spirit of ‘43” and “Donald Gets Drafted” in which Donald Duck returns but this time as an American soldier in boot camp. The cartoon shows Donald suffering the hardships of army training that many young soldiers could relate to in a humorous but still meaningful way.

Band of Warner Brothers Although Disney’s animations might have been the most notable cartoons in the war effort during world war two, they weren’t the only ones. Porky Pig and Daffy Duck joined Donald Duck on the front line as well. The Warner Brothers produced its own wartime cartoons. The most notorious of which being a cartoon called “Tokio Jokio.” The cartoon mocked the Japanese people, their army, and their leaders as well as the other dictators of the axis powers. The cartoon goes on to take jabs at General Hideki Tojo and Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto just to name a few. Along with them, Hitler and Mussolini also are targeted. Despite the cruelty these men were known for, the cartoon depicts them as silly unthreatening goons. The Japanese dictators are especially embellished with large buck teeth and small squinty eyes behind large goofy glasses. Now this might seem awfully racist by today’s standards, but you have to keep in mind that this cartoon was released in 1943, a mere two years after the tragic attack in Pearl Harbor. When you think about that, its easy to see why such a cartoon was created. In fact, when you imagine how brutal the war was, the flood of propaganda doesn’t seem entirely crazy. For many angry Americans, the negative sentiments were probably on their minds already. Warner Brothers’ popular Looney Tunes also produced a simple little cartoon called “The Ductators” in which Hitler, Mussolini, and Hirohito are all depicted as ducks who come to rule over a flock of geese. It breifly and humorously summarizes Hitler’s rise to power along with the other of the axis dictators. In the end the three no-good ducks are beaten up and defeated by the dove of peace. Seems kind of hypocritical but the message is clear. Axis powers are the enemy of peace. The more important message of the cartoon comes at the end though, whenever it implores viewers to purchase U.S. savings bonds and stamps. I guess the cartoon worked.

Check out these cartoons for yourself at these youtube links. “The Ductators” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-SBx6D9zho “Education for Death:The Making of a Nazi” - www.youtube.com/watch?v=eU1LHeim_hA “Der Fuehrers Face” - www.youtube.com/watch?v=iumEGAUceDg “Tokio Jokio” - www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvA1zphaeTQ “The Spirit of ‘43” - www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr9qpeOjmuQ “Donald Gets Drafted” - www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwjeBL01tz0

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by adam blazak When thinking about propaganda, chances are images of large posters, murals, and films come to mind. Despite the absolutely large contribution these mediums made in effective propaganda, a common childhood hobby was once served as an important morale booster in our country: comic books. Now, before I go any further, I am in no way saying that the government was attempting to brainwash America’s youth through comic books. The vast majority of comics at the time were private companies and writers reacting to the times, some out of moral responsibility, and some for some quick cash. The reason that these comics are still considered propaganda is that they’re meant to influence an attitude towards an issue.

In the beginning, there was but one superhero, Superman. With “Truth, justice, and the American way,” as his mantra, it was easy for an infallible hero to become immensely popular, especially when he began fighting Nazis and sinking German U-boats with his bare hands. Other patriotic superheroes jumped on the Allied bandwagon, most notably Captain America. Ironically depicted with blonde hair and blue eyes, Captain America was created for the sole purpose of fighting Nazis and other Axis powers, which is quite evident considering that his debut issue depicted him punching Hitler in face on the front cover.

While these superficial stories of superheroes may seem childish, the costumed crusaders came to represent America in the eyes of the public. We were undeniably the good guys and they the unquestionably bad. It was a rally of patriotism being influenced by the heroics of the fictional characters. Think back to 2001and how image how excited people would seeing if Wolverine of the X-men upper cutting Osama bin Laden. There’s no doubt in my mind that issues would sell out in hours. Pop culture buffs may also recall the controversy surrounding Captain America being assassinated in 2007. TV news shows across the country

debated whether the story by Marvel Comics was morally unjust in our post9/11 world. Keep in mind that they’re discussing a fictional character whose popularity is nowhere near as high as back in the 1940’s or even 1970’s. There’s no way to deny that these characters came to symbolize the power and spirit of the American way. However, the propaganda door swings both ways, as some of the most popular comics during the Cold War influenced the public with a hate for their enemies rather than a love for their country.

During the 1950’s and 60’s, Men’s Adventure magazines (a variation of pulp comics) were in increasingly high demand, with as many as 130 separate magazines in print at one time. Stories likely involved our strong, male antagonist saving the scantily clad woman from the clutches of evil. With titles such as: “Swastika Slave Girls in Argentina’s No-Escape Brothel Camp,” “The Incredible Escape of Vietnam ’s Battered Beauties,” and “Sin Captive of the Red’s Nympho Navy,” one can obviously see where the appeal is intended to lie. Not to mention that Koreans and Vietnamese were often depicted as savages and animal-like, even to the extent of being cannibals.

The striking difference between the superhero stories of the past and these newer adventure stories is that in one there is a hero symbolizing the spirit of a country and inspiring good, while the other negatively stereotypes another country, instilling a hatred for a group of people. But regardless of their intentions, comic books once had in immense influence on American morale and opinions.

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Jesse Lenz The first thing that one likely thinks of when hearing the word propaganda is Nazi Germany. It is one of the premier examples of how propaganda can convince people that a lie is truth. Adolf Hitler once said “Through clever and constant application of propaganda, people can be made to see paradise as hell, and as well the other way round, to consider the most wretched sort of life as paradise”. Joseph Goebbels, head of Nazi Propaganda, also said, “If you tell a big enough lie and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it”. History has shown how powerful art can be when placed in the wrong hands. We all know that the way that Nazi Germany used propaganda was deceitful, but what about the propaganda that we deal with on an everyday basis? What about the propaganda that tells us how to dress, what to eat, and what to think? What about propaganda that is disguised as advertising? Anti-semetic posters have been replaced by cigarette advertisements; and, in a way, corporations have become the new Hitlers and Stalins of our society. We are bombarded daily with slogans and catchphrases that tell us what we should want out of life. When advertising crosses the line between showing a product and manipulating us to believe we need the product, it becomes dangerous. No one likes being told what to think, especially we Americans, but why do we let companies flood our lives with their messages? If a graffiti artist writes a message on a wall it is called graffiti, but if a company pays to write a message on a wall it is called advertising.

Take a look at the advertisements on the street, we are told that if you smoke cigarettes women will find you attractive, wearing Calvin Kline underwear will make you look as sexy as the models on the billboards, and that eating a Big Mac will make you happy. If someone had walked up and told us these things, we would disregard it immediately because we know it to be ridiculous. That is the beauty of propaganda; it makes people come to a conclusion without saying it. When people feel that they came to an idea on their own they will believe it one hundred percent. Think about this, when was the last time you remember a company advertising a product itself? Alcohol companies sell the idea of what could happen when you drink, not the drink itself. Car companies sell the status of a car, not what the car itself. Cigarette companies sell you the image of a cigarette smoker, not the tobacco itself. There’s a trend here. Subliminally when I think of alcohol I imagine party, pretty girls, and fun. I never think, “that drink looks like it has some really amazing flavor”. Is the use of propaganda in our everyday lives just as wrong as it was when the Nazi’s used it to control Germany? No, of course not. But is it just as effective? You bet your ads it is.

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Before I begin my criticism of Shepard Fairey, I must first preface it with saying it greatly pains me to be able to say the following things about Shepard, being a follower of his campaign for years. I believe Shepard Fairey has completely sold out. His recent choices have tainted his entire body of work that preceded his Obama poster. What discredits his work is not the method in which he creates it, but his contradicting and hypocritical message.

DEBATE

Shepard Fairey. Artist? Thief? Sell-out? Genius?

Art is the ability to communicate an abstract thought to a viewer. It is irrelevant whether or not the artist drafted each work of art by hand. Many critics say Fairey is discredited as an artist because he uses images and icons of old propaganda posters in his work instead of creating the piece with completely original artwork. The purpose of Fairey’s posters is to make us question what we see by using known iconography and images to stir up certain emotions. It is not to draw attention to the artist’s ability, but to something bigger and less superficial.

All this and more as our writers wage war with words over Fairey’s work.

Fairey fought against the establishment by using gorilla warfare to discredit and expose the mainstream media, corporations, and government. Bombarding people with slogans such as “More Military, Less Skools” and “OBEY” made people everything thing they say. He was the quintessential “anti-artist”, a defender of the people against the lies of Big Brother. He was someone that everyone could rally behind and agree with, but like many artists, Shepard Fairey began to put too much faith in man.

When I first saw Shepard Fairey’s work I was dumbfounded. Being a line-based, Adobe Illustrator-loving, pen tool junkie, I admired the man’s precision and technique. I adored how witty his work was and reveled in his generally ironic, antigovernment message. Then I read up on Fairey, and discovered something that brought the purist in me to his knees: Shepard Fairey uses other peoples imagery. Although you can’t deny the power of Fairey’s repetition (look for OBEY, the Andre Pentagram, and past works as key elements and background textures), Fairey’s redundancies go even deeper. I was aware of his “borrowing” of slogans but after seeing my fair share of old anti-war art, I noticed that Fairy recycled other peoples work into his. Almost to the T. For instance, Fairey’s bayonet imagery was stolen from the WWI British propaganda “Back the bayonets with war bonds.” He also hawked an Old Faithful postcard to make his “Welcome to Iraq” piece. The list goes on. That being stated, as a pair of skilled hands, the man is a super genius. And, as an entrepreneur, the man is uncontested. He managed to sprout out of the underground in the span of a year and become one of the most successful, soughtafter artists in the nation. Merchandise, clothing

When Fairey created and pasted his Obama “Hope” posters all over the US he became the propaganda machine he had taught everyone to question. Suddenly he was telling people who to place their faith in and who to trust without question. One cannot build a reputation as the face of those who question the powers that be and then turn and support, of all people, a presidential candidate! That is hypocrisy at its best, and for an artist whose career is build on an ideal, this one move shows that he is merely chasing the money trail.

line, books, galleries, even graffiti tags all over cities; the man’s interest in propaganda isn’t just reflected in his artwork, but in his business plan. For that, I tip my hat to Shepard Fairy. For the most part, I’m a fervent artistic purist. Basically, my standpoint is this: Do your own goddamn work, especially if you are being paid for it. Unfortunately, this puts me at odds with every pop artist ever. Andy Warhol, for instance, is the epitome of what I stand against. He even admits, “Art is what you get away with.” Don’t get me wrong, I respect successful pop artists to no end, they get away with a lot, but their work, in my

opinion, is just a collection of other peoples work. I think that principle is at the heart of my disdain for Fairey. The man tricked me into thinking he was an artistic super genius when, in actuality, he is just a glorified knock-off artist.

Check out Shepard Fairey at obeygiant.com (show currently at the Warhol museum)

His career has greatly benefited from his endorsement of Obama. Both his popularity and artistic status have grown, but has it compromised his integrity? He is now nothing more than a common artist making claims that his ideas are right and yours wrong. Before this, he was a faceless objector of an increasingly oppressive government forced to take his message to the streets, not because he wanted to be famous, but because he had to speak the truth in a time of lies. Has he become part of the propaganda machine?

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The One Show

campus and community events

(Dec. 2-11)

This December we can all look forward to an event we’ve been patiently awaiting. No, I’m not referring to Christmas. I’m talking about West Liberty University’s fall semester Senior Show in the Nutting Gallery. For anyone who isn’t familiar with how the Senior Exhibition works let me explain. West Liberty’s seniors are given the opportunity to collect up what they feel is the best of the body of work they have created. The work is submitted to be judged by a panel of West Liberty University’s art professors. Once the best work is selected it is prepared for display in the Nutting Gallery. The seniors presenting get the chance to display their artwork like a “real” artist in a real gallery. This semester we will only be seeing the work of one talented senior. Her name is Stefani Freeman. Stefani Freeman has had the pleasure of working in a multitude of different art mediums but for her senior show she has decided to work entirely in acrylic paint. It’s been quite a challenge for her since she hasn’t worked with acrylic paint since before she came to West Liberty University. Despite the difficulty involved she claims the results have been quite rewarding and she is very excited to share her work with an audience. Stefani will be showing six pieces in the gallery. Each one of them is a portrait of one of her family members. The pieces range in size and style. At times Stefani chooses not to blend the paint in order to achieve a certain effect. In other instances she employs a degree of blending so that a serene feeling is brought to the painting. For her, the best part of painting these portraits was to capture the facial expressions. It was a task as well as a joy.

“Siren”

Stefani Freeman

Acrylic Paint

As for the rest of the exhibit, The Nutting Gallery will be showcasing work from students in some of the art intro classes. Projects from classes such as Photography 1, Intro to Graphic Design, Watercolor 1, Drawing 1, and Ceramics 1 will be seen alongside Stefani’s show. It promises to be a very unique event. The opening reception will be held December 2 and will continue until January 11. Don’t miss it!

Upcoming Art Events Wheeling:

Artworks Around Town Gallery Hop first Friday of every month Nov. 6 Lambros Tschulares & Cheryl Harshman- pottery, clay, monoprints and quilts Coffee House 3rd Friday of every month Nov. 20 Kristin Wittenbrook Nov. 20-22 Oils and Acrylics workshop w/ Mark Fleming Stifel F A Center Oct 29- Dec 12 WV Watercolor Society Dec 22- Jan- 30 Regional Student Art Exhibition Feb 11- March 27 Crosscurrentsmixed media exhibit Towngate Theater Dec 9- 13 The House at Pooh Corner Dec 20 and 26 Nutcracker Ballet Jan 15- 17 21- 23 G-Man

Pittsburgh:

Warhol Now- Jan 31: Shepherd Fairey New Hazlett Theater Jan 23: Jeremy Wade Carnegie Now- Jan 31 Palm Springs Modern Photographs by Julius Schullman Now- Jan 31 Digital to Daguerreotype: Photographs of People

As much as we at the itch appreciate you reading our work, the truth of the matter is that we need help. In order to turn this into a true “campus arts magazine” and take this publication to a much higher level, we want your submissions, whether it’s an article, fine arts work, video, music, or anything art related. Paintings? Interpretive dance? Harmonica solo? Mud sculptures? We’ll take it. Just be sure to send us enough photographs, links, or videos so we can make a solid decision. And we don’t care who you are, what you study, or even if you’re a student or faculty member; just send us anything. If it manages to pass inspection we’ll be happy to publish it in the next issue and/ or the website. So, if this sounds at all interesting to you, email us your submission to [email protected]. Otherwise you’re going to constantly be hearing from the same four graphic design majors… And nobody wants that. Not even us.

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