Banned Cartoons 1 : Japan

Here are several interesting links to videos I thought everyone might find interest:

"Banned Cartoons" on Youtube are plentiful, but poorly organized. Here's some I found focusing on Japan, shown from 1942 to 1944.

You're a Sap, Mr. Jap!, 1942 : Pop Eye leads the naval fight against Japanese Troops



The title for this cartoon is based on a war song from 1941, which I found the lyrics for here. If you click through, you can see the cover for the record is bright orange, with a huge Uncle Sam 'punishing' a tiny man who I assume is supposed to be Japanese like a young, naughty child.


Tokio Jokio, 1943 : Bugs Bunny leads us on a tour of "Corrupt Japan"



Stereotype minefield! They combine stereotypes of China, Japan, and general Oriental Incense Images (which is the only shorthand I can think of) to present a corrupt, backstabbing and inable Japan.

Commando Duck, 1944: Donald Duck is sent to wipe out Japanese troops (watch out for the crocadiles)



This one is the most interesting of the bunch. It's one of the last (note the colour) and the ideology going on is more complex because it's become more subtle--the Japanese are used as a point of humour, less then a focus, and Donald Duck is an 'unwilling soldier', unlike every other earlier film. They combine scenery from stereotyped deep jungle Africa and the Grand Canyon to create a backdrop for Japanese aggression.

There are plenty more about the War in general that mention Japan as part of the axis but do not focus on Japan, and Germany. The German cartoons seem to be more sympathetic towards the people of Germany and focus on Nazi-ism as evil, while the Japanese films lump all of Japan into one boat for the most part as far as I have seen.