Itch Issue1 Dec 2009 (Print Version)

8/9/2019 Itch Issue1 Dec 2009 (Print Version)

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Right off the bat, Id like to sincthank you for reading this rightwhoever you are. Im incrediblyto present you with the rst issWest Liberty Universitys revamcampus arts magazine, the itcyes, its always lowercase.

I cannot even begin to describeproud I am of my team and all tribulations weve worked througet this baby published under stight deadline. I know personawe all had at least four other pfor classes that we had to workwhile making the itch. We westressed beyond belief. Tensiohigh and, believe it or not, I onJon cry once

With the rst issue nally out, Ihelp but be torn over the outcothe one hand, this issue has exmy expectations ten-fold. My san amazing job of stepping up challenge and getting out a greof work. On the other hand, woat break-neck speed meant wescrap a lot of our ideas. As pleI am with what weve done, I knwe can do better.

Im really excited for what wevlined up, so please keep your efor us in the very near future.

I hope you enjoy the read.

Adam BlazakEditor in Chief

jon bishop

associate editor /

nick name: jon goson

blood type: gravy

creighton hill

associate editor / designer

nick name: no, im not prince

fatality: pushing opponentsdown a grassy hill

jesse lenz

associate editor / designer

nick name: drips n splatters

tech specs: 3mb of internalmemory

adam blazak

editor in chief / art director / designer

nick name: that skinny guy

mutant power: can squeeze through tight spaces


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THE BIRTH OF PROPAGANDA

WARTOONS

WE NEED A HERO

PROPAGANDA OR PUBLICITY

THE SHEPARD FAIREY DEBATE

NUTTING GALLERY: THE ONE SHOW

UPCOMING ART EVENTS

HELP!

CONTENTS


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THE BIRTH OF

PROPAGANDA

ropaganda has been around as long as persuasion.

ancient times it generally followed this model:

eader is born.

eader claims to be a God/ a God incarnate/

e offspring of a God/ the prophet of a God.

People make monuments attesting to the

leaders greatness.

Leaders praises are sang around the kingdom.his model was radically changed in early

0th century, however. The invention of the

adio, cinema, and advances in large-scale

rinting (posters/newspapers) kick-started

new age of propaganda: the Modern Age. this majestic time, several echelons of

ersuasive print were reborn and countries

round the world were midwives for these

anderous, subliminal images. Propa-

anda, although a constant in countries

ke Germany, was most noticeable during

World War I and World War II. Tactics such

s slogans, repeated imagery, and, most

mportantly, caricature (both positive and

egative) shined their brightest in the early-

o mid-1900s. Refer to Figure 2.

Slogans saw a lot of action in the 20th cen-

tury. They were extremely versatile, albeit

annoyingly repetitive. But hey, thats the

point, right? It was common to see sloganspinned up all over a war-time city, hear

slogans babbled across the airwaves, and

even see them at your local theatre (switch-

ing the r and e makes it fancy) for the

price of an admission ticket and your dates

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 lock-

down on these fun statements.

You know the Uncle Sam wants Y

recruitment poster? That falls into

category of Repeated Imagery. J

Montgomery Flagg, the illustrator,

the rst to use the national-masco

you-a-guilt-trip ploy. Germany and

beat him to the punch. Lord Kitche

ains Secretary of War, struck an ipose way ahead of the ctional Un

(although Lord Ks face didnt pick

much popularity). Germanys anon

soldier, always depicted with a he

turned gaze, beat Uncle Sam han

in the repetition department. Whet

standing in front of the German a

ing bullets in the trenches, or even

skis to ght the Norwegians, the il

German was always looking to the

ready for action.

Raise your hand if youve ever pla

Bioshock or Fallout 3. Those video

are riddled with advertisements anbased on century-old propaganda

Fig. 2

BY JON BISHO


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he best (and most ridiculous) category of

ropaganda was the caricature. Granted,

ome were of leaders in heroic stances,

ith symbols of their nation and victory gar-

shing every inch of them. Hitler, a prime

xample, favored depictions of himself as a

orious and brave leader. But lets not talk

bout that. Thats not interesting. Because,though there were some very serious

aricatures, there were several thousand

ore goofy ones, and the leaders got it the

orst. The Germans for instance, often de-

cted Winston Churchill, Britains ingenious

nd resilient leader, as an impotent old

an or as a dim-witted pit bull (an image

e rather liked and kept). Hitler caught the

ap of being a temperamental and greedy

hild. A lot of play came from his former and

iled quest to be an artist as well.

Caricatures also encompassed nations

usually chock-full of racial, ethnic, andcultural 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.

Looking good. Looking damn good.ritish slogan urging the citizenry to

ndly ignore the 8-month Blitzkreig.

...What bombs?

Fig. 4 Fig. 5ig. 3

cover stori


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Imagine for a moment that youre

enjoying an episode of the popu-

lar childrens 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. Thats right, Spongebob and

the rest of his nautical friends are heading to

Iraq to ght Al Qaeda and help hunt the ter-

rorists. The terrorists of course are depicted as

dirty, turbin-wearing monsters more evil than

Plankton and more vicious than the FlyingDutchman. 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 youre

downright outraged. Of course, maybe you

have no idea what Im talking about because

you wouldnt 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 didnt really gain popularity in the

United States until Disneys rst feature Snow

White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937. Seeing

as how Germany invaded Poland just twoyears 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 Walts overseas market

and youll start to get an idea of how Walt

Disney, his employees, and the characters he

created entered the war.

WartoonsSome of Americas favorite cartoon characters including Donald

Duck spent time on the front line during World War 2.

By Creighton Hill Disneys cartoons for the departmdefense werent entirely focused oating anti-axis sentiments. Many o

cartoons produced were instruc ti

animations intended for soldiers. S

were more attentive to the cartoon

poorly lmed instructional videos

confusing illustrations and diagram

Titles including Defense Agains

sion which warned of the dangers

disease from foreign lands and pro

immunization for soldiers and Vi

Through Air Power which shared

gic bombing theories, were among

of the cartoons produced for instru

purposes.

The work that Disney did to prom

the war efforts was so important th

when Disney employees were draf

they actually were given uniforms

sent right back to work instead of

seas. Thats how inuential and he

these cartoons became to the Depa

of Defense. Popular Disney chara

were even used as insignias on g

planes to make them distinguishab

harsh weather. These insignias wolater become morale boosters for t

soldiers as well.

The work that Disney did to prom

the war efforts was so important th

when Disney employees were draf

they actually were given uniforms

sent right back to work instead of

seas. Thats how inuential and he

these cartoons became to the Depa

of Defense. Popular Disney chara

were even used as insignias on g

planes to make them distinguishabharsh weather. These insignias wo

later become morale boosters for t

soldiers as well.

Disneys Secre

Defensive Tact


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Legion of Disney

In Education for Death: The Making of a Nazi we are introduced to a German boy who is named Hanz

witness his education in the Nazi school system. He is converted from an average innocent child to a blo

thirsty Nazi.This cartoon was an effective representation of how the German youth was trained. Not onl

it give a pretty accurate insight into the way Nazi soldiers were essentially created, but more importantly

increased the notion that American soldiers were fortunate to be in a better country and to be ghting on

winning team.

A more lighthearted and certainly more satirical cartoon was called Der Fuerhrers Face. This one was primarily about Donald D

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 abo

Hitler and the life of his Nazi soldiers. One of my favorite lines from the song went something like When the Fuerhrers says we n

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 h

and work into our graves! Now does it get clearer than that? I mean, that message isnt even hidden slightly. America good, Naz

bad the end.

This cartoon was thought to be so effective in showing the harsh contrast between the pleasant lifestyle of Americans and how unju

the Nazi party was treating the German people that translated copies were dropped behind enemy lines. Other important Disney ca

produced during World War 2 included The Spirit of 43 and Donald Gets Drafted in which Donald Duck returns but this time

an American soldier in boot camp. The cartoon shows Donald suffering the hardships of army training that many young soldiers co

relate to in a humorous but still meaningful way.

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

Band of Warner Brothers

Although Disneys animations might have been the most notable cartoons in the war effort during world war

two, they werent 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 todays standards, but you have to keep in mind that this cartoon was released in 1943, a m

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 factwhen you imagine how brutal the war was, the ood of propaganda doesnt seem entirely crazy. For many angry Americans, the ne

tive sentiments were probably on their minds already.

Warner Brothers popular Looney Tunes also produced a simple little cartoon called The Ductatorsin which Hitler, Mussolini,

Hirohito are all depicted as ducks who come to rule over a ock of geese. It breiy and humorously summarizes Hitlers rise to po

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. Seem

kind of hypocritical but the message is clear. Axis powers are the enemy of peace. The more important message of the cartoon com

the end though, whenever it implores viewers to purchase U.S. savings bonds and stamps. I guess the cartoon worked.


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When thinking about propaganda,hances are images of largeosters, murals, and lms come to

mind. Despite the absolutely largeontribution these mediums maden effective propaganda, a commonhildhood hobby was once served asn important morale booster in ourountry: comic books.

ow, before I go any further, I am ino way saying that the government

was attempting to brainwash Americasouth through comic books. The vast

majority of comics at the time wererivate companies and writers reactingo the times, some out of moralesponsibility, and some for some quickash. The reason that these comicsre still considered propaganda is thatheyre meant to inuence an attitudeowards an issue.

In the beginning, there was but onesuperhero, Superman. With Truth,justice, and the American way, as hismantra, it was easy for an infalliblehero to become immensely popular,especially when he began ghtingNazis and sinking German U-boatswith his bare hands.

Other patriotic superheroes jumpedon the Allied bandwagon, mostnotably Captain America. Ironicallydepicted with blonde hair and blueeyes, Captain America was createdfor the sole purpose of ghting Nazisand other Axis powers, which is quiteevident considering that his debutissue depicted him punching Hitler inface on the front cover.

While these supercial stories superheroes may seem childiscostumed crusaders came to rAmerica in the eyes of the pubwere undeniably the good guysthey the unquestionably bad. Itrally of patriotism being inuenthe heroics of the ctional charThink back to 2001and how imhow excited people would seeiWolverine of the X-men upper Osama bin Laden. Theres no my mind that issues would sellout in hours.

Pop culture buffs may also reccontroversy surrounding CaptaAmerica being assassinated inTV news shows across the cou


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ebated whether the story by Marvelomics was morally unjust in our post-/11 world. Keep in mind that theyrescussing a ctional character whoseopularity is nowhere near as high asack in the 1940s or even 1970s.

heres no way to deny that theseharacters came to symbolize theower and spirit of the American

way. However, the propaganda doorwings both ways, as some of the

most popular comics during the ColdWar inuenced the public with a hateor their enemies rather than a love forheir country.

During the 1950s and 60s, MensAdventure magazines (a variation ofpulp comics) were in increasingly highdemand, with as many as 130 separatemagazines in print at one time. Storieslikely involved our strong, maleantagonist saving the scantily cladwoman from the clutches of evil. Withtitles such as: Swastika Slave Girls inArgentinas No-Escape Brothel Camp,The Incredible Escape of Vietnam sBattered Beauties, and Sin Captiveof the Reds Nympho Navy, one canobviously see where the appeal isintended to lie. Not to mention thatKoreans and Vietnamese were oftendepicted as savages and animal-like,even to the extent of being cannibals.

The striking difference betweesuperhero stories of the past athese newer adventure storiesin one there is a hero symbolizspirit of a country and inspiringwhile the other negatively stereanother country, instilling a hata group of people. But regardletheir intentions, comic books oin immense inuence on Amermorale and opinions.

by adam blazak


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The rst thing that one likely thinks of when hearingthe word propaganda is Nazi Germany. It is one ofthe premier examples of how propaganda can con-vince people that a lie is truth. Adolf Hitler once saidThrough clever and constant application of propa-ganda, people can be made to see paradise as hell,and as well the other way round, to consider the mostwretched sort of life as paradise. Joseph Goebbels,

head of Nazi Propaganda, also said, If you tell a bigenough lie and keep repeating it, people will eventual-ly come to believe it. History has shown how powerfulart can be when placed in the wrong hands.

We all know that the way that Nazi Germany usedpropaganda was deceitful, but what about the propa-ganda that we deal with on an everyday basis? Whatabout the propaganda that tells us how to dress, whatto eat, and what to think? What about propagandathat is disguised as advertising? Anti-semetic postershave been replaced by cigarette advertisements; and,

in a way, corporations have become the new Hitlersand Stalins of our society.

We are bombarded daily with slogans and catch-phrases that tell us what we should want out of life.When advertising crosses the line between showinga product and manipulating us to believe we need theproduct, it becomes dangerous. No one likes beingtold what to think, especially we Americans, but whydo we let companies ood our lives with their mes-sages? If a grafti artist writes a message on a wall itis called grafti, but if a company pays to write a mes-

sage on a wall it is called advertising.

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Take a look at the advertisements on the street, we aretold that if you smoke cigarettes women will nd you at -tractive, wearing Calvin Kline underwear will make youlook as sexy as the models on the billboards, and thateating a Big Mac will make you happy. If someone hadwalked up and told us these things, we would disregardit immediately because we know it to be ridiculous. Thatis the beauty of propaganda; it makes people come to a

conclusion without saying it. When people feel that theycame to an idea on their own they will believe it onehundred percent.

Think about this, when was the last time you remembera company advertising a product itself? Alcohol compa-nies sell the idea of what could happen when you drink,not the drink itself. Car companies sell the status of acar, not what the car itself. Cigarette companies sellyou the image of a cigarette smoker, not the tobaccoitself. Theres a trend here. Subliminally when I thinkof alcohol I imagine party, pretty girls, and fun. I never

think, that drink looks like it has some really amazingavor.

Is the use of propaganda in our everyday lives just aswrong as it was when the Nazis used it to control Ger-many? No, of course not. But is it just as effective?

You bet your ads it is.

Jesse Lenz


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line, books, galleries, even grafti tags all overcities; the mans interest in propaganda isnt justreected in his artwork, but in his business plan.For that, I tip my hat to Shepard Fairy.

For the most part, Im a fervent artistic purist. Ba-sically, my standpoint is this: Do your own god-damn work, especially if you are being paid forit. Unfortunately, this puts me at odds with everypop artist ever. Andy Warhol, for instance, is theepitome of what I stand against. He even admits,Art is what you get away with. Dont get mewrong, I respect successful pop artists to no end,they get away with a lot, but their work, in my

When I rst saw Shepard Faireys work I wasumbfounded. Being a line-based, Adobe Illus-ator-loving, pen tool junkie, I admired the mansecision and technique. I adored how witty hisork was and reveled in his generally ironic, anti-overnment message. Then I read up on Fairey,nd discovered something that brought the puristme to his knees: Shepard Fairey uses other

eoples imagery.

though you cant deny the power of Faireyspetition (look for OBEY, the Andre Pentagram,

nd past works as key elements and backgroundxtures), Faireys redundancies go even deeper.

was aware of his borrowing of slogans but

ter seeing my fair share of old anti-war art, Ioticed that Fairy recycled other peoples workto his. Almost to the T. For instance, Faireysayonet imagery was stolen from the WWI Britishopaganda Back the bayonets with war bonds.e also hawked an Old Faithful postcard to makes Welcome to Iraq piece. The list goes on.

hat being stated, as a pair of skilled hands, thean is a super genius. And, as an entrepreneur,e man is uncontested. He managed to sprout

ut of the underground in the span of a year andecome one of the most successful, sought-ter artists in the nation. Merchandise, clothing

opinion, is just a collection of other peoI think that principle is at the heart of mfor Fairey. The man tricked me into thiwas an artistic super genius when, in ahe is just a gloried knock-off artist.

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

All this and more as our writerswage war with words over

Faireys work.

DEBATE

2


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Before I begin my criticism oFairey, I must rst preface it witgreatly pains me to be able to slowing things about Shepard, blower of his campaign for yearsShepard Fairey has completelyHis recent choices have taintedbody of work that preceded hposter. What discredits his work

method in which he creates it, btradicting and hypocritical messa

Art is the ability to communicastract thought to a viewer. It iswhether or not the artist drafted of art by hand. Many critics saydiscredited as an artist becausimages and icons of old propagers in his work instead of crpiece with completely originaThe purpose of Faireys posters us question what we see by usiconography and images to stir emotions. It is not to draw atten

artists ability, but to something less supercial.

Fairey fought against the estaby using gorilla warfare to disexpose the mainstream mediations, and government. Bombaple with slogans such as MorLess Skools and OBEY maeverything thing they say. Hequintessential anti-artist, a dthe people against the lies of BHe was someone that everyonebehind and agree with, but likeists, Shepard Fairey began to pu

faith in man.

When Fairey created and pObama Hope posters all over became the propaganda machitaught everyone to question. he was telling people who to pfaith in and who to trust withoutOne cannot build a reputation aof those who question the poweand then turn and support, of alpresidential candidate! That is hyits best, and for an artist whosebuild on an ideal, this one move he is merely chasing the money

His career has greatly beneteendorsement of Obama. Both larity and artistic status have ghas it compromised his integrnow nothing more than a commaking claims that his ideas areyours wrong. Before this, he wless objector of an increasingly ogovernment forced to take his mthe streets, not because he wafamous, but because he had totruth in a time of lies. Has he beof the propaganda machine?

Check out Shepard Faireyat obeygiant.com

(show currently at the Warhol museum)


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The One Show(Dec. 2-11)

This December we can all look forwa

event weve been patiently awaiting.

not referring to Christmas. Im talking

West Liberty Universitys fall semeste

Show in the Nutting Gallery. For anyisnt familiar with how the Senior Exh

works let me explain. West Libertys

given the opportunity to collect up wh

feel is the best of the body of work th

created. The work is submitted to be j

by a panel of West Liberty University

professors. Once the best work is sele

is prepared for display in the Nutting

The seniors presenting get the chance

their artwork like a real artist in a re

This semester we will only be seeing

of one talented senior. Her name is

Stefani Freeman.

Stefani Freeman has had the pleasure

ing in a multitude of different art med

for her senior show she has decided to

tirely in acrylic paint. Its been quite a

for her since she hasnt worked with a

paint since before she came to West L

University. Despite the difculty invo

claims the results have been quite rew

and she is very excited to share her w

an audience.

Stefani will be showing six pieces in

Each one of them is a portrait of one oily members. The pieces range in size

At times Stefani chooses not to blend

in order to achieve a certain effect. In

instances she employs a degree of ble

that a serene feeling is brought to the

For her, the best part of painting these

was to capture the facial expressions.

task as well as a joy.

As for the rest of the exhibit, The Nut

lery will be showcasing work from st

in some of the art intro classes. Projec

classes such as Photography 1, Intro tDesign, Watercolor 1, Drawing 1, and

ics 1 will be seen alongside Stefanis

promises to be a very unique event. T

ing reception will be held December 2

continue until January 11. Dont miss

Siren Stefani Freeman Acrylic Paint

pus and community events

4


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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 maga-

zine and take this publication to a much

higher level, we want your submissions,

whether its an article, ne arts work,

video, music, or anything art related.

Paintings? Interpretive dance? Har-

monica solo? Mud sculptures? Well

take it. Just be sure to send us enough

photographs, links, or videos so we can

make a solid decision.

And we dont care who you are, what

you study, or even if youre a student or

faculty member; just send us anything.

If it manages to pass inspection well 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 youre going to constantly be

hearing from the same four graphic de-

sign majors And nobody wants that.

Not even us.

Upcoming Art Events

Wheeling:Artworks Around TownGallery Hop rst Friday of every month

ov. 6 Lambros Tschulares & Cheryl

arshman- pottery, clay, monoprintsnd quilts

Coffee House 3rd Friday of everymonth

ov. 20 Kristin Wittenbrookov. 20-22 Oils and Acrylics workshop

w/ Mark Fleming

tifel F A CenterOct 29- Dec 12 WV Watercolor Society

Dec 22- Jan- 30 Regional Student Artxhibition

eb 11- March 27 Crosscurrents-mixed media exhibit

owngate TheaterDec 9- 13 The House at Pooh Corner

Dec 20 and 26 Nutcracker Balletan 15- 17 21- 23 G-Man

Pittsburgh:Warhol

ow- Jan 31: Shepherd Fairey

ew Hazlett Theater

an 23: Jeremy Wade

Carnegieow- Jan 31 Palm Springs Modern

hotographs by Julius Schullman

ow- Jan 31 Digital to Daguerreotype:hotographs of People


16/16

Seeing as how Germany invade

Poland just two years later ...it on

makes sense that Mickey Mouse

Donald Duck should have been r

to do their part to defeat the evil

Third Reich

Seeing as how Germanyinvaded Poland just two yealater ...it only makes sensethat Mickey Mouse and DonDuck should have been readto do their part to defeat the

il Thi d R i h

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