Guides: Government Comics: Works with Cartoon Illustrations

Government Publications with Cartoon Illustrations

These works are not comic books, but are government publications that are illustrated with cartoons or comic strips. Many of the illustrations are by well-known cartoonists. Sometimes there is a fine line between an illustratred book and what might be considered a full-fledged comic book or graphic novel.

These works are arranged alphabetically by the name of the department or agency.

Office of the Vice President of the United States

Businesslike Government: Lessons Learned from America's Best Companies by Al Gore; Dilbert comic strips by Scott Adams
Call Number: PRVP 42.2:B 96
ISBN: 0160492882
Publication Date: October 1997
The National Partnership for Reinventing Government (formerly National Performance Review) was a Clinton-administration initiative, led by Vice President Al Gore, to "reinvent" the federal government by copying techniques from private companies (e.g., eliminating regulations, making use of technology, writing in plain English, and developing relationships with the local community) to make running the government more streamlined, more results-oriented, and less expensive. Concepts described in the book are illustrated with reprints from the Scott Adams comic strip Dilbert.

U.S. Civil Service Commission

Classification in a Nutshell (December 1958 revision) by U.S. Civil Service Commission (issuing agency)
Call Number: CS 1.2:C 56/5/958
Publication Date: 1959
Blending words, charts, and humorous cartoon illustrations, this pamphlet briefly explains how the pay of federal employees is determined by classifying their jobs according to the type of work, level of responsibility, and qualifications the work requires. This is a revision by the U.S. Civil Service Commission of a document originally prepared by the USDA Office of Personnel.
Also available online:
Classification in a Nutshell (December 1958 revision) at HathiTrust
Classification in a Nutshell (April 1961 revision) by U.S. Civil Service Commission (issuing agency)
Call Number: CS 1.2:C 56/5/961
Publication Date: 1961
Blending words, charts, and humorous cartoon illustrations, this pamphlet briefly explains how the pay of federal employees is determined by classifying their jobs according to the type of work, level of responsibility, and qualifications the work requires. This is a revision by the U.S. Civil Service Commission of a document originally prepared by the USDA Office of Personnel.
Also available online:
Classification in a Nutshell at Google Books
Classification in a Nutshell at HathiTrust

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Without a Trace: The Wilderness Challenge by U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (issuing agency)
Call Number: A 13.13:W 64/2
Publication Date: 1990
Tips on how to follow the "no-trace" ethic while camping, will comic-style illustrations of violations. Issued in multiple editions with different illustrations.

Also available online:
Without a Trace: The Wilderness Challenge at the Internet Archive.
Go to Grass by Reg Manning (artist); U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (issuing agency)
Call Number: A 1.68:103
Publication Date: 1950
Pamphlet on the importance of maintaining grass covering, especially in semi-arid regions. Text is hand-printed in an informal style and illustrated by numerous humorous cartoons by Reg Manning which originally appeared in the Arizona Republic.

Also available online:
Go to Grass at Internet Archive.

U.S. Department of Commerce

The American Economic System... and your part in it by The Advertising Council and the U.S. Department of Commerce in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor
Call Number: C 1.2:ECO 1
Publication Date: 1976
The booklet, intended for adult or continuing education, discusses the American economic system, emphasizing definitions of economic concepts and the individual's role as part of the system. The objective is to provide a simple description of the American economic system and to promote better understanding of it. It is illustrated throughout with characters from the Charles Shulz comic strip Peanuts.

Also available online:
The American Economic System... and your part in it at ERIC. (Note that all the Peanuts illustrations have been removed by ERIC due to copyright restrictions.)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Weather Service

Owlie Skywarn on Flash Floods (1977 edition) by U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Weather Service (issuing agency)
Call Number: C 55.2:F 61/2
Publication Date: 1977
Four-page pamphlet highlighting flash flood safety with cartoons. Primarily for children. This is the first edition of this pamphlet, and some of the advice may be outdated or incomplete.
Hurricane Warning: Owlie Skywarn: A Booklet for Boys and Girls by U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Weather Service
Call Number: C 55.102:H 94/7
Publication Date: 1977
This booklet includes an illustrated story about Hurricane Camille and information about hurricanes and how to stay safe from them. Includes charts showing how wind speeds are classified and how to convert measurements to the metric system, as well as an educational game that teaches how to track hurricanes. The cartoon mascot Owlie Skywarn is featured throughout.
Owlie Skywarn's Lightning Book by U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Weather Service
Call Number: C 55.102:L 62/4
Publication Date: 1978
This 2-color, 16-page booklet, illustrated with cartoon drawings, discusses lightning and safety during thunderstorms in simple terms. Includes historical information and scientific experiments and other activities.
Owlie Skywarn: NOAA Weather Radio by U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Weather Service (issuing agency)
Call Number: C 55.102:R 11/6
Publication Date: 1977
This pamphlet, illustrated with cartoon-style drawings featuring Owlie Skywarn, describes the NOAA Weather Radio Network and explains how to listen to National Weather Service broadcasts and warning messages.
Owlie Skywarn: Owlie's Tips on Lightning Safety by U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Weather Service
Call Number: C 55.102:SK 9/2
Publication Date: 1977
A 10 1/2 x 16 poster highlighting lighting safety with handwritten text and cartoon-style drawings. Primarily for children, but can be used anywhere.
Owlie Skywarn on Flash Floods (1981 edition) by U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (issuing agency)
Call Number: C 55.102:SK 9/3/981
Publication Date: 1981
Four-page pamphlet highlighting flash flood safety with cartoons. Primarily for children.
Watch Out—Storms Ahead! Owlie Skywarn's Weather Book (1983 edition) by U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Weather Service (issuing agency)
Call Number: C 55.102:SK 9/4/983
Publication Date: 1983
Two-tone cartoon illustrations enhance this book of facts, stories, and practical advice on what children and adults should to if they are caught in a hurricane, tornado, lightning storm, flash flood, or winter storm.
Watch Out—Storms Ahead!: Owlie Skywarn's Weather Book by American Red Cross; U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (issuing agency); U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency; Designed and illustrated by Rick Leach and Luis D. Rodriguez
Call Number: C 55.102:SK 9/4/2009
Publication Date: 2009
This coloring book features an updated image of Owlie Skywarn presenting advice on how to stay safe during hurricanes, tornadoes, lightning, floods, and winter storms. The last part of the book includes a series of puzzles and quizzes to help review the concepts presented earlier.
Skywarn: Tips for Tornado Safety (1976 edition) by U.S. Bureau of Commerce, National Weather Service
Call Number: C 55.102:T 63/3/976
Publication Date: 1976
A two-color, four-panel, wallet-sized card containing safety rules and defining the watch and warning terms used by the National Weather Service. Illustrated with a cartoon owl (Owlie Skywarn) protectively embracing three children.
Tornado Warning: Owlie Skywarn: A Booklet for Boys and Girls by U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Weather Service (issuing agency)
Call Number: C 55.102:T 63/5
Publication Date: 1975
This booklet with cartoon style illustrations describes what to do to protect yourself from a tornado. Includes activities for keeping track of the weather and a crossword puzzle. Although intended for a juvenile audience, this pamphlet is also useful for adults. The advice was current in 1975, but may have been superseded by later advances in scientific knowledge.

U.S. Department of Defense

Bureau of Naval Personnel

Alcohol: Fun or Folly? by Lindsay R. Curtis (author); Len Borozinski (illustrator); U.S. Department of Defense, Bureau of Naval Personnel, General Military Training and Support Division (issuing agency)
Call Number: D 208.2:AT 1
Publication Date: 1967
Revised version of a copyrighted publication previously issued by Texas Alcohol Narcotics Education, Inc. Written by Lindsay R. Curtis, M.D. and copiously illustrated with cartoons by Len Borozinski.
Glue-Sniffing: Big Trouble in a Tube by Lindsay R. Curtis; Paul Farber (illustrator); U.S. Bureau of Naval Personnel (issuing agency)
Call Number: D 208.2:G 52
Publication Date: 1968
Slightly revised edition of a pamphlet written by OB-GYN Lindsay R. Curtis to educate young people about the dangers of sniffing airplane glue and other inhalants. Describes the immediate medical effects and long range health and social effects of the habit. Illustrated by Paul Farber, a commercial artist who was the Visual Aids Supervisor at The Defense Depot in Ogden and painted a number of commissioned portraits for military officers. He also served as a police sketch artist and wrote and illustrated how own book about recycling used tires.
Let's Talk about Goofballs and Pep Pills (Including Tranquilizers and LSD) by Lindsay R. Curtis; Dean Hurst (illustrator); U.S. Bureau of Naval Personnel (issuing agency)
Call Number: D 208.2:G 64
Publication Date: 1967
This is a slightly revised edition of a pamphlet written by OP-GYN Lindsay R. Curtis and illustrated by Dean Hurst to educate young people about the dangers of misusing non-narcotic drugs such as stimulants, tranquilizers, and hallucinogens. Discusses the effects of an overdose of each type and explains that such drugs should be used only under medical supervision. The author and illustrator were both residents of Ogden, Utah, but their pamphlet was originally published in Dallas, Texas by Texas Alcohol Narcotics Education, Inc. (TANE). They also collaborated on several other anti-drug pamphlets, as well as some collections of brief anecdotes by Lindsay Curtis called "2 1/2 minute talks" and made available for insertion in sermons and speeches.
LSD: Trip or Trap? by Lindsay R. Curtis; Douglas Dillard (illustrator); U.S. Bureau of Naval Personnel (issuing agency)
Call Number: D 208.2:L 99
Publication Date: 1968
Slightly revised edition of a pamphlet originally published in 1968 by Texas Alcohol Narcotics Education, Inc. in Dallas, Texas. Authored by OB-GYN Lindsay R. Curtis and illustrated by Christian cartoonist Doug Dillard, a pastor and youth evangelist whose editorial cartoons appeared weekly for thirty years in the Baptist Standard and other religious news magazines. He was especially known for his character of a beleaguered pastor named Bro. Blotz.

Defense Civil Preparedness Agency

Did You Know: [items containing disaster readiness information] by U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Civil Preparedness Agency (issuing agency)
Call Number: D 14.2:D 56
Publication Date: 1978
A series of illustrated panels in comic strip style for use in newspapers or other periodicals to inform the public about preparedness in the event of a nuclear attack.
Also available online:
Did You Know at Google Books

Headquarters, Department of the Army

The Army Standardized Combat PLL and Combat ASL Program by Headquarters, Department of the Army (issuing agency)
Call Number: D 101.22:710-3/2
Publication Date: 1985
This revised DA Pamphlet 710-3 provides updated information about the Standardized Combat PLL and ASL Program. The intent of the program is to improve repair parts stockage in Army units so they can continue to operate in combat. The publication is illustrated with characters created by Will Eisner for Army Motors and PS, the Preventive Maintenance Monthly.
Basic Training: Your First Step by Headquarters, Department of the Army (issuing agency)
Call Number: D 101.22:360-232
Publication Date: 1968
This training pamphlet from the U.S. Army's "Troop Topics" series is illustrated throughout with cartoons by Sergeant First Class Bill Dolan and features the characters "Muldoon" and "Top" from his popular Vietnam-era single-panel cartoon series Up Country.
Also available online:
Basic Training: Your First Step in Google Books
Financial Crossroads by Headquarters, Department of the Army (issuing agency)
Call Number: D 101.22:608-6
Publication Date: 1975
This pamphlet provides the methods and techniques that are needed in establishing an effective debt prevention and liquidation program. Illustrated with cartoon-style drawings. One image is signed, but the name is not legible.
Inventory Management: Physical Inventory Training, General Supplies, Computer Equipped Storage Activity by Headquarters, Department of the Army (issuing agency)
Call Number: D 101.22:710-3/2
Publication Date: 1971
This pamphlet outlines the basic steps required at the storage activity to accomplish physical inventories. The text is illustrated throughout with primitively drawn, but often humorous, cartoons.
Operator's Manual: Truck, Cargo, 8Ton, 4x4, W/W; Truck, Cargo, M520, 8Ton, 4x4, WO/W; Truck, Wrecker, M553, 10Ton, 4x4, W/W; Truck, Tanker, M559, 2500 Gal, 4x4, W/W; Truck, Tanker, M559, 2500 Gal, 4x4, WO/W; . . . by Headquarters, Department of the Army (issuing agency)
Call Number: D 101.11:9-2320-233-10
Publication Date: 1976
This manual is for use in operating and maintaining the Goer M520 Cargo Truck, M552 Wrecker Truck, and the M559 Fuel Servicing Tanker Truck, M877 Cargo Truck with Material Handling Crane. It is illustrated throughout with cartoons in the tradition of Willi Eisner's illustrations of PS Magazine and selected Army technical manuals, but by an anonymous artist lacking Eisner's sense of style.
Personal Affairs: Check Writing and Dishonored Check Lesson Plan by Headquarters, Department of the Army (issuing agency)
Call Number: D 101.22:608-35-1
Publication Date: 1977
This pamphlet contains a lesson plan intended to provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to handle their personal finances and checking accounts properly. It covers such topics as checkbook record keeping, bank statement reconciliation, and banking procedures. Program controls—dishonored check lists and overstamping of offender identification cares—are also treated, as is the real possibility that repeated offenses may bring more serious sanctions/disciplinary action. In addition to the lesson plan, there are teaching materials (summaries, examples, and illustrations) formatted for creating transparencies to be used in an overhead projector. One of these teaching materials is an anonymous, single-panel cartoon.
Uniformed Services Savings Program by Headquarters, Department of the Army (issuing agency)
Call Number: D 101.22:360-240
Publication Date: 1969
In 1966, the U.S. Congress authorized the Uniformed Services Savings Deposit Program, also known as the "Big Ten" program. In order to decrease the flow of money out of the U.S. into foreign countries, U.S. armed services personnel were paid 10% annual interest for any personal income they deposited with the program, then they would collect the savings plus interest when they returned to the U.S. This informational pamphlet from the U.S. Army's "Troop Topics" series includes many uncredited cartoon-style illustrations.
Your Consumer Affairs Handbook: A Checklist by Headquarters, Department of the Army (issuing agency)
Call Number: D 101.22:608-3/3
Publication Date: 1975
Each service member needs to be made aware of the importance of caution, good judgment, comparison shopping, and practical, sound advice before making major purchases or signing contracts or agreements that can significantly affect his or her finances. This pamphlet provides consumer facts and information about intelligent buying habits and warns of common "ripoff gimmicks" that should be avoided. The document is illustrated with several cartoon-style drawings.
Improved Army Equipment Record Procedures, 15 Jan 64 by Headquarters, Department of the Army (issuing agency)
Call Number: D 101.22:750-38
Publication Date: 1964
This Technical Manual is an updated (for 1964) version of TM 38-750 (1 May 1962), which put most Army equipment under one records control system. This is a special issue of PS Magazine and includes comic book-style illustrations featuring Will Eisner's characters Connie Rodd and Master-Sergeant Half-Mast.
Bomb Threats by Headquarters, Department of the Army (issuing agency)
Call Number: D 101.24:19-5
Publication Date: 1976
The purpose of this Training Circular is to provide the training manager or trainer with a foundation for developing an effective bomb-threat and training program. The main objectives are to develop an awareness of the serious nature of bomb threats; an understanding of preplanning considerations and how to prepare a bomb-threat plan; an understanding of actions to take during and after receipt of a threat; and an understanding of various responsibilities relative to bomb threats. "This training circular was written by the U.S. Army Military Police School, Fort McClellan, Alabama." Includes cartoon-style illustrations.

U.S. Air Force

Bullets? or Words?: A Brief Presentation of the Mission, Aims, and Techniques of Psychological Warfare by Milton Caniff and Herb Block (Illustrators); United States Air Force, Psychological Warfare Division (issuing agency)
Call Number: D 301.2:B 87
Publication Date: 1951
Korean War era manual explaining the techniques of psychological warfare. Includes cartoon-style illustrations by comic strip artist Milton Caniff and editorial cartoonist Herb Block.
Flying Minute Men: The Story of the Civil Air Patrol by Robert E. Neprud; Zack Mosley (cartoons); U.S. Air Force, Office of Air Force History (issuing agency)
Call Number: D 301.2:C 49/4/988
Publication Date: 1948 (Revised 1988)
"Smilin' Jack" was a popular comic strip character created by Zack Mosley, a small-plane enthusiast who issued a series of cartoons inspired by his own experiences when he flew with the Civil Air Patrol as wartime commander of the Florida wing. Several episodes of the "Smilin' Jack" comic strip are reprinted between pages 92 and 93 of this publication.
UFOs and Related Subjects: An Annotated Bibliography by Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Office of Aerospace Research, USAF (issuing agency); prepared by the Library of Congress Science and Technology Division (issuing agency)
Call Number: D 301.45/19-2:68-1656
Publication Date: 1969
This report is an annotated bibliography of books, journal articles, pamphlets, conference proceedings, tapes, original manuscripts, books of photographs, cartoons, motion picture films and other such material on the subject of unidentified flying objects (UFOs), totaling more than 1,600 separate items, with author index. Major categories include: UFOs, origin of life, mankind, solar system, extraterrestrial life, E.T. visitors, ball lightning and fireballs, disc-like aircraft, unidentified submarine objects, Fortean phenomena, UFOs and religion, UFOs and time, gravity and anti-gravity, hollow earth theory, disappearances, cartoons, mirages, and related subjects. Includes an appendix of several single-panel cartoons reprinted from commercial sources, showing how UFOs have been depicted in the popular media.
Move the Information: A Kind of Missionary Spirit by Rowena W. Swanson; United States Air Force, Office of Scientific Research (issuing agency)
Call Number: D 301.45/19-2:67-1247
Publication Date: 1967
This paper records activities in the development and improvement of information systems and in the education and training of people who will man them and bring them to higher levels of sophistication and value. It was presented at the 75th annual meeting of the American Society for Engineering Education at Michigan State University in East Lansing on June 19–22, 1967. The paper is illustrated with diagrams and photographs as well as several single-panel cartoons and cartoon-style drawings.

U.S. Air Force Reserve

Recovery . . . a Mission for Survival: Air Force Reserve by U.S. Department of Defense, Department of the Air Force (issuing agency); prepared by the Office of Information Headquarters, Continental Air Command, Robins AFB, Georgia.
Call Number: D 301.2:R 24
Publication Date: [1962]
A fictional nuclear attack on the United States provides the background for an explanation of how an Air Force Recovery Squadron works, and why there are so many civilians involved in the Recovery Mission. The text is illustrated throughout with comic book style panels drawn in black ink and tinted with shades of blue and gray. The illustrator is not identified. The publication is not dated, but appears to have been issued sometime after the beginning of the Berlin Crisis of 1961, but before the Cuban Missile Crises of 1962.

U.S. Marine Corps Reserve

Is the Thought of Military Obligation Placing Undue Strain on your Shoulders? by U.S. Marine Corps Reserve (issuing agency)
Call Number: D 214.2:M 59/2
Publication Date: 1956
Pamphlet describing the benefits of joining the Marine Air Reserve following the passage of the Reserve Forces Act of 1955. Several anonymous, cartoon-style illustrations appear throughout.
Military Obligation Is No Terrifying Specter: It's Really Opportunity in Disguise by U.S. Marine Corps Reserve (issuing agency)
Call Number: D 214.2:M 59
Publication Date: 1956
Pamphlet describing the benefits of joining the Marine Air Reserve following the passage of the Reserve Forces Act of 1955. Several anonymous, cartoon-style illustrations appear throughout.
Memo to Mr. Employer: A Handy Pocket Guide on the Armed Forces Reserve Program by U.S. Marine Corps Reserve
Call Number: D 214.2:M 51
Publication Date: 1958
This cold-war era pamphlet explains to employers why they are responsible for helping maintain national security by supporting the Armed Forces Reserve Program, which augments the professional U.S. military forces with a larger corps of well-trained civilian reserves. Illustrated throughout with cartoon-style spot illustrations by an anonymous artist.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Heart Health. . . Your Choice by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (issuing agency)
Call Number: HE 20.3202:H 35/16
Publication Date: 1992
This illustrated booklet uses the adventures of Heartman and his family to teach 11-14 year old students how to reduce the risk of heart disease by maintaining a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol and by engaging in regular physical activity. Learning activities include filling in a family tree to determine how heredity influences blood cholesterol levels, and tracking one's own blood cholesterol levels. No recipes, but includes sample lunches and mix and match bag lunch ideas.

U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare

The Artificial Kidney: What It Is, How It Works. by U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Public Health Service (issuing agency)
Call Number: FS 2.2:K 54/967
Publication Date: 1967
Using a combination of text, diagrams, and humorous cartoon-style illustrations, this pamphlet provides a simple explanation of how the artificial kidney, based on the principle of dialysis, removes or adds substances to the blood and how it can take the place of destroyed kidneys and return patients to useful life.

Also available online:
The Artificial Kidney: What It Is, How It Works, at HathiTrust.
Discovering Yourself in the Brain Age: Journey to the Universe of Inner Space by U.S. Dept. of Health, Education, and Welfare, Public Health Service, National Institutes of Health (issuing agency)
Call Number: HE 20.3002:B 73/2
Publication Date: 1973
Some comics-style illustrations, including a single page comic on the back cover: "Fantastic Adventures of Brain Man."
Is Beer a Four Letter Word? by Keith Hewitt and Mary Hughes; U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (issuing agency)
Call Number: HE 20.8302:B 39
Publication Date: 1978
This magazine-size booklet describes several activities that can be incorporated into an alcohol abuse prevention program to help teenagers explore issues, attitudes, and feelings related to drinking. It is illustrated throughout by whimsical pen-and-wash drawings of cartoon frogs by illustrator, animator, and cartoonist S.E. Mills.The following biographical information appears on the back cover of Mills's 1994 book Underground Office Humor: "S.W. Mills's jobs have ranged from background painter for an animation studio and newspaper staff cartoonist, to working in a literal sweatshop, and driving her drunk supervisor around to the liquor stores. She also taught cartooning at the Indianapolis Art Center and is now self-employed (for obvious reasons) as a desktop publisher for major corporations."
Save Your Teeth (1970 edition) by U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Public Health Service, National Institutes of Health, Bureau of Health Manpower Education, Division of Dental Health (issuing agency)
Call Number: HE 20.3102:T 22
Publication Date: [1970]
Tips on preventing periodontal disease through brushing, flossing, and regular dental check-ups. Illustrated throughout with anonymous, cartoon-style illustrations. There is an "Old West" theme running throughout, and plaque is personified as a moustache-twirling, black-hatted villain who shoots bullets through the white-hatted sheriff's teeth. (The dentist and his assistant are depicted in modern dress, however.) The back cover depicts the villain standing in front of a red sunset with the caption below reading, "Curses, foiled again, by the Division of Dental Health!" Other editions include this illustration, but not the caption.
Save Your Teeth (1973 edition) by U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Public Health Service, Health Resources Administration, Bureau of Health Resources Development (issuing agency)
Call Number: HE 20.6102:T 22
Publication Date: 1973
Tips on preventing periodontal disease through brushing, flossing, and regular dental check-ups. Illustrated throughout with anonymous, cartoon-style illustrations. There is an "Old West" theme running throughout, and plaque is personified as a moustache-twirling, black-hatted villain who shoots bullets through the white-hatted sheriff's teeth. (The dentist and his assistant are depicted in modern dress, however.)
Save Your Teeth (1977 edition) by U.S. Dept. of Health, Education, and Welfare, Public Health Service,Center for Disease Control (issuing agency)
Call Number: HE 20.7002:T 22
Publication Date: 1977
Tips on preventing periodontal disease through brushing, flossing, and regular dental check-ups. Illustrated throughout with anonymous, cartoon-style illustrations. There is an "Old West" theme running throughout, and plaque is personified as a moustache-twirling, black-hatted villain who shoots bullets through the white-hatted sheriff's teeth. (The dentist and his assistant are depicted in modern dress, however.) This edition has the text rendered in much larger type than the previous two editions and displays the name of the issuing agency at the bottom of the the front cover.
A Student Guide to Title IX by Written by Myra Sadker; Elsa Bailey (cartoons); Resource Center on Sex Roles in Education, National Foundation for the Improvement of Education; U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Office of Education (issuing agency)
Call Number: HE 19.108:St 9/2
Publication Date: 1977
This guide was issued in the 1970s to explain each component of Title IX and inform women of their rights. Illustrated with cartoons by Elsa Bailey.

Also available online: A Student Guide to Title IX, at HathiTrust.

U.S. Department of the Interior

The Reclamation Era by U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation (issuing agency)
Call Number: I 27.5:41/1
Publication Date: February 1955
The February 1955 issue of Reclamation Era (Volume 41, No. 1) includes the article "Weed Warning" by John T. Maletic, Regional Soil Scientist, with illustrations by David Cunningham, an illustrator employed by Region 7 who signed his name "CunningHAM."
Gobbledygook Has Gotta Go by John O'Hayre; U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (issuing agency)
Call Number: I 53.2:G 53
Publication Date: 1966
These 16 essays on government writing were written to improve written communication in the Department of the Interior, but the principles can be applied to any government writing. The book contains numerous cartoon-style illustrations. The artist is not identified except by the signature "Coulter."
Vacation Water-Fun by U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation (issuing agency); David Cunningham (illustrator)
Call Number: I 27.2:W 29/20
Publication Date: 1976
Water safety rules presented in the form of short poems written by schoolchildren and illustrated by David Cunningham, an illustrator employed by Bureau of Reclamation Region 7 who signed his name as "CunningHAM." There is a recurring character shaped like a safety pin, but with human face, hair, and limbs.

U.S. Department of Justice

How to Crimeproof Your Home: Take a Bite Out of Crime by U.S. Department of Justice, Law Enforcement Assistance Administration (issuing agency)
Call Number: J 26.8:C 86/13
Publication Date: 1984? [images of McGruff © 1979 Advertising Council, Inc.]
This booklet was prepared by the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration for the Crime Prevention Coalition. It was part of a public service campaign conducted in the public interest by the Advertising Council, Inc. in cooperation with the National Council on Crime and Delinquency and the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration. Online version available at Google Books.
How to Protect Children: Take a Bite Out of Crime by U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Assistance, Research, and Statistics (issuing agency)
Call Number: J 1.2:P 94/14
Publication Date: 1984 [images of McGruff © 1984 The Advertising Council, Inc.]
This booklet has been prepared Office of Justice Assistance, Research, and Statistics for the Crime Prevention Coalition. It is part of a public service campaign conducted in the public interest by the Advertising Council, Inc. in cooperation with the Office of Justice Assistance, Research, and Statistics; the National Crime Prevention Council; and teh Crime Prevention Coalition. Online version available from Google Books.

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Standards

Labor Standards Bulletins Featuring "Butch"

Intended for industrial workers, these pocket-sized booklets published by the Bureau of Labor Standards are enlivened by cartoon-style illustrations featuring a hapless worker named "Butch." The illustrations were created by Bartholomew Robert Valosio, Supervising Illustrator in the Department of Labor's Office of Information.

No. 95: Butch Learned the Hard Way by U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Standards (issuing agency)
Call Number: L 16.3:95
Publication Date: 1948
Explains the basic rules of shop safety.
No. 97: Butch Looks to You: You Supervisors Know Safety Speeds Production by U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Standards (issuing agency)
Call Number: L 16.3:97
Publication Date: 1948
Explains how managers can increase production by keeping their workers safe from injuries.
No. 113: Butch Learns to Lift by U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Standards (issuing agency)
Call Number: L 16.3:113
Publication Date: 1949
Explains principles and techniques of safe lifting.
No. 140: Butch Gets the Works by U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Standards (issuing agency)
Call Number: L 16.3:140
Publication Date: 1950
Explains the hazards of horseplay on the job as Butch's co-workers subject him to a variety of unintentionally dangerous practical jokes.
No. 166 Butch Blows a Fuse by U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Standards (issuing agency)
Call Number: L 16.3:166
Publication Date: 1953
Explains the hazards involved in careless use of electrical equipment.
No. 182: Butch Learns Good Housekeeping by U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Standards (issuing agency)
Call Number: L 16.3:182
Publication Date: 1955
Explains how to keep the workplace safe by keeping it clean and tidy.

Other Bureau of Labor Standards Bulletins

These are other bulletins in this same series that feature cartoon illustrations, but do not feature the character of "Butch."

Mr. Manager: Guard Your Investment in Manpower by U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Standards (issuing agency)
Call Number: L 16.2:164
Publication Date: 1953
This pamphlet promotes workplace safety by encouraging managers to buy machinery that has safeguards built in at the point of manufacture. Although it includes cartoon-style illustrations, they do not feature the character "Butch," nor are they drawn in the same style as the other workplace safety pamphlets.
Teach Them to Lift [1949 edition] by U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Standards (issuing agency)
Call Number: L 16.3:110
Publication Date: 1949
Advice on how supervisors can teach their employees proper lifting techniques. This pamphlet was illustrated by Bartholomew Robert Valosio, who also created "Butch," but it does not feature "Butch" as a character. Created as a companion piece to Butch Learns to Lift, but written for the supervisor rather than the employee, it contains much more detailed scientific information on proper lifting procedures and teaching tools for use in employee training sessions.
Teach Them to Lift [1965 edition] by U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Standards (issuing agency)
Call Number: L 16.3:110/2
Publication Date: 1965
This 1965 revision of the Department of Labor Standards Bulletin Teach Them to Lift was reproduced by the Department of Education and distritubed ERIC document no. ED014572. It includes many of the illustrations from the 1949 edition, but the cover is not illustrated. Instructions are provided for building a "How to Lift" model to demonstrate proper lifting techniques to employees.
Teach Them to Lift [1970 edition] by U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Standards (issuing agency)
Call Number: L 16.3:110/3
Publication Date: 1970
This revision of Teach Them to Lift is updated to reflect state and international standards current as of 1969. Includes instructions for building a "How to Lift" model that can be used as an economical training aid.

U.S. Department of Labor, Children's Bureau

If Your Baby Must Travel in Wartime by Gluyas Williams (illustrator); U.S. Department of Labor, Children's Bureau (issuing agency)
Call Number: L 5.20:307
Publication Date: 1944
"The Bureau gratefully acknowledges the work of Mr. Gluyas Williams, who illustrated this booklet as a contribution to the war effort"--Page [24]. Also classified under call number FS 3.209:307.

U.S. Department of War

U.S. Army Air Forces

Winter Draws On: Meet the "Spandules" by U.S. Department of Defense, Army Air Forces (issuing agency); prepared by the Flight Control Command, Safety Education Division
Call Number: W 108.2:SP 2
Publication Date: 1943
This pamphlet contains tips to help pilots recognize and avoid problems with their aircraft caused by cold-weather. The pamphlet is illustrated throughout with cartoon-like drawings of the gremlin-like "Spandules," created by Walt Disney at the invitation of the Flight Control Command. Illustrations are copyrighted by Walt Disney Productions. The artwork is by Disney animator Bill Justice, who drew the same characters for an abandoned Disney movie and for Roald Dahl's children's book The Gremlins. Justice's work is discussed in The Gremlins at Scrooge McDuck Wikia and in the article "Walt Disney Classified: Meet The 'Spandules'" by David A. Bossert.

U.S. Army Service Forces, Special Services Division

About Face! A Soldier Musical by Arnold Auerbach, Mort Lewis Howard Harris Sydney R. Zelinka, Dave Schwartz, Bob Lieb, Lester Lewis, William Stein (librettists); Frank Loesser, Hy Zaret, Peter Lind Hayes, Jerry Livingston, Louis C. Singer (songwriters); Walter Gross, Sidney Green, Wilbur Beitel, George B. Leeman (arrangers); Al Hirschfeld (illustrator); U.S. Army Service Forces, Special Services Division (issuing agency)
Call Number: W 109.114:AB 7
Publication Date: 1944
Al Hirschfeld was already a successful caricaturist of stage and screen when he illustrated the cover of this first of the DIY Army soldier shows known as "Blueprint Specials."
"Hi, Yank!": A Soldier Shows "Blueprint Special" by Frank Loesser (composer, lyricist); Arnold Auerbach (librettist); Alex North (composer, lyricist); Jack Hill (composer, lyricist, librettist); Jesse Berkman (composer); Bob Eastright (librettist); Ed Milk (librettist); Martin Weldon (librettist); Robert T. Stevenson (designer); Al Hamilton (designer); Edward E. Wood (draftsman); José Limón (choreographer); George Baker (illustrator); U.S. Army Service Forces, Special Service Division (issuing agency)
Call Number: W 109.114:2
Publication Date: 1944?
After he was drafted into the Army, cartoonist George Baker created the character of the "Sad Sack" for Yank, the Army Weekly, a military magazine written by and for American soldiers. This soldier show "Blueprint Special" is built around the popular character and features Baker's illustrations both on the cover and throughout the text.
P.F.C. Mary Brown: A WAC Musical Revue by Headquarters, Army Service Forces, Special Services Division, ASF (issuing agency); music and lyrics by Ruby Jane Douglass, Frank Loesser, Hy Zaret and Arthur Altman; book by Arnold Auerbach, Bob Eastright and Jack Hill; scenic designs by Edward E. Wolf; costume designs by Mary Schenck
Call Number: W 109.102:P 93
Publication Date: 1944
This work is illustrated with a cartoon-style drawing of the goddess Pallas Athene gazing into a mirror and seeing her image reflected in the form of her alter ego, the WAC Pfc Mary Brown. The cartoonist has not been identified, but has signed the drawing with the initials GBL.
OK, USA: A Soldier Shows "Blueprint special": A Guide Book in Music and Comedy by U.S. Army Service Forces, Special Services Division, ASF
Call Number: W 1.43:28-12 A
Publication Date: 1945
This work has a cover illustration and numerous vignettes throughout the text all rendered in a cartoon style by an anonymous artist.

U.S. Federal Trade Commission

You Are Here by U.S. Federal Trade Commission (issuing agency)
Call Number: FT 1.40/2:
Publication Date: 2009-
Created by the Federal Trade Commission, this Web site is designed to teach kids how to be better consumers. It contains reference topics, activities, and games about fair competition, and explains how companies can mislead or trick people about their products and services. The Parent & Teachers page provides PDF fact sheets, lesson plans, and classroom activities. The factsheets and interactive games are illustrated with whimsical cartoon characters. Online activities require the latest version of Flash Player. You can use the HTML version, but "it won't be nearly as cool."

U.S. Office of Facts and Figures

Divide and Conquer by U.S. Office of Facts and Figures (issuing agency)
Call Number: PR 32.4702:D 64
Publication Date: 1942
Explanation of Adolf Hitler's tactics of propaganda and terrorism during World War II. Illustrated throughout with cartoons by Daniel R. Fitzpatrick, Pulitzer Prize–winning editorial cartoonist of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

U.S. Post Office Department

The Story of a Letter by United States Post Office Department (issuing agency)
Call Number: P 1.36:8
Publication Date: 1959
This pamphlet describes in text and cartoon-style drawings the processing of ground-delivery mail and previews several coming developments in the automation of certain mail processing components. An essay appended to this story describes an experiment in delivering mail in peacetime by guided missile.
Mr. ZIP: Who He Is, What He Does by U.S. Post Office Department (issuing agency)
Call Number: P 1.2:Z 6/2
Publication Date: 1967
This pamphlet explains how the ZIP Code system works and why it benefits post office customers and employees. The Mr. ZIP trademark was adapted from Mr. P.O. Zone, a character originally created by Harold Wilcox for Chase Manhattan Bank in New York to promote a bank-by-mail service. Ironically, the character of Mr. ZIP is never seen or mentioned anywhere in this pamphlet except on the front cover, although the interior does contain one more cartoon-style illustration by an anonymous artist.

U.S. Postal Service

And Now . . . the World's Greatest Hobby . . . Getting Started in Stamp Collecting (with Basic Collecting Tools) by U.S. Postal Service (issuing agency)
Call Number: P 1.2:ST 2/15
Publication Date: ©1983
Stan Stamp introduces the reader to the hobby of stamp collecting with information about how to identify the parts of a stamp, where to find stamps for your collections, how to organize your stamps into an album, and what tools a stamp collector needs to maintain a stamp collection properly. Included as an insert are a postcard for ordering a stamp catalog, a color guide, a perforation gauge for identifying the number of perforations on a stamp, and a foreign stamp identity decoder that translates foreign geographic names into English.
A New Look at ZIP Code by U.S. Postal Service (issuing agency)
Call Number: P 1.2:Z 6/4
Publication Date: 1975
This informational brochure explains why all U.S. mail should include a ZIP code now that the USPS sorting machinery has been converted to a strict ZIP code sorting system. It also explains how demographic and economic data collected by the government for each ZIP code area can be used as a marketing tool by profiling current and potential customers. The pamphlet is illustrated throughout with colorful, cartoon-style illustrations.

University of Texas at Arlington, Institute of Urban Studies

Local Economic Development in Texas by Robert R. Weaver (author); Dan S. Petty (writer of preface); Douglas K. Harman (illustrator); University of Texas at Arlington Institute of Urban Studies (issuing agency)
Call Number: TxD Z UA150.8 L786 1986
Publication Date: ©1986 Institute of Urban Studies, University of Texas at Arlington
Illustrated with cartoons by Douglas Harman.

University Libraries

Government Comics