| Place | North & Central America: United States of America |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | ARTV10466 |
| Collection type | Art |
| Measurement | Sheet: 34 x 29 cm |
| Object type | Poster |
| Physical description | offset lithograph printed in colour |
| Maker |
Dr Seuss U S Government printing office |
| Place made | United States of America |
| Date made | 1943 |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
Starve the squander bug...
Description
The Squander Bug was a propaganda character created by the British National Savings Committee to discourage wasteful spending. Originally designed by freelance illustrator Phillip Boydell (Boydell, inspired while at home with a cold, produced a series of six sketches depicting an imp-like creature named the 'Money Grub' that could 'push, pull, scratch, bite and steal') for press adverts, the character was widely used by other wartime artists in poster campaigns and political cartoons.
The character was intended as a positive alternative to endless government warnings on what not to do. British wartime cartoonists such as David Low and Carl Giles also used the character. An adapted version was used in Australia, where the Squander Bug was given a Japanese appearance. This example is by well-known American children’s illustrator Dr Seuss (Theodor Geisel 1904-1991) who designed his own version for a campaign to promote US war bonds in 1943-44.