Vica Defies Uncle Sam
1942 - 43 - The cover of this comic by a cartoonist collaborating with German
occupiers depicts a matronly Eleanor Roosevelt standing in place of the Statue
Liberty (a great French work of art!). The Uncle Sam character is mesmerized by
New York City's riches, while the comic's French sailor hero "Vica" tries to
alert him to the situation of La Normandie ocean liner (pictured in the inset).
The French ship, a maritime marvel of its time, was detained by the U.S. during
the war, renamed The Lafayette and accidentally set fire and sunk in a New York
port. "Vica Defies Uncle Sam," reads the title. The cartoonist of "Vica" was
tried after the war and sentenced to a year in prison and fined 1,000 francs
for breach of state security.
Details from the release French World War II Comics
A library collection explores how comics where used for propaganda and entertainment in France during World War II.