North Korea may be making the headlines like never before but the world’s graffiti artists have been featuring the Hermit Kingdom’s leaders for years.

When it comes to North Korea, there’s a lot to look down on. Take the country’s unique leadership – a communist dynasty? Who knows what the late Karl Marx might think of that (though it’s not hard to guess). In any case, NK-themed graffiti and street art should never be looked down upon, at least not by those living outside North Korea. Flickr user _eddie999_ brings us our lead image featuring Team America: World Police’s take on Kim Jong-il, snapped in Brighton, UK early in 2012. Just below, Mauricio Balvanera’s (maubrowncow) 2007 photo of a stenciled North Korean soldier with a flower in the muzzle of his rifle gazes out from a wall near the Toy Factory Lofts in Los Angeles, California.

The Sun Is (Still) There

Kim Il-sung (“Kim become the sun”) was North Korea’s first supreme leader – the “Great Leader” in official parlance – who held power from 1948 to his death from natural causes in 1994. Among his most lasting accomplishment was the establishment of the Kim ruling dynasty, now into its third generation in the form of Kim Jong-un. Speaking of lasting accomplishments, Flickr user Loïc Brohard snapped the above artwork captioned “Vote Kim il Sung” in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, in April of 2010.

The Son Is Here

Kim Jong-il inherited power from his father in 1994 and was known in North Korea as the “Dear Leader”. Flickr user Larry Jones (westbymidwest) captured this full-color portrait of Kim Jong-il in full panhandler mode on September 20th of 2009 at the Albany Bulb, an artificial landfill peninsula extending westward from the the east shore of San Francisco Bay. It’s uncertain whether the splash of orange paint across the portrait’s “HELP” sign is part of the original composition or a later amendment.

A Spectacles Of Himself

Kim Jong-il was over 50 years old when he assumed North Korea’s leadership but he had been groomed for the position since the early 1980s. Kim the Second raised the cult of personality established and encouraged by his father to ever-greater heights. The stencil above, found in NYC’s Koreatown district, dates from 2009 and was captured in April of that year by Flickr user e.yamasaki.

The Future’s So Bright…

Kim Jong-il’s designer shades take center stage in the above NYC photo pastiche snapped in late 2011 by Flickr user allan molho (amolho4). Sources state Kim Jong-il was a fervent fan of Western cinema, boasting a collection of over 20,000 titles including every Elvis Presley flick. His fascination with “The King” in his late-1960’s rhinestone jumpsuit phase may have influenced Kim’s sartorial preferences, at least when it came to prescription and fashion eyewear.

Thanks, Obama

First rule of tinfoil-hat prognostication and doomsday cult propaganda: never predict near-future events! The unknown creator of the above paste-up mini-manifesto evidently didn’t get that memo. To their credit, they did manage to evoke the spirits (and images) of Lincoln, Churchill and an alarmingly youthful FDR to add weight to their shrill Cassandra callout. Bonus: stating “Prime minister of North Korea said so its the God truth.” Kudos to Flickr users shoehorn99 and allan molho (amolho4) for capturing these ravings in August of 2008 and April of 2009, respectively.

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Nk Ink North Korea Graffiti Stencils Street Art

The infamous Ryugyong Hotel in Pyongyang may have stolen the spotlight but North Korea can boast many other examples of unusual cutting-edge architecture.

The Korea Central Zoo (also known as the Pyongyang Central Zoo) was founded in 1959 but recently underwent an extensive makeover, re-opening in July of 2016. The zoo was and continues to be criticized for exhibits that include a chain-smoking chimpanzee and various breeds of dogs. Canines are forbidden to be kept as pets in the capital city, ostensibly for hygienic reasons.

We’re here to discuss architecture, however, and when it comes to the Central Zoo the highlight has to be the huge tiger-head entrance archway. Rather impressive, unless you’re an easily frightened child (or adult). At least the scaredy-cats can find some solace at the turtle-shaped Reptile Enclosure.

Handball Hall

Handball is kind of a big deal in North Korea and the North Korea women’s national handball team has competed at the Asian Women’s Handball Championship no less than six times since 1991 – though they’ve never finished higher than third. The team practices at the strikingly angular and not at all ball-shaped Handball Hall located on Chongchun Street in Pyongyang’s “city of sports” district.

We don’t have a date for the first photo but the image just above snapped by Flickr user Aaron Geddes (Gedsman) in March of 2016 displays some subtle differences.

International Cinema Hall

The International Cinema Hall isn’t in use very often as its main raison d’etre is hosting the Pyongyang International Film Festival every other year since 1987.

The sprocket-shaped building sits cheek-by-jowl to a golf course (you read that correctly) on the island of Yanggakdo, located in the Taedong River running through downtown Pyongyang.

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Beyond Brutalism Cutting Edge North Korean Architecture

As the Ukraine strives to break free from all things Russian, some unlikely allies – Soviet-era statues of Lenin – have been enlisted to wave the flag.

Or “wear” the flag, as the case may be, and the easiest way to do that is by liberally (pun intended) applying blue and yellow – the colors of the Ukrainian flag – to bronze tarnished by decades of weathering. Lenin, as depicted above in Nikopol, wouldn’t be caught dead sporting such an ensemble back in the day. Not to worry, it wasn’t long before nationalistic protesters with plenty of rope put Dayglo Vlad out of his misery.

Siberian Breakfast Club

Not all Ukrainian-themed Lenin statues are in the Ukraine, mind you… take the above hastily colorized example from Novosibirsk, a city of 1.5 million in southwestern Siberia. According to a Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty report carried by KyivPost, “Authorities in Novosibirsk say suspects accused of painting the colors of the Ukrainian flag on a monument to Lenin in the Russian city have been detained.” Hey, at least they didn’t tape his butt cheeks together.

Hail Stylin’!

Back in Kiev, however, anyone wanting to Ukrainianize a Lenin statue need not fear the police though a fear of heights would be a hindrance. The stylish statue above displays all the marks of an unhurried artist – ol’ Vlad looks dapper enough to work at IKEA!

Party Chair Man

You don’t see many “Seated Lenin” statues like the one above, located in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region. There’s no rest for the wicked, however, and the Communist icon’s relaxed pose just made things easier for those wanting to make a political statement in blue and yellow spray paint.

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Color Me Patriotic Ukraines Painted Lenin Statues

Propaganda has many purposes but paramount is its use to promote war and bolster a united home front. While most people have some acquaintance with their own country’s graphic propaganda – often absorbed into pop culture – that of the “enemy” is far less familiar and thus, somewhat jarring. This selection of wartime propaganda from friends and foes alike takes no sides; instead it seeks to expose the bombastic, jingoistic and prejudicial properties all propaganda has in common.

American Propaganda’s Mild Side

(images via: Looking Through The Lens and HubPages)

So-called soft propaganda is mainly concerned with exhorting citizens to join the armed forces and reminding workers of their important duties in munitions production. Iconic anthropomorphic symbols of American propaganda include Rosie The Riveter and good ol’ Uncle Sam.

Now It’s Personal

(images via: Looking Through The Lens and The Advertising Archives)

Wartime propagandists turn up the heat when the situation on the battlefield becomes desperate. The above propaganda images are stark and severe, reflecting the tone of the times. Less words and plainer imagery help drive home the all-important message: win at all costs!

Antichrist Of The Axis

(image via: Art’s Not Dead)

Beautiful yet bizarre, the image above depicts Germany, Italy and Japan killing Jesus Christ! American artist Thomas Hart Benton painted this stunning tableau, titled “Again”, in 1941 immediately following the attack on Pearl Harbor. The painting was one of Benton’s 8-part “The Year In Peril” series whose stated purpose was to awaken Americans to the dangers of fascism.

Spanish Flew

(images via: The Visual Front)

The Spanish Civil War that raged from 1936 through 1939 was one of the first modern wars to receive widespread international media coverage. Both sides; Franco’s right-wing Nationalists and the left-wing Socialist government put visual propaganda to good use in extolling their respective causes. Thousands of posters, many of them exquisite works of art, were produced by both sides during the course of the war.

Guernica: A Shout Against The Darkness

(images via: Essex Ac)

On occasion the line between graphic propaganda and genuine art is blurred, even broken – such is the case with Pablo Picasso’s modern masterpiece, Guernica. Painted in 1937 following the aerial bombing of the Basque town of Guernica by the German-manned Condor Legion, the immense (11.5 ft. by 25 ft.) painting shouts out against the horrors and injustice of war. The painting was commissioned by Spain’s socialist government following the bombing and was shown around the world, bringing attention to the Republican cause.

Stamps Of Disapproval

(images via: PsyWarrior)

The wartime OSS (which later became the CIA) was involved in the creation of forged postage stamps which were delivered into Nazi Germany via leaflet bombs. As one part of Operation Cornflakes over one million stamps were printed showing Hitler’s face as a human skull. To fuhrer, er, further get the point across the lettering beneath these stamps was changed from Deutsches Reich to Futsches Reich, or “Collapsed Empire”.

Putting The Kibosh On The Kaiser

(images via: MySpace: Kaiser_Wilhelm2, Christianna’s Blog, VicMart and AllPosters)

Second World War anti-Germany propagandists weren’t starting from scratch. A generation earlier, some surprisingly graphic posters made the rounds as allied governments sought to stoke war fever by demonizing Germany, especially Kaiser Wilhelm II. The French poster of the Kaiser trying to eat the world – and finding it too hard – is typical of the era.

Before Spike TV: Spike Propaganda

(images via: King’s College)

Depicting German soldiers for propaganda purposes was easy: simply combine some dastardly deed with a soldier wearing a spike-topped pickelhaube helmet. Though the pickelhaube was phased out in early 1916, it continued to be used as an identifying feature of Germany and/or Germans for propaganda purposes. This practice can also be questioned as the pickelhaube was used at times by soldiers in the service of Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Norway, Portugal, Russia and Sweden.

A Game Two Can Play

(images via: German Propaganda Archive)

Germany was by no means silent when it came to propaganda – Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels did much more than just write Hitler’s speeches. The above images aimed at Churchill’s Britain come from Lustige Blätter, a popular German humor magazine.

FDR FTW!

(images via: German Propaganda Archive)

America joined the UK at war in 1941 and almost immediately joined her as a target of Nazi propaganda. Above are a small sampling, once again taken from the pages of Lustige Blätter.

Nuts!!

(images via: Mark Bando)

Another type of graphic propaganda was aimed directly at troops in the field. The German propaganda leaflet above was fired via rifle grenade into the American positions at Bastogne, Belgium, in December 1944 during the crucial Battle of the Bulge. Bastogne was where the commanding American officer, when presented with a German demand for surrender, famously replied “Nuts!!”

KULTUR-TERROR

(image via: Art’s Not Dead)

This disturbingly sardonic image was widely reproduced in Germany and occupied countries. There are several variations titled either KULTUR-TERROR or LIBERATOR. The color poster above is the most disturbing, portraying the decadent American prodigal son who has crossed the ocean to bring lies, hate and death to Mother Europe. The caption of the poster translates to “USA wants to save Europe’s culture FROM DESTRUCTION?”

Red Star Rising

(images via: Suggestive)

The USSR boasted a long tradition of vivid graphic propaganda that was employed to support their war effort in World War II. The war in the east began with betrayal and was bitterly fought – Soviet propaganda posters pull no punches: the translated captions on the above posters read, clockwise from upper left, “Kill German Beasts!”, “Warrior of Red Army, save us!”, “That will happen to German beast” and “Death To Fascist Vile Creature!”

Rising Sun Setting

(images via: King’s College, ABC, Chinese Posters and WW2 Shots)

Here is a selection of unusual anti-Japanese propaganda imagery from the World War II. The curious British-made poster at top left warns of Japanese influence in… South America?

(image via: Digger History)

Above is an example of Japanese propaganda directed at Australian diggers fighting in New Guinea and the Pacific islands. Japan’s aim was to create a rift between Australia and the USA by sowing seeds of mistrust.

Propagating Propaganda

(image via: Art’s Not Dead)

Wartime propaganda is an equal opportunity endeavor – so is war itself – and the above selection of posters is proof. The striking air defense poster at above top left is from Finland; to its right is an anti-American poster issued by the French Communist Party and at top right, a Republican poster from the 1936 Spanish Civil War. Below those, from left to right are posters from Great Britain, Italy and Japan.

War often brings out the worst in humanity yet it can also bring out our best when people unite to defend their country, their families and their way of life from an opposing force who seeks their destruction. The same can be said about wartime propaganda – at worst it’s blatantly offensive, at best it can rally hearts and minds to a common cause.

Propaganda, presented graphically as posters, pamphlets and pictorial artwork, aims to influence the attitudes of people to serve the purposes of the propagandists. Governmental guerrilla marketing in a sense, propaganda also has its good side: it can inspire and unite people behind a worthy cause. Here are 13 examples of propaganda showing it at its best, worst and purest.

My Country, Right Or… Right!

(images via: Classic Posters and Museum of Russian Posters)

Propaganda can have a wide or narrow focus; many examples of the former generally seek to boost pride in the host country without any particular goal in mind. Above are a few attempts at pictorial nation-boosting. From upper left: France, Finland, USA, Cuba, USA again, Soviet Union.

Propaganda For Fun & Profit

(images via: Leyton Jay, Superpunch and Drawn!)

Why so serious? Propaganda has often been SO serious and over-the-top that it invites parody. By injecting a note of humor into traditionally staid & solid imagery we can derive amusement from belittling the propagandists while enjoying the jarring inconsistency between, say, the Soviet Threat personified by an army of Kermit or Bert clones.

Propzilla?

(images via: Into The Fuzz)

Above are a few more modern homages to stereotypical propaganda posters, mainly of the early Soviet style. The highlight is the bright & bold 10th anniversary Mozilla artwork by Lee Tom (above right) that nicely updates the original Mozilla art created by Shepard Fairey (above left) back in 1998. To quote, “Our goal was to create a piece that retained the bold, constructivist graphic style of the original without the “happy worker” Communist imagery that understandably rubbed some in our community the wrong way.”

Sports Propaganda

(images via: Sports Propaganda)

Chris Speakman’s Sports Propaganda limited edition prints and posters draw on the rich history of graphic propaganda. If you’re gonna support the team, there’s not much more you can do – besides painting your face, of course.

Music Propaganda

(image via: Manteldernacht)

The bold imagery of propaganda posters has often been used by musicians and bands for their album/CD cover artwork. Examples above include, from upper left, Laibach (1988), Bram Tchaikovsky (1979), XTC (1979) and Superkollider (2001).

(images via: Discogs)

One would be remiss in missing the obscure but completely relevant 1979 new wave compilation from Canada titled Propaganda: A Blatant Attempt to Influence Your Musical Taste. It came with a large fold-out poster of the cover (featuring Mao Tse-tung rockin’ out) which looked very cool on this writer’s wall way back when.

I Want You, UK!

(images via: The Age and AllPosters)

The classic “I Want You!” war recruitment poster is rather mild as propaganda goes but they do use nationalistic imagery to boost their appeal. Most people are familiar with the Uncle Sam version, which incidentally is a self-portrait of an artist with the very patriotic name of Montgomery Flagg. That poster first appeared in 1917 but the original “I Want You” debuted in Great Britain several years earlier and featured the head of the British Army, Field Marshal Lord Horatio Herbert Kitchener.

I Want You, USA!

(images via: AllPosters and Son Of The South)

And here we have the Uncle Sam version which was used to great effect for over a half century, from 1917 up to the time of the Vietnam War in the mid sixties. Also shown is the less well known Navy version, also dating from 1917.

Russian Futurism Turns The Page

(images via: Soviet Posters, Cara Ellison and Slava Gerovitch)

The Soviet Union hasn’t given all that much to Western culture – Tetris excluded – but their graphic propaganda has stood the test of time, if only for its inimitable style and visual impact. One reason early communist propaganda is so striking, even today, is that many of the artists who created these Soviet posters were students of Constructivism who sought to break art down to its basic building blocks. Easy does it, as they say!

Red Skies At Night

(images via: Dictatorship Of The Air)

Here are some more Soviet propaganda posters; these look to the sky for the glorious future of Marxist-Leninism. Bring on the Red Zeppelins… that’s a whole lotta blimps.

How Now, Mao?

(images via: Celestial Kitsune and One Inch Punch)

“Red China” picked up the propaganda habit where the Soviets left off, adding singular features to appeal to traditional Confucianism in Chinese society. Also imported and even expanded was the cult of personality, mainly centered on Chinese Communist Party founder Mao Tse-tung.

The East Is Read

(images via: Landsberger, Dennis Yang and China Media Blog)

Not all Chinese pictorial propaganda revolved around Mao, as the examples above illustrate, but his famous little red book often subs for him. Typical features of all Chinese propaganda include heavy use of the color red and a patriotic message exhorting the proletariat to bigger and better things on behalf of the Party – and the country.

Going To Extremes: North Korea

(images via: Dark Roasted Blend)

Nowhere in the world has propaganda been taken to such bombastic heights as in North Korea. As bizarre and ridiculous as some of The Hermit Kingdom’s anti-American propaganda may seem, one must consider that in many cases the message is being aimed at a captive population who have no access to outside sources of information. One especially fierce, definitely disturbing image (above, top) shows a DPRK soldier crushing the U.S. capitol dome while shouting in patriotic glee. Nice… and these guys DO have WMDs.

Oh Che Can You See…

(images via: Hey Che!)

The poster boy – literally – for revolutionary propaganda has to be Argentinean-born Marxist guerrilla Che Guevara. Though he was captured and executed in Bolivia in 1967, the photograph of Guevara that has been reproduced innumerable times was taken 7 years earlier by Alberto Korda. Among the many artists who helped immortalize Guevara via Korda’s 1960 photo was Andy Warhol. As bright, bold and bombastic as so much of the past century’s graphic propaganda has been, very little can hold a candle to this one iconic image of a single man, single-minded in his devotion to a cause.

This overview of propaganda touched only lightly on its use – and abuse – during wartime. Stay tuned for more Pugnacious Propaganda: The Art of War, coming soon!