Postwar Eye in the Sky

Here are two more helicopter cartoons from A Bird's-Eye View of the Postwar World (R. M. Barrows and Margaret Foster, eds.; Consolidated Book Publishers, Chicago, 1945). And then I'm almost done with the subject.

Vic Herman's cartoon at left -- and here's a cartoonist who provides a nice, big, very legible signature on his work so I don't have to strain my eyes reading the small print on the back page -- gives us one of those simple gags about how Sexual Harassment Is Funny. No need to click on this cartoon to embiggen, even though you can if you want.

Vic Herman also drew the cartoon below right. It's on the inside of the cover of the book, my copy of which is considerably worse for wear, which explains the water stain and the tear.

I do get this cartoon, insofar as a helicopter showing up at a garden party would naturally attract a lot of attention. But I worry that Gloria's admirers are in danger of losing their heads over her, and not in a good way.

But at least this cartoon isn't as sexist as the first, since Gloria clearly is as able to fly her helicopter as any slick-haired guy with binoculars. Why, Mr. Perv Pilot merely opens his window to leer at --say, isn't that Gloria? -- whereas Gloria flies an open-air convertible helicopter and is able to hover mere inches off the ground while engaging in ever so scintillating conversation.

Either way, besides helicopter manufacturers, everyone apparently saw a bright future in the postwar world for the pomade market. Even with all these helicopters hovering over sunbathers, crashing garden parties, dropping kids off from school, buzzing mountain climbers, spying on hillbillies, and delivering door-to-door salesmen, there is not a single hair out of place anywhere to be seen.