WWII Cartoon Sketchbook (Page 4) – Ralph Duzan Pollard Original Art

WWII Cartoon Sketchbook – Page 4
Master Sergeant Ralph Duzan Pollard (1911–1992) – Original Wartime Sketches

Artwork Details:

Artist: Master Sgt. Ralph D. Pollard

Medium: Pencil on paper, WWII European Theater sketchbook

Date: ca. 1943–1945

Provenance: Estate material, compiled in sketchbook form by Pollard during his service in Europe

Cartoon 1 (Top): “Quit Stallin’”

Caption: “OK wise guy, you’re not Sgt. Pollard! You go tell Pollard to quit stallin’ and come here and get discharged like a man!”

Analysis: Pollard lampoons his own reluctance to face demobilization orders, parodying the name “Stalin” with “stallin’.” The cartoon sets him up as the perennial holdout, unwilling to leave the Army just as bureaucrats tried to push men back into civilian life. This is self-deprecating satire at its best—Pollard acknowledging both his stubborn streak and his central role as the comic foil in his own sketchbook.

Cartoon 2 (Bottom): “Sgt. Pollard Loves Apples”

Caption: *“Sgt. Pollard loves apples.” / Response: “Unprocessed!”

Analysis: This gag plays on wartime rations and Pollard’s characteristically voracious persona. While soldiers received their food in tins and dehydrated packaging, Pollard is shown reaching straight for the orchard. The side-comment “unprocessed” pokes fun at both Army rations and Pollard’s lack of refinement—choosing nature’s bounty over bureaucracy’s version of “food.”

Significance:

This page blends wordplay, personal self-mockery, and commentary on Army routines. Through recurring jokes about food, discipline, and his own figure, Pollard created a caricature of the everyman sergeant—wry, weary, and forever at odds with regulations.

Reference Note:
For Pollard’s full biography and postwar career in commercial art and advertising, see the Books Gallery entry connected to this series.