1944.02.29 "When it starts rolling" by Paul R Carmack

1944.02.29 “When it starts rolling”
by Paul R Carmack (1895-1977)
11.2 x 15 in., crayon and ink on board
Coppola Collection

Paul Carmack was a staff cartoonist for the Christian Science Monitor.

On leap day, 1944, “invasion” was not yet a reportable fact. The motivation has to be understood in present-tense wartime communication, not hindsight.

“Invasion” is being used as pressure, not reporting. An invasion of Western Europe was inevitable, but its timing and location were secret… and the silence itself had become conspicuous.

Invasion is an idea both massive and irreversible. This cartoon is a threat, because once it begins, it will be a true commitment. Something big is in the works (we hope).