***************POSTER DESCRIPTION***************

POSTER DESCRIPTION: This is an extremely rare/unique original US World War 2 cartoon poster. We acquired this poster with other original US Government produced WW2 malaria, and VD posters. This animated cartoon malaria awareness poster features Private Snafu vs malaria.

We can find no record of any Private Snafu poster sales (or even an image of a poster). There are sales of original cartoon art cells.  

This poster does not have any printer markings. The dimensions are larger than a window card. The poster is printed on poster stock, not a heavier window card/insert poster stock. We assess that this poster was printed 1944-1945 by the US Government as part of the WW2 Pacific Theater malaria awareness campaign. See below for more details. 

MEASUREMENTS: 16" x 24 1/2"

Private Snafu vs. Malaria Mike is an animated short film, directed by Chuck Jones and first released in March 1944. It features Private Snafu facing a malaria-transmitting mosquito

ITEM GRADE: FAIR/GOOD

Poster has tears, stains and missing pieces. Tears have stabilized and repaired with tape on the backside of the poster. We opted to sell this poster unrestored so the new owner could decide to display the poster as is or have it linenbacked/restored.  Photos show the overall quality as well as any imperfections.  We offer hassle free returns if you are not satisfied for any reason.

US ORIGINAL WORLD WAR TWO POSTER

ROLLED POSTER (Ships rolled in a tube) 

SINGLE SIDED POSTER

BACKGROUND: In the Pacific War, the lack of mosquito control measures had caused malaria to reach epidemic status. Entire infected units had to be evacuated before actually experiencing combat. Early in the war, it was estimated that malaria caused eight to ten times as many casualties as the battlefield. In 1943, James C. Magee, Surgeon General of the United States Army, created special units to plan and carry out malaria control. The same year, Douglas MacArthur issued orders concerning malaria control measures. Among them was raising the shipping priority of anti-malaria supplies, providing troops with prophylactic drugs (quinine and atabrine) and mosquito repellents, and training troops in the importance of malaria.

Soldiers were reluctant to take antimalarials (particularly Atabrine, which had worse side-effects than quinine) because of the side-effects, and Private SNAFU vs. Malaria Mike was an attempt to challenge this aversion.

Also in 1943, the United States Army started issuing educational propaganda about malaria. The educational campaign included films, radio broadcasts, posters, pinup calendars, signs, manuals, matchbooks, ration containers, and maps, all warning soldiers to protect themselves from malaria infection. This animated short film was part of the wider campaign.

The film opens with a wanted poster of Malaria Mike, the mosquito, placed on a tree. The surrounding area is a swamp. Mike himself admires his image in the poster, though he is not satisfied with the depiction of his nose. A splash of water alerts Mike to the presence of a potential target for him: the naked backside of Snafu. The soldier is currently bathing in a stream. Mike consults a chart detailing the choice parts of an American soldier. The buttocks are identified as filet mignon in the chart. Examining the buttocks of Snafu, Mike recognizes the man, claiming to never forget a face. Mike reads the dog tags of Snafu and is enthusiastic to learn that the soldier is blood type A, his favorite type.

As Snafu dresses, Mike follows Snafu around and attempts to assault him. Various movements and clothing protect Snafu as time passes. On one occasion, Mike misses his target and infects a nearby tree with malaria. It promptly shrivels up and dies. Finally Snafu makes a mistake by rising from his camp bed with his backside nude. While kissing a photo of his girlfriend, his nude rear is offered as a target to Mike. The snout of the mosquito finally hits the mark.

Sometime later, Mike is depicted sitting in an easy chair with a son sitting on his knee. The inquisitive boy asks what his father did in the "great war". The camera provides the answer by shifting to a nearby fireplace and to a trophy head mounted above it, the head of Snafu. In a postscript, Snafu thanks his sponsors, the United States Army. He credits them as providers of insect repellent, mosquito nets, atabrine tablets, and horse sense. He wishes he had actually used them.

****************SHIPPING****************

Shipping savings are substantial when purchases are combined so check out all our listings!  Domestic (USA) and international shipping available through the United States Postal Service.  

• Shipping can only be combined for like items. We ship folded posters, folded pressbooks, and lobby cards in sturdy cardboard boxes.  Rolled posters, trifolded posters and large unfolded pressbooks ship in cardboard shipping tubes.

• If you would like to accumulate several posters and have them shipped together please let us know.

***************TERMS OF SALE***************

HASSLE FREE RETURNS

***************ABOUT US***************

My wife & I have been selling vintage movie items on eBay since September 2000 and our feedback speaks for itself.  We genuinely enjoy selling items on eBay and will do our best to ensure you have a pleasant transaction.  We offer a great return policy, but more importantly, we do what it takes to make sure you have an outstanding experience.

We are always listing genres of movie items to include sci-fi, horror, exploitation, sexploitation and blaxploitation ranging from the 1930s to the 2000s.  Please bookmark us and check our listings from time to time.  

***************CONTACT US***************

Feel free to contact us with any questions!

Thank You from our team at Partners65 Vintage Movie Collectibles 

Nathan & Christine