Willie & Joe: The WWII Years | 
 enlarge | Author: Bill Mauldin
Creator: Todd Depastino
Publisher: Fantagraphics Books
Category: Book
List Price: $65.00
Buy New: $25.90
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Avg. Customer Rating:  3 reviews
Sales Rank: 1285
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 650
Shipping Weight (lbs): 6.8
Dimensions (in): 10.7 x 8.5 x 3.2
ISBN: 1560978384
Dewey Decimal Number: 940.530207
EAN: 9781560978381
ASIN: 1560978384
Publication Date: April 28, 2008
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Product Description
Presenting the complete WWII cartoons of Bill Mauldin, the greatest cartoonist of the Greatest Generation.
"The real war," said Walt Whitman, "will never get in the books." During WW II, the closest most Americans ever came to the "real war" was through the cartoons of Bill Mauldin, the most beloved enlisted man in the U.S. Army. Here, for the first time, Fantagraphics Books brings together Mauldin's complete works from 1940 through the end of the war. This collection of over 600 cartoons, most never before reprinted, is more than the record of a great artist: it is an essential chronicle of America's citizen-soldiers from peace through war to victory.
Bill Mauldin knew war because he was in it. He had created his characters, Willie and Joe, at age 18, before Pearl Harbor, while training with the 45th Infantry Division and cartooning part-time for the camp newspaper. His brilliant send-ups of officers were pure infantry, and the men loved it.
After wading ashore with his division on the first of its four beach invasions in July 1943, Mauldin and his men changed—and Mauldin's cartoons changed accordingly. Months of miserable weather, bad food, and tedium interrupted by the terror of intense bombing and artillery fire took its toll. By the year's end, virtually every man in Mauldin's original rifle company was killed, wounded, or captured.
The wrinkles in Willie's and Joe's uniforms deepened, the bristle on their faces grew, and the eyes—"too old for those young bodies," as Mauldin put it—betrayed a weariness that would remain the entire war. With their heavy brush lines, detailed battlescapes, and pidgin of army slang and slum dialect, Mauldin's cartoons and captions recreated on paper the fully realized world of the American combat soldier. Their dark, often insubordinate humor sparked controversy among army brass and incensed General George S. Patton, Jr.
This is first of several volumes publishing the best of Bill Mauldin's single panel strips from 1940 to 1991 (when he stopped drawing). His Willie & Joe cartoons will be presented in a deluxe, beautifully designed two-volume slipcased edition of over 600 pages. The series is edited by Todd DePastino, whose Mauldin scholarship will be on full display in a biography of the artist coming in February 2008 from W. W. Norton. Willie & Joe will contain an introduction and running commentary by DePastino, providing context for the drawings, pertinent biographical details of Mauldin's life, and occasional background on specific cartoons (such as the ones that made Patton howl).
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| Customer Reviews:
 Willie & Joe: The WWII Years June 5, 2008
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
Had an original copy a number of years ago, misplaced it somewhere along the line. It's like finding an old friend.
 A soldiers opinion June 2, 2008
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
As a veteran of the army (1st Bn 75 Inf ) I could relate to the situations that Willie and joe found themselves in.The humor that soldiers see in different situations can be appreciated by soldiers and civilians alike. Mr. Mauldin illustrates these situations very well and has clever captions to go with them. If you ever wondered what army life is like or want to remember some of the situations you as a soldier were in, then take a look at these two books. If you enjoy them half as much as I do then you will be very happy you bought them. Happy reading.
"Rangers Lead The Way"
Mauldin Fans Rejoice! May 18, 2008
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
This is an excellent set of books, with a wonderful and informative introduction by Todd DePastino. The reproduction quality of Mauldin's cartoons is quite good, especially considering the original source material in some cases. One can tell that this was a true labor of love. To see everything in one place is a real treat. Thank you Fantagraphics and Todd DePastino!
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