Disney goes to war

“Nose art” and the equivalent of heraldic icons, courtesy of Walt Disney.

According to the late WW II aviation enthusiast and author Jeffrey Ethell, “the Disney industry was pervasive in American culture and it influenced nose art in a number of different ways. Combat crews copied Disney cartoon characters because they were suitable subjects for humorous and patriotic themes. Disney’s influence also included studio artists, who joined the military and then contributed their talents to the creation of nose art. Disney Studios and the U.S. government had a history of cooperation. At the beginning of the war in 1939, Walt Disney and his artists designed and painted squadron and unit insignia. Disney raised the spirit of the troops when he transformed the ‘once staid military heraldry format created during World War I’ into inspired designs. By the end of World War II, Disney’s five-man staff assigned to insignia completed over 1,200 unit insignias, never charging a fee to the military.”