Cracked #14 Cover 1960

Editor: So, here we have Jack Davis’ "Cracked #14 Cover" from 1960, done in mixed media. What strikes me is how these caricature figures seem to march through different eras of military history... but with a very satirical edge. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a potent critique of the normalization of violence and the ways in which societies glorify and perpetuate cycles of conflict. Davis, by reducing these figures to caricatures, encourages us to question the romanticized notions of war that are so often presented to us. Who benefits from those notions? Editor: That makes sense. The exaggerated features certainly undermine any sense of heroism. What about the range of uniforms? Are they meant to suggest something about American identity? Curator: Precisely! Consider how each uniform represents a specific period, from the Revolutionary War to perhaps a more contemporary, post-war labor force presence. Davis is not merely presenting a historical timeline, but interrogating how militarism shapes our collective identity and perpetuates power structures, especially those exploiting class. Who gets left behind? Editor: I hadn't thought of it that way. The way they're all kind of grinning now feels almost complicit. Like they're in on some joke at our expense. Curator: And consider Cracked magazine itself. It offered an alternative to the more sanitized and conformist narratives prevalent in mainstream comics, so Davis is complicitly challenging these entrenched norms. What are other avenues of disrupting the canon? Editor: It is disturbing how familiar their smiles seem... I definitely see this artwork differently now, it is quite unsettling! Curator: Indeed, Davis’ work, beyond its humor, forces us to confront uncomfortable truths about the glorification of war and the narratives that serve to normalize violence. There is more going on beyond the humourous surface!