Mightier Than the Sword: Subversive Brazilian War Comics, Political Criticism, and the Construction of National Identity

In post-World War II, The Brazilian Expeditionary Force (Força expedicionária brasileira - FEB) that fought with the Allies in the Italian Front became a powerful symbol of Brazil in its finest hour.  Civilians, politicians, generals, veterans, and the man in the street used the pracinhas’—as the soldiers were fondly nicknamed—wartime experiences as the building stones for a one-size-fit-all narrative of bravery, triumph, competence, and national superiority. Brazilian artists embraced the narrative and created fictional and based-on-a-true-story comics that contributed to the creation of a self-congratulatory national identity.

Under the military dictatorship (1964 – 1985), the image of the FEB as a military triumph and a source of patriotism grew stronger and eroded its democratic and liberal components. In the midst of this hegemonic narrative, a small group of comic artists used the already established genre of FEB war comics to criticize the military and expose the ugly aspects of war.  While their North American colleagues created bold underground comix, the Brazilians did not enjoy the same freedom and had to make do with subtle subversive messages. Thus, this paper argues that Brazilian war comics became a vibrant arena where powerful metaphors of the nation competed over what it means to be Brazilian, and explores the construction and contestation of national identity.