Getting ready for the Second World War. Fascist Propaganda and Ideology in L’Avventuroso (1938–40)

In 1938, the Italian Fascist regime enacted legislation banning foreign comics, specifically targeting the children’s press. As a result, publishers like Nerbini had to radically alter their magazines’ contents to align with the regime’s aim of using the children’s press as a tool for indoctrinating...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Manuela Di Franco
Format: Article
Language:fra
Published: Association Française de Recherche sur les Livres et les Objets Culturels de l’Enfance (AFRELOCE) 2024-11-01
Series:Strenae
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/strenae/11269
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1841553092668030976
author Manuela Di Franco
author_facet Manuela Di Franco
author_sort Manuela Di Franco
collection DOAJ
description In 1938, the Italian Fascist regime enacted legislation banning foreign comics, specifically targeting the children’s press. As a result, publishers like Nerbini had to radically alter their magazines’ contents to align with the regime’s aim of using the children’s press as a tool for indoctrinating Italian youth with Fascist values. This article takes L’Avventuroso as a case study to investigate how Fascist policies influenced children’s media between 1938 and 1940 – from the ban on foreign comics to Italy’s intervention in World War II – focusing on the transition from American-inspired contents to nationalist propaganda. Through content analysis of Italian-made comics and short novels, combined with socio-historical contextualisation, the article explores the extent to which Fascist rhetoric permeated the children’s press. The analysis examines recurring themes, character archetypes, and iconography to assess the role of comics as a vehicle for propaganda. The study also employs qualitative discourse analysis to trace the alignment of narrative structures with Fascist ideology. By examining nationalistic and propaganda contents in L’Avventuroso, the article provides a nuanced understanding of how Fascist policies at the onset of World War II influenced the publishing of comics, offering insights into the regime’s use of children’s media as a tool for propaganda.
format Article
id doaj-art-0957333280a24d71a6579c442a287702
institution Kabale University
issn 2109-9081
language fra
publishDate 2024-11-01
publisher Association Française de Recherche sur les Livres et les Objets Culturels de l’Enfance (AFRELOCE)
record_format Article
series Strenae
spelling doaj-art-0957333280a24d71a6579c442a2877022025-01-09T12:31:42ZfraAssociation Française de Recherche sur les Livres et les Objets Culturels de l’Enfance (AFRELOCE)Strenae2109-90812024-11-012510.4000/130tfGetting ready for the Second World War. Fascist Propaganda and Ideology in L’Avventuroso (1938–40)Manuela Di FrancoIn 1938, the Italian Fascist regime enacted legislation banning foreign comics, specifically targeting the children’s press. As a result, publishers like Nerbini had to radically alter their magazines’ contents to align with the regime’s aim of using the children’s press as a tool for indoctrinating Italian youth with Fascist values. This article takes L’Avventuroso as a case study to investigate how Fascist policies influenced children’s media between 1938 and 1940 – from the ban on foreign comics to Italy’s intervention in World War II – focusing on the transition from American-inspired contents to nationalist propaganda. Through content analysis of Italian-made comics and short novels, combined with socio-historical contextualisation, the article explores the extent to which Fascist rhetoric permeated the children’s press. The analysis examines recurring themes, character archetypes, and iconography to assess the role of comics as a vehicle for propaganda. The study also employs qualitative discourse analysis to trace the alignment of narrative structures with Fascist ideology. By examining nationalistic and propaganda contents in L’Avventuroso, the article provides a nuanced understanding of how Fascist policies at the onset of World War II influenced the publishing of comics, offering insights into the regime’s use of children’s media as a tool for propaganda.https://journals.openedition.org/strenae/11269fascismyouth presswarcomic bookpopular cultureSecond World War
spellingShingle Manuela Di Franco
Getting ready for the Second World War. Fascist Propaganda and Ideology in L’Avventuroso (1938–40)
Strenae
fascism
youth press
war
comic book
popular culture
Second World War
title Getting ready for the Second World War. Fascist Propaganda and Ideology in L’Avventuroso (1938–40)
title_full Getting ready for the Second World War. Fascist Propaganda and Ideology in L’Avventuroso (1938–40)
title_fullStr Getting ready for the Second World War. Fascist Propaganda and Ideology in L’Avventuroso (1938–40)
title_full_unstemmed Getting ready for the Second World War. Fascist Propaganda and Ideology in L’Avventuroso (1938–40)
title_short Getting ready for the Second World War. Fascist Propaganda and Ideology in L’Avventuroso (1938–40)
title_sort getting ready for the second world war fascist propaganda and ideology in l avventuroso 1938 40
topic fascism
youth press
war
comic book
popular culture
Second World War
url https://journals.openedition.org/strenae/11269
work_keys_str_mv AT manueladifranco gettingreadyforthesecondworldwarfascistpropagandaandideologyinlavventuroso193840