Hirohito, Hitlerhito and Benito: Murder Incorporated

New York, Dezember 1941
Wasserfarbe, Gouache, Pastell, Graphit und Tinte
New York: Daniel and Joanna S. Rose

With the Three-Power Pact of September 27, 1940, the German Reich, Italy, and Japan had entered into an alliance. Szyk caricatures the political leaders of these nations as a peculiar troop of martially decked-out men playing pirates. A compact formation of three, with offensive stances and provoking looks, they present themselves as “murder incorporated” to an opponent not shown in the image. Yet, as farcical as this scene may be, the skull figure in the background and the bloody dagger reveal that these men represent a serious danger. Graphic precision, richness of detail, and coloration make this drawing a typical example of the political caricatures that Szyk created during World War II.