Cartoon by Pashtanika circa 1919. “Lavoratori! Diamo ancor forza al braccio!” (Arm reference to human arm, not any of the octopuses). Octopus is ‘Capitalism’, its arms are ‘poverty’, prostitution’, ‘war’, ‘child labor’ and ‘wage slavery’. Label on human arm refers to Industrial Workers of the World (I.W.W). 

The note at the bottom says: “Il Proletario, an Italian-Language I.W.W. Newspaper, borrowed graphics from Solidarity and the Industrial Pioneer. The editor would usually add a caption in Italian. The above caption reads: “Workers! Give Me More Strength in my Arm!”, Hence all the text in the cartoon is in English, while the caption is in Italian. Also means it was published previously.

Compare to prohibition cartoon ‘The Modern Devil Fish’, which is about the same age.

Image source: “Seattle General Strike:  Industrial Workers of the World” (Accessed: 15th Sept 2010).

Claude Marquet, ‘Fighting the Octopus’, Worker (Sydney), 12 November 1904. Reprinted p6.32 in ‘All the world over’, Dyrenfurth, Nick; Quartly, Marian, Drawing the Line 2009 1:1, 6.1-6.47

Octopus represents American Tobacco trusts with hat called ‘Greed’. It grasps a North American ‘Factory Hand’, ‘Consumer’, and ‘Retailer’ and South American ‘Planter’, and is reaching towards Australia. Sword held by Australian (farmer?) is labelled ‘Nationalisation’

 “The End of the Circus Season” by  William Allen Rogers published November 3, 1900, in Harper’s Weekly p.1050

Democratic nominee William Jennings Bryan is pictured as a clown dejected by his impending defeat. He rides the exhausted Democratic Donkey through a driving rain storm, while carrying the symbols of his failed issues—free silver (bunco dollar), imperialism (tyrant), and antitrust (octopus). The scene evokes the literary analogy of Don Quixote, who tilted at imaginary windmills, and the body of water is probably meant to be the Salt River, a metaphor for political defeat.

Source of image and quote: Harp Week (Accessed 27th Aug 2010)

Last few minutes of “Victory Through Air Power” Disney made WWII propaganda film that shows Japanese octopus being attacked by American eagle. (Trying to get hold of a copy of this.)

Five-armed octopus, with Pentagon as its head, holding gold, oil and missile. ‘Pentagon Tentacles of Power’ by David Dees (circa 2006-2009).

“The Octopus Which Feeds On War And Emergency” flyer printed 19521 by the Citizens for Eisenhower-Nixon. It relates to the US “police action” in the Korean War. Argues that the Truman administration  had grown “monstrous” feeding on emergencies that the administration was creating, whilst its bureaucratic tentacles threatened the liberty of its citizens.

The administration in power has grown to monster proportions by feeding on emergencies upon emergencies. … Power once usurped is never voluntarily surrendered. While we still have the right to vote, let us use that vote to free ourselves of the octopus which is surely sucking away our blood², dissipating our savings and destroying our liberties.

NOTES:

• (1) Flyer undated but are signed off by Walter Williams – Chairman – and Mrs (Mary) Oswald B. Lord – Co-Chairman – positions were held in 1952. Source: Galvin, Daniel. “Building a New Republican Party: Dwight D. Eisenhower and the Stillbirth of Modern Republicanism, 1953-1960″ Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Southern Political Science Association, TBA, TBA, Jan 05, 2006 <Not Available>. 2009-05-25 <http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p68462_index.html>
• (2) Reappearance of the vampiric octopus. Last seen sucking the blood of London renters circa 1910.