William Anthony – A parody of war: both a picture-book testament to childhood enthusiasm and a harrowing glimpse into the mechanics of propaganda and ignorance

William Anthony, War Is Swell: A Kid's Idiotic Vision of World War II, Smart Art Press, 2000.


"From the beginning of World War II, when William Anthony was seven years old, to its end, when he was almost eleven, he was a real “American patriot.” In his child mind, he loved every aspect of the adventurous war as it was relayed to him through the letters, the newspapers, and the comic books that reached his quiet Tacoma, Washington, suburb. War Is Swell is an illustrated reenactment of this elaborate (and innocent) experience of war in Anthony’s raw signature style—unfiltered, uncensored, and untempered by political correctness. Both a picture-book testament to childhood enthusiasm and a harrowing glimpse into the mechanics of propaganda and ignorance, War Is Swell is a wry and provocative examination of American history."

"From the beginning of World War II, when William Anthony was seven years old, to its end, when he was almost eleven, he was a real American patriot. Lucky enough to be spared the tragedy of the war, he and his boyhood friends savored its adventure through the letters, the newspapers, and the comic books that reached his quiet Tacoma, Washington, suburb. They kept dutifully abreast of wartime strategy and watched the skies faithfully for enemy attack, longing for the chance to contribute to the war effort. We loved the fighting men and the combat, Anthony writes in the introduction to the exhibition catalogue, We loved weapons and the mayhem they caused. We loved the air raids, the commando raids and the plots to kill Hitler.
War Is Swell is a narrative reenactment of this elaborate and innocent experience of war in Anthony's raw signature style unfiltered, uncensored, and untempered by political correctness. Its cast of characters includes Hitler ( a paper-hanger who got this job as dictator of Germany), Admiral Yamamoto (who liked to put tacks on the chairs used by the other officers to keep them alert ), General Patton, blonde lady spies who liked to get secrets in return for certain favors, and scores of soldiers, civilians, tanks, and planes from all sides. Both a lyrical testament to childhood enthusiasm and a harrowing glimpse into the mechanics of propaganda and ignorance, War Is Swell is a wry and provocative contribution to the annals of American history."

William Anthony, Bill Anthony's Greatest Hits: Drawings 1963-1987, The Jargon Society, 1988.


Art. Foreword by Robert Rosenblum. Bill Anthony has long been a member of the downtown scene and his work, which predates the Soho and East Village movements, shares in the irreverent, ironic, and witty commentary of the structures of modern culture that is prevalent in downtown art. Anthony's work takes on not only the foibles of modern life, but also comments on the entire process of art making and of the art marketplace. From very early on, he was appropriating images, including Lichtenstein and Warhol, to comment on pop art as well as taking on the work of Picasso, Munch, Manet, and others all of whom he reworks through his own peculiar, twisted sense of humor. The result is a commentary on the process of art production as well as skillfully crafted paintings and drawings. Anthony's works have been widely exhibited at galleries, both uptown and downtown and at many major museums including The Corcoran Gallery, The Cleveland Museum of Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Whitney Museum of American Art, and many others. In recent years, Anthony has been affiliated with The Unbearables, providing drawings and posters for their readings and publications.

William Anthony, Bible Stories, The Jargon Society, 1978.

"All the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites are very relieved that Bill Anthony is telling the stories of the Bible, as are the Urim and the Thummin and yours truly."—Thomas B. Hess

"I can't wait for the New Testament. This is the first Bible I could understand."—Andy Warhol

"This is the most interesting version of past events since Beverly Aadland's mother said: 'My baby was a virgin when she met Errol Flynn.'"—R. B. Kitaj