Swann Lecture: War News: Norman Rockwell, Radio-Induced Jitters, and World War II Cartoons
Joseph Semkiu, a PhD candidate in art history at the University of Southern California and Swann Fellow at the Library of Congress, examines how radio shaped the US home front during World War II, informing listeners and creating “war jitters” as war news filtered over the airwaves, serving as the impetus of Norman Rockwell’s Armchair General (1944), painted for The Saturday Evening Post. No matter how fraught, war news––whether sonic or from the printed page––kept a nation motivated towards victory; and this talk examines how Rockwell’s painting, alongside magazine covers, newspaper cartoons, and propaganda posters, depicted the dissemination and reception of war news on the home front. This lecture examines how radio shaped the US home front during World War II, informing listeners and creating “war jitters” as war news filtered over the airwaves, serving as the impetus of Norman Rockwell’s Armchair General (1944), painted for The Saturday Evening Post. No matter how fraught, war news––whether sonic or from the printed page––kept a nation motivated towards victory; and this talk examines how Rockwell’s painting, alongside magazine covers, newspaper cartoons, and propaganda posters, depicted the dissemination and reception of war news on the home front. For transcript and more information, visit https://www.loc.gov/item/video-12817/
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Steve Niles is best known for horror comics 30 Days of Night, The October Faction, Frankenstein Alive! Alive! as well as his notorious monster hunter detective, Cal McDonald. Niles came from the burgeoning 1980s Washington DC punk rock scene, where he played bass for years with the legendary Dischord band, Gray Matter. This book not only delves into Steve's formative years. providing a candid look into his personal struggles, it also serves as a heartfelt tribute to the original DIY culture that inspired the DC punk scene.
Brian Walsby has been drawing stuff, playing drums and listening to a lot of music for well over forty years. He has done countless album covers, single covers, cd covers, posters, prints and t shirt designs for many bands. He has several books under his belt, from his Manchild series, and also SELF EMPUNISHMENT, a lengthy book about the pitfalls of being self-employed. He has played drums in bands such as Polvo, Double Negative and Snake Nation. Brian was tapped to take on the huge task of illustrating the Gray Matter book, and kept his head down and just did it until he was finished. He is happy to have had the assignment and is glad to be here today. 
Monica Richards got her start in music during the heyday of the DC punk scene, singing for bands Hate From Ignorance and Madhouse. She is best known for her DC post-punk band, Strange Boutique, as well as the acclaimed duo, Faith and the Muse. Monica is also an artist and composer, releasing her own solo albums with Steve playing bass and guitar on some songs. She continues to perform live with Strange Boutique.
Mark Haggarty plays guitar for Gray Matter, and has also played with Severin, Lake Superior (San Francisco) and The Coppertones (Cape May, New Jersey). After living in San Francisco for 25 years, Mark and his wife, Kristen, now live in Baltimore, MD. Mark continues to be connected to the Washington DC Punk scene and the lifelong friends he met.
Geoff Turner sings and plays guitar for Gray Matter as well as New Wet Kojak and other bands. He ran WGNS Recording Studios (with Charles Bennington) throughout the 90s and on. He later went on to work at all of the Network News bureaus in Washington, DC as an Audio Engineer. In 2019, he was elected as the Business Manager of IBEW Local Union 1200, representing 700+ Television and Broadcast Professionals across the Southeast. Geoff and his family live in Bethesda, MD.
Dante Ferrando drums for Gray Matter and also currently plays drums in The Owners, a band formed with his wife, and business partner, Catherine. Dante opened Black Cat in 1993, the renowned live music venue for independent and underground music that’s still operating today. Dante Ferrando still lives in Washington DC. He and Catherine have 2 kids.