And of course Fisher encouraged civilians to pull together in a united effort in the fight against German and Japanese aggression. Joe made numerous pronouncements about the importance of activity on the home front and took a stand against racism. ‘Anybuddy back home who’s spreadin’ intolerance against any person bucuz of his race, creed or color is spreadin’ Nazi principals,’ Palooka said. Fisher also had Knobby find work in a defense plant while Ann became a Red Cross worker.

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Joe Palooka remained popular after the war. The army used him in an educational comic book designed to assist soldiers in readjusting to civilian life. He also began appearing in his own comic book for the general public. A series of two-reel short films featured Joe Kirkwood as the good-natured boxer from 1946 until 1951, while a short-lived TV series ran in 1954. Ham Fisher, depressed and in ill health, committed suicide in 1955, but a number of artists continued the strip until 1984. In those postwar years Joe left boxing behind, married Ann, and raised a family in Connecticut. There he lived out his comic strip life as he had conducted himself in the military-with unfailing humility, decency, honesty, and devotion to duty.

This article was written by T. Wayne Waters and originally published in American History Magazine in December 2002.

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