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The U.S. Navy lost more than 8,000 people in aviation accidents from 1941 to 1946. Safety posters used cartoons and humor to stress the importance of following safety procedures—and the grave consequences of carelessness.
The exhibition Don’t Be a Dilbert! U.S. Navy Safety Posters featured a dozen examples of World War II safety posters from the Intrepid Museum’s collection. The posters, illustrated by noted cartoonist Robert Osborn, featured two blundering cartoon characters—Dilbert the pilot and Spoiler the mechanic—whose slip-ups endangered lives and equipment. The exhibition also included excerpts from a Navy training film in which Dilbert comes to life. In the film, his stubborn inability to follow safety procedures has devastating consequences.
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