He had already begun working as a cartoonist and commercial artist when he was drafted in the early 1950s. But Joe Kubert’s two years in the U.S. Army (as a sign-painter for Special Services) taught him the art of discipline and orderliness and had an impact on the rest of his civilian career. Now 84, the creator of the comic strips Sgt. Rock and Green Berets—who still runs a school for would-be cartoonists in Dover, New Jersey—explains how.
When I was in my 20s, the Korean War had just broken out, so they didn’t have to paint a picture about what I’d be doing. I was drafted as a foot-soldier. But to my surprise, after finishing basic training, I was assigned as a sign-painter in an Army Special Services unit in Germany. Two years later, I was discharged as a private-first class.
That admittedly unimpressive military record belies what I got out of serving in uniform, however. Although I never made it to the battlefield or even a rear-echelon support group, the military taught me lessons that have served me well during some 70 years in business and in my personal life. I’m conscious of them every day.
The first was something I didn’t realize until I got out: that playing it straight pays off. I’d always been a pretty straightforward guy, but I’d never thought much about the consequences of it. In basic training, however, you learned that being dishonest or devious can quickly get you killed. Being honest is not only easier, it’s better.
In my business, you sometimes come across people who think that playing games with customers or clients is the way to get ahead more quickly. A few of them are blowhards who want to make you think they’re better than they are. I not only learned not to be that way, but to avoid those who are. It’s helped a lot.
Another lesson from my time in uniform was how to get organized: Take things step by step. Set your goals. Concentrate on one thing at a time. And keep your eyes open about what’s happening around you. I run a business that employs up to 15 people, and an art school that serves 100 students at a time. I use these principles every day.
The military added to my self-confidence. Going through basic training, coping with daily problems, and almost playing on the Army football team (where we had lots of former pros and college players) imbued in me a confidence that I could handle almost anything if I approached the challenge properly.
The Army also exposed me to people and places I never would have encountered if I’d never put on a uniform. Our unit had Soldiers from all walks of life and all parts of the United States. And being stationed in Europe gave me a new perspective on how the world works. It broadened my horizons.
This may seem a bit odd coming from a former PFC, but serving in the military also gave me a sense of orderliness that I wouldn’t have acquired otherwise. It taught me that there’s a chain-of-command, even in civilian life. When you have a problem, you don’t go to the top immediately. You handle it at lower levels. I’ve done that ever since.
People sometimes ask whether two of my most successful comic strips—Sgt. Rock and Green Berets, both about the military—stemmed directly from my experiences in the Army. Believe it or not, the answer is no. The creation of both those strips, and others with military themes, was happenstance; I would have done them anyway.
Still, there’s no doubt in my mind that my experiences in the Army added a lot to the depth and credibility of both strips. Because I’d served long enough to get a sense of what the Army was about, I was able to apply that to the drawings and story lines and make them all more believable.
And my interest in the military—and respect for warriors in all the services—has remained to this day. A few years ago, a retired Army colonel who’d been instrumental in the Battle of Dong Xoai in Vietnam in 1965 and had been corresponding with fellow survivors wrote me asking me to reproduce a drawing of the battle that I’d made earlier.
The result was a collaboration that produced a graphic novel about the battle that accurately depicts what occurred there with eyewitness detail. (The book, Dong Xoai: 1965, went on sale in September.) For me, it was more than just a new publishing venture. It was a labor of love.
Finally, serving in the military has made me pay more attention to myself. At 84, I still work out every day, and I’m convinced that I’m a lot better off physically, more alert mentally, and more stable emotionally than I would have been if I hadn’t had those two years on active duty.
It’s amazing how the friendships you make in the military endure through the years. I still keep in touch with people from basic training and those I came to know throughout my time on active duty. I’ve met a lot of people over my lifetime, but these guys are genuine friends, and they’ll remain so forever.
I can’t say that being in the military changed my life, but I certainly can credit my days in uniform for having given me the wherewithal to help build it. When I was in the Army, I learned to be ready for anything that came up—any place I’d have to go and anything I’d have to do. I still am.
Serving in the military gave me something I could draw on for the rest of my life. And I have.