Stephen Ambrose, author of Band of Brothers, praised Mauldin's work: "More than anyone else, save only Ernie Pyle, he caught the trials and travails of the GI. The cartoons helped publicize the ground forces and showed the grim side of war, demonstrating that victory would require repeated sacrifices. The War Department supported their syndication. But Dwight Eisenhower, Supreme Commander European Theater, told Patton to leave Mauldin alone, because he felt that Mauldin's cartoons gave the soldiers an outlet for their frustrations. Mauldin was ordered to meet him in March 1945 in Patton's quarters in Luxembourg, where Patton complained about the scruffiness of the characters and blamed Mauldin for disrespecting the army and "trying to incite a mutiny". in particular felt offended by the cartoons. While Mauldin was praised for his realistic depictions of what most soldiers felt during war-time, he was less popular with some officers, however. But over time, the two became virtually indistinguishable from each other in appearance and attitude. In the early cartoons, depicting stateside military life in barracks and training camps, Willie was a hook-nosed, smart-mouthed Chocktaw Indian, while Joe was his red-necked straight man. In most cartoons, they were shown in the rain, mud, and other dire conditions, while they contemplated the whole situation. He extended the bristles on their faces and the eyes – "too old for those young bodies", as Mauldin put it – showed how much Willie and Joe suffered. They gradually became darker and more realistic in their depiction of the weariness of the enduring miseries of war. Mauldin was sent to combat, influencing his cartoons.
Near the end of 1941 the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, and the USA entered World War II. He cartooned part-time for the camp newspaper. Mauldin was an 18-year-old soldier training with the 45th Infantry Division in 1940. They were published in a gag cartoon format, first in the 45th Division News, then Stars and Stripes, and starting in 1944, a syndicated newspaper cartoon distributed by United Feature Syndicate. They were created and drawn by American cartoonist Bill Mauldin from 1940 to 1948, with additional drawings later. Willie and Joe are stock characters representing United States infantry soldiers during World War II. Fictional cartoon characters created by Bill Mauldin Publicity shot of Willie and Joe, drawn by Bill Mauldin, 1940s.
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