Edmund S. Valtman's 1962 cartoon humorously captures the Cuban Missile Crisis, depicting Khrushchev as a dentist extracting missile-shaped teeth from Fidel Castro. It satirizes the tension and eventual resolution of the crisis.
The cartoon titled "This hurts me more than it hurts you!" by Edmund S. Valtman, published in 1962, cleverly illustrates the Cuban Missile Crisis during the Cold War. Depicting Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev as a dentist preparing to extract missiles, symbolized by Fidel Castro's teeth, the cartoon captures the tense political climate of the time.
The artwork satirizes the Soviet Union's attempt to install missiles in Cuba, discovered by the United States in 1962. President John F. Kennedy responded by imposing a blockade around Cuba. The cartoon humorously portrays Khrushchev, facing the dilemma of removing the threatening missiles. The dental metaphor suggests the pain and difficulty associated with dismantling the missile installations.
The caption reflects the irony of the situation, emphasizing the supposed reluctance of Khrushchev to withdraw the missiles. The outcome of the crisis is historically noted, with Khrushchev eventually agreeing to remove the missiles to avert war.
Published in "The Hartford Times" and later included in the collection "Valtman: The Editorial Cartoons of Edmund S. Valtman, 1961-1991," this artwork stands as a visual commentary on the complexities and consequences of global politics during the Cuban Missile Crisis. It provides insight into the perceptions and anxieties of that critical period in Cold War history.