Colors, characters, and cartoons aren’t just for entertainment - they're architects of our thoughts. From The Simpsons to the vibrant tales spun by Disney and Japanese Manga, this art form shapes our perspectives, ignites fervor, and, at times, even manipulates reality. Is it any wonder espionage and visual arts have a subversive relationship?
With rumors that the Spy vs. Spy movie is back on, we’re delving into the Mad world of Cuban cartoonist Antonio Prohías. His iconic black-and-white spies satirize Cold War geopolitical tensions with absurd acts of sabotage, creating iconic symbols of US-Soviet brinkmanship. The question persists though: was Cuban-born Prohías much more than just a sneaky illustrator?
A Jackson Pollock painting and a poison-tipped umbrella?
What do this unlikely pair have in common? Find out in our brand new ‘snackable’ series of podcasts. Leading artists, architects, designers and historians share short, sharp, and fascinating insights about extraordinary spy objects.
Listen to historian Alice Loxton and visual artist Daniel Arsham as they explore Jackson Pollock’s Painting Number 8. Designer Thomas Heatherwick discusses a Bulgarian dissident’s encounter with a poisoned umbrella, and military history expert Lynette Nusbacher reveals an ingenious piece of covert pathfinding technology designed for RAF pilots stranded behind enemy lines in WWII - the button compass.
Spy x Family delivered a huge boost to Manga, now essential reading for fans of the spy genre. The art actually stretches back to the 12th century though, long before Osamu Tezuka - Japan’s 'God of Comics' - used WWII Manga to challenge (and reinforce) Japan’s official narrative. Intrigued? Here’s your fast track to the wild world of Manga, secret agents, and what’s hot to read right now.
In the colorful world of animation, behind-the-scenes censorship battles shaped the iconic characters we know today from Homer Simpson to Betty Boop and even Mighty Mouse - the caped superhero accused of sniffing cocaine. Behind the scenes, cartoons can be no laughing matter. Here are a few jaw-dropping secrets of Hollywood censors.
Even beloved cartoon characters found themselves cast in unexpected roles in WWII. Mickey lent his name to a gas mask for toddlers. Donald Duck enlisted in the Army, and Minnie repurposed bacon grease to make explosives. Still, even SPYSCAPE was shocked to discover Walt Disney was a purveyor of propaganda and informant for the Los Angeles FBI office.
When the CIA finally declassified Donovan of Central Intelligence, intrigue surged. Why did the Agency suppress it, let alone for fifty years? Sure, the hero resembles ‘Wild Bill’ Donovan - founder of the CIA’s forerunner, the OSS. Yes, Donovan chases women and writes atomic bomb plans on his head, but why would that concern the CIA director and his Yale-educated lawyer? We’ve got a few explosive ideas.
When CIA exfiltration expert Tony Mendez was working up a cover story to rescue six Americans held in Iran, he disguised them as a Hollywood film crew scouting locations in Tehran. The ruse - told in Ben Affleck's thriller Argo (2012) - demanded more than just ingenuity. Mendez needed art. That’s where Jack Kirby, ex-US Marine-turned-Marvel comic genius, came in.
At SPY HQ you’ll explore hidden worlds, break codes, run surveillance and spot liars - while a system developed with MI6 experts reveals your personal spy role and profile.
