Comic Advertisements for Children in Postwar Italy. The Case of Durban’s Toothpaste on the Pages of “Il Corriere dei Piccoli”

The aim of the article is to analyze this kind of comic strips, focusing on the advertisements of Durban’s oral hygiene products and their textual and visual narrative, to question the underlying educational message. By the analysis of the past seasons of the "Corriere dei Piccoli" magazine, kept at the Sormani Library of Milan, we can point out the message proposed in these comics strips, both educational and playful, in order to encourage the good hygiene practices. Moreover, the visual material reveals the cultural context of this kind of advertising, highlighting the use of ethnic and cultural stereotypes in a process of racialization of the idea of hygiene.