The Origins of the Uncle Sam “I Want You” Poster. ... popularized the elephant and donkey as political mascots—boosted the ...

Uncle Sam didn’t really become a household name until Thomas Nast’s sketches in Harper’s Weekly in the late 1860s and ’70s, when Nast made him a hero of the Union cause.

Uncle Sam: Special Election Edition is now available at comic shops everywhere. Matt Morrison Matt Morrison has been writing about comics and superheroes for nearly two decades.

Uncle Sam—clad in red, white, ... popularized the elephant and donkey as political mascots—boosted the character’s image with his illustrations in the 1860s and ‘70s.