Polite Dissent

It’s the first week of school, here in Southern Illinois anyway, so this is the perfect time for a public service ad about bus safety.

Sadly, it’s not that exciting a PSA (but honestly, could a school bus PSA be exciting?), but as I’ve mentioned before, those from later in DC’s monthly PSA program tend toward the uninspired. There’s nothing wrong with it other than the fact that even Bernard Baily’s art can’t stop it from being dull.

It’s interesting that of the six panels, only one features an actual school bus. I don’t know about 1961, but fifty years later, I’d be surprised if one percent of children rode non-school-bus public transportation to school, let alone 5 out of 6, as suggested (loosely) by this PSA.

Nobody draws a disapproving adult better than Bernard Baily, though his buses could use a little more work.

In lieu of any actual deep insight into PSAs or school buses, here a couple of interesting school bus-related links:
Why are there no seatbelts on school buses?
The Chowchilla school bus kidnapping.
Why are school buses yellow? (And more than you ever wanted to know about “school bus yellow.”)

This PSA can be found in DC comics from November 1961. The script is by Jack Schiff with art by Bernard Baily.

More PSAs

Tags: comics psa busjack schiff bernard baily