We have already recalled the work of German artist Arthur Thiele, who during the World War I, created more than one wonderful series of postcards full of humor and self-irony. Probably, during the years of the Great War, only German propaganda allowed artists to play so frankly on their army. However, all this is true for the first half of the war, but in 1917-1918 the subjects of the German crown were no laughing and were not up to color pictures.
Here are four well-known stories from the “Zeppl’s reports from war” (Seppl's Kriegsberichte) series of postcards issued in Leipzig in 1915–1916. Each of them contains a plot on the topic of front-line hardships, which happened to soldier named Zeppl (a diminutive of “Joseph”) and a signature in the style of “Everything is fine, beautiful marquise”, beginning with the words “I am fine…” (Mir get's guat …). It is pouring rain in the Argonne forest (Mir get's guat, naß is!), while in Belgium, on the contrary, the ruthless sun is burning (Mir get's guat, 's ist ziemli warm!).
However, things are even worse on the eastern front: Zeppl got head lice in Galicia (Mir get's guat, I hob Läus!), and in Russia his ear was torn off altogether (Mir geht's guat, ein Ohrwaschel fehlt, elendige Bazi, die Feind '!).
