USA 2000

An all-too-accurate prediction of the U.S. in 2000, drawn by a prominent Disney illustrator.

This satirical poster map is an illustrated forecast of the United States at the turn of the millennium. The country has transformed into a dystopian landscape of corporatization (Gulf of Mexico, Inc.) and regional megalopolises like San D’Angelisco on the West Coast.

A triple-layer interstate system with numbered routes in the thousands bypasses desolate landscapes almost devoid of natural beauty, with the exception of a lone tree in ‘Yellowstone Teton National Park.’ A monument to the bald eagle near the top of the sheet indicates it went extinct in 1976 – just four years after the poster was published!

The cynical, yet unnervingly prescient, outlook is indicative of the environmental movement of the 1960s and 1970s. A serious concern with nuclear radiation and industrial pollution is reflected in references throughout the image – even space is becoming littered with trash. Monuments to dozens of animals, not just the eagle, highlight decreasing biodiversity and the destruction of natural habitats. Political commentary is also present – note the large border wall with Mexico and the threat of Russia looming over the horizon.

The engaging image was created by Sidney Kalcheim and illustrated by Dick Wunderlich, a former Disney cartoonist. Published in Los Angeles in 1972 by the United States Map Company, Inc.

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