A journalism professor examines the 1950s comic book panic. Comics and conflict loyola ecommons loyola university chicago. Kitchener comic warehouse of love, kitchener, ontario. In their feature looking back on comics from 10255075 years ago, csbg spotlights the april 1995 conclusion of age of apocalypse. Timeline of the anti comics crusade of the 1940s and 1950 s. The great comicbook scare and how it changed america, david hajdu writes about another comicrelated. Gaimans newbery medal brings the 1950s comics scare full. David hajdu examines the great comic book panic of the 1950s.
In the late 1940s and early 1950s, wertham was the intellectual spearhead of the anticomics crusade, arguing in many articles and his 1954 bestseller, seduction of the innocent, that comic books. Montgomery flagg in 1917, and inspired by the british poster of lord kitchener. On saturday, i attended the volunteers meeting for kitchener comic con, which is an event created and organized by ron hoppe. Its an act of violence, a punishment, a deterrent, a death by proxy. Books, sports cards, and pop culture collectibles in kitchenerwaterloo.
The insane history of how american paranoia ruined and censored. The great comic book scare and how it changed america, were unlike anything kids had seen before. From 1938 to 1950 a period historians refer to as comics golden age comic books. A psychiatrist named fredric wertham stirred the flames in a notorious 1954 bestseller called seduction of the innocent about the dangers lurking. Gaimans newbery medal brings the 1950s comics scare full circle. The brooklyn thrillkill gang and the great comic book. Many of us in the baby boom generation remember collecting soda pop bottles and turning them in for a few cents each or saving our allowance to buy one of our favorite comic books for a dime. David hajdu examines the great comicbook panic of the 1950s. Copy the code below to embed the wbur audio player on your site copy embed code. This is a boy reading a comic book getty imageshutton archive. In 195x, wertham published his infamous book, seduction of the innocent, alleging that comics were ruining the minds of americas youth. The cca allowed the comic publishers to selfregulate the content of comic books in the united states.
The burning books the burning of books publicly and ceremonially is a bizarre subtext of history, repeated constantly. The tencent plague by david hajdu farrar, straus and giroux 434 pp. The brooklyn thrillkill gang and the great comic book scare of the 1950s book. During the 1950s, smaller comic book publishers were the most willing to. In the early 1950s, with tv still in its infancy, american youth purchased nearly 100 million comic books per month. Find useful information, the address and the phone number of the local business you are looking for. May 8, 1940 sterling norths anti comics editorial, a national disgrace, is published in the chicago daily news. Comicbook controversy is a cautionary tale nbc news. The insane history of how american paranoia ruined and.
The comics code was the single most awful thing to happen to comic books and american creativity. Unfollow 1950 s comic books to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. In the 1950s, there was a nationwide movement to censor comic books. An interview with indiecomics pioneer and canadian comic book hall of fame. It would later be reprinted in numerous newspapers throughout the united states. During the meeting, many people were made uncomfortable and yelling even broke out about his stance on sexual harassment of female cosplayers at the convention. Canadian comics refers to comics and cartooning by citizens of canada or permanent. Boy takes comic out of back pocket, trade to another teen for another comic. The stories in these books, says david hajdu, author of the new book, the tencent plague. Such an episode is described in the tencent plague, david hajdus splendid account of americas comic book scare of the early 1950s.
Captain marvel reduced to ashes by terrified parents. And wertham said comic books scared him more than hitler. Canadian cartoonists often found it hard to succeed in the field of comic strips. Covering comics, movies, tv like no other in the world. The great comic book scare and how it changed america. Gary colabuono, comic book collector and dealer, opens the first shop in chicagos suburbs devoted entirely to comic books. This fear of communism and atomic warfare also revived spy scares in the.
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