THREAD CLOSED Comic Books Will Rot Your Brain! Great anti-comics items from the 1940's and 50's, including the 1955 US Senate report! 1 1

[SOTIcollector]

Hi there,

I hope you and yours are able to stay safe and healthy during these trying times.

Welcome to my thread.  A few items related to the anti-comics hysteria of the late 1940's and early 1950's.  

Payment via PayPal goods & services.  Local pickup in the Springfield, MA area can be arranged.  

Payment is expected within 7 days of invoicing.  After 7 days, I may relist an item if I haven't heard from you.

Returns for any reason welcome within 14 days.  If the return is due to my error, I pay return shipping; otherwise, you pay return shipping. 

These items come from a smoke-free and, to the best of our knowledge, COVID-free house.

No probationites or shameful ones.  And nobody who gets into arguments that Hulk 180 is *really* the first appearance of Wolverine.

Secure Priority Mail shipping anywhere in the US is included in the prices.  Prices listed are for US shipping.  If you're outside the US, just contact me and I'll find out how much shipping will be.  It will be expensive, because I'll only use a shipping service that allows me to insure an item for its full value.

PM's are welcome, but "take it" in thread beats everything else. Please understand that this applies to everybody equally.  If you send me a PM, I'll get to it eventually but know that a post in thread can trump you.

My top priority is my family and my second priority is my full-time job.  After that, it's comics.  So please understand if I don't reply to your inquiries immediately.  I try to make sure that I check in at least once per day while I have a sales thread going.

Edited November 13, 2021 by SOTIcollector

[SOTIcollector]

Up first, Seduction of the Innocent.  First edition, first print, in original dust jacket, from 1954.  $349 shipped in the US.  SOLD

This is the book that nearly killed the entire comic book industry.  Wertham's accusations about comics from 1948-1954 led to the US Senate investigation into the dangers of comics, with televised hearings that started the same week SOTI was published.  See what all the fuss was about and get your own copy of SOTI.

The dust jacket is worn, with some paper loss at the head and tail of the spine and fading to the red lettering on the spine.

The book itself is in great shape.  No marking except some minor pencil on the title page (pictured).  The beginning of some splitting is present at the spine (see photo of second title page).  All 16 illustration pages are present.  The original bibliography is NOT present.  That's because, without notifying Wertham, the publisher ordered the bibliography removed from nearly all copies of this book prior to its distribution.  I have included a photocopy of that bibliography page, tipped into this copy, for your reference.

 

Edited November 3, 2021 by SOTIcollector

[SOTIcollector]

Love & Death, paperback, Breaking Point, 1949.  $60 shipped in the US.

Long before there was Seduction of the Innocent, there was Love & Death by Gershon Legman. 

One of several essays in the book is "Not For Children", in which Legman asserts that comic books are dangerous for kids.

 

 

 

 

Edited October 30, 2021 by SOTIcollector

[SOTIcollector]

Neurotica #3, $250 shipped in the US.

... And before there was Love & Death, there was Neurotica.    Gershon Legman participated in the symposium "The Psychopathology of Comic Books" with Dr. Fredric Wertham in 1948.  Legman's anti-comics essay, "The Psychopathology of the Comics", was presented here, in the third issue of Neurotica.  This was the basis for what later became the chapter on comics in Love & Death.

 

 

[SOTIcollector]

Neurotica #6, $100 shipped in the US.

The sixth issue of Neurotica appeared shortly after Love & Death.  In this issue, Legman laments the success of Romance Comics in a follow-up to his article in issue #3.  Issue 6 also contains a contribution by Allen Ginsberg.

[SOTIcollector]

Gangsters Can't Win #2, FR, $200 shipped in the US.

Taking a slight detour before posting the biggie.  This one was not used in SOTI or L&D.  Wertham missed it entirely.  Nonetheless, it's a classic of pre-code crime.  Great skull cover and splash.  1/2 of BC missing, and cover is detached.  Supple pages.  

In July, a 5.0 sold for $1560 at Heritage.  

 

[SOTIcollector]

US Senate report "Comic Books and Juvenile Delinquency" $1,200 shipped in the US.

This is the biggie.  Very rarely offered for sale.  I see two sales on Heritage, the most recent being one for $776 back in 2016.  This book has three extra staples (Not manufacturing) and a well worn spine.  See photos for condition.

This is a committee print, printed explicitly for the use of the Committee on the Judiciary.  Note that the the two copies of this report that were previously sold by Heritage were both later printings.  On the later printings, the report number (62) was printed on the report, where it's just penciled on this report.  The later printings also have the date printed on them (rather than stamped), and there are other differences on the cover. 

Edited October 30, 2021 by SOTIcollector

[vaillant]

@SOTIcollector The US Senate report is super-cool!
P.S. I have dug out that item I told you about: when I will ran my "wartime" sales thread I will let you know.

[SOTIcollector]

On 10/30/2021 at 6:54 PM, vaillant said:

@SOTIcollector The US Senate report is super-cool!
P.S. I have dug out that item I told you about: when I will ran my "wartime" sales thread I will let you know.

Great.  Thanks!

 

[SOTIcollector]

... In case you're interested, here's a comparison of the committee print versus the public print of this report.

The one I'm offering is the one on the left.

It's offered here for cash, but I'd consider trading for similar material from the anti-comics hysteria of the 1940's and 50's.  At the top of my wantlist now is the 1951 Report of the New York State Joint Legislative Committee to Study the Publication of Comics.  But if you have something along these lines and I don't already own one, then I want it.  What do you have?

[vaillant]

Thanks, that’s fascinating!
No, no, it’s nothing uniqueas your incredible items. It’s a postwar german magazine which could be of interest to you as it contains an article about comics and pop culture (mentioning Wertham) from an anti-american perspective.
P.S. I have just landed a sort of "equivalent" to your senate committee document as far as italy goes. It’s from 1939, and I have yet to receive it — very excited!

[SOTIcollector]

SOTI is sold to a boardie with exquisite taste!

[SOTIcollector]

Price drops! 

Gangsters Can't Win #2 was $200, now $150 shipped in the US.

Neurotica #3 was $250, now $200 shipped in the US.

Neurotica #6 was $100, now $80 shipped in the US.

Comic Books and Delinquency, US Senate report (Committee print), was $1200, now $1150 shipped in the US.  

[SOTIcollector]

Thanks for the purchases!  Thread closed!