Historic acquisition, my last of 2023 2 2

[SOTIcollector]

 And while we're on the subject of 1948, let's not forget the Winters case.  The United States Supreme Court, in the case Winters vs. New York, struck down a law against publishing and distributing crime publications. In particular, the law had made it illegal to print, utter, publish, sell, lend, give away or show "any book, pamphlet, magazine, newspaper or other printed paper devoted to the publication, and principally made up of criminal news, police reports, or accounts of criminal deeds, or pictures, or stories of deeds of bloodshed, lust or crime." The high court's decision overturned the conviction of a bookseller who had sold the first issue of Headquarters Detective, True Cases from the Police Blotter, from June, 1940. 

And what do we have here?  A copy of the June, 1940 issue that got crime magazines banned and then, in 1948, un-banned.  As publishers tried to figure out what genres of comics would succeed in a post-war post-superhero world, the timing of the crime un-ban was ideal.  Crime comics flourished in 1948 and beyond.   They also provided mountains of fodder for Wertham.

 

[KCOComics]

Congratulations on the new additions to your collection. 

I really appreciate the depth of your knowledge,  your passion for this Era and commitment to sharing your knowledge. 

 

[SOTIcollector]

On 1/3/2024 at 9:15 PM, KCOComics said:

Congratulations on the new additions to your collection. 

I really appreciate the depth of your knowledge,  your passion for this Era and commitment to sharing your knowledge. 

 

Thanks. The new addition is coming up shortly.  Just a few more to go...

[SOTIcollector]

Although Wertham first launched his war against comic books in 1948, there were prior critics and prior battles.  Take, for example, Walter J. Ong's "The Comics and the Super State", from Arizona Quarterly in 1945.

[SOTIcollector]

Before Walter Ong, we had Sister Mary Clare.  No, she's not a Saturday Night Live character.  She was a critic of comic books, who published "Comics" in 1943.  This seems to be the first-ever standalone anti-comic-book publication.  Wertham cites this booklet in SOTI.

Sister Mary Clare also authored "What is a Nun?", but does anybody really care about that?

[SOTIcollector]

To go back to the origins of the anti-comics hysteria, we have to go back further still.  Let's look at 1941.  A publication called "Magazine Digest" printed an article they called "Parents vs. Superman".  

The article is a condensed version of one that as previously published in Parents' Magazine.

[SOTIcollector]

Of course, as I look back to the origins of anti-comic-book sentiment, I'd be remiss to leave out the issue of Parents' Magazine from which the prior article is condensed.

The headline reads like so many of the later ones from the Wertham era.  "What to Do about the 'Comics'".  It presumes from the outset that the reader is already familiar with the "problem" of comics, and therefore of course agrees that something must be "done."

This early attack on comic books didn't come entirely from outside the industry, as Wertham's attacks had.  This was more of an attack from within.  A magazine publisher was attacking the comics then available on the newsstand.  Was it because the publisher saw something that presented a clear and present danger to children?  Of course not.  Publisher George Hecht of Parents' Magazine saw a market.  He decided that he could make money by publishing his own comics, and using the power of his magazine to sway parents into believing that OTHER comics were bad for kids, but his (George's) comics were good for kids.  He must have believed he had a pretty good case, because for the remainder of the year there were numerous ads in Parents' magazines touting George's wholesome wares while implying that other comics were... unsavory.

[SOTIcollector]

Okay.  We set our audio-vibratory-physio-molecular transport device for the origins of the anti-comics sentiment.  We've made some stops along the way, there have been some hints, and now it's time for the big reveal.  The newest addition to my collection.  Something I never thought I'd own.  In fact, I have no clue if anybody else owns one.

It feels like there should be music for this big reveal.

 

[SOTIcollector]

And here it is.  A brittle but complete copy of the Chicago Daily News from May 8, 1940.

The origin of the anti-comic-book hysteria of the 1940's and 50's.  

Literary critic for the Chicago Daily News, Sterling North, penned a column called "A National Disgrace".  He referred to comic books as "a poisonous mushroom growth."  

"Badly drawn, badly written and badly printed -- a strain on young eyes and young nervous systems -- the effect of these pulp-paper nightmares is that of a violent stimulant.  Unless we want a coming generation even more ferocious than the present one, parents and teachers throughout America must band together to break the 'comic' magazine."

If you look at the two prior articles I posted (from Parents' Magazine and Magazine Digest), you'll see that this article was reprinted at least a couple times in 1941, and I'm confident there are more.  This article was cited repeatedly throughout the anti-comics hysteria, including:

- Family Circle, October 25, 1940

- Comics by Sister Mary Clare,1943

- Love & Death by Gershon Legman, 1949

- US Senate juvenile delinquency report, 1950

The list goes on and on.

I've searched for this literally for decades.  When I started the search, I had no idea how difficult a task it would be.  People save newspapers that have historical significance ("War Is Over!"  "Kennedy Shot!") but they typically didn't save ANY papers that weren't thought to be historically significant.  Papers take up a lot of room, and even the historic ones don't typically sell for a lot of money.  Libraries have long since converted their stores of newspapers to film and digital formats.  Finding an intact newspaper for a specific non-historic date, or a specific city and decade, can be tough.  Finding a specific newspaper for a specific date for a specific city?  And in a city with two or more papers, finding that one paper on that one date?  I would not have found it surprising if I had gone my entire life without finding one.

 

 

 

[SOTIcollector]

Thanks for joining me for this trip through comic book history.  There's still cool stuff out there, waiting to be discovered.  Happy hunting!

[Professor K]

On 1/3/2024 at 7:56 PM, SOTIcollector said:

Also in 1948, we had a good comic book.  Exactly one.  Well, to Wertham's point of view, anyway.  

Nightingale was conceived as an "antidote" to the comic books of the day, and Wertham cites it in SOTI as the only "good" comic ever published.   

SFCityDuck, who has made some amazing historical finds in addition to this one, was kind enough to offer me this copy.  

Without that, I'd be saying to this day "I own all known SOTI comics except for one."

That's the only "good" comic according to him? A book with the word Dong written right on the cover? 

[Darwination]

On 1/3/2024 at 9:18 PM, SOTIcollector said:

Thanks for joining me for this trip through comic book history.  There's still cool stuff out there, waiting to be discovered.  Happy hunting!

Neat thread, thank you!  I'm sure you'll continue to find ancillary materials.  As a magazine and newspaper collector, it's neat to see the variety of materials you've gathered here.

[Yorick]

On 1/3/2024 at 9:59 AM, SOTIcollector said:

University of California, Berkeley.  Repressing freedom of speech since 1955! 

[Telegan]

This is some awesome stuff.  I love these things that give us a history of comics and keep a sense of the past and what happened for us to get where we are today.  Thanks for posting!

[sfcityduck]

On 1/3/2024 at 7:17 PM, SOTIcollector said:

And here it is.  A brittle but complete copy of the Chicago Daily News from May 8, 1940.

The origin of the anti-comic-book hysteria of the 1940's and 50's.  

Literary critic for the Chicago Daily News, Sterling North, penned a column called "A National Disgrace".  He referred to comic books as "a poisonous mushroom growth."  

"Badly drawn, badly written and badly printed -- a strain on young eyes and young nervous systems -- the effect of these pulp-paper nightmares is that of a violent stimulant.  Unless we want a coming generation even more ferocious than the present one, parents and teachers throughout America must band together to break the 'comic' magazine."

If you look at the two prior articles I posted (from Parents' Magazine and Magazine Digest), you'll see that this article was reprinted at least a couple times in 1941, and I'm confident there are more.  This article was cited repeatedly throughout the anti-comics hysteria, including:

- Family Circle, October 25, 1940

- Comics by Sister Mary Clare,1943

- Love & Death by Gershon Legman, 1949

- US Senate juvenile delinquency report, 1950

The list goes on and on.

I've searched for this literally for decades.  When I started the search, I had no idea how difficult a task it would be.  People save newspapers that have historical significance ("War Is Over!"  "Kennedy Shot!") but they typically didn't save ANY papers that weren't thought to be historically significant.  Papers take up a lot of room, and even the historic ones don't typically sell for a lot of money.  Libraries have long since converted their stores of newspapers to film and digital formats.  Finding an intact newspaper for a specific non-historic date, or a specific city and decade, can be tough.  Finding a specific newspaper for a specific date for a specific city?  And in a city with two or more papers, finding that one paper on that one date?  I would not have found it surprising if I had gone my entire life without finding one.

 

 

 

👏

[sfcityduck]

 

On 1/3/2024 at 7:53 PM, Darwination said:

Neat thread, thank you!  I'm sure you'll continue to find ancillary materials.  As a magazine and newspaper collector, it's neat to see the variety of materials you've gathered here.

There is always more to find and no doubt he is looking!  What a great collection!

[Professor K]

I think he did all this for notoriety and self promotion which leads to money. It was all about money to him. Just like Al Gore's wife Tipper and that whole PMRC nonsense in the 1980's. Publicity and self promotion in the guise of "We're doing this to help you because we care". "For your children". It's an old playbook that they still use today and probably always will , because it works. 

In wikipedia - Wertham made two memorable appearances on the Mike Douglas Show where he ended up debating his theories with the co-hosts, Barbara Feldon (April 10, 1967) and Vincent Price (June 19, 1967). Excerpts were shown at the 2003 Comic-Con International: San Diego.  I'd love to see those. 

Edited January 4 by Professor K
put quote in bold

[IngelsFan]

On 1/4/2024 at 8:18 AM, Professor K said:

I think he did all this for notoriety 

Agreed. He was that generation’s Dr. Phil, lol.

[Robot Man]

On 1/3/2024 at 7:17 PM, SOTIcollector said:

And here it is.  A brittle but complete copy of the Chicago Daily News from May 8, 1940.

The origin of the anti-comic-book hysteria of the 1940's and 50's.  

Literary critic for the Chicago Daily News, Sterling North, penned a column called "A National Disgrace".  He referred to comic books as "a poisonous mushroom growth."  

"Badly drawn, badly written and badly printed -- a strain on young eyes and young nervous systems -- the effect of these pulp-paper nightmares is that of a violent stimulant.  Unless we want a coming generation even more ferocious than the present one, parents and teachers throughout America must band together to break the 'comic' magazine."

If you look at the two prior articles I posted (from Parents' Magazine and Magazine Digest), you'll see that this article was reprinted at least a couple times in 1941, and I'm confident there are more.  This article was cited repeatedly throughout the anti-comics hysteria, including:

- Family Circle, October 25, 1940

- Comics by Sister Mary Clare,1943

- Love & Death by Gershon Legman, 1949

- US Senate juvenile delinquency report, 1950

The list goes on and on.

I've searched for this literally for decades.  When I started the search, I had no idea how difficult a task it would be.  People save newspapers that have historical significance ("War Is Over!"  "Kennedy Shot!") but they typically didn't save ANY papers that weren't thought to be historically significant.  Papers take up a lot of room, and even the historic ones don't typically sell for a lot of money.  Libraries have long since converted their stores of newspapers to film and digital formats.  Finding an intact newspaper for a specific non-historic date, or a specific city and decade, can be tough.  Finding a specific newspaper for a specific date for a specific city?  And in a city with two or more papers, finding that one paper on that one date?  I would not have found it surprising if I had gone my entire life without finding one.

 

 

 

Wow, now that is a rare and early item. Congrats on seeking it out and finding it.

Thanks for showing us all these rare and historical items! 

[Jayman]

On 1/4/2024 at 11:18 AM, Professor K said:

and Vincent Price

Wertham vs. Dr.Phibes himself!

would love to see that debate.