fredric wertham

Comics Bogeyman: A Look Back At 'Seduction of the Innocent'
Comics Bogeyman: A Look Back At 'Seduction of the Innocent'
Comics Bogeyman: A Look Back At 'Seduction of the Innocent'
April 19, 1954 is a date that has lived in infamy for comics fans. That's the day psychiatrist Fredric Wertham's Seduction of the Innocent, a book that changed the comics landscape for decades to come, was first published. Wertham's book led to a moral panic over the content of comic books that ultimately resulted in the founding of the Comics Code Authority and the eventual folding of one of the major publishers of the era, EC Comics.
Celebrating The Mad Vision Of William M. Gaines
Celebrating The Mad Vision Of William M. Gaines
Celebrating The Mad Vision Of William M. Gaines
Horror. Crime. Science Fiction. War. Suspense. Oddball humor. Incisive writing. Eye-popping art. These are the elements that made EC Comics irresistible to readers of the 1950s. Their titles were produced by some of the finest creators the comic industry has ever seen. When the bubble burst, and EC's line of comics fell before a squalling mob of censors, Senators, sinister psychiatrists and simple-minded puritans, one series managed to escape, transform itself into a full-size black-and-white magazine, and go on to turn American culture upside-down with its cleverly absurd approach to humor. And through it all, there was one constant figure lurking behind the scenes: publisher, co-editor, troubleshooter, troublemaker, and visionary William M. Gaines.
61 Years Ago Today: The Adoption of the Comics Code Authority
61 Years Ago Today: The Adoption of the Comics Code Authority
61 Years Ago Today: The Adoption of the Comics Code Authority
The Comics Code Seal of Approval, adopted on this day on 1954 by the Comics Magazine Association of America, is an instantly recognizable image to generations of comic readers. Its modest black-and-white brand adorned the covers of countless mainstream comic books for the better part of six decades, assuring buyers that the contents of their favorite title had met with some not-entirely-clear standards of suitability, and serving as a lingering reminder of an era when comics has been considered a serious threat to society.
United Nations Condemned Superman In The 1950s
United Nations Condemned Superman In The 1950s
United Nations Condemned Superman In The 1950s
When people think of the backlash against comics in the 1950s, one name often springs to mind: Fredric Wertham, the author of the 1954 book Seduction of the Innocent, which linked comic book reading to illiteracy, sexual deviancy (by his definition), violence and drug use. While Wertham's book was certainly a catalyst for a lot of changes and censorship in comics, it wasn't the first domino that fell toward the development of the stringent Comics Code Authority. Criticism of comics had been growing to a fever pitch for years before that, and io9 has uncovered one example that came a full two years before the publication of Seduction of the Innocent: a full-on United Nations condemnation of Superman. And guess what: It isn't entirely wrong.
'CBLDF Liberty Annual 2013' "What If Wertham Was Right?" Preview and Interview
'CBLDF Liberty Annual 2013' "What If Wertham Was Right?" Preview and Interview
'CBLDF Liberty Annual 2013' "What If Wertham Was Right?" Preview and Interview
Given that his book Seduction of the Innocent and subsequent anti-comics presentation to the United States Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency resulted in the formation of the Comics Code Authority, Fredric Wertham is basically considered the biggest real-life boogieman in the history of the medium. But what if he hadn't become the face of comic-crippling paranoia by asserting that all kin
The Gayness of Batman: A Brief History
The Gayness of Batman: A Brief History
The Gayness of Batman: A Brief History
"Gayness is built into Batman. ... Batman is very, very gay. There's just no denying it. Obviously as a fictional character he's intended to be heterosexual, but the basis of the whole concept is utterly gay." As we reported last week, this was the claim made by Batman, Incorporated writer Grant Morrison in an interview with Playboy where he offers his insights into the psychology of sup
‘Think of the Children’ Reveals Secret Supernatural History of the Comics Code
‘Think of the Children’ Reveals Secret Supernatural History of the Comics Code
‘Think of the Children’ Reveals Secret Supernatural History of the Comics Code
File under "things we can't believe someone didn't do before" this clever new web comic by Christian Sager and E.C. Steiner, Think of the Children, which tells the secret, supernatural history of the Comics Code Authority. The hybrid horror/exploitation comic stars legendary EC Comics publisher William Gaines and his nemesis Fredric Wetham, the psychiatrist whose belief that comic boo
‘Diagram for Delinquents’ Doc Focuses on Fredric Wertham, Comics’ Most Hated Man
‘Diagram for Delinquents’ Doc Focuses on Fredric Wertham, Comics’ Most Hated Man
‘Diagram for Delinquents’ Doc Focuses on Fredric Wertham, Comics’ Most Hated Man
The producers of Grant Morrison: Talking with Gods, Sequart are hard at work on a new documentary that focuses on another major figure in the story of American comic books, but one who affected the medium in altogether different way. Diagram for Delinquents: Fredric Wetham and the Evolution of Comic Books will tell the story of the most hated man in comic book history, Doctor Frederic Wetham, the
Why Video Game Censorship Matters to Stan Lee, the CBLDF, and Comics [Opinion]
Why Video Game Censorship Matters to Stan Lee, the CBLDF, and Comics [Opinion]
Why Video Game Censorship Matters to Stan Lee, the CBLDF, and Comics [Opinion]
Last week, Stan Lee endorsed the Video Game Voter's Network and the fight to preserve our First Amendment rights in the face of a long-running attempt to ban the sale of violent video games to minors in California. A short time later, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund also came out in favor of the 9th circuit ruling these proposed standards unconstitutional...