Comments on: The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic-Book Scare and How It Changed America

By: komodo dragon

komodo dragon — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 16:42:47 +0000

this looks like a very interesting read …

By: Rod Lott

Rod Lott — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 14:51:05 +0000

You’ll be pleased to know that Gaines’ 24/7 speed-popping is in full effect.

By: Allan

Allan — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 12:22:12 +0000

You wanna know how I know Wertham wasn’t as bad as McCarthy? Ann Coulter has yet to write a book proclaiming him a hero. Speaking of Wertham, Mark Evanier has some interesting (and a bit counter-intuitive) essays about the man in his book Wertham Was Right! (a controversial title that is made more palatable once Evanier explains what it is that Wertharm was right about–and it wasn’t that these books should be censored). I wonder does Hadju go into how Gaines own drug-fueled testimony ultimately proved as detrimental to his cause as his antagonists? I’m interested in reading the book, but only if its a fair account of the period and not one with outright heroes and villains.

By: Nathan Cain

Nathan Cain — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 23:51:25 +0000

I just finished this book last week. It was fascinating. I had no idea that comic books had caused such a moral panic at one time. Hadju did an impressive job with the research. Well worth reading.

As a side note, I should point out that the Senate committee that investigated comic books, and ultimately led to the demise of Bill Gaines’ EC comics was the same one that investigated Bettie Page’s bondage photographs. I’m willing to bet Senators were falling all over themselves to get that committee assignment.

By: Alan Cranis

Alan Cranis — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 15:10:47 +0000

Standing in line with my 11-year-old son at Golden Apple in Los Angeles for the opening of Free Comic Book Day last month, I spotted someone wearing a promotional t-shirt for this book. And it was a cold reminder that, as you pointed out, it all might have never happened. Remember this while standing in line to see “Iron Man” or “The Hulk” this summer. And remember too that it could very easily happen again…if we don’t pay attention.