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Anyone Seen this SOTI Related Book? (Updated with new item on p. 2))
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42 posts in this topic

If anyone's interested, later I can post the discussion about Gaines' testimony at the hearing.  Some folks view Gaines' testimony as a high point for the defense of comics. That's why it is really interesting to see Senator Hendricks different take (albeit he does praise Gaines as "eloquent").   Truth is, Senator Hendricks view of Gaines' testimony is more convincing to me than the notion that the Gaines' testimony helped his cause.  [Ducks tomatoes!]

Edited by sfcityduck
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50 minutes ago, sfcityduck said:

There are not very many SOTI related items that even SOTIcollector has never seen, but this is one of them.  Does anyone own a copy?  Anyone ever seen one?  

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"Youth in Danger: A Forthright Report to the American People - the Findings of the Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Deliquency" by Sen. Robert C. Hendrickson and Fred. J. Cook. (1956) is from a chapter of comics history that sometimes gets overlooked - the  post-SOTI criticism and condemnation of comic books in the United States.  That's the author on the left:

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This book is notable for its extensive Chapter on horror comics and the Senate Hearings at which Wertham, Gaines, and others testified.  

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But, the real value of the book is that it (1) lets you know what the Senators who questioned Gaines were thinking, including whether they supported censorship or not, and (2) details the continuing condemnation of comics after SOTI, after the adoption of the CCA, and the skepticism that comic critics had of the CCA itself.  Really interesting stuff.

And, I think, perhaps really rare.  Much rarer than SOTI, and even rarer than POP in my opinion.  I looked, and could only find this copy.  Another copy was mentioned once before on these boards 14 years ago.  But, it sure doesn't look like its caught much attention, despite the super cool back cover.

So I look forward to learning if anyone knows about this book.

 

 

Reading that page one might be persuaded that horror comics directly or indirectly influenced the injuries and death described.  But to understand the relevance of comics to actual events access to the data being discussed ...including interviews with the accused gang members... would be helpful.  

For instance, is this a carry over from Wertham’s findings or work product from Senate sub-committee investigations? The information sourcing is an area of curiosity.

Too often anecdotal data published in non-fiction books is embellished for shock value.  In fact, Wertham’s research has been criticized on those grounds.  Robert Hendrickson’s book is intriguing and worthy of more investigation.  I’m assuming footnotes or other reference information are included in the back.

Great find, BTW! (thumbsu

 

Edited by Cat-Man_America
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4 minutes ago, Cat-Man_America said:

Reading that page one might be persuaded that horror comics directly or indirectly influenced the injuries and death described.  But to understand the relevance of comics to actual events access to the data being discussed, including interviews with the gang members would be required.  

For instance, is this a carry over from Wertham’s findings or work product from Senate sub-committee investigations? The information sourcing is an area of curiosity.

Too often anecdotal data published in non-fiction books is embellished for shock value.  In fact, Wertham’s research has been criticized on those grounds.  Robert Hendrickson’s book is intriguing and worthy of more investigation.  I’m assuming footnotes or other reference information are included in the back.

Great find, BTW! (thumbsu

 

This book as well as SOTI were damaging to Joe and his carreer, as well as everyone elses. If you notice, Joe and Jack have 2 comics shown in that on photo. Black magic and justic traps the guilty. While this had an affect on comics, the collecting and production aspect, Joe always blamed the large decline of comics on something else.

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23 minutes ago, Cat-Man_America said:

For instance, is this a carry over from Wertham’s findings or work product from Senate sub-committee investigations? The information sourcing is an area of curiosity.

Both.  Because Wertham was a witness at the Senate Hearings.  However, the impression I get from this book is that the Senators were less interested in relying upon social science research than they were in relying upon what they viewed as common sense and logic.  Interestingly, the chapter ends with a strong condemnation of the notion that comics should be censored and a healthy skepticism of whether the CCA could adequately self police, and instead suggests that the real solution is a people-powered "it takes a village" style of parents and community authorities/role models (like teachers) offering kids protection and guidance.  

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23 minutes ago, Simon Comics said:

This book as well as SOTI were damaging to Joe and his carreer, as well as everyone elses. If you notice, Joe and Jack have 2 comics shown in that on photo. Black magic and justic traps the guilty. While this had an affect on comics, the collecting and production aspect, Joe always blamed the large decline of comics on something else.

Me, I'd blame t.v. for the initial decline of comic reading (and later direct marketing, paper shortages, video games, the internet, and poor publisher choices).  But, I'd blame the anti-comics crusade of the 1940s for the demise of EC and lurid PCH that collectors so love to collect today.

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15 hours ago, Robot Man said:

I have seen it. I do not own a copy though. I have a friend on the east coast who has one and I've looked through it. Rare indeed.

Is your friend dgillock?  Because he's the guy who found a copy in 2006.

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20 minutes ago, fifties said:

What was the something else?

Since Joe not only drew, wrote and inked, but he did ALL of the busienss aspects. Including finding publishers, distributors, and printers. He predicted that few to no kids would read comics as movies ans tv shows were coming out. AND a price jump on comics, he didn’t think they would last. Joe and Jack’s boy commandos #1 and 2 sold over 2 million copies each. Now a days of a comic sell a few  thousand it’s considered successful

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22 minutes ago, jpepx78 said:

Actually Senator Estes Kefauver is holding the Crime Suspenstories 22. Senator Hendrickson is in the dark suit and glasses.

Thanks for the correction!  I was going by the order in the book jacket.

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