Page:1954 Juvenile Delinquency Testimony.pdf/193

Rh Now I think T should qualify that because in the last couple days, while I have not been here, I have read some of the testimony. If there is sullicient evidence to prove that anything that we might publish might be injurious to a child who is in the pattern of becom- ing delinquent, we would stop, we would be the first ones to stop.

This industry is highly competitive, and one of the vicious things that has happened to comics generally is that because of the fanatical pressure and exaggerated claims made about some comics mm general, without being definitive in their statements, some good publishers have been forced to give up comic publishing.

As in Gresham's law, the bad drives out the good, and a few hard- skinned, marginal publishers we know, have provided most of what the public demand in weird and so-called crime comics.

The relatively few weird comics we publish cannot be considered in the category of those books, and our Jow sales figures for such books prove it.

Speaking generally, if the criticism leveled against the content of erime and weird comic books were to be carried to other literature, if all written material pertaining to violence, crime, savagery would come under scrutiny, then the very heart and sinew of literature might suffer.

Tf an era of moral stigma concerning specific acts, words, or indi- vidual intention in written word were to surround all the literature, then how explain the value of the story of Cain and Abel or the slay- ing of the firstborn Egyptian children in the Old Testament?

Tf violence per se had been outlawed from all literature, if the weird and savage in Tahoo, would Mary Shelly have written Frankenstein, would Shakespeare have written Macbeth, would the legend of Billy the Kid, the homicidal gunmen known to present-day Americans of all ages, been written, would the stage be barren of the thrilling tragedies of Greek playwrights?

Would not this Nation have suffered had Harriett Beecher Stowe not written Uncle Tom's Cabin? It, too, was replete with action, torture scenes, violence, and death. It was a period of unrest, tension, and violence.

To then say to these kids you must not read about terror and occa- tional savagery, would be hypoerisy. Were these stories published by themselves with no other reason than to orrify, then criticism might be justified.

There is known to be present a period of calm, of relaxation, after witnessing or participating through reading of a violent fact, We have had plenty of information gleaned from newspapers and quota- tions from men of principle, psychiatrist and child guidance counsel- ors and so on, to feel that way.

Obviously, there are many who feel opposite.

Mr. . You are talking about your own comics, or ure you talkuig about all crime comics?

Mr. . I am referring only to our own books. You ask me why we should have some weird books, which is a small part of our business.

For the reasons I have mentioned here.

Mr. . Some of your statements do not apply to other comics you have heard about?