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200 The. Would you agree with the Chair that we ought to look for some new definition of comics and what field is covered by the word "comics"?

Mrs. . Yes,I do. In fact J felt that I should really be repre- sented here. First, we didn't even want to be classed with the crime and horrer comics. Yet when we more or less did get into it, I felt we should be here to tell you our story.

We abhor horror and crime comics. We would like to see them out of the pivture because it taints us.

Mr. . We would like to show, too, that although we publish a third of all the comics published, the horror and crime comics which Dr. Wertham yesterday said constituted a majority of the comics are really ina minority, and the percentaye of them has to be very smal] because of the number that we publish alone, and we publish no war, no horror, no crime, no romance.

Mrs. . We sell 3½ million of Watt Disney's Peter Pan comics. That is a wonderful document, isn't it, against crime comics?

Mr. . Do you ever get complaints from grandfathers who get tired of reading these over and over again to their children?

Mrs. . We don't get any such complaints. I know when my children were young, I had to read my own comics to them, but of course it was wonderful then, Then I knew everything that was going on in each of our comics.

The. Mrs. Meyer, this subcommittee is grateful to you for your appearance here today. You have been very helpful.

Mrs. . Thank you.

The. Now in adjourning these New York hearings on crime and herror comics until furtler call of the chairman, I wish to state that the subject matter of these hearings will receive further careful study and consideration by the subcommittee.

Certain questions such as tie-in sales, for example, represents one of the several which we will have to resolve. Without attempting at this point to draw any conclusions, I wish to again reassure all in- terests concerned, that the subcommittee is aware that the evaluation of the total situation, m relation to the production of comics of this type, is a complex one and one which involves many, many facts.

I also wish to repeat that these hearings on horror and ertme comics represents but one form of the mass media to which this subcom- mittee will give attention at a later date. We believe that the public has x right to the facts, the right to know what the effect of this and other media is upon children, to know who is setting the standards for the inedia, and how the industries concerned operate, in relation to the observance of any standards,

The subcommittee would also like to thank the authorities here in New York who have made this room, and other facilities, freely avail- able to us. We also wish to express our appreciation for the interest shown and the cooperation given by the press, the radio, and the television.

it has been a great privilege for us to be here in this great city of New York, trying to salve not only one of your problems but a problem which exists throughout the Nation. Thank you very much.

The committee stands in recess, subject to the call of the Chair.

(Whereupon at 4:15 p. m., the committee was recessed, subject to call.)