Page:1954 Juvenile Delinquency Testimony.pdf/237

Rh Mr. . And any of the other magazines that you carrycrime and horror comics?

Mr. . We don’t have any others. In faet, I think you have included a nimber heve, sir, that do not fall in this category.

Mr. . Now, let me get the process straight. You sat down with Mr. Bleier and Mir. Epstein, of Prize Comics.

Mr. . Correct.

Mr. . And you told them you would no longer carrythis is since we held our hearing?

Mr. . That is right.

Mr. . You would no longer carry Black Magic?

Mr. . We would no longer carry Frankenstein, and he must change the editurial content of Black Magic, or we will not distribute it.

Mr. . Let me get a little bit into the publishing mechanism. Does the editor of Black Magic submit the copy of Black Magic for October to you before it is sent to the printer?

Mr. . No, he does not. He submits it fo lus pub- lisher. His publisher, Bleier & Epstein, knows of the standards by which Independent News Co. operates.

There have been times that material got into a magazine, und we did not know of it imtil after. the magazine had been prinied and shipped, aid it was then a case of just trying to mend bridges and lepriuninding the editor and the artist to see that it would not occur again,

Mr. . Actunlly, the first time you sce the magazine is after it is printed ?

Mr. . That is right, sir.

Mr. . You see no draft copy before?

Mr. . No.

Mr. . Now, what kinds of standards then do you set up with respect to Mr, Bleter and Mr. Epstein?

Mr. . Mr. Bleier and Mr. Epstein have been pub- lishers of comic magazines sinee 1940, T believe. Their first comic was Prize Comies, which is still being published. i

We became their national distributors in 1941 or 1942, I am not sure of the exact date. They have been associated in those 12 or 13 years with onr company, and have become familiar with the standard or the type of merchandise that we will distribute for them. |

I would like to recall that they distributed “Frankenstein” about 1946. We got after them about the type of material in the magazine and they changed it to a humerous type of character, they made “Frankenstein” the goat of children’s play.

When they did it, the magazine died, the magazine did not scl, and they discontinued it. :

Mr. . That was when, sir?

Mr. . That was about 1948. It was revived again just a few years ago and now it has goue again.

Mr. . Now, let me ask you one question about Mr. Bleier and Mr. Epstein. They publish just comtes; is that at?

Mr. . No, sir; they do publish a romance magazine. They publish a magazine called Man’s Life.

Mr. . They also publish books?