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Rh “Well,” he replied, “the boy kills the gir] to gain recognition for a during deed and nobody believes him. ‘Lhe crime was in vain, It didn’t pay.”

Morse then wanted to know: “Who's to say what is objectionable? What may be objectionable to one group may vot be objectionable to another, If this type of story is objectionable, I won't publish this kind any more.”

He said he published other than borror books but the borror magazines sell tue best, Ile added his own children don't read horror books.

“It’s not that 7 dan’t let them vead horror books,” he explained. “My kids justi aveu't interested.”

He was shown some samples of books from ather publishers that bave been termed objectionable, “Would you allow your ehildren to read these if they wanted to?” he was asked.

“No,” Morse replied.

Willian M, Gaines, wanaging editor of Entertaining Comics and Educational Comics, defended publication of horror magazines this way:

“Yuu see the prolits from beaks some people have terined objectionable allow us to produce educational comics.”

(iaines leafed through the latest issues of two of his “humorous” comic books. “This issue,’ he said pointing to the Christmas edition of ane, “hus been banned in Boston. I don’t sce why. There's nothing wrong with it. Its a satire on yarious uspects of mudern life such us radio aul television prograims, books, and life in general.”

He adniitied that porlions of a story in the book concerning Christmas might offend religious groups, but said sume of the offending phrases got by the eyes of the editor.

a profit. Whoisn’t? But at the same time, we try to entertain our readers and tuso teach them.”
 * We're like any other business," he declared. “We're interested in making

He displayed some Jetters be received from critics whom he called “cranks.” Gaines said he receives many wore letters of praise than letters of condem- nation,

One of the letters charged the firm with being subversive and trying te under- yajne the minds and morals of the youth of this Nation.

“that’s ridteulons,” Guiues said. “We try to entertain and edueate. That's all there is to it. A lot of people have the ides we're a buneh of monsters who sit around drooling and dreaming up horror and lilth. That's not trne as you can see,”

He locked around his spacions office which was deearated with framed paint- ings of characters from the horror books snch us witches and ogres. “We have our story couferences here,” he said. .

“We discuss horror stories and ideas, but when the conference is over, so are the thoughts and discussion. We don’t take our work home with us,’ Gaines detlireu,

Gaines publishes 2 “humor” comi¢ books, 1 of which has been banned in Bos- fon; 3 horror comics and science fiction comic magazines and illustrated Bible stories in comic-book format.

He said the Bible comies were published 10 years age and since then have sold only § million copies. The price is it) cents and 65 cents. Llis other comics are 10 ceuts aud sell more than a million copies apiece a month.

He said horror comics bel children because “the comics are a stepping stone to reading books. Children improve their vocabutaries by reading comi¢ bouks and learn things about other subjects.”

l'vessed for specification of “other subjects,” he came up with “scicnce,”’

The largé publishing companies lave huge staffs grinding out drawings and copy in mass production, What they cau't do, they get from free-lance writers and artists.

Most of the smaller companies deal exclusively with free-lance writers, then “farm” cut drawings to free-lance artists, maintaining ouly editorial staffs to £upervise and edit makeup of the magazines.