Page:1954 Juvenile Delinquency Testimony.pdf/316

304 here haye been mnsny stupid and silly red herrings in recent years buat this attempt to justify profits fram pornography by labeling opposition as “Con munist” takes the cake or perhaps it is not jnat ordinary stupidity. It ay be the kind that srows from arrogance. These peddlers have acted un the theory that the American people are a bunch of stupid oafs—and by our apathy we have confirmed that judgment. Lint the jig is wp vow for the panderers of dirty comic books, nnd this Red scare is a frantic rear-euard action from 4 <iscredited and soun-lo-be-deactivated phase of publishing, Their end is in sight, and they know it.

New Yorn, April 12—A United States subcommittee, probing comie¢ books, was told here today that comic-huok publishers tried to clean up their products in JO48 but so few ltyed up to a decency code that the atiempt failed.

Atterney Ilenry I. Schultz, counsel for the Association of Comic Magazine Publishers, testitied that 99 percent of the comic-book publishers in this country joined his association in 1948.

Today, he said, the organization has dwindled to 12 members, only 3 of Which are cumicbauk publishers. “The association, I would sey, is oul of business and so is the code,” Schiultz declared,

The committce opened ifs 2lay hearings an ecomi¢ books and their relation to juvenile delinguency and crime in the Federal building on Foley Sqnire in front of a batiery of television and newsreel cameras.

The conmittee heard internationally famed chitd psychiatrist Dr, Frederic Wertham declare “as long as eriine and horror comie books are published, 20 American home is safe.”

it listened to Willinn: Gaines, publisher of Entertaining Comics, say, “The only limitation on what I publish is what I censider good taste,” after he told the committee that he was the founder of Horror Comics in this country and “Um prend of the comies 7 publish.”

Atiorsey Schultz snbaritted as evidence a eapy of the decency cate drafted by the Association of Cumic Magazine Publishers. Both Senator Estes Kefauyer, Democrat, of Tennessee, and Ssnator Rubert C, Mendrickson, Republican, of New Jersey, chairman of the subcommittee, complinented Schultz for the cade Senator Kefanver declared: ‘If this code were followed hy comic-book pub- lishers, we wouldn't have this prablem taday.”

Sehniltaz testified that seon after the code was drafted and an “approved” Seal was issued for books conforming fo the code, many publishers quit the association.

IIe was asked if the publishers quit because of the code. Schultz replied, “T know of two that left for that specific reson and others J suspected left for the same thing.”

He was asked to name the two who left because they didn’t want fo go along With the ende. Sebnuits said, “One was Educational Comics, published by William Gaines, and the other was Ayon.”

He was shown a sample of a horror magazine with a cover showing a skeleton strangling a corpse. In large print on the cover, were the words, “Come Inte My Coffin.” Phe caver carried the seal of approyal of the associatian.

Schullz said; “The seal is meaningless today, In fact, some publishers make np their own seals of approval and place (hem on their comic bouks.”

Gaines took (he stand and read a brief prepared statenient in which he said, “children are people too an@ are entitled to read what they wish.”

Gaines, who was one of the publishers deseribed in the Courant’s exposé on comic books, was questioned about his latest book, Shack Suspense Stories. {{nop}